The Dream Catcher

by SilverOrion

Divine Intervention (Waking Up)

I continued to drag my axe along the ground as I trotted through the forest, looking intently for any signs of Phoebe. I was tired, with dark rings under my eyes, from the number of hours I had been spending hiking through the forest in search of that night mare freak.

I'm sure I wasn't a very pleasant sight to behold. Cuts, bruises, and scrapes decorated my fore and hind legs, not to mention the brambles which were sticking to my fur. In the dark forest, I would have looked like a demon - a dark figure dragging an axe behind him, a deathly raking sound adding to my ambiance.

Finally, I had enough.

I dropped the axe and held it in the grip of my magic. I took a deep breath, and shouted:

"Phoebe! Still wanna be playmates, do ya? Why don't you come out, and I'll show you my new toy!"

Shouting that out made me feel a little better - it was almost therapeutic, being able to talk down to her, wherever she was. I hope she heard me, though. I hope she heard the last words she would ever hear.

I felt the fury flare up in me again, like a volcano on the verge of an eruption. This time, there was no holding back. I wanted her to hear me. I wanted her to hear death.

"Oh, Phoebe! You scaredy cat! I thought you liked playing games! Phoebe! Phoebe! Come out and play!"

- - -

Loose Cannon continued to drag the lifeless Bats behind him at full gallop. After knocking her out with a well-aimed buck, he didn't pay attention to whether she was still alive or not - not to mention that all this dragging on the ground at high speeds couldn't be very comfortable for her either. Comfort wasn't an issue, however - all that mattered was getting him, and her, to safety. To where there was no shadow ooze.

Safe.

Looking ahead, Loose Cannon could see a clearing, with lights in a town ahead. It was clearly Ponyville.

This was it. They were getting out of the forest. Getting away from this revolting slime which was hanging, dripping, and oozing from the tree branches.

"Ahm home free! Home free at last!" Loose Cannon shouted gleefully, as he finally broke through the treeline and into the clear, jumping into the air at full gallop to celebrate his victory, with Bats limply flying up into the air and crashing into the ground after Loose Cannon landed the jump.

"Bats, we're safe at last!" Loose Cannon shouted.

Bats didn't answer.

In euphoria, Loose Cannon decided that Bats must either be in too much shock to realize that they were safe, or she just decided to take a nap so that she wouldn't have to experience that nightmare anymore. He completely understood.

Loose Cannon continued to gallop for Ponyville as fast as his hooves could carry him. Soon, he was galloping over the bridge. Then, the hard, unforgiving cobblestone pavement of the town. That cobblestone pavement brought memories to Loose Cannon that he never thought would have been happy in contrast to what he was experiencing - he remembered horror stories of gangs hazing helpless ponies by tying them up, or holding them in their mouths, while dragging them at full gallop across the cobblestone. It was illegal, of course, and the ponies responsible always faced harsh penalties. He knew he would never do that to anypony, but just thinking about agony apart from the nightmare he had experienced in the forest seemed like paradise to him.

Galloping still, Loose Cannon made his headway for the library. If there was anywhere that he could find a way to get the princess involved with the horrors of the forest, then he knew things would be ok, and everything would work out just-

"Hey, you! Stop!"

Loose Cannon stopped, and looked around. Someone in Ponyville? At night? Someone who could help?

"Where are you? I need your help!" Loose Cannon replied, searching for the source of the voice.

"I'm not helping you with any of that hazing business! You're under arrest!"

Loose Cannon couldn't think. Looking around again, he finally found the source of the voice. It was the town sheriff.

"Sheriff, sir! There's shadow ooze all over the fore..."

The sheriff didn't look normal. He was missing an eye, and his tongue was hanging out of a hole on the opposite side of his face. He was holding some kind of tendons knotted in the shape of a wire with one large loop at the end of it.

"I'll just be tying you up, and taking you to the big house. That filly is coming with me."

"NO!" Loose Cannon shouted.

Letting go of Bats, and getting a firm grip on his pickaxe, Loose Cannon raised his weapon high and heaved it downward. The sheriff jumped back in surprise of Loose Cannon's strength, and cracks formed in the pavement after the pickaxe had dug itself practically one foot into the ground.

Loose Cannon tore the pickaxe out of the ground effortlessly with his brute earth pony strength, and swung it to the side in a clearing sweep, nailing the sheriff in the head and sending him several feet to the side - out cold, and with blood emerging from the position of the impact of the pickaxe.

"He - He killed the sheriff!"

Loose Cannon jerked his head around to the source of the next voice - a mare. Half of her skull was eaten away by some kind of corrosive, and the rest of her body was pale and sore-ridden.

Forgetting about Bats, Loose Cannon took up his pickaxe again, and charged the mare full on.

"YOU. STAY. AWAY!"

