CHAPTER III
THE EYES IN THE ABYSS
"I thought the spell we cast would keep him contained forever..."
The train to Canterlot was longer than Twilight remembered, and she was gracious to herself for thinking to bring a book to pass the time. While other passengers reclined on the soft benches, some with the window open and some without, and while children pressed theirs faces against the windows in awe of the passing scenery, Twilight settled herself down and propped open a book.
The name of the book was Daring Do and the Most Dangerous Game. A departure from the more action-oriented style of the series, The Most Dangerous Game instead focused on a suspenseful game of cat-and-mouse between the main character, Daring Do, and her hunter, the insane Bois d'Arc. Twilight herself had already read the novel, but she rather enjoyed the departure from the norm; Rainbow had forgotten the book on Twilight's counter a few days ago, and she decided it would make for a relaxing pastime while awaiting her arrival to Canterlot.
Daring pulled herself onto the expanse of sand, away from the water's reach. It had been a long time since she was forced to undergo that much exercise, and after an hour of constant swimming she felt physically lethargic. Despite this hinderance, she pushed herself up and tried to shake out as much water as she could, but in vain. Her coat, now freshly layered with sand, clung to her in matted strands, and her vest was almost as heavy as she was.
She pulled off her vest and cast it aside, opting to deal with the sand later. Daring stretched out her wings, the only appendages that were not sore, and tried to wring out the water weighing them down. To her displeasure her wings were still soaked, and the thought of flying back to the yacht was gone. Not that it was much of an idea to begin with; the yacht was by now too far away to catch by air, one of the reasons why she needed the yacht in the first place.
Now fully bare, Daring tried once again to shake as much water and sand out of her coat as she could. She walked over to where her vest lay, beat most of the sand out of it, and slipped it back on. She looked back out at the ocean, and her gaze fell on her pith helmet being slapped against the rocks by the waves. After retrieving her hat and placing it back on her head, she turned away from the ocean and turned her attention to the island she had come across.
It was not recognizable from any maps she had read during her travel. It was night however, and while she possessed the pegasi's eagle-keen eyesight, she was still tired. She may not know where she was, but that would have to wait until the dawn light came. For now, she needed rest. On the edge of the beach grew a forest, and with the last of her strength Daring pulled herself onto a particularly strong tree limb, using a length of soggy rope to anchor herself.
"G'd night, world," she said, pushing her helmet over her eyes. That night, amongst the cacophony of frogs croaking, crickets chirping, and all other sounds of the night, came a new sound that the inhabitants of this wretched island were all too familiar with, and yet still gave them cause to be wary: A pony in unknown territory, noisily awaiting the dawn.
The car was thrown into darkness as it entered one of the tunnels, alerting Twilight to their proximity to her destination. To further prove her right, a whine sounded across the speaker system.
"We'll be arriving in Canterlot Station in a few moments, folks; Canterlot Station in a few moments."
She closed the book, stowing it back into her saddlebag as she awaited the stop. Likewise, other parents who had stayed awake prompted their sleeping fillies and colts to wake up from their naps, or in some cases vice versa. Several times the train ran through recesses of both dark and light as it wound its way up the mountain, eventually ending in a long stretch of dawn light as it ran through to the Canterlot station.
The conductor pulled on the horn twice, signalling the station of his arrival, and a few seconds later the brakes hissed, and the train screeched to halt.
"And there we have it, folks: Canterlot Station. Please collect all your belongings and make your way to the exit in an orderly fashion."
Whether in complete disregard for the heedings of the conductor, or because the ponies were merely oblivious, the conduct of those disembarking the train was very much lacking in the "orderly fashion" asked of them. In the midst of this hustle-and-bustle Twilight wrapped her belongings in her magical aura, other ponies drawn to its glow like a ship to a lighthouse as she carried it over the heads of everypony else.
Once she was far enough away from the crowds, she strapped her saddlebags around her waist. She watched the crowd slowly dwindle away from the train, forced to go through through such trivial lengths to escape the conglomeration of their fellow beings. What was the nature of ponies, that their sanity was dependant upon social interaction, and yet they despised the very same thing?
Twilight, when she was little, was never one for such frivolous things as social interaction. She would rather spend time with her books; novels were predictable. They all followed some predestined cliche that guided the actions of those involved. The equine psyche, on the other hoof, was confusing and chaotic. She could not fathom why ponies thrived with such variables. Who would willingly subject themselves to such an unpredictable lifestyle? Then she moved to Ponyville, and she found that there was an inexplicable joy in having one's world turned upside-down.
An old wooden drawbridge served as the only entrance into Canterlot proper for those tied to the ground. Pegasi had the freedom to enter the capital from any direction they wished, but that was now once upon a time. After the recent invasion of Canterlot by a hive of changelings, severe measures had been taken to avoid such a weakness being exploited again.
Canterlot proper appeared as a garden of towering ivory spires, their violet and gold petals shining brilliantly in the dawn light. Vines of gold filigree wound their way around the towers, adding a flair of regal color. The beauty of it all was wasted on Twilight, however. While she certainly had an appreciation for the craftmareship of her old home, the aesthetics of such were lost on her. Certainly she could appreciate the allure of Canterlot's towers against the clear, blue sky, but she had no feel for the artistic intricacies that made it up. That was more Rarity's style.
The crowds of ponies dwindled the nearer she came to the royal palace. Here there was only the stigmatized wealthy, the only kind of pony the nobility deemed worthy to live this close to the palace. This "nobility" was except of the princesses, to be certain; they had no qualms with the worse off, and much to the nobles chagrin welcomed the middle class with open hooves. Unfortunately, the nobles carried enough weight to keep the "uncultured" off their doorsteps.
Twilight had never been openly shunned by the nobles, nor did they have much of a reason to. Her family, while not truly wealthy, was still of high standing. Her brother, Shining Armor, was now Captain of the Royal Guard, and Twilight herself was Princess Celestia's protege. Most of the nobility knew her name, but most only knew her by name alone. The only ponies who really knew her as she grew up were her family (which did not count, in her opinion); her foalsitter, Cadence; and Soft Serve, one of the kitchen workers who would give her free ice cream. And the Princess herself, but that was without say.
