//------------------------------//
// 20. Sweet Dreams  
// Story: Raising Rainbow 
// by Pizzema Forte 
//------------------------------//

     As spring arrived, things began to change for the worse. Mainly for Dashie and her dear friend, Fluttershy. Over the course of Summer Flight Camp, Dreamscape thought it would be a good idea to send his daughter there along with Rainbow. He thought that it’d be a chance for her to make friends and even improve her flying. Although Fluttershy didn’t come home with stories of new-found friends or improved flying abilities, she did come back with three pink butterflies on her flanks. The very day he’d picked her up from Summer Flight Camp and the mark of destiny had appeared, he’d stopped sending her to the awful place. That very day was a pretty big scare for him, however. When he first arrived at the camp, a couple administrators told him Fluttershy had fallen nearly seventy-five feet below the cloud layer. That news alone nearly made him pass out. He was beyond grateful when he they immediately proceeded the bad news with the brighter news that she’d been returned safely in one piece. He was so happy to see her, and although he asked a million times if she were okay, he was still worried she was somehow hurt. She claimed to have landed on a migrating swarm of butterflies and that was the reason she hadn’t been severely injured from the fall. When she reached the ground below, a loud boom caused a whole bunch of animals to be frightened away. After comforting the poor creatures and calming them down, she earned her beautiful cutie mark, and her father and mother had never been more proud. 
There was, however, one set-back that came with her great achievement. She was destined to care for animals and tend to their needs and desires. Animals were a rarity in Cloudsdale, with the exception of a few migrating birds and pegasi who owned their own pets. If she ever wanted to expand on her talents, they’d have to relocate. Although Dreamscape and his dear wife loved living in Cloudsdale, they knew they had to move for the sake of their child. If her destiny rested on the ground, that’s where they’d venture. Even if it were a bit hard to leave their hometown… 
Moving itself wasn’t an easy task. They first searched tirelessly for a good location. Within only a week, however, they found a nice, little cottage on the far outskirts of Ponyville. It was located near the Everfree forest, as well, which promised a good population of animals for Fluttershy to tend to. The next step was saving up for the little home. Dewdrop picked up some hours babysitting and Dreamscape saved as much money as he possibly could from his job. After months of saving up, they were finally able to afford the home. That February, they’d gathered all their savings and paid for the home. When the caring parents told their little filly, she was both shocked and excited. She told her parents multiple times that they didn’t have to do that for her, but they would simply smile and shake their heads, telling her that they wouldn’t consider themselves real parents if they didn’t do something to allow her to explore her newly-found passion. Since then, Fluttershy had been over the moon about the move. 
Not everypony had been excited for their departure, however. Rainbolt was a bit saddened when he first heard the news. He enjoyed having the convenience of having his best friend living so close by. He’d visit him every so-often, and was the go-to babysitter for Dashie. He’d still see Dreamscape every once in a while, but it wouldn’t be as often. Rainbolt supposed he could visit him when Dreamscape was on break at work or something… As long as he still had access to his good friend, everything would be alright. 
Dash was unbeknownst to the news at the time. In fact, a week before the family was going to move, Dash still hadn’t the slightest clue they were leaving. Rainbolt wanted to tell her, but didn’t want to make her sad. The news had to be thrown at her eventually, though. Breaking the news was on Rainbolt’s shoulders. It had to be done, and he knew it’d be difficult. Nearly every other weekend, they’d visit their home for a play date. The two fillies bonded quite a lot, and letting go wasn’t going to be easy for Dash. The trips to their house would be longer, so fewer visits were sure to come. Rainbolt only hoped his daughter wouldn’t take the news too badly. He didn’t know exactly when it would be a good idea to tell her, so he went to Dreamscape for advice. Dreamscape wasn’t the best when it came to lending other ponies’ a hoof with their problems, but he was good when it came to foals. It was no wonder Fluttershy had been turning out so well. Rainbolt decided to visit his friend the one time he was available; during break at work. Dreamscape would usually stay in his office and munch on a packed sandwich, fruit, and vegetable crisps. It lasted an hour and started at quarter ‘til one. At times, Dewdrop would pay him a visit during lunch and surprise him. Rainbolt, however, rarely visited anyone if he didn’t have to. This trip, however, felt mandatory. Rainbow was at school, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity. 
The periwinkle stallion shot through the lobby doors and through the hallway. It was aligned with one door on the left, and the other on the right, and one in the very back that lead one to the actually factory. Rainbolt opened the door at the very end. Inside were hundreds of pegasi noisily moving around. Loud machines rumbled and gurgled, sending storms of noise throughout the industry. Rainbolt ignored the noisy machines and flew towards his dear friend’s office. He didn’t knock or hesitate to invite himself into the large room. It was pretty big with a singular machine in the back. That workplace was shared by nearly twenty ponies. As he suspected, Dreamscape was sitting a desk, munching on a peach. Sweet juice dripped from his mouth and down to his chin. After Dreamscape met eyes with his good friend and took a moment to grasp the situation, the stallion wiped the peach’s blood off his mouth with his light blue hoof. 
