Note. You may notice that the art style is slightly different on this posting and the next. That’s because I actually did these drawings several years ago when I still learning how correctly portray what ponies look like in my dreamscape. I did them as visual notes after woke up from the dream.
 
 
Applebloom was rather proud of herself in my Equestria dreamscape. Her little dream theater was playing out rather well. She’d been worried that she would be unable to hold all the elements of dream together while guiding her best friends through it but so far she was nailing it.
 
The earth pony led her friends to the dream version of her homestead. For this evening Applebloom had transformed the farmhouse and barn from being a bright, welcoming home into a dark and brooding structure. Shutters clattered and swung in the brisk evening wind, open doors creaked and slammed in an irregular fashion. The brilliant red paint was now peeling and flaking from rotting boards. From dark hidden places within foul, unhealthy smells could be detected.
 
Applebloom was rather happy of the results and her friends seemed to be suitable impressed since Sweetie Bell suddenly was finding it very hard to keep her horn glow going and Scootaloo flinched every time a door or shutter slammed in the wind. On the wind the howls of the Queen Crabapple could be heard. Sweetie Bell’s light orb failed and both of Applebloom’s friends screamed.
 
“It’s okay.” Said Applebloom in a relaxed tone. “Let me light us a lantern and in the meantime Sweetie Bell see if ya can git that light orb of yers going again. You’ve been doing great with it so far!”
 
Applebloom reached around the corner of the barn and out of sight of the other fillies she visualized a kerosene lantern into existence along with some matches. After a couple seconds she had it lit. She had the handle in her mouth and was carrying the lantern back to her friends when she suddenly stopped and looked out at orchards. Something was not right.
 
Amongst the trees the black shadow had been growing larger and more solid in nature. It was now almost taller than the trees in the orchard. It could feel the presence of the ponies and the fear in two of them gathered by the large building. It had been listening to the one pony’s tale, shaping itself to match the thing that was scaring the two fillies. Now it was hungry, now it would feed on their fear.
 
“Hey Bloom what’s the matter?” Asked Scootaloo. “What’s got your attention? Are we going to see the old book or not?”
 
Applebloom hung the lit lantern on rusty hook near the barn entrance. Something was out there. She was suddenly sensing another being in her dream fabric.
 
“Girls get behind me. Now!” Growled the earth pony. Applebloom’s eyes were now fixed on a particular grove of trees near the farmhouse. Above the sound of the trees swaying in the wind she could hear something large and ponderous approaching them. She decided to break from story form and with her mind she created four floating spheres of light about the size of grapefruits then she mentally hurled them toward the approaching noise, at the right moment she caused them to burst like star flares.
 
Caught in the blazing light was a giant mottled red and green crabapple. It screamed in rage and started stomping up the slope toward the ponies crashing it’s way through the gateway fence.
 
Applebloom was confused; the Queen Crabapple was not suppose to appear until they’d all gathered around the old kitchen table with the book. Had she gotten some elements of this dream story mixed up? She tried dispelling the approaching monster with no effect. Then it hit her. This way not some part of her dream this was the other being she’d detected. Somehow a mimic had entered her dream fabric.
 
Mimics were one of the first creatures of the dream realm that Luna had warned her about. While usually not terribly dangerous, mimics could still cause great pain, and stress on those they inflict their presence upon. Mimics were shapeless beings of mischief that could change their form to match the things that tormented ponies in their sleep. The Mimic fed on the fear, terror and distress they caused their victim. Usually they would stay only a short while before leaving for a new victim.
 
Applebloom cursed under breath, fortunately she could dispel the mimic easily but it meant that this dream theater would have to end early. Oh well, it was for the best. Behind her Applebloom could hear Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo screaming in terror. She closed her eyes and ended the dream. She opened her eyes to see the mimic/ Queen Crabapple still bearing down her.
 
What the hay? Thought little earth pony, why had the dream not ended? Suddenly she had a lump of ice in belly. Applebloom remembered that this was only a dream but by the way her friends were screaming and a hollering the filly was pretty certain they’d forgotten that fact. And since they were part of her dream fabric right now they were mucking up the works.
 
Okay. Thought Applebloom, plan B. She needed to get her friends attention and remind them that this was all a dream then she’d be able terminate the dream and lead he friends back to their proper dream fabrics. Problem was her friends were now running around like a couple of chickens on fire. Fine! First she needed to do was to get them to listen to her.
 
Applebloom quickly realized that was easier said than done. Between the mimic/ Queen Crabapple howling, Scootaloo plaintive cries, and Sweetie Bell’s steam whistle screams, Applebloom found her voice completely drowned out.
 
Okay, Fine. Plan C! She’d lead the mimic away from her friends and then try to dispel the dream. If that didn’t work she’d ditch the mimic and make her way back to her friends. Problem was the mimic wasn’t interested in her since she was not afraid of it. Unlike her friends who were much more nourishing. When several attempts to attract the mimic’s attention by yelling at it and running in front of it failed Applebloom started bucking its legs and lower body.
 
That got the mimic’s attention but now it was mad at Applebloom for interrupting it’s feeding. Now the earth pony found herself dodging multiple, massive armored limbs. They were slow but there were still eight of them and finally her luck ran out. As Applebloom ducked to avoid a leg trying to stomp her she failed to see a great claw sweeping toward her. The claw hit her broadside and sent her sailing into the barn. Her body slammed into the barn entrance sending the lit lantern sailing into a pile of hay. In a matter of seconds the hay burst into flames and began spreading throughout the rest of the barn.
 
Applebloom rose from the ground and shook her head. Anger slowly grew in her. What had started out as a fun and adventurous evening with her friends had been ruined by this pest!
 
Fine! Thought the filly. Plan D! Which stood for DEAD! She was going to make that mimic regret it had ever set hoof in her dream fabric! Applebloom needed a weapon, she thought about summoning her armor but this mimic really couldn’t hurt her. But what she needed was something that she could hurt it with.
 
Suddenly a couple images flashed through the filly’s mind. The first image was of her double staring at the approaching storm with a great scythe in her hoofs. The look of unbreakable determination had had a profound impression of her.
 
 
The other image was more surreal. Applebloom imagined Princess Luna floating in the nighttime sky; Luna’s eyes were glowing like white-hot coals. The Princess of the Night reached out with a front hoof grasped the waxing crescent moon like it was a sickle. Then she swung it in a great slashing motion unleashing a wave of blinding white light.
 
Applebloom knew what she needed. Instinctively the filly floated off the ground as the barn around her was engulfed by the growing inferno. The filly closed her brown eyes and summoned her weapon. Slowly the flames and smoke of the inferno swirled around her and solidified as her weapon came into existence. From the ether of dreams Applebloom’s thoughts formed into a great farm scythe. Applebloom hefted it in her hoofs, its mass felt very satisfying to her.
 
“Payback time.” Muttered the filly.
 
To be continued.