//------------------------------// // Allies // Story: Full Bloom // by DouglasTrotter //------------------------------// Ponies, Gryphons, and Minotaurs passed by the quaint shop. The shop's medium-sized, front glass window pane displayed a potion graphic on it with an apple on the potion's bottle. Intricate cupboards lined the walls inside. Potions swirled, bubbled, and glowed behind the cupboards' doors; their vibrant hues illuminated the small shop with beautiful light for brief seconds when the doors were opened. The small bell above the front door chimed when it opened. Soft hoof steps landed on the marble floor inside the shop. A slender hoof latched onto a pink ribbon, pulling it off the table where a small alchemy lab sat. With the ribbon tied around her mane, the mare emerged from her office. Her hooves latched onto the rolling ladder near the shelves. In a cheery tone, Apple Bloom said, "Be there in a minute." "Thank you, my dear." A voice said. Apple Bloom stopped. The potion in her hoof slipped from her grasp then floated back to its place on the shelf. She shivered. Her eyes glanced at the customer's reflection off the shop's window. Apple Bloom turned turned towards the mare. On trembling hooves, Apple Bloom walked toward the counter and pulled up a stool. "P-P-Princess Celestia --" Apple Bloom said before she calmed her nerves with a deep breath, "-- what am ah so nervous about? This is just a dream. It ain't real." "Right you are, Apple Bloom." Princess Celestia said in a gentle voice. Her mane flowed in the windless room while she peered behind the counter, "Are you alright?" "Just strange to see ya here is all. Not ta mean ah don't want ya here or anythin'." Apple Bloom said. She dusted herself off. On her hooves, Apple Bloom pulled the stool out and sat on it more. "Sorry if Ah'm bein' rude." "It's quite alright." Princess Celestia said. She pulled a chair over and sat down. The mare's eyes focused on Apple Bloom while her jovial demeanor faded. "My sister is quite talented with how easy she makes this look. It's one of the duties I had to fulfill in her... 'absence' from Equestria." Apple Bloom got off her stool. Princess Celestia sat up from her chair. The slender mare turned into her filly self, and then backed away while the princess maintained her eye contact. Voices faded from the world. Potions vanished from the store's shelves, one-by-one. The shop disappeared. An ethereal realm surrounded the two. After a quick head shake, Apple Bloom turned and galloped away. Princess Celestia appeared in front of Apple Bloom. The princess disappeared then reappeared once more in front of her target. Apple Bloom continued to bolt towards open areas, only to see the pony tower over her a moment later. Thick beams of light jutted from the ground toward the infinite sky, blocking Apple Bloom's path; they encircled the filly then bent into the formation of a cage. A shadow lengthened on the ground, and Apple Bloom's prison rose into the air. Princess Celestia grew into a giant, her eye the size of a tall stallion. "..." Apple Bloom whimpered. Her hooves pushed against the cage's bars. She cowered in the small prison's back while Princess Celestia eyed every inch of her. The air remained still with a heavy, crushing silence. "What are you?" Princess Celestia said in a calm voice before she bellowed, "I command you to answer me." "Why are ya doin' this to me?!" Apple Bloom said while she cowered, burying her head into her hooves. The small prison -- hurled to the ground by Princess Celestia, shattered with its luminescent bars turning to glowing dust. The princess slammed her hoof to the ground. A gale force wind rushed passed Apple Bloom. In a strong determined voice, Princess Celestia said, "At all costs, I will protect Equestria." "Stop!" Apple Bloom said as she closed her eyes, raising a shaky hoof at Princess Celestia. She opened her eyes. Her mouth dropped. "No..." Thick roots protruded from her raised hoof. The tendrils changed as a heavy layer of bark covered them. They wrapped around Princess Celestia's neck and wings; the roots crushed the princess with intense, vice-like pressure. Princess Celestia leered at Apple Bloom. A powerful aura enveloped the regal mare's horn. Apple Bloom raised her hoof toward the sky. The aura dissipated. Its light traveled along the roots with the aura soon surrounding the filly. Apple Bloom shook her hoof then slammed it into the ethereal realm's floor, the gigantic Princess Celestia turning into white glowing dust when she hit the ground. The roots snapped, and Apple Bloom ran toward the endless horizon. The filly's hooves slipped out from underneath her body. She flailed about. Back on dry land, Apple Bloom looked at her reflection in the water. Bark