//------------------------------// // Episode 3: Freedom of The Skies, Sword of Blue Hope (Part 2) // Story: My Little Pony: The Entities of Emotion // by Michael_Ravencroft //------------------------------// (???) Scootaloo was walking through Ponyville, but something felt off about the town. There wasn't anypony here, the shops were vacant, the stalls had no vendors, and the sounds of ponies walking about were absent from the area. "Hello," she called out, "is there anypony here, hello?" Scootaloo continued her walk. She couldn't even remember how she got there. The last thing she remembered was going to the clubhouse and after that…after that… Suddenly Scootaloo caught something out the corner of her eye, the shadow of a pony on the wall. She gave chase to the shadow, hoping whoever it was that it would be somepony who would give her some answers. When Scootaloo got to the spot where the shadow was she skidded to a stop, seeing that there was no one there. "What the – I know I saw someone here!?" Scootaloo saw another shadow cast upon the side of the building down the street. She quickly did an about face and ran after it, but as soon as she got there, just like before, there was no one. There was something else now, something faint in the background. The sound of hooves clopping upon the streets, Scootaloo ran out to see who it was. The violet maned filly's face lit up upon seeing the retreating images of two of her best friends. She wanted to call out to them, but an unexpected shaking from the ground stopped her. The vibrations only intensified, growing stronger and stronger by the second. No longer able to stand, Scootaloo plopped to the ground and covered her head in fear that something might fall and hit her. The rumbling and shaking felt like it went on for hours, but soon enough the shaking stopped and everything was still. Scootaloo looked to her right and then to her left, stands were toppled over, some of the windows were either cracked or shattered altogether. The young pegasus rose from to her hooves, when she looked to see what had caused the earthquake she gasped. From where Scootaloo was she saw something sticking up high over the homes and businesses of Ponyville. It was a giant pair of iron doors, with two giant chains crisscrossed to form an X on the front of it. Something inside Scootaloo told her that she needed to run away from this object, as fast as she could. Unfortunately that option was no longer viable. Something latched onto the pegasus' hind leg, a stinging, burning sensation shot through her the moment of contact. When Scootaloo turned to see what was causing her the pain she nearly screamed, it was the dark violet mist from before, the mist that always plagued her whenever she had a nightmare. But it made no sense, she wasn't in a nightmare, she was in Ponyville, plus it felt too real to be a dream. Before she could contemplate the thought further, a second tendril of mist snaked its way towards her and wrapped itself around her right hind leg, making her wince even more from the searing pain. The two tendrils then began to pull at her, hard, making her fall to the ground. Scootaloo immediately tried to drag herself away from the tendrils, even flapping her wings to give her extra momentum. But her actions only seemed to delay the inevitable; with one great tug the tendrils lifted the tiny filly off the ground and dragged through the streets. "LET ME GO!!! LET ME GO!!!" The tendrils continued to drag her; they seemed to be taking Scootaloo directly towards the gate. Soon she reached the center of the town, and it was here that many of the ponies of Ponyville decided to gather. Many of them were familiar, all on either sides, creating a clear path to the giant Iron Gate. Apple Bloom was with her family, Applejack, Big Macintosh, and Granny Smith. Sweetie was near Rarity, Twilight Sparkle was standing beside Rainbow Dash and Spike. There were many more, Lyra, Bon-Bon, Feather Weight, Pipsqueak, Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara, Snips and Snails, Cheerilee, Dinky, her entire class. It was as if the entire town had come out to bear witness. Scootaloo's mind started to think back to the history books she had read in Twilight Sparkle's library, remembering the particular sections that resembled this exact situation, back in the old kingdom days where ponies were dragged before judges and other ponies to be publicly beaten, or…executed. The tendrils whiplashed up, bringing Scootaloo along for the ride, only to just as quickly whip back down, slamming the poor filly into the pavement. The impact knocked the wind out of her lungs, causing her to shrink into a fetal position, clutching at her stomach as she coughed and took in deep breathes of air. "Why…what did I do wrong," she asked. No pony answered her. As one, the group turned to face the giant gate. Scootaloo dared to look at this monstrosity. From this close she was able to see that here were in fact multiple chains, each one seemed to have been broken violently, oddly enough she also noticed that there was a symbol of a cradle crescent moon on the front of the gate. Now these last two chains were rattling, as if they were doing all they could to hold back whatever it was that resided behind them. As one the gathered ponies began to stomp their hooves on the ground, keeping a slow beat, like a drum. This only served to intensify the monster behind the gate to push and slam against it. The tendrils of mist started lashing out from the gaps in the gate, wrapping themselves around the chains and pulling at them. Scootaloo could hear the chains sizzling. This is my chance, she thought. Scootaloo started to rise up to her hooves, gathering the strength she would need to run away while the tendrils were busy with their work. However, the sentient mist did not let her get far, she only made it a few short steps before another tendril shot straight for her and wrapped itself around Scootaloo's neck. Once again the familiar pain had returned. The tendril lifted Scootaloo up and turned her around to face the gate, tightening its grip as if to tell her "Do not look away!" “HELP ME, SOMEPONY, HELP ME!!! RAINBOW DASH, MISS CHEERILEE!!!” Scootaloo’s mind raced. “PRINCESS CELESTIA, PRINCESS LUNA, BUCKING DISCORD!!!” She was frantic and