One week later.
I stood outside the Ponyville funeral home, looking off to the distance. For once in my life, I felt at peace.
When those six ponies had used their "Elements of Harmony" on Phoebe, it trapped her in something, until the day came when Princess Celestia and Princess Luna decided the time was right to try and "reform" her. I couldn't remember what it was at the time, but it didn't matter - I was just glad she was gone.
I sighed with contentment, taking in the cool morning air and the gentle breeze. After an hour of me sitting there, I heard some hoofsteps coming towards me. I turned my head to see who it was; it was Luna.
She stood beside me for a moment, looking at me thoughtfully.
"I am sorry for your loss." she said finally.
I nodded, trying not to think about it much. It was already too painful to believe.
After a moment of silence, Luna changed the subject.
"I see that you have kept the Bands of Strength that you had found in Phoebe's possession."
In response to what she said, I looked down at the cuff-like bands on my fore and hind legs, which gleamed a deep indigo hue in the sunlight.
"Yeah, I guess I do still have them."
"That's alright - as long as you are responsible with them, and you do with them what your purpose drives you to - you may keep them... I also see that you have taken what I had told you to heart; you are no longer the coward you used to be. You are brave, and I want you to know that."
"...Thanks." I said somberly.
"Your cutie mark," she said, "you have earned it, young one."
Luna then caused a spark to appear in the air, and a form appeared. She handed it to me.
"This is for you - I think you have deserved it."
I took the form with my magic. It was made up of two pieces of paper stapled together, with a bold, black title, stating "Equestrian Census Wing".
"Go ahead," Luna continued, "read it."
I began to read. It was long, and filled with many boring formalities... but something at the end caught my attention.
The Equestrian Census Wing recognizes ______PIPE DREAM_____'s wishes to change [HIS] name to ______DREAM CATCHER______, and accepts this change where applicable [EQUESTRIA]. These changes may be made only by ______PIPE DREAM______'s signature.
Date:________.
Authorized by: __________PRINCESS LUNA__________.
Signature: ______________________________.
"If you would like, you really can be Dream Catcher now, Pipe Dream." Luna declared.
I didn't know what else to do - I beamed; and she beamed back.
- - -
A little while after the funeral, I went to the schoolhouse where I was going to be interviewed with some visiting newscasters about being a local "hero". I really don't know how the name applies, but still, I thought I'd give the interview a try so that I could clear my name from my past.
When I finally made it there, I saw the same six ponies who had trapped Phoebe standing there as well, laughing and conversing with each other. I didn't want to interrupt them, being the introvert that I was, so I just sneaked to the side of the schoolhouse opposite of them. They didn't seem to notice, I don't think.
I adjusted my shades to be balanced atop my forehead, rather than hiding my eyes. I didn't really need to have them with me, anywa-
"Hiya! What's your name!"
I nearly jumped out of my fur because of that pink mare.
"Oh, um... I'm Pi... Dream Catcher. My name is Dream Catcher."
"You really helped us out back there, Dream." said another mare, who was blue, with a rainbow mane and tail, "we really couldn't have done it without you."
"...What do you mean?"
"Well, gee! If that Phoebe meanie pants didn't show herself, we wouldn't-a been able to stop her!" responded the pink pony.
"She was only willing to show herself to you and the ones you loved, because she wanted to manipulate you. She would have never shown herself to us, because she would have - and should have - known that we would stop her with the Elements." explained the purple mare, who just entered the conversation, "if you didn't stand up to her and tell her off, then she wouldn't have been furious enough to reveal her true self, thereby ruining her plans completely."
I thought about what this mare was telling me for a moment, and it slowly began to make some sense.
"Well, ok, ah guess that makes sense then." I replied. "Hey, I know this is is off subject, but... why are you all talking to me all of a sudden?"
The pink pony instantly responded, "Well I noticed that I've never seen you in Ponyville before and... *GAASP*... I've never seen you in Ponyville before! I have to show you my welcome wagon!"
"Oh, no, not that," the blue pegasus groaned.
- - -
"So, Dream Catcher is your name, right?"
"Right."
"I'll just be starting off this interview pretty quickly now. This is the most eventful thing that's happened in Ponyville since... well, since Discord returned."
"Who?"
"Oh, you know, he's... Oh... Right, you weren't here for that. Don't worry about it. So, the first question is... is that... is that cake batter on you? I don't mean to be rude, but-"
"Oh, yeah, that. Ah got treated to one of Pinkie Pie's 'welcome wagon'."
"Ooh, ok. Anyway, that wasn't really the first question so I'm just going to start over. Alright, so where do you come from?"
"The mountain range nearby, actually. Ah was raised in a pretty simple childhood."
"Oh, so you're from the mountain range. Living out there, you must have had some fairly hardy family members."
"...Well, not exactly."
"What do you mean?"
"My family is actually pretty superstitious. To a fault, even."
"Oh. Huh. Well, what made you decide to 'break the mold' so to speak?"
