Gunsmoke

by Wanderer D

Chapter 28: Vision

They looked like stars.

Golden, distant, ephemeral and short-lived stars, falling slowly—almost like snowflakes—in the absolute darkness and silence that enveloped everything. They fell, unhindered, until they touched... a surface far below, some sort of equally black liquid. Each golden flake creating ripples in the darkness before fading out completely.

Luna floated in the darkness, and much like her shared dreams with Princess Luna, the emptiness around her felt like warm velvet, enveloping her in a comforting mantle of darkness, the specks flowing around her. She tried to speak, but no words came... no sound seemed able to break through that veil of silence that encompassed the universe around her. The only sound was a distant, muted rustling, like snow falling.

She wasn't afraid. She was alone and yet... she looked at the golden lights. She wasn't. She knew. Each light flake was full of life, somehow. Possibilities, eternity, warmth... so much so, that despite the blinding darkness she felt welcome and safe.

Each ripple far below her was like silent voices speaking just beyond her senses' ability to understand them. And yet, each voice echoed somehow within her, as if the unknown words were meant for her to carry them beyond this impossibly beautiful place.

Slowly, she drifted down, naked and exposed. Enveloped and protected. Her hair floated behind her, ethereal, creating river-like ripples in the lights as she dove deeper and deeper, closer and still so far away from the surface where the lights would ripple.

And the closer she was to it, the more she felt there was something beyond the lights, beyond the darkness.

As if commanded by this realization, she stopped sinking, and slowly started floating back. She was being somehow pulled away despite her desire to remain. The final lights fell, outside of her grasp as she was pulled further and further away, until there were no more falling around her.

The lights became smaller and she realized she was so far now she could see the shape of the surface where the lights were actually falling into and causing that muted, rustling sound. It looked like... an egg of some sort, made of now-tiny flakes of light falling continuously inside of its invisible shell.

But there was something else. Something she could start to make out now that she was being pulled away even farther than before. Something was around the egg, she couldn't make it out yet, but she could somehow sense that it was protecting it.

She finally saw what it was, and her eyes widened. She tried to speak again, to give voice to the vision she was witnessing. Something so big, and all encompassing that she needed to name it, somehow, but the silence remained despite her best efforts.

Luna shook awake, gasping as she pushed up and stared at Sunset, lying undisturbed in front of her.

Her lover remained the same: same beeping from the machine; same IV drop, oxygen pump pressing and decompressing, helping her breathe.

With a shuddering breath, Luna looked at the clock, blinking when she noticed the time. It was early in the morning. The last day her lover would remain in this world. She gulped and looked back to Sunset.

What did her vision mean? Was it simply a dream? Could she just be holding onto false hope in an effort to fight the pain? She reached down, softly tracing Sunset's arm with the tips of her fingers. What did it mean?

A knock on the door made her look up, noticing Twilight Sparkle and Lemon Zest both standing there, looking at her with unsure smiles.

"I'm sorry, Vice-Principal," Twilight said, "we were going to keep Sunset company while the competitions were going on. We didn't know you were here."

"N-no, no problem," Luna stammered, clearing her throat and shaking her head. She pushed back and stood slowly. "I should get ready... eat some food, log in for Surgeon's meeting..."

"We'll make sure she watches the event," Twilight promised with a sad smile. "I convinced the nurses to bring another TV, we'll put the match on that one, and the music festival on the other TV, so she won't miss anything."

Luna nodded, standing up and straightening her clothes as best possible. Her mind was still going back to her dream. "Thank you girls, take care of her... I'll make her proud, and I'm sure the Rainbooms will too," she said, making her way to the door.

"Good luck!" Twilight called as Luna walked out of the room, but Luna didn't hear her.

She stopped and slid her hand into her purse, searching with her fingers until they brushed against the surface of Princess Luna's clasp. Was it really just a dream? Could things simply be dreams where magic was involved?

She didn't want to believe so. But there was only one way to find out for sure.

She hurried out of the hospital with renewed vigor. She only had a few hours before she had to be online, and those few hours would have to be enough.

"Dashie, we should practice a little," Pinkie Pie said, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Don't you want to do well in the competition?"

Rainbow Dash sighed, lifting her head from her knees and looking up at her friend. "Of course I do," she said after a moment. "I just... well, you know."

Pinkie nodded. Then frowned. "Wait, no, I don't."

"Pinkie..." Rainbow Dash groaned. "You know that I wanted the concert to be my apology to Sunset. Now I can't do that!"

"Yeah... but now it's super-duper-ultra-awesomely-important that you do it!" Pinkie insisted. "She's going to hear it!"

"She's gone, Pinkie!" Rainbow snapped. "Let it be! I'll be fine when our turn comes." She turned away and started strumming her guitar, clearly in no mood to continue the conversation.

Pinkie cringed and walked away slowly, joining the other girls. "Dashie really doesn't want to talk, I couldn't even get her to smile a little," she said despondently.

Rarity patted her shoulder. "There, there, darling. It's not your fault. She is dealing with guilt herself, but she'll come around."

