//------------------------------// // Chapter 24 - To Dream // Story: Finding a Place // by Battlecat //------------------------------// Beep . . . Beep . . . Beep . . . Beep . . . My heart began to race the instant I recognized the sound of the heart monitor. I had spent months listening to that droning noise after my parents died. Panic was burning through my as I tried to figure out how long had I been in the hospital? I tried to open my eyes but they were covered for some reason. For some reason, my arms were not restrained so I quickly I reached up to tear the cover off my face but froze when I heard a voice. “It appears the patient is suffering from paranoia, perceived loss of connection to reality and from a mischievous second personality.” I pulled the blindfold off my eyes and found Spark hovering above me with a huge grin on his face. His eyes were sparkling with a level of mirth I hadn't ever seen on his face. There was a vital signs monitor on the coffee table next to me and we were on the balcony in the Crystal Empire as usual. He flew down to his recliner, collapsed in a heap and began to howl with laughter. I took several long, calming breaths and flopped back in my chair. “Spark, you are a complete and total asshole.” “Come on! It was a good joke.” “If you think playing with my fear is funny, I suppose.” “Aww, you should have seen the look on your face. Oh wait, that's right! You'll be able to remember it in the morning!” “Laugh it up. See how you feel when you finally give us a real heart attack.” “Chill out Silver!” he said more seriously. “As long as you have me, you'll know which realm you are in. I can always tell and I promise I'll help keep you grounded, so please don't worry.” “Oh good. And you didn't tell me this before I fell asleep because . . .” A smirk appeared on his face. “How often am I going to get a chance to prank you like that? Come on, the setup was perfect.” “Up yours Spark,” I growled, flipping my middle finger at him. I wasn't really that angry anymore and he knew it. “You know you love me.” “Yeah yeah . . . Wait. That means . . .” “Yes Silver, our marefriend, Sunset Shimmer is currently keeping us warm on the couch.” “Our girlfriend,” I echoed, smiling at Spark. “Who actually wants to date a wreck like us. Unbelievable.” “Let them go!” It felt like a ripple went through our dreamscape. Both of us exchanged an uneasy look as we examined the realm around us. Nothing had visibly changed and yet everything suddenly felt different at a fundamental level. Spark flew up into the air and circled around before returning with a frightened expression on his face. “Silver. There's something wrong. I heard that voice again.” “I felt it as well this time. What's going on?” “I will give you my magic, in exchange for my friends.” We looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. It was a voice we recognized but their identity was utterly unexpected. “That was Twilight's voice. What?” “I gave you what you want! Stop hurting them!” “Yes it was. Why are we dreaming of her being frightened, Spark?” “I have no idea. Why did you change the balcony door?” “I didn't,” I replied, turning around to see what he was talking about. Instead of the normal crystalline filigree, the door had changed into a rustic arched wood door painted red with two handles. The image of a lit candle was painted on the door. I had never seen this door in my life. It was also about a head too short for me to walk through. I looked over at Spark. “Should we see what's through here?” “Ahhhhhh! No. NO!” she screamed before beginning to cry. There was no doubt Twilight's voice was coming from beyond this new door and we were dreaming of her being frightened and in pain. That was not something we could allow. “We're dreaming of Twilight hurting. Why are we hesitating Silver?” “I have no idea. Let's go.” We pushed the door opened and stepped through into a warm sunny day. The other side of the door was under a gorgeous old oak tree with the door built into it. I looked around and saw we were standing in a small medieval town that was totally unfamiliar. The street was dotted with numerous one and two story buildings with thatched roofs. The whole place felt slightly off because the streets were completely devoid of modern conveniences. No streetlights, no cars, and no power lines. Beyond the door, the crystal empire balcony had disappeared, replaced by what looked like a library carved right out of the wood of the living tree. “Ok, where the buck are we Spark?” “I have no idea Silver. I don't recognize this place.” I heard a popping noise overhead somewhere and looked up. Suddenly Spark hooked me with his wing pushing me in a total panic. “RUN!” he shouted. It is a rule of survival that when someone tells you to do something while panicking, you act first and question later. Certainly, it is a lesson I learned well in martial arts and from my own anxiety. I sprinted down the road beside Spark just as a massive fireball soared overhead and collided with the oak tree. We were thrown to the ground by the shock wave. Then we heard someone screaming. “AHHHHHHHHHH!” Twilight's scream grew louder and we were both hit by something that from behind that had been flying through the air, propelled by the shockwave. I heard her gasp in horror before she noticed us. “What the . . . Oh my gosh I'm so sorry!” Spark and I were engulfed in a pink aura and I was lifted up to my feet by an invisible force. I turned around and found myself looking down at a lavender pony that stood about waist high relative to me. She was a bit shorter than Spark but not by