Now that she was at the Mountain of the Moon, it was time to develop her plan even further. First, she would need to find Pipe Dream's location. Since it was the next day, he could be at his cabin, in Ponyville (which was unlikely), or even more likely, at the psychiatric ward.

Phoebe was one for hoarding relics. Besides the Bands of Strength, there was one other relic which she had obtained over her lifetime, and it was the Window of Existance. All she needed to do was say a name, and the window would confirm for her where the pony she was looking for was in the world at that exact moment.

Either something was wrong with the relic, or Pipe Dream did not exist. Only one problem - the window could not be harmed.
'
"Impossible..." Phoebe spoke under her breath. How could that... disgusting unicorn... not exist? That thing had just used the Bands of Strength to impale her with his horn, sending her flying across the forest, just last night, and yet it could not find a single pony?

Phoebe's scowl slowly softened to a smile, and she looked back at the filly Phoebe whom she had conjured.
"Nothing, dear. I am only having trouble using the Window of Existance."

"Well, yes and no." Phoebe replied. "It is working because the window cannot be harmed, but it is not working because it is not finding Pipe Dream for me."

"Change his name? How in the world would he know that I had the Window of Existance, and that the only way for him to escape me was by changing his name? That's impossible!"

The filly Phoebe looked at the ground, "I'm sorry, I'm just giving bad advice again..."

"Don't you be hard on yourself, Phoebe," Phoebe replied, "I've conjured you to give me advice. Any advice is good advice, Phoebe. Don't ever be afraid to give it."

Phoebe looked back at the window, "If the window cannot show me where Pipe Dream is, then I have another plan. I am going to use the same tactic which I had used a long, long, long time ago."

"Interrogation," Phoebe replied, "now run along - you'd best get your rest this morning, because you'll be going to school today."

Hearing the knock, Twilight set down the books she had been organizing and trotted to the door, proceeding to open it to see who was behind it.

Applebloom looked up at Twilight, and Twilight looked back down at Applebloom; but by the way Applebloom looked, she could tell that something was... wrong. Very wrong.

"Yah I should be in school, but Miss Cheerilee's been actin' a bit funny this mornin'." she replied, sounding a little frightened.

"Ah don' know, Twilight, an' neither do any of us other colts and fillies." Applebloom replied, "they all went to tell their familiy, but I came here thinkin' you might know what's goin' on."

"Me, Sweetie Bell, and Scootoloo where goin' to school like any other day. The sun was up, there was a bright blue sky, and the clouds were all white 'n cottony.

"Then we trotted up to the schoolhouse. Miss Cheerilee usually keeps tha front door open for us to just trot in, sayin' "an open door is the first step to learnin'," but this tahm, tha door was closed. We could hear Miss Cheerilee's voice coming from inside the schoolhouse, so we thought we were late to school...

"But... But we were actually the first ponies to school, because nopony was inside the schoolhouse 'cept fer Miss Cheerilee; but she..."

"Okay, sorry Twilight, it was just... We didn't know what to make of it, cause... Miss Cheerilee wasn't talkin' to nopony."

"...That doesn't seem too strange. I haven't been talking to anypony myself for the last couple of hours-"

"But you don't understand, Twilight!" Applebloom interrupted, sounding a little desperate, "Miss Cheerilee wasn't just talkin' to nopony! She was talkin' - to nopony! Nopony was in the schoolhouse, but she was actin' like we were all in there! She was talkin' to me and Scootoloo, tellin' us not to pass notes durin' class! Then she got back to teachin' fancy mathematics, and she was talkin' about how to long divide - even though she'd already taught us that last semester! It was the same lesson, Twilight, I swear! And she was actin' like we were all in there, like it was normal!"

Applebloom stopped ranting, looking disturbed. Twilight started to feel a chill go down her spine at the sound of the news.

"...Yes, there was." Applebloom choked, "Miss Cheerilee was introducin' us to a new filly."

"Alright, everypony, I want to introduce you all to our newest student!" Miss Cheerilee chimed happily.

Her class stared back at her looking tired, bored, and as if the very environment of the schoolhouse was sucking the life out of them.

"Her name is Phoebe, and I want for all of you to treat her nicely - maybe even get to meet her. I'm sure she is a very nice filly."

