Fictionationality - Equestria

by Spirit Guide

Meeting under the Moon

Spirit was standing on a hill. All around him was a once-lush carpet of green grass, now nothing more than a field of burnt thorns. The skies were an angry orange, clouds floating like smoke through the atmosphere. The air was thick and hard to breath, yet the landscape still felt familiar.

What is this place?

The prophet pony looked around, taking in his surroundings. Nothing looked recognizable until he noticed the large chasm and the vague outline of a building on the other side of it.

Is that..... the Inn?

His heart pounding, Spirit galloped towards the chasm and looked out across it. The building on the other side came into focus. It was an immense structure, but had dozens of cracks in the walls and windows. A large forest stood near the building, the treetops ablaze.

No.

A wave of darkness suddenly swept up around Spirit, concealing everything from him. When it rolled away again, he found himself in a huge underground room with openings leading into halls and corridors on all sides. But despite the room's familiar feel, there was too much Spirit dismayed to find new: huge black marks scarring the walls, fissures lining the stone floor and, worst of all, bodies lying unmoving all about the place.

"No!"

Spirit ran over to the nearest body, a tall male human. His hair was black and a pair of round glasses sat askew on his face. On his forehead was a scar in the shape of a bolt of lightning. A thin wooden stick stuck out loosely from his hand.

"Harry?"

The human's eyelids fluttered, revealing two green almond-shaped eyes. "Six-Thirteen?" he muttered.

"Yes, Harry. It's me."

Harry's half-closed eyes moved up and down Spirit's body. "You've gotten a new form, I see—" He started coughing, laying down flat on the floor.

Spirit quickly lowered himself beside the wheezing wizard. "Harry, what happened here? Why is everyone....."

It took a few seconds before Harry's coughing fit ended and he replied. "Manifestations. I'd never seen so many. And so powerful too.... They came from all directions: sky, ground, horizons. You couldn't breath without there being a manifestation in your face. And the Republicans...." Harry's voice died down.

"What happened?"

"Each and every one of us was overpowered, even our strongest: Inuyasha, Eragon, Percy, Susan... Not even the children were spared. It was just as we always knew.... The manifestations allowed nothing, no one to see through to the end." Harry lifted his gaze to meet Spirit's concerned eyes. "We needed you, 613. You and Avi. Maybe then, the manifestations...." The wizard's eyelids fell shut and his arms went slack.

"No!"

Spirit put his ear to Harry's chest, but heard nothing. He galloped back and forth between the still forms scattered around the chamber, but not a single one had their heart still beating. The Republic was wiped out.

"No... no...."

Everyone he knew. Every friend he had made, every leader of every team, every ally he'd fought alongside. All gone.

No.

Darkness crept into the chamber. It flooded through the doors, leaked out of the walls, it even curled off of the forever-sleeping Republicans. The thick black cloud spread like an everlasting shadow, slowly overtaking Spirit's vision and plunging him into nothingness.

Wait... Nothingness.

Spirit ignited his horn and released a pulse of energy. In an instant, he vanished from the dreamscape and sat bolt upright in Twilight's old bed, a bead of sweat sliding down his face. He quickly looked over at Fang; the dragon was happily snoozing in the basket beside him, mumbling in his sleep.

"No, Pinkie. That's not candy; it's my Pendant, zzzzzzzzz..... Here, take my Digivice instead......."

The prophet smiled. Even in sleep, Fang was in ridiculous situations and dealing with them in equally ridiculous ways. Too bad my problems aren't that simple. Indeed, his dream was strange. Stranger than usual, even. Why in the universes would he envision the Republic being defeated?

Is it an omen? A foreshadowing of things to come? Is it happening right now? Spirit shook off the covers and walked over to the large window overlooking Canterlot. At night, the city shone as brightly as Ponyville did far below, perhaps even more so. Normally, I'd consult with the older Republicans. The ones with knowledge on the matter. But here..... who do I turn to?

A sudden flash of white caught Spirit's attention. He looked toward the castle and saw light flooding out through one of the highest windows out onto a porch. That's Princess Luna's room. What is going on up there?

Spirit suddenly felt a strong force nearby. He waved his horn like a torch and scanned the room, but there was nopony there. What is this presence? he wondered. It feels familiar. Powerful and ancient. Maybe if I reached out...

As though he were baiting a fish, Spirit sent out his magic and grasped for the presence. In an instant, he felt something pull him inwards and Spirit teleported. When the displacement flash faded from his vision, he found himself on a porch overlooking the castle courtyard.

