• Story: The Regal Dream (Updated Complete!)

    [Crossover][Sad][Grimlight] Inception inspired pony time!  I think I have tried to use this image 3 times now...

    Author: James Corck
    Description: Princess Celestia has been trapped into her own dreams by someone and she won't wake up. Risking their minds and memories, Twilight and Luna lead a group of ponies into Celestia's dreams, with the purpose of waking her up. Will they succeed?
    The Regal Dream Prologue
    The Regal Dream Chapter 1 
    The Regal Dream Chapter 2 
    The Regal Dream Chapter 3 (New!)
    The Regal Dream Chapter 4 (New!)
    The Regal Dream - Epilogue (New!)

    The Regal Dream (All Links)

    Additional Tags: Long, Inception Inspired, Action scenes, Everypony, Dreams, 

    Word Count: 71,179

    60 comments:

    1. One thing, BWWWWWWOOOMMMM BWWWWWOOOOOMMMM! That is all.

      ReplyDelete
    2. >Ctrl-F "deeper"
      >Nopony says "We need to go deeper"
      I am disappoint.

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    3. @Anonymous
      Oh man, that is a major turn off.

      ...

      *saves the huge file for later*

      ReplyDelete
    4. Dream is Collapsing:
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlcJ-fDmDhA

      Without the sound, nopony should read the story!

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    5. @Anonymous

      This is just the prologue ;3

      Trust me, there will be quotes.

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    6. @Anonymous

      I absolutely agree. 50% of that movie is the music, so reading this story with the soundtrack is actually a good idea.

      I am writing it while listening to the music myself X3

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    7. @Anonymous

      Oh, fear not, they will say it. In chapter 1 they will >:3

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    8. @Vintage VCR
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2yD4yDsiP4
      BWWWWWOOOOMMM !! Now better than ever, with even MOAR BWWWOOOOMMM ! ;)

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    9. Oh, very interesting!


      Slightly off-topic, but still:

      Am I the only one who finds it odd when a pony talks about Pinkie's reality bending powers as unique, when Twilight will literally turn on FIRE when she's angry?

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    10. I LOVE stories like these. I love stories that take the basic concept of a movie, book, or tv show and places the characters in there without it being a complete retelling of the same story. You have my interest and I look forward to seeing more. ^v^

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    11. A few word use issues:

      Something regal is fit for a monarch, especially in dignity or splendor, whether or not it actually has anything to do with a monarch. Something that belongs to or is used by a monarch is a royal thing. The title works as regal if the dream does turn out to be impressive somehow, but distinctions should be made, like, "as they entered the royal bedchamber, the ponies saw the form of Princess Celestia, unexpectedly sleeping but as regal as ever."

      A debriefing is a meeting after a completed activity where the goings-on are reported. Luna is instead briefing the group on what will be going on.

      Pinkie Pie would be asset to team if she kept focused. Liability would be if entire team is babies.

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    12. @Anonymous

      Hey there!

      I wish you had a username or something, it makes me feel odd talking to so many people labelled as "anonymous". Makes me feel I am talking to the massive internet collective that I am so afraid of ^_^;

      But anyways! I noted and fixed those words you pointed out to me. Thank you a lot for this advice. The only thing I am not changing is the word Regal in the title. Other iterations of Regal in the story have been changed to fit better.

      Thank you a lot man/woman/sir/ma'am/person for your comment. I am always looking for improvement so any critique is welcome :3

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    13. Would you mind if I wrote a different Inception inspired fanfic but featuring Pinkie as the Target shall we say and Leonardo DiCaprio's character Cobb?

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    14. @GamerPony

      Hey there!

      Of course not man, go right ahead :3 I have no right over Inception or My Little Pony, so feel free to do so.

      Plus, that idea of yours is nothing like what I am planning for this fic. It does sound hilarious so I can't wait to check it out.

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    15. Rainbow Dash should have been Cobb. Just sayin'.

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    16. For some reason this reminds me of Chrono Cross. Haven't played that game in ages, but it gives me that feeling.

      I really like how you're going with this story. I've never seen that movie, but I suppose I don't really have to.

      Anyway, I think I understand now a bit of how Luna and Twilight found themselves alone in the prologue. I wonder what will happen next.

      Great story.

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    17. Certainly a good read so far. Please keep it up.
      Of course there are things that I could point out but that might just my own views getting in the way.

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    18. "We have to go deeper"

      Well I was waiting for that. So... BWOOOOOOMMMMM!!

      Okay, I'm done know.

