In this Nightmare Night Special, Stone Heart is a struggling writer, as usual, and still being constantly harassed and picked on by bigoted ponies, but this time he has a little trick to get back at them all, and he strikes where they cannot possibly defend themselves...
...In Their Dreams!
LESSONS:
1: You cannot force your opinions on someone and badger them to comply with YOUR WAY of thinking and living
2: Just because someone is different than you, does not give you the right to treat them different
One night in Canterlot, a mild-mannered Unicorn librarian was walking alone through the empty library as thunder and lightning struck outside.
“I guess I should lock up for the night.” she said to herself.
The first thing she did was turn out all the lights, and then she headed for the front-door, only to find they were stuck tight and wouldn’t open.
“What’s going on?” she whimpered.
The lightning and thunder, and the howling winds made the library seem really scaring, especially when the sound of something falling with a loud thud made the mare jump.
“Who’s there?!” she called “The Library is closed!”
There was a low moaning sound heard in the distance, really freaking her out.
“I have to get out of here!”
She raced to the windows, only to find they were stuck too, and the glass was thick and strong like steel, so she couldn’t bust her way out either.
“What is this?” she cried out, and she started pounding on the windows hoping for someone to hear and rescue her, but she couldn’t be heard over the storm.
Then there were more of those loud plopping sounds. She turned round and could see it was just a few books falling down off the shelves.
Curious as to how they were doing that, the mare walked over to the shelves, and saw the books on the floor. “How could they just fall down like that?” she wondered…
…But as she bent down to gather them up, the books began to quivering, and rise up into the air.
Then, they spouted nasty glowing eyes, and teeth while growling at her, making her scream and run down the way, and the books gave chase while more books flew off the shelf and joined in.
“This can’t be happening?!!” cried the librarian as she ran faster and faster… up the stairs, around corners, and even grabbing a broom to bat the monster books away, until one of them snatched the broom and chomped it to bits.
The mare threw down what was left for the stick and dashed into a large storage closet, slamming the door shut behind her, but there was no way to get out now, and worse: the books gathered in large numbers and began to pound forcefully against the door, smashing it down!
“NOOOOOO…!!!” screamed the mare as the monsters began to charge for her, ready to sink their huge teeth into her flesh…!!
…That’s when the mare screamed, bolting upright in her own bed in her own home in the middle of the night!
She panted stressfully and wiped the sweat off her brow. “What a terrible nightmare!” she whimpered, and she held her aching head as she tried to her a hold of herself.
Meanwhile… in a dark room with a single lamp lit, a male unicorn was working at a type writer and, just pulled the page out.
“Locked in the Library” he entitled it. He snickered softly as he looked at the story from top to bottom. “Beautiful…” he hissed softly “…And it serves her right too… just like the rest of them.”
Snickering wickedly, he let the story fall to the floor by a whole bunch of other papers on the floor, each one with a story on them, and each one was some kind of horrific nightmare about other ponies suffering.
Twilight Sparkle and her entire groups of friends, including Starlight and Spike were summoned to Canterlot the next day, and asked to appear before Princess Celestia and Luna.
“What do you think they summoned us for?” wondered Starlight.
Spike held up the letter the princesses had sent, “There’s nothing written here.”
“Whatever it is, I’m sure it must be important.” said Twilight.
Rainbow looked hyped up, “I hope it’s some kind of evil. It’s been a while since we kicked some bad guy’s sorry end.”
The others were not as enthusiastic as she was. “Really, Rainbow Dash!” scolded Rarity “You would wish that Equestria be in danger for a chance at some action?”
Fluttershy felt a chill run down her back. “Just thinking of such things makes me shiver.”
“I don’t know, I sort of like the feeling.” said Pinkie, and that’s when her stomach growled, “Oops, guess I’m just hungry…” and she pulled a cupcake out of nowhere and chomped it down in one gulp. “Mmm… yummy…”
“Well, here we go.” said Applejack as the big doors to the throne room opened wide and the royal sisters were waiting for them all.
“Ah, so glad you’ve made it.” said Celestia.
Everyone bowed to her and to Princess Luna.
“Sorry to jump right to the topic, your majesties,” said Twilight. “What have you summoned us for, and why didn’t you mention anything in your letter?”
“We wished not to alarm you so suddenly,” answered Princess Luna “What we have to say of the utmost, and we feel it would be wiser to explain to you in person.”
Celestia agreed “Listen very carefully, all of you…
During the past few weeks there has been a most unusual outbreak of nightmares.”
Princess Luna clapped her hooves and the royal courier came in with a huge sack of letters that were all addressed to her, from concerned ponies begging her to try and sort the problem out.
“Wow! That’s all from the past few weeks?” asked Applejack.
“Wrong,” replied Luna “These are all from today.”
The gang all gasped.
“But wait…” said Starlight “I thought Princess Luna was able to visit ponies in their dreams and work hard to quell bad dreams.”
“That is exactly the problem.” said Celestia “Princess Luna has been trying effortlessly to confront these dreams every night, but they continue to occur, and some of these victims have had more than one nightmare in the past while.”
Twilight felt this to be most disturbing, “But ponies have had many nightmares before.” she was trying to make logical deductions, but Celestia saved her all the trouble, “Don’t push you, Twilight. It already boils down to one thing…”
“…You mean, you think someone is deliberately making these ponies dream this stuff?” asked Spike.
“For now, it is only an assumption.” said Luna “But it seems to be our best lead, for as you know, it is nearly impossible to experience the same type of dream a second time.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” said Pinkie “One time I dreamt of this ginoooooooooooormus cupcake, and it just got bigger and bigger… and then I had another dream about it, and another, and another and--” she stopped when everyone gave her a blank stare, telling her to take it easy. “Sorry.”
Applejack rolled her eyes and then asked the sisters, “Anyway, where do we come in all of this?”
Celestia eyed at all the friends, “If this is some sort of magical curse, we need to find out the source-- where it’s coming from, who is casting it, and why.
We want you all to help us with the investigation.”
Rainbow looked a little disappointed, “Yeah… I was sort of hoping for something a little more exciting. Besides, can’t Princess Luna just determine where the dream magic is coming from?”
The sisters both sighed, and Starlight corrected Rainbow, “If she could, she wouldn’t send for us to help.”
Rainbow sulked, feeling very silly.
“Oh, but… where do we even begin?” asked Fluttershy “Dreams are dreams, and they don’t just appear in the middle of the day or anything like that.”
“Fluttershy has a point.” said Rarity “We can’t just go out there and expect the reason to just appear before us.”
Just then the big doors then opened wide, and two sentries came in. “Begging your majesties’ pardon…” said one of them “Mr. Stone Heart has arrived, and we brought him to your majesties as ordered.”
The sisters gave the okay to show their guest in.
Rarity heart suddenly gave a leapt of joy, “Did you say “Stone Heart?”
Twilight and Starlight’s eyes lit up. “…THE Stone Heart?” cried Twilight.
The royal sisters then looked as if they were containing their own anxieties as well.
“Who’s Stone Heart?” asked Applejack.
Rarity let out a gasp and nearly fainted.
“He’s the new famous writer in Canterlot.” said Spike “He wrote this story called “The Strength of Friendship” I didn’t read it, but Twilight and starlight sure did, and, obviously did Rarity and the princesses.”
Twilight levitated up a copy of the book from her saddle bag. “Oh, this was such a wonderful story, I couldn’t put it down.”
She explained it was about a young pony that was very angry-- he had been dumped by his lady love for another stallion, he was treated badly where he worked, but he did have friends who stood by his side and helped him to recover and find his strength to carry on with his life, and in the end, everything seemed to work out as the pony grew less and less enraged.
Starlight sighed. “What a story. I read it twice.”
Rarity got up, in a dazed motion, “To meet the pony who wrote such a lovely story… it’s… it’s… unfathomable!”
The other friends felt the guy had to be famous to cause this much of a daze in their friends, and especially if he was summoned before the princesses.
“Mr. Stone Heart…” announced the guard and they let the stallion pass. He was a navy blue unicorn with a light brown mane and his cutiemark was that of a broken pencil and a book, but with the pages flying out of it… almost like it was a failed work.
He also didn’t look to be very happy either, but rather hardened features, which he was trying to supress when in the presence of royalty. He also had slight bags under his eyes, possibly from lack of proper sleep, and he even wore was appeared to be a green sanitation-worker’s outfit, which confused some of the others.
“That don’t look like any writer.” said Applejack.
“No, it doesn’t.” agreed Fluttershy.
Twilight could barely contain herself, and Rarity felt hearts swirling around her face and stars in her eyes, but as he passed by her, everyone could suddenly smell the faint yet distinctive smelly odor.
“Whoa!” groaned Rainbow, and she grumbled “Didn’t anyone teach that guy about soap and water?”
He heard her, and didn’t take kindly to it.
He approached the sisters first and bowed politely to them. “Your majesties… Forgive me of the odor, I was working and was not given time to cleanse. Your guards had insisted that I come immediately.”
Celestia cleared her throat and acted very professional, “Stone Heart, thank you for coming.
First of all, we would to offer our royal congratulations and appraisal for your outstanding novel, “The Strength of Friendship”
Stone looked almost disgusted at the very mention of the book, which did not go unnoticed by the others… especially Twilight and Starlight.
Celestia continued, “We have also brought you here out of great concern, for it seems that despite your novel’s growing success, your personal record indicates only a steady source of income, most likely from your…” he paused and cleared her throat “…Obvious job as a sanitation worker.”
Luna then stepped forth “It is our concern that you are not being well-compensated enough for such an achievement, and we have summoned you here to personally rectify the situation.”
She levitated a small check towards Stone. He looked down at it, and his eyes slightly widened.
The others couldn’t help but look over his shoulder.
“Whoa!” cried Rainbow as she gazed at the amount.
“That’s practically a fortune in gold bits!” exclaimed Rarity.
“Think of all the cupcakes you could buy with that.” added Pinkie.
Stone then went back to looking non-too thrilled, and he bowed to the sisters. “If that is all, I really should be getting back to work. The litter and garbage will not clean itself.”
He gave another bow and bluntly turned to leave.
“Just a moment, sir…” said Celestia.
Annoyed, but keeping his cool, Stone turned round, “Yes?”
The sisters then both looked a little awkward and nervous as they hesitated.
“Would it… be too much to ask for an autograph?” asked Celestia. She and Luna both held up their books with enthusiasm.
Stone was trembling softly, and even Fluttershy could tell something was bothering him, but Stone calmly answered, “I’m sorry, but I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”
As disappointed as the sisters would visibly be, they figured it was merely an act of professionalism, in which he couldn’t just hand out autographs like that.
“In that case, we shall politely wait for an autograph signing.” said Celestia “You may go.”
Stone bowed one last time and left, but it wasn’t until he was completely out of the throne room and past the guards did he look extremely angry, as if he wanted to pick a fight with someone.
Then he was gone leaving the friends all perplexed.
Spike then broke the silence, “Um… shouldn’t we all get to work?”
The ponies snapped back to reality. “Yes… we should.” agreed Twilight.
They all bid the sisters farewell, and left the throne room to begin their mission.
“Twilight…” called Celestia “Take this with you…” and she levitated over to her a list of many ponies that had suffered nightmares to interview if need be, complete with royal medals for each and every member of the group, which would show they were acting under orders and would have rights to talk to others.
As the group all left the palace and heading deep into the village, they all seemed more about how cold Stone Heart seemed to act.
“He certainly wasn’t what I expected him to be.” said Rarity “Why ever would a famous writer be taking up job picking up other ponies’ dirty trash?”
“Maybe it’s just a second job?” suggested Applejack “I mean, writing is fine, but it doesn’t always bring in all the pay; got to have a backup source.”
The others were barely convinced, especially Twilight.
“Maybe we should focus on our mission first.” suggested Starlight.
“I think Starlight is right.” agreed Fluttershy.
Pinkie nodded so vigorously, her head seemed to rattle like a cowbell.
Twilight did agreed, but as the group began to head into the village, they could see Stone up ahead with his big wagon full of garbage, which had mud thrown on it to quell the smell.
He seemed to be staring down furiously at the check from the sister, and then he threw it up into the air, and fired a soft burning beam from his horn, roasting the check into ash that dissolved in the air…
The friends all gasped in horror, while Stone simply huffed, “Good riddance!” and then went along his route with his wagon in tow.
“What just happened?” asked Pinkie.
“He just threw all that money away like it was… trash!” squeaked Rarity.
Twilight could hardly believe her eyes. Just be called before the royal sisters and be given their praise was already good as gold towards any-pony; many of which would consider the deepest of honors…
…But to receive and immense amount of payment with the appraisal, not many ponies ever received such generosity just like that.
This, and combined with his quiet, yet obvious profound cold and callous feelings he had shown during the meeting worried her.
“Twilight…?” said Starlight “I know how you feel, but we have a job to do.”
Twilight nodded and agreed to stay focussed “Let’s go. We’ve got lots of ponies to interview.”
The friends decided to split up into several groups, each taking a portion of the list of ponies to talk to.
The groups were…
Applejack and Pinkie interviewed the owner of a bookstore.
“Okay, give it to use straight…” said Pinkie, acting like a private-eye “Who’d done it? Where are the goods? Where were you on the night of the fifteenth?”
