Princess Luna stepped from the ether and into Fizzlepop’s mind. Dream walking in and out of ponies lives was her special talent, but slaying monsters was her favorite thing. There was no monster or demon she wouldn't face. For generations her blood lust had been sated and her skills honed to their finest edge thanks to the nightmares of her subjects. She had lost count of the times she told herself she had seen everything, but there was always something new, some new darkness, some new fear brewing in the minds of her subjects and they all seemed to take such monstrous forms. However this era was woefully underpopulated with monsters, physical and dreamed alike.
A thousand years with Celestia on the throne making the world a better place had ensured that most of the creatures she was use to vanquishing were now close allies and friends or confined to the heart of the Everfree Forest. She had been more than ready to drive the her sword into the Dragon that had taken residence near Ponyville those few years ago but Celestia had stopped her. So that left the dream realm. Most dream monsters terrorized the foals and adolescents of the nation as in this new time of prosperity different terrors seeped into the minds of the adults: debt, declining health, loss of a family member, loss of employment. It was much harder to fight those things. It was testament to the advancement of the species Luna supposed and wondered, not for the first time, where she fit in this time in history.
Musings for another night, she decided.
Fizzlepop's mind was well organized and uncluttered. A lifetime of focusing on a single goal and never deviating from it. There were no paths for unrealized fears nor unrealized dreams, or monsters lurking in the dark, none that she could see anyway. Shadows and the unknown didn't scare this pony. As she descended she saw a space surrounded by what appeared to be caves and mountain cliffs. In the distance she could see the great blue starry hides of thousands of Ursa majors patrolling from cave to cave, the guardians of her mind.
Though she knew little of Fizzle's past, she did know that the astral bears held some pivotal role in the unicorn’s mental development. Sensing the intrusion hundreds of the beasts focused on the alicorn and a wild roar rang out. Waves of mental rejection pulsed at her. The wave struck head on and Luna was actually surprised and how ineffectual the blast was. The mental force was all show and no substance, leading Luna to wonder if it something had weakened Fizzle's mental defenses or if perhaps her damaged horn or her separation from Equestria itself had caused the captain’s weak mental prowess. Perhaps the scarred unicorn’s dedication to the physical arts had left her mind vulnerable. She resolved to mention it to Twilight Sparkle when she could, it wouldn't do to have somepony so close who was susceptible to mind magics. Perhaps here was her new purpose, a new role for her Luna thought as she paid the defensive constructs no further mind.
Igniting her horn the Dreamwalker shrouded herself in a protective bubble. The mind could still be a very dangerous place even for the trained. A strong enough will was still able to shape the mindscape and from what Luna had seen Fizzle's will would still be quite formidable. She continued to descend in to a small thatched roof village. Several foals ran up and down the streets all of them chasing yellow bouncing balls. She wasn't sure but something about the foals wasn't right, they unnerved her in some way.
She touched down atop of one of the thatched roofs. Fizzle’s dream was unusually quiet, no winds blew, nor bird chirped. Luna just noticed that the reason the foals unnerved her was because they weren't laughing or playing they were just running through the streets chasing the balls. She allowed the bubble to vanish.
"Captain Fizzlepop?" Luna called. She kept her voice conversational and calm in case the unicorn was in an agitated state. Not receiving an immediate answer the princess cautiously walked to the edge of the roof and looked over. The small village was could have been featured on any number of "wish you were here" postcards. The houses were similar but not copies of each other as most buildings in dreams would have been. Fizzle must think a lot about this place. Luna lighted off the roof and touched down on the street timing her landing to drop in front of one of the playing foals.
Large purple eyes looked up at her. Luna put on a smile. Normally foals would bring a genuine smile to her face no preconceptions or prejudice in those innocent eyes. Just curiosity and trust. Pip sprang to her mind and her smile became genuine and much warmer. But these foals were not foals. At best they were just placeholders, old memories from Fizzle's foalhood, at worst mental defenses disguised and ready to repel any intruding entity. The lunar goddess wasn't overly worried, though Fizzlepop was indeed strong willed her mental training was non-existent these were most likely just aspects of her subconscious.
