Legacy volume 1: Eruditio
Chapter 10 – The Real Dreamworld
“No more work for you Rose, dish washer is fixed.”
“Oh… really?”
Rosa was stood in the middle of La Chocolat with a saddlebag on her flank as Petit Déjeuner rushed about the place, ordering other members of staff around and checking the positioning of the various tables. Petit had scarcely even taken notice of Rosa’s presence as she walked through the door, seeming to be far more worried about whether there were enough salt pots.
“So… I don’t work here anymore?”
“That’s right, thank you for helping us. Goodbye,” Petit snapped hurriedly, barely giving her a moment of eye contact.
Rosa stood for a moment in shock, coming to the steady realisation that she would be going back to the life she had once before. Despite the fact that it was less than a week ago that she even started work in the restaurant it felt like an age had passed. So much had happened at the weekend and so much of her life had undergone change to the point where her previous life felt as if it belonged in a different era.
“I just need to get something,” she called out, but Petit either didn’t hear her or didn’t care. Rosa shrugged, and carried on through the kitchen where Ebby was filing through drawers and into the next room. She wasn’t about to ditch Summer without at least saying goodbye.
As she slowly pressed the door open her primrose coloured friend welcomed her with a bright smile, but Rosa could tell that there was a hint of sadness in her eyes, as if their orange glow had grown dimmer.
“Mornin’ Strider,”
“Good morning Summer. I just wanted to see you because… well, I’m technically no longer working here.”
Summer cast her gaze across the room to the once broken dishwasher, and then looked back. “I did have an inkling,” she said softly. Rosa could hear the disappointment in the mare’s voice, which was usually as far from monotone as one could get. “Well, I can’t say I thought you’d stay here forever. Besides, the dishwasher doesn’t mind when I make rude jokes so I guess there’s some improvement.”
“Oh, thanks a lot!”
“Yeah, well… I guess I’ll be seeing you around.”
Rosa looked onward at her friend, blatantly trying not to look as glum as she felt. She smiled, and swiftly walked up to Summer and grasped the mare in a tight hug. “There! Now you can’t say anything about me not saying goodbye properly!”
Summer laughed and wrapped a foreleg around her, her expression brightening up considerably. “OK, all is forgiven! Goodbye, Rosa.”
Rosa let go of her friend and sighed. “This isn’t really ‘goodbye’. I can write to you and vice versa, and who’s to say we can’t visit each other?”
Summer looked down at the ground with a pensive expression, her cheeks glowing red. “Really? You promise?”
“Ye… yes, of course I promise,” Rosa said, confused at the mare’s comment. “You didn’t expect me to ditch you, did you?”
“No, no of course not!” Summer cried defensively.
She’s lying. But… What if she was ditched before? Rosa asked herself, thinking about how Summer never really mentioned other friends and didn’t even interact much with other members of staff at the restaurant. It was a harrowing thought.
“Anyway, I’d best be getting on with my work. I’ll write you a letter as soon as I get home!” Summer grinned, walking back to a stack of plates and cutlery.
“OK Summer, I’ll see you again soon. Take care!”
“You too! Oh, just one more thing!”
“What is it?”
“That book you gave me yesterday is awesome!”
“Oh, really? You like it?” Rosa asked in surprise. “How much have you read?”
“I’m on chapter 6 right now. I’ll admit that chapter 1 kind of bored me, but it’s getting really interesting now!”
“I’m glad to hear it! I hope you enjoy the rest if it; I know I certainly have.”
The cold breeze wafted across Rosa’s face in the warm glow of the sun, cooling her just enough to let her power along the road at her infamous walking speed without having to worry about soaking herself in sweat. She was thinking foremost about her experience reading the final few chapters of An Equestrian Night Mare, and the dark turn that it had taken from an already bleak setting.
After being captured by the perpetrators, the inspector awoke to find herself on a torture table with three innocent looking fillies at its side. They had each been members of three families that had been slaughtered. In actual fact, they were changelings that had murdered the fillies in secret while they played near a forest and stolen their forms, wreaking havoc as much as they pleased, safe in the knowledge that they wouldn’t be suspected.
Before the inspector could be killed, the mare who had spent nearly the entire book suspecting her friend of committing the crimes burst in and saved her. The changelings attacked them, and in an act of defence, the two ponies had no choice but to subdue them with the various torture tools littered around the hideout. Two of them were killed, while the other was mortally wounded and killed itself in an act of defiance to avoid a life in prison.
