//------------------------------// // II.17 - Dreams // Story: II // by adcoon //------------------------------// Thin rivers of rain washed silently down the windows, and outside the darkness closed in around the castle, cold and dismal. The last stubs of the candles cast shadows across stacks of books and scrolls with hastily scribbled notes scattered over every available surface. Dash pushed one away from the bed—one of Luna's private tomes with cryptic runes which Twilight had helpfully translated as Weaving the Skein, which wasn't any less cryptic to Dash—and brushed a hoof through Twilight's mane. Rarity would call it an absolute disaster, but what did she know about beauty? Dash smiled and followed the curves of lavender beauty, tracing her gaze along Twilight's back to the root of her tail and star-blazed flank. Like most unicorns her figure was gracious and slender more than it was athletic. Dash let her eyes travel back along her gently heaving body, sighing at the way she breathed, and leaned down to nuzzle the little spot of her neck below the ear. Twilight smiled in her sleep and muttered something quietly. Dash closed her eyes and breathed in the slight scent of perfume and old paper—you had to be really close to notice—as she paused to whisper in Twilight's ear. “I don't know any pony I'd rather be with,” she said and licked Twilight's cheek affectionately. “I love you, Twilight.” “… you too,” Twilight murmured and stirred at the touch. She breathed in slowly and turned, reaching a hoof out to caress Dash's neck as their lips met. Dash held on to Twilight's soft flank as the unicorn rolled over on top of her, never breaking the kiss. Their bodies pressed together and for a time at least the whole world and its worries were lost to Dash. A soft warm glow of purple crowned Twilight's head as she finally broke the kiss and opened her eyes to smile at Dash. There was a moment of perfect bliss, and Dash quite wondered if she had died as she looked up into Twilight's eyes. Then the light flickered across Twilight's face and something changed. A slightly bemused look crossed Twilight's smile as she looked around the room, then down again at Dash. She paused as if trying to figure out a conundrum. “I'm in your dream, right?” There was a highly restrained snicker from the shadowy corner of the room, and Dash thought she caught a glimpse of starlight before it vanished through the doorway. Dash could feel a blush starting to rise, coloring her face a bright red as her mind struggled to catch up. Had she really just dreamed of making out with Twilight Sparkle? She totally had, unless … no, there was no way around it. How much of the dream had Twilight glimpsed? This just couldn't get any more embarrassing. Twilight brightened up in a look of triumph and rolled off of Dash, seemingly—Dash chose to believe—oblivious to what had just played out before her arrival. “I did it!” she proclaimed and jumped around the bed excitedly. “I told the princess I could do it, and I did it! I entered your dream on my own,” she said and spun around to face Dash, smiling. The smile became tinged by slight concern. “I-I didn't interrupt anything, did I?” Dash blinked and quickly shook her head, rolling off the bed and standing up, trying to look cool. “No! No no, not at all,” she said and gave a strained chuckle. “Um, no,” she added just in case. “So um, you're in my dream, huh?” Twilight looked momentarily unsure, and Dash wondered if she had seen and heard everything after all. Was she blushing? It was so hard to see with that purple coat and the shadows of the room. After a second she shook it off and turned around to look out the window at the dark rain. “Yeah! Isn't it awesome?” “Yeah …” Dash said, regaining control of her blush, and scratched the back of her neck. “Didn't you remember?” Twilight said. “We were going to meet your double in our dreams. Oh, I just hope she shows up.” “I must have forgotten for a moment there.” Dash tried not to look at Twilight's flank and turned instead to the door, giving it a nasty glare just in case the princess was still there. She got no response. “So you can enter dreams now?” “I really didn't mean to intrude.” There was a hint of a blush now, Dash thought, as Twilight turned away from the window and the light of a candle fell across her face. “But yes, yes I can. It's really advanced magic and there's a lot to learn, but I want to show the princess that I can do it. I think it will be really important too.” Dash went to close the door, just in case. “How so?” she asked, sticking her head out into the hall and glancing up and down the place. There was no sign of the princess, or anypony else. The castle was empty, but she got a feeling like something had gone away, as if the dream had changed somehow. Slowly she closed the door. “Well, with your double for one,” Twilight explained. “And I have some ideas, but I really need to think that through,” she added quickly and looked out the window again. “Oh, I think it stopped raining.” It had indeed stopped raining, and the moon was out now as clouds parted. Its pale light glittered in the last rain drops and shimmered across the arch of a thin rainbow. Dash turned and trotted up to the window, looking out next to Twilight. “Is that her?” A tiny figure was walking uncertainly down the narrow bridge in the sky towards them. Twilight