much. I almost didn't recognize her at first but once I took in her wings, lavender eyes and the pink and blue stripes in her mane I was certain. This was what Twilight Sparkle might look like as a pony. “Is this Twilight? How did we come up with her appearance as a pony Spark?” “I have no idea Silver. Maybe we're subconsciously extrapolating from the appearance of the other Princesses” She looked from one of us to the other with an expression of blank confusion. It was like she didn't even recognize us. She looked over to where the fireball had come from and her eyes narrowed. She was just a dream construct so it didn't take her long to continue on her path, wherever that was taking her. “I have to stop Tirek!” With a flash of light Twilight vanished. A few moments later the explosions started in the distance. Spark and I just watched while we both began to fear for our sanity. We were in a dream that was completely out of control for the first time since the Formal. “Who, or what is a Tirek, Spark? Where are we getting this from?” “No idea. Did that mountain just explode?” “Yes, it did. Can we try to get this dream under control? I don't like where this is going.” “Good plan. I'd rather not be standing here if that mess comes back this way.” We both focused for a moment and suddenly the tree reappeared fully intact, just as it was when we walked in. We heard a pop up in the tree again. I looked up and spotted Twilight on a balcony at the top of the tree looking through a telescope. We looked in the direction she was facing and saw the fireball flying through the air towards us again. “STOP!” Spark and I shouted together. The fireball slowed down before finally stopping a short distance from the tree. At the same moment Twilight in her pony form popped in to existence behind us with an owl in her arms. She looked up at the fireball hanging in midair above us and shot a beam of energy out of her horn at it. It burst into a shower of sparkles. Twilight looked at the immobile form of her owl and then at us. She began to pace in a circle around the two of us while considering our presence carefully. We had no idea what this construct was looking for so we just waited patiently and watched as she talked to herself. “How? Wait I was just . . . but then . . . before . . . wait. Silver? Tirek was going to . . . My friends and I already beat Tirek. No, . . .I . . . I'm in the human world . . . in Silver's bedroom sleeping. This isn’t real so it must be a dream . . . a dream and I'm lucid? Lucid dreaming about Silver and a pony copy of him at the same time? Thank Celestia that nightmare is over; maybe I can enjoy the rest of this dream after all.” There was a slightly unnerving smile growing on Twilight's face. There was something about her behavior that wasn't right, that didn't fit with what little I knew about dreams. I had a bad feeling but I had to interrupt her train of thought before it got out of control. “Hold on there a second Twilight, I’m pretty sure this is my dream.” “Well no, it must be my dream. There's no way Silver Spark could know about Tirek or Ponyville, so it is logical to conclude that this is my dream.” “She's acting real Spark. Are we in Twilight's dream now?” “I don’t see how that's even possible,” Spark replied. “But here we are.” “Exactly. We don’t know this place and we’ve never seen Twilight as a pony.” Spark looked up at me. “Do you think we can manipulate this dream Silver?” “Let's try for Manhattan, Spark. It might convince her or break her.” Spark closed his eyes while Twilight watched us talk with a confused expression. The scene began to shimmer and suddenly the three of us were standing on the balcony of the Empire State Building overlooking the city. It didn't entirely feel like we were dreaming anymore. The sensation was reminiscent of my experience when Luna was helping me clear out the curse. Our two recliners and the ever present coffee table appeared next to us. Twilight's jaw dropped at the sight, while another copy of the recliner shimmered into existence beside the other two. “Take a seat Twilight,” I said, gesturing at the new chair. “It's obvious something weird is going on and we should talk about it before we wake up.” “How!? Nopony except Princess Luna can dreamwalk. This can't be real.” “The rules might be different on this side of the portal. Honestly, this is a first for us, assuming you really are Twilight Sparkle.” ”Fair enough . . . But if this is real I do have one important question. Why are the two of you?” Spark hopped up on his chair and grinned at her mischievously. “I'm the Thestral that lives in Silver's head of course. My name is Spark and you can call the monkey Silver. I have to say, if this is your real appearance, you are a good looking mare, Twilight Sparkle.” “Shush Spark!” I shot over at him while Twilight looked away blushing but with a small smile on her face. “I don't know how much time we have since I haven't figured out how to keep track in this realm yet. Like I told you before bed, I've been lucid dreaming for weeks now. Spark is the part I haven't mentioned because I had no idea how to explain his existence without sounding insane.” “As far as we can tell, I came into existence after Luna purged the curse,” Spark continued. “We haven't figure out what I am yet but I'm linked to our magic. We only pony up when the two of us cooperate and focus.” “Honestly, we were going to try and explain Spark's existence to you and Sunset in the morning since his existence seems to be the key to our conscious use of magic.” Twilight was looking quite bewildered, looking back and