//------------------------------//
// Chapter II: Trapped in a Nightmare 
// Story: Starlight Silence 
// by Sky Blue CMC 
//------------------------------//

	"It's another nightmare." Sky Blue sang. "I swear there's something out there, so save me 'cause I'm so scared. Will you show me the way?"

"Follow me." Dreamy Sweetie replied. The two of them continued to go towards the light, knowing that its source was the spirit of the Nether Emerald. About a third of the way there, they saw some strangely shaped stones. There were some cube-shaped ones, cylindrical ones, and cone shaped ones with a spiraling protrusion extruding from them, like the heads of gigantic drills. Those are probably pieces of some giant drill-based golem or something. I wonder if it will come to life, like the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 when Flim and Flam cast the power-doubling spell on it? If that's the case, there must be somepony guarding the gem spirit.

"Dreamy Sweetie, what're we gonna do when we find this spirit?" Sky asked. "Can it talk? I know your real world self wouldn't know that, but maybe Luna told your dreamy self?"

"The three gem spirits can talk, but their personalities are... annoying." Dreamy Sweetie answered. "We must be persistent in order to communicate with them. One thing they like to do is test the heroes' worth in combat. They each create a giant golem and we have to grow into giants to fight it. Only dreamy ponies can become giant, so you'll have to hover over my shoulder."

"I knew there was going to be a golem fight!" Sky exclaimed. "Those didn't look like ordinary rocks. Well, let's get going then. BACK TO ADVENTURE!"

"What's gotten into you, Sky?" Sweetie asked. "Kind of a hypocrite considering that you always ask if ponies are out of their minds. And isn't that from the wrong game?"

"Eh, wibbly wobbly timey wimey... and dreamy weamy I guess." Sky responded. "It doesn't matter where it comes from, catchphrases are catchphrases... and I don't remember a Dream Team member having a catchphrase. That was the best thing about the time traveling trio."

"Just say their name!" Dreamy Sweetie replied.

"But it's a terrible pun!" Sky retorted. "It's just a play on partners in crime!"

"And Dream Team is somehow a better pun?" Sweetie re-retorted. "And anyway, it's more of a quintet than a trio... unless you count past and future selves as the same pony... though the Time Quintet is a sci-fi series, not a group of ponies... and we just got sidetracked again." As the two CMCs were arguing about games and puns, neither one of them noticed that they had reached the centre of the pile of rubble. Standing face to face with them was the Nether Emerald's Spirit... well, not really standing, since it had no legs, but there it was.

"Hello? Mr Spirit?" Sky asked the gem spirit. "We were wondering where the real Nether Emerald is and..."

"SHADDUP!!!" The Nether Emerald Spirit interrupted. "I'm try'na sleep! Gotta stay moisturised to produce more energy, and I can't do that while I'm awake, can I? So STAHP PESTERIN' ME! Go ask another gem spirit for help... You're wasting your time and mine."

"What my non-dreamy friend here is trying to say is that you're the only gem spirit we can find, and we need your help to wake ourselves up." Dreamy Sweetie replied. "So if you could please tell me where the real Nether Emerald is, we could destroy it and set you free... and then be out of your hair... not that you have any."

"You really wanna know where the Nether Emerald is?" The spirit asked. "I'll tell you where it is... it's in SHADDUPVILLE!"

"INSOLENCE!" Dreamy Sweetie exclaimed in anger. "I am Dreamy Sweetie Belle, dream world version of the apprentice of Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship, and I COMMAND you to release the requested information AT ONCE!"

"Insolence?" The spirit replied. "Aww, is da widdle pony mad? 'INSOLENCE!' Adorable. 'INSOLENCE!' Priceless! As for the location, I'd be happy to... NOT TELL YOU!!" The spirit then flew away, resting on top of a stack of boulders. Dreamy Sweetie and Sky worked together to bust and move the rocks, so that they could get the spirit to talk. 

