The Dream Catcher

by SilverOrion

Phoebe's Soliloquy

When Phoebe's eyes opened, she found herself staring into a mess of branches and leaves - along with some burnt leaves which had come in contact with her mane and tail.

She groaned angrily, trying to get back onto her hooves; but even as she did so, her legs were still wobbly from the bruises and cuts which she had gotten on them, making standing upright a real challenge.

"How did he know how to use those braces? He's never seen them before in his life!" She hissed to herself, "besides, he was supposed to be the coward - the easy target!"

Finally working up the strength to stand upright, Phoebe gazed up at the stars. Being alive and well in Equestria for over a thousand years, she could tell that it was about three in the morning. Seeing this, she knew that she must've been unconscious for about four hours since that Pipe Dream... No, that unicorn... had worked up the courage to challenge her. Neither earth, pegasus, nor unicorn ponies ever deserved to even have a name, for the way they betrayed themselves by embracing conflict and hatred over harmony. They deserved to be treated like the brutish animals that they were. Including that coward unicorn colt from the cabin. Once she felt stable, she began to trot in the direction of the Mountain of the Moon to recuperate.

"No matter," Phoebe decided, after carefully pondering her situation, "he's a fool, anyway. Being the animal that he is, he'll misuse those braces soon enough - I'm sure he will; and when he does, I'll see him again in prison, when he won't have those braces again."

"Then we can have some real fun!" shouted a conjured filly look-alike of herself, beaming back up at the real Phoebe.

"That's right, Phoebe," Phoebe responded to herself, looking down at the filly version of her, "Nopony will ever know what we did to him - they'll say he went insane in his prison cell, and nothing more."

The filly Phoebe wrinkled her nose, then replied, "But what about Princess Luna? Won't she remember what we're capable of doing together? Y'know, when she came to us as Nightmare Moon promising punishment for all of the brutish ponies of Equestria?"

"Don't worry, we night ponies can control consciousness, remember?" replied Phoebe, "Luna will never know."

"And what about that new unicorn?" filly Phoebe responded, "she's the only one besides Princess Celestia who knew about Nightmare Moon's return..."

Phoebe chuckled in a dark tone, "Another unicorn? Please, Phoebe, she will not get in the way. She doesn't even know who this unicorn is!"

Filly Phoebe looked away, then continued, "I'm sorry, I'm just bringing up all of the animals that could get in your way..."

"And that's exactly the reason why I conjured you, Phoebe," Phoebe replied, "to tell me what could get in my way."

Filly Phoebe looked back up at Phoebe hopefully, "Well, it's nice knowing I have a purpose."

"As long as I want you to have a purpose, you will always have a purpose, my little pony." Phoebe replied gently.

Filly Phoebe smiled at Phoebe. Phoebe returned the smile warmly, like a mother to her child. After several moments, the filly Phoebe look-alike slowly faded away until there was nothing in her place.

Phoebe looked away, suddenly frowning. That unicorn had stolen her precious Bands of Strength. Now was the time to think of a way to get him in jail, make him wish he never challenged her, then take the Bands of Strength back for herself once more.

How was she going to do it? She gave that idea some thought, then she finally decided. Twist the minds of those closest to him - antagonize him until he can't take it anymore. Nopony else in Equestria was aware that she was here, nor did any of those animals... save for that purple apprentice of Princess Celestia... would ever consider that it was her; and even then, the thought that they would firmly believe it was her, when she finally drove that animal which stole her Bands of Strength to a point of desperation where everypony around him would think he was out of his mind.

Of course, she would have to find ways to keep her new victims silent. Oh, how easy those ways were, too. A terrifying experience can be quite the motivator at times, couldn't it? Mmhmm...

Phoebe looked away from the path she was taking, and focused on the small crater formed by the impact she had when she had hit the ground. Her hatred for that coward animal began to rekindle itself in her heart.

Time to make that disgusting animal pay.