Alone. Alone within a black background. A shimmering, silvery road beneath my feet, narrow as a school desk, with the abyss falling below me. My own heartbeat, pounding away in my chest. My breath, calm and collected, yet easily audible in the absolute silence that surrounded me. And at the end of the road, a simple wooden door.
A shiver ran down my spine as I looked towards the door. And with that shiver, a burst of light flared to life in front of me. An image, fuzzy and distorted, hovering at eye-level just off of the road. It began swirling around, moving erratically, this way and that, crossing over the road at times. I tried to judge its movement, discern some sort of pattern so that I could pass safely, but found that its movements seemed to be completely random.
And with that thought, a second image burst open on the opposite side of the road.
My heart began beating faster. Luna had warned me about this. Every new thought provided a new distraction, and a new chance for failure. Even these thoughts were distractions - distractions made manifest as three more images flashed into existence.
I did my best to clear my mind, to wipe away thoughts and distractions as Luna had told me. But even this mild effort caused another image to emerge from the darkness. I knew that every second I waited just made it more and more difficult for me to reach the door. Every new thought, every new distraction, was a new opportunity for failure.
So I ran.
As soon as my feet touched the road, the images swarmed towards me. Like a cloud of gnats, buzzing this way and that. I did my best to ignore them. I really did. But it was like half a dozen flashlights shining into your eyes randomly just after you’ve woken up. Even closing my eyes did nothing to help.
I made it past the halfway point before I slipped. I guess I took one step off of the narrow road I had been travelling. My hand reached up to grab onto the road, and for a brief moment my fingers made contact. But it was only a glancing grasp, not enough to stop my fall, only to delay it. I couldn’t even scream as I fell into the abyss…
And jolted up and backwards into the couch.
As soon as I flinched backwards, Luna had made the same motion. The orb of energy that she had been holding - that I had been touching - vanished into thin air. Its effects could still be felt though. That unpleasant tingling sensation running down my hands and arms were testament to that. I gave both arms a quick shake in an attempt to regain the feeling I had lost in them, to no avail.
“Well?” Luna asked as I finally settled for letting my arms flop down to my side. “How did it go?”
I shook my head. “No dice this time,” I sighed. “I made it about halfway before I lost my footing.”
“How many distractions were there?”
“At least six, before I started running.”
“Better than your first time.” Luna leaned back in her chair and folded her hands in her lap. “Next time, just start going. Don’t even think. Just run.”
“Noted.” I wiggled my fingers a bit, tapping them against the couch below me. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was already beginning to regain some feeling in them, though it would probably be a while yet before my arms were fully recovered. I leaned back in the couch and allowed myself to sink into it a bit. “So, what now?”
“That’s it for tonight, I’m afraid,” Luna sighed. “Like I said last night, it’s dangerous to make multiple attempts in the same session. But you’ve progressed well,” she added. “If what you said is true, you should be able to reach that door within the next week or so.”
“Awesome.” I felt my lips curving upwards. Once I’d reached that door… Once I’d unlocked this magic...
“Which means we should probably get going to bed,” Luna interrupted, pulling me from my thoughts. She pushed against the chair and rose to her hooves,stretching her arms behind her as she did so. “It’s been a long day, and tomorrow is shaping up to be even longer.”
“How do you mean?”
“It’s… complicated,” Luna sighed. “Suffice it to say that two of our allies are not exactly happy with each other.”
“Political troubles.” I rose to my feet as well, cracking my neck as I did so. “I’m hoping this problem won’t involve sending me deep into enemy territory with a half-baked plan to assassinate some head of state?”
That drew a laugh from her. “No, I doubt it,” she chuckled. She began moving towards the library door, and I fell in behind her.“You shouldn’t even need to get involved in this one.”
The doors opened and shut as I cracked a small grin. “Excellent. I think I’ve gotten myself into enough trouble here as is.”
“Agreed. Good night, Chris.”
“G’night, Luna,” I replied. The two of us turned in opposite directions and began walking away, back towards our respective rooms.
The journey to my room was short and uneventful, giving me a brief moment to reflect on the day. After Serenity had left, the rest of my time that afternoon had been spent in the library, reading one of the books that had struck my fancy during the search. I’d made sure to not miss dinner as well, arriving just seconds behind Celestia. Dinner itself had been a boring affair, especially considering my focus on the events that were to follow. And now, my session with Luna had concluded - ultimately unsuccessful, but productive. I felt myself grinning once again as the thought of prospect of me learning actual magic crossed my mind.
But that grind faded as the I closed the door to my room behind me. I knew what was to come next. Even sleep would not be the end of my day. Not when Serenity would be waiting for me in my dreams. I took my time in preparing myself for bed, even leafing through a few pages in one of the books I had borrowed from the library. But eventually, I could put it off no longer. I slipped the bookmark back in between the pages and set the book back on the bedside table. One last drink of water later, and I was settled into bed, ready to sleep.
