//------------------------------// // Chapter 26: Dark Dreams, Part 2/A Pleasant Morning in the Crystal Empire // Story: A Place in Equestria // by GoebelTron //------------------------------// Thomas woke up in the library, and when he went outside, there were black thunderclouds and darkness everywhere again, and all ponies were enslaved. When Thomas looked around, he was then being attacked by lightning and more black crystals were forming. As he ran, he was then trapped by more crystals, and then King Sombra appeared with a evil cackle. “What do you want from me?!” he asked. “Foolish boy! Thought you could keep yourself safe from me and becoming my pawn, didn’t you, mortal?!” Sombra asked. “Why are you doing this?! I’ve done nothing to you!” Thomas asked. “Those pathetic ponies you call your family may have merely delayed my plans, but with you as my vessel and the magic from the newborn alicorn foal of the Crystal Empire’s royal couple that can make me stronger and invincible, those key elements will help me take my place as supreme ruler of Equestria! That means taking full control of your little mind!” Sombra explained. “Control me?!” Thomas asked. “Why do you want to control me?!” “I concealed myself with my own dark magic to save my life, but my entire spirit needs a vessel. By possessing your full body and then keep you and the foal as my prisoners, I will have everything I need to destroy Celestia and Luna, then the royal crystal family, then the magic of friendship, and then I will conquer Equestria FOREVER!” Sombra said, until he landed on the ground in front of him and turned into a tall black unicorn stallion with red eyes, a red curved horn, metallic gray armor, a short and wavy black mane and tail, razor sharp teeth, and purple smoke coming out from his eyes. “Behold! For I am King Sombra!” “But Princess Cadance told me the Crystal Heart destroyed you! How are you still alive?!” Thomas asked. “Ha! Part of my life force was saved inside my horn, but my power was somehow greatly weakened by the Heart’s magic. But now, the time has come for me to take full control of your body! Say goodbye to everything you hold dear!” he said as he started walking up closer to the boy, and then he lit up his horn. “No! Get away from me!” Thomas yelled, until Sombra laughed. “There’s no escape, human! Your resistance is merely futile!” he said. “PRINCESS LUNA, HELP!” Thomas yelled. Just then a cosmic flash of light hit the ground between them both, and it stood in front of Thomas, revealing it to be Princess Luna, as she appeared to protect Thomas, as he ran over and hid underneath her and hugged her hind leg. “How dare you set foot inside the little one’s dreamscape?! Begone from his dreams and his mind forever and never return, thou foul fiend!!” She yelled courageously, then shot a blue beam of magic from her horn and it hit the evil unicorn king. “Grrr... AAARRRGGHHH!!!” King Sombra roared loudly. “Curse you, Princess Luna! Don’t think you and that pathetic mortal have seen the last of King Sombra! Soon, Equestria will belong to me! You will see!” “Never! I will always be there to protect the loving child of dear Fluttershy who stands by my royal hooves! Now, begone!” Princess Luna said. “Grr! Curses! I’ll be back!” King Sombra said, and he left Thomas’s dream, until all the darkness and thunderclouds were gone, and they were in the starry place where Princess Luna visited his dream for the first time. “Wake up, dear Thomas. It is now over,” she said, until Thomas looked over at Princess Luna and saw her looking at him with a soft frowning smile. “Princess Luna! You saved me!” Thomas said running over to her. The blue alicorn sat on her haunches and reached out her forelegs and caught him and brought him over for a hug, and then rubbed her left hoof on his back as he cried in her chest. “Shhh... Hush, little one,” Princess Luna softly said. “I fear he may be returning soon, but I will always be watching to protect you.” Thomas nodded and then looked up at her, “Princess Luna... *sniff* He said he was gonna use me to hurt you, and your sister, my aunts, my friends, Diamond Tiara, and Momma! Please, Princess Luna! Please don’t let him take me! Protect me!” He buried his head on her chest that was on