//------------------------------//
// Chapter 23: Dreams 
// Story: The Fourth Alicorn 
// by Cobalt the Kitsune 
//------------------------------//

                “Get me the burn kit”
                    “You’re going to need more than that. These are Shadow fire burns!!”

………

           “We’re losing him!”
                    “One, two, three, four, one, two…”

………

                “He’s slipping into a coma.”

………

                    Cobalt leaned against a wall as doctors packed up their things. As soon as he heard them leave he walks over to Nights bedside. “You may not remember this conversation took place. Or even survive you injuries. But I want thank you for saving my life. And also… for as long as I live,” Cobalt tucks a piece of black slick with the alicorn emblem embroidered in gold on it underneath his hoof. “You’ll have a place among the Alicorns.”
                    “So you trust him now, eh?” Cobalt was unaware that Luna had walked in and know was behind him.
                    “He saved mine and Iciels, lives. That earns trust in my book.”
                    Luna then sighs “If you trust him so do I.” She then goes over to his bedside. He shows no signs of life other than the shallow breaths he draws now and again, and his eyes twitches insanely in their sockets. The fur on half his face and most of his back was sheared off, this skin left highly damaged. The burns looked slightly purple because the flames also poisoned him silghtly.
                    “He’ll always bear these scares…” Luna said turning to her brother. “Perhaps… we could make him some kind of mask… one that could allow him to channel his powers again.”
                    “I remember ready about objects just like the one you are proposing.” Cobalt said distantly. “But there extremely difficult to make. And we’re not sure if he’s even going to survive.”
                    “Oh, he’ll live.” Luna said, while slipping a black rose in the vase nest to his bed. “I’ll make sure of it.”

………

                    Cobalt paced back and forth wondering how the thing Luna had requested would be done. Iciel watched him form the foot of his bed.
                    What is he doing? Andromeda asked from inside Iciel’s mind.
                    You tell me, you’ve know him longer then I.
                    “I guess I could make it myself…” Cobalt said distantly.
                    “Make what?”
                    “It’s just that Luna asked me to make a sort of artificial horn for Night Stallion.”
                    “Can you even do that?”
                    “Oh yes I’ve created many magical items in my day, some of great and terrible power.”
                    Iciel paused at this, and wondered how anything evil could come from her love.
                    There was a time we’re he was much different. Cobalt goes over and “looks” into a mirror where his mind was filled with darkness and blood-lust.
                    T-that can’t be possible!  She turns to look at Cobalt nearly at the verge of tears                    Cobalt to nice he wouldn’t hurt anypony.
                    He truly was a different pony back then.  A tone of nostalgic sorrow was on her voice. It still amazes me how from the same forge in which the elements of harmony was made came one of the most dangerous artifacts of all time.
                    W-what is that?
                    The Alicorn Amulet, he made it so that his powers could not be matched. Whilst in bloody battle It absorbed all the worst things about him, his fiery hate, his everlasting relentlessness, but worst of all his lust for blood. Only after he realized what great turmoil he was causing the people did he cast it off. Now all that use it will become as he once was, blood thirsty, tyrannical, and an all around psychopath
Cobalt then turned to head out I think… he made the elements for a sort of restitution for all his misdeeds. All tough he’s forgiven himself he still fights the guilt of what he’s done every day.
I can’t even imagine how bad he fells. Iciel thought as he left.
Neither can I. Neither can I….

………

Luna has hardly left Nights bedside. One day Celestia walks in behind her.
“I don’t even see why we’re treating him.” She said venom in her voice. Luna then violently stood up and looked Celestia coldly in the eyes.  “You can’t defend what’s he’s done, Luna.”
“He saved two lives, one our brother his oldest enemy if that is not worthy of trust then what is?”
“You cannot justify the blood on his hooves.”
“Neither can Cobalt justify his actions he took in the past.”
“That’s different.” Celestia hissed as she turned to leave.
“Is it, my dear sister?” Luna hissed back. Celestia then left in bitter silence.

