//------------------------------// // A Twisting Tale Of Torment // Story: Do you believe in ghosts? // by The Infinity Doctor //------------------------------// Luna was not a happy pony. Why? You ask? The reason was very simple- another of the cursed ones had been discovered. And her sister, being the oh-so-generous princess she was, asked her to take on this venture. Make no mistake, she was happy to finally have something to do, but this...this took the cake. 'You have been wanting something like this to come up.' she said. 'It seems fate has given you an opportunity-' she said. 'Fate my left hoof.' the lunar princess grumbled to herself. Briskly trotting through the dark, deplorably drab halls of the dungeons, she discovered her mind to be wandering. Passing an empty cell here, an occupied one there, she thought harder about the supposed 'Dream-Eater'. Even in her time, they were the stuff of myth and legend, such as goblins, or perhaps humans! Chuckling to herself, Luna stopped at the correct cell, silent for a moment. She had to be fluent in this matter, or as foals these days said, 'smooth'. It still baffled her how much Equestrian had changed since her time, barely anything was recognizable to her. "How art thou?" she asked, then immediately feared that she'd somehow offended it, since nothing but silence followed. "A mite better. I've had rest." came a stallion's voice from inside the dark cell. "We cannot see thee." "I did not want to scare you. Guards took my mask." 'Truly he can not be as horrid as he makes himself out to be.' "Have no worries, We shall not judge thee on thy appearance." she stated, hoping to quell his fears. "False." he stated "Everyone has rejected my appearance." "I find that hard to believe." "Stated the all-powerful Mare in the Moon." Luna's ears flipped up as her eyes went wide, hearing the horrid pseudonym from her past. 'It is common knowledge,' she reassured herself 'but the way he said it...mayhaps there is more to this than We first thought.' A creak from the cot inside the cell, and the small space was lit. Luna blinked, her eyes adjusting to the sudden change, and discovered the accused, his hoof on an arcane lantern. His mask held a somber expression, an indifferent curve of the mouth etched into it. "Well." he stated, not as a question, mind "Here I am. Make your judgement." "It would behoove us to talk with thee before casting a punishment." "A refreshing sentiment. What of my trial?" "Given your...appearance...We will not hold a public trial." Luna stated. Midnight Storm had, of course, informed the lunar princess of the stallion's uniquities, begging for a change in protocol. This was not uncomfortable for her, oddly enough. This task could be completed without such pomp and circumstance, and she found it to be relaxing. She once, rather sheepishly, admitted to her sister that she was not ready for audience with the ponies of Equestria, not so soon after the 'return of Nightmare Moon'; or as some ponies called it 'The Coming of Days', 'The Apocalypse', etcetera, etcetera. One unreliable news source even went so far as to name it 'Celestia's Master Plan'. "Thank the gods." he sighed, sounding relieved. "Instead, We shall deliver Our own justice." "Oh hell..." he whimpered, barely audible. "Why didst thou foalnap Sapphire Breeze?" "Drawing attention to myself." he admitted, still quiet. "Why, pray tell?" "Your sister and yourself captured me." "That holds no relevance to the charges against you." Luna stated authoritatively. "Forgive. Let me repeat. I am in your possession." "You..." Luna stopped and thought for a moment, finding an oddity in the stallion's words. He hasn't avoided my questions, yet answering cryptically... "I would have attempted to flee if I wished." The Ticker added. "Thou...thou let thyself be captured?" Luna asked, bewildered. The stallion nodded, his mask jiggling a bit. The shadows of the mask itself had cast themselves long and reaching, thanks in no small part to the lantern inside the cell, creating them with its glow. "Indeed." "Why?" she asked simply, genuinely curious as to why he'd do such a thing. "I gained your attention. I got captured. Here I am." "You make no sense!" she all but shouted "How can We interrogate you properly if thou art so cryptic?!" "I've been as straightforward as possible. You're turn now." Suddenly, it clicked in her mind, and she stared at the resting pony-though-not-quite-a-pony. "You committed the crime, just to be caught; you