//------------------------------// // Hopes // Story: No Heroes Part III - For Dreams // by PaulAsaran //------------------------------// Fine was in his office going over the scrolls that kept appearing at his desk when the doorbell gonged through the house. He’d been so focused on reading he nearly fell out of his chair. Grumbling under his breath, he considered ignoring the visitor. He relented, though; he never had company, so this would probably be important. He set the scroll aside and exited the room, sure to set the magical seals as he did. The gong rang again, echoing even more loudly in the long hallways. Fine could imagine his guest’s impatience, so he cast his teleportation spell and was soon right before the door. He felt at the knife hanging from around his neck, just to be sure it was there, then brought his eye to the peephole. Nearly a second later the locks were undone and the door opened wide. “Fluttershy!” The pegasus trembled and fidgeted as she glanced around at the surrounding woods with wide eyes. “P-please let me c-c-come in…” “Of course you can come in.” He stood aside and she wasted no time entering. “What in Equestria are you doing out here?” Fluttershy took a moment to calm herself, a hoof on her chest. “I promised to come visit… so I came.” He gawked. She came all this way through the Everfree Forest just to visit him? “Fluttershy, I told you I’d escort you here if you’d just tell me when you planned on coming.” She blushed and hid behind her mane. “I know, but I had a little encouragement.” For a moment he was still confused, but then a thought came to him. “Your furry and feathered friends dragged you out here, didn’t they?” She winced with a nervous smile. “I guess you could say a lot of encouragement. I was just talking to them about how I’d like to see where you lived, and before I could stop them…” He laughed. “Well, I’m glad you have such encouraging friends! I promise to escort you back home after your visit.” “I’d appreciate that,” she said, but then took a look around the spacious entrance hall. “I never thought your home would be so big. Do you live with somepony else?” “Nope, just me." She gaped at him. “You must be very wealthy.” “Meh.” He shrugged. “I only paid for the residential portion of the house. The Archons handled everything else.” She tilted her head with raised eyebrows. “Like what?” “Oh, archives, the treasure room, a potions la—wait.” He leaned forward a little, a touch of excitement in his voice. “You mean you believe that I’m the Mane Archon now?” Fluttershy chewed her lip and nodded. “After how Princess Cadance acted when we were in the Crystal Empire, the way she seemed to be keeping secrets, it sort of supported what you’d told me. And in the past couple months, the way you dodge certain topics around the others but not around me…” A relieved smile came to his lips. “So you finally get it? That when I said I’d never lie to you, I meant it?” She shifted for a couple seconds... then gave him a very direct look. “Yes. You said I could help you with something. I thought the Door of Fears was it… but there’s something else, isn’t there?” Her perceptiveness surprised Fine. He leaned back a little and cocked his head as he studied her. “Yes… yes, there is something else.” Fluttershy sat down before him, her expression unusually serious. “Fine… you visit me a lot, help me when you can. You asked me to help you in the Crystal Empire. Yet you don’t visit the others all that much. You hardly visit Ponyville at all.” Fine wasn’t sure where she was going with this. “I’m a very antisocial character, Fluttershy.” She eyed him, the harshness of her eyes defying her usual timid nature. “Are you just pretending to be my friend so I’ll help you?” His jaw dropped. For an instant he felt a strange sense of panic welling within him. “No, not at all!” She didn’t look convinced. “Fluttershy… okay, yes, when we first met that was the case. But you are my friend… aren’t you?” “I’m not sure,” she answered, looking not just a little angry. “I’d like to say yes, but I just don’t know.” He sagged, her words like a knife to the heart. He tried to think of a way to recover this situation. After some consideration, he realized that honesty was probably his best chance. “Fluttershy, aside from Princess Luna, you are the only pony I can count on right now. You’re the only pony I can get close to.” Fluttershy shook her head, expression critical. “I'd like to believe you, but you’ve been working with Twilight a bit lately. You don’t visit her like you do me, but she told me how you shared that book with her. And your loyalties to the princess are no secret at all. Why should I think myself special?” She was asking. At long last, she was actually asking the question. Did that mean it was time? Fine studied her, and could see how unusually serious she