Darkness Scoots

~Nightmare: an unpleasant dream that can cause a strong negative emotional response from the mind. Or...a window into the tormented mind of a badgered soul? Can one really decipher the meaning of dreams and nightmares in order to better comprehend their path in life?

Or are our dreamscape monsters nothing more than childish imaginings of our worst fears?

-An excerpt from the Book of Fillysophical Studies, by: Dr. Rhindquarters

===D.W.===

There was no doubting it. They had been real. The missing hair of her tail and the pain in her rear from where it had pulled out had been real. Scootaloo sat there for the better part of ten minutes just trying to make sense of what had happened. The filly monsters...the giant boiling pony...even the buildings around her. None of it made sense. How had it all got there in the first place? That alley had been clear before the siren sounded.

Maybe that was it. Maybe the siren called them out?

She shook her head.

No, the alleyway had been acting up, if that was even possible, before the alarm had gone off. The siren itself had merely been a warning. One she'd been glad for too. It had unnerved her enough to have her ready to jump at the peep of a mouse. If not for that reaction, she might still be back there with those nightmarish monstrosities.

Since her grand escape away from the filly monster, she'd managed to stumble into an open building, much to her great fortune as yet another boiling pony had crossed the street where she'd decided to rest after her encounter with them. It had seemed to be searching for something, all while rubbing itself raw on the buildings, trying to stave off the pain of its bubbling nightmare marks...a name Scoot found fitting for the big ponies.

'None of this makes sense though! How do you change an entire town like that in the blink of an eye? And where did they all come from? This place was empty before...now there's just scary nasty things walking around like they own the town?'

Not for the first time that night, Scootaloo released an aggravated cry. She let loose at the top of her lungs, kicking the dilapidated wall behind her with every ounce of terror and anger that had built up until she finally calmed down.

Now that she'd got that out of her system, Scoot carefully took the lamp oil out of her bag and filled the empty lamp in the dim light of the room she'd taken shelter in. Unfortunately, Dream Catcher had seen fit to take all the matches saying something along the lines of "Fillies shouldn't fiddle with fire." or some idiotic phrase like that. She didn't care though. She'd find a way to light the stupid thing. With the lamp oil back in her saddlebag and the lantern rehung on its pole, Scoot took her first good look around the building.

It seemed to be some sort of boarding house, once you got past the holes in the floor, the missing staircase to the second floor and the overall burned appearance of the building. It looked like the place had been on fire at one point, and the floor even still felt hot in a few places. Charred black remnants of furniture lie in places and in the one corner of the main entryway, there was a desk for the receptionist. It had been up-ended, its contents scattered around as though somepony had been searching for something.

Scoot took care to avoid the gaping chasms in the floor as she made her way over to the desk, looking down at the various papers and documents. Names of ponies and their general information were visible on the sheets that either had survived the fire or were still legible enough to read.

"And this is useful how?" She asked to the papers, half expecting a response from the pictures of the ponies on them.

With a sigh, she turned around to continue her search when she met with yet another unexpected surprise.

There in the doorway stood a very elegant, yet an ancient looking mare. Her gray coat and silvering dark blue mane and tail stood out in stark contrast to the reds and blacks of the room, eyes still bright with life despite her aged appearance.

"Can I help you, little one?" She called out with a voice deceptive of her age, smooth as silk and harmonious at that.

"Uhm...hello. I don't really know if you can help me, but where am I?" Scootaloo asked.

The mare seemed to think on that for a second.

"Why, you're in Ponyville my little filly." She responded gently.

Scoot shook her head.

"No, I mean what is this place?"

"Oh." The mare took a few steps forward, placing a caring hoof on Scoot's shoulder. "This is Grandma Blankie's Home for Orphaned Foals." She smiled, and the world around them seemed to fade, its horror-inducing trauma momentarily forgotten amidst the friendly face. "And I'm Grandma Blankie."

Scootaloo wanted to jump onto the old mare and hug her with every last ounce of strength she had, finally meeting someone else who was trapped in this hole of a dreamscape. But, the echoing words of those haunting mismatched eyes held her rooted in place for the moment.

