I felt my lucidity beginning to fade but I knew I had to hold it together. Help could arrive in another minute or it could be hours. I had no idea how long I had been in this dream, there was no way to tell. Spark and I were both exhausted. I blocked another strike with my good arm and felt pain from the impact but I kept fighting. Sunset was right there between us, swinging her baseball bat with all her might. We had kept the worst of the attacks away from Sunset’s soul but she also looked worn out.
Someone swung a pool cue which I tried to block but it went straight through my arm as if it wasn’t even there. Instead, it hit me in the ribs with a loud crunch. The whole dream flickered and for a moment I thought I could hear distorted voices. I was simply losing my grip on the dream.
“I’m sorry Sunset,” I whispered as my vision began to grey.
Then, I felt a strange weight on my chest, like someone had placed a heavy weight on me. There was a shimmering glow around my neck and around Spark's as well and a dark blue amulet appeared on each of our necks. Blue tendrils of energy began dancing between the two of us.
“What is this!?” Sakitan Gilda demanded.
The energy between the two of us quickly formed into a rip in space, leading to what I thought was the astral plane. Then, Princess Luna galloped through the tear, her horn glowing iridescent. Our attackers were quickly swept up into a shield and were unceremoniously crushed into nothingness. In mere moments the war in the gymnasium calmed to nothing.
“Luna. You're here,” Spark said wearily.
“Bravely fought my friends,” Princess Luna exclaimed, her horn beginning to glow gently. “Remove they hold on time Silver and Spark. We can take that burden so you may remain lucid in the dream realm.”
I let out a deep breath and slumped to the floor of the gym. Spark flopped down on his stomach and sighed with relief. Luna’s magic flowed through the dream and the gym suddenly became sharp and solid. It was like everything had been out of focus before.
“You got here in the nick of time,” I said wearily. “I feel like I've been at this for days. I feel like my body is falling apart.”
“We shall renew your Astral Projections. There is still much to do before we return to the waking world.”
Her aura surrounded me I felt the pain in my broken limb fading away and moaned from the relief. A moment later I heard the same sound of relief from both Sunset and Spark. With the distracting pain gone I was left with a wave of despair washing over me. I didn't bother to get up and just stared at the floor.
“I couldn't beat it,” I rasped through my aching throat. “I nearly lost Sunset because I wasn't strong enough.”
Sunset crouched down and wrapped her arms around me. “You came and found me,” she murmured. “Even after the awful things I said to you. I would never fault you for trying.”
Luna trotted over and wrapped her wing over my shoulder. “Thou art a young dreamwalker with much to learn and so much more that was simply lost,” she said gently. “Yet your strength is undeniable as is your ingenuity with manipulating time. To face the Sakitan curse for so long without support or the power of an Alicorn is no small feat.”
“So there really wasn't any way to win?” Spark asked in an equally weary voice. “We both feared as much but it's disheartening there was no hope.”
“Sometimes we must fight even if we know there is no obvious path to success,” Luna said darkly. “Thine actions most certainly bought Sunset the time needed to craft a beacon. That is your true victory and one you should take pride in.”
Sunset kissed me on the cheek, which put a smile on my face in spite of everything. Spark walked over and nuzzled her cheek, earning himself a kiss of his own. I nodded at Luna who was smiling warmly at us. I stood up and wrapped my arms around her shoulders.
“If you have need of me, don't hesitate to ask Luna,” I said, running my hand over the amulet that had appeared around my neck. “This is a beacon?”
Luna nodded. “We crafted this with Twilight's aid to guide me through the portal and your world's Astral Plane. We have no power in this world so t'was necessary to come here via alternate means.”
“Fantastic,” Spark said, seeming to cheer up a bit. “I’m guessing this isn’t a one-time use either.”
Luna smiled warmly and nodded before turning her attention to Sunset. “Let us finally bring this nightmare to an end and restore you all to the waking world.”
“We need to talk when we wake up,” Sunset whispered in my ear. “So what is wrong with me? All this crap with Anon-a-Miss, everyone blaming me; it isn’t real, is it?! So what’s going on?”
Luna put a wing around her and sighed. “You are in the hospital in your world and I believe you are the latest victim of the Sakitan Dagger. According to the last messages I received from your friends, the Scorpions who attacked Silver are now in Canterlot. Fortunately, your world's authorities are hunting them down already.”
I felt my heart stop when I heard the Scorpions were in town but Spark quickly put his wing on my back to calm me. It took a moment but I did manage to relax. Sunset's reaction was far more extreme. She stared at Luna and then down at her injured hand. Her fist clenched, making her knuckles turn almost white and a growl escaped her lips.
“She said one simple slash would make us even!” she snapped. “I didn't even think to look at the blade!”
I walked over and put my arm around her shoulder. “Show us Sunset. That memory is where the curse can be removed. Just concentrate on the memory and Luna will do the rest.”
Even as I spoke, the dream shimmered and shifted in response to Sunset’s thought. We were standing just inside one of the back doors to CHS. Sunset's memory swept past us with her mouth set in a determined expression. She was brushing snow out of the back of her shirt and grumbling about getting even with Rainbow Dash. The door slammed behind her and clicked ominously as it locked. The four of us simply ghosted through the wall to watch what happened.
“Hold it right there demon,” Gilda gloated. “I can’t believe you’re finally alone! It's about time we had a one on one talk.”
Sunset's memory froze and looked around with wide, fear-filled eyes. Her escape was being blocked by Lightning Dust and the two football players who joined the attack on Halloween. I couldn't believe how bad her luck was to walk out alone into this ambush. If Gilda was actually stalking Sunset, I didn’t want to think about how she managed to pull off this trap.
“What do you want?” Sunset's memory said nervously.
Gilda chuckled coldly. “Oh, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. The hard way is, you try to run away before we catch you and carve you up. Then we make sure every one of your friends visits the hospital instead of their families this Christmas for the aggravation you've caused. The Rainbooms, those sirens, the brat kids and everyone you care about.”
“Or?” Sunset asked warily.
“You stick your hand out, I slice you, you bleed a bit like you deserve and we never speak again.”