“Hey, Rainbolt… Didn’t expect to see you here.” He said in shock. 
“I know, I know…I just needed some advice.” The stallion replied, closing the door behind him. 
“Oh… Well, you couldn’t have waited until this afternoon or something? Is it that urgent you had to come all the way to the Weather Factory?” 
“Well… It’s about Dashie…” 
Dreamscape perked his ears up and stared directly at his friend. Rainbolt used to constantly ask him parenting tips, especially when Firefly first left him. As Dash grew older, however, he steadily stopped asking for advice and simply did what he thought would be a good idea. 
“I’m listening…” he started. 
“Well… I still…haven’t told her about Fluttershy moving… I don’t know how to… I mean, I know I have to… It’s just going to be hard… Do you know how bad she’ll be hurt?” 
Dreamscape blinked, and then thought for a moment. 
“Well…when I first told Fluttershy, she was a bit sad about being distant from Dash… I promised her that we’d visit you guys at least once every month…” Rainbolt smiled a bit simply from knowing that. “But I don’t know how Dash will react. She and Fluttershy are pretty opposite… Maybe you could start off by telling her that we’ll only have a play date once a month. When she asks why, just tell her about our move… It shouldn’t be that hard…” 
“Alright…I will… Still don’t know what I’m going to do if I need somepony to watch Dash on short notice.” 
Dreamscape chuckled. “There’s always Surprise, ya know.” 
Rainbolt rolled his eyes. “Would you trust Surprise alone with your kid? She’s sweet ‘n’ all, but if Dashie were to run off, I don’t think she’d know what to do.” 
“Oh, yeah… Anyway…  I think I should get back to my lunch… My shift restarts in about…” He turned his head and peaked at the clock. “Thirty minutes….” 
“Oh, yeah…sorry…” Rainbolt blushed and smiled. “I didn’t mean to disturb you or anything.” 
“You didn’t… Sometimes, I like having company when I eat.” 
“Be grateful. I never get company when I work.” 
Dreamscape smiled. “Maybe you would if you didn’t work during the night. I know I wouldn’t get my butt up at three in the morning just to visit you.” 
“I wouldn’t with you, either.” 
The two stallions smiled at each other a moment. Neither knew how to continue the conversation, but fortunately, neither had to. It was a sudden, quite startling moment when Surprise jumped up between the two from seemingly nowhere. Her hooves wrapped around both of their necks, forcefully bringing them closer together. 
“Were you two talking about me?” She asked in her usual, cheerful voice. Both stallions were shocked by her sudden appearance, and both slowly nodded. The white pegasus smiled and released the two from her harsh grasp. “Thought so! I get these little tingly feelings that let me know stuff!” 
Rainbolt and Dreamscape tossed each other a confused and unsure expression. Surprise could be…quite strange sometimes. 
“Surprise….” Dreamscape started. “We weren’t talking bad about you or anything… We were mostly just talking about how I’m going to move here soon…” 
“Oh, I know!” Surprise chimed, and then her optimistic vibe subsided and morphed into a more serious one. “I remember when my best friend moved away…. The night before we had a huge sleepover. We made popcorn, and watched movies, and talked, and played truth or dare, and sang, and whatever else we wanted!” 
Rainbolt glanced at his friend.
“That may not actually be a bad idea…” 
“What? Gettin’ the fillies together for a sleepover?” 
“Well yeah… I think it’d be good for Dash and her to get a good night together before Fluttershy departures for good.” 
Dreamscape took the idea into consideration. They never had a sleepover together before… Maybe it would be sort of nice. 
“At who’s house though?” he finally asked. 
“Either. I mean, if it were at my house it’d have to be a Saturday night, because I work Sunday through Friday…. I think your house would be the safer bet, though. I know how Fluttershy is when it comes to adapting in new locations. Plus, Dash has a sleeping bag already.” 
Dreamscape took a moment to consider the plan. Dash wasn’t a bad foal at all, but she could be troublesome at times. She was a best friend to Fluttershy, and a night together wouldn’t hurt at all. They may even grow closer. 
“Sure… How about this upcoming Friday? You wouldn’t have to worry about bringing the rascal to work with you.” 
“Alright, sounds good. I’m sure Rainbow won’t mind at all…” 
The two stallions exchanged smiles. 
“Well…” Rainbolt continued. “I think I’d better be going. There’s only around a half hour ‘til Dash gets out.” 
“Have a nice day!” Dreamscape waved to his friend before taking another bite of his juicy fruit. Rainbolt slowly flew out the door and began to trot off. It wasn’t a moment later Surprise quickly flew in front of the stallion with a wide smile. Rainbolt stopped in mid-tracks and stared at the high-spirited mare. 
“Oh, and by the way, if you ever need somepony to baby sit Dashie, I’m your mare!”