The foal looked up at her, "Playing?" she asked.
"Neigh," Luna replied, " I seek your mistress."
The foal cocked her head in a curious gesture, "What's that?"
"Fizzlepop, I need to speak to Fizzlepop." Luna clarified.
The little blue filly hung her head, "Fizzlepop never came back."
Alarms went off in Luna's mind. There was a great shift in where Luna was standing and she nearly lost her footing. A great ripple spread forth from her hooves, it raced along the ground up the filly standing before the princess, up the home to her right. The dreamewalker cursed herself this filly was not some distant memory, and she wasn't part of Fizzle’s mind. This isn't her mind, this is a dream, perhaps a nightmare!" And she just interrupted the narrative.
She lit her horn channeling her magic and shrouding herself in another protective bubble this time separating herself from the events of the dream. The blue filly looked confused as the princess vanished in front of her but after a moment the look passed and she resumed running through the deserted streets of the small village.
Luna scolded herself. Disturbing a dream in progress could be dangerous, doubly so if the dreamer wasn't even present. The dreaming mind didn't like to deviate. Luna could only hope her presence hadn't been noticed. She stood still for a few moments and waited. The filly, or different versions of her, she wasn't sure, passed her by several times chasing the ball. She could just make out the filly coming up the street again when a crack of thunder exploded above the her. The sky darkened and and Luna saw several small blue fillies head up a side street. Grateful for the change Luna followed the mob.
Separated from the dream by her magic Luna was in no rush and several of the fillies darted right through her on their way to what Luna soon recognized as the town square. The blue fillies lined up around half of a circular fountain while a group of similar aged green colts lined the other. They began to jabber at one another and it took Luna a moment to realize there were no actual words just sound.
The sky darkened above her and a familiar obsidian airship descended below the clouds. It looked far more menacing then Luna remembered, Molten lava poured from the exhaust vanishing before it touched the ground. The glow of the molten rock created a patch work of grotesque faces on the polished surface of the craft. The Storm King’s emblem glowed an unnatural blue and cracked with barley restrained lightning. The roar of the engines was deafening and the fillies and colts all drooped their ears and covered their heads, prostrating themselves on the ground.
A crash and an over exaggerated tremble in the earth announced that the craft had finally landed. The exhaust from the airship released in a great wave that blew many of the ponies away with its force, the dream constructs crying in terror. The hot wind blew through the unfeeling Luna as she calmly moved to a better vantage point, the dream bubble following her mental commands.
Floating over the crowd Luna felt a disturbing amount of déjà vu overcome her. The Airship sat menacingly on the ground casting a shadow that seemed to swallow up everything that fell under it. The fillies and colts were deathly quiet. With a pop and a hiss of steam the boarding hatch of the ship opened, a heavy hoof beat followed by another and from out of the dark came Tempest Shadow, or some nightmare version of her. Her fur had gone from a deep maroon to lightless black. Her dark steel armor replaced with the deepest obsidian, flecked with red impurities. Luna laughed aloud the red on black on black color pallet comical in its need to be evil and foreboding.
"You look stupid!"
Luna's ears swiveled forward of their own accord searching for the source of the sound. Her laughter forgotten Luna moved her dream bubble closer to the front of the crowd. Slowly passing over the silent and cowering children she studied each one trying to decipher if anyone of them had broken the silence. Tempest continued to descend the plank and began a mechanical laugh. Luna winced as she listened. If the color pallet was overdone, then the laughter was just pathetic. No change in pitch or variation in tone, it as just a simple loud "Ha Ha Ha!" over and over again. Fizzlepop's idea of what nightmare meant could use some work, Luna decided.
"Ugh, you SOUND stupid too!" the voice taunted.
If Tempest heard the voice or not was unclear. The armored cliche finally set hoof on the ground.
"DO something!!!" the voice cried. "Don't just stand there laughing!"
