It was a boring afternoon after another uneventful day at school. After the night before, though, a little bit of boringness was welcome. The Cutie Mark Crusaders sat at a table near the window in Sugarcube Corner. It was cold enough for a thin layer of frost to have formed at the edges of the windowpanes.
“So that was really it?” Apple Bloom said. “Pinkie seems fine now…”
She watched Pinkie bouncing around at the other end of the room, balancing a tray of cupcakes on the tip of her nose as she brought it over to two ponies sitting at a table.
“And she didn’t say anything to us when we came in,” Scootaloo said. “I thought for sure she would remember her dream, even if neither of you remembered yours. She even said she knew she was dreaming.”
“Maybe she’s just not sayin’ it out loud. I wouldn’t blame her if she thought the whole thing was just a regular dream,” Apple Bloom said. “I mean, the three of us goin’ into other ponies’ dreams? I still can’t get over that.”
“Maybe it’s better if she doesn’t know what really happened,” Sweetie Belle said. “The important thing is that we were able to help her.”
Scootaloo studied Pinkie for a few more moments, then shrugged. She finished the last of her cupcake and leaned over the table, resting her head in both hooves.
Apple Bloom stared down at the table for a moment, then looked up. “Y’know, this whole dream thing doesn’t seem so bad, the more I think about it. We’ve sure been through worse. Like that time we were Cutie Mark Crusader skydivers, or Cutie Mark Crusader ghost hunters, or Cutie Mark Crusader chicken rescuers…”
“Really? Because between your dream and Pinkie’s, I’d be fine never having any dreams again for the rest of my life,” Sweetie Belle said. She looked at Scootaloo. “So does Luna know anything about what’s been causing them?”
Scootaloo shook her head. “Not as far as I know.”
“That’s the worst part!” Sweetie Belle said. “We don’t even know what we’re up against. What if there’s something Luna’s not telling us?”
“Well…” Scootaloo bit her lip. “I trust her. If she found out anything really important, she’d let us know.”
“She is the princess of Equestria, after all,” Apple Bloom said. “I’d say she probably knows what she’s doin’.”
The three of them immediately hushed up as they saw Pinkie Pie trotting over to their table. “Hiya, girls!” she said, giving a huge smile. “Anything I can get for you? Want any more cupcakes? What about shakes? Ice cream?”
“No thanks, Pinkie,” Scootaloo said. “I think we’re good for now. But, uh… Are you… feeling okay?”
Pinkie nodded enthusiastically. “Absolutely-tutely!”
“You’re sure?” Sweetie Belle cocked her head. “No, um… weird dreams or anything lately?”
“Nope! Which is weird, because I almost always have dreams,” Pinkie said. “And if I was really sleeping for as long as Mr. and Mrs. Cake say I was, you’d think I would have a whole bunch of dreams. But I didn’t have any at all! Why’d you ask?”
“Well, um…” Scootaloo scratched her head. “We just thought…”
A lightbulb seemed to go off, and Pinkie’s eyes widened. “Wait a minute, this is just like what happened to you girls!” she said. “Did you have dreams when you were sleeping all that time? I sure hope I didn’t miss out on any really cool dreams, because who knows what could have happened in all that time?”
Sweetie Belle waved her hoof. “No, no, no, nothing like that happened. We were just, uh… curious.”
“Okey-dokey! Well, I bet it was the same thing that happened to you, because I’ve never slept in that late before. I like to get up bright and early every single day so I can see everypony first thing in the morning!” Pinkie said.
“You don’t think it’s weird that you were asleep so long?” Scootaloo said.
Pinkie shrugged. “Whatever it was, I feel just fine now!” she said, then frowned. “Why? Am I... not supposed to feel fine? You girls felt fine, though, didn’t you?”
“Yeah. It’s good. We’re glad you feel okay,” Sweetie Belle said quickly.
“Thanks for asking, though!” Pinkie said. She glanced over her shoulder. “Oh, shoot! I forgot I had that batch of cupcakes in the oven. Gotta go!”
She shot off towards the kitchen and out of sight, leaving the doors swinging behind her.
“I’m surprised she can forget a little thing like that,” Apple Bloom said. “I thought she didn’t forget, well… anythin’.”
“You know, I think I’m done trying to understand Pinkie Pie for now,” Sweetie Belle said. “Let’s just let her be.”
“Agreed.”
The bell at the front door tinkled, and a cold wind blew in. Rainbow Dash trotted inside, followed by Applejack trailing along behind. She stopped just inside the door and took off her hat to wipe the sweat from her forehead.
“Hold up, there, Rainbow. I think I might need to sit down for a spell.”
“Oh, really? Not calling it quits already, are you?” Rainbow said with a smirk.
Applejack didn’t take the bait. “You sure you wanna keep goin’?”