"Thanks, Miss Cheerilee," Phoebe responded happily, looking up at her with her innocent eyes.

"It's alright, Phoebe," Cheerilee replied, "Now if you just take your seat over there in the front, then we can get started.

For a moment, Cheerilee felt confused. She thought for sure that that desk was Applebloom's desk... Well, it said it was Phoebe's desk on her seating arrangement chart... Where was Applebloom, anyway?

Cheerilee scanned the room, first from Phoebe, who looked like she suddenly remembered something, to a sudden pop of yellow and orange in the back corner of the room. It was Applebloom and Scootoloo, and they were... Passing notes?

Applebloom suddenly stopped dead in her tracks as she held a small piece of white paper in her mouth. She looked like she was about to say something, but instead, she simply shook her head, speechless.

"Then you'd better put that piece of paper away before I read it to the class." Cheerilee said.

Without a sound, Applebloom put away the piece of paper. It was strange that Applebloom wasn't saying anything in response - she was usually pretty vocal when she was caught red handed breaking class rules.

"Now," Cheerilee continued, "I'd like all of you to practice the four long division problems on the board - then we can start with our next lesson."

Cheerilee heard cliche groans coming from all of her classmates. Those ponies just didn't know what was good for them, did they? Maybe someday they'd understand why math is important - in fact, maybe they'd like it.

Twilight forgot about sorting her books - now was no time for that. She'd remembered reading something about ponies talking to nothing, but that only happened about a thousand years ago. She couldn't remember why, either. It couldn't be schizophrenia - Miss Cheerilee didn't have any past signs of it, nor did anything happen to her recently which could have caused her to have it. It was definitely something else - something even more serious.

"...Applebloom," Twilight answered, "I'm going to need you to get Applejack, ok? And I'm going to need her to get Rainbow, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity as well."

Applebloom hesitated, then galloped out of the room. Twilight continued to search her books.

"Ah, here it is," Twilight said to herself, levitating a book about Equestrian medical history in front of her.

Twilight continued to read the passage, feeling her blood run cold as she read the description. Next to it was a reference to the story of Olympus, which was mistakenly thought of as a legend. But no, it was only a myth. Not because it wasn't true, but only because it was not completely true. In reality, Olympus' mind was bent, toyed with, and shocked, the point of insanity. One of the ponies who did it to him controlled consciousness in order to make other ponies believe that she was Olympus, and not a... not one of the...

Spike yawned, dragged himself out of bed, and walked over to the balcony to look down at Twilight.

After several minutes passed, Cheerilee decided that enough time had passed for her class to finish the practice problems on the board. Looking up from her desk, she could see that all of her students were looking back up at her with bored, glazed looks in their eyes. All except Phoebe, who was still suffering over her homework.

Feeling bad for Phoebe, since she was new to the class, Cheerliee decided to give her a little help with her long division problems before continuing the class. Trotting over to her, Cheerilee bowed her head to Phoebe's level.

"Would you like any help, Phoebe? I know you're new to the class and you haven't learned this yet..." Cheerilee asked quietly.

"Oh, no, that's okay..." Phoebe replied, "It's just math gives me such a headache. You know, the kinds of headaches where it feels like a screw is driving into your head..."

As she said those words, a screw appeared in front of her face, and suddenly buried itself halfway into Phoebe's forehead, slowly turning, blood gushing from the wound and soaking her muzzle, as her eyes slowly started to cross out of agony.

"Phoebe!" Cheerilee shouted, as she went to take out the screw with her mouth. As she clenched down on the screw - or at least, tried to - her teeth simply bit down on themselves. Looking again, Cheerilee could see that Phoebe was gone.

Cheerilee looked around. Her class had disappeared, and the lights in the room were put out. Everything was gone, except for a book which suddenly appeared on Phoebe's desk.

"Don't you just love books?" Phoebe's voice echoed, "So do I. Well, some of them, at least."

The book was left open, the pages inside exposed to Cheerilee. Looking at the top of the right page, she could read the title of the book: "The Mare-Eating Book"

Suddenly, the pages flipped to the side, until they stopped at chapter 1. Cheerilee found herself reading the first page.