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    19. Goodie! It's up :3

      Only one thing to point out: The titles of the episodes should be:

      The Regal Dream - Prologue
      The Regal Dream - Episode 1.

      Just to keep things tied up for readers.

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    20. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    21. So Robot Alicorn Attack? Should I listen to Always Wanna Be With With You by Erasure?

      And it looks like I was right about a certain character being Saito but I won't spoil who.

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    22. @GamerPony

      Listen to the song, and then think about the subject of the story >:3 You will see I made the Robot Alicorns for some reason ;3

      Also, it's obvious who picks Saito's role from the Prologue. Whoever watched Inception and then read this will see it coming. That's the only thing I made clear from the get go ;3

      How's your fanfic going?

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    23. @James Corck

      Haven't actually started yet since I'm writing Batmare Begins. Have a couple of other ideas.

      Also,
      Dash = Eames
      Twilight = Yususf (Research but no field experience)
      Luna = Cobb

      I also love picturing Fluttershy driving out like in the movie

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    24. @GamerPony

      Wouldn't Dash be Joseph Gordon Levitt, Twilight is DiCaprio and Luna is Saito?

      Or are you talking about that fanfic you say you are going to write?

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    25. Woot! Update!

      Good as always :D

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    26. I was wondering, is this correct?

      "Come on! Snap out of it! She shouted to herself. Your sister Ammi needs you!"

      I was wondering if Ammi was correct...

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    27. @Greki

      I decided to have Luna and Celestia giving nicknames to each other. Sibblings do that.

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    28. To author: Pinkie is displayed more irresponsible than she is, I don't really like that. She may be careless, but not stupidly irresponsible. Oh well, I guess its to late to change anything now.

      Other than that, :O

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    29. Wow. I found myself completely engulfed in this story. Awesome job so far!

      SPOILER ALERT
      -------------------------------
      At the part where they find Celestia in the clock tower I couldn't help but pop open iTunes and play 'Time' and 'Waiting for a Train' from the Inception OST :D
      -------------------------------

      Keep up the great work! I love it!!!

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    30. @James Corck

      Ahh, okay. That's a cute nickname, but why Ammi, though?

      Btw, this story is seriously cool.

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    31. @Nikita

      Hello there!

      I guessed Pinkie Pie is a bit more light headed inside dreams, since she knows bone deep none of that is real.

      I can still change it, I always welcome advice, especially if it's advice to fix the personalities of the ponies. Any way I can follow to start fixing this issue?

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    32. @Greki

      I should explain the reason for the name ^_^; Ammaterasu is the goddess of the Sun (I think in the Japanese lore). A shorter version of Ammaterasu would be Ammi.

      Thanks a lot for your compliment man! :D I always try to make it better.

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    33. @James Corck

      I understood the origins of the name, but to readers unfamiliar with Japanese mythology or the game Okami, it seems quite random and confusing. You really should change it into Celly or Tia or Sunny or something like that. That is... if you want to...

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    34. @Anonymous

      I read your comment on Fluttershy's voice XD

      You are absolutely right and I started fixing it. I changed her nickname in Chapter 2, and now I am using it in every chapter after that.

      Thanks for your feedback dude/girl/human/person/anonymous X3

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    35. OMG, OMG, OMG.

      Off to read!

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    36. >mfw it's already completed after waiting so long for an update

      You are a gentleman and a scholar.

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    37. Her?
      I won't spoil it for the other readers, because that wouldn't be right, but HER?
      Honestly, I hope Season 2 brings in some proper villains, 'cause this is starting to get silly...

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    38. Hmmm, I'm not surprised it was her.

      This was really, really cool. I actually had to stop myself from skipping all the way to the epilogue. I got that excited.

      Thanks for writing such a cool story, James Corck!

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    39. I have to admit, I guessed the responsible party early due to what appears to be a search-and-replace error on the author's part. It's a matter of capitalization.

      Other than that, quite a good read. I haven't seen Inception but that didn't cause any problems for me in reading this. And I didn't think the decision on who to have as the responsible party was silly, there's only so much to work with from one season of this show and James did a good job with it IMO.

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    40. @Bryan

      Hello there!

      I am really happy you liked the story so much :3

      Respect the capitalization part, it's not an error :3 It's done on purpose, and you caught it :) Consider it one of the three easter eggs I hid within this fanfic. There are two other easter eggs around there, if you feel in the mood to find them X3

      Thanks a lot for your comment guys!

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    41. [SPOILER] After all the mane cast and the princesses were put through I'm really dissapointed that a certain light blue maned pony wasn't left to rot in limbo.

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    42. Fuck, that was awesome.
      That is all.

