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Organised by
RogerDodger
Word limit
400–750
Recurring Nightmare
Rain ran slowly over the surface of the cold stone, dripping off the sides of Applejack’s granite hat, protecting the statue’s face from the elements just as it had in life.
“This is not healthy, you know,” Luna said as she stepped out from behind one of the statues. Somehow, Twilight didn’t start.
“I know,” Twilight said, slowly trailing her hoof over the statue’s dry cheek.
“Did my sister not speak to you about these things?” Luna asked as she sat down beside Twilight in the center of the ring of statues, the rain somehow failing to dampen the alicorns’ ethereal manes.
“She did.” Twilight shook her head. “It isn’t even that I’m said. It’s just… it feels wrong.”
“Well, dreams often reflect a reality we are trying to avoid,” Luna said, setting a hoof on the shoulder of the smaller alicorn.
“I know that! But it just doesn’t make any sense!” Twilight swung her hoof through the air. “My friends are all alive. When I wake up, I’ll be meeting them at Sugarcube Corner for breakfast! I’m not even worried about dying and being left alone; I know I’ll miss them, but I’ll be able to make other friends.”
Luna blinked, removing her hoof from Twilight’s shoulder to tap her chin. “Hm. Is that what you truly fear, then?”
Twilight sighed, looking back towards the statue of Applejack looming over a small, sad mound of wet earth. “I don’t know.”
“And then I woke up!”
“I dunno, sugar cube. Sometimes a dream’s just a dream.”
“I know that! But Luna doesn’t just show up in your dreams.”
“Well, then, clearly you’re not having the right kind of dreams,” Rainbow Dash said, leering.
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Oh, please.”
“Well, I wouldn’t worry about it,” Rarity said, leaning forward slightly to set a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “I’m sure it will come to you eventually.”
“But what if it’s important? I was feeling really guilty in the dream, and I don’t even know why!”
“Uhm,” Fluttershy said, peering out from behind her mane, “Maybe you were just afraid you couldn’t protect us from something?”
“Hah! Like we need protecting,” Rainbow Dash said, banging her hoof on the table, their glasses rattling.
“Rainbow Dash is right. Ain’t no need for you to fret over us. We’ll be okay.”
Twilight chewed on her lip, turning her head to look out the window before her eyes widened. “No. No you won’t!”
Applejack arched an eyebrow. “Care to explain, sugar cube? I’m pretty sure we can take care of ourselves.”
“Yeah!” Rainbow Dash said. “I mean, if something bad happens, we can just blast them with magic rainbows again, right?”
“No, you can’t. Not this.”
“‘This?’” Rarity asked.
“Old age! That’s what it was I was afraid of!”
Rainbow Dash started laughing. “What? Afraid of becoming a wrinkly old lady?”
“No,” Twilight said, jabbing her hoof across the table. “I’m afraid of you becoming a wrinkly old lady!”
“Hey!” Rainbow Dash puffed out her chest. “I’ll never get wrinkly.”
“Oh no!” Pinkie Pie gasped, rushing over from her place behind the counter to cling to Rainbow Dash. “You mean you’re going to die in a terrible accident during a Wonderbolts show, crashing into the ground and going away before your time?” Her eyes glistened with tears.
“That’s not what I meant, Pinkie,” Rainbow Dash said, wiggling awkwardly in the pink pony’s tight grip.
“Pinkie Pie is right,” Twilight said, straightening.
“Uh, what?” Rainbow Dash stopped squirming to shoot a quizzical look at her friend.
“I see what the dream meant now! I’m supposed to make all of you into alicorns! That’s what’s been bothering me!” Twilight clapped her hooves together.
Applejack tilted her head. “Don’t you think that Princess Celestia might be a mite concerned ’bout you zappin’ a bunch of ponies into alicorns?”
“Oh! That’s not how it works!” Twilight smiled gleefully. “Oh, I have so many things to teach you! This will be fun!”
“Fun. Right.” Rainbow Dash wiggled, trying to push her way out of Pinkie Pie’s grip.
Applejack tipped her hat. “That’s mighty generous of you, Twilight. There’s just one problem.”
“Oh, and that is?”
Applejack leaned forward. “You’re still asleep.”
Twilight’s eyes shot open. Groaning, she sat up in bed, her ethereal mane flowing behind her as she looked out her window towards the rising sun. Her eyes fell on a distant hill where five statues loomed, casting long shadows across the rippling grass.