Twilight hissed as a sharp flame ignited in her breast, pressing a hoof lightly to the area. She leaned against the closest wall, breathing short, soft breaths until the pain subsided. Her horn flashed, and the orange bottle containing her pills floated in front of her. She unscrewed the cap and stared at the contents, then brought her focus to the sky above. The sun just barely crested the lower buildings. There was still an hour and a half left. Twilight winced as her breast threatened to flare up again. She glared at the pills, as if they were the cause of her pain. They might as well have been; their effects seemed to wear off faster every time.
Twilight glanced guiltily between the small, white pills and the slowly rising sun. What was an hour? A mere fraction of a day. An hour was how long her train ride lasted. An hour could easily be missed, lost in the moment; but, an hour could just as easily last for an eternity.
She turned the bottle, scanning the label for the list of side-effects. She found the list written in miniscule print on a red label.
"May Cause Drowsiness And Dizziness," she read to herself. "Alcohol May Intensify This Effect. Use Care When Flying Or Casting Magic."
She read the label again before checking the time. Barely a minute had passed. There was nothing unusual or abnormal amongst the side-effects, and nothing she had not experienced copious amounts of during (and the day after) her late-night study sessions. Twilight stared hard into the bottle of white pills, her brow furrowed in thought. What was an hour?
A sharp pang in her chest decided that for her. An hour was torture. Lavender magic wrapped around one of the pills and slowly lifted it into the mare's anxious mouth. Squeezing her eyes shut, she dry swallowed the oxycodone pill. Her whole body shuddered as she felt the pill slide down her esophagus. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, and an eternity later Twilight felt a blissful clarity hit her. It rolled through her body, washing away the pain––what was pain? Pain was a hinderance! Finally, Twilight could think clearly once again!
She turned to look at the grand, blue sky, it's cloudless nature a sight to behold. Turning her attention to Canterlot towers, she felt like she was gazing upon them with new eyes. She could understand Rarity's infatuation; the intricate, esoteric details were a marvelous feat that only the masters of architecture could accomplish.
Twilight closed her eyes and smiled contently. With her mind cleared of her troubles, there was no doubt that, matched together with the wisdom of the princesses, the three of them could decipher these erratic dreams. Twilight marched toward the palace, a spring in her step brought about by a newfound peace that soon she was to be released from the nightmares wearing on her mind.
(_/-.-\(_)/-.-\_)
"Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves, and do a little shake!" The combined voices of Twilight and her sister-in-law echoed through the long hall, only heard by guards who long ago learned to ignore the whims of the Canterlot nobility, and Shining Armor, who long ago learned the whimsical nuances of his wife and his sister.
Princess Cadance was arguably the most alluring of the three alicorn princesses, and being the Princess of Love, it suited her well. Twilight was unsure how long Cadance had been a princess, much less an alicorn, but she had known the mare since she was a foal. When Celestia was too busy to properly watch Twilight, she would call for her niece to care for the unicorn filly, and they had gotten along famously, the rhyme they recited a memory of their time spent together.
"It's great to see you, Twilight," said Cadance, wrapping her sister-in-law in a familial, pink embrace. Twilight had to admit it was certainly preferable to Pinkie Pie's embraces, which usually involved squeezing the breath from her victims. "I didn't expect you in the palace this morning!"
Twilight moved to return the gesture, but flinched when she agitated her ribs. As quick as he could, Shining Armor was by her side, propping her up.
"Twily, what did you do?" he breathed as he began to examine where she had reflexively placed a hoof. Twilight wrestled herself out of her brother's grasp.
"I'm fine, Shining," she assured him.
"Like hay you are! I know a broken rib when I see one," he replied, pointing a white hoof at the general area of her wound. Cadance covered her mouth with a hoof, and her horn sparked with blue magic as she moved toward Twilight.
"Here, I know some healing magic that will––" Twilight raised a hoof, gesturing for her to stop.
"The doctor already used as much magic as he was willing to. He said to just let it heal properly from now on," she explained. Both Cadance and Shining look unassuaged by her explanation, but they no longer tried to help her. Shining did give her a curious look when he asked,
"How long ago did you break your rib?"
Twilight put a hoof to her chin. "Um... a week ago?"
"A week ago?" he spluttered. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"
Twilight inwardly winced. "I'm sorry, it's just... I've had a lot on my mind this past week."
"What do you mean, Twilight?" asked Cadance as she trotted up beside the unicorn.
"Well, it's mainly why I'm here."
Cadance cocked her head. "Why are you here? Now, don't get me wrong––I love any excuse to spend time with my favorite sister-in-law," she gave Twilight a warm smile. "But you look more like you're on business than a vacation."
"Well, I'd rather not have to explain it twice, so if it's alright with the Princess, I suppose you can sit in," Twilight said, looking between the two of them.
"Celestia? Well, right now me and Shining are headed to breakfast, and I'm sure that's where the princesses are now."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" said Shining Armor, already making his way down the hall. "I want to find out why my little sister is walking around with a broken rib!"
The walk to the great hall was short, and they found the hall to be mostly vacant, but for a few stragglers and the royal alicorns. Three miniature thrones were the centerpiece of a magnificent table seated upon a dais at the opposite end of the room. Seated on two of the three were Celestia and Luna, the third throne reserved for Cadance.
Celestia beamed at the three when they entered the great hall, whereas Luna lifted her head off her hooves and grunted her acknowledgement of their existence. Twilight, Shining and Cadance made their way to the grand table, passing a few of the servants who were finishing their meals. Cadance took her place next to Celestia, and Shining Armor sat in the seat beside his wife. There was a flash of yellow light as Celestia conjured a chair for Twilight across from them.
Almost as soon as they had taken their seats, a pale yellow mare whose golden mane was hidden underneath a white toque appeared.
"And what would you like today––Twilight!" she paused, regarding the unicorn with elated surprise. "I haven't seen you in the palace in years! How are you doing?"
Twilight smiled as she recognized the mare. "I'm doing great, Honeycrisp! I see you're still the chef here?"
"Of course! I told you I'm never going to retire! But, enough about me; what would you like for breakfast?" she said, turning back to the table at large.
"Whatever you bring me's fine," said Twilight.
"Alright; Princess Cadance?"
"I'll take a palmier, please."
"Okay; Prince Armor, the usual?"
Shining nodded in confirmation. "The usual."
"Uh-huh. And what would all of you like to drink?" She turned to Twilight with a mischievous smile. "Hot chocolate for you, or are you too grown up for that now?"
