The Small Hero Within Us

by Darkevony

Chapter 1: Do Heroes Dream of Brave Sheep?

We have all dreamt of being heroic. In that way, we all have a small bit of hero in us. Without a doubt, we are all capable of it too. Even a tiny bit of kindness can save someone's life in ways you can't expect. Maybe your one act of heroics caused a butterfly effect that ended up saving an entire nation. Or maybe it was something smaller. Maybe all you said were a few encouraging words that helped some pony feel as if they belong in a world that initially seemed to not want them.

That's the thing about heroes. Most of them don't even know that they are one. They get caught up in the idea of what it means to be a hero, or more accurately to say: The glory in it. Not everyone will be able to wield a mighty legendary sword and fight mythical, impossible beasts. Most won't get to venture into truly surreal lands with perils so dangerous, it will test their mettle to the extreme. And very, very few ponies throughout history can say they've saved the world.

But there will always be those who dream big. Like young Pipsqueak, whose desire to save others has always been far stronger than most ponies. Who never outgrew his deeply heartfelt wish to be bigger and larger than life. And to whom the prospect of being a real hero was more than just a fleeting daydream. It was everything he ever wanted.

And so it should come at no surprise that this was what his dreams were almost always comprised of.

Almost, because right about now, he was having no such dream. In fact, he couldn't have been further from his wish in this one. Even if he wanted to turn his dream around, how would he? Surrounded by an army of changelings, timberwolves, cockatrices, manticores, cragadiles, classmates, and pony-eating Parasprites (entirely a creation of his own mind, I should add. They don't actually eat ponies), Pipsqueak had found himself in truly impossible odds. All he had on hoof was one terribly small and ineffective wooden sword that seemed to bounce off even the thinnest of the hides in that monstrous army. And every time he parried blows with it, he could see another crack having formed along its blade-like surface.

That was if he could even get a parry off at all. His nerves were frayed, and all he could do was sway his sword frantically in the air, his teeth gritting into the hilt itself and the constant tossing of his head back and forth was making him even dizzier now. Worse yet, the closer the army inched towards him, the bigger they became. Or was he getting smaller and smaller?

For all his dreams and heartfelt desires of being a hero, poor Pipsqueak lacked the necessary talents of a great one. Strength, agility, tactical ability, wisdom, experience, and most importantly... Bravery.

Well, that's not entirely true. Pip is big of heart and he has bravery in spades when it counts. Yet, he would be the first to tell you otherwise due to his lack of self-esteem. Maybe it's true that his knees tend to buckle and shake under scary situations. Okay, he does have a tendency to panic at the slightest bit of trouble. And sure, wanting to run away as soon as things get tough is the truest sign of a coward.

Look, you need to put things into perspective. It's easy for a strong and experienced hero to keep calm and collected in the face of danger, as his confidence and knowledge grants him protection. They are no strangers to injury or even their mortality hanging in the balance, so they tend to feel less afraid under such circumstances. That's just plain-old adaptability talking there.

But Pip, in the face of his many flaws, remains in the fight despite his shaky knees, uncoordinated moves, poor posture, terrible stances, godawful equipment, and just a general lack of ability. He wants to run away the first chance he gets, but does he? No. Never. In fact, you could even say he is that much braver for it. Perhaps one of the bravest ponies of them all.

I like this saying and I say it often. Twist it around a bit and it's quite relevant to Pipsqueak as a whole. It goes like this: "What is strength? Is it the ability to move mountains, or to move mountains despite not having the ability to?"

So I'll ask you this once. What is bravery?

Still, if bravery is all you needed to be a great hero, perhaps Pip wouldn't have found himself in such a terrible dream. He isn't a hero like he so often dreams of. Almost no one recognizes him as one. They think him a nuisance, always trying to help others and often running into danger too requiring him to be saved as well. Some of his classmates openly mock him about his small stature, and he hides his hurt in order to keep up the hero act which invites further mockery.

The worst of it? Even Pip himself thinks it's entirely impossible for him to become one. Years of trying and failing since he was but a hoof-sized foal had cemented that idea pretty firmly in his head. Every bitter failure just tacked on more and more locks and chains onto that ever-growing, unimaginably heavy door.

And this dream he was in? This nightmare? Well, just a routine one for the books.

So it would've been had it not been for a great friend that Pip had made a while ago. Back against a rocky wall and being closed in on, before that monster army had the chance to swarm him, every single one of them turned into clouds of purple mist as a magical laser beam swept through the whole lot, with the caster making sure to aim that laser slightly above their center of mass so that she could intentionally miss the short, key pony in this dream.

"Luna!" Pipsqueak flopped his back and shaky limbs onto the dirt beneath him, and he smiled a weak but toothy smile up towards the Princess of Dreams herself who was looking very worried about him indeed. Even as small as he already was, his nightmares had shrunk him in size further which spoke of Pip's lack of confidence in his stature, so he was left to look at an abnormally tall Princess Luna. "I'm always glad to see you."

"Another nightmare, Pip? That's the fourth one this month, and we're not even half way out of it. Are you sure you're okay?" Her tone did not betray her expression all while she brought her horn onto Pip to cast a spell in order to revert him to his normal size.