'Everything happens for a reason here...'

When Scoot snapped out of her thoughts, she saw Grandma taking note of the saddlebag and lantern with a look of worry on her face.

"Is everything all right, my dear? Have you run away from home?" She asked.

"No, it's nothing like that ma'am. I just got separated from the pony I was with."

"Oh? Were you two going camping? That looks like a lot of stuff you've got there."

Scoot shook her head.

"No ma'am. See...I'm kinda lost. I was trying to find my way home, and then all sorts of weird, scary stuff started happening...then me and Dream Catcher got separated..."

"Dream Catcher?" The mare's ears perked up. "You know him? How is the little dear?"

That caught Scoot off guard.

"Little? He's a grown pony, not that it makes any difference. He still acts like a colt." She scoffed.

Grandma Blankie nodded knowingly.

"Yes, he's a hoofful that one. Never comes home when I tell him to." Even though she obviously had some problems with him, the old mare still had a smile as she talked about the crazy pony.

"Wait...he still lives here?"

"Well yes dear, he's an orphan you know. And he's not old enough to live on his own yet. He can't be much older than you. Anywho dear, is there anything I can help you with? Anything you need?"

Scoot sat back and wondered at that for a moment. Not old enough? Dream seemed just as old as any typical resident of Ponyville. He even called that other place his home. He had to be at least...why did she care?! Here, against all odds, was someone who was willing to help her. Worrying about that dumb-old Pegasus wasn't worth her time now. But maybe, just maybe this Grandma Blankie could help. Although...with those monsters out there, the poor pony wouldn't stand a chance if they got chased, and Scoot knew it. She'd barely escaped, and that was saying a lot, even without her scooter...

A Scooter! It'd be a lot to ask, but maybe...

"Do you have a set of wheels, Grandma Blankie?" She asked.

"Wheels? Whatever would you need wheels for? Are you building a soap-box cart?"

She shook her head, confused. What was a soap-box cart?

"No, like a Scooter. Something I can ride? It'll help me find my friend faster." Wait...had she just called him...yes, she sighed. She had.

"A what now?"

Scootaloo's heart sank.

"You know, a scooter? Two wheels, a set of handlebars, a flat spot for a pony to ride on it?"

The old mare wracked her brain, but came up as blank as her name suggested.

"Sorry dear. I've never seen anything like that. But, I do have something you might be able to use if you need to get around faster. Just wait here, okay?"

And with that, Scoot's hopes were renewed, though she doubted anything that came from a burnt out old building like this could be of any use. As Grandma Blankie went off in search of whatever it was she thought might be useful, obviously ignorant of or rather not caring about the holes in the floor and the fact that the building felt like it would fall down at any given moment, Scootaloo took the time out to search on her own.

For all intents and purposes, the building was a mess. In the second room, left of the main entryway, there was a small office that was in just as much disrepair as the main room had been. There were a few portraits on the walls and some more paperwork scattered around, but everything in here had been just as damaged by the suggested fire as ever. When that room turned up fruitless, Scoot crossed over to the left of the main hall and found a room quite unlike the rest of the building.

Not for the first time, she found herself standing in a room that just didn't fit in with the rest of the town. Here, sunlight shone through the windows onto a hardwood floor done up in a fancy kind of wood with highlights that reflected back with such intensity that Scoot had to squint at first to see anything.

This room appeared to run the length of the building, two bright sky-blue walls lined with little beds all made up nice and neat with some obvious tender loving care. Pillows were fluffed, blankets were tucked, and on some nightstands, trinkets and photos stood as if they'd never been touched since their owners had last handled them.

Scootaloo took care as she wandered around, looking at each individual nightstand and the ornamental pieces on top of the ones that were in use, feeling rather at ease for the first time since she had come to this world.

"Time stands still here, little filly." A familiar voice called out from behind her.

Scoot spun around quickly to see those irritatingly creepy eyes staring back at her. Dream Catcher stood at the far end of the room where she had entered. He held himself there for a moment before turning to look out a window at the scenery of the town outside. Ponies of every color were busy trotting up and down the street, busying themselves with their daily tasks. As Scootaloo approached, he turned around again and walked over to a single bed that now stood out from the rest, unkempt and messy.

