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Sleeping1,287 words
Dreaming3,792 words

Dreaming

Apple Bloom shifted her weight, avoiding a floating apple basket.

The air — if it was actually air — had a strange consistency. Apple Bloom gave an experimental push downward, wobbling in place; it felt like pushing a very fluffy bed, and she wondered if walking on a cloud felt like that. In front of her Twilight and Luna were discussing something, their voices eager. Apple Bloom tried listening, but soon got lost in the middle of a discussion about the eigen-whatever of the thaumaturgic matrix.

With a few spirited moves Apple Bloom spinned in place, allowing Luna’s magic to drag her. Wondering where she was exactly, she looked around; where Twilight’s dream had been perfectly ordered, everything up here seemed chaotic, with random objects floating and strange vistas appearing and disappearing at random. As she looked the hills of Sweet Apple Acres appeared below, a red stallion bucking trees. A gasp to her side drew Apple Bloom’s gaze to Scootaloo, who was looking at an expanding circular rainbow behind a cloud house, amazement in her eyes. To the side, an ice cream house atop a chocolate mountain, prompting a curious look from Sweetie Belle.

The only consistent element was the sky, adorned with large, bright stars, and a moon they were moving towards. The moon seemed to illuminate everything evenly, as brightly as the sun.

Apple Bloom heard luna say something about a task; a spark lighting her eyes, Apple Bloom rotated until she was facing forward again, looking at the two leading alicorns, and angled her ears to listen.

“So you need my help to defend you while you cast a locator spell?”

“You sound disappointed, Twilight Sparkle.”

“No. Well, maybe a little; I thought you had a more important task for me, since you couldn’t wait for Sweetie Belle’s spell to wear off, or even for me to just wake the fillies and fall asleep again.”

Luna turned her head towards Twilight. “It is an important task. Your shield will allow me to fully concentrate on my own spell and, if fortune graces us, find in hours what I alone couldn’t discover in days.”

Apple Bloom trotted between Luna and Twilight, dodging a floating giant muffin. “And what are you lookin’ for?”

Luna looked towards Apple Bloom and blinked, her eyebrows raising. Apple Bloom followed her gaze; Scootaloo, slowly flapping her wings, and Sweetie Belle, a dim green glow around her horn, were just besides her. A smile rising in her face, Luna extinguished her magic, the fillies yelping softly as they dropped slightly before floating back between the alicorns.

Luna nodded appreciatively. “You are doing better than I expected. Well then, have you heard of the creatures called Bubbles?”

The other four ponies drew blank faces; Scootaloo lowered one eyebrow. “What kind of name is that?”

“I gave them that name back in my youth; they seemed to enjoy it.” Luna looked back at the surprised faces of Twilight and the fillies, and laughed. “Yes, I was a filly once, and I did give things silly names.”

Luna looked up, her wing beats becoming relaxed, almost musical. “The Bubbles are denizens of the dream, bringing me its tidings and alerting me to nightmares I need to subdue. They have often kept me company when I wasn’t in the mood to speak to other ponies.” She shook her head. “Or they used to, until a few days ago.”

Sweetie Belle floated closer. “What do they look like?”

Luna briefly closed her eyes. “Their natural shape is a fluffy sheep with black wings, but they are shapeshifters. They can appear as anything.”

Apple Bloom’s eyes went wide. “Hang on a sec! Is this why we count sheep to sleep?”

Luna looked blankly at her. “You do?”

Twilight looked at Luna’s confused face, blinked a couple times, and exploded in laughter. “I guess some things were a bit different a thousand years ago.” Recovering her breath she pointed ahead, to a vast, bright expanse they were quickly approaching. “Is that where we are going?”

“Yes,” said Luna as she landed. “This is the center of my power in the dream. By casting the locator spell here I can find the Bubbles, wherever they are. Now, Twilight Sparkle, let us review your shield spell; children, stay close.”

Twilight looked around; she recognized the gray barren landscape, the craters big and small. “It looks just like the moon. The real moon I see in my telescope, I mean.”