"Right as rain, Princess." Pip got up once Luna was done with her spell and shook the dirt off of himself.

The Princess sighed a terribly sorry sigh and sat down right beside him, waiting for him to finish dusting himself off. "Please, Pip. Sit with me." Pip went to go join her where she was bumping a hoof off to the side of her and as she used her magic to change the scenery to something more pleasant.

They had gone from the scary, swampy wooded area of the Everfree Forest to a part deep within it. A strangely beautiful part of the Everfree with trees surrounding a large pond, creating a secluded grotto where the night sky was completely unpolluted by outside lights. Which in turn reflected majestically off of the pond's tranquil and glass-like surface creating the mesmerizing image of liquid night. The Princess had not chosen this place at random. She knew this was Pip's favorite place, and it often helped to calm him when things got bad or even inspire him when he needed a push in the right direction.

Yet for some reason or another, Pip was inconsolable even within this haven of his. He only looked down at the ground and drew on the soft soil the picture of a sword, trying to distract his mind. This was a first for him. This place had always managed to cheer him up before. But what little pride he had left, it had been shaken so thoroughly by now that he couldn't even feel an ounce of happiness within it.

Princess Luna couldn't bare to see him this way. She'd come to really appreciate what he did for her so many moons ago, and ever since then, she'd been looking out for him a lot. In fact, almost exclusively nowadays, as he was now being bombarded by nightmare after nightmare, far more frequently than the rest of Equestria. The effects of that were now clearly starting to show.

The Princess sincerely wanted to believe in him. She wanted to trust that Pip could become a hero. But Time was beginning to say otherwise, and this pursuit of his was beginning to hamper his mental health. He only ever had nightmares following bouts of disappointment with himself over it. Now that it was happening more often, the Princess was beginning to feel like she would have to tell Pip the words that he needed to hear, hard as they would be to say them. The harsh truth.

It wouldn't be easy for either of them. She loathed the idea of having to hurt Pip at his lowest. But it was necessary. He would not be able to continue forward in life if this kept up. Or even worse consequences. She took a deep breath, and slowly, inaudibly exhaled to ready herself for this.

"Pip. I know this is going to be hard to hear... And I want you to know that I'm saying this only because I care about you, and I'm worried about you. I want the best for you. So I need you to please consider what I'm about to say..." She was running circles with her words now, trying to keep from saying it.

"You want me to stop trying to be a hero. I'm really not cut out for it." Pip said it for her in a quiet, resigned tone. He dug his hoof into the image he was drawing to erase it, and got up to walk over to the pond to look at his own reflection.

Luna could not have imagined a worse way to break it to him even if she had tried. Pip's own admittance to the truth was heartbreaking. She walked up to the edge of the pond to stare at the reflection so she could see Pip's face better, hoping to see how he was handling it. Poorly. Poorly was the answer. To say he was devasted would have been a huge understatement. But the worst part of it was always that Pip was trying hard, too hard, to cover that up. Which just added to the sting.

"Oh Pip, I'm so sorry about this. I really am." She comforted him by running a hoof over his unruly mane.

"It's okay, Princess Luna. I hear it a lot from all the grown-ups. And I think so too." He quickly dipped his head into the water to refresh himself and came out of it again completely dry. Dream logic, and all that. "But it's not easy. I've tried. And I just... can't help it. Everytime I doze off, I imagine what it would be like."

"Being a hero, Pip?" She asked him just to hear what he would always say. But this time... he shook his head.

"Not being me." Even this answer of his was different. And tragically sorrowful.

"Don't say that, Pip... You're a great pony. I know you are. And I am Equestria's Princess, so you know my say so has to mean something. If it wasn't for you, I don't know if I'd still be here today."

"Huh? How so?"

Princess Luna sighed. She certainly wasn't ready to show her weakness to any pony, but here and now, it was the best thing she could think to say to turn Pip around.

"Weellll... remember our first Nightmare Night together, Pip? When we became friends."

"Of course I do. It was a lot of fun! It's the first time I ever conquered my fears so that I could speak to you, Princess."

"Well, remember what you told me then?" Luna’s question had Pip scrambling to remember that night precisely, and she found it amusing to see him struggle to come up with the exact words since she fully expected him to forget such a small moment in time that was only ever deeply touching to her.

“I’m sorry Princess, I don’t remember anything that could’ve been important to you. All I remember saying was how much fun that night had been, and that I wished you would return for the next one.”

“Well, that’s just it Pip. That’s all you said.” She gave a small chuckle when he became increasingly more confused since he had a funny way of bending his expression a lot whenever he was deep in thought and trying to understand something. “Believe it or not, those few words were all I needed. My return to Equestria hadn’t been... as smooth as I would’ve liked. I was struggling to feel like I had a place here with every pony. No matter how hard I tried, it seemed like time had passed me by, and just like in times past, it still felt like no one cared for their night princess...”

“What?! There’s no way that’s true! You’re like the bestest princess ever. There’s Princess Celestia, Cadence, and Twilight now. But you’re still my favorite!”

