Acorn thanked us, then tried to help us with teleporting some more, but we didn't make much progress. It was just very tiring. Rarity complained about how tired she was the most, though Trixie said she was the most tired of all, but only once or twice. I think I got better at moving though trees, but nothing really changed. Like usual Sky didn't really say anything. So I knew I went to sleep, but now I was suddenly standing on a hill overlooking a stone maze. Somehow all of it was up in the sky, just like a dream, but this didn't feel quite right for a dream. Luna was suddenly next to me, glaring upward.
"THOU DARE? THIS ONE IS UNDER MINE PROTECTION."
The queen from earlier laughed. "Luna? It's actually true, you are back and whole."
Luna's eyes narrowed. "Princess Chrysalis? You of all ponies should know…"
"Queen now. It's been a while bestest buddy of mine."
"You think making fun of me shall lessen my ire? I will not allow you to attack…"
Again the queen laughed. It was kinda a scary laugh. It was joyful, but strangely harsh considering her silky smooth voice. Then she was in front of us. For some reason she had normal looking blue pony eyes that lightly glowed.
"Why did your eyes change color?"
"What?" she asked, one eyebrow raised
"They were green and slited like Luna's bat ponies earlier, but now they're blue."
Both tall dark mares stared at me.
"I’m sorry." I looked down. "I said something stupid again, didn't I."
"Not even close." Chrysalis laughed again. "Just surprising is all."
"You're not going to let me tell her, are you?" asked Luna
"Of course not. There are various ways I can break the geas, but that isn't one of them. Just asking you to tell isn't remotely reasonable. But I believe you had a point to make."
Luna shook her head. "Of course, how dare you attack…" Then Luna sighed. "This isn't an attack. What's the game here?"
"I don't play mere games. It's a test. By the way, not only can I not tell you the purpose of the test, but if you figure it out and tell her it can invalidate it so for everyone involved keep quiet. It's without a doubt in her best interests if she passes."
Luna glared. "Coming from you that could mean almost anything."
"Ah, but I can't lie about this. A little deception, but no the only negative would be stress. Also how much stress really depends on her."
"So what does she get?" asked Luna
"Power enough to avoid responsibility. Beyond that I can't say. By the way while you're not entirely neutral, both courts will accept your judgement in this case."
Luna's eyes went wide. "As in both fey courts? What is this about?"
"Listen closer next time. Now Fluttershy, are you ready?"
"Uh, no. I think I'll pass." I said
Chrysalis frowned, then blinked. "What?"
"This all sounds scary so I'll just pass. Can you let me out of this not a dream now?"
Chrysalis rolled her eyes. "No. Sadly you don't have a choice but to take this test. I thought you would like taking it in a dream but if you refuse then I'll be forced to cook up something far more complicated in the real world."
"You don't want that." Said Luna "In fact this seems suspiciously strait forward."
"It's not really mine if that's what you're asking. I want to make this as easy as I can."
Luna narrowed her eyes. "Why?"
Chrysalis just smiled.
"Are you sure you can't just let me not take it?" I asked
"Not a chance. Also if I refuse they would just send someone else. The shadowed court tends to be vindictive so he, she, or it would be far worse."
"It?" I shivered a little
"Yes. Come on now, I have two fairly easy tasks and you can leave. The first is to get to the center of the maze."
"Too simple." Said Luna
"What are the rules?" I asked
Chrysalis smiled. "And off to an excellent start already. As you can see there is no ground below the maze. You have to go though the maze, not around the outsides, or above or below it in any sense."
"Still too simple."
"Second rule is you can't alter the maze in any way. By the way Luna you are here to observe so you can't give her any hints."
"Wait, just no hints?" Luna asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes. Third rule there are various obstacles in the maze, but no matter what they say or is otherwise implied the only thing required of you is to reach the center."
"Is that it?" Luna asked. "Just those three?"
Chrysalis nodded.
I smiled. "Oh, well that's really easy."
Then I walked down the hill, into the maze, and through the walls. I didn't alter them at all. I saw a few strange things here and there, including a minotaur that looked like Iron Will with a beard, but I ignored that and just kept walking forward. I then came to a stop in the middle of a circle with no way into it. Luna and a grinning Chrysalis were suddenly next to me. I jumped a bit. Luna was staring at me.
"You know how to manipulate dreams?"
I nodded. "Oh yes. I used to have terrible nightmares, but then my daddy got someone to help me. Like a lot of things his help sorta made it worse at first, but then things got so much better."
"I can't help but notice…" Began Luna looking around. "There is no way in here."
"Of course not." Chrysalis laughed. It was less scary this time "The commonly used loophole is you can get anyone else in the dream to alter the maze for you. The non-loophole way to pass the test is simply to figure out that there is no way to reach the center. Except now there is a third way."
"The second loophole is to alter yourself without changing the maze." Said Luna
"Yes, but I don't think anyone has ever done that." Chrysalis turned to look at me, smiling widely. "Oh what that simple act suggests."
"Uh, yay?"
"Now just one more little test and we're done. Fluttershy, be a dear and return to your own dream, because this construct is really mine."
"Oh, okay." I said
"Fluttershy." Began Luna "I think you should know that to remove yourself from another's dream, even if you were brought unwillingly, is exceedingly…"
Then we were in a beautiful field full of flowers and all sorts of fuzzy little animals. It wasn't fair, but I did love them a little more than animals with scales and feathers and carapaces, and whatnot. Also bugs were so small they were very hard to hug. Well mostly. Most big bugs weren't normal animals anymore and super mean, but that giant caterpillar was nice. Luna stood there blinking for a minute.
"Her attack would have failed."
"Huh?" I asked
"Had that been a real attack it would have failed." Luna's eyes went even wider. "Badly. Fluttershy, your mind is a fortress."
"Oh yes, the unicorns helping me all said things like that, but I really don't think I'm that special. Though I guess if you think so they weren't just being nice."
"We, are really not sure what to make of any of this." Then she shook her head. "Forget that for the moment." She looked down at me, right in the eyes. "Whatever you do, don't trust Chrysalis. The rest of the fey aren't much better, but never her."
"You mean you're not really friends?"
"We, are, I suppose. Technically she leant me some of her army, some of which I have yet to return, but this was when we were…" she sighed, looking away. "The Nightmare."
I gulped. "Oh, so she's not a good pony?"
"It's not that simple. I can't explain more. Thou should never trust anything she says. She seems to like you for whatever reason, and has plans for you so you are in little to no danger. However I may still may be her best friend even after a thousand year absence, but she still would not hesitate to take advantage of me if she could."
"Oh my."
"Yes. She is not all bad, just…" Luna paused. "Endlessly deceptive still seems far too lenient, but I can do no better. The worst part is that she will indeed tell the truth at times, but it's impossible to tell her countless lies from her honesty."
"Uh, this sounds really bad. Maybe you can…"
"You must face this on your own I'm afraid. If you feel you need help go to Wynn. The deer are friends of the fey, but not of them. That has been very useful at times for all involved. If needed, he can protect you."
I smiled. "Thank you Luna."
"Goodbye my little pony. I would wish you sweet dreams, but you need not my help. I had long wondered about that, but now I need not ask."
I smiled and waved. Then she was gone. I then got comfortable and went to sleep in my field. It wasn't my only dream. It was some special dream that never went away. The unicorns helping me had a term for it but I forget what. To me it's just a nice place.