//------------------------------// // Chapter 2-Intruders of the Mind // Story: Dreams and Nightmares // by Sythax //------------------------------// "But how?" puzzled Applejack "When the spell exploded it must have created a weak mental bond among us," explained Twilight "When your minds fell into the comas they saw the bond as an escape from their collapsing hosts. Since I was the only one to be left conscious they could only go to me." "And your mind created this place for us to stay?" asked Rainbow "I suppose, a dream landscape, without it you would be mere thoughts in a void. My mind must have compensated for that." "So can you control this place?" asked Pinkie "Can you conjure cake?!" "Yes she can" said a silky voice. The six ponies spun around to face the speaker. A dark orb spluttered into life, growing in size. Once it reached a meter wide it stopped and began to fade revealing the shape of a tall alicorn. "Princess Luna!" cried Twilight as the dark blue mare stepped from the shadowy orb. "What are you doing here?" "I was scanning the dreams of the young, protecting them as I always do." she began "When all of a sudden a dream calleth to me. A cry for help. So I found the dream and so I am here." "Why did the dream call to you?" asked Twilight "Of that I am not sure. However I do know that this dream is in danger of collapse." "And what happens when a dream collapses?" "The dreamer awakes. Normally this is not a problem so it puzzles me as to why this dream collapsing is such a threat." "Pardon me ya' highness but I believe it may be because of us" Applejack said, gesturing to the four ponies behind her. Luna frowned "But you are merely apparitions are you not? How could you pose a threat to this dream?" "Their not apparitions Princess, it's actually them." Luna's frown deepened "They are sharing your mind? Explain how this has occurred." Twilight quickly told her the events leading up to their current situation. Luna sighed heavily. "Tis' much clearer now the problem you face." She turned to the anxious ponies. "There are two things that threaten the structure of this dream. Firstly is that there are six of you trying to inhabit the mind of one, Twilight's mind simply cannot cope. Secondly is her guilt, it is eating away at the edges of this dream at an accelerating pace." "And what happens to us if the dream collapses?" stuttered Rarity, her usual composure failing. "If the dream collapses Twilight will wake up if she is not already. As for you, you minds will have no where to go, your only safe sanctuary in Twilight's mind will be gone and you with it" She looked down sadly. "If you cannot return to your own bodies before the dream fails you will be lost. "So what can we do?" asked Twilight, trying to stay calm. "The doctors from Canterlot will not be hear for days. You must go to them and seek their advice, this phenomenon is very rare indeed. They should be able to tell you more about what to do" "Ok, i'll leave as so...ooon a..s..." "Twilight? You ok?" asked Rainbow "She is waking up!" exclaimed Luna "Remember Twilight, go to Canterlot, I will stay with you friends and help them. While you are fully awake you will not be able to communicate with the dream. Good luck." Twilight nodded groggily and with a poof of white she was gone. *** Twilight's eyes opened slowly, her mind reeling from the crazy dream she had been in. The dream. She sat bold right up, her mind now fully awake and disconnected from the dream. "Spike!" she cried, waking a very disgruntled dragon from his sleep. "What is it Twilight? Celestia has barely raised the sun!" "We must leave for Canterlot immediately!" she said, jumping out of bed and running down the stairs to pack some basic things for the trip. "Will you at least explain whats going on?" grumbled Spike. "The others, they're in my head!" she cried "I have to get them out!" Spike, now concerned, ran down the stairs after her. "What are you on about?!" "The girls have been trapped in my head by the explosion but their in danger!" "Look" said Spike "I know you feel guilty but you need to-" He was cut short by a look from Twilight. "I'll...uh...go and get us some train tickets" he stammered, scampering out the door. *** "So what do we do now?" asked Rainbow as she flew a slow circle around the main chamber of the castle. "There is nothing you can do from here" said Luna who was sitting in a circle with the others. "Have faith in Twilight, she knows what she is doing" Applejack's brow was furrowed with concentration. "Princess Luna, our minds were transferred to Twilight's right?" "Yes" the Princess replied "Does that mean everything like our hopes?" "Yes" "Our dreams?" "Yes" "Our nightmares?" Luna eyes widened as she realised what Applejack was saying. "Oh my...could it?" She jumped to her hooves and began galloping across the hall to the grand stair case at the other end, the other five ponies in hot pursuit. They climbed several flights of steps till they reached the battlements on the lowest tower, looking out across the pure white landscape. Except now it wasn't pure white. Patches of black were spreading from various points into the distance, oozing out a tar like substance across the clouds. "Oh my!" cried Rarity as she saw the corruption of the landscape before her. "What is that?" "Twilight's grief is eating away at the base of the dream" grimaced Luna " Where it breaks through, the nightmares seep in. Not just Twilight's nightmares, all of yours as well." She looked upon the darkness as it began to collect into forms, mutilated mounds of black. "Prepare yourselves girls." The six ponies watched in horror as the landscape of Twilight's mind was slowly consumed. "Here comes the darkness."