//------------------------------// // Secret Pink Mission, The Land Of Slumber And Wants (Edited By BS) // Story: The Humble Prince // by Lighting Ace //------------------------------// With a song in her heart and a skip in her step, an eager Pinkie Pie continued her trek throughout the land of dreams and slumber as she hopped from one dream into another. "Princess!... Princess Luna?... Are you here? She peeked at a series of bubbles and glanced at her necklace to see if there could be any reaction. Though, it disappointed her that it didn't have any response other than acting as a compass that continued to change directions the moment she got a trail. "Hmmm, where could she be?" She asked nobody in particular as she rested on a sand hill, looking at all the bubbles shining out, half buried in the desert night extending to the horizon, and the giant sand holes spreading everywhere "Wow, somepony really likes making sand castles, there is a giant mole prowling around here...or the sand hawk is near." She started, realizing why there was so much sand everywhere she looked. "Come on, Pinkie, think, think." She tapped her head a couple of times before turning to her left. "Do you readers know what I should do? Oh, right, right, this isn't THAT kind of book. Sorry, neverminded. Hmm, let's see" She kept talking to herself, looking around until a familiar-looking bubble caught her attention. Unlike the rest, this one didn't seem connected to the desert and kept floating in mid-air, letting her know whoever it belonged to was unaffected by the sand. And this one, in particular, appears to have glints of rainbow light dotting throughout it. The silhouette of Penny could be seen in the middle. OH, that must be Penny's dream! She must be taking a nap. Perfect, I should see how she is doing. And ask if Desi left her with a clue on how her spell works! Now with a goal in mind, the party mare hopped into the sand as if it were a trampoline and propelled herself into the novelist's dream. Once there, the party planner received quite a shock. Unlike other dreams where it felt like she was stepping into a live show in the middle of a performance, this one kept bouncing her left and right between two different dreams, or maybe memories of seeing Penny talking with her parents, taking notes. Then all of a sudden, the party planner was yanked into a black-and-white dream where she was snaking around the floor, hearing other ponies' conversations, and even seeing herself while she and Blueblood were having their sleepover, ending with a pegasus stallion staring right at her from below. "...intriguing proposition you are offering, little pony." Pinkie started to talk without her control or voice as she got closer. "But I must ask, if you are looking for power, why are you handing me to somepony else instead of taking it for yourself?" For his part, the pegasus only smirked and closed his eyes while oozing confidence. "Call it a business investment. One that will benefit both of us. I get the ultimate source of what my clientele wants, and you get as much desire as you want indefinitely. Do we have a deal?" He extended his hoof. It was then that Pinkie realized this was one of Desire's memories as she recognized the claw holding the hoof. "Deal" "Pinkie?" With the memories finally clearing, Pinkie was launched backward into a book studio where plenty of empty papers, ink, quills, and other writer's materials were scattered about. In the middle of it all, dressed in a formal vest, reading glasses, and a pen tucked behind her left ear, was none other than Penny, staring back at the party mare in confusion. "Is that you? What are you doing in my dream?" "Oh, hi, Penny! I was passing by and wanted to ask how you are doing?" Pinkie recovered quickly and flashed her usual friendly smile before tilting her head. "Wait, how did you know it was me, me, and not dream me, or knew that this was a dream?" Penny only chuckled briefly. "Because I'm a novelist, Pinkie, my mind is always wandering about with ideas and stories. I know my way around my subconscious and know what isn't part of it." Her expression turned somber. "And not to be rude, but shouldn't you be out there looking for Princess Luna instead of talking with me?" "Oh, I'm still doing that, silly. This is just me taking a little break to see how you are doing before going back to work." with that, an idea occurred, and a literal lightbulb appeared on top of Pinkie's head. "And if possible, ask Desi if there is a way to use her spell to track the princess faster." "Maybe, but Pinkie, Desire is still sealed, remember?" "Only in the waking world, remember?" She smirked at Penny. "Otherwise, how did she talk with Bluey while he was asleep?" Penny wanted to refute Pinkie's statement but realized she was right. "Point taken. Maybe we could talk with her here. She