Chapter 31: A Window Into Suffering
While Fears begin to grow amongst those within the royal alicorns' company, The Princess of the Night herself hides disturbing knowledge from them. With it would come insight on what they have to fear, what there is to lose from failure. But furthermore, with it would come a soul-shattering experience, one of which she finds unable to hide for much longer............................................
Princess Luna pondered her current situation as she felt the steady vibrations of the train as it practically charged towards Canterlot at full speed. She was by herself at the moment, taking a brief respite from the main car where everypony else currently resided. The steam engine's destination carried with it a multitude of possibilities and problems for the foreseeable future, many of which were in the relative future. Though she didn't necessarily mind that, it did trouble her thoughts on just how she was going to attend to them in an efficient manner. Her injuries were also a factor that played into her thoughts, as the pain, while currently lessened, served as a reminder of the night prior. But those things, surprisingly, was not the major focus of Princess Luna's thoughts.
Her mind contemplated the possibilities that could happen as a result of last night's confrontation with humanity. From the moment she had cast that spell on Tim, that most damaging and regretful of mistakes that every fiber of her being wished she could correct, she had felt a most chilling fear take over her very soul.
War, one the likes that Equestria, probably all of Equus, had never seen could come crashing down on them at any moment. Optimism was what Luna hoped to possess at a moment like this, thinking of any positive scenarios or how things could work out without conflict happening as a result. But she found herself unable to, for unbeknownst to those in her current company, Luna had unintentionally seen something that she could now never forget.
She recalled the events that took place before the night prior, most specifically, those few almost intimate hours she had shared with Tim not in the waking world, but that of his own dreams, or more accurately, the reflections of his past.
..........................Two Days Earlier..........................
When the company had finally returned to Ponyville from their journey in the Everfree, it had been a rather eventful one. Luna foresaw that once the word spread that 3/4's of Equestria's leadership took a stroll through the dangerous Everfree with some Alien nopony had ever seen before that things back home would get crazy. Alas, Ponies in the streets celebrated the return of their beloved Princesses, as the worries and fears they held were cast aside upon seeing they were safe and sound. Celestia was quick to disperse any concerns for the well-being of both herself and all the ponies accompanying her. However, many a pony was quick to notice that one member, who in fact was not of their kind, had not fared so well. Much of the excitement died upon seeing Tim, supplemented by feelings of shock when eyes met the severe wounds sustained on his arm. Tim was quick to notice, speculating that he'd be watched by every eye in town as little more than a spectacle to gawk at. To his surprise however, the ponies almost lightened up upon seeing he was hurt. Princess Luna had informed those present of his brave actions in protecting them. That set off a chain reaction, essentially solidifying what reactions would follow.
Suddenly it was if Tim went from being local town outcast to local hero. The ponies applauded him, which elicited a stark look of confusion out of Tim, who wasn't expecting it. However, it was a welcome change if his smile was anything to say about it. As the company continued through town towards Twilight's castle, more of the locals they came across began to feel more comfortable around him, enough converse with the human newcomer. Subjects ranged from about how the events unfolded, who he was, how he got here, and many of the things previously discussed with Twilight and the others. These dialogues of friendly exchange felt almost ceremonious from that point on. A young pegasus filly had even made him a rather crude necklace from local flowers, one which he graciously accepted to the sound of amused laughter from the ponies around him.
Some conversations soon turned towards the contents of Applejack's wagon, to which Tim explained what he could. Most of the ponies gawked at the level of sophistication some of the items held, while others held a more frightening look upon seeing them. By the time they reached the castle however, the wounds Tim suffered began to cause him some severe discomfort. He nearly fell trying to lift something from the cart as they were unloading it. Nurse Redheart, who just so happened to be watching on her day off, offered to take a more thorough look at his wounds at Ponyville Hospital if he was up to it. Tim, who was being reminded of the pain about every second from just general body movement alone, happily accepted. Twilight and Spike offered to accompany him, and the four departed for the hospital.
Upon returning to Twilight's home was a very relieved Captain Shield, who was glad to see the princesses safe and sound just as Celestia had promised. Whether or not this did anything to change Shield's potential worries about Tim still alluded Luna, she herself could argue that she still held some level of concern for this otherworldly newcomer, but she could at the very least come to now trust him.
After the contents of Applejack's wagon were relocated to the Library, both Luna and Celestia began their work to prepare the necessary steps in creating a portal to Tim's homeworld. The hours waned into the later parts of the day as Luna and Celestia did their part deciphering book and scroll for the necessary steps needed to pull off this spell. It was about 8:00pm when Tim, Spike and Twilight had returned from the hospital, with the foremost sporting fresh bandages and a more relaxed-looking posture. Luna herself was returning to the library from a short break when she spotted them coming in from the front door, already engaged in a conversation that centered around an encounter on their way back.
"Thanks for the get away on that one, Princess." Tim expressed in gratitude. "Those questions were getting hard to dodge."
"I can't apologize enough on Lyra's part. She's a good pony, just a bit, socially awkward I would say." Twilight insisted.
"Still, who asks how long they can hold out when meeting em' for the first time?"
"It's.........complicated, but Lyra's kind of had this interest with bipedal primates for some time."
"More like an obsession really." Spike stated. "Always mumbling about hands. Probably why she was staring at yours"
"I thought I caught her doin' that!" Tim confessed. "I didn't want to say anything cause it sounded kind of weird and maybe you'd start thinking I was makin' shit up."
"Oh no dude, I saw, she was totally staring at your hands for most of the time." Spike insisted.
"Alright that's downright creepy." Tim admitted.
"Once again, I can't apologize enough." Twilight reiterated.
"Maybe she secretly want's to remove them for some sick experiment! Replace your hands with hooves! OOoooooOOOoooooOOOOhhh." Spike mocked.
"Haha! Think you're so funny ya little scaly twerp!" Tim said sarcastically as he went give him a noogie.
The two exchanged bits of laughter as Tim grappled him with his one good arm, with Spike doing his best trying to squirm free, with Twilight simply rolling her eyes with a smirk. All in all, good fun. This brought a smile to Luna' face as she watched to playful antics unfold.
"A strange encounter on your way back it would seem?" Luna inquired, gaining their attention.
"You could say that." Tim answered in earnest, letting Spike go in the process.
