The Dream Catcher

by SilverOrion

A Dreamcatcher and a Nightmare (Alt. Ending)

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! I can show you how pathetic you truly are, and how powerful truly am - doesn't that sound fun? "

I looked at her straight, preparing myself for what was sure to come after saying what I was about to say.

"If you're the real powerful 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 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."

Suddenly, everything went black; and in this blackness, it was only me, and this Phoebe in her true form, standing before me.

I heard her laughing, although she wasn't opening her mouth in the process - just closing her eyes and tilting her head back, as if she had heard the most hilarious joke ever told to her.

You, an animal, can undo what I have created here? You think, unicorn, that this is all a game? Just how do you plan to stop me?

I used my magic to activate my new Bands of Strength - but it failed. I tried forcing more magic into them, but as I did so, and as I continued to look at those bands, they only returned my gaze with a lifeless, colorless appearance.

She opened her eyes again and glanced at my hooves.

Those bands of strength have now power in dreams, unicorn. You have no power here at all. This is my dream, and I control everything. You WILL feel fear here.

I felt an impulse to choke with this realization that these bands would not help me anymore - these bands, which defined me as a new pony, a brave pony. They were gone now - and gone too was the comfort they gave me before.

Phoebe sighed. Mmm, the sweet taste of fear. You are a coward, unicorn.

I would have believed her, if it were not for the realization at that moment that I had about my cutie mark - my special talent, to remove things which are tormenting others. To remove Phoebe, an incarnation of fears, from the minds of other ponies. For Loose Cannon. For Ms. Cheerilee. For myself.

"I will feel fear, Phoebe - as much as it takes."

...What is that supposed to mean?

"If you have magic like unicorns do, then eventually you'll drain yourself of energy into making me feel fear, and by then you will be too weak to defend yourself until you recharge."

Phoebe smirked. You would be a pathetic whelp by then - not that you aren't already.

"So be it." I said firmly.

- - -

"Phoebe! If he is serious, then he could drain you of your power as a night pony!"

"Rediculous. I am the Princess of the Night Ponies. I cannot be drained."

"But you know Night Ponies aren't the same as unicorns!" filly Phoebe remarked, "If you are drained, then you might implode into your own nightmare, forever!"

"Phoebe!" Phoebe said out loud to herself, "That will not happen! Remember who I am - remember who you are!"

- - -

Phoebe looked a little taken by surprise at my comment. She paused for a moment, seeming conflicted, then angry.

"You remind me of somepony." Phoebe spoke at last, for the first time out loud to me. Her voice was elegant and bewitching, but seemed tainted by some hint of malice and mania. "A pony from long ago - and yet he was only foolish enough to ask politely for the Bands of Strength. You've taken without asking, though - you stole them."

She closed her eyes once more, seeming like she was concentrating.

"Let's do this the old fashioned way." she declared.

Phoebe disappeared, with a table appearing where she was once standing. Four bands suddenly lay atop the table, and as they did, I looked at my hooves to notice that my bands of strength had vanished.

"Seem familiar, unicorn?" Phoebe stated, "When I was done with Olympus, he became a timid whelp, constantly begging me for mercy. It had gotten very annoying for me, I am afraid, so I banished him to the foothills of the Mount of the Moon, where we locked him up in a cabin made from the most solid of woods..."

I noticed myself taking a couple steps forward, even though I was not trying to move at all now.

".,,There he stayed, and when I decided I was done with him, I made him forget everything about himself, other than his deep fear of everything. He was under the impression that this cabin was his home, and so he stayed there, away from society. He eventually found a wife, had family, and through the generations, this one family remained within this one cabin all their lives, afraid to leave the safety of their seclusion. You might say this family was... superstitious."

I started to feel like I knew what was about to happen when I touched those bands on the table - although I didn't know what it was, I knew that it was going to be horrible. I started resisting my movements, fighting every impulse, trying to stay as far away from the table as possible.