desperate. “MOMMY, DADDY!!!” At last, the final chains snapped and the giant gates opened with a loud rusty creak. Scootaloo's eyes were wide as saucer plates, fear had completely taken her over and she began to claw at the tendril around her neck in a desperate attempt to break free. The chains, all the chains, fell from the gate, clanking against the ground. The inside was pitch black, darker than anything she had ever seen. Within the darkness two red eyes appeared, both staring directly at Scootaloo. A single black foreleg stepped out of the gate, and then another, followed by the head which bore a unicorn horn. This creature was of the darkest ebony, its mouth leaked out the miasmic mist. Its barrel was just a series of ribs that seemed to house the rest of the miasma, along with holes on its back to allow it to come out in long slender tendrils. This creature was easily taller than many of the structures in Ponyville; the size of the gate apparently was not just an exaggeration, it was that tall. As soon as its tail, also made of the miasma, exited the gate the structure crumbled into dust. This thing was here to stay. The creature gave Scootaloo, what passed for, a wicked grin. "Hello my little bird, it's time to play. " ~~~ A purple pegasus colt, twelve years of age, stood over the body of Scootaloo. He watched as the young filly squirmed and whined, her eyes watering. The colt noticed a red ring appear around her neck, at the same time, it appeared around both hind legs. The colt moved his mane away from his right eye. After about a second, both the colt's eyes glowed with indigo light. A symbol, made of yellow light, appeared above the filly, and it was at this time, the colt felt the same fear that was coursing through her mind. The colt took his attention off of Scootaloo, the symbol vanishing as he did so. He then turned towards the door, above his forehead a symbol made of blue light appeared, it was at this moment the colt knew where he needed to go. "Adara…" In that moment, with a puff of purple smoke, the pegasus colt vanished from the treehouse. (Sweet Apple Acres, Ion's Room) Ion had been lying on the bed; totally beat from working the fields and content with a full belly. Adara watched Ion from the open barn door, smiling and giggling at the sight of her fellow entity in such a state of content. "You seem to have taken a liking to the food here," said Adara. "Well, the Entity wanted us to live here and enjoy this world, why not enjoy some of the simple things," answered Ion. "I suppose." Adara turned her attention outside, her keen eyes staring out into the dark night and in the direction of the clubhouse. Though she couldn't see passed the trees it helped that she could at least see enough. Ion sat up on his bed and gave Adara a knowing look. "You really should just go to her. Four days is more than enough time to get over this, plus…I haven't been hearing good things from Apple Bloom." "I want to…but…you didn't see the look she gave me, I betrayed her, how can she forgive me for that," asked Adara. Before Ion could respond to that, the two entities heads shot up. They rushed to their hooves and stood fast, sensing something was coming towards them and not by normal means. In the corner of the room, a puff of purple smoke lit up the room. Their tension eased upon fully sensing the energy. "Proselyte?" The pegasus colt stepped out of the smoke and stood before his fellow entities, his cunning eyes falling directly on Adara. "You must go to her, sister. She needs you," spoke Proselyte. "Wait who needs…?" Adara's mind suddenly realized who it was that Proselyte spoke of. "Scootaloo, why, what has happened to her?!" Proselyte trotted closer to her and reached out with his left foreleg. Adara touched his hoof with her own and immediately her mind was flooded with the emotional fear that Scootaloo was feeling. Adara quickly broke contact and panted heavily as if a great wait had been lifted from her. "What's wrong Adara? Proselyte, what did you show her?!" Ion asked. "Do not be cross with him. It is as Princess Luna had feared, the gate has been breached and now…! I need to go to her!" Adara didn't even wait for Ion and Proselyte to join her; she only spread her wings and took off through the barn door, a small whirlwind being kicked up in her wake. Ion coughed a bit from the dust that was kicked up from sudden gust caused by Adara, he then snorted and shook off what had covered him. "Adara wait up!" Ion called out. The green earth pony stallion was about to call upon his power to help him fly, but his path outside was quickly blocked by Proselyte. "You mustn't go Ion, this is Adara's trial, and it is one she must face alone," said Proselyte. "Did you not see the look on her face, she might need us! Plus, we still don't know much about the magic and properties of this world, what if she runs into something she can't handle!?" "Brother, trust in Adara, you know I am right. Besides, if we need to, I could always teleport us to her quicker than you can fly after her." Ion snorted, "Fine." (Astral Plain) Adara wasted no time, forgoing the normal methods of entering the metaphysical border between reality and dreams; she used her omnipotent power to break through the transitional barrier and physically entered the Astral Plain. She was currently flying through the starry ether, her true form glowing brightly with blue light. Adara quickly tried to sense Scootaloo's location within the Astral Plain itself, but something was wrong. The star that usually guided her towards the specific dreamer she designated was nowhere to be seen. This worried the blue bird of hope, was she too late to do anything, and was Scootaloo…No! I refuse to believe that! She's stronger than that I know she is! Just hang on! Adara continued to fly through the vastness of the Astral Plain, continuously trying to call forth the guiding star of Scootaloo's dream world, but to no avail. It was then that Adara picked up on something, a familiar presence. The Entity of Hope zeroed in on this feeling and flew towards it. After about a few minutes (Astral Time) of flying around Adara spotted the source of the presence, a midnight blue alicorn was currently hovering over a giant orb of light that was covered in black tendrils. "Princes – I mean Luna!" The starry maned princess of