Luna continued to hover over the crowd following the voice. It continued to encourage Tempest to begin whatever calamity was suppose to be happening in this dream. Luna got the sense that she might not have entered a nightmare. She soon pinpointed the source of the commentary. Upon the top tier of the central fountain set precariously near the edge was a head. At first Luna thought it to be attached to the fountain overlooking the town square but as she got close she could see a severed neck portion which was jagged and cracked as if it were broken glass. The neck ended just past the chin so that it sat in the water while the chin, hooked over the side of the basin, keep it from floating away. The head continued to shout at the scene before it, insulting the comical captain and the prostate foals. Princess Luna had found her quarry.
Fizzlepop was practically foaming at the mouth as she shouted to the crowd. "Attack them! Fire the cannons! DO something! Or just leave! Don't just stand there!" Luna stopped. This was indeed Twilight's captain, but she could hear a slight hint of desperation in her voice. She was angry but she was also trying to change the course of this dream, trying to deviate it from some outcome.
Luna decided that this dream intervention had to be short, she and the other princesses had questions that needed answers. She moved the dream bubble forward until it covered the body-less head. As it did so, an intact Fizzlepop stood on her own four hooves and noticed the princess. She wobbled as feeling came back to her, and her mind cleared itself of the dream, her tail thrashing widely behind her.
"Wha...? Home? That's me!" The scared unicorn placed a hoof against her temple and took in a few breaths, Watching her evil self begin to roughly move the foals aside.
"Captain, we are short on time. I need you to focus." Luna began to explain. "You have experienced this dream before, but we must unravel it if we are to get to your mind."
The Captain closed her eyes pressed harder on her temple. "Dream? Before? Uhhhh... She's coming. Twilight's gonna die!" Her hoof dropped from her head and she turned to the Princess her eyes wide and panicked. "She won't fight back. We have to..."
Luna sighed, "Why does everypony boss me around in the dream realm? Neigh Captain, we have need of your mind, we must either follow this dream to it's conclusion or resolve the matter to end it prematurely. I'm sure that Princess Twilight is fine I just left her with Princess Cadence in her apartment, guards are posted outside."
Fizzle rubbed her chin and muzzle. "Why does my face hurt?"
Luna chuckled, "Your assailant most likely is to blame, you've a sizable bruise in the waking world." She stepped forward and the bubble expanded so they could both stand comfortably. "Now tell me of this dream that we may end it. What is going to happen and why?"
Fizzlepop glanced around. "This was my hometown. That's Briar Patch," indicating the green filly. "And Sapphire Dust. Eventually Princess Twilight will show up to stop me."
Luna nodded watching Tempest laugh comically and bat the foals aside with lazy swipes of her hooves. "I see, does she convince you to turn and flee? Or to give up your villainous ways perhaps?" Luna made hoof quotes, Tempest being no more villainous than a foal’s storybook character.
The maroon unicorn looked down ashamed. "She doesn't win," she said sadly.
Luna turned in surprise but her response was cut off as a pillar of purple light crashed down from the sky. A blast of wind and a high pitched ringing forced the foals away form the pillar while Tempest Shadow squared herself to it and waited. Twilight emerged.
Luna waited as well, curious. Her eyes widened as she beheld the figure, then they widened some more. Half again as tall as Celestia the goddess that strode from the purple pillar of light was breathtaking. Hooves as large as serving platters shod in golden shoes attached to legs as think as her own barrel. Her fetlocks were unshorn and the thick fur dragged along the ground in a very appealing way. Thick and muscled as Luna had never seen before, like steel cords wrapped in not enough velvet, firm and taught as if in full gallop even while walking. The powerful front legs supported chest and shoulders that seemed too large to exist. She looked as though she could have born the world itself on that broad muscled back. Luna was sure that something so large and muscular would look decidedly male, and though her thighs and hips we're enormous compared to a normal mare, her proportions made them appear sleek and delicate. Her purple fur, where it could be seen, sparkled as she walked as if delicate hint of gem dust had been brushed in to it. Her wings sat at her sides larger than Fizzlepop herself. The purple of her coat gradually becoming a darker purple near the wingtips.