While that scene was brutal enough, the epilogue told of something ever creepier. The innocent mare who had been accused of the crimes since the beginning of the story had actually kidnapped a pony amongst the chaos, one now believed to have been killed by the changelings. She revealed to her dying victim how she had always dreamed of acting out such horrific deeds, how she thought her friend had finally figured her out after the ranting and raving about a dream she had, but could now get away with it scot-free, thanks to the actions of the changelings. At the chapter’s climax, the victim’s torture is explained in great detail as her organs are ripped and twisted while she was still alive, unable to scream because of her vocal cords being severed.
Rosa couldn’t decide what was more horrific; the concept of other ponies being body-snatched by changelings or friends harbouring secret murderous tendencies. The former could well be possible, and she wouldn’t even know it…
These kinds of powerful thoughts and feelings were what made reading so enticing for her. Even though she knew that they were just stories, after being so invested in the characters and the setting everything seems real enough to actually make her question things in her own life. This particular book had accomplished that task and then some, sparking an emptiness in her heart both from the end of a gripping story and the implications that the ending had. Part of her wondered if she would look at the story differently if she read it again, noticing all of the minute hints to the truth, but she wasn’t one to re-read novels. Why bother when you can read something new? she had always thought.
She didn’t know how Summer might react to the ending, but it was certainly a very deep end to jump into in the world of thrillers. If she’d read the book in its entirety she might have reconsidered recommending it to her.
Rosa trudged on home, wondering what she would say to her always inquisitive mother about no longer having a job. She hoped that this wouldn’t mean being forced into another line of work. Spending the day cleaning dishes with Summer actually wasn’t half bad now that she looked back on it.
She opened the front door of Bloom’s Books and immediately stepped on something with a different texture to the hardwood floor. Looking down, she noticed a small brown envelope with her own name squiggled on the front.
“That’s weird,” she said aloud. Rarely would she see any post for her outside of things like birthday cards, and it couldn’t possibly have been Summer or the peppy mare was somehow even faster than Sparks.
Laughing off her preposterous theory, Rosa picked the letter up with her teeth and tore at the edge. Out fell a white slip of paper, which she propped up on the shop’s front desk and began to read.
Dear Rosa Bloom,
It is my great pleasure to inform you that thanks to your impressive audition you have been selected as a candidate for the upcoming production of Dreamworld. There is a meeting due to be held at 7:30pm on Thursday the 5th of April at the Ponyville theatre, whereby the chosen candidates will meet and find out their designated roles.
If you make no appearance at this meeting we will assume that you are unable to take up our offer. If for any reason you are unable to make the visit on the time and date requested but would like to participate, please send a letter explaining your reasons to:
P. Floyd
37 Cranberry Grove
Ponyville
PN1 2AB
I will contact you as soon as possible to see whether we can organise another meeting time more suited to you. Please be aware that you will be required to attend numerous rehearsals on various evenings, so keep this in mind if you have a busy schedule. We will not tolerate those who refuse to show up numerous times.
If all goes well, the production should reach full swing in just over a month. The payment scheme has not been decided upon as of yet, but if all goes well we can provide a decent wage packet for all performers and other staff.
Thank you for your interest, and we hope to see you soon.
P. Floyd
He wants me to star in it? Rosa said internally, her heartbeat increasing as she finished reading. She had never even thought about receiving feedback from Floyd, and certainly not so soon after her audition. Despite the fact that he’d asked for her name and address, she was sure that there were better actors and actresses out there.
Skimming the letter again, she took note of his apparent plans. One month to ready the play for public performance? According to Clover, he had only spread the word of the auditions two days ago, and the actual auditions were yesterday. He would have had to decide almost immediately who he wanted to perform and sent out the letters straight away. It was obvious from the quillwork on the letter that all except her name was printed, meaning that every letter must have been pre-written.
“What’s wrong, dear? What are you doing home?”
Rosa looked up to see her mother trotting gracefully towards her with an inquisitive expression. She eyed the letter suspiciously, as if she had expected her own daughter to open up something that belonged to either herself or her husband. “What’s that you have there?”
“It’s a letter about an audition I did.”
“An audition? You never told me you’d auditioned for anything. What kind of audition? What is it?” he mother probed worriedly.
“It’s nothing, just some thing they were doing yesterday for a play called Dreamworld. Sorry I never told you, but I didn’t really plan to audition for it in the first place. Clover was there, and then I kind of got roped into doing it.”
“Oh, that’s a relief!” her mother cried, sounding exasperated.
Just what kind of audition did you think it was? Rosa thought, not even wanting to imagine whatever her mother might have been hinting at. “So, yeah… they said they want me to go to a meeting about playing one of the parts.”
“What, really? Where is this?”
