//------------------------------// // The Shadows Beckon (edit) // Story: To Calm a Tempest // by Broman //------------------------------// Stella Sabre, the queen of comebacks and the most witty pony I had ever met. Also the most sarcastic and sassy pony you’d ever meet. She was around my height, if you cut off an inch with the steel boots she was wearing. Her mane was midnight blue, her fur was light gray, and she had piercing yellow eyes that would give Fluttershy’s stare a run for her money. Another fun perk was that she had more similarities to a bat, hence her race being Thestrals. She had fuzzy ears that were more pointed compared to regular ponies, particularly with the tufts of hair on the tips of her ears. She had bat wings that resembled the wings from the famous Gargoyle TV show. The last part that was very bat affiliate was that she had a snaggle tooth that stuck out whenever she smiled.  She became a corporal around the time I had arrived in Equestria. From then till today, I learned that she quickly became a lieutenant, or Leftenant as she liked to call it, promoted to be a personal guard of Princess Luna. She had always wanted the role, as she came from a long line of military veterans that served under Princess Luna for many generations. She even boasted that her family could be traced to the earliest times of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna’s rule in Equestria, which would have been centuries ago.  All in all, I was quite happy for her and for her wellbeing. Except at this current moment. For she was trying to envelop me by holding my body to hers, with my head pressed into her chest piece. “C’mon, Boyo. Just say that you’re glad to see me,” she said cheekily, her wings, which were currently wrapped around me, tightening ever more. “I’m glad to see you...I’m glad to see you,” I said, struggling in her grip. “Aye? I didn't quite hear that. Speak to me wee louder for me, will ya?” she said, clearly enjoying my struggle in her grip. “I’m happy that you're here, now get off!” I forced my hands out from under her, one hand on the ground and another trying to get her off. “Heh? Is that a bug clambering on the window? Can you speak a wee louder, laddie? I can’t hear the proper words from ya. It’s like your head is stuck somewhere it shouldn’t be.” she said, while one of her hands was brushing the top of my head, enjoying every minute of this. “Let go you mad bat!” I yelled, firmly slapping my hands on her sides, trying to push away from her, yet she could only laugh at my attempts of escaping, especially since she had me in this predicament. “Oh that’s mighty rough of ya. Ya might treat a mare right if ya didn’t lack a strong arm. But I still need to hear ya say it. You’re not doing any favors by resisting and I can hold ya like this all day if I wanted to. So don’t be a daft idiot any longer.” I groaned inwardly, knowing full well what she wanted me to say. I sighed in defeat before shouting out for her. “Please let go of me the most glorious, respectable, sassiest, and sexiest of all the mares! The most highly esteemed bat mare around, with the body of a goddess and the voice of a soothing trash talking angel, Stella Sabre! NOW LET GO OF ME!”  As soon as I finished, I felt her let go of my body. I flung backwards, landing a few feet away from her. I looked back to her from my position and I swear I could see the smarminess wash over her as she stood up and looked down at me, her hands planted on her hips with a smirk that rose ever higher on her face. The latter which became all the more punchable the longer I was sitting here. “Ya see…that wasn't so hard. If ya said that sooner I would have smothered ya even more for good behavior, boyo.” she explained, while I remain exasperated on the floor. “Now, lieutenant. He’s already had a rough night as it is.” Princess Luna said, hovering over me and offering a hand.  I took her hand with my own and she lifted me up off the ground. “Was merely showin’ my friendly side, Princess Luna.” she explained, her smugness giving away. “Your friendly side being the equivalent of both a passive aggressive bully with a twisted sense of humor and a chum that acts as your shadow and defends you from all harm?” I quirked. “Exactly, ya flea bitten sorry excuse for a fannybaws. If anyone says otherwise, I’ll be slappin’ it intae them until their body is blue and purple and they be walkin’ with a splint.” she said, chuckling to herself. I rolled my eyes at her, “It’s hard to hate you, Stella. You know that?” “Eh…I can rub anyone off and they would either hate my guts, or respect me and stand takin’ a pint. We laugh, drink, feast until our heid’s a loupin, and we're fair puckled away from keelin over the table. But hey…that’s what friendship is. Well…after the pukin, cursin, and finding out how they end up in your bed and you’re on the floor. Good times, though.” she explained.  The way she stated that couldn’t help but make me smile even more. “Remind me to tell you later to never change.” I told her. “I’ll be makin’ a note of that.” She replied to me. “So, in all seriousness,” My words became directed towards Luna, “How is it that Stella’s here?”  “Well, it’s quite simple actually.” Princess Luna explained, using one of her hands and gesturing down a narrow hallway, which was folding and forming in front of us.  I walked alongside her right as Stella took her position on her other side. “Since I am the Princess of the Night, I have the ability to perceive into the dreams of anyone. However, on occasion when I encounter a strong mind, a mental barrier if you will, there are ponies who wish to hide themselves and the information they contain within the dreamscape. Even if I was able to enter freely into their dreamscape, I could not penetrate the mental defenses that they have trained and disciplined themselves for. For that reason, I have a countermeasure in the form of a guard, one who knows and has a strong sense of understanding of the mentality in dealing with certain individuals.” I briefly looked over to Stella, trying to comprehend how out of all of the guards in Equestria’s army, she was the one who gets picked for such a position. “I'm sorry, I’m a little confused at how Stella fits that description. She would more than likely try and throttle her way through, like when going to a bar just to get the last pint of the day’s special brew.” “Damn right you are, ya milksop! Any little bampot who gets in my way will be drinking through a straw,”  Stella perked, raising a fist into the air in a triumphant response. Obviously, that would be her appropriate answer.  