//------------------------------// // Sleep Over Easy // Story: Lucid Dreams // by Jumping Jack //------------------------------// Princess Luna stood over the balcony of the highest tower in the castle, watching as her moon rose. She looked over her shoulder, sensing Princess Celestia walking through the arch way to the balcony. Her smile kind as she nodded. “Will you be visiting the colt again?” She asked. Luna gave a quiet sigh. “Tis something I would have to do at some point tonight. But I cannot just focus on one child. I must see to our subjects before anything. Tis my duty, after all.” She replied. Celestia saw the concerned look on her sister’s expression. Celestia stood beside Luna and wrapped a reassuring wing around her. “Fret not, my dear sister. I may not be able to help you in the Dream Realm. But I have managed to set up something that might.” She motioned to the door. “Two ponies have been staying in the castle to await my decision on a certain dispute. I’ve been purposely delaying as it coincides with your interest in the orphanage.” She began. Luna’s eyes widened a bit. “Barons?” She asked. Celestia nodded. “That property and land has a lot more value than I can begin to describe. Yet, the only thing preventing any further transactions is that orphanage.” Celestia closed her eyes in solemn prayer. “This spell you are casting will aid more than just the children and nanny.” Luna shook her head. “I am afraid tis more than just a counter spell. The dark aura enveloping the area has been increasing and I… I doth not know how to prevent it.” Celestia looked worriedly at her sister. “I am afraid… I may have to cast a ritual spell to dispel it.” Ritual casting is an uncommon practice, but one that the two are no strangers to. Celestia smiled softly and lifted her sister’s head by the chin gently to meet her gaze. “I fully trust in your judgement, Luna. I will do what I can to keep the two contested until you have settled your ritual.” Celestia stood up and walked to exit the room, leaving Luna to dart her eyes in thought. She turned to look back at the moon and closed her eyes. The world melted around her into a black abyss before a small spark from her horn flashed the world, bringing her into sparkling, dreamy night sky. Luna opened her eyes and called upon the Canterlot star. An orb floated up and many doors began to zip by in front of her. One by one, the Princess of the Night opened door after door, watching each dream calculatedly. Aside from the usual ambitious dreams of wealth, power and occasional quelling of insecurities, nothing eventful happened. Luna called upon the Manehatten star. Luna found several nightmares from ponies with induced trauma and had to console many sickly ponies. The hard parts of the job of ensuring good dreams to ponies is the ones that were to bring comfort to those that would soon meet the afterlife. Guiding them to acceptance. Luna had to take a moment to gather herself for the next round of dreams. She patrolled the Dream Realm with the fortitude you would expect of anypony ready for anything. Yet, there were some that she just wasn't prepared for. Having come across several demented minds, she did her best to ensure that it would bring grave consequences in their psyche. That is all she could really do. As the night went on, she finally called upon the Ponyville star. The doors zipped by her, coming to a stop at a new door that had appeared. She opened it to see a light purple mare with a purple and light blue highlighted mane buckling under the pressure of voices and the circling heads of Twilight and her friends. Each head grinning smugly down at her, throwing insults and tackling her insecurities. The mare trembled as she curled into a ball. Luna entered the dream and dispelled the heads. The mare looked around in confusion before looking up in awe at the majestic alicorn. "Who... who are you?" She stammered in fear. Luna smiled kindly and helped the mare up. "Some call me the Princess of the Night. Others refer to me as Princess Luna. But you are free to call me Luna." she replied. The mare rubbed her head and looked around. They were standing back into the starry, dreamy night sky. "You're Princess Luna?" She asked in awe. The alicorn smiled and nodded. "And you must be Starlight Glimmer. Twilight's new pupil." she responded. Starlight gave a worried and nervous look. "I-I am..." Luna studied the mare. Her posture betraying her fear. Luna waved a hoof softly. "No need to be frightened. I am merely here to ensure thee a pleasant sleep. Now tell me, doth thou fear that those who have accepted thou will give up on trying?" She asked. Starlight Glimmer took a moment to think about it before she sighed