//------------------------------// // 264. A Living Nightmare - Part 2 // Story: Blaze the Pony Tale // by Wolven5 //------------------------------// Returning to the dreamscape version of his room, Twinken looked at his dream album and smiled brightly to see the dream picture of Rumble showed his friend appearing like a Wonderbolt while the picture gained a golden frame along its edges. "Wow! I guess that means I did it," Twinken smiled as he turned the page, looking at the dream photos of everyone else he knew. He saw one that he assumed was Rarity's as it showed her walking down an aisle showing off a glamorous dress to flashing cameras, one where Cheerilee was smiling at the sight of her entire class holding up homework assignments all with an A+, but then he came to a picture that caused him to gasp at the very sight of it! It was of Button Mash wearing royal guard armor obviously too big for him while standing before his commanding officer.. Button's late brother Cheat Code! “Uh-oh! Button must be having a really bad dream if it has his brother in it,” Twinken determined before he willed the dreamscape to take him into Button's dream. "YOU CALL THAT PROGRESS, RECRUIT?! DROP AND GIMME FIFTY!!!" Twinken found himself in what looked to be a military training ground, with several marching royal guardponies, all looking impressive yet unapproachable, but he was drawn to the shouting... and felt his heart sink to see Button Mash, his propeller-cap gone, his mane in some kind of buzz cut, and struggling to do push-ups... with a royal guard helmet as a cutie-mark! And standing before him was an exaggerated version of Cheat Code. Twinken could remember Cheat Code from a while back when the stallion had come to visit his family in Ponyville after being granted time off from service. He'd been a kind, fun, and friendly pony to those around him. This version however was big, dark, and gave off no warm brotherly feelings, looking down at Button with a cold and ruthless glare. To make matters worse, Twinken noticed that “Cheat Code” had a very....distinct look. He had a hole in his neck, pale coat and a patchy mane. Cheat Code's face was sunken in and looked pale. He grinned a razor toothed grin as Button Mash attempted to do fifty pushups. “Pathetic,” he hissed. “I knew you were the worthless one in the family, always sticking your snot-covered nose in those damned vidiot games.” “But....that's my....” Button whimpered, hesitantly looking up at Cheat Code with tearful eyes. “Time to grow up, kid!” Cheat Code snarled. “You need a real world job, and service in the guard will maybe make you less of a waste of flesh and blood!” “But w-we... we always talked about... opening up our own arcade!" sniffled Button, tears flowing down his eyes. “That was just a stupid kiddy wish, Button!" Cheat Code gave a harsh stomp just a tad too close to Button, making him whimper and duck his head down. "This is your calling now, and you are not going to be an embarrassment to me any longer! So don't you dare move even a hoof from that spot until you've done your one hundred pushups!" Button whimpered again as Cheat Code turned and stormed off. Button waited until he was fully alone and then broke down, unable to contain his heartache a moment longer. Watching his friend's sadness, Twinken felt so bad for Button. The gamer's bad dream wasn't just about cutie-marks but about his brother! Poor Button... Twinken could only guess how much Button was still hurting since everything that happened only a few months ago. Then he realized something else about this dream Button was having. Not only was it a bitter reminder that his brother was gone, it was subjecting him to a situation where he no longer had his video games to immerse himself into, so as not to worry so much about real world problems. Is that what Button's afraid of when he gets his cutie-mark? It made sense, now that Twinken thought about it. Button was honestly the least ambitious among the Crusaders in their mission of finding their cutie-marks, and wasn't always so enthusiastic whenever they tried something new in the hopes of their flanks filling out with a mark of destiny. So then... Button's worry of his cutie-mark forcing him out of his comfort zone is being manifested along with his sadness of losing Cheat Code! With that