Pony Quest: Dreamscape Session 2

This world is yours to do with what you wish. A blank canvas devoid of everything, even color. So then, what do you want to do first?
As you step forward, a rainbow bridge extends beneath your hooves and into the void. You feel yourself growing taller, your mane slightly longer. Looking down you see your orange hide and hooves flash to sky blue and a quick look behind you reveals a rainbow tail flicking back and forth and a brilliant burst of light announces the multicolored lightning bolt of your new cutie mark.

At the end of the bridge a magnificent mansion of clouds and rainbow waterfalls springs to life, the rest of the world fading into existence far below. Stopping at the doorway to your dream home, you look back and smile. A rainbow milkshake appears in front of you and you take a sip.

It's delicious.
Looking off into the distance, a large mountain rises from the ground. A broad smile on your face, you feel your wings stretch out beside you as you take a flying leap from the cloud house.
Falling, you flare your wings and angle up at the last second, zipping through the air only a few feet off the ground. Pulling up, you soar higher and higher into the sky, feeling the wind rustle your mane and feathers. It's just as exhilarating as you could have ever imagined.
Arriving at the mountain's peak, you gaze over the vast landscape before you. You're pretty sure you didn't imagine all of this, but the Dream World seemed to pick up some cues and hints from your actions to make all some kind of cue from your desires and rolled with it.
Announcing yourself with a small cough, you enter the dining room. Inside you find Sweetie Belle and Rarity seated at a small table, enjoying a tea party with an assortment of stuffed animals.

Sweetie Belle looks up with a wide grin on her face, you're not sure if you have ever seen her this happy before. "Come on in, Scootaloo! There's plenty of tea for everypony!"
Taking a seat between the two sisters, you thank your friend for the tea.

"So how's things going in your Verse, Sweetie Belle?"

"Oh they're going great!" exclaims the tiny white unicorn. "We're having TONS of fun, aren't we big sister?"

Rarity smiles and nods.

Looking over at the older pony a small frown crosses your lips. "Sweetie, is this... you know. Is this your real sister?"

Sweetie Belle gives you a confused look. "Of course she is. Why wouldn't she be?" The smile quickly returns as she remembers something. "Oh! You're not going to believe it! Sis is letting me design her dress for the Grand Galloping Gala this year!"
You take a closer look at Rarity, your suspicions remaining unsquashed. She appears perfectly normal, but for some reason there is no light reflected in her eyes.

Drinking another cup of tea, you turn back to Sweetie Belle. "Hey, you want to go see what Applebloom is up to?"

Sweetie Belle looks up to Rarity and back to you, you can see the decision weighing in her eyes. "Can it wait until after tea?"
It can't hurt to play along for at least a little while. "How long is tea?" you ask.

Sweetie Belle shrugs and pours you another cup (which you only pretend to sip at). "We've been here for ten minutes already so not much longer I suppose." Her smile slips a little bit. "After all, sis is such a busy pony."

Setting down the tea pot, the white filly accidentally knocks one of the cups off the table. The tinkling sound of breaking china briefly fills the air.

Rarity sighs and rises to her feet. "Perhaps we should be done with Tea Time for today, I have a few things that I need to work on. You can go play with your friends after you clean up that dreadful mess." Turning, she walked out of the dining room for the studio.
Walking over to Sweetie Belle you put a hoof on her shoulder. "This is your dream, you know? You could just wish it all away."
Sweetie Belle cocks her head and sighs. "Yeah, you’re right. I'm just not so used to this place yet. Usually everything is so ordinary but here we DECIDE what's ordinary." A thought and the broken china repaired itself into a cup, it and the others washed and put away.
"So do you want to go and visit Applebloom now?"
Sweetie Belle nodded. Together you concentrated on the thought of Applebloom and waited for the response. It came quickly and the portal opened up in front of you.
Together you walked through and... emerged onto Sweet Apple Acres, or at least a dream version of it. The sun was high in the sky and birds flitted through the air. It appeared to be a fine, summer afternoon. Applebloom herself was nowhere in sight.

Sighing, Sweetie Belle retrieved a dust pan and began to clean the broken bits of china.
Your mouth drops open as you recognize the pony stadning before you. "Applebloom?! Wow, you look great!" Sweetie Belle nods enthusiastically.

