Chapter 13: The Heart of Equestria

"To be honest, you have been flying for too long. We should find a place and rest, Alpha."

"No, I'll be fine." Alpha replied, violently shaking his head to keep himself awake.

The young white colt had been flying for 4 hours straight. His speed fell below Mach 1 an hour after breaking the sonic barrier and now, after 4 hours of non-stop flying were at their breaking point.

"Alpha, either you land now and find a place to land or I will forcefully take over and find us a place to sleep."

"What has gotten into you, Beta?" Alpha asked, starting to descend to the ground.

"You have!" Beta replied, his voice full to the brim with worry. "You haven't had a good night's sleep in over a month! Every time you wake up, you wake up screaming and sweating, as if you just woke up after you had your wing taken off. You are like a brother to me. I worry that you will become sick, so sick that I won't be able to help you. I don't want that to happen."

Alpha felt a tear run down his face and realized Beta was crying. Even though Beta was over 900 years old, he died alone, hurt, and at the age of 8. In all seriousness, he was older and more mature than Alpha but younger in character and in self-control.

"Don't cry, I'm landing as fast as I can." He looked around for a place to land but he couldn't see any. He was in the mountains now. All he saw was snow and rock. He spotted a cave and dived to it. His hoofs hit the snow and stuck in, flipping him head of heels through the snow. After tumbling for a few meters, he came to a halt. Alpha stood up shivering in the cold, and walked to the cave. Once he was inside, out of the cold wind, he walked to what seemed like the end of the cave. It was dark, and his eyes had just adjusted to the lack of light when he fell through a hole. He hit the ground on his brace, the wing skittering off in the darkness.

Alpha was weak and tired. He fought the urge to curl up into a ball and cry himself to sleep. Getting up, he looked for his wing, and saw it on the ground. Alpha walked to it, slipped it on, and winced as the cold metal touched his bare skin. He looked up to see some light coming from around the corner, Curious, he walked around the corner and his jaw dropped in awe. He was in the middle of the mountain. It was hollow but Alpha wasn't looking around. He stared at the curtain of fire, water and magic in the middle the fire and water clashed together, creating a blur of colors. The colors then flew upwards, joining together into a ball of magic and flew out of a hole in the center of the room. It was warm in the room. He looked around, trying to find a way down to the curtain when he saw a flight of stairs.

He raced to the stairs, galloping down them, and walked to the center of the room.

"Welcome to the Heart of Equestria." Said a voice behind Alpha.

Alpha looked behind himself to see Luna standing there watching. He felt Beta rise as he extended both wings to fly away.

Luna saw Alpha extend both wings and raised a hoof. "Calm yourself Beta, I am not here to fight." She walked down the stairs with an elegant grace to Alpha. Alpha retracted both wings but kept his attention on Luna. "I realize what my sister has done, and I am sorry. I am also sorry for attacking you 3 months ago. I was unaware of what actually happened."

Alpha felt Beta descend as he accepted Luna's apology. Alpha turned around to focus his attention on the spectacle behind him. Luna walked up behind him and stood beside him.

"This is one of Equestria's many secrets that my sister has hidden from the public. The Fire symbolizes Celestia while the Water Symbolizes Me." Luna said, watching the water and fire. "When both clash, they create a ball of colors. The ball flies out through the ceiling and to Canterlot, to the castle." She said as she watched. Luna lowered her head. "When I was banned to the moon, my sister would come to this place often. It is the only place where she could speak to me, through the water."

Alpha had already lied down on the ground and was falling asleep. Luna saw Alpha falling asleep and reached lifted her wing, exposing a bag. She opened the bag with her magic, and took out a blanket. Luna then covered Alpha with the blanket, and then started to continue as she started to walk around the room.

"I was not able to visit Beta's dreams because my sister would not allow me to." She looked at Alpha, his hair now glowing red as Beta stayed awake, listening. "I tried to beg her to allow me into your dreams, to protect her. But she did not allow it. Only after you were defeated did she allow me into the dreams of the colts and mares of Equestria." Luna lowered her head as she tried to control her emotions. "I remember what you did for me, Beta. I will not forget. And I have a job to do now; one that I have not been allowed to do since you were abandoned by your parents." She walked to Alpha and lied down beside him. She lowered her head, her horn touching Alpha's head as she joined his dream.

Once inside his dream, Luna understood why Alpha had not been sleeping as well as he used to. She watched as he watched his younger self watch as his parents left him.

Alpha moved his head, temporarily severing the connection. Once connected again, Luna realized she was in a different dream. She watched in horror as Alpha was tortured, a black pony severing his wing. She watched as Beta bonded with Alpha, his body floating as he took control and punished those who brought pain upon Alpha. Alpha's head twitched, and again a new dream came. This time it showed Beta. Beta looked around him, watching as his friends left him, betraying him. He watched as his friends became enemies, calling him names, punching and kicking him. She watched as she saw Beta start to cry then scream in anger. The dream around her began to burn up. Luna watched as Beta turned on the ponies that hated him, watched as he killed and tortured those who hurt him. She gasped as she woke up from the dream.

Her sister had lied to her. She looked at Alpha. She watched as he began to twitch violently, began to squirm and wail as if he was on fire. He began to cry harder and harder, wailing and screaming in agony. But he wasn't the only one screaming and crying. Beta was as well. His hair was flashing from blue to red as both Alpha and Beta took over, crying and screaming in their own nightmare. Luna watched in horror as the white colt screamed and cried loudly.

Alpha woke with a start, screaming and crying. He looked around and realized where he was. He stopped and stared at the fire, clashing with the water, creating a ball of color then rushing out through the roof. He turned his head and saw Luna lying down beside him. He saw her face and knew what she had done and saw.

"It's been like that for a month. Every time I close my eyes, either I or Beta have nightmares." He slowly shook his head as he wiped his eyes. "It's already bad enough what we both went through. At least we should be able to sleep easily. That is the least that we deserve." He lowered his head, closing his eyes in a futile attempt to sleep peacefully. "That or die."

Luna covered Alpha with her wing as she moved closer to him. She laid her head next to his, her horn touching his. She closed her eyes and transferred her dream to his. She listened as Alpha's breathing slowed as his and Beta's dream eased and relaxed. She then slowly got up, and after waiting ten minutes to see if Alpha needed more help, left at once. She flew to the castle, in hopes to talk to her sister. She knew Celestia will not be pleased by what she did. But this has gone too far for too long.