Part 2 Second A.I. Story Dream Deception

Okay, I admit it. I did just use the costumes as an excuse to share some of my poems. But they were pretty good, right? Sometimes the A.I. doesn't make sense. It's lucky for me that the whole thing is a dream, but somethings are just to zany, even for a dream. Luckily for me, the A.I. thought of that, too. Also, wow, I know the A.I. didn't know it was making call backs to earlier in the story, but wow. I certainly noticed, so I was able to tie into the continuity of the story. I'm starting to  get an outline of an idea on where this story is going. I'm so glad I decided to use A.I. Dungeon to help make this story.

Anyway, I decided to leave this part on a cliff hanger becaiuse this time I actually know where this is going. Oh boy, this going to be great. Part three probably won't be as long as part two. But part two had bunch of nonsense and poems in them, so I really think that part three will be more straightforward.

Oh boy, that plot-twist. I did not see that coming. Wow, I can't believe it. You probably realize by now that up until the very ending, I had no idea where this was going. But part three will be with me knowing where it's going. I won't have to rely on the A.I. so much, now that I know what to do. So part three will probably seem a lot different, and hopefully a lot better.

Alright, so wihout further ado, here is the story.

Lyra suddenly speaks up, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," You say, trying to keep your voice level.

She frowns, "Are you okay?" She asks concernedly.

"Well," You say, "I'm just not sure where we are going."

"Where do you think we are going?" Applebloom asks, "The princess wants us to go to her chambers."

"Applebloom," You say, "I'm the princess. Unless your talking about Princess Celestia or Princess Luna, I'm the princess that ponies like you are referring to. And I did not say anything about you going to my chambers."

"Oh," She says, "I'm sorry, Princess."

"Hey!" You reply, smarting off, "Don't call me that."

"Sorry," Lyra says.

"Why are you apologizing, Lyra?" You ask.

"I don't know," Lyra says, "I just never apologize, and you seem really mad at me. I'm sorry if I'm making you mad."

"I'm not mad at you."

"Are you sad?"

"What? No! Why would I be sad?"

"Because your face is a frowning face."

"I guess I am frowning," You say, "Like I said, I don't know where we are going. You seem to know more about what's going on than me. Tell me, do you know why we're going to this maze?"

"No," Lyra says, "No one in my family knows. I found out about an hour ago." You nod, thinking.

Bon Bon nudges Lyra and puts her hoof to her muzzle, signalling that she shouldn't speak anymore.

"I can't remember anything," Lyra says dejectedly.

"What do you mean?" You ask, confused.

"I mean," Lyra says.

"Lyra!" Bon Bon hisses, "That's enough!"

"I don't know when I last ate anything!"

You decide that Lyra won't be too useful in terms of information. After all, this is the same pony that led you to that strange tipping ferris wheel. She can't be trusted.

So, instead you ask Bon Bon, "Bon Bon, do you know where we are going?"

"To the... kitchens, I think. Or the dining hall. I'm not sure. We were going to be eaten before we even got in this thing, so it doesn't matter."

"Actually," You say, "I think it does. If we're lucky, we can find something to eat here. If we're unlucky, we'll either get food poisoning or starve."

"Good idea!" Lyra says.

Pinkie Pie says, "All this talk of eating is making me hungry."

You frown. "Well, if you're going to be quiet, at least keep it down. I don't want Fairfax hearing you."

"Fair enough," Pinkie Pie says.

Rarity says, "I don't think this is the Sweet Apple Acres Maze. Fairfax, where are you taking us?"

"To my study, where we can talk privately," He responds.

"Is it safe?"

"It should be."

"Oh, well alright. But I still want to be prepared for anything!"

"Aww," Says Pinkie Pie, sounding dissapointed, "I thought we were going to steal from Twilight's castle."

"I'm sure we will," Bon Bon says, "Soon."

One of the walls of the maze seems to split in two, and you find yourself in the center of a huge room.

Applejack seems to notice that the oddities of the maze for the first time and freaks out. "I don't want to go any further!" She shouts.

"Why not?" Rainbow Dash asks, "I thought you wanted to win?"

"I do! I just... I've had a long day, that's all!"

You walk on, and soon find that your way through the room is blocked.

"Uh, Fairfax?" Scootaloo, one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, says, "This is a dead end. Are you sure you know where you're going?"

You look around, and realize that you've been brought into a corner. There is no escape other than through fight or flight.

Of course, there is nothing to fight, and no reason to run.

You turn to face your enemies, and...

... And nothing happens.

Your enemies look around, confused.

"What the hay?" Pinkie Pie says.

"Is this part of the challenge?"

You realize that Lyra, Bon Bon and Fairfax and are not really your enemies. They're just playing along with Pinkie Pie.

"You tricked us!" Lyra accuses, "This isn't part of the challenge!"

"Neither is sneaking up on someone when they're invisible!"

"Sneaking up? Invisible?" Asks Bon Bon, "Pinkie Pie, what are you talking about?"

"I was invisible!" Pinkie Pie squeaks.

Suddenly, you hear a voice from behind you.

"Pinkie Pie!"

You yelp in surprise. That voice... You know that voice. That voice is...

You turn around, and see a smiling, laughing, giggling, cackling, hissing...

"Pinkie Pie!"

You hear a terrified scream from right next you. It scarier than Pinkie Pie's pranks.

"My turn!" The pie says, turning invisible.

Pinkie Pie and the pie both grab your hooves and start pulling you around the room.

"My apple pie!" You shout in surprise, "It's alive!"

"You should've done what I told you!" The pie shouts, "You were supposed to give me a nice, juicy slice of apple!"

"Yeah, silly," Says Pinkie Pie, "Where do you think you got the pie? Nobody gave it to you, it just walked onto you hooves."

"How is it alive?" You ask.

"I dunno, it just is! Now come on!"

You watch as they drag you around the room, and you need to do something.

Your planning is interrupted by the scream again. You look and realize it is Fluttershy. She is terrified.

"Oh dear Celestia..."

You feel your heart pounding in terror. What's going on here?

Suddenly, your dragged into the air by Pinkie Pie and the pie.

"What are you doing?"

"Alright," Says Rainbow Dash, "That's enough games, Pinkie Pie." She flys over to you.

"Let me go!" You shout, "I don't know what you're talking about! Ah!"

You feel a slice of apple pie being shoved into your mouth. It tastes delicious... Terrible.

I hate yourself for enjoying eating something alive.

"Here you go," Says Pinkie Pie, "A piece of pie."

"Thank you," You say, forcing yourself to swallow it.

"No, thank you, thank you, thankyou!"

"Stop it, Pinkie Pie," Rainbow Dash says, grabbing Pinkie Pie and forcing her to the ground.

"That's my name," Says Pinkie Pie, "You stole that too!"

"I warned you," Says Rainbow Dash, "To stop playing with people's minds!"

"Is everything alright, Fluttershy?" You hear Rarity ask.

"I'm... I'm fine," Fluttershy says, "Just a bit nervous is all."

"We should go," Says Lyra, "It was fun meeting you, living pie."

"Where are you going?" You hear Fluttershy ask, "Don't leave us!"

"I'm going to find my brother," Lyra answers, "We have to stop him!"

"Then why did you bring us into this strange rock maze?" Asks Rarity.

"I'm coming with you," Says Pinkie Pie, "It was fun meeting you, I'm not going to let you go in by yourself."

"Who are you even talking to, Pinkie Pie?" Applejack Asks.

"I'm talking to pie-ness, that's what I am. We have to stick together."

Lyra, Bon Bon and Fairfax exit, leaving you and your friends alone, lost in the maze.

"We could probably find our way out of this maze," Says Fluttershy looking at the maze, "But I don't want to leave Pinkie Pie... And I'm worried about her."

"We don't have to leave Pinkie Pie," Says Rainbow Dash, "Applejack, to you have a rope with you?"

"Yeah," The orange pony says, "Why?"

"I want you to tie up Pinkie Pie and drag her along with us," Rainbow Dash says.

"No!" Yells Pinkie Pie, "What if something happens to you while you leave me behind?"

"Pinkie Pie, we're just going to be safer that way," Says Applejack.

"Besides," Rarity says, "We're not leaving you behind. We're bringing you with us."

"What?" Yells Pinkie Pie, "Are you serious?"

"We'll protect you," Says Rarity, "As soon as we get out of this maze, I can look into the matter further."