"No, hot chocolate sounds perfect," said Twilight. Honeycrisp flashed her a smile before moving on to Cadance.
"And for you, Princess Cadance?"
"Some coffee, please." The alicorn glanced at Luna, who was cradling her head in her hooves. "And perhaps a refill for Luna, if you wouldn't mind."
"I do not require anymore coffee!" barked the dark blue alicorn.
"Yes you do!" snapped Cadance without missing a beat. Celestia smiled, amused, and raised a hoof to prematurely halt any fights between the two.
"Alright!" breathed Honeycrisp. She forced the tips of her lips to curl into a smile, but the facsimile was punctured by the fear still prevalent in her eyes. "So... hot chocolate for Twilight, coffee for Princess Cadance, and a, um... refill for Princess Luna," she whispered, eyeing the Princess of the Night with barely-hidden trepidation. She let slip a sigh of relief when the Princess merely acknowledged the request with a wave of her hoof. "Okay! Anything for you, Prince Armor?"
"A double shot of espresso."
"And would you like a refill on your tea, Princess Celestia?"
The tallest of the alicorns shook her head, "No, thank you, Honeycrisp."
"As you wish, your majesty." With that, the Royal Palace's chef disappeared, presumably to her kitchens in order to prepare the newcomers' meal. Not long after, she returned, three coffee cups and a pewter mug balanced upon a silver platter that rested between her ears. She stopped at the end of the table, bowing her head slightly. Cadance, Shining, and Twilight each grabbed their own beverage, a dark blue aura carrying the extra cup of coffee over to Luna, who begrudgingly took a sip. Honeycrisp assured them that their meals would be served as soon as possible, and once again disappeared.
"While we await your breakfast, I believe it to behoove us if we hurry on with these proceedings," droned Luna. "The sooner this is over, the sooner I can return to my sleep."
Cadance rolled her eyes while Shining shook his head, but Celestia kept her smirk. "Luna, we are alicorns; we don't need sleep," she said calmly, as if this were a breakfast normality, which, if the expressions of Cadance and Shining were anything to go by, it most likely was.
"You may not, dear sister, but I enjoy it!" Luna said, flicking her mane dramatically.
"I have to agree with Princess Luna," said Shining Armor as he put a hoof on the table, a hint of tension creeping into his voice. "I would very much like to learn what my sister has been up to that broke her rib." Celestia snapped her head toward Twilight, worry reflected in her eyes at Shining's words.
"And," he continued, turning to face the Princess of the Sun. "Why wasn't I informed of it?"
"Sit down," said Celestia softly, yet her tone spoke volumes. Only after he complied did she continue. "You were not informed of the circumstances because Luna and I only learned of them last night."
"Why didn't you come to us and tell us last night? She's my sister!" begged Shining Armor, pointing a hoof at the aforementioned unicorn. Cadance put a hoof on her husband's shoulder. He sighed and relaxed, staring intently at his espresso. "My apologies, your majesty."
Celestia gave him an understanding smile. "It's quite alright. I had thought of that, and I attempted to. However, last night the two of you seemed..." Celestia searched for her word, before flashing the stallion a mischievous grin. "Busy."
Shining Armor sunk into his chair, he and Cadance blushing furiously and avoiding anypony else's gaze. Celestia allowed herself a chuckle on their behalf, and turned back to Twilight, the worry returning to her eyes as she regarded the unicorn.
"I don't recall you mentioning a broken rib in your letters to me, Twilight." Her tone was not accusatory, yet Twilight could not help but feel at fault. She started to apologize, but Celestia held up a hoof. "It doesn't matter. How did you break your rib?"
"Well, in Applejack's defense, she didn't mean to. It was while she was giving me CPR." Everypony but Luna sat up straight, their full attention on Twilight. Twilight returned each of their gazes, an awkward, nervous smile plastered on her face.
"And why did Applejack need to give you CPR, Twilight?"
"Um, excuse me," said Luna, holding up her hoof. "Would somepony explain to me what this... CPR is?"
"It stands for Cardio––" started Celestia, but she was cut off my Twilight.
"––Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. It is a procedure used to preserve brain function by manually maintaining blood circulation and ventilation, which provides oxygenated blood to the brain."
"Hm. Sounds similar to the Silver Method," said Luna.
"Well, Dr. H. R. Silver was the pony to first describe a method of resuscitation. However, the Silver Method is a little... outdated."
"Yes, I would assume so. Back then, we had to hold the hooves of a pony above their head, and––" Luna and Twilight halted their discussion when they noticed the looks of the other three occupants. "Perhaps now is not the time."
"No, I daresay it isn't," confirmed Celestia. "Now, once again, why did you need––"
"Breakfast is served, your majesties!" The cheerful voice of Honeycrisp cut her off, as said mare waltzed up the dais with another platter balanced on her back. She first came up to Twilight, and tipped a plate with a croissant in front of the unicorn.
"Thank you, Honeycrisp," said Twilight as she inhaled the scent wafting from her meal. "It smells delicious!"
"Aw, thank you Twilight!" she cooed. Honey next visited Shining Armor, sliding a plate of steaming scrambled eggs and sizzling hay bacon. "The usual for you, Prince Armor."
"Thanks, Honey," he said, cutting up his eggs with a fork. "–Crisp!" he blurted when he noticed the glare from his wife. "Honeycrisp!" Twilight giggled as Cadance shook her head, Celestia wearing her trademark amused smile.
"And here you go, Princess Cadance," said Honeycrisp, giving her a plate with a heart-shaped pastry.
"Thank you, Honeycrisp."
The chef once again vanish, and Celestia found herself proving her status as the personification of patience. She slowly sipped on the rest of her tea, watching as Twilight dunked her croissant in her hot chocolate and Shining tore into his eggs with a hungry glint in his eye. Cadance gave her husband a disapproving glance as she ate her palmier with more refinement, but Celestia could see the facade betrayed in the young alicorn's eyes.
She allowed her guests a few moments to appease their appetite, before commanding attention with a simple, elegant cough. The three of them looked at her expectantly, while Luna merely shifted her head in order to better see her sister.
"Now that you've all eaten, I would very much like to learn why Twilight here was in need of CPR." With her words, all eyes turned to the lavender unicorn. Twilight swallowed the rest of her croissant before answering.
"Well, that relates to what I came here today to speak to you about."
