I: Sleep: Dreams as Omens
From The Journal of Twilight Sparkle:
Dreams. They mean different things to different ponies and different cultures. Fanciful romps through a tired mind, memories, an introspective analysis of the psyche of the dreamer. Ancient ponies believed that dreams provided windows into the future, or more accurately things that may come to pass. From what I've read the Zebras still hold this belief.
I'm writing to remember the dream I've had for the last week. It might seem silly, but it's the same dream every time, I...I feel like I need to remember it...write it down somewhere. I don't know why. It's always the same, I'm sitting in the library with a pony I've never seen before, but I feel like I'm trying to help him. I never see his face clearly, he hides himself in a ratty and stained cloak. His voice is friendly, but tired. We talk about many things, the weather, my friends, science, magic. It's a pleasant dream until the end. Eventually he starts staring at me, I can't see his eyes, but I know they're on me, and then he asks me the question.
"Do you believe in things you cannot see? Things your mind cannot comprehend?"
"No." I reply with a smile and a bit of a laugh, it's always a slightly nervous laugh, "With the right application of science and magic anything can be explained eventually."
The pony across from me shakes his head with sadness, or perhaps disappointment, I can never tell which. Then I feel something behind me, slowly coming closer. I never look at it, maybe I don't want to see what it is, but the pony across from me simply watches as it grabs me, and says "You will learn, Twilight Sparkle," and then I wake up.
Tomorrow I'll go visit Zecora. Maybe she'll be able to help me understand.
Rain fell in heavy sheets across the Everfree Forest as the purple unicorn trudged her way down a seldom used path. Though the thick canopy of foliage shielded her from the majority of the rainfall, the path had absorbed enough to be reduced to mud. Needless to say, Twilight's progress had slowed as a result, but still she pressed on, determined to reach the house of Zecora, the local witch doctor, if it was the last thing she would ever do.
Straddling Twilight's back was a small purple and green dragon, her ever faithful servant Spike. Unlike his unicorn compatriot, Spike was less able to shrug off the weather and would have given almost anything to be back home with a mug of hot cocoa and marshmallows.
A clap of thunder sounded, causing Spike to grip tightly onto Twilight, and as his last nerve frayed, this trip had officially become too much to handle.
"Can't we go back Twilight? Please?" the baby dragon pleaded as the thunder reverberated across the forest. "I'm sure the library has books on dreams, can't we just go home?"
"No Spike." Twilight chastised, "I've checked every book on dreams twice over, and there's nothing like what I've experienced in any of them. Besides, we're almost there."
Soon enough the duo did approach their destination. Much like Twilight's own abode, Zecora's house was built out of a thick, hollowed-out tree, but was much smaller and more spartan both on the exterior and interior. Despite its appearance, or perhaps because of it, Zecora's home was one of the most dreaded places in or around Ponyville. In all honesty, Twilight Sparkle couldn't think of a more intimidating place outside of Canterlot, but as luck, or perhaps fate would have it, Zecora's house was her destination.
Approaching slowly she found herself face to face with a rather plain door that guarded the interior of Zecora's house. Swallowing hard, she lifted her right front hoof and knocked.
"Zecora? It's Twilight, we need to talk." the unicorn called, trying to make herself heard over the storm.
"Go... away" came a voice from inside, weak, but unmistakably Zecora's. As if bending to the zebra's will the storm seemed to pick up and a sharp cold wind began to blow, causing both Twilight and Spike to shiver.
"Zecora I need your help." Twilight pleaded, "Open the door please... help me."
There was a soft sound, which Twilight could only guess at, but it sounded close to a tired sigh. This was followed by a few seconds of silence before Zecora spoke once more, "You may enter if you wish, but before you do you must know this: if you wish to see the break of day, I beg you please, just go away."
"Well you heard her, we should go! If we get back fast enough I can make us some hot cocoa!"
Although Spike's words sounded cheery enough, Twilight could clearly tell that her companion was afraid. And why shouldn't he be, though she would not admit it to anypony, deep down, she was too. Despite this, her need for information overrode her fear, and perhaps even her common sense, as she pressed her hoof against the door.
To the unicorn's surprise the door swung open easily, and she stepped inside cautiously. The room was dark except for a group of candles in the center, which seemed to illuminate a drawing of some sort, at the center of which was Zecora herself, laying upon her legs as if sleeping. Her eyes were closed and her breathing shallow. The air in the room stank of wet wood and as Twilight figured, oddly enough, something that smelled similar to copper, but not quite.
"Zecora?" twilight whispered, but received no reply.
She tried again but still received no confirmation that the witch doctor was still conscious.
Perhaps she can't hear me. Twilight thought and began to slowly trot toward the lighted center of the room.
"Twiiiliiiight, we shouldn't be hereeee!" spike whispered in a sing song voice, albeit a nervous one. But the unicorn ignored his plea and kept moving toward the light.
