There's Trouble Coming (Patreon)

 While Corporal Trotter tried not to have a heart attack in my Equestria dreamscape Applebloom was having her own scare in her dream fabric. 

  
  Applebloom banked hard and tore past the town hall as she rocketed across the sky The filly was seeing how fast she could fly/sky run in her dream fabric. Tearing over the thatched rooftops just a few feet above them the world around her was a blur as she flew through the nighttime sky.  

 
  Now she understood why Rainbow Dash was so interested in going fast. It was addictive. It was exhilarating. In a nutshell, it was awesome!  

 
  At the edge of town she had to climb quickly to avoid the tree at the outskirts of town. She roared over them causing leaves to scatter and limbs to rock in her wake. She was on her way back to her dream version of Sweet Apple Acres and was so focused on flying that she didn't immediately realize that she'd picked up a wingpony. 

  "We need ta talk." 

  
  Startled by the sudden voice she almost slammed into the tree canopy. Remembering Luna's advice she immediately pulled up and gained some altitude. With the risk of collision with the ground removed she glanced to her right.  Holding station not more than 2 yards away was a duplicate of herself. Like the one she'd seen in an earlier dream this version of her was still a blank flank.  

 
  Leveling off a couple thousand feet above the valley floor Applebloom landed on nearby cloud. Her double did the same, for several seconds they just stared at each other. It was a beautiful evening with Luna's moon rising in the east behind her twin. Finally Applebloom decided she needed to get the ball rolling. 

  
  "Ah, well. Ya said we needed ta talk. So do ya need ta say?" 

  Her double stared at her with a grim expression. " There's trouble coming. That storm I warned ya about is still a brewing. The first sign of its arrival have just appeared. Are ya getting ready ta face it went it arrives?" 

  "What storm are ya talking about? I've been checking the weather schedule everyday and nopony is talking about a storm coming!" 

  Her double shook her head. "It ain't that kind of storm. It's not the kind that makes things muddy or ruins yer picnic! It's bigger than that! It's a growing and soon it'll fall on this world like a ton of bricks, and ya have ta stop it!" 

  
  "I'm telling ya I don't know what yer talking about!" Yelled the filly. "I don't know about any storm coming ta...." 

  Applebloom's speech ground to a halt as she noticed what was happening behind her twin. In the east the clouds were convulsing and growing with unnatural speed and violence. They looked more like hungry beasts rampaging across the land. As she watched the clouds seemed engulf and devour the very moon itself. Sudden the filly was filled with dread. Something was coming out of the clouds toward her. 

  Applebloom sat upright in bed. Her heart was racing and she was shivering in spite of the warmth of her bed. She could remember everything clearly right up to the last instant.  Flying over Ponyville. Meeting her cryptic double again. The storm forming in the east as it blotted it out the moon, and then..... 

  She couldn't remember what happened next. She knew that something had come out of clouds toward her, but that was all she could recall.  

 
  The filly flopped back into bed and stared up at darkened ceiling. The house was quiet the only sound she could hear was the steady ticking of the clock on her nightstand. She would be very happy when her and Princess Luna could have lessons with her again.   

 To be continued.