was. “Fluttershy… I want you to understand something. If I tell you the answer to that question, everything between us will change. I can’t say for certain if it will be a good change. I want to be your friend, and I need you to trust me, because the help I need is not some small task.” She opened her mouth to speak, expression uncertain. He shushed her with a sharp motion of his hoof. “I was waiting,” he continued. “Waiting to be certain that you would take the plunge with me. I don’t know that you are ready yet… but I suppose, since you’re here and asking me these questions, that it can wait no longer. I will answer your question if you really want me to, but should you decide to help, the task will be a challenge for both of us. “So you tell me, Fluttershy: do you really want to know the truth?” She stared at him, silently pondering his words. He could almost see the gears in her head turning. After over a minute of careful contemplation she nodded, though she didn’t appear at all certain of herself. “You’re sure?” Fluttershy hesitated and averted her eyes. “I… I want to know.” He studied her thoughtfully, but knew that there was no going back. “Come with me. “I must admit,” he said as they started towards a long hallway into the center of the house, “it’s not like you to be so… suspecting.” “I know,” she confessed with a pout, “but after so long even I have to have my doubts. Y… you’re not… mad, are you?” “Fluttershy, in my line of work you’ve got to suspect a lot of things,” he answered solemnly. “No, I’m not mad. If anything, I’m impressed.” He paused and turned to face what was – as far as could be seen – just a plain old wall. His horn glowed, and somewhere within the wall there came the sound of objects sliding around. After a few seconds there was a loud clicking sound and the panels on the wall slipped back slightly. They dropped into the floor to reveal a hidden passage. Fluttershy made a startled sound. “How did you do that?” “Puzzle in the wall,” he answered simply, walking through the opening. She followed, but slowly. The treasure room. Suits of pony armor, weapons, artifacts, books, heirlooms, jewels – and that was just one wall. “Dear Celestia…” Fluttershy whispered, spinning around in place to look at the vast collection. “What is this place?” “The Archons collect things over the years,” Fine told her. “Trophies from successful missions mostly, but we also keep safe dangerous magical relics, have a vast library of historically significant books… well, it would take too long to talk about everything. The ten highest-ranking figures of the Archons each have a collection like this one. Take a look.” He walked towards a plaque on one of the walls, gesturing for her to come closer. On it was a long, black horn with a chunk of the top missing. Fluttershy took a frightened step back. “Is that King Sombra’s?” He nodded. “I had to cut it off his head to make sure he couldn’t use his magic to escape Rainbow’s Rainboom. Kept it as a souvenir.” She turned away from it with a shiver. “That’s terrible! Why would you keep something like that?” He'd anticipated that reaction. “To remember the victory, of course. I know you disapprove, Fluttershy. That’s why you needed to see it.” “Well I have,” she replied fretfully. “Can we move on now, please?” He guided her through another two rooms, occasionally pointing an object or two out to her. She remained silent, the sight of Sombra’s horn having clearly affected her, but in the fourth room she came to an abrupt stop and retreated back behind the wall of the last one. “I-is that a dragon’s skull?” He looked up at the massive thing hanging from the ceiling. “Sure is. Reddux the Tyrant, meanest and most pony-hating dragon that ever lived. Or so they say.” She stared up at it from around the corner, trembling. “W-why do you have a d-d-d-dragon skull in your h-house?” “Same as Sombra’s horn,” he replied, “to remember what I’ve done.” Her horrified gaze turned to him. “You mean you killed a dragon?” “The dragon,” he corrected, then added self-consciously, “but I was just lucky that time, really. By all rights I shouldn’t have survived.” “I don’t like dragons,” she admitted, “but to kill one? Why did you do that?” He blinked and took a second t study her with a frown. “It was self defense, and in the defense of Equestria and Celestia. Surely you know who Reddux was?” She nodded feebly, still refusing to come out from behind the corner. “C-couldn’t you have just… d-defeated him?” He tapped his knife uncertainly, realizing she might not be ready for what he really had to show her. But they’d already begun. “Come on, Fluttershy, let me show you what I really want you to see.” She gave a weak, pleading smile, her eyes going up to the massive skull. “C-can’t we just… go around?” Fine sighed. “It’s dead. It’s not gonna come back to life and