and sat down. She told Luna how much she had screwed up and how everything came to be. How she feared that the future would be bleak and uncertain for her. As grateful as she is about a second chance, the fear of messing it all up is too great a risk for her to prevent. Luna listened to mare's plight and provided reasonable responses when given. After a bit, Starlight began to open up more and felt a bit better by the end of it. The Dream Realm began to ripple, telling Luna she had prolonged her stay. She felt herself being pulled back, but not before Luna called out to her. "Be strong, Starlight Glimmer! Have faith in yourself as your friends do!" Starlight melted before Luna and the alicorn found herself in front of the door being shut forcefully in front of her. Luna furrowed her look at the door. She hoped that her words would at least ease the mare into a peaceful slumber. She began to go through the remaining doors. When she came to Applebloom's, she was surprised to see Pepper sitting next to her along with Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo. She looked further down the remaining doors. She then looked around, seeing that they were in a western bar. Applebloom sipped happily at apple juice while Scootaloo had root beer and Sweetie Bell enjoyed a sundae. Pepper studied the journal in front him. Each child dawning western attire. Princess Luna couldn't help but smile softly. Deciding to observe the dream further, she sat and watched just outside the door. Applebloom finished her apple juice before tipping her hat. "That's some mighty fine juice! Thanks for the drink, pardner." Applebloom grinned at the bartender pony, who tipped their bowler hat in kind. There were sounds of voices and clattering silverware as well as an old timey piano being played, yet there were no ponies present aside from the four children and the bartender. Sweetie Bell licked her lips before turning to the others. "Neat dream you made up, Pepper. I can almost taste this sundae!" She smiled. Pepper didn't say anything but only nodded. Pepper wanted to make up ideas for his story. He wasn't expecting for the three to follow him into it. But seeing as this could probably help him out with it, he might as well try. Scootaloo slammed the mug on the table and gave a relieved sigh. "That's the good stuff! So, what should we do next?" She asked to the others. Pepper hummed in thought. If Brisket County and his companions were to be celebrating something like this... what would they be celebrating? Perhaps a successful escape? From a rival gang? Yes, that's it. "Brisket County! 'Ahm callin' you out!" A sudden voice called out from outside the bar. The four turned with surprised looks. Pepper could imagine it. Four ponies gathered around a table playing cards, had stopped and looked out the window. A grizzled earth pony stallion stood up. His brown and white two-toned coat was covered by a brown bandana around his neck and a cow hide vest. His white mane covered by a desperado hat and black, bovine vest looked to the others. Their faces covered by their hats and bandanas. The stallion, Brisket County, looked over to Pepper and smirked with a small tip of his hat. The fillies looked between each other with curiosity before they hopped off their stools and looked out the window of the bar. Pepper grabbed his journal and followed suite, only to stop and stand by the pub entrance. There were other faceless ponies off to the side and taking cover behind objects as Brisket County leaned against the banister support pole coolly. Pepper wasn't sure who called him out, but he imagined it being the baron from Of Rice and Ponies. A stout, bowler hat wearing stallion with an angry look in his eyes stared down Brisket. What would Brisket do in this situation? Pepper thought about it. He then had an idea. Brisket smiled and tipped his hat. "Baron. Been a while, hasn't it?" He spoke. The Baron growled. "I have no time for your games, County! I want you out here with your iron at the ready!" the pony snapped. Brisket sighed and stepped down onto the dry, arid road. "Is it about one upping you in a game of Blackjack? Or perhaps the many love poems I keep sending to your daughter?" He grinned. "She ain't going to be married off to somepony she don't like." The Baron pointed at him. "That is not your right, outlaw! My daughter will marry Count Cristo for the family business! Now iffin' you done spouting, get to your position and face me." He snarled before trotting down to one end of the road. Brisket looked back to Pepper and winked. "Sit tight, kid. This'll be quick." he said before trotting to the other end of the road. The two faced each other, staring down one another, their