"Tonight's the night. I'll make it work, I know I will." Scootaloo muttered to herself as she climbed into bed. As usual the sound of one of her brothers, or possibly her dad she'd never bothered to check, snoring a few rooms down the hall was a perpetual annoyance, but as always she pushed the sound from her mind.

As she tried to get to sleep her gaze momentarily drifted to the books on her nightstand. Everything the Ponyville library had on dream walking, she'd borrowed them from twilight almost two years prior. It was a small miracle Twilight didn't believe in late fees... I should probably return those at some point.

As she finally managed to drift off the dreams started. As always her mental images of her two closest friends were there with her, marks and all. Scootaloo couldn't remember the last time she hadn't seen them in her dreams, they were just always there. Repeating the steps she learned from the book, everything began to shift around her, the dream dissolving into a white void dotted with infinite little black stars. Moving towards one she came upon a blob of color and light about the same size as herself, images of wind and cloud whipping by at breakneck speeds while a blurred form in a blue and gold jumpsuit shot around playing across is's surface. There was no mistaking that mane though.

Scootaloo grinned as she moved on, rather than step into Rainbow's dream. I did it, I'm really here. she thought to herself as she wandered aimlessly, before something caught her attention. In one of the dreams was a creature, unlike anything in equestria. A biped with scarred flesh tinted the purple of a bad bruise, a black mane and matching dress, and long red claws. But her bizarre appearance wasn't what made scootaloo stop. Whatever she was, she was clearly in pain. Sitting on the ground curled into a ball crying.

Luna helped me, I guess it's my turn. she thought to herself as she touched the dream and was pulled inside. Once inside things seemed very different. The landscape, a mangled jumble of twisted black spires vaguely in the shape of bookcases, stretched on forever seemingly curving in impossible ways to deny the horizon. All around lay chunks of strange black glop and red smears that Scootaloo would rather not think about. Among the mes lay dozens upon dozens of ghostly forms, all fading in and out as if they weren't really there, all identical to the crying girl, and all mutilated in some way, whether it be caught on the random spiked surfaces, jammed into a massive blade or just laying on the ground in pieces.

It's just a dream... Scootaloo had to remind herself, forcing her gaze away from that towards the girl.

Landing next to her, and nudging her gently with a forehoof to get her attention, Scootaloo was cut off before she could offer any greeting. Interrupted by the girl rounding on her and sinking a claw into her chest up to her wrist.

Oh Celestia she just stabbed- wait... I don't feel any different... right. Dream. Not real.

"Kinda jumpy. I just-GYAK!" Scootaloo commented jokingly, Pushing the claw away, and hoping a little humor might make the stranger less aggressive. Instead all it accomplished was the strange girl kicking her back and lunging at her trying once more to run her through with her claws.

"Go away!" She screeched, eyes shut and striking blindly. Repeatedly slamming into Scootaloo, and howling in rage with every swing. "It was supposed to be over!"

After a minute or two, she slowed enough for Scoot to catch one of her claws with a forehoof, stopping her attack. That got her attention, and finally got her to open her eyes and actually look at who she was trying to stab. Apparently a bright orange pony without a scratch on her was not what she had expected to see.

"I just wanted to see if you were alright." Scootaloo repeated, actually managing to finish the sentence this time. Trying to put on a friendly smile as she released the girls claw. In an instant the creature as wrapped around her in a hug, crying again. Scoot had to try her hardest not to grimace as she halfheartedly returned the hug. Ugh... I hate this mushy stuff... you get away with it just this once.

"Why won't it go away?" She eventually heard the girl whisper. "I got rid of the book, I changed back, why am I still here?"

Guessing from that that a change of scenery might help, Scootaloo wriggled her wing out from under the girl's grip and took to the air, her surprise passenger letting out a startled 'eep' as they got up to speed. Somehow, the world around them seemed to be bending to try and keep them in, not wanting to let them go. Scootaloo could still see it though, the spot where she had entered, and the way back to her own dream. As they passed through, that mangled world disappeared, replaced by clear sunny skies and rolling green hills. A familiar dream about flying she had had many times. If only my wings worked this well outside the dreams.

Letting go just above the ground, then landing herself a little ways away. She turned to her guest only to see a marked change. Her skin was a soft tan now, no longer scarred, and the claws were gone. In their place she had hands with little red painted miniature claws.

"Better?" Scoot asked. though her guest didn't answer, she just nodded smiling. Focused as much on herself as on their surroundings. "I'm Scootaloo by the way."

"Raven."

The rest of the dream was peaceful and calm, something that by the looks of it, Raven needed. Waking up a few hours later, Scootaloo couldn't help but grin. She had finally done it. There was no way she had just imagined Raven, that was real she was sure of it. Before she could think further on her accomplishment though, a faint pulse of red light at the edge of her peripheral vision drew her attention behind her. There on her flank was a shape vaguely like a blood red 'Y'.

"Why does my mark look like Raven's claws?" She wondered aloud, equal parts elated that she had finally gotten it, and baffled at it's odd design. Maybe it had something to do with the dream she had rescued raven from? Still she couldn't wait to show the girls.

Author's Note

The next chapter of SH is coming along okay, but i wanted to take a break from that for an hour or two, so i made this. Don't expect a consistent update schedule, it's more of a "whenever i'm bored" project.