………

Night was a prisoner to his own mind; his consciousness was rooming through a dark and twisted forest. He was afraid and could her whispers of the past blow thought the trees. Mostly indistinct, but sometimes he heard word such as “murder,” and “villain.” This made him shake.  Suddenly he found himself in a round clearing with a rock, illuminated by a moon beam, sticking straight outta then ground near the center. He quickly stepped into the light, but the whispering shadows pursued him. The circle of moon light shrunk round the around the smooth rock. Night Stallion backed up against it. The shadows started to form into figures shifty they growling red eyes were condemning.
“Why do you torment me?” Night Stallion said in a panic. They his mind wanders to the events before he found himself in the forest, the dragon, the fire, and the dull tunk of three bodies hitting the hard ground.  Night Stallion, then took his nervous eyes off the shadow figures to the stone.  He was backed up on. It was a tombstone, his tombstone.
“So this is to be my punishment…” Night Stallion said slowly turning back towards the figures. “To be tormented by the spirits of the past.”

………

Luna fell asleep in a chair while continuing her vigil at Night’s bedside, but suddenly she is trust awake by a flailing Night.
Worriedly she rushes over and feels his forehead. He has a cold sweat and his breathing is raspy and irregular. “No, Night!”
Several others have heard the commotion and come to investigate.
“What’s happing?” Iciel asked looking worried at thrashing stallion.
“I don’t know.” Luna said. “Perhaps some sort of night terror?”
His raspy breaths turn into strait out gasps. “Some night terror.” Cobalt commented.
“If this is a dream I should be able to dream walk with him and help him get through this.”
“LUNA NO!” Celestia snapped. “He’s obviously unstable and if he dies while you’re walking with him you’ll die too.”
“Celestia, I might be his only hope!” during the argument Iciel and Cobalt went over to Night and desperately try to help him.
“I will no risk losing you because of him again!” Celestia starts to tear up.
“Sister, I must try…” Luna then paces over to him. Iciel notices her and moves back respectively
“Luna, no, don’t put your life on the line for him.” Celestia pleaded tearfully.
“It’s alright Celestia.” Luna said looking almost happily into his face. “I want to do this.” She then sets her horn against his and then seems to fade into moonlight and go into him. Night Stallion seems to calm down after this. Iciel immediately goes back his bedside.
“Iciel.” Cobalt said from across the bed. “There is something I must do. Look after Night and send word for me if there’s any change.”
“Of course.” Iciel said looking at the now leaving Cobalt.

………

The dark figures had been abusing Night for what seemed like a lifetime to him. But unbeknown to him trying to come to his ad was his lost love, Luna.
“Ow!” She whined after being nicked but a impartially twisted branch. Night Stallion must be in here some were. She thought to herself pushing though the brambles. Luna traveled in silence no whispering shadows pursed her.
Often she checked to make sure she wasn’t getting lost. Many unicorns that tried to practice dream walking were lost in the mazes of the mind. It’s amazing how one can barricade themselves with in dreams. Usually it’s the guilt wracked that do this so that they can somehow punish themselves. Luna new this was probably once of those cases.
Suddenly she got an idea. She took off quickly and broke through the tree tops managing to scratch herself up badly in the process. She then noticed the moon beams shining down on the clearing she swoops by and notices the tormented Night Stallion and then descends quickly, along the moon beam. Her own light dispelled the dark figure and all the shadows near the clearing. Afaird, Night Stallion turned and embraced the marker.
“Why do you send an image of the one I love to torment me? Can’t you see I’m suffering enough?”
Luna then diminished her light and said to him. “Night, it’s me. This is a dream.”
Night then turned to her slightly. “I’m not dead?”
Luna smiled. “No you’re not.”
“B-but the dragon, the fall, I felt when I hit the ground.”
Luna goes to him and wraps her wings round him. “Come back with me to the waking world.” Night Stallion then fully turn from the stone and returned her embrace.