All this freaked the proprietor out.
Applejack calmed Pinkie down, “Sorry about that, she’s a little excited.”
The store owner agreed, but the interview went smoothly anyway.
It was the same with every pony the groups interviewed, they asked where they were, what they were doing and if anything unusual happened.
Twilight and Spike interviewed the librarian, who had a nightmare the previous night.
“I remember I went to be feeling rather angry.” she explained “I had a little bit of a fight with Stone Heart yesterday.”
“…With Stone Heart?” asked Twilight.
“Yes. I loved his book so much that I offered him an autograph session at the library, but he refused.”
Spike wrote down everything on his notepad, while Twilight found that most perplexing. “Why would Stone refuse?” she asked.
“Well…” the mare said, and she rubbed the back of her head a little “You see it isn’t the first time Stone came to the library.
He was known to be a struggling writer, and he tried to make stories that no one seemed to like. I was among the majority. He tried to have his books displayed in the library, but I detested them so much that I told him…”
“Write it good, then we’ll talk, or maybe you should give up writing.”
Spike looked up from his writing, “Well, that wasn’t really very nice.”
The mare admitted it wasn’t. “And now he finally writes a successful story, and I give him the offer he desires, but he coldly refuses me and tells me…”
“You’re just like all the rest. You insult me for how I write things, you bully me for my point of view, and you only accept me when I DO what YOU prefer. So you can keep your offer, and while you’re at it… get bent!”
The mare went on saying that she proceeded to insult him further, calling him “Selfish!” and “A worthless pony!” To which Stone Heart turned and said to her, “You’ll be sorry you said that! You’ll be sorry…!” Twilight was horrified to hear such things, and it made her concerned about Stone’s actions even more.
“What did he mean by “You’d be sorry?” she asked.
The mare was confused, “I thought you were talking to me about the nightmare I had?”
“She’s right, Twilight. Try not to fall off topic.” said Spike.
Soon, the interview was over, and Twilight and Spike hadn’t much to work with. From the way it sounded, the librarian merely went to bed with a guilty conscience, which Twilight read up were likely to cause nightmares, but given the plague going around it didn’t seem like the answer.
“Well, who should we interview next?” asked Spike. “Twilight…?”
Twilight was far too lost in Stone’s behaviour more than ever.
Then, right up ahead she heard someone shouting… “…I said No!”
“What’s going on now?” she wondered, and she couldn’t resist galloping forth to investigate, nearly making Spike fall off her back. “Ah… come on, seriously?!” he groaned.
The ruckus turned out to be Stone Heart, whom was minding his own business and emptying out a couple of garbage bins, when he was approached by a stallion who was a book publisher, and his daughter who was about Stone’s age.
The Publisher was trying to talk Stone into reasoning and coming to work with him again.
“I said No!” growled Stone “And I want you to stop sending me checks! Understand?”
“But why?!” protested the daughter “You’re being very unreasonable!”
Stone laughed, “I’m being unreasonable? Yes, I suppose I am, just like you and your dad were to me, Sandy Beam!”
Sandy looked very upset, and her father didn’t take kindly to it.
“Hold it!” shouted Twilight.
The trio gazed at her.
“Princess Twilight Sparkle…?” said the publisher, and he and Sandy bowed to her, and Stone did as well just to be proper.
“What is going here?” asked Twilight.
Stone quickly and bluntly stated, “Nothing that concerns you.”
Twilight didn’t like his tone.
“Whoa! Watch it there, pal!” said Spike “You’re talking to the Princess of Friendship here!”
Twilight cleared her throat, stopping Spike from making things even worse, and she maintained her own cool as well. “I simply want to know what all this noise is about.”
Stone motioned at Sandy and her father, “These two, like everyone else in this crazy town, have no decency or respect for another pony’s wishes or privacy.”
“Stone, can’t you see how ridiculous you’re being?!” protested the Publisher “You’ve done a good thing with this story of yours, and you have a chance to improve your life, and here you are throwing it away because of your obsessive and worthless pride!”
He stopped when he realized he was being a little harsh with his words, while Stone gave him a nasty smirk, “…And you both think I’m the only one being unreasonable?
…Stay away from me! I don’t write stories anymore, especially for ponies that have terrible tastes and one-sided views of delusion!!
…Good-day!”
He then stormed off with his wagon to gather more garbage.
“Stone, wait…!” Twilight called as she raced after him, leaving Spike to talk with the upset father and daughter. Sandy almost looked on the verge of tears, which faded into angry grumbles, “Stubborn Jerk!”
“Mind telling me what this is all about?” he asked them.
The Publisher decided to explain to him, “Stone has been like this ever since I published his book.”
While they talked, Twilight caught up with the angry trash-picker.
“Stone, please, I’d like to talk to you.”
Stone irritable stopped his wagon. “Make it quick, please. I still have three more streets to collect from.”
Twilight let it out blunt and clear. “Forgive me for saying, but this is not the lifestyle I expected you to be living, and I’ve seen you behave very cold and rude towards ponies trying to be kind to you, especially the royal sisters… I saw you destroy the money they gave you.”
“I didn’t want it.” Stone quickly said, making Twilight gawk at him. “But they were giving you their royal praise, and you just tossed away a fortune.”
“I said… I didn’t want the money, and I don’t want any praise either.”
Now Twilight was feeling a little disturbed, “You wrote such a wonderful story,” she said, and she levitated up a copy of the book she mysterious seemed to have on her. “It’s the most wonderful thing I’ve ever read, and other ponies feel the same…
Yet you don’t seem to want any reward or recognition for your work?” She tried not to make herself sound whiny. “Can I ask you why?”
Stone gave a snicker and pointed at the book, and he spoke deeply but calmly, “Because this… is filth… worthless… garbage… and I hate it!
…That’s why.”
Twilight stood where she was completely frozen in shock and appalment at what she had just heard.
“Hey, you good-for-nothing hack!” called a rather unpleasant voice.
Stone rolled his eyes and groaned, and he turned and saw an orange male unicorn with a blonde mane, and wearing a nice dress suit, for he was a success, and his cutiemark was that of a stack of books with a quill next to them.
Stone glared at him, “What do you want now, Pager?”
Pager scoffed, “Look, you may be a worthless heap of trash, but that doesn’t give you the right to talk to Princess Twilight like that. Now you’re going to apologize her, and get back to your low-paying job because you suck at life!”
Stone didn’t seem the least bit intimidated, “Guess you’re the type that never learns.” and he began to walk off with his wagon, but Pager made his horn glow tipping the wagon over and spilling the garbage everywhere!
“Whoops! Guess you’re still clumsy, and not a successful writer, like me.” Pager mocked, and lots of ponies walking by laughed at Stone’s predicament, while he just used his own magic to put all the garbage back.
Twilight was very livid with Pager. “You had no right to do that to him.”
Pager was shocked that Twilight defend him like that. “With all due respect, your highness, he was being a jerk to you, like he acts towards all of us. He had it coming to him!”
While Twilight could not deny that Stone’s attitude was baffling and uncalled for, “That still does not give you the right push him like that.”
“Don’t bother, Princess!” said Stone “Pager’s been a bully since fifth grade. I ought to know, I got him held back, and while he may be a successful writer, he’s also the world’s foremost expert on ignoring everything you say and acting like he has all the answers.”
Pager looked like he was going to blow like a volcano, but not wanting anymore trouble and having work to do, Stone went on his way, but he grumbled softly “…I know some ponies that aren’t going sleep well tonight.”
“You bring this on yourself!” shouted Pager “If you want ponies to respect you then ACT respectable, or get lost!!”
Twilight looked ready to blow up herself at such insolence, but Spike came along and called to her “Come on, Twilight. We’re behind schedule, and we have other ponies to interview.”
Twilight finally snapped back to her senses and walked off.
That night the friends all reported back to the palace to deliver their reports to the royal sisters.
“How did your investigation go?” asked Celestia.
“Not so good, so far…” answered Twilight “This could take a few days.”
The sisters anticipated this as well.
“Have you any remote leads yet?” asked Luna.
Starlight held up her long list of notes that she had taken down herself, after taking the notes of every other member of the group.
“We interviewed as many of the ponies as you instructed, and so far, one thing we know they have in common is they all have something in commons with books or publishing.”
“We spoke with a bookstore owner.” said Pinkie. “Didn’t get much out of him though… very suspicious.”
“Oh, brother!” groaned Applejack.
Rarity explained, “I spoke with some rather distinguished mares of a book-club. They all seemed intrigued by Stone Heart’s friendship story.”
Twilight’s ears twitched and she couldn’t help but ask, “They didn’t by chance invite Stone to one of their meetings, did they?”
Rarity blinked at her once, “Yes… they did, and they told me he coldly and bluntly refused. Why?”
Fluttershy remembered, “That’s odd... earlier today, Rainbow and I talked to a school teacher, and she was talking with Stone asking him to be a speaker to her literature class, as she was inspired deeply by his friendship story.”
Rainbow then looked grumpy and snuffed, “Talk about rude. He gave her a big fat “No!”
Rainbow folded her front limbs in a sour sulk, the others didn’t have to guess she got into a heated argument with Stone then.
“…I barely managed to convince her not to bother.” said Fluttershy.
The others were not impressed with Rainbow and shook their heads at her.
“What?!” she protested “I can’t stand jerks.”
Celestia cleared her throat which told everyone they were falling off the main subject concerning the nightmare plague.
“Sorry…” said Rainbow.
It was obvious the group hadn’t gotten too far on their first day, but they did seem to have some clue, being all those ponies related to books.
“I wonder,” said Twilight “What about Stone Heart?”
“Oh, Twilight, give it a rest.” said Spike.
“No, I won’t!” she snapped at him. Then she quickly apologized for it “Sorry, but Stone is involved with books too, being a former writer and all that, and he does have bags under his eyes, like some-pony who hasn’t slept well.
…Maybe he’s been affected by the nightmares too.”
A hush befell everyone, and while it did seem like a probability, the sisters, Luna preferably, were not as certain.
Luna explained, “While, I admit, it is not easy for me to remember the nightmares of each and every single pony from the plague, I can recognize this much; Stone Heart was never amongst the majority.”
Twilight was finding Stone’s case to be more and more peculiar with every step.
“First he destroys the check. Then he balks at any and all fans of his story, and then he outright says he hates his own story?” All that she said out loud, and the sisters were shocked by it.
“He destroyed the check we gave him?” asked Celestia.
“He does not like his own story.”
Rarity gasped to hear that and felt as if she had swallowed a fly. “Surely you jest.”
“Nope, it’s true…” replied Spike, and he told everyone what The Publisher and Sandy Beam had told him after Twilight left him.
“They said Stone Heart was a struggling writer, and no publishing company liked his stories, and always instantly threw him out, demanding he write better stories, and when he submitted The Strength of Friendship, everyone went from hating him to praise him, but Stone angrily denounced everyone, and refused to accept any pay or rewards or praise… anything positive about his book, and he gave up writing all together and settled for being a trash picker instead.
…Apparently, he wants nothing to do with his story, or any-pony who likes it, and would rather brush them off than take a chance to turn his life around, and anyone who constantly annoyed him about it got an earful of scorn from him.”
Everyone gawked at him with wide eyes and shocked expressions.
“How can someone who wrote such a nice story be so cruel?” wondered Fluttershy.
“Sounds like he’s got a complex of problems.” said Applejack “But what’s any of that got to do with the nightmare plague?”
Pinkie thought it over and scratched her head, “…I have no idea.”
Rainbow felt frustrated, “You mean we spent the whole day crawling around and talking to a whole bunch of ponies… all for nothing?!”
“I wouldn’t say it’s all for nothing…” said Starlight “We’ve gathered some information. We know now that ponies in association with books and publishers are being plagued the most by the nightmares.
Maybe whoever or whatever is planning the nightmares will strike again.”
Luna greed with the idea and she agreed to stay alert that night. “I will keep constant watch over the ponies who have interviewed. Should they have bad dreams again it just may give us more of a clear ideal.”
Twilight stood tall, “If you don’t mind, Princess… I’d like to join you in staying up tonight. I’d like to do a little more investigation myself.”
Everyone stared at her, and Luna then looked over at Celestia, “If my sister has no objection, I have none then.”
Celestia shook her head, “I have no objections, but what kind of investigation do you mean?”
Spike could tell Twilight was going with one of her hunches again, and even after going to bed that night. “Are you sure about this?”
“There’s nothing wrong with a hunch, Spike.” said Twilight “If I follow Princess Luna into the dream world, I can help her watch the nightmares that should occur.”
She then thought silently, “Because I have a feeling I know who’s going to be affected.” She pulled open the drawer next to her bed and levitated a bottle of pep pills to keep her awake, and before long she was standing next to Princess Luna on the terrace.
She watched as Luna raised the moon, and one-by-one lights all over Canterlot went out as ponies went to bed.
Celestia and all the others were asleep too, but Twilight was very wide-awake thanks to the pill she took.
She and Luna both looked up at the moon and the stars in the sky.
“So… should we go to the dream world now?” asked Twilight.
Luna giggled at her anxiety, “I see you’re anxious to get started.”
Wasting no further time, Luna cast her magic sending them both into the dream realm.