realization came the knowledge on what to do, and Twinken willed himself to truly become a part of Button Mash's dream. Hurrying over to his friend, Twinken gently removed the much-too-big armor from the sobbing Button, and spoke to him. "Button, it's okay." "N-no! It's not! I-I-I'm a loser-her-her...!!" Button sobbed, covering his face in shame, trying to hide his tears. "You are not a loser, Button!" Twinken swore to him, "You're a great friend and always so considerate. I can barely think of anypony as creative and imaginative as you, and there's nothing wrong with loving your video games. Your brother loved video games too, remember?" Button struggled to stop his crying, looking up at Twinken with a hiccup. "Your brother was really cool, Button," Twinken offered a hoof, and after a shaky moment Button accepted and Twinken hoisted his friend up, "He was a hero! I can't imagine what you're going through, losing someone you loved and loved you back so much. But do you really think he'd say all those things to you? The big brother you looked up and idolized and loved?" "...N-no! He wouldn't!" Button realized as their surroundings dulled and blurred, and Button finally saw, "Is-is this a dream?" "it is, and now that you're realizing the truth you can make it as spectacular as you want it to be," Twinken assured, "but Button... I can actually understand what you're feeling about getting a cutie-mark. You're afraid that it'll be something that you're not certain you can live up to." "It's... it's not just that, Twinken," Button sighed heavily as he wiped his tear-stained cheeks, "What if... what if my cutie-mark means I'm supposed to do something important and I fail?! What if it'll be something where everypony counts on me... and I let them down?" "Whenever you're having trouble, Button, you can always count on your friends and family for help," Twinken reminded him, "Regardless of what your cutie-mark may turn out to be, it doesn't decide what you have to do with your life. It represents a part of you that shines when you're at your best! "And think about your brother... Cheat Code loved you and wanted you to be happy. Cherish all the good times you and he had together, and whatever you want to do when you're big, make it as special as the brotherhood you and Cheat Code shared!" The words of his friend lit a fire in Button's heart, and then he began to glow a soft silvery gold as he grew older and bigger and brighter. So bright Twinken had to cover his eyes as he felt the dreamscape around him shift and change! All of a sudden, he heard bells and whistles, chip tunes, and laughs, and Twinken looked around to find himself in what had to be the coolest arcade he'd ever seen! Some classic games, like pinball machines, air hockey, whack-a-diamond dog, and some game consoles that featured racing games, platform games, shoot `em up, and so much more. "Excuse me ,mister, can I have some tokens?" Twinken turned around and smiled to see an adult Button Mash wearing a visor on his head and a token-dispenser on a belt around his barrel, smiling as he accepted a few bits from a filly and gave her some game tokens, "Here ya go, sweetie! Now go for the high score!" Smiling to see Button was alright, Twinken left him to enjoy his dream more. The frame around the picture of Button's dream in the dream album turned into a soft gold, and Twinken smiled that he'd helped another friend, and as he sat at his desk, he began to turn the page, wondering, "Now, is anypony else having a- Uh-oh!" Twinken came to a page showing a dream photo of Apple Bloom in a dark room as a circle of random symbols glowing softly surrounded her, and the border of her dream picture gave off a dismal glow. "Apple Bloom looks like she's having a really bad dream!" Focusing, Twinken touched the dream photo... and found himself in a gloomy and desolate forest. Back so soon...? "Who said that?" Twinken looked around, seeing nopony- "All right, whoever you are, Ah dunno what you went an' cast on me but Ah wannit t' stop right now!" "Apple Bloom?" Twinken hurried in the direction he'd heard his sister yelling, wondering who she was talking to, but then that same odd voice he heard earlier responded to Apple Bloom's words as Twinken hurried to catch up. I didn't cast a spell. on you, or anypony else. I only