forth as the two of us switched off seamlessly. “Ok, so you did control my dream which is a point in favor of this being real. Also, as another point, I've never seen a city like this before. Is this a real place?” “Yes. This is Manhattan, where I lived before moving to Canterlot,” I replied. “Granted, I didn’t live this high up but this location is much more eye-catching than down where I used to live.” “Incredible. I have so many questions but they will have to wait,” she replied. “So Spark, speaking hypothetically if you are real, how would you have Silver convince me when we wake up?” “Was that tree we saw important to you?” Spark asked. “It looked like a library or something.” Twilight sighed sadly and laid her head down on her hooves. Her wings sagged down and her ears folded down on the top of her head. “It was the Golden Oaks Library and I lived there for over a year,” Twilight replied sadly. “It's where I made my first friends, where I ascended and earned my wings. Tirek destroyed it when I foolishly teleported there trying to escape. Yes, I have a castle that replaced it as Spike mentioned but my home and nearly everything I owned was in the library. It's not the same.” She looked like she was going to cry at the memory. I got out of my chair and crouched down beside the sad Alicorn. I put my hand on her neck and started rubbing the tense muscles with my hand. She gasped at the unexpected touch and then she relaxed with a sigh. Encouraged I started gently massaging her neck with my hands, carefully examining the unfamiliar pattern of muscles with my fingers before applying too much pressure. I was amazed by the smooth silky feel of her fur. “Oh sweet Celestia,” she murmured. “That feels even better than I imagined. I didn't know fingers would feel this nice on my shoulders. I didn't get a chance to tell you how much I've missed you, Silver.” “I missed you too Twilight,” I replied. “Even if it was only six weeks, I was sure it would be much longer. So as painful as it is, when we wake up I'll ask you about the Golden Oaks Library. When I do, ask me about Spark and I'll tell you he's the Thestral that lives in my head. Then we can figure out what to do next.” “Oooohkay . . .” She slurred quietly as I continued to massage her. She was half dozing while muttering quietly to herself. “We'll talk in the morning or not if you're just a very weird and pleasant dream. I will accept this as penance for not letting me have some proper lucid dream fun with two of you.” I exchanged a glance with Spark. “What do you mean a proper lucid dream Twilight?” She lay on the recliner quietly for a moment before exploding onto her hooves in a panic. Her face was turning bright red even through her purple fur and her wings flared outwards as if she was going to try to fly away. “OH BUCK! If you're real then I just . . . but you and Sunset just . . . no, no, no, no, no!” Suddenly she became translucent, wavered like a mirage and vanished. “Time to wake up Silver?” “Yeah, I hope this doesn't screw everything up. Life was just starting to calm down.” Friday, November 18, 2016 I woke up with ease as usual and let out a sigh of relief. Even with Sparks reassurance, there had still been a shadow of a doubt about what was real. The truth was last night was real. Sunset was still right here with me on the couch, lying on her back under the blanket with her head resting in my lap. I felt a warm glow flow through me and I smiled down at her sleeping farm. It was still nearly pitch dark but a quick glance into the kitchen revealed it was just a bit after 5:00 am. Ok, so there are two possibilities, right Spark? Yup. Either we just had the weirdest dream ever or we just walked into Twilight's brain. I was afraid those were the only options. Eyup. By the way, remember the look on your face when . . . Buck you to Tartarus Spark, I looked like an idiot! One of the possibilities was whittled away a moment later when I heard the stairs creak as someone came tiptoeing down. I looked over my shoulder and wasn't surprised to see Twilight Sparkle in her yellow pajamas with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders walking down the stairs. She stopped moving when I looked over at her so I put my finger to my lips and beckoned her over. Twilight came and leaned over the back of the couch as close to me as possible. “Golden Oaks Library?” I whispered. “Gone,” she replied sadly. “Spark?” “Annoying Thestral living in my brain,” I answered. We both stared at each other for a moment before I continued. “Right, so that did actually happen. Now what?” Annoying?! Buck you bro. “Now we talk,” Twilight murmured. “Unfortunately, we need to wake up Sunset. I don't want to mess your new relationships up and keeping secrets like this would be a serious risk.” “Fair enough,” I said. Could I talk you through how to make the coffee? I can't wake Sunset up this early in the morning without a cup of caffeine to put in her hands. I also can't leave her alone after the minor existential crisis we had before going to sleep last night. That's why she's still here.” Twilight nodded and quietly walked into the kitchen. On my instruction, she hit the start button and the coffee maker made a burbling sound indicating it had started the brewing process. Then she sat down at the kitchen table and put her face in her hands. As much as I wanted to go to give her a hug, I had a promise to keep. “It'll be alright Twilight,” I whispered. “Whatever is going on, we'll figure it out.” She looked over at me and nodded but didn't say anything. It was too dark to make out the expression on her face