//------------------------------// // Chapter 122: Decision Time // Story: Marshmallow Dreams // by Halira //------------------------------// How did I sit down and do my schoolwork when I just got the news that I was going to be the new Dreamwarden? I didn't. There was just no way that was happening right now. Still, I took the news in as calm and composed a manner as any reasonable person could take the news.  "It wasn't supposed to be like this!" I cried squeezing Sunflower like a teddy bear. "Why aren't you crying more!" "I'm trying to concede with dignity," she mumbled into my fur. "Screw dignity! This was your dream!" I cried, hugging her tighter. She struggled to get free. "It was a dream of mine. It might have been one of the bigger ones, maybe the biggest, but it wasn't the only one." She got loose and sighed. "My other dreams are more possible now that I've let this one go. I can focus on them– travel, love, and experiencing new things. Let me feel good about my decision. It was mine, not theirs. It feels…liberating." I let off a weak chuckle. "You're propagating stereotypes by talking like that." "Everyone wants some freedom, not just pegasi," she replied.  I grinned  "Still sounds stereotypical when we say it." That got a laugh out of her. "That's so tribalist, but you're right. People would call me a typical pegasus for that, dumb as that is. So, do we tell the others that you won? We could have a little party." I frowned. "I don't know about a party. It seems kinda cruel to you. I mean, celebrating my success when you're-" She put one of her wings on my back. "It's fine. I'm the one who put you in place. It's my celebration too. How many ponies can say they picked the next Dreamwarden?" I walked towards my bed, slowly– my legs still hurt. "If the Dreamwardens don't decide make me do something else to prove myself." Sunflower followed me. "So do your projection thing so you can ask them. You don't have to wait till you fall asleep to find out for sure. Do your thing and find out for sure." I blinked. "That's a good idea." I had a thought. "However, I want to wait for a little. Can you call up Blanche, Jonathan, and Roger? I want to go somewhere private with all of you to do this. If this is the end of the selection process, let's all be there." "Where do you want to meet them?" Sunflower asked. "We can't have guys here, and most of the places we can go are too public. We could go to Phobia Remedy's house, but that defeats the need to do your projecting." That was a good question. I'd have liked to do it out by the monument since that was a place that inspired me, but that was way way too public. Even at night, that place would be crawling with people. I didn't want to go by Phobia Remedy's house because I did want to do this with the projecting and wanted Miss Seapony to be the one to tell me if it was over. It felt appropriate that she'd be the one to tell me.  Flapped my wings and flew onto my bed. My phone was still in my pillow, next to my toy. I put my phone on and made a quick call. It picked up quickly.  "Hey, sweetie, I didn't expect to be hearing from you so soon. Did you need anything? You didn't get another fine, did you? I can't keep paying those for you. It's a bad look," Mom said.  I smiled. "Hi, Mom. There's no new fines, don't worry. I know this is last minute, but can I come by the house and bring some friends? We need somewhere private." "I'm not hosting any parties, if that's what this is," Mom replied skeptically. "How many friends are we talking about?" "At least five, but maybe as many as…give me a second while I count…um… nine…no… fourteen." "Fourteen! And this isn't a party?!" Mom shouted in disbelief. "I'm also confused about how you got fourteen," Sunflower interjected.  "It probably won't be that many. Please, Mom. This is important. I don't have a lot of options," I pleaded. She was silent for a few seconds before answering, "Ten, at most. There will be no alcohol, no drugs, no sex, no roughhousing, no loud music, and everyone is to be out by midnight." I hopped on my bed, despite my sore legs. "You're the best, Mom!" "Uh-huh," she replied. "If anything gets damaged, you aren't going to have guests over here ever again. When should I be expecting you?" "An hour from now, if everyone can move fast. I'll see you then. I love you, and thank you!" I said gratefully. "I love you too. Don't make a habit of this," Mom replied. "See you soon." She then hung up.  