Luna lowered her head. “This is how I imagine the moon; my own foolishness gave me enough time to memorize its every detail.”

Twilight took a step towards Luna with a pained expression. “Sorry. I didn’t mean —”

Luna raised her head, a sad smile in her face, but pain still in her eyes. “It does not matter anymore.” She beckoned Twilight with her head. “Now, show me what you remember of the Figment Warding spell.”

Twilight smiled as she finished her preparations. Spell reviewed, check. She looked back, to the fillies expectantly waiting to see the princesses in action. Fillies close behind me, check. “I’m ready.”

Luna nodded. “Well then, let us begin. Remember, Twilight Sparkle, the figments attracted by my power will assume shapes from our dreams. Those figments will try to get to you, to make you drop your barrier, but their power is mere illusion; your shield will hold as long as you keep your concentration.”

Twilight nodded back, her mouth set in concentration, her horn glowing; soon a purple barrier appeared around the five ponies. Luna paced along the inner limit of the translucent dome, cautiously inspecting it; her round complete, Luna smiled and stood facing Twilight, eyes closed, her own horn glowing.

Twilight was pleasantly surprised at how easy the spell was to maintain. Smiling, she looked around, the barrier steady despite her divided attention.

Outside the purple dome something seemed to be happening. In the distance Twilight could see dust clouds rising, and soon what sounded like a huge herd walking could be heard.

Whatever was making the sound and raising the dust was getting closer. Figures could be seen through the dust cloud; most of the things seemed to be the size of ponies, but some were far larger. Wait, isn’t that the green dragon that chased Spike in the forest? How can my shield hold against it?

Luna had noticed the shapes too. “Remember, Twilight Sparkle, those are shapeshifters. Their size is but a glamour.”

Twilight relaxed. Luna was right; this was just a dream, nothing outside was real — and, most important, nothing outside had real power. They were just things that she, Luna, or the fillies had dreamed about before. The dragon, the timberwolves,… Wait, lions? A chimera? Twilight glanced towards Luna, imagining the adventures the older alicorn must had been through.

A few of the figments seemed to be even protecting them. Five necklaces and a tiara — the elements of harmony, complete with their cutie mark shaped gems — smashed into a King Sombra doppelganger. A rainbow colored contrail drew Twilight’s eye up, towards where three figures in Wonderbolt uniforms were battling three Shadowbolts. A crash to the side pointed where a golden giant apple on wheels got in the path of a Tatzlwurm, drawing gasps from the Crusaders. To it’s side a tan pegasus in guard armor and holding a spear...

Twilight looked down, meeting the fillies’ eyes, curiosity dawning in them.

Closing her eyes to avoid the fillies’ inquisitive stares, Twilight could feel the impacts in her barrier, and with each impact a tiny amount of magical energy escaped the dome; she poured more magic to reinforce the barrier, wondering how long Luna’s spell would take. Not that she could ask Luna right now...

The fillies screamed and something landed on her back, making Twilight open her eyes with a start. Sweetie Belle was hiding behind her, Apple Bloom had somersaulted upon her back, and Scootaloo stood immobile, her gaze fixed at something outside the barrier. Her ears swivelling , Twilight heard the hissing even before she started to follow Scootaloo’s gaze. “Flutterbat?”

The barrier wavered, drawing a concerned look from Princess Luna. “Concentration, Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight nodded. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and lowered her ears, closing herself to the sights and sounds of the outside world. She couldn’t risk losing her concentration, and if the figments found other images as disturbing to her... Keeping her eyes closed, her ears down to muffle the sound, Twilight stood for what seemed like hours, while the fillies huddled around her legs.

Luna nodded at Apple Bloom, who shook Twilight’s leg. “Hey, Twilight. Princess Luna is done.”

Twilight opened her eyes, looking at the scene around her. There were no more figments outside of the barrier; Luna was smiling at her, while the crusaders were positively beaming.

Dropping the barrier Twilight looked at the fillies. “Everypony all right?”