"Oof!" Says Rarity as something squeezes her tightly. Holding onto Rarity's legs is her little sister, Sweetie Belle the Cutie Mark Crusader.

"Please," She says, "I'm scared."

"I'm sorry," Says Rarity, "This is something I have to do."

"Well, you can't go anywhere!"

"Not with you holding onto my legs, "Says Rarity, "Now, let go."

"No!"

"I'm sorry, but if you're going to insist on following us, you'll have to carry her. Now, I'll take first pick."

You are confused about Rarity and Sweetie Belle are talking about. But they seem to understand eachother perfectly.

"Why don't you come along then, darling?" Says Lyra as she closes her eyes and enters spirit form. You've seen this happen countless times before."

"Lyra," You say, surprised, "I thought you left us."

"I did," Lyra says, grinning, "I'm technically still not with you."

"Then, how--"

"Glitter~"

Lyra disappears, and touches down on her hooves.

"Does anypony what just happened?" You ask.

"I think she's in love," Says Lyra, in her normal voice, "Don't ask me how I know, I just do."

"Well, that was rather unexpected," Applejack says.

"Ha ha!" Laughs Pinkie Pie, "Not as unexpected as Lyra popping in and out of existence."

"It's a magic world, darling," Lyra says, "And I guess it just happens sometimes."

You would ask Lyra for information concerning the situation, but she seems to be less helpful than Pinkie Pie right now.

"Alrighty then," Says Applejack, grabbing the rope, "Let's get going, everypony."

"Wait!" Screams Lyra, "Give me a second."

"You're coming with us?" Fluttershy asks.

"Yes, yes," Lyra says, "Just wait one moment please."

Lyra takes off her backpack and goes through it for a moment, before coming out with a few items.

"Well," Says Lyra, "It's like I said, I'm not technically with you."

Lyra then takes off her jumper and places it on the ground.

"What are you doing?" asks Applebloom, "You're going to get cold."

"No, I'm not,"

Lyra is grinning like a fool. It's like she's playing a prank that only she knows about, or telling an inside joke.

"I like this girl," Lyra says to herself, "Yeah, I'm going to cut up her jumper."

Lyra begins taking out her pocket knife and begins carefully cutting up the blue and pink jumper.

"Blue and pink, blue and pink," Pinkie Pie mutters to herself, "Where have I seen that before?"

Lyra takes out some scissors and begins snipping off bits of the jumper.

"What are you doing?!" asks Sweetie Belle, "That's Rarity's!"

"What does it look like?"

Rarity puts a comforting hoof on Sweetie Belle's back. "Yes, but I sold it awhile ago. Remember, most of my dresses aren't for me, but my customers."

"I know, I know," Says Lyra, "I'm just having fun.

"I-I was talking to Sweetie Belle," Says Rarity, looking a little flustered.

"She asked a question, you answered!" Lyra says.

"Oh... Apologies."

Lyra continues cutting up the jumper.

You never did notice how much Lyra and Pinkie Pie have in common. But neither of them make any sense. Pinkie Pie cuts up a few pieces of the jumper, and put them in her mouth. "Bleh," She says, "They taste horrible." Lyra, meanwhile, continues working on the jumper, ignoring the three mares around her.

"Lyra,"

Applejack says, sounding more than a little worried, "This seems important to you, but um, I think we should go."

"Go?" Lyra says, "I'm not leaving until I'm finished."

"Yes, you are,"

A voice says, and all three of you turn around.

"Who-who said that?" Asks Fluttershy.

"You know who I'm," The voice says.

It's you. You're here.

"I don't know how," Lyra says, "But I think this is a dream."

"A dream?" You say, "I don't think this is a..." You trail off as you realize that it must be a dream. "Oh my Celestia!" You say, "Lyra, you're right!"

"I am?" Lyra asks.

"Yeah," You say, "Pinkie Pie, Rarity, can you hear me? This is important! We need to wake up!"

"We're sorry," Is the only answer you get.

"Why are you sorry?" You ask, "This isn't your fault!"

"It's not?"

"No," You say, "I mean, I don't think so. How could any of this be your fault." Pinkie Pie looks a little nervous. "Well," She says, "Um, remember how we all took Princess Celestia's and Princess Luna's jobs?"

"Yes, why?" You ask.

"Well,"

Pinkie Pie says, "I think... I think we went crazy."

"We?" You ask.

"Yeah," She says, "She and I and the rest of the Mane Six."

"What do you mean?"

"He he!" Giggles Pinkie Pie, "That's funny one. You ask that as if it means anything at all."

"It does!" You say, "You have to tell me everything."

"Okay," Pinkie Pie says, "I'll tell you, but..."

"What is it?

"I'm not sure it will help."

"It will, or else you wouldn't have said it."

"Fine!" Pinkie Pie says, "I'll tell you, but I want a promise from you."

"Fine," You say, "What do I need to promise?"

"You have to promise that you'll do everything in your power to save us."

"Anything," You say, "I'll do anything."

"Really?"

It's disturbing how surprised Pinkie Pie is at your promise. Doesn't she trust you? Doesn't she know how close friends you and her are? Who could have possibly changed her mind about you like this?

Or rather, what could have possible changed her mind about you like this?

"Anything," Pinkie Pie says again, "Tell me about yourself. Tell me about how you became my friend."

"Well..." You begin, trying to recall the events of your past.

"It was the day before the Summer Sun celebration," You say, smiling fondly on the memory.

"I was sent to Ponyville by Princess Celestia to make some friends. You were the first one I saw, but the last one I met."

"How come?"

"Well, to be honest, because you were the nearest one to me at the time. I had ran out of ideas, and you seemed to be the easiest."

Pinkie Pie nods, as if she expected that answer. "Pinkie Pie, you were there," You say, "You know how we became friends. Why do you want me to tell you this again?"

"Because I remember it differently. I believe you were the one that approached me first."

"No, I wasn't," You smile, "You were depressed, and I wanted to cheer you up. Remember?"

Pinkie Pie shakes her head, "No," She says, "No, you've got it all wrong."

"Maybe," You say, "It was a long time ago. I'm not going to remember something like that perfectly."

"No, wait!"

"Yes, Pinkie Pie?" You ask, listening intently to her.

"You... you were the last one I talked to before... before I went in the shed. I agreed to go with you, because I was so bored, and I wanted something to do."

"The-the shed?" You ask.

"Yeah," Pinkie Pie says, "Are you sure you don't remember that? You must have forgotten."

You nod, "I'm sure I did."

"Then again,"

Pinkie Pie says, "Maybe it's me who has forgotten."

"Forgot what?"

Pinkie Pie looks down, "It's silly, I'm sure you've forgotten."

"Tell me," You say.

"I don't know,"

"Come one, Pinkie Pie," You say. "You're acting like Lyra over here, keeping secrets and pulling pranks. Just tell me the truth."

"Promise you won't get mad?"

"Promise."

"Very well," She says, "First, I'll tell you why we're in a dream, and I must apologize, it really is all my fault."

"What do you mean?"

Pinkie Pie smiles, but there are tears in her eyes. "You rule the kingdom, Twilight. You took Celestia's place."

"Yes," You say, "I remember, it wasn't that long ago."

"Well, then," Pinkie Pie says, "You should remember why. I..." She pauses, "Will you promise not to get mad?"

"Mad? Why would I get mad?" You ask, "Wait, I promised you that I wouldn't get mad."

Pinkie Pie nods, but she doesn't seem to believe you. "I-I," Pinkie Pie whimpers, "I took the place of Princess Luna."

"I'm not sure I understand what you're getting at," You say, "I know we all took responsibility for the rulership of Equestria, but we bear it as friends. It's not I, alone rule in the stead of Celestia, and you don't have all of Luna's responsibilities to yourself, either."

"That's because you forgot," Pinkie Pie says. Lyra looks up at Pinkie Pie, startled, when she hears that. "You don't remember what I did, do you?" Pinkie Pie asks. You shake your head. "I took her horn," She says.

"What?" You ask, "When?"

"Two weeks after the Summer Sun celebration,"

Says Pinkie Pie. You are shaking a bit. "Who's horn did you take?" You ask, not sure if you're willing to hear the answer.

"Luna's."

"When?"

"The night you talked me out of going to the surface."

You pause, trying to think. Two weeks after the celebration...

"The celebration, do you mean, the day of my coronation?" You ask. "Oh, my dear child,"

Pinkie Pie says, "I'm so sorry. I promise, I won't do it again. Not without telling you."