“Thank you, Pip. That’s also what you said back during Nightmare Night too. It means a lot truly. Since I don’t get to interact with other ponies often due to my royal status and nightly duties, I don’t get to hear those kinds of words often. So when you said them to me all that time ago, even if you yourself didn’t think much of it, well, for me it meant the world. I spent a millennium thinking I wasn’t wanted anywhere. But there and then, I was saved by you.” Luna let out a pleasant sigh of relief. It wasn’t often she got to air out the feelings inside of her, lest the crown waned. “So you see, Pip. You are a hero. My hero.” She tussled his mane one last time and looked up at the stars to lose herself within the cosmos.

“I didn’t know my words could help some pony that way! I’m glad I was able to help you, Princess Luna.” Pip had cheered up considerably at her words. Being told that he was a hero in some shape or form had really lightened the burden on his heart somewhat, even if he didn’t feel like he quite deserved it. He followed the Princess’ lead and looked up towards the night sky to glimpse at whatever the Princess was looking at. In this case, the constellation of Ursa Minor.

(Illustration by DamayantiArts)

“Princess?”

“Yes, Pip?”

“I know you want me to stop trying to be a hero but... I really can’t help it. I’ve never thought about anything else in life.”

Luna sighed. “I knew you’d say that, Pip. But you should understand how this obsession of yours is affecting you. These nightmares are connected to your feelings of inadequacy. I want to support your endeavors, I truly do. But we all have to face the music at some point. Perhaps it just wasn’t meant to be...” Pip was silent at this, still staring up at the stars and smiling as though he hadn’t heard a single word Luna had told him having ignored all of that. And Luna herself couldn’t help smiling even as he did so. A happy Pip was a happy thing indeed. “Well... maybe you can’t be a conventional hero, Pip. But maybe you could continue to be a hero in the way you helped me. By helping ponies on the inside, rather than on the outside.”

Pip shook his head again. “I don’t know about that, Princess Luna. I’m not even sure how I managed to help you the first time.”

“Just by being you.” She followed up.

“By being me...” Pip thought on it for a while and sighed. “But the me right now isn’t good enough to save anyone... I always thought I’d get my Cutie Mark in hero-ing someday. And ever since I heard of my ancestor from Mr. Rock, I knew that my feelings weren’t misplaced. If he was so like me and became a hero despite that, then I should be able to too!”

“Your ancestor, Pip? This is news to me. Who is that?”

“Only the bravest, most heroic pony EVER! Pint-size the Brave!” He practically jumped in order to exclaim his name with more vigor, which brought out a chuckle from Luna.

“Really?? THE Pint-size was your ancestor Pip? When I was just a filly myself, I grew up learning all about him from my own teacher, Star Swirl the Bearded. Even back then, his heroics were the stuff of myth and legend. But his lineage is shrouded in mystery, and no one knows who his descendants were. Who told you about this again?”

“Mr. Rock! The wise old stone of the Everfree. I go to visit him all the time! We’re in his home right now. Well, not in it for real since this is a dream. But you get what I mean. Look over there, see? That’s him.” Pip pointed over at a rather inconspicuous and perfectly normal-looking stone with a bit of moss at the top of it. Nothing would’ve impressed you as being anything other than just... a rock.

“A... talking rock, Pip?”

“I know! I was confused too. I didn’t know rocks could talk either. But Maud Pie talks to rocks all the time. And Mr. Rock knew all about me and my ancestor. He told me a story of how Pint-size trained to become a hero since he was just a little foal like I was!”

“Reaaalllyy now? A personal account of the life of only the most fabled hero in all of Equestrian history? By a talking rock that knows all about you too, Pip? Hmm... I don’t suppose we could visit this Mr. Rock in person any time soon? _{I want to ask him about how he's filling your head with these ideas.}”

Pip hadn't caught whatever the Princess muttered there at the end in his excitement. “Sure! I don’t think he’d mind. Um but...”

“What’s the matter, Pip? You seem unsure.”

“It’s just that we’d have to travel through the Everfree Forest to get there. I go to visit a lot, but I’ve often been attacked by all sorts of monsters before. And it’s really spooky.”

“Ah, that’s what you mean. Not to fear, Pip. You’ll have me by your side. Besides, I’m quite interested in this Mr. Rock fellow. I’ll go talk to your parents and pick you up first thing in the morning, how does that sound?”

“Sure! This’ll be the first time I introduce a friend to Mr. Rock! See you in the morning Princess!” Pip said as he began to grow increasingly more sleepy, slowly but surely being culled to sleep.

Or I guess, dream logic making it so that he was being culled awake.

---

Luna slowly regained herself after opening her eyes, ending her incursion into the dream realm. For a while now, she had been thinking that Pip's frequent nightmares were no coincidence. She had seen him have his ups and downs many times, but never like this. Now she was thinking that this talking stone that Pip had mentioned, crazy as it sounded, had some real bearing to his current emotional state. It was possible that someone was manipulating him from the shadows, or even charming him with magic into believing lies. Nothing she wouldn't be able to quickly find out if she personally went to go check on Pip's claims herself. One thing was certain. Pipsqueak would not give up on his aim, no matter what anyone told him and no matter how bad his nightmares became. His strong will was unparalleled since it never broke no matter how shaken it'd become, and his bravery second to none.