did what you wanted. "AGH! Why would ah wan' you t' torment me wit' nightmares?!" Twinken skidded to a halt and peered over a bush and saw Apple Bloom, looking frantic as a chilly wind blew around her. You didn't want to catch bugs, and I helped. You didn't want to lose friends, and I helped. If there's a problem with your family... Twinken finally saw the speaker of that soft and eerie voice! Hiding in the foliage opposite of Twinken's side of the clearing where Apple Bloom was. A small and shadowy figure with glowing orange eyes and a not-so-friendly smile. ...I'm sure I can help with that too. "Ah don' want yer help!" Apple Bloom turned and began to ran, "Jus' get away from me!" Then Twinken saw it and realized what was going on! He focused and willed himself to appear in front of Apple Bloom, saying, "Apple Bloom, you can't run!" Skidding to a halt, Apple Bloom was perplexed to see Twinken suddenly appear before her, giving off a glow like a distant star. "T-Twinken! Wh- Ah don'... Wha's going on?!" Apple Bloom threw up her hooves in frustration, "All night, Ah've been having jus' th' worse dreams about cutie-marks an' it's drivin' me up th' wall! Now you show up an' say Ah can't run?!" "Apple Bloom, calm down," Twinken smiled gently, "what I meant is... you can't run from your own shadow!" "Muh shadow?" Apple Bloom gave her brother a confused look, and Twinken knew what to do. He lit up his horn just enough and pointed behind Apple Bloom. She turned to see the awful figure shrink in the light of Twinken's magic as it slid down the tree it had been in front of... and down towards Apple Bloom, her form casting the figure and revealing it was indeed her shadow! "It's just me? Y'mean Ah've been doin' all this t' mahself?!" Apple Bloom moved one way and then another, making sure it was really her shadow. "Well, it's your dream, AB," Twinken shrugged as he dimmed his horn. "But... if Ah've been dreamin' this whole time, why don' Ah jus' wake up?" asked Apple Bloom as she turned to look at Twinken, a little worry still on her face. The question confused Twinken too, and from what he was able to gather, Apple Bloom had been having multiple bad dreams all in one, over and over. Normally, most ponies would wake up from a bad dream, realize nothing was wrong, and then find a way to go back to sleep. But in this instance with Apple Bloom, that was not the case. The young dream-walker thought it over and also considered some of the lessons and words Princess Luna had shared with him about dreams... when he got it! "Well... Apple Bloom? Did what we all talked about yesterday at the clubhouse worry you? Like... being stuck with a cutie-mark you don't want, or how it might come between you and those you care about?" "It... it did!" Apple Bloom realized as she recalled those bitter dreams, "At first, Ah had this awful cutie-mark where Ah had t' exterminate these bugs but Ah din' wan' it... until Ah needed it. Then, Ah had a mark but th' other Crusaders thawt they shouldn' hang around me no more, and then Ah din't have a mark but they did and they said they din't wan' me around! But worst of all... Ah got a cutie-mark that had nothin' t' do with apples and mah fam'ly kicked me out, sayin' Ah din' belong at Sweet Apple Acres anymore... but wha' does it all mean, Twinken?! Ah jus' wan' this t' be over!" "Hmm, maybe..." Twinken thought before it dawned on him, "Maybe... we can get so worried about something and those worries can be so scary that we begin to feel like we're trapped in a nightmare!" "Very insightful, my young pupil." The two young foals gasped and looked up to the moon shining above them... as a pair of wings unfurled to reveal Princess Luna! By her coming did the dream around them fade away to reveal the starry void of the Dreamscape, and the three of them settled onto a pathway of stars. "You have done so well, Twinken, and offered such sound advice that I could no longer just stand by to observe. You are becoming an exceptional guardian of dreams, and very wise for a colt your age. But Apple Bloom, I sense there is more to what you shared with your brother. Perhaps something you are afraid of?" "...Yeah," Apple Bloom gloomed a bit, "Ah guess Ah jus' got so worried about gettin' mah cutie-mark." "Well, that is the same as worrying about who you are," Luna