"Ah sure hope so," Applejack said with a sigh. "Ah know they were not on good terms for most of what happened, but Sunset and Rainbow are friends. Ah know Sunset wouldn't want her to feel responsible, or miserable."

"R-Rainbow Dash has always tried to protect her friends," Fluttershy said, carefully measuring her words. "I think she does blame herself for not being able to protect Sunset."

"But what could she have done?" Applejack asked, sighing and scratching the back of her head. "What could any of us have done? What happened with those monsters ain't normal, even by Canterlot High standards."

"We all need to be there for her," Rarity stated firmly. "I know it goes without saying that none of us will walk away in her moment of need, but we need to make sure she knows that."

The others nodded.

"Ah want to make sure she's okay," Applejack said to the others. "We're goin' to be hittin' the stage pretty soon."

"Applejack!" Rarity gasped. "I can't believe you're more interested in winning than—" She stopped when Applejack raised her hand.

"It's not that Ah'm here to win and nothin' else, but after this group, it's the Shadowbolts's turn, and after the Shadowbolts, it's ours." She looked around. "Now, I don't know about y'all, but Ah'd rather not go out there with one of us not feelin' 100%. Not because we might lose, but because we owe it to ourselves to put our friends' health first and foremost," she explained. "Rainbow Dash shouldn't go out there if Sunset's absence is only goin' to hit her harder. Or at least that's how I look at it."

"I see." Rarity sighed. "I'm sorry Applejack, I spoke without thinking. But how can we cheer her up? We all know what she wanted this to... to mean for her and Sunset."

Applejack sighed. "Ah don't know. Ah just don't want her to make things worse for herself."

Princess Twilight Sparkle glanced forlornly at her desk, where scrolls of magical theory mingled with scrolls of applied theory of magic and modern, non-Equestrian technology. It was to be a crowning achievement; a thesis beyond what Starswirl himself had achieved. It was to encompass the knowledge of three Princesses, two former students of Celestia—and more recently—her royal sister, Luna as well as technomancer-of-sorts and princess counterpart, Science Twilight. It would encompass not one, but three universes... Equestria, Earth and GGO... with the possibility of all the other possible universes that could be accessed with the FullDive technology.

It was to be a project of friends, for friends and science and magic.

Twilight closed her eyes. She wouldn't give up on the project... she wouldn't do that to Sunset and the others, but perhaps... perhaps that should wait. She slowly began rolling the scrolls together and organizing them, making sure each was stacked properly so that if... or rather when... she got back to it, she wouldn't have a hard time sorting it out.

A humming behind her made her stop and glance at the mirror, which had started vibrating. Surprised, she stepped back just as a familiar-looking unicorn emerged through it, rolling head over hooves, only to slide to a stop right before her.

Twilight blinked, and helped the struggling mare up. It took her a moment to process what—or rather who—she was holding.

"Vice Principal Luna?!"

"Y-yes," the unicorn Luna gasped, slowly managing to find her balance. "I'm sorry for the sudden visit, Twilight, but something urgent has come up." She took a glance at her body. "I truly do look like my counterpart."

Twilight chuckled nervously. "Except you have no wings, but yes, you could almost pass for Princess Luna herself."

Luna looked over her shoulder and nodded. "So it would seem," she shook her head and turned to regard her. "Twilight, I desperately need to see Princess Luna. I realize this is completely unexpected, but it's urgent and she is the only one that can help me. Please, Twilight," she whispered, placing a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "Help me."

Twilight nodded, eyes narrowing with determination. "No problem, Prin—I mean, Vice Principal. Follow me."

The pair walked out of the study, while Luna tried to come to grips with her new appearance.

Walking on four hooves wasn't a completely new experience for Luna. It brought back memories of playing with her sister, when they were both young and pretending to be different animals—in Luna's case, most often a panther—it was interesting, how the simple act of walking this way evoked sentiments of innocence and brighter days. This time around, she couldn't prowl, or pretend to be a dangerous predator about to capture Celestia, but just like Sunset and Twilight had adapted quickly to walking on two legs, so Luna found herself able to move relatively easily a few seconds later. It almost felt like she was in a game, using the AmuSphere with a computer reinterpreting her mental and neuronal commands into the proper motor movements.

The sensory perception was mostly the same: her height felt halved, for one, although it was far more comfortable than her childhood role playing. She had been expecting to feel some sort of phantom fingers, but perhaps the unique physique of Equestria's equines simply replaced her digits with magic.

She soon found herself ushered into a waiting room, presented with a cup of tea—which she was holding up with her hooves without too much effort—and asked to wait as Twilight contacted the other princess.

She put down the cup and touched above her head, bumping her hoof carefully against her horn. She had a horn! It felt shorter and less pointy than Princess Luna's had looked like, but maybe that was a result of not being a princess herself. The fact that she was not an alicorn seemed odd. In a way, she had expected both sides to be fairly consistent, although Sunset had mentioned that she was born a unicorn; not an alicorn. Perhaps whatever requirements for a transformation (if any) their counterparts had completed hadn't had an analogous experience on her side of the mirror.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the return of Twilight Sparkle, who was accompanied by Princess Luna herself.