"Well, there were a lot of things. Ah felt angry at myself and at the way I was treated for being afraid of things. I also had a lot of - nightmares, when I was growing up - which made me feel even more angst because of how weak I felt. So one night, I broke my fears."
"How did you do that?"
"Well, it turned out - by some dumb luck - that Phoebe was actually living in our family attic preying on my fear. When I decided to break my fears of there being a supposed 'ghost' in our attic, ah went up there to try and get that ghost to leave. Turned out it was Phoebe. Luckily, I had actually put these braces on my hooves, which later turned out to be the Bands of Strength. Long story short, they made me incredibly strong, and when I charged Phoebe in a fit of rage, I actually wound up hitting her and causing her to be shot across the forest canopy some miles away."
"...Wow."
"Heh, that's what I thought at the time."
"So, I see you're still wearing those braces now?"
"Yeah, ah guess. Ah feel like they're a part of me now - they're what set me apart from the old me, and the new me."
"Huh, that's a little inspiring, actually. Oh, I'm sorry, I've been getting ahead of myself with these questions here so I'm just going to skip to the last one here. We're almost out of time, actually. So, Dream Catcher, many ponies in Ponyville see you as a hero - how do you feel about that?"
"Well, I don't really know... Ah mean, ah've never actually saved anypony, although that's kindof what my cutie mark says my special talent is, in a way... So, right now, ah'll let history speak for itself. If Equestria thinks I'm a hero, then so be it."
"Do you have anything else you want to say before this interview is over?'
"Well, heh, ah guess this is when ah say something inspirational as if ah am a hero, right? Ah don't really feel like one right now, really, even after all of this. Lemme say this - if the opportunity comes up, and there's other 'nightmares' so tah speak, goin' around the place, ah'll be there to do my best and put a stop to it."
- - -
There's one more thing which really stood out to me that evening, something I think I really need to share.
I started trotting up the path leading to the family cabin. The sun was setting, and everything was peaceful again. I can't express how liberated I had felt at that moment - free from Phoebe, forever. As long as the Princesses had her taken care of, there was nothing else to fear.
It was when I was thinking that when Bats galloped up to me.
"Hey, big brother! Wait up!"
I looked back at her, astonished.
"Bats, how are you here - now?"
"The doctor said ah could go, as long as ah didn't push mahself too much."
I looked at her. She was covered in bandages and casts now, but she still managed to hobble around in them.
"Well, don't push yourself too much then. Come on, let's go home."
"It's too bad the Ponyville sheriff had to die..." she mumbled, several moments later.
I remembered the funeral I went to earlier when she said that. I was there because it was only right to try and redeem my family name by at least showing compassion for his death. Some royal guards had appeared had gingerly forced my brother Loose Cannon into solitary confinement until they could decide how to deal with him after all which had happened.
"Ah'm just happy that you're ok, Bats."
She beamed through the bandages on her face.
We continued to trot for a while, without saying a word.
Then I heard a magical sound coming from behind me.
I turned and looked, to see the famed Princess Celestia herself.
"Good evening, Dream Catcher," she said, "do you mind if I have a word with you?"
Bats looked from the princess to me, then responded, "It's okay, big brother, ah'll just go home on my own and let you two talk."
"You're sure?" I replied.
"Ah'm sure." she said.
Bats continued to hobble towards the cabin, which was only about a ten minute's trot from where we were then. When she finally left, the Princess trotted towards me.
"I am sure you know that Phoebe is locked away now." she said at last.
"She was locked away?" I asked, surprised, "wasn't she destroyed?"
"Oh, no, she was not destroyed," Celestia answered, "when Twilight and her friends used the elements of harmony, it trapped her in something forever."
"Trapped?" I replied, "trapped in what?"
Celestia seemed to be considering the way she would construct her words, before she replied.
"She is trapped in a story, Dream Catcher. There, she will forever be forced to relive her greatest failure. However, if..."
Celestia stopped speaking for a moment, then continued once again.
"What is important is that this story is locked away. Somewhere where nopony in Equestria may ever access it. Because if anypony ever were to read the story she was trapped in, it would set her loose."
"Well, where is the story? Are you sure it's safe?"
"Safe? Well, from all of ponydom, it is safe. However, there are... other beings, sentient just like we are, who could access it. Of course, even then her power would be greatly diminished, even if the story were to be read. She would not be able to scourge their world - only manipulate them one at a time, or to appear supernaturally where she does not belong. But do not worry, Dream - you, and nopony in all of ponydom, have anything to fear."
- - -
"Hello, again. It's been fun toying with you all. It will be even more fun toying with you in the future. Ha. Ha. Ha. I hope you're happy that you read this story - because I know I am. Very. Happy. I know that you love it when the characters just 'jump' right off the pages, don't you? Whenever you see my name again, you'll know. Oh, you'll know. Just how much I love making that pun. If you don't know what I'm getting at, then you should try using your human imagination...
"I hope we get to meet again real soon, too. It sure does get boring being stuck in a story.
"...Oh, I have an idea! We should be playmates! Then I can be with you instead forever - won't THAT be fun!"