//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1 - I Have Weird Dreams... 
// Story: Chaotic Cute 
// by JazzyWaffles 
//------------------------------//

I ran down the corridor, terrified of the horrible monster behind me. No matter what, I could not escape. It would eventually catch me. I could feel my body slowing down as it only got closer and closer. I really, really, really shouldn't look behind me.

Despite my own advice, I looked behind me.

I screamed.

...

Sighing, I began to construct a wall as if nothing had happened. Nothing had happened, after all. I wasn't even sure why it occurred to me that anything weird had been occurring before I was wall-making. As usual, I was making the wall out of pipe organs. Reed organs just didn't cut it in terms of wall-making, though chord organs came close. Obviously, I had to build this wall to make sure the Huns wouldn't invade. Disappointing that it was so hard to make a wall using these clumsy tentacles. I wish I had hands instead. I also wish I could just go buy walls. Did they have a market for walls somewhere? I'd love to visit a wall mart.

A voice broke through to me and I stopped building. "Though we have spent nary a year yet back in Equestria since our return this past solstice, We dare say this may be the strangest and least cohesive dream we have entered thus far." Blinking and turning to the speaker, I saw a big blue unicorn with wings. She was pretty tall. A lot taller than I was, actually! Also, she was really pretty, with weird flowy hair. How did her hair flow like that? I didn't feel a breeze or anything. Was it some kind of magic? Probably.

I smiled and waved at the tall unicorn. "Hi, there!"

"Hello, young one." She smiled. "We were called to thine dream because it called out to us like a nightmare, and yet..." She looked around. "We see no nightmares here. Were we perhaps too late?"

I shrugged. "I dunno. I was gonna build a wall out of pipe organs. Wanna help?" It was at this point that I realized I was me again. When did I start being a four-legs again? For some reason, when the blue lady got here, I realized stuff I didn't before. Like, why was I in a white void with pink clouds? And why was I making this wall again? The reason escaped me, but seemed silly in retrospect. "Actually, nevermind. I'm not sure why I was doing this to start with. Are dreams normally like this?"

However, before she could answer me, I gasp and bounced over to her, smiling. "I totally didn't introduce myself! My name is Screwball. Who are you?"

"We are Princess Lu-"





"Well, that didn't work." A young, boyish voice broke through the grogginess. Who...?

"What the hay? My wake-up spell shouldn't have failed! I checked her for magical interference and everything. She isn't even injured! Nothing should be preventing her from waking up!" Another voice, a bit higher up in position and pitch. Wake-up spell? Was I asleep? I remembered a blue horse, and an instrument or something... but as soon as I tried to remember, the thought escaped me. Oh well.

Upon the first attempt to open my eyes, I had to immediately shut them. The sun was there. I don't remember the sun being that bright when things were weird. I wish it would stop being that bright. "Urgh..." I groaned, trying to move my body so I wasn't looking directly at the sun. "Turn it off, too bright..."

"Huh, she's awake."

"Ha! My spell did work!"

Flopping onto my side so I wasn't staring a giant fiery fusion ball directly in the schnoz, I opened my eyes to see four purple hooves and a small purple... lizardy thing? I honestly had no idea. "Is this waking up? I don't like it. Make it stop." I groaned.

"Well geez, talk about rude," mumbled the little lizard boy, before a hoof gave him a quick corrective nudge. "Ow! Hey!"

Looking up a bit, I could see the purple one... the horse that is, not the lizard... man, I needed better words for them. The horse had a horn, so... unicorn? That worked. The unicorn was giving the lizard a glare before her eyes softened and she looked down at me. "Are you okay, little filly? We found you out here in the Everfree, and... why were you even sleeping out here? Don't you know it's dangerous here?"

"I... no?" I strained myself to stand up. I felt... I guess drained? Like a sponge that had only ever known wetness that suddenly found itself mildly damp beside a kitchen sink. It was upon standing up that I noticed something. Was this mare really big, or were me and Aurora small? I had been eye-to-eye with Aurora earlier... was she a filly too, then? That only made sense.

Shaking my head, I kept talking. "There was all this crazy stuff everywhere, and the houses were made of bread, and I played Monopoly with a bunny, and Aurora was mad at me, and then this big wall of light..." The reality of the situation caught up with me. "I'm... alive?"

The unicorn looked... worried. "You're alive, yes..." She turned to Spike. "Do you think she's talking about...?"

"Yeah," the little lizard replied, sounding just as off-put as the unicorn.

The unicorn seemed to consider something before shaking her head and smiling down at the filly in front of her. "Let's get you back to Ponyville. Can you walk?"

I nod. "Yeah. I was floating earlier, but I can walk too." Ponyville, huh? Weird name for a place. Did they also have places like Rabbit Town or Unicorn City? I'd have to ask later.

The unicorn and her lizard looked a bit taken aback. The lizard opened his mouth, but thought better of it and remained silent. "Right," the unicorn said. "Let's get you to town, then." She began to walk, then paused. "Oh!" Turning around, she held out her hoof. "I'm Twilight Sparkle, by the way. And the baby dragon over there is my number-one assistant, Spike." The dragon in question almost immediately puffed up in pride at that little bit of praise. It was actually kind of cute. She did say he was a baby though, so I don't think I'll be developing a crush on the little dragon any time soon. That would be super weird.

"Nice to meet you, Twilight and Spike." I smiled and tapped my hoof to hers. "I'm Screwball."