Life is but a dream (AB/SB)

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This was important. This was the most important thing she'd ever done. Apple Bloom was counting on her, even if she didn't know it yet. Sweetie Belle tried very hard to look appropriately solemn, so everypony would know how seriously she was taking this, and how mature she was. Even if she wanted to Sqwee and prance in place. It had broken her heart that she wasn't going to be allowed to rescue Rarity... And she knew Applejack had harbored reservations about letting her try to save Apple Bloom. But poor Pinkie Pie had no family to try to save her... unless she really was related to the Apple Family. So Applejack had decided that she had to go. And so Sweetie Belle now had a chance to save one of her best friends. Plunging into the dream, Sweetie Belle found herself in the middle of a cold, awkward world, but it was the smell she particularly disliked. She held her hoof over her nose for a few moments, until she got a little more used to the metallic stink of the place. Ugh. It would have been too harsh to say her enthusiasm for rescuing her friend vanished instantly, but it did take a severe downpour of a dampening. Whatever she had expected, it wasn't this. Poor Apple Bloom, trapped in this place... Sweetie Belle shook herself and straightened up. Time to go. ...But which way? None of the options really screamed 'Apple Bloom, this direction' to her. If this was some kind of place like Sweet Apple Acres, though, she might be at the house, or the clubhouse. She'd check for the house first, so that probably meant following the main road of pale white brick. And she'd ask that Figure On the Fence along the way. With a little nod, she started off right for the FOtF. It was daylight, so whatever it was, it couldn't be too scary... ...right?

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The figure's form was blurred until it was only a few yards away from the filly. Suddenly, its features became crisp but no more natural. The creature was a hodgepop of animals, the place where one began and the next ended marked by sewing stiches. Both of the arms of the bipedal chimeric being were much like Abder, Apple Bloom's stuffed chimp. The torso was that of Rayla the Elephant, the legs and feet Early the flamingo and the head of Twilight's own Smarty Pants. The being was perhaps twice the size of the toys it took its form from.

”Hello there,” it spoke as it turned to face Sweetie Belle, its movement rapid and shaky. Its voice was deeper than Big Mac's, its tone steady and calm. ”You're looking very natural today,” it said, speaking as if that were a normal platitude.

The figure stared toward her and would follow her movements if any were taken, yet the broken eye slunk along, looking everywhere other than where Sweetie Belle was. ”Need anything~?” it chimed, the voice shifting into a more feminine style.

The seemingly stone pathway shifted behind it each time it spoke, the pieces of road clanking like playing marbles as they tapped each other. But every time, as it finished, the path would once again go back to stillness.

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Sweetie Belle approached slowly, cautiously until she recognized the being, or at least, recognized it so much as to see what it was made of. What it was supposed to be, she didn’t have a clue. Suddenly it turned and fixed its button-y eye on her and spoke, complimenting? her on her naturalness. Sweetie didn’t really know what the appropriate way to greet a stuffed Chimp-elephant-flamingo-Pony hybrid was, and she certainly couldn’t return the compliment with any kind of honesty, so she stammered, ”T-Thank you. It’s a nice da...um… You’re looking wel-.... uh… Thank you.” Well. That could have gone worse. Shifting from foot to foot, the little unicorn attempted to move out from under the stare of the being, but it just kept turning to stare at her. When it asked if it could help her, however, she brightened, and remembered her whole purpose in coming over this way. ”Oooh! I hope so! I’m looking for Apple Bloom!” Since she recognized the creature as having parts from Applebloom’s different stuffed animals, Sweetie didn’t think it was necessary to furnish a description. The being would know who Apple Bloom was. ”Have you seen her? Can you tell me where she is?”

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The figure's drifting eye snapped forward at the mention of Apple Bloom, now just as locked on to Sweetie Belle as the other had been. ”You want to see that one, it's all her fault, really, not sure why you would-- Oh...” it said, suddenly possessed of an explanation to its own quandary.

”You must be the one who will set things right. I hadn't known I was in the presence of a hero. Please, go to her and rid us of her. Then maybe we'll all be natural looking too...” There was a pause as the chimeric being forgot the question it had been asked.