The Mare-Eating Book
By: Phoebe

Diamond Tiara slumped back in her chair, discouraged, before sighing and continuing to read her book. It was a punishment, because Diamond Tiara had been causing trouble in class during the day, and now Miss Cheerilee was having her read the first ten chapters of Muthering Weights

Feeling bored, Cheerilee thought about how much she liked reading. Deciding to do something to pass the time, she opened a drawer in her desk, and pulled out her favorite book - The Mare-Eating Book - and began to read chapter 1, which went like this:

Cheerilee began teaching her class about long division, like any other day. But this day, however, was not the same. Because today was the day that Cheerilee had introduced Phoebe to her class.

After sending Phoebe to her assigned seat, Cheerilee went back to her test to prepare for the day's lesson. After several minutes, Cheerilee looked up and saw that everyone in the room was finished, except Phoebe.

Cheerlie, BeiNg a FOOLISH, DISGUSTING, NON-NIGHTPONY, DEcidid to TrY and aCt out her futiLe ComPassiOn for Phoebe, by aSKing Her if SHe needed help. Cheerilee had some nerve asking a night pony if she needed help with her mathmatics. And mucH Bravery.
MISS CHEERILEE WAS ALWAYS KNOWN FOR HER KEEN NEED TO HELP PONIES WHO DON'T NEED HELP - HELP PONIES BETTER THAN HER
But today, Phoebe was merciful. Phoebe was GraCioUs. Because PhoebE wanted to know something

Cheerilee, I'm writing to YoU now. If you aRe ReadInG This, Then I WANT YOU TO KNOW I'M WRITING TO YOU AND NOPONY ELSE.

I'm looking for somepony. And you, being slightly wiser than your usual, foolish self, will help me find him.

WHERE. IS. PIPE. DREAM.

Cheerilee gaped at what she was reading, speechless, feeling weak in her forelegs.

Cheerilee nearly jumped out of her skin as she jerked to see the source of the voice. It was Phoebe.

"...Did you... Did you write this, Phoebe?" Cheerilee said, voice shaking with fear and anger.

Phoebe's eyes started to water, tears running down her cheeks. "I... I... I'm sorry, Miss Cheerilee!"

Phoebe began to whimper. "Nopony loves me, and I just... I don't know what I was doing, and-"

"Well you should be ashamed of yourself, Phoebe." Cheerilee stated angrily, feeling more confident, "You do not call anypony any of the things you wrote in this boo-"

The snap sound was so loud, so violent, that Cheerilee jumped away from it in surprise. It was the book - both sides of it had snapped up, causing the book to be standing on its binding. It's covers slowly began to separate, revealing countless, sharp, jagged teeth lining the edges of the covers. Where there were pages, there was a deep throat that seemed to stretch on endlessly, dripping with sickly looking black ooze, which appeared to be some kind of digestive bile. The book began to reek of stomach fluids, like vomit in a trash bag. Cheerilee watched in speechless horror as a long, wide, muscular forked tongue slowly slid out of the book's throat.

Cheerilee screamed, backpedaling into her chalkboard, and collapsing onto the ground. After making some moans of horror and dispair, Cheerilee began to scream again as the book began to levitate off of the desk, slowly tilting towards her direction, before burping and causing a thick fluid - which appeared to be a mixture of digested foods and meats - to pour onto the floorboards. The reek from the book's throat wafted past Cheerilee with its gluttonous burp, with a thick humidity which felt like the thickness of water vapor in a sauna.

Phoebe began to casually walk towards Cheerilee, with an innocent, childlike look on her face.

"Miss Cheerilee, don't you remember when you asked the class what a metaphor was and nopony answered? Well, I thought that I could impress you by showing you that at least I know what a metaphor is. Not only that, but I decided to use your phrase as inspiration. "A good book can really gobble you up", you said. When you said that, I thought of a book with a mouth eating me alive. Funny, right?"

Cheerilee screamed again, eyes glued to the monster that was levitating not ten feet in front of her.

The muscles in the book's tongue began to ripple, saliva trailing down it and oozing onto the floor.

"Look, I just wanted to ask you if you knew where Pipe Dream was, and now here you are, a screaming mess on the floor. I mean, no offense Miss Cheerilee, but I'd only asked a question. So if you'd excuse me, there's a colt I have a date with, and I need to know where he is."