"How are your wounds, Mr. Berfield." Luna asked.
"A lot a better now that you mention it." Tim replied. "Re-cleaned, fresh bandage, and more potent painkiller. She feels a lot sturdier than before. Enough to give Spike here what he deserves."
"Oh, please! You need something stronger than your knuckles to break these scales." Spike argued. "Barely felt a thing!"
"That's just cause my arm's shot! You wait till it gets better, you'll get what's coming!" Tim argued back.
"Ooooh, I'm so scared!" Spike feigned in fear.
"Well, let's hope that leads to a quicker recovery." Luna wished. "Miss Sparkle, my sister and I took the liberty of assessing the necessary steps in creating the portal to Mister Berfield's home. We wrote them down on several sheets of parchment and left them in a stack on the table in your library for you to look over when your ready."
"AWWW! Did I miss going through the spellbooks!" Twilight moaned.
"I'm afraid so, but no need to fret, Miss Sparkle. My sister believes we'll need the adept talent of three alicorns if we're going to be successful. Am I to assume you're up to the task?"
Twilight's immediate reaction was borderline ecstatic. While she predicted that she'd be playing a major role in the spell that would bring the portal to life, she had assumed it would be planning it out rather than performing it.
"More than ready, Princess!" Twilight replied. "I'll see to it that I familiarize myself with the spell right away."
"I'm happy to hear that, though I advise you get some rest as well. It's already well into the evening and we will need everypony at their best." Luna advised her.
"That means sleep first, spell later, Twilight." Spike quipped.
"I won't stay up all night, but I'd like to get it memorized before I head to bed." Twilight affirmed. "Would anypony care to accompany me?"
"I was just heading there myself, Miss Sparkle. Celestia is there waiting for us." Luna informed her.
"Tim? Would you care to come?"
Tim was the first to answer, and after a a whole day of increased activity and that rather awkward confrontation with Lyra, he was about ready to call it in.
"Actually I think I might hit the sack early, if ya don't mind." Tim admitted. "Besides, I can't cast any that magic stuff, doubt I'd be much use.
"Well that's a shame, but understandable. Spike?" Twilight said.
"Uh, Can I opt out too?" Spike asked rather timidly, almost expecting his request to be denied, which it ultimately was.
"Actually, I might need somepony to jot down any notes on potential applications or alterations that may boost the spell's viability. It won't take too long, I promise."
"You said the same thing about finding the spell when Tim first showed up, and that took all night!" Spike argued.
"Then it's best we get to it right away, huh?" Twilight said teasingly, rubbing Spike affectionately on the head. "Well, I guess I'll see you in the morning then, Tim. Goodnight. C'mon Spike."
"Goodnight Princess." Tim said as he bid them farewell. "Night, Spike."
As Twilight and her assistant headed in towards the castle library, Luna turned to Tim to address him Before she herself would be heading down there as well.
"I am looking forward to tomorrow, though probably not as much as you." she commented.
"Yeah, I guess it'll be good knowing there's a way back, set a lot of things to rest." Tim said. "Though I wouldn't get too excited, things on Earth are.....well, you'll see."
"Well, I suppose you have better understanding on that than any of us. Yet still, a window into another world is an interesting prospect for me, and a method home for you. I wish a good night's rest, Mister Berfield."
"Yeah, I guess I'll try. Goodnight Princess."
As he turned around to walk towards his quarters, Luna wasn't quite sure of it then, but his expression seemed to correlate more along the lines of troubled than relieved after her statement, almost as if he seemed reluctant to follow through with what he had said he would. Luna didn't say anything though and simply went on her way.
After about two hours of running through the paces of the spell with Twilight, the three alicorns were confident that they should have no trouble in performing the spell. Twilight was practicing with a series of proxy spells with Luna and Celestia casually spectating from the other side of the room.
"She's a very adept pupil, Tia. I can see why you chose her." Luna commented.
"Thank you, sister, she'll make a great leader one day." Celestia claimed.
While Luna would have loved to discuss the growing potential Twilight possessed, he remind began to draw back to how Tim reacted upon leaving to retire for the night. She wasn't quite sure why, but she felt the need to express her concerns.
"Tia, I talked with Tim before he went to bed for the night. Something about his mannerisms seemed, somber."
"Somber?" Celestia inquired.
"Yes, as if he seems to be feeling some sense of hesitation or dread. Have you noticed any sullen behavior from him as of late? Specifically in the latter parts of the evening?"
Celestia response was a look Luna had become all too familiar with, it started by darting her eyes towards the corner, followed by the biting of her bottom lip, a telltale sign of her withholding something. But unlike many a time where Luna would have to gradually coerce the information out of her, Celestia decided to be outright with Luna.
"Yes, I have." Celestia sighed. "And I'm confident that I know the cause."
"And what would that be?" Luna inquired.
"When Tim and I shared breakfast yesterday, he mentioned something about experiencing bad dreams."
This now had Luna's full attention, as the mere mention of the field of her expertise would often fixate her thoughts on the subject.
"Nightmares?" Luna asked.
"I'm not sure. He claimed that they were no issue, but I have my doubts."
"Did he seem defensive about the subject?" Luna asked.
"Yes, though much more mild and modest than some of those more prideful ponies who have experienced similar issues. But last night, after you and the others went to bed, he..."
"He what, sister?"
Celestia seemed reluctant to say, but relented, for what she knew would prove to be deeply concerning.
"I promised him I wouldn't tell anypony but, I think it's best that you be the only other pony who knows. He was having one. I came out in the middle of the night for some fresh air and there he was, asleep on the log by the dying campfire. He was up the longest, so much so that he fell asleep before even heading to his tent. I was going to wake him up, try to persuade him to take rest in his tent, but I stopped when I heard him mumbling."
"Mumbling? Did you manage to catch anything he might have said?"
"A lot of it was incoherent, but I did pick up one, and............well."
The more Celestia described the more it began to sound troubling, with Luna already beginning to piece together the potential problem.
"Well what, sister?" Luna said as she encouraged her to finish.
"It was unnerving, Luna. What he said, and what followed afterwards." Celestia expressed with explicit concern. "Between the muffled utterances, Tim began to feel agitated I guess, as his expression changed from frightened to enraged within a second. And then........tears."