"Nopony knew about them. How do I know that? Because I watched him and his family through the generations, ensuring they would never leave my curse of fear on account of Olympus' foolishness for attempting to ask me such a ridiculous question as to receive the Bands of Strength. I knew Olympus had to be lying - had to be trying to use them to worsen the harmony of Equestria further - I knew I couldn't let that happen, and I knew I had to make Olympus pay for trying to make Equestria even less harmonic than it was before. So when I heard that me and the Night Ponies were being banished to the badlands for our choosing to join Nightmare Moon so many eons ago, you can know that I knew of one place near the Mount of the Moon where I could reside, where nopony would know of my whereabouts, where I could continue to nourish myself with fear and emotion."

I finally stepped up to the table, staring down at the four bands. The four bands stared back at me, in a way. I heart raced faster, as I had the sickening feeling of knowing that the moment I touched one of those bands, I would experience something far beyond what I experienced before. I was scared.

"It's all too much of a coincidence, isn't it, how things can come full circle? Me in the attic, with your whole family down below. It sounds too far fetched. Too unbelievable. Too... random. It almost didn't make sense, did it, when you first saw me there. It almost didn't make sense when you saw my filly form at your pathetic 'colt scouts' meet. I guess you wouldn't believe it either that I conjured up the idea of sharing The Legend of Olympus in that 'Cheerilee' pony's mind so that I could set up the scene for me to share who I am to you. That teacher pony would have never shared that story to you ponies otherwise after the way you acted earlier that day, but with a pinch of mild amnesia, and mild inspiration, that teacher pony told exactly the story I wanted her to - of all the stories she knew in her mind, it had to be that one."

My hoof began to lift itself into the air against my will. Soon, it was hovering above the table, with the bands laying only a foot beneath my hoof.

"You had a very interesting ancestor, unicorn. I will say that in the very least. I will very much enjoy destroying your life now - now that you had the idea in your disgusting pony mind that you were going to be 'brave'. You will forget everything about yourself, except that you are afraid of absolutely everything. Those four bands are no longer the bands of strength - they now represent four things: terror, panic, revulsion, and grief. They will melt into your pony body, one by one, and you will feel the most intense instance of each sensation as the see, feel, and hear things which go beyond what can be explained by words."

The bands suddenly liquified into the shadow ooze, and rose up in four ominous globs, as my hoof forced itself to attempt snatching them. I had to decide what to do, and fast, before everything Phoebe said would come true, and I would fail my family and my friends.

Phoebe may be able to control my consciousness, but she has never been able to control the way I think and feel. I started reasoning, as the four globs began to rise and order themselves to being at the four corners of an imaginary square. Luna also said that I need to stop being afraid of losing my bravery, that I need to let my actions speak for themselves... but what does that mean now?

I tried to run away, but somehow, someway, I couldn't - It was as if I was glued to the floor by concrete. One of the globs suddenly shot itself at my muzzle, splattering it's dark coating across my face. I had the impulse to cry out in pain as it's sensation of pressure and twisting caused me to feel an intense agony slowly spreading to every corner of my body. The desire to scream out of terror began to form itself inside me now, and as it did, the next glob shot itself at my muzzle as well, providing no moment for me to feel any comfort from feeling acquainted with these sick sensations. Now it was panic, as my heart began to race, and my body began to shake uncontrollably. I buckled from the sensation of panic causing a burning sensation all across my body now, and before I could adjust, the next glob shot itself at my muzzle. It was revulsion - a sensation of icy coldness on my body now, causing a back and forth shift between burning panic and shivering sickness; the feeling of nausea began to churn itself in my stomach now, and I could barely breath.

I tried looking around now, and could only see what appeared to be snakes, worms, and other things squirming in the ground - the wet, muddy ground. Looking up, I saw the last glob hover over me - an incarnation of grief.

She can't control my thoughts and feelings... she can't control my thoughts and feelings... I thought to myself, trying to concentrate, trying to do something.

I remembered Bats just then - how I was about to fail her even more now, now that Phoebe was only just beginning to destroy my psyche.

And as I remembered Bats - and felt sorry for failing her - I noticed the glob above me appear slightly bigger.

Or, maybe, I was just imagining things, but... No... No, it was certainly bigger now, bigger than before.

Let my actions speak for themselves... I realized.

I started feeling how grateful I was for having been the best I could have been for Bats through all of this now - I tried my hardest, and that was worth something as an older brother. It truly was.

The glob lessened in size.

I remembered then how I was able to help wake Cheerilee from whatever Phoebe was causing her to see back at the schoolhouse, and how that caused me to discover my cutie mark.

