A World of My Own - VIII. Hear the Bells

I dreamed.
I dreamed of a familiar city.
I dreamed of a familiar city named Orlando.
Yeah. The one city Dashi and the rest of my crew and I visited to find Twilight.
I was lying on the ground, on asphalt pavement, surrounded by some rather familiar buildings... the apartment building, that nightclub... whatever it was, I kind of remembered the looks of those places. I just didn't remember their names, though.
And up there in the sky was a beautiful sunrise... with light shades of pink, yellow, and blue. Happy little clouds dotted it. It looked like something out of a Bob Ross painting.
From the moment I woke into my own dream, I heard soft pad synths that filled into my ears, the bass line coming in some bars later. By that time, I had gotten myself up and began walking down the street... while somebody sang this:

Living in a cruel world,
Drudging with my feet in the snow,
On a day out and into the night now...

Doctor,
I've been walking by the side of the road for a long time
And I'm going out of my mind...

It's so far from me now, but oh, I can hear the sounds...
It's so far from me now, but oh, I can hear the sounds...
It's so far from me now, but oh, I can hear the sounds...
It's so far from me now, but oh, I can hear the sounds...

I had strolled along the same street we found Twilight. Something in my head told me to go to this place called Lake Eola. It was, of course, a lake, but it was surrounded by the downtown skyline - and a fountain sat on the waters, pleasantly and peacefully shooting out water from its center.
I went there. The song had reached its first chorus, now a plethora of massive pads with an arena rock-like drum beat to it...

Can't you hear the bells sing in Cologne?
You won't hear it on the radio!
Madness is a hero carnival!
Can't you hear the bells?

I sat on a bench and saw the fountain doing a little show just for myself. It went through some unique sequences as the song continued on.

Sitting on a rooftop;
Crazy days are coming again...
I've been running,
But I'll be hidden in the masquerade...

So far from me now, but oh, I can hear the sounds...
It's so far from me now...
(Oh, I can hear the sounds...)

Can't you hear the bells sing in Cologne?
You won't hear it on the radio!
Madness is a hero carnival!
Can't you hear the bells?

I remember having continued on with my little walk down the city, seeing trees dancing along and shaking their leaves gently while doing so, and the pathway I was walking on put on some kind of a light show, illuminating the footsteps I was taking.
Now, I was on the street again, but this time, I was walking on a different road. I looked at the surroundings I was passing by - offices buildings, a performing arts center, an indoor arena...
I knew I was walking around in a circle. I didn't mind it anyway.

So far from me now;
Oh, I can hear the sounds...
So far from me now;
Oh, I can hear the sounds...

So far from me now;
Oh, I can hear the sounds...
So far from me now;
Oh, I can hear the sounds...

I walked back to the same road we spotted the Princess of Friendship. Again, I was kind of walking in a circle, taking in the surroundings very slowly as the song apexed into its final chorus:

Can't you hear the bells sing in Cologne?
You won't hear it on the radio!
Madness is a hero carnival!
You won't hear it on the radio...

Can't you hear the bells sing in Cologne?
You won't hear it on the radio!
Madness is a hero carnival!
Can't you hear the bells sing in Cologne?

The song had ended and had gave way to a pseudo-orchestral electronic outro - the harp and a wind instrument playing off its melody, accompanied by a group of strings in the background, providing a moving chord progression as it folded itself up.
At that point, however, the body of Twilight Sparkle appeared on the road, lying in the same, lifeless position we found her in.
Wait... What's going on? I thought to myself.
The music began distorting itself; so did the landscape I had seen for much of my walk down Orlando. Something felt wrong.
I felt somebody coming up behind my back. It tapped me on my shoulder. I turned around... and it was the same pony Twilight had been chasing after since we came here!
Starlight Glimmer! What the heck is she doing here?!
"Hello," she greeted me. In a sadistic tone, Glimmer then said, "I bet this friend of yours is what you've been looking for all this time."
All this time...? WHAT HAPPENED TO TWILIGHT?!
My heart had begun beating at a faster rate. I was breathing rapidly. I was thinking, No, no, no, this can't be happening!
I noticed that her cutie mark was gone and was replaced by an equal sign. And then Glimmer magically held up a jar... with Twilight's cutie mark.
My face was filled with frantic expressions... until-
"NOOO!!!"

Jumping jellyfish.
What a nightmare.
I found myself wide awake in the middle of the night, pretty much having awoken the rest of my friends - even Tweak, who had somehow fell asleep at her workstation.
The next thing I knew, I was crying my eyes out, the nightmare my dream turned into having scared the heck out of me.
What the heck happened to Twilight? What... the heck... happened?
"Shelly..."
Oh, Dashi...
"What happened?" she asked.
I tried to get myself back together. It only led to another overflow of tears. Then I felt Dashi cuddling around my body, trying to comfort me the best she could.
"You had a bad nightmare?" she continued asking me.
"Uh-huh" was the only thing I could tell her right now. She then hugged me very tightly, but made sure she was being very careful with it.
"Hey, hey... It's gonna be okay, Shelly. It's gonna be alright," Dashi assured me in the most soothing voice I had ever heard of.
I could only smile a little just hearing it right now...
Twilight came out of her sleeping bag and rushed over. She too asked me if I felt alright.
"You... you were in my dream..." I told her, my voice shaking and fidgeting a bit from my nightmare.
"...What?" Twilight reacted confusingly.
"I was walking down the side of the road... throughout the city Dashi and I... uh, found you in. I saw you lying down the street... the same way we found you... and I knew that something was wrong from there...
"Somebody... somepony, perhaps... came up behind me... Same pony you wanted to... uh... go after... Then I saw your flank, you didn't have your cutie mark, just an equal sign... no, no, no..."
I was still sobbing as I told her what occurred. "I was...?" Twilight tried to clarify.
"Yes..." I told her. I remember stopping myself from breaking down any further after that, lying down on the ground, trying to recollect myself.
"Oh dear..." was what Twily could only exclaim.
"Shelly... Look at me," Dashi ordered. "Don't let this get to you. Remember all the things you had to go through so far? Man, you always found a way to get by it and... well, persevere, for the lack of a better word. I just... I just hate seeing you like this."
"I know," I replied. "I'm sorry-"
"Don't say that. Just... just don't worry about it, okay?"
I nodded.
"Alright then. Get some rest, Shel. We've got ourselves a big day tomorrow..."
I smiled again as I got myself snuggled into my sleeping bag. There was something else, though, I had in mind.
"Dashi?" I called her.
"Yeah, Shel?"
"Remember that one time I had to take driving lessons? You know, after... well, I crashed too many times?"
"I helped you with that, yeah..."
"Can you... can you help me sleep better tonight?"
"What do you mean?"
"Can you sleep with me, please?"
"...Sure. Anything that can help you get through the night - I'm right here."
Dashi pulled her sleeping bag next to mine, then got herself in it and ready for bedtime.
"Thanks, Dash."
"Anytime..."
She leaned over, kissed me on my forehead, and then held my hand - just like what sea otters do: holding hands onto each other, and holding onto a strand of kelp so that we wouldn't float away to sea... That, right there, made me feel a lot better. No matter how bad the day was, I could leave it up to Dashi to let me know it was all gonna be okay - regardless of whatever happened on the inside or out.
"Good night, Shelly..."
"'Night, Dashi..."
I then slept for the rest of the night, safe and sound, Dashi on my side, Tunip right next to me...
It's gonna be okay, Shellington. I know it will. Just think happy thoughts and try not to let the bad things get to you, alright? Okay. Now rest... and let all the good things come back to you...