There was a moment of silence between them, and despite the magic being casted by Twilight on the other side of the room, the mood seemed almost dead, making Celestia's words take on an almost haunting tone.
"He was crying, and that's when I heard Tim say,.......It's all my fault. I should have been there."
Luna felt a torrent of sorrow from those words, as it alluded to something much grander in scale.
"Should have been where?" Luna asked.
"I don't know, but he suddenly woke up in a panicked state, almost scared out of his mind." Celestia explained. "It was a miracle that I was able to calm him down, it took a solid five minutes. We talked afterwards."
"No doubt about what he experienced." Luna deduced. "That sounds less like a bad dream and more of a night terror. What did he have to say?"
"Well first off, I did my best to calm his nerves. After I brought him back down to a state where he could speak coherently, we discussed the dream. The unfortunate part of that is that he says he doesn't remember anything about what transpired, and unlike his denial of their mental weight from earlier, he seemed very sincere when he said that."
Luna analyzed the information shared and she found herself at a loss as to what it could be. Tim was experiencing recurring Nightmares, that was obvious, but what their cause could be was unlike anything Luna could imagine. When ponies experienced these sort of nightmares, they often stemmed from life troubles that were more or less current and they were vividly detailed to a point where nopony could forget. Perhaps Tim's, maybe even humans in general, just wasn't the same way. This sort of dream seemed outright vague, puzzling, with almost no way to piece it together when the one experiencing can't even directly state what's bothering him. Whatever the case, it was clearly a sign of distress, and with Luna's ability to traverse the dreamscape, she would see to it that it be rectified.
"Then I should see to that he gets the clarification he needs." Luna stated. "Have you discussed my abilities with him?"
"I have, and well, that's the thing, Luna. He.........he doesn't want your help."
Everything from Luna's expression to her posture took a direct defensive stance.
"Excuse me?" she said in confusion. "Why in Equestria would he not want my aid in this matter?"
"Because much of it is still too foreign to him." Celestia explained. "His world doesn't offer that sort of luxury, and the concept, at least from his point of view, comes off as unsettling and even unnatural."
"Even so, why would he not take advantage of this opportunity? Does he wish to suffer?"
"No, of course not, he's just..............stubborn and cautious. He thinks he can sort this out himself and maybe he can. Not to mention that if you go to him, he'll know it was me who told you."
As much as it sounded like Celestia was trying to cover herself, she had a point in that last statement. Tim had entrusted both her, Celestia, and Twilight with vital information concerning his people, it only seemed fair that they respect that level of trust, even if the information regarding this subject wasn't nearly as delicate as that.
"I guess losing his trust wouldn't be the best way to help would it?" Luna suggested.
"I'm afraid not." Celestia concurred.
"But, what if your wrong? What if it continues, and something happens as a result of our lack of action?"
"I know you only wish to help, but at the same time, I think it's in everypony's best interest that you let him handle this at his own pace. I have a feeling he'll come around and ask you himself when the time is right. He trusts you enough to know you'll help him."
Luna pondered her sister's statement, finding comfort in the fact that Tim trusted her and concern from the fact that she'd have to wait to help him. Alas, she heeded her sister's advice.
"Thanks for telling me this sister." Luna expressed in gratitude.
"You deserved to know." Celestia said before her a rather playfully look of guilt. "Though if you could refrain from telling anypony else that would be great."
Luna shot Celestia a rather devious look.
"What, don't want a repeat of the Griffin Ambassador meeting?" Luna quipped.
"Don't even begin to mention that, Luna!" Celestia said in pure annoyance. "I'm still pretty peeved about that one!"
"Are you still seriously mad about that one! It happened 3,000 years ago!"
"That doesn't rid me of the hundred years worth of letters I received from every disgruntled Griffin dignitary across the globe!" Celestia defended. "You should have kept your mouth shut, Luna! And you know it!"
Luna couldn't help but try and hold back her own laughter at the memories of when she spilled the beans on sister's little liaison with a certain Griffin exile along with her own personal exaggerations of the whole affair. Jokes aside, the hour was growing late when Twilight ceased her practice run and approached the two.
"I think I got a firm handle on tomorrow's construction and activation spell!" Twilight announced.
"I look forward to seeing you it in action, Twilight." Celestia stated. "Now, I think we're all due for a much needed rest."
Luna was quick to concur with her sister, as the time was nearing the midnight hour. But thoughts strayed on the matter that was just discussed, and Luna had no doubt that it would be a subject of concentration for the remaining hours of her night.
"Big things await us tomorrow." Luna stated. "Let's see to it that we approach it at our best."
A slight bump in the tracks brought her back to her current situation, it was a bump she was all to familiar with as the outside windows were suddenly blanketed by complete darkness, with only the interior lighting to serve as a way to see. The door to her isolated cabin swung open, and upon turning her gaze towards it, Luna saw her sister step through it, a look of abject uncertainty stricken across her face. No doubt she was experiencing her own feelings of despair from the whole situation, despite whatever assurances she had previously said.
"They said you were back here." Celestia addressed her. "Are you alright?"
Luna would have said no given all that had happened, but that was beyond obvious at this point.
"I'm just thinking. That's all." Luna replied.
"Of what?" Celestia asked, taking a seat beside her.
"To be honest, I was recounting our discussion on Tim's dreams."
The answer Celestia received was sudden to say the least, yet curious as well.
"Does it bother you that you were unable to give him closure on that matter?" Celestia asked with concern. "It's not healthy to dwell the past like that."
Luna face went cold, and the room became dead silent for a moment, sporting an almost blank expression before closing her eyes and giving way to a distressed squint, one which sent a tear down her cheek.
"I am saddened by my inability to solve his dilemma, but that's not what bothers me dear sister." Luna informed her. "It's what I discovered from little time I spent within Tim's dreams. And his."
Celestia was unnerved by how she phrase that. She was aware what she was referring to, but Celestia still didn't have any clue as to what Luna saw, but judging from her statement, it seemed there were important details that Luna had withheld from her.
"Luna, what did you see?"
Events once again began to unfold in her mind once again, as if Luna were reliving them once again.
Luna woke to the sound a muffled conversations coming directly outside her door. This rather startling realization provided enough motivation to investigate it further. Even as she crawled out from under the covers of her bed she could hear the faint sentences being spoken.