eyes narrowing. Pepper has read a western tale before, but vaguely remembers the title of the book. The one thing that stood out to him was the showdown. The suspense the town felt as well as its' fate being decided by two ponies on a mission of their own accord. It was just bad luck they ended up facing each other. In the end, no pony won. But Pepper didn't want that ending. Brisket is the hero of his story. And to him, the hero will always win, no matter the struggle. As they watched on, Pepper noticed something off about their surroundings. He looked down to where the Baron was and saw a familiar looking colt, sitting on top of a barrel. Pepper tilted his head. The pegasus colt blinked once, seeing the familiar colt vanished. Is what he had thought. Pepper was startled to see the colt now standing next to him, looking on in childlike awe at the stare down. The fillies noticed the colt as well yet found it a little odd. Just something about him was different. They exited the bar and smiled. "Well, howdy there. Never seen you aroun' before." Applebloom waved at the new colt. River turned to them, smiling. "This is so cool! Pepper, why didn't you tell me you wanted to play cowcolts!" He began, looking at Pepper. Pepper shivered in slight terror and hugged his journal close to him, saying nothing. Scootaloo grinned. "I'll say! I've always wanted to see how the old timey western settings were! Don't you Applebloom?" She asked. Applebloom frowned at her. "'Ah've been ta' Appleloosa, Scootaloo. 'Ah think 'Ah have a good idea." She replied sarcastically. Sweetie Bell smiled and studied herself. "I like the outfits! Pretty neat stuff!" She spoke excitedly. River looked to them and smiled. "You must be Pepper's new friends! I'm River! What are your names?" the colt asked. The Cutie-Mark Crusaders didn't skip a beat. "'Ah'm Applebloom!" "Sweetie Bell!" "Scootaloo!" The three then brought the hooves together before speaking in unison. "And we are the Cutie-Mark Crusaders!" River's eyes widened in awe. "That's so cool! What do you guys do?" He asked. Applebloom pat her chest proudly in response. "We founded the Crusaders in search of our very own Cutie-Marks." She spoke. Sweetie Bell chimed in. "We did end up getting them. But..." The fillies then furrowed their looks and looked at their flanks. "We... aren't sure what to do next." Scootaloo finished for them. River rubbed his chin. "Crusaders? That kinda sounds like knights on a mission. Hey, that gives me an idea!" River turned to the colt. "What if we spice this up a bit? How about a western town that is being overlooked by a kingdom! The mighty king tasks you and your friends to aid the great hero, Brisket County and his companions on a quest to save the princess!" He motions to the fillies. "They meet the Crusaders and together they all band together and fight the evil demon that has felled the realm in darkness!" Pepper looked dumbfounded at the colt. But... this is his story. He wanted it to be his way. The colt shook his head, River looking at him sad and disappointed. "Really? But it sounds like fun..." He said. The fillies exchanged glances before Sweetie Bell got an idea. "Well, how about this? We start with Pepper's idea first. Then after that, we can do River's. And I think we can combine the two settings appropriately if we build up both individually. Since this is Pepper's dream, he should have the first go." Sweetie Bell smiled. Pepper winced as he was addressed. River rubbed his chin, thinking about it a bit more. He then smiled and nudged Pepper. "What do you think, Pepper?" He asked. Pepper studied the four for a good moment, their smiles finally making the colt buckle under the pressure. He sighed and gave a small nod. Pepper wasn't too fond of the idea, but it couldn't be that bad, could it? Sweetie Bell nodded. "It's settled then. Alright, Pepper. Show us what you have in store for Brisket County!" Pepper looked nervously at the filly before turning back to the stare down. The Baron “harumphed”. “Done talkin’? Good. No distractions! Jus’ you an’ me, County!” Brisket County narrowed his eyes, readying himself to draw. Pepper hummed. He couldn’t help but think of giving Brisket a unique contraption that would only KO ponies and creatures? Pepper always got queasy with the gore, but he didn’t mind a little violence so long as it isn’t too gruesome. There was a small flash of him being beaten by Blackheart and the colt quickly shook his head to rid himself of the memory. Princess Luna, who had been observing as a disguised patron amongst the watching crowd, narrowed her eyes as she saw a distorted field around Pepper. Her senses on high alert, she remained cautious as she continued to observe