Girls! Let's all go ta sleep! (Patreon)

 That evening while Luna and Celestia discussed Phoenix's past Applebloom would be doing something for the first time. Later she would become legendary for it in my Equestria dreamscape.   

  “And they were never heard from again!” Scootaloo finished her tale. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were sitting on floor of their clubhouse eating kettle corn and telling ghost stories around a kerosene lantern. The three fillies were celebrating their first sleep over of the year; and since the CMC clubhouse was located on Sweet Apple Acres it was a naturally choice for such an event. 

  
  Sweetie Bell squealed at the climax of Scootaloo’s story but Applebloom just chuckled at it. Scoot had just one type of ghost story and Applebloom had heard it a dozen times. Besides after what she’d been through stories about the Headless Horse just didn’t scare her anymore. Scoot scowled at the earth pony. 

  “Well how about a story from you?” Asked the pegasus filly. “You haven’t told us any stories tonight, why don’t you tell us one tonight?”

 
  Applebloom finished taking a swig of apple juice and then paused. “I don’t know if ya want me telling ya’ll a scary story. What with all I’ve seen and had done ta me.” 

  “If you don’t want to I understand.” Said Sweetie Bell. “I’ve had just about as much of them for tonight! Besides I’m getting kind of sleepy.” 

  Suddenly Applebloom had a moment of inspiration. A sly grin slowly spread across her face. “Hey girls, instead of telling ya a really good scary tale how about I show ya one?” 

   Scootaloo looked confused. “Applebloom if you are going to show us the old abandoned barn on the property we’ve seen it a dozen times. It’s hardly scary now even at night.” 

  “No, no!” Said the butter cream filly. “This will be something way more amazing! This will be something like ya never seen before!” 

  The orange pegasus filly looked suspiciously at Applebloom. “Whatcha got in my mind?”
  Applebloom reared up on her hind legs. With the lantern light beneath her she struck a dramatic pose and grinned at her friends. 

  
  “Girls! Let’s all go ta sleep!” 

  It took a while to outline her idea to her two friends but eventually she was able to get them to understand what she had in mind. Applebloom would help her friends fall asleep. Then Applebloom would fall asleep and once in REM sleep Applebloom would construct the setting for her tale in her own dream fabric; then she would then go out in the dream realm and enter her friends dream fabric. She'd been able to locate Stone Mane's dream fabric so she figured she could find her longtime friends fabric with no problem. Once that was accomplished she’d bring them back to her own dream fabric where her little dream play would await them. It’d be like some kind of amazing haunted house during Nightmare Night. 

  
  “Can you do that?” Asked Sweetie Bell in a timid voice. “You can really enter other ponies dreams now? Is that what Princess Luna been teaching you?” 

  Applebloom smiled and nodded her head, causing the big red bow in her mane to bob. “Well yeah. I've gone inta Stone Mane's dream fabric lots of times now. That's how I've been able ta help him with his nightmares." 

  “Whoa! Really?” Scootaloo was looking at Applebloom with wonder in her eyes. “That sounds so cool!” Applebloom smiled at her. 

  “Well ya’ll think it is even more cool once yer all asleep! Now bedtime fer everypony!”

   
  It took a bit longer that Applebloom had hoped for but finally she was able to help her friends slip into sleep. Scootaloo had been so excited about the upcoming adventure that she had trouble dropping off. Sweetie Bell on the other hand was very nervous and more than just a little bit scared.

  
  “Are you sure this safe?” She’d asked at least a dozen times. After many assurances from Applebloom the little unicorn filly drifted off to sleep.

 
  “Finally!” Thought Applebloom. 

  With the first step completed Applebloom focused on the second step. Applebloom crawled into her sleeping bag and began her breathing and meditation exercises. Within a few minutes she’d descended into REM sleep. Once there she began making the necessary changes to her dream version of Sweet Apple Acres in preparation for the little spectacle she had planned. 

  
  Satisfied with the setting and all the props, Applebloom took a moment and added Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo's names to her locator pendant. Then she rose out of her iconic dream state until she could see her own dream fabric and the dream realm itself.

   
  Applebloom paused for moment and gazed upon the splendor of the Dream Realm. The realm tonight was ablaze with rippling auroras borealis of magenta, violet and jade green. Like great flowing rivers they slowly danced across the realm accenting the blazing points of light that made up the dream fabrics of other beings. 

  The little filly was not alone tonight in Dream Realm either, swirling and dancing across the realm was a large flocks of Dream Doves. Their softly glowing white bodies swooped and pirouetted across the realm.  

 
  Galloping off into the realm Applebloom to find her friends dream fabrics the little butter cream filly passed through one of the flocks. Dream Doves scattered and swirled around her like autumn leaves floating in an afternoon breeze. One of the doves broke off and began following the filly, instinctively a dozen or more doves joined it. Like the shimmering tail of a comet they followed her on her quest.

      
  It was a short trek to Scootaloo’s dream fabric. Slowly she descended into her friend's fabric. After some searching found her friend flying through the sky with an iconic image of her most favorite pony Rainbow Dash. Applebloom hailed her airborne friend.

   
  “Hey Scoot! Great flying! Would ya like to see something awesome?” 

  “Yeah sure!” Replied Scootaloo.  

 
  “Good.” Smiled Applebloom. “Then close yer eyes!” 

  Quickly Applebloom moved her friend to her own dream fabric. Once there she put her friend to sleep in her dream version of Clubhouse. Then she once again headed out into the Dream Realm and repeated the process with Sweetie Bell.  

 
  With trying to keep her friends under control and maintaining her own iconic dream imagery Applebloom didn’t notice the one dream dove that still seemed to be following her so intently. When she dove back into her own dream fabric this dove followed her as well.

 
  “Okay all ya can open yer eyes!”  

 
  Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo slowly opened their eyes and looked around. They were in their clubhouse, it was still nighttime and the kerosene lantern still hissed and casted its yellowish-light. For several seconds the two fillies looked silently around the room. Scootaloo spoke up first.  

 
  “Um, Applebloom, why did you wake us up? I thought you were going to show us some cool dream of yours.”

   
  Applebloom chuckled. “So ya two think yer awake now? Then why don’t cha open the door and take a look outside then and then tell me whatcha think.” 

  “What’s outside?” Asked Sweetie Bell in a small voice. 

  “Something amazing.” Purred the earth pony.  

 
  Rising to her hoofs Scootaloo trotted over to the clubhouse door and yanked it up and then suddenly froze in place. 

  “Whoa!” Said the pegasus filly.

 
 To be continued.