The Force of Dreams

by Deathscar


Chapter 3: Misspoken Plans

Temporary A.N. : There's quite a few errors here. All the proofreaders I knew were busy and I wanted to at least give you guys a chapter before school starts. Will get a proofreader on it ASAP :) Or if you spot any errors, I would greatly appreciate it if you could point it out in the comments. Either way I hope you enjoy this chapter !

Twilight’s loud snoring echoed throughout the library, her head rested comfortably just beside the object she had spent the whole night polishing. A string of drool led from the side of Twilight’s mouth all the way down to a small puddle which had formed on the table. Twilight groaned softly, her body shifting and her eyes slowly fluttering open.

“W-wha... what day is it?” Twilight awoke, her head rising from her table as her mouth stretched out into a loud yawn. The searing rays of light told Twilight that it was way past morning, possibly closer to the afternoon.

She looked down at the object she brought home from Rarity’s and immediately, everything shot back into her mind.

“Oh my gosh. Today’s the day!?” She rushed over to her calendar to check and, sure enough, today was Rainbow’s Wonderbolt audition.

Her breathing became short and stuttered, her eyes grew wide as she turned back to gaze at the glimmering item.

“Well then, nothing to worry,” Twilight assured herself. Her breathing quickly returned to normal and a sly smile grew on her face. She lightly pushed open the kitchen door, a spring in each step as she approached the cupboard to her left.

“Today’s going to be a great day!” Twilight reached up and swung the cupboard door open. She reached inside and pulled out a small plastic packet which has the word ‘Instant Cocoa’ printed on it. Quickly tearing the top of the pouch open, she hovered a cup over before pouring the brown powder into it.

“A little hot water...,” Twilight sung and filled the cup with the steaming water from her kettle. With a soft slurp, she took her first taste of the delicious cocoa. A taste she didn’t have time for yesterday with Fluttershy’s disturbance.

“Ahhh,” Twilight exclaimed, trotting back into the living room. “Now then, since I have nothing to worry about till the audition, I’ll see if I can figure out the riddle—”

The sound of hooves hitting her wooden door resonated through the library.

“Ugh! Come on!” Twilight yelled as loud as she could before walking towards the door, purposely making each step as loud as she could. “One minute! I just need one minute before I—” She quickly ceased her shouting when her eyes saw the pony who stood outside.

“R-Rainbow?”

“Oh, heya, Twi!” Rainbow greeted with a wide grin. “Sorry if I’m disturbing you at all.”

“N-no! It’s fine!” Twilight assured the pegasus.

“You’re coming for the auditions, aren’t you, Twilight?”

“Of course I am, Rainbow! I wouldn’t miss it for the world!”

“Great!” Rainbow beamed. “You wanna come with the future Wonderbolt star? I’m going there right now.”

“H-huh? O-oh, no, Rainbow! N-not now!” Twilight’s mind raced to find an excuse, any excuse she could use so that she could put her plan into action. “I have to... figure out the riddles! That’s it! Then I’ll be right there! Just give me a bit of time!”

Rainbow noticed Twilight’s odd actions. How Twilight wouldn’t look her in the eye while she was talking and how animated Twilight was when she spoke, waving her hooves around to re-enact everything she said. She cocked her head to the side. “Okay... well, I’ll see you there, alright, Twi?”

“Y-yeah! It’s just on the outskirts of the Everfree Forest right? Near Fluttershy’s cottage?”

“Yeah! Don’t be late for the crowning of the future Wonderbolt!”

“I won’t!”

Twilight turned around, prepared to go back into her home to carry out her plan. However, Rainbow’s voice stopped her in her tracks.

“Wait!”

Twilight twisted her head back, staring back at Rainbow.

“Yeah, what is it?” Twilight asked.

Rainbow looked down at the ground beneath her, stomping it lightly with her hoof.

“I have... s-something to tell you.”

Twilight shut her eyes. The Cloudsdale stay. At least she’s going to be honest about it.

“I...” Rainbow started in a soft tone. “I...”

Come on, Rainbow. You just have to say it out and—

“I’ll see you there alright?” Rainbow finished her sentence in one short breath, not even looking into Twilight’s eyes.

Twilight spun back around, letting her head hang low as an exasperated sigh escaped her lips.

