Tiara woke slowly to the breathy sounds of ponies in deep sleep being amplified by the cave’s confines. She shook her head, but it did little to clear her mind of the thick fog she felt mired in. The last time she had felt this groggy, she had been awake for two days, and then was disturbed by a roommate after only an hour’s worth of sleep. But now, there was no reason for her to be in such a befuddled condition. Or was there?
Her attention shot toward Luna, who laid still and resolute in the blackness of the cave, showing no notice or concern to her stirring. Tiara illuminated her horn and narrowed her eyes to glare at her suspiciously. Luna remained an impassive stone, with only her mane and tail waving in her magic currents. If Luna was the reason behind her lethargic state, she had an excellent poker face.
After she tired of watching Luna, she sniffed and prodded gently at Millstone to confirm that he was indeed in a deep sleep and unlikely to wake. Taking the chance, she slithered away from him and up to the statuesque Luna.
“What tricks are you playing, Princess?” Tiara’s whisper cut through the humid air of the cave.
Luna’s body jolted and her ears perked up in surprise. “Silver Chalice?” She said aloud, and then caught herself and whispered, “Is it you?”
“You know very well who this is.” Tiara growled.
“Silver Chalice, why have you awoken?”
“I’m certain you know the answer to that question far better than me. So cut the innocent act!” Tiara slapped the stone floor with her hoof.
“These bedrolls do leave much to be desired in terms of comfort-” Luna began.
“That’s not it!” Tiara interrupted, “You’re playing with my dreams!”
“What?” Luna’s head jerked up and back in shock. “Whatever did you dream, that makes you so confident of my meddling?”
“That’s just it,” Tiara spat, “I haven’t dreamed anything!”
“Oh?” Luna cocked her head. “And how does your dreamless sleep evidence my involvement?”
“You’re the Princess of the Moon, the Master Painter of the Night, the Dame of Dreams, and you are The Nightmare.” Tiara rattled off Luna’s titles, “I know that you have the ability to see and enter dreams, and I have done much to give you a motive to mess-around with mine. I don’t believe – even for a moment – that you have lain here all night just listening to us snore!”
“But haven’t you done all you can to reduce me to that level?” Luna responded, “Why should a bad night’s sleep cause you to doubt the effectiveness of your restraints? Also, shouldn’t your lack of dreaming argue for my non-involvement?”
Tiara studied her captive. She almost believed her. Maybe it was because the blinders concealing her eyes made her performance so convincing. “I never want to play against you at cards, Princess,” Tiara whispered at last, “but, I remain convinced that you are responsible.”
“So, if I follow your reasoning,” Luna jumped in right at the end of Tiara’s sentence, “I’m at fault for your dreamless sleep, because I am the” – Luna tried to raise a hoof to gesture regally to her chest, but her chains reduced the action to a meek scrape along the floor – ‘Dame of Dreams’. Luna shook her head and chuckled. “I don’t mean to be patronizing, but isn’t charging the Dame of Dreams for a night of dreamless sleep contradictory?”
Tiara pressed her eyelids tightly together and rubbed her forehead. “I admit that I’m not up to arguing with you, Princess. Just remember, that I will hold you responsible for any unusual occurrences and that I will take appropriate and severe action!”
Without waiting for a response, Tiara stood and carefully made her way back to her bed and leaned against Millstone like she had been when she woke. She was so tired, sleep would be easy. She pushed her nose into Millstone’s neck and inhaled, desiring the calm and reassurance she got from his scent, but he smelled of dampness and moss, like he had gone for a midnight swim in a pond. Strange, she thought as she laid her head down, but that was a ridiculous idea! The very notion that Millstone had left without waking her, had a bath, and then returned to the cave to fall asleep again by her side despite his severe phobia - it was beyond impossible, it was ludicrous. With a smile, she closed her eyes.
Tiara woke slowly to the breathy sounds of ponies in deep sleep being amplified by the cave’s confines. She shook her head, but it did little to clear her mind of the thick fog she felt mired in. Her eyes went as wide as saucers and a strong sense of déjà vu sent a shiver down her spine, but her next action caused her whole body to crawl with anxiety. She illuminated her horn and shot a suspicious glare at Luna, who laid still and resolute in the blackness of the cave, showing no notice or concern to her stirring. Tiara silently mouthed a string of curses. It was all too familiar, too perfect a coincidence. Her eyes narrowed to slits on Luna. This must be her doing!