Sunset eyed Gilda warily. “And you'll leave everyone else alone?”
“Assuming you don't talk that is,” Gilda shrugged, casually drawing a dagger. “Loose lips sink ships, nobody likes a squealer and all that jazz.”
Sunset's memory just held her hand out and averted her eyes.
Just like when Luna saved me, a force field appeared around the dagger. It immediately dissolved into black smoke that was writhing and pounding against the shield. I could hear it trying to shout at Sunset but Luna unceremoniously crushed it in her shield. Sunset let out a sigh of relief and looked at me with anguish in her eyes. Luna raised a hoof to stop her.
“I know you have many words to exchange but I feel it would best if you awaken. Your recovery will be swift once you return to the real world. Be well Sunset Shimmer.”
Sunset nodded briefly and gave me a little wave. Luna's horn glowed and Sunset faded away. The dreamscape I had been trapped in for days followed shortly after leaving us in the starry sky of the Astral Plane. Then Luna's expression hardened and her eyes narrowed.
“Take us to your version of Gilda Razorclaw,” she growled. “Tis long past time this creature was dealt with.”
“I will, though perhaps it might be best if I speak to her,” I said.
Princess Luna nodded while Spark flew out to retrieve Gilda's star. Once he had returned it took only a brief moment of effort to summon the doorway. The three of us stared at it for a moment and then I smacked my palm up against my face.
“You have got to be kidding me!” I groaned.
It was a fairly unremarkable suburban front door for the most part. The cracks with small wisps of black smoke flowing out of them were not normal. I had seen the exact same thing once already today.
“We have to help her, don't we,” Spark asked unenthusiastically.
“I fear we do,” Luna replied. “Let us see what trouble this fool has brought upon herself.”
We walked through the door and found a fairly innocuous nightmare. Gilda was running down the streets of Canterlot with several gang members pursuing her. There were no mind-bending twists in reality, just a plain simple nightmare. Luna smiled with relief as she looked around the dreamscape.
“The curse has not yet reached its full power,” She said. “Tis no surprise this one has no magic for it to feed on. This shall be much easier to heal.”
Her horn glowed and the three gangsters were unceremoniously disintegrated. Gilda kept running but Luna simply teleported us out in front of her.
“Cease your running Gilda,” Luna commanded. “We must speak with you.”
Gilda stopped short and stared at me, Luna and Spark with an utterly perplexed expression on her face.
“Hey, where did you mutant horses come from? And the wimp as well? Wait, where the hell am I?”
I rolled my eyes, resisting the temptation to be flippant. “You’re dreaming, so humor me for a moment. You have a knife wound, correct? Just think about how you got hurt.”
“Fine, whatever,” Gilda replied. “What the heck!?”
Gilda was freaking out as the world dissolved, shifting the dream to a dark, snowy alley somewhere in Canterlot. Lightning and another copy of Gilda were facing a handful of men dressed up in leather jackets. The one in front was frighteningly familiar and I had to remind myself this was just a dream.
“I did everything you asked!” Gilda snarled. “What is your problem?!”
“You did the absolute minimum I asked,” the Scorpion leader replied coldly. “No imagination, no initiative, and no effort. I had high hopes when you managed to contact me but now I find myself disappointed.”
Gilda’s teeth made a grinding noise as she clenched her jaw angrily. Lightning Dust was looking at her with a worried expression while the other gang members just looked amused.
“We had a deal!” Gilda’s memory retorted. “Do your part or I’ll make you sorry!”
The leader glared at her for a moment. Without warning, he lashed out with a knife that almost seemed to teleport into his hand. It sliced straight through Memory Gilda’s leather jacket but just before it dug into her skin, Luna had it encased in a shield. The real Gilda beside us winced reflexively at the memory and clutched her arm.
“And that is that,” Luna said, crushing the image of the dagger and turning to glare at Gilda. “Now, how shall we deal with this one? Tis thy world Silver, thus we shall defer to thine judgment.”
I glared at Gilda. “On Halloween, I told you my patience was at an end but I still granted you a reprieve. At lunch the other day when you were harassing the Dazzlings, I asked you if you believed you had the moral justification for your actions. I honestly didn’t think you were capable of sinking this low.”
Spark stepped up beside me and “We’ve warned you time and again to back off and leave our friends alone but instead you chose to harm Sunset. Now you-”
“She squealed!?” Gilda interrupted angrily. “I’m gonna kill-”
“You will do NOTHING!” I hissed, interrupting her tirade. “I’m done with your monstrous bullshit. I was done weeks ago but I kept giving you more chances. That ends today. Shape up or ship out. That's your choice. Perfect model student or transfer to another school. Either way, you're on notice. One misstep, even one hint you're considering stepping out of line and I will ensure your regret will last a lifetime.”
“Hah!” Gilda snorted. “You really think I’m intimidated by something I imagined? You’re not real.”
“Go ahead and believe that if you want,” I replied, sprouting wings and baring my fangs at her in a threatening smile. “We'll see how imaginary you think this is when I next see you. For now, I think you should WAKE UP!”
I roared the last words at her with all my remaining energy. Her eyes widened and her astral form dissipated like fog in a hurricane. The entire dream collapsed, quickly condensing down into her star. I sighed and flicked the star off into space before turning to Spark and Luna. Both of them had weary but relieved smiles on their faces.
Luna winced. “She will be in great pain when she awakens. Being thrown out of a dream in such a manner is . . . unpleasant.”
“Oh,” I muttered. “Bummer, I guess I'll be more careful in the future.”
“Please do, though in this case, I would say it was a reasonable punishment,” Luna chuckled. “Tis never easy to give forgive such transgressions. I am pleased you made the wise decision.”
“Oh, I haven’t forgiven her,” I grumbled. “She’s a vicious brute that nearly killed my marefriend and has threatened many others. I’m just not going to let it ruin my day. She knows where she stands or at least she will next time I see her.”
“Tis fair,” She replied. “I fear I must leave you now. Tis no easy task projecting my mind through the portal. We should all return to the waking world to reassure our friends.”