“Yeah...,” Twilight muttered under her breath. “See you there.”

Neither pony said another word as Twilight trotted into the library, closing the door shut.

Rainbow stood, her mind had already started to beat herself up.

Stupid, stupid, stupid! It was one phrase! Three words! How could you slip up like that!?

Rainbow resisted screaming out in anger as she took off high into the skies and towards the auditions she had waited so long for.


Rainbow was restless as she stood behind the large red curtains of the stage. Her whole body was trembling immensely as she continued to jog on the spot, sweat pouring down her forehead and dripping onto the teak floor below.

With a shaking hoof, she pulled away the right curtain slightly, just enough for her to peek out onto the wide stage and the crowd. Hundreds of ponies could be seen on the stands, cheering as one by one, the candidates flew onto the stage and performed their stunts. They were all hoping to impress the judges with their moves and the judges were none other than the Equestria famous Wonderbolts!

It didn’t help Rainbow’s nerves when she saw the twelve ponies dressed in the signature blue suit, sitting and scrutinizing every candidate's tricks and traits. The very sight of her idols made her stomach churn.

Can’t screw this up. Only chance Rainbow kept repeating the two sentences in her mind.

“Heya, Rainbow!”

Rainbow leapt up at the mention of her name, her heart doubling its rate.

“Ah! I-I don’t want to go yet!”

“Whoa there, sugercube. It’s just us.”

The pegasus turned around to see the familiar faces of her friends, all of them wearing a warm smile as they stared at her.

“Oh.” Rainbow breathed a sigh of relief. “Hey, girls. I was just... acting! Did you come to support me?”

“Absolutely, darling!” Rarity answered. “A friend would not miss when another friend is about to fulfill her lifelong dream!”

Rainbow’s cheeks grew a faint red. “You guys really think I got this?”

“Oh, most definitely,” Fluttershy added in her usual meek tone.

“Then after you get your dream. We. Can. Party!” Pinkie screamed, standing up on her two hooves with a giant grin plastered on her face.

“Heh, thanks girls!” Rainbow grinned back, but the grin soon faded as she noticed somepony was missing from the group. “Hey, any of you seen Twilight?”

“Twi? Ah don’t know. She should be here any second now!”

“R-right... I’m sure she won’t miss it!” Rainbow said with an obviously forced smile.

“Ya darn right she won’t!” Applejack responded, hugging the pegasus close.

“Ew! Come on! Hugs? Now?” Rainbow complained.

“Hugs always!” Pinkie shouted, her hooves extending and bringing all of her friends into a close hug. Seconds later, the hug was broken away as the ponies started to leave the backstage area.

“You make us proud, Rainbow!” Rarity spoke.

“Yeah! I’m gonna throw the biggest party for you, Dashie!”

“Oh... umm... n-no stress, alright?”

“We’ll see you after you win, right, Rainbow?”

“Yeah!” Rainbow answered. “Sure, AJ. Thanks girls! Enjoy the show!”

With these words, her friends soon vanished from sight. The announcer’s loud voice could clearly be heard speaking, “and now, for our second last candidate! Please welcome, Starstreak!”

Rainbow swore her gulp could be heard all across the stage as she watched the silver pegasus take off through the curtains. She was alone now. There was not a single pony left behind the curtains as she nervously awaited the inevitable mention of her name.


Twilight galloped towards the edge of the Everfree Forest with her saddlebags. The sound of ponies cheering and the sight of pegasi doing all sorts of dangerous stunts told her she was close. As she raced up the hill, she finally caught sight of the stage. Entire stands were filled with ponies screaming their lungs out, no doubt friends and family of the competitors.

Twilight’s eyes caught sight of Applejack and the others, watching intently at the curtains, all of them waiting for her cyan friend to rush out for her try to enter the Wonderbolts. She sneakily trotted behind the stands, towards the back of the stage, where she could finally put her plan into action.

Rainbow isn’t going to win this time! As Twilight approached the entrance to the back of the stage, she quickly ran through the plan in her head repeatedly. Oh Twilight, you’re a genius! There’s no way this plan could fail!

What the unicorn didn’t plan for was a muscular pony, dressed in a black suit and tie, standing and blocking the entrance to the backstage.

