//------------------------------// // Chapter 14 (Unedited) // Story: Prince of Dreams // by ShadowStar_IMHP //------------------------------// Celestia took a deep breath, savoring the scents of the few night-blooming flowers nearby. At that moment she let her thoughts leave as she enjoyed that peaceful quiet glade. Then she remembered why she was there. With a sigh, she turned and brushed her pastel rainbow mane aside. Its once lush form no longer moved on its own. Her hoofsteps were heavy, and she barely lifted them high enough to complete each step. Before her, the peaceful glade ended, and the military base camp began.    Soon she came to stand beside Commander Hard Knocks. She looked over the regiment. “As soon as the scouts return, we need to strike. Are the troops prepared?”  He snorted and looked at her. “As ready as they could be. Permission to speak, Princess?” She gave a single nod in reply before he asked softly, “Are you sure this is wise, Princess? If your informant is correct, we are fighting a corrupted unicorn without the sun boosting your powers.” Celestia sighed. “I know the risk of attacking when my magic is the weakest. Remember the informant assured me that we have the element of surprise. She also told me if we waited, it would be too late.” From behind them, a lookout spoke up, “Incoming pegasi… They are ours!” Celestia looked up to watch three pegasi come to land. She focused on one whose flight was slightly erratic, the flaps of the bat's wings were out of rhythm and caused him to strike the ground with a tumble. Her eyes widen and her neck arched, just as she was about to open her mouth he stood up and saluted. The other two pegasi landed beside him and delivered their salute. She let out a breath she wasn’t aware she was holding once she saw he was not wounded. “Corporal Sure Strike, please give your report.” Sure Strike nodded. “Under cloud cover, we observed the Estate’s guards. The majority of the guards are unicorns. Those we saw had the glowing eyes of the Sombra’s mind control magic.” Hard Knocks looked at one of the pegasi. “Private! Does he speak the truth?”  Celestria turned her head slightly and flared her nostrils. She then looked to the pegasus scout as he confirmed the report. With a nod to the three scouts, she dismissed them. “Thank you, gentlecolts. Dismissed.” Once the three were out of range, her horn lit up, and a dome of golden magic blocked Hard Knocks and herself from the outside world. “Commander, why did you question Corporal Sure Strike’s report?”  Hard Knocks snorts with a tone of disgust in his voice as he answers. “Isn’t it obvious? He’s tainted by dark magic, we can’t trust any infected.”  She moved so she faced him straight on. “Commander, I been looking into effects of magically corrupted. I could only find seven examples of ponies going mad due to corruption. The majority suffered confusion and disorientation.” Hard Knocks nodded “I understand but, one of those corrupted ponies was Sombra. Two cities were destroyed by corrupted ponies. Thousands of lives ruined, we can’t let it happen again.” She flinched, then looked down. “Still, my point stands. We don’t know enough about what happens with ponies that get corrupted. So far only one affected during the Eclipse lost control, and she’s recovering.” He snorted. “No offense, Princess Celestia, but you were primarily the diplomat. Princess Luna led the armed forces till now. By experience, we learned to distrust first, until proven otherwise.” Celestia glanced at the moon and then focused on him. “Then understand my source is Princess Luna, and the corporal only confirmed what she told me.” Hard Knocks took a step back and blinked in surprise. “Princess Luna is alive?” She nodded. “Yes, Commander, Luna is alive, just… She sacrificed herself to spare as many ponies as she could. She took in nearly all of the corruption, and only when she couldn’t hold it any longer did the dark magic affect the city. The stress caused her to snap. She is the only one from that day who lost her mind.” Hard Knock lowered his head. “So that means the black alicorn who attacked you…” Celestia sighed again. “Was Princess Luna, lost in madness, a madness she is now recovering from. I don’t know how long it will take, but the cure for her recovery lies in that estate. We must save those foals. Without them, there is no hope for Luna.” He nodded, then saluted. “Very well. I will attempt to keep the discrimination out of the army.” With a smile, she dispelled the dome of magic. “Thank you, Commander, I am glad I can still trust you.” She looked off in the direction of the Silver Estate. “I wish I could say the same for Astral Beacon.” Hard Knocks turned to look at the gathered forces. “Listen up! The scouts confirmed the Silver Estate is compromised. We have a Sombra-style mind control spell controlling the estate's population. Luckily the nearby village hasn’t been taken over, so we just have to deal with the manor’s population.” He started pacing in front of the troops. “Unlike typical mind control spells, the type being used here links every pony under control to the caster. So once one knows we are there, they all know we are there. Squad leaders, plan Applesauce!” Celestia didn’t wait for the Sunburn Battalion to pass her, the sound of hooves pounding the ground only confirmed the troops followed her. Glad none could see the nervousness in her eyes. With the Royal Voice Celestia spoke. “Surrender and free the ponies under your control and I will show you mercy!”  