“What in Tartarus was that all about?” Reaper asked as he sat up unsteadily and shook his head to clear the cobwebs.
Luna chewed her lip: “I do not know. It reminded me in some ways of the vision we shared where Starswirl had been dreaming of me in the past, and I was merely observing it from a distance. I had little control over your dream either, and actually seemed to be caught-up in it.”
She magically retrieved a cup of water from her side table, and sipped at it unsteadily: “I could taste your blood when Nightmare Moon bent down to lick at your wound.”
Reaper furrowed his brow: “Just as I could feel her attentions, even though I was disembodied by that point. I don’t understand.”
“Neither do I,” Luna replied. “It seems we are connected in a way I have never before experienced.”
Reaper rubbed his chin for a moment. A look of comprehension suddenly flashed across his face: “By Celestia’s holy teats--that’s it!”
Luna started, nearly choking on her water: “What?”
“We’re literally connected--half my power is now inside you! When we interact inside a vision or dream, we’re getting all mixed-up. And it doesn’t help that Nightmare Moon clearly continues to exist as some sort of semi-autonomous entity!”
Luna’s ears drooped: “Yes, it appears her presence is still strong within me. I had hoped that part of me had been put to rest, but the events of last week and today say otherwise.”
Reaper stood and began to pace nervously: “Dammit, Luna, if we can’t get this resolved soon, I’m going to have to go into some sort of exile! I can’t keep having my dreams invaded by Nightmare Moon!”
Tears welled in Luna’s eyes: “I know! I, too, am tormented by my inability to control these dark impulses! I thought that resolving the Tantabus would end her influence, but Nightmare Moon persists, and the sudden infusion of your power has strengthened her!”
Reaper rubbed his hoof down his muzzle: “Alright, let’s look at this rationally. You saw the dream and heard the words you-slash-Nightmare Moon spoke.”
Luna nodded: “Your blood is a key. But is that literal, or a metaphor?”
“Probably both,” said Twilight, suddenly emerging from the shadows.
Reaper stumbled backwards in alarm, and sat heavily on a bench.
Twilight grinned at him: “See? I told you it’s creepy!”
“True enough!” he replied. “But what did you mean by ‘both?’”
She walked between Luna and Reaper and settled onto a large cushion: “I think your blood is literally enchanted, and it also represents your incarnated form.”
Luna nodded: “You yourself have used it to get past some of Grey Thorn’s old wards.”
“And it was making the glyphs in the sand glow,” Twilight added.
Luna and Reaper’s eyebrows shot up simultaneously.
“You could see his dream?” Luna asked.
Twilight blushed lightly: “Yes. I was finishing up with an old stallion’s spirit in Fillydelphia, when I was suddenly overtaken by a vision. I had to sit down and let it play out before returning here.”
Reaper nodded slowly: “And baby makes three!”
Twilight opened her mouth to protest, but Reaper cut her off: “No offense, Princess! I simply meant that since the other half of my power resides in you, it makes sense that all three of us would experience my dream, once it had been forced out into the open.”
Luna furrowed her brow: “Twilight--did you feel any sensations from within his vision? For instance, when your dream form rubbed her loins against his?”
Twilight’s faint blush burned a sudden crimson: “N-no! I mean I saw that, but I didn’t experience anything like you two did!”
Luna tapped the book in front of her: “Hmm. You were not originally a part of the dream. I suspect that your appearance was simply an apparition of Nightmare Moon, in much the same way as the otherworldly Aloe was.”
“I guess I can see my blood acting as a spell component,” Reaper said, standing and walking to the side table. “But I’ll have to defer to you spell-casting-types to unravel it further than that.”
“Did either of you get a good look at the glyphs in the sand?” Twilight asked.
Luna nodded: “I assume you believe them to be integral to this puzzle?”
“Yes,” Twilight replied. “They looked like some of the symbols inscribed on the cracked mirror down in Grey Thorn’s chambers.”
Reaper took a swig of cider, and raised an eyebrow: “Sounds like we need to take a little trip downstairs.”
“I agree,” Luna said, “but let us consult first with my sister. I do not wish to go behind her back.”
Twilight nodded: “I don’t think it should be too hard to convince her how important this is. I’ll get her.”
She teleported away with a ‘pop’ and violet flash, as Reaper walked slowly back toward the low couch by Luna’s cushions.
Luna settled slightly, and looked up at Reaper: “So what are we hoping to find by examining Grey Thorn’s mirror? I do not believe it is directly connected to the dreamscape…”
“I don’t know,” he replied, “but I’ll bet you Twilight’s right, and the glyphs on the mirror match the glyphs from my dream for some reason. I doubt it’s random.”
The bright white glow of Celestia’s teleport caught Reaper and Luna’s attention, and they stood to meet her: “Greetings sister! Has Twilight explained our situation?”
Celestia nodded as Twilight emerged from behind her and moved forward to join her companions: “Yes--you believe Reaper’s dream is somehow connected to the second mirror down in Grey Thorn’s lair.”
“Right,” Reaper replied. “Twilight believes my blood has an actual connection to the glyphs on the mirror’s frame. We need to see if she’s right, and if so, what it all means.”
Celestia furrowed her brow: “I’m concerned about anything that has to do with that monster! How do we know it’s safe?”
“I understand,” Reaper agreed, “it is a bit risky, but I’ve been through it; it’s some kind of portal. It leads to a zone similar to my “waiting room.” The real trouble is, we don’t know how it’s connected to my dream.”
“If at all,” Luna added.
“If at all,” Reaper concurred, turning toward Twilight. “But you think there is a connection.”
Twilight nodded: “I saw the glyphs in the sand which matched the ones on the mirror. The dream glyphs responded to your blood. I’m sure there will be some kind of effect on the mirror.”
Celestia looked between the three ponies before her with concern: “Your interactions with Grey Thorn and his creations have led to nothing but trouble for everypony! I’d feel better if the archaeology team and my best spell researchers took the time to thoroughly investigate this artifact first, before any of you risk yourselves further.”
Reaper raised an eyebrow: “The risk lies in waiting, Princess. Already the three of us have felt our interconnectedness growing, and I fear that not only will that get more pronounced, but the longer we wait, the harder it will be to extract my powers from Luna and Twilight.”
He turned toward Twilight and pointed dramatically: “She might be stuck with this burden forever!”
Celestia closed her eyes and sighed: “Very well, but I expect you to report back to both me and the Chief Archaeologist just as soon as you’ve discovered anything--no taking unnecessary chances!”
Luna nodded: “This is why we involved you now, sister--in order to be above-board, and seek your guidance.”
Twilight also nodded as Celestia smiled weakly: “I don’t know much use my guidance will be in this situation--I just want you to stay safe. Enough ponies have been hurt!”
“And we’ll do our best to see to it that no more are hurt going forward,” Reaper replied, stepping closer to Luna.
He looked back and forth between Luna and Twilight: “And now, if you two ladies are ready, let’s head down below and see if we can’t crack Grey Thorn’s blood riddle.”
The room was brightened for a moment by twin flashes, leaving Celestia alone.
“Please don’t do anything rash, little sister…”