“Take care, Luna. Thank you for saving Sunset.”
Princess Luna smiled warmly. Then her horn glowed and the dreamscape faded away.
Friday, December 16, 2016:
“. . . just in, Canterlot Police have been joined by the FBI and the Eugene SWAT Team at the abandoned canning factory on the south side of town. It has been surrounded since early this morning and it is clear law enforcement officers are very concerned about who or what might be inside. There is no official word on the reason yet but we will bring you more as the story unfolds. Back to-.”
The quiet voice of the report on the TV or radio was a bit disorienting as I tried to pull myself together. My head was aching terribly as I slowly regained feeling in my stiff, weary body. I sat still and listened to figure out who was around before I revealed I was awake.
“That’s enough fer now,” Granny Smith declared. “I hope they cornered all the rats.”
“They’re certainly not having a good morning if they’re still in there,” Adagio replied. “I just hope-”
“Hey, Silver’s wings just disappeared!” Scootaloo interrupted. “Umm, is that good or bad?”
At those words, I tried to sit up and groaned as my head throbbed painfully. I fell back down on the floor and cracked my eyes open. The ceiling of Applejacks living room told me I was exactly where I had been hours or days earlier. Actually, I had no idea how long I had been asleep. The bright room made my eyes clench shut involuntarily. I slowly opened them again, letting them get accustomed to the light.
“SILVER!”
Suddenly my vision was obscured by a mass of loose navy blue hair. I felt the briefest kiss on my cheek before my assailant shifted, revealing Twilight’s beautiful purple eyes gazing down at me. The sight of her brought a smile to my face and I had to resist the urge to pull her into a much more passionate kiss. I kept myself under control, remembering that Twilight still wanted our relationship secret for now.
“You are a sight for sore eyes,” I whispered.
“Thank Celestia!” Twilight exclaimed. “I was terrified when I got your message! Is Sunset ok? Did the amulet give Princess Luna a way to help you? Does that hurt?”
“Yes, yes and yes,” I said, running my finger over the amulet. “Luna and I saw Sunset safely off to the waking world. Everything hurts right now so you’ll have to be more specific on the last one.”
Twilight let out a breath and began to talk, her voice becoming frantic. "Thank goodness That amulet was the best idea I could come up with but using an untested series of spells to trap a fragment of Luna's magic to create a beacon she could follow through the portal was incredibly dangerous and there was an inherent risk to keeping the portal open but the math seemed to make sense although Luna wasn't entirely familiar with the equations I was using and there was a risk of thaumic backlash if the por-"
I put my finger over her lips to stop her. "Thank you. Your brilliance saved us again Twilight."
"I could have done better," Twilight said regretfully after a deep breath. "Maybe I could have been faster or better prepared. I was asleep when you really needed me."
I ran my hand over her cheek comfortingly. "You're here now. That's all that matters to me."
“Ah’ hate to interrupt this tender moment but the rest of us would like to see him,” Applejack said in an amused voice. “That's quite the shiner you’re sporting Silver. I'd think you were in a fistfight if Fluttershy and Adagio hadn't been watchin' you all night. What happened?”
“Oh that,” I said, gingerly touching my cheek and wincing. “I forgot to manifest a helmet when the nightmare devolved into a fight. Just a stupid little mistake. Sweet Luna, I feel like I was in there for days. How long was I asleep?”
"It's ten o'clock now so nearly fourteen hours," Applejack replied. "How come you don't know."
I closed my eyes and sighed. "I manipulated the relative passing of time using the clock. It felt like days searching a maze of deteriorating nightmares to find where Sunset's mind was trapped."
“You’re out now,” Twilight murmured. “I think everything’s going to be ok.”
“Once I get a rest,” I joked. “Slept the whole night but it was more like running a marathon. So, what’s been happening in the real world?”
Everyone exchanged a look as if they were afraid to tell me the news. “Cowards,” Aria finally snorted. “Gilda brought the Scorpions to town.”
“Luna filled me and Sunset in on that detail already,” I replied. "I'm over it already."
“Oh good,” Pinkie said in a frantic voice. “So we can tell you that Aria was epic saving Lightning Dust from being beaten up though she had to give up her Taser and then Rarity tricked Gilda into telling her the Scorpion hiding place so now the police have them cornered in the old factory and they’re going down and I think my coffee is wearing off!”
Pinkie gasped in a huge breath and then flopped over on the couch. Then she started snoring. I glanced up at the clock and saw it was 9:00 in the morning already. Before I could say anything, Granny Smith answered the question in my mind.
“Ah've already called the school,” Granny Smith said. “Principal Celestia understands you've all had a rough night. Macintosh will drive Miss Twilight down to the school so she can go home while you all get some sleep. Ya’ll got the weekend ahead to recover.”
“Actually, I'm going to need a ride to the hospital as well,” I interrupt, struggling up to a sitting position.
“What?” Applejack asked. “What for?”
“Mostly to see Sunset but I also need to have a word with the monster named by the name of Gilda Razorclaw,” I hissed, remembering how she threatened Sunset. “I am done giving people like her the benefit of the doubt.”
Everyone stared at me, most of them looking quite unnerved by the tone of my voice. Adagio and Aria were both nodding, leaving me uncertain whether I was making the right choice or not.
“Why does it have to be you,” Fluttershy whispered.
“I'm the reason she just woke up with a massive headache,” I growled. “It's long past time for her to get a reality check. She’s hurt my family for the last time.”
Big Mac drove both me and Twilight to the hospital once we had scarfed down a light breakfast. I was using a cane to help keep my balance as I walked through the front door. I would have preferred a staff but I wasn't in a position to refuse when Granny shoved it into my hand. Honestly, if it wasn't for the importance of this errand, I would have stayed at my house. My body was covered in nasty bruises; the worst ones being my black eye and the arm that had been broken in the dream.