Ignoring for the moment the increasingly unsettling déjà vu, she sniffed and prodded gently at Millstone to confirm that he was indeed in a deep sleep and unlikely to wake. Then she peeled herself away from him and silently made her way to Luna.
“What tricks are you playing, Princess?” Her whisper cut through the humid air of the cave simultaneous with a ghastly shiver that chilled her to her core.
Luna’s body jolted and her ears perked up in surprise. “Silver Chalice?” She said aloud, and then caught herself and whispered, “Is it you?”
“You know very well…” Tiara stopped herself. She refused to finish what she wanted to say. It was so frighteningly familiar! “Yes, Princess, it’s me,” She said at last, “I want you to stop this right now!”
Luna’s head jerked up and back in shock. “Do I understand you? Are you asking me to stop my abduction?”
“Cut the innocent act!” Tiara stamped the floor with her hoof. Another cold tremor of déjà vu shot through her, but it was less intense then previous sensations.
Luna quizzically cocked her head, which gave Tiara another discomforting shudder. “I am most perplexed. Whatever are you talking about?”
Tiara pressed her eyelids tightly together and rubbed her forehead. “I…I admit that I’m not up to arguing with you, Princess. Just remember, that I will hold you responsible for any unusual occurrences and that I will take appropriate and severe action!”
That triggered yet another shiver that shook her like an aftershock. Without waiting for a response, Tiara retreated back to her bed, laid down, and buttressed herself against Millstone’s mass. She was tired. Despite the shots of adrenaline that had recently coursed through her body, she was certain sleep would return quickly, and hopefully, she would wake to find this was all a dream.
She pushed her nose into Millstone’s neck and inhaled, hoping to be calmed and reassured by his scent. But he smelled of dampness and moss, like he had gone for a midnight swim in a pond.
No! Tiara shook her head in disbelief. It couldn't be! But that terrifying déjà vu crawled all over her skin like spiders. In willful disbelief, she clamped her eyes shut and prayed for sleep.
Tiara woke slowly to the breathy sounds of ponies in deep sleep being amplified by the cave’s confines. She shook her head, but it did little to clear her mind of the thick fog she felt mired in. Her eyes went as wide as saucers and a strong sense of déjà vu sent a shiver down her spine. Despite her growing dread, she illuminated her horn and shot a suspicious glare at Luna, who laid still and resolute in the blackness of the cave, showing no notice or concern to her stirring.
No! It was impossible for it to be happening again! Tiara gingerly pulled herself away from Millstone and walked up to Luna.
“What tricks are you playing, Princess?” Her whisper cut through the humid air of the cave and simultaneous to her question, a soul-rending terror gripped her chest.
Luna’s body jolted and her ears perked up in surprise. “Silver Chalice?” She said aloud, and then caught herself and whispered, “Is it you?”
“Yes, Princess, it’s me,” She said as she shivered from feeling a uniquely horrifying chill unlike any she had ever felt before flow through her veins. “I want you to stop this right now!” Everything felt like it was happening exactly as it had happened before. It was like she was chained to the same moment in time! She had to stop it all from happening again! “Don’t pretend you don’t understand, I know that you're the one causing this déjà vu!”
“Oh?” Luna cocked her head. “And why does your experience of déjà vu evidence my involvement?”
There was that cocked head again! Tiara nearly shouted. “Stop it, Luna!” Shocked at her own impertinence, Tiara covered her mouth with a hoof. Luna didn't look offended as much as she looked expectant as she tapped a fore hoof against the granite floor. “I’m sorry. I meant to say: ‘Princess Luna, Please stop’.” Tiara amended, and looked around the cave to see who – if anypony – she had just woken up. But everypony had resumed their heavy breathing after a brief shift and dreamy moan.
Luna nodded her acknowledgement of Tiara’s correction and apology. “I still have not heard your answer to my question,” She said, “State your reasons why you believe that I am responsible for what you are experiencing so that I may answer them.”