”Oh, yes. All roads lead to her, this one is the Path of Clarity. You could use it. Like I said, she's the center, anywhere you go, you'll find her. That's why I stand still. You'll never find the wrong answer if you don't look for any answer...”

With that, the creature's almost disembodied eye began to wander again and its gaze became less discerning. It seemed rather comforted by Sweetie Belle's presence. All it did was wait to see if it could be of any further help. It wasn't as if it planned on going anywhere anyway.

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Sweetie Belle was more than a little startled. Rid the dream of Apple Bloom? She was sure that she was supposed to rid Apple Bloom of the dream. This creature had it all backwards! Still, as she glanced around, becoming once more aware of the metallic stink, she had to admit, if she lived in a world like this one, she'd want to blame someone too. But it wasn't Apple Bloom's fault! Sweetie Belle added, loyally. Something else the creature said didn't make sense, and she frowned. All roads would lead to Apple Bloom? That was silly. Even if there was some kind of super-mega crossroad where every road joined with her friend sitting plonk down in the middle, roads ran in two directions, and one way would be towards, and the other would be away, right? She hoped Apple Bloom wasn't sitting in the center of any road, though. She might get hit by a cart! The creature had been helpful though, and Sweetie Belle didn't want to antagonize it. So she looked around once more before looking back up at the chimera. "Why is this called the road of Clarity?" she asked. It didn't look any more clear to her than any other road she'd ever seen. "Do you think its the best way? What are the other roads called?" If there was a Road of Chocolate Milkshakes, she was definitely going to take that road.

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The creature considered her question, letting out a chuckle that seemed to have more than one voice contained within it. ”Now that's a good question,” it said, still seeming to be mulling over the answer.

”I can't say for sure how the roads got their names. Maybe clarity is what you'll find on it, maybe clarity is what she took from it. Or maybe ponies just name things because it makes them feel like they're in control. The name could have no meaning at all, if that were the case.” Its speculations amused it further, though it did not continue to laugh.

”But the Road of Clarity this one is. The one by trees is the Road of Like-Life and the southern road is the Road of Change. It probably got its name because it changes... or because it represents changes... or maybe there's just small amounts of money lying around?”

It grew contemplative again, even though it seemed that it was done answering the question. Whatever it was considering, it seemed to be something that had crossed its mind before, something particularly troubling to it. ”Some say this world was built by her, you know... But does the builder choose the purpose or is that chosen later?” It asked, not expecting much of an answer.

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Well, it seeemed like there was no road of chocolate milkshakes, then. Just Clarity, Change, and ...Like-Life. Whatever the heck that was supposed to be. Glancing around at the imitation farm, with its fake grass and fake trees and fake dirt, Sweetie Belle thought that perhaps the Road of Like-life might be a positive message, a road for those who enjoyed being alive. She certainly fit that category! Should she take that road then? Ooh, but wait. The chimera said the road of change might have lots of coins on it, didn't he/she/it? And Sweetie Belle didn't have any money on her, either. Of course, dream money wouldn't be any good outside of the dream, but what if there was a soda machine? And she was thirsty? If she didn't have money when that happened, she was gonna be soooo mad! So it should be the road of Change, right? Then again.... It wouldn't matter which road she took if she never got there, right? And only one road was labeled clarity... which might mean that the other roads weren't very clear. That was little worrying. Sweetie Belle chewed her lip thoughtfully as she looked over each road. There was only one way to decide this. "Eeeny, Meeny, Miney, Moe... Catch a dragon by the toe... if he hollers, let him go... Eeeny, Meeny, Miney, Moe! ...And-my-mother-said-that-you-are...It!" It looked like the Road of Clarity was the Clear choice! ...Geez that was a bad pun. Sweetie Belle was just about to say goodbye and head off, when the chimera spoke again, though it didn't seem to be addressing her specifically. ”Some say this world was built by her, you know... But does the builder choose the purpose or is that chosen later?” The unicorn filly paused a moment, thinking about that. "Maybe it's both?" she suggested, looking up at the Chimera with a smile. "Just because something's made with a purpose in mind doesn't mean that's the only way it can be used! Like, you can use a hairpin on your mane... but you can also pick a lock with it! ...Well, I can't... But I've heard you can!"