Rainbolt silently entered his home with a frown on his face.  His little daughter followed closely behind him. Nearly the whole flight, he’d been silent. His only questions were asking about her day and what she’d like for dinner that evening.  Other than that, no words left his lips. Rainbow was confused by his awkward silence, and wondered if he were mad at her or upset. 
Rainbow set her saddle bag down on the couch and followed her father further as he headed down the hallway. He turned his head when he heard the little hoof-steps against the cloud floor. He turned and looked directly at his daughter. 
“Why are you following me?” He asked. 
“Why are you upset?” 
“I’m not upset…” He replied and his eyes met the floor. 
“Then why are you being so quiet?” 
Rainbolt sighed and stared at his daughter. 
“Rainbow, listen…there’s something… I need to tell you…” 
Rainbow cocked her head curiously. What was he hiding?
“What is it, Dad?” 
Rainbolt took in a breath and sighed. Telling her the awful truth wasn’t going to be easy… but it was absolutely inevitable. Was it the best time, though? It had to be done, and although the time didn't seem right, it was better than letting the inevitable drag out even longer.
“Well… First of all…” He bit his lip and tried to continue. “Rainbow, take a seat…” Dash didn’t go to a chair, but instantly lowered her rump to the cloud floor beneath her. Rainbolt sat down, as well. “To start, you have a sleepover with Fluttershy this Friday.” 
“Well…that doesn’t sound too-too bad….” 
“That’s not the bad part… Well, on top of that you’ll now be seeing Fluttershy…around… only once every month…” 
Rainbow cocked her head. “Why?” 
“Well…here’s where the bad news comes in….” Rainbolt bit his lip and looked down at his little filly. Curiosity filled her eyes. She didn’t seem worried or scared of the news whatsoever. “F-Fluttershy…a-and Dreamscape are… moving….” 
Rainbow did nothing but stare at her father with a blank expression. Had she…heard what she said? Was she having problems comprehending it? Was she internally sad…? The stallion gave his daughter a moment to speak. She was silent for the longest moment, but at long last spoke. 
“But I’ll still get to see her every month?” 
“Yeah, I promise.” 
“Okay!” was her only reaction. Her tone actually seemed…. Giddy. “Can you cook now?” 
Rainbolt stared at his daughter in disbelief. 
“You’re not….sad or anything that Fluttershy’s leaving?” 
“No…If I still get to see her, why would I be?” 
“I… Don’t know…. I was just expecting a bit more out of you….” 
“Sorry…” Rainbow apologized. “Can we cook now, though?” she repeated.
“It’s like two-thirty in the afternoon!” 
“But Dad…” she whined. “I didn’t eat lunch today!” 
Rainbolt seemed rather shocked by his discovery. 
“Why…Why not?” 
"Because..." She started, staring at the ground. "You made a bad one today..." 

“Alright…Ready to go?” Rainbolt asked his daughter, who at the time had a little saddle bag on her back. Inside rested some snacks, a sleeping bag, her tooth brush, and a family friendly VHS for the ponies to enjoy. Rainbow smiled at her father and nodded. “Alright…” The stallion continued as they headed towards the door. “Now, remember to be on your absolute, most perfect, most wonderful behavior for Mr. Dreamscape and Ms. Dewdrop! If I hear you did one little thing to make their evening imperfect, you’ll be grounded.” 
Rainbow sighed. Every time she went anywhere, she was always given a long, verbal warning about being good.
“Okay, Dad… I will…” 
Rainbolt nuzzled his daughter softly as he opened the front door. She passed him and smiled as the cool, spring air reached her nostrils. Spring always smelt the best. 
“Sorry for lecturing you so much, it’s just I really get nervous sometimes… You’re a good filly, you can just be a bit rambunctious at times…” 
“I know, Daddy…” 
With no more words, Rainbolt and his daughter shot up into the atmosphere, and headed towards the Fluttershy’s home. 

Rainbolt landed before the front door of his dear friend, Dreamscape. Rainbow beat her father there by a few seconds. She’d went easy on him. 
“You’re gettin’ really fast, Rainbow…” 
“I know!" She chimed with tons of pride. “I’m probably the fastest filly in all of Equestria!” 
Rainbolt rolled his eyes and chuckled as he raised a hoof to the wooden door. He gently pounded against the door three times. 
“I’m coming!” a familiar, masculine voice called from the inside. 
Rainbow Dash and her daddy waited patiently, but were greeted within very little time. Dreamscape wore a smile on his face as he saw the two pegasi before him. 
“Come in, Rainbow…” he said, stepping to the side to give the filly room. Rainbow looked around the house as she entered. The white, cloud walls were puffy just like the ones at her own home. Their living room was much neater than hers. It had a sofa, along with coffee table in the center. There was a pink, circular rug under the table and a flower vase set on top of it. In the back of the room, there were several large boxes filled with items. Their house seemed oddly barren in contrast to how it normally was. Dewdrop was in the kitchen, mixing a large pot of pasta while humming a joyful tune. Fluttershy, however, was no place to be found. The cyan filly set her saddle bag down on the floor and galloped towards the mare in the kitchen. 