I’m not sure how long it took me to fall asleep. I remember opening my eyes a couple of times and just staring at the ceiling above me. Each time I did, my stomach twisted itself into a new knot. I knew what was to come, and I was completely uncomfortable with it. At least once, the idea of just staying awake all night floated across my mind. But no, I couldn’t do that. Not without irritating Serenity, at any rate. And annoying one of the Ponies on whom my stay in the city was dependant… No. And so I forced myself to close my eyes again.
But eventually, I had to open them again. I let out a sigh and pushed myself into a sitting position. It was going to be one of those nights. The ones where you can’t get to sleep, no matter how hard you try. I reached for the glass of water on my bedside table, only to find that it was already empty. My feet left the warmth of the blanket, and I rose to walk towards the bathroom. My glass was filled from the basin, and I turned back towards my bed.
I hadn’t been expecting another figure, cloaked in shadow, to be standing beside it.
“There you are.” I sighed as a familiar voice emerged from the shadows. Sure enough, as the figure stepped forward into the moonlight, the shadows parted to reveal Serenity, still clothed in the same pale-purple dress she had been wearing all day. “I was beginning to wonder whether you would be sleeping tonight.”
“Queen Serenity,” I nodded in greeting. “So... I take it that I’m dreaming now?”
“Yes, we are within your dreams,” Serenity confirmed. “Your mind, heart, and soul drift away from your body.”
“So… what now?”
“Now… we explore.”
I cocked my head to the side. “Explore?” I asked. “Explore what?”
“This castle. This world.” Serenity’s horn flashed with a pulse of violet light, quick and almost painfully bright, before fading. “This is your dream, Chris. In theory, you and I should be the only ones in here.” I could see her brow furrow slightly in the moonlight. “And yet, I already sense… something. Something, or somepony, else.”
I took a sharp intake of breath. “And… is that bad?”
“Not necessarily, no. As I said earlier today, a dreaming soul may drift close to another. In this way, the two souls would share a dream. Normally, this is entirely down to chance, but extremely skilled oneirokinetics have the ability to enter the dreams of others at their will. This is how I have arrived in your dream. Those of us with this skill are known as Dreamwalkers.” There was a brief pause as Serenity closed her eyes. “But notice that I arrived in this dream world very close to you. If another were sharing this dream, they should have appeared nearby as well. And yet, we cannot see them.”
“So… where are they?”
“A good question. Their presence is clear, but faint. I would imagine that they are currently within the city, but not within the castle borders. So now, we simply need to find them.”
“But the city is huge!” I protested. “Even if we were to split up -”
“Remember, Chris,” Serenity cut me off, “that this is a dream world. The normal laws of the physical world do not necessarily apply here. Each dreamer, if they are aware that they are dreaming, may consciously exert influence upon the dream. I’m using my own influence to keep this world as close to the waking world as possible. You, on the other hand…”
“Can do whatever I want…” I finished slowly. My lips slowly curved up in a grin, and I extended one hand out in front of me, palm up. I closed my eyes, willing an object to form.
When I opened them, a cheeseburger had appeared in my hand.
My grin grew wider as I lifted the burger to my mouth. True, It was only a dream burger. But for now, that would have to be good enough. I took a bite, noting that the flavor was as real as if I had not been asleep. “That’s good…” I muttered as I swallowed. “Never know what you miss ‘til it’s gone.”
Serenity cocked her head. “A Human meal, I assume?” she asked.
“Mhm” was the only sound I managed to squeeze out past a second mouthful. “I don’t think you’d care much for it, though.”
“Well, a taste of home is all well and good,” she smiled, shaking her head. “But surely you can think of something else that would be more… useful? Something that could aid us in searching the city for this other presence?”
“Could do,” I nodded. I took a third bite of my burger before setting it down on a plate that had appeared on my bed. With my food now safely stowed away I closed my eyes. With the knowledge that I could bend the laws of reality to my will, surely even searching a city wouldn’t be that hard. An idea sprang to mind, and I seized upon it, willing the idea to be made real. I felt myself fall for a brief instant before a sense of weightlessness washed over me.. Opening my eyes, I found that I seemed to have shrunk by a foot or so.
Or, as a glance downward told me, I had half-sunk into the floor.
“Flight and immateriality,” Serenity chuckled. “An interesting choice. But effective.” I jumped slightly as Serenity sunk half a foot into the floor before halting, half-buried in the ground. “I’d suggest we search the city together. With you so inexperienced at Oneirokenisis, I’d feel a lot better with you having a Dreamwalker with you to keep things stable.”
“Wait… what do you mean stable?” I asked, a cold knot forming in the pit of my stomach.
“Nothing you need worry about, so long as I’m around.” Serenity flashed me a small smile, which quickly became amused. “Though I’d suggest you not attempt this sort of magic without supervision unless and until you know what you’re doing.” Serenity closed her eyes and rose out of the floor, hovering a few inches off of the ground. "There’s a very good reason Oneirokinesis is considered master-level magic.”