"Aw shucks," Applebloom blushes. "It's not like any of it's real. I just figured since that strange, nice earth pony Mr. Oneigh Roi gave us this gift I might as well have a little bit of fun with it."

You sneak a peek back at her flanks and see a slide rule cutie mark but it quickly flashes and is replaced by a pen.

Sighing, Applebloom looks back at her flank. "It keeps doing that. Can't seem to make up it's mind. Every time I go and do something, it changes. I think it's because you can be good at anything here."

The cutie mark flashes again and you make yourself look back to Applebloom's face. "We're going around and checking out everypony's Verses! You want to come?"

Applebloom smiles and nods. "Sure, who y'all going to next?"
"Wait, wait, wait." You bring the three of you to a halt as something dawns on you. "What do you mean earth pony? Oneigh Roi was a pegasus."

Applebloom laughs. "You feelin' okay, Scootaloo? I'm pretty sure I would have noticed if he had a pair of wings."

"You're both wrong!" Sweetie Belle chips in. "Mr. Roi was a unicorn! And she's a she!"

You and Applebloom deliver Sweetie Belle a pair of blank looks. "She?"

The white unicorn shrugs. "Just calling it as I saw it."

You sigh and turn back to Applebloom. "I was thinking about finding Pinkie Pie next. You KNOW whatever she has going on has got to be fun."

Smiling in agreement, Applebloom closes her eyes and together with you and Sweetie Belle, focuses on Pinkie Pie's name. The response came and the portal opened. Giddy with anticipation, the three of you enter.

You find yourself beside your friends in the middle of a pitch black room, standing at the edge of a spotlight. In the center of the lit area is an envelope sitting on a pedestal.

""Well this ain't exactly what I had in mind." Applebloom muttered.
"Pinkie Pie?" You hear nothing in response save for the echo of your own voice.

Cautiously the three of you step into the spot light. Poking Sweetie Belle, you send her to get the envelope.

She retrieves it and sets it down between you. Embossed in gold lettering, these words appear on the outside. "You're invited..."
You brace for the worst, but nothing happens.

Sweetie Belle pokes the envelope with her foot. "Do you think we're supposed to open it?
Cautiously, you pick up the envelope and slide open the flap. Trumpets sound, lights flare and Pinkie Pie rears up out of the envelope.

"SURPRISE!"

The room is a mess of staircases, balconies and dance floors arranged across floors, walls and ceilings like some kind of abstract painting. Pinkie Pie leaps the rest of the way out of the envelope and soars through the air to land on the ceiling while three trollies wheel themselves out, each bearing a cake in the likeness of you or one of your friends.

"WELCOME TO THE "PINKIE PIE'S FIRST VISITORS EVER SUPER DUPER PARTY SPECTACULAR!" While she dances across the ceiling, several balloons emerge from side passages and begin to waltz through the air.
Giggling, you and Applebloom figure a way up (if there even is an up) to where Pinkie Pie and start dancing with her. Sweetie Belle wanders over to the cakes and starts eating the tail off of hers.

"Tastes like marshmallow" she calls out.

"Geez, Pinkie Pie. How long were you waiting in that envelope anyway?" you ask.

Shrugging, Pinkie Pie moon walks a short distance before doing a few cartwheels. "Oh I dunno. It wasn't that bad, I made it bigger on the inside."

Nudging Applebloom you whisper in her ear. "Called it."

"You didn't call a thing," she retorts.

Turning back to Pinkie Pie you ask her if the three of you could have a little bit of control over the verse so that you can party even harder. She agrees and grants you limited control over the verse. Specifically, control over yourselves, small objects and your personal physics.

Thanking Pinkie Pie for the control, you summon a pogo stick and a trampoline. "Hey Pinkie Pie, do you remember what that Oneigh Roi guy looked like?"

Pinkie Pie froze in the air, mid backflip and thought for a moment. "Hmm, you mean that funny grey earth pony from before? He was kind of squiggly!" She resumed the backflip from where she left off.
"That's funny; he looked like a pegsus to me. Sweetie Belle thought he was a girl unicorn."

