//------------------------------// // Sweet and Sour Dreams // Story: The Chaotic Three: A Zany Story // by LunaJack //------------------------------// It was just after nine, and Luna’s moon shined brightly in the night sky over Sweet Apple Acres.  Applespike lay in bed, covers up to his chin, sleepily admiring the shadows the silver light cast across the floor.  Outside his window, the leaves of an old oak swayed in the evening breeze.  Their shadows danced over his blanket.  It reminded him of a story Spike used to tell about a little princess who wanted the moon so badly that the Court Jester climbed a tree outside her window to catch it.  Or maybe the Jester just told her he did.  Applespike shook his head.  He was too tired to remember the story. He had helped plowing the fields that afternoon, proudly wearing the neck yoke his Uncle Big Mac had worn as a colt.  Plowing was harder work than apple bucking, and he was utterly exhausted, but he had done a good day’s work and earned an approving nod from his uncle.  That was all that mattered.  He frowned, recalling what Jewel had told him about her job. “It’s work, Applespike.  When you plow a field, or buck apples, you can see the good work you’ve done.”  He hadn’t really thought about it before, but she was right.  It was a pleasure to look back on his work and feel pride in it.  He sighed, wishing Jewel had taken him up on his offer and returned home.  He had been dreaming of her every night since the Gala, and the dreams were warm and sweet. Slowly he closed his eyes.  He could see the moon shining over the hill with the lone apple tree.  A red and green checkered picnic blanket was spread on the ground.  His parents were there, smiling excitedly.  So were Rarity and Fancy Pants and Gemstone. “Surprise!”  they cried, moving aside to reveal Jewel, wearing a beautiful silver gown. She smiled at him, tears like diamonds in her eyes.   “I’m home to stay,” she whispered. Applespike felt his heart soar as he nuzzled her.  Their parents watched, beaming with joy as the two of them shared a kiss.  Above them, the silhouette of an alicorn flitted across the moon’s surface as Applespike contentedly cuddled his true love. Across the Everfree Forest, in the Castle of Discord, Zany had finally drifted off to sleep.  He was in the Canterlot Palace, being ushered into the Princesses’ throne room.  “The Crown Prince of Chaos has arrived!” a guardspony loudly announced. Celestia and Luna both bowed low before him. “Your majesty!” they cooed.   “Please," he responded grandly. "Just call me Zany.” “What can we do for you, Prince Zany?” asked Luna, grinning broadly. “Things have been getting too predictable around here,” Zany answered, plopping himself down on the throne.  “Tomorrow, the sun should do a loop-de-loop as it comes up, then turn plaid. Red and green, I think!  It should also be snowing popcorn in the mountains and nacho cheese should be flooding the rivers.” “Yes, Zany,” answered Celestia. “And there should be plenty of broccoli and corn chips along the banks for the ponies to dip in the cheese.” “I'll see to it," said Luna with a curtsy. "Is there any other way we can serve you?" “Yes, please call in the royal masseuse to massage my back.  It’s a little achy.” Luna clapped her hooves and a massage table appeared.  The masseuse was a pretty filly with light brown fur and a lavender mane. She regarded Zany hungrily as he laid himself face down on the table. "What would the Prince like?" she asked in a sultry voice. "A nice, gentle massage on my upper back will do for starters, Nutmeg," he replied. The filly set to work, gently kneading the muscles between his shoulder blades. “Oh, that is perfect,” Zany sighed, a huge grin scrawled across his face.  “That is utterly--OUCH!” “Sorry,” said Nutmeg.  “I didn’t mean to hurt you.” “That’s okay, just don’t let it—OUCH!  That’s my head!” “Sorry!  I didn’t mean to hit you.” “Are you sure?” asked Zany suspiciously.  “I’m starting to think that—OUCH!  That was my flank you hit!” “Sorry, Prince Zany,” the masseuse apologized.  “Oops!” Her hoof smacked Zany hard right on the cutie mark. “OW!  What is going on? OW!” he shouted as more blows rained down.  “Stop-- OW! Smacking-- OW!  My flank!  YEOW!” “Sorry, Prince Zany.” Zany rolled off the table and rubbed his stinging backside. “What in Tartarus is wrong with this dream?” A giggle seemed to come from one of the stained-glass windows.  He looked up sharply, but all he saw was the image of Twilight Sparkle and the Elements of Harmony.             “Very funny, Princess,” he grumbled. "Very funny."   Slowly, the train screeched and bumped to a stop at the Ponyville station. “Ponyville!” the conductor bellowed.  “Passengers for Ponyville, please exit the cars!” The doors opened.  A streak of white and purple leaped from the last car and galloped down the platform. “After her!” voices bellowed.  Jewel did not look back.  She ran down the street, her heart beating hard in her chest: past the post office, Sugarcube Corners, and the library until she reached the Carousel Boutique.  She threw open the door and slammed it behind her, locking it tight. “Mummy?” she called.  “Daddy?  Gemstone?  I’m home!” There was no answer.  “Hello?” she called, lighting up her horn. “Anypony here?”   In the light, she could see the room was empty.  Where was the furniture?  Where were her mother’s ponykins?  Where were the drawers of buttons and bolts of cloth? Jewel’s heart beat harder in rising panic.  Where were they?  Where were her family? “How did I just know you were going to bolt here?” Jewel squeaked as Picture Perfect loomed out of the shadows, an evil grin spreading across his face. “I warned you, Jewel!  Your family is ruined.  Your mother had to sell off her stores.  Your father’s a poor broken stallion.  Your darling sister had to go to work in the Cherry factory.” “No!” Jewel screamed, looking around desperately. “Oh, yes!  Take a look outside.” Jewel looked out the window and saw Rarity and Fancy Pants sitting dejectedly on a street corner in Manehattan.  Their white coats were stained gray and they were so thin, she could see the bones through their skin. “Mummy!  Daddy!”  Jewel bolted out the door, but Rarity and Fancy Pants were gone.  She looked around for them desperately when her eyes fell on Goodnight.  He was standing in the middle of the road, blocking her way.  A wide grin split his face. “Well, well, well, look at what I have here,” his voice bellowed triumphantly. Jewel gasped.  Bound, gagged and hanging upside down by their tails were Applespike and Zany.   The black stallion laughed maniacally. “Time for payback!” The ground shook and a giant tazlworm broke through the earth. “No!” cried Jewel as Goodnight dangled the terrified colts over the creature’s enormous maw.  Fair Weather and Mountain Mist appeared, holding her back.  Goodnight grinned cruelly. “Come and get it!” he called. “No!” “ENOUGH!” There was a flash of light, and the images turned to mist and wafted away.  Jewel found herself alone in a field of soft blue. “It was only a dream,” she whispered in relief.  “It was only a dream.”   She looked up and saw the dark, lean silhouette of an alicorn slowly approaching. “Oh, Princess Luna!” she cried, bowing low.  “Thank you!  Thank you, so much!” The alicorn giggled like a filly. “Rise, Jewel,” she said.  “You don’t need to bow to me.” Jewel looked up sharply.  That didn’t sound like Princess Luna’s voice!  She squinted suspiciously at the approaching alicorn.  She seemed a lot shorter close up.  And where was her crown and royal regalia? “Who—who are you?” she asked nervously. “It’s all right, Jewel.  It’s just me.” A soft beam of light shone on the mysterious alicorn, revealing a lavender-colored body and pink and purple mane and tail.  Jewel’s mouth dropped open in shock. “Tw-Twinkle?” she stammered. The little alicorn nodded. “But-but how?  I thought Princess Luna was the only one who could walk the Dream Realm!” “I think I’ve always had the power,” said Twinkle, shrugging.  “I remember nap time at school when I was a foal, I could sometimes see what my classmates were dreaming.  