Cadance raised her hoof. "Um, I, still, am unsure of what is going on, and this mention of CPR is only worrying me more, not to mention how much it must be worrying Shiny." Shining did not respond, but his eyes were all the confirmation she needed.
Celestia turned to her pupil. "Well, Twilight, would you care to explain?"
"As you wish, you majesty." Twilight polished off her croissant, and took a sip of hot chocolate before continuing. "Well, about a week ago I had a night terror––"
"A night terror?" blurted Shining Armor. "You never get night terrors! Hay, I don't think you've ever had a nightmare!"
Twilight nodded in agreement. "That's why at first I thought nothing of it––perhaps it was just something bad I ate. Either way, it scared my friends, and Applejack offered to let me sleep over at her house that night." Twilight paused as she thought best how to word what happened next. Even she was a little confused, having not been awake during it, and Applejack's descriptiveness left much to be desired.
"Applejack, she was the... orange mare, right?" asked Cadance. "The one who cooked those delicious bite-sized apple fritters?"
Twilight nodded. "Applejack's family owns Sweet Apple Acres, and she and her grandmother cook most of their meals."
"Well, she certainly became a wonderful cook."
Twilight nodded in agreement. "Well, I wasn't going to pass up a sleepover with one of my friends, so I went over that afternoon. Everything was fine, until I woke up the next morning in pain, Applejack crying over me." Twilight shuddered, her hoof reflexively going over her wound.
"Are you sure you don't want any help?" asked Cadance, prematurely rising out of her seat. "I know some anesthesia spells, if you're in pain."
Twilight held up a hoof, smiling soberly at her sister-in-law. "Thank you, but no." The mare took another sip of her beverage, trying her hardest not to visibly wince. "The doctor doesn't want me to use any magic during the healing process, and he gave me some painkillers to deal with the... well, pain."
"I'm not sure I understand why you wouldn't want to use magic healing a broken rib," questioned Shining Armor. "Its just, isn't that the point of magic, to protect ourselves?"
Luna, who had long ago abandoned her facade, answered. "Our bodies were designed to heal themselves, given time and care. Certainly magic can, and should, be used to catalyst that process, or give the body the time it needs to finish. But to interfere with the process could potentially harm the body instead, and in some rare cases even destroy the process entirely."
"Yes," Twilight agreed. "Using healing magic can be even more dangerous than drugging the body. That's why most doctors are earth ponies and pegasi, whilst the nurses tend to be unicorns."
"I assume that Applejack performed CPR on you because of your night terror?" asked Celestia, silently cursing herself for her lack of patience. She comforted herself by knowing that it was not for a lack of concern toward her pupil, rather it being the cause.
"Yes; Applejack awoke to find me not breathing, and resorted to CPR. Certainly it wasn't the appropriate response, but I'm nonetheless grateful towards her for it," answered Twilight.
Luna turned to her sister. "Are sleep terrors capable of effecting the respiratory system?"
"Well," replied Celestia, staring at her tea dregs as her brow furrowed. "They usually tend to cause rapid breathing, but I've never heard a case where the victim stopped breathing entirely."
"Which is one of the reasons why I think these aren't night terrors," said Twilight, returning the attention of the three princesses and her brother to herself. "Its not a big reason, after all symptoms can very dramatically sometimes, but its not the only reason." She looked into the eyes of each pony present, each one of them silently telling her to continue. "The other is what I mailed you about, Princess."
"The subliminal messages," clarified Celestia. Twilight 'mmhmm'ed. "You were vague on just what messages you were receiving? Could you clarify?"
Twilight sipped on her hot chocolate, which was much less 'hot chocolate' and more 'chocolate milk' by now. She thought back to the previous day, and her conversation with Time Turner. He had expressed concern that many would see her questions as anarchy, but he had doubted (and even assured her) that the princesses would see it as such. Princess Celestia had indeed told her once upon a time that she would hear any and all questions Twilight had, regardless of the subject.
But Luna... Princess Luna was a thousand years behind the world. Would her more ancient-thinking mind tolerate Twilight for her curiosity, or condemn her? Both cases seemed equally likely in the mind of Twilight Sparkle, despite that she had made friends with the Princess of the Night but a few months ago.
"Dread," started Twilight. She would wait, gage their reactions and find an appropriate time to bring it up. "Every night leaves me wakening with a feeling of dread."
"That is... common with night terrors," said Luna, fixing Twilight with a curious look. She knew the unicorn was hiding something. Stalling.
"Yes, but I wasn't the only one to feel that way."
"Wait, you mean more ponies have been having nightmares?"
"No," corrected Twilight. "My friend, Pinkie Pie, well..." Twilight thought best at how to explain the 'Pinkie Sense'. "Well, in her own words: She 'gets different, little, niggling feelings' that predict future events."
Luna put a hoof to her chin. "So... she has a precognitive extrasensory perception?" When Twilight nodded Luna grinned. "Fascinating! I've only met one other pony who could do that, and I'm sorry to say she's long dead. What did she perceive?"
"Same as me; dread. Except without all the other symptoms."
"So, it is apparent that there is a supernatural cause. I understand now why you assumed an outside force," the younger princess concluded.
Twilight's face scrunched up. "Wait, I never said I believed that somepony was doing this to me!"
"Well, of course you did," said Luna matter-of-factly. "Your exact words were: 'Subliminal messages'. Now, if you didn't have an inkling of an outside force, then you would have said 'subliminal ideas', or 'subliminal concept', or some variation thereof. Messages are sent from one pony to another, and require a source of origin." Luna then silently sipped her coffee, hiding the smirk forming at Twilight's flabbergasted expression.
"Well, dear sister, if we're going to be measuring our brains, I would like to point out that Twilight did indeed say 'subliminal messages'; as in plural. What else has been on your mind?" questioned Celestia, meanwhile fixing Twilight with a knowing look and a warm smile.
The mare calmed herself using a technique Cadance had shown her: slow breath in, slow breath out. However the princesses reacted, Time Turner was right; if she could not confide in her own mentor/surrogate mother, then who could she?
"Well, I can't seem to find any other way to say this, so... you. You've been on my mind."
"Wait, are you saying that the other 'subliminal message' is my sister?" asked Luna, an inquisitive brow raised.
"I mean, I'm certainly flattered... but...well," flustered Celestia, as Cadance giggled.