………

Cobalt had been busy with the item that Luna had asked him to make for night. He had to feel out every detail he wanted to put into the half-mask down to the gold inlay. He was going to make it out of sapphire steel, because it is both light weight and has wondrous magical properties. He commandeered a castle smithery. He then took from the shelf, a crucible, then put several sapphire steel ingots in it then set it over a fire. He then inspected the mold he made to make sure there were no flaws. Then he took some time to think on gold design he was going to inlay in the mask.
Meanwhile Luna had reappeared and collapsed as was lying over night’s chest when he began to stir. Noticing Luna snuggling into his chest he smiled and stroked her mane. Then noticed the left side of his face felt strange he reached up with his hoof and felt the bunt area and sighed. It was obvious that he’d disfigured for life. Shadow burns never heal. He hung his head and thought the ugliness that had been in his heart finally shown on the outside.
Luna then yawns, looks into his face, and smiles. Night smiles back weakly. Luna then notices the sadness in his eyes. “What is wrong?”
“Nothing… It’s just… I think you deserve some pony more… righteous… then me.”
Looks down at his sheets to have Luna lift up his head with a hoof. “I wouldn’t want to be with any other.” The was a spark of love in her eyes. Not lustful but pure and passionate affection.
This spark lit the growing pile of affection he had stockpiled for her. “I must admit I feel the same way.”  He them embrace her with his wings and pulls her near him.
Meanwhile Cobalt broke the mold. Then, using tongs, he plunged the still red hot mask into a bucket of cool water he had prepared earlier. Then in the still soft metal he made intricate swirling groves. As the metaled cooled it gained a sapphire blue tint, and reflected as though it was a mirror. He then put gold sauder in the grooves he made. This didn’t improve its magical qualities it was purely decorative. Cobalt felt his work it. He smiled as he felt the craftsponyship was good. He then wrapped in a silk cloth. And took it to the room where Luna and Night were passionately kissing.
“Ahem!” He said ending the couples make out session. Luna quickly wiped her lips and slipped into a chair.
“I’ve made them item you asked of me, Luna.” Cobalt said chuckling to himself.
“Well um,” Luna blushes. “I took the liberty of commissioning Cobalt to make you an artificial horn.” Cobalt sets the silk wrapped parcel in Night’s lap.
“Artificial horn?” He said while unwrapping his mask.
“It will restore all the powers lost to you.” Shadow then caught his reflection in the mask.
“I-I don’t think I want it.” He said putting it back into his lap.
Luna looks a bit sad. “W-why not.”
“I-I’ll be too temped to misuse them.” Turns his head away from Luna.
“You won’t.”
“Why?”
Luna turns his face toward her. “Because I won’t let you misuse them.” They then kiss for a minute.
Cobalt leans against the wall, chuckling to himself. “Will you tell him about the symptoms or shall I?”
“Symptoms?” Luna looks as confused as him.
“Once you put it on your life force will be attached to it.” Night Stallion looks at Luna then back to Cobalt. “That means if this breaks you will die. Inversely if you die it will no longer have magical abilities. So I guess the choice is up to you.”
“I-I don’t know… I want to get my powers back but…”
“I will support you in wait ever dissection you make.” Luna kisses him.
After finishing the kissing Shadow raises the mask up to his face. When it’s an inch from his face he starts to shake. “Here goes nothing.” As he slips it over the burnt part of his face, he inhales sharply. The sapphire steel starts to be stained black, as it absorbs shadows from Night’s body. As it turns black shadows start sheeting off his body, as they did before.
“H-how do you feel?” Luna asked cauoustly
“I feel…” Shadow paused as the mask turns completely black except for the gold inlay. “Complete.”
Luna smiles. “That’s good.” Luna gives him a sustained kiss. While kissing Night wraps his wings round her and pulls her into the bed on top of him.
“Oh, um.” Cobalt chuckles and leaves the couple to do their thing.