Mental note to self, don’t get in front of a mare and her alcohol. “Got to remind myself not to get on your bad side then. Otherwise, I might have to appease you with that special alcohol that you love so much. What was it exactly…” I took a moment to try recalling it, before remembering, “Northern Sapphire's cutie or something?”  The moment I mentioned it, she whirled her head to me and she seemed to salivate over the words. The way she perked up to the sound of her favorite alcohol reminded me of a dog wanting to get his favorite bone. “Oh ho HO...now you’re talkin’ laddie! You tryin’ to seduce me and get in bed with your’s truly?” she asked, her mouth in a half grin. “Ah, no, but thanks Stella.” I kindly waved her off with a flick of my hand, “I just wouldn’t want to explain the next morning to the doctor how I got a broken pelvis, scratch, and fang marks all over my body. I would no doubt resemble a scratching post used by a tiger.” “Awe, where's the fun in that? We thestrals are very ‘affectionate’ creatures, ya know?” she said, sashaying her hips while revealing that snaggletooth of hers. “Think of it as a cultural exchange between species.” “I’d rather not. I don’t want to explain the embarrassing details of how I got mauled by a guard in her full armor, and who may or may not have a bad case of tourette's.” Stella gave out a hoarse laugh, looking away and wiping away a tear. Princess Luna herself couldn’t help but stifle a giggle, placing a hand over mouth in amusement. After a few moments passed, and when her tittering subsided, Stella gave a half smirk at me. “You kill me sometimes, you know that?” She said, making me smile in return. She then looked forward, closing her eyes and gave a shrug to me, “Though, I suppose that means you be declining my offer. Tis sad really, I was hoping to cure ya of your virgin ways. Now no mare will respect ya anymore.” “Hey, now wait just a minute! What’s that supposed to mean?!” I tried to question and rebutte Stella, but Princess Luna moved her wings and blocked the two of us from viewpoint. “Moving on, we have bigger things that have need of our attention.” She reminded. She put more step in her stride as she moved down a long hallway, which was rapidly forming and shaping in front of us. I kept my pace with her while she turned her head to see me. “To my earlier point, Spencer, I would bring along a guard who has the knowledge to combat these special individuals. I have only a select few who can manage such martial prowess within the dreamscape. Since their minds and bodies are trained for such endeavors, they can fight them in the physical realm of the dreamscape, while I am trying to face them mentally. Once the target has been rendered immovable, then we can safely extract the information we need.” “Think of it this way, Laddie.” Stella chimed in. “It’s like a breastwork. You have a small and easily defensible position that you wish to protect and fortify it as best as possible. Well, your mind can conjure up anything it wants. An image of a hard diamond, a poem or riddle that can be played over in your head, or even something random. I like to conjure a hard bottle of beer that never runs out. And a gigantic chocolate chip cookie on the side.”  “That's…actually pretty cool.” I commented with astoundment. I imagined that they would be on the breaking point of taking out the target entirely, but to render them by both attacking their mind and body at the same time?! It’s like being mind freaked by a magician’s tricks and pummeled by a boxer at once.  My mind turned to Luna and I couldn’t help but ask, “So, how is it that Stella was chosen then? What did she do to garner your attention?” “Well…that’s an obvious one. It was during her one week vacation, roughly a year ago around when you first appeared in our world, that she had one of her drunk rants. Or rather, as she claims, a drinking contest that was participated by her and the rest of the inhabitants within the bar. She became so inebriated that day she couldn’t tell friend from foe, and the whole bar went into a brawl after she called somepony out. It was only after the guards arrived they found her, lying on top of seven drunkards with welts and bruises, and only clad in her…well…undergarments, if I have to boldly say.” “In my defense, it was the slag buffoon from a worthless codger that wouldn’t stow it,” Stella cutting in to the discussion.  Both myself and Luna turned to see Stella, but I also couldn’t help notice that the scenery changed. Namely that the hallway we were walking in was leading us to a large pair of doors. They looked old, yet sturdy, and were only illuminated by two torches on either side of the walls.  I had several questions…one being why we were heading towards this door, and why Luna didn’t say anything about it. I hoped it wasn’t that arrange deal that she wanted, and that we were heading in Celestia’s domain to have that sappy moment for her annoyance. Actually… I might like that. It should be a fun distraction to get my mind off the demoness that recently appeared. Wait a sec….I should probably mention that now before I get distracted. “Um, Princess Luna...I-” “Quiet, Spencer, I’m talkin’ here so shut yer face,” Stella interrupted. I simply tuned in after having ignored her for the last few minutes. “Then after they challenge me to a bet, the high and mighty kingspone claims he can drink me under the table and still be the victor. I’m sorry tae say, but I would wager that he could drink all the beer and slush he wants, because that guttered fishface slackjaw wouldn’t beat me. What’s worse is that he and his mates were out partying hard and plastered in the drink. Saying how they would go out with their mares in celebration in some crackin’ good times. Slurring and brandishing all extravagant like and proclaiming that they will be endlessly drinking, feasting, and fu-” “Ahem!” Princess Luna interjected, giving a glare at the solider. Stella’s eyes widened slightly over what she was about to utter. “Ah…fornicating themselves with their wives silly, as I was about to say. Yeah... that is what I was trying to say.” she trailed off at the last