the dream. Pepper felt angry. Frustrated with himself for not being strong enough to at least escape from his torment. As if on a switch, the whole setting changed. Brisket County looked on in shock as The Baron began to grow, increasing in size. The three fillies and River gasped in shock as The Baron was now a behemoth image of Blackheart. Pepper trembled and took several steps back. The giant Blackheart grinned evilly down at him and with a single swish of his hoof, he destroyed several of the town buildings. The faceless ponies began to panic and flee, leaving the five children to take cover inside the bar. “Hehehe! Oh Pepper~ Where are youuuuu~?” Blackheart sang in a cold, evil tone, his eyes scanning the ground. Princess Luna threw her disguise off and took to the air, swishing her horn and casting her dispel. She gasped as she saw her spell fizzle before it could hit the giant colt. The area around the giant colt rippled and began to crackle. Luna quickly evaded with a roll in the air as something dark whisked by her. Taking a look at what sailed by her, she saw it crash into the bar. The kids inside ducked behind the counter as the ceiling broke apart and the dark shade puffed into smoke. Applebloom looked at the others in worry. "Wh-what happened!?" She asked. River looked to Pepper, seeing the colt breath heavily and hug the journal close to his chest. With River's expression turning into concern, he put a hoof on the colt’s shoulder. “Pepper. You have to get control of your dream. If you don’t, you’ll end up hurting everypony here.” River spoke. Pepper met his gaze and gasped as he began to see black veins form onto the colt’s body, his eyes turning pitch black and his coat turning pale and ash. The three fillies looked on in horror as the colt began to peel apart into the air from the hooves up. He never let his gaze fall from the colt. “See you again, soon.” As the colt vanished into black ash, the four saw a giant eye looking in from the hole. “Found you!” Blackheart’s voice echoed. The roof of the bar was ripped open, causing the fillies to scream in panic and huddle together. Pepper’s eyes widened in terror. Princess Luna heard the children’s cries of distress and in a blur, Luna zipped down and landed with a hefty crash of her hooves against the counter, shattering and splintering it. She quickly swished her head and a spark of electricity crackled from her horn. The giant colt hissed in pain and pulled back his hoof, shaking and sucking it before glaring down at them. “That hurt! Didn’t anypony tell you it is rude to harm your subjects?” Blackheart growled. Luna threw out her wings to shield the children. “Stay behind me, young ones!” She ordered, not taking her eyes off the nightmare before her. This is something rare to happen. She has only dealt with this at least twice in her life. There was only one thing she could do to aid in this horror. The four ducked behind Luna and she called upon the Dream Realm. The sky around them began to shimmer and flicker. Luna’s eyes widened as the colt reared back, a forehoof aimed at them. She called upon the Dream Realm again, but nothing responded. “Wh-what’s happening?!” Sweetie Bell trembled. Luna reacted quickly with a different spell. She dug her hooves into the ground and grunted, creating a barrier around them. The colt’s hoof crashed down on them, causing the children to lose their footing. Luna’s eyes darted around, her mind racing with ways to get these four safely out of harm. Her eyes fell upon Pepper, the outline around him distorted like heat waves. His eyes widened in horror. Luna grunted as she refreshed the barrier, another hoof came crashing down on them. Blackheart let out a mischievous laugh as he brought down another. Luna looked to the four. "Thou art lucid dreaming! Though can do whatever! Aid me, I will not let harm come to you!" Luna said this in direction to Pepper, but the Cutie-Mark Crusaders looked between each other. Scootaloo nodded. "Princess Luna is right! It's just a big, scary ol' nightmare! We can take it!" She said with a smirk. Luna held up a wing to halt them from moving. "Nay, children! Young one, thou must dispel this nightmare!" Luna grunted as she refreshed her barrier once more. "My magic hath no effect! I cannot will us out of here! Thou need to control it!" Pepper trembled, hugging his journal to his chest as he began to feel tears in his eyes. This was getting out of hoof. How is Pepper able to do any of that? The colt shook his head, shut his eyes tightly, wanting this entire thing to be done and over with. Luna grunted as she refreshed another barrier. She gasped as the area around them began to shimmer and ripple. She was being called out of the