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[Uknown Ponies] Troubles in Everfree Forest
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"Bueller?"
"Bueller?"
"Bueller?"
Beaming as she appeared next to Cloudbolt jogging along with her the princess just nodded "good evening Cloudbolt! Pray tell, why are we running from riches?" she asked curiously.
=======
Coming across Charity's dream left her somewhat hesitant, the alicorn pausing for a second "terrified of math, what a silly girl you are Charity," she joked even as she moved to sit next to the filly, a small dome made of the deepest of night skies forming up around them, detaching them from Charity's nightmare for the time being as she asked "so, how did my students first outing go?" formally.
He throws himself onto his bed eyeing his record player on the night stand. All enthusiasm for listening to some late night music dashes away as he constantly reminds himself of the trouble he's going to be in the morning. Trying to think up of excuses the best one he can come up with is 'Because Princess Luna told me to.'
Knowing his parents would never believe such a thing him he continues to come up with other backup excuses.
He thinks late into the night until he is whisked away to dreamland.
"At least this wasn't the nightmare where I'm in front of the class in my underwear," she admits with typical levels of discretion. "I reckon that's a mighty odd cause of a nightmare cause nobody usually wears clothes!"
"Well, I mean, except for the bridal reception. Obviously."
"Come on Vigilance, Luna wants to see us," the big one mentions.
"Hurry up, sleepyhead," the colorful one says, bossily.
"Right, right. I'm up," Vigilance concedes, slipping out of his bed and noting the darkness outside. Looks like maybe 2am, he was up late hoping for a comet sighting. Waxing gibbous moon. Three hours of sleep, or was it two? He can't really remember, but he's used to doing without sleep.
"Watch your step," he's reminded as he almost trips over a root. Everfree Forest again? He doesn't remember leaving Ponyville. He's falling behind the others, canters to keep up.
A clawed hand latches on to his back hoof, and he's dragged down. The others are watching, but don't seem especially concerned as the earth closes over his head.
Wet, choking, silence. He's underwater now. Bubbles bursting from his mouth as he tries to call for help. The abyssal pressure keeps him pinned in place, his struggles useless. Eventually, he gives up, floating in place, scared of what will come next.
"Vigilance, I... I got your apology," she says, trotting through the black water like it was thin air. Her front hoof scrapes nervously at ground that isn't there and she turns her head. "Listen, I know... I know you didn't really mean it. But I can't just forget what you said. I keep thinking about it and..." She finally catches Vigilance eye.
"I'm sorry, I... don't think we should be friends any more." She turns, and walks back into the darkness, not looking back.
Vigilance floats quietly now, despondent. He's aware he's dreaming now, but that doesn't really help. It's not the dreams that hurt, it's the memories they bring back.
====
Luna arrived late to Vigilance's dream. Thoroughly worn out by trying to get much sense out of the others before she froze up, nightmares felt different after all, proper nightmares, not just silly grudges against school or reflections on what were but something... painful. As Nightmare Moon she had relished the coldness being in someones nightmare enveloped her in, welcoming it as a sign of peoples fear. Now, now it simply disgusted the Alicorn as she stood atop the black lagoon. Concentrating as she attempted to locate where Vigilance was in the nightmare. So Faint she thought as she tugged on the mental line that sprung up connecting the two. Pulling Vigilance to the surface before suspending him with her magic.
"Are you alright child?" was the first question she asked, sparing a glance down into the water. She would have to find a way to lessen whatever pain caused this. After all the alicorn knew full well what giving into nightmares could do to someone.
"So what you're saying is....if I learn how to do arithmetic, then I can make a giant robot with orange shades that will throw universes?! Oh, oh, or I can make a giant PURPLE robot and prompt Armageddon!"
Well, at least Charity will make an enthusiastic Nightmare Moon.
========
Looking at Charity Luna just blinked "I um... well I suppose yes, possibly, I really am not sure what to think of such contraptions but I don't see why not if you studied," she says finally.
"Regardless, I take it the map functioned alright?" she asks.
========
Luna nodded, continuing to jog. Normally of course she would have wanted to inspect the injury at a stand still but it seemed to make sense to keep running, funny how dreams could do that to someones thought process.
"That does look quite bad Cloudbolt, have you had someone look at it?" she asked "besides I do not think your parents are going to be happy that you will likely miss practice because of it,"
She looks faintly embarrassed. "I don't know how those got in here."
"So about that map! I reckon it worked fine, eeyup."
"filthy earth pony, why is he even here?"
"did they really think they can buy themselves into our society?"