She almost immediately regretted her decision, for upon closer inspection it became clear that the design on the floor was that of a five pointed star, seemingly drawn in blood. Judging by the multitude of cuts on Zecora's face and body Twilight safely bet that Zecora, or whoever had drawn the symbol, had used her own blood as the paint. Twilight and Spike stared in shock at the scene laid before them unable to comprehend what they were seeing.
"Oh...oh sweet Celes-" Spike began before placing a claw over his mouth to keep from vomiting, as Twilight began to shake with both shock and fear.
"Z-Zecora... what happened?" she questioned, not expecting an answer. But to her surprise and partial horror the Zebra responded,
"If like this until dawn I lay, then the sleeptrotter will move away." she murmured. Zecora's poetic style of speaking had always been a bit difficult to understand but this made no sense.
"Sleeptrotter? What's going on Zecora?" Twilight questioned only to receive a shake of the head.
"Now is no time to talk about I, it is you who seek my help, why?" Much to Zecora's ire, Twilight remained obstinate.
"We can worry about me later," the purple unicorn stated resolutely, "we need to get you to a hospital."
Twilight moved closer to the space in which Zecora lay, intent on helping the zebra to her feet and leading her, or carrying her if need be, to Ponyville Hospital. She approached slowly as to not rattle her senses, but when she was merely a few steps away from the star Zecora's head shot upright.
"STOP!" She bellowed, with her eyes still closed. The sudden sound caused twilight to flinch and startled Spike enough to send him tumbling from her back and onto the floor with a thud.
"Ow!" Spike yelped as he got to his feet and stood next to Twilight. "What was that for?"
Zecora's features softened and a palpable look of regret came over her face, though her eyes remained closed.
"I did not mean to cause you harm, but only a small sense of alarm. For if this area is disrupted, I will surely be corrupted. So please tell me what you need to know, or else I beg you, please just go."
Twilight sighed, there was nothing she could do for Zecora at this point, or rather, nothing the zebra would allow her to do. And so Twilight explained herself, and told her everything, about her dreams, the cloaked stallion, the unseen creature that grabs her. Zecora seemed to remain stoic through the entirety of her explanation.
"And I just don't know what to do anymore," the purple unicorn concluded," I don't know whether I should change my diet, or take medicine, or if these really are omens. I was wondering if you had any advice."
Zecora remained silent for a few more moments, as if she was digesting the information, and then without warning her eyes opened wide and she uttered a single word: "Run!"
As if triggered by that very utterance, Twilight watched in horror as Zecora's eyes became bloodshot, her irises expanded and pupils began to fade from her eyes. This bizarre occurrence was accompanied by an ungodly wail from something outside of the tree house. Twilight needed no more incentive to leave. Channeling magical energy through her horn as quickly as she could muster, Twilight cast a levitation spell on Spike, who had begun screaming in terror. Not even bothering to put the baby dragon on her back, she fled as fast as her four hooves would carry her from the hut, racing back down the path towards Ponyville.
In the scant 10 minutes that she had spent in Zecora's residence, the storm had intensified in fury. Perhaps, as Twilight secretly feared, the terrible wail that she heard had something to do with it. Regardless, she fought on against the elements, charging through the downpour of rain and the stinging cold of the wind, dragging Spike along behind her with her magic. She ran oblivious to everything around her, including Spike's shouting. Her only desire was to return to the safety and comfort of Ponyville's library, her home.
"For Celestia's sake Twilight look out!" Spike's voice finally registered, freeing Twilight from her fear induced trance. Looking ahead, she saw the meaning behind Spikes warning. The trees were beginning to close in on the path, blocking her route. Twilight tried to dig her hooves into the soil, but the slick mud provided no traction, and before she knew it, the unicorn collided with a tree and was knocked onto her plot.
With her magic disrupted, Spike fell onto the muddy ground behind her before scrambling over to the purple unicorn and clinging on to her for dear life. "What are we gonna do, what are we gonna do, what are we gonna do?" he pleaded.
Twilight wasn't sure herself, but she needed to reassure the little dragon, even if it wasn't exactly the truth. As she opened her mouth to speak, the wail came once more, this time even louder than before, shaking the very earth, and causing both her and Spike to suffer a sudden bout of overwhelming dizziness.
"T-twilight...what's happening?"
"I don't... I don't know Spike," Twilight attempted to respond, as she collapsed onto her side, the world spinning around her.
And then there was only darkness.
The first sensation that Twilight encountered was that of warmth, followed by light. Instinctively the unicorn's eyes fluttered open, and revealed a pleasant sight, her bedroom. Sunshine flooded the room accompanied by the sweet, fresh sent of the clear air of Ponyvillie, which wafted in through the open window. Twilight sighed happily and smiled, drinking in the sight and the feeling of comfort that accompanied it. It was a few moments before the realization hit her.
This...this is all wrong! she thought, he mind instantly beginning to race and analyze her surroundings, I should be in the forest! This isn't right!
