//------------------------------// // Chapter Two: Dreams // Story: Life, Lies, and Letters // by pokefreak13 //------------------------------// The water shimmered as a pony emerged onto the sand beach. Smiling, the light blue mare trotted merrily up a stone path, were it led to a small cottage. A net full of seaweed and clams hung from her mouth. "This is a nice dream, Aqua Ring." The mare dropped the net and spun around. Her violet eyes widened as Princess Luna walked up to her. "Though, a bit boring. I guess you have your ancestor's lack of creativity." Luna said. "Y-you're, h-how!?" Aqua Ring stuttered. "When you wake up, a chariot will take you to the palace." Luna informed before taking off into the air. "Oh, and one more thing," when she lit up her horn, the scene shifted into a lush forest. Aqua Ring's greenish blue mane was pulled back into a braid, while a saddle bag with knives sticking out covered her cutie mark. "It's nice to have a change a pace, no?" Aqua Ring gazed at the princess in amazement before realization hit her once an arrow whizzed by. "Good luck!" Luna called before vanishing into the background. One down, five more to go. She thought to herself. Wind roared in the ears of a silver pegasus stallion. Flying goggles concealed his emerald eyes, as his snowy white mane and tail danced wildly in the wind. "Oh yeah!!!" he shouted over the wind before partially tucking in his wings and nose diving. His stomach churned, but the pegasus paid no heed. After all, this was only a dream. "I see you have your ancestor's thirst for speed, Gust." Suddenly, a giant cloud moved in front of Gust's path. The baron tried to slow down, but he was too late. Gust nosedived onto the cloud with a yelp of surprise. "Though, life your ancestors, you lack control." Luna replied before helping Baron Gust up, though he brushed her hoof away. "What're ya thinking, ruining my dream?" Gust snapped. "I was just about to do the awesomest nose dive in all of Equestria!" Luna rolled her eyes, "what are they teaching youth these days?" she mumbled to herself before shifting her gaze back to Gust. "A chariot will be at your home. It will bring you to the palace where you will meet five other ponies." "Why would I want to go to your palace?" the pegasus questioned. "Besides, I have a photo shoot tomorrow, what's so important that I have to cancel it?" "You will find out soon enough." Luna replied before snapping her wings open and taking off into the sky. Awesomest, who comes up with these ridiculous words? A crowd of hundreds of ponies stomped their feet and cheered as the silky red curtains fell down onto the stage. Behind the curtains stood a unicorn mare with a soft yellow coat, a pink mane and tail with streaks of silver, and sky blue eyes. Her cutie mark was a dark green music note with a rose attached to it. "They loved me!" the mare squeaked. "Even in your dreams Sunshine, your voice is as sweet as could be." The turned around and let out a little cry in surprise as Luna walked up towards her. "Y-your majesty!" Sunshine stuttered before bowing. "What an honor it is to have you in my dream." Luna let out a chuckle before lifting the unicorn's chin up, "you do not need to be so formal. After all, I've only come to tell you of something of great importance." Sunshine's eyes widened, "what is it?" "When you awake, go to the palace where you will meet five others. Do not worry about your parents, I shall tell them to let you go." Sunshine nodded her head rapidly. Even though she tried to hide it, a giant smile formed upon her lips. "I will see you then." the princess said before walking into the curtains. I will need to talk to Celestia about Sunshine, for I fear her body cannot fully handle this mission. The ground cracked and shook as a pegasus clashed swords with millions of changeling drones. His dark blue coat was covered in scratches and cuts, while his shaggy lime green mane and tail whipped wildly through the wind. "Take that!" the stallion shouted before stabbing a changeling through the throat. His orange eyes sparked with glee as his opponent fell. "A little violent, are we Rain Top?" Suddenly, the scene shifted into a large, grassy valley full of colorful flowers. Rain Top looked at his sword clasped between his teeth and saw that it changed into a peppermint stick, which he swallowed in one bite. "Luna, ya goanna show yer self? Or are we goanna play hide-n-seek?" the pegasus questioned. Princess Luna materialized in front of the stallion, causing him to take a couple of steps back. "Daylight is vastly approaching, so I will make this quick." Luna informed. "A carriage will be by your home were it will bring you to the palace." "Luna, I just wanna thank ya fer visiting my bro. I-it meant a lot to him." Rain Top said before Luna disappeared. A dark brown buck gazed in awe as the rising sun turned the sky into a soft orange hue. He had sharp horns and a muscular build, though his warm almond eyes showed years of hardship and loneliness. "I see you are awake, Redwood." The buck shifted is almond eyes to a certain mare sitting next to him on a fallen log. "You must be Luna." Redwood said. "Indeed I am." the princess replied. "I need you to come with me to the palace which I share with my sister." "Why?" the buck asked. "I will tell you when we get to the palace." Luna answered before getting up. "Come." Redwood looked up at the awaiting princess. His instincts told him to flee, after all, what would a princess need him for? However, he knew that he had no choice. If Luna could easily track him down, what's stopping her from doing it again? Taking a deep breath, Redwood stood up and placed a hoof on Luna's outstretched wing. Then, the buck felt a serge of magic coursing through his body before being teleported.