"There's no point in blaming you,"

"I had to do it!" Shouts Pinkie Pie, crying, "I needed her powers. I couldn't do her job without them."

"I need to go find her," You say, "I'll explain it all to you later, Pinkie."

"Bye, Twilght," Says Pinkie Pie.

"Wait, hold up," Says Rainbow Dash, "We're friends, Twilight. You're not doing anything without us."

"Besides," Says Applejack, "We haven't finished the maze."

You sigh, "Fine, we'll finish the maze."

That night, you explain everything to the remaining six.

You explain how ou think that your in a dream. You explain how you think Pinkie Pie's taking over for Luna. You explain how you're okay with it, and how you hope Pinkie Pie will be too.

Pinkie Pie had to take Luna's powers in order to navigate the realm of dreams. How else would she keep Ponies safe from nightmares? You suspect her to be fond of them, but they aren't really her element. Dreams are.

But if you really are in a dream. Then something has gone terribly wrong. And it is clear that Pinkie Pie is at the forefront of it. Her plan has been terrible.

"So what do we do?" You ask.

"I still say," Says Lyra, "We should report this to someone, get this dream-breaking business taken care of."

Rarity laughs, "That's sweet, darling, but who would we report this too? We are the upper-most authorities." You shake your head. She's right. There is no one to report it to. This is Equestria.

Lyra just grins as if she knows something that you don't.

The next day, Pinkie Pie is in a better mood. She outright ignores any comments from other Ponies. She goes to work, bouncing around her duties of organizing the PDP.

You know you must be in ream, now. You never left the maze last night, and yet, somehow, you are in Ponyville. You must've walked. Not even running, just walking. In your condition. You can't imagine how far you must've traveled.

Waving your hoof, you call for a taxi carriage.

You still don't completely understand what is going on with Pinkie Pie, or Lyra for that matter. But with the help of your friends, you're sure you can work it out. Then a terrifying thought comes to you.

What if you've broken Equestria?

Even if you haven't, then who is to say that this isn't just a dream you're having.

If this is a dream, it is unlikely that very many ponies are sharing in it. Princess Luna could barely hold all of Ponyville in a dream, but you know that Pinkie Pie isn't doing the same because she's barely breaking a sweat. If this is just a dream, then it would be simple enough to return to reality. Just wake up.

But what if it isn't a dream? What if this is real?

If this is a dream, then what if your friends are all just part of the dream? What if they're not real?

What if this is all some weird side effect of spending too much time in a book?

You don't know.

But you do know that you cannot risk finding out. So you decide.

You decide that you'd rather not know the truth than learning that you're friends aren't real. You'd rather live in ignorance than be forced accept some uncomfortable fact. And so you continue to live in the fantasy world of Equestria.

You have no idea how long this lasts for you. Weeks? Months? It's hard to tell.

Finally, you've had enough of just playing along. You need to end this. You're not going to just wake up eventually, you'll sleep forever, if you don't do anything about it.

Which is why you ask Lyra to meet you before you do it. On a whim, you decide to visit the school of magic.

The place is practically empty.

"Alright, Lyra," You say gesturing for her to take a seat in the classroom, "I need your help."

She seems as confused as you are, "My help? I'm not quite following..."

"I need to end this, Lyra. I need to go to sleep and not wake up."

"Don't you mean..." Lyra starts to say, but you cut her off, "Yes, yes. Of course I mean the other way around. I'm sorry, I've just been stuck in this dream for who knows how long and I can't seem to get out. I need you to wake me up."

Lyra's eyes widen, "I can't, darling. I tried and it doesn't work."

You shake your head, "No, no. I have to wake up. There has to be someway."

Lyra just shakes her head, "No, I'm sorry, Princess."

With that, Lyra heads out the door and doesn't look back.

That night, you wait patiently. Eventually, you hear the familiar snoring of your pet, the Smooze.

You are beginning to think that Discord might be involved in all this. You are starting to think he put you in the body of a child, got you hooked on sugar and made your pet eat you.

That would certainly explain why the idea of waking up is repugnant to you.

At least, that's at least as likely as any other option. You can never be certain when it comes to Discord.

You stand up, walk to the bed and shake Lyra roughly. To the girl's credit, she wakes up without hesitation and prepares to fight you.

But, of course, you're not there to fight.

"Lyra, you've got to help me," you say, desperate, pleading, "Perhaps you and Pinkie Pie were right. I need to go the Princess Quarters, my bedroom."

Lyra smiles at you, "Of course, darling. I'll wake everyone up and we can all go."

You nod and quickly make your way to the door of the barracks.

You slam the door open with a telekinetic push, throwing the door off it's hinges. You cringe at the noise. It's still night, and you hadn't meant to be so loud.

You walk outside and find that the Nightmare Moon soldiers have either fled or have not yet noticed you. Still, you aren't out of danger yet.

You gesture for your friends to follow you as you pick up the door using your telekinesis and hold it between you and the soldiers. They follow you out of earshot, before you whisper what you're about to say.

"Okay, girls," You say, "We're going to the Princess's Quarters. We need to steal something."

"What is it?" Fluttershy asks.

"I don't know, but it's something Luna gave to me. Apparently, I'm not allowed in my room without it."

"Oh,"

"Remember, we're heading through the Everfree Forest, so be careful."

"Okay, dear," Pinkie says, "We'll make a game of it."

The five of you begin to leave, but Lyra stops you.

"Where's my door?"

"Oh," You say, "Yeah, about that. I may have, um... accidently torn it from its hinges. It needs to be replaced."

"Really?" Lyra says, seemingly surprised. You're sure Fluttershy is too.

"Yeah, I needed to sneak past the Nightmare Moon soldiers."

Lyra smiles and nods to you, "Thanks, darling. Bye!"

The five of you run through the forest, eventually reaching the portal. Lyra takes the lead again, and you step through.

"Wait a second," You say, "Lyra, where is this portal taking us?"

"I dunno, darling. Somewhere far away, I imagine."

"That's not necessarily a good thing, is it?"

Lyra shrugs, "I suppose not, but it doesn't really matter. You'll be with me, darling."

You nod, and the five of you are teleported into the middle of nowhere.

You look at your surroundings. You're not sure if that portal was such a good idea. You're in the middle of nowhere, and there's no civilization in sight. You're guessing you're on an island somewhere...

Then, your stomach growls. You look around at each other, before laughing.

"Ha ha!" Says Pinkie Pie, "You looked at me and then your stomach growled. What? Do I look delicious?"

Fluttershy shakes her head, "No, I'm sure you don't. I better go and find something to eat."

She takes off into the trees. Lyra shrugs and takes a step forward.

"Alright," You say, "Lyra, what's the plan?"

"I don't know. Pinkie said she'd make a game out of this, so maybe she'll tell us."

"Oh, okay," You're not sure feel about Pinkie Pie and plans. "right then," You say, "Pinkie Pie, what's the game?"

"Well," She says, with a smile in her voice, "I need you to go and grab something. If you can get my mouthwatering steak, I'll give you the something you need."

You frown at her in confusion. "Um, Pinkie Pie," You say, "What is steak?"

"It's a delicious meat. You cut it from a cow."

"Oh." This is going to be one of those times.

"I guess this is a nightmare after all," You say.

"Let's get on with it," Lyra says.

"Lyra, you are way too happy about killing a living being. I'm not sure if I can do it. Cows are our friends."

Lyra looks at you, frowning for a few seconds before laughing. "Ha ha, you're funny, Twilight. Remember, this is just a dream. You can't kill what isn't real."

"Yeah, but I can't even think about hurting my friends. I can't possibly kill one, even in make-believe."

"Alright, alright, I'll find something else to kill. Anything else you want me to grab?"

You look around. "Um... the apple tree? We could probably use some apples."

Lyra nods then shouts, "Oy, Applejack. Over here, I need some help knocking down this apple tree."

"Sure thing, Lyra," You hear a groaning voice say. "I'll be there in a few."

"Thanks so much, Twilight," Lyra smiles. "See you later."

You're not sure why Lyra thanked you. You guess she must be glad to be doing anything other than killing.

As you're left alone, you look around. There's the tree, the three of them and the empty bag. Now what?

You walk over to Pinkie Pie. "Alright," You say, "I guess I should climb up and get your apples. What do I do after that?"

"The bag is what you do."

"The bag?