The glob shrank even more.

- - -

Phoebe couldn't believe her eyes.

Somehow, someway, that unicorn was causing a refraction in her nightmare - causing it to weaken. Sure, her nightmare would still be surrounding that unicorn as long as she wanted it to, but if it was weakened enough, it would be bearable - not mind-bending and terrible, the way she wanted it to be for this unicorn.

...She would need to use more magic, then.

"Whatever it takes..." Phoebe said darkly.

- - -

Suddenly, the glob above me began to increase in size again.

"There is NO hope for you, unicorn! You WILL feel fear!"

"F-feeling... A l-little out of control there, Phoebe?" I stammered, trying to speak through the sensations of terror, panic, and revulsion swarming my body.

"SILENCE!" she shouted, as the final glob shot itself towards my muzzle, just like the rest. As it did, I tried what I knew worked - remembering anything, anything, which would make me feel sensations of happiness. This time, as the glob hit my muzzle, it did not melt into my body like the rest - it just sat there on my muzzle, a glob of grief and sorrow. I could vaguely feel it, but it was nowhere near as intense as the other sensations.

I tried feeling the opposite of the other sensations now. I tried taking deep breaths to calm down my sensation of panic, while closing my eyes and concentrating on feeling calm in respect to terror and revulsion. As I did, the sensations slowly began to subside. I started to feel myself sweating, and when I thought it was out of feeling terrified earlier, I looked and saw I was sweating the shadow ooze which had melted into my body earlier.

I was coming to.

"You WILL feel fear!" shouted Phoebe again. As she did, the ooze began to stick to my fur even more, attempting to reenter from whence it came. As it did, I tried my best to block out other sounds - just holding my hooves over my head and putting my whole focus into not feeling afraid.

- - -

Phoebe began to sweat as she tried forcing more and more magic into her nightmare, more and more magic in order to make the sensations even more real for this unicorn pony. Although she should have been able to do this effortlessly, years and years of hiding and having fear naturally given to her so easily by a family of cowards seemed to have made her weaker over the years. She refused to admit this, though.

Her mane and tail began to ignite with more and more, glowing more brightly than it had in eons. Her eyes, too, began to develop a bright yellow glow to them. A magnificent, powerful glow.

"Phoebe, I'm scared..." mentioned Phoebe's filly form - an extension of Phoebe's self.

"Quiet!" Phoebe shouted. She shouted it to Phoebe - to herself.

- - -

After a few moments, the globs began to reform to their selves again, and they began to hover above me. I took a deep breath, as I continued to focus on not feeling any of the sensations described for each of the globs - but suddenly, I realized something.

I wasn't putting forth any effort.

I stopped focusing, against my better judgement, and looked at the orbs. They were hovering on their own now. No, they were rising. As were the creatures in the mud, the mud itself, and the table. Everything, except me, was slowly rising into the air.

Phoebe suddenly flickered back into view before me. Her mane and tail appeared frazzled; she looked tired, but even more determined than before.

"You.... You WILL feel fear!" she stammered, as she took a step back.

"Phoebe! Stop it!" spoke a flickering image of filly's filly form, an image which faded out of existence and back into the true Phoebe's mind. Phoebe could not hold up the nightmare any longer.

"You... you will... feel..." Phoebe spoke, but her words were fading - she was fading, as everything in the nightmare gravitated towards her.

She opened her voice to say something, but no sound came out - just silent screaming. And for the first time, Phoebe herself, was the one who was terrified. Her eyes shot open as she began to realize what was happening to her. Screaming, thrashing, she tried to stop an irreversible fate for herself.

Suddenly, everything, including the darkness surrounding me, imploded within Phoebe, and everything disappeared. I was back in Ponyville.

I looked around to try and get my bearings. I was standing on a cobblestone street. I was standing beside Bats. Loose Cannon appeared to have been detained by several pegasus ponies wearing gold shields and armor. Luna was here, and another alicorn - I'm assuming Luna's sister - was here as well. There were six other ponies there too who I didn't recognize.

"It seems your assistance may not be necessary, Twilight." the tall, sun alicorn said to the purple unicorn.

I looked at Luna, and she nodded back at me.