“Noted…” I muttered. “Wish you’d mentioned that before we started messing around inside my head…” The two of us fell silent, and so I followed Serenity’s lead and willed myself to float upwards and forwards, through the wall behind my bed and out over the palace lawn.
Let me tell you, dream-flying? Not the easiest thing in the world. Oh sure, it was fun, sailing high above the ground. But it was very difficult to control. I’m guessing it was because I was using my willpower to direct myself, because whenever I got distracted by something - the moon, a particular building, anything - I would veer off course or drop out of the sky for a second. I’m lucky Serenity kept glancing over her shoulders at me, or else I’d have never been able to keep up. I’m sure to her, I looked like I’d been drinking way too much, the way I was wobbling all over the place. But if she was amused at all - and I can’t imagine that she wasn’t - then she kept it to herself.
I’m also lucky that she seemed to know where she was going, because I had no clue. In retrospect, I suppose I should have tried to use my new reality-warping dream powers to try and figure it out, or at least asked Serenity. But I was a little preoccupied with trying to fly a straight line, and so the thought never occurred to me. I simply trusted that, sooner or later, she would get us where we needed to go.
But the more we flew, the more it seemed that we would be arriving at our destination later rather than sooner. At first, we flew in more or less a straight line out over the city, not stopping for anything except for my wobbling. But as we flew, Serenity began to pause. Not very often, to start off, but more and more frequently. We would dip down into the city itself and fly through a building before popping out of the other side. Each time we did this, I could see Serenity’s brow furrow just a little bit more.
After the seventh building flythrough - or had it been the eighth? - I couldn’t resist calling out. “You alright?” I asked, wobbling to a stop next to her. “What’s going on?”
“This is very strange…” Serenity murmured. “I’ve read about this sort of thing occurring, but never seen it myself. This other presence… it’s… well, to put it bluntly, it’s leaving decoys.”
“Wait, what now?”
“Not intentionally, but the effect is the same whether intentional or not. Every time we approach this individual’s presence, I’ve found it to be nothing more than a shadow,” Serenity explained. “An imprint. These are places where this individual has been - and where it lingered for some time - but no longer is. The echoes of its stay at that spot still call out to me…”
“So what does that mean for us?”
“It’s complicating, to be sure. In order to leave an imprint, especially one strong enough for me to mistake it for the actual individual, they must have stayed in that spot for quite some time. Hours of time in the real world, at the very least. And there are, quite literally, dozens of them all over the city. ”
“So… but wait…” I frowned. “I’ve only been asleep for… what, it can’t have been more than eight hours, surely? How -”
“This is not your dream,” Serenity interrupted. “Not originally, anyway. I’m guessing - and this is just a guess, mind you - that you’ve been drawn into somepony else’s dream. Somepony who’s been sleeping for a long time. Weeks, at least, if not months or years…”
“Someone in a coma?” I suggested.
“A coma?” Serenity rubbed her chin. “Perhaps. But there is another factor that complicates that theory. For these echoes to exist, the dream must have been maintained in at least relative stability. Since I have not been here any longer than you have, that means that this other individual has been maintaining this dream world on their own, and keeping it quite stable.”
“So… another Oneirokinetic?”
“Exactly.” Serenity’s mouth formed into a thin, tense line. “And a skilled one, at that. Perhaps even a Dreamwalker like myself. Which begs the question… how in the world did you end up here?”
“I have no idea…” I sighed and let my feet touch the ground, rubbing my eyes with my left hand as I leaned up against the side of a building. Serenity dropped to the ground as well and sat down on the side of the road we had landed on, just in front of me Silence descended upon us as we let the information soak in. As we tried to think of what to do next...
“What about the beast?” I finally asked. “Could it have anything to do with this?”
“Honestly? I don’t know,” Serenity admitted. “This is beyond my experience. There is only one Pony that I believe might know more about this, and even then…”
“Who would that be?”
“Starswirl the Bearded.” A faint smile formed across Serenity’s lips. “Head of the Celestial Council, which controls the rise and setting of the sun and moon, and my personal mentor when I was a filly. He taught me most of what I know about magic, and everything about Oneiromancy and Dreamwalking. If anypony could help us track down our Sleeping Dreamwalker, he can.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I nodded. “But while we’re here… what can we do?”
“Not much, I’m afraid,” Serenity admitted. “There are far too many echoes in the city for us to check each and every one, and it is nearly time to wake as it is. But tomorrow, after breakfast, I will take you to meet Starswirl. Perhaps he will be able to help you where I could not.”
“But for now, Chris, rest.” Serenity’s horn lit up, and I found myself sliding down the wall I had been leaning against, until I was sat on the ground with my back against it. “You need at least a few minutes to rest your mind before we take on a new day.” My eyes became heavy… I had to shut them, just for a moment…
“Good night, Chris. And sweet dreams…”