What do you mean 'I do the bag?'"

You look at the bag and notice the mouth on the side. It looks like you could put an apple in there and it would bite into it.

"That's a mouth. It should bite into the apple."

"Okay, Pinkie Pie. Honestly, with all of this, I know that it's dream." Lyra gets bored easily, but you don't see the harm in this. "Why don't you go bite someone else's apple, and I'll get your apples."

"Interesting," She says.

You collect apples for Pinkie Pie and feed the bag until it won't eat anymore. You have no idea if it worked or not, but when you look at Lyra she's gone and so are the three bovines.

"Oh dear," You say.

"Duh, I'm a girl," Lyra says.

While you're still getting use to that, you see your brother running towards you.

"Shining Armor," You say to your brother, "What are you doing here?"

"You need to come home right away."

"What's wrong?"

"There's been an accident at home and dad's still in it."

"Oh no..."

You run home as quickly as you can.

Like in all dreams, there is no time of travel. You just begin running, then you're already at home. That probably means there was a car or some other kind of crash landing in your front yard.

You run up to the door and open it.

~flashback~

"What's going on?"

You say, as you hear screaming all around you.

"Shining Armor?! What's going on?"

You ask again, as you hear your father's voice.

"D-d-dad! He's upstairs!"

You scream.

You go upstairs and cry when you see it. He's lying on the floor in a pool of blood.

You feel tears come to your eyes as you notice his throat was slashed open, and his head completely crushed.

"No!" You scream.

You fall to the floor crying. You feel Shining Armor's telekinetically pick you and set you on his back.

"Sis, calm down. We're getting you out of here."

"D-d-don't delude yourself, Shining Ar-a-a-a-"

"You're in shock, sis. Just stay awake."

You just nod and try to come to grips with what has just happened in this house.

~end flashback~

You open your eyes and see the carnage before you.

It was like before, but with more structural damage. The house has burnt to cinders. You stand up and walk outside to see the sheriff talking with some firefighters.

"Ah, the intrepid killer of my old friend's daughter has returned," The Sheriff says.

"Was it the same pony?" You ask the Sheriff.

"No, this was a different one. Didn't even make it to the altar."

"But what was the motive?"

"Who knows? I don't think this was a Pony killing. The carnage was animal-like, but the Pony's was...

"Systematic?" You offer.

"I was think-think-thinking that too," The Sheriff says. "Go see if you can track down this one's owner."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to bring the body in for an autopsy."

"Wouldn't it be easier to just test the blood for a match against the dead girl?

"Perhaps," The Sheriff says, "But like I said, I don't think it was the same pony. I don't think this was a pony at all."

"What was it, then?"

"I don't know, but it wasn't a pony."

You head back inside to look for the owner of these prints, but you can't find a thing.

"Where's the body," You ask, not daring call it by name.

"They took it with them," The Sheriff shrugs. "I guess it couldn't stay in the cold any longer."

You walk around the outside, but there's nothing.

"Well," Says the Sheriff, "That's as far as we can go. Without a body, we can't perform an autopsy. We're left without trail."

"Do you think the killer got away?" You ask.

"I have no idea," The Sheriff says, "But I can guess that this killer was wearing these same shoes."

The Sheriff points at some hollow tree trunks scattered across the premise. You notice that most of them are missing sections, accessable by some makeshift ladders.

"This place used to be for the birds," The Sheriff says.

"Yeah," You say, "But how can you be sure they were shoes?"

The Sheriff smiles, as if he loves this part of the job. He points inside one of the hollow tree trunks.

"That," He says, "Is what remains of a human foot. It belonged to a little girl."

You look at the Sheriff with some suspicion.

"How do know it was a girl?" You ask.

"Camel toe," He replies, "And because only a little girl would climb up in there."

"How do you know it was a she?

Girls aren't the only ones stupid enough to do that."

The Sheriff laughs.

You really hope the Sheriff biased views don't get in the way of him solving the case.

"What are you laughing at," You bark.

"Nothing," He says, "Come on, I'm going to show you something else."

You follow the Sheriff. The path is much narrower than the one you took to get here.

He brings you back to the Everfree Forest.

"This," Says the Sheriff, "Was the kill spot."

You look at the trampled foliage. It's obvious that several creatures tried to get in here, but were unable to pass the barrier.

"So back at the house," You say, "That was a ponyknapping. But this, is a murder!"

The Sheriff shakes his head. It's not murder when a bird eats a fish. It's murder if a storm takes a kid. It's murder when lighting hits a tree. This is just nature at it's worst.

"We have to do something about this. I can't let this go unpunished."

"Who says we have to?

"Me," You say, "I am the princess. I am the law."

"Ha!" The Sheriff says, "Your father is not the law. It's only natural that I should take over his duties."

You roll your eyes. This is going to be a long talk.

"Sheriff," You say, "I will not rest until my father's killer is brought to justice. And I'll make sure you go without rest as well."

"You think I don't know that. But the only punishment is death. You're not killing me, princess."

"I'm a princess too!"

"You're the princess of a fairy tale."

"Then I guess this is a fairy tale." You smile.

Although you look like a regular girl, you're actually a princess of a far away land called Nyttrus.

"What?" You say, "I'm the princess of Equestria. What's Nyttrus?"

This is the first time you're told this story.

-- The Story So Far --

Once upon a time, Equestria was struck by a horrible plague.

More than half of all ponies died. The survivors formed a new government. One pony led, and the rest followed. This was a great moment in history, when the need for a powerful ruler was unnecessary.

The Cutie Pox, as it was called, had no known cure. It only ended when all it infected died. Hordes of some far off land were blamed, but this was simply a tragic accident.

In the end, nature took care of all.

And so, the ponies of Equestria erased Nyttrus from their history books. They refused to acknowledge its existence, for they deemed unworthy of them. They refused to see it as more than a plague that deprived them of half their population. They refused to acknowledge that its death toll reached nearly two hundred.

That is why it is called Cutie Pox, even though everypony back then called it the Nyttrus Plague.

As for you, You're the only survivor.

Even worse, you're from Nyttrus. So to save you from persecution, you were locked away in a magical egg. No pony was supposed to be able to survive such a thing.

But you have.

Boltz, the town's mayor, has been trying to care for you. He has only had limited success.

Every once in awhile, he gets you to crack your egg just a little bit more. Eventually you'll be able to get out entirely. Then you can take your place as the rightful lawgiver of Equestria.

But only then. You're still a long way from then.

Boltz dies, and his child takes his place as your caretaker. That child does not last long either.

You wait around a little while longer, until you're finally able to get out of the town entirely. You've found a nice home for yourself on the edge of the continent.

A family of fisher-ponies take you in. You're still trapped in the egg. You can't move or do much of anything, but you're able to communicate with them through thought.

You learn that they have a daughter their own age, named Starflower.

You play with Starflower, through games of wordplay. It's really all you can do.

One day, Starflower asks you a question.

"Do you like my new dress?" She asks.

"It's lovely," You smile, "When did you get it? That's pretty fast, how did you afford it?"

"Momma got paid today," She says proudly, "She went to the city, and got more money than ever before!"

You congratulate Starflower for her mother's good fortune.

And that's when you notice something odd.

"Why is your mane different?" You ask, "It's green..."

"Green?" She asks, "No, it's yellow..."

"Yellow?"

When did Starflower's mane change colors?

You try to remember some moments ago. You were looking at her mane, yellow was what you saw.

Now, it's green.

"I think I ate something...

You feel sick. But of course, there is nothing you can do. You're still just an egg. You try to focus on something else, but you feel your mind slowly slipping away...

"No, it's green!" Starflower screams, "It's green! Not yellow!"

"It's," You say, "It's green."

"I'll paint my mane yellow," She says, "It looks better with my dress."

And with those words, you pass from this world.

"Twilight, we need to reach the princess's castle," Applejack says, "So get up."

You open your eyes, and look at the sky.

The sun is beginning to rise.

"Alright," You groan, "Where are we going?

"The castle," Applejack says, "I literally just said that." You realize your back in the maze. You had all gone to sleep on the floor.

"Do you think we'll ever get out of this thing?" You ask no one in particular.

"I sure hope so," Pinkie Pie says, "It's literally got my name written all over it."

Considering what has happened so far, you wouldn't be surprised if Pinkie Pie was right.

"Hey," Lyra asks, "Are you feeling okay?"

You take a breath, and sit up.