Tiara was too scared to answer, and yet unwilling to remain as she was. Tiara pressed her eyelids tightly together and rubbed her forehead. “I…I admit that I’m not up to arguing with you, Princess…”
No! There it was again! How many times has this happened to her? She felt more trapped than if she were the one chained to the floor instead of Luna. However, even worse than that idea was the thought that, her bonds were not physical. She was shackled to space and time itself, and against those forces she was powerless. Terror gripped her heart that this would be her eternity! Doomed to forever wake-up in this cave with her captive Princess and sleeping teammates.
“Please, tell me how to end this, Princess,” Tiara wept, “I just want it to stop.”
Luna pursed her lips in thought. “Do you feel déjà vu right now, as you are begging me to make your déjà vu cease?”
She shook her head. “No, I don’t, Princess.” She forced out through her sobs.
“So this seems new to you, like you have never done this before?” Luna asked after Tiara regained her composure.
“Yes, Princess,” Tiara sighed and wiped her eyes, “I don’t feel like I have said any of this before now.”
Luna’s head shook slowly from side to side and a motherly smile graced her lips. “You poor, poor child. This is why you should never attempt such evil machinations. Your conscience has made your sleep so tortured that you have difficulty distinguishing between dreams and reality. Go, lie down, and close your eyes. The next time you open them, you will be awake.”
“Are – are you telling me this is a dream?” Tiara looked all around her for some proof that she was actually dreaming, but there was nothing she could see or feel that would disprove Luna’s suggestion that she was in a dream state.
“You do not feel déjà vu right now, so go, and do as I say.” Luna’s head and ears swiveled forward in line with her body like Silver was no longer there.
Tiara swayed on her hooves. It was obvious that the conversation was over. She turned and carefully made her way back to her bed, so unsteady on her hooves, that she felt like she would topple at any moment. Finally, she reached her mat and flopped down on it. With a nervous sigh, she rolled her flank against Millstone and closed her eyes.
“Silver, wake-up.”
Tiara growled irritably and opened her eyes to see who it was that wasn't going to allow her any sleep tonight.
“What is it?” She snarled and sat up on her haunch. But her anger at being disturbed was completely replaced by befuddlement. For standing over her was not one pony, but two: Brass and Thunder, and the faint glow from the cave entrance behind her told her that it was morning.
Thunder took a step back at her quick temper. “We uh… We thought you wanted to talk to us before we left for Canterlot.”
Tiara’s head frantically swiveled all around her as she tried to orient herself and make sense of her surroundings. It was only seconds ago that she had flopped down on her bed and closed her eyes. She hadn't fallen asleep. She had barely closed her eyes! How could it now be morning? How could everypony be up and have their beds already stowed? Tiara craned her neck to peer around Brass to the spot where she knew Luna was. But she wasn't lying statuesque on her belly with her legs tucked under her. She was standing and doing her best to stretch her limbs and joints while still manacled by her chains.
“You do still want us to go to Canterlot, to observe the Palace’s activity, right?” Brass squinted and leaned closer as he tried to make eye contact and examine her blank, uncomprehending expression. “You don’t look… Um… I guess you didn't sleep well last night?”
Tiara tried to look directly at the pony who whispered to her. Slowly, through the sleep-deprived fog of her mind she realized that he only appeared to be moving because she was swooning. “This is impossible,” she said at last, “it’s still night out.”
Brass and Thunder did a synchronous double-take from her to the cave mouth and back. “Silver, it’s morning. The sun is up. M is outside fixing breakfast.” Brass said, clearly worried about her current state.
Tiara looked behind her where Millstone had slept. Silently she shook her head in disbelief at the empty mat, dented pillow, and discarded blanket. “I don’t understand.” She said as she pulled her hind legs under her and stood. “He was right here.”
“Uh, maybe you should lie back down.” Thunder suggested as she wobbled a few steps to turn around.
Tiara looked past their concerned expressions to focus on Luna, whose head and ears were locked on her, and her eyes were glowing bright white.
Her eyes were glowing bright white! What happened to her blinders?! Her mind screamed warnings that her groggy consciousness just couldn't absorb.
“This isn't happening!” Tiara whispered as her world narrowed until there was only Luna with her soul-searching, piercing, angry-white glare focused back on her.
“Who art thou!” Luna’s voice bellowed, but her lips never moved. “Answer me!”
“Silver Chalice!” Tiara screamed, and her world went black.