Astral Beacon's head snapped up, his eyes glowing. “No! Why would she be here now?”  He slammed his hoof against the floor and then turned to face two of the waiting unicorns. “You two get the mirror in place, the rest of you go and delay them.”   Dew saw she was being ignored as the brainwashed ponies left the room. Astral Beacon started mumbling to himself. She wiggled against her binds and felt them give just slightly.  Then the sound of something being dragged on the floor reached her ears. The ponies that left returned and brought into the room a horseshoe-shaped mirror with red glowing crystals. “Hurry! Get it in place!” The two unicorns set the mirror about ten feet away from the table Morpheus was tied to. Astral Beacon moved over and roughly drove his hoof into Morpheus's side. Morpheus moaned and opened his eyes. “What… Oh, it’s the cheap knockoff Sombra. Still not finished with me?”  Astral Beacon snorted and turned to look at the mirror. “Arrogant colt, just like Luna. However your attitude won’t help, even with all her skill it only delayed my plan.” He turned around and focused on the two unicorns, dark purple magic flowed from his eyes and into the eyes of the helpless ponies. “Go, hold them off as long as you can.” the two turned and headed out of the room.   Morning Dew kept quiet as she maneuvered her head to chew on the bindings. She added a little whimper when Astral Beacon glanced in her direction.  Morpheus's ear turned when he heard the whimper then focused his attention on Astral Beacon. “You are making all the villain mistakes. If you had half a brain you would have had that thing set up already.” Astral Beacon shook his head. “It’s one of a kind, I was not going to risk it being damaged by any foolish actions. Now do behave, I have a whole race of beings to free.” Morpheus shook his head. “It’s going to fail, just like before. I know the future, history doesn’t even mention you. You will be forgotten, not even a footnote!” First, there was a chuckle, then a laugh from Astral Beacon. “Oh, good try, attempting to use my ego. That was what I used to manipulate Lord Silver Bar. I’m not motivated by ego, little colt. I worship the Pony of Shadows and the Umbrum! I have already been blessed by the shadows!” With a quick spell, he activated the gems on the collar. The gems started to glow pulsing with the beat of Morpheus’s heart. At first, Morpheus squirmed as dark blue tendrils of his magic seeped from the gems. When the tendrils of magic reached the gems of the mirror he screamed in pain and the faint scent of burnt fur rose from him.   Morning Dew's eyes widened as she watched Morpheus twitch and squirm in agony. “Morpheus! Fight it!”  Astral Beacon laughed as the mirror portal reacted to the magic. “Foolish filly, he can’t. Luna had her entire life to master her magic. A mere colt of eleven years wouldn’t even know how to begin to fight the magic of the portal mirror!”  Astral looked into the mirror eyes widen as the figure of the Pony of Shadows took shape in the mist. “Master! I have opened the doorway!” Morning Dew yanked with all her might on the weakened bonds till they snapped. She looked up her eyes wide with fear that the snap was heard. Once she saw she was being ignored her attention returned to her binds. A deep moaning voice came from the portal, no real voices just a whine or something between crying and laughing. Whatever it was, the sound was so unnerving her fur rose on her neck. The sound of her thumping heart grew faster and louder in her ears. She tried to ignore the wrongness of the realm beyond the portal. Once her front hooves freed she bent to untie the rest of the ropes holding her.  A whisper of a voice came from the back of her mind “Hurry” she didn’t even wonder why it was Pinkie’s voice. Morpheus's thoughts were a jumble from pain, then an eerie wailing howl sound registered in his brain. He focused on the sound his ears raised and turned as his thoughts cleared. Then he took a deep breath and opened his eyes then blinked away the tears. Once his vision cleared he saw Astral Beacon standing in front of an open portal into Limbo. Within the fog, he saw there were more shapes moving forward the Umbrum. They were green pony-like forms at first, but then their bodies shifted taking up different appearances. Each shape was a twisted abomination fed from Morpheus's own subconscious.  