Cheerilee's thoughts went to Pipe Dream for a split second. If she told this Phoebe where he was, then he'd have to deal with whatever Phoebe was torturing her with. She swallowed, refusing to let that happen to Pipe Dream.

"...Oh, well, maybe we just don't know each other well enough... I know!" Phoebe shouted, "We can do one of those ice breaker thingies! Wanna try?"

Cheerilee stared back at the filly with the charcoal coat and glowing, fire-like mane, non-responsive.

"Ponies can always get to know each other by being able to relate to each other with stuff, so why don't we sing 'Allouette, Gentile Allouette," huh? I know it's one of your favorite nursery rhymes to teach to your class. Except, just for fun so that we can include each other, I've changed the lyrics..."

Suddenly, the book's forked tongue lashed out and wrapped around Cheerilee's hind legs. Screaming in terror, Cheerilee bucked and thrashed in an attempt to escape, but it was too late. The book began to drag her towards itself, slowly but surely, before it began to lift her in midair just in front of its mouth. A fresh smell of meat wafted from the endless throat which expanded before Cheerilee. The book's breath was so humid now, so fresh, so concentrated, that its warm, sticky breath began to condensate on on Cheerilee's muzzle, face, and mane.

"PUT ME DOWN!" Cheerilee screamed, thrashing back and forth, helplessly demanding a freedom that would never come.

"Now, here's how it goes," continued Phoebe, "I thought that, y'know, since you don't really know me very well, that we could sing my version of "Allouette, Gentile Allouette", until you can finally open up and we can talk. Then we'll know each other even better, and talking won't be awkward anymore!"

The book slowly began to lift Cheerilee higher up until she was hanging directly over the book's mouth, it's throat stretching downward into a never-ending abyss, where she would momentarily be digested - forever.

"So here's my little twist on the song," Phoebe announced, "The original version of the song is about plucking feathers from the different body parts that a bird has, starting from its head, to each of its other body parts. That way, ponies can learn the different body parts of a bird! But in my version, it's about being able to name the different body parts of a pony as they're fully engulfed by a ravenously carnivorous book, starring you!" Phoebe threw her hooves up into the air excitedly, "It's an anatomy lesson!"

"Oh, c'mon Miss Cheerilee, I know anatomy can make some ponies squeamish, but not that squeamish! Welp, the best way to break your fears is to face them head on - and that's exactly what you're going to do!" Phoebe said, taking a deep breath and opening her mouth wide to sing.

Oh, Miss Cheerilee, gentle Miss Cheerilee. Oh, Miss Cheerilee, this book will eat you alive!
First the book will eat her head, first the book will eat her head. Eat her head, eat her head,
Cheerilee, Cheerilee, Oh Oh Oh Oh
Oh, Miss Cheerilee, gentle Miss Cheerilee. Oh, Miss Cheerilee, this book will eat you alive!

"Thank you, Professor Silver Tongue." Heebies sighed, feeling a wash of relief flow over her.

"Anytime," Silver Tongue replied, packing papers into some folders he had brought with him, "If anything happens again, feel free to let me know."

"Welp, I guess I'll just be heading out then. I hope all goes well with Pipe Dream!"

Silver Tongue trotted out the door and across the clearing until he disappeared in the forest. Sighing out of relief once more, Heebies collapsed onto a futon which she had been standing next to, feeling exhausted from the worrying she had been doing over Pipe Dream.

Meanwhile, Pipe Dream was standing in his room alone after Silver Tongue's visit. Since he was gone, Pipe quickly jumped off of his bed (which he had been sitting on comfortably when Silver Tongue had been asking him a series of questions) and trotted to a desk which was sitting on the other side of the room. Taking a deep breath, Pipe Dream opened the top drawer and lifted the four rings which he had worn the night before when he had confronted Phoebe. After glancing at their shiny and nearly translucent appearance, Pipe Dream set them on top of the desk in front of them.

Were they? Impossible. There was no way that in all the place of Equestria, the one place that the Bands of Strength had been the entire time, was in his own family attic.

But then... he felt so powerful when he was wearing them... It felt like nothing could stop him.

Pipe Dream had been thinking about something else too. If the taller Phoebe wasn't the real Phoebe, then why was he able to hit her? Of course, Phoebe was able to make him feel like he was touching something, but... She felt so real, that it was nothing like the hallucinations she had given him in the past... In fact, what if that was the real Phoebe? What if that was the Phoebe from Miss Cheerilee's story?