top of her necklace, but she kept rubbing his back and patted his shoulders. “Shhhhhh... I know, sweetheart. And I will,” she said, then she gave him a kiss on the forehead. “We won’t let that happen. Ever.” Thomas softly pressed his cheek on her chest and stroked her fur with one hand while the other was wrapped on her neck. “Thomas, I will inform your Auntie Starlight and her friends, Sunburst, Spike and Trixie to continue their promised task so we can all help protect you from him. Now, wake up and call for your Auntie Starlight, then tell her what you saw. Now, I will warn the others at the palace in the morning if we are to act fast or else all of Equestria is doomed forever. Now, wake up!” She then lit up her horn and placed it on Thomas’s head, until a bright light filled his eyes. Thomas suddenly woke up and let out a scream, and suddenly heard the sound of thunder, then he started to cry again from King Sombra’s murderous attempt and the loud thunderclap. Suddenly, just then, the bedroom door opened and revealed Starlight with a concerned face, and she wearing her robe again. She walked into the room and lit the candle to a full light. “Thomas? Honey, are you okay?” Starlight softly asked with concern. Thomas opened his eyes and looked at his aunt for a few seconds, and then more tears ran down his cheeks. “I h-had an-another n-n-nightmare, Auntie Starlight,” he said while softly whimpering. “Why don’t you tell me what happened?” Starlight asked, stroking her nephew with her hoof. “I dreamt that K-King Sombra t-took over the C-Crys-Crystal Em-Empire, and he s-said he wanted to u-use me as a puppet,” Thomas said, as it made Starlight feel worried about Thomas while she looked at him with sadness, shock, and concern on her face. “Princess Luna then came before h-he t-tried to k-kill me,” he continued. “HE WAS GONNA USE ME TO HURT YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE! I DON’T WANNA HURT ANYONE!” He then began to cry uncontrollably. “Aww...” Starlight said, then she reached out her forelegs, and pulled her nephew out of the bedsheets, gently placed him on her lap and then she saw him climb into her robe and buried his face in her chest as his tears soaked his aunt’s fur while he continued to cry, so she wrapped her forelegs around him and hugged him. “There, there, honey. It’s okay. It was just a bad dream,” Starlight said, then she gave him a kiss on the top of his head. He began to whimper again and then hugged her tightly and buried himself underneath her fur as she comforted him again, “Hey hey hey. Easy, easy.” Thomas continued to shake and whimper, “Shhhhhh... it’s okay, sweetheart. I’m here.” Thomas suddenly calmed down as the sound of her heartbeat soothed his shaking. “It’s okay, honey. It’s okay, Auntie’s got you. Shhhhhh... Do you wanna go back to sleep, Thomas?” Starlight asked. “Yes, b-but please d-don’t leave me, A-Auntie Starlight. I-I-I’m... I’m scared,” Thomas said, as he pressed his cheek closer to her chest. “I know, honey. I know,” Starlight said, stroking his back until he suddenly got sleepy again. “I love you, Auntie Starlight,” Thomas said, until he dozed off to sleep. Starlight smiled warmly at him, and then kissed him on the forehead, “I love you too, sweetheart.” Thomas then cried himself to sleep, and Starlight stood up and gently picked him up and held Thomas in her right foreleg and then she saw him nuzzling with her fur and hugging his teddy bear while finally sleeping peacefully. She then smiled warmly, and kissed him on the cheek, then got off the bed, blew out the magic candle, and then walked out of the spare room. “Psst! Starlight!” Sunburst’s voice said. “Sunburst?” Starlight asked. “It’s the middle of the night.” Sunburst saw Thomas sleeping with wet eyelashes and red cheeks, “Did he have another nightmare?” “Yep. But with my auntie pride, I was able to calm him down,” Starlight said, then she saw how adorable he was sleeping. “Aww... look at him sleeping.” “Yeah,” Sunburst said. “Hey, umm... I know this may sound a little awkward, but I have room in my bed, in case if you need someplace to sleep.” “Thanks, Sunburst. That’s so sweet of you,” Starlight said. “Anytime. Now, it’s late. Let’s get you two into bed,” Sunburst said as he led them