One of the first to catch his attention has red hair, a white face with red lines on the cheeks and eyes, a dirty white costume, and the final feature was a smile with pointed teeth. The Pony version of Pennywise chuckled “There you are Georgie! I have been looking for you.”  Morpheus ignored it, they were mostly twisted nightmarish shapes, some were Xenomorph ponies, and there was another with a hockey mask. Alone he could dismiss them, as just movie monsters, but others were more personal, and far more painful.  The first figure that took a human form was a man, one very much like David. It was his father just as he was when last he saw him. “Look at yourself boy! No longer human, this what you got for dealing with a sinful witch!” “What…No, you aren’t real.” He shook his head “You be older by now, your not real this is just a trick.” A voice Morpheus hasn’t heard for years spoke up. “You broke my heart! I loved you and you rejected me.” Morpheus looked up seeing his former 16-year-old friend. “I told you I’m not into guys. You were my best friend… you left me! Couldn’t accept I didn’t feel the same for you! Besides I know this is bull, The real Richard Married the boyfriend he met a year ago! I got the Facebook notification!” A cruel smile formed on the young Richard’s face “Yes, and I didn’t even care enough about you to invite you, or even tell you in person.”  Yet another voice spoke up, his mother stood there in the fog. “Not that you care, you abandon those who you don’t need anymore. Left me behind, alone, so you can come to play Pony. What an ungrateful son you are, why did I even bother.” A fourth human figure pulled itself out of the fog taking a familiar appearance. The battered form face was pale, bruised, and covered in cuts. Her green eyes once full of life now filled with hate.  The Zombie Jennifer sneered “You did this! If only you had stopped the car sooner! It’s your fault.” Morpheus shook his head as he fought the waves of emotions. “No… no” He shut his eyes preferring to ignore the nightmare creatures that approached the portal. Astral Beacon's breath increased with fascination as he stepped forward. His hooves were now covered in the dark mist that bellowed out of the portal. “Yes! I Astral Beacon succeeded where Sombra failed! Come bring forth and begin the new age, the age of the Umbrum!” Just then the building shook with an accompanying sound similar to thunder. Astral Beacon turned to face the doorway. “What in Tartarus is that Alicorn doing!” Morning Dew's fur was raised up fear gripped her then Morpheus whimpered again tears ran down the side of his face. She narrowed her eyes, she was so focused the flash of white light behind her was ignored.  Dew did notice a tingling sensation run down her spine, then her wings spread open and she leaped into the air. With all her might she flapped her wings thrusting herself forward and up above Astral Beacon. “If you want to be with them so much! Join them!”  She gripped the top of the mirror and yanked it forward.  Astral Beacon looked up “No! Don’t touch that… ” His horn lights up with dark purple magic. Before the spell manifested Dew caused the mirror weight to shift and it fell dragging the portal with it. Astral Beacon let out a “No!” just as he was engulfed by the portal. Dew hovered above and looked down at the back of the mirror. Black mist was still seeping from the gap between it and the floor. Then the mirror started to lift and a hoof emerged from the edge. That was also when Morning Dew realized she was in the air. “Wait… I’m flying?” The shock of her realization caused her to lose focus and fall down onto the back of the mirror.  Morpheus screamed when the red gems of the mirror shattered, the gems on the collar cracked and died. Morpheus collapsed onto the table with his eyes rolled up in his head. Morning Dew screamed and rushed over to Morpheus.  Celestia’s voice thundered with the power of the Royal Voice. “Whoever is responsible for using forbidden magic, I will show you mercy if you surrender and free these ponies of your control!”  The manor’s walls were built to hinder monster attacks, against the might of intelligent ponies it was just a minor hindrance. The front gate lights up with a golden glow before being ripped off its hinges.  Hard Knocks yelled out “Non-lethal when possible! Remember these ponies are innocent!” Earth Ponies charged into the now-opened defensive walls. Pegasi flew up into the air from the manor only to face the guard’s forces. Celestia continued into the manor following Hard Knocks and her guards. Before them, the guards were standing before the manor in force fields.   Hard Knocks snorted and then approached one of the sergeants. “You, what’s the hold-up?”   The Sergeant turned and saluted “Sir, the manor’s unicorns haven’t exited the building. They are boarding up the exits and forming bottlenecks. We can’t get closer due to the magical attacks.” Celestia looked at the manor “We can’t wait, we have to find another way in.” She tapped her regalia and activated the stored magic. Then she sent a powerful blast at the manor's wall, her magic gripped the stone bricks ripping them free of the mortar and tossing them away.  