“I’m sorry.”
“This is not healthy, you know,” Luna said as she stepped out from behind one of the statues. Somehow, Twilight didn’t start.
“I know,” Twilight said, slowly trailing her hoof over the statue’s dry cheek.
“Did my sister not speak to you about these things?” Luna asked as she sat down beside Twilight in the center of the ring of statues, the rain somehow failing to dampen the alicorns’ ethereal manes.
“She did.” Twilight shook her head. “It isn’t even that I’m said. It’s just… it feels wrong.”
“Well, dreams often reflect a reality we are trying to avoid,” Luna said, setting a hoof on the shoulder of the smaller alicorn.
“I know that! But it just doesn’t make any sense!” Twilight swung her hoof through the air. “My friends are all alive. When I wake up, I’ll be meeting them at Sugarcube Corner for breakfast! I’m not even worried about dying and being left alone; I know I’ll miss them, but I’ll be able to make other friends.”
Luna blinked, removing her hoof from Twilight’s shoulder to tap her chin. “Hm. Is that what you truly fear, then?”
Twilight sighed, looking back towards the statue of Applejack looming over a small, sad mound of wet earth. “I don’t know.”
“And then I woke up!”
“I dunno, sugar cube. Sometimes a dream’s just a dream.”
“I know that! But Luna doesn’t just show up in your dreams.”
“Well, then, clearly you’re not having the right kind of dreams,” Rainbow Dash said, leering.
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Oh, please.”
“Well, I wouldn’t worry about it,” Rarity said, leaning forward slightly to set a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “I’m sure it will come to you eventually.”
“But what if it’s important? I was feeling really guilty in the dream, and I don’t even know why!”
“Uhm,” Fluttershy said, peering out from behind her mane, “Maybe you were just afraid you couldn’t protect us from something?”
“Hah! Like we need protecting,” Rainbow Dash said, banging her hoof on the table, their glasses rattling.
“Rainbow Dash is right. Ain’t no need for you to fret over us. We’ll be okay.”
Twilight chewed on her lip, turning her head to look out the window before her eyes widened. “No. No you won’t!”
Applejack arched an eyebrow. “Care to explain, sugar cube? I’m pretty sure we can take care of ourselves.”
“Yeah!” Rainbow Dash said. “I mean, if something bad happens, we can just blast them with magic rainbows again, right?”
“No, you can’t. Not this.”
“‘This?’” Rarity asked.
“Old age! That’s what it was I was afraid of!”
Rainbow Dash started laughing. “What? Afraid of becoming a wrinkly old lady?”
“No,” Twilight said, jabbing her hoof across the table. “I’m afraid of you becoming a wrinkly old lady!”
“Hey!” Rainbow Dash puffed out her chest. “I’ll never get wrinkly.”
“Oh no!” Pinkie Pie gasped, rushing over from her place behind the counter to cling to Rainbow Dash. “You mean you’re going to die in a terrible accident during a Wonderbolts show, crashing into the ground and going away before your time?” Her eyes glistened with tears.
“That’s not what I meant, Pinkie,” Rainbow Dash said, wiggling awkwardly in the pink pony’s tight grip.
“Pinkie Pie is right,” Twilight said, straightening.
“Uh, what?” Rainbow Dash stopped squirming to shoot a quizzical look at her friend.
“I see what the dream meant now! I’m supposed to make all of you into alicorns! That’s what’s been bothering me!” Twilight clapped her hooves together.
Applejack tilted her head. “Don’t you think that Princess Celestia might be a mite concerned ’bout you zappin’ a bunch of ponies into alicorns?”
“Oh! That’s not how it works!” Twilight smiled gleefully. “Oh, I have so many things to teach you! This will be fun!”
“Fun. Right.” Rainbow Dash wiggled, trying to push her way out of Pinkie Pie’s grip.
Applejack tipped her hat. “That’s mighty generous of you, Twilight. There’s just one problem.”
“Oh, and that is?”
Applejack leaned forward. “You’re still asleep.”
Twilight’s eyes shot open. Groaning, she sat up in bed, her ethereal mane flowing behind her as she looked out her window towards the rising sun. Her eyes fell on a distant hill where five statues loomed, casting long shadows across the rippling grass.
“I’m sorry.”