the night turned away from the orb, her horn was aglow with a powerful shimmering light blue aura and a fierce look in her eyes. Adara almost thought that Luna was about to attack, but the moon princess's expression softened slightly upon recognizing the entity. "Adara, thank the goddess you're here," said Luna. "What is happening, what is this," asked Adara, gesturing to the orb with her talon. "It is as I've feared; the nightmares have taken corporal form, and have now started to attack Scootaloo." Adara's eyes shifted between the alicorn princess and the orb of light behind her. Realizing that this orb was in fact the star that was Scootaloo's dream world, and that the black tendrils were the thing causing her interference in locating it. But something else was bothering the Entity of Hope. "If you know what is happening why haven't you gone inside and put a stop to this, are you not the Princess of the Night, is the dream world not your dominion?!" Adara flared her wings in agitation, her three faces each having a mirrored expression of anger upon them. Luna eyes were downcast now. "Because I cannot, the Astral Plain, the Dream World of an individual, works differently Adara. While I have some power over the Astral Plain, I am not its master. Just as I am not the master of another's dream. Within the dream, especially for us who can enter here physically, it is dangerous to enter one. Within a nightmare, the danger is as real as the dreamer believes it to be, which in turn fuels the nightmare even further." "I care not for my safety; while we float here Scootaloo is in danger! If you will not do anything than stand aside I shall –!" "HEED ME ENTITY OF HOPE! AS WE SPEAK, THE NIGHTMARE GROWS STROGNER, IT WILL CONTINUE TO UNTIL IT HAS CONSUMED HER MIND! LEAVING HER AS NOTHING MORE THAN AN EMPTY SHELL OF THE FILLY SHE WAS ONCE! IF WE MISSTEP, SHE WILL PAY THE PRICE FOR OUR FAILURE!" Luna proclaimed in the Royal Canterlot voice, an action that seemed to shake even the Astral Plain. Adara and Luna then got into a staring contest, both of their eyes glowing with power, as if to make the other submit by sheer force of will. But after a while, it was Luna who backed down, her eyes returning to normal as a sad expression darkened her face. "If anyone is to blame for this, it is I. If I had not coerced you into digging into her past, this would not be happening…the two of you would be in the clubhouse, protected by your light…" Adara's fierce look faded upon seeing and hearing the sadness in Luna. "No, the blame is not just your own, in truth; I wished to know more about her as well…This was something that we must both take responsibility for." Luna looked back up at the Entity of Hope; her normal kind visage had returned making the Princess of the Night feel a little more hopeful about the situation. "So, how do we enter her Dream World," asked Adara, turning her attention to the giant orb. Luna turned around and stared down the orb as well. "Your presence here has weakened the hold of the nightmare, if I apply just enough magical force, you might be able to break into the world and help Scootaloo do battle with the nightmare." "'Help her do battle?!' I will vanquish this evil myself!" "Listen carefully Adara, in the Dream World, in Scootaloo's nightmare, this thing is the stronger so long as you are within its domain. If, if you are able to defeat it, it will not solve the problem, the nightmare will only fester in the back of her mind, licking its wounds until it is ready to return. No, the only way for the nightmare to truly end for Scootaloo to not face the fear, but to conquer it, to slay it by her hoof!" Adara looked upon the orb once again; the black tendrils coiled around it like thousands of snakes. "Is there really nothing I can do…?" "Restore her, give her strength, do what you can to bring her back. Be wary, while in there you are vulnerable. It may fear your light, but as long as Scootaloo remains afraid of the nightmare it will cease to and attack without restraint." Adara's head nodded in conformation of Luna's warning. Seeing this, the Princess of the Night flared her wings, her horn shined with her powerful magic. Suddenly a sphere of mana energy formed at the tip of horn, it grew and condensed, building up more power by the second. When the sphere had reached its peak of power Luna unleashed the blast as an arcing azure blue lightning bolt. The bolt zapped the surface of the orb, burning away the tendrils. Luna willed the lightning bolt move in a circular pattern, creating a large enough opening for Adara to enter while keeping the rest of the tendrils at bay. "Go now while I can still hold them back," ordered Luna. "Are you not coming too," asked Adara. "No, you will do her more good from the inside. I will continue to attack the nightmare from the outside, if nothing else I can provide a distraction! NOW GO!" Adara wasted no time, taking off straight for the opening that Princess Luna had made. She dived straight down, whizzing like an arrow through the portal and into Scootaloo's Dream World. Luna recalled her magical lightning attack and just as quickly the tendrils reclaimed their spot. Now the black snake-like vines turned towards Princess Luna, hissing at her as a snake would its prey. The Princess of the Night only smirked at the darkness. "So you now regard me as something to take notice of. Well then, allow me to show you why it is not wise to ignore me!" Princess Luna's eyes shined brightly like before, her horn aglow the same powerful magical energy. "I AM LUNA, PRINCESS OF THE NIGHT! THE DREAMS OF THE CHILDREN OF EQUESTRIA ARE UNDER MY PROTECTION! NOW FEEL MY WRATH!!!" Within the Astral Plain, far in the distance, a string of powerful explosions could be seen shimmering one after the other. All those who were acutely aware of the metaphysical world could sense powerful magic rumbling through it. This was the power of Luna, in all its splendor. Adara fell, she knew she was falling. She had no idea when it was she had closed her eyes, but when she opened them she gasped. The skies were covered in thick dark gray clouds. This world, Scootaloo's Dream World, was devoid of all the light it once had. A wave of despair, fear, and pain had permeated and stained this once beautiful dreamscape. How could a single nightmare