Glorious segmented barding covered her back and side, contoured to every curve, moving like a second skin. As she moved her chest strained against the leather straps threatening to tear them in half, dropping the armor and exposing the enormous mare underneath. The armor stopped where her neck began leaving it naked until just under her chin where a intricate collar of gold was fastened. The collar was adorned with a multitude of precious gemstones all cut to perfection. Though somewhat foreign Luna could see still Twilight in the distorted face. Her muzzle elongated to ridiculous proportions her eyes smaller and set farther apart, yet still possessed of the patience, goodness, and caring the Princess of Friendship was famous for. She wore a crown upon her head that only seemed to consist of five stars that were set in some invisible metal for they followed the movement of her head unerringly while being physically attached to nothing. Her mane was't ethereal as she expected it to be but gathered and bundled in a simple tail that cascaded down her neck.
Luna had seen many things in her time shepherding the dreams of ponies, but she could safely say this was a first. "I swear to you Fizzlepop," she said in all seriousness, "so long as you 'suffer' from this nightmare I shall be here to assist you." She looked over to Fizzle who was seated on her haunches and had the nerve to NOT be embarrassed by the vision of perfection manifest from her mind.
Fizzle stared at the dream Twilight and spoke. "The minotaurs have a legend of a great god named Atlas who has held the world in the sky for eons because no other could. There was a giant statue in Minos, carved from granite. All Muscles and power."
"Was?" Luna echoed.
"He was the epitome of beauty, endurance and strength for the minotaurs." Shame filled her eyes. "I shattered it."
"Ah," Luna faltered. "I can see then why you would cast Twilight in his likeness"
Fizzle spat. "Twilight is NOTHING like that depraved monster. Atlas didn't hold the world because he was selfless, he did it because he could, because he was the strongest and had to prove it." Her voice grew loud and angry. "He wanted to be rewarded for it. So the minotaur hordes brought him food and wine and treasure and slaves!" She rose and stepped toward the pair stopping just shy of breaching the dream bubble. "This Twilight is all wrong" Her eyes narrowed and she glared balefully at the dream version of her princess. "She's strong from within, from her convictions. Her strength is for others not herself."
Luna moved them both forward, "That must be the reason you have given her this form. You do hold physical prowess in high esteem." The pair settled in close. Twilight was speaking, her voice had not changed at all and though hearing it come from this enormous pony might have been funny, neither of them laughed.
"What happened Fizzle? Why are you doing this? You forgave these ponies." Twilight asked.
Tempest Shadow scoffed, "I don't care about them or how they feel. I knew that hurting them would bring you to me." She stepped forward and struck the Princess on her snout. The dream walkers blinked at the action, confused. For there was no possible way the normal sized Tempest could have reached the gigantic Twilight. "You lied to me!!" Tempest stated as she stuck the goddess again.
"You said friendship was magic!" another strike.
"That ponies would forgive!" Another.
"That I would be welcomed back!"
“That I could have friends of my own!”
The dream Twilight was bleeding freely from several cuts on her face, she spat blood and broken teeth from her mouth. "You do," she cried. "Rarity, Rainbow, the girls they are all your friends!"
Tempest growled and struck again, "They are YOUR friends and you tell them to humor me!" A blast from her broken horn had the Princess reeling on her hind legs. "Nopony cares, nopony wants me around!" Another blast and the purple alicorn lay flat on her back staring up at Tempest. With an evil grin the dark unicorn brought a hoof down on Twilight's gigantic wing. Fizzle winced slightly and Luna cringed in sympathy as a bone shattering crack reverberated in the dream scape.
Apple sized tears dropped from Twilight's eyes as Tempest moved from her wing to stare directly down at her. "All your lessons! All your advice!" She screamed striking Twilight across the muzzle each time. "Worthless! Worthless! Worthless. Just like you!"
Luna had seen enough, this was no simple problem but a familiar one. Still she had to turn away as the angry scene played out before her. Watching Twilight submit to such an beating was bad enough, but in her current form it was heartbreaking. Fizzlepop sat and witnessed the entire event her eyes unblinking. She started as a dark wing draped over her and pulled her into a tight embrace against Luna's side.
"You and I have much in common Captain," she began. "Our respect and love for Twilight Sparkle most of all." She waited for the Captain’s reaction as she was surprised and glad that it did not devolve in pointless arguing, time was of the essence.