dream. She can't do so now. Not with this nightmare still rampant. She silently swore under her breath. "Give me more time! My duty hath not been fulfilled!" She called out as the sweat began to form. Applebloom balked and looked to Pepper, the colt sobbing softly in terror. The filly looked determinedly before putting a reassuring hoof on his shoulder. "C'mon, Pepper! You can do this! This is your dream! You can control it freely! Just imagine yourself a strong and brave knight! Or heck, maybe think about what Brisket County would do in a situation like this!" She smiled as the colt looked up tearfully at her. Sweetie Bell shielded herself as Luna refreshed another barrier, Blackheart unrelenting in his aggression. "You shouldn't be scared here, Pepper! You're stronger here! Whatever torture Blackheart has given you; you can dish it back out tenfold!" Sweetie Bell stated. Pepper looked at her. He sniffled and wiped his muzzle. Scootaloo hovered next to him and nodded. "You got us out of another dream before, Pepper. You can do it again! We'll back you up too!" The CMC nodded in agreement. The colt looked between the three. He wasn’t sure how to react to this sense of encouragement. This was new to him. He never had ponies root for him before. He gasped as he saw Luna buckle at the knees from a devastating lash from the colt. Yet, she stood strong and threw up another barrier. Pepper wavered. What can he do? He’s aware this is a dream. He could control it. But everything just felt so real to him. What if he ended up hurt? He imagined it being painful to wake up with the pain lingering. Or worse, it kills him. Pepper couldn’t stand the thought of dying in his own dreams. The visceral image of the mangled Mrs. Marigold flashed into his mind along with her destroyed casket. No pony deserved that kind of fate. The fillies screamed as Luna was pushed back from the next lash, causing her to fall to her stomach, exhausted as it was taking all she could to keep herself from being pulled away. Pepper’s eyes widened. No pony deserved any fate. Not even Tussel. “S-stop it…” Pepper whimpered. The CMC gathered around Luna, trying to help her up. They looked up and gasped, bracing themselves as Blackheart laughed and pulled back a foreleg. “Night night, Pepper.” Blackheart grinned. Pepper braced himself, shutting his eyes tightly and throwing up his hooves to cover himself as the hoof fell down over them. He waited for the inevitable pain that would follow. And waited. The colt opened up one eye in a tearful confusion. He looked up and balked as he saw his scarf’s tail having expanded into a claw and holding back the hoof. The other tail slithered around and wrapped around the foreleg of the giant colt and in a surprising awe of brutal strength, Blackheart’s foreleg was ripped from the shoulder, causing the colt to scream in pain. White, wispy smoke bellowed from the injuries. The fillies and Luna looked up in awe as the giant colt stumbled back, clutching his missing foreleg injury. He glared down angrily at them. “You’ll regret that!” He barked before rearing back and bringing down his other foreleg. One tail wrapped around Luna and the fillies, bringing them back as Pepper shielded his face with a hoof. A strong, resounding boom bellowed throughout his dream when the free tail stopped the foreleg. Pepper looked on in awe as the tail pushed back and grabbed the colt’s foreleg, this time ripping it from the hoof. More white, wispy smoke bellowed from the injury. The colt screamed in pain again. The tail around the fillies and Luna released them behind Pepper and came back around. “What’s happening?” Sweetie Bell asked. Luna panted and stood up with a small wobble. “I… doth not know the extension of this power. It is one I hath bestowed upon the colt. It used to belong to a different child. One who shared similar insight into their dreams and nightmares.” She looked up to the tail claws as they elongated towards the colt and one gave a hefty punch across the cheek, causing the colt to stumble and fall back onto their side while the other came down and pounded against the side of the colt. “I did not expect it to be this powerful, even beyond my understanding of the Dream Realm. But one thing I doth know. Tis powerful magic that is fully capable of getting us out of this nightmare.” Scootaloo shook her head in disbelief. “No way. So, you’re saying that Pepper is stronger than even your magic in the Dream Realm?” She asked in awe. Luna finally caught her breath and smiled. “The colt is capable of many feats here. I was right to bestow upon him the gifts of the Dream Realm.” They watched as the scarf began tearing away at the nightmare colt. As if a vicious beast ripping