Applebloom snorted beside you. "Even Pinkie Pie agrees with me that he was an earth pony."

"Yeah, but she said it was squiggly," you point out. "What do you mean by that, anyway?"

"Oh, you know," Pinkie Pie replied. Her limbs stretched out to unsettling lengths and wobbled about like cooked noodles before returning to their usual size and flexibility. "Squiggly!"

Disturbed by her display, you concentrate and a disco ball appears in the center of the room, casting spots of light all over the walls, ceilings and floors of the room. The record on the gramophone switches itself out and the opening notes of "Magic Dance" start to play.

It strikes you that you may want to check in on Applejack next, turning to Applebloom you are about to make the suggestion when the toll of a bell rings through the room, causing the record to skip.

"Jump, magic, ju-ance, magic, dance."
"Hey Pinkie, what's with the bell?"

Pinkie Pie giggles. "Silly, I didn't do that! If I wanted belles they'd be jingle bells!" As if on cue her mane was filled with dozens of tiny bells woven into the hair.

Dropping down to the gramophone, you stop the music and listen. The bell sounds again and the world around you begins to lose its color.
"Pinkie, what's happening? Are you waking up?" you call out, but your words are drowned out by the tolling of the bell.

You quickly open a portal to your verse and push your friends through. Your attempts at getting Pinkie to follow prove futile and you dive through the portal.

You emerge in your verse just long enough to see it has also become devoid of color before the final bell sounds and your eyes snap open.

You're back in Sweet Apple Acres. Lying flat on your back, you find yourself gazing at the ceiling of Applebloom's room, looking to your right you see Applebloom sitting up, wide eyed and awake. The sun had just risen over the hills and is peeking through the window shutters.

You lay a concerned hoof on Applebloom's shoulder. "You alright?"

She nods and the two of you head downstairs. Applejack is nowhere to be seen in the house, she's probably out bucking the trees already.

Stopping to grab something to eat, you and Applebloom head for the orchard. You reach the yard gate before being stopped.

"Don't you two have school today?" Big Macintosh calls from the barn. "Where's your bags?"
"Twilight told us something about maybe needing our help today," you answer him. You nudge Applebloom with your hoof.

"Uh, yeah," she says. "Something to do with them ruins from yesterday."

"Do you know where we can find Applejack?" you ask.

Big Mac nods and points a hoof towards the eastern orchard.
You head into the orchard and follow the telltale sounds of hooves striking wood to find Applejack. On your way, you try and change one of the apples into an orange but nothing happens.

Nevertheless you keep a wary eye on your surroundings as you pass between the trees. In just a few short minutes, you find yourself approaching Appljack as she piles a basket of apples into her cart.
The two of you race up to Applejack. "Hey AJ, are you okay? How were your dreams?"

Applejack gave the two of you a confused look. "I'm fine and I don't see how my dreams are any of your dang business."

A bit taken aback by her attitude, you press on. "Well what did Oneigh Roi look like to you? He seems to be different for everypony. And weren't you headed back to the ruins with Twilight today?"

"Oneigh who?" The orange earth pony snorted. "I have no idea what the hay either of you are talking about. I never went to the ruins with Twilight, remember? And there are still WAY too many apples for me to buck for me to go today."
"Uh, never mind. Forget we said anything!" Pulling Applebloom around with you, you start back for the farmhouse. "Hey, didn't we see your sister with us when Oneigh Roi first showed up?"

Applebloom frowned and nodded. "Yeah, I remember her there. I wonder why she doesn't remember anything."

You shrug your shoulders. "Beats me. Listen, you go in and grab your bags. Act like you're going to school. I'll go and grab mine from home just in case and we'll meet at the library."

Applebloom nodded and rushed into her home while you continued down to Ponyville. Reaching your own home, you went inside and retrieved your school bags. Is there anything else you think you should grab?
You glance around for your scooter but realize that you left it sitting outside the ruins yesterday. Before you start cursing your own stupidity, you look around for something in particular. moving one of the floor boards, you retrieve a small, oddly shaped rock. You always liked the feel of this rock and now you figure it might help you tell the difference between this world and the dream one.