try to eat you.” She sunk back a little, hiding behind her pink mane. “Yes… but it’s still a dragon.” Fine glanced up at the skull, then at the trembling pegasus. He didn’t want to press her, so he thought up another solution. He walked over to stand beside her. “Hold still and don’t move too much.” He reached a hoof over her shoulder and pressed her close, eliciting a surprised yelp from the timid mare. “W-what are you—” His horn glowed and they were soon shrouded in black smoke. A second later, they both reappeared across the room. He let her go and she shrank back from him, looking around in alarm. “Relax,” he said with a calming gesture, “I just moved us across the room, that’s all.” “Oh.” she blushed shakily, hiding behind her mane once more. “I didn’t… w-warn me next time, okay?” He smiled – sometimes her manner was simply adorable – and nodded towards the next room. “Come, we’re practically there. “Tell me,” he said as they walked, “have you ever heard of Elzibet Batherpony?” Before them was another opening, but this one was unlike the others in that it had a door. Fluttershy paused, the name striking a cord. “She was a witch, w-wasn’t she?” “No, Fluttershy,” he responded, the door’s hidden puzzle shifting and changing under his magic, “she was a murderer. Don’t touch anything in this room. Most of these things could kill you.” The door opened with a metallic creak. He turned and saw that Fluttershy had her wings over her tightly closed eyes. He smiled and walked beside her, tapping her gently on the back. She shook her head. “I d-don’t think I want t-to go in there.” He rubbed her back, keeping his voice soothing. “You asked. You said you’d like to know what I need help with. It’s in there, Fluttershy.” “I d-didn’t think it would be with anything s-s-scary,” she confessed, still not opening her eyes. He studied her for a moment. Should he press her? He wanted to, he really did. Would it be considered cruel to do so? Probably. Still… she was here, right now, and now that she’d seen so much she might not come again. It was now or never, and never wasn’t an option. But Goddess, did he hate himself for it. “Listen to me carefully, Fluttershy,” he whispered. “If you don’t help me, somepony is going to die. Soon.” Her eyes opened. She gave him an alarmed, disbelieving look through her feathers. “You don’t mean that.” “I do,” he replied ominously. “I mean it, Fluttershy. Until this is resolved, a pony will die once every three weeks… roughly. It’s been going on for years. I think you can help me stop it, but to do so you need to know what I’m planning.” She glanced away, the hesitancy plain on her face. “I told you this would be a challenge.” They remained there for several long minutes. She appeared to be struggling with the decision, and he didn’t bother to try persuading her. He’d said all he needed to. Whether they did what needed to be done or not was entirely up to her. If she backed out… well, Luna would take it as a blessing, wouldn’t she? Though it must have required all her willpower, Fluttershy stepped forward. Satisfied that she’d made her decision, Fine walked along with her, helping her with an encouraging hoof to her shoulder. “Don’t let this be too scary,” she whispered. It sounded like a prayer. Turned out it wasn’t scary at all, as Fine knew. The room appeared to be filled with more trophies like the ones in the other rooms. He thought she’d be pleased. “You had me scared to death!” Fluttershy shot him an angry look. “I thought this place would be filled with… with… I don’t know, with something!” She was about to gesture with her hoof at the room, which he noted would put her dangerously close to touching a flute on a pedestal. An instant of panic and he snatched her away, safe and sound, and gave her a glare that shut her up quick. “Don’t. Touch. Anything.” He held her gaze for a few extra seconds, just to be certain she understood how serious he was. “Everything in this room is cursed. I repeat: some of the things in here could kill you. So please, be careful.” She glanced around at the seemingly innocuous items all around her. She observed the flute she’d come close to bumping and pointed a hoof at it with a questioning expression. “Everplay curse,” he said. “Those who touch it can’t stop playing, so they keep on ‘till they die of hunger or thirst.” She took a wary step back from the flute. “Why not just destroy it?” “Can’t,” he declared. “Destroy it and the curse jumps to the object used to do so. Plus we might have a use for it. This way.” He led her around the room’s many trinkets and treasures, noting with satisfaction that she was trying to keep as far away from everything as she could manage. At last they came upon what he was looking for: a heavy wooden table. It had chains and cuffs all over it, and dark stains covered the top of it. At the center