Scootaloo looked between Twilight and Luna, hovering in place. “Yeah. It was amazing! It was like the coolest Nightmare Night parade ever!”

The other two fillies voiced their agreement. Soon they were huddled together, loudly discussing what was the most amazing thing they had seen; the large crystal train seemed to be winning.

Luna looked at them, smiling. “Children nowadays seem more resilient than I remember. A thousand years ago they would still be shaking.”

Twilight looked from the fillies to the princess. “I remember when you learned that.” Luna blushed slightly; Twilight continued, “Did you find what you were seeking?”

Luna’s smile died. “Yes. Most of the Bubbles are concentrated in a single place.” Luna stepped close to the huddled fillies, who were now discussing what was coolest, Celestia or a Chimera; she made a mental note to later taunt Celestia about that. “Are you ready to go, Children?”

The three fillies broke the huddle and lined in front of the princess. “Yeah.”

Twilight spread her wings, her magic aura spreading around the fillies. “Let’s go, then. Luna, lead the way.”

“Wait; there is no need to fly back. From here I can take us anywhere in the dream. I will open a portal and step first; you four,” Luna nodded towards Twilight and the fillies, “go through the portal simultaneously. You are still tethered by Sweetie Belle’s spell, so it’s better to not risk you being separated.”

Everypony nodded. Luna’s horn started to glow, a shimmering horizontal disk appearing in front of her showing a milky image of a decrepit meadow. “Curious. No Bubble in sight, neither anypony else.”

Luna stepped through the disk and into the swampy meadow, the stench of decaying plant matter hitting her like a brick wall. Luna looked around; sad trees ringed most of a small greenish-gray pond, except for the piece of the pond shore directly opposite to where the princess stood, where the foot of a hill met the water. Everything seemed drained of color, listless.

A cave opened in the hill just above the waterline; as the other ponies were landing by her, Luna’s horn glowed gently once, her head snapping towards the cave. “There.”

Luna glided over the pond and looked towards the cave; it should have been dark inside, but the ever present light of the dream lighted everything. “I feel apprehension. Be prepared to flee, or to wake each other as the need be.”

Twilight and the fillies nodded silently. With a flap of her wings Twilight followed, levitating the Crusaders across the pond.

The cave went for a while, walls rugged and gray, with a few splashes of brown spread about. A wet, moldy smell dominated the cave. There was little evidence of passage in the stony floor, but the tunnel was wide enough for a winged creature to fly by, and many dream denizens didn’t even need wings to fly.

The tunnel opened into a large cave, high and wide enough to fit the whole of Cloudsdale’s Cloudeseum inside. Luna stopped, gasping; Twilight stopped just behind, eyes going wide, her magic momentarily enclosing the fillies’ muzzles to prevent them from drawing attention.

The walls of the cave were lined with alcoves turned into cells, each full with fluffy, colorful shapes. On the floor more fluffy shapes, their colors muted, dark wings dragging on the ground. They had found the missing Bubbles.

But their eyes were drawn by a figure as tall as Twilight’s library, enveloped in twirling tendrils of fog that barely allowed a huge four legged shape to be seen inside. Where its face should be burned two glowing, red eyes. As the ponies stood watching the thing grabbed one of the colorful Bubbles and held it in front of its eyes, the color slowly leaving the Bubble.

Luna’s irises shrunk, her voice lowering to a whisper. “A Krisky. But it shouldn’t be this powerful, unless…” she turned to Twilight. “Leave. That creature can drain you life force through your oneiric form; It’s far too dangerous a spirit. I will face it alone.”

“Sorry, princess, but no.”

Luna turned her head, looking Twilight in the eyes. “You have no idea what that creature is capable of. It must have been feeding on the energy of other dream denizens for the last few centuries to have grown this way. This is too dangerous.”

Twilight’s eyes were set. ”I have faced Discord. I have faced Sombra. I have faced Queen Chrysalis. I can manage, and you need the help. Besides, you are not the only princess here; this is my duty as much as it’s yours.”