“Umm...excuse me, Mr Large guard...sir.” Twilight stared at the burly pony with a smile. The guard looked down at the purple mare, a frown on his face. “My friend is in there and I haven’t had the chance to support her yet. Would you please let me through so I can—”

“Nopony allowed back here. Beat it,” the guard replied, turning his head back up away from Twilight.

“B-But—”

“I said beat it

Twilight immediately started taking steps back. The last thing she needed was to get in trouble now. For if she did, her plan would most certainly be ruined.

I need to get inside somehow! Twilight thought, her eyes darting around the entire area around her. From the big guard to the angled audience stand to her right. There has to be a— Her eyes soon landed on a mare who was sitting at the front of the stands, her eyes glued to the pegasus in the sky. To her left was a small purse, almost certainly containing valuables, and an unsuspecting stallion situated just behind her. It’s all too perfect!

Stealthily, Twilight levitated the purse and placed it just beside the stallion, grinning wide as she did so.

“It’s only a matter of time before—”

“Where’s my purse!?” the mare screamed at the top of her lungs, turning her head quickly to try and locate her bag. When she turned to her back, she produced a low growl. “You!”

The stallion turned his attention to the mare, who was giving him an angered stare. “W-what? What’s wrong, ma’m?”

The mare didn’t listen to what the stallion had to say. She stood up and snatched the purse right out from his side. “Security!” the mare yelled. “Security!”

It was all going according to plan. The guard swiftly galloped to the frantic mare, giving Twilight full entry to where she needed to be. Twilight didn’t waste any time, racing into the backstage, where she could finally ensure Rainbow doesn’t get a place in the Wonderbolts.

Back in the stands, Applejack couldn’t keep her eyes off the bickering ponies as the stallion frantically tried to defend himself. Her mind soon wandered off to another topic that bugged her mind.

Twilight still ain’t here... Where could that unicorn have run off to?


Come on, Rainbow. You can’t let your friends down! You got this!

The announcer’s booming voice spoke once again, “that was an amazing audition! Next up—”

You can’t let anyone down! You need this!

“Is, Ponyville’s own—”

You can’t let yourself down...

“Rainbow Dash!”

The name caused a large roar of applause as Rainbow stepped out into the sunlight, in full view of everypony, including the Wonderbolts. She lifted her right hoof to wave to the crowd and through all the noise, she could faintly pick up the encouraging words from her friends.

“You go Dashie!”

“Ya got this, Rainbow!”

“Show them grace and poise!”

Rainbow spreaded her wings, the light blue feathers seemed to reflect the intense sunlight of the evening sun. Posing just for a second, she took off into the sky, flying away from where she had came from, towards where a large cloud had been positioned for her. It was now or never. This was the start of her one and only chance to fulfill her dream.


Twilight watched as Rainbow trotted past the curtains and out of sight. She rushed forward to where Rainbow once stood, inches away from the drawn red fabrics covered the back of the stage.

“Alright. So far so good,” she whispered to herself.

Twilight’s horn glowed a familiar shade of purple as she lifted the key to her whole scheme out of her saddlebag.

“Here we go.” The edges of Twilight’s mouth stretched towards her ears as she laid the object on the floor. She stared at the perfectly polished surface, seeing a purple unicorn with a unkempt mane gazing back at her in it.

“Mirror mirror on the wall, guess who's gonna take a big fall?” She recited into the item at her hooves. The few, scattered lights around the room fed the mirror’s hungry appetite, reflecting any light that it could find around the back of the stage.

Twilight trotted up to where the two curtains met and pulled the right curtain slightly away, allowing her to peek past the judges and the audience stands, up to the bright orb rising in the sky.

“Perfect,” Twilight muttered.

Twilight diverted her gaze towards the pegasus in question, who was flying swiftly towards a huge cloud. She brought her head down towards the mirror, staring at its reflective sheen for a few seconds before picking it up.

“Alright.” Twilight started to adjust the mirror, hoping to get the most amount of sun to hit it as possible. Several adjustments later, the mirror glowed with an intense light, signalling that Twilight had found the perfect spot.

“Now all I have to do is wait for Rainbow to fly past the stage and I can turn this to blind her!” Twilight giggled playfully. “It’s the perfect plan!”