was an imprint of a pony’s back, with legs set at the sides. Fluttershy ducked behind him. “Fine, i-is that what I think it is?” He turned to her and nodded solemnly. “It’s a torture rack. It belonged to Elzibet Batherpony.” She backed away from it slowly, taking care to keep well away from the other objects as well. “W-why are you sh-showing me that?” He set his hoof on it, to show that it was safe. “This rack was cursed so that any unicorn kept in it wouldn’t be able to use magic. Unicorns were Elzibet’s favorite… toys. It’s magic is worn down and needs a recharge, but it’s perfect for what I have in mind.” “W-which is…?” He gave her the most serious expression he could muster. “I want use it on myself.” “What?” Her fear was gone completely thanks to her surprise. “You…? Fine, why would you want to do that?” “Have you ever heard of a Bloodmane?” he asked. She shook her head. “It’s an extremely rare mental disorder. I won’t bore you with the details. All you need to know is that those who have the Bloodmane illness are addicted to murder. They must kill regularly or suffer from withdrawal… which isn’t pleasant. A number of famous pony killers are suspected to have been Bloodmanes.” She shivered. “Fine… I don’t want to hear this.” He walked up to her, removing his necklace as he did. He offered the knife to her, but she refused to take it. “Take a close look, Fluttershy. What do you see?” She gazed at the weapon quietly. “Umm… a knife?” “But what is the blade made from?” She blinked and gave him an uncertain look. She studied it a little more carefully, but after a few seconds she shook her head. “I have no idea.” He sighed, a little surprised that she didn’t recognize it. “The blade was carved from a unicorn’s horn, Fluttershy.” She pulled away as if afraid of being stabbed. “A u-u-unicorn’s horn?” He nodded and sat, using his hooves to feel the blade’s sharp edge. “Long ago, I had a friend. My only friend at the time. She killed a unicorn and took his horn as a souvenir.” Fluttershy sat in a manner that suggested her hind legs couldn’t support her anymore. “Dear sweet Celestia, Fine, why would she do that? And why do you have it?” “She killed him over a jacket,” he explained as if the matter were trivial. “Both were homeless and needed to keep warm over the winter. Life can be cruel sometimes. As to why I have it…” The knife rose up into the air via his magic and pointed at Fluttershy. She stared at it fearfully, eyes growing cross as they followed its lethargic motions. It stabbed a few times into the air, as if Fine were using it to stab somepony she couldn’t see. “I killed her, and took it for myself. She was my first.” For a moment she could only stare, dumbstruck and with wide eyes. She cracked a nervous smile. “F-Fine… that’s n-n-not a good thing to j… to joke about.” “It’s no joke, Fluttershy,” he replied, eyes sharp. “I’m a Bloodmane, and I killed my only friend when I was still a teen.” The blade came down to his hoof and he gazed at it with a solemn, brooding expression. “I’ve been killing ponies regularly ever since. I'm five days overdue, in fact.” Her jaw dropped. She clearly understood just how serious he was. He waited for her to respond, but she only kept staring. And then, a terrified squeak coming out of her throat, she scrambled and ran away. He sighed and began to follow, not bothering to run. He found her at the secret door way back in the first treasure room. But the door, set to a timer, had closed on its own, and Fluttershy was pressed against it as if trying to find some sort of secret mechanism. She had tears running down her cheeks and her breath was coming in short, terrified gasps. “It won’t open just like that,” he said. She jerked around and pressed her back against the wall. Her terror was as plain as day. “K… k-keep away from m-me!” He sat obediently. “Fluttershy, if I was going to kill you I’d have done it months ago.” She shivered, her horrified eyes locked with his. “So w-why didn’t you?” He smiled. “Well for one, if I killed an Element Bearer Celestia and Luna would fight over who got to skin me and who kept the hide.” Fluttershy didn’t laugh, not that he’d expected her to. “The truth is... I think you’re immune.” “…Im… Immune?” “Yes, immune.” He tapped his knife, making it sway like a pendulum. He kept his eyes low, not wanting to intimidate. “You see, Fluttershy, three weeks after my latest kill I start to have hallucinations about killing ponies. These visions only happen when I’m with a pony, and the vision tempts me into the kill. If I resist and let the vision pass without acting, my body responds with intense pain.” She scooted sideways and away from him, pressed tight against the wall. the wall. “…o-okay…” He stood. She slid even farther back. He followed. “Every time I meet a pony when overdue for a kill, I have a vision tempting