//------------------------------//
// All Dreams Must End (Part 2 of 3: Six) 
// Story: Undisclosed Desire 
// by Dark Enigma 
//------------------------------//

	A touch of early dawn clings onto the dark sky far off over the horizon. Where it meets dusk, sunshine mixes with the cool ambiance of night, creating an aurora-like pattern of blue, green, purple, and orange. Time is running out for Zack who is snoozing away in his bed, locked away in an induced dream state.

Sitting near the entry way to his room, back against the door, Trixie gazes up at the ceiling, lost in her thoughts.

"Are you really going to kill him?" interrupts Ure.

"I don't want to die..." Trixie shifts her gaze to Zack. "But I don't want to live either..." She closes her eyes and rubs her temples with her hooves. From the window draped with white curtains, faint sunlight trickles in, hitting Trixie in the face. She screams, pounding her hooves on the carpeted floor. "I don't know what to do!"

"Keep Jude's promise," a bubbly voice echoes within her head.

Trixie slides down the door and weakly snorts. "You would say that..." Diving into her thoughts once more, she waits for her master to wake.





Meanwhile, back in Zack's head, Princess Evening Glimmer waits proud and tall for Trixie's mind to settle. Around them, the throne room is quiet except for the hollow moaning of the wind running freely through the city. Its deathly tone sounds like the final breaths of a perishing soul.

After a few seconds, Trixie finally speaks up, "How do you know Trixie's name? She's never met you."

In response, Eve smiles as if she was waiting for Trixie to ask exactly that. "Have you ever wondered where ideas come from? Certainly, you've had a burst of inspiration before, and I assume, you credit yourself for the resulting idea. But, truth be told, they're merely a product of your consciousness interacting with other consciousness in the white space known as the Unconscious."

"Oh, so that's what that was," the Doctor speaks up. "But, how did you bring the Unconscious to the real ground?"

"It's simple, Doctor," Eve answers. "It's true the Unconscious exists in the substratum of the UG which is below the RG. but it doesn't stay there. Otherwise, we couldn't have ideas, couldn't dream or have feelings of deja vu. Or even have that awkward moments when two ponies say exactly the same thing, at the same time," she muses. "All I have to do is enter myself and bring it up with me. The space practically does all the hard work for me after I lead it where I want it to go, of course."

"But that doesn't answer Trixie's question," Trixie points out.

With a giggle, Eve responds, "All consciousnesses are partly in the Unconscious and partly in the RG at all times. I can... eavesdrop on a consciousness and listen in on their thoughts. That's how I, and Serbie, keep a close eye on the city for any signs of danger. It's the perfect emergency response system, though Serbie does use it to keep tabs on most ponies, including the council, and--let's just say--they had a few colorful words to say about you, Trixie."

"But isn't that an invasion of privacy?" This is the Doctor speaking.

"Oh, very much so, but I use the Unconscious to study the ideas floating around. While, Serbie uses it to control most ponies. I don't mind it too much. She helps keep order and knows her boundaries. So no harm is actually done."

Trixie isn't entirely sure if this method is all that ethical, but what does she really know about ethics. Moreover, in this messed up world, some ethics must be sacrificed in order to survive. Trixie agrees that from all the possible ways to run a city the Princess could have chosen, this one is the most practical.

"So, if you can read minds, so to speak," says the Doctor, "do you know why we're here."

Trixie notices a quiver of nervousness in the Doctor's voice, but she doesn't understand why he's nervous.

"Actually, no," replies Eve. "I was busy looking for the consciousness of a certain demon. Which is why your visit was so unexpected."

The Doctor sighs in relief.

"By the way," Princess Eve continues, "where's your assistant, Ditzy? I almost never see you two apart."

Trixie raises her brow and turns around to see Ditzy--and even Silverstreak--have disappeared.

The Doctor replies in a manner that makes it seem as if they were never with them in the first place. "Ah, Ditzy is probably out delivering mail somewhere. Now, for the matter at han-- I mean, hoof. Trixie here is curious about those demons roaming around down there. The world she remembers is vastly different than the beautiful one we have here. You don't mind educating her in the matter, do you?"

Eve shoots the Doctor a dirty look of disbelief. "Really?" she bluntly asks. "You couldn't wait until I finished my meditation or, better yet, taught her yourself?"

"No, you know about this more than I do."

"You know that's a lie," Eve says, then sighs, her chest heaving greatly. "With that excuse, I can't imagine what crossed Serbie's mind that convinced her to let you in."

With a sly smile, the Doctor responds, "I didn't do much of the convincing." At that, Eve glances at Trixie--who is waiting for this fiasco to come crashing down on the Doctor--as the Doctor continues talking. "But, if you refuse, I can easily take her to the Crystal Library instead."