"Love?" the unicorn asked. She blinked away her tears and stared at the Princess. "You love her?" The smile that she received was warm and genuine.
"There are many types of Love, dear Fizzle. Though romantic is the one most ponies concern themselves with. But I speak of love born from gratitude. You see," she willed the dream bubble to rise above the ghastly scene until they both floated high over the village. "Twilight came to me at time when I was lowest, a time where the darkness in my heart and mind threatened the very world." She tried to open a vision of the battle in the Castle of the two sisters but Fizzle had not yet relaxed enough to allow the Princess to do so. Undeterred she continued.
"She was able to stop the nightmare that I had become, but that was just the beginning of our tale, much like yours." She nuzzled the captain’s cheek with her own, trying to relax the agitated pony further. "Lost and alone after a millennia of imprisonment Twilight offered me Friendship in a way that I do not ever recall it being offered to me before." Fizzle settled a bit more and leaned gently against the comforting wing of the Princess. "I have not really ever felt worthy of it."
"After our battle I waited in Canterlot for many moons. Waited for a letter or for the mare herself to appear in court and demand her boon."
"Her boon?" The captain asked.
Luna nodded and tried again, this time she was rewarded as the dream of Fizzlepop's village was replaced with the Princess’ dark marble chambers. A great stone desk occupied a section of a roughly hewn stone wall. A small bundle of rolled a scrolls had been spread across the desk and Fizzle could just make out Twilight's writing on the tops of several letters.
"A reward," the princess explained. "Twilight had done great services to the nation and the crown. In my time such actions would surly grant lands or titles or gold beyond counting. And many heroes of the age served us in the hopes of receiving such a gift from us. I have given countless dreams, discarded feathers, a kiss to a foal once, two hairs from my head, and a night in my bed for such deeds." She paused remembering then smiled. "Two nights," she corrected. "Greater still, she had served me personally. I owed her greatly. At first i thought the time was a courtesy granted that I may first spend time with my sister before being carted away to some corner of the kingdom to become the noble wife or the less noble concubine of a great hero of the nation."
Fizzle had been busy watching the vision of a much smaller Luna read through the letters and converse many times with Celestia. There were hugs and tears and even a few shouting matches but the vision always returned to Luna gazing out of a small window overlooking Ponyville. The last comment had her jerking her head away from the vision to stare at the dark alicorn. "You thought she'd make you marry her?"
Luna shrugged her wings. "She had already saved my life, as far as I was concerned, I was indebted to her for it. I often wonder what that would have been like. If perhaps that would have been better. Of course it never came to pass. I had assumed that Twilight did what she did for glory or gain, the knights of my time were heroes it's true, but many were not so...dedicated. I know not of one who wouldn't have tried to get a leg up on the other noble houses." Luna knew she was on the right track as Fizzle turned away and studied the little Princess staring out the window her expression haunted. "Imagine my surprise when Celestia informed me that that Twilight was no knight but a bookkeeper, a librarian. And she scoffed at the idea of Twilight asking anything from me."
Fizzle found herself nodding. "She's never asked me for anything either, not even for me to say I was sorry."
"After a year I had had enough, the uncertainty was maddening. I traveled to her village determined to extract her demands or nullify them altogether. What I got was my first and most trusted friend in this era. She made no demands or requests. It appears she just genuinely enjoys my company and I love her for it." The night princess lifted her wing from off of the captains back and refolded it against her side. "So it is with you, captain. Twilight has offered her friendship to you as she did to me with no motives, or strings attached, Yet here you are attacking her and denying her efforts on your behalf. Why?"
Fizzles eyes darted from side to side as she thought. The vision changed once again and they were back on the street watching Tempest scream at and strike the beautiful but strange version of Twilight.
"Worthless! Worthless!"
"It's me?" She whispered. "I'm the worthless one?" Her anger returned. "That's just stupid! And Cliche! And it's a stupid Cliche!"
The Princess of dreams chuckled. "No my silly captain, you ARE not, but you FEEL that way. Do you not?"
