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Organised by
RogerDodger
Word limit
400–750
Cutie Mark Crusader Dreamwalkers, YAY!
In her time as Defender of the Dreamscape, Princess Luna had seen many things. Yet, this was a first: Backbeat, a young unicorn, was being harassed by evil haircare products.
The mare lay in a dark alley, cowering against a garbage can. “No!” she yelled at the shampoo bottle standing over her. “I don’t need you anymore! I’ve switched brands!”
Luna watched from a nearby rooftop. Her wings were spread and her knees were bent, ready for her to spring into action. She had to scratch her chin at the situation. How would a bottle of shampoo attack somepony?
With a shriek, Backbeat scrambled out of her spot, just barely dodging a blast of soapy slime.
Ah, Luna thought, leaping from her spot. That’s how.
She landed between the two with a slam, sending Backbeat tumbling to her hooves and the shampoo bottle flying back into the garbage cans. It stood up and shot a glare at her—but Luna was ready with a practiced glare of her own. “This dream is under my protection!” she announced. Her voice very nearly tore apart the fabric of the Dreamscape. “Begone, foul toiletry!”
“Yeah! You get ‘em, Princess!” said an unfamiliar voice.
Luna froze, snapping her head toward the entrance to the alley. What was that?
In her distraction, she barely had time to notice the shampoo bottle launching a torrent of slime her way. With a single flick of her horn, she sent the goo flying back. It cut right through the nightmare’s plastic shell, dispersing the bottle into dust. Backbeat poked at the spot where it had been for a moment before sprinting away.
“That was so cool!” came the other voice again.
“Who is there?!” Luna yelped, flaring her wings. “Show yourself, cruel nightmare! Thou shalt not harm this mare any longer!”
Two shadowy figures appeared at the end of the alley. “Huh?” said one of them. “Who is thou?” They both stepped forward.
Luna gaped as Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo bounded toward her, manes bouncing with each step. Scootaloo buzzed her wings excitedly. “Hi, Princess! How ya doing?”
“Wha… What are you doing here?” Luna asked. She poked Sweetie Belle in the side, prompting the filly to jump back. “Are you more figments of the Dreamscape?”
The two crusaders exchanged a glance. “I don’t think so?” Sweetie tried, raising a brow. She turned her head back to the alley’s entrance. “Hey Apple Bloom, are we figments?!”
A new filly that Luna did not recognize stepped into view, hauling a large red wagon by her teeth. It was overflowing with toys, sports supplies, and duct tape. So much duct tape. Apple Bloom dropped the wagon’s handle and wiped her head. “What’s a figment?” she called back.
Sweetie shrugged. “I dunno!” She turned back to Luna and smiled. “Hey Princess, what’s a figment?”
“Why—how are you here?” Luna blubbered, looking them up and down. “Is this all of you?”
Sweetie Belle took a moment to count herself, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom. When she finished, she nodded and said, “Yep, we’re all in!” They all high-hoofed. “Cutie Mark Crusader Dreamwalkers, yay!” they cheered in unison before speeding off.
“Wait!” Luna yelped, throwing out a hoof fruitlessly. She sped up to Apple Bloom, who was unloading all of the things in their cart. “Stop that!” She leaped over to Sweetie Belle, who was talking to a snail with fourteen mouths, and slapped her hoof away. “Don’t touch that! You are not supposed to be here—your mortal minds cannot possibly comprehend the Dreamscape’s power!”
“Ooh, what’s this?” Scootaloo babbled, staring at a pulsing purple tear in the ground. She reached a hoof toward it.
Luna saw her from the corner of her eye. “Scootaloo, no!” she screamed, rocketing through the air to where Scootaloo sat.
But it was too late. Scootaloo dipped her hoof into the rift, and within a millisecond, the Dreamscape collapsed. Darkness enveloped the universe, erasing and creating and erasing every being within. Luna could only scream as she felt her body being ripped into mere atoms—
Luna snapped up in bed, literally tearing her sleepmask off. Sweat ran down her neck in torrents, pooling at her rump. She rubbed her eyes. “That was insanity…”
“Heh, yeah, it was pretty crazy!”