- - -

Feeling fatigued, I finally stopped trotting through the forest.

I dropped the axe beside me and sat down. The sun had set about five hours ago, and still, no signs of Phoebe. Wherever she was, she was up to something.

Suddenly, everything went black.

I stood up immediately, picking up the axe with my magic.

"About time you showed up, Phoebe!"

Nothing, just silence, in a black void.

"You think you can scare me with nothing, then you're wrong! Come out and face me now!"

Suddenly, a silhouette appeared several meters in front of me. It was dark, and about the height of an alicorn.

Phoebe.

"Why don't you come closer, so I can finish what I started back at my attic." I proclaimed, holding my axe at the ready.

Suddenly, the silhouette came into focus. It was a mare, with a deep blue and purple coat, with a mane which was decorated with tiny stars.

"Finish what? Taking Phoebe's life? You have always led the life of a coward, Pipe Dream."

I stood there, looking at this alicorn and suddenly feeling a welling up of anger.

"Me? A coward?" I said bitterly, "Do you know who I am?"

"Do you know who I am?" the alicorn responded.

Bewildered, and caught off guard, I thought for a minute. Then, my anger returned.

"You're an illusion." I said finally, "Is this the best you've got, Phoebe!"

"You fool!" shouted the alicorn, "I am Princess Luna, Princess of the Night! For now, Phoebe is not here. This illusion is my doing and my doing alone - and I suggest you understand that."

I didn't say anything in response. I only looked back at this "Princess Luna" with bitterness churning inside of me.

"You spoke of your desire to defeat Phoebe, but you do not understand the gravity of what you want to achieve. You cannot defeat Phoebe - nopony ever has."

"But what about Olympus? He was able to overcome her mind games!"

"No, he was not - a night pony disguised himself as Olympus and returned to the unicorn ponies to win the competition himself-"

"-and I had already defeated her when I had sent her flying out of my family attic, and into the forest!"

"That was not victory, that was luck, Pipe Dream."

"And stop calling me Pipe Dream! I'm not the coward I used to be!"

"But you are, Pipe Dream."

"Oh yeah? Then prove it!"

"You've already proven it." Luna replied.

I didn't say anything. I simply challenged her to explain herself by staring right back at her.

"To be a coward, means that you allow your fears to control you. Have you not heard that rage is fueled by fear? Here you are, Pipe Dream, acting on your fears - fears that Phoebe will hurt those close to you; fears that others can control your emotions and anxieties; and most importantly, a fear of yourself - fear that if you do not affirm your new found 'bravery', then you will lose it. See how you are holding that axe beside you, ready to fight me? You are no different than a cornered viper, rearing to strike, and to kill. You are still a coward."

The words stung, and I didn't know how to respond. I slowly lowered the axe to the ground, trying to stay strong in the face of the accusations of this "Luna", and trying to hold back the tears. A moment or two passed, before I allowed the axe to topple onto the ground - a heart-wrenching clamor echoing from its impact with the floor beneath me.

"Do you know what the cutie mark on your flank means?" she asked finally.

"...No..." I mumbled.

"It is a dream catcher." Luna replied, "your special purpose is to remove the things which are tormenting others. You did what you needed to obtain it by waking Ms. Cheerilee from her sleep, but you have not earned it."

I turned my eyes to the ground, feeling defeated.

"You have not earned it. Yet." Luna added.

"...What do you mean?"

"You need to stop being Pipe Dream." Luna replied, "Stop being a coward. Be brave by not letting your fears control your actions.

You are afraid that Phoebe will hurt those you love - instead, take initiative, clear your mind, and do what needs to be done; but not out of fear, or irrationality.

You are afraid that others can control your emotions and fears - instead, accept yourself. Embrace your power to disagree with others. You do not need to prove your worth to others in order for your worth to be real.

You are afraid that if you do not affirm your new found bravery, then you will lose it - instead, choose to let your actions speak for themselves."

Luna was silent for a moment, before continuing.

"...If you are to defeat Phoebe, you will need to prevent your fears from controlling you."

"But, you said I couldn't defeat Phoebe!"

"I said you couldn't, because of the state you were in. If you choose to prevent your fears from controlling you, then not only can you defeat Phoebe and rescue the ones you love, but you will also fulfill your cutie mark, and your special purpose in life. Nopony has ever defeated Phoebe, because none of them have had your cutie mark. It is rare and unique - use it."

Luna turned to leave, but stopped, considered, and turned to face me again.

"Meet me in Ponyville when your senses come back to you."

Then, she vanished, and the dark void gradually began to fade.

Once again, I was in the forest.

- - -

I galloped as fast as I could to Ponyville, the trees blurring past me. I needed to find Luna - needed to find Phoebe.

It wasn't about killing Phoebe - I realize that now. Luna made me realize that I can't hide in a corner when I'm afraid - neither can I rear up and kill the monster when I'm afraid either. I have to remain calm and do what needs to be done, rather than let my fears decide for me.