"Look, It's urgent. I wouldn't have bothered stopping by if it wasn't."
"Are you deaf? I said it's not happening, human. Now return to your quarters. You can discuss these matters with her highness in the morning."
"You know, I don't need to hear you say it to know you ain't just denying me out of a sense of duty. You don't really like me, do you?"
"You insinuate too much."
"Do I?"
"I'm not going to play this game. Corporal Owl, escort him back to his room. Now."
Whatever was being discussed outside was clearly getting heated, and at quickly for that matter. Luna quickened her pace unlocking the door to her room and swinging it open to reveal the scene unfolding before her. Before her was none other than her Lieutenant, Shadow Charge, with three of his subordinates who were charged with guarding her chambers. Tim was also there, looking like he was about to bring forward yet another rebuttal only to go dead silent the second she came into view, with Corporal Night Owl, who was supposed to be guarding the stairwell leading to the third floor with Corporal Platinum.
"Lieutenant? What's going on? Mister Berfield, why are you up here this late?" Luna asked.
Any sort of pent up aggression seemed to die the minute Luna entered the scene, with both Tim and Lieutenant Shadow easing down tensions almost instantly and finding themselves at a lack of words.
"I-I was just in-forming him...that" Lieutenant Shadow babbled.
"I k-kinda came up to...uh" Tim mumbled.
While the fatigue of just waking up managed to swirl the thoughts around in her head, Luna was able to gradually deduce that Tim was here to talk with her, but about what seemed unclear. Then it hit her like a freight train.
"Tim's nightmares! What other reason could it be?" Luna concluded.
"Mister Berfield, is something the matter?" she inquired.
"Uh.............yes, I'm afraid so. If it's not too much trouble, can I talk to ya about something?" Tim asked. "And if you don't mind, can we speak about in private?"
Luna was now adamant that he was here for the reason she theorized, given his reluctance to divulge the subject. Luna was eager to get underway, letting herself sport a pleasant smile as she felt she had the chance to repay the debt to Tim for his willingness to trust her and his sacrifice in the Everfree for Rainbow Dash.
"Of course, Mister Berfield. Step inside and we can discuss what's bothering you." She informed him.
This was much to the surprise of the guards around her, who gave her wide-eyed stares, yet did not so much as peep in protest. Luna stepped aside in a gesture that invited Tim to come inside, to which he obliged. Once he was inside, Luna turned to her guards in an effort to ease their concerns.
"It's quite alright Lieutenant, I trust him."
Despite his obvious discontent with her decision, he respected her to the point where he dared not question it.
"As you wish, your highness." He said solemnly. "But at the first sign of trouble-"
"You'll come in busting the doors down, I know." Luna giggled, upon hearing that particular statement for the umpteenth time.
She quietly closed the door behind, turning to see Tim surveying the room from its center. This was a trait she had noticed form him from time to time, a habit no doubt stemming from his survivalist tendencies. Luna had a feeling that he was looking for points where one could potentially eavesdrop, thus prompting her to initiate a soundproofing spell on the room, which quickly gained Tim's attention.
"What was that?" He asked.
"A soundproofing enchantment." She explained. "Nopony but us will be able to hear our conversation. Now, what is it you wished to discuss?
"Well, it's something kinda......personal."
"Bingo." Luna mentally cheered quite proudly.
What Luna said next completely tore down any sort of barrier Tim had that wanted to keep this subject in secrecy.
"It's your dreams, isn't it?" Luna asked.
Tim's body jolted a little bit, no doubt astonished on how quickly she was able to come to a conclusion as to what was troubling him.
"Is.....is that like a magic thing you just did there? Like, can you pick up what my reactions mean and figure out what's bothering me?" Tim asked quite awkwardly. "Cause you hit that one dead on the money and I hadn't even slightly mentioned what was wrong."
"Years of magical training and experience has given me the insight into reading the mannerisms of the body, tracing any abnormality to it's direct cause via magical telepathy. After years of practice, I've pretty much mastered the ability." Luna explained in a sincere tone.
"R-really?" Tim asked.
Suddenly Luna's serious face gave way to a amused grin and lighthearted laugh.
"No, I'm kidding." Luna admitted. "My sister told me what was bothering you today"
Tim's lack of knowledge on that that managed to elicit a rather tame feeling of betrayal.
"She told you?" Tim sputtered.
"Tim, you told the biggest socialite in Equestria a personal problem, she was going to inform somepony sooner or later." Luna said in her sister's defense. "Though from what she told me, sooner seems to have been the better choice."
Tim's mood seemed to grow a little more somber, as he was undoubtedly reminded of his predicament.
"Pfft, last time I tell her anything." Tim said defiantly.
Luna smiled and shook her head, picking up the sarcasm of his statement.
"If it's any consolation, Tim, I'm the only one who knows, and she only told me because she was concerned. She has a very big heart."
Tim seemed to warm up a little to that.
"I suppose I can appreciate that." Tim conceded. "So it's true you can enter my dreams."
"I don't see why not." Luna argued. "I'm able to access what's called The Dreamscape, a magical fueled plane allows me to survey the sleeping mind of every breathing soul Equestria, pony or otherwise."
"So there's no problem finding my dream?"
"Well I didn't say that. I'll need to hunt yours down, but once I do, I'll be able access it with no problem."
Tim's mood began to lighten, as his demeanor became ever so slightly more relaxed.
"Well, okay then. So, how do we start?" he asked.
And thus, it was on Luna to reveal the bad news.
"Well, naturally, it's starts with you falling asleep." She explained.
And like that, Tim's mood changed to disappointment.
"Well, ain't that just terrific." Tim mouthed.
While Tim was prepping to return to bed, Luna took the time to deduce the best way to approach this. Dreams were accessed a multitude of ways, and while a direct connection to Tim seemed the most obvious, Luna was uncertain if it would even work. Creatures of Equus who were magically incapable tended to be harder for Luna to reach out to in their dreams, which made Tim, who's world a complete absence of magic, a bit of an enigma. Formulating a strategy for him would be difficult to say the least, but not necessarily impossible.