She whipped her head to the side, only to find the Cutie Mark Crusaders standing at the side of her bed, covered in scorch marks. Mane still burning, Sweetie held up a glass. “Can we have a glass of water?”
The mare lay in a dark alley, cowering against a garbage can. “No!” she yelled at the shampoo bottle standing over her. “I don’t need you anymore! I’ve switched brands!”
Luna watched from a nearby rooftop. Her wings were spread and her knees were bent, ready for her to spring into action. She had to scratch her chin at the situation. How would a bottle of shampoo attack somepony?
With a shriek, Backbeat scrambled out of her spot, just barely dodging a blast of soapy slime.
Ah, Luna thought, leaping from her spot. That’s how.
She landed between the two with a slam, sending Backbeat tumbling to her hooves and the shampoo bottle flying back into the garbage cans. It stood up and shot a glare at her—but Luna was ready with a practiced glare of her own. “This dream is under my protection!” she announced. Her voice very nearly tore apart the fabric of the Dreamscape. “Begone, foul toiletry!”
“Yeah! You get ‘em, Princess!” said an unfamiliar voice.
Luna froze, snapping her head toward the entrance to the alley. What was that?
In her distraction, she barely had time to notice the shampoo bottle launching a torrent of slime her way. With a single flick of her horn, she sent the goo flying back. It cut right through the nightmare’s plastic shell, dispersing the bottle into dust. Backbeat poked at the spot where it had been for a moment before sprinting away.
“That was so cool!” came the other voice again.
“Who is there?!” Luna yelped, flaring her wings. “Show yourself, cruel nightmare! Thou shalt not harm this mare any longer!”
Two shadowy figures appeared at the end of the alley. “Huh?” said one of them. “Who is thou?” They both stepped forward.
Luna gaped as Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo bounded toward her, manes bouncing with each step. Scootaloo buzzed her wings excitedly. “Hi, Princess! How ya doing?”
“Wha… What are you doing here?” Luna asked. She poked Sweetie Belle in the side, prompting the filly to jump back. “Are you more figments of the Dreamscape?”
The two crusaders exchanged a glance. “I don’t think so?” Sweetie tried, raising a brow. She turned her head back to the alley’s entrance. “Hey Apple Bloom, are we figments?!”
A new filly that Luna did not recognize stepped into view, hauling a large red wagon by her teeth. It was overflowing with toys, sports supplies, and duct tape. So much duct tape. Apple Bloom dropped the wagon’s handle and wiped her head. “What’s a figment?” she called back.
Sweetie shrugged. “I dunno!” She turned back to Luna and smiled. “Hey Princess, what’s a figment?”
“Why—how are you here?” Luna blubbered, looking them up and down. “Is this all of you?”
Sweetie Belle took a moment to count herself, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom. When she finished, she nodded and said, “Yep, we’re all in!” They all high-hoofed. “Cutie Mark Crusader Dreamwalkers, yay!” they cheered in unison before speeding off.
“Wait!” Luna yelped, throwing out a hoof fruitlessly. She sped up to Apple Bloom, who was unloading all of the things in their cart. “Stop that!” She leaped over to Sweetie Belle, who was talking to a snail with fourteen mouths, and slapped her hoof away. “Don’t touch that! You are not supposed to be here—your mortal minds cannot possibly comprehend the Dreamscape’s power!”
“Ooh, what’s this?” Scootaloo babbled, staring at a pulsing purple tear in the ground. She reached a hoof toward it.
Luna saw her from the corner of her eye. “Scootaloo, no!” she screamed, rocketing through the air to where Scootaloo sat.
But it was too late. Scootaloo dipped her hoof into the rift, and within a millisecond, the Dreamscape collapsed. Darkness enveloped the universe, erasing and creating and erasing every being within. Luna could only scream as she felt her body being ripped into mere atoms—
Luna snapped up in bed, literally tearing her sleepmask off. Sweat ran down her neck in torrents, pooling at her rump. She rubbed her eyes. “That was insanity…”
“Heh, yeah, it was pretty crazy!”
She whipped her head to the side, only to find the Cutie Mark Crusaders standing at the side of her bed, covered in scorch marks. Mane still burning, Sweetie held up a glass. “Can we have a glass of water?”