cause such a distortion, she thought. When Adara attempted to correct her fall by spreading her wings something felt wrong. The Entity of Hope looked at her wings, only to find that they were not there, instead they had been replaced by forelegs. Adara quickly inspected the rest of her body. Her beaks were gone, as well as her talons and large wings. Somehow she had been transformed into her filly form, completely against her will. Could this be Scootaloo's doing, or the nightmares? Either way, the fact that it could change by body so easily is not a good sign. I have to find Scootaloo now! Adara broke through the clouds. She looked down at the ground only to realize that she was directly over Ponyville. Thanking the Entity for small favors, Adara spread her wings and took flight, regaining control over her earlier freefall. The cerulean pegasus swooped over the village, her keen eyes searching for any sign of her friend. After a couple of flybys Adara had resolved to search by hoof. She found a clear spot and landed near Carousel Boutique. From there Adara decided to search the usual familiar places. This Ponyville was eerie to say the least. It was quiet, and empty, with a heavy feeling of dread wafting through the air. Even within the one of the happiest establishments in the town, Sugar Cube Corner. The cerulean filly entered the bakery. The glass case had the usual foods inside them, but they were rotted, as if they had been there for ages. Not a sound could be heard within the bakery, much like the rest of the town. After searching the upstairs and kitchen Adara was about to leave the bakery but stopped short of the basement door, which was mysteriously wide open. For some reason there was a cupcake that had a rainbow pattern upon it. It was strange; the cupcake seemed fresh, unlike the other confections. Adara slowly inched herself closer to the open door, but stopped the moment she heard a rumbling sound outside, the first actual noise she heard since she got there. When Adara turned back towards the basement door the cupcake was gone, and the silhouette of wide toothy grin could be seen in the darkness. Not wanting to find out what dwelled below, Adara decided to exit the shop and continue her search elsewhere. Princess Luna must be fighting valiantly for that to have reached in here, thought Adara, I must find her! The next stop was Golden Oaks Library, a long shot, but one worth taking. Upon entering the library Adara was immediately hit with cloud of dust. The cerulean filly coughed, gagged, and sneezed from the wave of dust. She wiped her eyes of the stinging particles, and started her investigation. The library was a complete wreck, books thrown everywhere, pages ripped out and scattered about. All in all, it was a sight that would've brought the wrath of Princess Twilight down upon the unfortunate soul who did this. Putting that unpleasant thought out of her mind, Adara looked throughout the library, wading through the book piles as she searched the upstairs, and the basement. But, just like Sugar Cube Corner, she could find nothing. Adara was starting to get frustrated, searching about half a dozen other places and still no sign of Scootaloo. She was trotting down the streets of the town, wandering and starting to fear the worst. "Hey look Ah found her!" Adara's ears twitched at the sound of that voice. She turned around and saw Apple Bloom along with Sweetie Belle galloping towards her. The two fillies stopped short, about fifteen feet from her position. They then looked at Adara quizzically. "That's not Scootaloo," said Sweetie Belle. "Well Ah thought it was her! From far away all Ah could see were her darn wings," retorted Apple Bloom. Sweetie Belle scoffed. "Whatever." "Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle you're –!" Adara stopped. Were these dream versions of her friends here to help, or were they also part of the nightmare. "Hey, do you two remember my name?" "What," asked Sweetie Belle. "I asked if you know my name," asked Adara in a sterner voice. "Don't rightly know don't rightly care. Ya ain't Scootaloo," said Apple Bloom. "Well, she is cute, and you know how He likes cute little fillies, especially pegasuses," said Sweetie Belle. "It's pegasi, plural, as in more than one." Apple Bloom corrected. "And Scootaloo calls me a dictionary." Adara's gaze grew serious, her eyes narrowing. "You wear the faces of my friends, but you are not them! Cease this façade!" The nightmare Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle only giggled innocently at the accusation. They then closed their eyes for a second, when they reopened them their normal eye color was now changed to that of glowing crimson red, the evil miasma spilling from their mouths. "What gave us away," asked Sweetie Belle. Adara raised her right hoof and pointed it at Sweetie Belle. Her eyes shimmered as a helix trail of blue light swirled down her foreleg, collected into a ball, and then fired a beam right at the nightmare Sweetie Belle. The beam pierced her through the chest; the copy let out a scream of pain as the blue light engulfed her and vaporized her on the spot. "What in tarnation?! What the heck did you –!?" The Apple Bloom nightmare didn't get the chance to finish her question. A gust of wind blew passed the copy, with Adara appearing behind her. Her right wing was glowing, easily twice its normal size and made of blue light. The Apple Bloom nightmare's neck had a blue ring around it, after a few seconds the copy's head fell from its shoulders, disappearing much like the other. The light vanished from Adara's wing; returning to its normal size and having it fold into a resting position. "You pervert the images of our friends in order to torment her…You. Will. Pay!" Suddenly the ground began to shake. A loud tearing sound could be heard from every direction. Adara got into a defensive position, preparing to strike down whatever monster this nightmare could through at her. That's when she saw it, a fissure in the ground, running half the length of the town. A black mass broke the surface, demolishing most of the homes. Adara's eyes grew wide as the creature's full form and height was revealed to her. This was the source of the nightmare, this amalgamation of all her fear, the past that Scootaloo tried to forget, this was