Luna stood up. "I didn't expect you to return so quickly!"

Princess Luna smiled. "I dared not go too far from the mirror. Wishful thinking kept me close, hoping that my assistance could be needed to somehow return our friend Sunset Shimmer to us." She studied Luna and her smile grew quizzical. "Although perhaps you bear news that make it less wishful and more real?"

"I hope so," Luna replied. "I really hope it's not just me being whimsical but... last night, I dreamt something. I... saw something. I don't even know how to describe it."

Luna frowned. "Fret not, my dear sister. I know ways to share your vision. Come." She turned to face Twilight. "Twilight, please make sure we are not disturbed."

Twilight, whose eyes were shimmering with excitement at possible new magic, slumped. "Can't I watch?"

Princess Luna smirked. "I will show you the spell, but later. It is very important we do this without interruption."

Princess Luna escorted Vice Principal Luna to a bedroom nearby and closed the door behind them.

The latter looked around, taking in how the room was decorated; from the dark purple curtains (they were almost black, but for a little light shining on them), to the hundreds of half-molten candles of all shapes and sizes, mostly ranging in color from deep red to black to white were placed either on tables or silver chandeliers. The large bed's duvet was black, with a half-moon sigil sewn into it, and the pillows were a dark blue, very similar to the hue of her fur and Princess Luna's.

A desk, covered in scrolls and silver clasps, similar—but smaller compared to the one she had obtained—was pushed against a wall right next to the closed balcony doors.

"Is this your room?" Luna asked, blinking. "I thought you lived in Canterlot with your sister?"

Princess Luna smiled, walking up to touch the edge of her desk with a hoof. "Our sister and I do live in Canterlot Castle, indeed. However I have found that living here provides some advantages. I do love my sister, but her former student and I have much in common in the pursuit and study of magic, as well as our interest in our inter-dimensional counterparts and their well-being. That said, it would be unwise to admit that Ponyville holds a soft spot in my heart. This is, after all, the first place I was truly accepted for who I am, and welcomed not only as their ruler, but as Luna and not the Nightmare. Thus, I spend plenty of time as a visitor to Princess Twilight's castle... enough time, apparently, to merit my own room."

Luna grinned. "I'm glad you found a place like this."

Princess Luna nodded, motioning for Luna to make herself comfortable on the bed. "As much as I would love to talk at length about that, sister, I fear we have more urgent matters to attend. Please, relax."

She walked over to the bed and lay on her stomach, facing Luna. "We will induce sleep and focus our oneiric magic to bring forth your vision. We will also channel the dream force into a container, where Twilight Sparkle will be able to study it with us."

Luna shuffled a little uncomfortably as the other mare closed her eyes. "Is this dangerous?"

Princess Luna smirked, not opening her eyes. "Considerably less so than fighting a giant, magical mutating monster with regular weapons."

Luna couldn't help but chuckle. "That does put me at ease. Thank you." She closed her eyes, and took a long, deep breath, letting it out slowly.

"Good, very good," she heard Princess Luna say. "I see that you have learned to meditate. A useful skill not many unicorns bother with in this age. Truly a sad thing, as their focus and understanding of magic would be much improved by the mental discipline. I had feared that I would need to guide you more slowly into the magical field, but you seem to have an innate affinity to it. Let my voice seep through you, Luna. Feel the river of mana that flows through you; that connects you to the source of the universe. Of light. Of darkness. The matter of dreams. The substance of imagination. The surety of illusion."

Slowly, lulled by the voice of the Princess, the darkness in Luna's mind parted to allow a pulsating glow of purple-blue light. Without prompting, she reached for it with invisible appendages. In her mind's eye she saw ephemeral tendrils of a similar glow emerge from herself and intertwine with what she now knew was Luna's magic... and suddenly they were both floating in a very familiar, velvety darkness with sparkling flakes of light flowing and falling around them.

"Interesting," Princess Luna said, glancing around with raised eyebrows. "Is this your vision?"

Luna nodded. "Yes... but this is not all. Follow me, Princess."

Luna floated back, with her counterpart following easily. They swam with invisible, mental strokes through the darkness and light, through twirling glowing flakes until they floated so far away they took the shape she had seen before: as if they were in a constant flurry of motion, glistening and glittering within a crystal egg.

"This is amazing," Princess Luna whispered, but followed Luna when she continued floating further and further back until they both could clearly see the form that surrounded the now-tiny egg.

Luna turned to face the Princess, who floated there, wings open and eyes wide, trying to formulate words that wouldn't come. She shook her head, obviously trying to comprehend what they were seeing.

"Please, Princess," Luna begged, drawing the attention of the alicorn—who obviously had to force herself to look away—to herself. "Tell me what this means. How can this be possible?"

Princess Luna shook her head, turning to face the vision of fire, falling stars, novas and darkness that formed the shape of a woman holding the crystal-snow-ball-of-light-like egg against her chest, curved almost into a fetal position around it.

The shape of the face; the calm look on it; the way the hair floated behind her into infinity... it was clear who it was. But, what could it mean?

"Please, Princess," Luna spoke up again. "Is this real? Is that really Sunset Shimmer?"