but her posture spoke of fear. A few minutes later the coffee maker clicked indicating it was done brewing. “One teaspoon sugar, and a generous shot of cream from the fridge if you could please,” I whispered. Twilight came over carrying the steaming mug. “Thank you so much, Twilight. Sunset's really not a morning person; I really hope she's not too upset about this.” I brushed Sunset's face with my hand and spoke gently to her. “Sorry Sunset, but you need to wake up.” Sunset became restless as I ran my hand across her cheek. Her eyes opened, barely in the dim light and she moaned in irritation but still graced me with a sleepy smile. “Silver . . . you're still here. Nnngh, what time is it?” “It's just a bit after five but we have your coffee right here. I know you don't like waking up this early but there was a bit of a magic incident while I was sleeping that we need to talk about with Twilight. We're going to keep this between the three of us for now.” She moaned again but sat up and leaned on me wearily. I picked up the coffee and held it for her until she was ready to take it. Sunset took a few sips and sighed. Twilight came over with two more cups, one for me and one for her. She sat down on the floor beside the couch. Her face was in shadows hiding her expression but her posture looked tense. “So what was so important you two had to wake me up at this horrible hour?” I took the coffee mug from her briefly in anticipation of her reaction. “It appears that I stumbled into Twilight's nightmare while I was sleeping.” “Wait, what!?” she exclaimed before dropping to a whisper. “You just stumbled into her dream?” “Pretty much,” I replied while giving the coffee back. “It started as my normal lucid dream although I was the victim of a nasty prank in the process. Then we heard Twilight calling for help and the door to the Crystal Tower shifted into one I'd never seen before. We went through and after a few weird encounters due to the nightmare events, Twilight became lucid. We exchanged information and just confirmed it before we woke you up.” “Ok, back up a moment. How did you get pranked in your sleep? And why are you saying we instead of I?” “Yeah,” I said rubbing the back of the head. “I already planned to tell you this today although I fear you’re going to think I’ve gone insane. I have a second personality living in my head that's a pony version of me. He doesn't ever wind up in full control of our body and we share all our memories but every day our minds seem to work more and more differently. He gives me advice, seems to use my human sense slightly better than I can and I can't pony up without his cooperation. He even surprises me when we play chess some nights. I call him Spark.” “Seriously?” Sunset asked with a worried tone in her voice. “You do realize how crazy that sounds, right?” Twilight put her hand on Sunset's to reassure her. “I saw both of them when they stopped my nightmare and brought me into lucidity. There was no doubt in my mind that they are effectively separate entities.” “Anyhow, we've sort of agreed to treat each other like brothers and I think it's starting to show,” I continued, with a frown on my face as I recalled the prank. “He created a heart monitor in our shared dream when I fell asleep and blindfolded me before I reached full lucidity. I thought I was waking up in a hospital due to the injuries from one of the recent battles. I just about thrashed the little bastard when I realized what he'd done.” Sunset and Twilight stared at me like I had gone insane for a moment and then started to laugh. The third source of laughter in the back of my mind was a bit of an additional distraction. Wonderful! I'm glad our friends do appreciate a good prank. You are such a bloody troll Spark. Gotta find the occasional laugh when I can. Fair enough. “Sweet Celestia, I hope I can meet this pony someday,” Sunset said between giggles. “That's an awful prank but I have to admit it’s very clever.” “Right, I'm glad my near heart attack lightened the mood,” I said. “Spark's glad you're both finding this amusing by the way. As it is, apparently my magic changed yet again or at least is continuing its evolution.” “In a frightening direction as well,” Twilight added. “Princess Luna is the only dream walker in Equestria. Nopony else has ever been able to move into other pony's dreams.” I looked over at her, surprise. “Not a single one in more than a thousand years of history?” “Well at the very least there aren't any records of one existing,” Twilight amended. “This just makes finding your counterpart even more important. Dreamwalking is a very dangerous talent because dreams are so tightly woven with memory and thought. It would be frighteningly easy to abuse the ability to harm ponies or dredge memories out of their minds.” “Yeah," I said sheepishly. "I get the feeling I heard something I wasn't supposed to know before you woke up. Do you want to talk about it now, Twilight?” Twilight sighed sadly. “Yes, I don't really have a choice now. This is a good example of why dreamwalking can be so dangerous. Please don't be mad Sunset.” “I'll do my best Twilight,” Sunset replied calmly. “Sunset, I'm very fond of your coltfriend,” Twilight said quickly. Sunset's voice became a bit colder while she watched Twilight carefully in the darkness. “By very fond you mean . . .” Twilight’s shoulders slumped as she tried to answer Sunset’s implied question. “Yes, pretty much. I think. Maybe. I hadn't figured it out yet. Now it doesn't matter anyhow. I didn't want either of you to know but once Silver heard what I said while dreaming . . .” Twilight's