In spite of my outward insistence that she should head home to Equestria, I was glad Twilight was here with me. This was the first time I had set foot in a hospital since recovering from the attack in the previous year and the place was making me terribly anxious. Waking up with tubes in my mouth and nose, covered in bandages with my weak from spending weeks in a medical coma wasn’t a memory I enjoyed revisiting. My hand was actually starting to shake as the memories of regaining consciousness began slipping up on me. Especially when a sad doctor had told me that my parents-"
Suddenly I felt warm fingers twining with mine, making the tension flow right out of me. I looked over at Twilight who was just smiling warmly at me. She didn't ask me anything, everything in her eyes told me she understood. The nurse at the emergency check-in did a double take when I just limped past towards the elevators. I probably looked like I should be admitted instead of visiting. Once we were on the third floor we hurried down to Sunset's room.
Sunset was lying down in her bed watching the snow falling outside the window. Rarity and Sonata were slumped against each other, dead asleep in the two guest chairs beside the bed. There was no sign of Rainbow Dash.
“Hey gorgeous,” I said quietly. “Fancy meeting you here.”
Sunset turned just in time to catch Twilight who had nearly jumped into her arms. I had hardly noticed her moving. I could hear Twilight whisper words of relief as she held Sunset. Sunset's stared down at our girlfriend with a small smile on her face. When walked over her eyes widened when she got a good look at my face.
“Was that from the fight?”
“It's been a long night,” I replied, taking her hand and kissing the back of it. “Seeing you well makes every bruise worth it.”
She looked back out the window while holding Twilight with one hand. “I'm sorry about what I said. If I'd told you about the real source of my cut, you wouldn't be-”
“Even if you had, I still wouldn't have guessed the Sakitan dagger was the cause,” I interrupted. “Even with what happened, I never would have thought Gilda was insane enough to bring the Scorpions here. You did nothing wrong.”
“Luna explained the curse while we crafted the beacons,” Twilight said. “It feeds on our magic to twist every negative thought and amplify your worst fears until your soul literally burns out.
Sunset didn't reply right away as she stared out the window at the falling snow. She began idly running her hand down Twilight's back. Twilight let out a happy little mutter at the contact and held her tighter.
“Did you mean what you said while we were dreaming Silver?”
“Every word,” I replied without hesitation.
Those aquamarine eyes “Even . . .”
I just looked into her eyes while I kissed her hand again. “Every single word.”
I took a quick glance over at Rarity and seeing her still dozing I took a chance. I leaned down to kiss Twilight on the cheek as well. I was pleased to see both of them were smiling as they relaxed on the hospital bed. Before I could continue, Dash burst through the door with a tray of steaming drinks. Twilight scrambled off the bed, blushing bright red.
“Rise and shine everyone,” she said in an exhausted voice. “Got your drinks right here. Hey Twi, how’s it going? You ok?”
Twilight looked flustered. “I-I-I’m fine, just tired. Hi!”
“Yeah, me too,” Dash said, eyeing my bruises. “Wow, Silver. You look like crap. Who punched you in the face?”
I glanced at Sunset who shook her head. “Oh you know, the hazard of fighting a curse created by a demigod,” I said evasively. “So, do you know where Gilda has been stowed away?”
“Ugh, three doors down,” she grumbled. “She actually woke up screaming a couple hours ago but she's out cold again. They've got her cuffed to the bed.”
I let out an evil chuckle and sat down on the floor. “Oh good. That’ll make it much easier to get her attention.”
Even in my worn out state, it only took a few minutes for me to step into the Astral Plane and kick Gilda back into consciousness. I was none to gentle about it and it was honestly a bit frightening just how easy it was. When I heard the panic-stricken yells from down the hall, I knew this was a skill I would have to be responsible with. The shouting woke up both Aria and Rarity who expressed their concern about my physical condition but I waved it off. There was no guard at the door when Dash and I walked into her room. She was sitting bolt upright in bed clutching a pillow tightly.
“Knock knock. Good to see you're awake Gilda,” I said, making her jump.
“Wh-what do you want?” Gilda asked. She was trying to be brash but her stutter betrayed her nervousness. Her eyes went wide when she saw the bruising on my face and me walking with a cane.
I smiled coldly at her. “Oh, just wanted to check in and see if you'd given my offer some thought.”
It was obvious she was avoiding my gaze. “I- I don't know what you're talking about.”
“Oh come now, I'm quite sure you remember. You'd think a discussion involving mutant horses and poor sleep would stick in your mind better.”
The color drained right out of her face. Her posture suddenly reminded me of a caged predator; contained but still dangerous. I cross my arms and glared at her while I considered how to approach this. I had to pick my words carefully here.
“Good, I see I have your attention,” I said coldly. “I have no idea why you’re hell-bent on ruining your life and the lives of everyone around you. I really don’t care anymore. I'm done with giving you chances. Your latest attempt at revenge nearly got you, Lightning Dust and Sunset killed. This ends now."
Gilda winced but still glared at me defiantly. "Who are you to dictate terms? So I slashed Sunset, who's really going to care? The other students should be thanking me for my efforts! You think you can stop me from punishing that squealer?"
Rainbow Dash and I exchanged an incredulous glance. I couldn't believe she was delusional enough to cling to this desire for vengeance. I wanted to yell and scream at her but that quickly faded into cold determination. Only a few more words from her and I'd be done with Gilda.
"So you still want revenge?"
Her face twisted with fury. "They deserve to hurt for what they've done to me! You! The Demon! The Dazzlings! You all made me look like a fool! I'll make you all pay."
I shook my head and gestured at Rainbow Dash. "Well with your personal history I doubt that's going to happen. Especially with those threats recorded for the police."
Gilda looked at Rainbow Dash with a horrified expression on her face as she pulled her phone out from behind her back. It was recording both audio and video.
"You tricked me?" she hissed.
I shook my head. "Originally, it was for our protection. The last thing I need is you lying about what happened while we were in here. Honestly, I was hoping you would have taken my suggestion seriously but I guess I'm wasting my time. You've admitted to assault and threatened to hurt nearly everyone I care about. So now, we're going to leave this recording with officer Shining Armor. Your fate is in his hands now. Leave my friends alone."
Gilda nodded curtly without looking at me. She just stared out the window with a sullen expression on her face. We started walking out of the room but Rainbow Dash paused and looked back at the girl cuffed to the bed.
