//------------------------------// // Only In Dreams Does She Call // Story: The Enchanted Library: Sidestories // by Monochromatic //------------------------------// From the Enchanted Library - Chapter 36 She turned around, looking into the library, her mind reeling at a thousand miles per hour. Maybe she couldn’t break the barrier, maybe she couldn’t free herself, but if she could somehow send a messa… The necklace. [...] She rushed into the bookcase aisles, trying to put together the fragmented memories of her time under the possession. One by one, bookcases were lifted into the air, her frown deepening when nothing showed up beneath them. “No, no, no, no!” she exclaimed, coming to a full-stop and in a single effort, levitating all the bookcases up into the air until finally she saw a soft pink glow in the distance. They were still connected, even after… She summoned the necklace over to her and cast the communication spell, the bookcases dropping to the floor after it, books scattering all over. “Pick up, pick up, pick up, pick up,” she whispered over and over, until a painful eternity seemed to pass by where no unicorn answered her call. She threw the necklace to the floor, stepping back, her chest heaving as mounting dread clouded her thoughts. Well then. If Rarity wasn’t going to save herself, Twilight would just have to go and do it for her. He lifted his hoof and let it hover against the doorknob. It lingered for a moment before, finally, he lowered it and a wave of relief swept over him when his hoof made contact. “I am not dreaming,” said Professor Awe. I am not. He cleared his throat and opened the door, ready to go to the market and meet with his frie--acquaintances. Nighttime had yet fallen over Hollow Shades, and it was with a wide smile that he stepped outside, closed his eyes and breathe— “Hi, Professor!” Ah yes. There went his serenity. “Miss Pie,” he said, opening his eyes and finding before him a very cheery mare. He was suspicious. He was incredibly suspicious. But he felt the earth under his hooves. “How do you do?” She hopped in place. “I do! And you?” “I do, too,” he said. “Er, I mean, I’m doing well! I’m doing well, thank you.” He cleared his throat. “What do I owe your visit…?” Pinkie giggled. “Oh, nothiiiiing,” she said in sing-song. “Just wanted to say hi!” She jumped out of his way. “Off you go, Professor!” He stared at her for a second. “I will, then,” he said at length, slowly trotting past her. He made it nearly five steps before she spoke up, and the cheer in her voice had faded. “Professor?” He stopped, and when he looked back, she was staring at him, eyes-wide. “Does this really feel real to you?” Oh, for pony’s sake! “Yes!” the stallion exclaimed, stamping his hoof on the ground. “Yes, it is! It is real, and I grow tired of these games you two are playing!” Pinkie’s smile returned. “Oki-doki! I was just asking, silly!” she said. “I’m happy you’re sure you’re not dreaming!” “I am!” he said with finality. “I am.” He trotted off, determined with every step, and yet with every step, his pace slowed until...until… Was he really sure? No, but he was awake! He was breathing! He could feel the ground against his hooves, the air in his lungs, and the slight pain when he slammed his hoof down. He was awake! Or was he dreaming he could feel all these things? “This is real!” he exclaimed, turning around and pointing an accusing hoof at the pink mare. “This is real, and I will prove it to you! I just have to ask any pony and—” Pinkie giggled again. “And have them say what you want to hear?” He gritted his teeth. “I am sure this time. I am positive. In fact, I will wager this is real.” She gasped. “Ooooooh! Really? What’re we betting?!” She hummed, playing with the pendant hanging from her neck. “How about a dessert? Or a cake?” “A cake sounds fine!” he exclaimed, marching to her with a smile. “It’ll be the most delicious cake I’ve ever had.” Pinkie clapped her hooves. “Oki-doooooki.” She cleared her throat. “So, you bet that this is real?” “Yes,” he said. “Yes, I do.” Pinkie rubbed her hooves together. “He he. Well…” In a wisp of smoke, a smirking alicorn towered behind the giggling mare. “Well, it would be most wise for you to purchase the grandest cake for my Little One if you wish for your slumbers to remain peaceful.” “For goodness’s sake! I already apologized endlessly for my blasted assassination theory! What more do you want from me?!” Luna simply continued to look at him, smiling devilishly. And she was the devil! Blast her! “What’s the score, Pinkie?” Pinkie frowned. “Uhm! Sixteen to two! Yay Team Luna!” With a start, Professor Awe awoke in his bed. His breathing was heavy, and his eyes darted around the dimly lit room. “What…” He waved his hoof around in the darkness, before remembering he was a unicorn, turning on the light and screaming at the pink mare sitting by his bed. “Ready for cake?!” “MISS PIE, I SWEAR TO—” “Whaaaat! You left the door open, silly,” she defended, taking ahold of the pink crystal necklace hanging from her neck. “Princess Twilight saw it!” She lifted the necklace and whispered. “Right, Princess Twilight?” He groaned, putting on his glasses and sighing. “Well, I’m up now.” Pinkie giggled, still talking to the necklace. “The score is sixteen to two, Princess Twi! Aren’t you proud?!” “Will you stop talking to that thing? It’s not as though she can hear you,” he said, getting up and drawing the curtains. “Hey! You don’t know that!” Pinkie replied. “Maybe when we get to fifty, she’ll call back!” She turned to the necklace. “Right?! You want me to keep talking to you?” Hah! He shook his head. Nearly two years had gone by. Nearly two years, and still they waited. “You’re all obsessed with that. It isn’t doing any of you well, and as much as Miss Rarity might lie to herself, that thing will only ring again in dreams.” And, no sooner had he finished speaking, the necklace on Pinkie’s neck began