Hard Knocks chuckles “When life closes a door, open the window.”  Celestia looked down at him “Hard Knocks continue operations out here, I shall head inside.” She then pointed to four other ponies. “You four follow me.”  Once the improvised entrance was a sitting room, she shoves the overstuffed couches aside and heads to the far door. Then one of the soldiers rushed forward and lifted his hoof “Sorry Princess, best we exit first. Kind of our job.” After a nod, she replied “You are correct corporal. I let you take point.”  The Corporal nodded and then motioned to the wall. He then moved to the door and when he was to the side of the exit he opens the door. When there were no attacks he moved slowly to the doorframe and peeked out “It’s clear”. He moved forward into the hallway followed shortly by an Earth pony that moved beside him. Then Celestia moved to the center and the rear was taken up by the other two troopers.  Celestia’s ears twitch as sounds of battle echo down the hallway from the entrance. She took a deep breath and then continued along the hall. It wasn’t long before three unicorns with glowing eyes charged at them down the other way. In the lead was Silver Bar he released a focused beam of magic at Celestia. The Earth pony in the lead leaped in the way of the blast and fell to the ground.  Celestia spoke out “Unicorns focus on attacking, I handle the shields, count three.” Then her horn glowed with a golden aura, and around them, a sphere of golden light blocked the incoming attacks. Then on the count of three, she dropped the shield to let the two unicorns with her return fire. She looked at the Earth Pony that was hit by the magical blast. “Are you alright?” He grunts and rose “Going to take more than one blast to take me down. Good old Earth Pony toughness.”  A shiver went over Celestia’s body and her eyes widen. “Unicorns shields! Brace yourself!” The building then shook and a blinding flash of white light overtook them. The Unicron in front of her shield flickered and dropped as the light faded, her horn was burnt and she flinched as she touched the damaged horn. “What was that? I have never seen anything like that.” Celestia ignored the comment as her head snapped up when she heard a voice of a filly call out. “Morpheus wake up!” She burst into a run and leaped over the knocked-out Silver Bar. After she turned around the corner she spotted a door was forced off its hinges and she slowed down to look into the room.  The dead body of a unicorn with a shattered horn, then a second body. Her vision moved to the center of the room where Morning Dew was shaking the limp dark. Celestia took a deep breath, her heart thundered in her chest. “Morning Dew?” The filly lifted her head and blinked her eyes clear of tears. “He won’t wake up.” Celestia walked carefully into the room, taking careful steps to avoid the blood and black glass scattered about the room. She looked at the colt and her heart skipped a beat. His coat was the same as Nightmare Moon’s, but his mane and tail were the silvery-white of platinum. She looked at Morning Dew. “I will perform a magic probe spell to see if he’s okay. However, I need you to not touch him as I cast the spell.” Morning Dew whimpered, “O… okay,”  then moved away from Morpheus.  Celestia’s horn lit up, and a golden glow surrounded Morpheus. Then her eyes went solid white as the information entered her awareness. Physically he was fine, his magic was weak, so weak she had trouble feeling its signature. It was that signature that caused her to gasp. Her eyes went back to normal and she ended the magic. She stepped even closer and leaned down to take a sniff of his scent.   Morning Dew watched with a lower lip between her teeth. When Celestia sniffed she swallowed and spoke. “Is he okay?” Celestia blinked, and her head snapped up in surprise. “Oh… yes, he’s fine, just exhausted. Nearly all his magic is gone, but he will recover after a good bit of rest.” Morning Dew wiped the tears off her face and nodded. Then her eyes widened, her wings spread out and with a burst of speed, she flew across the room to the doorway. Her hooves spread out and tackle hugged Sure Strike. “Uncle Sure Strike!” His eyes widened for a moment when he returned the hug and nuzzled her. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t be there.” Celestia smiled at the family reunion and then turned to look at Morpheus. She reached over and unbuckled the cursed collar then she removed it from him and tossed it aside. Under the color his skin and fur were charred. “Luna… I never doubt you again.“ Dark clouds covered the sky as a light rain fell onto a misty graveyard. Among the stones sat the small figure of Morpheus his head lowered.  In front of him was a gravestone with the Three Moon Goddess symbol and the name Jenifer Alisa Cox.  