to his bedroom, and then he opened the door and it had the same green colored walls, and a big king sized bed for two ponies to sleep in, a night stand on the right side of the bed, a wardrobe near the door, and a hanger by the bed that held Sunburst’s cape that he usually wears. “Okay, you two sleep here on the left, and I’ll sleep on the right side so I can reach my glasses,” Sunburst said. Starlight nodded, and then after Sunburst tucked himself into his bedsheets, she put Thomas on the bed and took off her robe, and then climbed onto Sunburst’s bed and fell asleep. Thomas scooted closer to his aunt and then curled up in fetal position, until Starlight brought him closer to her chest and wrapped her forelegs around his sleeping form, and then kissed his cheek. Thomas nuzzled with her chest fur and curled his arms around her barrel, and then pressed his cheek closer to listen to her heartbeat. After that, she smiled warmly at his cuteness, and then pulled the covers over themselves and went to sleep. Inside Twilight’s room, she was having trouble sleeping because of the ceremony for her niece, so she got out of bed and went to the kitchen for a glass of cold water. When she got her glass, she saw Cadance, with Flurry cradled in her left foreleg. “Cadance! What are you and Flurry doing up?” Twilight asked. “Sorry. The baby got a little hungry, so I came here to give her her late-night bottle,” Cadance explained. “Abaa!” Flurry said. “I know, Flurry. I know,” Cadance said. “So, what about you?” “Sorry. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. Since Flurry’s Crystalling is soon... I think we should find a crystaller,” Twilight said. “I don’t even know how to do a Crystalling or how it goes!” “Sorry, Twilight. I understand, but we thought you would be our best mare at this,” Cadance said. “I know, and I want to do this for your daughter, but this is something I’ve never done before,” Twilight said, until Cadance finished feeding Flurry and burped her, then placed the foal on her mother’s back, she hugged Twilight for comfort. “Don’t worry, Twilight. We’ll come up with something. Anyway, it’s very late. Let’s head back to bed,” she said. Twilight nodded and went back to bed. When Celestia’s sun rose up, it began to shine across the entire Crystal Empire. Meanwhile, at Sunburst’s house, Starlight was still sleeping while hugging Thomas close to her chest for comfort as he was still sleeping peacefully in her comforting and cuddling hooves. He was curled up towards her chest and still hugged his teddy bear. Sunburst woke up a minute ago to get some coffee, and then he then decided to make some breakfast after Spike got up to help. After a couple of seconds later with the sun glistening through the window, Starlight slowly opened her eyes and then softly yawned. When she was fully awake, she looked down at her sleeping nephew who was cuddling with her soft and warm fur coat and listening to her heartbeat. She smiled warmly about how cute he was being, and then gave him a kiss on the forehead and gently stroked his hair with her hoof. Suddenly, Thomas began to wake up as he slowly opened his eyes and let out a big soft yawn, and then after he rubbed his eyes, Thomas then stared into the beautiful eyes of his Auntie Starlight and saw her giving him a soft and warm smile. “Good morning, Auntie Starlight,” Thomas said softly, while rubbing his eyes and stretching his upper body. “Good morning, sweetheart. Did you sleep well after a long night?” Starlight asked softly. “Mmhmm,” Thomas said with a nod. “Good,” Starlight said. “Auntie Starlight, I’m sorry I woke you and Sunburst up last night. I didn’t mean to,” Thomas said, until he then started to cry with guilt and despair. Starlight gave him a warm smile, and then she lifted him up, sat up on the edge of the bed with her hind legs sticking out and then placed Thomas on her lap and embraced him towards her, and then rubbed his back. “Aww... sweetie, it’s okay,” Starlight said. “I’m not mad at you just because you woke me up last night. King Sombra was just trying to give you a nightmare and take control of you, and that made you scared. I could never blame you for waking me up, honey. You’re just too adorable to be blamed for, because you’ve got