Rainbow’s eyes narrowed as she focused on the two large, fluffy balls in the sky.

“Alright, move one!” She psyched herself up, soaring forward so that she was just inches away from the first cloud. Without wasting another second, she flew upwards, knocking several pieces of the cloud away with a fierce buck of her hooves. She darted downwards, kicking away several tuffs of the huge cloud before racing to the right, repeating the same routine.

“Almost... and...,” Rainbow lifted her forehooves and pressed against the edges, smoothing them out. “Done.” She flew back a little, letting the judges and the audience marvel at her sculpture; a gigantic, detailed cloud formation of the Wonderbolt’s symbol. The crowd soon erupted in applause, but the Wonderbolts sat and stared as Rainbow dashed straight up into the sky.

“Move two!” Rainbow muttered, slipping her hooves to her side as she flew upwards. All of a sudden, a faint flash of light blue covered the entire sky. Everypony’s jaw dropped as they stared wide-eyed at the pegasus descending down from the heavens. “Buccaneer Blaze, check.”

Rainbow spun around, zipping over the crowd and towards the stage where she came from. She closed her eyes and gulped. “M-move three.”


Twilight braced herself, her eyes locked onto the pegasus who was flying closer and closer to her.

“Alright, this is it. Perfect timing. Just need to move this mirror a little to the left and then Rainbow will fail the audition,” Twilight planned out loud. She tilted the mirror a slight bit, still a small turn away from sabotaging her friend in the skies.

“A little more, Twilight, and she’ll be with you. All you have to do is make her fall,” Twilight paused, her eyes staring into space. “Make her fall and lose her only chance to make her dream come true. That’s all you have to do. R-ruin her dream... because that’s what friends do...,” her tone got a lot softer as she spoke, a stray tear flowing down her cheek. She turned up to see that Rainbow was close to flying past her. She only had a second more to turn the mirror.

You’re gonna lose her, Twi. Unless you—

“Ruin her dream... I know...”

There she is! Now! Turn it now! Turn the mirror n—

Crash.

The sound of the mirror shattering did well to shield Twilight’s loud sobs as she sat behind the curtains, large shard of shattered glass surrounding her. She lifted her right hoof and pressed it against her chest, feeling her heartbeat. She felt as if her heart had been ran through by a dagger. The pain she felt was immeasurable, the guilt she tried to ignore consumed her every thought.

How!? How could you even think of doing such a thing!? Twilight screamed in her mind. She’s your friend, Twilight! She’s your friend! No! She’s more than that! And you were willing to do that!? she continued to scold herself.

She was all alone. She wanted Rainbow to land from her audition, see her laying there with tears streaming down her face. She wanted to feel the warmth of Rainbow’s fur and feathers against her as the pegasus pulled her into a hug, but she knew that that was just a dream that will never be fulfilled.

Every single limb of her’s ached and she could only grit her teeth to try to divert it away. As an earth shattering boom shook the very ground she sat on, followed by the loudest applause Twilight had ever heard, she knew what had happened. There was no denying it now. She had just lost Rainbow Dash.

Twilight couldn’t take the cheering anymore. The happiness only deepened the wound she had. With a flash, Twilight, and all the shattered glass, was gone.


Rainbow descended down to her friends as she wore the biggest, and proudest, grin she could muster. Her friends leapt up to her, drawing her into a large hug.

“Oh come on, another hug?” Rainbow complained, rolling her eyes.

“You darn right, sugercube! You deserved it!” Applejack tightened her grip on Rainbow, her smile increasing in size.

“That was absolutely wonderful darling! And I must say, the Rainboom at the end surely secured your place!”

“Yeah, Dashie! That was almost as sweet as my cakes!” Pinkie released a long gasp. “Maybe... maybe even sweeter than my cakes!”

“Woo hoo, Rainbow Dash!” Rainbow recoiled a little at Fluttershy’s loud cheering. “You totally knocked the socks of those ponies! No candidate but you stands a chance!”

Rainbow, Rarity, Pinkie and Applejack glared silently at the shouting Fluttershy, who took quite a while to notice the silence. She quickly lowered herself, her cheeks blushing red. “I-I’m sorry... was I too loud?”

The barrage of compliments continued to shower Rainbow. However, Rainbow’s smile slowly disappeared once she noticed a certain pony was missing from the crowd.