“Mrs. Dewdrop? Where’s Fluttershy?” She asked in the most polite manner she could.
The mare set her large mixing spoon down. She spoke in a soft, gentle tone. “In her room, chances are… She’s been pretty excited for the sleepover. She’s been talking about since the moment she got up…” 
Rainbow smiled. She always looked forward to spending time with Fluttershy. Although she’d never slept over at her friend’s house, she knew it would be just as fun, if not, more. Fluttershy was rather timid, so they always ended up doing mostly what Dashie wanted to do. Fluttershy never minded, considering Dash’s ideas were normally quite fun. 
“Thanks, Ms. Dewdrop!” Rainbow chimed and flew down the hall into the familiar room. She knew Dreamscape’s house as well as she did her very own. She sped towards Fluttershy’s chamber and gave the door three quick taps. From there, she simply opened the door. Even if Fluttershy did tell her to come in, she spoke far too soft to even be heard through the door. Slowly, Rainbow poked her head into the door. Even Fluttershy's room had several large, moving boxes. As she suspected, the butter-colored pegasus was lying on her polka dot bed, reading a book. Fluttershy was an egghead, just like Rainbow’s daddy. 
“Fluttershy?” Rainbow spoke up, and the little filly perked her ears up. She turned her head, and made eye-contact with her beloved friend. 
“Oh…hey Rainbow….” She said quietly. “Ready for our sleepover?” 
“Well duh!” Rainbow said with a smile. “It’s not like I came here for no reason!”       
The little pony blushed when she realized her mistake. She felt so stupid sometimes… 
“Oh…I’m sorry…. I didn’t mean to…..” 
“Why are you apologizing?” Dash asked with a chuckle. “It’s not like you did anything wrong! I was just bein’ sarcastic. No need to get all apologetic over it.” 
Fluttershy again looked at the ground. “I’m sorry…” 
Rainbow laughed. “Seriously, Fluttershy, stop with all the apologizing.” 
“O-okay…” 
“So…” Rainbow started. “Watchya readin’?” 
The little pegasus smiled and held up a book. It must have been at least three inches thick. The front cover displayed the image of a few animals. One was a bunny, a raccoon, a squirrel, and a gopher. Rainbow cocked her head and internally read the title The Many Habits of Animals and How to Care for Them. Fluttershy frowned when she saw the confused look on her friend’s face. 
“Daddy got it for me when I for me when I first discovered my special talent… It tells all about animals and how to care for specific ones. That way, when we move to the ground I’ll already have tons of knowledge in advance!” 
“That’s cool… I guess…” 
Before Rainbow had a moment to respond, a blue-coated stallion stuck his head in the room. His blue eyes stared directly at the two fillies. 
“We’re cooking. You hungry Rainbow?” 
The little filly nodded with a smile. 
“Daddy made me a sandwich for dinner, but it tasted bad so I threw it away when he wasn’t looking.” 
Dreamscape chuckled. “I think your dad’s a pretty good cook.” 
“Only when he makes food on the stove or in the oven. Never when he makes cabinet food, though.”
“Well, alright, Rainbow. Whatever you say. Are you alright with having green beans with pasta?” The stallion then entered the entire room, getting bored with being in the hallway. 
“I don’t eat green beans. I do eat pasta, though.” 
“If you don’t eat your vegetables you won’t get desert.” 
Rainbow frowned. “But don’t like them!” she protested. 
“Whatever… Guess you don’t want apple pie, then.” 
Rainbow gaped. She loved apple pie, but only got to eat on rare occasions. During the holidays, her father would make the homemade desert. It always came out with delicious, warm, flakey crust. It was always filled fully with apple chunks and cinnamon. She always had it with a sweet scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. The diary product would melt over the warm treat and lighten up the rich flavors. Her mouth watered a bit simply thinking about it. 
Rainbow snapped out of her memorable fantasy. Dreamscape was already heading out the door with a smile.
“Wait!” Rainbow said, holding a hoof up. Dreamscape turned to her with a friendly grin. The stubborn filly sighed. “I’ll eat the veggies…” A shudder ran up her spine at the profane thought of the disgusting taste. “As long as I get apple pie…” 
The stallion smiled in satisfaction. “Adda girl. Now, be a good little filly. Your dad firmly instructed I tell him if you do anything inappropriate.” 
“I know. Dad lectured me, too…” 
Dreamscape headed towards their bedroom door to exit. “Food should be done in around ten minutes I’ll call you two when it’s finished!” 