Twilight looked around her in delight and excitement as so many visions of so many dreams passed by. One of which was Cadance jamming to a disco groove, played by Flurry Heart.
Twilight giggled, “How many times is she going to have that dream?”
Luna cleared her throat, “Kindly keep in mind, we are here on a mission.”
Twilight regained herself right. “Where would I find those dreams?”
Then she stopped and realized “Wait! What am I saying? Dreams just come when they come.”
“Unfortunately, yes.” agreed Luna “When it comes to dreams while asleep, we do not choose them, it is they who choose you, and you have absolutely no control of what may occur in them.
The only thing you have control of is when you wake, and even then you cannot control when you awaken. That is the power dreams have over us.”
Twilight knew all this, and it made her all the more determined to seek out those affected.
So they waited…
And waited…
…and for a change of text, they waited so more.
At least there were plenty of dreams for them to view at.
It wasn’t until midnight, however, that somewhere in Canterlot, some pony’s alarm clock went off, at such a ridiculous hour at night.
He quickly silenced the clock, and almost bolted out of bed. “It’s time…” he hissed “They should all be deeply asleep by now.”
He lit a candle and headed to the middle of his single-room home. He pulled a huge carpet away revealing a secret door in the floor.
He opened the flaps and walked down a short flight of stairs leading to the cellar, and he flicked on the lights.
The entire place seemed empty, except for a lone table and chair, and on the table sat a simple-looking typewriter. Scattered all over the floor were whole bunch of papers containing stories written from it.
The pony sat himself down at the type-writer, and snickered softly as he loaded a piece of paper into it. “…Now, what shall we do first?”
It didn’t take him long to come up with an idea, and he began typing away.
“The Signing”He entitled it…
“It was a simple ordinary day when Pager was signing autographs for his fans, but little did he realize he was about to sign something most unusual.”
…As he continued to type the story…
…In his own home, Pager began to toss and turn in his sleep and he began to dream exactly as the story unfurled.
There he was, at a signing for his books. Ladies waved at him and swooned at his smile, which fed to his already enlarged ego.
“Please, ladies… keep coming.” he insisted “I take pride in singing for you.”
The ladies all giggled.
Then some pony wearing a huge cloak and hood approached him.
“Ah, another fan of mine.” said Pager “And what may I sign for you?”
The stranger didn’t speak, but handed him a single book that seemed to resemble the novels, and Pager being his usual egotistical self, wasted no effort in signing it.
The stranger then took the book back, and snickered in a deep demonic voice, “…You should really be careful what you sign.”
Pager was confused. “I beg your pardon?” he asked. Then he noticed the book had transfigured into what was really a devilish-contract!
All the fans began to run away in terror, and a large dark hole opened in the floor by the stranger’s hoofs.
“Hey!” cried Pager “What’s going on?!”
He began to run for it, but strong suction winds began to pull him in like a vacuum. “NO!! NOOOOO!!!” he screamed.
From within the dream world, Twilight recognized the scream. “That sounds like Pager!” and she could see his nightmare right before her, as he got sucked into the dark hole, emerging in a dark and haunting realm full of all kinds of ghouls, skeletons, zombies and other monstrous creatures!
“What’s going on?!” cried Pager “Where am I?”
The stranger laughed, and then transformed, revealing itself to be a spiteful demon. “What’s going on is your punishment for your cruel ways and miserable behaviour.”
He held up the contract, “By signing this, you given me and my forces complete permission to torture your wretched every day and every night FOREVER!!”
Pager screamed and began to run for his life, but there was literally no place for him to go, as all places there were more monsters that gave chase.
Princess Luna was most disturbed by all this! “I must put an end to this dream at once!”
Her horn glowed brightly, and she tried to uncast the dream to end it immediately, but nothing happened.
“What?!” Luna cried in shock.
“What’s happening?” wondered Twilight.
“Something is preventing me from casting my magic.” said Luna “I told you before, this is no ordinary nightmare.”
Twilight then tried to jump into the dream herself, but some kind of force-field prevented her from doing so and bounced her right back.
Twilight was astounded, and now she more convinced this dream was being conjured by some sort of magic, a magic unlike anything she had ever seen or heard of.
“We’ve got to do something.”
“There is nothing we can do.” said Luna “Only Pager can end the dream himself.”
Indeed, Pager suddenly got ensnared at the legs by large chains that held him in place.
“No!!” wailed Pager “Let me go!! Let Me Go!!
The demon only laughed at him as he and his possess of monsters crept forth. “How does it feel to be on the receiving end of intimidation and torture?”
The monsters jumped in to attack…!
“…The End!” the writer typed, and his machine gave a simple ding…
…at the very same time, Pager’s dream vanished from Twilight and Luna’s sight, and Pager bolted upright in bed with a frightful scream!
He panted stressfully and turned on the light. “What was that all about?” he wondered in panic.
Twilight and Luna gawked at each other in astounding shock. They were both certain that Pager had awoken.
Meanwhile, the mysterious writer pulled his completed work from the typewriter, snickering sinisterly at. “…A true masterpiece.”
He threw it to the floor and then loaded the typewriter again to type out another story.
Suddenly, there was another dream, of The Publisher and Sandy Beam.
“What’s going on now?” wondered Twilight.
Father and daughter’s dream turned out to be just as horrific as the last dream.
There they were, walking along a riverbank on a beautiful day, when suddenly they came to a rickety bridge with no other way across.
The Publisher and Sandy carefully treaded across the rotted boards over the flowing river, but no surprises, the bridge couldn’t hold their weight, and it collapsed.
The Publisher managed to hang on tightly, but Sandy fell into the rushing waters bellow, screaming for her father to help, but she was heading straight for a waterfall… and she went over.
Both she and her father screamed, and their dream ended…
…The two of them woke up, at home and in bed and in sheer fright.
More and more nightmares followed, and just as Twilight suspected, it was all the ponies she and her friends had interviewed that day.
Each dream was as frightening and deathly as the last, and yet Twilight and Princess Luna were powerless to stop the dreams, or even enter them!
The librarian was being tortured again! She dreamed about running through a dark forest, and all the trees and rocks and other things, they all seemed to come to life as creepy monsters they kept trying to grab for her.
The school teacher was dreaming too! A Parents Teachers Conference, voted her out over her ways of teaching, and rather than just throw her out of the building, they tied her up, and prepared to burn her at the stake like old-fashioned savages.
“What is all this?” Twilight wondered “What did these ponies do to deserve all this?!”
Luna was just as upset as she was, and then she saw another dream that turned her blood cold.
“Celestia!” she cried.
Twilight saw too…!
Celestia was minding her own business, sniffing the flowers in the royal garden, when suddenly she was ambushed by her own palace guards. They chained her up, gagged her mouth, and clamped an anti-magic manacle so she couldn’t use any magic and was unaffected by other magic. Also, an anti-lift patch was placed on one of her wings, making it impossible for her to fly.
Then, and cold and shadowy figure stood before her, obviously in kahoots with the guards, and was looking down on her hissing, “I’m afraid your reign has come to an end, Princess.”
Celestia struggled and fussed to break free, but the shadow instructed the guards, “…Make sure she’s never found.”
Before long, Celestia was tied to a pole on a makeshift raft, and cast adrift over the raging sea.
She managed to struggle so to get the gag off her face, but she still couldn’t break free of the chains, and to make matters worse, she was heading straight for shark infested waters!!
Those big brutes began to chomp away at the wood of the raft, and then… the large tentacles of an enormous octopus ensnared her and began to pull her down into the water where she would drown… as the sharks came straight for her ready to bite!
“…SISTER!!” cried Luna.
The dream had already ended, and Celestia woke up gasping in fright.
Twilight felt her stomach turn. She never expected Celestia would be a target for the nightmares.
“This doesn’t make any sense. She’s the ruler of Equestria. That hardly connects her strictly to books and publishing.”
Suddenly, there was one final dream, concerning Starlight and Rarity.
“No! Them too?” cried Twilight.
The writer had just typed the title of his final short for the night.
“The Last Dance”
“It was a magical night at the Grand Galloping Gala; the sort of night when anything could happen, and it was about to! Rarity, Starlight Glimmer, and Twilight Sparkle were all at the Gala.”
Twilight could then see herself in the dream. “What? Why am I in that dream?”
In truth, she didn’t wish to know.
She then quickly realized that the dream was going escalate into something horrific, and she didn’t want her friends to wake up in a fright.
She realized, “I have to wake them up!” and she turned to Princess Luna “Please, can you send me back to the palace.”
“I’ll send us both back!” agreed Luna.
In a puff of smoke, they both were back on the terrace at the palace, and they both teleported off.
“Three dashing stallions approached the three mares and offered their hoofs, asking them to dance, to which the three ladies swooned.”
Rarity sighed heavenly in bed and began murmuring the dance, “One-two-three… One-two-three… twirl… dip…”
She felt like a princess as she danced with the handsome stallion.
It was beginning to look as if pure romance would bloom for her as the male leaned in seemingly to kiss her…
“Rarity…!” Twilight called, and the dream began to shake away as she slowly awoke to find Twilight shaking her in her bed. “Rarity, wake up!”
Rarity snapped awake to find Twilight, Luna, and Starlight there next to her bed. “What is the meaning of this?!” groaned Rarity, and she checked the clock on the table, it was nearly 3 A.M, and before she could complain any further, Starlight quickly said “…It was the nightmares! We were being infected.”
“What?” Rarity was most flabbergasted “But how can that be? Why, I was having the most delightful of dreams…”
Starlight cut in, “Being at the ball, and dancing with those handsome stallions…?”
Rarity blinked twice and nodded. “But how do you--”
“I was having that exact same dream, and Twilight was there too.”
Twilight found it astounding herself, since she wasn’t even asleep. “If I was asleep, I would have shared the nightmare too… and believe me, it would become just so.”
Rarity shuddered, now finally understanding the full seriousness of this.
Luna then realized, “… Celestia! I must go and check on my sister too.” and she teleported off.
As for the writer, he had finished his story, pulled it from the typewriter, and snickered at it. “How lovely… a pure work of genius. I dare say it’s the best one I’ve ever made.”
He decided to keep it as a personal keepsake, rather than toss it to the floor with the rest of the discarded stories, which were all over the place.
“I guess I should gather them all up.”
He let out a huge yawn, feeling extremely tired as he had been working for hours. “…I’ll do it later. I’ve done enough for tonight.
He got up and proceeded to the stairs, but turned back to look at his typewriter one last time, “…And we’ll have even more to do the next time.”
He turned out the light and headed back to bed while cackling softly.
Later on, when the sun came up, Stone Heart leapt out of bed, feeling a bit tired a groggy.
“What a night.” he groaned “But so worth it.”
He reached over to his nightstand and held up a single story, entitled, “The Last Dance”
Indeed, it was Stone all along who had written it and all the other nightmare stories that terrorized the ponies of Canterlot, and all of Canterlot still had not even the slightest idea.
“A marvellous story…” he hissed softly “Perhaps now they’ll get off my case.”
Nevertheless, he had a quick breakfast, and then dressed in his uniform for another round of garbage collecting, but before he left he found he still had a little time to clean up that mess in the cellar.
He pulled the carpet away and retreated downstairs to where his type write was, and using his magic he, picked up all the papers that were scatted across the floor into one big stack.
“These are proud masterpieces.” he sighed “I guess I really can’t keep them all. Might as well take them out back and burn them.”
He placed all the papers in a box and took them all to his backyard, planning to put them on his bonfire, and just as he was about to blast them all to bits with his magic, he could see over the yard fence, a royal courier coming up to his house, and knocking at the door calling, “Open in the name of the princess!”
Stone groaned, “What now?”
He still walked through the gate and met with the courier, who handed him a letter. “…An urgent calling from Princess Celestia.” the pony said, and then he walked off.
Stone sighed irritably, and he read the letter, which stated that Celestia requested an audience with him again at the palace at noon.
As usual, Stone did not take kindly to it, but was obligated to answer the call. “What does she want from me now?”
Suddenly, a strong wind began to billow up, and it tipped over the box on the bonfire spilling all the papers out.
“Oh, no!” he shouted as he quickly dashed back to gather them all up, but some of the pages flew up, up into the air and were carried along the wind.
“Perfect! Just perfect!” he grumbled, but before anything else happened, he quickly burned all the remaining ones he had away, and then prepared to leave for work as well as his meeting at the palace.
Then he realized he still had one of the stories on him-- the one about The Dance, and Twilight and her friends. He was already pushed for time, and decided to just pocket it and then stow it someplace safe later to keep it.
Later at the palace… all the friends were gathered at the table for breakfast, which Celestia had prepared for them, but Rarity, Starlight, and Twilight looked exhausted and baggy-eyed.
Twilight was only tired because her pep pills had worn off, and as expected, she was weary from not having slept at all in the night.
Rarity let out a huge yawn, “I was so worried about the nightmare recurring I didn’t dare fall asleep again.”
“That makes two of us.” said Starlight.
Celestia only felt slightly tired, due to her nightmare having woken her up in the middle of the night. “I managed to get back to sleep after Princess Luna checked on me. My nightmare didn’t reoccur, but I must say it was frightening… it felt so real.”
“Oh, you poor things,” said Fluttershy.” She and the others all felt concerned for their friends. “We didn’t have any nightmares at all.” said Rainbow, and the others shook their heads.