Luna walked over to her personal bookcase where she still kept copies of millennia past books. She was intent to find out what kind of magic, if any, was playing a part in Pip's dreams. And whose books were better for studying magic than from her own teacher, Star Swirl the Bearded? But with the night quickly meeting its end, she was finding it difficult to come up with any concrete solutions. Dream magic was incredibly rare after all, since controlling them was a strictly unique and extremely difficult ability that not even a handful of creatures in all of recorded history were able to affect. Luna herself had grown into her powers by instinct, so she could not properly teach her magics to anyone even if she wanted to.

Maybe it really was just the case that Pip was conflicted over his circumstances, and the result of it was him being plagued by so many nightmares? But all their talks together over the last few months had not clued her into anything out of the ordinary changing in his life, nor of anything that had emotionally struck him. All save for that talking stone. But then again... all Pip had mentioned was that the stone told him a story of his ancestor. Pip spoke of that entity well, and he seemed to implicitly trust it too. And Luna knew that the young foal was a good judge of character who wouldn't speak lies if he could help it.

Something was amiss in all of this. She could feel it. And so she continued on with her research even as daybreak began to loom over the horizon, her sister having just roused from her sleep.

And then it happened. She stumbled upon the first clue.

Strangely, in Star Swirl the Bearded's "The Nature of Magic", an insightful study into Magic itself and how it works on a fundamental level. It told of many things, from how it comes to be, to how it exists within Equestria and the very world itself, and even as to how ponies and creatures are able to manifest its powers in their day-to-day life indirectly or even directly in the case of Unicorns and their horns.

The clue she was looking for... well, it ran a chill down her own back. "Chapter seven, emotional response and subconscious reactions. Subsection three, consequences and other phenomena..." Her eyes fixated on one particular entry that Star Swirl had mentioned in those pages. The more she read, the more the beads of a cold sweat could be seen running down her forehead. They were describing something deeply troubling.

Something that, since her return to Equestria and even more as of late, was pointing at her own dreams, let alone Pip's.

Tantabi...

---

The morning had now run its length and the afternoon was quickly approaching its end soon too. The bustle of Ponyville's streets was in full swing on this school-less weekend day. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary for any pony, except for one smaller-than-average colt who had been patiently waiting at his doorstep for hours on end. Since the early morning at that. His parents had shown their concern, of course, but the colt had diswayed them with a promise that Princess Luna would come to speak to them at some point today.

And yet, she never did. It was far past the Princess' waking hours now, and Pip was beginning to doubt that she would arrive. His parents didn't quite believe him of course, because the Princess had only ever been Pip's dream realm pen pal, but they gave him the benefit of doubt anyway and continued with their normal weekend activities. That meant that Pip was left to pass the time all on his lonesome sitting around at the very front of his house just kicking up dirt or daydreaming that he was a hero like he usually did. A few of his friends had come around to check up on him at the very least.

"Heya Pipsqueak, what are you up to?" Sweetie Belle asked him as she spotted him drawing the image of a sword stuck in a stone on the ground. Trailing behind her was the other three Cutie Mark Crusaders. Apple Boom, Scootaloo, and an honorary new member, Chrys. A small changeling with amber eyes and a bright green mane, who was shorter than most of the other pony foals and slightly taller than Pip himself.

"Being bored, mostly."

"Why? You doing anything? Chrys said she wanted to invite you to come pla- I mean, come to our Cutie Mark Crusader training. We're seeing who is going to get their aviator mark by roleplaying a hot-air balloon pilot." Scootaloo followed, speaking on the changeling's behalf.

"No thank you, I'm good. I'm waiting for someone." His casual response was enough for the original three Cutie Crusaders to give up on him.

"Well alright, if you say so. Catch you around Pip. Don't be a stranger none." Apple Bloom commented as they turned away to walk back to the kiosks on Ponyville's main commercial road to go look at something or other in the stands that caught their fancy.

The only one left remaining was the changeling herself. She was looking over at him worriedly, as if she were seeing more than he was letting on.

"Pip, okay?" She asked.

"Yup, I'm okay." Pip had failed to make her budge. Her worried stare remained. He looked around to confirm that the Cutie Crusaders had left, and then sighed. "Well, maybe just a bit worried, I'll admit."

The small changeling didn't respond and only tilted her head to show her curiosity over this statement. She was often soft-spoken in this way, as she wasn't much for words and would rather convey her responses through expressions.

"Princess Luna was supposed to visit today. She told me so in my dreams, but she hasn't shown up yet. The Princess never goes back on her word, so I'm worried that something must've happened to her."

"Luna? Dream, visitor?" Chrys tilted her head to the other side, still not quite understanding everything Pip was saying. Had he confided with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, they would've known what he meant. But Chrys as a changeling was very much out of the loop.

"You don't know who Princess Luna is, Chrys? Really?!" He was shocked for a moment, then bumped a hoof to his noggin' from a moment of realization. "Oh that's right... I'm sorry, I forgot that Luna can only visit pony dreams... I guess it would make sense you wouldn't know her. Um. But you do know who Princess Celestia is, right?"