that entity. "So you decide to show yourself! If it's a fight you want than I'll happily oblige," she shouted. The Unicorn turned its head in her direction, its red gleaming eyes narrowed at the sight Adara. "You…you are not part of my world. You do not belong here!" "Neither do you, creature," she shouted. "Have you come to take my little bird away from me? I will not allow that!" "Little bird!" You refer to her as some sort of pet or plaything! How dare you! The Unicorn lashed out with its giant miasma tendril, shooting it straight at Adara. The cerulean filly was preparing to counterattack the tendril, but was interrupted when someone or something pushed her out of the way. The tendril struck the spot where she once was, causing the ground to cave into a massive crater. Adara was now on her back, rubbing her head from the tumble. "I will not be stopped by –! Scootaloo!!?" Indeed it was her; the orange pegasus filly that Adara had been searching for had instead found her, looming over her in fact. "C'mon we need to hide now," ordered Scootaloo. Scootaloo got off of Adara and quickly galloped down the street. Adara quickly gave chase, following her friend. But the Unicorn did not let this go unnoticed. Turning his giant body in the direction of their retreat it began to stomp its way towards them. With each thundering step, Scootaloo's frantic and terrified expression only grew worse. Adara looked behind them and watched as the giant continued to get closer. Several times Adara tried to change into her true form, her secret be damned she was going to protect Scootaloo even if it meant revealing her true identity. But no matter how hard she tried, her body would not shift at all. The Unicorn was almost in range to snap at them with its maw, Adara had to think of something quick. That's when she was struck with an idea. In fearful day in raging night! With strong hearts full our souls ignite! When all seems lost in the War of Light! Look to the stars –! Adara flared her wings and jumped into the air. She turned around to face the Unicorn who was now focused on her, just as she planned. "FOR HOPE BURNS BRIGHT!" Adara's body shined with a blinding blue light, right in the creature's face. The Unicorn roared in pain as it felt its face burn. It reared up and retreated backwards till it lost its balance and fell mightily to the ground. Thrashing about as it roared in pain. "THE LIGHT, IT BURNS, IT BURNS! AHHHHHHH!!! YOU WRETCHD LITTLE – AAAAAHHH!!!" Adara dimmed her light till it was no more and returned to Scootaloo's side. The two fillies continued to run till they both ducked into town hall, closing the large double doors behind with a hard thud. Adara slumped against the door, panting hard for breath after their ordeal. "Thank goodness, I finally found you Scoota –" "SHUT UP!" Adara winced from the harshness of her voice. What surprised her more was the fact that she could not see her, though she could've sworn Scootaloo was right beside her when they entered? "I-I-I've been running around this place for so long…my friends…the ponies I know…THEY'RE ALL FAKE!!!" Adara was confused for a second before remembering the Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle copies she had defeated earlier. "Oh no, Scootaloo listen to me I'm not one of them!" "LIAR! I've heard that before, and every time I believe one of you fakes I barely escape being dragged back to HIM! So why should I believe you, give me one good reason why I should even believe a word that comes out of your mouth!!!" Adara stood her ground; she needed to convince Scootaloo that she was the real deal, but how. Her mind searched for any logical, or dream logic, way for her to explain her presence and get Scootaloo to trust her. That's when Adara remembered something, it was a long shot, even in Scootaloo's present state, but she had to rely on the hope that some part of her was not so gripped with fear as to allow her to believe her words. "Princess Luna sent me here Scootaloo! She knew you were in trouble and called out to me, so she brought me into your dream in order to help you!" There was silence and it lingered, so much so that Adara believed that Scootaloo might've left. "Princess Luna…she sent you to help me?" "Yes, she's out there, in the dreamscape, fighting to get in here! She needed help and I offered to come and keep you safe until she could get here! Please you have to believe me!" "Why would you…? After what I did… I threw you out when you had nowhere else to go, why would you come and help me after that…?" Adara gritted her teeth and widened her stance, she then took in a deep breath before bellowing, "BECAUSE YOU FEATHERBRAIN WE'RE FRIENDS!!!" The word "friend" seemed to echo within the large room, all the way up to the rafters. Adara waited for a response, but was again met with silence. Then she heard the sounds of hooves clip clopping against the hardwood floors. She turned towards their direction and saw her friend emerge from the shadows, a weak smile upon her face. "Yeah…we are friends, aren't we…?" "Scootaloo." Adara trotted up to her friend, when she was closer she nearly yelped at the sight. Scootaloo's body was covered in red gash like burns, her left wing hung limply at her side, and her mane and tail were in disarray. "Oh Scootaloo…what has that thing done to you?" The orange peagsus filly said not a word. She only got closer and rested her head on her friend's shoulder. Adara nuzzled Scootaloo's head in a comforting fashion and gently brought up her right hoof to bring her closer. Scootaloo didn't fight it; she seemed tired and was so grateful to be in the embrace of some pony she cared about. "I'm sorry, and…I missed you Adara." "The same to you…" Adara and Scootaloo had taken to resting on the stage within the town hall. The tormented filly was lying against Adara, her wing draped over her in the same comforting fashion that she usually did. But now it was more of a wing of protection. It felt like hours since the two of them were able to catch their breath. There was no sign that Princess Luna was making any progress with breaking through into the Dream World, but for the most part the Unicorn seemed to leave them alone. Whether it was due to Luna or Adara's earlier light attack was unclear, but for now, they had a chance to rest, which was