//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Dreaming at the Speed of Sound // Story: A Night of Dashing Dreams // by Nyronus //------------------------------// Luna and Rainbow Dash drifted through the dreamscape when Dash frowned. “Hey Luna, how did you know that wasn’t a nightmare?” Luna looked over her shoulder. “Hmm? Ah, dreams have a certain timbre to them that distinguishes them from a nightmare. The key thing, as you well know, is how the dreamer feels about the experience.” “So, is it a thing you can just… feel? Can anypony do it?” Luna tilted her head up for a moment. “Perhaps. It would take some time and experience here, though.” “Okay…” Rainbow Dash considered Luna’s words. “Can you show me one?” Luna nodded. “Very well.” Luna banked right, and Rainbow Dash followed. After a few minutes, she stopped. “There.” She gestured to a sphere. An earth pony was falling through empty space within. “Right… and that’s the only one around?” “Yes.” Rainbow Dash began flying, circling the nightmare. After a few cycles, she broke off and began weaving around the other nearby dreams. Never looking at them, just flying through them. She then went back to the nightmare, circling it a few more times, and then back out, this time weaving a wider arc around it. She repeated this a few more times, going farther afield each time before coming back. Suddenly, she peeled off and began flying away. “Come on!” Luna obliged. Rainbow Dash picked up pace and flew ahead of Luna, looking straight ahead. After a moment, she pointed at a sphere. “Dream?” “Yes.” She drifted forward for a moment more, and pointed again. “Dream?” “Dream.” She stopped at a sphere and gestured. “Nightmare?” “No, Dream - wait.” Luna paused and stared into it. “There are… hints of nightmare, I think.” “Yes!” Rainbow Dash pumped a hoof and then began flying away again, never looking at the spheres as she pointed to them. “Dream?” “Dream.” “Dream?” “Dream.” “Dream? Dream?” “Yes to both.” She paused over a sphere of a stallion sitting alone on the beach. “...Nightmare?” Luna blinked. “Yes.” Rainbow backflipped. “Awww yeah!” “I admit, I am impressed. How did you manage that guess?” “Heh, it’s because I’m so awesome.” Luna laughed. “It seems so.” “Let’s go!!” Dash began flipping around the spheres, grinning. “Dream. Dream. Dream.” She paused at one and pointed at a sphere. It was filled with clowns. “Nightmare, right?” “Yes on all counts.” “Hah! Got it!” “I admit, I am surprised at the speed and confidence with which you picked this up. Pray tell, how? “Heh.” Rainbow started flying ahead as she talked. “I pay a lot of attention to everything around me when I fly without thinking about it. Twilight figured out it made me a freaky learning sponge thing, so now when I need to figure something out, I just fly around a lot and usually have someone talk to me.” Luna grinned widened as she caught up. “Most impressive.” “I know, right?” “Well, it seems you are mastering this craft much faster than I thought.” “Yeah, well, you know what that means?” “What is that?” “It means it’s time to get to work!” Luna’s grin sharpened. “Very well, Rainbow Dash. Lead the way.” ------ The colt turned a corner and stopped short. It was a dead end. “Well, well, well.” The colt turned around. Big Shot and his two goons filled the only exit. “Looks like there’s nowhere else for you to go, you little runt.” The colt took a step back. “Please, please, I didn’t mean to spill your lunch.” “Too late for that, runt. I think it’s time you learned how to respect other ponies’ space.” Big Shot took a step forward, grinning with something mad in his eyes. That’s when a streak of rainbow light slammed into the alley and everyone ducked under the burst of wind. “And I think it’s time for you to find someone else to pick on, punk!” The dust cleared and a fully grown pegasus hovered in the alley, glowering and pounding one hoof into the other. “Unless you’d like to pick on me.” “Uh, no ma’am!” “Good. Then get out of here!” Big Shot and his posse scrambled to get away. The colt sputtered in shock. The pegasus landed and held out a hoof. “Name’s Rainbow Dash. Part time teacher, part time dream guardian, full time hero and Wonderbolt. What’s your name, kid?” “Abacus Tally, m-ma’am.” “Cool. Those kids ever beat you up before?” “N-no, but sometimes they say they will.” “Cool. Well, not cool. Listen, kids like him often have something bad going on and they have to make someone else feel crummy to feel better. Just blow them off. Laugh back at their jokes, but if they ever try to hurt you - find an adult. They won’t have the guts to come after you when ponies are watching.” She looked around. “This is Manehattan, right?” “R-right.” “Cool. If there isn’t a teacher or parent around, head to Saddle Row and look for a place called ‘Rarity For You.’ Ask for either Coco Pommel or Rarity. They’ll have your back. Tell them I sent you, and I’ll find out.” Rainbow Dash nodded. “You got that?” “Y-yeah?” “Cool. Also, if you wanna learn how to defend yourself if they get you, try Wing-Chun. I practice it, and it’s awesome!” She grinned. “You gonna leave me hanging?” She wiggled her hoof. Abacus raised his hoof for a shake. Rainbow Dash bumped it. “Awesome. Gotta go. Dreams to save. Later!” Rainbow Dash took to the sky. Abbacus looked up. Princess Luna was flying overhead, smiling. “Take care, my little pony!” She waved down to him, and both she and Rainbow Dash vanished into the wind. He stood there staring for a long time. ------ The filly screamed as the horrible mass of shadows gave chase. Its claws seemed to reach impossibly far across the hallway and she could see them looming close behind her. Then a streak of rainbow and cyan shot overhead. The filly stopped, pivoted and watched as a blue pegasus gave out a mighty cry as she spun the mass of legs and claws backward over her shoulder and straight out a window. The pegasus flipped back to upright and thrust her hoof out the broken window. “Take that, suckah!” There was scrabbling and snarling outside. “Oh you wanna go? Round two, ugly!” The pegasus flew out the window. There was a sound of a great deal of destruction. Then howling, and something running away across the lawn and into the woods. “And stay gone, hah!” The pegasus flew back in in a instant. “Woo! Hey, you okay?” “Y-yes.” “Cool. You know shadow monsters aren’t real, right?” She paused. “Well, at least really uncommon.” The filly’s eyes widened. “Look, forget I said that.” Rainbow Dash waved a hoof. The filly shook her head and then looked up at Rainbow Dash. “Uh. Yeah. Yeah, I did know that.” She replied. “Cool. So, you good?” Rainbow grinned. “Sorry, I just read about it in a book, and sometimes I dream about them.” “Hey, no need to apologize. Sometimes you get silly fears like that and it just takes some time and courage to work past it, you know?” “Really?” “Yeah! Hey, wanna know a secret?” “What?” Rainbow leaned in, tilting her head to the side as she whispered. “Water? Like, lakes and ponds? Creeped me out when I was super young. What even is it? You can’t stand on it, or fly in it, right? Super weird.” The filly laughed. “That’s silly!” “Yep!” Rainbow Dash straightened and grinned. “S’why when we went to the beach, I decided, you know what? I don’t have time for that and jumped right in!” “Wow!” “Yep. So keep it up, and you won’t have to worry about it anymore.” “Thanks, Miss!” “No prob, kid. Also, it’s Rainbow Dash!” And with that, the pegasus gave a salute, took flight, and was out the window and gone. ------ “And that’s why our yearly wield whill - ooo nwo!” Seed Grain flailed his hooves, desperately trying to catch his teeth as they fell out of his mouth. And then a flash of blue blinked past him and his falling teeth were gone. “Head’s up!” A blue hoof came in from his left and slammed all his teeth back in and clamped down on his muzzle. “Yo, you good?” He looked at this strange pegasus, then paused to run his tongue over his teeth. All there. Apparently. “Mmm hmm.” She let go and hovered up in the air. “Name’s Rainbow Dash. So, teeth. Why a nightmare about that?” He flinched. “I-I’m sorry, it’s just-” “Woah, dude! No need to apologize.” She smiled. “I’m here to help.” “Oh. Right. Right.” He still frowned in shame. “I’m just nervous.” “I have to give this presentation to then investors and I’m so worried they’ll be bored, or they’ll think I’m ugly that I just feel like I’m gwonna fwall apa-oof!” His hooves went back to his mouth, catching the first teeth in time. “Woah! Hey, take it easy. What is this even about?” “Crop irrigation.” “Wow,” Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened, “boring.” “It’s not boring! This new system is not only better than traditional watering techniques, but it’s