A wide smile spread across the changeling's face as she nodded. "Auntie. Twilight, teacher."

"Yup yup, Celestia is Twilight's teacher. But what was that about an aunt?" The changeling only tilted her head again, not fully understanding the question. "Er, uh nevermind. Well, at least you know Princess Celestia. You know that she raises the sun right?" She nodded. "Well, the one who raises the moon is her sister, Princess Luna. She takes care of the dream realm too."

The changeling was slack jawed. This was the first time she was hearing about this.

"You really don't know anything about her, do you?" She shook her head at Pip's question. "You should meet her sometime! She's the best Princess in my opinion. Um. No offense to Twilight." Chrys only gave him a quiet smile. "Hmm. But tell you what. If you want, you can wait here with me if you want to meet her. _{If she ever shows up, that is.}"

She nodded excitedly and almost took off, stopping short of a few steps so she could turn around over to Pip again. "Be back. Will tell Twilight, I'll be here. And friends." And like that, she was gone.

But again, some time had passed and not even Chrys had shown back up to meet him there, much less the Princess. Now poor Pip was thoroughly confused. What was happening today? As time kept ticking, the more anxiety over the Princess grew for him. Until finally, he became tired of waiting. He muttered his apologies to Chrys who had still yet to show up, hoping she wouldn't be disappointed over his disappearance, and he took off into the Everfree Forest by himself to go visit that familiar grotto from his dreams.

Now that Pip had, had so much time to wonder about all the possibilities of why Luna would skip out on her visit, he thought of a few troubling ones that had given him reason to delve into the Everfree by himself. He imagined that maybe the Princess had been met with trouble on the way to Ponyville, as she might've flown over or through the forest itself and had found herself at the end of its many sharp jaws or claws. Maybe she was caught by its dangerous, entangling flora after curiously trying to investigate it on her own last night. She did seem a bit skeptical about Mr. Rock when he told her about him...

Whatever the case, Pip ventured forth. At first, all he could think about was trying to save the Princess in case she was in trouble. But the Everfree has a way of tempering bravery in its many forms. Even with no creatures about, the forest itself had a way of creating the illusion of danger.

Its thick overgrown canopy shrouded the forest floor in a dim lighting, inviting the shadows at almost every turn which a young, impressionable imagination had a way of hiding monsters within. Moisture had less of a chance to dry off within this shroud thus creating a wet and swampy atmosphere that not only made it harder to see but also made it more difficult to traverse, and the increased humidity made it feel both cooler and hotter as they navigated through its jungles. This made the creatures within it accumulate more moisture on their coats and skin as if it were sweat and brought about a chill as they were cooled by it, eliciting fear due to the cold-sweat effect on the mind despite the temperate climate underneath the canopy.

Finally, it was the detritus of the forest that further affected Pip's state of mind. The forest floor's overgrown trees had overgrown roots to match, which seemed to grasp and lurch at his hoofs almost intentionally due to the sheer amount of them and due to their careful concealment from layers and layers of debris like months and months of fallen, withering tree leaves and other low-light flora like wild looking mushrooms and insectivorous plants. This invited the idea that he was never alone within the Everfree. That something could always be lurking and lunging after him.

Worse yet, no matter how many times Pip had visited Mr. Rock in the past, the forest always had a way of tricking his steps. Every time he grew familiar with its twisting passages and subtle landmarks, come the following month it would have changed considerably, leaving him no room to rely on his spatial memory. Getting to the grotto had become an almost instinctual thing that not always paid out for Pip. Often times he found himself escaping the forest as fast as possible due to coming across its less gentle fauna.

And unfortunately for him... it was starting to feel like that would be the case here too. He was beginning to hear a rustling sound from his surroundings, inching closer to him. Due to his size, the grasses and shrubs on the forest floor were chest-high to him and it obfuscated him well, so Pip had often avoided trouble simply by staying still since it was usually hard for any creatures to find him without the aid of noise. Just like before, he quickly crouched further down to be completely invisible by some of the grasses. Yet, the rustling noise was showing no stop and was becoming louder by the second. It was almost like it could see Pip through the shrubbery despite the natural camouflage. And without a shadow of a doubt... it was after him.

After a few more seconds holding in his breath and feeling the dread of that mysterious creature closing in on him, he finally lost his nerve and began to sprint in any direction except towards the unknown creature, yelling out in a panic as he did so. Sure enough, the creature gave chase.

"I'm not tasty at all Mr. Monster!" He yelled out in between pants of breath as he kept running.

Whatever it was, it was relentless in its pursuit. Every time Pip felt he was at an advantage after a certain tight turn in the trees which allowed him to fool it to run past him, it would almost immediately turn around knowing that it had lost him and would start after him again. Even after jumping a nearby stream towards the other side and hiding back into the shrubbery, he could still hear it gunning after him. Finally, Pip abandoned the flora all together so that he could run along the length of the relatively clean and stable stream whose empty, rocky bank would allow him to gallop at full speed. Looking to the side of him where the creature was still lurking within the shrubs, he caught sight of it for a split second. It's coat was dark, so it was hiding even better than he was within them. And the tips of its insect-like wings were sticking out of the top of the grasses, so that completely crossed out his idea to climb a tree right there and then. Before he could see it more clearly, Pip stumbled upon one of the forest's many snagging upturn roots, sending him rolling on the ground as his momentum carried him into a familiar place and into the shallow part of a large pool of water.

