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Trapped Inside the Spider-Verse
Twilight could tell she was dreaming, because she was six years old again, and the spiders were back. She could hear them crawling beneath the wallpaper, see them in the periphery, feel them all over her own body, which she kept huddled under her starry blanket. She wished Luna were here. And then Luna was there.
Stepping out from a zipper that had appeared in mid-air, Luna flicked her nose up at Twilight in a ‘hello’. Twilight only returned half of the gesture before, hopping through the same portal, Fluttershy appeared.
“Holler if you need me,” Luna said. “I’m going to see how long I can hold my breath underwater.”
“Okay,” said Fluttershy.
With that, Luna pulled out a pair of goggles and a snorkel, fit them around her muzzle, and disappeared through the opening right as it zipped back up.
Fluttershy turned to Twilight and waved.
“Why are you here?” Twilight managed, embarrassed at her childish voice.
“Oh. Princess Luna has been delegating dreamwalking to some of us ever since she retired. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie are helping Rarity destroy some haunted mannequins right now.”
“Really?”
“No.”
Fluttershy crept closer to the bed, then paused when she noticed something underneath. She crouched for a closer look, then stood up again. “Wow,” she said. “That’s a lot of spiders.”
Twilight crumpled up. “Uh-huh.”
“But don’t worry. You’re just having a nightmare.”
“I know I’m having a nightmare!” Twilight squeaked.
“Oh. You do?”
“I’ve been having the same one for weeks.”
Twilight shrieked at something skittering across the floor. It came from the wall and disappeared under the nightstand, but she never got a good look at it. That was the trouble with this dream. She’d never actually seen any spiders head on. They lived in the corners of her eyes.
Fluttershy reached out and caressed her mane.
“There, there,” said her friend, but for all Twilight knew she was pointing out two places in the room where there were spiders. There, and there.
“Cheer up,” Fluttershy went on. “You know, spiders are actually more scared of you than you are of them.”
Twilight met her friend’s eyes. “Does that same principle also apply to spiders in my nightmare?”
“Oh, no,” Fluttershy said with a smile. “The ones in here are fearless.” She blinked. “Um… real spiders also aren’t ever in big groups like this. They’re very anti-social. And they don’t like to travel to unfamiliar territory either.”
“But the ones in here?”
“Extroverts and explorers, yes. They want to colonize this entire room.”
Twilight’s heart launched itself into her ribs. “Any more spider facts for me?”
“Oh, sure. Have you ever heard that if you sleep with your mouth open, that spiders will crawl inside your mouth?”
“They WHAT?!”
“Yes,” said Fluttershy. “Only it turns out that’s a myth.”
Twilight scowled. “Fluttershy?”
“Yes?”
“Lead with that part next time.”
“Okay. Sure.”
With a groan, Twilight hid her face under her blanket again. But she couldn’t block out the arachnid chatter hitting her from all sides.
“Twilight,” said Fluttershy sternly. “Listen to me. You’re the bravest pony I know.”
Twilight shook her head. Not in here. Not against this.
Fluttershy continued, “I’m just not sure how the strongest alicorn in Equestria is getting spooked by something so small.”
“Do you want me to zap them? They’re too fast!”
After a moment’s pause, Fluttershy huffed. “Come on, Twilight. Surely there’s another spell you can come up with.”
Twilight thought. “I suppose I could utilize the inherent magical energy inside every living creature to force every spider in existence to burst into flames?”
Fluttershy blinked. She opened her mouth.
“Um.”
Luna had taught Fluttershy that closeness didn’t work the same way in dreams as it did in real life. The smallest whisper of the quietest child could be heard from a thousand miles away in a dream. The concept explained why Fluttershy, standing a mile away from Twilight’s burning childhood home, could hear each individual spider inside it hiss, whine, and pop like so many tiny balloons.
Fluttershy turned to her friend. She was looking a lot better. Maybe too much better.
“Twilight?”
“Hm?” Twilight’s grinning lips looked like two crooked spider legs.
“That spell won’t work in real life. Will it?”
Twilight turned back to the fire. Her smile opened slightly—the two spider legs cracking open to reveal teeth—or, as it seemed to Fluttershy, a batch of fresh, white eggs inside her friend’s mouth.
“You don’t think so?”
Stepping out from a zipper that had appeared in mid-air, Luna flicked her nose up at Twilight in a ‘hello’. Twilight only returned half of the gesture before, hopping through the same portal, Fluttershy appeared.
“Holler if you need me,” Luna said. “I’m going to see how long I can hold my breath underwater.”
“Okay,” said Fluttershy.
With that, Luna pulled out a pair of goggles and a snorkel, fit them around her muzzle, and disappeared through the opening right as it zipped back up.
Fluttershy turned to Twilight and waved.
“Why are you here?” Twilight managed, embarrassed at her childish voice.
“Oh. Princess Luna has been delegating dreamwalking to some of us ever since she retired. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie are helping Rarity destroy some haunted mannequins right now.”
“Really?”
“No.”
Fluttershy crept closer to the bed, then paused when she noticed something underneath. She crouched for a closer look, then stood up again. “Wow,” she said. “That’s a lot of spiders.”
Twilight crumpled up. “Uh-huh.”
“But don’t worry. You’re just having a nightmare.”