Twilight sprang from her bed and took off into the main room of her house. Nothing seemed different at all. Had it all been a dream? It had felt so real, even down to Spike's complaining.
"Spike!" Twilight exclaimed to herself as she galloped back up to her room. The baby dragon had been there with her, if he could recall the same events then the trip to Zecora's couldn't have been a dream.
"Spike, wake up!" the purple unicorn barked as she reached her servant's bed, which was kept close to her own. "You need to tell me everything you remember about last night."
"Wha- Twilight?!" Spike yelped as he sat up straight away, and looked around paranoid until he caught sight of his friend. "Oh thank Celestia! It was just a dream."
"Were you in the Everfree with me going to see Zecora?"
"Wait, what?" The suddenness of Twilight's question caught Spike off guard leaving him confused as he wiped the sleep from his eyes. In hindsight, it was probably not the best idea for Twilight to pelt her friend and assistant with questions before he was even fully conscious, but if last night's experience wasn't a dream, she'd have to start researching right away.
"Were you in the Everfree with me going to see Zecora?" Twilight repeated her query.
The diminutive purple dragon remained silent for a moment as he continued to rub sleep from his eyes, but regained his focus once he heard Twilight begin to tap her hoof with impatience. "I...I think... but wasn't that a dream?"
Twilight sighed in relief, she wasn't losing her mind after all, but another problem had just presented itself. "Tell me what you remember, tell me everything." And so he did.
It took approximately half an hour for Spike to recount his interpretation of their trip, and besides the occasional embellishment of his own bravery, the details were consistent with what Twilight herself remembered. There was no more denying it, the events of the previous night had occurred, and as much as Twilight hated to admit, she felt as if she had discovered something far more advanced then she could comprehend.
"Spike, help me find every book on zebras we have." Twilight commanded as she headed downstairs with Spike following close behind.
"Got an idea?" the baby dragon questioned. Twilight couldn't help but notice that he sounded concerned.
"Not yet." she admitted, "but I'm hoping that I can find something if I cross reference a few different books." Before Spike could even begin to get any books off the shelves there was a loud knock on the door
"Twilight? Sugarcube? Are ya in? It's Applejack, open up darlin'."
Twilight sighed, she really needed to start her research immediately if she was ever going to figure out what exactly she had seen at Zecora's, and how she had gotten back to her house, but at the same time her friend's voice was comforting after what she had been through. Still, in this extreme case, research came first.
"Applejack, I'm kind of busy, can it wait?"
"Aww!" came another voice, this time clearly belonging to Pinkie Pie. "But I baked you a "We Haven't Seen You In Three Days and Thought You Could Use Some Cake" cake! And it wouldn't feel right eating it without you and Spike!"
Twilight froze in her tracks. Three days? Now that's impossible! she thought, as she noticed that Spike had stopped his work as well and was staring at her in amazement, as if awaiting confirmation that he had indeed heard correctly.
"Spike, go let them in." Twilight said curtly as she began to levitate various books in front of her face to examine the titles. "No, no, no, nothing" she sighed in frustration as Spike opened the door to let in her friends.
"Whatchya doin Twilight?" Pinkie chirped gleefully as she bounced up to her friend, dragging a rather large cake on a cart behind her.
"Trying to find a book on memory and unexplained time loss." the purple unicorn stated flatly, as she set yet another book aside and levitated the next one out of the bookshelf.
"Now why would you need somthin' like that?" Applejack questioned with a bit of an amused chuckle
"Because," Twilight said as she finally selected an old worn book with yellowed pages and a dusty cover and trotted over to her desk, "I have no idea where Spike and I have been for the last three days."
Pinkie Pie and Applejack looked at each other, their expressions changing from those of joy and relief at finally being able to visit with their friend after three days, to those of genuine concern.
"Ah think whatchya need ta do," Applejack stated as Pinkie resumed being oblivious and performed a final taste-test on the cake, "Is tell us everything y'all do remember."
Twilight remained silent for a moment, weighing her options. On one hoof she didn't want to burden her friends with her own problems, but on the other hoof it would be nice to get some reassurance the she and Spike weren't going crazy. After a moment's pause, she told them everything she could remember about her trip to see Zecora.
Fluttershy hadn't slept in three days. At first she simply thought that she was worried about Twilight, and while this was true, by the second day she began to feel as if somepony or something was staring into her house. Now she was sure. Last night on a hunch she hung a lantern outside of her bedroom window after she had begun to feel as if she was being watched. And then she saw them. There was not one, but several pairs of blank, colorless eyes that reflected the even slightest bit of light, staring at her from the distant edge of the Everyfree Forest.
And so she sat, with her animals gathered around her, comforting both her and each other. Even the normally ornery Angel Bunny was curled up and shivering within her hooves. Dawn was only a few hours away.
Can't sleep, can't sleep, can't sleep! They'll get in. ~phrase found written above Fluttershy's bed
1 ~found scratched onto Fluttershy's headboard