“Was it worth it Gilda?” Dash asked.
“Hmph, not like you care,” Gilda snapped. “You’d rather hang out with a bunch of losers than your real friends.”
Dash stared incredulously and shook her head. “My 'friends' didn't hurt people for fun or revenge. I don't know who you are anymore. Maybe I never did. Goodbye Gilda.”
Rainbow Dash stormed past me and out of the room. I stared at Gilda for one last moment, pointed at my eyes and then pointed at her. She seemed to get the message so I hurried out of the room and followed Dash. She was heading away from Sunset’s room towards the lounge at the end of the hall. When I caught up with her, she was staring out the window. I didn’t say anything and didn’t touch her.
“She wasn’t like this when we were kids,” Dash finally muttered. “Neither was Lightning Dust. She was brash and competitive. I don’t know when she changed but maybe I could have done something sooner. Helped her or something? It’s like she ‘a different person.”
“It’s easy to say that now,” I said, putting my hand on her shoulder. “Just because you spent time with her as a friend doesn’t mean you saw all that she was. You can beat yourself up over the things you could have done all you want but that won’t change the past.”
“What’s done is done,” Dash responded. “Yeah, I know. Mom has been telling me that a lot lately. I just hate how many mistakes I've made lately. It's totally uncool.”
I thought back over the behavior of the version of Rainbow Dash created by Sunset's Sakitan induced dream and winced. “Trust me, you haven't been uncool. I've seen way worse.”
She chuckled ruefully and looked up at the ceiling. “I gotta stop being so sappy. Come on! Let’s see if we can finally get Sunset out of here.”
Fortunately, the doctor had finally arrived to check Sunset over. He had more than a few uncomfortable questions about whether she had taken any drugs or alcohol recently. Fortunately, he never put Sunset in a position where she had to lie. After all, the question ‘were you stabbed by a cursed magical weapon recently’ wasn’t exactly in the standard list of things a doctor would ask.
While the doctor was checking her out, I went to find out about the bill. I wasn’t surprised to discover Sunset had no medical insurance. With no legal identity, she was at a serious disadvantage. Fortunately, the hospital didn’t care where the money came from, only that it got paid. I settled up the bill which was over 3000$. Rarity, Dash, and Sonata drove home while Macintosh drove Sunset, Twilight and me to CHS.
Twilight hurried through the portal after giving us each a quick hug and kiss. I kept the amulet, Twilight insisting that this was its purpose and since it worked we should keep it for further experiments. She seemed distracted and almost lost in thought as we said our final goodbyes. There was a strange mixture of guilt and determination in her expression that I found worrying but before I could mention it, she had vanished back to Equestria.
We were going to head back to my house but when I noticed Officer Armor’s squad car parked at the school I had to head inside. Classes were in session but I heard surprised murmurs from classrooms as I limped past using Granny Smith’s cane to help keep my balance. Sunset was by my side the whole way. When we reached the office I saw the principals speaking with Shining Armor through the window.
“Morning everyone,” I said as I limped into the office.
Everyone glanced over at us and her eyes widened. Principal Celestia looked distraught.
“How did this happen?” she gasped. “Please tell me you didn’t get tangled up with that gang too.”
I chuckled but glanced over at Officer Armor, knowing I’d have to censor myself a bit. “I’m quite content to let the police do their job. No, I just had an accident is all.”
Technically accurate and yet a total lie.
Yeah, I’m not explaining this to a police officer.
I know. Just thought I should say.
“What brings you to school today then?” Vice Principal Luna asked. “Miss Smith indicated you were all staying home thanks to a sleepless night.”
“We were driving back from the hospital when I noticed Officer Armor’s car,” I said, turning to him. “I was hoping to speak with you for a moment.”
He frowned. “If this is about what’s going on with the Scorpions, you know I can’t discuss ongoing investigations. The issue at the old factory is ongoing.”
I nodded. “I understand, believe me. There are two things. Firstly, Rainbow Dash and I briefly spoke with Gilda at the hospital. Dash's phone was recording for our protection since there wasn't an officer present. Instead, she wound up threatening us and made some rather incriminating comments that you might find useful. ”
Shining Armor sighed. "I don't know if it'll be admissible in court, but send it to me anyhow. I'll leave that decision up to a judge. What's the other thing?"
While I was speaking, I had I pulled my phone out of my pocket and started flipping through the pictures. I turned the phone to show him one of the pictures of the Sakitan Dagger. Photo Finish had done a superb job when taking the photographs. If you left aside the evil murderous curse, it was actually a rather pretty weapon.
“The leader of the gang used a dagger that looks like this when he tried to kill me last year,” I said. “Assuming he still has it when you arrest him, I’m hoping to acquire it.”
Shining Armor whistled as he stared at the picture and the looked at me inquiringly. “If it was a gun you’d be out of luck. Why is it so important to you?”
I glanced over at the school administrators who both shook their heads. I sighed and tried to come up with a plausible lie.
“I suppose it just seems like a way to take a bit of power from him, considering what the Scorpions took from me,” I sighed. “One of my parent’s swords is still stuck in a lockup in Manhattan so this would be something of a replacement. Plus it looked old and if it’s an actual artifact, it would fun to try and restore it.”
“Knives are a bit more of a grey area so I’ll see what I can do,” he said. “Usually we’d put items that aren’t illegal up for auction to raise money for charity.”
“Fair enough,” I nodded. “Give me a quote and I’ll make whatever contribution you think is fair. Or I’ll sit in on the auction when it rolls around.”
Shining Armor smiled and turned to Celestia and Luna. “I guess my business here is done. I am sorry about your two students but until we get this squared away they won't be coming back to school.”
Sunset frowned. “Actually, if you're talking about Gilda and Lightning Dust, then I have a report Shining Armor should probably hear.”
“You sure,” I asked, knowing
“Yes,” Sunset replied. “You're right, she used up her chances. I can't let her threats control my life.”
