//------------------------------// // %i$ The Spectral Ruins // Story: Specters of the Mind. // by Dream Stalker //------------------------------// Starlight blinked in shock and confusion as she stepped through the portal, gazing at her surroundings in awe. The ponies were currently floating in a strange, yet oddly beautiful realm, full of wisp like crystals and bubble like objects they had never seen before. Starlight, unable to help herself, was currently examining one of the crystal like structures when a familiar gust of wind ruffled her mane, and she watched as one of the bubble like crystals floated toward her. Feeling almost drawn into the un-equine object, she gazed into its core, and watched as a strange, yet familiar image began to play at its center. Pulling away from the bubble, she turned to her friends. "Where are we?" Starlight asked, turning around in a circle. "Sure beats me." Applejack replied. "Perhaps the princesses know?" Rarity responded, turning to look at Twilight, Celestia and Luna. "I am afraid I do not know, but my sister might..." Celestia responded, turning to gaze at Luna. Luna was just about to respond when Starlight called her over. "Princess Luna, you might want to look at this!" She said, floating aside to allow Luna to look at the crystal bubble. Luna frowned as she approached the mare, confused as to why she had been summoned, but lit up with interest when Starlight motioned to the bubble. "Just look!" Starlight said, pointing with her hoof to the bubble. Luna sighed and looked into the crystal sphere, only to gasp and jerk back, stunned. "What is it, sister!?" Celestia asked, worried. "It’s....It’s...........But that’s impossible...." Luna explained, before turning to look at the rest of the realm. "Well, what is it!" Rainbow asked, impatiently crossing her hooves. "It’s a dream....All the bubbles here contain dreams.......This ENTIRE realm is like the dream scape, but it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before..." She explained, looking around in awe. "But how can this be the dream realm? Doesn't that already exist? And how can we be here when it’s daytime? None of the ponies of Equestria are asleep right now." Twilight explained, a perplexed look on her face. "I’m sure there is a logical explanation for this....There has to be." Applejack said, though she did look slightly worried. "Maybe we should look around, see if we can find anything?" Twilight offered, looking at her friends. "I agree with Twilight. Let us investigate this new realm, but tread carefully my little ponies. We do not know what dangers lurk in this world." Celestia cautioned. The rest of the group nodded in response, and began plotting a course of action. Starlight was just about to give a suggestion when the all too familiar breeze ruffled her main, and this time, she heard the voice loud and clear, though it was still a sliver of a whisper. "This way..." Starlight blinked and turned in the direction of the wind, which was gently pushing bubbles out the way as it passed them. "This way!" She called out to her friends, taking off in the direction of the breeze. "Hey, wait!" Twilight called, running to catch up, the rest of the group hot on her tail. They soon found themselves diving deeper and deeper into the realm, twisting their way around strange, energy-like stalactites and crystals that looked like they had mini stars trapped within their core. Not to mention the strange, misty crystal bubbles that showed various dreams. Starlight could have sworn she recognized some of them from the past, and briefly stopped to gaze at one particular dream that involved Fluttershy riding a dragon sized Angel, complete with dragon wings and breathing fire. Though her momentary distraction was quickly dissipated when the breeze came and danced around her ears until she relented. She followed the parting bubbles, the group soon coming upon what had to be the strangest, yet most beautiful structure of all. Huge energy like stalactites rose up like pillars on both sides, forming a sort of hallway. Hundreds of crystal bubbles slowly floated around each pillar, melting and reappearing at both the top and bottom. Starlight had a feeling that whatever had led them here, wanted them to venture in, and so, taking a deep breath, she began to walk down, watching for any signs of danger as the pillars slowly but surely began to squeeze together. In mere moments they were surrounded by walls on both sides, the pillars having fused into what could almost be called a building, although the corridor lacked a roof. Turning to glance at her friends, who had gone silent, she turned back to the makeshift path, only to gasp and run forward when it opened up into a room. The gasp was caused when she caught sight of the mural like drawings upon the far wall, depicting a creature unlike anything she had ever seen before. She could only gaze in awe and wonder at the strange being, and jumped when Twilight placed her hoof on her shoulder. "Have you ever seen something like this?" She asked, turning to look at Twilight. "No, it’s never depicted in any of my books, and I’ve never seen it on any ruins." Starlight turned back to the drawing. A pony like creature had been painted onto the surface in beautiful, stunning detail. It looked to Starlight as if the