Rainbow took a seat at the dining table. Unlike her household, they had the table neatly set up for four. Plates the color of ivory rested before each chair. Silverware rested next to each plate and shimmered below the light bulb above. There were two large bowls in the center. One was filled with butter-drenched pasta with herbs. The other was smaller and filled with a disgusting, green vegetable. Rainbow almost felt like gagging when her pink eyes set on them. Fluttershy and her father were already seated. Dewdrop, who had prepared the lovely meal, finally sat down across from her family. She smiled and took in a breath. 
“I’m so happy I’m finally done with all the cooking…” 
Dreamscape leaned in and wrapped his hoof around his wife. He smiled and kissed her gently on the cheek. 
“You did a good job, Baby… I love you.” 
The pretty mare smiled. “I love you, too.” 
With that, the married couple leaned in and sensually kissed each other on the lips. Fluttershy smiled and let out a long “Awe!” while Rainbow gagged on the site before her. 
“Oh, be quiet!” Dreamscape playfully scolded. “Just ‘cause your old stallion doesn’t get any action, doesn’t mean it’s nasty!” 
“My daddy’s too cool for mares!” she argued. 
“Alright, Sweetie…. B-but it’s still not gross or anything…” Dewdrop defended her husband with a smile. 
Dreamscape leaned in and whispered in his beloved’s ear. “We could make it gross if you wanted to…” 
Dewdrop’s soft, yellow face lit up a bright shade of crimson as the stallion landed another soft kiss under her eye. 
“Gross!” Rainbow whined. “Ugh… I think I lost my appetite.” 
“That’s fine.” Dreamscape replied nonchalantly. “You can just wait for the rest of us to be done eating. You can go get ready for bed.” 
“No… I want to eat…” Rainbow grumbled. 
The mare and stallion smiled at the young filly. Silently, Dewdrop picked up the hot plate of pasta and passed it to her daughter on the other side of the table. She took it with verbal thanks and smiled. She set the heavy bowl next to her plate and took a nice, big scoop of pasta onto her plate. Transparent steam rose from the freshly cooked meal. Rainbow felt her mouth watering as the delicious smell of butter and herbs invaded her nostrils. 
After taking a small serving, Fluttershy slowly handed the bowl to the cyan filly next to her. She set the bowel on the right of her plate and took a generous scoop of pasta for herself. The savory meal was sprinkled in parsley and chives. Butter was melted over it and rested in a puddle at the bottom. There were several steamed vegetable chunks in the mix. She didn’t mind the carrots, broccoli, and squash chunks. She still, however, dreaded having to eat green beans. They were truly the most disgusting thing that ever existed on the planet. 
After each pony took their helping of pasta, the large container was again set in the middle of the table, still halfway full. It was not another second later Dreamscape stretched across the wooden table to hand his daughter the large bowl of steaming green beans. The sour smell of the healthy vegetable reeked in Rainbow’s nose. If she were lucky, green beans would be Fluttershy’s favorite food and she’d hog the entire bowl of them, not allowing her to get a single one. Unfortunately, Fluttershy did nothing except take a little ladle-full. She then handed the bowl of nasty veggies to her friend with a smile. Rainbow hesitantly took them and shuddered at the odd smell. She looked up at Dreamscape, who did nothing but smile at her. 
Yeah… Rainbow thought to herself. Smile at my misery…
With an exaggerated grunt, Rainbow set a very small spoonful of beans on her plate. She only had around seven total. 
“That’s all you’re going to take?” Dreamscape teased playfully. Rainbow sighed and dished a few more onto her plate reluctantly. The stallion nodded approvingly and Rainbow handed the bowl to his wife across from her. 
“Thanks, Sweetheart.” Dewdrop said with a smile and dropped a little pile of veggies on her plate. 
The little, cyan filly gazed down at the plate below her. They actually expected her…to eat that? Were they insane? Forks began to clank against plates as the ponies dug into their meals. Rainbow sighed. She’d start with the pasta and slowly work her way to the worst part of her meal. The savory, little bowties tasted twice as good as they smelt. The sweet, saucy butter filled her mouth. It tasted so, so good. Her fork went down and pierced a few more pieces of her delectable meal. The rest of the family relished in the delectable flavors as well. 
“Thank you for cooking, Mom…” Fluttershy stated quietly. 
“Oh, no problem, Dear… You know I don’t mind cooking.” 
Fluttershy smiled and her mother grinned back. 
“Seriously, the meal is great, Honey…” Dreamscape complimented. The little mare blushed. 
“Th-thanks, Babe…” 
The meal proceeded silently. Rainbow frowned as she grew nearer and nearer to finishing her yummy pasta. She only had a few pieces left, and whole half plate full of greens. She gulped. Maybe, she could drown out some of the awful taste with a bit of the pasta. With a sigh, she pierced a piece of pasta and stabbed a bean, skewering them onto the same fork. Rainbow Dash hesitantly lifted her fork to her mouth. Dreamscape silently smiled and watched as the little filly placed the profane food in her mouth. The awful taste of the veggies stung her tongue and made her want to barf the food back up. The pasta only helped slightly. 