"NO!" Twilight hurriedly responded, her face burning a deep red as she clamped her hooves over her mouth. "I didn't mean just Celestia!"
Cadance could no longer contain her laughter behind a hoof as Luna's cheeks tinged a faint pink. "Oh..." Luna whispered, and Twilight's eyes widened.
"NO!" She blurted. "I meant alicorns! Alicorns in general!" There was a thud somewhere between Shining's chair and Celestia's throne as Cadance fell out of her seat.
"Whew," she gasped, as Shining helped her up. "Oh, it feels good to laugh!" She wiped a tear from her eye as the object of her humor steamed in her seat.
Celestia allowed herself a chuckle as well, before resigning to be the voice of reason. "If we're done with our distraction, might I suggest we return to the matter at hoof?"
"Yes, please!" pleaded a furiously blushing Twilight.
Cadance fanned herself with her hoof, simultaneously downing some more of her beverage. "I'm sorry, Twilight, but it was just too perfect!" Twilight refused to dignify her sister-in-law with a response, vocal or physical. The alicorn rolled her hoof, gesturing to the lavender mare. "Please continue; you mentioned alicorns in your dreams?"
"Yes," Celestia added, bringing her teacup to her lips and tilting it slightly. When the presence of warm liquid was absent from her lips, she glared down at the cup, realizing that it was empty. There was a soft clink as she returned the cup to its tray. "What do you mean, alicorns are a part of your 'subliminal messages'?"
"Well, I'm not entirely sure, myself," Twilight answered, shrugging her shoulders for emphasis. "All that I know is that the only part of the night terrors that stick with me are the sense of dread and... alicorns."
"Do you believe that... an alicorn is the source?" tentatively asked Luna. Twilight rapidly shook her head.
"No, not at all! You three are the only alicorns in existence, and I trust all of you." Twilight looked each of the princesses in the eye. "I couldn't fathom any of you trying to hurt me." Out of the three, Cadance was the only alicorn to hold her gaze for any length of time.
"What about these dreams make you think about us?" asked Celestia, who was taking a sip of her sister's coffee in place of her tea. She grimaced horribly when the bitterness hit her.
"I'm... not sure," admitted Twilight. "Nothing, if I'm to be honest. Not even the image of an alicorn appears in my mind, just the idea of one. It's... not easy to explain. And it's not only when I have a nightmare, but also when I try thinking about them, trying to remember them."
The regal, pale alicorn relaxed into her throne, rubbing her chin in thought as she regarded the mare in front of her. A certain kind of quiet descended upon the great hall. It was not tense, but yet it was neither tranquil. Some sort of harmonic balance between the two, regaling its occupants in equal parts calm and cautious. That was, until Celestia turned to her left.
"Shining Armor, you have been persistently silent; what are your thoughts on the matter?"
The Captain of the Royal Guard looked surprised to have been called on, but recovered quickly and answered, "To be honest, your majesty, this has all kinda gone over my head. I only want what's best for my little sister," he said, smiling at Twilight, who returned it with a toothy grin.
"You would make a good politician," mused Celestia, eliciting a giggle from Luna.
Shining looked at her, bemused. "I'm... not sure what you mean by that, your majesty."
Celestia merely shook her head, a smile creasing her lips. "Nevermind. Luna."
The dark blue alicorn shifted. "Yes, dear sister?"
"How much of your energy has returned to you?"
"I assume you are inquiring if I have regained my ability to dreamwalk?"
"I see we are of the same mind." Celestia once again grabbed Luna's coffee, intent on sipping the revoltingly bitter drink as she had before, regardless of taste. Luna flicked her sister's horn, causing Celestia to yelp inelegantly. The coffee cup was curtly released from her golden grasp, and caught by a cobalt aura.
"My coffee," quipped the younger princess, taking her own sip of it before setting it down before her. "While not yet ideally, I have regained most of that particular ability. Enough to do as you are about to ask of me, that is, should we indeed be of the same mind."
"Um, if I may," Twilight raised her hoof, not unlike a filly in a schoolhouse, and smiled sheepishly as all eyes turned to her. "I feel like I missed a step here."
Cadance and Shining nodded. "And I as well."
"Well, Twilight," said Celestia. "I'm going to request that you stay here for the night. My sister has the power to walk among the dreams of ponies, and tonight I want her to investigate these recurring night terrors of yours, hopefully finding and quite possibly eliminating the source."
"Actually," spoke up Luna. "It is probable that I can enter her mind now, examine her memories, and see if I can unlock anything that may be of help." She raised up a hoof, looking straight at Twilight. "Now, I won't be able to directly examine your dreams, seeing as you are awake, but perhaps I can find something of use, or at the very least discover another piece of this puzzle."
Celestia gazed at Twilight, giving her protege a motherly smile. To Twilight, it appeared as the smile one gives their child when said foal was bedridden in the hospital. Or a friend. She had seen that smile numerous times shadowing the faces of her dearest friends as the visited her. "Are you okay with this, Twilight?" the princess asked.
"Mhm!" Twilight answered. "I welcome anything that you think might help! If it means getting rid of these nightmares, then I'm for it."
"Very well." Luna rose out of her throne, striding across the dais and down its few steps. She continued across the great hall, until an area void of furniture. Cobalt magic lifted several nearby tables and their accompanying stools, stacking them on each other so as to clear a gap a few meters wide around her. Satisfied, she turned back to the waiting mare.
"Twilight Sparkle, if you would be so kind as to join me down here?"
"Of course, Princess Luna!" Twilight hastily followed the alicorn's path towards the newly made clearing. "But, if I may, your highness, why the, um..." Twilight glanced around at the stacked benches apprehensively.
"It has been a very long time since I last dream walked, longer still since I have used this particular method," Luna explained. "This type of magic is highly invasive, and there is a chance your mind will reject me swimming through it. Should this happen, you will reflexively lash out, hence why I have cleared out an area for me to work."
"I... I won't hurt anypony, will I?" Twilight asked tentatively.
Luna shook her head. "No. Should anything happen, I shall contain it."
Twilight did not feel entirely assured by the princess's choice of words, but she was confident that whatever was to happen would be worthwhile, as long as the mystery behind these night terrors was solved. Come what may, as the common pony said.
"Are you ready, Twilight?"