Tim on the other hand found himself slightly nervous, as the realm of the unknown tended to have that effect on most humans. The ability to access and interact with another's dreams had normally been in the realm of the impossible, yet like many things he had already witnessed during his time in Equestria, the reality-defying tendencies of magic had essentially become common here. nonetheless, the ponies' almost mundane attitude towards it still did little to curve his nerves. Perhaps fear of what mankind could not comprehend was only natural.
"So I fall asleep, then what?" Tim asked.
Luna had finally managed to calculate of plan of entry by the time Tim had asked, giving Tim the impression that she had everything under control.
"Given your inability to cast magic, I'll have to search for your dreams the old-fashioned way." Luna explained. "I'll enter the dream realm, and begin a search from there."
"Dream realm?" Tim inquired.
"Think of it as a world within a world. An alternate plane of reality that only I can access. In it, I can view the dreams of every sapient creature in Equestria. It's mostly pony dreams I come across, so finding yours may take a little time."
Tim stared at her with a baffled look, his inner doubt wanting to label everything she just said as utter nonsense. But this was her world, with its own set of rules.
"And once you find it?" Tim asked.
"I'll guide you in overcoming it." Luna informed with a smile. "But for now, you need to rest. If you want, I have a spell that can put you to-"
"That's okay, Princess." Tim said. "But, I'd rather fall asleep on my own, if ya don't mind."
Luna, processing why he would decline, simply nodded and stepped further back. Tim proceeded lay down on the bed, closed his eyes. There he laid, and after about 15 minutes, Luna could sense that he had fallen asleep. Then came the snoring, which pretty much verified it. Luna stifled a giggle, and proceeded to begin.
Luna's horn began to glow and as soon as it did, the world around her began to recede as a coat of pitch black coloration overtook everything in the room. It quickly came forth, uniting underneath the princess of the night and began enveloping her as well. For a split second, everything was pure nothingness, but within a moment's notice, Luna's vision was greeted with that of the serene dream realm. Looking around, thousands of small luminescent spheres gently fell at a leisurely pace, each one showcasing what transpired in the sleeping mind of its subject as it let off a gentle hum as they passed her by. These spheres served as the doorway to an individual's dreams and even after so many years, the heavenly beauty of the dream realm was still an astonishing sight to Luna. But appreciating the scenery would have to wait, as she did have a task at hoof.
"Alright Luna, let's narrow things down." She said aloud.
With a quick stroke of her magic, a majority of spheres became enveloped in a bright white glow, obscuring the view indicating they were the dreams of her pony subjects. By doing this Luna was able to separate the dream spheres by any category of her choosing, which left any sphere that wasn't glowing white as indication that it belonged to another creature. Luna began to soar through the realm, searching for any sphere that still offered a glimpse into whoever's dream it was. Luna came across a few, though none belonged to Tim. Two belonged to Ponyville's local donkey residents Cranky and Matilda, the former dreaming of building the house of his dreams for he and his wife to enjoy the later years of their life in peace and the latter dreaming of enjoying a nice picnic outing with her husband.
While the fondness for one another warmed Luna's heart she could not stay to watch for long. Luna resumed her search and came across another, this one being Spike's, who currently dreamt of saving Rarity from an entire hoard of bugbears. Luna rolled her eyes with an amused smile, and continued on. It went on like this for quite some time, as sphere after sphere offered dream after dream, but no nightmare, no indication that it belonged to the human Luna sought to help.
Luna was beginning to question if she even had the ability to access the dreams of a human being, wondering if him being from another world would somehow cut him off from dream realm entirely. Suddenly the hum of the spheres around her began to fade from earshot, which instantly garnered Luna's attention, as this was a first. She looked around, a witnessed the spheres drastically picking up their pace, falling quite rapidly until suddenly, Luna herself became surrounded by nothing empty empty space and an eerie silence, with little to no spheres to be seen. Luna found this odd to an almost disturbing degree, as this was a first time experience in the dream realm.
Suddenly, a new sound gradually began to break the silence. Turning around, Luna saw a strange object emerge from the cascade of the realm, but it was unlike anything she had ever seen. The main bulk of the object consisted of spheres that were larger, nearly double the size of the normal ones she had encountered, and all five were smothered and tethered together by a murky black cloud of unknown make that spiraled across the surface of the links. It too let off a sound, but it was a stark contrast to the gentle hum she was used too. The sound was like that of sand being blown in the wind, violently whisping and lashing with each gust. This substance surrounded the surface of the sphere obscuring everything from view.
"What in Equus is this?" Luna breathed.
The only possible answer had to be that these too were dream spheres, but how and why they were so massive and interconnected like this was an utter mystery. Who they belonged to even more so, though Luna had a good idea of who it was. But how to access this particular manifestation was ultimately the most elaborate mystery of all, as Luna had never once encountered a sphere in such an altered state, making the process of how she usually accessed dreams come under question. Luna quickly analyzed the situation, and saw no other alternative than trial and error.
"Nothing ventured nothing gained I suppose." Luna stated as she approached the hulking mass.
Her horn ignited with a magical aura, which gradually transitioned into a bright blue orb of pure magic appearing at the tip of her horn. She began to concentrate, focusing all her thoughts on what lay before her as she slowly encroached closer towards the black mass. Upon contact with her spell, her surroundings took a drastic turn. Gone was the serenity of the dream realm, replaced by unrelenting winds and unfamiliarity, as every one of her senses became obscured by the black sandy substance. The sheer volume of it was almost too much to bear, as Luna struggled to maintain both her footing and her focus.
Torrent after torrent battered against her, unrelenting with no signs of stopping. Seeing that her spell wasn't strong enough, Luna attempted to make it stronger, diverting more energy into the spell which in turn made the orb grow larger in scale. Some of the pressure of the winds wavered, yet still maintained enough of an impactful presence to prevent Luna from achieving any sort of clarity. Thus it prompted Luna to divert even more power into her entry spell, more than she had ever done so in her life. This continued, to the point where the orb grew to immense size, to that of a full fledged carriage.The intensity of the winds were beginning to die down, but Luna could feel the pressure of it fighting against her.