Luna nodded, the omission registering in her mind. “My sister warned me how stubborn you can be. Very well, come. But if you seem in danger I will destroy your oneiric form and wake you myself.” Luna turned to the fillies. “And you three stay here. If the creature as much as turns its attention towards you, flee.”

Luna turned as soon as the fillies started to nod, beckoning towards Twilight. The two alicorns huddled together, exchanging quiet, quick words, before taking to the air and silently circling the cave. When she was as far from the tunnel as she could Luna nodded to Twilight, pointing her horn towards the creature. Twilight nodded back, distancing herself from Luna and pointing her own horn. At Luna’s cue, both alicorns fired their magic.

Apple Bloom’s eyes followed Luna as the princess danced around a thrown rock and blasted the creature back with magic, her brow furrowing; no attack by either Princess Luna or Twilight seemed to have an effect. “Do y’all think Twilight and Luna will win?”

Sweetie Belle was looking between Luna and Twilight. “Why is Princess Luna holding back?”

“What do you mean?” asked Apple Bloom.

“Yeah, holding back. When she saved me from the headless horse her magic was all, boom!” Scootaloo hovered and clapped her hooves, trying to mimic an explosion.

“She did the same when she rescued me from the Rarity-cloud.” Sweetie belle noticed the other two fillies looking strangely at her and blushed. “I’ll tell you later. But why is Princess Luna using just those beams?”

Apple Bloom looked at the caged Bubbles. “I reckon she would hurt them if she went all out.”

Scootaloo followed Apple bloom’s gaze, her shoulders sagging. “So, what do we do?”

“Let me think.”

Twilight jumped to the side to avoid a downward thrust from the shadowy form. Her horn aglow, Twilight Bent gravity to her will, climbing the wall at a gallop to avoid another rock launched by the creature. “We can shapeshift in a dream. Won’t it help?”

“No.” Luna folded her wings, diving below an outstretched shadowy hoof, and used her momentum to pass under the creature. “Our minds are what matter. Unless you need to deceive yourself to realize your potential.”

Scootaloo looked at Apple Bloom, who was now clad in a red jumpsuit with a green tape binding her tail, her mane still bound by her red bow. “Cool! How did you do that?”

“I don’t know!” Apple Bloom looked at the blank black bands around her hooves. “I just thought it would be easier if I was a superhero, like in that comic…” Her eyes went wide. “It’s a dream! Maybe we can turn into anything we think of!”

“Wow, it works!” Sweetie Belle looked appreciatively at the starred cape she was now wearing, her hat chiming softly as she moved her head.

Scootaloo furrowed her brows. “Why are you dressed like Trixie?”

“It’s not Trixie, it’s Star Swirl, that unicorn Twilight talks about all the time! Look at the bells, Trixie doesn’t have those!”

Apple Bloom eyed the chimes on the cape and hat. “I don’t think the bells are a good idea, we aren’t supposed to be noticed.”

“Oh, right.” Sweetie Belle stopped chiming. “Boy, this dream stuff is really convenient.”

“My turn.” Scootaloo closed her eyes, concentrating. When she opened them she had a fedora on her head and was at the controls of a small, fast looking airship, just large enough for the three fillies to fit inside.

Apple Bloom looked between her fellow crusaders and the caged Bubbles. “Do you think we can free them? Maybe with my lasso, Sweetie Belle’s magic, and Scootaloo’s airship…”

A soft glow came from the three fillies’ hindquarters simultaneously. As one the three fillies looked at their new cutie marks, all identical; they emblem of the Cutie Mark Crusaders., which for Apple Bloom appeared on top of her costume.

Sweetie Belle dismissed her magic and let her cape fall on her back. “Wait, what? What does this mean?”

Scootaloo glanced from her cutie mark to her fellow crusaders, a smile spreading across her face. “I guess this means being a crusader is more than just searching for cutie marks. So what do you say, we go save those sheep and herd them out of the cave? Then Luna can use all the power she wants!”

The three fillies looked at each other and bumped hooves. “Cutie Mark Crusader Dream Herders, Go!”