I never said anything, because I didn’t want anypony to think I was spying.” “Oh!” Jewel gasped as realization struck.  “No wonder Princess Luna took you as a pupil instead of Princess Celestia!” Twinkle nodded.  “Princess Celestia has no power over the Dream Realm, so she couldn’t be my mentor.” “Goodness!  Does your mother know?” “No.  Only Princess Luna and Princess Celestia know about it right now.  They wanted to make sure I had control over my powers before they broke the news.” “I see,” said Jewel as she let the realization sink in.  Her friend and former playmate was a Dream Walker!  How exciting!  But, oh! The little unicorn blushed as she remembered one of her most recent dreams.  “And, um, how many times have you entered my dreams?” “This is the first time,” Twinkle assured her.  “I have looked at the dreams of some of my other friends, though.  I’ve looked at Zany’s quite a few times.”  The alicorn chuckled slyly.  “I may have even sabotaged them a little.  Usually, I leave the nightmares to Luna, but your dream called to me and I had to do something.” “I’m so grateful you did!”  Jewel threw her hooves around Twinkle’s neck and sobbed into her coat.  “It was awful!” “I saw,” said Twinkle comfortingly.  She stood still and let her friend cry herself out.  “You have a lot of fear in you, Jewel, that you manage to hide from your family and your friends.” Jewel nodded, her face still buried in Twinkle’s shoulder. “You want to tell me about it?” Jewel gulped, then slowly nodded.  Twinkle listened without interrupting as the little unicorn poured her heart out.  She spoke about the threats, the million-bit penalty, and Goodnight’s plans for revenge.  Her voice broke as she spoke about the loneliness and isolation she felt, not being allowed to see her friends or family. “And this morning, I wrote a letter to Applespike,” she said. “Telling him… how much… I love him.  I promised I would talk to my parents about renegotiating my contract.  The letter never made it to the post office.  One of Picture Perfect’s henchponies intercepted it and showed it to him.  Now, he has forbidden me from posting any letters that haven’t been reviewed by him. He also punished me by sending a photo of poor Fluttershy’s burlap gown to Rogue magazine for some horrible fashion critic to tear my mother’s reputation apart!” “It won’t work,” Twinkle said soothingly.  “Your Mom has a rock-solid reputation.  Besides, I heard a lot of ponies were really taken with the burlap gown idea.  We’ll probably see a lot of them at the next Gala.”   “But, that’s not all,” said Jewel.  “He has a photo of Daddy and me at the Gala.  In the picture, it looks like I was annoyed with him, but I wasn’t!  And now, if I don’t do as he says, Picture Perfect will send the picture to a gossip magazine, claiming that I’m ashamed of my father!  Oh, Twinkle!  If the magazines run that story, my father will be devastated!  He’ll be a social outcaste!  And it will be all my fault!” The little alicorn looked grave, then closed her eyes, deep in thought.  Jewel waited anxiously, for her to speak.  The fact that this was Twinkle Sparkle, the same filly who had accidentally sprayed her with melted marshmallow a few nights earlier was forgotten.  This was Twinkle Sparkle, a protégé of Princess Luna and a Dream Walker!   She would know what to do. Twinkle slowly opened her eyes.  “And you have no way of contacting your parents?  No one you can trust to get a letter to them?” Jewel shook her head.  “I have friends, but they’re too terrified of Picture Perfect to help me.” “Well, I can get a message to them this time.  I can send it through Spike or Applespike.” “Applespike would be better,” said Jewel.  “Tomorrow is delivery day.  Spike and Applejack will be out of town.” Twinkle nodded.  “Okay.  I’ll do that for you.  Of course, you can’t keep relying on me to relay messages for you.  I’m still in training so I’m not going to always be available.” “Then, what should I do?” Jewel whispered. “There’s only one thing I can think of, Jewel, and it’s not something I’d usually recommend.” Twinkle looked the little unicorn gravely in the eyes.  “You need to get away.” Jewel’s mouth dropped open.  “What?” “You need to get away from Picture Perfect and his gang.”  Twinkle spoke slowly, putting weight to her words.  “As long as you stay, he will continue to have power over you.  And after what you told me, I wouldn’t be surprised if things didn't get worse.” “But…but…I’m his star," Jewel protested.  "Surely, he wouldn’t hurt me.” Twinkle shook her head.  “I can see your fears, Jewel.  I know you don’t really believe that.”  Jewel bit her lip, then a great rage exploded inside her.  “It’s all Twilight’s fault!”  she screamed, tears pouring from her eyes.  “Your mother had no business recommending me to the School for Gifted Unicorns!  If I hadn’t been there, Picture Perfect would have never seen me and I wouldn’t be in this mess now!” Twinkle’s eyes widened in shock.  “Mom thought you had great potential.  I remember you were always quick to pick up new spells.” “I didn’t belong there!” Jewel reared up and pounded Twinkle’s chest with her hooves.  “She only sent me as a favor to Mother, and you know it!” “ENOUGH!” Jewel squeaked as Twinkle grabbed her and held her suspended with her magic.  The little alicorn’s nostrils flared furiously.  “Is that what you really think?” she demanded.  “You think my mother lied to get you in?  Let me tell you something, Jewel, my Mom loves Aunt Rarity but she would never recommend someone to the School for Gifted Unicorns unless she thought they showed promise!  And you did!” Jewel shook her head, the only part of her not frozen by Twinkle’s spell.  “But the spells I had to learn at the school were so hard!  I kept making mistakes.  Everypony else was mastering these spells, while I struggled.” “Hey, my Mom is great with spells, but it took her years to master some of them.  Her strength lies in her knowledge and her tenacity.”  She set Jewel down and released her from her magic bonds.  “You have talent, Jewel.  You just didn’t give it time to let it grow.” Jewel bowed her head.  “I messed up.  I knew I had messed up not long after I joined Picture Perfect, but I was too ashamed to say so.  I just couldn’t bring myself to tell my parents that I had failed at something else.” “Your parents would understand, Jewel.  I’m sure it took your mother a while to find her niche, too. But getting back to your problem, I don’t see any other way for you.  This jerk has cut you off from your family and friends and he refuses to listen to you.  You’re going to have to run away.” “But…but what about his threats?” “What? That picture of you and your dad?” Twinkle snorted.  “What good would it do Picture Perfect if you left him to be with your father.  Actions speak louder than any old photo.” “But…but…the million bits!” “Don’t worry about that,” said Twinkle with a smirk.  “I’ve done some research and I may be able to help you.  What do you say?” Jewel’s body shook with emotion, her legs buckling under her like a newborn foal.  She had daydreamed of running away many times; slipping past the watchful eyes of her guardians, going incognito, avoiding detection until she finally made it to Ponyville.  But her plans had always remained just a daydream.  The idea of actually setting out on her own was frightening, there was so much that could go wrong!  But it was also… so exciting!  To go on an adventure after years of being shuttled around, guarded as closely as the Princesses’ crown jewels, sounded exhilarating!  She thought about Zany and Applespike, and knew what they would tell her to do. Twinkle remained patiently quiet as Jewel thought this through, but she could feel their time was ending. “Jewel, you’re starting to wake up.  I’ll get word to your parents, but I need to know what you plan to do.” “I’ll do it!” cried Jewel.  “I’ll leave tonight if I can!  I have a plain traveling cloak I can wear and a few bits in my purse.” “Good!  Make your way to Canterlot!  Don’t try for Ponyville, that’s the first place they’ll hunt for you.” “Thank you, Twinkle!” called Jewel as her friend’s image began to dissipate.  “And please, tell Applespike I love him!  And I’m coming home!”