Suddenly, the orb spontaneously burst into a flash of blinding light, much to Luna's dismay. The moment it did, Luna realized her spell must have failed and made whatever attempt possible to brace for the oncoming torrent. But seconds passed, and there was nothing, nothing whatsoever pressing against her advance. Luna opened her eyes, and saw her surroundings. The winds were still present, yet did not effect her in any capacity, almost as if she found herself in the eye of the storm. The sound of it was present, but far from the maelstrom it was but a moment ago, for now it sounded like nothing than a slight breeze. Other than that, there was nothing to see, at least not right away.
Luna contemplated what next steps she should take, and upon turning her head to the right, she saw a faint orange glow in the distance, flickering ever so slightly. Given it was the only lead so far, Luna did the obvious thing and began to close the distance between her and it. As she got ever so closer, things around her began to almost fade in to existence. The nothingness below which kept her standing began to form into a flat surface of some sort, its vivid details gradually becoming recognizable. The winds around began to disappear, replaced by what looked to be some sort of circular tunnel. That in which she heard also began to change as well, as the sound of wind was supplemented by the sounds of occasional drops of water, echoing around her with each impact.
With details becoming more apparent, Luna managed to decipher her surroundings as that of a sewer tunnel, though one in an almost severe state of grime and disrepair. Aged concrete, eroded by time and the elements, carried a shallow river of muck and putrid water. Upon recognition that she was in fact standing in it, Luna was immediately revolted and took a step back in shock. Yet as her hoof became unsubmerged she noticed that her hooves were in fact clean, as if they hadn't changed in the slightest. She then realized the water beneath her didn't react to her presence, as if she were merely an apparition. This was different, and signaled something far greater. This lack of interactivity to the present environment alluded to a lack of the dream's control, meaning Luna's spell was enough to enter the sphere, but not manipulate it. There were ways around this current predicament, but for the meantime, Luna decided to simply spectate, see where this dream would lead. The faint orange glow grew larger as Luna got closer, and at this point Luna was able to conclude that it was in fact a fire of some sort. Suddenly, Luna began to hear faint voices, muffled by the distance but echoed by the confines of the tunnel.
Luna got closer and closer, seeing that she was about to pass an intersection in the tunnel, and though she couldn't tell, she swore she saw movement behind the flames, which seemed to be housed in rusted metal drum. She passed the strange sight of several chains dangling from the ceiling of the tunnel, with a variety of old soup cans dangling from every other link or so in what Luna assumed was a very crude security device. After she passed that, she began to note impromptu barricades around her. Sandbags accompanied by a base of sharpened wooden spikes and several sets of strange crooked spiraled rods jutting from what looked like busted concrete. She passed several of these barricades before reaching the opening that led to the intersecting tunnel. There she was greeted by the sight of a small walkway, overlooking the tunnel where she had just emerged. As she looked to see what laid ahead in the correlating tunnels, she was surprised to see that both sides had effectively caved in. Turning towards the walkway once more, she saw a doorway, which more or less served as the only way to exit her current interior, and which would also explain the presence of even more defenses.
Upon the small walkway where the barrel of fire sat was completely covered in a sandbag wall, along with what Luna assumed was a newly introduced example of human weaponry. Like Tim's rifle, it too sported a long protruding barrel from it's base, but it was larger, longer, and looked much heavier overall, too heavy for one human to carry. It sat within the confines of an elaborate swivel stand, one in which it looked like it was specifically built for it. Luna didn't want to think of the results this particular weapon could achieve, and thus wandered off the topic all together.
Defenses aside, the movement behind the fire became a subject of emphasis, as her surroundings begun to gradually fade back into darkness, whilst the ambiguity of the figures surrounding the flames remained obscured. After a few seconds of focus, Luna was able to deduce that they were three human adults, all male. Their faces were obscured from recognition by some constant black fog that formed a silhouette of their body.
Luna could see that the three were conversing, though their speech was severely muffled, as if she were out of earshot despite being directly in front of them. Luna strained to pick up even a semblance of conversation, by honing her hearing and focusing on the movement of their mouths. She pickled up a few things.
"Are we.....safe?" The man on the left said.
"Relax............been here for awhile............have a drink." The middle man claimed.
"I wouldn't get comfy if I.......................anything can happen." The man on the right warned.
"Whatever.............Berfield." The man in the middle shrugged.
That last word was a s clear as day. Berfield. But Luna looked upon the man in confusion. His resemblance was uncanny, but he was far too old to be Tim. Before she could dwell on it further, all sound ceased, yet her surroundings remained. The figures that were there but a moment before were now gone, as if they vanished. An eerie silence lingered, enough to send a chill down Luna's spine the moment she heard the unmistakable sound of water splashing in the distance. Turning around to face where it came from, she saw something moving along the right wall of the tunnel, almost attracting any nearby light as it crawled out from a nearby outfall. Luna approached, curiosity fueling her every step as Tim's dream seemed to focus around this sudden occurrence.
As she got closer, the movement before her became ever more clear. A fond smile slowly began to grow across Luna's face as she was greeted by the sight of something she could have not foreseen. It was none other than a human child. He was significantly smaller than his adult counterparts, no taller than 3'1 in height, so small that as he had to hang from the edge of the hole in order to climb out, as he wasn't tall enough for his feet to reach the ground. While Luna found that thought almost amusing, it was nothing in comparison to what happened next. When he turned around, Luna was greeted with a face that could honestly melt the heart of any pony in Equestria with its look of pure innocence. Of what age this child was, Luna couldn't say for certain, but he was young enough to be within in his first five years of age at the very least. He features were untouched by any significant age, but quite dirty, no doubt from crawling inside the pipes that had exited in the outfall. His hair was long and brown, and currently in a complete mess. As he attempted to dust off whatever mess he had gotten himself into, a voice from the walkway called out.
"Who's there!" It cried out.
Turning back to the walkway, Luna saw that the figures had returned, in full fledged clarity now. They were scraggly to say the least, each one brandishing weapons that pointed out in her direction, and thus, the child's direction. Luna feared the worst, as the situation started to play out in a potentially dangerous direction. But the child, without so much as a shred of hesitation, nonchalantly walked out into the open. Luna simply observed, holding back the instinct to reach out to grab the child and whisk him to safety, only to remember that she had no semblance of control in this dream. To her surprise, the three figures eased down almost immediately, with the central figure of the three, the man who'd been addressed as Berfield, smiling.
"Well what do we have here?!" He smirked in a thick southern accent. "Looks like we got some sort of new grubby monster crawling through the pipes again!"