me. Every single pony. Until I met you.” She was caught trembling in a corner, looking as though she wanted to melt into the floor. He leaned forward so that he could look directly into her terrified eyes. “I’ve never had a vision of you, Fluttershy. Even now, when I’m almost a week overdue, the visions won’t come. You’re immune. So you see… I won’t hurt you.” She stared up at him, shaking like a leaf even as she considered his words. “Are you… are you r-really sure?” He nodded. “I’m certain of it.” He stepped back, giving her some space and hoping she might relax. She did… but only slightly. “I need you to help me, Fluttershy.” She shook her head violently. “I’m not going to help you kill ponies!” He tilted his head at her, surprised at her declaration. “I don’t want to kill ponies.” “But… you just said…” “I’m a Bloodmane,” Fine explained in exasperation. “I have to kill or I’m in agony! But I don’t want to. I want to be cured, Fluttershy, that’s all, and I need your help to do it.” Fluttershy shook her head once more. “I can’t! Th-there has to be somepony else you can ask.” “No, it has to be you.” He began to pace before her. “Any pony who tries to help me runs the very real risk of being killed, or at least hurt. I don’t want that. But you can do this and there will be no risk. You’re safe, Fluttershy, perfectly and blessedly safe, and that means that if any pony is going to help me it has to be you.” At last she separated from the wall and sat. She still looked very much afraid, though. “But what can I do?” He turned to her, his voice laced with sincere hope. “Just watch me. Take care of me.” Yet again, it seemed her surprise outweighed her fear. She thought about his words for a moment, clearly not understanding. “What do you mean?” He gestured behind him, back to where the Curse Room was. “It’s conceptually very simple. I get put on that rack and locked down tight. I won’t be able to use my magic to escape, and if the shackles and bonds are done properly I won’t be a threat anymore. You would then just come by and make sure I had food and water until my body grows acclimated to the withdrawal.” She bowed her head, frowning as she considered this. “Thats a rather strange image, don’t you think?” He chuckled. “Yeah… yeah it sorta is.” “But that’s really all you want me to do?” she asked, clearly expecting there to be something else. He nodded. “Yet even that won’t be easy. If my sources are correct, the withdrawal symptoms can be… scary… and you’d have to visit me on a daily basis.” She scratched the back of her head. “It still doesn’t sound anywhere near as horrible as I’d been thinking. But… are you really sure about this?” “Oh', I’m sure,” he answered firmly. “I am tired of refusing to go out in public for fear that I might snap and cut open some poor innocent pony’s belly. Nor is it fun to go around looking for crooks and thieves or wading through dungeons for some gutter trash pony to carve up like a Nightmare Night pumpkin.” Her eyes went wide and her cheeks blanched, prompting him to shake his head. “I’m sorry, Fluttershy. That was a bit much, I admit. But it’s the truth: I’ve spent almost half my life murdering ponies. It has to come to an end somehow.” She thought about it for several minutes, head lowered and brow furrowed. “…and… you’re certain this will work?” He winced and turned his head away with a sigh. “No. No, I can’t be certain, but it’s my only chance.” He gave her a sorrowful look. “You don’t have to decide right away. If you’d rather—” “I’ll help.” His mouth paused mid-word and he stared at her with wide eyes. “You will? I mean… really?” She nodded patiently. “You sound surprised.” “I am.” He sat down and scratched his head. “I thought you’d have to think it over for a few days, or weeks. I wasn’t even sure you’d agree to help.” “I can’t just stand by and let ponies be killed. Besides—” she scuffing the floor with her hoof and pouted, “—I couldn’t help you when we went into the Door of Fears. Maybe… maybe this time will be better.” He didn’t know what he was feeling right at that moment, but whatever it was it made him very happy, so happy he caught the pegasus up in a tight hug. “You truly do represent the Element of Kindness, you know that?” She smiled and nodded as they pulled away. “And you are truly a scary pony.” Three days out and the trip had thus far been unremarkable. At least, it was for Octavia: she’d made the trip before. She was on the observation deck, staring through the sparse clouds at the blue ocean below. She couldn’t help wondering what she and the other ponies were supposed to achieve on this mission. She’d thought about it over and over again. Rogue waves? How were they meant to stop rogue waves? A pair of dots skimming low over the ocean caught her attention, largely because of the rainbow trailing behind one of them. Rainbow