The Dreamrunner

I fell out of the white room as soon as the door opened. I had been laying against the door. My own blood covered the walls from me banging my face trying to make the hallucinations to vanish. My own waste was scattered around the room. Stomach bile in one corner, and the the rest of it in another. The grey griffon grabbed me and dragged me back to my room. He dropped another tray of stale bread and water in the middle of the floor. He locked the door and left again. The only way I’ll be able to stay sane in this place is my journal. I pulled myself back onto my bed and started to write again.

Eleven months. It’s been eleven months since the last vision. I guess my wish came true. I thought everything would go back to normal. I really, really did. I hoped that I could go back to running around with Applebloom and Scoots. Some say that ponies never need to grow up. We can be young forever in our hearts, and that’s what I grew up believing, that’s what I always planned; I don’t care if it was foolish of me at this point, I just want to go back.

But sadly, there comes a day when something happens. It can be a thought, a moment, or it can be a look, but something breaks inside. Something deep inside your heart and mind just vanishes. Then suddenly, you realize that you’re no longer a filly. You look around yourself, and the joy and color of the once beautiful world has faded and greyed. Then, in that split second, you know it’s all over. Everything from before is just a memory, and it can’t be the same way ever again.

I was the last of my friends to see this. Applebloom was the first to decide to grow up. She started to work on the farm more and more until one day, she stopped coming to meet Scoots and I.

At the clubhouse, her crusader cape hung limply on a wooden pole. The wind pushed it around like a flag. Now, she’s just another face that faded into the grey.

Scootaloo was next. She was accepted into the Wonderbolt Academy, and is now flying with her idol. I felt happy for her, but inside I knew that it wasn’t real. She bought a home up in Cloudsdale and has been living there for the past five months. She’s got a really nice coltfriend who she’s been dating for about two years now, and he asked her to marry him recently; she said yes.

On their wedding day, I gave a short speech on our friendship, and then let them cut the cake. I still think that speech was manure. I went to the clubhouse later and saw that Scootaloo’s cape was now also hanging next to Applebloom’s. I had put a preservation charm on them to keep them there as long as I possibly could.

That was three months ago. I still go to the clubhouse every other day by myself to keep it clean, and silently hope that maybe one day one of them would be there, but they never came. Every time I sit by their cloaks, I end up crying for hours on end, hugging my own cloak.

Today. Today is the day I end this shallow charade. Today is the last day. Today… Today is the day that I give up.

Slowly, I walked into the clubhouse. The pitter patter of rain could be heard on the roof and deck. I sat down in the middle of the small rug that I had made with Rarity years earlier. Some writing was scratched into the wall in front of me. Strange, this was never here before. I moved my face closer to the writing and read it aloud.

“At some point you have to realize that some ponies can stay in your heart, but not your life.”

A Friend

Whoever did this is right. There’s no point to hold on to this anymore.

Walking out to the deck, I pull out my cape from my saddlebag and observe it. I felt an urge to weep, but I couldn’t tell if I was or not. The rain and wind had picked up to the point where my mane was now soaked. With a final look, I tied the cape around the third, and final pillar, and put a preservation spell onto it. I don’t know if I could handle the gravity of these memories right now. I have to get away from here.

As fast as I possibly could, I left that place. The place that meant everything to me hours earlier means almost nothing to me now.  Another grey area in my life, except that this time, it hit me hard.

The sun shone bright in the sky while the birds chirped happily. The skies were mostly clear with the exception of a few clouds. The marketplace seemed exceptionally crowded today, with the bustling sounds of bits being dropped on the side of the wooden countertops and delicious smell of the various foods being sold.

The leaves slowly fell off the branches of  the trees, covering the dirt below them. A compendium of my new life overshadowing the one I wish would have never left me. The sun felt almost like a spotlight for a sick twisted play that some twisted pony had created for the entertainment of other sick twisted ponies. I guess I’m the star.

It’s been two weeks since I’ve been to the clubhouse, and I have to say, I think I pulled my life together. I couldn’t take the sadness anymore, so I decided to distract myself with other productive tasks. It worked pretty well. I have a couple new acquaintances I've met around town. It feels pretty good to spend time with others again.

I work for Rarity part time, and I’m a waitress at a local restaurant during lunchtime. I’ve been able to move out after I graduated Cheerilee's school, and now own a small townhome at the edge of town. It’s probably the prettiest place I’ve ever lived. With the help of Fluttershy, I found this place and bought it before anypony else could. The home itself is on the edge of a small lake. It even has it’s own little pier where I sit occasionally to read, or to just take a well deserved nap. It’s painted a pearl white, and has blue windowsills to give it a more welcome look. Its not a huge home, but It’s big enough for me. It has two bedrooms, two bathrooms and one kitchen. Perfect for a single mare living on her own.

Rarity showed me a poster she found in Manehattan for a Broadway singing audition. She said she had been at a fashion show, and found it taped to a window. The audition is in the spring. That gives me about six months to prepare for it and also fund myself. For the entire trip I’ve estimated that I need about twelve thousand bits and right now I’ve saved five thousand. Probably a clue to take overtime.

I trotted on down to a small street vendor and bought some vegetables. Then over to the neighboring vendor to purchase some spices.

I think I’ll pay a visit to the Cakes. I used to babysit the twins when Pinkie Pie and the Cakes were all out. Since I’m headed to Rarity’s right after, I might as well grab her a little something on the way. I work my way down the narrow pathway to the center of the market. The sweet aroma of desserts was so strong here that you could almost taste it!