"Target teleport?" he exclaimed. "Who in the worlds could do that?"

"Spirit Guide."

The unicorn spun around at his name and almost bumped into the telescope set up on the balcony. Standing on the inside of the deck, eyes shining in the moonlight, was Princess Luna.

"Princess!" Spirit inclined his head respectfully. "What's going on? How did I get here? I didn't mean to intrude."

Luna held up a hoof. "Hush, Spirit Guide." Her tone wasn't cheery and excitable as it had been earlier. She sounded more serious and stoic. "You must remain calm."

Spirit forced himself still, then took in a breath of the night air. It was surprisingly refreshing and soothed his just-jostled nerves. "Sorry about that, Princess. I get a little... well, disturbed when things happen that I can't make sense of."

"Quite understandable. But I'm afraid you'll have to hold off your confusion and any questions you have, at least for the time being." She turned to reenter her chamber. "Please come in."

Spirit was finding the situation mighty strange, but being the pony he was, he dutifully followed Princess Luna inside. Nothing had changed in the room since his visit earlier that day. Also, she was wearing regalia similar to that of Celestia's, though hers had a more night-based theme. I didn't know she even had anything of that sort, Spirit thought. Why would she be wearing it now?

Luna stopped in the middle of the room and turned to face Spirit. Her expression was calm but grim. "You're wondering why I brought you here at such a late hour, aren't you?" she said.

"Well, it's like this Princess." And he told her about his dream, in rich and painful detail, and how he woke from it to find lights flashing from Luna's chamber.

The Princess frowned slightly. "I'm sorry your dream was the cause of your waking. I often encourage Celestia to get a proper night's sleep myself. The lights, as you may have figured it out, were my attempts to bring you here. And I'm glad that they worked."

"But why do you need me at this late hour, your Highness?" Spirit asked, doing his best not to sound pushy.

Luna walked about and stood parallel to Spirit, looking out at the night sky. "Because I need your help."

Any impatience Spirit had evaporated like rain on hot asphalt. "What is it, Princess?"

The young alicorn was silent for a moment, looking as though she were considering the best way to say what was on her mind. "There is no simple way to say this. It concerns my duties as the Princess of the Night and, by extension, the dream you had."

"Really?"

"As you already know, I have the duty of overseeing the night, which includes raising and lowering the moon. But I also have another duty, one that most ponies no nothing about."

"What is it?"

"Overseeing the dreamscape."

Spirit's eyes widened . "You know about the dreamscape too?"

"Too?" Luna's eyes mirrored Spirit's in size. "Do you mean to say that both of us are familiar with the dreamscape?"

"If we're talking about the same dreamscape, the second world layered on top of reality where the subconscious roosts, then yes."

Princess Luna looked genuinely happy when she heard this. "This is truly good news," she declared, her voice containing some of her daytime joy as well as the grim strength she showed thus far.

"Is it the dreamscape what you need my help for, Princess?" Spirit inquired, curious as to the alicorn's strange mood swings.

"It is indeed, Spirit. And it is there that we shall explain further." Luna turned to face Spirit and lit her horn. "I take it you know how to enter the dreamscape?"

Spirit rubbed his leg. "Well, I did. At least, before I came to Equestria. But back then I had significantly more power and-" He glanced up at his own unicorn horn "-an implement I was more proficient with. I can still summon my staff, but I'm not so sure I could split open a planar doorway with it right now."

"Very well. Then I shall bring you along." Luna raised her horn, which spouted trails of sparks that wound around them. The hum of energy grew louder and louder, the bright sparks filling Spirit's vision. With each flash, he felt his body become lighter, sort of like displacement but on a much more focused level.

She is truly a powerful being, regardless of appearance, Spirit decided.

Raising his own horn, Spirit added what energy he had to the bright aura around himself and Luna. With that extra burst, the Princess's spell was complete. She pointed her horn straight up, fired off a geyser of sparks, and she and Spirit vanished from her chamber with a light ringing sound.

*

When Spirit came to in the dreamscape, he found himself in a scene far different from the one he'd appeared in the first time he came to it in Equestria. A bluish-black expanse was all around him, entire patches varying from sky-blue to obsidian black. Everywhere, stars twinkled like an army of diamonds, sometimes shifting and twinkling but never blinking out. Higher up, hanging like a giant lamp, was the moon.