"Doctor," Princess Eve interjects before he can even formulate a second thought, "what are you really up to?"

As if right on cue, a gray pegasus mare flies through the open hallway door, screaming, "Doctor, Doctor, I got it!" while brashly  waving a red circular object with a disfigured spiral at the center. It casts a warm red glow as if it is made out of hot metal, but the mare shows no discomfort at eagerly showing off her prize, waving it around for all to see.

"Ditzy," the Doctor says, his eyes flitting between the Princess's astonished expression and the red circle, "you weren't suppose to bring it here, but rather, wait for me at the rendezvous point."

"I--oh... oops," responds Ditzy, pulling in the circle in an attempt to hide it.

"Ditzy," growls the Princess obviously irritated, "give me the key." It's apparent in her voice that she is trying to keep a cool disposition but struggling at it. Whatever the key opens, Eve doesn't want anypony--even her close friends--to have it. She stares down Ditzy, waiting for her to comply. Unsure of what to do, the gray pegasus looks at every corner in the room as if she's a cornered mouse.

"Um," Ditzy mumbles as she tucks in her head and braces herself for the worst, "no..."

It's then the Doctor steps in front of Ditzy--with his pen in hoof--and says, "Sorry, Eevee." His pen flashes in a dazzling brilliance, illuminating the throne room in white. It blinds Trixie--who is still trying to figure out what's going on, so she had little time to react to the flash--and she feels like she's back in the Unconscious for a split-second before the comforting dark shield of her eyelids take over, though red spots break the darkness in irregular patterns.

Then, she feels something grab her hoof and pull at her. She mindlessly complies still dumbfounded from the flash. "Sorry for pulling something so rash with no prior warning, Trixie," says the Doctor's voice behind a quilt of red and black, "but I had to act quickly. Your eyes will recover soon."

Trixie's only response is a distasteful growl as she tries to run and rub her eyes simultaneously.

After blindly running for what seems like miles, the Doctor abruptly stops. While running, Trixie was able to catch glimpses of where they were going, but she couldn't keep her eyes open for long without them burning. But from the few glimpses she did catche, she could tell they left the Crystal Empire, but beyond that she has no clue where they ended up.

"About time," the familiar voice of Silverstreak sounds off.

"Sorry for the wait. Complications arose," says the Doctor, letting go of Trixie's hoof and stepping away.

"From her?" responds Silver. Trixie can only imagine he pointing an accusing hoof at Ditzy. Not wanting to be blind anymore, she cracks open an eye then the other, blinking a few times to adjust them to the light. There's still a dull pain around them, but it's manageable. The first thing she sees is Silver glaring at her. His gray, soulless eyes feel as if they are pulling her in, as if she is drifting out of her body, but before Trixie completely loses her grip on herself, a hoof on her cheek pushes her gaze away from Silver's tantalizing stare.

Walking pass Trixie, Ditzy says, "Don't look into his eyes." Then, still walking, she turns to Silverstreak and says, "And it was my fault we're late, not hers."

With a scoff, Silver looks away while leaning against a brick wall of a house, forelegs crossed. Meanwhile, Trixie is still adjusting her eyes, rubbing them and blinking away tears. "Where are we?" she asks.

"My house," replies Ditzy as she gives the key to the Doctor who is busy inspecting the magical barrier nearby and takes the key by holding out his hoof and waiting for it to be placed there. He taps the barrier here and there, then places his ear against it. And when unsatisfied with whatever reaction the barrier is suppose to produce, he moves a few steps over and starts again.

"What are you doing?" Trixie asks with her eyes finally used to the light, though still teary from the sharp wind.

"I'm--"

"Giving me the key," the Doctor gets cut off.

Everypony turns around to see Princess Eve and Serbie facing them--the Princess with a stern look and red, irritated eyes, though if it's from the flash of light or her anger, Trixie doesn't know. 

Everypony stays completely still except for Silver. Nonchalantly, he steps between the Princess and the group, and tries to catch Eve's gaze. But Eve unflinchingly stares at him back as she walks up to him. With a swipe of her hoof, she flicks Silver on the  tip of his muzzle causing him to blink. Taking that opportunity, Eve's horn alights and grabs hold of Silver then tosses him toward the brick wall he was leaning on with a loud thud, knocking the wind out of his lungs. He collapses, wheezing and struggling to refill his chest with air.

The group stares at the incapacitated Silver and then back at Eve. "No need to get violent." The Doctor steps forward. "Here." He holds out the key toward Evening. As the Princess goes about to fetch it, her horn glowing once more, the Doctor with an innocent smile flings the key behind him, hitting the barrier. 