bit. I couldn’t help but snirk from how she was able to catch herself and that a higher authority would keep someone like Stella under control. “That’s better. I can tolerate some of your choice words, but utmost profanity in front of me is not tolerable.” Princess Luna explained. Stella nodded. “Sorry. I tend to get carried away, otherwise I would have had to throw two bits in the ole jar,” Stella said, rubbing the back of her head. “If you had a jar for every time you did swear, you’d have enough to buy yourself a yacht,” I mentioned, to which Stella blew a raspberry at me. “Spencer, with the amount a cursin and swearin I’d do, I would have enough jars to buy myself several penthouses and an entire city block in Manehattan.” “That’s living the dream for you,” I replied, sharing a laugh with her. Wait a sec… I’m getting distracted again. I need to redirect this conversation now before I forget it. “By the way Luna, there’s something I wanted to-” “Lad, hold it…I’m not done with my story. Give me another moment.” Stella intervened once more. I remained silent in slight annoyance. “Anyway, after they had their drinking bout with me I soundly beat every single one of those slouches. Don’t exactly recall what happened after that though,” she claimed. Luna soon stepped into the conversation. “I can fill in the rest,” she turned her attention to me while gesturing a hand to Stella, “After word caught my ears about the brawl, I had to come and ensure that whoever the perpetrator was would be disciplined. Having seen her laid bare to the world in her undergarments and on top of a pile of unconscious equines, I had to dive into her mind and quickly establish if she was either the instigator or the retaliator. When I went into her mind, I found her mind had a strong barrier like the fortress gates of a bastion. Despite her body being unconscious, her mind was still fighting, wanting to break down anyone who got in her way.” she paused, looking over to her guard by her side. “Without seeing first hand how powerful her mind was, I would never have considered her for the position of my personal guard.” she said. Upon hearing that, Stella took pride in her remark and began having a little pep in her step. “That’s amazing, truly,” I commented, “Though, I guess I never would’ve taken Stella as a personal guard if her requirements for being a guard was initiation through intoxication.”  That generated a reaction by both Stella and Princess Luna. Luna was laughing her guts up, and Stella was cursing and shouting in approval as she laughed. While they settled in the mirth and high praises, the door that we were approaching was already before us, roughly ten yards away before we reached the entrance. In the back of my head, I felt an ominous feeling grow about the door and wondered why in our right minds we were going towards it. Speaking of which, the encounter with the demoness and all the wicked things she was doing to me was still fresh in my mind, and I had no doubt they needed to be addressed. “Ah Luna, if I may ask…” “About the door?” Princess Luna inclined, interrupting me, “Well, this is our intended destination. On the other side may lay our hope to solving what ales you and Miss Tempest, and we might remove the nightmare that had plagued you earlier.”  She headed toward the door in front of us. “Yes, but Luna, there’s something about that thing that I-” “Oi…yer such a jabber, Spencer. Be quiet now. You’re bein’ rude,” Stella said, rolling her R’s for emphasis.  Before I could retort to her, Princess Luna was already opening the door. It was after the door opened that I felt that an uncomfortable chill crawl its way up my spine, and I could see a strange darkness approaching the three of us. Like a mist, an inky blackness poured out of the door and spread around us, before wafting through our bodies. This one was different from the other that plagued me, but still...I felt weary.  I sidled up to Princess Luna, uncertain about what lied inside. “Luna? What's happening?” I asked, seeing that we were slowly entering the doorway, or rather...the darkness was pulling us in. Having obviously sensed how weary I was, Luna latched her hand onto mine. It was in a way that was both comforting and assuring. “Be calm, Spencer,” She said to me, her hand tightening on mine a bit, “Whatever you do, don't speak unless spoken to.”   Princess Luna then lifted her head and remain dignified as everything around us turned to darkness. The door behind us shut, the sound booming like a distant drum. A moment later her horn lit up, surrounding us in a pale moonlight. For a moment, there was nothing but silence. It felt as if we were all waiting for something to jump out at us the longer we were here. I remained on edge because of this. Stella on the other hand was calm and stoic, not once drawing her weapon. “Who dares to disturb my rest?” A voice that didn’t belong to any of us broke through the darkness. I was unsettled by how the voice spoke, but suddenly found myself calmed when a warm hand touched my shoulder. I turned to see that it was Stella, who was giving me a look assuring me that she had my back. “Greetings, Darkness who lies in shadow. I've come to speak to you once more.” Princess Luna spoke, her voice echoing around us as if we were in the deepest cave in Equestria. The three of us waited for a reply. “Why have you come?” The voice replied through the darkness. Once the voice spoke again, I discovered something about it. It was haunting, yet flowing. In a sense, it reminded me of how Luna spoke. I tried searching for the person, but all I could see was the ink-colored black that surrounded us. “I beseech thee, for there is a danger that is in need of our attention. A black magic that I cannot easily dispel is plaguing this one's mind…” she gestured a hand to me, “...and that of another. I sense that if it not confronted, then all of Equestria will be in danger. I have need of you once again. If thou will have me that is.” The darkness eased somewhat, revealing a large spacious room. On our sides, there was expensive and lavish furniture that a noble or even a royal would possess. Rugs and pelts of various sizes littered the ground, while up above a bright chandelier gave off a dim light. In front of us, however, the pitch void remained and a cold voice emanated from within. “A long time ago, Princess Luna, you locked