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    43. @Anonymous Since everything that made her who she was is gone, she's effectively dead... even if she's retaught everything she ever knew she still wont be the same pony, that one is gone forever.

      Wouldn't you say that's punishment enough?

      I'm going to remain hopeful for a sequel that might sort that out for us...

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    44. @Marrock

      I was going to say exacty the same thing you did :)

      As for a sequel, I have no plans at all for writing one. I have other fanfic projects and more fanart to work on.

      However, and since I don't nor the idea nor the characters, you guys feel free to write a sequel, a spin off, alternate endings, etc. I will be honoured to have alternate endings written about this <3

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    45. @Anonymous Celestia forgave Luna for a very similar crime (threatening Equestria's existence out of jealousy), I think forgiveness in this case is just fine too. Plus, just as with Luna/Nightmare Moon, the underlying cause of the villain's evil has been purged and she now has the opportunity to start fresh. There's a lot of nice parallels here.

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    46. I'm in the second chapter and so far so good.

      The writing, can be a little awkward sometimes, but i'm really invested in this story.

      Nice job.

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    47. Oh god, my underwear, they be so tight after reading this (T'is the affect of total utter awesome)

      BUT. AND A HUGE BUT IN MY OPINION. Really? When I saw who it was, I literally stopped reading and said "Are you freaking kidding?"

      Save for that, I guess the entire thing is pants-rippingly-awesome.

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    48. Simply interesting (and amazing.) I hope when I finish this up, I can understand the movie Inception a bit better. :P

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    49. is english your first language? the grammar mistakes are curiously specific, and the awkward timbre of some of the lines evokes a sense of purpose that is being distorted by your grasp of the language.

      weirdly enough, this is a criticism of praise: the awkward timbre keeps you keenly aware of the changes in reality; the errors are so surreal in and of themselves, it forces a reaction in one's own mind to correct the mis-steps.

      This is one of the only stories I would rate grammar errors as marginally (and indeed at all) beneficial. Curious.

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    50. After hours of reading, I finished it. All along I listened this playlist.http://www.youtube.com/playlist?p=PLAFB1FD52FA64AC8F
      I think everypony should do it that way. :D

      Great work, James Corck! I'm really impressed of the scenes you came up. One critique I could do is that the fluidity of reading is more smooth advancing each chapter. Maybe you could make some polishing in the first chapter!

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    51. @BeeAre

      Hello there!

      I am spanish, so all the errors you see there are because my graps of the language is not 100% perfect. I am doing a lot of stuff now, but I will re-read the whole thing and fix any errors I see here and there.

      All and all, I am happy that you found the story interesting. I don't know if you liked it or not, but I guess from your comment that you really enjoyed it, and that makes me very happy.

      I really like your comment, and if you have any piece of advice for me to improve my writing I will welcome it and put it in practice.

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    52. @RToasts

      Oh hay yes :3 I was going to link the Playlist, but I don't know if Warner Bros will be happy about it X3

      Still, nopony should read this story without listening to this soundtrack. It's turning into one of those iconic soundtracks, like Star Wars or Blade Runner.

      I will go back to the first chapter and chip down a few mistakes here and there. I know exactly what you mean. The begining in Manehattan drags for a while, though I did that to introduce the concept of dream space and how to alter it.

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    53. Mr. Corck, I had to say that your comprehension of the English language truly rivals that of many people that I know in real life. Of course, this may come after a point where you fixed any mistakes you made during the first draft, but the final product is looking very good.

      I have to admit, I didn't think I was going to be able to read all of that so quickly (when I saw what the word count was, that's nearly novel length), but it took me somewhere around two hours. And it was totally worth it.

      I have to say that since I am quite the fan of Inception, I was really looking forward to this fic otherwise. And it didn't disappoint. I loved how you converted all the stuff from the movie into the MLPverse. And with a few changes from the storyline (which is good, you wouldn't want a straight retelling of it, would you?)

      You handled the dream science pretty well. Of course, the time dilation can be a little bit of a pain to realisitically sync up (it even falters a bit in the movie) but you did pretty well here. You handled the projections fairly well too, even though they behave much differently than they did in the movie.

      Luna? Did I mention Luna yet? Is totally cool in the third layer. That made her my favorite character for this particular fic.

      It is kind of a shame that Applejack and Rarity couldn't be there too. I guess that would work again the maths in regards to the amount of characters on each level. I guess though what would have been really neat is if there had been a conflict in the real world too (like perhaps them having to fend off accomplices of Trixie from reaching the dreamers, I don't know), because I highly doubt that's been tried yet. Hey, might as well throw some original stuff in, right?