cuteness in your eyes and a very big heart. How could I ever blame you from doing something you didn’t do wrong?” Starlight giggled, and then gave him a kiss on the forehead and let him lay his head on her chest as his body was squished towards her belly and hugged by her forelegs. When Thomas felt better with a soft sigh and warm smile on his face, he continued to lay his head on Starlight’s chest to softly listen to her heartbeat while she continued to rub his back and stroke his hair. After a few minutes of cuddling with her nephew, Starlight held him in her hooves and looked at him, “Feel better, honey?” Thomas nodded as a yes. “That’s good. Now, how about if we go downstairs and have some breakfast? I’m pretty sure Sunburst and Spike are prepping it up already and waiting for us to come down already.” Thomas nodded again, and then was placed back on the bed as Starlight got off and used her magic to put her robe and slippers back on and tied the strap around the front of her robe, and then she levitated Thomas onto her back and made her way downstairs. In the living room, Sunburst was sitting on his blue sofa reading a book on Equestrian geological theory, Trixie was reading a novel, and Spike was prepping up some breakfast. They were waiting for Starlight and Thomas to wake up for breakfast. When hoofsteps were coming down the stairs, they turned their heads and saw Starlight in her robe and slippers, and then saw Thomas on her back rubbing his eyes. Starlight walked over to the couch and sat with Thomas as she held him in her hooves for a cradle. “Morning, you two. Sleep well?” she asked. “Good morning, Starlight,” Sunburst said. “Good morning to you as well, my dear friend,” Trixie said, and she gently stroked Thomas’s hair. “And how is my cute and precious nephew doing this morning?” “I’m fine, Auntie Trixie,” Thomas replied, hugging her hoof. “Sorry. He’s been having a rough time last night. King Sombra was at it again,” Starlight said, rubbing his belly with her hoof. “Aww... that’s too bad,” Trixie said. “By the way, if you’re not busy... breakfast is ready,” Spike said. “I also brewed you some more coffee, and I made some porridge for Thomas.” “Thanks, Spike,” Thomas said. “Well, The Great and Powerful Trrrixie is indeed starving,” she said. “Well, let’s go eat,” Sunburst said. When they got to the table, they served each other some pancakes and coffee, and then Spike gave Thomas his porridge. After they finished breakfast, and Spike took their dishes to the sink, Sunburst thought of something as he looked at Starlight. “Um... Starlight? Can I talk to you in private?” he asked. “Sure,” Starlight said. “Trixie? Can you watch over Thomas?” “I would be honored,” she said, and then she held Thomas in her right foreleg, that had her purple and dark blue slippers, and then read some of her novel with him. “So, what did you want to talk about?” Starlight asked. “Umm... Starlight. I know we just reunited some weeks ago, but I kinda felt something about you,” Sunburst said. “Oh? And what’s that?” Starlight asked, then Sunburst blushed nervously. “It’s okay. You can tell me.” “Starlight... to be honest... I... I...” Sunburst had trouble saying it. “You love me?” Starlight asked. “If you think of it that way,” Sunburst said. Starlight smiled warmly, and then she leaned her head forward and kissed Sunburst’s cheek. “Thanks, for being honest,” Starlight said. Sunburst nodded, and then they went back to the living room and then saw Trixie rocking Thomas in her hooves. “Wow, you’re really good with him like I am,” Starlight said. “Thank you. I just wanted to try it out,” Trixie said. “Thomas? Can I ask you something?” Sunburst asked. “Yeah,” Thomas said. “I’ve been thinking of something about you. Since I realized you were an orphan and had nopony to love, until Fluttershy and the others came into your life, and that Starlight’s your auntie, would it be okay if I was your uncle?” Sunburst explained. “Does that mean I can call you Uncle Sunburst?” Thomas asked. “Yep. Now, come here and give your Uncle Sunburst a hug!” he said. Thomas carefully jumped off Trixie’s hooves and went to Sunburst and gently hugged his neck. “Welcome to the family, Sunburst,” Starlight said. “Thanks, Starlight,” Sunburst said.