It's a seemingly normal day all across Equestia. A day that is just about to end as a matter of fact.
"It's getting late. We can wrap up training for the day." Shallor said.
"When you said this training would be tougher then the Distortion World, you weren't joking." Rainbow Dash said. "I don't even know what that is, but considering it's the Pokemon equivalent of Tatarus; or so I'm guessing; it must be harsh."
"Bah. Your maximum security prison of Tartarus pales in comparison to the Distortion World. And trust me, I took a peek in Tartarus." Shallor said.
"Wait, you went inside of Tartarus and got out?" Twilight asked.
"I'm the Lord of Shadows; what did you expect?" Shallor countered.
"What even does that mean anyways; being the Lord of Shadows?" Sunset asked. "Because it doesn't sound like I think most of us here think it means."
"Maybe I'll tell you once you've finished my training courses. Is that a fair enough trade for you?" Shallor asked as he walked into the Castle of Friendship.
"How harsh can someone act?" Fluttershy asked.
"Seriously Fluttershy? Are you already whimpering out?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Not really, but...Shallor acts so harshly, yet...there's a longing there." Fluttershy said.
"I thought I was the one who could pick on emotions here. Sounds to me, like there's just some normal teasing going on." Sunset said.
"Oh there's emotions there. You probably can't feel them because they're not on the surface." Fluttershy said. "Trust me, as the expert on all things animal based, I can sense emotions. And Shallor has them, as much as he tries to hide them."
"...We did hear that Shadow Pokemon have a tendacy to have their basic emotions surpressed. Maybe the main reason Sunset can't feel them like Fluttershy can, is because Shallor is still a Shadow Pokemon at the end of the day. Albiet, not one that's on some kind of rampage." Twilight said.
"Well, if we somehow come across a Shadow Pokemon that's not Shallor, we can test that theory." Sunset said.
Things did not go well that night for any of the ponies, they woke up feeling groggy and tired. But they weren't the only ones: Team Strikers who were all staying at the castle, were feeling the same way. Shallor seemed to be the only one who wasn't.
"Hmm...this is odd..." Shallor stated. Spike too was pretty tired and groggy as well.
"Ugh...I feel terrible." Spike said. "I could barely sleep at all last night."
"Same..." Raiden said.
"Normally, I'd count this as not getting enough sleep, but I don't think that's the case. Did any of you dream at all?" Shallor asked.
"That's oddly specific, but to answer your question: I surely didn't have any dreams at all last night." Sunset said.
"Same here." Twilight said. Every pony and pokemon there confrimed the same, as did Spike.
"...Interesting..." Shallor said.
"Maybe Princess Luna knows something. Spike, let's send a letter." Twilight said.
"I'll get on it." Spike said. But then he spat up a letter barring a royal seal none of the ponies saw before.
"...That's a new royal seal." Applejack noted.
"That's Princess Luna's royal seal!" Twilight noted, opening up the letter. "...It's asking if any of us had any nightmares last night."
"...Well we certainly didn't have nightmares. We couldn't even dream." Raiden said.
"In that case, I better make a response." Twilight said before writing to Princess Luna the reply. Shortly after that, Princess Luna suddenly appeared.
"...Well that's one way to respond to a letter." Shallor said.
"What do you mean none of you had any dreams?" Princess Luna asked. "That shouldn't be possible."
"Well take it from me, Luna; not a soul in this room sans Shallor dreamed last night." Raiden said.
"Actually, I never even went to sleep at all. I don't require sleep." Shallor said.
That had raised some eyebrows from Sunset. Wonder why that is. Come to think of it, has he eaten anything at all? She thought to herself.
"This is strange. Last night, an entity that I had created to punish myself known as the Tantabulus escaped from my own dream last night. Since I was only dreaming in regards to the bearers of the elements, I thought that would mean that the seven of them would experience nightmares. But, the fact remains that not a single one of you had a dream last night." Princess Luna said.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, every soul in that room was put to sleep my a strange power. That is, every soul but Shallor.
"...Oh. I think I may know of a certain someone who knows exactly what the cause is." Shallor said. "...Well on that note, I better check in at The Fire Pits." He said, before suddenly he became a purple ball of light. "I'll make sure to come back when they are all wake up." At that moment, Shallor vanished.
"Okay, what just happened? Where are we?" Sunset asked. The ponies, Team Strikers, Spike, and Ray were all floating in some kind of strange voidless space.
"This place is kind of loopy." Pinkie Pie said. "And that's ME saying that."
"That would be because you are somewhere where you real world logic does not work." A voice said. Suddenly the space around the group changes to a grand hall with many destroyed statues, and a huge purple light on a platform above them which soon turns into what looked like a Zorua on two feet holding a spear. "I apologize for the abropt nap, but this could not wait. As we speak, a certain creation of that night princess is roaming this realm and causing mischief that is becoming hard to contain. If it continues, all dreams across all of reality will cease to exist." The figure said.
"Who are you? And more importantly, where are we?" Twilight asked.
"I am known as The Guardian; one of two Beings of Fate. And as for where you are, well...this is the realm of the subconcious, where dreams take shape. This is the Realm of Subnotica." The Figure said.
Sunset was pointingly silent. "...Sunset, what's wrong with you?" Applejack asked.
"...For some reason, I can't seem to faint." Sunset said.
"Of course you can't. You are already unconcious." The Guardian said.
"...Now I really DO wish I could faint." Sunset said.
"Your not the only one..." Princess Luna said.
To be continued...