"Yeah, I'm fine," You say, "I just had a terrible dream." Lyra frowns.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asks.

You think about it for a moment. Should you really be opening up to this stranger?

You decide to tell Lyra about your dream.

About how you were just an egg waiting to be discovered. About how your sister was hatched from an egg. About how you were saved by a little filly.

You talk about you saw your father die multiple times. You talk about how you were stuck in an never-ending nightmare. And by the end of your tale, Lyra is pale and shaking.

"Twilight," Lyra says, "That was a dream, but..."

"But what?" You ask.

"I dunno," Lyra says, "But did you dream about everything else too? Like, did you dream about the crystal?"

You think back to the blue sky.

"Yes," You say, "Wait. How do you know about that?"

"I dreamed about it too," Lyra says, "It also had my name on it."

You think for a moment.

"Did you dream about everything I dreamed about?" You ask.

"I think so," Lyra says, "I know I dreamed about my name."

For some reason, you find that very very creepy.

You see why Lyra was so disturbed by your dream.

"Well, we're all going to the castle," You say, "To figure this out."

As you get off your bed, you feel a sharp pain in your stomach.

Due to some of the...

pebbles on the ground. It wasn't quite a soft surface.

"Ah!" You groan.

"Are you okay?" Lyra asks.

"Just, the floor isn't very comfortable to sleep on," You say, grimacing.

"Here," Applejack says, handing you her sack of apples.

You accept them, and take a seat on the old carpet. As you start to eat, you can think of two things.

You think about how you are quite possibly still in a dream, and how you still don't know if anypony is real.

You think about how you've gotten bits and pieces of the plot so far, but almost nothing on the actual story.

You really wish Pinkie Pie would tell you what she knows.

Certainly seems like something she would do if she liked you.

Of course, that's probably just the effect of the dream, and there is no reason for her to like you in the real world.

Or is there? "Ugh," You say, "I can't tell what's real anymore!"

You decide that if you want to find out what is going on, you're going to have to wake up.

But the only way to do that is to find the castle.

Maybe, if you find that out, you can figure out what is going on with the other ponies.

Are they real? Are they part of the dream? Is this just your subconscious trying to get your attention?

If so, what does it want?

Is it possible that all of this is leading up to some key event that will reveal the truth?

Is there a truth to be found?

You suppose it hardly matters at this point.

You follow Applejack through the rock maze.

"So, where is this castle anyway?" You ask.

"Well it's uh... buried."

You give her a look.

"We can't reach a buried castle." Applejack explains, "It's protected by a magic shield. The only way in is from the dungeon."

You nod. Makes sense. Still, this seems like such a strange dream.

You wonder how Applejack even knows where the castle is. Perhaps she is also simply part of the dream.

Lyra and Pinkie had dreams about the castle too, though they seemed to come from different motivations. Lyra dreamed about going in the castle to find her family. Pinkie dreamed about going in to party.

You finally work up the courage to ask Pinkie Pie the question that bothers you most. "Pinkie Pie?" You ask, "Are my friends real?"

Pinkie looks at you.

"I don't know..." She says, "I think so..."

She looks around, seemingly worried someone might hear her.

"Pinkie Pie," You say more firmly, "Are they real, are they asleep and just sharing the same dream, or are they simply part of this dream mimicking my friends?"

"I don't know! I'm not a dream interpreter!"

"Can you ask them?"

"I'm sorry!"

"Pinkie Pie, I thought you said you were in control of the dream realm. You would know if you had connected out dreams, right?"

"I'm sorry!" Pinkie says again, "But I'm only in charge of certain parts of the dream. I am not in control of everything. Other ponies are in charge of those things."

"So not only are you unable to wake my friends up, but you're also unable to ask them either?"

"I... don't think I am."

You feel a cold chill fall over you as realize how terrible the situation is. "Pinkie Pie," You say, "Who else is in charge of the dreams?"

"No one," She whispers, "I don't think..."

You take a deep breath to calm yourself. There has to be something here that can help you.

Pinkie Pie still isn't making any sense. "Lyra?" You ask, "Do you know anything about the dreams?"

"No."

" Rarity?"

"It's not my fault!" Pinkie Pie says, "I dreamed about being a wealthy noble lady, can you blame me for enjoying a little fantasy?"

"Well, I don't know Pinkie. You won't tell me anything!"

"It's not my fault!"

The two of you continue to bicker, while Applejack just rolls her eyes and walks off.

Eventually, you realize there is nothing you're going to accomplish by arguing.

You decide to just follow Applejack to the dungeon. Your goal is to find some way of waking everyone up. Even if you can't save them all, at least you will save some.

The maze of rocks ends at a large, wooden door.

"Well," You say, "I guess we better open this door." You try opening the door. It doesn't budge.

"I figured these things would be locked," You admit, "Guess there's more magic involved in this place than I thought."

"Magic?" Asks Applebloom.

You ignore her and try throwing you weight against the door. It's no use. You are just not strong enough to open it, especially since you can feel how tightly secured it is being.

"Well," Applebloom says nervously, "What now?"

"Well," You say, "I can't teleport to what I can't see or am not familiar with. At least, not very easily. I wonder if..." You teleport.

The only sound you hear is a slight buzzing noise. You look around, but you're still in the same place, just in a different location.

You check to see if you made it to the other side of the door. You did.

"Yes!" You shout. Then you check the door to see how to unlock it. It seems like it has a lock on the inside. After staring at it for a moment, it suddenly unlocks itself.

"Huh.

Well, that works too, I guess." You say, "It seems like there's something I'm going to have to get familiar with again."

The maze was pretty straightforward after that.

You continue through the dungeon with your friends, Lyra, and the "Cutie Mark Crusaders."

You stop in surprise as you find yourself in a library.

"Do you see what this place is?"

You quickly scan the room for any threat.

"It's a library," Says Sweetie Belle.

"A library?" You ask, "Isn't it filled with books?"

"Sometimes," The Professor answers, "But this one has no books. Not as good for research unfortunately.

You look for the Professor you just heard. You see him behind a desk, going through some books.

"And there she is," The Professor smiles, "How did it go with the Mane Six?

"Who are you?" You ask the professor, "I've never met an earth-pony like you before."

"Oh, I'm the one who discovered their talent. I'm the one who put them all together and helped them all achieve the success they have."

"Who? The earth-ponies?"

"Yes," He replies.

"But I don't understand. How is it that you discovered all of their talents? You didn't even know Lyra before she came here."

"I didn't?"

"Um, Twilight," Lyra says, "I'm not an earth-pony. I'm a unicorn." You blush in embarassment.

The professor just looks at you.

"Oh yes, I remember now. You did mention having a sister before. Sorry."

"No," You say, "I don't have a sister."

"You must have had," He insists, "You look almost identical. Except for the mane and tail. And your eyes. Your eyes are different.

"Ooh, and the horn!" Shouts Pinkie Pie, "Don't forget the horn."

"Yes, that's true," Says the Professor, "The little filly didn't have a horn."

"I don't," You say, "and I'm not a filly."

"Oh, of course. Apologies."

The professor pauses.

Rainbow Dash takes that as an oppurtunity to interrupt. She screams in a panic. "That's Quibbles's little girl!"

"What!? I just said I had no sister!" You exclaim.

Rainbow immediately flies over to try and comfort Lyra, who is upset by all this too.

"I can't fly!"

"It's okay, Lyra," Rainbow Dash says, "Not everypony can fly. And that's okay. I'm gonna tell you what I told Scootaloo."

She begins to tell Lyra about how she found out she could fly.

"Quiet!" You snap, causing the whole library to quiet down and turn to you.

"I can assure any of you,"

You begin, "I am no filly. I have no sister. And what is this about Quibble?" Rainbow Dash looks up. "Oh, that," She says, "Yeah, that filly the Professor was talking about, it sounds like Quibble Pants's step-daughter, Wind Sprint."

"But I don't have a sister!"

"Of course not," Says Rainbow Dash, "But she does look a lot like you. She's a little pegasus."

"But I'm a unicorn."

"So?"

"So!" You say, "Why would the Professor lie about such things?"

"Why would you care so much?"

"Technically," Pinkie Pie says, "You're an alicorn." Then Pinkie Pie gasps in horror. "Curse you Mud Briar! Now you've got me doing it, too."

"Stop," You command, "You're getting off topic. I asked what was going on with Quibble."

"I don't know!"