“Not that bad, is it?” 
Rainbow forced herself to gulp down the ugly food. She shuddered as it slithered down her throat and left the harsh taste on her tongue. 
“Awful!” She argued in a huffy tone. 
Dreamscape chuckled. “Tell you what; if you can eat all of what you took, I’ll make sure you get an extra big slice of pie.” 
Rainbow frowned. That sucked so, so much, but… I nice, big piece of pie sounded really good at the moment.
“Okay…” Rainbow finally agreed, which earned a smile from the rest of her family. 
Reluctantly, Rainbow lifted her fork to her mouth and took another bite of the disgusting veggies. 

Rainbow had to admit, powering herself through the vegetables was one of the hardest tasks she’d ever faced. It took her longer to eat her greens than it did to get ready for school. However, she was rewarded with a nice slice of apple pie, which almost made up for the pain of having to consume the disgusting abominations. They finished their meals, and both little fillies were instructed to get themselves ready for bed. 
Rainbow’s toothbrush swished from each side of her mouth. Mint-flavored suds poured from the sides of her lips and fell onto the counter below. Dreamscape watched as his daughter and her friend thoroughly cleaned their food-stained teeth. Rainbow swished the cleanser around her mouth for a minute before spitting it all out. 
“Do we really have to go to bed now, Mr. Dreamscape?” Rainbow asked. 
“Sorry, Squirt. Fluttershy always heads to bed at this time.” 
“But it’s a sleepover! You’re supposed to stay up late ‘n’ stuff! It’s only, like, eight-thirty!” 
Dreamscape thought for a moment. “Dash…. What time does Rainbolt put you to sleep?” 
“I don’t have a bedtime. I normally go to bed around ten, though. That’s when Dad gets to work.” 
“Ten?!” The stallion asked in shock. Even Fluttershy was agape. “I… That’s really late for a filly your age…” 
“Sorry…” Rainbow apologized. 
“No need…. I, uh…wow.” He thought for a moment and then thought of something that seemed almost ingenious. “That’s pretty dangerous, you know?” 
Both filled cocked their heads, but Rainbow was the one to speak up. 
“Why?” 
The stallion smiled. “Get your beds set up and I’ll tell you both….” 
Rainbow grunted. Nothing was free in their household. 
Both pegasi set their toothbrushes back on the counters and flew off to the bedroom they’d be sleeping in. Rainbow instantly flew over to her backpack and pulled out the desired item. Her yellow sleeping bag slid out of her backpack. She looked down into her saddle bag. Movies and good snacks gone to waste. The evening hadn’t been all she planned. Just as she did every night during her father's work, she unfurled the portable bed and lied it out neatly. It came with a large lump at the end to serve as a pillow. 
“Why do you go to bed so early?” Rainbow asked curiously as she slid into her sleeping bag. 
The filly shrugged. “I get up around five in the morning… I guess it’s just always been that way…” 
Rainbow chuckled. “That’s kind of lame… I mean, no offense. I’d just much rather sleep in until ten or eleven! If I didn’t have school, I’d sleep-in every day!” 
“Oh…sorry…” 
“Stop apologizing for everything! It’s not like I’m mad at ya or anything!” 
“Sorry…” The yellow filly repeated. 
Before Rainbow could once-again tell her to stop saying ‘sorry’ Dreamscape entered his daughter’s room with a smile on his face. 
“Are you two tuckered out yet?” 
“No!” Rainbow answered proudly. “I’m bursting with energy!” 
The stallion giggled. “Alright, but listen… I’m going to tell you two ponies why it’s best to go to bed early. Will you listen?” 
Fluttershy did nothing but nod. Rainbow shrugged. There was no excuse to go to bed early in her opinion. 
“Alright. This is a legend I remember hearing once when I was young... don't remember a lot of the specifics, though..." 
Rainbow grunted. “You’re going to tell us a story?” she whined. 
Dreamscape rolled his eyes. “Yes, Rainbow… Now… This is a little scary, so you might get a bit frightened.” He turned to his daughter, to see if he caught approval in her eyes. 
Fluttershy sheepishly hid behind her blanket. Her father had told her a few scary stories in the past. Although they all scared her, she never told him. If he enjoyed spooking her, she didn’t want to cut into his fun… even if it wasn’t that fun for her. Besides, she assumed Rainbow would want to hear the story… Who was she to take that away from her friend? She was nine, so she knew she could handle it, anyway. 
Dreamscape knew his daughter was rather shy, but never actually thought he scared her too badly. She never once showed any signs of fright from his stories, and even seemed to enjoy them. Normally when she was afraid, she’d wake up in the middle of the night and cuddle into bed with him and Dewdrop. She’d never done that after a scary story. He’d come to a point where he was sure his little daughter only knew it as fiction and nothing more. Still, he needed her approval before trying it.  
“I love scary stories!” Dash chimed and sat up straight in her sleeping bag. Dreamscape smiled. 