Sunflower raised an eyebrow at me. "You'll need to give me your address. I don't think any of us have ever been to your parents' house, and who else do you want coming?" I wasn't done with my phone. "I guess Meadow, Ashley, Julie, Russell, and Maggie. I was going to include Nightscape, Yolanda, and whoever the bodyguards were for Roger and Jonathan, but my mom cut the numbers. Calling Nightscape would alert Phobia, and I want when I project to be when the Dreamwardens find out you conceded, so not calling her. I don't know Roger or Jonathan's bodyguards. Yolanda doesn't seem to like me. That makes the cuts easier. I'll send you the address and you can pass it on while making calls." It took longer than an hour. It took nearly two to get everyone to my parents' house. The last ones to reach my parents were Jonathan and Roger, a full half hour after everyone else.  Maggie was sitting at the kitchen table. "Well, we're all here. What's up? Why did you call us all here?" Meadow looked around. "I don't even know half of these people. It's a nice house." I looked at my stepdad. "Can you turn the wifi off? We need full privacy with no one listening in." He went wide-eyed. "Oh…I see. Give me a minute." He walked over to the broadband router and pulled the plug.  Sunflower looked around at the others. "Phones off, please." There was shuffling as Maggie, my parents, and Russell pulled theirs out and turned them off. Meadow and Julie took a second turning their legbands off. Those of us who had been candidates hadn't brought ours, nor had Ashley.  "So secretive," Russell remarked. "Who is everyone here? I know your roommates, Maggie, and your parents, but who are the rest? What's the occasion?" I took a deep breath. "Until recently, Blanche, Roger, and Jonathan had been candidates for the Dreamwarden job. Roger got disqualified-" "You didn't need to mention that," Roger muttered.  "Sorry," I said, giving him a sympathetic look. "Blanche and Jonathan dropped out of the running, and today-" I looked at Sunflower.  She raised her head high and spread her wings. "Today, I decided to concede." There was a collective gasp from the other former candidates. It took a few more seconds for the implications to set in for the others, and you could tell who realized it in what order by who gasped and covered their mouth in what order.  "D-does this mean?" Mom sputtered   I got up and slowly walked toward my old room. "Give me a moment. I know you said no loud music, but I wanted to give everyone a song. Mainly everyone who had been in this process. Today, everything changes for the five of us, even more so than when we went off to college. I think we need to mark the event." I went into my room and turned on my computer. There was no wifi right now, but I had songs saved. There was one I had in mind. I listened to this one around the time this had all started, and it felt like the right one to listen to now. I turned it on, put it on a loop, and cranked up the volume before returning to the living room. https://youtu.be/mwnoNVOj1Fs Giving the former candidates all a big smile, I said what I had been putting together in my head over the last hour. "We've been through a lot. We aren't the same as when we began this. I don't think any of us knew what we were getting into when we signed up for this. We've all experienced so much, experienced many tests and tribulations, and grown. We're going to all be starting new chapters in our lives now. Even if you didn't become Dreamwarden, you're still going to make a big impact on the world. We're a small generation, born after ETS but too young to remember the world before it. We're a bridge between what was and the world that is rising. Let's do our part to make the new world great for those who will follow after us. Out of all of us, I think I might have grown the least, but hey, with as round as I am, I could stand to shrink a little. Seriously though, I know the hardships you have all faced, and how gut-wrenching it must have been to know you weren't going to be the one– whether or not that was your choice. We're only as strong as our bonds to others. I've learned I'm bonded with some very special people, and I'm glad you're all my friends." Roger smirked at me. "Are you sure you haven't already become a Dreamwarden? It sounds like you are channeling some serious Phobia Remedy there. You never talk like that." "She's got music going too. Arbiter, Warden of Song, anyone?" Jonathan chuckled.  "As long as she doesn't start channeling Yinyu and ask us all to start an orgy," Ashley muttered.  "Her mom told her no sex," Sunflower said.  I blushed a little. "Sorry. This might be my big moment, and just because I normally just make quick quips, it doesn't mean I don't have a lot to say." "Good," Blanche said. "I knew the Dreamwardens wouldn't put an idiot in their ranks, but it's nice to hear you not act like a fool for once and actually say something thoughtful." Sunflower smiled. "I think it's sweet that it's your moment and you're thinking of us– even if you are just waiting to have us all revel in your glory." Ashley laughed. "She got it right about the rest of them growing more. No way the Sunflower Smiles that showed up at the dorm two months ago would have said that. A little adventure can make a pony much more confident in themselves." "Hey! Let my marefriend have her moment!" Russell fumed.  