held up a hoof and pressed her nose against the window to see. “I think it is,” she said. “Okay, let's try not to scare her away or anything.” Dash rubbed the back of her neck a little. “Are we sure it is safe for us to meet in a dream?” “As sure as we can be.” Twilight went to open the door to the balcony. A cold wind blew through the room and got under Dash's feathers. “Luna said it would be safe,” Twilight added. Then we'll just hope the princess knows what she's talking about, Dash thought and felt the dream fall quiet around her. She had no wish to die in her sleep, or any other way. Outside on the bridge, Rainbow spread her wings and flew the last distance down to the wide balcony of the castle. She landed with echoing hoof beats and hesitated before Twilight in the door. “You—” “Don't stand out there in the cold,” Twilight said and smiled as she stepped aside. “Come on in.” Rainbow gave a nervous glance to Dash in the window, then stepped inside. Nothing happened. After several seconds of nothing happening, two breaths of relief were heard, and three ponies looked quite relieved, though Twilight tried to hide it. She closed the door on the wind and smiled. “See? I said it was safe. Now—” “You have to stop what you're planning,” Rainbow interrupted. “It'll go all wrong.” “Yeah?” Dash glared at her double. “And what are we planning, exactly?” If it came to that, she really couldn't say herself. Twilight seemed to have some kind of plan in mind, but she hadn't shared any of it and didn't seem so certain herself yet. “I—” Rainbow hesitated a bit and frowned. “Well, I don't know … but you're planning something, and whatever it is, you can't do it!” “Oh yeah?” Twilight stepped up next to Dash and placed a hoof on her back to calm her. “Why not?” she asked, directed at Rainbow, who was looking rather nervous again. “Look, Eden just wants us to give her the Elements so they can't be fought over or misused. Would that be so bad? We've lived without them before, we would still be friends, right?” she said, looking hopefully between the two. “But if you fight, then we'll all die, or … or something worse. I don't know what, but I have a really bad feeling, okay?” Twilight looked at Dash, then seemed to think for a while. “This is all something Eden has told you, isn't it? She didn't know about the two Elements, and she can't explain why they are here either, can she? So I bet she's starting to get worried.” “Yeah!” Dash grinned. “That's why we will beat her! We just need to find out why there are two of them before she does. Do you really want to be on the loser's side? Are you me or what?” “No! Yes! I mean …” Rainbow closed her eyes and lifted a hoof to her face in an exasperated look. “Dammit! Alright, look, Eden isn't bad, and I really think she knows what's best, alright? I mean, she practically is Harmony.” Twilight nodded. Dash wasn't sure she liked that. “I'm … afraid,” Rainbow continued. “I shouldn't tell you,” she said and frowned. “But maybe you'll see.” Dash and Twilight looked at each other for a moment. “Tell us what?” Rainbow looked like she was fighting with herself. “Eden is gone,” she said finally. Dash and Twilight blinked. Before they could say anything she hurried on. “She was worried about something after you told her about the two Elements … she says they are the same but in two places at once. Anyway, she thinks you're going to do something really stupid and dangerous, and now she's gone somewhere. I don't know where, but the place is dead and that's how I can tell she's gone. I don't know if she'll come back either, and that frightens me. I think she's going to kill you before you can do whatever it is you're going to do. She won't allow it to happen, whatever it is, so she's going to do something first.” Dash and Twilight were looking at her in silence as she rambled slightly. “Maybe I shouldn't have told you that,” she continued and looked like she wanted to beat herself up over it. “But you see? I have to warn you and make you see! I have to convince you to give up before it's too late, and this may be my only chance now. I'd fight for the Elements too, but not if it means losing my friends. I'd choose my friends over all the magic in the world.” Twilight walked up and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “But what if we can keep the Elements without losing our friends? Isn't it worth fighting for that hope?” Rainbow shook her head. “You can't fight. There is no hope, Twilight.” “I think you trust too much in Eden. I have a theory, if you will hear it,” Twilight said and sat down. “I know Eden means well, and that she is only trying to achieve peace and do what's best, but I also don't think she knows what is best any more. She made that deal with the princesses back in those days because it was what she knew would lead to harmony and peace, it really was the best choice. But to do it, she had to give a piece of herself, the piece that incidentally knew about harmony and peace.” Dash smiled to herself, standing behind Twilight as she talked. Twilight was so damn smart, it had to be illegal to be that smart. Rainbow didn't look convinced, however. Dash couldn't figure out what was wrong about that pony. She's the one with the heart, and yet she's all afraid, Dash thought. She had to be brainwashed or something. That had to be it. “Maybe it wasn't even Destiny's