drawing could suddenly come alive and jump at her. The pony, if it could even be called that, had a long, flowing mane, and a silky tail, both of which were brown, with blue highlights. Its body seemed to be made of three different shades that blended perfectly into each other, and it seemed to glow from its center, as if a star breathed at its core. Soft, delicate fur hung off its forelegs and fetlocks, the fur being light green in color, while the hoofs, if it had hoofs, were a purple shade that blended into an icy blue color she had never seen before. The creature had no mouth whatsoever, and its eyes reminded her of the changelings; pupil-less, compound, and iridescent. At the same time, pitch black markings cascaded over its body in a beautiful pattern, framing the top of the head and muzzle, as well as its neck, back, and flank. Iridescent, butterfly-like wings stuck out from its back in vivid shades of purple and blue. A bright red and yellow flower rested delicately behind tufted ears, and as her eyes traveled downwards, she caught sight of the ancient text again. "Hey, listen to this....... Where darkness hides, and dreams breathe life, we come like shadows in the night. When ponies dream, and the moon is bright, I am a mystery, just out of sight. If you glimpse me, don't take fright. For I am a Specter of the night."......... "Huh, that’s interesting. I wonder what that means..." Twilight mused, a thoughtful look on her face. "I wish I knew...." Starlight said, looking back at the drawing. "Wait, is that it? No dangerous monster? No saving the world?.....LAME!" Rainbow said, slamming her hoof into the mural wall. "HEY!" Twilight yelled, about to scold the cerulean pony when the wall shook and seemed to vanished into thin air, revealing another chamber, only this one was different. This one was dark, with no light whatsoever. A single, darker-than-night bubble floated in the center, completely by itself. No color existed here, no crystals, no bubbles. It was absolutely desolate. Starlight started to walk toward it, only to halt when a shudder went down her spine. She immediately froze, starring at the bubble with what she knew only as fear, though she couldn't fathom why. She was just about to call Twilight when Fluttershy called everypony over to the side of the room. "You need to see this", Fluttershy murmured, stepping aside to reveal yet another mural. The group was soon standing around a much larger and more detailed mural; only this one was unlike the one in the first chamber. A large group of the pony-like creatures were gathered around a large, darker-than-black substance, and they looked to be in battle. The ones in the forefront attacked the dark mass with beams of deep blue light, while others were running away with the bubble-like orbs in their hooves. There was writing under the mural, only this writing was not beautiful, nor cheerful. Starlight knew a warning when it smacked her in the muzzle, and she couldn't help but shudder as she began to read it out loud. The consumer of dreams. The ultimate threat. It consumes those who cross it, with no harsh regret. Stallions, colts, fillies and mares, none are spared from the darkness it shares. Don't let it find you, dreaming or wake, for once it consumes you, you will never awake........... Eerie silence filled the chamber. "........The c-c-consumer?" Fluttershy asked, staring at the image as her wings shivered against her sides. "Don't worry Fluttershy, these, um, Specters obviously have it under control. Otherwise things would be very different....I think." Twilight explained, giving the pegasus a reassuring pat on the withers. "I agree with Twilight. If this...Consumer...was still around, then Equestria would be a very different place. Although I have never heard of such a monster, nor have I heard tale of these Specters before." Celestia mused, narrowing her eyes as she leaned in to inspect the mural in greater detail. "If that’s the case, then where are these 'Specters' anyway, why haven't we seen them?" Rainbow Dash asked, crossing her hoofs. "A very good question, one that I fear we will never find the answers to." Celestia replied, turning away from the drawing. "I suggest we return to the waking world, and come up with a strategy on how to handle this." Celestia said, looking at each pony in turn. After a chorus of agreements, the group returned to the first chamber, and Starlight found herself gazing at the detailed mural of what she now knew to be a Specter, and couldn't help but feel like she had seen the one depicted on the mural before, despite the fact that was impossible. Shrugging it off, she returned to the rest of the group, unaware that a purple, iridescent pair of pupil-less eyes watched her, before turning to glare icy daggers at the black orb that floated in the second room. Slipping out of the chamber as the door sealed shut once again, the unseen figure resumed stalking the departing ponies, thinking about all the different ways she could toy with the unsuspecting visitors. Unfortunately, she was completely unaware that as she floated off to torment the Equestrians, a single, tiny crack broke its way through the crystal’s surface. A black, mist like substance began to ever so slowly seep through, unnoticed as the door to the chamber closed without a sound....