covered every inch of her body. Her eyes glowed in a bright green color before they returned to their normal hue. She shook her head. Several times Apple Bloom shouted, "Ah'm a normal filly!" "Apple Bloom?" A voice said. Water and sand flew into the sky. A sphere formed into the moon with Princess Luna emerging from it. On graceful wings she flew towards the distraught filly, and then landed on graceful hooves. Princess Luna used her wings to wipe away Apple Bloom's tears. "What's wrong?" Apple Bloom looked at Princess Luna. Her lower lip quivered. She backed away. Strong hooves plunged into the ethereal ground. Tears flowed, hitting the floor while Apple Bloom ran. She stopped. The scene changed to the farm house on Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack, Big Macintosh, and Granny Smith stood in the family room. Apple Bloom latched onto Applejack, but her eyes widened in horror. She let go of her big sister and dropped to the ground. Light came through the window. Applejack, Big Macintosh, and Granny Smith remained frozen in place, turned into wooden statues. "I want to be normal." Apple Bloom said. Princess Luna floated toward Apple Bloom and patted her on the head. "I assure you Apple Bloom, this is just a nightmare." "It... it feels so real." Apple Bloom said. She touched Big Macintosh. The wooden stallion fell over and shattered into splinters. "Not real. Ok. Not. Real. Not. Real." "This is quite the unusual dream. Do you know why you are having it?" Princess Luna said, and then raised an eyebrow to the firm headshake she received. Her eyes closed and opened. The fierce white light blew away the farmhouse with the ethereal realm remaining. The princess placed a gentle hoof on Apple Bloom's back then removed it. "I cannot protect you from these terrors forever." "Ah can't..." Apple Bloom said. "Very well. I will not pry into your personal matters. It is your secret to keep, not mine." Princess Luna said. An orange door materialized in front of her. The two passed through it into another dream. "What in Equestria?" Applejack bucked, kicked, and tossed away ponies left and right. Stallions and Mares assaulted her and Big Macintosh. Fillies and colts restrained Granny Smith while Princess Celestia, Princess Cadence, Princess Luna, and Princess Twilight enveloped Apple Bloom in a magical cage. One stallion was tossed towards Twilight, sending her to the ground. "Enough!" Princess Luna said. The dream world ended. Applejack looked at Princess Luna, and then Apple Bloom. "Why would have such a dream?" Applejack bolted between Princess Luna and Apple Bloom. She shook her head. "I ain't sayin' a word. Ya'll aren't takin' my little sis, my family away from me. Not now. Not ever!" "Why in Equestria would we mean harm to Apple Bloom? She has done nothing to warrant such actions." Princess Luna said. "Princess Luna? Is that you?" Applejack said. She received a nod. "Sorry. I just had a nightmare is all." The princess stared at the two ponies. She circled the two then shrugged at them. "As I told Apple Bloom, it is your secret to keep, not mine, and I will not pry into your private matters. For now, I will banish these nightmares to the farthest recesses of your minds. A word of caution, they will not stay there forever." *** *** *** Apple Bloom opened her eyes. Fresh sunlight entered her room. She yawned, stretched, and then leapt out of bed. "What a nightmare. Ah don't want any of those any time soon." "Apple Bloom, ya outta bed yet. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle are waitin' for ya." Applejack said, her voice traveling down the hallway. With her ribbon tied on, Apple Bloom trotted down the hallway. She made her way towards the farmhouse's front door. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle nodded to their friend. The Cutie Mark Crusader galloped toward the end of Sweet Apple Acres. "What we got planned today?" Apple Bloom said. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle remained silent while they traveled ahead of their friend, the group coming upon the Cutie Mark Crusader club house. "Ah got a great idea." The door closed behind Scootaloo. She sat beside Apple Bloom while Sweetie Belle approached the podium. "I hereby call this meeting of the Cutie Mark Crusaders to order." Sweetie Belle said while she tapped her hoof against the podium. Scootaloo got up and joined her. The two looked at each other then at Apple Bloom. "We need to talk." A chill crawled up Apple Bloom's spine. She plugged her ears then looked at her friends. Her hooves removed, Apple Bloom placed them on the carpet beneath her. She rubbed her right hoof against the carpet's fibers. The filly's gravitated toward the bungee cord that hung from the rafters in the ceiling. The