I arrived at Sugarcube corner and walked inside the open doors. Pinkie Pie was behind the counter with a huge smile on her face. Around her neck, hung her engagement ring. Just last week, Cheese Sandwich asked to marry her, and she agreed. The marriage is scheduled to be in spring and everyone is really pumped. The two biggest party ponies getting married? This was gonna be the talk of the century.

“Hello Sweetie Belle!” She sang, as I reached the counter. She moved over to the display, ready with a bag.

“Hey Pinkie Pie,” I said nonchalantly. I looked in the food display to choose what I want. Cupcakes? Nope… Hmm. “I’ll take three of these blueberry muffins please,” I said.

“Okie Doki Loki! That’ll be five bits!” She declared, as she filled the bag and handed it to me.

I took the bag from her, and handed her six bits from my purse. “Keep the change Pinkie.”

She waved, and then looked at the clock on the wall. “Uh oh! I’m late for my date with Cheese!” She sprayed on some perfume, and ran out the door yelling “Bye Mrs. and Mr. Cake! I gotta go! Oh and bye Sweetie Belle!” I smile and waved back. Mrs. Cake’s voice cut through the air and said,

“Okay then, bye dear! Be back before three in the morning this time!” Pinkie was already out of earshot, and probably didn’t hear. Typical Pinkie.

Pumpkin and Pound Cake walked into the store, past me, and trotted upstairs. They’ve really grown a lot. I’ve been roped into babysitting them countless times. They’re honestly the most annoying children in Ponyville. Though, sometimes the Cakes were miserly with their money, I still got paid decently for the hours I committed. I still managed to keep them out of trouble for the most part. They might be smart, but those little rats are so incredibly ignorant at times. Pound Cake was just annoyingly ostentatious, constantly showing off his flight skills to his sister and ends up crashing or knocking things over. Every time I tried to complain to their parents, those foals accused me of slander. I swear those kids are the children of Discord himself.

I walked out of the front door of the building, and down the steps. The wind blew my mane in my face, but I was too apathetic to care. Something strange caught my nose.

“AUGH! Pinkie! My muffins are burnt! Again!”

I don’t even bother to go back to replace them. My luck is my adversary. I shook my head and threw my muffins in the the trash. I continued walking, but smelled burning again.

“Strange. I thought it was the muffins”

A scream rattled the ground, and I turned to see. Heat instantly jumped onto my face as I turned. Sugarcube Corner is on fire. Typical.

At least, that’s what I thought. I actually released a stream of curses that could put a sailor to shame. Unsure of what to do, I dropped my saddlebags and shook in fear. This feels so familiar, but from where?

You know, fires are supposed to be one of the most destructive forces on the planet, but I think it’s just as beautiful as dangerous. Every single finger of flame danced around the wood like an intricate sacrificial dance. The bright orange and yellow colors remind me of AB and Scoots. Is this what “Paralyzed by fire” means?

A loud crack interrupted my thoughts, and dropped me back into reality. The children. They’re still inside!

I don’t know what took over me. If I remember correctly, fight or flight? I think I’m fighting. In a blink of an eye, I was in the burning building. Parts of the ceiling had already come down, and are now burning slowly on the floor. Something ran down the stairs and past me. It stopped in front of of the door and looked at me. It’s Mrs. Cake!

“Sweetie Belle! What are you doing, dear? GET OUT! Mr. Cake is on his way down with the kids. Come on! Get out of here!” she shrieked as she pointed at the door.

“I’m going to help the kids. You go on ahead! I’ll be right out!” I responded. Mrs. Cake seemed unsatisfied with my answer, but nodded and ran out the front door. A second blur shot past me and stopped.

“Mr. Cake? Where are the children?” I questioned.

He only looked at me with a sad eyes and ran out the door. My mouth dropped. My brain went into panic mode. Where are the kids? A voice echoed around the burning house.

“Daddy! HELP!”

They’re okay! My heart exploded with relief and I darted up the stairs to their room. When I walked in it was a disaster. Broken pieces of the ceiling were everywhere. I started to get dizzy from the huge amount of Carbon Dioxide, and lack of Oxygen. My vision slowly blurred, but was still enough so I could find the twins.

“Miss Sweetie Belle! Here!”

I turned to look from where the voice came from. There. They were under the bed. Pound Cake seemed to be unconscious and his sister was draped over the top of him in tears. I gasped before grabbing them both and putting them on my back. I tried my best to keep them balanced on me as I moved quickly, but carefully down the stairs. As I got to the ground the stairs collapsed and crumbled behind us. The ceiling was starting to go too. I picked up the pace toward the door, but time seemed to slow.

I couldn't hear anything other than my own heartbeat and the sickening crunch of the wood. The hair on the back of my neck stood up as I stepped out the door into the painfully bright light. I’m not sure what would impair me more. The light, or the burning house that was about to collapse.

“Oh my babies!” Mrs. Cake screeched, as she ran past the police line, ignoring the police order for her to stay. I carefully pulled the two foals off my back, and into her open hooves. She hugged them for an incredibly long time before she looked my way.

“Sweetie Belle, you don't understand how grateful I am” She wiped a tear from her eye, and continued. “If it weren't for you, I’d be childless. Thank you.”

I sat on my haunches in silence in realization of what I just did. I just… I just saved the lives of two children. I ran into a burning house and saved two children. Wait…

In my dream, Mrs. Cake ran into the fire to save the children. Since I was there instead of her, I saved her life, and the children too. The dream. How did I know this was going to happen before it happened? And why did I react in a situation in which I wouldn’t normally react in?

Too many questions. Too many unknown answers. I reacted in the way one of those mares that always get saved by a superhero. I fainted

SMACK

On cement.

I’ll feel that in the morning.