He had arrived at the grotto.

Before Pip had the chance to compose himself within the water and turn his hoofs to the ground to kick himself up and out of it, the mud had made him trip even further into the deep part of it due to the slippery ground. Just as quickly as danger had come, it had gone. And now it had arrived yet again. Despite the part of the water where Pip was in being relatively shallow, due to his small size, to Pipsqueak it was threatening to drown him in its steepness. And every time he paddled his way onto the land again, he would inadvertently slip back in.

Imagine if you will being stuck inside a bathtub covered in butter and having almost zero friction. And Pip wasn't a particularly strong swimmer either, so his lack of buoyancy was putting him at further disadvantage. Pip would have been in real trouble if it had not been for the quick help from someone that dove in after him, and began tugging and pushing his body through the mud.

This someone was a large, bulky and built grey Diamond Dog that was digging its claws deep into the muddy ground to get its footing and to help Pip get out of the pool. After a moment of struggle, Pip managed to stumble out of the water, with the Diamond Dog following suit.

"Oh my gosh, thank you mister! I would've been a goner if you hadn't been here! Were you able to lure away the forest monster too?"

The nameless Diamond Dog caught Pip by surprise when it giggled at his questions in a cute, but hiccupy kind of way in the tone of a young girl. Then he stumbled back in surprise when it's entire form quickly changed back into the image of a familiar face.

(Illustration by SherwoodWhisper)

"Chrys! It's you! Oh thank Princess Luna it was just you. Er, wait, were you the one chasing me in the Everfree?" He asked now that the clues were starting to click for him. She nodded at his question.

"Sorry. Saw Pip enter, forest. Followed to see where, going. Everfree is dangerous. No place, for pony. Then Pip become scared. Was trying, to help." She said in her usual broken way of speaking, which was leagues better than when she first arrived in Ponyville for the first time, from what he could remember.

"Ah, I see. Haha." He flushed in his shame, and sighed with relief. "I got spooked by the forest even before I heard you following after me. And since you're almost as short as me, I didn't get to see who you were until now. Sorry for getting scared by you. I hope that didn't hurt your feelings?" He held out a hoof towards her.

She shook her head, knowing that Pip sincerely meant his apology. She implicitly understood that things would not change for her kind overnight, and that she looked inherently scary if the other pony did not know better. She took that hoof and shook it. "It okay. Pip. Just glad, you're okay."

"Same, my heart nearly jumped out of my chest. But hey, sorry again for ditching you earlier. I know I said we were gonna wait, but I got more worried about Princess Luna and you were taking a long time. My bad for not telling you anything."

"I'm, sorry too. Talked to, Twilight. Asked about Luna. She gave me, big lesson. Took while." Pipsqueak laughed since that sounded very much like something Princess Twilight would do. "Twilight also mention. Spoke to, Auntie Celestia. Luna still at castle, sleeping. In Canterlot. Was up for a while. Researching something, important."

"Oh... That's good to hear. I guess I worried over nothing huh? Haha..." He rubbed at his mane feeling the hot shame of his over imagination and his heroic desires causing trouble again. "I just wish she would've said something first..." Chrys' expression softened as Pip became a bit sadder after saying that, but then he cheered up again. "Well, it's too much to expect an important Princess like Luna to have the time to come all the way out here with me! It's okay. I don't blame Luna."

Chrys smiled knowing that Pip really did mean those words. He was a kind soul that way, from what she could see. She'd only interacted with him a few times, but there was always something about Pipsqueak that caught her attention. He seemed very much like her in a way.

After a bit of silent thought, Pip had a sudden realization and looked around. He had completely glossed over the fact that they were in the grotto he spoke of to Luna. "Hmm, maybe today wasn't a total waste after all! I can finally introduce a friend to Mr. Rock." Strangely, unlike most ponies, Chrys did not question this. Not even with her usual head tilts. She only eagerly awaited whatever this introduction meeting was.

Pipsqueak looked at the ground all over the grotto failing to recognize Mr. Rock due to his, admittedly, incredibly inconspicuous nature. Once he was sure he finally found him, Pip took him onto one hoof and held him aloft in front of Chrys.

"This is him, the wise old rock of the Everfree Forest. Mr. Rock!"

"Hello, rock." Chrys said almost immediately, taking it entirely seriously.

Silence. For a good twenty seconds, there was complete silence. Chrys only stared at the rock unflinchingly, not making even a move as though she were listening in on something intently. It was enough for Pip to have second thoughts about this whole thing, and wondered if he had even picked up the right rock. He coughed awkwardly and was about the put down the rock until another familiar voice finally spoke to him.

"It's good to see you too, young Pipsqueak. And thank you for introducing me to your friend. I'm sorry if I didn't respond to you sooner. I was asleep up until the very moment you picked me up, and since I can only converse with one creature at a time, I was introducing myself to Chrys. Or, I suppose I should say, that I was saying hi to her again and offering my apologies for something I did in the past." The deep, elderly voice of the rock spoke to him at last.