“Well, I did have a dream.” said Pinkie “I dreamt that I baked the biggest birthday cake anyone ever saw, and well…” she stopped when everyone else gave her a look. “Sorry.”
Twilight, though weary, delivered her report to Celestia, and the others.
“I was right… all the ponies we interviewed experienced nightmares, and just as Princess Luna promised, she couldn’t stop the nightmares herself, nor could we enter the dreams.”
Celestia felt most concerned.
“But wait a minute.” said Spike, and he looked at Celestia and the other weary ponies. “How come all of you have nightmares? I thought only those connected to books and stories were the prime victims?”
Twilight tried to figure out, but her weariness began to overtake her. She yawned and rubbed her eyes. So did Rarity and Starlight.
Celestia wasn’t as tired as they were, but she could see they were in no condition to be working. “I’m ordering you three to get back to bed and get some rest for a while.”
The trio gawked at her, but she wouldn’t hear any arguments.
The others agreed with her. “You should get some sleep.” said Applejack “We all can take over the investigation today.”
Twilight opened her mouth to protest, but it came out as another yawn, forcing her to agree, and before long, she, Starlight, and Rarity were in bed and sleeping soundly in a guest suite, and they were left quietly be.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” asked Pinkie, and she acted like a real determined solider about to go off into battle “…Let’s get out there and stop those nightmares once and for all!”
Rainbow then shot down her enthusiasm by saying, “Yeah… and just where do you want to start looking?”
Pinkie opened her mouth wide and bravely, but said sheepishly, “…I have no idea.”
Rainbow groaned.
Applejack then suggested, “We better re-think some things here, like how Twilight and the others fit into all this.”
“That’s a good idea.” said Fluttershy.
“Agreed,” added Celestia.
They all sat together in the conference room going over their notes and experiences.
“Okay, here’s what we’ve got so far…” said Spike “We know that all the victims involved had something to do with books, publishing, or writing of some sort, but that doesn’t explain why Twilight and the others were struck as well.”
The others pondered, and Pinkie puffed on a bubble pipe while wearing a detective cap. “It helps me think better.” she claimed.
Celestia then suggested, “Obviously there must be some other connection; something that I and the others will have with the victims you interviewed.”
“Yes… but what?” asked Fluttershy.
Everyone thought it over greatly, but they were drawing a blank.
Twilight, Starlight, and Rarity all began to toss and turn in their sleep, and their Night of the Dance dream occurred once again, as it did in the beginning.
There they were, at the ball and all dressed up beautifully, only this time the three mares felt a little different-- more aware of what was going on.
The others were confused too, and then came those three well-dressed and handsome stallions.
“Ladies, you look ravishing.” one of them said.
“Would you care to join us in a dance?” another asked.
“We promise to be gentle.” said the third.
Rarity couldn’t help but swoon in delight, so did Starlight.
“Wait! What are we doing?” asked Starlight “If this is a nightmare, it’s going to get really scary.”
“Yes,” agreed Rarity “But I can’t seem to resist the call. I can’t stop myself.”
Twilight couldn’t control herself either, and soon she, like the others, was dancing beautifully with their partners.
This made Twilight realize, “This is a dream! We have no control of ourselves! We’re just going to go along with it wherever it goes, and do whatever it guides us unless we wake up.”
She had a feeling that a wake-up call was out of the question, as Princess Luna was asleep during most of the day.
The dance soon ended, and the stallions dipped the ladies back in such a passionate was.
This was where the dream ended before, but this time it went on uninterrupted.
The stallions leaned forward as if to kiss each mare, and the ladies couldn’t stop themselves and moved in closer themselves, and were soon lip-locked with their handsome partners.
Rarity drowsed happily in the warm embrace, but she suddenly felt dopey… like she was slipping into unconscious, and she did, along with her friends.
The three stallions snickered. It turned out their lips had been laced with a knock-out spell, and now that the ladies were out-cold, the three men dragged the unconscious ladies off without being noticed.
When the mares awoke, they were tied down to large stone columns, in a dark chamber, and they all had Anti-Magic Manacles locked on their horns to block any and all magic.
“Wha… What is this?!” cried Rarity.
“How should I know? We didn’t get this far.” said Starlight.
Twilight struggled and fussed, but couldn’t break free, and then someone approached them, it was none other than the kingpin of the three guys hired to capture the ponies.
Twilight could hardly believe her eyes when she saw, “…Stone Heart?”
Rarity and Starlight were just as surprised.
Stone smirked wickedly at them.
“What’s going on?” asked Starlight.
“What’s going on is that I’m going to teach you ladies never… to disturb me again.”
Twilight was confused. “What do you mean?”
Stone’s features hardened, “I mean I’m sick and tired of the things that you do-- butting into other ponies’ lives, demanding they come round to your way of thinking, and you never cease until they comply…
…But more importantly than that, you seem to think that friendship is the only way of life and the only way things can happen!”
The mares gasped in shock.
“What’s so bad about spreading friendship around?” asked Starlight.
Stone laughed, “Friendship has done nothing but cause me pain and suffering for as long as I can remember. No matter how hard I tried, it never worked, but I see ponies like you making it look so easy… it breaks me to the core!
…Now! You’re going to pay for it!”
With that, he pulled out a knife with a magical, glowing blade, making the ladies gasp in horror.
“You… you wouldn’t!!” cried Twilight.
“Oh, yes I will!” sneered Stone “I’m going to cut off those pretty horns of yours, and show you what it’s like to live in a world of misery and darkness with nothing to hope for!
…And… it will teach you never… NEVER…!!” he grabbed Twilight’s horn “…To disturb me ever again!”
Twilight whimpered in tears and sweat, and suddenly, two of his goons came from round the columns, each holding a glowing knife to severe Rarity and Starlight’s horns too.
“NO…!! NO, PLEASE!!” cried Rarity.
“YOU CAN’T DO THIS!!” wailed Starlight.
Stone raised his knife up, and Twilight screamed as it came right down…!!
That’s when Twilight and the others all bolted upright in their beds, screaming in terror! The sound seemed to echo all through the corridors.
The friends all came running the second they heard.
“Twilight…!!” cried Spike.
“Are you three alright?” asked Celestia.
Rarity felt her horn all over and sighed in relief, but then she burst into tears. “It was so frighten-eh-eh-ehing!”
“The nightmare!” whimpered Starlight “…We were all there! We felt it!”
Twilight was trembling most fretfully. Her pupils were all shrunken inward and her face looked really pale. She had never had a more frightening dream. It felt so real…!
“Twilight?” said Spike. He put his claw on her hoof, and she shakily placed her other hoof over his claw, “…It was Stone Heart! He was there… was going to cut off our horns!”
The others all looked back and forth at one another in deep concern. Now it looked as if they dreams could haunt any pony, even if they were simply napping or dozing.
“Why would Stone Heart be in the dream too?” asked Pinkie.
“Maybe he was having the nightmare too?” suggested Fluttershy.
The others all debated whether or not it was likely, but Starlight then got an idea herself “…That’s the link!” she said “Stone Heart… we was present at all the victims, and we were present too.” she looked at Celestia “…Even you, your highness.”
Celestia blinked in shock, “You’re right.”
A hush fell over the group, and Rarity was ever so upset to hear such a thing. “Are you suggesting that Stone might be the one causing these nightmares? I don’t believe that! How can you possibly accuse him?”
“We’re not accusing anyone.” snapped Applejack “…Not yet anyway. We’re just saying that’s it’s a huge clue.”
Before anyone could say anything else, a big piece of paper landed, splat, on the window of the suite.
Celestia hated it when loose trash flew through the air and hit the palace like that.
She moved over to window to open the glass and get the paper off, when she stopped and realized what was written on the paper.
Instead of batting it off, she brought the paper inside and read it.
“Cast Adrift” it was titled “One beautiful day, Princess Celestia was sniffing the flowers in the royal garden when she was ambushed by her own royal guards…” she stopped and gawked at the page in shock.
“What? What is it?” asked Rainbow.
Celestia silently read the rest of the story and realized while trembling, “…This is my nightmare; every word, every scene!” Twilight hopped out of bed and went to her side. She read the story herself, and confirmed in shock, “…It is.”
Another hush befell the group. “How is that even possible?” asked Applejack “How can someone know about what you dreamed and then write it out on some piece of paper?”
“I don’t think that’s what it is.” said Starlight, and she examined the story herself, also not reading it out loud.
The paper and the writing all seemed pretty plain. She would know if either of them was magical, given her experience with magical objects.
“I think someone wrote this before Celestia dreamed it… or maybe someone wrote this and then Celestia dreamed it.”
Everyone was simply flabbergasted. “What kind of magic could do that?” wondered Twilight “And who would want to use it to terrorize ponies in their dreams?”
Just then, there was a knock at the door, and the royal guards walked in.
“Your majesty,” one of them said “Mr. Stone Heart has is waiting to see you as you requested.”
Celestia gasped and realized she had lost track of time with all the chaos and confusion.
Before long, she and all the others were gathered in the throne room where Stone had been waiting, rather irritably, but calmly.
“Thank you for coming.” said Celestia, and Stone bowed respectably to her, but the others noted how baggy-eyed he looked.
“Are you alright?” asked Fluttershy.
“I’m okay.” replied Stone “I just didn’t sleep well.”
“But you look like you’ve been up all night long.” said Rainbow.
Stone’s features hardened, “I said I’m alright!”
Rainbow winced at his tone, and then looked cross and ready for a fight, but Celestia cleared her throat telling everyone to cool it!
“I’ll come straight to the point, Stone Heart: I was told that you destroyed the check that Princess Luna and I had presented to you yesterday.”
Stone looked a little guilty, but then rolled his eyes, casting an annoyed look over at Twilight, figuring she would have told.
“Yes. I admit I did.”
Celestia felt shocked deep down, but did her best to keep hold of herself. “I also have received reports that you have been shunning offers and fans of your story. Is this true?”
Stone wasted to time and bluntly admitted, “…Yes. I admit it with pride.”
Celestia gasped softly, and everyone else’s features were mix of shock and outrage.
Rarity stepped forth, “So it’s true. You really do despise your own story, and you’re willing to throw your life away because of it! That’s just… I-- Eh…” she choked on her own outrage, and Applejack held her, trying to ease her off.
“If that it is all you wanted to know, I shall take my leave.” said Stone, and he turned to leave without properly being excused.
“Wait…!” called Twilight, and she teleported right in front of him. “You’re not going anywhere until we straighten this out.”
Stone glared angrily and spoke deeply to her, “You realize this is invasion of privacy, and I don’t have to say a thing. I know my rights.”
“Now wait just a dag-burn minute!” protested Applejack “Much as even I understand the meaning of “Privacy” this time I can tell, you need help, son.”
Fluttershy stepped forward, “Stone, you sound like you’re living a self-destructive life, and that’s not healthy. If you have problems, we want to help you.”
Pinkie nodded her head rapidly.
“Yeah, like why would you write a story if you hate it in the first place?” asked Spike.
Every one of the others, and even Celestia agreed, but their pleas seemed to fall on deaf ears, or a heart of stone, as Stone simply scoffed and said “And be like the rest of you-- all friendly, optimistic? Always doing what they tell you, acting how they say, believing in what they say, and if you choose to think for yourself they’ll turn on you and treat you like dirt?”
Everyone felt stunned at what he had just said, almost if he was insulting their beliefs and their ways of friendship and life… which he was.
“No thanks.” said Stone “I’d rather be who I am, and not let others tell me what to think or decide for me what’s right or wrong, and if you can’t respect that… if no other pony can…” he paused and then glared squarely at Twilight “…Then maybe you’re not ones to preach about friendship at all.”
Twilight felt she had been struck in the heart with a knife.
“Good day.” Stone said as he walked passed Twilight.
“Stone, wait…”
“Good Day!” Stone called back, and then he was gone, and the big doors closed.
“I can’t believe that guy…” said Starlight “We offer him our friendship and help and completely shoots it down, just like he did in the nightmare.”
Rarity and Twilight realized that too.
“I say we forget him.” said Rainbow “If he wants to act like a spoiled jerk, then we should just let him.”
Pinkie gasped, “Rainbow Dash, how can you say that? We’re the Council of Friendship.”
Fluttershy agreed, “We can’t just let Stone keep going like this. He’s not only hurting himself, but he’s hurting other ponies as well… at least their feelings anyway.”
Twilight suddenly noticed something on the floor by her hoofs-- a folded sheet of paper with writing on it, and she figured Stone had dropped it, but it turned out to be a story, just like the one Celestia had found.
“The Last Dance” it was entitled, and what she read on it turned her blood cold.
“Take a look at this!” she hollered to the others, and she raced over to them all, showing them the paper they found.
Rarity gasped as she read the writing, “It can’t be!”
“It is…” cried Starlight “It’s all here; our nightmare!
The ball, the stallions, being tied up, and Stone Heart is trying to cut off our horns after he disses friendship and our ways.”
Spike looked at the story. “This is crazy!”
“But it’s true…” said Twilight, and she felt she didn’t need any more proof after this. “… I think Stone IS the one behind all these nightmares.”
“Stone is behind the dreams?” asked Spike. Even he had to admit the evidence was building up, but this was still not complete fact to fully incriminate him.