Fizzle still fumed but looked again at the scene. "Do I?" she asked. Frustrated and angry. She looked to the crowd and the foals still lying prostrate on the ground. Back to Luna with that insufferable know it all smirk. Back to Tempest standing above the defenseless Twilight. As Tempest struck Twilight again Fizzle caught the briefest flash of blue in her eyes. After recoiling the dream Twilight began her crying once again but it turned from a pitiful sobbing into hearty maniacal laughter. Twilight open her eyes to reveal small pupils on a field of blue.
Twilight's laughter grew pained as the teeth in her lower jaw began to grow. They soon became two enormous yellowed tusks much too large for her mouth. The elongated muzzle began to shrink and the laughter turned to screaming. The golden shoes crumbled to dust and fell away as the beautiful hooves split down the center becoming cloven, dull, and grey. Her front hooves also became cloven but then continued to split as the hardened hoof elongated in to bony fingers. The ankle bone cracked and popped as it grew to form a wrist and the third finger of a clawed hand.
Luna and Fizzle watched in horror as the soft purple of Twilight's fur bleached itself to an ugly yellow white. The crack of bone and joints reforming as her chest began to taper near the waist. The pitch of the screams grew deeper and less pained. A vulgar guttural sound of pleasure replaced them and the pair of ponies grew uncomfortable. The glorious horn cracked and splintered and fell to the earth. Twilight writhed and convulsed her way to her haunches but the bones weren't oriented correctly anymore and she fell to her knees which had become twisted versions of her equine legs, the hooves cloven and cracked. The bleaching effect on her fur rushed up her legs and Luna gasped while Fizzle wretched as Princess Twilight Sparkle became the Storm King.
Unfortunately for Tempest Shadow she had also been staring in horror at the transformation of her former princess and before she could recover a clawed hand reached out and engulfed her head. The Storm King had keep Twilight's ridiculous proportions, slowly climbing to his hooves to stand at his full height, towering over the surrounding buildings. Tempest wriggled uselessly in his grasp.
"Oh, Tempest, so good to see you again!" He wrapped his other hand around Tempest’s neck and released her head, bringing her to eye level. He looked around at the pitiful foals and their village. "What have we been doing? Are you plundering again? Tsk Tsk," he clicked his tongue. "You're not a pirate anymore." He brought his free hand up again a booped the squirming unicorn squarely on her nose. "You are my lieutenant." His grin deepened and his eyes narrowed. "My Lieutenant," he purred.
Before the restrained captain could react, before the dreamwalkers suspected what was coming the Storm King brought the helpless unicorn close and forcefully kissed her full in the face. Fizzlepop brought a hoof to her mouth and retched. There was a mighty clash of thunder and the dreamscape began to distort and twist. Unprepared for the level of turmoil the strength of Luna's dream bubble faltered and a wave of mental force washed over the travelers. Fizzlepop fell to her stomach and retched again.
"No!" Luna cried, lighting her horn and reforming the barrier. "Fight back captain you mustn't falter, we cannot afford to begin this all over again!" A foul wind began to blow through the dream village and the images distorted further. Fizzlepop heaved once and a torrent of reddish black smoke spilled from her mouth pooling in the bottom of the bubble. Spewing the cloud from her mouth Fizzles eyes rolled in their sockets searching for the Princess. Luna knelt next to her and covered the pair of them with her wings blocking their view of the dream.
"Your subconscious mind is trying to tell you something." Luna began, "We must either figure out what it is or continue the dream until it concludes. Only then will it be safe enough for us to delve into your memories of this evening."
The information coupled with Luna's voice and her wings muffling the wind helped Fizzle to focus. Slowly the smoke pouring from her mouth abated and she could hear the wind die down. Luna smiled and nodded.
"Good, Captain very good. Now think! What is this dream about why are we here? What lesson are you trying to teach yourself." The night princess lowered her wings and Fizzle could see that the distortions were no longer in the village, they had retreated to the surrounding mountains but were still visible distorting the shape and movement of the Ursas.
A sharp rap on the tip of her nose startled her. "Fizzlepop! Focus please!" Luna had been speaking to her. "This dream," she began again. "Where did it deviate from the last time, what is new?"