"You live here?" Scoot asked. "But I thought we were at your house before? And where did you go when those monsters attacked me? I thought you said you were going to look out for me!" She cried out angrily, a wave of emotions rocking over her as tears started to come to her eyes.

He didn't so much as turn an ear to her.

"I used to live here. Grandma Blankie was a sweet old mare who took care of those of us who couldn't do it for ourselves. Each of these blankets she made herself, just for us. She loved to sew...she made blankets by the dozen, that's how she got her name."

He paused momentarily, taking time to wipe a tear from his eyes as he looked down to what Scoot presumed to be his old bed. He continued as he knelt down next to it.

"None of us ever did find out her real name, but it was better that way...because we knew her by that name. Anything else would've just been...well...wrong." He spoke, a hint of sadness in his voice.

"What do you mean was? I just saw her a minute ago."

He shook his head.

"Grandma Blankie died when this building caught fire. She ran back inside for something after we were all out safely. The firepony said that she'd gone to get something special, but we never knew what it was that was so important. When they pulled her out of here, they took her away to Ponyville General...and that was the last we saw of her."

"But...that can't be. She's looking for something right now!" Scootaloo protested.

Dream Catcher stood up and walked back towards the window slowly, his mane once again covering his blue eye thankfully. At least with only one showing, Scoot could pretend that he was something close to normal...

And then, he vanished. The room around her had changed too. It now stood as black and burned as the rest of the orphanage. Scoot shook her head once to clear her vision, silently wondering to herself if it had all been a dream until she felt that anger welling up inside of her. He'd left her alone...again.

"Where did you go, little one?" Grandma Blankie's voice called out.

Scootaloo paused, hesitant now to go back and see her, knowing what she did. Was this the real Grandma? Or was it something else? Another monster maybe?

"I've found something you can use...now where are you?" The voice became louder until the pony was standing in the doorway next to her. "Ah...there you are."

Scoot's head snapped around to see that she remained unchanged, except for some odd footwear hanging around her neck and something draped across her back.

"Here you are my dear. This pair of rollerskates belonged to a young colt who was adopted not too long ago. He left them here in case anyone else might want to play with them, bless his little heart." She said, swinging the red and white wheeled shoes off of her neck. "Go on, try them on."

Scootaloo looked at the odd contraptions. Rollerskates? Only old ponies used these anymore, finding a pair in this good of a condition was something highly unlikely these days. After all, her mother had often insisted on Scoot using skates instead of her scooter, always afraid that not having any hooves on the ground would make it easier to crash and injure herself. They could never find a pair that fit though, let alone a good pair.

Hesitantly, Scootaloo sat down and tried them on. By some miracle, they fit perfectly. They didn't rub her ankles uncomfortably, and by some twist of fate, they were the right size exactly.

"Oh thank goodness, they fit. I was hoping to find a pony who could use them. None of the other foals could fit into them, they were all too small for the shoes." Grandma Blankie nodded satisfactorily. "Oh...and I heard that the Weather Ponies are cooking up a mean storm for tonight...so you might want to take this."

Scootaloo watched as she pulled a fairly clean looking blanket off of her back, staring in awe at the design on the fabric. The whole wrap was white, with a rainbow stretched across the middle of it. Beneath the Rainbow was a blue pegasus with a red mane and tail, rearing back on a cloud. The whole thing was extravagantly ornate, not just some blanket that you'd give to anyone. But what was more...

"This is..." Scoot stared in disbelief. "...my..."

How many times as a young foal had her mother wrapped her up in that familiar blanket? The comforting red maned pony who brought the rainbow was her constant nighttime companion, especially when it was really dark and scary out. When the lightning would come and keep her awake, or the wind would bring the monsters to her bedroom window...even though she later learned that it was just a tree branch tapping on the glass.

She had always wanted to be that pony. The brave looking blue Pegasus who made the sky bright and colorful. And then she saw her.