“Your majesty,” Twilight said to Celestia “With your permission, I’d like to do some thorough investigation on Stone Heart.”
“You mean spy on him?” asked Starlight.
“Um… that’s kind of a tad overboard.” said Applejack “And much as Stone is a bit brash, he did have a point about invasion of privacy.”
“…All the more reason to do it.” insisted Twilight “If he is responsible for the nightmares we have to find out how he’s doing it and why, and this may be the best way to do it.”
Celestia was forced to agree. “This may be against my good judgment, but I believe you are right Princess Twilight. We cannot leave the citizens of Canterlot to suffer from nasty night sleeps like this.
Do what you must, but try and be cautious. There could be some evil force at work that we may know nothing of.”
“Wait! What about the rest of us?” asked Pinkie “We’re going too, aren’t we?”
Twilight shook her head, “I need to handle this one myself. That way we won’t arouse suspicion. Stone’s pretty mad with all of us as it is…” she paused and looked over at the windows “…And I’m going to find out why once and for all.”
Everyone could see there was no talking her out of it, especially after she teleported away.
Spike then poked at Starlight and whispered to her. “You and I are following her, aren’t we?” to which Starlight nodded, and even Celestia allowed them to as well.
Twilight found Stone on his route, emptying garbage cans into his wagon. She used an invisibility spell to keep from being seen.
Stone looked very cross; most likely after the talk he had given Celestia and the rest of the group that day.
She also noticed that many ponies were making fun of him as he innocent went along his route.
“Look, it’s the wannabe writer.”
“He writes one successful story and then he quits like a coward.”
“He may not contribute to society, but he sure chose a befitting job.”
“Yeah, he’s trash, just like the other stories he tried to write.”
“I’m surprised he doesn’t have a wagon full of his failed stories.”
Stone ignored them and carried on his work, but some of the ponies decided to throw their garbage on the ground right in front of him.
“What’s the matter? We thought you were used to being surrounded by garbage all the time.”
“You’re not just going to leave it there, are you? That’s not doing your job.”
Stone grudgingly picked up the trash without saying a thing to the nasty ones.
Twilight was already outraged at the cruelty being shown, but she didn’t dare do anything about it to stay hidden.
“How can they act like this?” she thought “I don’t recall those ponies ever being infected by the nightmares, or ones we interviewed. Was Stone ever mean to them as well?” She continued to follow Stone around; unaware that Starlight and Spike were following her. Starlight used the same invisibility spell on herself and on Spike whom was riding on her back.
He began to slide and fall off, but Starlight kept him steady. “Don’t fall off!” she scolded “If you fall out of the field, you’ll be visible again, and try to keep your voice down too.”
“Sor-ry!” grumbled Spike “Just don’t lose sight of Twilight.”
Stone didn’t bother having lunch that day, and just kept on gathering more and more trash, and then he went to picking up litter in the park.
Poor Twilight had to skip lunch too, and her stomach growled a little.
Fortunately, Stone couldn’t hear her as he just kept levitating a pointy-stick to gather up trash on the ground and toss it all into his wagon.
Starlight and Spike hadn’t eaten either, and while Spike wasn’t starting to feel peckish, starlight was more fascinated by Stone’s efforts, trying to clean up the litter in the huge park alone.
Spike thought even the discarded foods looked good enough to eat, and it made his stomach growl loudly.
Twilight swore she could hear it, but she couldn’t see anyone else other than Stone, and Pager marching up to him.
“Hey, Stone!” he bellowed.
Stone sighed softly, “What do you want now?”
“Payback, that’s what! You made Princess Twilight yell at me the yesterday and ponies have been making fun of me behind my back!”
Stone chuckled, “You caused all that yourself for being a good-for-nothing bully.”
He then noticed the bags under his bully’s eyes. “Wow! What’s the matter, Pager; not sleeping well? Is your guilty conscience finally catching up to you?”
Twilight and the others sensed trouble was about to happen, and it did when Pager roared and charged at Stone, “You’re going to pay for that you toxic trash-heap! I’m going to send you and your bad attitude to--” he stopped when he slipped on a discarded banana peel, and crashed into wagon, burying his face in a heap of smelly, rotten garbage.
Twilight and the others gagged silently.
Pager pulled himself out and wiped the sludge from his head and face. “YOU!!” he shouted.
“What, you’re going to blame me for that little stumble now too?” grumbled Stone. “You slipped on that peel yourself.”
“Yeah, but you just left it there instead of doing your job and picking it up!” protested Pager.
Starlight and Spike were outraged.
“This guy is nothing more than a low-down, inconsiderate bully.” whispered Starlight.
Spike flexed his claws. “I’d like to teach him a lesson.” but he knew he had to stay put.
Stone figured he had wasted enough time and went back to work.
“Yeah that’s it! Run!!” bellowed Pager “Run like that pathetic, toxic coward you are!”
Stone stopped dead in his tracks, “You call me toxic, but its ponies like you that are throwing your trash all around, and I have to pick it up, but you know what… it means I’m contributing to society, by keeping the streets clean for bigoted slobs like you.
…But you can’t bother to see that, or you refuse to because to you I’m just a coward and an unworthy pony regardless of what I say or do.
You may be a successful writer, Pager, but that doesn’t make you a decent person, and the way you keep assaulting me like this, it’s no wonder Princess Twilight balked at you. You’re just lucky you didn’t get arrested.”
Pager felt enraged, but walked off in a huff, but Stone looked back towards him with a nasty expression on his face. “Sleep with one eye open…” he muttered “…You’re in for a night of hurt!”
Twilight could read his lips, confirming what she suspected. “He IS the one behind the nightmares… but how does he do it?”
She kept on following him, with Spike and Starlight keeping close by, right up to Stone getting off work and returning home at sundown.
Stone lived in hillside region of Canterlot, away from the bustling and crowdedness of the main village. The house was a single room of a dugout in the side of a grassy slope. It was nice and quiet here, and Stone didn’t have to be bothered too much by other ponies.
“I thought today would never end.” he sighed as he checked his mailbox, and no doubt he got more requests and more offers from other publishers, all of which praised The Strength of Friendship.
No surprises, he was annoyed with the offers and tossed them into his own garbage can. “I’ll deal with them in the morning. I got other things to deal with.”
Then he went inside, practically slamming the door behind him.
Twilight, still invisible, walked right up to the house and looked in through the window.
“I can’t believe this!” she groaned to herself, “I’m peeking through someone’s window like a peeping tom.”
Starlight and Spike couldn’t believe it either.
Twilight then cast another spell and magically transported herself into the house, changing herself into a lined-drawing of herself so she could move along the walls, and hopefully remain out of sight.
Starlight did the same thing for herself and Spike, but they both appeared right near Twilight, making her gasp.
Stone stopped suddenly where he was, wondering what that faint sound he heard was, but then he brushed off, and he stowed his uniform in his washer, and then went off to have a bath in the far corner of the single-room, hidden behind screen panels where his tub was.
While he was busy washing, the trio hid behind a bookshelf.
“What are you two doing here?” asked Twilight.
“We were asked to keep tabs on you by Celestia.” answered Starlight.
Rather than start an argument with her friends, and trusting in Celestia’s orders, Twilight gave in and let them spy around with her.
“Let’s look around. Look for anything that might seem suspicious.” she instructed “Stone must be casting the nightmares on all the ponies, and he’s going to give Pager another one, but we have to figure out how.”
Spike’s stomach gave a huge growl. “There better be a huge meal in this soon.”
So the trio looked around, slinking around the walls and looking all around the house, which didn’t take long because of the single room which made it easy to see all things.
There were just bookshelves, a kitchen corner with an icebox, a bed area; quite the house… for one pony living on his own.
It really didn’t look like there was much out of the ordinary or anything to indicate anything magical or cursed.
Even after Stone got out from his bath, wearing a bathrobe and made himself some simple soup for dinner, there was still nothing to reveal his secret.
He sat down in a simple armchair by the fire as he ate his dinner. He looked so gloomy and miserable, and very tired.
Then after which, it was already dark out, and he decided to turn in. So he walked over to his bed area grumbling, “No pony has any respect these days. Well, if it’s what they want, then that’s what they’ll get.”
“Great, he’s going to bed.” Spike grumbled softly “We may never find how he does it now.”
“Wait…” whispered Twilight “He’s setting his alarm clock…
…for midnight?”
Stone set his clock down. “That should be good and late enough. They’re all bound to be asleep by then.” he snickered wickedly “Pleasant Screams…” and then he turned out the light and went to sleep.
“He’s going to wake up at midnight.” whispered Starlight “That must be when he’s going to make his move.”
“Of course…” remarked Twilight “At that hour, practically every pony everywhere would be asleep.”
Spike let out a huge yawn, and his stomach gave a large growl. “So we have to sit here, with empty stomachs and baggy-eyes waiting for him to make his move?”
Spike fell asleep to try and rest, which wasn’t easy given how hungry he was. Twilight and Starlight took turns staying awake as best they could, while ignoring their own hunger as well.
Suddenly, the alarm clock went off, and Stone got up almost instantly.
The ladies were almost started by the sudden ringing, but did all they could as not to make any noise, while Spike slept all through it sucking on the end of his tail innocently.
“It’s time.” Stone hissed, and he lit a candle.
“This is it.” whispered Twilight.
Starlight nodded, and she and Twilight watched as Stone got out of bed and pulled the carpet off the floor, exposing the secret door.
The two ponies moved along the walls to the floor, taking Spike with them and followed Stone into the cellar.
The lights flicked on and they saw Stone sit at the lone table with a typewriter on it.
“I think I’ll do a little warm up first.” Stone said to himself as he loaded paper into the machine.
Twilight and Starlight looked at each other and moved up further along the wall to get a good look at what he started typing.
His story was entitled “Deading Day.” and he began to type out…
“It was the day of the wedding for Spike and Rarity in Las Pegasus, and all their friends were gathered to bear witness, some were being rather annoying.”
At the same time, Spike began to toss and turn on Starlight’s back, which the ladies noticed.
Spike began to dream…
There he was in, Las Pegasus, all dressed in a little tuxedo, and his beautiful bride stood right next to him. His heart pounded hard, and his blood was twisting and turning with wrecked nerves, but Rarity fluttered her eyes at him behind her veil.
Snips was the Go-Between
Snips cleared his throat to start the ceremony…
“Dearly behooved… we are gathered here today--”
Suddenly, Pinkie came bursting into the chapel squealing, “Hold on, I have your flowers, Rarity! They’re right here! I got’em! I got’em! I got’em! I got’em! I got’em! I got’em! I got’em!”
Snip sighed in dismay, “Oh, my gosh! We’re never--!”
“They’re gorgeous,” said Rarity “Now how is my frock?”
Snips cleared his throat again, “Dearly behooved… we are gathered here today to--”
“How is my frock?” Rarity cut in again, much to Snips growing irate.
“Oh, my gosh! We’re never going to get through this!”
“Do you need more flowers?” called Pinkie “I think you need more flowers! I got more flowers for you right here!”
“Yes… We need more flowers!” grumbled Snips.
Twilight used her magic to levitate Pinkie up and out of the way so as not to interrupt anymore, while Spike just gazed at his bride, sweating bullets.
“Um… gosh…” he stammered “I… I don’t know what to say, but you look… beautiful.” Rarity blushed and fluttered her eyes at him as she asked, “Have you got the rock?”
Spike blinked once, “…What?”
“Have you… brought… my… rock?”
Spike hesitated, “Uh… yeah, totally, um… I had some ponies help me bring it in because it’s kind of the size of Fillydelphiea.”
“Okay, we’re renting the hall by the hour!” wailed Snips “If you two want to get married, can we please focus!?”
Suddenly, there was an earthquake. The entire chapel began to tremble.
“What’s going?!” called Twilight.
Suddenly, she, Rarity, and Spike vanished in an instant.
Spike then reappeared in a deep cavern.
“Where am I?” he wondered, and then the sound of sinister laughing was heard, and HE appeared, wearing a demonic hood and cape.
“Stone Heart…?!”
Stone laughed at him, “Welcome, Spike. Sorry to break in on your wedding day, it’s just that I have a little lesson to teach you about life, and how sometimes… it won’t always end up happy-ever-after!”
Spike was very livid, “What are you talking about?”
Stone snickered, and tapped his magical hoof on the ground. The back wall of the cave lit up, showing Twilight and Rarity both bound by glowing chains that rendered their magic worthless, and they were hanging by ropes over a bubbling lava pit.
“Twilight…! Rarity…!!”
“Spike!!” called Twilight.
“Help me, Spikey-Wikey!” shrieked Rarity.
Spike tried to rush forth to save them, but he was suddenly frozen in place by Stone’s magic! “Sorry, but we’re playing by my rules… or rather the rules of life.”
“What do you mean?!” called Twilight.
Stone snickered, “I mean that sometimes in life we have to make difficult choices… even if it means we have to make sacrifices, and all the love, friendship, harmony and other fiddle-fuddle you preach and share about won’t save you this time!”
Suddenly, the ropes holding the ladies slowly began to lower towards the lava.
“No!!” cried Spike. “Let them go!!”
Stone only laughed at him, “You’ll have to choose, I’m afraid.