"Hi daddy." the boy replied in a giggle.
Luna's worries evaporated upon learning that this was the boy's father. But with knowledge of that, Luna's mind was seemingly hit with a sledgehammer upon coming to a newfound conclusion to who this child was.
"It can't be." Luna said aloud.
But what the father said next, pretty much confirmed it, as he vaulted over the walkway railing, and walked towards his son, picking him up and carrying the child in his arms.
"Whooh lordie! Tim, what mess have you gotten into now?" the father asked.
Luna's mind was thoroughly racked, as this child was in fact, Tim Berfield. Meaning that this current reality wasn't just a dream. Portions of the dream fading in and out, as if experiencing the world through a certain perspective. This wasn't some manifestation of one's thought, this was a direct window into one's past. Luna was reliving one of Tim's memories. Judging from his age, this happened long ago. But why it held relevance to now was an utter mystery to Luna. She decided to continue her observation further.
"I crawled through the caves, daddy." The young Tim replied rather directly.
"I can see that." the father acknowledged. "Didn't mommy tell ya not to do that?"
"Uh......no." Tim suggested in a way that it was obvious that he was fibbing.
"Well, you can bet she will this time." His father insisted. "Good god, boy, you need a bath."
"Problems with authority, he definitely gets that from you, Randy." one of the other men joked.
Luna had now learned the father's name, Randy Berfield. Already on the subject of family, Luna was quick to recall what Tim had said about his family, and upon reflecting on that, her mood suddenly became somber. This was the man who had fathered Tim, and had ultimately perished along with the rest of Tim's family. As Randy began to make his way back towards the walkway with Tim in hand, Tim began to pull at his father's jacket.
"No, daddy, wait a second!" He pleaded.
"What is it, Timmy?" His father asked.
"I found something for you in there."
"Found something, like what?" he questioned.
"An army helmet." Tim replied.
Randy raised an eyebrow, as Luna speculated that he doubted his son's claim.
"Well where is it, bud?" he asked
Tim simply pointed to the outfall. Luna looked around to where Tim had emerged, but saw nothing but black shadow within the confines of the small hole. Randy ultimately approached the outfall, and after a few seconds, his expression transitioned into a surprised grin.
"Well I'll be damned. You sure did." He exclaimed.
Randy began reaching in the outfall only to pull out a large green bulbous construction, like that of a bucket, but formed to where Luna could tell that it was meant for a human head. Seeing as Tim referred to it as an Army Helmet, Luna figured out rather quickly that it served as some sort of head protection. Randy did his best to wipe away some the dirt with his one free arm before addressing his son again.
"Nice find kiddo!" His father complimented. "I'm sure we'll make good use out of this!"
Randy proceeded to put on the helmet, though without tightening the straps as he'd need use of both arms. Randy began to make his way back when Luna began to hear some shuffling from within the outfall. She also noticed a that Tim had also turned his head towards the noise, indicating that he must have heard it too.
"Hey fellas!" Randy called out, "check out t-"
All of a sudden, something shot out the outfall with a shrill shriek and collided into Randy and his son. Randy was sent to the ground as the creature clung to the back of his coat, with Tim being unintentionally dropped onto the concrete ground as a result. Everything suddenly became pitch black as the echo of Tim's scream filled the air. This was followed by quick image flashes of Randy combating the creature. Quick glimpses of the beast thrashing its claws or snapping its jaws as Randy mustered every bit of strength into prying the creature off of him. Sounds of the encounter accompanied this in almost instant and violent succession, as the creature's terrible shrieks and the sound of struggle filled Luna's ears, coming to a close with a series of blinding light and the unforgettable sound of gunfire.
The surroundings from before suddenly returned, as Randy hastily got back on his feet and retrieved the young Tim, who had backed himself to the closest wall. Tears filled his eyes as he cried in alarm, his father there doing his best to comfort the small child. Behind the two of them were the other two men, one carrying a rifle with it's barrel still smoking.
Blood stained the right wall, and by following it's trail, Luna's eyes were met with the sight of the monster that had been slain. This abomination of nature was almost rat-like in appearance, and like the obelisk, was covered head to toe in unnatural growths and scars. It was nearly boar-sized, sporting a long strip of tufted black fur along its spine. Its head was wide towards the back narrowing out into a short snout, its mouth sporting various external and internal razor sharp teeth, with a pair of large almost bio luminescent circular eyes.
The mood suddenly became tense, as several seconds passed without anyone present so much as saying a word, as their wide-eyed gazes stared at the fallen beast. Finally, the man carrying the rifle spoke.
"H-How the hell did that thing get here!? All the exits are sealed save for the airlock!" One of the other men said in alarm.
"I don't know." Randy replied earnestly in a hushed tone.
"You don't know?! Was there something we missed?!" the man replied back angrily.
"That's impossible!" The other man said. "We checked every inch of this place! There's no fucking way-"
The conversation came to an abrupt end as the door back by the walkway slammed open, revealing yet another man. His posture was hunched and he appeared to be panting, indicative that he had ran as fast as he could to reach this spot. With an audible inhale, the man yelled down to them.
"THE STATION'S OVERRUN!!!"
Luna's surroundings had once again taken an abrupt turn into pitch blackness, and like before, only after a few seconds, a new scene had appeared before her. The four men could be seen charging down a tunnel, there movement slowed down as if time itself was lagging. The shouts of several men echoed throughout the corridor in complete chaos as they headed towards the sounds distant gunfire. Soon others joined them, and they grew in number. Bells began to go off in the distance, unrelenting as they reverberated down the hall. The noise blend together, to the point of being undecipherable, growing in intensity to the point of being deafening. Luna couldn't make sense of everything, yet at the same time, Luna swore she could hear screaming amongst the chaos of sound. Then suddenly, nothing. No sight, no sound. Pure nothingness as the dark enveloped everything around her.
Luna took the time to deduce a possible cause for this resurfaced memory, but honestly didn't know what to make of it. Suddenly, Luna heard a voice.
"You need to stay put, honey. I swear you give me a heart attack every time you run off."
