Somnambulism: Useful
Princess Luna flew swiftly back towards Canterlot, following the train tracks.
It was doubtful, even with her mighty wings, that she would be able to catch the train before it reached Canterlot, but at least she could get there as quickly as possible.
Her face was set in a determined frown. She sped silently through the night sky, the ground flashing by beneath her.
As quickly as she was moving, it was kind of surprising that she spotted the three ponies treading water in the pond below.
Making a quick decision, she circled back around. Flying low over the water, she scooped the three ponies up (all earth ponies, she saw now), and deposited them on the shore.
"Are you alright, my subjects?" said Luna, impatient to resume her flight.
The ponies were understandably surprised by the sudden appearance of, and rescue by, one of the diarchs of Equestria.
"T-thank you, your highness!" said Iron Horse, bowing.
"Yes, t-thank you!" said Daisy.
Lily just fainted.
"Yes, well, you seem to be well..." Luna said, her eyes looking back in the direction of Canterlot, spreading her wings.
"Wait! Princess Luna! Are you chasing the train?!" said Iron Horse.
Luna turned back to face him. "Yes. Did you three come from the train?"
"We jumped. I'm the engineer," he replied.
Luna bit the inside of her cheek, one corner of her mouth turned down into a half-frown. "That bodes ill."
"The situation is... not great," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "But if you do happen to catch the train... my friend is still on board. He's the boilerpony."
Luna was confused. "Why did he not simply jump off with the rest of you?"
"I don't know. He said he had 'something to do,' and told us to jump without him. The train was out of control and picking up speed, I don't see any way he could get off safely."
The Princess nodded. "Very well, I shall look for him. What was his name?"
Iron Horse coughed. "Mubble may..."
Luna cocked her head slightly, "I'm sorry, what was that?"
"Huvvle hays," mumbled the engineer.
Luna furrowed her brow. "One more time?"
"His name is... uh... Shovel Face."
Luna blinked. A single eyebrow raised of its own accord. "Ah."
"Yeah. It's his real name."
Luna coughed. "Very well then, I shall do my utmost to find this... Shovel Face. He sounds like a very brave pony," she finished, diplomatically.
"Thank you, your highness," Iron Horse said, bowing once more.
The Princess nodded back to her subject. And with a sweep of her wings, Luna was off again. “Did… did she have an alligator on her head?” Iron Horse asked Daisy, when the Princess was out of earshot. Daisy nodded.
. . .
Luna hadn't travelled a great distance along the train tracks at all before another sight caught her eyes.
About a hundred-odd ragged-looking ponies were walking along the tracks, back towards Ponyville.
Alighting softly in front of them, the Princess greeted them, “Hail! Are you the passengers of the train? How came you to be walking?”
Flat Cap the conductor, his namesake lost somewhere along the way tonight, stepped forward. “Princess Luna! We had some help getting off the train, your majesty. A green unicorn levitated all of us in a net, and set us down easy as could be, even with how fast the train was going! Most amazing thing I’ve ever seen!”
Luna raised her eyebrows. What Flat Cap was describing was indeed impressive, more so than the earth pony conductor could know.
“That is quite incredible. I am glad you are all alright. Tell me, is there a pony with you, by the name of…” Luna paused, searching for the right tone, “Shovel Face?” she tried, still sounding more… punctilious than she had intended.
“No, he’s not with us, why do you ask?”
“I met up with your engineer further down the tracks.”
“Oh, you saw Iron? Is he okay? Did they get off the train alright?”
“He and the two mares are fine, but he informed me that Shovel Face had stayed behind on the train. Apparently he said he had ‘something to do?’”
“What… really? Shovel Face stayed behind? What has gotten into that pony lately?” Seeing Luna’s confused look, he continued, “Oh, he’s a good pony, don’t get me wrong, but I would have never guessed he’d volunteer to play hero. Just didn’t think he had it in him!”
“Well, hero or not, it seems he and this green unicorn you speak of are in danger. Unfortunately, I don’t see any way I can catch that train.”
“Maybe she can get them off the train the way she got us off?” said one of the passenger ponies.
“I doubt it. Poor mare looked about ready to pass out from what I saw last,” replied Flat Cap.
Luna nodded. She would have expected as much. The kind fine control required for that stunt, not to mention the weight of so many ponies would be a massive drain on a normal unicorns. She must be quite the pony to have pulled that off, Luna thought. Wait a minute…
Turning to Flat Cap, Luna said, “Thou… er… you say she had nearly passed out when you saw her last?”
Flat Cap nodded. “Yep, but what difference does that make?”
Luna smiled. “I think I have an idea.”
. . .
"Congratulations on saving the train, Lyra, you are a true hero!”
"Also, ponies are raving about your recent lyre recital! Your music is world famous!"
"Also, you've mastered painting, and the Canterlot museum wants to display your works!"
"Also, Celestia has personally selected you to lead an expedition of the foremost minds in Equestria to ruins believed to be of human origin!"
"Also, you are now a master gardener!"
"Also, you make the greatest salads!"
"Also, you won the Running of the Leaves!"