could even help me in speeding things up on my end." "Aha, and I bet she is through that entrance to a greenhouse that has been in that corner the whole time." Pinkie pointed to her left, and Penny saw a big, windowed door damp with water from the inside. "How did I not see that before?" Penny asked herself in astonishment before Pinkie grabbed her hoof and dragged her inside. "Come on! I bet she would love to see that you are safe and sound!" The two advanced, and immediately after entering the place, they were assaulted by the familiar heat expected of a tropical forest, which seemed to be the theme inside said greenhouse. "And while we look around, you can tell me how things are going. So...how are things with your team?" Pinkie asked with an eager smile as Penny looked up, recalling the most recent events of their mission. One hour prior Cadence's team made good time through the bizarre plane without difficulty until a panting Penny had to stop and take a breather from overusing her magic. Her horn was steaming hot and starting to discharge errant sparks of magic. On top of it all, she had a splitting headache. Noticing this, Fluttershy quickly grabbed a hoof full of snow with her wings, which was placed on Penny's horn to cool, and guided her to sit. "Take a moment, Penny. You have been using your horn nonstop for Celestia knows how long." "Judging by our speed and the trail we left behind, I estimate two, maybe two and a half hours," Pharynx observed, inspecting their progress. "And unless the spell also extended this plane. I say we are probably halfway there." Meanwhile, Cadence got worried when she spotted dark clouds on the horizon before landing next to the group. "I agree with Fluttershy. We need to rest and find shelter" She pointed at the clouds. "Those are storm clouds. A blizzard is heading our way. It would be suicide if we continue in that weather." "But where can we go?" Penny questions, regaining some energy as the snow has turned to water. "We can't fully trust the flora of this place, and if I erase it, we will only end up with snow, and I don’t think we have enough material or time to construct a igloo" "Which leaves us with only one choice, we will have to settle with the local flora. It would still be better than facing the storm," Pharynx concurs before looking around. "There," He points at a particularly tall tree with a hollow at its base. "That tree seems big enough to hold all of us. We will rotate lookouts and take shelter there until the storm passes. Penny, try to recover as much energy as you can. Two guards and I will scout around and find food for us." They all agreed and quickly turned said tree into their improvised shelter. Once they settled and determined that the place was safe, Cadence turned to Pharynx and two of his changelings. "I will cast a shielding dome around. Try to stay as close as possible. Penny is right. We should not lower our guard at any moment." "Don't worry, princess, we are well versed and trained in exploring unknown dangerous areas. We will be back in 20 minutes." The prince reassured her before leaving with his team. Cadence watched them until they disappeared among the clouds before casting her dome. "Good luck," She whispered before looking back to see Fluttershy finish making an improvised bed for Penny to lay on next to some weird-looking mushrooms currently acting as a heat source for a family of rabbits. Like the rest of the animals, they were extraordinarily mellow and complacent to the point where Fluttershy couldn't speak with them, yet they didn't seem to mind being used as a pillow. Some swarmed around Penny once she rested her head on the leaves, seeking the added heat or inviting her to relax. "So, are you ok?" Fluttershy asked as Penny nodded, holding in a yawn, not wanting to show how exhausted she was. "As ok as I will ever be, given the circumstances." She stared at the glowing red mushrooms. "I played with the flora a little so that it won't try anything, but this place is still so bizarre. It could be a very relaxing place if it weren't for the fact that it is trying to trap us." "Please don't overthink it." Cadence stepped in. "You are supposed to be resting, not overworking yourself. Now go to sleep, Penny. We will wake you up when the time is right." The novelist still seemed troubled but complied and rested her head on the pile of bunnies, being mindful not to hurt them as they only sighed in peace and got comfortable around and underneath her. "Try to stay alert, ok? From what I'm feeling...the seeds already are aware of our presence and soon will start targeting us, maybe as a group or individual;y, but it will try to lure us into joining the rest of their victims." She looks at the bunnies in sorrow. "It not only tries to cater to our desires but also mutates into something that will keep us mellow and