to begin with, maybe there was a Harmony once, before she disappeared along with all the other djinn and left her power with Eden.” Twilight looked up. “Whatever the truth, I choose to put my faith in the Elements rather than her. They must have been … mirrored for a reason, and there must be a reason why Eden couldn't tell and why it was her—” she gestured at Dash, “—and not you who had them, maybe because if it had been you then Eden would have got them now, right? I think the Elements know what's right, I think they know a way to bring peace, because that's what they are made to do, and they are trying to show us that way!” Rainbow looked down. “Or something went very, very wrong with the Elements.” Twilight opened her mouth to speak, then looked like something invisible hit her right on the nose. “Argh!” she cried before fading. Dash looked around just before fading as well. “Twilight?” Rainbow jumped up as the walls of the castle vanished and the ground under her dissolved. Quickly she took wing and rushed up the shimmering bridge. *** Dash rolled around frantically among the tangled sheets of the bed. Light hit her eyes as her head untangled itself enough to look around the room. “Twilight!” There was a groan somewhere next to her. “I'm here, everything is fine,” Twilight's voice reassured her. “Just a letter from Spike.” Dash blinked her eyes until they became accustomed to the light. Twilight was standing next to the bed, rubbing her nose while unfolding a letter that had apparently dropped on her in her sleep. Dash untangled herself from the bedsheets and stretched. “Oh, what does it say?” Twilight read the letter quickly. “They're all doing well. The guards are keeping a close eye on Ponyville. Oh, and Fluttershy is still really, really, really sorry and hopes you're not mad at her and Soarin'.” Twilight smiled and levitated the letter over to her. Dash read it as Twilight searched through the stacks and piles of books. Dash sighed. She didn't really want to think about Fluttershy and had written to her to let her know that she was fine, but Fluttershy always worried. It had been a few days here in Gloaming. The first two days had been so chaotic and terrible that she simply hadn't had much room to feel sad or think of anything but the most pressing concern at any given moment. And the rest of the time she had found that Twilight took most of her attention away from Ponyville, and she was happy about that. She liked Twilight. Dash sneaked a glance over the letter at the purple unicorn, who was sorting through several heavy tomes and ancient scrolls in search of material for today's studies. And she liked being there for Twilight and helping her with all of this, even if she wasn't much good with the books. Perhaps it was the time pressure and the terror of thinking about what would happen if they failed, because Dash had never found studying to be a thrill, but helping Twilight now didn't seem as boring. She liked being here with Twilight, helping her with this important work, but surely … surely that dream had just been some silly fancy. It was just lust, and the dream had just randomly involved Twilight because she was spending so much time with the unicorn lately. It could have been anypony else. Yes, that made sense. So why did the dream feel so important? Twilight caught her eye and paused in her work. “Are you alright?” Dash forced herself not to look away and rolled up the letter. “I was just thinking …” She stopped herself from biting her lip, too. “I'm feeling a bit famished. Would you like to go out for breakfast?” With Luna's guards now zealously watching over them and everything they had to eat or drink, she felt quite safe about trying the café again. Twilight gave her books a little, almost sad glance. “You know that I really have to study,” she said. “If Eden is up to something now, then we may have even less time than we hoped for.” Dash watched the disappointed look on Twilight's face. She wanted to go. She really wanted to go. Dash smiled. “Just take the books with you, Twilight. You can read at the café.” “You wouldn't mind that?” Twilight was already packing up her books. “Pfft, of course not,” Dash said and didn't add, “I enjoy watching you read.” *** After the first two days, things seemed to calm down, but both Twilight and Dash knew that it was only a brief respite, a silence before the storm. The two moons and the increasing presence of guards made it hard to miss that something big was happening and getting more threatening day by day. Canterlot was locked in a diplomatic battle with foreign powers, a battle which could break down any day, and Equestria was now preparing for what would follow if that happened. Cloudsdale and the other pegasi strongholds were mobilizing their troops and openly recruiting, preparing to move at any moment. Formations of pegasi could be seen patrolling the skies almost anytime Dash looked up. Equestria was preparing for war, but everypony hoped the princesses would find a way to talk it out as they had always done. The nervous anticipation could be felt everywhere, but for now things were calm. Eden had predicted they'd have at least a week, but that was before she knew about the Elements. Did that change anything? Twilight hoped she could find what she was looking for before the end of the week, but the pressure was growing. She spent