The unicorn took in a deep breath, steeling herself for whatever was to happen. She held the air in for a moment, then released it. For a week she had been tormented by the unknown, and the prospect of being able to return to her less-than-normal life was both equal parts exhilarating and terrifying.
"I am ready, your highness," Twilight answered.
"Very well." Luna motioned for Twilight to lower her horn, and the mare complied. As the alicorn approached, Twilight squeezed her eyes shut, anxiously anticipating what was to come. She felt the princess's horn rub against her own, flinching slightly at the sensitivity.
"Please stay still," Luna chided. Twilight felt her cheeks flush at being reprimanded in front of an audience, but consigned herself to follow the simple order. The two of them could hear the three still seated at the royal's table wait with a bated breath; the silence was deafening.
A hum of magic buzzed, and Twilight felt the spell invade her horn, consuming it. It was a most uncomfortable feel, and she felt every instinct pushing her to counter. She beat down the impulse, attempting to assuage it by repeating to herself that it was necessary. Luna's spell reached through her horn, and into her mind. Twilight found it difficult to resist the urge to squirm; it felt like Luna had stuck her tongue into Twilight's brain, and was roving around inside. The urge became nigh unbearable as time went on, the tongue of magic extending deeper and deeper into her mind, exploring in a way that Twilight felt was uncomfortably intimate.
"I seemed to have found some sort of... door," Luna said. "Did you put this here?"
"No," Twilight answered, her voice strained. She could picture the very door Luna spoke of, wrought with a mysterious, dark material. There was no semblance of a handle, nor any other means of opening it. A cobalt mist explored the black gate, searching in vain for a opening. A distressing tingle ran through Twilight's spine, and she almost reflexively arched her back. It was all she could do to merely squeeze her eyes harder.
"I'm afraid I must forcibly open this door, if we wish to pursue this any further. Do you give me permission?"
Twilight's first instinct was to ask whether or not it would be painful. Did it really matter? How far had she gone before to save her friends, to save Equestria? She had charged head-first at a fully grown hydra, lulled to sleep an ursa minor and levitated it away from Ponyville with bare magic, and fought side-by-side with her five friends against an entire legion of invading changelings. If she were to be honest with herself, what was some pain to be rid of these nightmares that had caused her such distress?
"Y... yes."
The dark blue magic withdrew from the dark door, scrunching itself up. There it waited, biding its time as it gathered energy. Both mares held their breath; one concentrating on her spell, the other anxious for it to happen. Then, akin to a snake, it lashed out, striking the mental door with the unadulterated power of an alicorn.
Then Twilight's world fell to black.
Once again in the void, a penetrating sense of deja vu washed over her. She had been here before, in this abyss of shadows. However, something was different. The longer she thought, the more it came back to her. Here she could dwell on the nightmares, and remember. And she remembered chanting––chanting that was absent. Gone were the voices and whispers that had plagued her, gone were the alien words which poisoned her. Gone was the mist clouding her mind.
She called out, hoping that Luna had penetrated her dreams, but the darkness swallowed her words. The whispers quiet and her own voice restrained, the silence was maddening. Then, something new happened: She caught sight of movement in the shadows. At first she vainly hoped that Luna had indeed heard her silent call, and had come to rescue her. She ran toward the image, but soon she discerned that the pony was not the Princess of the Night.
She was accurate in assuming the entity was an alicorn, but unlike either of the alicorns she knew, his silhouette was masculine. She was also alarmed to discover that this was not the only unique attribute of the anonymous alicorn, as she could distinguish metallic wings and horn shimmering with a malicious glint in the darkness. Brilliant blue orbs glowed brightly from where Twilight assumed was his face, peering into Twilight's own eyes.
Those blue eyes... angered her. They made her want to tear apart the very fabric of reality, debase herself with the pleasures of the flesh, and blaspheme the innocence of youth, all with the darkest and blackest of magics! Instead of the princesses, Equestria would have a queen––not dark, but beautiful and terrible as the dawn; treacherous as the sea; stronger than the foundations of the earth! All would love her and despair!
The more she stared into the blue eyes of the mysterious alicorn, the more she felt her soul become corrupted and twisted. Yet, should could not glance away. Truth was hidden behind those eyes, promising all the answers she could want; all it would cost was the innocent naiveté of her soul.
Then, as quickly as it had come, everything vanished, and she awoke.
Something was wrong; this much was painfully obvious to Twilight as she awoke on the hard tile. The atmosphere in the great hall had changed, from the bated breath of anxious onlookers to thick tension. Twilight pushed herself off the floor, her breast warning her to move slowly, and looked to the dais. There the three spectators stood, wearing expressions varying from irresolute doubt to apprehensive fear, and neither of these were directed at her. Concern also lapped at the edges of her own mind as she turned around, curious as to what had caught their attention.
A few feet away from the unicorn lay a dark blue mare, curled up in a fetal position. Her body shuddered and her hooves shook, and her wings twitched spontaneously. Indistinct whispering came from her, unnerving those few who could hear it.
"Princess Luna..." Twilight breathed.
"Luna?" echoed Celestia.
The mare gave no answer, and nopony in the room dared to move. They stood still in the pregnant silence that hung over them, unsure of how to react. The words of Luna echoed in her mind, and Twilight worried that perhaps she had lashed out in response to the princess's invasive magic, and Luna was wrong in her ability to contain it. Had she truly done this to the princess?
"Lulu!" Celestia charged down the stairs toward her sister, breaking the spell about them and prompting Cadance and Shining Armor to follow her. Each stopped short just a couple meters away from the fetal alicorn.
"Princess Luna, I'm so sorry!" Twilight said as she moved towards the mare. "I... I didn't mean for anything like this to happen, honest!"
Just a few inches away, Twilight could hear bits and pieces of the mare's indistinct whispering. It sounded as though she were pleading with some unseen being, whom was torturing her. Distress coated her every word, and Twilight's heart went out to the mare. She remembered lying on a bed, out of breath and scared for her life. She remembered the feel of a claw reassuring her with it's touch. Twilight looked down at the pitiable alicorn, and reached out her hoof.
"Twilight!" Celestia warned, but she was too late.
"NO!" Luna's voice resounded deafeningly throughout the great hall as she jumped to her feet, her eyes flashing a deep aquamarine. It was the last thing Twilight saw before her vision turned cobalt, and a blinding pain coursed through her like lightning.