more than what Scootaloo was getting before. Adara then felt a stirring under her wing. Scootaloo was awakening from her nap, which was somewhat unclear as to how one could sleep while they were sleeping in a dream. But that was a paradox for another time. "Sleep well," she asked. "Actually, yeah, I did," said Scootaloo with a smile. "Good." Adara knew she had to tell her friend how to end this nightmare, but after seeing the harm that had befallen her and the fear she could still sense, Adara was starting to think that having Scootaloo fight the Unicorn was not an option. "So, when is Princess Luna going to come and get us? It's been awhile since you got here right, she's probably waiting for us to give her the go ahead, right," asked Scootaloo. "Scootaloo…Princess Luna, she can't help us." The violet maned filly laughed a bit at what Adara said, prompting the Entity of Hope to raise a curious eyebrow. "That's a good one Adara, Luna, the Princess of the Night, the Immortal Dream Walker, can't help us. Pfft, yeah right." "I'm serious, she can't, and it took a lot for her to just get me here." Scootaloo began to laugh a little again, but that laughter was slowly dying when she noticed that Adara's expression hadn't changed, nor was there any hint in the tone of her voice that she was joking. "You can't be serious, you can't right? If Princess Luna can't come here and end this nightmare then how in Tartarus are we supposed to get out of here, that thing will kill us if we don't?!" "Scootaloo calm down! Princess Luna did not send me here without plan. There is a way for us to get out of here, but…it might be too dangerous…" Scootaloo rose from under Adara's wing and stared angrily at her friend. "Have you seen this place?! Dangerous is the only word that can describe this place, whatever you got planned can't be worse than this!" "Alright then, the only way for us to end this nightmare is if we go out there, face down, and defeat that monster," said Adara. "Okay, you see, I was right, it's not dangerous," Scootaloo smiled a bit before adding, "THAT'S A SUICIDE MISSION!!! Why do we have to fight that thing when Princess Luna is right outside," she asked. "She explained it to me. This nightmare is only as strong as you let it be, if you can stand up to this thing, if you can conquer it, then you'll never have to worry about it again, you'll be safe from here on out." Scootaloo scoffed at the idea. "Yeah right, did you not see that thing?! I couldn't stand up to Him back then and I can't now, especially while He's like that!" "And just who is He Scootaloo, is He somepony who hurt you from before you came to Ponyville?!" Adara asked. "Adara I just forgave you, don't make me mad at you again. I'm nothing but a weak flyer, weak pegasus, a little bird that deserves to live in a cage…" Adara had heard enough, she shot back up to her hooves and made her way to her friend. She then slapped Scootaloo across the face with her left hoof, surprising both herself and Scootaloo at the same time. "Don't you dare say that about yourself! You are anything but weak! Stubborn, reckless, daring, headstrong, hopeful even, but not weak! No pony who is weak would continue to pick themselves up after each failed attempt at getting a cutie mark, a weak filly wouldn't continue to dream about being able to fly alongside her idol, and a weak filly wouldn't work so hard to learn how to fly in order to obtain that dream!" Adara's eyes were starting to water, but she didn't lose that edge in her voice that spoke with such authority. She then rushed to Scootaloo, embracing her in a tight hug. "So don't you ever say that, never again!" "Adara…" Scootaloo, after getting over the shock of Adara's speech, returned the hug, a modicum of her confidence having been restored, but still, she was unsure if she could really face Him. "Scootaloo?" "Yes?" "I want to teach you something. It's an oath that my…'friends' and I made when we were small. It may not make much sense to you, but it helps to focus yourself, and reminds you of something important. Do you wish to learn it," she asked. Scootaloo separated herself from Adara; she then smiled and nodded a yes. "Then close your eyes and repeat after me." Scootaloo did as she was instructed and waited for Adara to speak. "In raging day, in fearful night…" "In fearful day, in raging night…" "With strong hearts full our souls ignite…" "With strong hearts full our souls ignite…" "When all seems lost in the War of Light…" "When all seems lost in the War of Light…" "Look to the stars, for hope burns bright." "Look to the stars, for hope burns bright." Scootaloo opened her eyes, the words seemed odd, but for some reason felt right. Her fear wasn't gone, but she did feel calmer than what she was feeling earlier. "Better?" "Yeah, a little," she answered. At that moment the building began to rattle and shake violently, both fillies struggled to stay on their hooves but that wasn't going to be an option. Both of them looked up as the miasmic tendrils broke through the sides of the roof, four long tentacles bursting through the wood. The four of them then began to lift upwards, the wooden planks of the building groaned under the strain in protest of the action. But the controller of the tendrils paid the noises no heed, it lifted more and more till the entire roof was ripped off in one motion. The upper half was then flung off to the sides, skipping against some rooftops till it came to a stop atop Carousel Boutique. Both fillies watched as the giant Unicorn looked down upon them with its red eyes. Its gaze fixed squarely on Scootaloo. "Naughty little bird, hide and seek is over, it's time to get back to our fun." Scootaloo cowered and winced at those words. Adara's anger only increased, seeing the state that this creature put her in. "I will not let you face these fears alone," Adara stood tall and proud before the Unicorn, staring at it through narrowed eyes like a bird of prey, "YOU WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH ME FIRST MONSTROUSITY!" Adara then spread her wings and flew up into the air, Scootaloo watched helplessly as her friend took flight. Adara's body erupted with a blue aura of power, turning into a blue streaking comet that whizzed around the Unicorn. She fired one beam of light after the next, hitting the creature