had no plan for what to do afterwards, with Sapphire, We mean." "Congratulations. If royalty doesn't suit you. You should become a detective." Luna refused to be swayed by the compliment, but blushed never the less, her muzzle growing hot. "Why didst thou brave this entire song and dance-" Celestia will be so proud of me! Grasping modern Equuish. "-just to be imprisoned?" "That was the plan. I thought we just uncovered this." he stated. "SILENCE!" Luna proclaimed, growing tired with the stallion's games "THOU DAREST TO SHOW SUCH INSOLENCE TOWARDS US?!" "I'm not. Dearest princess. You misunderstand my words." Abashed, Luna turned away, blushing furiously at her actions. "Back to the question at hand!" she stated, turning back towards the stallion "Why didst thou want thyself to be caught by Us?" "I need help." he said calmly. "Thou needed thyself imprisoned for that?" "Indeed." "Why? What plausible reason could there be to warrant such desperate actions?" 'The Ticker' reached upwards, his hoof touching to his mask. Slowly but surely, his hoof reached its destination. Going just as slow, the mask was pulled away at a snail's pace, making the lunar princess anxious. What could be behind the mask? Who was this stallion? What was he hiding? There on his face, just as Midnight and Sapphire both attested to, was an industrial cog, spinning obscenely on his face, taking up the spot where his right eye would've been. "This is why." "So you and Dreamcast are on speaking terms now?" Midnight asked her daughter, the kirin spread out on the couch. "Not exactly," Squeaks replied honestly "but...I know she's not so scary anymore, especially after that night you went to the Gala." "Ah, I see," Midnight said "I'm glad you've talked to her, at least, regardless." "Thanks mom." Squeaks smiled, soaking in the praise as she nuzzled her mother. "You're welcome sweetie." Squeaks flew off, towards her room, and Midnight reclined, letting her muzzle dig into the couch as she closed her eyes. Scritch scritch scritch. Midnight's ear flicked. Chsk chsk chsk. Another flick. Scritch scritch scritch. "Dreamcast, what are you doing?" Midnight sighed, not even opening her eyes. "Taking notes." came the mare's voice from above. "Why?" "I don't want to miss a thing- if I write it down, I'll never forget it!" "Can't argue with that logic." Midnight said sarcastically. Dreamcast said nothing, and instead the sound of quill on parchment continued. "Have you spoken with Calypso lately?" Midnight's eyes shot open, and she leapt off the bed. Her wings flared outward as she spun to face the dream-eater, the claws on her wings extended. Dreamcast stopped for a moment, regarding her with indifference. "Was it...was it something I said?" she asked, concern leaking into her voice. "I trust you with that secret," Midnight growled lowly "don't go spreading it around like gossip." "I...wasn't, I was only asking if-" "I know what you said!" she shouted, her voice then dropping to almost a whisper "What if someone heard? Did you ever think of that?" Dreamcast's mouth opened, but Midnight beat her to the punch. "No, you didn't," she stated "you didn't think one little bit." "...I was thinking about both of your wellbeing..." Dreamcast said shyly. Midnight's rage died down a bit, and she saw that the dream-mare was backing away, her eyes quivering. The kirin then sighed as her wings closed, and by extension, her claws. "Dream, come down here." Midnight stated tiredly. The mare hesitantly floated down to the floor, her button eyes not meeting Midnight's slitted ones. "Dreamcast, I'm sorry, okay?" the kirin tried, approaching her. The dream-eater cowered, still not meeting her gaze. "Listen," Midnight sighed "I...I just get a little touchy about you know who, and...I'm not mad at you." Before the kirin knew it, both of her forehooves were enveloped by Dreamcast's, the mare hugging them tightly. "What...are you doing?" Midnight asked. "Thank you so much!" Dreamcast cried, tears slipping down her face "You're so kind! I don't deserve such a fr-fr-friend!" "Dream- pardon my Prench, but just what the hell are you talking about?" she asked, confused. "I offended you! I wouldn't have been surprised if you cast me out! Or moved away!" she sobbed "Bu-But no! You-you accept me! You accept me!" 'I thought I was...' Midnight thought. Trying her best to politely pry the dream-eater off of her, Midnight talked soothingly to her- something she was unused to, having only done it with Squeaks.