me in here. You kept me in a cage until time consumed me, and I would be forgotten. My power wastes away while you are off either galavanting with your sister, or trying to find a stallion to be a potential suitor for the absent longing in your heart. Why must you torment me while I'm imprisoned in your own mind? Whilst you struggle with the confines of leadership and balance amongst your people?” She seethed, the sound of chains clacked together. A pair of bright eyes came from the blackness before us. A thick chain dangled in front of it, scraping against the floor. “You know that isn’t true. I’ve come to visit you many times after that day. Our conversations were always full of life, meaning, and joy,” Princess Luna replied in a tempered tone, not sharing any enmity toward the mysterious deity that stood before us, “I would never forget what I have done nor what I asked of you to do on my behalf. You know me. You are a part of me. I would not have come unless the need was dire, and now is the time we put our past behind us."  The light on her horn faded, and the barrier of energy gently dispersed. Princess Luna stepped towards to the darkness. She lifted a hand and pressed it against what appeared to be a face. The two bright eyes shifted into focus, and two purple orbs that were slightly slitted formed and they looked to the hand that touched it. The orbs stared back at her, a questioning gaze beginning to appear. “No matter what I say, you are not guilty for what you have done nor anything you wish to accomplish. Correct?” The voice spoke back in a female voice, this time more soothing and not once having any fuming anger or detest to her.  The shadows near Princess Luna formed outward and took shape, wrapping themselves around Luna’s form. The shadows shimmered slightly till a solid shape turned into a pair of arms, revealing to be a purple hue of its coat. Princess Luna lowered her hand and proceeded to wrap her arms around the shadow’s form. The darkness around her and the room brightened, and the inky blackness faded away. The rest of the room revealed itself, showing a large bed in the back of the room that appeared to be queen sized, with blue drapes that hung from the top of the bed posts. In the center of the room, I noticed the chain anchored to the ground, leading up to the abyss that hovered in front of Princess Luna and hugging her.  “No, never in the slightest. I have learned from those mistakes, and they shall not happen again, my old friend,” Princes Luna then wrapped her own arms around the ghostly darkness, and a body took shape while she hugged tightly. My jaw dropped from what I was staring at. The inky blackness surrounding Luna had faded, replacing it with a purplish aura that surrounded the two of them. When the aura faded to take form a few moments later, I saw a purple unicorn that stood a good head taller than Princess Luna. Her body was entirely purple from head to toe, where a single chain was wrapped around one of her ankles. Her hair, which had a deeper purple color, was much larger as well, stretching out in both length and volume over Princess Luna’s. Luna’s mane had waved and shown stars that reflected the night sky. This thing, it’s mane projected entire planets and stars, glistening and ever moving through her translucent mane. When comparing Luna’s mane to, whatever it was I was staring at, it was like comparing a single star to an entire galaxy.  I was so fixated on what I was staring at I had goosebumps all over my body. And yet, I never even noticed. I was both equally terrified and in awe of what was standing before me. When the two separated, I was able to see the rest of her body. Her body was tall, and admittingly terrifying to me at the moment, with Luna meeting her just above the shoulders. She had a gorgeous hourglass figure, which would make any fashion model jealous. She wore a long silk dress that had a night sky violet hue to it. Her dress had a cut in it, allowing for her right leg to be exposed about halfway up her thigh. The chain that was placed around her ankle lead to an iron plate on the ground. Looking upward, I saw that her raiment was cropped at the shoulders and going down in a V shape, exposing much of her arms and chest. Which by the way for the latter, looked far more bigger then Luna’s. Or possibly even Celestia’s. Despite the chain that was wrapped around her ankle, she was absolutely stunning. Yet, that was not the only thing that my jaw dropped at. When Luna and this being came toward Stella and I, she was the spitting image of her. She had Luna’s visage from her jawline, to her cheeks, and even the eyebrow’s length. The only slight difference was that her eyes were purple and slitted compared to Luna’s bright blue eyes. A niggling thought came to mind and I turned my attention to Stella, who was in awe by the being’s presence. “Ah, Stella? Am I staring at Nightmare Moon or is this Luna’s long lost sister?” I asked, hoping to get some answers out of her.  After another moment of gawking, she shook her head and turned to me. “Ah, no you poor excuse of a virgin gelding. This is most certainly not Nightmare Moon. If it was, I would have drawn my blade and cut her down just to free Princess Luna from her grasp.” “Then, who is she?” I said, seeing as how the creature was making her way to me. “Aye, only met her once or twice with Princess Luna. Never met her face to face, though. I was always at the door and never heard much other than hushed whispers. She did mention a name about her…I think it was-” “Tantabus, is my name. I am Luna’s confidant and trusted friend.” The creature spoke. I turned and suddenly saw her right in front of me, her height ever imposing. I swallowed a lump in my throat after having heard her, as it was both soothing yet terrifying to hear. It was as if she would lash out at any moment if I said the wrong thing, but also gently speak to a child in a tenderly and motherly way. I kept my eyes on her, her frame towering over me at around what I assumed was six feet and five inches.  In the back of my head, she would no doubt fit in with the people of Sweden. Or…was it Norway? Finland? “So…this is the human I have heard so much about.” the Tantabus spoke, tilting her gaze toward Luna.  Princess Luna nodded in kind. “Yes, it is he. He has been suffering with this affliction, while we have been pandering and debating on how we should tackle this predicament.” “I see,” the Tantabus spoke, bending down to my height.  