"Cast the shadows out from sight, a final stand, a shouting cry." Sky sang. "All the wrongs now turn to right, so fight the past, take back the night! And call upon the torch tonight, to bring out all the ghosts to light, because at last we have to go, it's time... to take back the night!" After hearing these words, the Nether Emerald Spirit froze for a few seconds, then it gathered up all the golem parts from the ground and rebuilt the million year old relic, the Drilldigger Golem.

"DRILLDIGGER ON!" The spirit screamed. This is not good. Sky thought. How exactly is Giant Dreamy Sweetie going to help me now? "I'll crush you! You'll pay for your crimes! If you die in this dream, reality can't save you!" Sky could see a thousand clones of Dreamy Sweetie fusing with the real Dreamy Sweetie, doubling her size... then redoubling it, and re-redoubling, then re-re-redoubling, and so on until she was over a thousand times her original size. A giant hammer appeared out of nowhere, and Giant Dreamy Sweetie grasped it with her magic.

"SHOWTIME!" Sky and Giant Dreamy Sweetie shouted together. Even when one of them was giant, they didn't exactly know how to defeat an ancient golem with just dreamy magic and a giant hammer. Giant Dreamy Sweetie swung the hammer with her magic, causing a decent bit of damage to the Drilldigger Golem, which hit back for more severe damage to Giant Dreamy Sweetie. It started raining hayburgers out of the sky. Giant Dreamy Sweetie noticed that they were falling rhythmically, and told Sky to collect them and feed them to her. They managed to gather eight of them, which was enough to restore Giant Dreamy Sweetie's health.

The next attack from the golem was easier to dodge, since the duo were prepared for it. Using the hammer, Giant Dreamy Sweetie countered the attack and severely damaged the golem. Next, they traded a few more blows before the golem was in peril. "It is time!" Giant Dreamy Sweetie told Sky. "The foe is weak and ripe for defeat! Let's finish it off with the Finishing Sisters move! See that shooting star? Catch it, Sky!"

Giant Dreamy Sweetie threw Sky upwards, towards the shooting star, which Sky caught and threw downward, while Sky was still holding onto it. "EXCELLENT!!" The duo shouted. The Drilldigger Golem was no more. After finishing their victory dance, Giant Dreamy Sweetie returned to normal size. "Feel like talking yet, Stony?"

"That was AMAZING!" The Nether Emerald Spirit exclaimed. "I thought you real worlders were small fries, but you've proven that you're a big fry, Big White! Next time, I wanna take on Big Blue! You've proven to be a worthy foe, so I'll go ahead and... TELL YOU! But only Big White. It'll be our little secret."

Dreamy Sweetie walked slowly towards the Nether Emerald Spirit, which told her... "Clouds... Rocks... a cliff... A mountain. Definitely a mountain... in the far north, past the largest mountain range in the world. The mountain stands alone, but unites all souls on the solstice."

"A lone mountain... in the far north..." Sky said, partially to her friend, and partially to herself. "I know where it is! Mount Amore!"

"That was supposed to be a secret!" The spirit replied. "What gives?"

The two heroes, having awakened the gem spirit, were sent back to the real world. "Discord, I know where the Nether Emerald is..." Sky said. "It's on Mount Amore."

"Mount Amor-what-the-hay?" Discord asked.

"Mount Amore, the northernmost mountain, where all lost souls unite." Sky explained. "I've never been there, but I heard about it from my sister. She was trying to find a new source of rainbow juice, so the factory didn't have to rely on blood."

"Sounds absolutely repulsive..." Discord yakked. "But it's our only lead. As soon as we get back to Equestria, I'll teleport us there."

"I wouldn't advise that, Discord." Sky warned him. "The mountain is protected by an Aurora Flash that turns all magic against its users. We'll have to walk. And hurry, we only have until the solstice."

"It's the Changeling Hive all over again." Discord complained. "But I suppose if Miss No Magic thinks it's for the best... Allons-y!" The trio began walking back to the mortal world, ready to start their fortnight of misfortune.