"yeah, you've got to be a real earth pony to believe that"
He hears the words and how much it hurts him, but doesn't move at all. Still keeping his posture, almost as if he was paralyzed. Just as he opens his mouth slowly to talk back the grounds rumbles knocking him out of his stunned state and onto the floor. Two gigantic ponies rise up from the ground where they were all facing. It was hard for him to tell but one seemed to be a masculine pony and the other more feminine. Both wearing crowns as they unlock a huge gate.
"Welcome home." The gigantic ponies say in a happy tone.
The glowing herd moves forward avoiding Shimmy in the rush. He gets up and tries to walk forward but notices his hooves are stuck on the ground, almost merging themselves with the earth itself.
"Do you not possess the glow?" One Unicorn says to him as she trots away from him.
"Simpletons, please do not get mud near me." Another says as he faces away Shimmy
"It's easy really, just don't try!" One cheery unicorn announces directly into his face.
Shimmy struggles to lift his hooves away from the ground but to no avail. He notices his hooves have a more dirty earthen look, sneaking upwards his legs. As the glowing crowd all rushes to the gate the gigantic masculine pony notices Shimmy stuck in the ground. His eyes dart directly at the chubby pony as his happy expression transforms into a stern look beaming with hatred. The gigantic pony stomps on the floor furiously multiple times. The sound of rumbling thunder hits Shimmy's ears as he looks up to see the ground begin to crack towards him.
He gives up trying to free himself and gently lays his body on the floor with his eyes closed waiting for the inevitable.
"Earth ponies are the FUTURE, Charles!"
"We do not have to have war, Erik!"
"We were able to follow the map without any problems. It guided us to a diamond dog mine, who's operations we decided needed disrupting. After accomplishing that by destroying their animal repelling machine, we encountered Mses. Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy, who were also looking for a disturbance in the area." He pauses.
"We did do the right thing, right?"
=======
Luna paused, considering what Vigilance had explained "yes, yes, that would likely solve the problem, very good, now, my sister also informs me this is where I should ask you what you learnt of your new friends," she adds conversationally.
====
Luna nodded to Charity as she observed the thoroughly foreign dream-scape "I am glad the map worked," she says to Charity idly, clearly a bit busy taking in the new sights and sounds.
====
Coming into Shimmy's dream Luna took in the situation. Another nightmare, prehaps sending children to the Everfree wasn't the best idea the Alicorn considered to herself for a second. Grasping the situation and realising she too was standing in the little circle of unicorns she decided to be a bit more subtle. After all she'd learnt enough of the day from the others, it was time to help somepony instead.
"I think he's positively endearing," Luna said, looking for all the world like a cutie-markless unicorn for the time being.
"Why didn't you go with them? You'll never be special now...."
"Believe in the pony that believes in you!"
Charity sits with a huff, unwilling to take part in the wilds of her subconscious with an adult watching over her shoulder. Not even a princess. After a few moments, the mecha dream dwindles down into the calmness of her own dream bedroom.
"So...uh......." What does one ask a demigod in your dreams, anyways? "Wanna hop dreams to my brother and make him wet the bed?"
"Well, I'd say they're all pretty interesting individuals," he says, with an incredibly neutral expression. He thinks back on all the wacky plans, hijinks, and mishaps that the group had suffered throughout the day... and yet they had succeeded, and whenever anypony was about to get in serious trouble, somepony was there to lend a helping hoof.
"I think we're all very different, but despite that we seemed to work together well. Watching out for one another on this mission was something that came naturally, I guess. I'm not sure if that's friendship, but it must be pretty close."
Steamshine looked left down the tracks, then right. One way led to Dodge Junction and help. The other led back into the wilderness.
Left. Right. Left. Right. He starts to hyperventilate as the choice looms over him, his mind seizing up as he looks desperately looks each way down the track, looking for something, anything that will tell him the right way to go.
========
Luna just chuckled "Charity you should not wish such things on your brother," she insists "besides your dream is quite amusing enough personally,"
=======
Luna nodded at Vigilances summary "it's always important to remember that, even the bearers of harmony are very different people, you can get a lot more done with six perspectives rather than one," the alicorn said before shifting a little "with that though I feel I should go, will you be alright if I leave you here or do you want me to wake you up for the early morn?" she asks politely.
=======
Luna observed Steamshine's dream passively. There hardly seemed a need to interfere with it actively, the Alicorn simply whispering "left," into his ear from on high.
======
Luna nodded, flying along with her "well do tell me if they are too much, family members can be very intense in wanting the best for us," she says before flying off, out of the dream.
***Server shutting down***
***The1TrueLoonaGrrl has been booted from the server***
A few moments later, Charity returns to bed and falls back asleep. She pops back into dreams with the ease of a wild child, humming to herself. The dreams of machines have faded, replaced with a dream replica of the Huffinmouf farm with its greenery and chores.