extensible and highly adaptable! Crop yields in places like Appleloosa could go up 22%!” Rainbow Dash grinned and jabbed both hooves his way. “Gotcha!” Grain Seed just flapped his mouth. “Dude, just get that hype when you go to speak and you’ll knock ‘em dead! You got it in you already.” “But…” He turned and looked at the dead eyed audience of business ponies. “They keep staring. It makes me nervous.” Rainbow Dash glared and looked at the figments. “Hey! Give this dude some credit! This stuff is really important. I’ve got friends in Appleloosa!” Grain Seed blinked. The phantoms suddenly got sheepish and muttered half apologies. Rainbow Dash turned back, grinning. “Like I said man, you’ve got fire in you. Just care about it as much when you go to speak as you did just now, and ponies will jump at the chance to invest in your… what was it?” “Crop Irrigation.” He said, annoyed. “Right, that. Cool. Just stand up for what you believe and you’ll be fine!” She flew towards the window. “Anyway, gotta go, dreams to save! Send a letter to me in Ponyville about how it went!” And then she was gone. Grain Seed stared for a moment, frowning. He then turned back to his audience, picked up his notes, stood up straight and cleared his throat. “Right. Where were we?” ------ Rainbow soared between the dream spheres, a streak of rainbow light, while Luna weaved beside her in a streak of stars and darkness. “Unorthodox,” Luna commented, “but I think he’ll be fine.” “‘Course he’ll be fine.” Rainbow twisted and spun as she passed through a quartet of dreams, Luna followed close on her tail. “Woo! We’re making time!” “We are.” Luna agreed. Rainbow Dash grinned. “Honestly, I’m surprised you can keep up with me, Princess.” Luna smiled back. “Motion in the realm of dreams is subjective, Rainbow Dash. I move this fast because I want to.” “Hah! Didn’t know you dreamed of being as fast as me!” Luna laughed and grinned. “I don’t. Truthfully, your enthusiasm is just infectious.” “Hah!” Rainbow looped up, over, and around a harmless dream. “Well then, let’s keep up the pace!” Luna’s grin widened to match Dash’s, “Yes, let’s.” ----- The filly barred the door as she slammed it closed behind her. The hungry dead snarled and pounded on the door, all the same. She walked backward, terrified. Until she bumped into the edge of the roof she was trapped on. Hundreds of zombies moaned from below as they saw her. Terrified she huddled into a ball. There was a terrible, roaring wind and then, as it faded, silence. She opened her eyes. A blue pegasus flopped onto the roof, and wiped her brow of sweat with a huff. “Whew! That was a work out. Hey, kid?” “Yeah.” “You know zombies aren’t real, right?” She blinked. “Uh, yeah.” “Cool. So don’t sweat ‘em. Trust me, not fun.” The filly blinked. The pegasus thought for a moment and then grinned. “Plus, they ever bother you again? Just use your trusty machete.” “My trusty machete?” “Of course! Why wouldn’t you have a trusty machete in the zombie apocalypse?” The filly reached up and pulled the machete clear from the sheath on her shoulder, where it had always been. After all, why wouldn’t she have a trusty machete in the zombie apocalypse? “Huh, you’re right.” “Yep. Totally am. Take care kid!” The pegasus took flight, and shot upwards, parting the clouds as she vanished. The filly stood for a moment, admiring her weapon, then sheathed it and went back to the door to go for a walk while humming a tune. ------ The mare screamed and swung her broom into the black tide as it poured over her floor, but the swarm of spiders was undeterred. “Woah, woah, woah!” A pegasus swooped in and snatched the broom from her hand. “Hold it! Hold it!” She turned and glared at the spiders. “Hold. it!” Both the mare and infinite horde of spiders stopped short, not sure what to say. The pegasus wheeled on the mare, frowning. “Why are you hitting them?” Her mouth flapped for a moment. “Come on, why?” “...Who are you?” “Ugh,” the pegasus smacked her face. “Rainbow Dash, Dream Guardian, Wonderbolt, yadda yadda - why were you hitting them?” “... they were going to eat me?” Rainbow Dash smacked her face again. “Spiders don’t eat ponies!” “... oh, yeah.” Rainbow Dash pointed. “I mean, look! That one’s a huntsman! That’s a house spider! They couldn’t hurt you if they tried. That’s a wolf spider! Those ones will eat the bad bugs.” She shook her head and