explained, "for that is what a cutie-mark symbolizes. If you cannot accept who you are, your life might seem like a bad dream." Noticing Apple Bloom's gloominess appearing over her in the form of a ran cloud, Twinken made it go away with a push of his mind as the earth pony filly asked, "But... if Ah like who Ah am, do you think other ponies will too?" "Apple Bloom! You have a whole family and a bunch of friends who love you," assured Twinken, "and they'll love you whatever your cutie-mark may turn out to be!" "Then... it doesn't matter what muh cutie-mark is!" Apple Bloom realized. "Indeed," Luna confirmed while gently pulling both foals into a wing-hug. "But tha's so simple!" Apple Bloom felt so silly. "Ah mus' be th' only pony in th' universe this worried about her cutie-mark..." Luna and Twinken shared a look as the princess said, "Oh, we wouldn't say that." Then by Luna's will the three of them found themselves in the Corridor of Dreams, a seemingly endless hallway of doors where each led to the dream of a sleeping mind. Sensing a familiar dream nearby, Twinken stepped over to a purple door with an oval-shaped window, "Look in here, Apple Bloom." The door opened, and Apple Bloom shielded her eyes from the brief light coming out of it before it faded... revealing a stage with a microphone before a table of judges, Vinyl Scratch, better known as DJ Pon-3, the famous cellist Octavia, and Rarity, all waiting as Sweetie Belle poked her head out from the stage curtains and slowly walked up to the microphone. Taking a breath, she prepared to sing... only for her flank to flash and reveal a mop and bucket cutie-mark! And the microphone had turned into a broom, to her panic! The judges all shook their heads, Scratch and Octavia giving Sweetie Belle a 0 while Rarity head-tabled and gave a 1 out of pity. A pony in a janitor outfit stepped over to give Sweetie Belle a bucket, and she frowned sadly at this turn of events. Apple Bloom stepped back, feeling bad for Sweetie Belle... "And over here, Apple Bloom." She turned to see Luna open a brown door, and peering in Apple Bloom saw a Hee-YUGE ramp, and standing at the top was none other than Scootaloo, wearing a daring purple and golden starred cape with a matching helmet and visor, standing ready on her scooter. She buzzed her wings and kicked herself forward, zooming down the ramp, her eyes narrowed, a smirk on her face... that was very quickly wiped off as a whisk and mixing bowl cutie-mark appeared on her flank, her helmet was replaced by a chef's hat, and she screamed, finding herself on a giant crank-powered eggbeater, and she barely went far off the ramp... into a canyon full of pudding! Apple Bloom looked on as Scootaloo struggled to stay above the pudding as the door closed in front of her. "Scootaloo an' Sweetie Belle are havin' nightmares too?!" "Not just them, but so were Rumble and Button Mash," added Twinken, "Princess Luna gave me a task to help all of you guys out tonight with your bad dreams. I helped the guys but then I noticed what a bad dream you were having and came to help." "It's been a busy night for all of us," agreed Luna, "but I think it's time to bring it to a close..." Luna lit up her horn... and the Dreamscape lit up to reveal a familiar door. Stepping through, the three of them foudn themselves in the Crusader clubhouse, or at least a dream version of it, and waitign for them were the rest of the crusaders! "Princess Luna!" greeted Rumble, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Button Mash. "I understand that you've all had much on your minds, tonight," Luna said as she, Apple Bloom, and Twinken stepped forward, "but I think Apple Bloom has something she would like to share before you all wake." "We're still asleep?" Button Mash and Sweetie Belle shared a confused look while Scootaloo got an idea and began to buzz her wings... and rise! "Cool!" she cheered as she flew around the clubhouse, Rumble flying up and laughing happily while Apple Bloom stepped up to the podium. "Well, Ah guess Ah should call this dream meetin' of th' Cutie-Mark Crusaders t' order." Luna smiled, holding back a little laugh as the rest of the Crusaders stood at attention and Apple Bloom explained, "Ah know we all got pretty anxious when we found out Babs got her cutie-mark. But Ah, fer one, don' wanna