Lyra grinned. This was the greatest day of her life. Every crazy thing she had ever tried was paying off. Every fleeting obsession she had had, she had now mastered! Ha! And Bon-Bon had thought that she would never finish what she started!
Speaking of Bon-Bon...
"That's great, everypony, thanks! But where's Bon-Bon? She should be here for this!"
"Who?" said one of the assembled praise-throwing strangers.
Lyra raised her eyebrow. "You know? Bon-Bon? Candy cutie mark? Cream colored? Blue and pink curly mane? Earth pony?"
The ponies in front of her looked confused. "There's nopony here like that," one of them said. "We've never seen anypony like that."
Lyra laughed, "Oh, come on! Bon-Bon's always with me! She's got my back all the time!"
One of the ponies frowned. "No she doesn't. You're all alone up there."
"Come on, where is she?!" Lyra said, a little hotly.
"There is no Bon-Bon. Just you."
The words echoed through her head, and as she looked out over all of her accolades and accomplishments, she felt nothing but emptiness. All of it… it didn't matter without Bon-Bon. She was the one Lyra cared about, not these strangers, not herself. Lyra had accomplished everything she had ever dreamed of, and yet she was still nothing without her. And with all of her dreams fulfilled around her, Lyra started to cry.
"This is very moving. I must admit I am deeply touched. It is rare to see such pure and honest devotion," said a voice from behind Lyra.
Lyra jumped in surprise, and turned. "Princess Luna?" she said quizzically, wiping her eyes quickly.
"Yes, in the flesh. Well, so to speak, anyway. I must apologize for intruding on a private dream. I normally only enter dreams where the dreamer subconsciously allows my presence, such as when a pony seeks help or advice in their dreams. Or to comfort ponies in the throes of terrible nightmares. Nevertheless, I am afraid this is an emergency."
Lyra cocked her head to the side. "I'm dreaming?"
Luna waved her hoof, "Is it not obvious, now that you think about it?"
Lyra looked down at a medal that said "Equestria World Prize for Accomplishment in the Field of Mathematics." "Yes," Lyra nodded, "Yes it is."
"So, if I may cut right to the point? You are unconscious on a speeding, runaway train, that is also on fire. I would like to fix this problem for you."
"That would be great," Lyra agreed, now remembering her dire situation in uncomfortable detail.
“Unfortunately, I will not be able to catch up to the train in time.”
“...That sucks,” Lyra said, unsure how else to respond.
“Verily. But I do have a plan. Tell me, are you a sleepwalker?”
Lyra looked understandably confused. “Huh? No. I pretty much sleep like a rock. I usually wake up in a puddle of drool in the morning.”
“Ah. Unfortunate, that will make this slightly more difficult.”
“What will make what what now?”
“Well, if it’s alright with you… might I borrow your body for a few minutes?”
“Whoa! Whoa whoa whoa! Princess or no, I’m not that kind of-” Lyra waved her forehooves in front of her.
Luna shook her head quickly. “No! No, that isn’t what I… I am literally going to borrow your body,” Luna tried instead, an embarrassed flush tinting her cheeks. “I am going to use this dream to make you sleepwalk, and channel my power through you to try and rescue you.”
“Ohhhh. So I’ll be like… a dream zombie?”
“You… could put it that way, yes.”
Lyra pumped her hoof in the air. “Awesome!”
. . .
“We’re in a bit of a tough spot, miss,” Shovel Face said to the unconscious Lyra. He had been talking to her since she had passed out, hoping that, if she could hear him, it might keep her from getting worse, or maybe even wake her up. “The fire’s almost to the front of our car.” He hadn't had much good news to tell her, though.
She didn’t move, but he was reassured by the steady rise and fall of her side. At least she was breathing. He found himself looking at the ridiculous plastic hat with the "Official Junior Firepony" sticker on it, and in spite of the danger they were in and the seeming hopelessness of their situation, he found himself smiling goofily at that. This sure is some strange kind of pony, he thought.
Then she twitched. Shovel Face jumped back, alarmed by the sudden movement. "M-miss?!"
Lyra didn't reply, but instead climbed jerkily, clumsily, to her feet, swaying unsteadily. The effect was was very similar in appearance to a marionette on strings. Her eyes remained closed, and her breathing was still deep and steady.
"What the-?" Shovel Face said, alarmed by the unnatural movements.
. . .
"Ugh! These controls are terrible! How deep a sleeper are you?" Luna said. She and Lyra were standing in a white void. Luna had summoned out of nowhere a helmet that looked exactly like the top of Lyra's head from the eyes up, and had put it over her own. The unsettling fake Lyra eyes were wide and staring in no particular direction, and were positioned directly over Luna's own eyes.
Lyra shrugged. "Sorry. Just... promise not to damage me or anything, okay, your majesty? Um... please?"
Luna bit her lip in simultaneous frustration and concentration.
. . .
Flat Cap and the passengers gathered nervously around Luna, who had stood motionless with her eyes closed for several minutes, since declaring that she had had an idea.
"What's she doing?" whispered a passenger.
"She's starting to scare me," muttered another.