      My applause goes to you, thanks for a wonderful fan fic. Keep on keeping on!

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    54. @Rayquazakid

      I literally squeed when I finished reading your comment X3 I was having an awesome day, and somehow I discovered there's a level above awesome. I guess we can call it "Rainbow Dash".

      I always look for improvement and I have been re-reading the first chapters looking for a way to improve the grammar and make things less repetitive. I have to say I was worried people would turn down the fanfic for it's length (even divided in chapters) but I am really happy you read it, and that you read it that quickly! It gives me hopes to write fanfics of similar length (or shorter) in the future.

      I did my best to "inceptionatice" as many aspects of MLP as possible while keeping true to the characters. I wouldn't have called it "crossover" but since it's not an original story we can't call it that, can we? :3

      I was originally going to put a conflict in the real world where AJ and Rarity are joined by Zecora and Spike to fight an army of thugs in a very "The Dark Knight" way, kind of like how Batman fights the Joker's thugs. But I didn't want to leave the dream world. I wanted to create in the reader the same feeling of waking up that the characters experience, and keeping a storyline in the real world might have ruined that illusion (if I ever achieved it).

      Well, lookie at that. Wall of text outta effing nowhere! XD I always do that.

      TL;DR: Thanks a bunch for your comment man. I can't be happier for your satisfaction with this fanfic. I will keep re-reading to fix mistakes while I prepare my next project. It will be shipping. And it will involve a character from this fanfic :3 Thanks a bunch dude!!!

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    55. Cobb should have been ponified...
      And I like the term kick better than fall...
      And the conventions errors and large headers really destroyed my suspension of disbelief.

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    56. @FlashAj325

      I'm not ponifying characters from movies. I consider that a stupid idea that should be dropped as soon as possible.

      When you are given the kick you fall back. One serves for the other, and fall sounds more kiddy and naive, which fits for MLP.

      I can't do anything for the convention errors, but how in the world are the headers detroying your suspension of disbelief? That must be the silliest thing I ever read on these comments.

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    57. That, was absolutely excellent.

      In all honesty, this is one of the best stories I've read on EQD. While I'm usually not very much into crossovers that replace a stories characters with other characters and fits the story to match, you did so in a way that was brilliant.

      The story is portrayed in a way that despite having ties to, and at some points complete rip-offs of, Inception, this story serves as a completely different entity to its "parent" story. The true difference between this story and Inception, I feel, is the emotion of the story. Being a piece of literature, this story could elaborate so much more on the thoughts and feelings of the characters much better than that of a movie. I felt (SPOILERS) each of Luna's pains as she slowly died across the dream-spaces, Rainbow Dash's and Pinkie Pie's slowly budding feelings for each other, the sheer despair and hopelessness when Celestia died, and finally complete and utter relief as the story ended. Truly, you have made a very powerful story for it to have affected me so much.

      Each character, save for Applejack and Rarity, also had incredibly dynamic personalities, which were in my opinion almost entirely in character with their corresponding characters. The only times I felt the characterization was off was with Rainbow Dash when she confronted Shadow Gilda, and slightly with (SPOILERS) Trixie's reasoning.

      Overall, I feel that this story was well thought out, well written, save for some typos and such, and gave me just as many thrills and edge-of-my-seat moments as Inception itself.

      Star-5

      NxPaqu

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    58. @James Corck


      I detect shippings in there! :3

      Seriously now, I dare say this was the best MLP fanfiction I've ever read. Not only am I a brony, but also a HUGE fan of Inception and all of its dream concept. You managed to blend these two perfectly. You were able to write a crossover without rewriting Inception's storyline exactly as it is, and you could adapt the Inceptionverse into the MLPverse. I was listening to the Inception soundtrack the whole time I was reading this because it just didn't feel right not to do so. The casting was so fitting, I was literary able to picture some Inception scenes with the ponies in my mind, I swear. You, sir, are a genius and have my applause. Bravo!


      [SPOILERS AHEAD, WATCH OUT THOSE WHO DIDN'T READ IT YET]


      Seriously, the scene where Trixie fades made my heart sink. I felt so sorry for her, and the way Twilight holds her as if they were childhood friends... <:(

      Now, this is the casting I figured, please correct me if I'm wrong about it:

      Twilight = Cobb
      Dash = Arthur
      Pinkie = Ariadne
      Celestia = Fischer
      Trixie = Mal
      Luna = Saito
      Fluttershy = Yusuf

      I just didn't manage to figure out Eames, but this doesn't make it less awesome anyway :3

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