“Well, the meeting’s at the Ponyville theatre, just like the audition was.”
“The Ponyville theatre… they’re not opening it back up again, surely?”
“Honestly, from the looks of it that place would need a miracle to get up off the ground. I swear, even the mothballs have mothballs. No… I remember Clover saying something about an attempt to put the production on someplace else, however that’s supposed to work.”
“I see…”
“I can’t imagine it ever working at the Canterlot Auditorium. A bunch of Ponyville amateurs in a classy place like that?”
“Yes, let’s hope so,” her mother muttered, appearing deep in thought.
Rosa glanced at her suspiciously. What is that supposed to mean? Whatever it was, she didn’t care enough to ask. She wasn’t in the mood to be dealing with her mother’s roundabout explanations.
“So what are you doing home, my dear? Is there no work for you today?”
“Actually, there’s no work for me ever again. They had a problem with the dishwasher, and now that it’s fixed they don’t need me anymore.”
“Oh that’s a real shame,” her mother uttered, strangely nodding in some kind of approval at the same time. It was just another one of her famous contradictory moments. “I can’t say I know of any other jobs going but it’s always worth checking around the village.”
“Actually,” Rosa said, folding the letter back up, “I might not have to.”
“Is there anything else I can help you with, Miss?”
“I’m fine, thanks. Thank you very much for your help.”
“Well, don’t be afraid to come and ask if you need something.”
Rosa nodded politely and passed the receptionist’s crescent-shaped desk which was littered with documents and forms, each more clutter-stuffed with words than the last. There were also a few books scattered behind her arranged in random piles.
She was now at the Ponyville library, located towards the southern edge of the village. She had checked the bookshop’s stock for a copy of Dreamworld but with no luck. The only other option was to scour what was available here.
In some strange way, it almost felt like committing some kind of treason just by being here. It was no longer free to the public; there was a small fee of two bits a month for registered members, but this allowed almost unlimited access to thousands of books and magical tomes, as well as an insurmountable amount of historical articles and collected media in the reference section. Thankfully, the library did allow a free trial month, which was lucky as she’d not brought any money, convinced that the library must be free. Despite the monthly cost — which according to the receptionist mare was put in place just under two years ago — it made her family bookstore feel redundant in comparison.
The bookshelves were at least ten feet high, and extended as far as the entire length of her house. The wood was darker and less polished, though Rosa supposed that that could be chalked up to her mother’s excessive cleaning. Each aisle was wide enough for about five ponies stood side by side, with long, thin fluorescent lights dangling above them. The carpet was hedge green with a rough, slightly prickly texture. There were a few spots on the floor where the carpet had been torn or cut improperly, but given the scale of the building a few errors were to be expected.
The library was divided into four main sections. A foal-book area closer to the entrance where the shelves were smaller and more spread out, many of them showing off the book’s front cover instead of the spine. The reference area was the largest of the three with narrower aisles, many of them still empty as more material was added with each week. The non-fiction section and fiction sections were opposite each other, with books arranged in mini sections depending on genre arranged in alphabetical order.
Rosa’s mother hadn’t seemed too happy about her coming here, but didn’t put up any sort of fight. It was natural, she supposed, that somepony who’s life revolved around selling books would resent the mere existence of libraries.
After spending a few minutes deliberating on whether to pursue the idea of playing a part in the production of Dreamworld, she decided that she would more likely reach a decision if she knew what she would be letting herself in for. There was that, and the fact that her mother had instantly started talking about looking for new work, and that wasn’t exactly ideal. As for becoming an actress, that would still encompass her parents’ desires for her to step outside her comfort zone and change her life. Anything to stop them from moaning.
Rosa’s mind quickly turned to Clover. She was the one who’d wanted this chance all along, and her audition was immediately impressive. The idea that Clover could have been neglected while she went ahead and lived her friend’s dream was not a welcome one, but after a performance like hers, there was no way she could have been turned down. If she could float up to Cloudsdale and visit her friend this morning, she would.
Rosa scoured the bookshelves of the fantasy section, searching for the novel in question. After a minute or two of eyeing books that actually seemed like they would be an interesting read, she discovered two paperback copies of Dreamworld. Intrigued, she scooped up a copy with one hoof and glanced at the front cover.
Dreamworld
Written by Tassel Windrush
The picture on the front depicted the back view of two ponies, most likely Veracity and Reverie, stood atop a hill, gazing out at the night sky where the outline of a mare’s head could be seen amongst the stars. It had oil painting-like qualities, with a mishmash of swirling colours that blended together between objects. The only things that were depicted with any sense of realism were the two ponies, though even their shadows were distorted by the unique art style. It was certainly a breath of fresh air compared to the minimalist appearances of most modern novels.