Luna blasted the creature’s face, trying to get its attention as Twilight teleported away from a shadowy giant hoof. As Twilight appeared behind her, movement in the opposite side of the cave caught her attention, her eyes going wide. She landed besides Twilight, keeping a wary eye over the creature. “What are the children doing?”

Twilight looked at the small airship, a glowing lasso and a green magic aura alternating as the Bubble cages were opened. “Freeing the bubbles. Do you think —”

“Heads up!”

Two horns flared, creating a double layered purple and blue barrier. A giant hoof smashed against it, promptly spreading cracks all over it..

“We shall distract the creature and keep it away from the children. But at the first hint of danger I will send you away myself.”

“Deal.” Twilight teleported away from the collapsing barrier as Luna took off.

Sweetie Belle looked at the last of the still colorful Bubbles flying away through the tunnel and smiled. But her smile vanished when her gaze lowered to the gray Bubbles slowly shuffling on the ground. “How do we get those out?”

“Well, I can try herdin’ them like my sister does. Can you two keep them from bolting to the sides?”

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo exchanged a glance. “Yeah.”

Scootaloo landed the airship, the other two Crusaders getting down. They looked at each other and smiled.

Apple bloom lifted her hoof, lasso at the ready. “Cutie Mark Crusaders, let’s do it!”

Twilight was running around the creature to get a clearer shot at its face when it turned its head towards the fleeing Bubbles, and the Crusaders herding them. Desperation took hold of her eyes. “No you don’t!”

Her horn glowing furiously, Twilight engulfed the whole giant creature in her purple aura, dragging it back.

The creature lifted a hind leg and drove it furiously towards Twilight; she was too late to dodge, even with a teleport, and gritted her teeth waiting for the impact. The kick connected to a blue barrier instead.

Twilight shot a thankful smile at Luna and redoubled her concentration in the simple spell. She was sweating, eyes glued on the last of the fleeing bubbles. “Just a little more…”

Her magic faltered, dropping the creature. It looked directly at Twilight, but she couldn’t muster enough magic even for a simple teleport; holding the creature, even for a short while, had been too much.

Dropping her head, Twilight noticed a bright blue glow coming from above them. An alicorn shaped glow.

With a smile on her face, Luna said, “This might feel funny at first.”

Apple Bloom opened her eyes; she was in the spare bed in Twilight’s room. At her side Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo flared their eyes open. The eyes of the three fillies went to their cutie marks — or, rather, where their cutie marks were supposed to be; their flanks were blank again.

Apple Bloom couldn’t help but sigh. “Did you dream —”

A thump, and the sound of bedsheets being hastily thrown away, interrupted her; Twilight had just fallen off the bed. “Ouch!”

“Twilight!” The crusaders were immediately at her side, beaming. Apple Bloom was the first to speak. “Hey, Twilight, did you dream it too?”

Twilight looked at them, smiling. “Luna and the Bubbles? And you three disobeying the princess’ orders to romp around the cave on some flying machine?”

“Well…” The three fillies looked down.

“Don’t worry, Crusaders. You did the right thing, and I’m sure Luna will agree.”

The fillies smiled at that, but it was short lived. Sweetie Belle cleared her throat and looked at Twilight’s eyes. “Do you think Princess Luna and the Bubbles are all right? I remember a bright light and then I woke up. And those last Bubbles looked sick!”

“Well…” Twilight looked at the window, through which the Moon was visible.

The three fillies followed her gaze, looking at the pale disk. Apple Bloom was wondering if she should go to the other room wake Spike when she saw something moving on the moon; Luna’s face winking inside the white disc. Blinking, Apple Bloom looked to the other Crusaders, the three of them exchanging surprised glances before looking at the Moon again, but the face had disappeared.

Twilight paced into their middle and embraced them all with her wings, giving them a knowing wink. “Don’t worry, I’m certain everything is just fine.”

Author's Note:

The Bubbles are based on the Oneiroi from Greek mythology; just having a bit of fun ponifying (sheepfying?) dream spirits.

Feel free to point flaws, errors, or to make suggestions; I'm here to learn.

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