"Mr. Rock! It is you. For a second there I thought I got the wrong one. But you've met Chrys before? Huh?" Pip's expression shifted wildly in his confusion, amusing Chrys and the rock as he looked at each of them, hoping one of them would answer.

"Long, story. But its, okay now. Guardian, good stone. Good to see him, too." Chrys responded on their behalf.

"It is as she says. Maybe that's a story for another time. Still, it's great to see you making friends. I appreciate you coming all the way out here just to welcome them to me. Was that all the visit was for, young one? You seem a bit distressed right about now."

Pip huffed with exasperation. "Well, it seems everyone can read me like an open book today!"

"Hoho, well, you are standing in front of two who can do that with ease, you know. I have the experience that comes from countless years, and Chrys has her terribly good eyesight. So tell me Pip, what's wrong?"

"Nothing anymore, at least. I originally came here to look for Princess Luna since she said she wanted to meet you in my dreams after I spoke to her about you. She didn't show up today to do that, and I was afraid she might've gotten stuck in the Everfree Forest somehow and came to save her. In hindsight, I should've just told an adult to come with me... Or verified with Twilight about where Luna was."

"Hmm, yes, that would've been wise. This forest is not for the weak of heart, after all. But you're not anything of the sort, Pipsqueak. You did what you felt you had to do, isn't that right? So don't look so down. A hero's path is not always easy. Your ancestor understood that." The rock gave out a chuckle as he saw the expression on Pip's face. "Now don't look so surprised, young one. Of course I know what ails you deep inside. You've been fretting over it again, haven't you? You're here because you're struggling with your dreams, isn't that right? Luna... I know that little filly. If she visited you in your dreams, then there's only one conclusion as to why you'd want to visit this place again. Visiting me is just a pretense, isn't that right?"

"Right... sorry Mr. Rock. But it is nice to talk to you still. I know I can always look for advice from you."

"So say, what's got you so run down that you felt the need to come here again?"

"I um..." Pip looked over at Chrys who hadn't been part of their conversation due to the stone's one-way communication. She was sitting idly by, waiting to be called upon. Ultimately, her presence was making it hard for him to say it out loud.

"It's okay, Pip. I have a feeling that Chrys will be able to help you if you talk to us about it. So don't be afraid to fall back on her help. A true hero understands when a fight can't be won alone."

"Okay. I'll... just say it then. Um, I've been having a lot of nightmares lately. And even Princess Luna has started asking me to abandon my um, my want to be a hero. But I just can't... you know that, right Mr. Rock?"

"Very much, Pipsqueak. You are the spitting image of Pint-size, even down to your heart. I doubt even I could turn you away from it."

"Well, I want to stop." A silence lingered between the two of them. The stone was giving Pip the opportunity to collect his thoughts, and he did so by taking in a deep breath. "I've never been able to save anyone like I want to. And Luna said my nightmares are being caused because of my regrets. So I think she's right. I should really stop. I want to, anyway."

"Pip, okay?" Chrys asked now noticeably worried.

"No, not really. Sorry." Pip murmured quietly to himself, trying to keep from looking disappointed in himself.

But the changeling hadn't asked Pip that question. And that became more apparent with the lingering silence after he had said it. The occasional nod and tilting of her head had clued him into their one-way conversation. Then, Chrys' expression turned deadly serious. Finally, the stone spoke to him again.

"You know, it sounds to me like you're at odds with what you want, Pipsqueak. On one side of the coin, you want to be a hero above all else. But on the other, it's inviting trouble for you and creating worry for those you care about. Is that right?" Pip nodded. "But do you know what makes a hero, a hero?"

"Huh? It's fighting monsters and saving the day, isn't it?"

"Not exactly, no. What ultimately makes heroes is the desire to help others. So many ponies and creatures would rather prioritize themselves above anyone else, especially when looking into the jaws of danger. But heroes look beyond themselves. They look past their innately selfish nature and sacrifice for the good of others. They overpower their own desires in order to give to others what they need. And they overcome their fear because they know that this world needs its heroes, and a hero must never run from their duty when the cost of their inaction could end up costing someone else everything. A true hero is the kind of empathetic heart that saves others in more ways than just keeping them safe, young Pip. Monsters come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. The foes you will have to vanquish will not always appear to you in such fantastical ways like you imagine them to be."

"So then... what should I do? How do I become a hero?"

"I cannot say. The answer would hold no value if I gave it to you now. That is something that you must look for. I know the road has been filled with difficulty for you, as it was with Pint-size long ago. But do not lose heart, Pip. You worry over causing others worry when facing danger. But understand that will never change for those who love you. It is within a hero's nature to take on someone else's trouble in order to save them. As such, they will always be in conflict with something or other. Those who love you will always worry because a hero is destined for trouble. So you mustn't lose heart over a few hang-ups. I know you are far stronger than that, Pipsqueak. And I know you have the makings of a real hero."

"Thank you, Mr. Rock. I just wish Luna thought the same as you."