voice trailed off and she took a sip of her coffee. I could see her hand shaking. There wasn't anything I could say at the moment so I kept silent. Sunset's arm wrapped around my shoulder and she held me possessively. “He's a wonderful guy Twilight, but so is Flash Sentry; well at least he normally is. I wasn't there for your conversation with him. Did things go that badly?” “It didn't go very well,” she said sadly. “We argued and he wasn't happy when I told him we wouldn't work out. It's true that I had a slight crush on him from our last visit because he was cute but that's all it really was. Honestly, I never expected it to become anything more because he kept trying to treat me like a princess.” “Is it so bad to be treated like that?” Sunset asked. “As a princess, you could have your choice of stallions, right?” Twilight's voice was melancholy. "I know ascending was something you actually dreamed about Sunset but I'm starting to wonder if you're the lucky one. The reality isn't as nice as it looks on the outside, especially when it comes to relationships.” Her voice was beginning to crack as she spoke and I saw Sunset put her hand on Twilight's shoulder comfortingly. Twilight leaned on Sunset's knees and sighed sadly. “I've only been a princess for a short time and I'm getting marriage proposals every few days. Rich, business ponies looking to increase their wealth and high nobles looking to gain more influence. They couldn't care less about me, my interests or my dreams although they pretend to treat me as they think royalty should be treated. Everypony else just seems to see me as a symbol rather than a pony like them. If it wasn't for my friends and acquaintances in Ponyville anchoring me to normality, I don't know what I'd do or become.” “I had no idea, Twilight,” Sunset murmured. “So why are you interested in Silver?” “When I arrived in this world I was lost,” she whispered. “I could barely walk, my magic was gone and there was nopony I could turn to. Every time I tried to get my bearings I ran into people who were familiar and alien at the same time. It was the afternoon in the library when Silver spoke to me the first time. He already knew both of us were from another world since he was recovering from an attack on the floor of that dark hallway when we argued.” I felt Sunset stiffen at the memory of those awful days before the Formal. I put my arm around her shoulder and squeezed it gently. She leaned in and relaxed, accepting my implied forgiveness. Twilight continued speaking, the words emerging in a torrent. “I had been staring at the computer trying to figure it out when Silver offered to help. Even though I was a complete disaster and fool with the technology of this world, he helped me without hesitation or criticism. He joked a bit, made me laugh and just treated me like a normal pony from start to finish. He never asked for anything from me; even once he knew I was a princess." Twilight pulled away from Sunset. “He made me feel happy and safe during my first visit. I thought I wouldn't see him again for such a long time, I was going to just forget about my feelings. Now I'm suddenly I'm back here again, with the option to visit anytime I want but now you two are dating. I'm so happy for you two and I wish you had never found out about my feelings Silver. You haven't even been dating Sunset a full day and I'm going to ruin everything.” Her voice drifted off into nothing she took a long drink of her coffee. We sat in silence for a few minutes trying to decide what to say. I was completely speechless but I felt like a total heel. While it was going to be much easier to not have to keep this secret, watching Twilight forced to pour her heart out because of my indiscretion was awful. “You haven't done anything wrong, Twilight,” Sunset whispered. “When you left I wasn't sure what kind of pony you were and I'll admit I was a bit angry at you. The last few days have been reassuring and showed me the truth. You are a good friend and I see no reason to hold your feelings for Silver against you.” “But, I -” Sunset cut Twilight off with a question. “Were you going to try to break us up?” “No, but-” “Do you want to sabotage our relationship in any way?” “No, I wouldn't -” Twilight tried to protest but Sunset pushed on. “Were you going to be able to move on by yourself?” Twilight stopped trying to speak for a second and put her face in her hands. “ . . . I don't know. Celestia help me, I don't know.” "Sorry about that, but I had to keep you off balance to know for sure,” Sunset said gently. “Twilight, I'm not going to let you run away or feel guilty just because you might be interested in my boyfriend. You said it yourself; you're not even sure how you feel Twilight. No matter what, we are your friends and we'll try to help you through this.” “Ok,” she whispered in response. “Still, I'm sorry.” “Don't be,” I interjected. “If anyone should be sorry, it's me for stumbling into a place I had no business being.” “Did you have any plan to act on or explore your feelings before I asked Silver out?” Sunset asked curiously. "Not really. I was going to invite him to Equestria for a visit,” Twilight replied. “I wanted to see his reaction to my appearance as a pony and find out how well we got along during a normal day before I considered asking him out.” I reached down and put my hand on her shoulder comfortingly. “I'll do my best to avoid dream walking without permission. I'm not sure how since it was as easy as walking through a door. I'll just have to be careful or figure out a way to practice.” “You're welcome in my mind, Silver,” Sunset