“We’ve only been out there for two hours! That’s not even close to a full training session,” Rainbow said. “We’ll just take a quick break, but then we’ve gotta get back out there.”
Applejack glanced up and noticed the fillies sitting at their table. She walked over to them. “Hey, Apple Bloom. How was school today?”
“Good,” Apple Bloom said. “What are you up to?”
“Well, it’s the Runnin’ of the Leaves again. Rainbow here roped me into another race,” Applejack said. “We thought we’d spend the day doin’ some trainin’ before the big event.”
“At the rate things are going, I think it’s clear who’ll win this year,” Rainbow said. “You’d better step it up if you want a chance to beat me, AJ.”
Applejack let out a yawn before responding. “If you say so,” she muttered.
“Come on. Let’s get some drinks and get back out there,” Rainbow said. “We’ve only got a few days left for practice.”
Rainbow trotted over to the counter and leaned up against it, looking around for somepony to take the order. With a sigh, Applejack followed along behind her.
Pinkie skipped out of the kitchen and spotted her immediately. “Hiya, Dashie!”
“Oh, hey, Pinkie Pie! I didn’t see you at all yesterday,” Rainbow said. “Was something up?”
“Sorry about that!” Pinkie said. “I wasn’t feeling too good. But I’m back to my Pinkie best now! Thanks for asking.”
“It was probably just a cold. Guess even you get sick sometimes,” Rainbow said. “Seriously, it’s like all of Ponyville was quieter just because you were gone.”
Pinkie shrugged. “I don’t think it was a cold. I didn’t have a runny nose or anything. I just felt really tired and slept for a whole day. When I woke up, the Cakes said it was Thursday already and I completely missed Wednesday! Weird, huh?”
“Yeah, I thought you never sat still for that long,” Rainbow said, with a sly grin. “But looks like you’re feeling okay now.”
Applejack shook her head. “Wait a sec. You were asleep a whole day?”
“Yup!” Pinkie nodded.
“This wouldn’t by any chance be like what happened to Apple Bloom, would it? And Sweetie Belle a while back, too?”
“I don’t know,” Pinkie said. “It sure seems like it. It’s funny, because they were just asking me about the same thing. But they’re both okay now. And I feel okay, too.” She glanced over at the table where the fillies were sitting. The three of them quickly turned away, trying to make it look like they hadn’t been eavesdropping.
“Listen, Rainbow, we should probably stop by Twilight’s before we head out again,” Applejack said. “She should hear about this.”
Rainbow shrugged. “As long as Pinkie’s okay now, there’s nothing to worry about. Right?”
“I don’t know…” Applejack muttered. “Twilight’s been awful worried about this whole thing.”
Pinkie looked down for a moment, as if she was about to say something, then her face brightened up again. “Anyways, can I get you girls anything?”
“Probably just some hot chocolates. It seems pretty cold out there for this time of year,” Rainbow said, ruffling her wings. “Maybe I should ask the weather team what’s up.”
“Got it! Two hot chocolates, coming right up!” Pinkie Pie skipped her way into the kitchen and disappeared.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders had been watching the three older ponies in silence. It was hard to listen to other ponies talk about the nightmares without jumping up and spilling everything, but in a way it felt like it should be a secret. The truth was a lot harder to wrap your head around.
Pinkie reappeared with a pair of steaming mugs, and Rainbow Dash sat down at an empty table with Applejack. Pinkie was still skipping around with a grin, humming to herself occasionally.
“It’s hard to tell if we really made a difference,” Scootaloo said. “She’s awake now, but she doesn’t seem to be any different. And I guess all we did was convince her to keep being herself.”
“You know, it’s not all that hard to understand what Pinkie was afraid of,” Sweetie Belle said. “She really does care a lot about everypony. Maybe they don’t do as much for her as she does for them.”
Eventually Applejack and Rainbow Dash finished their drinks and headed back outside for training. The three fillies left soon after that. They stepped out the front door of Sugarcube Corner and into the chilly autumn evening.
“So Sweetie Belle’s nightmare was during the talent show, mine was durin’ cider season, and Pinkie’s was just now…” Apple Bloom said.
“I wouldn’t expect another one for at least a couple weeks,” Scootaloo said. “We can take it easy for a while.”
“Do you girls think the bowling alley’s still open? I know none of us are any good at it, but we should do something fun,” Sweetie Belle said.
“Count me in!” Apple Bloom said, smiling.
“Yeah. Sounds good to me, too,” Scootaloo said.
They dashed off down the street towards the bowling alley. For a while, they were able to forget all about everything else.
It was already dark by the time Scootaloo got home. As she slipped into bed, she could see the moon shining outside her window, peeking out from behind some slowly drifting clouds.