Dash and Jimmy, practicing again. They’d been warned against flying on their own out over the ocean, but Twilight and the airship’s captain relented when they promised to stay close. It was good practice, after all; neither of the pegasi had much experience flying in ‘wild’ weather, and they both wanted to make sure they could handle themselves over the similarly wild Nildia. Octavia watched the two pegasi dive, skim the water and rise up into the air. Jimmy faltered, dropped precipitously, recovered. They’d both been doing that. Rainbow had said something about pressure pockets between air layers, but that was really all beyond Octavia’s knowledge. All she knew was that when she saw either of them take that sudden plunge she would always tense up, expecting one of them to hit the water hard. They never did, though. “No no,” a voice whispered nearby, “the pockets that way, turn right.” A second later Rainbow made a similar perilous drop, though she recovered quickly. Octavia glanced at Upper Crust, who was studying the pegasi with careful concentration. She was always impressed when her friend did that. She wanted to ask how the Upper Crust knew where the air pockets were when there was nothing but water and clouds below, but she held her tongue. She’d overheard her explaining the details to Twilight just yesterday, and trying to follow it all had left Octavia with a headache. But she was curious about something else. “Why are you watching them? They can’t hear you.” Upper Crust didn’t answer for several seconds, her focus still locked on the air below, but finally she replied. “Practice.” Octavia looked her friend up and down thoughtfully. “You never practiced much before.” Upper Crust closed her eyes and slowly raised her head. After a moment she blinked and relaxed, as if coming free of a spell. “I didn’t have any need to practice before,” she admitted. “Working with Jim has reminded me of what I can do when I put my mind to it. Besides,” she added with an anxious smile, “it’s fun.” Fun? Octavia glanced between the unicorn and the ocean in perplexity. How was all of that fun? “If you say so.” “Howdy, ya’ll.” Octavia glanced aside to see Applejack and Twilight Sparkle approaching. “What’s goin’ on?” “Not much,” Octavia confessed, glancing down at the ocean once more. “Just taking a moment to watch our fliers at practice.” “Again?” Twilight set her forehooves on the railing and looking down. “They’ve been at it every day! Rainbow I can kind of understand, but I would think Jimmy’d be sick of flying by now.” Applejack glowered at the two ponies at practice. “Sure wish Ah could join ‘em, Ah’m plum bored. A pony can only explore so much on an airship, y’know.” “Just be glad we’re not going by sea,” Octavia told her. “Traveling by boat to Nildia is a two-week journey.” Applejack gave her a questioning look. “Ah know ya said yer brother an’ sister live in Nildia, an ya probably went ta visit an'' all, but why are they there in the first place?” “I hadn’t thought about that,” Twilight admitted, turning to Octavia. “It would be good to know who they are before we actually met them.” Octavia glanced at Upper Crust, who was back to studying the air below and mumbling to herself. She’d already heard all about the family. Well… it wasn’t as if Octavia were harboring any secrets, was it? “Rochette is the elder of my two younger brothers,” she explained. “He works at the Equestrian Embassy.” “Oooh, is he an ambassador?” Twilight asked hopefully. “That might be really useful!” Octavia shook her head. “He’s of a lower rank, I always forget the title. The simplest way I can describe it is that he’s the assistant of the ambassador’s assistant. And he’s fluent, of course.” “Well, who knows?” Twilight said, “He still might give us access to things most foreigners can’t.” “Access?” Applejack asked with a smug smile. “Ah think just bein’ sent by the Princesses would do that, Twilight.” Twilight blushed as if she’d said something silly. “Err, right, of course. What about your sister, Octavia?” Octavia frowned and turned away. “Benjamina, the family’s black sheep. She’s a banker. Wealthy. Unless the Equestrian government’s arranged somewhere for us to stay, I thought we could stay with her. Goddess knows she’s got the room.” Applejack noted her change in tone. “Sounds like ya’ll don’t get along none too well.” Octavia sighed and went back to watching the ocean. “We… have differences of opinion.” Twilight gave her a concerned look. “I don’t mean to pry, but what kind of differences?” Octavia considered the question for a few seconds, but finally just shook her head. “I think you’ll understand when we meet her.” The entire world was jagged, rocky edges. The sky was a soft combination of orange and velvet, as if an eternal dusk had come upon the land. A tall, perfectly cylindrical mountain arose