The sight was so unexpected, Spirit was momentarily lost for words. "Wow."

"You like it?"

Luna's voice echoed from above. Spirit looked up and watched as the blue alicorn emerged from the moon as though it were a doorway. Luna floated down and landed beside him.

"It's beautiful," Spirit answered in awe.

"Thank you. This is what I tried to make Equestria see: the true beauty of the night sky. But only a few found the time in the late hours to look up in wonderment at my work."

"But it wasn't enough to rid you of your jealousy towards Celestia."

"Mmm." Luna began to walk. Spirit followed, staying just a few steps behind the princess. They walked through the starry space for a while before Luna spoke. "So. The manifestations."

"Yes, Princess."

"Does it not surprise you that one had happened into the dreamscape?"

Spirit let the alicorn's words sink in. "Now that you mention it, Princess, the manifestations back in the Republic rarely used the dreamscape at all. After we link a world to us, most of the manifestations appear in the Republic directly, where they're quickly dealt with."

"I see. So they don't use the dreamscape for quick travel. Or anything else."

"What else could they use it for?" Spirit asked, raising a brow.

Luna turned her large eyes on the unicorn. "Disturbing the sleep of every pony in Equestria."

With a loud rush of air, the scenery around them shifted as though they were on a train, blurred colors whooshing past them. When it all stopped, Spirit and Princess Luna found themselves surrounded by doors in every color and style. They stood at the sides and hung in the air, hundreds upon thousands of doorways to G-d knows where.

"What are these, Princess?" Spirit looked about, taking in the change of scenery. "What are all these doors for?"

"These, Spirit Guide, are the entrances to dreams."

"Entrances?" he repeated.

"Yes. As I've told you, I watch and protect the dreams of our subjects. It is with these doorways that I do so. Each one leads to the dreams of an individual pony, and thus I can keep them safe during the hours of my night."

Spirit regarded the alicorn princess, feeling a new appreciation for her and her work. "Overseeing the dreams of all the ponies in Equestria, it must be immensely tiring."

"It is not as difficult as it seems. I don't actually have to walk to each door. But we're getting off topic." Luna led Spirit past dozens of doorways, walking on until they came out into the open expanse of the dreamscape. Spirit turned around to look at the forest of doors.

"Princess Luna," he said, his calm tone wavering "could the manifestations be using the dreamscape to assault ponies through their dreams?"

Luna closed her eyes and nodded. "That appears to be the case. For the last few weeks, since your arrival, I've been noticing their attempts: tears left in the fabrication of the dreamscape, doors to personal dreams literally left open, even scattered pieces of darkness. I'm afraid, Spirit Guide, that they will break into the dreamscape en masse."

Spirit sat down on the star-spangled path, trying to process the thoughts swirling around in his head. "I've been learning about and fighting against the manifestations for as long as I've been the prophet. They keep their basic abilities through their interdimensional travels, things like phasing and flight. More powerful manifestations pose a larger threat, as they can manipulate objects and even living creatures. If they gained the power to get into dreams, I can understand your concern."

"These are enemies that I'm not familiar with, Spirit," Luna said, standing above him and staring out into the distance. "If I am to thwart the manifestations and their attempts to harm ponies through their dreams, I will need assistance."

The Princess gazed down at Spirit, who looked up at her when he realized what it was Luna was asking for. "You mean you want me to help you fight them?" he inquired, making sure he was on the ball. "Here in the dreamscape?"

Luna nodded in confirmation. "Yes. I may be powerful, but I lack the knowledge of our foe. You could certainly help with that."

Spirit stood up and looked around at the endless plane, then back at the dream doors that guarded countless subconscious sanctums. He reached out and probed their vicinity with his magic and was met by a powerful force very much like that of the Time Dimension Space Tunnel, the interdimensional route he knew so well. In fact, if he thought about it just right, the dreamscape felt like home turf. He could do this.

"I guess I can help out," Spirit said at last. "We'll have to start with—"

CRASH

A shattering noise startled Spirit and Luna. They turned towards the source of the sound and saw a two meter purple crevice, free-floating in the air. Directly beneath the crevice was a dark prone form. It lifted its head and two red eyes reflected the light from the dreamscape stars.

A manifestation.

Spirit's pulse went from easygoing to explosive in point-zero seconds. He leapt up and, without a moment's hesitation, fired a beam of magic at the manifestation, catching it in the face. The black pony creature dropped like a bag of rocks.