from all angles. The Unicorn brayed and growled in pain at the stinging strikes of the blue light, but unlike the nightmare copies it was not damaging it to the extent Adara wished it to. Though it was feeling the pain, it was little more than striking the side of mountain with a sledge hammer. The Unicorn's miasmic tendrils lashed out in all directions swiping at Adara like a fly. The Unicorn's horn began to glow the same color as the miasma. The sky above started to thunder and roar loudly, with dark violet lightning arcing from one cloud to the next. Scootaloo watched the fight before her, staring in awe of her friend as she fought against the vile creature. Though they were in her Dream World, she was still amazed that Adara could command the dreamscape so well as to give herself such amazing powers. For a moment Scootaloo allowed herself to hope, thinking that Adara could defeat this monster all on her own and that the two of them would escape. That hope, however, was quickly diminished. The four tendrils shot out at Adara, forcing her to retreat backwards. The Unicorn grinned happily, his horn shined and from the sky the clouds let loose a massive dark violet lightning bolt that barreled straight down on the cerulean filly. Adara looked up and quickly erected a barrier to protect herself, the lightning bolt pushed down upon her barrier, she used her power to push back but the Unicorn only funneled more power into the attack. The tug of war between them continued for what seemed like minutes, but, eventually one had to give. Adara's barrier began to crack and chip, till, with one great burst, the lightning bolt smashed through the shield and struck the filly full force. Scootaloo watched as her friend screamed from the pain of the lightning strike, her body spasming from the powerful electric currents wracking her body. "ADARA!" The attack ceased and two of the tendrils lashed out, they then wrapped themselves around Adara's forelegs, holding her aloft in the air. Her body was smoking as the smell of ozone and singed fur wafted through the air. Scootaloo quickly ducked behind what was left of the stage curtain, praying that the Unicorn was too preoccupied with Adara to notice her absence. The monster looked down at the remains of the town hall and searched for his lost prey. "Come out and play Scootaloo~" The remaining two tendrils sifted through the rumble piece by piece, searching for the little orange filly. Scootaloo was shaking, her best friend had just been hurt badly and no help was coming. It was over, it was all over. "Scootaloo…" The young filly's ear twitched. "I-I-I…!" Scootaloo peaked from behind the curtain and watched as Adara weakly struggled against the tendrils. "I BELIEVE IN YOU, SCOOTALOO!!!!!" …I can't be afraid… Scootaloo appeared from behind the curtain, still shaking, her head lowered. I have to be strong, like Rainbow Dash would be, like Adara is right now! "In fearful day, in raging night…" The Unicorn's red eyes finally spotted his young prey. "With strong hearts full, our souls ignite…" The tendrils slowly snaked their way towards her. "When all seems lost in the war of light…" They had worked themselves onto the stage and were now slowly about to coil around her body. "Look to the stars…" One of the tentacles was about to wrap itself around her neck, Scootaloo could already feel the burning, stinging pain that accompanied the touch of these things, but she did not care. "FOR HOPE BURNS BRIGHT!!!" Suddenly Scootaloo's body erupted into a column of blue light that shot up into the sky. The Unicorn withdrew his tentacles as they were now the ones burning. The beam let out a burst of force that struck the clouds and parted them within mere seconds. The Unicorn hissed as the bright blue sky shined down upon the dreary landscape that was Ponyville. It was then that the Unicorn watched as an orange blur flew passed it. The creature then roared in anger as it realized that the object it was holding was gone. Adara was still in a daze from the lightning strike, but she aware that she was in the arms of somepony. She slowly opened her eyes and was greeted by the confident smirk of a pegasus mare. "And you called me reckless," spoke the older mare. "Scootaloo…?" "Who else would it be? Can you fly," she asked. Adara began to flap her wings, allowing her to hover in the air and see Scootaloo fully. She was much older, at least twenty. Her mane was a bit longer, her wings broader, and her body much more lean and toned. "Looks like I was able to repay you for saving my life after all," said Scootaloo. "Don't even worry about that, how were you able to do – well – all of this?!" Adara spread out her forelegs, gesturing to everything around them. "I don't know, I just said that oath thing of yours and it just clicked, I really don't know how else to describe it, but this feels awesome!" A loud roar from below them put interrupted Scootaloo, the Unicorn was thrashing about down below, destroying everything like a child throwing a temper tantrum. "You need to defeat that thing, it's the only way the nightmare will end," said Adara. "With what, I'm older, but it's not like I have a weapon or something." "Then I will be your weapon, as well as your wings to carry you to victory!" Before Scootaloo could inquire as to how she was going to that Adara's body transformed into blue light particles. She almost cried out in horror but soon the particles charged straight for Scootaloo. Some of them latched onto her wings, turning the avian appendages into blue light wings, giving the grown mare a ten foot wingspan. The remaining particles took the form of a sword made of light, the symbol of hope glowed a lighter shade of blue at the center of the guard. "What…what is this?!" It's me Scootaloo. "Adara, what did you –!?" I, um, used the Dream World's power to turn myself into this. Look, don't question the how; just use this to strike that thing down! Scootaloo reached out and grabbed the sword, holding it within the crook of her hooves. "No problem!" A blue fiery meteor like object flew down from the sky. The Unicorn turned its head in the direction of the flaming object; it then struck with two of its tendrils. The moment they were in range, they were sliced to pieces, completely shredded. The blue meteor did not stop its descent; it