"When Twilight changed." She answered shuddering, she belched and a small blob of smoke drifted from her mouth to settle in the bottom of the dream bubble. The level of the smoke was well below their hooves but Fizzle didn't like it. The thought of the stuff filling the bubble completely did not sit well with her in the slightest.
As the pair stood up Fizzle wobbled on her hooves and Luna wrapped her wing around her once more. "Why the Storm King?" The princess asked aloud. "Why this dream?"
"Ughhh, I don't know!" Fizzle cradled her head in her hooves.
"You do know" The alicorn stated. "This is your dream, the symbols and the meanings are for you and you alone. Nopony else can interpret them even I."
Luna's voice had begun to rise, she was nervous and that was not a good sign. Fizzle racked her brain thinking she looked widely around the dreamscape and immediately regretted it. The kiss between Tempest and the Storm King had escalated into a heated mess of foreplay. Girlish giggles and deep chuckling were intermediately mixed in with the sound of heavy breathing.
"You want me," Tempest purred. The Storm King responded with a sloppy wet kiss. Fizzle heaved again and more dark smoke pooled in the bottom of the dream bubble. The armored unicorn pushed the King away with and with a sicking wet sounding 'pop' he backed away. Her eyes half closed and she ran her tongue lightly over her lips. "I'll let you,." she whispered.
Fizzle hung her head in shame and fell back to the floor of the bubble, more black smoke poured from her mouth and leaked from her nose. Unknown to her however the Storm King’s eyes had flashed with lust and desire but Luna, more observant, noticed, something else in those hungry eyes.
"It wasn't like that." Fizzle growled away her shame tempering it to anger. "I wanted protection! I wanted the others to stop leering at me." The dark smoke began to leak from her eyes the bottom of the dream bubble and filed and the pair found themselves hoof deep in it. The smoke churned and writhed as Fizzle stomped angrily at the ground.
Tempest’s eyes and cheeks bulged as the Storm King again forced his mouth over hers. "Look!" Luna bade the captain as once again a brief flash of something crossed the Storm King’s face, fear?
"No! I won't apologize for staying alive! The whole group would have had their way with me if I hadn't." The black smoke continued to rise and was now threatening to wash over Fizzle as she lay on the floor of the bubble. Luna reached down and raised the unicorn up. She brought the unicorn close in to a hug and spoke gently but firmly to her.
"I do not belittle your plights nor the hard decision you've no doubt had to make." Fizzle began to pull away but Luna took firm hold of the sides of the scarred unicorn’s face and turned to look into her eyes. "You need fear no judgement from me, you are a dear friend of Twilight Sparkle whom I trust and care for deeply. Moreover," she lowered her hooves and stood tall, her voice growing reverent. "Nothing here will ever be spoken of by me to anypony. It cannot negatively change the way I see or feel for you. I am truly here to help just as the sun sustains the body so do I sustain the mind. I ask you to place your trust in me and look, something is wrong here and YOU must see it."
Anger and shame filled the captain’s eyes. "I'm not weak.
A soft smile crossed Luna's lips. "No." she agreed. She placed her wing over the unicorn and firmly turned her to face the scene. Fizzle’s lips curled back showing her teeth. Tempest was in a precarious position but seemed to be in complete control of the situation. The Storm King was so large his claws were wrapped easily around her barrel. He was casually holding her at face level as they kissed. He was eager and could easily have overpowered the smaller unicorn. Tempest was wise though, turning away from the kisses when they grew too bold but engaging in enough so to keep the monkey-like being from growing frustrated and angry. She was like a toy in his hands and should he decide that he didn't like the game they were playing Luna had little doubt the direction this nightmare would take.
Fizzle on the other hoof just seethed as she watched the foreplay unfold. She was too angry to be uncomfortable even when it became apparent that the Storm Kings was veryinterested in his companion. He dove in for another round of kisses but Tempest turned away at the last second. She clicked her tongue.
"So eager!" she teased as she turned away. That's when Fizzle saw. Her narrowed eyes widened and her eyebrows raced to her forehead. In that instant of rejection instead of the anger or frustration she expected the Storm King instead looked confused and hurt. For a split second his tiny eager pupils became large and ringed with purple. His prominent brow became less pronounced and softer. The unnerving predatory grin became an unsure self loathing wince. The Princess and the Captain widened their eyes in realization.