Lightning flashed lit the empty cemetery, and the next flash revealed a figure standing behind him. Nightmare Moon’s voice was soft in volume and oddly gentle “So this is where you've been hiding.” Morpheus barely moved just a slow rhythm of his barrel showed that he was breathing. “Leave me alone.” Nightmare Moon sat down beside Morpheus “Why should I? I’m the queen of the night, after all, it’s my duty to protect my subjects from things that haunt them.” Morpheus lifted his head “One of those things, in the portal. It became Jenifer. She blamed me, it was my fault.” Nightmare Moon’s eyes widened a moment before she took a breath and then asked “What did it look like before it changed.” Morpheus tilted his head and then waved his hoof in front of him. Mist formed into a skeleton-like pony shape with butterfly wings. He then spoke up “there were many like this but others changed into monsters or killers, but that one… became her.” Nightmare Moon’s flared her nostrils and a bolt of lightning strikes the creature vaporizing it. Then she looked down at Morpheus “That, Morpheus was an Umbrum. Guess you might call it the adult tantubus. When a Tantabus gets strong enough it can escape into the physical world. It was using your fear, it wasn’t her. I saw your memory David, I know it was not your fault.” He lifted his head and looked at her with a puzzled expression. “How do you know? You are Nightmare Moon, a villain. For all, I know you are lying to me now.” She moved a wing over him settling it lightly on his back. “You know me as the villain of that show, I can gain power from your suffering. So why would I be lying? Even in that show did I ever really lie? I was even honest that Rainbow Dash if she sided with me and abandoned her friend, I would have made her the first of the Shadow Bolts. As the Nightmare Moon in the altered timeline did and made her Captain of her Guard.” Morpheus then looked around as the rain stopped and a hint of a moon was seen before the clouds covered it again. “Pinkie?” His ears laid flat against his head as a silence grew as he waited. He turned to face Nightmare Moon and asked “Where’s Pinkie?” Nightmare Moon’s head lowered. “Morpheus, when your magic was taken from you. The connection you had to the island and Pinkie Pie was severed. She… she sacrifice herself so I could contact Celestia to save you.”  With a thunderous yell, Morpheus screamed “NO! Not her too!” Above the dark clouds engulfed the moon and lightning flashed.  Nightmare Moon leaped to her feet her eyes scanned the clouds as they became darker with a tint of green. “Morpheus! Control yourself the nightmare it’s becoming a tantabus, don’t let it control you.” He didn’t hear her as he mumbled to himself “It’s my fault… I killed them both.” A laugh high above caused both ponies to look up to see the smiling face of Pinkie looking down on them from a pink cloud. “Silly Blacky, I didn’t give you all my magic.” Then she looked sadly down at Morpheus “Sorry it took me so long to recover, I was so very hungry and I lost track of time.” Morpheus blinked “So long?” Nightmare tilted her head her ears facing forward her tail flicked softly barely even a whisper “why is she hiding her body?”  Then she shook her head and returned to focus on Morpheus. “Enough of this, it's time Morpheus wakes up. You have been in this coma sleep for three days now.”  Morpheus's ears moved forward as he tilted his head “Three days? But I was only here a few minutes.” Nightmare Moon sighed then slowly nodded. “Time and distance are illusions in the dream realm. A dreamer could experience days, and only a few heartbeats pass in the physical world. Or like the nightmare you were experiencing time could slow to a crawl. However now is not the time for a lesson, my pupil. Morpheus, it’s time to wake up.” She stops and lowered her head and touched her horn to his and spoke two more words “My Son.” Morpheus opened his eyes with a gasp, then quickly shut them. “AGH… the light, why is it so bright?” A feminine voice screamed in surprise and he heard something fall to the floor. Then the same force stammered “Oh, sorry Prince Morpheus. Um… I get that cleaned up.” He squinted just enough to see a light pink unicorn with a red mane place a vase on a nearby table. Softly he spoke up again “Okay… could you close the curtains?” The mare was not a child but didn’t appear to be much older than he was. Looked to him then to the window. “Um, of course, your majesty.” She hurried to the window and closed the curtains to block the sunlight. “I go get Princess Celestia.” Then the mare didn’t wait and ran out of the room. Left alone Morpheus looked around the lush room. He found he was on a large canopy bed, there was a decorated wardrobe to his left and a desk for writing. To the right was a sitting area with plenty of couch-like seats and a fireplace. Everything was decorated with dark blue and gold, and was of such detail he was sure the room was worth more than everything he owned on Earth combined. With a sigh, he rubbed his temples “Well David, welcome to Equestria.”