to glow. “Well. Well played, Miss Pie,” he said, impressed. “Seventeen to two.” And yet Pinkie did not seem thrilled. If anything, she simply stared at the necklace with wide, nearly terrified eyes. “This isn’t a dream.” He stared at her. For the longest time, it felt. “What?” “Princess Twilight!” Pinkie yelled, pressing the necklace against her mouth. “Hello?! Princess Twilight?! Are you alive?! Are you okay?! Hello?!” And now, now he was sure he wasn’t dreaming. “Rarity! Go get Rarity!” he roared, but no sooner had he done so, the necklace ceased to glow. It lay there in Pinkie’s grasp, having returned to its usual subdued glow, and a deathly silence reigned the room. “I missed the call,” Pinkie said quietly, horrified, terrified. And before he could say anything, she rushed out the room, leaving him to his solitude. “Princess Luna,” he said, “if this is a dream, it is not a very funny one.” He chased off after Pinkie Pie, and found her near the marketplace, behind a stand and hidden from the sight of a unicorn busy looking over fabrics. “Miss Pi—” “I’m afraid,” Pinkie whispered, clutching the necklace to her chest. Tears bordered her eyes. “I promised her I’d tell her if it glowed. I promised her. And I missed the call.” “Mis… Pinkie, this is not your fault,” he said warmly. “I’m sure she’ll understand.” “But I promised. I promised.” So,” a voice said, “Is there any reason you two are hiding here like weirdoes, or…?” He turned around and found himself faced with a very curious pegasus. “Ra-Rainbow,” she whispered, voice cracking. “Woah, Pinkie, what’s wrong?” Rainbow said, landing on the ground. “Why are you crying?! What’s wrong?” She turned to the Professor, menacing. “What did you do, Prof?” Before he could defend himself, Pinkie spoke up. “I missed the call,” she said, still clutching the necklace. “I missed it.” And then did Rainbow understand, her eyes widening. “Oh,” she said. “Oh no.” She looked back towards the stands, uttering a very terrible expletive. “Uhhhhhh… Okay! Okay, okay, no worries, okay, just, okay, we’ll figure this out, just, uhhhhh—” “My, my! What’s going on here? A social gathering that I wasn’t invited too? How dreadful!” Three sets of terrified eyes bore into the smiling unicorn, fabrics floating behind her. The Professor had never truly felt fear until that moment, and he could hardly imagine how Pinkie felt. Rainbow tried to speak. “Uh, Rarity…” But Rarity caught sight of something else too fast, too late. “Pinkie, darling,” she said, her smile vanishing. “Darling, are you crying? Whatever’s the matter?” And Pinkie simply stared. “Mi-Miss Rarity, I think—” “Pinkie, goodness, you’re shaking! What’s wrong?” Rarity spoke over him, rushing to the mare. “Darling?” “I-I’m sorry, Rarity,” Pinkie said, forcing the words out. “Sorry? Sorry for what, sweetheart?” Rarity asked, the fabrics placed on a nearby stand. “I...I tried to pick-up… I tried… And then I tried to come get you, but she stopped and.. And I’m sorry, I k-know I promised…” Rarity’s eyes flickered down to the necklace. “Ah,” she said softly, and the Professor had the distinct impression he’d just witnessed somepony having being given a death sentence. She stepped back, and it was painfully obvious she was forcing herself to smile. “Ah.” “Ra-Rarity, I…” Rarity tilted her head, lifted her hoof, and the Professor could see it was shaking. “May I…?” Wordlessly, Pinkie lifted the necklace from her neck and handed it to the unicorn. “Thank you,” Rarity said rather tonelessly, before sitting down and simply staring down at the necklace. She looked like death, in some way, and the Professor was reminded of the shell of the pony he’d seen a long time ago. He felt terrible, he did, but he wondered if it would be better for Rarity to never see this princess again. Her horn began to glow, and silently, they all watched as the necklace began to flash. And flash. And flash. And flash. “Hey, boss,” a yellow unicorn mare said, trotting towards them, fabrics in tow, “I was thinki—” She fell silent at the sight, her eyes landing on the necklace. “Oh. Uhm…” And finally, the glow around Rarity’s horn stopped. She looked up. “Well, then,” she said with a smile that held no joy. She levitated the necklace over to Pinkie. “Here you go.” And everypony stared as Pinkie hesitantly took it in her hoof. “...Rares?” Rainbow said. “Don’t feel bad, Pinkie. Twilight didn’t call you,” Rarity said, suddenly cheerful. “It must have been a trick of the light! A simple trick of the light.” “Ye-Yes, she did!” Pinkie protested. “The Professor saw it! The necklace was glowi—” “Pinkie,” Rarity cut off, the smile on her face fake but the tears around her eyes very real. “It was a trick of the light, wasn’t it?” And the Professor watched as Pinkie conceded. “Ye-Yeah! It was! Ha ha ha! Si-Silly me!” Pinkie quickly said. “I miss the Princess so much, I tooootally told myself she was calling me! Ha ha…” Rarity smiled, and it seemed to be genuine. “Right!” She turned to the mare. “Come now, Incantation, we have much to do, don’t we? Ha ha!” Incantation blinked. “Uhm… Yes, Rarity.” Rarity turned back to the fabrics, and yet, before taking them, she used a hoof to wipe away her tears. “You’d think after two years, I’d be…” She shook her head and turned to Pinkie. “I shall see you all la…” She drifted out, her eyes widening. And when the Professor turned to Pinkie, he saw the necklace on her chest flashing brightly. Pinkie screamed. Loudly. But rather than talking, she took off the necklace and threw it directly at Rarity’s face, who stumbled back trying to catch it. But catch it she did, and so did everypony stare at her now, stare as she watched at the necklace glow for the second time in two years. “Pick it up! Pick it up! What’re you waiting for?!” Rainbow exclaimed. “I...I’m afraid,” Rarity said, her eyes widening at her own confession. But she stood up tall, and with one last breath, cast a spell.