That’s when he was released from the spell, and a magical scepter appeared before him. “What’s this for?”
“That scepter has enough power in it to free one of the ladies… only one! You must choose Spike-- which one will live, and which you will lose!”
Spike gasped at such a horrible ultimatum.
“Why you dirty, wretched, beast of a monster!” thundered Rarity, but all this earned her was her mouth being magically gagged shut!
“You better hurry up and choose,” Stone taunted Spike “Lose your beloved bride, Rarity, or say goodbye to your mother figure, Twilight Sparkle.
Of course, if you don’t choose before they reach the lava… then you’ll lose them BOTH!”
A fine choice Spike had to make. No matter which option he chose, someone was going to die! How could he possibly choose?
Then again, the rope only seemed to go faster, and faster towards the lava before he could even get his thoughts going and the ladies screamed as they were both consumed by the fiery flames.
Spike wailed and screamed, “NOOOOOOOOOOOO…!!!”
…At that point, Stone was wrapping up the story. “Poor Spike kept calling out for Twilight and Rarity, but they were both gone, and poor Spike knew he would never feel the same again! …The End!” The very second he finished typing and the typewriter gave a little ding, Spike awoke screaming “…NOOOOOOOOOO!!”
Making Twilight and Starlight yelp and leap in fright, and Stone heart gasped and fell out of his chair.
“Who’s here?!” he called out “I heard you! Show yourself!”
Twilight and Starlight knew they had no choice, and they materialized, with Spike right before him.
Stone glared at Twilight, “You…!” Then he looked furious “You’ve been spying on me, snooping around my home and invading my privacy?!”
Twilight growled at him, but then turned to see Starlight comforting a shaken Spike.
“It was terrible!” whimpered Spike, “Twilight… Rarity… I couldn’t save them!”
Starlight held him close comforting him, but she looked up at Twilight, and she had the idea as Starlight.
Twilight took the page out of the typewriter.
“Hey!” snapped Stone.
“Spike, look at this.” Twilight said, holding up the story.
Spike could barely believe his eyes. “It’s here…! It’s all here! The wedding, the cave, the lava…” he stopped and looked up at Stone “…And you.”
Stone heart began to look nervous, knowing he was busted.
“It’s you…” said Twilight “You’re the one causing all the nightmares in Canterlot.”
Stone sighed and openly admitted. “Yes… I am, but I can’t take absolutely all the credit.” And he pointed at the typewriter.
“It must have some kind of curse on it.” Starlight deduced.
Stone nodded, “Anything that I write with this, the subject I write about magically dreams it. I use it to torment any pony or creature who wronged me, annoys me, or just plain deserves it.
…They’re just dreams anyway. They can’t physically harm you.”
The trio was astounded.
Spike gazed at the typewriter in awe. “It’s like a dream machine. You can get into the heads of any creature, and they’ll never be able to stop it.”
Starlight and Twilight did find it astounding, but they were horrified and livid with the fact he used the power to terrorize other ponies.
“This ends here!” decided Twilight, and she tried to use her powers on the machine, only to find that her magic was ineffective on it-- just faded out without even getting close to it.
“I’m sorry Princess Twilight, but even your magic will avail you naught against this sort of power.”
Twilight turned and gawked at him, and before he could further warn her, she then tried to grab the machine with her bare hoofs, only to receive a painful, burning shock.
Poor Twilight blew on her scalding hot hooves.
“Are you alright?” cried Starlight.
Twilight just rubbed her hooves together to ease the pain, and Stone walked up to the typewriter, stroking it softly, explaining “This machine and I have a sort of magical bond. I, and I alone, am the only one it lets use, and just as it protects itself from harm, it protects me as well.”
The trio gawked back and forth at one another. This meant that targeting Stone with magic or trying to fight with him would be totally useless.
“If you don’t believe me then try.”
“Um… we’ll take your word for it.” said Starlight.
Twilight didn’t know whether to be more astounded, or horrified by all this, but she was curious.
“Why would you do this? How could you do this?”
Stone quivered with outrage and a hint of misery, and he decided, since he had been found out, to give himself up quietly. “I will tell you at the royal palace in the morning, when everyone has awoken.”
Twilight was astounding that instead of flying into a fit of rage and resistance, Stone was willing to give himself up and go quietly.
The next morning, Twilight presented the case to Celestia, with the evidence, and Stone brought the machine to show. Princess Luna was present as well.
Twilight’s friends all looked a little tired because they, too, had been affected by the nightmare Stone had written the other night.
“So you’re the one behind all this?!” Rainbow thundered at Stone, and she looked ready to rush over and beat him up silly, but Twilight and Starlight used their magic to hold her down.
“Rainbow, control yourself!” demanded Twilight.
“Yes, please!” insisted Celestia “I will not tolerate unwanted physical violence!”
“But your majesty…” wailed Rarity, and she pointed at Stone, “This menacing pony has been terrorizing innocent ponies, including all of us.”
“I realize that,” said Celestia “But I also wish to hear his reasoning for why he did it before judgement is passed.”
Stone only snuffed at such a thing, and grumbled under his breathe. “…Yeah right, you do.”
She heard him, so did the others, and they were shocked he would say such a thing.
“Why are you being so pushy?” asked Fluttershy.
“Yeah, we only want to hear what you have to say.” added Pinkie.
Stone snuffed and looked away from them all with a sour expression. “No pony ever wants to hear what I have to say, even if I get word in edgewise, it’s always the same; no one listens, no one cares… just as long as they get what they want, usually at my expense.
Why should any of you be the same? You all have blind and terrible tastes. Why else would you favor that disgusting story I wrote, and continue to spread nonsensical notions about Friendship, Harmony and all that other stuff you handle without proper knowledge of what else can go on!”
Celestia was stunned by his tone, but more by his words.
“What are you insinuating?” asked Princess Luna “You are being held in close arrest. It would be foolish of you to remain stubborn and silent.”
“Come on, son,” added Applejack “You may as well come clean. It might even help you.”
Realizing that no one was giving him the choice, Stone sighed “Fine, I’ll waste my time and tell you everything. I doubt it’ll mean anything.”
Stone explained that in order to understand why he caused all the nightmares, they first have to understand his background and how it came to all this.
*Stone Heart’s POV* Equestria: A place where Friendship was the main source of belief, ideas, and even considered a way of life for all who lived there… but not for all of us.
As a young colt, my parents were rather pushy and demanding. Nothing I ever did seemed good enough for them. They always would tell me that I would have to “Improve” how I did things, even when there was little to nothing wrong with what I had at all.
Drawing pictures…
Folding laundry…
What I would eat…
Or how I would spend my free time; reading and practicing writing, instead of being practical and learning how to do heavy lifting, and concentrate on numbers to be a bank-teller or a marketer.
They always criticized me, and never once said anything encouraging. Even when I tried my best to do things to their specification, they still showed little to no regard at all for my efforts. It was as if they felt they were “so perfect” it gave them the right to look down on anyone they chose, and they demonstrated this by acted as cold and as callous to other ponies they felt were not up to their standards.
They little to no interest or time for what they deemed “Frivolities” such as imagination, fantasy, or anything of the sort, believing that everything that ever went on HAD to be improved, HAD to be better… even it was already as fine as it could be, they still remained dissatisfied.
School was no better, I tried to open up and make friends with other ponies, but my efforts were in vain. I was teased and bullied relentlessly for such pitiful reasons.
“You’re too short.” “You’re the wrong color of blue.”
“I already have friends. I don’t need anymore.” “That’s what you eat for lunch? You’re pathetic!” They wouldn’t let me play with them, wouldn’t pair up with me for simple projects or reports; I began to feel that Friendship wasn’t all it was cracked up to be-- so much bigotry, spoiled and rotten behaviour.
The worst of it all was Pager. He would push me in the mud, he would steal my drawings and put paint all over them, why he would even make up lies and stories about me and tell them to all the students making them laugh at me and taunt me further.
“I heard that kid’s a pervert.”
“I heard he wants to look up girls’ tails.”
“I heard he’s gay.” “What a dork!” “He should rot in the gutter like the toxic worthlessness he is.”
I finally couldn’t take it anymore, so I finally complained to the headmaster of the school, and for the first time I got the first taste of kindness. Someone finally listened to me and we managed to prove Pager was a lowly bully which resulted in his suspension, and being held back a grade.
The other students didn’t take kindly to it, viewing Pager as popular and cool, and now that he was gone and going to be held back… I suddenly went from the ranks from just another bullied kid to Public Enemy Number-One! The students were all relentless and pushed me harder all the time.
-Mud thrown in my face -tripped as I walked along -Stealing my homework and passing it off as their own -Sabotaging my lunch with worms and bugs…
There was no way I could force the headmaster to stop all of them, he refused to help me anymore anyway, saying he couldn’t help me every time I had a problem.
“You must learn to fit in.” he said “You must help the children see you in a different way, but you’ll need a little self-improvement.”
“Self-Improvement…?” that was all he could say? You’d think he was saying it was my fault that all the people around me were acting like such bigoted snubs!
So it was impossible for me to make friends.
As I got older, I tried to lose my troubles by taking up reading novels and fiction. At least I was able to keep to myself and keep my anger quiet…
…Except… so many stories that I read all seemed to follow the same plots. Plots where characters would grow and develop, which was natural in most characters, but the way they developed sickened me…!
All characters would learn from friendship, and use it to self-improve themselves to becoming different, even better than what they were before.
I couldn’t relate to these characters at all, not the way I was treated.
Worse than that, whatever adversity these characters, no matter how severe the situation, they managed to overcome it with ease and earn a happy-ever-after… almost as if it was simply handed to them on a silver tray.
I found it all ridiculous. From my experiences, I knew friendship couldn’t solve everything, and not all endings were good, happy, or even made to be!
So I decided to maybe try and become a writer myself. Make stories with different plots and endings, where friendship didn’t always work, and endings were not always happy.
But all my school reports and story ideas only earned me more taunts and bullying, and not just from the students, but the teachers as well.
“This is the worst thing I’ve ever read.” “You want to write something, and then write it good!” “This belongs in the trash, and so do you!”
Even my parents were as unsupportive and uncaring as ever, and that was when I reached my breaking point.
I dropped out of school, and I ran away from home! I felt that any place was better than living with those who didn’t care about me, appreciated me, and concerned only for themselves and what they wanted more.
Friendship, love, trust… it was all a big lie! To fit in you had be like everyone else-- like what they liked, hated what they hated, and let them tell you when you were happy, or proper, or anything they said you were!
Of course, without a proper plan I had no other place to go, but I wasn’t in the streets for very long. Fate began to smile on me…
I came upon an old abandoned cottage that had seen better days. It once belonged to writer and inventor who made a vast fortune in his amazing novels, but died tragically and mysteriously. He had no family, and as for what happened to his vast fortune was a mystery…
…Until I discovered the secret, hidden under a rotted stair case, with a box containing a map, and clues which lead me to the spot where he had buried the remains of his fortune.
It wasn’t all that much, but it was more than enough to help me get back on my feet.
Using this load of money, I managed to buy myself my home in the outskirts and furnish it, and provide myself with food.
As for the remains of my education, being a drop out and all, I merely went to the local library and read for free all day. I never earned a diploma, but that was the least of my concerns.
Even after buying and furnishing my home, the money was dwindling, and I knew it wouldn’t last forever, so I’d have to get a job and make money myself, but I was still considered a dropout, and I knew most places wouldn’t let me in if I tried.
That’s when it hit me: I would try and be a writer myself, but not just any… I wanted to try and help everyone realize the errors in their ways, and that life was not as simple they thought it would be.
That’s when I began to write up dark stories, filled with tragedies and hardships, inspired by my own life of betrayal and harsh treatment, not to mention the stories I had read before I felt could had been different without all the happy endings.
Alas: All the publishers laughed at me, and simply insulted me and chucked me out.
“Your characters are just being selfish pricks” “Either write it good, or don’t write all.” “This stinks, and you suck.” “Wow! Someone’s egotistical!” Even Sandy Beam and her Publisher father were not as understanding, even when I explained to them my reasons.
“Look, kid… nobody likes downers. The people want characters THEY can relate to, without wannabes or moping losers holding them back.”
Worse than that, one of the prized authors they published for was none other than Pager! He was just as bullying, just as obnoxious, and pushy as ever, having written several successful stories--mostly about all the friendship and nonsensical notions of how to overcome adversity, and all that.
“Well, what have we here? I thought you were gone for good. I know a lot of us were happy when you split, especially your parents!” I didn’t want to believe him, but it was true, even my own parents were never the least bit concerned after I abandoned them, or rather it was they whom pushed me away. They never bothered to look for me-- deeming me only a disgrace since the day I was born-- simply not up to their standards.
They had moved away from Canterlot to live in Las Pegasus, to become richer and better than they ever felt they could be, as way of improving their lives with me out of the picture.
At that point, there was only last thing for me to do; test everyone’s morality.
So I gave into to all their flaming, all their insults and criticisms, and I wrote The Strength of Friendship, which contained all that one-sided development, friendship, and all the things I couldn’t stand and that never happened to me.
Surely enough, that story became a hit. All those who rejected me began to accept me as one of them.
…One of Them-- The very creatures that crushed my spirits all my life? The ignorant and arrogant bigots who forced me to against my pride and my own honor, and now they were only accepting me because I was doing what they demanded of me, and giving into all the ridiculousness that I was against?