"Professor?" You ask, "Why was Wind Sprint here, in a dungeon?"

"Dungeons are where the monsters are! Monsters, and madmen, and all sorts of interesting ponies!"

"Yes, but why was she here?"

"She was here to see me. She wanted advice on dealing with Quibble."

"Oh no!" Shouts Rainbow Dash, "I thought she got over her dislike of Quibble Pants."

"Well I think she did, but she still had many questions, so she came here to interview me. That was two years ago. She's been here ever since. She even got married down here."

"What!" Cries Rainbow Dash, "But she's just a filly!"

"So?"

"Well..."

"Hey!" You snap, "I'm the one who should be upset, not you! I'm a mare! Why would she marry?"

The Professor looks at the floor and blushes in embarrassment before responding. "Quibble had a son. They named him after me. They're still here, in the best room in this entire tower."

"What?"

"Just what I said. Quibble Pants, Wind Sprint, even Clear Sky; they're all here."

"That..."

"Yeah, I know."

"But.... How?"

"More importantly," Rarity asks, still in her bridal dress, "Who did Wind Sprint marry?"

"Criminy, it was Giggles."

"No way!"

"Yes way!

"Giggles," you ask, "as in Giggleponiark?"

"Yep, that's the one."

"I'm her biggest fan!" Pinkie Pie screams.

"But," you say, "she's only a filly. How did she have a child?"

"Apparently," The Professor says, "She fell in love with a dragon. That's how."

"I thought you said she married Giggleponiark."

"I did, but apparently they used a Love Potion on each other to trick themselves into loving each other. It's quite common in those parts. What is not common, is dragons.

"Wait, so are you saying that Wind Sprint fell in a love with a dragon using a love potion, but married Giggleponiark?"

"That's what I'm saying," The Professor says, "Except she fell in love with a dragon using a love potion, but married Giggles. That's what she said, he said fight."

"I'm not sure what to make of this," You say, "I mean, Wind Sprint so young to be married or in love."

"I don't understand it," The Professor says, "But there it is."

"Is this the room?" Lyra asks, "It looks like a bathroom to me."

"I'm pretty sure this is a library," You say to Lyra.

"Well, sure," Lyra says, "But isn't a library where you keep all your books?"

"Yeah, so maybe this used to be a library and isn't anymore. But I don't see how a library could ever become a bathroom."

"So?" Lyra says, "Lots of libraries have bathrooms in them."

"Lyra," You say, "Why are we even considering this option?"

"Hey!

How about we ask the Professor if this is a bathroom."

"Well," Lyra says, "I don't see why not. I mean we just acknowledged that one of the rooms was a bathroom. It's not like we can ever use it for that."

"Professor?" You ask, "Is this room a bathroom?"

"Well, it WAS a bathroom," The Professor says, "But now? I don't know. It's a weird question."

"It is a weird question!" Says Pinkie Pie.

Lyra shifts from side to side. "Is the bathroom still operational?" She asks.

"Yeah," The Professor says, "Unless it was Pinkie who destroyed it."

"I wouldn't destroy a resource," Pinkie Pie says.

"Alright then, I'll be back," Lyra says before running off to a bathroom stall.

"Why are you back?" You ask.

"I have to pee!" Lyra says.

You shake your head and follow Lyra, leaving The Professor and Pinkie Pie alone.

"Go in the other stall!" Lyra says.

"What? Why?" You ask.

"I'm in this one!" Says Lyra.

You decide to entertain Lyra's whims for now and do as she says. You just hope, and this is going to sound weird, but you hope that Lyra isn't hiding anything sinister in that dress.

You notice that it's a black dress, almost like a suit. You remember that Lyra cut up a dark pink and blue jumper yesterday. Maybe she's planning on putting the pieces together and making a dress out of this.

You hear something hit the bowl that Lyra just dropped in. Then, silence.

"Lyra," You say, "What did you end up doing with the cut up pink and blue jumper?"

"I put it on!" Lyra says.

You step out of the stall, then push the stall door closed.

You got to the sink and wash your hooves with soap and water.

"How do I look?" Lyra asks.

You look at Lyra. She looks like she would look in a dress, and that's what confuses you more than anything.

"Oh, I dunno," You say, "You just look fine."

"Thanks!"

"What are you wearing?" You ask.

"My dress!"

"What about the hoodie?"

"Oh, yeah that's just for warmth," Lyra says.

"So what do you mean when you say you put on the jumper?" You ask.

"I... Stuck it on!" Lyra says, "I don't know how else to describe it!"

"L-like with glue?" you ask. You sincerely hope that she says no.

Lyra smiles and nods.

"Yep! I glued it on!"

"Oh..." You say, "That's neat."

"It was pretty cold in that room."

You nod as you feel cold as well. The cold that rises in your chest out of pure terror. You didn't even think it was possible for you to feel any colder, but you're wrong. You feel colder than the dead of space.

"Thank you so much!"

"Y-your welcome, Lyra," You say.

"You are too, humie!" Lyra says.

A strange word, but one you understand. You see Lyra off and head back to the room.

"I'm sorry, I got distracted," You say, "So, what's the plan?"

"We need to find the rest of the black and red Jumper's key pieces. We already have the jacket, so that leaves the pants and the boots."

"What happens if we don't get them?"

Applebloom just shrugs, "I guess we'll have to play make-believe."

"Are we going to be okay?" You ask.

"Yeah," Applebloom says, "Now let's get to work."

You start looking for the key pieces of a black an red jumper. It doesn't take long to find anything, but it feels like forever. You look, rummage through trash, climb through windows, all in effort to find these things.

You and your friends eventually gather all of the key pieces of the black and red jumper. You hope you're done looking because you're exhausted. This has been the most activities you've done in a long, long time.

You place all of the key pieces together and Sweetie Belle takes out a thread and needle and proceeds to tape the pieces together. Like, with duct tape. You kind of expected her to sew it back together.

"Is this a new hobby of yours?" You ask.

"Oh, yeah!"

"Okay, Applebloom," Sweetie Belle says, "I've got your costume ready."

Sweetie Belle hands Applebloom a pile of fabric and says, "Put that on."

"... Okay," Applebloom says.

Scootaloo ties the yellow cape onto Applebloom's back. And Applebloom dances as Sweetie Belle sings her theme song:

"When will you learn,

When will you learn,

When will you learn,

That you can't jump high enough?"

"I don't know the words to this song," Applebloom says.

Applebloom continues, " I thought it went something like... "The Apple Mare Orphan" (I imagine Applebloom dressed up like Robin, Batman's sidekick.)

"Red Mane tied in a bow.

Got trouble? Let her know.

What's her cutie mark mean?

She protects apple things.

The apple mare orphan!

Apple farm defender.

The apple mare orphan!

Give up or surrender.

Her parents disappeared.

Who knows if they're alive?

But she fights back her fear

With her will to survive.

The apple mare orphan!

Trains those under her wings.

The apple mare orphan!

Can't accept new trainees.

The apple mare orphan!

She lacks such feathered things.

The apple mare orphan!

Is actually insane.

Can't fly, but she will try.

Failure's a lullaby.

She could have won first place

If she wasn't in space."

"That's not how it goes..." Applebloom says.

"Yeah, that's how I remember it," Sweetie Belle says.

"Well, this stupid song got us an orphaned baby dragon!"

Screams Scootaloo, "Anyway, check out my costume!" Sweetie Belle and Applebloom look at Scootaloo in confusion. "I don't see anything different," Applebloom admits, "What's the costume?" "I don't see anything different," Applebloom admits, "What's the costume?"

Scootaloo takes off her ski goggles and says, "No one told you guys? I'm a duster!"

Sweetie Belle asks, "What's a duster?" Scootaloo smiles, "I was hoping you would ask that." She gets on her scooter and starts riding it around the room as he shouts out her theme song:

"Wind Tunnel" (I don't know what wind tunnel you are thinking of right now, but stop. This wind tunnel is not any type of tunnel you were expecting.)

"Scoots lost in a tunnel.

She has been left behind.

If she didn't fumble,

She could have stayed in line.

Scoots will leave the sewer

When she finds the exit.

She steps through manure.

Yes! An idea. That's it!

Forty Miles per hour.

Hurricane gale force winds.

All of this is powered

By Scootaloo's short wings.

Wind tunnel. Wind tunnel!

Skating along the walls.

Gravity's funeral,

And physics just gave up.