Twilight heard her name cried out from somewhere far away. She blinked furiously, trying to see through the tears clouding her eyes. Her body lay against one of the stones pillars holding up the room, a fresh spiderweb of cracks apparent midway up. Attempting to rise caused a bout of nausea, and she resolved to lay on the cold tile. A pale blur rushed toward her, and it seemed to be panicking.
"Twily!" the blur spoke in her brother's voice, as it slowly took the form of a muscular stallion. "Are you alright? Can you stand up?"
Any sort of answer Twilight attempted came out as a pained groan. She tried to move, to twist her body into a more dignified position, but any motion was met with a swift and paralyzing fire from just above her midriff.
"Cadance! I think she damaged that rib," Shining said to the pink figure that cantered beside him. The mare's horn, aimed at the immobilized unicorn, flashed a vibrant bright blue.
"I'm sorry, Twilight," was the only thing she said before the mare was bathed in alicorn's magic. Nigh instantaneously the pain vanished, leaving Twilight feeling naught but numb. She tried to move, but a pink hoof pushed her back down.
"Not yet," was the only explanation given, as Cadance laid her horn over Twilight's breast. An extension of her magic slipped beneath the mare's skin and fur, and for a moment she suffered an extremely uncomfortable and nauseating feeling of her insides squirming before Cadance withdrew her horn.
"Ugh, what just happened?" Twilight groaned.
Before she could receive an answer from either pony standing beside her, several guards rushed in, spears in hoof as their eyes simultaneously trained onto the fallen mare and the cracked column above her. One of them stepped forward.
"Your highness, we heard a commotion. Is everything well?" he said, addressing Celestia. The guard who spoke eyed the lunar princess, prompting her sister to place a wing around her. Luna seemed to not notice, opting to stare at Twilight with an expression of fear, a look that did not suit the more sober royal sister.
"Everything is under control, Adamant Shield," Celestia answered. "You may return to your posts." Her gaze followed the stallions as they left the great hall, each sharing looks of uncertainty as they followed through with their supreme leader's order. She sighed internally as she watched them leave; it appeared she still had yet to thoroughly remove the dissension towards her sister.
Celestia lightly shook her.
"Luna, are you okay?"
"I... will be fine." The dark blue alicorn broke away from her sister's hold, trotting toward one of few whom she considered a friend. "I am so sorry, Twilight. I did not mean to attack you, let alone cause you harm. I fear I was not myself."
The mare adjusted herself as to better look Luna in the eyes. There was a shadow shrouding the alicorn's aqua irises, masking their potential beauty. Twilight did her best to smile, but being unable to feel her own body, there was a chance she was actually frowning.
"It's alright, Princess Luna, it wasn't your fault," she said.
"If only that were true..." Nopony was certain whether Luna intended for them to hear those words, and nopony acted upon them. "Tia, I would seek private counsel with you, if you wouldn't mind," she said, turning back to her sister.
Celestia tilted her head, furrowing her brow. "Certainly, little sister," she answered, before glancing at the fallen mare and the two standing vigil over her. "Why don't you head down to my chamber? I'll meet you there."
Luna nodded, throwing another apologetic look towards Twilight before walking out of the great hall. Celestia watched her sister leave their presence, waiting until the small side door that led to the back halls closed behind the mare before turning her attention her to protègè.
The student gave her mentor a warm smile, but the smile Celestia returned did not reach her eyes.
Twilight's face flushed as she glanced awkwardly at her body. "Um... would you mind helping me up?" she asked sheepishly. "I can't seem to feel my legs." The mare was lifted into the air by a field of blue and pink, righting her and standing her on her hooves. Twilight wobbled a bit as she regained her balance, a feat made difficult as she could not feel the tile beneath her. This did not go unnoticed by a particular alicorn.
"Did you use an anesthetic spell?"
Cadance shook her head. "Not exactly; it's a variant I perfected a few years ago, that severs the brain's connection to the nerves," she explained. "She still has full control of her body, just minus the pain."
Twilight's eyes lit up with a familiar spark, her face split by a bright grin. "Fascinating! You have to teach me later!"
Cadance, Celestia, and Shining Armor each shared a look between them, giggling softly much to Twilight's confusion.
"What?" she asked, glancing at each of them.
"Only you, Twilight," answered Cadance with a shake of her head. Shining and Cadance pressed their shoulders against the unicorn, gently leading her back up the dais' steps and to her seat.
"Are you certain you are alright, Twilight?" asked Celestia, after the mare had been returned to a more comfortable and less vulnerable posture. Before she answered, she reached out with her magic and brought the tankard before her to her lips. When nothing left the mug, she peered into it, then placed it back on the table, lamenting that she had already finished off her hot chocolate.
"I'm fine, Princess. Thank you."
"I'm just glad you aren't hurt. Or at least more so than you were," Celestia said, nuzzling the seated mare. She briefly eyed the door that Luna had exited through, a frown forming over her smile. "Well then, if you'll pardon me, I'll leave you with your brother and sister-in-law, whilst I go and find my own sister and lend her a much-needed ear," she said. She hesitantly trotted toward the exit, glancing back at the mare she had come to see as her daughter. The mare whose body was broken. Oh, how it pained her to see Twilight in such a state, and herself unable to act upon her own motherly whim.
"Princess Celestia, er, before you leave," called out Twilight. Celestia stopped, giving the mare her full attention. "If you wouldn't mind, I would like to peruse the, er... the Restricted Annex later?" Twilight coughed. "If you wouldn't mind?"
Celestia took a brief moment to observe her pupil's chichè smile, near as wide as her face and twice as bright as the sparkle in her eyes. Certainly the mare was hiding something, that much was quite certain. The answer to what she was concealing was not as certain, but Celestia had long ago ceased worrying over Twilight's antics. Should something be on the young mare's mind, then in due time, when she was ready, she would approach her mentor––most likely with a rather thick scroll containing her notes on the subject.
"Certainly Twilight, of course you may. I'll let Papyrus know to expect you." And with that, Celestia departed from the great hall, a pleasantly warm feeling in her gut, the prospect of a report from her pupil dragging with it a welcome nostalgia. It truly had been too long.
(_/-.-\(_)/-.-\_)
The Hall of the Elements.