The wind was howling outside, but it was going to be a peaceful night. Even if Scootaloo had any dreams, chances were she wouldn’t remember them in the morning. They wouldn’t be that kind of dreams.
Scootaloo drifted off to sleep, certain in her mind that nothing would happen tonight. For now, everything was just fine…
Blinking, she pulled herself up off the ground, her legs unsteady. Luna was kneeling down in front of her a short distance away, at about eye level.
“Huh?” Scootaloo looked around in surprise. It was the forest again. “I’m back here already?”
“I’m certain you have noticed after last night,” Luna said, turning her head to look Scootaloo in the eye. “Our enemy has grown stronger.”
“Oh. Yeah. It went after Pinkie Pie, even though she’s grown up,” Scootaloo said. She bit her lip. “It’s not supposed to be able to do that, is it?”
Luna shook her head. “No, it has never gone after an adult before her,” she said. “Perhaps she was simply vulnerable at that time, as the others have been before. The moment of weakness allowed it to strike, though younger minds are much more susceptible to its power.”
“And I guess Pinkie’s not really as much of a foal as everypony thinks,” Scootaloo said.
“There is more to her than what is seen at first glance. That is true for anypony,” Luna said. “But, perhaps more importantly, Pinkie Pie is one of the current bearers of the Elements of Harmony. An attack against her is an attack against all of Equestria.”
Scootaloo blinked. “Well, I think I get what you’re saying… I never really thought of it that way.”
“Consider what would have happened if a threat presented itself in the waking world while Pinkie Pie was still trapped in her nightmares,” Luna said. “Or, even more troubling, if it had been allowed the opportunity to overtake her mind. If her fear was allowed to take root, her connection to her friends—and the elements—could have been lost.”
“Can… Can that happen?”
“It has before.”
Scootaloo said nothing. Slowly, she sat down as well.
“Some ponies may underestimate it, but Laughter is just as powerful as any other element.” Luna gave a faint smile. “It was one of the three my sister wielded, though perhaps you would be able to infer that on your own. She has sometimes accused me of having no sense of humor at all.”
“Oh.” Scootaloo wasn’t sure if that was meant to be funny, by the lack of expression in Luna’s voice. Celestia might have had a point there.
“The elements themselves may be pure, but their bearers are still simply regular ponies. They have weaknesses, as anypony else does,” Luna said. “By the very nature of the Elements of Harmony, it is expected that the bearers will aid one another in their times of need. But dreams are different. In our dreams, we are alone with our fears. Or, at least, we usually are.”
“And that’s where we come in…” Scootaloo muttered. “So it’s really going to try to take over Equestria? And attack the Elements of Harmony?”
“I am only saying that it is a possibility,” Luna said. “It is still impossible to know, but I have long suspected that our enemy has a goal beyond simply frightening children. Perhaps it has its sights on a greater target.”
Scootaloo looked around at the woods, but they were still alone. “Since you brought me here, I’m guessing you have another mission for me. Are Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle coming again?”
Luna lifted a hoof. “Patience,” she said.
As if on cue, Apple Bloom shimmered into existence just a few moments later. She glanced around in surprise before spotting Scootaloo.
“We’re doin’ this again?” Apple Bloom said. “I mean, not that I mind, I’m sure it’ll be just fine. I just didn’t think it would be so soon, is all.”
“The nightmares may be more frequent and more widespread than they were before,” Luna told her. “I can sense our enemy becoming even more powerful, but I know from your continued success that I can still depend on you.”
“It’ll be no problem,” Scootaloo said. “Right?”
Sweetie Belle trotted up from behind her. “And I thought I’d finally get a good night’s sleep.”
“Hey,” Scootaloo said. “Looks like all three of us are here now. Are you guys ready to go?”
“Not exactly,” Sweetie Belle muttered. “But let’s go.”
Luna stood up, but then hesitated. “I only hope I am not asking too much of you.”
“We’ll be fine. Right, girls?” Apple Bloom looked to the others, who nodded.
“Yeah,” Scootaloo said. “Let’s just get going, alright?”
Luna lowered her head, and a deep blue aura began to glow around her horn. Scootaloo was getting so used to the sensation that she didn’t even flinch when the forest vanished once again. The darkness changed to a dazzling brightness, and the new world came into view.
They were standing in a vast meadow, at the top of a gently sloping hillside.
And that was pretty much it.
The sky above them was a bright, featureless white. A field of tall grass was stretching out in every direction around them, devoid of any distinguishing landmarks.
“So this is a different dream now, right?” Apple Bloom said, looking around. She tapped the ground with a hoof, like she was testing how solid it was. “Sure is empty. And it seems a little lonely, to be honest.”