It took about half an hour for Sunset to give her statement to Shining Armor, Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna. We avoided the mention of magic for the sake of his sanity and career. He asked a number of questions and said her statement would be taken into account. Celestia and Luna were appropriate horrified by what she had to say about the threats and the injury to her hand. Given Gilda had actually independently admitted it to Dash, Rarity and Sonata would add additional weight to the statement.
Once he left, we quickly filled Celestia and Luna in on the true source of my injuries. They'd already deduced it was related to the arrival of the Scorpions but their jaws dropped when I informed them it was from dreamwalking. I knew we'd have to explain that later but I simply reassured them that I only went where I was invited. Well with one or two rare exceptions but they were extenuating circumstances.
I held Sunset's hand tight as we gingerly walked back to where Macintosh was waiting for us. We got a few waves from other students when we passed them.
“I made my decision Silver,” She whispered. “I'll move in with you if you'll still have me.”
“Really?” I asked in surprise. "Of course but what made up your mind?"
She smiled. “Oh you know, being close to my loyal boyfriend, having a bit of spending money and some prospects for living life are all nice benefits. Those aren't the main reasons but they were points in your favor.”
“What is?”
She sighed and her voice suddenly turned serious. “Honestly, I'm scared to be alone now. What would have happened to me if we weren't having these sleepovers? If I had been at my house I would have been unconscious on the floor all night before anyone even noticed I was missing. I could have died before anyone knew something was wrong.”
“I still don't actually know where you live either,” I said, shivering when I realized how close we had come. “Sweet Luna, that was too close. I don't know what I do if I lost you, love.”
We walked out the front door and towards the parking lot. “There's that word again,” Sunset said nervously. “You really do mean it?”
I stopped and turned to look into her eyes. Her cheeks were rosy red and her eyes were sparkling with unshed tears as she watched me.
“I love you Sunset. When I thought I was going to lose you it nearly broke my heart.”
“I- I think I-,” Sunset stuttered, before trailing off.
She blushed and looked away at the floor as if trying to clear her thoughts. When she looked back at me, I was pleased to see the fire was back in her eyes. She had been so subdued since I had found her awake at the hospital.
“No, I do. I love you too Silver.”
Her answer warmed my heart and I couldn’t help smiling as we walked back to the truck.
“It’s easier the second time,” I murmured. “I really wish Twilight was here though.”
“Yeah, but we’ve got two weeks to spend in Equestria with her after Christmas,” Sunset said cheerfully. “It would have been pretty awkward to explain her presence to Shining Armor considering he’s her counterpart’s brother.”
I chuckled. “It would probably be way more awkward than that encounter with Sugarcoat.”
By late afternoon, Sunset and I were back at my house, relaxing on the couch with music playing on my entertainment system. I was sitting in the corner while Sunset was lying with her head in my lap. We had both been reading but when I finished my current chapter, I closed it and began to run my hand through Sunset’s hair.
“Sunset, how much of that nightmare do you remember?”
She sighed and closed her book. “Way more than I want.”
“Can’t blame you there,” I said, taking her hand in mine. “I lived it before we became friends. The whole business with Anon-a-Miss was awfully specific though. It twisted recent events and our sleepovers insanely. Are you afraid of something like this happening?”
“Yes,” She replied after a moment hesitation. “Sometimes it still feels like I don’t deserve all this. Don’t worry though; it’s just a bit of doubt.”
“Let me know if it gets worse love.”
“I will. It’s getting easier every day.”
Who do you think was framing you?” I asked curiously. “Every time we got close to finding out the truth, the curse twisted events to hurt you more. I never managed to find out who you thought might do such a thing.”
“The Crusaders,” Sunset finally replied. “I’m certain there were some cycles where they confessed but it’s so foggy. Something about jealousy or thinking I was mind controlling their sisters.”
“I suppose they did have the opportunity if they stole your phone," I said thoughtfully. "Especially if you don't have security on it. You don't really think they'd do that to you, do you?"
"No, I don't," she murmured. "At least nothing beyond an idle fear that they don't trust me. Ugh, how many times did I dream that?"
"The curse seems to try to drown us in negative experiences," I said. "It tries to trap us in nightmares leaving us nowhere to turn. To buy time, I had relative time slowed down to give me time to find the real you. I hate to say it, but you might have repeated the experience thousands of times.”
Sunset let out a disgusted snort. “Bad enough I had to deal with my worst fear like that but to live it so many times. . .”
I ran my hand through her hair again. “Just put it out of your mind. The important thing is, it was just a dream. Your friends wouldn’t abandon you so easily.”
With Sunset’s fears assuaged for the moment, we went back to relaxing on the couch. It could have been more than fifteen minutes later when the doorbell rang. Sunset barely moved enough to let me get up off the couch. I was about halfway to the door when it occurred to me our visitors might not be friendly. I grabbed the short sword off the shelf and crept towards the door.
“Everything ok?” Sunset asked quietly.
“No idea but I’m getting a security camera or something,” I muttered.
I waved my hand past the peephole, a trick I had seen once for drawing gunfire. When nothing happened. I looked through myself and chuckled before pushing the door open. Outside were Aria and Sonata with sports bags slung over their shoulders.
“Nice place you’ve got here,” Aria commented immediately. “Expecting trouble?”
“Preparing for it given today’s events,” I replied, stepping aside to let them in. “What brings you to my house?”
“Well partly to see if you’re ok but someone let a secret slip last night,” she chuckled. “The pink menace said you had a hot tub.”
Sonata put on the most adorable puppy dog eyes. “Please, please, please tell us you have one and we can use it. I miss the water so much during the winter and the public pool is just awful!”
The yearning expression on her face just made me laugh. “I think that can be arranged, welcome to my house. As long as you let me know, my friends can come use it anytime. There’s also a lake at the back of my property which is pretty nice swimming when the weather is warm.”
Sunset was up on her feet. “I like the way you three think,” she said. “After the last couple days, a relaxing soak is just what I need. I’ll show you where you can get changed.”
Sonata let out a delighted cheer and charged up the stairs with Sunset. Aria was staring at me with surprise. “We’re friends?”
“Well yeah,” I replied. “I’ve heard a bit about how you and your sisters helped last night. You were right in there helping out where you could. I really appreciate it. Speaking of, where’s Adagio?”