In the back of my mind I felt that I should run, a creeping darkness looming over me and my instincts telling me to bolt. Yet, I remained where I was, feeling some assurance that Princess Luna was here and that she would help if things were to go wrong. A moment of silence passed between us as Tantabus eyed me, taking me in. Then, without warning, she moved her hands and placed them on either side of my face, her hands making a firm clapping sound when she hit my cheeks. My eyes remained focused on her while her hands ran through my cheeks back and forth, moving them about like a baker kneading his bread. While her fingers clasped on my cheeks, she used her thumb to rub under my eyes while the tips of her fingers touched and poked into my face. “Well, this is unexpected,” I thought, feeling my face being mushed and squeezed by the being, “I feel like a corgi being pampered.” “You know what, Spencer. Luna has told me so much about you, but there was one thing she didn’t mention.” Tantabus said to me. “Huh?” I said, a look of confusion appearing on my face. And then, the most unexpected thing happened, which started when a mischievous smile appeared on her face. “YOU’RE ADORABLE!” She exclaimed to me. Come again!? Before I could even say anything else, she wrapped her arms around my head and pulled me into a tight embrace, effectively smothering me in her chest. I felt my body lifted off the ground while she held me and continued to cherish me. “Why didn’t Luna send you here sooner?! You’re so appealing!” She exclaimed, giving a twirl while she remained in a giddy state.  Brain status! “Can’t compute, detecting extreme softness. Can’t ignore.” You're no help! I had no choice but to endure while being dangled in the air, my head being buried in her chest and her arms covering the back of my head. She’s supposed to be an all powerful deity, yet she was acting like a child and treating me like a teddy bear. Stella was not helping much because she was busting her gut from the scene, and Princess Luna couldn’t help but stifle her own amusement. When Stella paused for breath, she pointed at me with tears in her eyes. “Spencer, I said to work on yer breastwork. Not be in a literal one!” She exclaimed, wheezing with each breath and doubling over. The tips of my ears burned red and I groaned internally, which was muffled because my mouth was squished to Tantabus’s arms. Despite being in this position, I couldn’t attempt to break free of her hold because her unnatural strength kept me in place. Despite how nice this might feel, if she didn’t let go, I was going to suffocate for need of oxygen. Actually…that wouldn’t be a bad way to go to be honest. After a few more moments, she eventually let go of me. I was able to get some fresh air and take a step back and did a complete one eighty. Her arms, however, slid down my body until she put her hands together like cuffs and her arms went around my chest. My face was no doubt red at this point. I didn’t care, though, because when my eyes wandered up, I was able to see her face again and was immediately entranced by those eyes once more. They gave off a motherly look, one that was similar to what Luna would have.  “I do apologize,” Princess Luna said, standing by my side while Tantabus held onto me, “Tantabus was created by me many years ago, long before you were born. Her upbringing had mostly been around me, and as such, was very limited to whom she interacted with. Needless to say, she has adopted more of my personality since I was her only contact for the longest time.” “So, in this case, a very doting mother?” I replied to her, feeling the Tantabus rough up my hair and teasing it with her fingers. “More or less,” Tantabus said with a giggle, before she turned me around again to face her and continued giving me affection, “And might I say, Spencer, that you’re quite fetching for an adolescent.” I suddenly couldn’t help but feel confused by this. Why would she think of me as that? A teenager. “Wait a sec, I’m an adult. I can handle myself quite well if I need to.” I exclaimed, but this only encouraged Tantabus and she brushed imaginary locks of hair out of my face. “Young child, you’re naivety is quite obvious. Both the Princesses, and myself included, all see others as young children. No matter how old they may appear or act, they will never be as benevolent, wise, and understanding to the ways of the world. So in mine eyes, you are just a cute little babe who is taking his first steps into the world.” she said, gently patting my head and cooing at me.  At this point, I didn’t know if I should complain of her treatment or just let it happen and continued to get pampered the way that I am now. Her affections and ministrations were quite nice, but also...felt a little weird to me. “Don’t let her fool you, Spencer. I heard from Princess Luna that Tantabus had run amok once, trying to escape the dream world and into the real world.” Stella muttered. “What?” I asked, a little bit alarmed. “Anyway, I’ll leave you three at it. There is a matter I must attend to since we shall have need of Tantabus’s expertise,” Princess Luna said, stepping to the side while shifting to a nearby wall and into the dream realm. As I watched her, I noticed multiple doors and spheres appearing in front of her before she began sorting them out. “Okay, first off, what is she doing right now?” I asked, gesturing to Princess Luna before doing the same with Tantabus in particular, “And what did you actually do when you were trying to escape?” Tantabus turned her attention to Luna, who was using her magic to find whatever she was looking for. “She is searching for any disturbance within the dreamscape. She had been rather busy these past few days searching for the source of the darkness and where it is coming from. As for me,” she let go of me, placing a hand on her chest and smiling to herself, “I am ‘The Tantabus’, created by Princess Luna in order to help safeguard and protect the dreams of all-” “Well, from what Luna had once said to me, she’s literally a torture machine for the Princess. She made her relive her nightmares over and over again,” Stella interrupted and speaking in a blunt manner, causing Tantabus to look at her with glaring eyes.  “Huh?” I turned to her, quite confused by her claim. “The memory is coming back to me now. Years ago, before you came along and became such a sensation to the rest of Equestria, she was plaguing the dreams of the unlucky chaps down in Ponyville. She escaped the confines of her prison and went out to see everypony in the dreamscape. She was quite the annoying blighter, causing everypony she encountered to have unsettlin’ dreams that they did not wish to experience. Aye was among the unfortunate sod to be a part of that fateful nightmare and remember full well what she did. It only took the effort of the entire town, and the Princess to accept of her past mistakes and misery, to get Tantabus to finally be brought back to her.” she explained, shuddering right after. “I’ll never forget that dreadful pony who looked like an alicorn having a bad sunburn that was the color of a tomato. Tis unsettlin’ it is.” “How would you know that if you had only met her just now?” I asked, a bit suspicious and confused over how she knew Tantabus even if this was the first meeting between the two. “Well welp, after waking up from that encounter, I had to dip my head in the sauce till I was such a tosspot that I forgot about it entirely. Till now at least.” “Of course.” I said with a roll of the eyes. “That was because I wanted to explore the world around me!” Tantabus exclaimed, having her hands in front of her and looked ready to whine at her. “I wanted to see everything that I never saw before. You know how boring and dreadful it was to have to replay the same nightmare over and over again. You can describe every perfect detail in tangent so that there was no mistake.” “It was only after seeing my friends that she began to get curious, and curiosity nearly claimed many of the lives of all the ponies in Ponyville,” Princess Luna chipped in from afar while she was searching through the dreamscape, and then added, “By the way, can you come to me. I believe I nearly found what we have been searching for.” she said before diverting her attention back to the dreamscape, where the doors became fewer and the dream like orbs were becoming few and far between.”  And right away, the three of us headed straight to Princess Luna, leaving the room Tantabus was staying in and into the dreamscape. There, we saw that, with the exception of the door leading into Tantabus’s room, there were doors switching everywhere. My guess for why Tantabus’s door wasn’t moving was that it was likely because of it being open. “So wait…why did you torment Princess Luna in the first place?” I asked, turning my attention to Tantabus again after doing so. “Well young child, Luna had wished this of me herself.” I tilted my head at her, which she had found amusing and patted me on the head, “Knowing how adorable your bewildered predicament it is, I can explain that things were rather rough for my creator when she returned from her banishment. You see, I was only created as but a familiar to Princess Luna. A construct if you will. For many years, and for long hours into the night, she would be practicing the arts of the elder magic, or dark magic if you wish for the most basic of terms.” “And quite bias from the sounds of it,” Princess Luna chimed in, throwing aside spheres and doors that didn’t concern her, becoming fewer by the minute. “In any case, she had practiced the elder magic for many long years. However, she had dabbled far too much into it, and due to her studies and jealousy of her sister at the time, she succumbed to the darkness and became Nightmare Moon.” “A reality that I humbly regret and accept as fact even to this very day.” Princess Luna spoke, the spheres becoming more then a few dozen remaining and a half dozen doors still standing. “After her thousand year imprisonment on the surface of the moon, she returned and was purified by the Elements of Harmony. Later on, she had awakened me from my stasis and tasked me to deliver punishment onto her. She had me repeat this onto her for neigh a year and a half before I had explored outside of her dream to interact with others within the dreamscape. However, my own carelessness and interactions to the world around me had lead me to try and rectify the little mistakes that were being presented to me. When I tried to fix the dreams to suite what I believed was needed, I inserted too much of my powers and altered the dreams into living nightmares for the inhabitants. I was fed a continuing stream of guilt from Princess Luna that I was a giant amongst the pony populace.” “And Princess Luna was able to revert you back after accepting for the guilt she had committed?” I asked, earning a cheeky smile from her and another pat on the head. I don’t think it’s going to get old any time soon. “You are correct. If left unchecked, and if I kept blindly following her orders, I would have been outside the dream realm and into the real world, where everything that was ever conjured in the dreamscape would be made reality and living hell would be sown on all of Equestria. Tis merely doing my duty as my master had told me all those years ago.” “Must’ve been hard,” I muttered, feeling some immediate sympathy for her. She shook her head, her mane tossing around and shaking the planets and stars about. “I managed. Though after she had removed the spells that bound me, I remained here until she believed she would have need of me.” She then wriggled her brows and I felt an uncomfortable chill move it’s way up my spine. “Though Luna really needed to let me out sooner. Having someone to interact and not be terrified to a weakling state is a new experience for me. Even for one who is so cute like yourself,” she then proceeded to pinch my cheek. I groaned inwardly over her motherly affection. “Everypony. I believe I nearly found what we have been searching for.” Princess Luna spoke, the remaining spheres were now just a dozen or so left and where there remained a single black door that stood before her. “Princess Luna,” the Tantabus spoke, her eyes focusing on the Lunar monarch. “I believe it to be this door,” Princess Luna said, using some incantation with her hands before reaching for the door, “Whatever dream sequence we will use will help us in finding out the source of the darkness plaguing its-” Suddenly, however, an eerie combination of a howl and a moan made itself known. Tantabus’s eyes flared up and she rushed in uncanny speeds to Princess Luna. The moment she was in front of her, she raised her hand in the air and balls of energy appeared around them.  “Stay close to me, Laddie.” Stella told me, putting herself in front of me and getting in a defensive position. Then, when it seemed like silence was going to be the only thing accompanying us now, the ghastly sound made itself known again. And within that moment, a dark cloud of smoke appeared out of nowhere, shooting itself out like a missile before it slashed itself against Tantabus. Everyone jumped as she held her position, and to the amazement of all of us, she was able to hold her own and throw the dark cloud off of herself. She didn’t even seem phased by the attack. The darkness landed in front of her and Luna with a silent thud. Stella, meanwhile, charged straight for it as it was on the ground, brandishing a sword and shield as she did so. Just when she got close enough, though, the cloud quickly moved out of the way. It floated up into the air to be out of reach of the warrior, before charging towards Luna like an arrow. Just when it was close enough to the princess, though, Luna blasted it with her horn and caused it to fly back again. It flew onto the ground a few feet away from us all. Then, the darkness took a moment to recover and began floating in the air again. This time, it stayed where it was and looked directly at the three mares, who separated from themselves but still maintained defensive positions. “My my…was not expecting that,” the darkness spoke, a chilling female voice of the attacker showing up.  The hair on the back of my neck prickled as the darkness formed into shape. It formed into an orange monstrous looking creature, the upper half of its body having a human-like chest and neck, with long human-like arms and five-fingered hands, and overgrown fingernails, while the lower half of her body was like a snake, and her face and head…was like that of a pony. A unicorn to be precise. It was her yellow eyes with black reptilian-slits that made her instantly recognizable to me, revealing her all too well to be the demoness that I had encountered.  “By the goddess! What is that hackit thing!?” Stella shouted, her grip on the sword and shield tightening.  Princess Luna stared wide eyed at the creature, seemingly at a loss for words.  The demoness merely chuffed, looking longingly to each of them in turn.  “Quite a few familiar faces I see.” she said, before taking her misty form again. She began hovering around them like a banshee, inspecting them closely as if she was studying their every move, feature, and expression. That is, until her sights focused on me and a look that appeared to be both seductive and excited plastered on her ghostly face. “Spencer-Wencer!” she exclaimed, and before I had a chance to move she shot straight towards me.  My body remained frozen as she formed herself into the cross-creature body from before and slithered up my body, her lower serpent part binding me in place, while the top human half of her was holding me in a hug and her head rested against mine. As if that wasn’t enough, she gave me a side to side nuzzle on my left cheek with her nose, which felt like a cactus thorn was scratching it, before putting her head back against mine again. “Spencer!” Luna called out, while Tantabus edged forward with her shields and Stella stayed behind to protect Luna. “Thou will let go of him!” Tantabus demanded, her magical field increasing and threatening to deliver a killing blow to the demoness. “Oh, but I’ve only been with him for nearly an hour,” the demoness replied, pouting her face while one of her hands clutched my face and made my lips push out, “My little pumpkin-wumpkin here is so in need of attention, and I just would hate to part with him when we have so much to do. He’s just too handsome and unique to ever be away from.” She stated, giggling in some twisted fashion while stroking one index finger across my chin before turning to me and saying, “Isn’t that right, Pumpkin-wumpkin?” “Pumpkin-wumpkin? Spencer, what the devil is she talkin aboot? Was there something ya neglected to tell us?” Stella asked out.  I glared at her while I was silently fuming inside, knowing full well she had interjected whenever I tried to finish what I had to say earlier.  It was then that demoness leaned her head away from mine once more. “I’m just so glad I found you again, you handsome little boy,” She said to me, shaking my head sideways while holding my face at what she called me before stopping, “After the Princess of the Night cut me away from you, I could barely stand not having you by my side.” Before I could iterate that the feeling wasn’t mutual, the sound of magic chiming to life suddenly made itself known. The demoness turned her head in the direction of the sound while I directed my eyes in the same direction. The two of us found both Tantabus and Princess Luna lighting their horns and in offensive positions, looking like they were readying themselves for a fight. “You will let go of him, and then leave our sights at once,” Tantabus seethingly warned the demoness, “After all, it’s pointless to be in the presence of two powerful magic users and a Lunar guard when you are clearly not strong enough for such a fight.” For a moment, there was nothing but silence. Luna and Tantabus maintained their positions while Stella was putting herself in her own battle stance. The demoness, meanwhile, just kept herself where she was, holding my face and squishing my cheeks, the snake-like part of her body wrapped around me and her chest pressed against me. Then, as if a miracle had just happened, she let go of my face and cheeks before turning to face me. “It seems our fun will have to wait another time then, Spencer-Wencer,” the demoness said to me with a sigh, her body loosening around me and allowing me the freedom to move again, though she still kept herself too close to me for comfort, “But before I go.”  And in just those few seconds, the unthinkable happened. She grabbed my face with both hands and gave me a firm kiss, lip to lip. I stared at her wide-eyed while her eyes were closed and she twisted her lips on mine using her head, like she was digging in them. They felt so cold and lifeless, like I was kissing a corpse.   Finally, her lips parted away from mine with a smack.  