turned back to the mare. “Honestly, hurt you… they’re scared of you!” “They… are?” “Yes! Imagine if you had to live in a town with a full sized dragon and it just stomped around without caring where it stepped. Wouldn’t that freak you out?” “Uh… yeah. I guess.” “Image how they feel!” “I guess I never thought of it that way…” She twisted her lip. “But what about the venomous ones?” “Figure out what they look like and don’t touch them or stick your hand in dark places outside without checking, duh! Plus, like, the black widow is, like the deadliest spider around here, and you wanna know how many ponies have died from being bitten?” “Uh… a lot?” “Zero! In like eighty years! They couldn’t kill you if you’re in shape if they wanted. It’s only, like, kids and sick ponies who have to worry about them. Plus, we have medicine for them now even then. It really sucks, but, like, you have more to be afraid from walking down stairs then them!” “But what if one gets on me? I still don’t want to get sick or die.” “Okay, okay, watch this.” Rainbow Dash reached down into the black horde of fangs and legs. “Come on, one of you hop on.” A black widow, appropriately, obliged. “Okay, so, here, if one gets on you, don’t freak out. Keep calm and keep an eye on them.” The spider began trekking up her foreleg. “If they start doing this? Don’t let them get up your shoulder. Then you might hit them with your mane and get bit. Just do this.” Rainbow put her hoof on her leg in the spider’s path. It blithely crawled onto her hoof, which she pulled away. “Just keep doing that so they can keep walking without letting them get away. Keep chill, and find a place to put them.” She smiled down at the spider. “Who’s an awesome, scary, little girl? It’s you!” She repeated the process with the first hoof, and then deposited the spider back on the floor. “There, like that.” “So… they’re safe?” “No! They’re scared wild animals! Don’t go petting them or something, but they’re also just interested in going about their business. Don’t get in their way and you’ll be fine. Trust me.” She then frowned. “Except in the Everfree. Those spiders are crazy! Size of your head!” The mare blanched. “But here? Yeah, just stay clear.” Rainbow Dash then turned back to the spider horde. “Okay guys, you heard that. You’re clear. Scram.” The inky void of arachnids shuffled for a moment, and then slowly poured back out the open door they’d come in. Rainbow Dash turned back to the mare. “Plus, spiders never work together like that.” She paused. “Unless they’re social spiders.” “Social spiders?” “Okay, you know ants? That, but with spiders.” The mare shuddered. “Please leave.” “No prob!” Rainbow Dash bolted out the door after the spiders. The mare sighed and started getting down from the end table. She spotted a spider lingering in the kitchen. She closed her eyes, let out a breath - and then ignored it, turning away to sweep. ------ “Where did-?” “Fluttershy.” Dash cut Luna off. “She has like six of things in her house. Everfree breeds, too. Like I said, size of your face. Super smart, too.” “Huh.” Dash banked under a cluster of dreams side by side with Luna. “You pick up a lot of animal facts around her, trust me.” “Right. Still, you provided a surprisingly thorough education.” “Eh, it’s whatever.” Luna chuckled, and then looked ahead. “We only have a few hours left before I need to lower the moon.” “You want to split up, then?” Luna pondered, then smiled. “I see no harm in that, now. If you need help, withdraw and find me.” “You got it, Luna!” Dash pointed both hooves at Luna as she banked into a turn and peeled away to the left. Luna raised a wing and veered right. Rainbow Dash let herself feel the tone of the aether around her, and zeroed in on a point of dissonance. Dead ahead was a sphere depicting a storm. She grinned, overshot it, veered hard up, went into free fall and at the last second, reversed direction and shot straight in. A few minutes passed and she burst out again. “Hah! Tornado! Easy! You see that, Luna?” She glanced to her right. Luna was gone. Rainbow smacked herself in the face. “Splitting up, right.” She wheeled about and began flying in a random direction. Soon she felt that offbeat vibration she knew was a nightmare. “Heh, alright.” She grinned, and changed course. Within minutes she found it among the other dreams. “Here we go!” She then dove straight in.