ACT 1: Old Legends
One day over at Everfree Forest, Starlight Glimmer was trotting along a dirt path along side her best friend, Trixie. The sunlight was flaring through the trees, as the bugs were buzzing around before getting eaten by the various flytraps growing around the forest.
“Ahh, isn’t this nice?” Trixie asked Starlight. “Just trotting with my best friend, Starlight Glimmer!”
Just as a bug ate one of the flytraps, Starlight said sarcastically, “Yeah, it’s very peaceful walking down a very dangerous path.”
“Oh relax, Starlight! If anything ever gets us, we can just combine our magic to beat anything that’s in our way!” Trixie said. “After all, we didn’t even NEED magic to stop the Changelings from taking over Equestria!”
Starlight giggled and says, “Yep! You got that right, Trix!”
Just as they were walking, the duo stopped to discover in front of them, a mysterious cave with a mysterious symbol up on top of the cave. “Ooo.” Starlight commented. “I do not like the look of that. Come on, Trixie. Let’s head back.” Trixie did not respond as the sky grew dark. “Trixie? Hey! Where are you?” The wind began to blow as it started to rain. “Trixie?!” Starlight yells, feeling nervous. “This better not be some sick magic trick, because… I DON’T LIKE IT!” Just then, Starlight heard Trixie screaming from inside the cave in front of her. “TRIXIE!” Starlight shouted as she ran inside the cave. It was dark in there, so Starlight used her magic to light the way.
Starlight starts walking as the cave spikes dripped water. Starlight continued shouting out Trixie’s name, but there was no answer. “Trixie!” Starlight shouted. “Where are you?! Please just show your face!” Just then, as a cheap jump-scare, Trixie shows up right in front of her, only upside down, passed out, and covered in Changeling goo. Starlight screams her lungs out when she sees her. As she starts backing away slowly, she bumps into Twilight in the same situation. When she looks around, she sees that ALL of her friends are trapped in Changeling cocoons.
Queen Chrysalis laughs evilly as she descends from above. Starlight gasps when she sees her. “Queen Chrysalis!” Starlight yells.
“I’m back for you, Starlight Glimmer!” Queen Chrysalis says mischievously. “Not just for you, but for ALL OF EQUESTRIA! You will not stop me this time! NOPONY CAN!” She continues laughing as Starlight looks down and sees her covered in changeling goo as well. She begins to scream just before she wakes up on her bed, sweating up a storm. She tried gasping for breath as if she almost drowned.
“She can’t come back!” Starlight said nervously. “She just… can’t!”
The next morning comes, and Starlight explains to Twilight about her dream, so Twilight sends a letter to Princess Luna, asking her to come over to help out. Starlight felt like a nervous wreck. She sat on her bed as Trixie and Spike comforted her. They hear a knock on the door just before Twilight and Luna walk inside.
“Hello, Starlight Glimmer.” Princess Luna said.
“Hi… Princess Luna.” Starlight said as she was still feeling paranoid.
“She’s been like this all morning.” Twilight said to Luna.
“I see.” Luna said. “Are you feeling okay, Starlight Glimmer?”
“DO I LOOK OKAY TO YOU?!” Starlight yells out at anger, startling everyone in the room.
“Awkward.” Spike commented.
“I’m sorry, princess.” Starlight said calmly. “I haven’t felt like myself today.”
“All is forgiven.” Luna said. “Please, Starlight, if you can, tell me about the dream.”
“Well,” Starlight starts, “I was in the Everfree Forest with Trixie…”
“Of course I would be in the dream! I’m her best friend after all!” Trixie said boldly.
“Not helping, Trixie!” Twilight said to her angrily.
“As we were walking through the forest,” Starlight continues, “we walked towards a cave, and just after, Trixie disappeared, and everything went dark. I heard Trixie screaming from the cave, so I ran after her, and when I got in, I noticed that she, Twilight, and all of our friends were trapped in Changeling cocoons. Then Chrysalis shows up evening her revenge against me, and all of Equestria.”