It was the most painful sensation that I had ever felt when she withdrew. Think of it like having your tongue stuck to a pole in winter. But ten times worse, and your tongue is being removed harshly off with sandpaper. “A parting gift, Darling,” She paused, before sliding her left hand down my cheek, “But we will be together again soon enough.”  To my relief, she finally parted away from me, leaving me to roughly rub every trace of her off my lips as she turned to everyone else.  “It’s good to see you again, sister of the shadows,” She said to Tantabus, before turning to Luna, “Along with you, Princess Luna.  She slithered herself a little bit towards them. “Yet formalities and pleasantries will be postponed in the meantime. I have a great many things to do. For soon, I will no longer be contained in the dream world, and the human...will be mine. To keep. Forever. Ta.” she said, before her body turned into a cloud of smoke. The smoke spun around me so fast I staggered and fell backward. I closed my eyes and feared I was going to hit the cold ground really hard. However...I didn’t. Instead of that, I found myself laying on something warm and comfy, like a pillow.  When I opened my eyes, I looked up to see Tantabus’s face staring down at me with a warm smile. A motherly kind, just like before. The astounding thing about it, though, was that she seemed so much bigger than before. Wanting to see what I was laying on, I found myself to be in her arms, which were cradling me like a baby and rocking me side to side with her body. And just like her head, I noticed that her arms and body were bigger too. In all honesty, even though I felt a little embarrassed to be in this position considering that I’m a man and not a baby, I was actually glad to be in her arms. “Are you alright?” Tantabus asked me with concern. “Yay. I’m fine” I assured her, “I’m not the only one who finds the fact that a demoness is attracted to me strange, right?” “Oh no. You’re not alone on that.” “Tantabus…” Princess Luna voiced, causing the both of us to direct our attention to her, “T-the magic of that creature. Is it...” Princess Luna asked, her body stiffened and shaking. Tantabus strolled towards her, carrying me with her in a way that seemed both hesitant and willing, like wanting and not wanting to go to a job at the same time. When she stopped in front of her, she said with a nod, “I’m afraid so. Especially now that I’ve seen it for myself.” Princess Luna then gritted her teeth and her once proud hair flared up like a wildfire. “So that bastard is still alive!” she said, turning to the black door that was in front of her.  Without another word, she grabbed onto the handle and thrusted it open, the door crashing into an invisible wall and sending jagged cracks all along the edges of the frame. She stormed inside the door, disappearing into the dark veil. Stella quickly followed inside, not even looking back to see if Tantabus and I were coming.  “Tantabus? What’s happening?” I asked, while she remained fixated on the door ahead of us. “All will be revealed to you soon.” She said, before giving me a soothing pet on the head. And so, Tantabus followed after Luna and Stella, holding me as she did. However, as we were approaching the door, I didn’t know how we were going to get in without Tantabus putting me down and shrinking back to her normal size. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to be out of her hold, really. I just didn’t want to bump my head against the door and for Tantabus to be unable to get in because of being too big. As we were close to the door, though, I saw Tantabus light her horn. To my amazement, the door widened itself and got taller, likely to suit her size and my safety as she held me. I found that it worked, because we went through the door with no problem at all. Once inside the room the door lead in, it slammed shut behind us, plunging the world around us into darkness. At first, all I could hear was the breathing and the subtle heartbeat I felt from Tantabus, which was surprisingly low, whereas mine had quickened since our encounter with the demoness.  I looked about. Soon enough, a room that was a mix of black and grey was present before us. I saw the backs of Princess Luna and Stella, both staring at what’s ahead. Despite how I was held, I managed to follow their gaze as best I could. A flicker of light came forward and a roaring fire from a fireplace was present, illuminating the room around us. The whole room was covered in books and stylish decor, ranging from furniture that looked centuries old to drapes of fine tapestries. Black and red sheets covered the floor and bed nearby, while a large carcass of a bear was outstretched on the floor of the room. A small record player was turning lazily and soft music was being played, which sounded operatic and gothic at the same time. In the center of the room, next to the fireplace, was a lone figure sitting in a large cushioned high chair, the legs of the being stretched out on a cushioned seat. Whatever or whoever was sitting there was covered by a ridiculous newspaper that stretched out tall and wide.  It sort of reminded me of the old man in the movie “Kung Fu Hustle”. After an uncomfortable silence, the person behind the paper stirred. “Company? That’s surprising. It’s been a long time since I’ve had visitors.” a male voice that was rich and deep spoke, from the velvet high chair, which looked neon red next to the roaring fire.  My ears perked up from the voice, striking a chord on how familiar it was. The paper lowered a few inches, revealing a red horn on the other side. It looked very eerily similar to the one that the Storm King had brought out from that box. I heard the mares near me hitch their breathes, while the Tantabus remained ever calm. “Princess Luna. I believe this is who you have been searching for.” the Tantabus calmly spoke, not once releasing her cradle on me. In fact, her cradling tightened somewhat in a protective manner, and I could only watch helplessly while being suspended in her grip. “Ah…I haven’t heard that voice for nigh a millennia.” The paper lowered further, revealing a unicorn that had long black hair and red eyes.  Princess Luna stepped forward and stomped her foot, her nostrils flaring and her wings outstretched. The unicorn eyed her first and smiled, revealing a toothy grin. “It’s been a long time, Princess of the Night. I’ve missed you.” he said.  Princess Luna, without warning, lunged at him, “Sombra!”