all day and most of the nights combing through books and scrolls, most of them from Canterlot's archives or Princess Luna's private collection, but also a few from Ponyville and other cities. Some had even been requested all the way from the Crystal Empire where Twilight had asked Cadance to look through the old library for anything that might be helpful. Those hadn't arrived yet, however. She seemed reluctant to explain what she was looking for, perhaps she wasn't certain herself and didn't want to give false hopes. It involved a lot of dreaming, though, and she frequently consulted with Princess Luna on her studies. Dash dreamed a lot more than she used to. Perhaps it was the stress of everything happening, but they were strange dreams and often involved Twilight. Twilight was very interested in her dreams, although Dash made certain to leave out certain parts. It had helped that Princess Luna had explained to Twilight that there were ways to give a bit of forewarning before entering a dream, and that it was only respectful to give the sleeper a chance to decline the visit. Twilight had looked so adorably flushed standing before the princess who was gently berating her for the minor oversight. Dash had never looked at Twilight this way before. She didn't know what to make of it. *** The early sunlight glittered in the central stone of the village as Dash landed and trotted past its inscription. She paused and glanced around. Several guards were standing around with stoic expressions, eyes watching every movement, but aside from this constant presence the village was quiet and peaceful. It always was this time of day, when most of the population was asleep. Twilight liked that, because it made it easier to study. Dash didn't mind it either, especially right now. She could have done without the guards too, but she knew better than to try to get them to look away. With a last glance around she continued across the central square of the town and down a road where a little shop had opened for the day. She stopped and looked at the array of flowers arranged outside. There was a lot of bright yellow and red mixed with white and green. They all smelled delightful and fresh. How did you pick flowers for somepony? Maybe she should ask the owner of the shop, but that would lead to questions, and questions she could do without. Dash gnawed on her lip and looked back towards the square. It had been six days now, and the dreams were making her restless and confused. She had never felt this way before, and she didn't know how to deal with it. Was it real, or had she really hit her head too hard in that fall? Twilight was still very curious about that fall—especially what it could tell them about the Elements—but Dash honestly couldn't remember anything, even though she tried really hard all the time. But her dreams kept telling her that she loved Twilight Sparkle. It was like her dreams knew things about her that she didn't know herself. That's why Twilight was so interested in them. Dash knew she had to tell her these feelings and dreams, even if they were only dreams. She had been stupid and never told Fluttershy. She couldn't make the same mistake again. She could see the owner of the flower shop in the window. She had noticed Dash and was on her way out with a smile on her face. Dash began to panic. She had to pick some flowers quick. There weren't many in Twilight's colors, but … The door opened and a young mare, maybe a little younger than Dash herself, came out. “Good morning, miss Dash,” she chirped happily. Everypony in town knew her and Twilight by now. A guard standing further down the street turned to watch them. Dash was getting used to that. “Is there anything I can help you with?” “Yeah,” Dash said, acting cool. Twilight had a bit of pink in her mane, and red was sort of a dark pink … red was the classic romantic color, too, she thought. Yeah, that'd work. “I'd like a bunch of those,” she said, pointing at some light red flowers with a scent that actually made her a bit hungry. “Certainly,” the seller chimed and began sorting out a hoof full of the red flowers. “Are these a gift for somepony else?” “No no,” Dash laughed in a way that she hoped sounded casual. “I'm just a bit hungry and your flowers look real tasty.” “Oh, thank you,” she smiled. “You don't want them wrapped up, then?” Damn. “Oh, yeah, um, sure,” she scratched her head while trying to think. “I'll … eat them later, when I get back to the castle. Just … wrap them up nice. The look is half the taste, right?” she grinned, remembering what Rarity had once said while talking about some posh food or something. It was all in the presentation. “Of course,” the girl gave her a grin back and deftly wrapped the stems of the flowers in bright paper and ribbons. “There you go, miss. Will that be all?” “Yeah, thanks. How much?” Dash took the flowers with a secret sigh of relief and fished for her cash. The flower pony still had a grin on her face. “Fifteen bits, but I'll make it ten for you because it's such a nice day today.” “That's real cool of you, thanks!” Dash grinned and paid her, then made sure she had a good grip on the flowers before setting off towards the square. “If you'll take my advice, I bet she'd love a book too,” the flower seller called after her. Dash felt her face flush and nearly took a turn into a wall. “Heh eh, th-thanks,” she