murmured. “I still have nightmares about the Fall Formal and my other crimes. Besides, you need to practice controlling this somehow and I trust you.” “If I can find my way, I'll be there Sunset,” I said giving her shoulder a squeeze. “So what do we do now?” Sunset took charge. “For now we don't worry about it. Far as I see, there's no harm done. Princess Twilight Sparkle, you are under strict command from somepony who has absolutely no authority over you to not worry about this. Can you do that for us?” I was happy to hear Twilight let out an honest giggle at Sunset's orders. “I think I can manage to do that now. Actually . . . I was still thinking about inviting Silver to come to Equestria but only if you want to come with him Sunset.” Sunset stiffened beside me. “I can't go back, Celestia banished me. She told me I was never to return.” “I spoke with Princess Celestia about what happened between the two of you. She said things in anger she greatly regrets. Yes, you were banned from the castle and the restricted spell archives as a consequence of your actions. However, you were never banished from Equestria. The only criminal charge I could identify was assaulting the guards who were escorting you out of the castle. The sentence for that has already been set at one hundred hours of community service." I was dumbfounded as Sunset and Twilight changed roles. Sunset was getting frantic while Twilight was becoming the voice of reason. “That's it?!?” Sunset gasped. “But I stole your crown!” “It was returned without any incident. As the bearer of the Element of Magic, I concluded there was no need for any formal punishment or charges.” Sunset's voice was becoming more incredulous. “Without any incident? I tried to kill you and your friends! I nearly killed Silver!” “In this world,” Twilight replied in a calm voice. “You were punished and subsequently rehabilitated by the appropriate parties here as far as I'm concerned. As you've demonstrated these last few days, that decision resulted in a total success.” Sunset wilted, running out of excuses and was wringing her hands to try and calm herself down. “I – I – I can't face Princess Celestia. I can't, not yet.” Twilight put her hand on Sunset's writhing hands reassuringly. “You won't have to face her until you're ready, I promise. That encounter will happen on your terms and only when you are ready. I am the caretaker of the portal now and it's located in my castle in Ponyville. You won't even have to go near Canterlot to come visit me now.” Sunset Shimmer was completely still for a moment before she began shaking. I pulled her into a hug and held her tight. She let out a shudder and clung to me as she began to cry. Twilight and I exchanged a look in the darkness. When Sunset finally calmed down she pulled away and looked over at Twilight. “I can visit Equestria?” she whispered. "You checked all of this for me before you knew I had really changed for the better?” “Well yes,” Twilight replied. “I was feeling optimistic about your chances. Granted I didn't think it would be needed for a few years but I wanted to get the answers quickly before I got sidetracked by another crisis.” Sunset was quiet for a moment as she considered the implications of Twilight's efforts on her behalf. “I think I speak for both of us when I say, we would love to come visit you in Equestria. Especially since you've seen what Silver looks like as a pony and I haven't.” “Technically, Twilight's only seen what my equine mental breakdown looks like,” I replied. Hey! What? You wanted me to lighten up. I was relieved that got a laugh from both Twilight and Sunset. The mood was improving between the three of us and I was glad my accidental discovery hadn't ruined our friendship. At least it hadn't yet and I hoped that wouldn't change. I took another long sip of my coffee and looked over at the clock. The time was just barely quarter to six. “So what now?” asked Twilight. “There's no way I'm going back to sleep now.” I had an idea and I was curious about the forethought of one of our friends. “Did Rarity put a swimsuit into your things when you girls came up with the idea to come over here?” Twilight looked quite shocked. “How did you know?” Sunset laughed, “Oh, it was an easy guess. Go upstairs and get changed and we'll show you how we relax here. It's a place so secret he completely forgot it existed!” Twilight got to her feet and went back upstairs. We both watched her go and when she was out of sight Sunset turned back to me. The cheer having dissolved right off her face as she avoided my eyes. “Silver, do you want to bre-” I knew what she was going to ask and I interrupted her by putting a finger over her lips. “I know what you’re going to ask and the answer is, no, not in a million years, not for anypony or anyone. Do you want to know how I felt when I woke up this morning?” “Please,” she responded in a small worried voice. “Happy,” I replied, picking up her hand and kissing the back of it. “I was so relieved to see you were there and that a wonderful girl like you really did want to try dating a mess like me. I am yours to keep Sunset Shimmer, as long as you want. Like I told you last night, I'm not going anywhere. Nothing that happened this morning has changed that simple fact.” She let out a happy sigh and got up. “Thank you, Silver. I'll go get changed and I'll be back with Twilight in a minute, Silver.” For the next forty-five minutes, Sunset and Twilight soaked quietly in my hot tub. Unfortunately, the puncture wounds on my chest weren't fully healed yet so I had to stay out in the cold morning air. To stay