Rainbow Dash.

Her Idol. Her inspiration.

She knew right then and there that she definitely wanted to be like Dash.

Cool, confident, not afraid of anything, fastest in Equestria...Rainbow Dash.

And the blanket had fallen to the wayside, forgotten now that the real rainbow making pony had been found.

Scootaloo knelt down and wrapped herself up in the fabric that she knew all too well, the cotton interior forming around her little body just like it used to. She cried...she knew it. And she didn't care.

"Did you make this...Grandma?" She asked through sobs.

"Why yes dear, I did. I was going to give it to my great granddaughter. She's just turning two summers old this month. But something tells me you should have it. I can always whip up another one lickety split. This old gray mare ain't what she used to be, but she still knows how to make a blanket, by thunder." Grandma Blankie laughed, the bright cheerful sound echoing in the desolate destruction.

It was all too surreal, or it would have been if Scootaloo understood the meaning of the word. So many opposites, so many unnatural things. Was she related to this aging pony before her? How had she received this blanket if it had been meant for someone else? She shook her head. It didn't matter. Still wrapped in the blanket, Scoot scooted close to the old mare and nuzzled up to her, tears in full swing.

"Thank you Grandma Blankie." She choked out, feeling a tender hoof stroke her head gently.

"It's the least I can do for you, my little filly."

Scootaloo snuggled into the aging mare for what felt like some time. She couldn't remember feeling much safer in an even longer time span.

Until she felt gravity catch her and send her tumbling forward. Scootaloo hit the deck head first, adding yet another lump to her growing collection. Rubbing her noggin lightly, Scoot turned around and looked up...

But the old mare had disappeared as if she'd never been there at all. She was still wrapped in the blanket, the rollerskates were still on her feet. And...by some strange occurrence of its own...her lantern was lit. As Scootaloo stood up and balanced herself on the skates...such a different feeling from her two wheeled scooter, she could swear she heard the old mare's laugh echoing quietly through the building, the sounds of many foals wandering around in the darkness.

"You know...that blanket really does suit you."

The voice had Scoot looking around in the dim lamplight as fast as she could maneuver on the odd wheeled shoes, only to find herself staring back at Dream Catcher again.

"And so does this building."

"Where do you keep going? And also...where do you keep coming from?!" Scoot's eyes went wide, seeing the pony standing there. But no, there was something different about him. Something she couldn't quite place.

He cantered easily over to her, looking down at the blanket as he did.

"Aww...how cute. A little rainbow pony. I'll be it's all snuggly wuggly soft and fleecy too, right?"

Was he...mocking her?

"And to think, you ended up here, of all places. I never expected this. What a laugh."

Yes. He was indeed mocking her.

"What's wrong with you?" She asked, her earlier rage coming back. "You let me run off on my own, yeah, my fault, but anyway. Then you show up out of the blue in some cheesy memory flash-back that only happens in like...fairy tales...and now you're back and you think you're just gonna make fun of me?" She went to stomp a hoof in frustration, only to have it slip out from under her as the wheels caught on the burnt out wood. When she'd steadied herself again, she looked back up to find him staring at her straight on, almost muzzle to muzzle. And there were those Stupid Eyes Again!

Wait...his eyes...wasn't the left one gold? She could've sworn that it was, and that the other was blue. But no, his eyes had somehow magically swapped their colors.

"You know, I was thinking about helping you out. After all, this little adventure of yours has been so entertaining thus far. But you want to yell at me? Okay, I can play that game." He half grinned, half scowled at her as he turned flank and walked further into the room.

"So it's a game you want huh?" Scoot asked, moving up to him as close as she could before she pulled the wooden plank out of her bagstrap. "How about some tag?"

"Tag, is it? I think I can keep up with..." Was all he could get out before the plank of wood came crashing across his face. He fell to the ground stunned for a moment, rubbing his muzzle gingerly. The blow had been softened as halfway through the swing, Scootaloo's balance had given out, and she was still recovering.

"Well...if that's the way it's going to be..." He growled, unfurling his wings. They ripped through the bandages, spreading wide...wider than anypony she'd ever seen before, except maybe Princess Celestia's.