tried to laugh. Behind her the flower seller giggled. Dash hurried away, red as the flowers in her mouth. *** There was only one place in Gloaming which sold books. It was a small general store which had a shelf with a collection of books for sale, most of them secondhoof items. Dash hovered in the air slightly above the floor as she looked over the backs of the books on the shelf, flowers still in her mouth. There was an old copy of Daring Do and the Pharaoh's Feather, a small book for little fillies with flowers and fairy ponies on the cover—Dash groaned—and a heavy gray one titled The Interesting Times of Stones and Rocks. She might get that one for Pinkie Pie just to see the look on her face, provided this all worked out and they all survived. She picked out another book, titled Hollow Eyes. Dash flipped through a few pages. It seemed to be a half-decent horror story of a recent nature. Something for Scootaloo perhaps, to read on a rainy night. She paused to sigh. Maybe she should write the little filly a letter too. She put the book back on the shelf and narrowed her eyes at the rest of the rather limited selection. After a moment her eyes fell on a small one that she had passed over at first. She pulled it out and turned it in her hooves. It had no title and no other identifying marks on the cover. She flipped through the first few pages, then the rest. She turned it upside down and stared at it for a time. This was definitely a book for Twilight. Dash had no clue what it was, which had to mean it was practically made for Twilight. Satisfied with her choice, Dash paid the pony behind the counter and hurried back out. It had taken a lot longer than she had planned. She hoped Twilight wasn't getting worried, but knowing Twilight she probably hadn't even noticed Dash was gone yet. *** She landed on the balcony and gave the guard stationed there the daily password. He gave her a slight nod, and Dash continued inside. Twilight wasn't there. Her books lay on the desk along with several notes. Dash gave it a glance but found it no less mysterious than always. Dash put the flowers and book down on the bed and trotted back and forth a bit. What was she going to say? There were definitely certain things you might say in this kind of situation, and probably some things not to say too. A few minutes passed, but little did it help her. The door opened and Twilight trotted inside, a cup floating beside her, and smiled as she saw Dash. “There you are!” She trotted up to the desk without spotting the flowers and sat down her cup where there was a tiny bit of space. She turned to Dash, still smiling though there was a hint of a worried look now. “I … I need to talk to you.” Dash blinked, momentarily lost. Even more than she already was. “Oh?” Twilight trotted up to her. “There's something I've wanted to try, something that may help us a great deal. I just talked to the princess about it,” she began, choosing her words carefully. “But I won't do it if you say no, and I'll understand if you do.” “Well … what is it?” Dash blinked at her friend. “I don't want you to feel pressured,” Twilight said carefully. “I won't,” Dash said and then added, because she saw Twilight's eyes, “I promise.” Twilight nodded and took a breath before beginning something that obviously took some care to explain. “Okay, look, we have to find out why there are two Elements, and I think … no, I am almost certain that you, or some part of you, knows. I know you haven't been able to remember anything so far, but I think it's there, hidden deep within your subconscious.” She took a breath, but only a short one, before continuing. “Your dreams are really strange. I don't think they are all dreams. I think some of them are memories or parts of memories mixed with dreams. I think they're trying to tell you something, but we may not have time for your mind to sort itself out. Lost memories can take years or decades to return, in some cases they never do.” Dash bit her lip. She remembered the dreams she hadn't told Twilight about. Maybe they really were trying to tell her something, maybe it hadn't just been her imagination. But she couldn't have memories of making out with Twilight, not real memories at least, so what was it? “What is your plan? Do you think you can bring my memories back faster with magic?” “No,” said Twilight very seriously. “That would not be safe. I—” Twilight looked at Dash, who sat down because it seemed like the thing to do. “I want, with your permission of course, to … search your mind.” Dash looked at Twilight, who was looking like she really hoped Dash understood what she had just said. “Like …” Dash reached up to scratch her head but lowered her hoof again. “Like reading my mind?” “And your dreams,” Twilight nodded. “If I want to be sure I find what we're looking for, you see, then I have to be very thorough, and what we're looking for must be hidden very deep. It is completely safe, it won't hurt or harm you at all, but … it'll take a lot of time, several sessions I expect, and I'll be seeing your most private thoughts all that time, things you may not even be aware of yourself.” Dash stared. A lot of things were racing through her mind. “I … I need to think.” Twilight nodded in understanding, and Dash stood up and closed the door to the balcony behind her, flowers and plans completely forgotten for the moment.