amongst the threatening crags, its top flat, level and bare. And Nye was sitting at its very center, scouring his surroundings with a nervous eye. He felt so alone. So strangely, terribly alone. “Jimmy?” The world echoed back the name pointlessly. “Rainbow?” He stood and walked to the edge of the cliff, looking down anxiously at the sharp rocks below. How had he gotten up there? And where was everypony? “Hello?” Nothing but echo. He sighed and sat back down, sorrow filling him. He didn’t know where his misery was coming from, but it was intense. He wished he had somepony to talk to… A fog horn resounded through the perfectly clear sky. He turned around to see where it had come from, and was surprised to see an airship floating towards him. Hope filled him: he was going to be rescued! He reared back and let out a cry of joy, laughing for no reason at all. He waved at the ship, gestured to himself, tried to get the attention of the crew. And then it floated right over him and moved on. “Hey… wait!” He wanted to chase after it, but he was already at the edge. “Come back! You can’t just…” He paused to stare: his friends were watching him from an observation deck on the back of the airship. They were waving, smiling. It almost looked as if they were saying goodbye. Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Jimmy, Octavia, the whole lot of them. Even… “Rainbow!” He cried, rearing back again and trying to catch her attention. “Rainbow, please!” The airship had moved on, but to his joy the blue pegasus arose and came flying back for him. But she didn’t land; she hovered out over the jagged rocks, well beyond his reach. “Hey Nye. Come to see us off?” “See you off?” he asked, perplexed. “What are you talking about? Where are you going?” Rainbow gained an annoyed expression, setting hooves to her hips. “What, you didn’t know? Princess Luna told her team to go on this super special mission with us! How could you not know?” A special mission? But wasn’t she on a special mission already? “I… I dunno,” he admitted. “Come on, fly me over to the airship and we’ll talk about it.” “Oh no,” the pegasus said, shaking her head, “we can’t take you.” He gaped. “W-what do you mean?” She shrugged and gave him a smile. “You’re a nice guy and all, Nye, but you’re not exactly hero material. Don’t worry, we’ll be fine without you.” His heart leapt into his throat. “Wait! I can help! Let me come with you, RD. You’ll see, I’m perfectly capable of… of…” The mare laughed meanly. “Yeah, sure, like you could do half what any of us could do. Fluttershy’s got more oomph, for pity’s sake!” He shrank back at her painful words. “B-but… how am I supposed to prove myself to you…?” “Prove yourself?” She laughed again, and this time the meanness of it wasn’t just in his head. “Oh please, Nye! Did you really think you could ever be deserving of this much awesome?” She flipped and struck a pose, grinning. “I mean come on, you can’t even fly!” He sat, his mind growing numb and his heart breaking. “But… you told me…” “I told you what you wanted to hear,” she explained as if this were obvious. “I was trying to be nice, you moron.” He didn’t want to believe his ears. He didn’t even want to be here. He dropped to his belly and covered his face in shame. It was all the truth. He’d known it all along. She was right, he didn’t stand a chance. He was useless. Totally and completely useless. How was he supposed to do anything for anypony? Abruptly his world was shaken – literally. He sat up in surprise as his body rocked. He and Rainbow both turned their attention to the airship. There, just before it, something massive was erupting from the jagged earth in an explosion of boulders and dust! “Sweet Luna,” he whispered, standing and taking a terrified step back, "what is that thing!?" It was massive. It had the body of a minotaur and eight long, hairless, monkey-like arms. Its head was an elephant’s, the flapping of its great ears sending vanes through the floating dust in the air. He couldn’t see below its waist for the rocks, but just by what he could see he imagined the thing to be hundreds of feet tall! Massive, hairless hands reached forward and caught the blimp, as if it were a foal’s toy. Nye watched in horror as it squeezed, and soon the massive blimp was crushed. The cabin beneath rocked and shook violently, the inhabitants helpless against the monster’s simple attack. “Jimmy!” Nye wanted to run for the blimp, but he couldn’t. He would have achieved nothing, but to smash himself against the rocks below. “I’m coming guys!” Rainbow cried. “Wait, Rainbow no!” Too late, she was zooming towards the airship. “Rainbow come back, you can’t fight that thing! Jimmy!” He attention went back to the airship, which the creature dropped haphazardly. It plummeted down what had to have been thousands of feet to the sharp, terrible