Rosa carried the book back to the receptionist’s desk and asked to check it out. The receptionist deftly stamped the inside cover and updated the information on her file, wishing her a nice day as she left, the book clutched between her teeth. It wasn’t a large book, and was one she supposed wouldn’t take her long to get through, especially now that she had all the more reason to do so.
It was early evening, and Rosa had just finished helping out with things at the bookshop. There wasn’t exactly much to do, and she spent a decent amount of time poring over the first few chapters of Dreamworld, which was interesting enough, despite the fact that it seemed predictable.
So far, Veracity — a unicorn mare — and Reverie — an earth pony stallion — had been introduced as good friends. He was a lot more impulsive, brash and confident while she was a more serious, pompous character. They had come across Esmeralda in a similar fashion to the scene used in the audition. She had promised them a way to live out their fantasies, and had fulfilled a request from Reverie to see his past as an observer, as if they had travelled through time.
Rosa thought it was painfully obvious that Reverie would end up wishing for ridiculous things while Veracity would hold him back, making him realise what there was to be had in the real world. Her character had been a lot less accepting of Esmeralda’s powers than he had, and the enchantress knew it, trying to convince Veracity at every turn to make a wish. Esmeralda’s motives were somewhat unclear, though it was blatant that the character was doing this for some kind of personal gain. All in all, it didn’t appear to have as gripping a plot as she would have hoped.
Rosa paced up to her room tossed the book onto her desk, flopping her body onto the bed and burying her head into her pillow. She had always been much more used to lazing about during the weekends and the past few days of staying on her hooves had taken its toll. Falling asleep at this time of day wasn’t exactly possible, but it was definitely desirable.
Soon, her mind drifted to the upcoming play. It would hardly be a walk in the park, and putting in all that effort could well be a waste of time. Learning her lines, going to regular rehearsals… and that wouldn’t even include the actual performances themselves. She wondered what kind of audience would willingly sit and watch something based on a source material that nopony had ever heard of before. (At least, she’d never heard of it before and would know straight away if it was an even remotely popular book)
The storyline itself was fine for now, nothing extraordinary. The two main characters were decently fleshed out but still offered areas for open interpretation. Of course, there was still more to plough through, and for an avid reader it wouldn’t exactly be a tall order. From a quick glance at the back of the book it reached only 187 pages, which was essentially pittance.
Just as her mind was drifting away into nothingness and bordering on flat-lining, a sudden thought struck her like a knife. What if it would impress Nico?
She imagined the scene; her in the theatre as Nico cheered from below, his eyes glistening as he watched her command the stage. He would witness the birth of a new Rosa, somepony who had flowered into something of true beauty, something more than the lay-about daughter of a pedantic mare with a chip on her shoulder and an old stallion whose achievements were lost to a bygone era. She could be so much more, and he would finally realise it.
Snap out of it! a voice at the back of her head told her. It’s you and Sparks that are together!
Rosa sat up and exhaled deeply, damning herself for even becoming depressed about her life. She was dating the most wonderful unicorn who adored her. He had shown her true happiness, something she had only dreamed about with Nico. Sparks cared about her more than anypony she had even met; she could see it in his eyes. In fact, he was so great that even her father had approved of him before she ever had. He had proved himself with his acts of kindness and respect. He had done what she would be trying to do for Nico if she…
There was a call from downstairs. “Rosa, dear! Your friend is here to see you!”
Who could that be? Sparks? Nico? Her heart skipped a beat in a moment of panic.
“Just a second!”
Rosa sat up and took a few deep breaths to ready herself. Getting caught up in the realms of her own imagination always had and always would be one of her greatest downfalls. She pattered on down the stairs to see Clover stood at the door. Feeling relieved, her mouth burst into a giant smile. “Hey, what are you doing here?”
“I just thought I’d pop along to see you. I’m so pleased; I just have to tell someone!”
Rosa’s ears perked up. “What is it?”
“You know that audition I did yesterday? I got in! I really got in!” The young pegasus looked on top of the world, her wings beating excitedly as she galloped over.
“That’s… great! That’s amazing news.”
Rosa felt a lump form in her throat as she stood on the edge of dampening her friend’s joy. She would have felt guiltier if Clover hadn’t have made the cut. That would have probably made her quit the idea of going to the meeting altogether. It was Clover’s reaction that she hadn’t been ready for; the mare looked as though she could burst with happiness. It had been such a long time since she’d seen her like this. Would telling her the same in return rain on her parade? Just like that old saying she could never forget, there was no easy way of learning that answer.