“This is how dreams are supposed to look,” Sweetie Belle said, a smile starting to spread across her face. She spun around, staring up into the white void above their heads. “Nopony would ever confuse this for the real world. I never thought I’d be so glad to not be in Ponyville!” Her squeaky voice seemed to echo, even though they were out in the open.
Scootaloo stared out at the rippling waves of grass. It did seem peaceful here. It was definitely still weird, but it wasn’t bad.
“So, which way do we go?” Sweetie Belle said, turning towards Scootaloo.
“I think you know the drill by now. We just need to look around. See what we can find.” Scootaloo started down the hillside, feeling the tall grass brush against her legs.
As they continued on, the world began to take shape. Trees seemed to fade in on the horizon, as if the white sky was actually a thick fog in the distance. The gently rolling landscape seemed to be endless.
“Hello? Anypony out here?” Apple Bloom called out. The only response was the sound of her own voice echoing back.
No matter how far they went, the general landscape didn’t seem to change. Eventually they heard the sound of gently splashing water, indicating a river was flowing somewhere nearby. It grew louder until they found it, snaking a trail across the fields. They found a shallow part and hopped across to the other side.
The featureless white sky made it impossible to judge the passing of time or how far they had gone. It was odd how they never got tired in these dreams. Her hooves should have been aching from all this walking, but she felt fine.
“Wait, what’s that over there?” Sweetie Belle said suddenly.
She pointed at a faint object in the distance. It was too big to be another tree, and as they moved closer to it, the shape of a house began to take shape. It was standing alone in the middle of all this emptiness.
It was a two-story cottage with clapboard siding and a slate roof—not much like the houses in Ponyville, though it was about the same size. A thin coat of white paint was flaking off the sides.
Apple Bloom stopped just before taking the first step onto the porch. “Do you really think we should go in there?”
“What do you think?” Scootaloo raised an eyebrow.
“I figured you’d say that...”
Scootaloo led the way up the porch, heading through the front door without stopping to knock.
The inside was quiet. Everything seemed washed-out—the wallpaper was faded, and the wooden furniture looked like it had been left out in the sun for too long. Dust motes floated in the air. It looked like nopony had lived here for years and years—but, Scootaloo reminded herself, this house didn’t really exist.
The three of them stopped in the front hallway. Once the floorboards stopped creaking under their hooves, everything seemed unnaturally quiet. A few doorways led to a living room and a kitchen. There was also a staircase leading to a second floor.
“Any idea how much longer until morning?” Scootaloo asked.
The others shook their heads.
“It seems like we’ve been here a pretty long time, so let’s split up. I’ll check upstairs, you two search the rest of the house.”
“What are we looking for?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Anything at all,” Scootaloo said. “Maybe we’ll find something important.”
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle exchanged a glance, then split off in two directions.
Scootaloo trotted up the stairs and found herself in the upstairs hallway. A few open doorways lined the walls. She walked down towards the end of the hall, taking a quick peek into each room.
There wasn’t much to look at. One room contained only a bed and a dresser, and another seemed to be a study, though the bookshelves were completely bare.
After doing a quick scan of the first few rooms, she moved down towards the end of the hall. There didn’t seem to be anything here. She was starting to consider just going back downstairs to find the others.
“Why, Scootaloo! Imagine seeing you here.”
She whirled around at the sound of the voice, and saw a mare standing in one of the rooms by the window. She was a slightly pale red earth pony, with straw-colored hair in a long braid.
Scootaloo stared at her blankly. “Do I know you?”
The mare smiled. “Not exactly.”
Scootaloo couldn’t shake the feeling that something about her was familiar. Maybe it was her eyes, a striking shade of gold.
“Uh…” Scootaloo tried to think of something to say, but she had really been caught off guard. Maybe this pony was the dreamer this time, but it wasn’t anypony she recognized, not like the other dreams. And yet somehow she knew Scootaloo’s name…
“You and Apple Bloom are still searching for your cutie marks, aren’t you? You’ve been at it a while.”
“Yeah…” Scootaloo muttered. She barely heard the question, she was too busy trying to remember how she knew this pony. If she knew her. It was weird how this mare seemed to know who Scootaloo was, but it wasn’t exactly scary.
“I know it won’t be much longer before you get them. You’re both so talented.”
“Thanks, I guess,” Scootaloo said.
“Scootaloo?” She heard Apple Bloom’s voice echoing through the empty halls. “I thought I heard you talkin’ to somepony up here. Did you find ‘em?”
“We’re in here!” Scootaloo called.
“I checked the whole first floor. Nothin’ down there but…” Apple Bloom’s voice trailed off as she stepped into the doorway. Her eyes locked on the mare standing by the window.
“Uh, Apple Bloom? Do you know who this is?”
Apple Bloom said nothing. The color had drained out of her face. She slowly took a step back until her tail touched the wall. Finally, she managed to choke out a single word.
“Mom?”