relaxed, no matter what you see or hear. Stay close. And make sure to tell that to Pharynx the same." "We will, Penny. Now relax" Fluttershy petted her head and helped her fall asleep. Finally satisfied at seeing the novelist resting, Fluttershy joined Cadence, with one soldier acting as a lookout while waiting on the rest of their team, the storm slowly approaching their location. "Is the storm starting?" Cadence nodded and squinted her eyes. "Penny wasn't kidding, look." Looking forward, Fluttershy saw giant bushes and other hollow trees springing forth immediately as the nearby animals felt the cold and tried to run, all equipped with the same heating mushrooms. "It was like the flora itself is doing everything it can to keep its inhabitants safe and comfortable." "It is strange but also a relief knowing every animal here is safe. This place is almost like a natural sanctuary for all." Cadence looked back at the pegasus with a raised eyebrow. "It is also dangerous, but wouldn't it be nice if we could use this kind of place." Cadence started to panic when she saw a pink glow in Fluttershy's eyes, and her expression slowly turned mellow. "If I could bring a couple of seeds back to Ponyville, I'm sure all my little friends would love..." "Fluttershy, snap out of it!" Cadence shakes the poor pony awake from her trance "Wha...what happened?" She asked before realization dawned on her, and she held her head. "What was I saying?" "You don't remember?" "I'm not sure. Everything was a blur for a moment there." Looking around, Cadence spotted the source, some roots near Fluttershy. Bright neon flowers that weren't there before were spreading deep foggy pollen. Acting quickly, she yanked them out and tossed them outside the dome. "Seems like Penny was right in warning us. There are not only traps to be on the lookout for, but the land itself will try to lure us in the more time we remain in one place." "Oh, my," Fluttershy looks up, "And with a storm coming..." "Exactly, brace yourself everypony..." Cadence has to stop when she hears the giggles of a baby coming from the wind outside the shield "...br-brace yourself, this will be..." She tried to continue when suddenly she heard another voice. "Cadence...come on, sweetie. Flurry has been looking all over the place for you! We baked you your favorite cake... play with us." Hearing the voice of her husband calling out for her, plus her daughter and starting to see their silhouettes made her pause until she shook the illusion off and glared at a distance before turning back to the group. "Brace yourself everypony. Remain vigilant until the storm passes, and we can advance again. This is where we will stand in a battle of endurance and willpower." Back at Penny's dream The novelist sighed once she finished her story. "And that is how things are going so far. I must recover as much strength as I can while the storm continues before Cadence and the rest break under temptations." "Wait, how did you know the parts you weren't awake for?" Pinkie inquired, intrigued by the last part of the story. "It's hard to explain, but it's because this place has a part of my magic, so I can still feel whatever happens in my surroundings even if I'm asleep...and someone is touching the ground. I don't know how Pharynx is doing for his part. He must be staying in the air, just in case. Smart changeling. And anyway, Desire could help me a little, if not with her magic, with some advice on how to deal with this weird foliage. "Oh, don't worry. I'm sure she will be able to help us no problem," She confirmed in her usual upbeat demeanor until the two had to stop when the floor ended, and ahead of them expanded a white void painted with all assortments of flowers moving around as if on a solid invisible wind circling the area, generating a wide tube and rainbow pattern. Looking up, they saw vines covering the sky. When they looked down, they saw giant flower arraignments spreading around the tube suspended in mid-air with a screen in the middle showing a picture of Desire doing various actions. "Are those...memories?" Penny asked, perplexed by the whole view. "Yep and something tells me Desire is inside one of them. It looks like we have to jump. Come on, Penny." "Wait!" The unicorn froze Pinkie with her horn before she could leap while inspecting each screen. "Before we jump, we should look for the right memory." She reeled Pinkie back to the edge of the cliff. "A lady is entitled to her privacy right." "Oh, right, so which one should we jump into?" "If I had to guess, the flowers are telling how old the memory is" And indeed, looking at them, they could see that some flowers had yet to bloom while others were about to wither away. "If we go for the oldest memories, I doubt we will find something useful, so let's try aiming for the freshest memories and, if possible, the