You also find a comb, but you're not sure how it ended up there. After all, when was the last time you combed your hair? Throwing all these things into your school bag you leave your house. Are you ready to meet with Applebloom at the library or is there anything else you need to do?
Before heading to the Library, you decide to make a detour and intercept Sweetie Belle on her way to school. Good news is she seems to remember everything that happened last night.

Bad news is so does Rarity and she's been at it all morning trying to copy down the designs she came up with.

Together with Sweetie Belle, you head for the library.
You arrive at the library, Applebloom is already there waiting for you outside. You can hear somepony rustling about inside and what sounds like books thumping to the floor.

Applebloom looks between you and Sweetie Belle. "Well?"
"Well what? Let's go in!" You walk up and knock on the door.

The door opens a crack and Spike peers out. Not waiting for any further invitation, you barrel on in, pushing past the beleaguered dragon.

"Good look talking to her," he calls after you. "She's been like this all morning."

With Applebloom and Sweetie Belle right behind, you find yourself in the main room of the library.

"Twilight?" you call out to no response.

A pile of books shifts and Twilight emerges, reading a book and muttering to herself. You can't make out all the words but you do catch a few like "lucid" and "REM."
"Hey, Twilight. Fancy seeing you here," you say nonchalantly. "Me? Oh, I was just stopping by to check in with you. How did your dream go? Read any good books lately? How about that Oneigh Roi? Pretty weird guy, right?"

Twilight had made it to her writing desk and was scribbling something down. Sighing, you decided it was time for plan b.

Leaving Sweetie Belle to stand watch, you and Applebloom made your way to the kitchen and found a pot. Filling it with water you, made your back to the library and lift the pot to dump over Twilight.

Just as the water began to spill from the upheld pot, Twilight's horn glowed and snatched the pot away from you, using telekinesis to scoop the water back into it and send it back to the kitchen.

Turning to you with a look of extreme annoyance, Twilight growled out "What is it, girls? Can't you see I'm pretty busy here?"
"We thought we might be able to help!" The three of you line up, throwing on your best smiles.

"And..." your smile falters a bit. "Applejack doesn't remember anything about the dream world. We were worried so we came to see if you and everyone else were okay," you admitted. "And it looks like Roi appeared different to each of us."

Applebloom nodded. "We're just here to help, Twilight. Honest!"

Twilight sighed and looked between the three of you. "Fine, although I'm not sure how you can help. I haven't found very much myself. Applejack doesn't remember anything you say? Odd, she wasn't in the ruins with us either. Maybe there is a connection."
"So what are you up to?"

Twilight shuffles through a pile of books on dreams that she had pulled from the shelves, trying to find the one she wanted. "I'm trying to find out as much about this dream world as I can. I've never even heard of such a thing before. I mean there's lucid dreaming, that's where you know you're in a dream and can control it, but even then you can't share the dream with others. I can't even find spells that let you do that."

"Speaking of which, what did you do in your dream?"

"In my... dream?" Twilight paused in her search and blushed a little. "I, ah... I experimented a bit. Yes, experimented. That's right. After that I decided to visit some of the other, what were they called again? Verses?" She nodded and continued her search. "Yes, that's right. Verses. I think I visited Fluttershy's, Applejack's and... Rarity's."
"What were they all doing?" You are genuinely curious about what's going on, after all you still have your doubts about this thing.

"Well let's see," Twilight thought for a moment. "Fluttershy had made this huge wild life preserve where all these different animals could live peacefully. There were a lot of exotic creatures. Applejack had imgined Sweet Apple Acres as a corporation, giving her enough money and free time with all the extra workers that she could take a vacation with the entire family and get Granny's hip replaced."

"Did she know she was dreaming?" you asked.

Twilight shrugged. "She seemed to. Rarity seemed to be the most in her element out of all of them. She was using the abilities of her verse to make all kinds of dresses, able to instantly make changes here and there to improve on her designs. She's probably down at her shop right now trying to remember half of them. I was just about to talk to her when this bell sounded and I woke up."

"She was doing that when I left," Sweetie Belle added.

You nodded. Aside from the oddity of Applejack not remembering her dream, it all seemed to fit what you knew about the ponies. "Do you think we should investigate the ruins again? I think they may still have something to do with this. And I don't trust that Oneigh Roi guy, we should be careful."