No, it couldn't be. It was impossible. Even if it was, there were so many questions that were left unanswered. Why was the princess of the nightponies inhabiting his family attic? Why not somepony else's attic? In fact, why wasn't she at the mountain of the moon?

Pipe Dream looked back at the rings on the desk in front of him. And if these were really the Bands of Strength... Why did she have them with her? It all just seemed so random. What were the chances?

After looking at the rings on the desk for about ten minutes, a thought came to Pipe Dream. What if he tried them on again, just to see if they really were the Bands of Strength? If they were, then he could have super strength and super speed.

To test his theory, Pipe Dream trotted over to his bed. Taking a deep breath, he placed his hooves under his bed and attempted to pull it up.

Pipe Dream turned around and faced his desk, levitating the rings to his position, and sliding them on to each of his hooves. Turning back to his bed, he tried to pull up the bed a second time.

Feeling dejected, Pipe sat down and looked at the rings on his hooves. How could he have had the strength to knock Phoebe out of the attic window and across the forest with his own strength, if he couldn't even pull up his own bed?

Pipe looked back at his bed again with a thought. When he was charging Phoebe, he was angry. His two little sisters Bats and Belfry always made fun of him when he was angry, because his horn would light up with magic. What if he needed to charge his horn with magic, without using that magic?

Pipe Dream got up on all fours again and stared at this bed, feeling anticipation welling up inside him. Concentrating on his horn, Pipe Dream began to charge his magic energy. Soon, his horn began to glow with unused magic. Seeing the light from his horn, Pipe Dream looked down at the rings on this hooves - which seemed to be emanating a small flame with a similar color that the magic on his horn had. It was almost like the fiery hooves that Phoebe had, but instead of red and burning, it was indigo and cool.

Pipe Dream looked back at his bed again. Taking a deep breath, Pipe Dream put his hooves under his bed, closed his eyes, and lifted.

Without opening his eyes, Pipe knew he had failed. No matter how hard he could pull up, he didn't feel any difference in the amount of weight on his hooves.

Pipe Dream let out a sigh and opened his eyes, allowing his hooves to slide out from under the bed. But before he did, he stopped.

He was holding up the side of the bed facing him, right in front of him, and he didn't feel any change in weight.

Pipe Dream dropped the bed, hearing a loud thud on the ground from the weight it had. That bed was made of Everfree oak, the toughest and heaviest wood in Equestria, and he was holding it up like it was nothing.

Pipe Dream suddenly had a realization - not only was he not afraid of things anymore, but he didn't have to be afraid of anything anymore either, because here he was, with arguably the most powerful relics in his hooves.

"I need a new name..." Pipe Dream thought. It was a funny thought, a thought that some ponies might say was childish or silly, but Pipe Dream wanted one. He wanted something different from his current name, something that spoke of bravery. He wanted a new alias - he didn't want to see himself as the old and afraid Pipe Dream.

After thinking for a moment, Pipe Dream thought he couldn't think of anything to call himself, until he remembered a memory from years ago, when his mother Heebies had said, "In fact, the best dream catchers are the ponies who take the bad dreams away from the world."

Pipe Dream said the name a couple times over to himself so that he could hear it for himself.

It had a nice ring to it. Not only that, but it had meaning to him. Pipe Dream looked back at the dream catcher which Heebies had hung next to his bed.

Trotting over to the dream catcher, Pipe Dream levitated the dream catcher off of where it was hanging from and placed it in the drawer of his desk. He didn't need the dream catcher anymore, because from now on, he would be the dream catcher.

Although it feels a little silly that I actually did that, It gave me a sense of closure. I wanted to be free of fear for so long, that now that it was out of my life, I felt so free, and so happy (Who am I? You guessed it, my name is Dream Catcher).

After putting the dream catcher away, I noticed that in the far back of the drawer was a pair of black sunglasses. I instantly remembered that my mother had gave them to me on one hot summer because she was afraid that the sun would melt my eyes. Deciding to move along with my new alias, with having nopony recognize me as Pipe Dream, I put them on, feeling more confident than I had before. I turned and faced the window in my room. I used to be so afraid that there was a monster on the other side that would eat me if I so much as stuck a hoof out of it. Now, it was just another part of the world. After being so afraid of things for my entire life, I refused to be afraid ever again.