Once upon a time seemingly so long ago, it was known as the Hall of Records, or sometimes the Hall of Dancing Lights. Up and down its entire length were large stained glass window panes, each several tail-lengths in width and twice as many high. Some of them bore specific designs, picturing fantastic feats of heroes both dead and alive, and many still were yet bare, awaiting another pony to rise up, and earn their prestige. During the day, when the Sun sat high in its perch, the Hall would swim with a multitude of brilliant colors that gave it a vibrant life.
Now, however, night had fallen, and what little light would be cast by the moon was choked out by a persistent storm. The soft pitter-patter on the glass echoed in the dark, lonely hall, with naught but a single mare to hear its sorrowful tune. This mare sat beneath a particular window, one of the closest to the end of the room. The scene depicted was perhaps appropriate, given the circumstances of that morning:
A dark alicorn mare, with fierce blue eyes and a raging mane posed in a threatening rear. She was surrounded in a bright glow, originating from six mares arranged in a circle around her.
The lonesome mare sighed, humming a tune from long ago, a tune that she held dear to her heart. Her gaze turned from Fall of Nightmare Moon to a nearby piece, the very first stained glass. A bright pink heart, set ablaze by an unknown source, sat as a centerpiece around another circle of six ponies, each of these mares bearing warm smiles as they sang their songs. Beneath the window, engraved on a golden plaque was written it's name: The Fire of Friendship.
"... Laughter and singing will see us through," the mare sang quietly to herself. "We are a circle of pony friends, a––"
"––A circle of friends, we'll be to the very end~!" A second, unexpected voice added to her own, and the mare turned to see who this newcomer was.
"We still have a few more months before Hearth's Warming Eve, your majesty," said the newcomer, who upon closer inspection was a unicorn. A familiar unicorn. "If you don't mind me saying, you do have a beautiful voice. Perhaps you should take part in the next pageant."
"Thank you, Twilight Sparkle, your words are kind," answered Princess Luna, allowing a smile to curl the tips of her frown. "But I do not know how other ponies would take my... intervention into one of their traditions."
Twilight shook her head. "Oh, I doubt that, Princess Luna––"
"––You may call me Luna, if you wish to, Twilight. We are alone, I hope."
"Alright then, Luna." The taste of a royal's name without the proper title was awkward on Twilight's tongue. "If you remember, Nightmare Night was rather successful. I think the citizens of Ponyville enjoyed having you visit, and I do remember one particular colt asking you to come back for this year."
A flash of light illuminated the hall, followed swiftly by the sound of the sky being ripped in two.
"I am a part of Nightmare Night, to have me there was to be expected. However, Hearth's Warming Eve is about you ponies, a tribute to the founding of Equestria."
Twilight looked at the Princess, cocking her head to the side. "Were you and Princess Celestia not involved in that?" She tapped a hoof on her chin. "Now that I think about it, I don't remember either of you being mentioned in the script."
Luna did not answer immediately. Instead, she focused her gaze on the stained glass of The Fire of Friendship. The longer she stared, the more her brow furrowed, and her lips thinned. Finally, after a few short minutes that felt like an age in the pregnant silence, "We were, and we weren't."
Twilight raised her eyebrow.
"We were... indirectly involved," Luna amended, as if that would clear up the confusion.
"Do you mean 'we' as in the Royal 'We', or as in you and your sister?"
"Both," Luna answered ominously. Before Twilight could inquire any further, "Tia told me that you were researching in the Restricted Annex. Did you find what you were looking for?"
It was Twilight's turn to sigh. "Sadly, no."
"May I ask what it is that interested you?"
Twilight paused. She had intended to ask Princess Celestia about it, as Celestia would understand. Luna? That morning she had convinced herself to let come what may should Luna have been present, but now that she was once again faced with that decision, Twilight found that her resolve waivered.
"I see." Twilight panicked; she had been quiet too long!
"N-no! I just––History," she recovered. "I was researching Equestria's History."
"What particular section, that required restricted books?" Luna asked. "Perhaps I can remember what the scribes failed to record."
Another crack of thunder.
"Well, mostly I was interested in the founding of Equestria."
Luna hummed. "I apologize; I cannot help you there. I myself barely remember much from that time period."
"That's alright. Perhaps Princess Celestia can help me."
Luna stared hard at the six founders of Equestria, forever immortalized. "Yes. Perhaps she can."
The two mares sat side by side, listening to the arrhythmic pitter-patter of the rain grow stronger as the storm outside evolved into a torrent.
"Luna? About this morning..."
"I am sorry, Twilight. I know not what came over me." The unicorn failed to see the alicorn's eyes flick to the image of Nightmare Moon. "Believe me when I say that the last thing I intended to do was hurt a friend," Luna said, facing Twilight. While her face held stern, Twilight could see her sentiment echo in her eyes. There was something more, something buried beneath the remorse, but it mattered not. She gave the alicorn a genuine smile.
"I forgive you, Luna," she said, holding her hooves out.
Luna stepped back, blinking furiously. "I..." she stared at Twilight trepidly, who began to worry she made a wrong move in offering a hug. Luna saw the expression on Twilight's face fall, and quickly stepped into the embrace, returning it. "It has been a long time since I've heard those words. Thank you."
"Ugh, gag! I think I'd rather be back in my granite prison than be forced to watch this touching moment," a voice echoed across the hall, sounding as if it originated from the walls themselves.
Twilight and Luna broke their hug, staring at one another with equal amounts of confusion and fear reflecting in their eyes.
"Who's there!" yelled Luna. Twilight searched out a particular window, one that depicted a creature stitched from various animals puppeteering with marionettes of living ponies.
"I'm insulted that you don't remember me, dear Lulu. It's only been a few thousand years," said the disembodied voice. Twilight held the image's malicious gaze, knowing full well what was about to happen. That did not make it easier to swallow.
"I saw the Elements of Harmony turn you to stone!" Twilight told him, then turned to Luna. "This has to be another one of his tricks."
"Au contraire, mon ami!" There was a flash of light, and several ponies dressed in vivacious ponchos and sombreros, wielding musical instruments materialized in front of the princess and the unicorn. Heralding their appearance was a loud blast from a few of their trumpets, before they began strumming out a pleasant tune.
Another flash of light, and standing before them was a creature unlike no other. His tufted snake tail flicked to the beat of the mariachi band behind him, and he flashed the mares a uni-fanged smile as he spread his mis-matched arms and declared,
"He's back!"