"I can understand why she would worry about you. Even I was trying to be the voice of reason to Pint-size so many, many years ago and trying to get him to quit his aim. But I've come to realize that you young ones need to follow your heart, even if you get hurt along the way." Mr. Rock's voice had a longing and regret in it the way only someone as old as him could have. "But listen, Pipsqueak. I also know that your dreams are not all your own. As I am magical in nature, you know that I can sense all manner of things. Namely, I can see an ominous magic lingering about you. And I'm sure that is what's affecting your dreams now."

"What?! Where?!" He turned circles trying to see it for himself, like a dog chasing his tail.

"You can't see it, but it's there. It is a mist that's always following you as it exists deep inside. And it's aching to break free. You must take care, Pipsqueak. You will endure all manner of hardships in your dreams thanks to it, but I have faith in you. Now I just need you to have faith in yourself."

"I'll... try. Um, should I tell Princess Luna about this mist? I don't know if she'll believe me."

"Yes, if you see her, be sure to let her know. If she is as brilliant as I remember, she'll soon be finding the real cause of your nightmares and work to rid you of them. The path ahead won't be so easy or kind, young Pip. Do not hesitate to fall back on another's aid. For that reason, I've asked Chrys to help you on this." Pip looked over to the changeling in question to see her nod approvingly, knowing intrinsically that her aid was being requested of her.

"Help with what?"

"She'll be helping you with your dreams. No pony in Ponyville is as familiar with this type of magic than she is. So trust her magic, and trust yourself. Tonight, the two of you will embark into the realm of dreams and hopefully quell the nightmares that surround you, Pip. Brave onwards, little hero."

---

"Thanks for having me over, Princess Twilight." Pip shifted uncomfortably at the stairs of the castle of friendship, waiting patiently to be let in.

"The pleasure is mine, Pip. It's great to see Chrys making more friends in Ponyville. Especially the kind she can have a sleepover with! I've moved a couple of beds to the library so we can all sleep in the same room together for tonight. It'll be so much fun, trust me. I've got a bunch of board games and activities ready!"

"Looking... forward to it Princess." Pip gave her a half-hearted smile, not knowing how to return her giddy enthusiasm.

The Princess bent over to speak to him more closely, making sure Spike and Starlight couldn't overhear what she was about to say.

"Chrys also clued me into your troubles and why you're here, Pip. Don't worry. If anyone knows how to cast the kind of magic that can give you restful dreams, it's her. She's been doing it for ages now. So have a little faith in us."

"Thank you again, Princess. And Chrys too. She's a real friend when I need her."

"I know, I raised her myself." Twilight caught herself and doubled back. "Well, somewhat. You know what I meant. Come on, let's go. The night is still young."

Yeah... it's going to be a long one... He thought to himself.

Comments

[Visharo]

That caught me off guard. Chrys? Who's Chrys? Then i got hit by a frisbee. OOOOOOH, THAT CHRYS! Then I started grinning, Chrys is always welcome. Tis a good start, I await for more.

[TheGJ90]

Pipsqueak and Chrys are about to go on dream adventures and I'm all for it!

[Forcalor]

Very uplifting, really loved the prose
Pip is very interesting to watch! He is small and curious. A perfect little hero-to-be

[Darkevony]

11668090
Was honestly looking for the tiniest reason to use her more, since she's a joy to write and think about. And with my newly created extended universe, plus a lot of the details and plans going forward with Pip's story... she ended up being the most logical choice out of anyone else, even the canon cast.

AND SO I STARTED BLASTING away at my keyboard. Gosh darn it, if I can add her to a story, I will!

And I'll apologize beforehand, since I understand not everyone will want to read her stories to understand who she is, so now I have to characterize her from the start again and that might seem a little repetitious to those who know of her already. I now need to go take another lesson on How to naturally and organically introduce old characters to a new story.

[Visharo]

11668716
I'll be cheering for you on the sidelines!
And for Pip and Chrys ofc.

[JitterBones]

11668716
I'm glad to see Chrys again! She's written fairly well, but so many 'Chrys' are written that the lore tends to blur. From another fiction I read Chrys could be a reincarnation or 'reverted to a child and lost her memories' Chrysalis. It does get a bit confusing sometimes but the fact is I didn't need specifics to understand her personality.

The Guardian on the other hand has specific back story from another of your fics, and could cause confusion to first readers if it becomes a focus. Just leave it as a passing, unimportant fact for the moment and it should be fine

I'm loving this series so far!

[Darkevony]

11678072
That's definitely the plan, much as I would like to have him tag along for some exposition, but is not nessecary. I do feel like I managed to characterize him well in Pip's short, and this story is purposely tagged as a sequel, though I still run short of reasons to include him other than acting as another voice, so I won't.

And thank you for the wonderful comment and for choosing to tag along with this one!

For any misunderstandings concerning Chrys... those who know, know and this is acting as a bit of service for them and also for me, since I love writing about her. Those who don't are in for a treat as we learn a bit about her and what she has to do with the overarching plot. How is this changeling connected to Tantabi? Name sounds familiar, wonder what that's about. Unique characteristics, beyond the broken speech patterns. And she seems awfully close to the cast of the show... well! Lots to unpack for the uninitiated.