Worse than that: My cutiemark finally materialized for writing these stories, but the way it appeared, it was as if even my own cutiemark was mocking me-- a broken pencil with torn out pages!!
…I couldn’t stand for it! I wouldn’t stand for it!!
I could see that I would never get through to these ponies, so I gave up writing, and I refused all payment, praise, and any offers given to me. The others were all flabbergasted, as to be expected, and yet they tried to insist that I reconsider…
…Especially Sandy and her Father.
“You can’t do this! I’m willing to publish your story and pay you well, and you’re just throwing it all away?!” “…The story is garbage, and so are you!” Sandy was horrified that I said such things to her father. “Stop this! You’re being unreasonable.” “I’M… being unreasonable? Yes, I suppose I am… after all, it’s the only language you ponies know, because you were always pushing me around, and you’ve just proven it all right. You wouldn’t accept my other stories as they were, or my way of thinking when all I was trying to do was open everyone’s eyes and get them to see the errors of their ways and that there’s more to life than just friendship! Yet you accepted this ridiculous story I make without much thought simply because it gives in to your demanding and foolishness! Well, I want no part of it! Stay out of my life!” With my dream nothing more than a squashed hope, I did the only I could and got a job as a sanitation worker. At least they didn’t require a decent education and I could make plenty of money to keep myself going…
…But I was constantly pestered by those who found my trash book amazing, and gave me the praise and honor that I didn’t want, so I let them all have it, the same way they always let me have it.
“I don’t like this story, and therefore I don’t like you either.” “You think it’s a good story? Well I don’t! So there!” “I will never sign autographs for that slop!” “I told you to stay out of my way and stop sending me these checks!” Any and all money I received for the book, I destroyed it, preferring only to get by on my regular salary from my real job.
You can believe, the bullying started up again, more intense than ever.
Of course this time I was bringing it on myself by being harsh back to everyone, but at least I had a good reason.
Pager especially had a ball with taunting me, and even confronted me about my decision.
“You finally write a successful story, and you whine like a baby and you toss aside all money and offers? Good luck being in the streets; it’s exactly where twats like you belong!” “Look, it’s the wannabe writer too cowardly to take other ponies’ advice.” “You’re a miserable, selfish jerk, Stone Heart. Maybe if you’d improve your attitude and swallow your worthless pride--”
He stopped when I pointed my sharp pointy-stick at him. “I’m warning you, Pager… give it a rest!” Pager actually looked afraid, but I chose a bad place to threaten him, in open public with so many ponies looking at me. Even I realized that this sort of violence was going too far, so from that moment I decided to try and keep my cool from wanting to physically injure someone, even if they deserved it.
Instead I decided to start writing simple stories again-- tales about my enemies, those I didn’t like or trust and who wronged me by putting it harmlessly on paper and keeping them for myself.
It helped a little, but deep down my hunger to get ever with every-pony was still as starving as ever.
Then, one day, while I cleaning up my home, I was stowing away the chest containing the fortune I had found, when I dropped it by mistake, opening a hidden panel within the back of lid, which contained a map and a letter from the previous owner.
The note read…
“If you are reading this, and you have the map, you are on the verge of discovering my hidden secret invention, which was how I became an instant success.
But be warned, if you find it; don’t let it consume you the way it did me.”
“The secret to his success…?”
Despite the warning on the note, I couldn’t resist. So I followed the map out into the Countryside, and dug up an old case which contained the typewriter, and no other instructions or warnings about it.
At first I didn’t see what the big deal was, and wondered how a typewriter could be the secret of some-pony’s success.
Nevertheless, I took it home, polished up, and it still worked.
It was already late at night, but I figured I’d try it out anyway to see what the fuss was about in the note.
So I wrote my first ever story on it. I wrote a simple nightmare about Pager, he was being hunted by large Timberwolves, chased into their den and they ate him alive.
Then, the very next day, I overheard Pager talking to some of his fans about the very nightmare he had in the night, and it was exactly as the story I wrote.
Was it a coincidence?
I had to try again, so I wrote a second story about Pager. This time he was at my mercy, being tried and punished for his wicked ways, and not only was I judge and jury, I got to sentence him to be executed, and drop the blade on him.
The very next day, Pager confronted me.
“Who gave you the right to be part of my dreams?!” “What are you talking about?” “I had a nightmare about you last night, and I didn’t like it, just like I don’t like you. Stay out of my dreams!”
He stormed off without any other word, and he didn’t have to… it had hit me!
The typewriter!
The famous novelist who owned it must’ve invested it, enchanting it with an incredible magic-- any story I would write on it, the pony was writing about would dream it.
This was probably what he meant in his note by “Secret of my success.” but this machine… I could get into the heads of not only Pager, but every other pony I had scores with!
I could make them suffer, and they’d never be able to trace it to me. Even Princess Luna’s magic could not work against this, and the machine itself protected me from anyone who dared to attack me as well.
Besides, they were only dreams anyway; it wasn’t as if I was physically harming them in real life.
So I went off on my new path, terrorizing them all.
Some like Pager, I gave more than just one scare, and any pony who dared to make things difficult for me would also suffer. It became an obsession, and I enjoyed every moment of it.
*POV ends* The remainders of the memories and flashbacks were of Stone using his dream machine to terrorize all the ponies, while singing a dreadful song to boot. “Welcome To My Nightmare!”
All the friends gawked with their eyes wide and their mouths hanging open as if they had seen a ghost. Rarity fainted in such horrific shock, while Stone just stood where he was with a stern expression, and he snuffed at them all.
Twilight snapped herself to her senses unable to know what to think from all this. She couldn’t believe that Stone lived such a life, surrounded by heartless and cruel ponies, “…Still, this is horrid!” she stated “Terrorizing them in their sleep?! Why it makes you no different from the rest of them.”
“I’m aware of this.” Stone admitted “But don’t like they didn’t deserve it, because they did, and so did all of you.
I am so sick and tired of ponies like you TELLING me what I should like or hate, and willfully deciding that what I do isn’t good enough no matter what it is.
But more importantly than that, I’m sick and tired of all these lies and falsehoods about friendship and “getting along.” All it ever caused me was pain and suffering, while others go on rewarded and praised for bad behaviour and things.
What am I supposed to do: Just sit and let them all push me to the brink of instantly?”
Celestia spoke calmly to him. “Stone, I understand your anger now, but why didn’t you just write to me. I would have been more than understanding. I could have helped you.”
Stone sighed and shook his head, “Haven’t you listened to anything that I’ve been saying? I couldn’t trust you, Princess! Especially since you, too, favored The Strength of Friendship.
And, begging your pardon, but I knew you were just like all the rest-- blind, ignorant, concerned only with the Brightside of things while completely ignoring the few of us who just never get to walk down that path.”
Celestia felt and seemed visibly offended at such a statement. So did all the others.
Stone continued saying, “Even if you weren’t openly hostile with me, I still couldn’t trust you. You, like all the rest, would only resort to insisting I “Improve” myself or “Take other ponies’ advice.” the very things that I swore against and detested!
All you would do is make me become something I can’t trust and don’t want to be!”
Twilight had never seen such a pony so angry, and so upset against friendship and positivity, of course she still couldn’t blame him. “This still does not excuse what you’ve done.” she said.
The sisters agreed, “However…” said Luna “Other than given ponies a dreadful fright, you haven’t physically harmed anyone, and given your statements, and the understanding of what led to all this… it will be taken into account.”
“What?!” snapped Rainbow “You can’t seriously be thinking of going easy on this jerk!”
“You wretched monster!” added Rarity.
Stone’s features hardened.
“Rainbow Dash, Rarity…!” snapped Celestia “You will refrain from using such hostile words! That goes for the rest of you.”
“I agree.” said Applejack “The guy’s been through enough already, and while he can’t be excused, we’re not getting anywhere by making things worse throwing all these insults at him.”
“I agree,” said Fluttershy “He needs help.”
“He needs lots, and lots, and lots of help!” added Pinkie.
While everyone was talking, or rather arguing about what to do about Stone, the story that was recently typed on the typewriter slipped off in the drafts from an open window, and landed right near two guards in the back.
One of them picked it up, and he couldn’t help but read it aloud to his partner. “Check this out…“Deading Day.”
It was the day of the wedding for Spike and Rarity in Las Pegasus, and all their friends were gathered to bear witness, some were being rather annoying.”
“Aww…” said the other guard.”
“I think we’re all overreacting here.” protested Starlight. “They were dreams, and you can get hurt from them.”
Spike did agreed, “But it still counts as harassment and that’s--” he stopped when he noticed something unusual “Look at the typewriter.”
Everyone saw, it was glowing brightly, and before everyone knew it, there was a big white flash, and all the friends and Spike had vanished, leaving only Celestia and Luna.
“Where did they go?” asked Celestia.
Luna had not a clue.
There the friends were, at Spike and Rarity’s wedding, and there was Snips starting the ceremony.
“Dearly be-hooved, we are gathered here today…”
Spike and Rarity gawked at one another in shock, and so did all the others.
“What’s going on?” asked Spike.
“This is the nightmare Stone wrote.” said Rarity.
Twilight felt herself all over, “But this doesn’t feel like a dream.”
The others agreed, and suddenly, Pinkie leapt about going “Hold on, I have your flowers, Rarity! They’re right here! I got’em! I got’em! I got’em! I got’em! I got’em! I got’em! I got’em!”
And Snips groaned, “Oh, my gosh! We’re never--!”
Everyone was astounded! Everything was happened exactly as was written in the story, and even though they were all aware of this, they couldn’t control their actions and were forced to go along as the story was written.
“Wait…!” cried Rarity “If this is how the story goes, then that means…!”
Indeed! The earthquake happened, and Twilight, Rarity, and Spike vanished… and then reappeared as Stone Heart’s prisoners in the cavern, and the ladies were dangling over the lava.
“Welcome…” he hissed.
All three of the prisoners knew what was coming next. “Stone!” called Spike “Your story, its coming true!”
“I know!” cried Stone. He wasn’t pretending, he was really concerned “I don’t understand it, but... I…” he stopped when he began to lower the ladies into the lava, and Spike was forced to choose again.
“No!!” cried Twilight.
Rarity only screamed and wailed.
“No!! Stop it!!” pleaded Spike.
“…I can’t!!” cried Stone. “What have I created…?!”
Celestia and Luna looked all around for the others, but all they could see were the two guards goofing off as they read the story.
“You two…!” she called to them, making the two guards jump, and they dropped the story which landed by Luna’s hooves, and at the very same time, all the friends and stone suddenly reappeared in a flash startling the guards and the sisters.
“What is the meaning of this?” Luna asked.
All the others looked pale and frightened out of their wits, and it was Stone who broke the silence. “That wasn’t a dream, was it?”
The others all shook their heads.
“We were really there.” said Twilight “You nearly killed me and Rarity.”
Rarity shuddered as several chills ran up her spine.
“But how did that all happen?” asked Starlight.
Stone scooped up the story on the floor.
The two guards stepped forth and one of them said, “…We were just reading it, that’s all.”
“Yes, you were.” said Celestia “And then we stopped you, and…” she paused and looked at everyone, implying the second the guards had stopped reading did they all reappear.
“What is going on?” asked Pinkie.
Stone looked over at the typewriter, “I think we’ve just discovered another special feature of my little dream machine.”
Everyone looked so perplexed yet astounded.
Meanwhile, whatever happened to those pages that got blown away from Stone’s pile he intended to destroy?
At that very moment, it was a typical day in Canterlot. Adults were heading for work. Children were walking to school, while friends were meeting in parks…
…When suddenly, from out of nowhere, these pages just seemed to drop in before them hitting some of them in the face, while others found them just lying on the ground or caught on bushes or trees and fetched them out.
“Hey, what’s this?”
“Where did this come from?”
“This looks like a story.”
“Maybe someone lost it.”
Back in the palace, everyone gathered around the typewriter, and Stone held the story in his hoof. “Watch carefully…” and he began to read from the page. “Deading Day” It was the day of the wedding for Spike and Rarity in Las Pegasus…” The typewriter began to glow again, and everyone suddenly began to fade away, just like before, and Stone stopped reading immediately, which made the glowing stop and everyone fully rematerialized.
“Whoa!” said Rainbow “Talk about a living nightmare.”
“That’s exactly what it is.” said Stone “Now I understand-- the letter that came with this machine warned me to beware of its power.”
“I get it,” said Starlight “It’s not just a dream machine! If someone reads a story that’s written on from it out loud, the story will come to life.”
Everyone stared in astounding awe at the machine.
“Which means,” Twilight cut in “If the guards hadn’t stopped reading,” she paused and clutched her throat “…Then Rarity and I would have been killed just like in the story.”
Rarity gasped softly with wide eyes.
Everyone was trembling with fear, including Stone. He had no idea of all this, as he had never read his finished stories out loud, but rather kept them as they piled up.
“This is incredible.” said Pinkie “We can type up anything we want and then make it really happen…!”
Applejack snapped at her before she got carried away. “Pinkie, this is serious! We have to think it through.”
Twilight agreed, “We’ve got to destroy this machine! It’s too dangerous to exist.”
The royal sisters agreed.