Twilight nodded, "I agree. There is definetly something fishy about this whole thing. Have you girls checked on anypony else?"

The three of you shook your heads.

"Hmm, I'm sure they will be fine. Unless of course you want to pay them a visit."
"Have you written a letter to Celestia about this yet?" Applebloom asked.

Twilight shook her head. "I'm waiting until I actually have something to report. Right now I don't really have much info beyond the strange drams we've had."

Sweetie Belle looked towards the door. "So where are we going now? Back to the ruins or to check on somepony else?"
You decide it would be better to make a house call or two first. "I think we should at least check on somepony," you say. "Sugar Cube Corner is pretty close by, let's check there."

Twilight nods and says she'll meet you by the Everfree and Sweetie Belle says she'll be going with her. With them off to the Everfree, you and Applebloom make your way to Sugar Cube Corner.

"Morning," Mrs. Cake greats you as you walk in the door. "I'm surprised you fillies aren't in school."
"We're helping Twilight with a super secret mission!" you exclaim gleefully. "Is Pinkie Pie in?"
Mrs. Cake chuckles and points to the stairs. "She's upstairs, you kids behave now. I don't want your super secret mission wrecking my shop like that one time you tried to earn your Window Installation cutie marks."
Carefully you and Applebloom make your way up the stairs and enter Pinkie Pie's room. You find her on the floor, scribbling away on some sheets of paper.

"Hey Pinkie Pie, we were wondering if-"

"Can't talk now," she holds up a hoof, talking around her pencil. "Planning party."
"Well do you remember the party we had last night?"
Pinkie rolled onto her back and splayed her hooves. Tilting her head back she looked up at you and grinned. "Oh how could I FORGET? It was the most splendiferous and wonderful party ever! Except tonight's is going to be even better! More balloons, more cake and more ponies! Last night I was just waiting and waiting for somepony to show up and then you came and I was like SURPRISE! And then we partied and had so much fun! Promise me you're going to come again tonight! Promise me you're going to tell everypony else about it!"
"Of course we promise, Pinkie Pie. We'll be there, but we may have some other things to take care of first."

Pinkie Pie nods and returns to her plans.

"We were going to go to the ruins again with Twilight, you wanna come?"

"Nope, gotta finish planning this puppy," she responds over her shoulder. She is already back to being hard at work on whatever she's drawing. You're pretty sure you heard her say something about party cannons.

Leaving the bakery, you meet up with Twilight and Sweetie Belle, telling them you think it would be a good idea to swing by Zecora's before hitting up the ruins. She may have info that you do not. They agree and you make your way to her hut, careful to avoid the poison joke.

Upon arriving at the hut, you find the zebra tending an herb garden out front.
"Hey Zecora, do you have any books about ancient gods or spirits?" you call out as you approach. "I think we may have met one called Oneigh Roi or something like that. We may have set him free from some ruins over there."
Zecora looks up from her garden and a surprised look crosses her face. "I am not sure of this foreign name, but the Oneiroi do hold much fame."
"Alright, give it to us straight. How bad is it that we freed one?"
Zecora shrugged. "It depends on which is free, for they have always numbered three. Morpheus is king of dreams, those as soft and sweet as cream. Icelus is lord of fear, a threat to all things held dear. Pantasos is the youngest one, he fills in when the others are done."
"Do you have any other information on these Oneiroi?"

Zecora shakes her head. "All that knowledge is lost in time, I'm sorry this could no t be a more helpful rhyme."

You pace for a few seconds, pondering your next move. You're not even sure if there is any threat but after your previous predicament you can never be too sure. "Do you have any potions for dreamless sleeping? Something that might keep us out of the dreamworld if we feel it's too dangerous?"

Zecora nods and fetches nine vials from her hut, each containing a light purple fluid. "These elixers will surely help you rest, but against a god they might not stand the test."

You take them anyway and a thought occurs to you. "Zecora, we are heading back to the ruins. If you want to come with us you might be able to shed further light on what the carvings mean.

Zecora nods and smiles. "I would be happy to accompany you. We shall solve this mystery, young Scootaloo!"

With Zecora joining your party, you march off from her hut and in the direction of the ruins.