warm, I worked through a series of stretches and balance exercises on the deck nearby to calm my aching muscles. I was actually quite surprised I wasn't in more pain this morning considering I had been clobbered several times by the sirens, not to mention the Taser. Maybe the harmony magic had taken pity on me. I was also stealing more than the occasional look at the silhouette of my girlfriend who was lounging in her modest one piece swimsuit with her hair spread across the deck. She was barely visible in the dawn light but the light and shadow created an almost artistic scene. My main reasons for dating her had nothing to do with her appearance but boy was she was beautiful. Given the non-trivial drama this morning, I tried not to glance at Twilight too much. It was hard to completely avoid looking at her and she was an attractive girl just like Sunset. Fortunately, Rarity had chosen a modest swimsuit for Twilight; a baby blue one piece suit that matched the shirt the portal kept giving her. I wished there was something I could do to help Twilight, but I just didn't know enough about Equestria to offer anything beyond kind words. The whole idea of being in a relationship was completely alien to me anyhow and I was taking this opportunity to actually think about what it meant considering how odd our friendship already was. We hadn't exchanged more than a couple kisses on the cheek and yet we had effectively slept together for our first night as a couple. We hadn't even really been on a date officially but we'd spent enough time together that the traditional dinner and a movie first date felt like it would be a total cop-out. I felt I was on a time limit to come up with something but I didn't let it worry me too much. After all, she already knew I was completely out of my depth here. With only a few minutes left before we had to go inside and get ready for school, I went over to sit next to Sunset and slipped my bare legs and feet into the water next to her. I closed my eyes to just enjoy the warmth and took some deep breaths to relax my mind. Then I let out a startled yelp when I felt a hand run up and down my lower leg. I opened my eyes and looked down at my girlfriend who had a mischievous grin on her face. “You're always so high strung Silver,” she said. “You need to learn to relax!” “It's going to take a while,” I said with a snort, “Plus I have to get used to the idea of having a grabby marefriend. Granted, if there's one thing I'm looking forward to getting used to . . . ” “Don't get used to it too fast. I kind of like it when you squeak,” she replied, not taking her hand off my leg. “Physical contact is very important for ponies and I've missed this. So our friends are going to wake up soon. The question is, how much do we tell them?” Twilight looked over at us. “Well, they need to know about Silver dreamwalking since I'm certain your arrival in my dream wasn't random. We're all friends and we're all connected by equestrian magic but I was having a particularly terrible nightmare last night. There's a high likelihood of you encountering one of their dreams next if you're not careful.” “I believe it goes without saying that everything we discussed regarding my accidental discovery in your dreams remains private between the three of us,” I added. “What about Spark?” “Unfortunately, he's pretty much part and parcel of your magic,” Twilight replied. “I don't see how we can avoid bringing his existence up.” I groaned. “I really hope they don't think I'm going insane. How do I explain this in a way that doesn't make them think I'm even more insane than they already think I am.” “They don't think you're that crazy Silver. Honestly, since Twilight has actually met Spark, it shouldn't be too hard,” Sunset replied. “. . . and I think that about covers it, girls,” Twilight concluded. “Anything more you want to add Silver?” I shook my head and avoided looking at my friends while quietly wishing for one day of normality. Twilight and I had just finished explaining my new ability and Spark's existence to everyone else after breakfast. Sunset was sitting right next to me, holding my hand to help keep me calm. If she hadn't been there, I'm not sure I could have handled the situation. “Silver, what did it feel like encountering another dream like that?” Fluttershy asked in a small voice. I considered that for a moment. “Imagine you're a fish that's lived in a perfectly calm and undisturbed pond all your life. Encountering Twilight's dream was what it would be like if someone threw a rock in that pond. After that, it was just another lucid dream except in a place I had never seen before.” “So what do magical pony princess dream about, Silver?” asked Rainbow Dash in a cheeky voice. “That is not something I can tell you, Dash,” I replied firmly. “I might have stumbled into her dream but what I saw there is Twilight's to share and hers alone. If I spilled secrets from someone's dreams even just one time, how could I expect any of you to trust me? It will never, ever be my story to tell.” “But -” Sunset stopped Rainbow Dash before she could continue and looked at each of our friends. “For now I think it would be best if we step away and think about this new development. Silver has already confirmed he will do his absolute best to stay out of your dreams. If you decide you want his help dealing with nightmares, you'll have to let him know privately. Let's focus on tonight's concert and getting ourselves to school.” The girls nodded and dispersed to pack their things up from the sleepover. I slumped back on the couch and stared at the ceiling. “That