“G-girls. Where’s Twilight?”

Applejack’s smile quickly disappeared. “Ah... Ah’m sorry to tell ya, Rainbow, but Twilight never showed up.”

“What do you mean she never showed up? She said she wouldn’t miss this for the world!” Rainbow shouted in distress.

“We thought she wouldn’t miss it as well,” Rarity added.

“Ah’m mighty sorry, Rainbow.”

Rainbow tilted her head downwards, no traces of happiness left within her.

“Ladies and gentlecolts!” The announcer’s voice blasted over the speakers. “The Wonderbolts have finished their discussion and would like to announce that only one pony has made it past the auditions!”

Rainbow stared blankly at the dirt underneath her hooves, her mind having wandered off to somewhere far away.

“That pegasus is... Rainbow Dash!”

The crowd exploded with a wave of cheers and congratulation. Applejack braced herself for Rainbow’s gloating, expecting her to fly onto stage with that arrogant look on her face. However, as she turned back down, she only saw Rainbow standing as still as a statue, not so much as twitching. Applejack lifted her right hoof to shake the pegasus a little, returning her to Equestria.

“You won! Rainbow, you won!”

“I did? G-great.” Rainbow’s shoulders drooped as she flew onto the stage, her eyes stuck onto the library that could be seen faintly in the distance.

“Rainbow Dash! You have won yourself a one month stay in Cloudsdale so that the Wonderbolts can judge you and your abilities! You could very well be the next Wonderbolt! How do you feel?” The announcer pushed the microphone into Rainbow’s mouth.

Rainbow blinked several times, her eyes glued to the treebrary. “G-great. I feel amazing,” she replied in a monotonous tone.

“You must be ecstatic!”

“Y-yeah, sure,” Rainbow continued, “electric. Can I go now? I’m kinda needed elsewhere.”

The announcer reeled back for a slight moment as the crowd released a unified gasp, Rainbow’s friends included. The announcer turned up to Spitfire, who gave a soft nod.

“Y-yes, Rainbow. You may leave this prem—”

A large gust of wind followed Rainbow as she sped off towards the library. Applejack stood with an eyebrow raised as she glanced at where the rainbow trail sped off to.


“Twilight? Twilight, you okay over here?” The library door squeaked on its hinges as Rainbow gave it a light push. Immediately, Rainbow could hear faint sobs coming from a floor above, causing her hooves to shake and her heart to beat even faster.

Rainbow ascended the steps slowly, her reflexes braced for the worst. “Twilight? You alright?”

At the top of the steps, Rainbow could see Twilight with her back turned towards her. Each sob stabbed Rainbow in the heart. She couldn’t help but feel... responsible. Her hooves trembled as she reached out to the unicorn. “Twilight?”

Twilight spun around, her eyes red from the tears, her teeth bared towards the pegasus.

“Why didn’t you tell me!?” Twilight bellowed. “Why!? Why why why why!?”

Rainbow leapt backwards, her lips shaking. “T-tell you!? Tell you what!?”

Rainbow saw a large book get tossed towards her, quickly ducking to dodge it. “Whoa! Twilight!”

Twilight didn’t have any remorse left. She continued to scream, “the one month stay in Cloudsdale! Why didn’t you tell me!?”

Rainbow’s eyes widened, her mouth opening as she whispered, “how did you know about that?”

Rainbow ducked once more to dodge a large book, which slammed against the wall with a loud ‘thud’.

“Does it matter!?”

“I-I wanted to! B-but it was so hard to say, Twilight. You have to understand!”

“Why didn’t you tell me, Rainbow!? Why!? What is it? You don’t think me as one of your friends!?”

No, Twilight. I don’t. I think of you as more than a friend. Rainbow had the whole reply planned out in her mind. You mean Equestria to me and I... I love you.

“No, Twilight! I don’t!” Rainbow froze as the four words repeated in her mind. Twilight stared as her mouth descended into a frown, her eyes squinting together to let out the tears that flowed. Rainbow couldn’t continue what she wanted so desperately so say, her mouth locked up upon seeing Twilight turn her head to one side. The silence seemed to last forever, only after Twilight started to speak, were they brought back to reality.

“Get out,” Twilight commanded in a cold tone.