And now, I was truly ready for Phoebe.

Taking Luna's advice to heart, I had left the axe where I had met Luna - deciding now that killing Phoebe was not what I needed to do. Now, I have the bands of strength to take me to Ponyville, and decide on my own what I was going to do - what I needed to do.

And now, I made it.

Breaking through the treeline, I galloped right into the town, and stopped. Several meters in front of me lay a small, dark mass. A filly, motionless on the ground.

"...Bats?"

It was Bats, I knew it was her - but she didn't look like the Bats I knew. A severe welt on her forehead could plainly be seen, along with deep cuts and bruises scattered all over her small body, which was covered with dirt, leaves, and blood.

"Bats!" I shouted, running up to her and holding her in my embrace. Out of desperation, I tried to hear if she was breathing - tried to see if her pulse was still there. I was so confused - and my eyes began to flood with tears more than I ever had in my life. Celestia damn it - she was so battered I couldn't even tell if she was alive. What monster could have done this to her?

"YOU STAY AWAY FROM HER!"

I looked up, and saw Loose Cannon. In his mouth he held the pickaxe which was missing from the shed back at home - it was soaking with blood. Beyond him I could see the sheriff lying stone cold on the cobblestone, and beyond that, horrors which I cannot describe.

"Loose Cannon! It's me! Pipe Dream!"

"YOU'RE NOT ANY BROTHER O' MINE, YOU MONSTER!"

He galloped towards me at full speed, swinging his pickaxe up in the air, before hammering it back down again - right where I would have been if I had not jumped back a ways. He ripped the pickaxe out of the pavement, before bringing it around, and swinging it in my direction - barely missing my muzzle by grazing my forehead.

I can't be afraid -I need to think straight. I need to do, what I need to do.

Using the Bands of Strength to my advantage, I tackled Loose Cannon and effortlessly pinned him to the ground. He squirmed and writhed beneath my hooves in turmoil, but no amount of his fighting could resist the force I was exerting on him.

This had to be Phoebe's work - and if that were the case, there was nothing more I could do than to pin Loose Cannon to the ground until Luna arrived.

Suddenly, Loose Cannon's eyes began to glow a soft blue, before he slipped into a deep sleep.

"I am sure you were wondering if I would show up." spoke a familiar voice.

Looking up, I could see it was Luna.

"...Bats..." I choked, before trying to return to the broken filly on the ground...

...Who was not there.

Instead, a filly with a pitch black, charcoal coat with a burning red mane and tail was standing in her place, mocking her very existence before my very eyes.

I didn't feel rage. No. This was anger. This was a desire for justice.

Feeling nothing, I trotted right up to that filly, and stared her in the eyes.

"I know who you are, Phoebe. Do your worst. I'm not afraid."

The filly stared back up at me, as if she was pouting for a toy in a toy store.

"All I wanted was to have fun with you, and you just had to ruin everything. Oh well - that doesn't mean I can't have fun with you myself, though!"

"Don't even try that on me." I said flatly, "If you're the real brave one, you wouldn't hide behind your fake filly puppet while taking advantage of defenseless ponies for your own selfishness. Why don't you show your real self and prove how mighty you really are, you pathetic, materialistic, soulless, parasitic changeling."

The filly glared at me harshly, before disappearing.

"Careful what you wish for, unicorn."

I looked towards the sound of that voice, to see Phoebe once again in all of her glory.

"Now that you have so foolishly made me angry, I will reduce you to a sniveling pulp, and you will beg me for mercy while being fed scraps of food which I wouldn't even provide to dogs."

"Not true, Phoebe," spoke another voice, "now that you have revealed where you really are, you will now have to face the penalty of your crimes."

Both me and Phoebe turned to see that the new voice came from none other than Twilight Sparkle, standing in front of five other ponies - Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie - who was wearing a Ghost Busters costume for some reason.

As if on queue, the sun began to rise behind the six ponies as morning returned to Equestria, marking the end of the night. As if to complement the sunrise were the golden necklaces being donned by each of them - all except Twilight, who was wearing a golden tiara.

"Phoebe," Twilight proclaimed, "you lose."

Author's Note: And now the story finally comes to a close, to be finished with Pipe Dream's new future in the epilogue - the next and final chapter of the story. If you've read this far, then you get a free batch of muffins from Derpy, because she stopped reading at some point and ran out of the studio horrified, and had left these muffins here in the process. I mean, someone has to eat them eventually, right? C'mon, please? I'm on a diet!

Comments

[The Scratch]

You don't need to warn the GRIMDARK group that this is not for the faint of heart...what kind of stories do you think we read?

[SilverOrion]

2155500

Ha, Guess you're right I'll just leave the rating in parentheses instead.