Wind tunnel. Wind tunnel!

Skateboards weren't made for this.

This must be a plot hole.

Why-how does this exist?"

"It's simple, " Scootaloo says, "I found the greatest invention ever!"

"This is ridiculous, " Sweetie Belle says, "Sweetie Belle isn't a duster either."

"Then what are you?" Asks Applebloom and Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle goes stiff and stares at them blankly. At first, Applebloom and Scootaloo are little worried, then Sweetie Belle starts talking in a mock-robotic voice. "I am Killer Robot-SweetBel: KR-58:

"KR-58

My name is Sweetie Belle.

At least I thought it was.

My life was going well,

Until my crisis of

Learning I'm a robot.

My life is all a lie,

And I'll never grow up.

I'm not even alive.

Guess this sort of explains

My improper cadence,

And why I don't feel pain.

It's starting to make sense.

My eyes are apertures.

My voicebox is tarnished.

My magic horn won't work

Because it's just garnish.

Never felt emotion.

I fail to sympathize.

Empathy's elusive.

Tears don't form when I cry.

Now Initiating

Self Destruction Sequence.

Please don't mind me running

Far into the distance.

No. Stop following me,

For I'm a living bomb,

Except I'm not living.

My timer's ticking on.

Ten seconds remaining.

Now, please just go away.

If you stay here with me,

This place will be your grave.

Existential questions.

Who am I? What am I?

Don't need to answer them,

Choosing, instead, to die.

I look at all these guns.

Murders I've committed.

If I return with one,

My life, they'll finish it.

Speaking of finishing,

My timer is compl(explosion)"

"That was... kind of disturbing" Rarity says, "Sweetie Belle, are you okay?"

"Yeah, it's just a costume," Sweetie Belle says. Everyone looks at Sweetie Belle who frowns and walks away.

"You didn't have to do that," Rainbow Dash says, "We don't need songs to accompany our costumes."

"Au contraire," Says Rarity, "I think such measures are requisite for the full Nightmare Night experience."

Rainbow Dash puts her hoof to her face, "Don't tell me you have song, too, Rarity."

"Fine, then I won't tell you," Rarity says, "I'll sing it:

Wedding Day

-Everyone gathers in the castle walls

-All dressed up like they're going to a ball.

-And indeed, they meet in the ballroom

-Awaiting the arrival of the bride and the groom.

-Trumpets and horns a-sound in the air

-Preparing the way with royal fanfare.

-The King, the groom, the husband-to-be

-Wears a green robe embroidered with leaves.

-Accompanied by an array of knights,

-He marches in with a confident stride.

-Then arrives the strange new bride

-From a foreign land across the tide.

--

-Her entrance, entranced them

-More than an enchantress.

-Enthralled, flabbergasted

-The band stopped, breathless.

-Her dress was gnarled, twisted and curled.

-And smelled of sulfur bequeathed of flame.

-Her hair singed and frayed; her skin, withered.

-A scroll smudged with ash read her name.

-"Introducing Clarissa of De-Wah."

-"She hails from that island nation."

-"She brings..." then he trailed off.

-Somehow, the temperature's risen.

--

-The gaze of the crowd lingered over her eyes,

-Dead, without passion.

-No color in her face, no hint of surprise.

-Her face displayed no emotion.

-This woman, this bride, may not seem very nice,

-But the people considered her attractive.

-Her temperature's hot, her temperament not—she seemed cold and lifeless.

-The contrast between her appearance and apparel drew interest—though she was inactive.

-She sat in a chair held in the air by servants.

-A parasoul held over her, glows with inner heat.

-It's a personal radiator. She shivers while others sweat.

-Behind her trails great waves of hair and her cape.

--

-Her grand arrival was more a parade

-Which consisted of her personal entourage.

-They swung her robes in ripples and waves

-Causing the creases to wriggle, alive without pause.

-Then a traitor gave up his charade.

-A man burst from the crowd planning things worse than espionage.

-Charging towards who would soon be queen,

-The man drew a shield and a sword from his sheath.

-Emblazoned and bold, to the bride he drew close,

-Who was stoick and still, and white as a ghost.

-The man, unashamed, slashed his sword with a scream,

-But to everyone's surprise, the bride dodged the swing.

-Terror in his eyes, the man watched in horror.

-The bride pulled the top off her parasoul.

-The woman of flame held her own sword before her..

-Her shield, red hot, shook with ripples.

--

-A battle commenced.

-An one-on-one duel.

-As experts, they fenced.

-But it was a ruse.

-Behind the king crept

-A traitorous guard

-To stab him to death.

-He wanted his blood.

-A glimmer of light.

-A metallic shard.

-The blur of a knife

-Caught the king off-guard.

-A clink of metal.

-He didn't hit flesh.

-It was plate chainmail.

-King took off his dress.

--

-Under robes of decorum

-He hid his identity.

-Not the king they knew and loved,

-But the queen he would marry.

-The crowd was stunned to silence.

-The sounds of the battle ceased.

-The clone queens faced assassins.

-The first queen put sword to sheath.

-In a single swift motion

-She threw her sheath in the air

-And dropped her plate, exposing

-Her as king, causing much fear.

--

-The bride caught the flailing sword

-And cut down the man she distracted.

-The king shook hands with whom he warred,

-Who was not really an assassin.

-The crowd was uneasy, unsure and confused.

-And honestly, can you really blame them?

-The king and queen spent time in each others' shoes.

-All to kill an assassin.

-The man with whom the king had fought

-The man who was still alive,

-Gave a speech to clear everything up.

-This is how he summarized.

--

-"We intercepted a conspiracy,"

-"A plan to kill the king."

-"On the wedding day, one would make a scene."

-"During the distraction,"

-"A guard would go and stab him."

-"We could not let this be."

-"We disguised the bride and the groom as each other."

-"The ‘bride' would fight the squire."

-"The real queen is whom the assassin would go after."

- "She is is talented with greater marital prowess"

- "She'd survive and save her husband."

-"This is what we desire."

--

-"Any questions?" asked the squire, a young man with such potential.

-But before any could respond, a blizzard crashed through the window.

-This was strange indeed,

-For storms shouldn't shatter glass.

-But what was more concerning

-Was the booming sound of a crash. -Curiosity got the best of the crowd as they peeped through the crater, -For gale force gusts with tons of snow tore down the walls like paper. -- -Clarissa De-Wah strode out of the room, -The snow around her melting away. -And though she smelled strongly of sulfurous fumes,()()() -She was going to save the day. -- -Together with her bodyguard, -The wind and snow were no match for them. -They fought with cleaves, sweeps and pounds. -The queen was not afraid.

-She was a warrior, and she had been trained since birth. -And when the storm blew through, -She did not panic.

"WOW, rarity," Whispers Sweetie Belle, "That was beautiful."

"I'm glad I wasn't the only one that saw it."

"You're so lucky to have such a pretty princess, you know that right?"

"Twilight may my friend," Rarity says, "But remember, Sweetie Belle she everypony's princess, not just only for her friends."

"Yeah," You say, "I-I'm your princess, Sweetie Belle." It feels so weird to say that.

"Now come on," Rarity says, "Let's keep going. I’m hoping we reach the princess’s quarters before night falls. I don’t want to sleep on the floor again.”

"Professor," You say, "Do you know how to get to the princess's quarters?" They probably your quarters because you are the princess, but the way that everyone keeps calling them the ‘princess's quarters' makes you uncertain.

"I do," He says, "Sadly, I am not sure how to get in."

"We can find a way in," You say, "Just show us where it is."

The Professor leads you, your friends, the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Lyra through the dungeon to the princess's quarters. Once there, you tug at the golden handle and the door clicks open.

"Well?" You ask.

"Well what?" He asks back.

"You want us to go in there?"

"Yes."

You walk into the princess's quarters. It was surprisingly easy to get in. Maybe it is because you are a princess.

"Wow," says Lyra, "This place is fancy.”

Considering that Lyra grew up in Canterlot as a student of Celestia's school for gifted unicorns, the fact that she thinks that this place is fancy is saying something.

"Lyra, this is a princess's room. Of course it's fancy."

Sweetie looks like she wants to say something, but stops herself.

Rarity says, "Ooh, my Celestial, this place is just gorgeous. I need something to write with. This is giving some ideas."

"Yeah," You say, "Do you have anything here?"

Rarity nods, "I sure do!" She trots to a desk and starts looking through it.