"Twilight!?" they exclaimed in unison.
There was a dramatic screeching sound as if a record had been ripped from its player and the dream froze with Twilight's confused soulful eyes staring at the flirting captain. The light seemed to dim and all grew dark except those eyes staring, wondering. Fizzle’s former village was replaced with a familiar marble balcony and the dreamwalkers saw Princess Twilight and a much more subdued Tempest staring out over the countryside. There were several pillars of smoke and bald patches of earth where Tempest’s forces had subdued the citizens during the invasion. Twilight's eyes were wet with tears as she stared over the kingdom. Tempest stood by her side as the purple alicorn broke in front of her. Her sobs became deep heaves of sorrow and regret. Tears and mucus flowed freely from her eyes and nose. Tempest stood uncomfortably beside the princess completely out of her element and bewildered at what she should be doing. A pathetic wail escaped Twilight before she wrapped her forelegs around her barrel and covered her heard with her wings.
Luna stepped forward instinctively trying to go to her friend to comfort her. She stopped as the dream bubble crushed her nose painfully against her face. Massaging her sore snout Princess Luna placed her other hoof against the bubble. Tempest slowly moved to help the weeping alicorn to her hooves.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I just can't stop, it won't stop. There's been so much." Tears and sobs continued to wrack the alicorn’s body. The crying drew the attention of five other mares who stepped forward from the shadows. The five friends gathered around Twilight and Tempest and before she knew what had happened Tempest found herself pushed aside as the six friends huddled and hugged together. The cries of the overwhelmed princess soon became cries of joy as one by one her friends spoke with and comforted her. That soon gave way to laughter and the small herd stood as one and began to walk away. There was an unmistakable gap where a seventh friend could have walked.
Fizzle and Luna witnessed silently as Tempest Shadow stared at the group who began to to quickly move away from the armored captain. Though they were still walking as a group together they retreated into the distance much to quickly. Soon Tempest sat alone on the marble balcony. Like an stage actor who had forgotten her blocking Tempest stood staring at the ponies until they faded from view and thick darkness gathered around her. The beautiful sky faded, the countryside darkened till it was lost in the void. Soon Tempest stood completely alone, the world around her absent. The dream pony stared forlornly at where Twilight and her friends had vanished. Slowly as the dreamwalkers watched Tempest too began to fade, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, and before she was able to release it she too was gone.
Fizzlepop was quiet for some time. Luna stood silently by unsure if she needed to offer some words or comfort to the captain. After moment a chuckle escaped Fizzles lips. "I've been alone for years, not going to worry about that now," she scoffed and spat. She sniffed and turned to the princess, "Now what?" With a soft pop the dream bubble surrounding the pair vanished. Princess Luna blinked in surprise.
"Odd. That usually doesn't happen until after the problem is resolved." She eyed the unicorn suspiciously.
"Does that mean we're finally done here? Can we get on with finding some answers?" the captain asked impatiently.
Luna narrowed her eyes and studied the unicorn. She may as well have been a brick wall. "So be it," she conceded. "This is your dream after all and if you are at peace with what has transpired we are done. But there is more here" she pressed. "If not with me, I encourage you to resolve this with somepony, preferably Princess Twilight."
Fizzlepop said nothing which disappointed the Princess more than a little.
The lady of dreams fanned her wings out in a grand gesture. "We must view the memory of what transpired before I brought you to the apartments. You've been accosted and we must learn by who. With your permission I shall bring my sister, Princess Cadence, Princess Twilight, Captain Flash, and provided they found him Prince Armor." Fizzle looked stricken. "I swear to you," Luna assured "only the memory of the assault will I call up, nothing else."
For the first time Luna saw trepidation cross the captain’s face, the look lingered and Luna immediately took a dislike to it. It was strange but her mental image of the Captain just would not allow her to associate such a pitiful expression on the unicorn.
For her part Fizzle was torn, the information was needed, it could end up saving Twilight. Reluctantly she nodded. "OK, bring them, lets find out what's going on."