trio decided they would be the best bungee ponies in Equestria that day. In the corner, after being thoroughly cleaned from their adventure, sat the contraption the crusaders cobbled together in their successful effort to fix Princess Celestia's "personal throne room" off from her bedroom. Apple Bloom stood up, made her way to the window, and glared at the piece of 2x4 she hauled back from Axe Head's lumber mill two days ago. She cursed its existence under a quiet, heated breath. "Apple Bloom. You're our friend, but, after a lot of thought, we decided you're no longer welcome in the Cutie Mark Crusaders." Sweetie Belle said. She nodded to the fellow crusader at her side. "Your too dangerous to be around. Also, how can you be a Cutie Mark Crusader if you can't earn a cutie mark." Apple Bloom darted outside the club house and slammed the door behind her. Her flank hit the floor. Wind brushed passed her mane. Her nostrils flared. "Princess Luna! Please stop this nightmare." The sun set, and the moon rose. It turned into a crescent shape. Princess Luna sat on the moon's tip, peering down on Apple Bloom. She gazed at Apple Bloom and said, "Remember what I told you, Apple Bloom. I cannot protect you from these terrors forever. You must face what ails you." Princess Luna descended towards Apple Bloom. Several doors flew passed the two ponies. The princess pushed her hoof against a door. Inside, the room remained quiet. A dress shop appeared with a mannequin in the back. Several bolts of fabric were organized in several slots, a freshly inked drawing laid on top of the table. "Apple Bloom. Princess Luna." Sweetie Belle said. She descended to the ground, looked at the two ponies, and then blushed. "Sorry, heh heh. I was just... pretending," Sweetie Belle returned to her normal size with her wings vanishing, "I didn't mean any offense." "No offense taken," Princess Luna smiled. She whispered to Sweetie Belle, "You're not the only filly who pretends to be an alicorn princess in her dreams." A door opened in the ceiling with a Princess Celestia sized, alicorn Scootaloo plummeting through. She dusted herself off, snickered, and returned to normal. The fillies smiled at one another before they faced Princess Luna. Around them, the world shifted to that of the club house. Princess Luna watched the three run about before she cleared her throat. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle stopped and faced her. She raised her hoof toward Apple Bloom, "Your first dream concerns me." "First dream?" Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle said in unison. "Please, don't ask." Apple Bloom said, shivering in place. The Cutie Mark Crusaders apologized for the interruption and remained silent. "As I was going to say, I thought we had quelled the unease in your heart, Apple Bloom. It seems another visit from your friends is in order." Princess Luna said. Apple Bloom darted toward the back of the club house, took down a picture, and hid it from sight. "Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle. Do you know what ails your friend? Why is she having such nightmares?" "Sorry, Princess Luna. This is one secret we can't tell." Scootaloo said. Sweetie Belle joined her. The two stood by their friend. "We've sworn our oath to Apple Bloom as fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders to keep her secret safe." "Thanks, but Ah'm tired of runnin'. Ah'm tired of bein' afraid." Apple Bloom said. She moved away from her friends. Her eyes fixated on Princess Luna. Apple Bloom sat in front of the princess and said, "She's right. Ah can't run away from it for the rest of mah life. Ah gotta face it, here and now." "Are you sure about this?" Scootaloo said. With a firm nod received, she and Sweetie Belle stood by their friend. "I hope you know what you're doing, Apple Bloom." "Princess Luna, what's a dryad?" Apple Bloom said. The dreamscape remained quiet. Moments ticked by while Princess Luna rubbed a hoof against her chin. She lowered her hoof then shrugged. In a calm voice she said, "In all my years I have not heard of such a thing. Why do you ask, Apple Bloom?" "Please Princess Luna, you have to know. You're the princess of the night and guardian of dreams." Apple Bloom said. "Though I am a princess, it does not make me an all knowing, all seeing pony. Why does this bother you so? How does it relate to your dream that involved my sister?" Princess Luna said. Apple Bloom looked off to one side. She rubbed her hoof against the floor. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo remained quiet. "I see. I will need to ask my --" Princess Luna said. "No! Ya can't!" Apple Bloom said. "O?" Princess Luna raised an eyebrow, "I see there is more to this than a simple inquiry. Apple Bloom, I cannot help unless I know more, unless you are willing to trust me. I'm quite good at keeping secrets." Princess Luna said. Apple Bloom lowered her head. "If you refuse to tell me, I will have to ignore your request and talk to my sister." "Ah am a dryad..." Apple Bloom said through gritted teeth. She winced, and then faced Princess Luna. "Please, please don't tell Princess Celestia. Granny Smith says that she hates em'." Princess Luna lowered her raised eyebrow. In a stern voice she said, "That is absurd. My sister would never hate a being without just cause or due process. Even then, she is a pony of the highest regard. I assume you have proof to levy such allegations against her." With permission given, Princess Luna touched her horn to the forehead of each filly. Her eyes glowed in a fierce white light each time. A green door materialized behind the group. The door opened to a young Granny Smith jumping off a high dive platform into a cup of water. Princess Luna entered the dream while the Cutie Mark Crusaders stayed behind. She returned and let out an exasperated sigh. Princess Luna sat on the floor and crossed her front hooves. "Unfortunately, your grandmother's mind is too scattered to gain any concrete knowledge about this matter. Though I say that, Apple Bloom's memories leave me little reason to doubt what she has encounter." "Please don't tell Princess Celestia. I don't want to be banished or sent to Tartarus." Apple Bloom said. "I can assure you, my sister wouldn't do anything of the sort. This is a delicate matter however, and, if your words do hold weight -- I must get to the bottom of this mystery." Princess Luna said. She stood up. A mark appeared on Apple Bloom's chest. Princess Luna extended her hoof and placed it on the filly's chest, "With this spell, I seal away my knowledge of these events into your dreams. Only when I return to your dreams will these events be remembered." Apple Bloom breathed a heavy sigh of relief, but her eyes widened. "What about Applejack and Big Macintosh. What about Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle?" "Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle have sworn their own secrecy through your bonds of friendship. It is a powerful bond, one I doubt they will break." Princess Luna smiled at Apple Bloom's friends then faced the filly, "Big Macintosh does not concern me. Applejack, on the other hoof, might be problematic. Is there a way to swear your sister to an even greater form of secrecy?" Princess Luna said. "Can't ya use that spell on her like ya did on me?" Apple Bloom said. "No. It only works on me when I must keep secret what I have seen in a pony's dreams. I've had to use it more times than I would like to mention, but that is beside the point." Princess Luna said, blushing while she turned away from the three fillies. She shook her head when Sweetie Belle raised her hoof, "No, I cannot erase Applejack's memory like that movie you saw at the cinema theatre. Memory alteration spells are forbidden from use, even for a princess." "Wait, didn't you just use a memory alteration spell." Sweetie Bell said. "The spell I used is one of my own design that doesn't alter memories. It merely locks away portions of them, and I will need the aid of my spell to keep me from arousing my sister's suspicions. All I will remember from our encounter is the term dryad, to look it up in the Canterlot Libraries, and to avoid speaking about it with my sister at all costs." Princess Luna said. She pointed to the small lock box on the table near the window. "Think of it like writing down an important note and putting it in a place so you don't forget it, like 'your' homework." Sweetie Belle's mouth dropped. Her hooves tugged at her mane. She pointed a sharp hoof at Scootaloo, "You forgot to remind me to get my homework! Ms. Cheerilee is going to kill me. No, Rarity will kill me. If I fail this test, I won't get to go to Canterlot with her this weekend. She has two tickets for the newest Sapphire Shores concert." Princess Luna rolled her eyes. The world around them changed to the school house. Sweetie Belle darted to her desk, opened it, and memorized the math equations. "That will keep her busy," Princess Luna said, ending with a chuckle. Her jovial demeanor changed to its previous stoic one. "Apple Bloom. Regardless of what you saw tonight, you are a pony of Equestria. You have my sincerest promise that I will aid you." Princess Luna stood up with a grim expression coming across her face, "We must to tread lightly as all of us may be on hallowed ground if my sister indeed despises dryads. Apple Bloom. For your sake and the sake of Equestria's royal reputation, do not speak about this with any pony else." Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, joined by Sweetie Belle after she finished memorizing her homework, placed their hooves on their chests. In unison they swore an oath to never speak about the event outside of their dream realms with one another. Princess Luna illuminated her horn, "Apple Bloom. Now is the time for you to wake, along with your friends. Again, you have my most sincere promise I will be here to aid you in this time of need." *** *** *** Apple Bloom's eyes thrust open. The rooster crowed in the distance with the sun barely over the horizon. She laid back down then jumped up. Her hooves hit the floor. Hoof steps echoed down the hallway while she galloped towards Applejack's room. After a gasp, throwing off the covers to see an empty bed then seeing her sister's hat missing from the rack near the door, Apple Bloom darted downstairs. Her eyes darted about until she fixated on Applejack's silhouette in the kitchen. "Whoa there, sugar cube. Ya alright?" Applejack said, standing at the back door of the kitchen. Apple Bloom pushed against her. While she backed away, Applejack said. "Umm, I need ta get to work. In the southern field. Those saplings ain't gonna replant themselves." "Applejack." Apple Bloom said, looking around the kitchen. "Bloom, look, I know you're nervous about what happened yesterday. Our dreams didn't help matters either. They were nightmares, but Princess Luna helped us to deal with em'. Chalk it up to one of Granny's tales. Heck, ah remember the one she told me about a monster living in the orchard in a cave --" Applejack said. "Please promise me you won't tell Twilight. Pinkie Pie promise you won't tell any pony what granny told us or what happened to me." Apple Bloom said. The rooster crowed a second time. Applejack's hooves froze in place, Apple Bloom continuing to push against her big sister. The mare turned to one side and closed her eyes. "You were gonna tell Twilight, weren't ya!" Apple Bloom said with a hushed shout. "Pinkie Pie swear, darn it! It's mah secret!" "I just... I just can't do it. I've got to know if this is just one of granny's tales or if she's tellin' the truth. I'm rattled worse than a worn out rattlesnake tail cause of that dream." Applejack said, pushing towards the door. Apple Bloom dug her hooves into the floorboards. Applejack continued to push forward, a bead of sweat crawling down from underneath her Stetson. "Sis. Get. Outta. Mah. Way." "Ahem," Big Macintosh said. He moved Apple Bloom out of the way. His sturdy, strong hooves locked into place as he stood between Applejack and the door. "Ya'll got a choice. Swear to that promise like your little sis wants. Or deal with me and granny." Applejack glared at her big brother while he looked down on her. She removed her Stetson and placed it over her chest. "Fine, I Pinkie Promise to --" "Hey. No crossin your back hooves." Apple Bloom said. "Bloom!" Applejack said in a hushed voice. She sighed after Big Macintosh cleared his throat, maintaining his stern gaze at her. The mare uncrossed her hooves. Her hoof clutched onto the hat she pressed against her chest. Applejack relaxed her firm grasp on her hat. "I 'Pinkie Promise' to not talk to any pony else about Apple Bloom's business. Satisfied?" Apple Bloom nodded. She hugged Big Macintosh who rubbed her mane while staring at Applejack. The stallion looked down on Applejack, shook his head, and then walked away. "Best not break that promise lest ya have more than your hooves can handle, sis." "I'd cross my eyelashes if it meant I could get outta one of Pinkie's promises. That mare has a sixth sense about em, and I don't intend to see what happens when I break one for real." Applejack said. She looked at the clock on the wall. Her eyes focused on Apple Bloom. "Hope your happy, Apple Bloom. Twi was our only chance at figurin' this out. Now I'm sworn to this foalish promise of yours." "Naw, ah got some help." Apple Bloom said. "You didn't." Applejack said. "Hey, ah didn't Pinkie Pie Promise anythin'. Besides, it's mah life." Apple Bloom said. "It's your life little sis, and I promised to protect you from Equestria. I want make sure that day never comes, ever." Applejack said. She stood at the doorway, turned and faced her sister. "Can ah go work the field now? I wasn't lyin' about those saplings needin' to be replanted." "Yup," Apple Bloom said. Applejack gave Apple Bloom a devious smile. She said in a calm voice, "Looks like ya'll got your own troubles to deal with, little sis. Ya ain't gettin outta this one squeaky clean." "Youngin' why was that princess in my dreams, lookin at my memories?" Granny Smith said. She watched her granddaughter whiz passed her, and then dash up the steps. "Dontcha run away from me. Bloom! It'll only make your punishment worse if ya run."