She gets out ink well, quills and parchment. She then begins to sketch designs for dresses.

"These creations are just beautiful," You say, "Can I have my quills and parchment?”

"Yes, dear," Rarity says, "Just let me finish these designs."

"Do you mind if I borrow them?" Rarity asks.

"Not at all," You say.

After finishing her work, she hands you the quills and parchment, and some of her creations as well.

You look around then princess's quarters to see if it really is your bedroom. It is!

You stand in your bedroom, staring at all the personal items, and wondering if you should really be enjoying yourself here.

But you are a princess now, by right you can do what you want.

"Pinkie Pie," You say, "What do I need from the Princess's Quarters to wake up from this dream?"

"Just a quill and parchment," She says, handing you a piece of parchment and a quill.

You begin to write a letter to your family.

"How do I use the quill and parchment to wake up?" You ask, as you finish writing a letter to your family.“You simply need to write your desire to wake up... with your own blood," Pinkie Pie says, “So you’re going to have to prick yourself with the quill.”

You aren’t too certain if this will work, since this is Pinkie Pie and she has been acting much stranger in this dream than normal. But you figure, that nearly anything is worth doing if it has a chance of letting you escape.

You do as Pinkie Pie suggests, and give the quill back to her.

"Thank you soo much," You say.

You look down the bloody parchment and read it aloud.

"I, Twilight Spark, the purple pony alicorn princess and ruler of Equestria wish to return to the waking world and leave this dream, along with any other ponies or other creatures who may be stuck in this shared dream."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" You hear Pinkie Pie say, "You're such a good pony, giving that up like that. Shows real courage."

Your blood goes cold. "Um, Pinkie Pie?" You ask, suddenly terrified, "What did I give up?"

"You gave up your name," She says proudly, "Now you're going to be calling me 'Mistress', from now on."

"But I..."

Is it possible that Pinkie Pie has tricked you? You find it hard to believe. She's your friend after all. But, if she has been stuck in this dream like you have been... well, there is no telling how she might have changed.

"Pinkie!" You say, "That's not really my name. I'm..."

"No buts!”

Pinkie Pie laughs hysterically. Her maniacal laughter soon turns to villainous cackling.

"Now, now, calm down, darling," She says, "You're panicking for no reason. This isn't even your real world."

“What did you mean when you said I gave up my name?”

"Oh, that?" Pinkie Pie says, "I'm simply honoring a deal. You made a deal with me. A deal where I give you something you want, and in exchange, I get to take away something you love.”

"What?" You ask, "When did we make that deal?"

Pinkie Pie frowns. "Don't you remember? It was only a few seconds ago that you wrote that infernal contract signed with your own blood."

You stare at the paper, and sure enough, you see a line in the contract that you actually never noticed before:

"Oh, um...

I didn't know it was a contract!" You say, "We just agreed to be friends!”

Pinkie Pie nods. "Yes, we are still friends, aren't we? If we aren't that would be because you choose not be."

"Pinkie!” You say.

"Um, don't you mean ‘Mistress!" Pinkie Pie hisses with venom in her voice, "Besides, it was a good deal. You get to escape from this nightmare, and I all I get is your name."

"You mean, you tricked me into giving up my name?" You ask.

"I didn't trick you!”

Pinkie Pie protests, "You clearly knew what you were doing. No pony writes something with their own blood without first thinking of the consequences. Don't try to fake naïveté, you're the smartest pony I know. It's impossible to trick you. I can only convince you that the price is worth the reward."

"Pinkie, I can't make that deal. I can't lose my name forever, it's part of being a pony."

"You don't don’t seem to remember, but you must now call me ‘MISTRESS!’?” Screams Pinkie Pie, mane temporarily a flame.

You can't believe it. How could Pinkie Pie do this to you. Lyra just shakes her head. "She did warn you, you know," She says.

"I can't believe this!" You protest, "I trusted her and this is how she repays that trust? By tricking me and forcing me yield to her demands? she’s a madwoman!”

"She said she was going to steal something from the Princess's Quarters," Lyra says, "It turns out, that things she planned to steal was your name."

"Okay," You say, "Fine, you win, Pink-I mean, mistress. Just bring me home."

"Ah! But there's still the issue of your deal!" Pinkie Pie says, "If you don't want to break the deal, then you agree to the terms.”

"What do you mean," You ask.

"Well, your real name isn't really all that special," Pinkie Pie explains, "I mean there's a lot of Pinks around. Maybe I should steal that instead."

"Wait,"

You say, "Why did you steal my name, if it isn't even special. And there is no point in stealing a copy of your old name, you already have that."

"Oh," Pinkie says, "Well, I sort of thought about that, but I'm not done yet! I still can steal things!"

"What are you going to steal?" You ask, horrified.

In answer, Pinkie Pie reaches into a large bag hanging off her back which has the form of a cat, and pulls out two more bags.

You look around and notice that the only ponies that are moving at all, are you, Pinkie Pie, and Lyra. The others don’t seem to even breath. You notice one of the bags has little wheels on it, just like the cart these people were on.

"What's this?” You ask.

Pinkie Pie smiles and says, "You'll see, in time."

"I'm not going to let you take anypony else," You protest, "I'm not doing this."

Pinkie Pie smiles and says, "

It's not like I'm giving you a choice. Besides, you might have noticed. There is no pony else in this dream."

"I'm not going to let you take any of my stuff!" You protest.

"Oh, you have no choice now!

And it's not your stuff anymore, is it. It is Princess Twilight Sparkle's stuff: and that's me. He he."

"What?" You ask.

"You're really not as clever as you think you are, are you? Did you think you could get out of this by refusing to cooperate?

I control the realm of dreams. Where are you right now, that's right, a dream. But you still have your free will, so I must persuade you into giving up your name. But because you gave it of your free will, it will still be mine even outside of the dream. Better yet, now that you've given me your name, I have all that was once yours." Pinkie Pie says, happily pulling out various trinkets and treasures from the bags.

You look around and realize that there really is no escape.

"But if I have no name, what does that mean for me outside of the dream. What will ponies call me?" You ask.

"You don't get it, do you?" Pinkie Pie says, "There is no you outside of this dream. Or rather, there is, but she is Princess Twilight Sparkle, which me. So when you wake up, what body would you inhabit? There is no pony without an identity."

"I..."

"Yes! You see? I used your own logic against you. That is because I am now Twilight Sparkle, the smartest pony in all of Equestria.”

"So," You say, "You've killed me. I thought we were friends."

"We are friends, aren't we? I mean, we're friends in the way that you're friends with your friends, but I'm really your best friend. Sorry, you’re not Twilight Sparkle, I have to explain this in simple terms that a nobody can understand. Twilight Sparkle is still friends with Pinkie Pie. Just, now Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle are inhabited by the same consciousness.”

Your not sure if you understand. "Please, there must some way for me to live," You plead.

"There is, you will remain alive for as long as you stay in this dream," Pinkie Pie says, "Unfortunately, the terms of the contract dictate that I must remove you from this dream. It is what you wanted, after all."

"That can't be the case! I just... Just want to live, okay?”

"Sorry," Pinkie Pie says, "I can't break the contracted, it is bound with our blood. Besides, I can't really kill a pony who doesn't exist anyway, right?"

"No, you can" You say, "You doing it right now!"

Pinkie Pie shakes her head. "No, if that were the case than that would mean that I've killed myself twenty times over."

You see the sad smile on her face. You want to continue being her friend, but you're starting to feel really tired. "I feel like I'm... Falling into a well.”

"Well, the dream is ending, what did you expect? Yeah, Twilight Sparkle killed Pinkie Pies clones by banishing to their original state of not existing. If that is killing, then I'm a murder. At least, you don't have to live with blood of twenty Pinkie Pies on your hooves."

You try to grab at one of the small treasure chests, but she puts her foot out and stops you. "The dream is ending. I'm putting most things in this bag for you, I mean me. Wow, it’s going to take a while to get used to being Twilight Sparkle.”

You feel yourself fall, but something catches you. It's a yellow light surrounding you. You look up and see that Lyra is holding with her telekinesis. "Don't worry," She says, "I've got you."

The light disappears and you feel yourself floating back to the ground. Your now back in reality. Lyra picks up the treasure chest.

"Hey, that's mine!" Screams Pinkie Pie, "Wait, how are you doing that? Why can't I control you?"Lyra just smiles and pops out of existence like she did before. You disappear with her.