=========
Luna just scowled as Charity suddenly woke up, not coming back when the foal fell asleep again.
=========
Luna smiled, looking at Shimmy "I haven't gotten one yet, it's fine though, I don't think you need a cutie mark or to be a specific breed to be special," she insists even as she walked away, soon fading from the dream.
She's up with the crack of dawn to help haul feed to the chickens and get water for the cows. Long used to chores, she has no complaints as she helps her brothers with it all. When her mother calls her in and asks if she wants to go to school today, Charity replies with a chipper "Nope!" and wanders off into town to be a good little truant.
"Oh. Is this... a dream?" he mutters in confusion as he looks about, before noticing the fading filly on his back, "Sis?" he murmurs questioningly, "So I guess I had the snakebite nightmare again?"
He sighs and sits down heavily before looking around him again at the starscape. "Uh, Yer Majesty? Are you here?" he calls out.
Shimmy grabs his lunch saddle and slowly opens his bedroom door to see if his parents are awake. He doesn't hear the usual sounds his mother makes in the morning, hoofsteps, the clanging of kitchen utensils and the usual radio. He walks out a bit towards the kitchen and much to his surprise he sees a lone brown paper lunch bag on the table with a note attached to it.
It reads: 'We'll talk after school." ~Mom & Dad
A thousand thoughts race through Shimmy's mind leaving him stunned for a moment. Did they know? What do they want to talk about? Am I in trouble? Should I tell the truth? Run away? Never come back? He knew he was in trouble already and didn't want to make the punishment worse. He stuffs the lunch bag in his lunch saddle; opens up the fridge and stuff all sorts of snacks into the saddle. He eyes the unopened Capri-Celestia as the image depicts Princess Celestia surf boarding over a body of water avoiding giant fruit. The inane image manages to make Shimmy laugh as he straps it around his neck so he can walk and drink at the same time.
He heads out the house and towards the school.
"We need to get that looked at" "It looks sprained, but she's been flying on it" "Should we call the nurse?"
"Mom, Dad, my wing is fine. It's just a graze and"
"Just a graze? this is serious. IF you keep flying on this you could do some long term damage WHat were you doing on this wing?"
"Look, Princess Luna told me to go to the Everfree Forest with some other ponies and"
"The Everfree Forest? We need to worry about infection and curses and suchlike. Better call the Doctor. Bolty, you are staying with us today."
"Oh, this will be just fantastic"
After rummaging through some cupboards to pull together a makeshift lunch for the day, he departs, trying not to look too out of place while shuffling through the bustling, mid-morning marketplace on his way to school.
She coughs.
"Well, anywho, I think its high time I worked some on my numbers, so I'm headed to the library! Oh, hey, I think that's Vigilance over there shuffling quietly! Why don't you go say hi?"
Charity trots into the crowd, ambush completed.
"Hey there ponies," she started even as she put the letter down "I hope this isn't going to become a regular occurence but Luna had a message for you, she says she simply wants you to be nice to and or help someone and report back tonight, oh, it seems not all of you are here," she says matter of factly before bidding farewell and going back to her own group of friends.
For Charity and Cloudbolt the message would get to them by another carrier. Rainbow Dash turning up after finding each and lecturing Charity on school probably being somewhat important. Spending a good ten minutes with Cloudbolt talking about the wonderbolts and her own various flying accidents.
"'Be nice to and or help someone'," he reiterates curiously after finishing. "That's an unusual task. In that it is a very usual task. I guess tonight we get to do another report on what we did, just like last night," he continues, looking up to confirm that the other ponies, too, had to talk about their experience in the Everfree Forest the night prior.
"Luna let slip to me that Celestia was telling her how to do this whole..." he waves a hoof, evocatively. "...adventures and dreams thing. I'm kinda not too sure how to feel about two god-princesses messing around with us," he admits. "Is that just me?"
"But...I'm studyin!" she finally says in exasperation. "I don't need no fancy teacher Cheerabee to tell me how to do that."
Regardless, she's supposed to do something nice. Something nice...
She looks around the library and spots a certain purple dragon. "Howdy, Spike! I dun reckon you need a hand with anythin?"
His thinks back to the topic at hoof. "Be nice and/or help someone? Hmmmmm." His mind races to see who he can exactly help. What an odd request from Princess Luna. On the upside at least he gets to talk to her tonight if he does what is asked. He faces toward train fanatic colt. "Do you need help with anything Steamshine?"
"Or maybe I can ask someone else in the classroom if they need help with anything before school lets out..." Shimmy pulls out an apple from his lunch saddle as he begins to slowly eat and think.