"I thought you couldn't open them..." Scoot stared in disbelief.

Dream Catcher swung his head around as he laughed, squaring himself as he brought his stare down at her.

"Just who do you think I am, pony?"

"You're Dream Catcher, aren't you?" She asked, backing up carefully so as not to lose her hoofing again.

He charged at her, wings splayed wide to cut off escaping over the wreckage of the beds, not that Scootaloo could've if she'd tried. Instead, she ducked low, swinging her make-shift bat at his legs. He easily jumped and glided over the strike, but it gave her just enough time to push herself off and make it out the doorway back into the main lobby.

There was a resounding crash as he pushed himself through the doorway, wings wide open coming through the walls.

"You're not going to get away, little pony. Try as you might, I'm faster, stronger and all around better than you are. And you're going to pay for that little bonk on the head back there." His eyes had narrowed, almost to slits. He was definitely angry with her.

"So you might think, Mr. I'm Big and Tough. But ya know what? You don't stand a chance...cuz I learned from the most awesome, coolest pony there is!"

This caught him off guard.

"But I've never taught you anything..." He thought out loud.

"Oh for the love of..." Scootaloo groaned, setting her stance.

'Okay Scoots...this is just like riding my scooter...only with more wheels. Lean forward, push off and flap...you can do this...' She thought, going through the motions as she propelled herself forward.

The idiot was still busy trying to figure out just what she'd meant by that when the plank caught him full on in the skull again. He dropped over as an orange blur shot past him, hitting the ground hard. This time, he didn't move.

Scootaloo rounded a tight corner and came skidding to a stop right next to him, her balance found and speed renewed now that she had command over these...skates.

"You're half right. You didn't teach me anything important. All I learned from you is how messed up this place really is. But I guess I kinda already knew that." She flapped her little wings once, propelling herself towards the door.

"By the way...the coolest pony there is...is still twenty percent cooler than you'll ever be."

With a nod and a rather cocky flip of her tail, Scootaloo rolled out the front door, leaping down the stairs to land lightly on her new wheels. As an after thought, she pulled the blanket off of her back, rolling it up carefully.

"Don't want anything to happen to you." She smiled, packing it away in her empty bag. As she turned around and looked back at the orphanage, she thought she caught a glimpse of Grandma Blankie watching her out of a window on the second floor. Scootaloo waved up at her, but the mare...if she'd been there at all, was gone before Scoot's arm ever made it to the air.

"Thanks Grandma. Turns out these wheels are pretty good." She closed her eyes, even as the world around her began to revert back into the fog-filled Ponyville from before. When she opened them again, she was met head long...

By those same idiotic eyes...

"Jeeze...you back for more? I'll whack you again, I will!" Scoot threatened, brandishing the plank in front of her again.

"Woah woah there Scooterdoo! It's me, Dream Catcher!"

Sure enough, when she looked closer, his wings were still bandaged, and his left eye was the gold one again...and...and...

"Are you ever gonna get my name right?" She fumed. "I oughta whack you anyway! Maybe it'll knock some sense into that thick head of yours!"

The odd-eyed pony backed up, an unsure look in his eyes.

"Please don't...I promise I didn't do anything..." He almost visibly cowered in front of her.

"Oh? Then why did you leave me there alone? You showed up for a minute and then you were gone again...and then you come back and try to beat me up? I'll say you did something! And how the hay did you get your eyes to change colors?!"

He seemed to snap out of it at that.

"That wasn't me..." His ears dropped. "Well...it was, but it wasn't. See..."

"No, I don't see! I don't get it!" She shouted, all the happy feelings from moments ago gone. The anger had returned and now here was the source of her irritation playing weak, scared and dumb!

Well...maybe not playing dumb...

"I've been chased around by monsters, talked to the ghost of an old mare...had you nearly beat me into the ground...and you want to say that you didn't do anything? That's right. You DIDN'T do anything. You weren't there! Just like..."

Something clicked in the back of Scoot's mind...and somewhere in Ponyville...another picture fell off the wall.