"Is this normal?" hissed a third, nervously.
"Should we... should we at least take the alligator off her head?" said another passenger, who moved to do so.
Flat Cap put up a hoof, stopping her. "We don't know why it's there, or what she's doing with it. It could be important. We'd best leave it."
The passenger nodded at this bit of sage wisdom.
And the ponies continued to watch, waiting for something to happen.
. . .
The green unicorn blundered face-first into a wall. Shovel Face cocked his head to the side in confusion.
. . .
"Ow!" said Lyra, annoyed. "Watch it, will you?!"
"This isn't easy, you know! It's like trying to steer an elephant with a fake mouse toy on a stick! Ugh!" Luna bit back, defensively, from behind the unsettlingly, eternally staring fake Lyra eyes.
"What do you mean, elephant?! Ow! My butt! Geez! What are you doing?!"
. . .
The odd unicorn stumbled its way towards the burning car ahead of them (bumping into everything in its path), stopping short very unsteadily when it reached the door, and the coupling between the two cars.
Shovel Face didn't know if whatever this thing was could hear him or not, but he said anyway, "Uh... it's no good. The couples have all fused shut from the heat by now, and not even unicorn magic can take 'em apart. We're pretty much stuck."
The unicorn's horn began to glow purple, and the car couple simultaneously lit up with the aura.
"I'm telling you, it's... no... good?"
. . .
"It's working!" Luna said, triumphantly.
Lyra felt warm. "What is? What are you doing?"
"I am going to disconnect the last car."
"What? Wait, that's it? Can't you use your fancy Princess powers to just stop the whole train? Or at least put out the fire, or apply the brakes?"
Luna snorted in annoyance, most of her attention focused on the inside of the Lyra helmet. "I could apply the brakes or put out the fires... if I had anything resembling control, but someone happens to be a deep sleeper. And I could stop the train... but that would require a lot of power."
"So?" Lyra's body felt hot now.
"Trying to funnel that much alicorn magic through a magically exhausted unicorn? Via sleepwalk? Why, I would incinerate you, my little pony."
Lyra's eyes widened. "Actually, your highness... I like your plan, now that I think about it," Lyra lucid dreamed herself a bucket of water, just in case. Not that it was real, but... peace of mind.
"We had suspected you might."
. . .
Luna's power was easily sufficient to wrench the coupling apart, leaving Shovel Face wide-eyed in shock, and leaving their train car to pull away slowly from the burning train. They were saved.
Shovel Face, despite the bizarreness of his fellow passenger, let out a whoop of joy! They were going to live! He had beaten the odds three times tonight! Life was awesome!
. . .
"Thank you, Princess," Lyra said, and Luna was pleased to see that Lyra said this with full eye contact and a smile, rather than a bow. This was indeed an odd and wonderful pony, this Lyra.
"Thou need not... I mean... there is no need. I'm relieved you're safe."
Lyra ran over to the Princess and gave her a big hug. Luna's eyes widened in surprise, but then she smiled and returned it. A very odd pony, indeed. Luna liked odd.
Pulling away from the hug, Luna said, "Well, I must go. There is much still to do tonight, I'm afraid. Take good care of Bon-Bon, Lyra. You two have something special, it seems to me."
"But," said Lyra smiling, "She's usually the one who takes care of me!"
. . .
Luna's eyes came open, and she found herself surrounded by curious ponies. She sighed. Every time I do this, this is how I wake up, she thought, putting a hoof to her face. This knocked Gummy the alligator loose, and he landed on Luna's muzzle, eye-to-eye with her.
Surrounded on all sides by curious, but adoring subjects, Luna let out a surprised and very un-Princess-like shriek.
. . .
Lyra woke up again. For real, this time.
Shovel Face noticed her eyes open. "Miss?" he said, cautiously.
"Name's Lyra," said the unicorn brightly, jumping up and offering him her hoof for a hoofbump. "What's yours?"
"Uh..." he said, reaching his own hoof out to return the gesture, only to be surprised when she wrapped her hoof around his and shook it up and down, rather than simply bump it. Strange pony, indeed. "Well miss... uh... well Lyra, my name is uh... ahem. Shovel Face."
Lyra nodded, not even acknowledging the strangeness of his name. Instead she said, grinning like a maniac, "I was Princess Luna's dream zombie! Isn't that awesome?!"
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Ha! Dream Zombie! Next up, Luna vs. Freddy Kruger.
And more trains! I'll just leave this here.
What kind of situations are we talking about here, Luna?
Luna saves the day but we know who the real hero is in this tale: the gator.
3362230
Wow! That's great! Thanks!
I have no doubt at all that you're right about this. In the example you cite, it was done intentionally, but if you noticed any others that especially that jumped out at you, I'd be more than happy to take a look!
Ha! That is a fantastic phrase.
Thanks very much!
I think the Gummy gag is great. Not much else to say for this chapter, other than, again, a blanket "Awesome!".
3266181
That is... Much better than the last thing I saw involving poinies and trains...
Man. Lyra and Luna are just so, well, Lyra and Luna. I love it.