“Alright, Sweetheart. Is your dad okay with me telling you this?” 
“Well, duh! I’m not a baby!” 
The stallion simply rolled his blue eyes. She was a cocky little thing. 
“Alright…here goes…” The stallion cleared his throat. “The reason Fluttershy- and you, too, Dash- should go to bed early is because of one, little reason….” He smirked at the two fillies. Fluttershy was already trying not to shiver from the dark tale. “There’s a pony of the night… He has big, purple eyes and a dark coat, with itty, bitty fangs in his mouth. Nopony knows his name….” The light-blue cheeks of the stallion lightly blushed pink. He’d been too lazy to name the pony of his made-up legend. Not giving him a name or background did seem rather stupid of him. “He’s a very special pony. Do you know why that is?” Both fillies shook their heads. Rainbow had become intrigued rather quickly. Dreamscape took in a breath. “Because this pony can see you anytime he wants… When he awakes in the night, he can use his powers to watch all the little fillies and colts… Yet, most of the time, they’re all dead...” Fluttershy’s teal eyes went wide and Dashie smiled brighter. “Or…at least he thinks they’re dead… In reality, they’re all sleeping like good little foals should. However, sometimes he sees other little ponies that are awake and active. That makes him very, very happy to see. So happy that he decides to visit the little ponies so he can have somepony to play with. He’ll enter through some kind of entrance in the house. It could be a window, door, chimney, or whatever. He’ll enter your room and realize what a playful little spirit you are…then… he’ll want to play with you. Forever.” The stallion smiled at the ponies. Fluttershy trembled beneath her sheet with a frown. “Every little pony he ever visited never returned… And that, my little ponies, is why you should always go to bed early…” 
The little duo stared at the stallion in wonder. Rainbow cocked her head with a frown. 
“That’s…it?” she asked. 
“Uh…yeah…why?” 
The little foal chuckled. “Ha! If anypony like that tries to get me, I’ll beat ‘em up! ‘Sides, it’s just an old mare’s tale!” 
“That may be so, but still… I think it’s time you two get to bed.” 
“Awwe!” Rainbow whined. “But I’m not even a little bit tired!” 
“Fluttershy’s tired, though!” 
The little filly stared at the ground. “I… I-if Rainbow wants to stay up I wouldn’t mind... I mean, sh-she’s the guest and all…” 
“See?” Rainbow pointed to Fluttershy and argued with the stallion. “Fluttershy doesn’t have any trouble with it!” 
“Rainbow, listen… Your father told me to give him an honest report of your behavior. Being argumentative isn’t going to get you a good report.” 
Rainbow grumpily landed her head onto the pillow beneath her. She’d lost that battle effortlessly. 
“Alright.... fine…” 
Dreamscape smiled and flew over to his very own daughter. Her pulled the pink blanket up to her chin and gently kissed her forehead. 
“Don’t let that old tale spook ya, okay?” 
Fluttershy nodded and rested her head on a neat stack of three pillows. 
“Okay, Daddy… I love you…” 
The stallion smiled. “I love you too, Sweetie Pie.” 
With that, the stallion went over to the door and flipped off the night switch. The previously bright room turned black.
“Goodnight you two… Sweet dreams...” 

Fluttershy’s eyes popped opened. Nothing but pure darkness surrounded her. She shivered in the cool air of the crisp night. What time was it…? The little filly turned her head and stared in the eyes of a virtual clock. One in the morning? The pony sighed and lifted her head. She saw a bright beam of yellow light leaking from the crack below the door. The loud snores coming from her best friend reassured her that she wasn’t alone. Maybe, that was a good thing. 
Slowly, Fluttershy swept back her soft covers and landed on the cloud floor below. The absence of light wasn’t the most comforting thing at that time. It may have been a better idea to sleep in the living room or something. Slowly, the pegasus wrapped her hoof around the door knob and slowly opened it. The wooden slab swung opened with a loud creak. Fluttershy’s eyes widened and she looked back to make sure her friend was still in slumber. Fortunately, Rainbow was still snoring away and drooling all over her sleeping bag. 
Fluttershy walked into the hallway. It was brightly lit up for some reason. Were her parents really up that early? Maybe they simply forgot to turn the lights off before they went to sleep... 
The little filly ventured deeper into the hallway. The restroom door was wide opened with a light on. There was a puddle of water on the floor. Fluttershy felt a cold jolt rush up her spine. What was going on…? Maybe then would have been the best time to find her parents. The state of house was completely unfamiliar, and was actually quite frightening to the little filly. 
“Mom? Dad?” She called out in a whisper. “Guys…?” 
In growing fear, the little pegasus galloped deeper into the hallway, running towards her parent’s bedroom. She shot down the hall, made a left, and stopped at a door. It was firmly shut with no signs of light on the inside. Fluttershy again considered calling out, but didn’t want to be rude and awake them at that time in the morning. It probably was nothing but them being forgetful and not shutting off the lights. Fluttershy decided it would be best to turn the lights off for them, and return back to bed. She was slightly spooked by the scary story her dad told her… The sooner morning came, the better it would be. 