“T-Twi, wait, let me explai—” Rainbow took a step forward, her entire body shivering.

Get out!” Twilight’s horn glowed a bright purple as a similiar aura surrounded the pegasus. In a matter of seconds, Rainbow found herself on the cold ground outside.

“Wait! Twilight, please!” Rainbow crawled as fast as she could towards the door, but with a loud slam, the door was closed and the sound of tumblers turning signified that the door was truly locked.

Rainbow banged repeatedly on the door. “Twilight! Please!” Tears had started to flow down Rainbow’s face as well. “Please! Twilight! Open the door!” she begged.

The sun had started to set over the horizon, bringing with it the last light of day. Rainbow was bathed in the orange glow as she bashed on the door. “I’m begging you, please! Twilight! Twilight!!”

“Rainbow?”

Rainbow lifted her hooves to her face, hiding it from view. “H-heya, AJ...,” she spoke in a stuttered and mumbled voice.

“Rainbow, are ya, crying?” Applejack took a step forward but Rainbow responded with an immediate step back.

“I just... got something in my eyes.”

Applejack shook her head. “I ain’t buying it, Rainbow.”

Rainbow sniffed hard, tears dripping onto the ground. “You don’t have to.”

Without another word, Rainbow darted past Applejack, sending a gust of wind into the earth pony’s face.

Applejack took off after Rainbow, hoping to catch up to the speedy pegasus.

“Rainbow! You come back here! Rainbow!”

Rainbow didn’t acknowledge Applejack’s pleas, cutting through the air, her eyes grew foggy from all the tears she had cried. She could barely make out the outline of her cloud home, but she knew the layout by heart, she didn’t need sight to tell her where to fly. Rainbow sped into her room and threw herself onto her bed, her face dug deep into her pillow.

Applejack gazed up at the huge cloud home, as bright, twinkling stars hung behind it. Ain’t nothing I can do now. She ain’t coming down... I’m gonna make sure she’s alright tomorrow. she reluctantly told herself, trotting back towards the farm.

“Stupid!” Rainbow shouted into her pillow, muffling the word. “You’re an idiot, Rainbow! An idiot! Stupid. Stupid. Stupid! Dumb, useless, stupid pegasus!”

Rainbow lifted her head up, staring at the calm night outside her window. Her whimpers were soft, but each one carried an intense pain through her body. She could see the half-moon hung quietly in the sky, among the thousands of diamonds.

Rainbow lowered her right hoof to her blanket and pulled it up to her neck. Her sobs were the last noises she made before being pulled slowly into dreamland...


Twilight could do nothing but scream and shout, her horn glowing bright as she flung book after book against the walls of the library. It was barely any help to reduce the pain she felt deep within her. She slammed her head on the table, her loud cries of anger and anguish continuing through the wood.

After a few minutes, Twilight could feel her entire body aching. Her throat was sore and her eyes were searing from all the tears. She had so much more to cry out, but couldn’t, for there were no more tears left to cry.

Twilight picked herself off from the table, unknowingly sending the paper she had cried on to float to the floor. She trotted up to her room and ascended the steps beside her bed, accidentally stumbling against the bookshelf and sending the books avalanching off their positions and onto the ground below.

She would have immediately set about arranging the entire bookshelf if it was any other day. However, all Twilight wanted to do was to get some much needed rest. Her head was reeling from the day’s events as she laid on the bed.

It’s all over. Twilight gripped her pillow tightly, shutting her eyes as hard as she could. Rainbow’s gonna go to Cloudsdale and find a great stallion, maybe even one in the Wonderbolts. Images of Rainbow in a long flowing wedding dress crossed Twilight’s mind. Thoughts of her, sitting in the crowd, forced to watch the mare she loved stand on the podium with a grin on her face as she muttered to the stallion.

“I do.”

The thoughts made Twilight writhe in pain, forcing her right hoof up to her chest to try to ease the devastation of losing Rainbow.

With one final glance at the half-moon that hung in the sky, she felt her entire mind drift away. Fear and desolation ate up the last bits of her consciousness as she lay on the bed, lifeless, till sleep finally brought her to slumberland in solace.

For all she cared, she could have been pronounced dead.


Proofreading done by a close friend of mine (he doesn’t want to be mentioned).