Everypony holds their breath as the Doctor's defiant actions take hold on the Princess's surprised and angry countenance. As the key hits the barrier, it sticks to it and sizzles and smokes, burning itself into the thin membrane. The white smoke explodes outward in an furious fervor like a geyser releasing a hundred years of tension--engulfing everypony in a hot embrace. Trixie coughs out the smoke that forced its way into her lungs; it warm as it passes through her throat and smells like burning sulfur.

As the wind eats away at the smoke, the spiral key--now a tattoo on the barrier--spins, getting wider with each revolution. Soon, a hole appears letting in a torrent of wind that pushes away the already-set current of wind hitting the city. It pushes the Doctor with such a force, he flies towards Eve and hits her--landing on top of her after they both fall to the ground.

Then a crackling fills the air. Lightning weaves itself across the diameter of the still-expanding hole, creating an electrical web of flashing lights and sparks. With a boom, everything is silent once more save for the normal current of wind and the electricity cracking across the new portal.

The lightning calms and sticks to the edge of the hole, signaling it's now safe to pass through the door. The Doctor picks himself up and dusts himself off. "Well, that was a tad more flashy than I expected. Though that can be blamed on me. I missed the door. But the other generators held up, so it wasn't too much strain. They held up the shield just fine." He looks over to the Princess who is on the floor glaring at him in contempt. "Oh, calm down, Eevee. As long as the portal doesn't stay there for too long, the other generators won't suffer from irreversible damage. I'll run a diagnostic when I return." With that, he turns and heads to the portal.  "Alright, everyone--er, everypony. Let's be off before the hole in this delicate bubble blows the generators one at a time. Then we'll really be in trouble." He steps through followed by Ditzy.

Once on the other side, they turn and wait for whoever wants to join them; though, they seem perfectly fine if no pony does. Silver--clutching at his stomach--taps Trixie on her side signaling her to follow as he limps to the other side.

"Coming, Princess?" asks the Doctor.

She doesn't respond. Her face is full of hurt and what looks like angry depression. And it is when Trixie goes through that she says something. "Serbie, go with them."

"What? Aren't you going to stop them?"

"What's done is done, and if the Doctor can actually fix all this, then more power to him." She pauses to get up. "You're the only other pony here that can go into the Unconscious. So once the barrier is up, you'll be the only way the Doctor can communicate with me. Moreover, they'll have a much better chance out there with such a powerful unicorn mage like you by their side."

"Are you sure, Princess?" Serbie takes a wary glance at Silverstreak.

"Yes, you are more than capable."

"Okay." Serbie gulps then exhales. "I won't let you down."

Princess Eve passes her a slight but stern nod.

"I don't mean to hurry you along," says the Doctor poking his head through the hole, "but I think I see smoke coming from generator 5." He points in that direction, and sure enough a thick column of black smoke is rising over the peaks of the buildings. Without haste, Serbie hugs Eve and trots over to the hole. She puts one hoof in when the electricity running along its sides intensifies. "Uh-oh." The Doctor snaps his neck back out of the hole.

Lightning shoots out and webs up the hole again, striking Serbie in the process. She lets loose a high pitched scream as electricity has its way with her. It runs around her body, leaving nothing unexplored. Burn marks etch themselves on her coat, and her mane sizzles like a fuse.

Acting on an impulse, the Doctor grabs the edge of the hole--literally grabs it--and pulls at it, taking the key out of the barrier partway. "Eevee!" he yells against the snapping of static. "Push her through!"

Without a second thought, Eve tackles Serbie, setting off two things: a burst of plasma and fire catches them flinging the Doctor over the edge of the city--with the key in hoof--and sending a frantic Ditzy chasing after him; and the Princess along with an unconscious Serbie tumble over too--all four of them get eaten up by the dark clouds running lazily under the city.

Bewildered, Trixie stands with her mouth wide open at what she just witnessed while Silver merely yawns.

"I wonder how long the city will last without a ruler. Of course, there's the council, but not many ponies trust them," he says coming out of his yawn.

"Is that really all you can say right now?!" Trixie exclaims in disgust at her master's heartless attitude.

"Yeah," is the curt response he gives her as--with more force than he shows--he pushes her into the sky and jumps after her.





"Queen Tricky-trickster, everything is ready for the invasion."

"And what of Hades? Does he know?"

"Blind as a bat."

"Good, you've been very helpful, Erin. Now all we have to do is wait for the city to be directly over us."

"Yeah, yeah, hey, can we get out of here. I don't like this pocket of space you've created. It's too dark. I can't even see my own hands in front of my face. How am I gonna mix my favorite drinks?"

"I like it... it makes me feel... safe."

"Fine, I'll be in the throne room then, in the bar I just installed, right now... There I can have all the cider I want, Miss I'm-Too-Good-For-A-Drink. And, oh, for the record, bats aren't really blind. Their eye sight is actually quite good."

"...I know..."