As Fluttershy started to turn away from her parent’s bedroom, her ears perked up at the sound of something strange…. Something odd to hear during late hours at the night. 
“Squeaking…?” she asked herself in a very quiet whisper. 
Her guess was confirmed by another moment of distant, short squeaking. What in all of Equestria could have been making that sound…? Fluttershy turned her head. The closer she listened, the more squeaking she heard. She curiously continued to listen. Fear ran through her mind and made her want to run. Where was it coming from? It wasn’t until the little pony heard a soft, yet audible moan that she quickly turned in the opposite direction and sped off down the hall. Her heart beat fast and sweat build on her forehead as she zipped down the hallway and into her own room. 
“Rainbow Dash!” she shrieked in a shrill voice. “Rainbow, wake up!” 
The cyan filly raised her head from her pillow. Drool dripped down her cheek and onto the sleeping bag below. Her pink eyes were tired-looking, and her mane stood up as if a balloon was rubbed against it. 
“What do you want…?” she asked in an annoyed voice. 
“Rainbow! I th-think that pony my dad told us about is in our house!” 
The little filly let out a grunt and shoved her face back in the pillow. 
“That’s what this is about?” she asked, muffled by the thick bedding. 
“Rainbow! You d-don’t understand! I heard creaking and moaning from Mommy and Daddy’s room! I think he’s after them!” 
Rainbow lifted her head once more as she heard the genuine fear in her beloved friend’s voice. Fluttershy was always there for her… Even if it were one in the morning and she was tired, Rainbow still knew what the right thing to do was. With a heavy sigh, the pony stumbled onto her hooves. 
“How about this; I go check up on your parents. If the mysterious night-stalker is there, I’ll scream and you make a run for it. Okay?” 
The little filly thought for a moment and nodded. She knew she was probably letting her imagination get the best of her. Besides, Dash was a strong pony and could fight her way out of the stallion’s grasp easily. 
“Alright…” The filly awkwardly walked out of the room and into the hallway. Before continuing on too far, Rainbow turned to her friend. “By the way, I wouldn’t do this for anypony else.” 
Dash’s comment made Fluttershy smile. Her heart grew nervous, however, when she went on with her dangerous mission. Dash really was a brave pony. 
Slowly, Rainbow made her way down the hallway. She knew where Dreamscape’s room was. What Fluttershy could have possibly been hearing, Rainbow had no idea. Why would there be creaks and moans in the middle of the night? Didn’t ponies have lives or something? 
As Rainbow approached the door Fluttershy had previously run from, she heard exactly what Fluttershy heard, only a bit louder. Squeaks and soft, strange-sounding moans could be heard behind the door. Although they were muffled, they were still clear as day. Rainbow stared in disbelief. What the heck were they doing up so early?
Bravely, the little filly lifted her hoof to the wooden surface and gave it three loud knocks. Suddenly, all the moaning and squeaking almost instantly stopped. All that could be heard was dead silence for a good minute or two. Rainbow kept her ears opened and awaited a response. When nothing was heard, she again raised her hoof to the surface and gave the door a few more knocks. She impatiently tapped her hoof against the cloud floor. There was then some unrecognizable whispering, followed by brief silence. At long last was Dash greeted by Dreamscape. He didn’t look tired at all. His eyes were alive, but he was sweating with a red face. 
“Rainbow…? What are you doing up this e-early?” 
“Stop being so noisy!” Dash said to the adult. “You scared Fluttershy and made her wake me up!” 
“S-scared her? She..heard… What’d she hear?” 
“You know, all that weird stuff coming from your room? She thinks some maniac broke in or something….What the hay are you even doing up this early, anyway?” 
The stallion blushed. “Listen, Dash, I’ll keep the noise-level down… Just go back to bed, alright?” 
“What are you doing, though?” She repeated. 
“Nothing!” He answered quickly. “Just, go back to bed!” 
“If I had to be woken up at one in the morning, I’d at least like to know why!” 
The stallion sighed. “Listen, Rainbow… I want you and Fluttershy back in bed…” 
Rainbow growled. With the memory of almost getting a bad report, the filly went off into the other direction. 
“Fine! But I’m going to get answers if it’s the last thing I do!” 
Angrily, Rainbow trotted away and disappeared into the hallway. Dreamscape sighed and wiped a few droplets of sweat off his forehead. He went back into his room and quietly shut the door with a click. He turned to his wife, who was covering her neck with her blanket. Sweat glistened off her forehead and she stared at her husband with a heavy blush. 
“What’s going on…?” 
“Nothing…it was just Rainbow asking about something…” 
“Oh…” 
The couple awkwardly gazed at each other for a long, endless moment. 
“Think we should just go to bed?” Dreamscape finally asked. 
“Yeah…”