ones that have me in them. " "Oki doki lokie," Pinkie saluted, and the two started to look around until Pinkie pointed at one memory with a younger version of Penny hugging Desire. "That must be the memory of when I met her. Let's start there." Two took a few steps back before rushing forward and then jumped into the void. The screech of an eagle could be heard as they descended into said memory entering the image as if it was made of water. Startled, both mares landed abruptly in a grassy field where the only light source was a dry tree ahead of them. "Where are we?" Pinkie asked while helping Penny stand up. "I...I don't know, this is supposed to be the memory of how I met Desire, but I don't remember this." Hearing something moving, they turned to see a giant boulder starting to slide to the right, revealing a cave's entrance, and a younger Sharp Shooter carrying exploration gear approached the tree. Intrigued, the two mares hid behind some rocks and snuck closer to the pegasus, who stopped once he was in front of the dry plant. "Ah, the death oak of dreams" He smiled in victory as he put down his saddle bags and started to unpack a bowl, a bottle of water, a pestle, a knife, and some dry leaves in a plastic bag "We meet at last" Taking out the leaves he placed them in the bowl and starts grinding them into dust. "Are you sure this is how you met?" Pinkie questioned, looking back at Penny. "That is what the picture implied, but I don't recognize any of this. What is happening?" Penny asked, equally confused, as Sharp prepared the leaves and poured some water on them. "Quite the legend you have going on here. Water the tree, make a wish, and it will come to be in the morning. Cute little rhyme." He raised his hoof and held the knife to the frog of his foot. "But I'm looking for something more than wishful thinking." Cutting his hoof, he let some blood drip into the bowl and then watered the oak with the mixture. "Now, what do you say we drop the charade, and you come out and play, Ms. Desire." "What?!" But ponies watched in shock as the image froze and turned to the dried-out tree. "Penny! How are you here? How much did you see?" Desire appears in front of them in a panic looking between them and the scene behind her " Penny, I swear, It's not what you think!" "You knew him." Penny interrupted the spirit with a thousand-yard stare while regarding the endless coldly, "Didn't you? You knew him before meeting me. You two even planned our encounter, didn't you?" "...I was desperate to be free." Desire finally replied. "Yes, that is how it started. I made a deal with him. But everything we did? The time we spent together? I swear it was real." "It was based on a lie!" "No, it wasn't!" Desire defended herself. "Maybe he thought it was that, but it wasn't for me. The moment we met?" She showed them the memory of Penny writing her next book while enjoying the view from a park. "I meant it when I said I saw your potential, your inner fire, your ability to do anything that only needed a spark of desire. Penny, please trust me. I never planned on hurting you." Penny lapsed into silence and looked away. "Penny," Pinkie tried to say something, but the novelist interrupted her. "There is a mess we need to fix." Penny looked at the spirit with some anger. "You and I will sit down and have a serious conversation later but right now. Equestria needs us! Our little trap for Discord worked too well, and now it is out of control, and Pinkie needs directions. Where exactly is Dream?" Desire could only blink owlishly. "What exactly is going on out..." "I said we would talk later!" Penny insisted, "Right now, we don't have much time, so if you truly meant what you said, you will help us right now, Desire." For her part, Desire was left surprised at the outburst before sighing in defeat. "Ok, but I also need to tell you something important. It involves the deal I made." Back in the real world with the return of the changelings after harvesting what they could, the group continued to wait out the storm while eating some berries when Penny woke up with a start. "Penny! Penny! Relax," Fluttershy immediately went to her side and tried to her calm down. "You had a nightmare, that's all." "Not it wasn't. I spoke with Desire." She quickly went and took the earpiece of the Pharynx before he could protest. "Hello? Hello? does anycreature copy?" "Captain Sparrow speaking, what's the situation" The captain quickly picked up how distressed Penny sounded. "Captain, you need to listen. The pony that your guards were observing? Sharp Shooter never went to sleep, nor did his minions. Desire herself told me. While we were in Las Pegasus, she set him free to feed on his unfinished desire to keep that it way. He has plans for all of Equus, and they involve kidnapping the princesses. His goons might be on their way to Applelosaa!"