rocks below. A few seconds later and he saw a rainbow get swatted into nonexistence, like a fly. “No…” he sat again, staring as the streak of rainbow faded and disappeared altogether. “Oh dear sweet Luna no…” And then something new occurred; a white light erupted from beneath the great monster. It let out a high-pitched scream, covering its face… and an instant later it was gone. For a time Nye could only stare in amazement, misery and loss. But then something came into view, flying towards him in a fast but calm manner. It took some time for Nye to recognize what it was. “Luna…?” He stood and took a few steps back, giving the Princess room to land before him. “W… what are you doing out here…?” The Princess nodded to him regally, her expression unreadable. “I might ask you the same question, Nye. This is a rather peculiar dream for you.” Dream? He glanced around, realization slowly dawning upon him. “You mean I’m asleep? It’s just a nightmare?” She nodded. “Oh, you can’t imagine how much of a relief that is!” At last she smiled. “In truth I receive that response quite often. I apologize that I cannot remain here for very long, but something very strange has begun and it must be addressed quickly.” He nodded. “I understand. But thanks for rescuing me from this, really.” The Princess turned to look out over the great hole the monster had made. “You are most welcome, Nye. But before I go I must know: where did that beast come from? Where have you seen it before?” “Err…” His eyes followed her gaze. “I… I’ve never seen that thing in my entire life. I guess I have some imagination, huh?” She considered him seriously, appearing to have something pressing on her mind. “That thing came not from your mind, Nye. It has been appearing in the dreams of many ponies in the past few nights.” Now that was surprising. “What? Seriously?” “Very much so,” she acknowledged darkly. “It seems to have originated in Nildia. The nilgiri are almost all seeing it at once, and I cannot track it to its source.” “But why would it be in so many dreams at once?” he asked, “And why would it spread all the way to Equestria?” The Princess shook her head. “I cannot answer, for I do not know. It fills me with unease; I have not seen such a mass invasion of dreams since… well, that was a very long time ago. I have lingered here for too long, my friend: this thing must be tracked and stopped.” He stepped up to her worriedly. “Do you think it’s dangerous?” “I cannot say,” she admitted, her magnificent wings opening wide. Just as she lifted into the air he added, “Princess, have you warned Jimmy and the others? What if this is connected to the situation in Nildia?” She flew a quick circle around him, buying enough time to answer. “I intend to mention it to them at the first opportunity. Goodbye, Nye, and don’t worry: you are as important to this team as anypony else!” She arose high into the sky, her body blending in with the world above, and a moment later she was gone. Nye jerked up, wide awake and alert. He was in his bed, safe and at home. And he had a monster stomach ache. He had to remember never to take Pinkie’s ‘super cupcakes’ ever again, those things had way to much sugar. Maybe he’d skip out on her next party, just in case. His stomach’s painful complaining convinced him to crawl groggily from bed and make his way for the medicinal cabinet in the bathroom. He opened the mirror and drank some tonic. That done he took a moment to examine himself in the mirror. He always looked like a wreck right after waking up. He shifted his head around to look at himself from various angles sleepily. Why did he have to look so soft? Not for the first time he wished he had his brother’s harder features. But then again that was probably his own fault for being so lazy… He wouldn’t be falling asleep until the medicine kicked in, so instead he wandered outside his apartment and sat in the grass to watch the stars. No moon tonight. Maybe that was why he hadn’t seen one in his dream. The dream wandered into his drowsy mind unbidden. He usually didn’t understand his dreams, but that one had been clear as day. Maybe Luna’s presence had a hoof in that. He smiled feebly; she’d called him important. Probably just trying to comfort a friend. There was nothing really important about him. He could still hear Rainbow’s laughter in his mind. It had been truly humiliating. And what if it were true? He rubbed his cheek, remembering how she’d kissed him. It had felt so good that even now he could remember it like it had just happened. He knew Rainbow wouldn’t have done that just to cover her true feelings, and this knowledge was all he needed to know for certain that his fears were unfounded. Maybe the others did think he was worthless. Maybe he was. But Rainbow liked him. What more did he need? Well, aside from her being back in Ponyville.