Aria shrugged and headed towards the stairs. “No idea. I’m not her keeper.”
I shrugged and then limped to the garage to grab a snow shovel. I hadn’t been out to the pool since the snow had started falling. The weather had cleared out but the temperature was still hovering around zero. There were about eight inches of snow on the ground. I made quick work of it in spite of my exhaustion and aches from fighting off Sunset’s nightmare. I cleared the deck and was pulling off the cover just in time for the three girls to come scurrying out in robes and sandals.
They dumped their towels and covers in the gazebo before hopping into the pool. Aria had a sea-green halter bikini that matched her hair and Sonata was wearing a skimpy navy blue string bikini. Sunset paused to give me a kiss before hopping into the pool. I walked back to the porch and grabbed a deck chair before coming back. Hot tub plus bruises was not a good combination.
“Here he is, I’ll ask him!” Sonata said cheerfully.
“NO!” Sunset gasped, trying to put her hand over Sonata’s mouth. Aria grabbed her hand and pulled her away.
“Hey Silver, do you think Sunset would look good in a bikini like mine?”
I glanced at Sonata and I smiled at Sunset while I put my chair down by the pool. “Honestly, she makes everything look good so yes, yes I do.”
“Flatterer,” Sunset chuckled. “I’m pretty sure I’d lo- oh sweet Celestia!”
“Badass Silver,” Aria said approvingly. “Seriously though, that looks painful.”
I was half prepared for their reactions when I pulled my shirt off and settled down in the deck chair. I had several large purple bruises scattered across my chest that matched the one on my face. The cold winter air felt amazing on my skin. I stretched and sat down.
“It’s not actually as painful as it looks,” I replied. “Don't get me wrong, it hurts but they’re all injuries I got during the night so most of the damage is internal. I’m not even sure how dream injuries wind up on my physical body.”
“So why aren’t you joining us?” Sonata asked. “Wouldn't the heat feel nice on those?”
“Much as I want to, a hot tub would just make things worse. Ice would work but the cool air feels nice.”
Where I was sitting I had a clear view of the house. Suddenly the back door slammed open and a rainbow-haired individual came running up the walkway in nothing but a bikini.
“Cold! Cold! Holy hell it's cold! Hi, Silver! Cold, Cold, ahhhhhhhh.”
“Ah didn't think you'd be crazy enough to actually take the dare Dash!” Applejack shouted from the house.
“What's going on AJ?” I shouted down.
I heard her talking to someone in the house. The whole situation was giving me an intense feeling of deja vu. Sunset looked me and shrugged her shoulders while Sonata just giggled.
Applejack walked out the door and up the stairs in track pants and a winter coat. “Pinkie wants to let me know you and Sunset are invited to join your, 'You Survived an Evil Nightmare' party once you're done out there!”
She shucked the clothes and slipped into the hot tub with a content sigh.
“So, another party?” I asked curiously. “Even though we’re all exhausted?”
“Well yeah,” Rainbow Dash said. “You didn't think we'd let you have a night off after yesterday did ya? We gotta stick together. How is it you got more bruises in a dream than from that mess at Halloween?”
“Magic I guess,” I replied. “I honestly wish I had a better explanation but that’s all I’ve got. So, what does Pinkie want to do with this party?”
“Ah’ think we’re gonna pick up where we left off last night,” Applejack replied. “You’ve never seen Pinkie after a party goes off the rails.”
As it turned out, Adagio had been out with Fluttershy picking up groceries for dinner. It was odd that the two of them were spending time together but honestly, I was just glad Adagio was getting along with someone at all. Everyone else drifted in over the course of the afternoon. Pinkie and Applejack made a massive pot of spaghetti for dinner. The Crusaders were spending another night at Applejacks house so that just left the ten of us. I was already feeling better just from being up and about. I couldn't complain about having all my friends here yet again.
The evening took a strange turn when Pinkie insisted on restarting the game of Truth or Dare that had been cut short the night before. We settled down in a large circle scattered around my living room while Pinkie got us set up. She had some interesting rules. The first rule was you couldn't make a dare that would involve anyone else at the party, much to Adagio’s disappointment. The second one used a container of poker chips and a bottle. Each turn, we would take a poker chip as a marker. The bottle spin was to make the selection random but we weren’t allowed to challenge someone who had more poker chips.
It had been a relatively friendly game so far. Sunset and I were cuddling in the recliner together which allowed me to give her my attention when a risqué dare came up rather than watching. I knew it didn’t entirely fit with the spirit of the game but honestly, I was still apprehensive about offending the girls. I knew it wasn’t really necessary but there was still a part of me that didn’t want to take any risks with my friendships. Besides, I was tired.
I had just finished taking my first dare from Pinkie Pie. It had been fairly tame Pinkie had gotten me to eat a cupcake doused in her favorite hot sauce. Spicy foods didn't bother me too much but a hot sauced cupcake was far from the most pleasant experience I'd ever had. I gave the bottle a spin and watched it settle down on the eldest dazzling.
“Ok then, Adagio. Truth or Dare,” I asked.
Adagio gave me her usual predatory smile. “I’ll go with truth just to mix things up.”
“Truth huh,” I said. “Ok then, what's the weirdest thing that's changed in the thousand years you've been in this world?”
“Seriously?” Dash said. “That's the best you can come up with?”
“Hey, I'm genuinely curious,” I shot back. “Don't always have to humiliate people. You already had her jog around the house topless for crying out loud.”
“Oh, I'd do it again happily,” Adagio purred. “Shame you weren't watching Silver. At least Featherbrain looked like she enjoyed the view.”
“Oh for the love of- just answer the question!” Dash snapped, blushing.
Adagio chuckled. “You make this way to easy. So you want to know the strangest thing that's changed in a thousand years? Oh, I've got the perfect thing. You humans used to be so bland we had to pass our skin and hair color off as a dye for a couple centuries. Not easy to do in the middle ages let me tell you.”
“Bland?” Rarity asked curiously. “Whatever do you mean?”