Clover had apparently read her reaction and had stopped prancing about. Taking a step closer, she looked curiously into Rosa’s eyes.
“Rosa, is something wrong?”
“I’m just… I’m really happy for you, honestly I am. It’s just that, I got a letter from Floyd as well. Looks like we were both accepted.”
Clover stared blankly for a moment, but a smile slowly began to form on her face. “That’s excellent news! Oh Rosa, why did you think I’d be annoyed if you told me that? You should know me better!”
“I just… I guess you’re right. I just wasn’t sure how you’d react.”
Rosa was now feeling another kind of guilt. She should have known her friend better. Was she really that bad a judge of character that even her best friends were mysteries? Or was it just a case of unneeded paranoia? Judging by her overthinking of the matter at this very moment, she supposed the latter was the most likely truth.
“So I’ll see you this Thursday then?” Clover asked. “Oh, it’s going to be so much fun!”
“I haven’t decided yet whether I’m going to do it, actually.”
“Oh?” Clover looked puzzled. “Why not? You do have some talent Rosa. You’re better than you think you are.”
“It’s not really that,” Rosa said, despite the fact that Clover’s point held some truth. “I just don’t know if I want to do that sort of thing; I’ve never even considered acting before.”
“Well it’s entirely up to you, but I still think it’s worth giving it a shot. Plus, it’ll give us something to do together.”
Rosa gazed curiously at Clover, wondering if she could justify not going to the meeting when it meant deliberately not spending time with her best friend. It was true that they only ever seemed to meet up when drinks or parties were involved, but she’d also felt more than enough peer pressure in her time.
“I’ll definitely think about it,” she sighed. “I’m reading through the novel of Dreamworld at the moment to see if I like it.”
“Oh really? I never thought of doing that actually… I don’t suppose you have any copies here that I could buy?”
“I’m afraid not. I got mine from the library, and there was still another copy left. They might still be open so you could try your luck. Just so you know, you have to sign up but you get your first month free.”
“Great, thanks! I’d better get going just in case they close soon!”
“OK, I guess I’ll see you soon… maybe Thursday.”
“I hope so!” Clover began to trot off to the front door, then quickly stopped and turned. “I almost forgot! I was wondering if you and Sparks were interested in meeting up this Friday at Nico’s place. It’s not going to be a heavy drinking night or anything like that, I just thought it would be fun for us all to meet up! You could even bring Summer along if you wanted.”
“Wow, that sounds… awesome.” Rosa gritted her teeth. All this time this had been what she’d been dreading. “I don’t know where Sparks lives though, so I can’t even send him a letter.”
“Then you can just meet up with him at tomorrow’s training session.”
“Oh… yeah, I can, can’t I?” Rosa began to blush, thinking how stupid she was for not realising that.
“Well, I’d better get going. I hope to see you Thursday and Friday!”
“Yeah, take care.”
Clover closed the door behind her and took to the skies with a running start. Rosa walked back up to her room and slumped down on her bed. She just wanted to rest now and not have to think about her future trials. Of course, this was all inevitable, but everything was happening far too quickly. She didn’t want a stressful life with so much going on, but at the same time living a mundane life of uncompromising consistency left her feeling depressed.
She would have to decide what to do rather quickly, as Sparks’ training session tomorrow would be the only chance to catch him before Friday’s meet-up. That is, unless she wimped out of the theatre meeting. She couldn’t skip out on both events or she’d be letting Clover down, and she’d be letting herself down.
She ate her dinner that evening — potato wedges seasoned with thyme and some steamed carrots — in almost complete silence. Her mother had asked her about Clover’s visit, and she answered with minimal effort. Her parents said very little after that, either respecting the fact that she didn’t really want to talk or just not wishing to get into a deep conversation themselves.
Shortly after, she slunk up to her room, stuck in deep thought about two particular stallions. How would it feel to be in the company of both Sparks and Nico? Maybe Nico would get jealous and she’d read the signs? Though she’d always been terrible at reading Nico’s emotions anyway, so why would that situation make it any easier? And did she really want to just use Sparks for that reason? That was something only the mares with no morals would consider.
You’ll be at the gathering no matter how you feel about it, her mind told her. Just get it over and done with. Would having Summer there with her make things easier? As embarrassing as she could be sometimes, she just might take some attention away from ‘the new couple’.
As she lay there, slowly drifting to sleep, a sudden thought jumped to the forefront of her mind. It was something Clover had said before leaving — something odd.
Just how did she know when Sparks’ training sessions were?