The voice was distinctly feminine, but Luna couldn't find a source as to where it came from. A few short seconds afterwards, things began to transition once more. Luna found herself staring at what looked like a projection, as it didn't encompass the entirety of her surroundings, and advanced forward of it's own accord. Before her was yet another tunnel, though this one was much smaller. The cramped space was filled with all assortments of grime and dirt, and continued forward for several seconds before reaching something of note.
The projection's advanced slowed down, enough for Luna to see a pile of what looked like a small collapsed pile of dirt and rubble, and at it's epicenter, was the helmet Tim's father had taken from his son. Luna was able to piece that the helmet must have been embedded within the debris, which must have been plugging up a section of this tunnel. The projection's advance quickened, passing the pile of fallen debris and gaining in speed. As it did so, the tunnel faded into darkness, before coming upon a distant anomaly, almost illuminated by the surrounding black.
As it got closer, Luna was able to distinguish it as some sort of human figure. But it was only until Luna was less than a few feet away, that the projection stopped, giving Luna a full body view of the individual before her. Luna was surprised to see that it was someone she hadn't seen before her. Her proportions were smaller than that she had seen of the human physique, giving off the conclusion that this was indeed a human woman. Her features, while somewhat weathered, had a fair quality to them. Her eyes were an almost emerald green, and her hair was a light shade of brown. Luna couldn't say why, but she felt an almost instantaneous feeling of sorrow upon looking directly into the woman's eyes. This was only bolstered when a single tear shed from the woman's eye, as she too faded into the black. Only but a moment later, she reemerged, but this time, bruised, bleeding, and otherwise unmoving in an unmoving still-shot as her head and back were cradled in the arms of a kneeling and utterly distraught Randy Berfield. This too faded into black, and as soon as it did, another voice came seemingly out of nowhere, vaguely similar to one of the men that had been in Randy's presence but a moment earlier.
"Everything was sealed up, we're certain of that." it proclaimed. "Someone created a new opening. Let out our scent throughout the whole damn subway system. One whiff is all it took. That's how they found us."
Another moment of long prolonged silence, before another voice spoke, young and significantly indignant.
"It's all your fault."
Celestia listened to every word of her sister's tale with both intrigue and sympathy. To experience what was essentially a firsthand account of the tragic life on Earth was enough to shake the soul of anypony, but digging into the finer details of this dream's ambiguity left the two princesses with an even more shocking set of discoveries and implications. Though in the end, they were supposedly irrelevant, as the man they belonged to had sadly passed.
"He must have been deeply troubled for such a awful memory to resurface." Celestia suggested.
"My sentiments exactly." Luna concurred. "The fact that I was unable to help him is.......saddening to say the least."
"You did the best you could Luna." Celestia insisted. "If anything, I think there may even be a takeaway to this."
"And what would that be?" Luna asked.
"As a reminder to what war could bring." Celestia explained. "Tim's world fell to the consequences of conflict, and now conflict threatens our world. Hearing your account of what a world devastated by fighting is like, it frightens me."
"I'm afraid that's only half of what we have to fear, dear sister."
Luna's words carried with them greater implications.
"What do you mean?" Celestia asked.
Luna was silent, not saying so much as a word. It was at that moment Celestia noticed a tear trickling down her sister's face. Something was upsetting her dearly.
"Luna?" Celestia reached out again, one moment of silence away from simply giving her sister a much needed hug.
But before she could, Luna relented.
"Tim's was not the only memory I witnessed within the dream world." Luna admitted. "Just a few hours before the attack last night, I had entered what I thought was another Tim's dreams. But like I told you earlier it was that of the human, Andrew."
"You did mention that, yet failed to share the finer details of what you saw." Celestia noted. "If you're comfortable enough to share those details now, I'm willing and eager to listen?"
Luna peered up from looking down at the floor and directly into her sister's eyes before replying.
"I am, but I give you a fair warning sister, this tale will disturb you." Luna warned.
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Huh, no wonder Luna felt so guilty.
Now I’m conflicted whether I should feel angry or feel sad for Luna.
Nothing’s changed though, Luna fired the first shot therefore, blame must be placed on her for acting too hastily.
Guess what day it is? Guess what daaaay!?
That's right! Its UP-DAAAATE DAY!!! LOL
So he got shot and lived?
9137879
No. He's still dead. Most of this chapter is a flashback.
YUS!
While was expecting the fallout scenes involving the human council and the reporters of canterlot. This chapter was a nice in depth look back to the past, and that it might be.
9137830
While I agree that Luna fired the first shot, I still maintain that the story (and many people here) rather gloss over the armed force invading another world, one of its civilian settlements and one of the nation's ruling government's seat of power.
Any one of these could be reasonably called an invasion.
M O R E
9137377
*dissmissively waves arm* Eh whatever, it's an AK, they're practically indestructable!
can this story have a happy ending???
Finally caught up and damn, what a rollercoaster of emotions and military hardware it was.
Guessing that prior to The Survivors, pockets of survivors formed settlements in the ruins like the sewer systems. Gave me a Metro 2033 vibe for a bit.
Personally, I'm interested to see the reactions from both sides when the information they have is released to the public and how they'll spin it. For Equestria, I'm certain that telling everypony that Luna fired the first shot would be political and social suicide. Though pining blame on the humans, while easy, would make any chance of a peaceful resolution non-existant.
For the Survivors, it's a mixed bag given who the members of the Council are. Are we going to explore more of their background in the next few chapters? Anyways, I doubt they'll take Achmed's statement at face value but given the situation, they can't afford to not go back to Equestria for long.
9139330
NEVER!
9140756
(run away screaming bloody murder)
9137961
That'll be coming soon hopefully
9142748
I'm glad someone can recognize my artistic genius.
9143300
Oh I know, it was nice looking back at memories before the war starts, and tim.....I still miss that bastard.
Well anyway, looking forward to the upcoming chapters bro, and as always, this is AWESOME!
Finally caught up, and I must say, you have me hooked! I will be keeping a close eye on this...
when next awesome update bro?
9195061
Currentky working on my BFA exhibition for school. Havent had time to write.
9195652
that's understandable, do what ya gotta do bro. 👍
Goddamn, I cannot wait for the next chapter.
When next awesome update?
9244904
Currently writing right now. Not certain when the next update will be.
9245187
Your the MAN bro! Take as long as you need.....just dont forget about us.
Xd
Take care dude!
Timothy Berfield...