“It won’t work.” said Stone. “You already tried before. The machine can’t be destroyed, which is probably why the inventor hid it away.”
Twilight realized he was right.
Then Rainbow stepped forth, “Then we’ll try smashing it!” and she reached down to grab the machine.
“Rainbow wait…!!” cried Twilight. Too late…! Rainbow already received the same painful shocks she did, which threw her back hard. “Ow!”
Fluttershy came over and helped her up, “Are you alright?”
“Just peachy.” grumbled Rainbow.
“Calm down, everyone.” said Celestia “We need to think this through.”
“Agreed,” said Luna “So far, we know that if the stories are not read out loud, they shall not become real.”
Spike nodded, and realized “Wait…! We have two of the stories ourselves.”
Celestia held up her shark nightmare, and Twilight held up her other nightmare where she got her horn cut off.
“How did you get those?” asked Stone. He suspected immediately that he dropped the horn cutting story when he was last at the palace, but then he realized, “Oh, no…!”
“What is it?” asked Rarity.
Stone explained how he intended to destroy his large stack of nightmares he had written over the past weeks, “…But some of them blew away in the wind!”
Celestia gawked down at her own story and concluded how it slapped onto the bedroom window! “Are you suggestion that more of your pages may have scattered all through the village?!”
More more and more of the pages were being found by ponies all over. Even Pager found a nightmare, which plopped right in his face as he was about to have brunch at an outdoor cafe.
“Hey! What the--” he growled “Who threw this in my face!”
He would have tossed the paper away when he saw the writing on it, and his own name. “What the-- Why is my name on this?”
He thought it was so freaky that he tossed it away. The page fluttered along the air and landed on a table a few ways down where another pony picked it up.
Curious of what it was, he couldn’t help but read it, and out loud.
“Night of the Timberwolves” One night Pager was walking through Everfree Forest…” Pager suddenly began to feel strange.
“What’s happening to me?”
Then before he knew it, there was, in Everfree, in the dark and creepy night.
“Hey! What’s going on?!” he shouted out.
Suddenly, he could hear the sound of footsteps moving towards him, followed by sickening growls. Pager turned round and saw the very Timberwolves he had dreamed about a while back.
“No!!” he screamed “This can’t be real!” but he began to run for his life as those beasts gave chase.
The pony kept reading the story, until the waiter came out with his food, forcing him to stop reading, causing Pager to snap right back into reality, screaming for help!
Every pony in the café turned gawk at him, and Pager was so frightened that he just ran off screaming like a baby!
The Publisher and Sandy were walking along that day, but they stopped when they heard some kid on a bench reading from another page.
“Sandy Beam and her father were walking along the river-bank one day…”
And POOF… the two were trapped in the nightmare they had, facing the rickety bridge and the rushing river.
More and more ponies were strangely having their nightmares read, and thus trapping them all in the fantasies of the stories…
…While back in the throne room, the typewriter was glowing brighter than ever, which told everyone enough-- the stories were being read, which meant ponies were suffering!
“What have I done?” cried Stone “I just wanted to prank ponies in revenge, I didn’t want to actually harm them!”
Twilight was panicking. “We have to do something! We have to stop those stories from being read!”
Spike protested, “Twilight, there’s no way we can possibly find them all, or even know how many of them are out there!”
“He’s right.” agreed Starlight. “There’s got to be some other way we can--” she stopped right there, when she noticed the typewriter was floating in midair.
Everyone watched in confusion and then watched as it flew out the window.
“What in the hat is it doing now?” asked Aapplejack.
“I don’t think we want to know!” whimpered Fluttershy.
The sky grew dark, and the typewriter then began to cast magical beams into the air, opening portals into the actual nightmares themselves. All the monsters, beasts, and paraphernalia were starting to materialize into reality.
“Yet another special feature I suppose?!” sneered Rainbow.
Stone was completely surprised, and wondered if even the inventor knew about this feature as well, but now he was completely ashamed for unleashing all this chaos.
“Call out the guards!” shouted Celestia.
Warning horns tooted and all the palace guards began to rush into arms.
“Let’s get down there!” shouted Twilight.
The gang agreed and headed out to assist, while Spike and Stone remained behind in the palace with the sisters.
Stone was kneeling on the floor, holding his front hoofs to his head in extreme guilt and fear at what was happening… all because of him.
Spike couldn’t help but feel sorry for Stone, but right now there were more pressing matters to worry about!
The guards confronted one of the giant timber wolfs and charged with their lances at the ready, but that big brute gave a loud road, making large airwaves that blew all the men back hard.
Some of the guards even began to cower in fright, but others continued to fight to try and protect the civilians from the other oncoming and materializing horrors.
Twilight and Starlight tried to place magically barriers over the portals to keep the dangers at bay, but to no avail-- just as the typewriter protected itself and Stone Heart from danger, it protected the nightmares themselves.
The barriers were dispelled instantly, and any magical blasts the mares fired did absolutely nothing.
“It’s no use!” cried Starlight “They’re just still just dreams, and you can’t hurt dreams!”
By this time, the ponies and other creatures of Canterlot were beginning to run in panic. Even those whom had read to stories, thus: unleashing the dangers.
Though they had already stopped reading and dropped the pages, the horrors did not cease and continued to materialize all over town.
“RUN!!” shouted Applejack “Come with me this way!”
She led a large herd of ponies with her away from the dangers. Pinkie, Rainbow and Fluttershy helped, but how to stop the dangers themselves was anyone’s guess, especially considering more civilians were becoming trapped not just within their homes and other buildings, but some of them were actually being sucked in through the portals, into the nightmares themselves where even more frightful experiences awaited them!
“It’s not working!” cried Pinkie. “We can’t hold these creatures back!”
“We must do something!” screamed Rarity, but suddenly she was ensnared by nightmare vines that began to pull and drag her towards a nightmare portal.
“Rarity!!” cried Twilight.
“Grab her!!” shouted Starlight.
All the friends formed a huge chain, and Twilight pulled on Rarity’s limbs.
“Help me!!” Rarity cried.
Spike saw the whole thing from the window in the palace. “Rarity…!” he felt like jumping out and going down there, but there were also monsters beginning to scale the walls of the castle.
“You’re majesties!” cried one of the guards “We can’t seem to hold these creatures off! They just keep on coming!”
Celestia’s nerves were a wreck. She had never been so stumped before. “How could all this happen from simple written stories?”
Stone’s head suddenly perked up. “The stories?” and his eyes widened and he jumped up shouting, “…The Stories!!”
Everyone stopped to look at him, and he dashed over to the window, and he could see the typewriter floating high in the sky, and still glowing as more nightmares were unleashed.
“I’ve got to get to it!”
“What are you saying?” asked Luna.
Stone looked at her with desperate eyes, “Please, you’ve got to help me reach the typewriter. I think I know how to stop it.”
Luna was confused, but she agreed to help and let him ride on her back, since he couldn’t fly.
“Luna! Please be careful out there!” called Celestia.
Her sister nodded at her, and then she took off with Stone, heading out the window and up into the sky towards the typewriter.
As they got closer, however, the typewriter could sense Luna’s presence, and it began to fire magical blasts at her.
“I can’t get any closer!”
Stone was not deterred. “Try and levitate me in. It won’t be hostile towards me.”
Luna agreed and began to levitate him with her magic, and carefully moved him towards the raging machine. As he suspected, the machine allowed him to take it as it was bonded to him, and he managed to scoop it into his hooves.
“Okay, take us back!” he shouted, and Luna flew back towards the palace, but kept him in her levitation magic.
“Let’s move back!” said Spike, and he and Celestia, and whatever guards were with them stepped far back as Luna and Stone came through the window, to avoid the rage of the machine.
Stone placed the machine on the floor. “I need paper!” Then he one of the paged on the floor, and even though it had a story written on the front, the backside was still clear.
“Perfect!” he cried, and he quickly loaded the paper into the machine and began typing.
“What are you doing?” asked Spike.
“Trust me!” replied Stone.
Outside the nightmares were getting stronger, and soon all of Canterlot would be swarmed with monsters and dangers and other horrors beyond imagination, and they would continue to spread out all over Equestria.
As for Twilight and her friends, they weren’t looking so themselves for they were nearly pulled into the nightmare that was pulling Rarity in by vines.
“We’re not going to make it!!” screamed Pinkie.
“We have to!” cried Fluttershy.
“Please, don’t let me go!” wailed Rarity.
“We won’t!” shouted Twilight “We won’t let you go, Rarity!”
“We’re going to get sucked in!” cried Starlight.
This really looked like the end, but Stone finished typing a new story and pulled it out of the machine.
He then stood proudly and read what he had written loud and clear, “All of the other evil nightmares created by the evil dream machine vanished, and all of their victims were safe as the darkness lifted away!” The typewriter glowed brighter than ever, and it fired a large beam of light out through the window. The light soared into the sky, and burst into millions upon millions of sparkling specks of light.
“What’s that?” wondered Twilight.
All her friends looked up and saw the lights settling down all over, causing the nightmares and all unleashed from them to fade away, and the darkness overhead began to dispel.
The friends all fell with a plop onto the ground, and all other ponies had returned as well.
“What happened?” asked Starlight.
“All the nightmares are gone.” replied Twilight.
Rarity couldn’t stop trembling, twitching, and stammering with wide eyes and a frazzled mane.
Back in the palace, the typewriter was no longer glowing. The nightmares had truly ceased.
The sisters sighed in ever so much relief as the royal guards cheered for joy.
“YA-HOO!!” hollered spike “We did it! We did it!!” then he stopped and looked up at Stone, “…Okay… You did it.”
Stone looked down at the typewriter, realizing what a danger it was, but he also kept in mind that he would still likely be faces charges, and/or a light sentence for his harassment crimes.
…But he was prepared for this, as he had written more on the story he was holding, and he read from it…
“In conclusion: With all of the nightmares ceased, all the ponies and everything else was sent back in time to the day when Stone Heart first brought said machine home, and yet only Stone, himself retained any memory of the events.” “What?!” snapped Celestia.
“What are you doing?!” added Luna, but the typewriter already flashed brightly, enveloping everyone in its glow, which spread out all over the land.
“What’s happening now!” cried Twilight.
She and all the friends could only scream as the light consumed them along with all the civilians and the world around them.
Stone found himself back in his own home, in his secret cellar, having just brought the typewriter home, before using it. The civilians had suffered no nightmares caused by him, nor did Twilight Sparkle or her posse have any clue of the secrets he held.
Only Stone himself, retained any memory of the events that, now, had never occurred, which meant he couldn’t be incriminated or punished either, at least not by law. Plus, his conscience would no longer be disturbed for bringing the nightmares to life.
As for the typewriter, he decided to keep it anyway, but only use it when it had to be, and not to conjure up horrors, but rather for himself.
Such a writing a story and then bringing it to life, which supplied him with endless amounts of cash, making himself a good fortune.
While it would had been tempting to write a story where the people would stop bullying him and praise him for his stories, even he wasn’t that shallow and still retained some honor.
He was still a pony of his pride, and now he had new ways to get revenge on his detractors and those he didn’t trust besides haunting them.
During his garbage colleting routes, Pager would taunt him as usual.
“Still picking up garbage like the trash-heap you are?”
Stone glared at him, almost sinisterly, “Yes… I am…” and he began to approach him in a threatening manner, “…Seeing as you like to talk trash so much, maybe I ought to pick You!”
Pager felt insulted, “Why you stinking little--” he charged at him to attack, but knowing Pager’s lousy sense, Stone simply stepped out of the way causing pager to rush right into the trash-wagon, and a heap of slimy and grimy garbage toppled all over him.
Many ponies who saw laughed at him, Pager was outraged and humiliated, and there was worse to come as a royal guard came over. “I saw the whole thing.” he thundered at Pager, and he looked prepared to arrest him for trying to start a fight.
“No, no…” said Stone “I’ve got a better idea.”
Before Pager knew it, he was being forced to clean up the entire park himself, under the watchful eyes of Stone and the guards, further humiliating him.
In the days to come, the newspapers told of a story in Las Pegasus of how Stone’s parents hit a terrific stroke of bad luck and lost all their money, forcing themselves into poverty and the poor house.
Stone was amused. He didn’t have to make the story himself, and his folks were already being punished for their selfish and ridiculous ways.
Still, he couldn’t be totally heartless, and mailed small offerings of his fortune, but did it anonymously, still not really wanting to ever see them again, or having them track him down and mooch off him like they would.
There was also the bunch of ponies who admired his Strength of Friendship story, which he still remained embittered to, and rather than use a time travel story to erase it from existence, he preferred to just continue to shun and balk at any and all fans, and reject all payment and offers.
Even towards Twilight, when she wrote to him stated how much she loved the story and was willing to offer him a job as a literature teacher at the School of Friendship, he wrote back with a blunt message.
“I’m sorry. Your offer has been rejected. Please give up, and do not write again.”
Twilight felt confused and offended, and she vowed to figure out one day why he would reject her… but that was another story for another time and place.
With his source of riches and power undetectable and unstoppable, and his ways of protection and keeping himself out of danger, Stone really felt he had it made.
As for Stone, all he could do was walk along on his route, and then stop. He looked towards the camera, and stuck out his tongue while tugging on his eye-lid.