could have gone better,” I said, letting out a long sigh. It also could have gone a lot worse Silver. Yeah. You're not a secret anymore, though. Still no idea if that's really going to change anything. Spike hopped up on the arm of my chair and put his paw on my hand. “Dreamwalking is new in Equestria as well. The only difference is we're used to magic so Princess Luna's ability wasn't a giant leap for our view of the world. You and your friends have only had six weeks to get used to the very idea that magic exists. They just need time Silver.” I chuckled. “Wise words like those makes me forget how young you are, Spike.” “You don't grow up with a pony like Twilight without picking up a few things,” he replied. “Is everything going to be alright between you two and Twilight? I know something's bothering her.” Sunset gave Spike a scratch behind the ears. “Yeah, I think we'll be fine. You take good care of her back in Equestria, don't you?” “I try,” he said, leaning into the scratches. “She can be a bit stubborn, though.” “I think that could describe most of us this week,” said Sunset with a quiet laugh. “Use the journal to let us know if she needs us. The portal isn't far away.” Spike sat up and gave us a salute. “I'll put you on the list right after her friends back home!” It was just a bit before 8:00 when I pulled my car into the parking lot at Canterlot High with Twilight, Sunset and Spike as my passengers. Applejack and Rarity weren't far behind with the rest of our friends so we could see our two friends on their way back to Equestria. When I pulled up into a parking space, a thought popped into my head. “Twilight, do you think you and Spike would be able to spare some time to come back for a visit next week?” Twilight looked surprised at my question. “Maybe. What did you have in mind?” “Next Thursday is a holiday called Thanksgiving,” I replied. “I was thinking it might be nice for you to come visit when there isn't an imminent crisis. I don't know what our friends are doing yet but worst case the four of us can have a quiet dinner at my place.” Sunset nodded in agreement. “I think that's a great idea Silver. We'll sort out the details using the journal, Twilight.” “Awesome,” Spike piped up. “This time I'll have time to bring those comics I told you about Silver!” “Sounds like a deal, Spike,” I replied. We waited a minute while the rest of our friends got out of their cars and came over to join us. Twilight and Spike were the centers of attention again as the girls said their goodbyes to her. I crouched down and gave Spike a paw/fist bump and then stepped off to one side with Sunset. She hooked her arm around mine. “These visits always seem too short Twilight,” Applejack said. “Sure wish you could stay longer.” “Me too,” Twilight replied as she stood by the portal. “But I have responsibilities in Equestria that I have to get back to. On the bright side, now I can come through the portal whenever I need to and we can keep in touch with the journal. This isn't goodbye for years now. I'll try to visit again soon. Let's go, Spike.” She started walking towards the portal but paused a moment to look over where Sunset and I were standing. Her eyes flicked down to the close contact between us and gave us a bit of a smile. We both waved at her before she turned and continued. Then with a shimmer of magic, they both walked through the base of the statue and were gone. The other girls also said their goodbyes to us and each other before walking off towards the school, leaving me and Sunset standing in the cool November morning. I walked over to the portal and put my hand just above the surface of it. A moment later I felt the heat of the active portal subside to just a faint warmth. I pushed my hand on the surface and confirmed it was closed. I sat down on the pavement to lean on the portal and Sunset slid down to sit beside me. She put her cheek on the statue face and sighed with satisfaction. “Are you able to feel the warmth from the portal I was telling you about?” “I couldn't before today,” she replied, as she slid closer. “Ever since I arrived here, this surface has either been a portal or cold unyielding stone. When you told me you felt something different, I thought it was just wishful thinking but I feel it now.” “This is the only place in this world I can always feel that ambient magic. That sensation kept drawing me back here after the fall formal, almost like a refuge,” I put my arm around her shoulder and held her close. “I think I have found something better now.” “You think so do you?” she giggled. “What would that be?” “Just this wonderful girl that seems to be interested in me for some bizarre reason,” I said, leaning my head on hers. We sat quietly for a few minutes, enjoying the contact and the quiet before everyone else would start arriving. “Do you want to keep our relationship a secret from the rest of the school, Sunset?” Sunset snorted derisively. “Why bother. They already think you're my Thrall or something equally idiotic. The only difference now is, you actually are under my spell.” “I was wondering why I gave in to your charms so easily,” I joked. “You didn't even have to use the sexy bad girl act again. I guess I'm yours to command milady.” “I'll save that for a special occasion,” Sunset said with a small smile. “I suppose we should go navigate the shark tank we call Canterlot High.” I hopped up to my feet and offered her my hand. “Then, once more unto the breach my dear. It's time to grasp a brand new day . . .” She took my hand and I pulled her up into a hug. “. . . but this time we face it together,” I finished.