“I know I’m having a nightmare!” Twilight squeaked.
“Oh. You do?”
“I’ve been having the same one for weeks.”
Twilight shrieked at something skittering across the floor. It came from the wall and disappeared under the nightstand, but she never got a good look at it. That was the trouble with this dream. She’d never actually seen any spiders head on. They lived in the corners of her eyes.
Fluttershy reached out and caressed her mane.
“There, there,” said her friend, but for all Twilight knew she was pointing out two places in the room where there were spiders. There, and there.
“Cheer up,” Fluttershy went on. “You know, spiders are actually more scared of you than you are of them.”
Twilight met her friend’s eyes. “Does that same principle also apply to spiders in my nightmare?”
“Oh, no,” Fluttershy said with a smile. “The ones in here are fearless.” She blinked. “Um… real spiders also aren’t ever in big groups like this. They’re very anti-social. And they don’t like to travel to unfamiliar territory either.”
“But the ones in here?”
“Extroverts and explorers, yes. They want to colonize this entire room.”
Twilight’s heart launched itself into her ribs. “Any more spider facts for me?”
“Oh, sure. Have you ever heard that if you sleep with your mouth open, that spiders will crawl inside your mouth?”
“They WHAT?!”
“Yes,” said Fluttershy. “Only it turns out that’s a myth.”
Twilight scowled. “Fluttershy?”
“Yes?”
“Lead with that part next time.”
“Okay. Sure.”
With a groan, Twilight hid her face under her blanket again. But she couldn’t block out the arachnid chatter hitting her from all sides.
“Twilight,” said Fluttershy sternly. “Listen to me. You’re the bravest pony I know.”
Twilight shook her head. Not in here. Not against this.
Fluttershy continued, “I’m just not sure how the strongest alicorn in Equestria is getting spooked by something so small.”
“Do you want me to zap them? They’re too fast!”
After a moment’s pause, Fluttershy huffed. “Come on, Twilight. Surely there’s another spell you can come up with.”
Twilight thought. “I suppose I could utilize the inherent magical energy inside every living creature to force every spider in existence to burst into flames?”
Fluttershy blinked. She opened her mouth.
“Um.”
***
Luna had taught Fluttershy that closeness didn’t work the same way in dreams as it did in real life. The smallest whisper of the quietest child could be heard from a thousand miles away in a dream. The concept explained why Fluttershy, standing a mile away from Twilight’s burning childhood home, could hear each individual spider inside it hiss, whine, and pop like so many tiny balloons.
Fluttershy turned to her friend. She was looking a lot better. Maybe too much better.
“Twilight?”
“Hm?” Twilight’s grinning lips looked like two crooked spider legs.
“That spell won’t work in real life. Will it?”
Twilight turned back to the fire. Her smile opened slightly—the two spider legs cracking open to reveal teeth—or, as it seemed to Fluttershy, a batch of fresh, white eggs inside her friend’s mouth.
“You don’t think so?”
Pics
This is clearly my favourite and predicted winner for this round. At least my top of slate.
It’s quite charming in the way it tackles that little scene, and I find that slightly cynical Fluttershy absolutely delicious. This would probably be bashed by the orthodoxy as OOC, but for me who has often been deliberately writing OOC, it’s just delectable.
I just have my two usual rants:
1. I despise the word ‘utilise’. Really I loth it. This verb is a freak. Just use ‘use’ instead :)
2. I’m not really sure about the meaning of the end. Is that somehow connected to what Fluttershy said before about spiders walking into mouths? I am a bit perplexed.
Otherwise very competent job.
It’s quite charming in the way it tackles that little scene, and I find that slightly cynical Fluttershy absolutely delicious. This would probably be bashed by the orthodoxy as OOC, but for me who has often been deliberately writing OOC, it’s just delectable.
I just have my two usual rants:
1. I despise the word ‘utilise’. Really I loth it. This verb is a freak. Just use ‘use’ instead :)
2. I’m not really sure about the meaning of the end. Is that somehow connected to what Fluttershy said before about spiders walking into mouths? I am a bit perplexed.
Otherwise very competent job.
There is something devilishly funny about receiving such a glowing comment, and to talk about how this story was clearly mine privately with you over Discord, only for it to place last because it was at the bottom of the only slate it was on, and for you to guess someone else wrote it.
Genuinely great entertainment. It's too bad we don't have more commenters and voters but the juxtaposition between this comment and the results page is too funny for me to be mad.
<3 u >>Monokeras. Hope to see you in the next round!
Genuinely great entertainment. It's too bad we don't have more commenters and voters but the juxtaposition between this comment and the results page is too funny for me to be mad.
<3 u >>Monokeras. Hope to see you in the next round!
I love the voicing of the characters, here; it's enjoyable to read something which fits the original show's tone and humor so well. But my favorite part was probably the casting for the tale, which puts Fluttershy to surprising and good use.
The only thing that didn't land with me was the image of eggs inside filly Twilight's mouth. I think it's a little clunky and doesn't really help characterize Twilight's new fiendish impulse, which is effectually the reader's send-off.
The only thing that didn't land with me was the image of eggs inside filly Twilight's mouth. I think it's a little clunky and doesn't really help characterize Twilight's new fiendish impulse, which is effectually the reader's send-off.