Without a moment's notice, I jumped out of the room, and ran faster than I ever thought I could.

Princess Celestia finished reading Twilight's letter, feeling a sense of nostalgia, and an intense bitterness. Twilight was writing to her that night ponies were harassing Cheerilee, but she knew it wasn't just any night ponies. Out of respect for her, the night ponies had accepted their banishment. Not only that, but they were not evil by nature - they simply fed off of each other's emotions. It was because of this that they were known for their jubilant celebrations and sense of mutuality. However, when one of them strays from their family of nightponies, out of anger, pride, or both, they change - because the only way they can survive is by emotions, and the strongest emotion which a hateful nightpony can bring, is fear.

This wasn't just anypony - this was Phoebe's work. Phoebe, who proudly believed that Nightmare Moon would help her punish the pegasus, unicorn, and earth ponies by reigning all of Equestria in total night, forcing them to see the mountain of the moon, forcing them to look down on themselves forever. After Nightmare Moon had been defeated, Phoebe refused to believe that her ally had been sent to the moon, and in her pride, she vowed that she would never leave Equestria.

And now, she had finally revealed herself by foolishly showing off her consciousness-controlling abilities on Cheerilee.

"Yes, your highness." replied one of her guards, before galloping out of the hall.

Only Luna knew how to control consciousness like the nightponies, because she had learned that technique from them when she was Nightmare Moon. Now she would need to put those skills to the test, routing any affected ponies from their sleep by entering their dreams and saving them before they were turned over to insanity.

I was galloping so fast,the trees began to whip past me in a way that I almost thought I'd hit one. I started to slow myself down, taking in my surroundings.

Then I wanted to do something. I wanted to go to the schoolhouse. I could imagine the looks on all of those schoolponies' faces when they saw me, Dream Catcher, being the cool colt with all of my awesome skills. All of a sudden, instead of being the freak I used to be as Pipe Dream, I could be cool, inspirational, and loved. Deciding to do it, I turned and galloped back home, reaching it in record time. Galloping around the perimeter of the cabin, I found the forest trail that would lead me to ponyville, raced down it so fast that the trees looked like paint being smudged by the wind.

In a few seconds time I was back at the schoolhouse. Oh good, the doors were closed and the lights were on - that meant that school was in today. I couldn't wait to show off to all the schoolponies - especially my two little sisters Bats and Belfry. I wondered how Cheerilee was doing today.

I stopped, not sure what to think. Knowing her, she was probably angry at one of her students for some reason. Really angry.

Now I knew something really was wrong. I was about to backpedal out of habit, but then I remembered - I'm not Pipe Dream anymore, I'm Dream Catcher, and I'm not afraid.

I wasn't waitin' for any locksmiths today. Instead, I turned, and bucked that door so hard that it flew to the other side of the schoolhouse and smashed to smithereens.

Miss Cheerilee! I shouted, galloping into the room. I instantly stopped - Miss Cheerilee was wrestling with a math book on top of one of the school desks, making gurgling noises and screaming for help. Besides that, there was nothing else in the room.

I galloped up to her and shouted her name in her ear as loud as I could to get her attention, but she still didn't respond. I shook her and kept screaming out her name, but still nothing.

I turned and saw an alicorn which I had never seen before - she was tall, like Phoebe, but had a dark purple coat and a mane that reminded me of when I'd gaze at the stars at night. She closed her eyes, and magic illuminated her horn. I looked back at Cheerilee and noticed that her eyes began to have a slight blue glow to them, before they went back to normal, and Cheerilee suddenly relaxed, allowing the math book to fall onto the floor.

"Miss Cheerilee," I said, hoping that this would be the time that she would wake up.

"Oh, no, you're not Pipe Dream... Pipe Dream... didn't have his cutie mark yet..."

My eyes went wide with excitement at what she was implying, but I forced myself not to look at my flank in order to keep myself from appearing surprised. Later I'd look, but not now. I couldn't now.

"My name?" I responded, feeling a little dazed from the mixture of seriousness and excitement from the moment.

The Dream Catcher

by SilverOrion

A Good Book Can Really Gobble You Up