“But she can’t, right?” Trixie asked. “I mean, the Changelings have reformed.”
“Oh she can come back.” Luna said. “Just because the Changelings are no longer on her side, doesn’t mean she can’t return for revenge.” Starlight began to breathe heavily again. Spike gave her a paper bag to breathe in.
“There, there, Starlight.” Spike pats her on the back.
Once she catches her breath, she smiles at Spike and says, “Thanks, Spike!”
“Way to make me look bad.” Trixie complains to Spike.
“She can’t come back!” Starlight yells.
“Ow my ears!” Spike yells as he holds his ears.
“Sorry, Spike.” Starlight said. “Queen Chrysalis… is she… really going to come back?”
“It’s hard to say, Starlight Glimmer.” Luna said.
“Wait a second!” Twilight stops her. “Starlight, did you just say you dreamt about a cave?”
“It took you that long to ask?” Spike asked Twilight.
“Yeah… why?” Starlight asked.
“Did you see a strange looking symbol on top of the cave?” Twilight asked.
Starlight was surprised when Twilight asked that. “Actually, yes. I did see a strange symbol on the cave. But… what does it mean?”
“Wait a minute! I also had a dream about that cave!” Spike said. “Only difference was, it didn’t have the Changelings in it.”
“Neither did mine.” Twilight said. “It was a nightmare though. I had a vision of the same cave. An old foe returning to exact his revenge on me – Lord Tirek, and he was draining the magic from all my friends right outside of the cave as it was raining.”
“But he’s in Tartarus!” Spike reminded her. “You and the girls stopped him!”
“He can break out again, Spike.” Twilight said. “Did he, Luna? Did he break out again?”
“Luckily, we had our annual Tartarus security check yesterday, and all the prisoners, including Tirek, are still in their cells.” Luna said.
“That’s a relief!” Twilight said.
“Wait a minute. Who’s Lord Tirek?” Starlight asked.
“Uh, you don’t know who he is?” Trixie asked. “Didn’t he come to your village and drain all the magic from all the ponies?”
“No, he didn’t.” Starlight said. “My old village was in a very secluded location. Nopony before Twilight and the others has ever found us, other than the ones that stayed.”
“What could it mean, Luna?” Twilight asked.
“I’ve seen this before.” Luna said. “These common dreams are of no coincidence. Something is trying to tell you something, and giving you your worst fears in the process.”
“What do you mean? Like someone is trying to scare us?” Twilight asked.
“Maybe.” Luna said. “If you all had a shared dream about a cave in the Everfree Forest, I suggest each of you to journey out to find it. Only there will you find the answer to your mystery.”
“So each of us had a nightmare?” Twilight asked. “Spike, what was your nightmare about?”
“Oh it was, uh…” Spike paused trying to think of an answer, but he just embarrassingly smiles and says, “Garble!”
“Garble?” Twilight asked, glaring at him. “You’re afraid of him?”
“Well I’m afraid of him being near my friends, and he was really close to Rarity! He was going to… err… marry her right inside the cave!” Spike said. “Yeah, and it made me furious! Grrr! Then I woke up, and all’s well that ends well!”
“Uh, did that really happen?” Twilight asked Luna. Spike was signaling Luna to keep quiet.
Luna just chuckles and says, “Dreams are of mine or the dreamer’s business. I cannot share dreams of others to the public, as they are sacred to the one that dreams about it. Only Spike can tell you, and if that’s what he says he dreamed about, then you must accept it.” Luna winks at Spike, and Spike gives her a thumbs up.
“I guess.” Twilight said. “So I guess we’re all off on an adventure, huh?” Twilight asked her friends.
“I guess so!” Starlight said. “Trixie, you down?”
“Oh I wish,” Trixie said dramatically, “but alas, the Great and Powerful Trixie must not cancel any show for any moral purpose! However, I do wish each of you the best of luck in solving your mystery! Trixie shall cheer for all of you!”
“Uh, thanks Trixie!” Starlight said awkwardly.