“I don't know what was worse,” Adagio answered. “Skin that was only shades of pink or brown, hair was mostly single tones of brown or yellow; eyes were blue or brown. Bird girl there has more color on her head than all of the human race shared a thousand years ago. It took the better part of two hundred years for things to get more interesting and for us to not be immediately called evil monsters. You humans only reached the same color diversity as ponies about two hundred years ago.”
I looked over at Sunset who was staring at Adagio with wide eyes. “Well, I’m satisfied Adagio. Spin away.”
Adagio spun the bottle and it landed on Fluttershy. I was distracted when Sunset leaned in close to my ear and whispered a question.
“History is my weakest subject. What's changed in the past millennia in this world?”
“Sweet Luna, just about everything,” I replied. “I mean just off the top of my head, diet, discovering North America, new fabrics, the industrial revolution, even basic sanitation?”
“Ugh, I hate it when there are so many variables,” She grumbled. “Why are people in this world becoming more like ponies?”
“Could be coincidental,” I said. “Were ponies always colorful or did they just hit the environmental factors sooner than humans?”
Sunset shook her head. “I don't know but I suppose it is possible. I guess we'd have to ask Princess Luna.”
I stared at the ceiling. “Why do I feel like I forgot to ask her something important?”
“You have that feeling as well?” Sunset asked. “I’ve been getting that a lot lately.”
“Ummm, Silver?” Fluttershy chimed up in her quiet voice. “Excuse me, I don’t mean to interrupt but truth or dare?”
I looked over and realized the group was staring at us expectantly. Fluttershy’s turn had apparently come and gone while I was talking to Sunset. Now the bottle was pointing at me again.
“I’m going with truth this time,” I said, winking at her. “Had enough hot sauce for one day I think.”
“I wasn’t going to- oh, right I see,” she giggled nervously. “Ummmm, well if you don’t mind I was wondering . . . ummm oh my, this is hard to ask.”
Fluttershy trailed off
“Just take a deep breath. It’ll be fine,” Adagio reassured her.
Fluttershy took a deep breath. “What’s going between you and Twilight Sparkle? I mean, you know she seemed awfully happy to see you wake up.”
I looked over at Sunset who was staring back at me with wide eyes. We both knew Twilight wanted to keep the relationship quiet in Equestria but we’d never really discussed what to say here. We’d kept it quiet for the sake of not explaining something we weren’t sure about. Adagio and Pinkie already knew here and to be honest, she probably already knew in Equestria as well.
“Sunset? Are you ok there darling?”
“Woah, don’t kill him Sunset,” Dash chimed up. “I’m sure he isn’t cheating on you. At least he’d better not be!”
“Oh my gosh, this is ten times better than daytime TV!” Sonata giggled taking a bite of her popcorn.
Sunset was actually started to hyperventilate, so I took her hand and kissed the back of it to calm her down.
“Sunset, it’s going to be just fine,” I whispered to her. “Honestly, I think this is on Twilight, not you or me. I just wish she was here.”
“Come on, this has gotta be juicy!” Aria chortled. “I thought this game was gonna be lame but this is great.”
Sunset nodded and mouthed the words ‘go ahead’ to me while she pulled out the journal. I looked at Fluttershy who looked ready to shrink into a ball. I walked across the circle and sat down in front of her and took her hands in mine to try and calm her. She looked at me with one nervous teal eye, her left eye hidden behind her hair.
“It’s ok Fluttershy. This wasn’t going to stay a secret forever. Yes, there is something going on but Sunset is well aware of it. The short of it is we are both also dating Twilight. Sunset called it a trio, isn’t that right?”
I heard surprised murmurs around the room but I kept my focus on Fluttershy. She had poked out from behind her hair and a small smile had appeared on her face.
“Yes that’s right,” Sunset confirmed after writing a few more words in the journal. “Using Equestrian terminology, I’m the lead mare and Twilight is my second.”
Fluttershy let out a delighted giggle. “Oh my, just like horse herds in this world? That sounds wonderful. Oh. I’m sorry I ruined the secret.”
“It wasn’t going to stay secret much longer with Twilight being so affectionate,” I chuckled. “Besides, a few people already figured it out.”
Pinkie was bouncing up and down excitedly. “Oh, he’s talking about me! I’m so glad I don’t have to keep it secret now and we can have a nice ‘congrats’ party for Twilight next time she visits!”
Rainbow Dash looked disappointed. “Wait that’s it? Come on, there’s gotta be more than that! Have you kissed her? Gone further?! Have you gone on a date yet?! Come on, dish it out!”
Sunset suddenly grinned. “Silver already answered Fluttershy’s question. You’ll just have to spin the bottle. If you get me I might tell you the truth.”
“You’re going down Shimmer! Come on, spin the dang bottle Silver!”
I rolled my eyes and gave the bottle a spin.
“Dare!” Dash said as soon as it settled on her. “Bring it on!”
I glanced out the window at the moonlit sky and a grin slowly appeared on my face. “I think you need to chill out a bit Dash. Go change into your swimsuit and then head out back to roll around in the snow for a minute or two.”
Rainbow Dash’s face went pale and she looked around the room at the grinning faces of our friends. I could tell she wasn’t exactly thrilled about the dare but she got up and walked to the bathroom where her swimsuit was hung up to dry without another word.
Aria cackled madly. “Ouch! That is cold Silver. Ice cold even! Come on Rainbow Dash; show us what you’re made of!”
Rainbow Dash did indeed go outside and roll around in the snow for a full two minutes, though she was gasping from the pain. Afterwards, I didn’t object to her getting into the hot tub to warm up. The game actually only lasted through a handful more people before half the group was dozing off. Rainbow Dash never got her chance to interrogate Sunset and me. I quickly vetoed Pinkie’s suggestion that we continue the Truth or Dare game in a lucid dream, pointing out that I came close to burning myself out.
Sunset was completely asleep in my arms on the recliner but Fluttershy was kind enough to get us a blanket so I didn’t even have to wake her up. While everyone else settled into sleeping bags in the guest rooms upstairs, I closed my eyes and let Spark take me away to sleep.