into their prey. Eventually, the white smoke began to turn black. Luna threw out a wing in front of the fillies, her eyes focused on the appearance of the very thing she hunts. Luna couldn’t help but shift her frown. “It shows itself.” She stated to the fillies without taking her eyes off of it. Pepper looked on in horror as the motionless, giant colt was being ripped apart before one of the claws dug into the chest and pulled out a wriggling wisp of black smoke. Blackheart began to vanish into smoke as the creature was helpless to the tight grasp of the scarf tail. Luna walked over to stand next to the colt with the CMC standing next to Pepper on the other side. The scarf brought the strange entity before the princess, her eyes studying it. Sweetie Bell gave a disgusted look at the entity. “Ech! It’s like a smoky slug.” She shuddered. Luna nodded. “A proper visage for an entity that spawns from the very Dream Realm itself. Tis not a Pygmy nor a nightmare. Tis but a monster that attracts to aware minds. And it seems to have taken an interest in Pepper. For the very sole reason what we hath seen.” Scootaloo reached out a hoof to the creature, only for Applebloom to swat her hoof and frowned. “Don’t touch it! Who knows what else that thing can do?” She said as Scootaloo rubbed her hoof. Luna nodded. “I am afraid Applebloom is right. I have only encountered these creatures twice. They are not affected by my magic. And since these creatures are considered parasites, getting rid of one has only ever been done once.” She sighed. “Twas a long time ago. I vaguely remember how unfortunately.” Sweetie Bell hummed as she rubbed her chin. “But… if Luna can’t really fight these monsters, does this mean Pepper is the only one who can?” She asked. Pepper froze and looked at them in shock. Luna smiled. “The power he holds is special in the Dream Realm. Since now I can confirm my theory, I do have a favor to ask of thee, young one.” Luna looked down at the colt, who shrunk down before the princess. She held out a hoof to the colt, who winced. Pepper studied the princess. This was the pony that was solely responsible for his ability. Yet, her kind gaze and motherly smile called to the colt. He hesitated as he then took her hoof and she gathered the fillies with her wings. Finally letting herself be pulled along with the children, they found themselves back into the starry, dreamy sky of the Dream Realm. Strangely, the creature, still wriggling in the unrelenting hold of the tail scarf, went with them. Everypony gathered around, studying the slug like smog. Pepper tilted his head curiously. He gasped as on the scarf's own accord, crushed the slug. It let out a strange squeak and deflated before vanishing into a wisp. The claws retracted and the colt's scarf became still and normal. Luna hummed, a thought invading her. She still doesn't know much about these creatures other than what she had explained through observation. But if this borrowed power she bestowed upon the colt could be key to properly managing the Dream Realm's accumulation of demented memories and dreams, then perhaps she would look after the colt in a mentor manner similar to how Celestia undertook Twilight. She looked to the CMC. These three would do well to guide the young colt into his confidence. Luna couldn't help but smile as the fillies chatted amongst themselves while Pepper awkwardly stood between them. The colt still has a lot to learn about the magic friendship could have. If he can master that, then the Dream Realm would be his to conquer. Luna closed her eyes in thought. 'Tis a tale as old as the creation of our great land. Like all things. The Dream Realm was born into this world for one purpose. To store and archive memories and dreams of those tied to the earthly realm. In it, a special group of creatures developed an ancient ability to traverse the Dream Realm in order to act as its' scholars and protectors. These creatures are now called Lucid Dreamers. Yet, while those that wield this special ability can only master their own dreams. There is one champion of the Dream Realm, one who can rule it as a king.' She opened her eyes and saw the fillies have vanished. It was time to wake up. Pepper looked up at Luna quizzically. His journal close to his chest. Luna smiled and bowed her head, her horn tapping the colt's own. The Dream Realm melted and flashed as both ponies had their eyes closed, the bright light engulfing them into nothing. But Luna left one message to the colt before he awoke in his bed, the sun peeking just slightly over the horizon. Her words echoing through his mind, the journal taking note of it. "I look forward to your journey, my pupil. May you have a pleasant sleep."