have nightmares from now until we get ours." "Us neither," Scootaloo and Rumble both said as they all gave a shake of their heads in agreement. "An' even though wer' all a lil' scared, a cutie-mark won' change who we are or how everypony feels about us." "I'm glad it wasn't just me having these scary thoughts," Button Mash gave a smile to Sweetie Belle, who nuzzled up to him for mutual reassuring. "That way we can help and remind each other to be just who we are," added Sweetie Belle. "And when the day comes each of you gets his or her cutie-mark," Luna spoke in, "you can be sure it will fit you to a tee." "Exactly," Apple Bloom nodded. "Hey, I wonder if Babs is having her own troubles about this stuff," Twinken thought out loud, and everypony thought a moment- "Ah know! Let's put t'gether a care package for her," Apple Bloom proposed, earning her a whole lot of smiles in agreement. "That way she'll know she isn't alone!" Sweetie Belle added. "We wouldn't want her to think that just because she's got her cutie-mark now, doesn't mean she stops being a crusader, or our friend," Twinken affirmed. "But..." Button spoke up and everypony got the idea as they noticed the dream clubhouse was drifitng freely, "Maybe we should wake up first." "Good idea," Luna agreed and there was a flash, leaving her and Twinken alone in the dream version of his bedroom. "Twinken, you excelled tonight. You helped your friends and your sister in more ways than one." "But I didn't help Sweetie Belle or Scootaloo with their dreams," Twinken brought up. "I thought I was supposed to help all of them." "They got just the help they needed, and furthermore, what matters where you're concerned is that the lessons were learned," Luna assured her pupil, "A dreamwalker doesn't just stop the bad dreams, Twinken. You're also supposed to help sleepers figure out why they're having these bad dreams to begin with, so they stop having them. "Because if all you do is step in and make the bad dreams stop and replace them with good dreams, then you're not solving the problem at all. It's like trying to fix a broken leg with a band-aid." "It doesn't help at all!" Twinken realized and Luna nodded. "You exhibited wisdom far beyond a colt your age, and you will make a fine protector of dreams one day, and perhaps something a little more." Then Luna gave off a brief yet bright glow before she faded away, vanishing before Twinken could ask what she meant, and the dreamscape around him slowly vanished... as he woke up. *COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!!!* "Mmph..." Twinken's eyes creaked open, and he noticed the soft glow on his walls coming from his curtains that kept the morning light at bay. Recalling all that had happened last night, he groaned as he sat up and stretched out some bed aches before hopping out of bed. Stepping into the hallway, he heard some rustling coming from Apple Bloom's bedroom and opened the door, finding her checking her flank, obviously having just woken up too. "You're awake." She looked up to see Twinken leaning against the doorway with a smile, "Good morning." Sighing in relief to have total proof she wasn't about to go on another bad dream, Apple Bloom slid out of bed, saying, "Whatta night!" "And whatta smell," Twinken sniffed the air, and Apple Bloom did the same, the both of them smelling it and they both gave each other a smile. "Pancakes!" they cheered and got ready for the day. Coming down the stairs, the delicious aroma of pancakes getting stronger Apple Bloom and Twinken heard a certain sister singing: There ain't no call t' worry, so don' you cry or fret... Smiling Apple Bloom sang as she and Twinken walked in: A cutie-mark won' change me, no matter what Ah get The two foals noticed Faerie Tail setting up the table while Granny Smith made herself comfortable and Applejack smiled proudly, "Well, it looks like somepony is feelin' better." "You have no idea," Apple Bloom confirmed as she and Twinken sat down at the dining table. "See? Now wha' did Ah tell ya?" Applejack sat down too, "A good night's sleep cures just about everything." The two Crusaders shared a knowing look as Apple Bloom shrugged, "Ah guess so..." "We just wish it hadn't been so exhausting!" Twinken giggled as he served himself and Apple Bloom, the mares all sharing confused looks.