I gave him a grateful smile and sat down in the middle of the living room, surrounded by friends and family. "Now, if you give me a minute or so of quiet.  I'm going to project and find out from the Dreamwardens themselves if this is it, and I'm going to be the next Dreamwarden, or if I gathered you all here just to find out I've still got hoops to jump through. I might feel embarrassed if that's the case, but it's worth it to be here with all of you when I find out. I don't think anyone should ever be afraid of a little embarrassment." "We won't laugh at you," Blanche said. She then wiped her eye.  Jonathan looked at her. "Is Rebecca's music getting to you?" "It's pollen," Blanche replied quickly.  Jonathan gave her a flat look. "It's late October and we're indoors." "Just let her do her thing so we can get this over with. Time to find out if I'm going to be watching the butterball's back for the next few decades," Blanche snapped as she absently wiped her eye again.  That seemed to be my signal to get on with it. I hoped Blanche was crying because she was happy and not because she was dreading spending years as my bodyguard. Then again, she really could be having an allergic reaction to something.  The music was still playing, and I swayed with it as I listened. This wasn't a dancing beat, but with this many people packed into a little space, my body needed to stay more or less where it was. If it went off dancing it would step on some feet, hooves, and tails. Still, the music was soothing, and it wasn't long till I was staring at myself, visible to all. "That never gets less creepy," Maggie said.  Russell blinked. "I've never seen her do it. She's mentioned it, but this is the first time she's done it in front of me." Was that true? I must have done it in front of my boyfriend at least once. Maybe not.  "You have quite the gathering, Rebecca." I turned and looked at Miss Seapony, who looked over others that were gathered as they came into my view.  "A big gathering," Miss Seapony observed. "Give me a second, I think I can make you able to be heard by everyone. Actually, let me do the full mirror thing," I said as I shifted into the mirror form.  Miss Seapony swam through the air and looked into the mirror. However, she was quickly joined by a burning bush.  "I get my time too!" Ghadab yelled as the two struggled with each other to get as much mirror coverage. Arbiter then appeared in her partial angel form and started shouting at the pair in frustration– while conspicuously looking like she was trying to get into the reflection as well.  "Guess everyone can see the glories of the rulers of the dream realm as we have gotten to see them," Blanche said snidely. "Look how majestically they punch, kick, slap, and bite each other." Another warden appeared, this one looked like a plague doctor. I suppose that was the Warden of Order doing a new form.  "Can you please show some dignity for our station?" Avtandil, the Warden of Order hissed.  Miss Seapony stuck her tongue out at him but retreated from trying to headlock the burning bush– quite a challenging task considering bushes don't have heads. "You get to be seen in the physical world all the time, brother. You don't know how much we crave to be seen and to experience some echo of living here." "I agree with what our whore sister said," Ghadab grumbled.  Arbiter gripped her staff and tried to rap it on the ground, but it passed straight through. She looked down and gave my parents' carpet an offended look for not being compliant with her effort to draw attention to herself, but only did for a second or two before spreading her wings wide instead.  "Rebecca, what is the meaning of this?" Arbiter demanded. She then gave the other Dreamwardens a dirty look. "Can we all just back away from the reflection so we can all be in it? Blanche is right; this is embarrassing." The others shuffled back from me, careful to keep themselves in view of my surface. They had to squeeze together to do it.  "Hi! I know I don't have a mouth or a face right now, so…um…you can address my body, I guess. You must have read my mind, but I haven't given any permissions yet, so I'll just say it-" "I conceded!" Sunflower shouted.  The Dreamwardens stared blankly at me.  "Um…Sunflower, do you think you could maybe, possibly, stand in my view so they can see you," I suggested.  She walked over in front of me.  "A bit over, you're blocking the view of the Dreamwardens," I said. She took a step or two over. "That's great! Stay right there." Sunflower raised an eyebrow at me and looked at the Dreamwardens in my reflection. "I concede. I no longer want to be a Dreamwarden." "That's disappointing," Ghadab muttered.  Miss Seapony hugged him, which looked not too different from trying to put him into a headlock. "Oh! You'll love our new sister!" He did some incoherent grumbling before answering. "I love the sycophant, so, of course, I'll love the glutton, but I still would have preferred the wanderlusting farm pony." "Does this mean Becky has the job or not?!" Stepdad asked. The Dreamwardens looked around. My stepdad wasn't in my view. He sighed and walked into my view. "Has she got the job?" They all looked at him, then at me. It was Arbiter who answered, "We're waiting on Phobia and Psychic Calm to answer that question. There still needs to be a formal vote, the Oathtaking, and the binding. They should be here shortly." My entire mirror surface rippled. "Wait! We're doing this here? Now??" Avtandil shook his head. "No, we have to have a formal vote, the Oathtaking, and the binding, in that order. That takes at least an hour. You'll need to be properly asleep as well." Was he making a joke? I couldn't tell. He said it with such a straight face. Of course, he said everything with a straight face. It was always covered with a mask.  The stag and the shadow came into view. They looked me over, looked at the other four Dreamwardens, and then looked at the other people who were in my field of vision.  "You know, the mirror might work better if we all shrank down a little. We aren't restricted in size," Psychic Calm said.  "Are they like this all the time?" Maggie asked in disbelief.  "Yes," Blanche, Jonathan, Roger, and Sunflower all said in chorus.  "They get worse," Roger added. "When you have absolute power over a realm you stop caring about acting with decorum." The five of them shrank to half the size they'd been and now all easily fit in the reflection together.  "We care, we just can't seem to manage it when we all have our avatars gathered together," Arbiter said as she crossed her arms.  "Anyway, I think it is time to vote," Avtandil said. "I'm ready to no longer be the rookie." Miss Seapony hugged him. "Baby brother is going to be a big brother!" He disappeared and reappeared just outside her grasp. He then brushed himself off. "Please don't touch me." The Stag sighed. "I am Psychic Calm, Warden of Peace, still living first of my line, preparing for retirement and exile in Equestria, and I vote yes to Rebecca Riddle succeeding me as second in my line." The shadow stepped forward. "I am Phobia Remedy, Warden of Fear, still living first in my line, and I vote yes to Rebecca Riddle getting the mantle of Dreamwarden." Arbiter stepped forward. "I am Arbiter, Warden of Song, deceased by Devourer core, heir of Sha'am Maut, the Warden of Death, who committed herself to the Eternal Dream, second in her line. I vote yes to Rebecca Riddle becoming a Dreamwarden." The plague doctor stepped forward. "I am Avtandil, Warden of Order, still living heir of Tikhiy Krik, Warden of Silence, who retired to exile in Equestria, second in his line. I vote for Alexandros Toskany as the next Dreamwarden." Wait…who the heck was Alexandros Toskany?? Ghadab said flaring and unflaring. "Toskany, huh? Interesting. I am Ghadab, Warden of Anger, deceased by having a piece of shit bedouin using a hammer to crack open my head on a stone like he would a coconut while I slept– may his descendants have painful boils for ten generations, first of my line, and I vote for Alexandros Toskany to be the next Dreamwarden." What was happening?? Miss Seapony sighed. "Seriously? We're bringing in the number six candidate this late in the game? Yeah, I like his violin playing, but no. I am Yinyu Wu Yan, Warden of Lust and Passion, deceased by self-immolation, first of my line, and I vote for Rebecca Riddle to be my little sister as the new Dreamwarden. The vote is four to two, Rebecca Riddle is the selected candidate." Avtandil crossed his arms. "You can't blame me for voting for a human candidate. My favorite pick removed herself from the race, along with my second. Toskany was my third."  "I just wanted the glutton to squirm. I didn't think there was any chance the whore wasn't voting for her," Ghadab chuckled.  He got his wish. I was ready to poop my non-existent astral pants. I don't know who Alexandros Toskany was, but I was not eager to suddenly have to be matched up against some mystery candidate out of nowhere.  "Let's move this along," Arbiter said. "We need Miss Riddle to be properly asleep for these next two portions. It might be best if the others stay by her side. Just in case any complications need to be attended to. We don't need any more undead among our number." Okay…that was ominous. "I can die doing this?" I asked in a whimper. Arbiter nodded. "The binding process can get intense, and you are not in the best physical health. It nearly killed me, though I was already injured due to a fresh gunshot wound at the time, which complicated matters, and it was rough on my siblings. We have to ask, do you accept us going forward? Even at this stage, you can withdraw, but once we start the binding, you are committed." "I told you that you needed to stop eating so much and stick to your diet!" Maggie yelled.  "Becky, you don't have to do this," Mom said, sounding very worried. "Nobody is going to think less of you if you pull out now," Russell said.  "I know this is important to you, but I don't want you to die," Julie said. "Is this worth risking your life for?" Death was scary, and right now, I was regretting my failure to stick to a healthy diet. Who could guess that food would come back to bite me? Everyone but me guessed that. If I survived this, I was signing up for those dance classes and getting in better shape.  "I'm still doing this," I said firmly. "The job is bigger than me…and I'm pretty big." Arbiter smiled. "Still quipping at this stage? I can appreciate that. I went out on a similar note. Very well." "Ashley Santos!" Ghadab growled. "I regret you refused to be a candidate at the start of this, but I call upon you now to aid us. Have you mastered the spell?" Ashley stepped forward and nodded. "I have mastered the sleep spell. I can put Rebecca to sleep with her permission. She should probably stop projecting before I do that. I'd hate to see what my spell would do to her when she's already half-a-sleep. That means all of you will no longer be present. Do you have any further instructions before I do my duty?" "Just see to it that the others are instructed in what to do during Miss Riddle's ordeal," Psychic Calm gently answered  "Miss Riddle, you may drop your projection. We will see you again when Miss Santos has properly put you to sleep." I didn't need to be told twice. I released my projection and opened my eyes to see Ashley standing in front of me, looking grim. She was my friend, but she was also a very scary unicorn, and she suddenly seemed much scarier.  "You were a potential candidate?" I asked her.  She nodded. "I was Ghadab's first pick. I told him no. I didn't want the job. I've seen enough misery dreamed up by a madpony. I don't want to get into people's heads and see what else that ponies can imagine in their darkest dreams." "You never said anything. Do you have some special magic?" I asked, feeling like she had been keeping deep dark secrets. She gave me a grim look. "Poly Glot conducted a lot of experiments on us when we were his prisoners. I survived, despite having worse done to me than many of the other foals because one of his early experiments on me was successful. I can survive things that can kill almost any other pony. The perfect pony to experiment on. The Dreamwardens liked the idea of one of their number who was more likely to survive the worst. I wasn't having it." "Makes for a great bodyguard," I mused.  She grinned and nodded. "It does indeed. Are you ready? I need your permission to cast this spell. Sleep spells are mind magic." I gulped. "Give me one moment." I turned and looked around the room. "Thank you again for all coming. Don't try to convince me not to do this. I've been waiting most of my life for today. If something happens, and I don't make it through, I want to let you know that I loved all my time spent with every one of you, and I wouldn't trade those moments for a million more breaths of life. I wish I had time to say a proper goodbye to each of you individually, just in case, but I have the Dreamwardens waiting on me. I also prefer to be an optimist. I'm going to make it through this and spend a lot more time with all of you. More time than most of you want, since I'll be able to get into your heads while you sleep…except for Maggie and Russell, you two have to deal with plain old me, not grand Dreamwarden me. I hope you won't be too disappointed." "There is nothing plain old about you," Russell said. I could see him tearing up.  I smiled peacefully. "There's nothing plain old about any of you. I love every one of you, and I'll see you when I wake up." I turned back towards Ashley. "I'm ready. Do the spell." Ashley lit her horn, and the world faded black as I lost consciousness in preparation for the final two stages of my trials. For better or for worse. This was all going to be over before the night was through.