kept plummeting till it was in striking distance. It then whirled around and aimed directly for the Unicorn's right foreleg. A streak of blue light shined as the limb was severed from the body of the dark beast. Scootaloo soared back up into the sky, turned around, and aimed again for the Unicorn. Her next target was easy enough. Instead of using the sword, Scootaloo glided, keeping her light wings straight as the right wing sliced through the Unicorn's giant horn in one swift motion. The creature stumbled backwards, very much in pain from the severing of both its leg and horn. But they didn't stop there; Scootaloo then began to move at a rapid speed, slashing at the body of the monster, leaving behind blue gashes that shined brightly all over its body. The creature wailed in pain as its power over the world was leaving its body. The ruined Ponyville was changing back to its more colorful and cheerful self, many of the nightmare ponies that were still around no longer beard the crimson eyes, but instead had regained their happy expressions and were now cheering for Scootaloo. Their collective cheers were so strong that they were drowning out the beast's own pain filled roars. Do you hear that Scootaloo? That's for you, this is the true you! Now let's give them something to really cheer about! "Yeah, this nightmare ends NOW," proclaimed Scootaloo. The pegasus mare soared high into the sky, so high that the Unicorn looked like a black speck upon the land. When she stopped in the air Scootaloo closed her eyes. This was the freedom she sought, the feeling of being in the air, unafraid, her hopes given form, this was her dream, her world, and she wasn't going to let anything, not even this monster, destroy it. High above her, the faint image of the full moon appeared in the sky, along the shadowy silhouette of Princess Luna looking down upon this filly turned mare with her glowing eyes and smiling proudly. "Conquer your fears, Scootaloo…!" "Princess Luna," she whispered. Pointing the sword downward, Scootaloo dived. Her body was once again engulfed in blue light, lapping off her body like fire. Suddenly a mach cone started to appear in front of her, the cone grew more slender by the second as if she were squeezing into a smaller space. Finally with a loud and thunderous BOOM she burst through the cone, picking up an unbelievable amount of speed. Behind her a trail of violet, blue, and orange flame could be seen in her wake. The destructively powerful fire trail continued to descend further and further, till she made contact with the Unicorn. The monster let out a loud and earsplitting shrieking roar as its body was completely overpowered by the flames and light. Slowly it disintegrated into black particles, the particles then started to vanish into nothingness. And at last, there was a bright flash of light… (School House, Two Weeks Later) "Okay my little ponies, don't forget to read those chapters in your Equestrian History books, and we'll pick up from there next week. Have a great weekend," said Miss Cheerilee. The school teacher watched as her young students cheered and swiftly exited the classroom. Cheerilee watched as three of her most precocious students got together quickly and started to make plans for the weekend. Last week had worried the maroon mare, especially with that little slip of the tongue a couple of weeks ago. Though she didn't know why or how, but to her, Scootaloo seemed to be moving as if she were a lot lighter. Almost like a huge burden had been lifted from her that she didn't know about. It troubled her still that her student still wouldn't come to her about such things, but for whatever reason, she appeared to be happier, and that's mattered. That pleasantness out of the way, Cheerilee began to go into her normal routine of tidying up the classroom before she too left for the weekend. Just then she heard the sound of hooves knocking against the door. Cheerilee turned around and was prepared to greet a parent, which wasn't uncommon, since usually a parent would visit nearer towards the end of the week than at the beginning or middle. But when she did, she was surprised to see not an adult, but an orange pegasus filly. "Scootaloo, what's the matter dear, did you forget something," she asked. "No, actually, um, can I say something Miss Cheerilee?" "I don't know, can you," said Cheerilee in a teasing tone. "Alright, alright, may I say something?" "Of course you can." Scootaloo took a deep breath, steadying her nerves before saying what she wanted to say. "I wanted to say that I'm sorry for the way I've acted a couple of weeks ago, I was just so afraid that you'd tell somepony…you-know-what… that I was acting like a complete idiot towards you, and my friends. I'm grateful that you've kept my secret for so long, and, although I can't tell you right now, I want you to know that I'm alright. So, thank you, Miss Cheerilee, for watching over me, even though I was too much a featherbrain to notice." Cheerilee felt her herself tear up at what Scootaloo said to her, this whole time she had berated herself for not telling anypony about Scootaloo's situation. But now, now she was being told by the student she had been worried about the most that she was thankful to her. "Miss Cheerilee, are you alright, you're crying?" Cheerilee raised her hoof to her face and wiped a stray tear before smiling back at her student. "I'm fine Scootaloo, and, thank you." Scootaloo nodded happily and turned around to leave, but stopped. "Um, Miss Cheerilee, is that offer about dinner still open," she asked. "Of course, come by when you and your friends are done 'crusading,'" said Cheerilee. "And I'll make enough for Adara as well." With that said Scootaloo fluttered her wings happily and ran off towards her friends. Cheerilee slowly walked over to the window and watched as Scootaloo met up with Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. The three fillies giggled and laughed for a moment and after a minute galloped down the road, no doubt off to another one of their "crusades." Just as Cheerilee was about to leave the window she caught something moving out of the corner of her eye. Towards the tree line far away, Cheerilee could've sworn that she saw something rise up from the tree tops and fly off in the direction of the Cutie Mark Crusaders.