"Quickly, Princess!" Spirit yelled, already running toward the manifestation. He summoned his staff and floated it at his side, already channeling magic to its crook. Luna was close behind him, flying on her graceful wings. Spirit approached the manifestation and prodded it with the butt of his staff. It didn't move; he had taken it out good and proper.

"Please hold it up, Princess."

Luna levitated the manifestation gingerly, doing her best to hold the creature together. Flecks of darkness dripped off of it. "This beast is one of the most malevolent things I have ever had the displeasure to feel!" Luna exclaimed, hovering the manifestation away.

"I understand how you feel," Spirit said. "I remember the first time I felt a manifestation. It was probably one of the most painful moments of my life back then."

"Then we must get rid of it as soon as possible."

"On it." Spirit looked to the tip of his staff, where his magic had accumulated sufficiently and formed a Seal. This one was in the shape of a gold coin, a drachma. One side was stamped with a tall building topped with a spire, the other bore a horseshoe and the words The Heroes of Olympus.

"The camps would have been the next choice," Spirit murmured.

"Is that one of your Seals, Spirit?" Princess Luna asked, staring at the coin curiously.

"Yes. Although," he added, flipping the coin, "I'm not entirely sure how a coin could contain a spirit of darkness."

"Then... what do we do?"

"Hmm." Spirit's eyes bore into the manifestation in Princess Luna's magical grasp. "Lay him down."

Luna lowered the manifestation onto the 'ground'. Spirit then dropped the drachma on the black creature's head. At once, glowing bronze cables shot impossibly out of the coin and wrapped around the manifestation, turning it into a shining mummy. Luna watched, her eyes wide with amazement, while Spirit fed the Seal with his magic to keep up its work. When the manifestation was completely encased in bronze, Spirit touched his hoof against its wrapped forehead. The cables retracted into the coin, but the manifestation was gone.

"Where'd it go?" Luna wondered, still in awe from the Sealing.

Spirit hefted the drachma. He could feel a muffled aura of darkness radiating from the Seal. "It's in here, all right. Impossibly, but without a doubt."

"Amazing. It's just like you described at dinner."

"Not a very appropriate thing to be talking about at the table, though: Sealing away manifestations of sin. It's bound to give somepony indigestion."

Luna stifled a giggle. The prophet gave her a stony look and the princess burst out laughing, causing Spirit to chuckle along with her. The sound echoed across the dreamscape, as though it were bouncing off high cliffs. Their carefree laughter continued until pulsating slash in the fabrication flared suddenly and caught their attention, at which they both became serious. "What do we do about this?" Luna asked, gesturing to the purple crevice.

"We should be able to close it," Spirit guessed. "Let's see if combining our magic and pushing against the sides works."

"Okay."

The prophet and the princess lit their horns and each took one side of the rift, and then they began to push. At first nothing happened, but gradually the rift began to close, the two sides drawing closer to each other as Spirit and Luna shoved the full weight of their magical might against them. When at last the sides were just a few inches apart, strands of glowing purple energy slipped out of the crevice and, much like a needle and thread, pulled the sides together and sealed the rift.

Spirit sighed and collapsed from exhaustion. He had used a great deal of magic altogether, in Sealing the manifestation and closing the rift it had opened. Luna looked better, though she too seemed droopier than she was earlier. "Well, it worked," Spirit gasped, his chest rising and falling with his ragged breathing. "Wow. I don't remember ever being this tired from overexertion."

Luna lit her horn and walked a full circle around Spirit, her gaze focused on the starry horizons. "I don't sense any more of them," she declared, nudging the stallion into a sitting position. "I should be able to perceive them, now that I've had a taste of what they feel like. This is going to be a night without anymore manifestations."

"That is good to hear." Spirit looked around at the dreamscape, at the nebula-patterned sky and the doors of the subconscious behind them. "What of tomorrow night? And every night after that?"

The Princess sat down before him, crossing her front hooves. "We'll worry about that tomorrow. For now, you should return to sleep. I'm sure we can discuss some details during the day."

"Won't you be too tired for that?"

Luna turned her head away and looked at him from the side. "Believe me, I'm not using as much of my strength as I let on. You, however, must be exhausted after that last feat."

Spirit yawned widely, not attempting to hide it. "I guess."

"Then we'd best return you to Equestria." Luna bowed her head and drew a circle in the air with her horn. A bright white portal opened to her left. "This will take you back to the Twilight's tower, where you should be able to fall back asleep peacefully."

"Much appreciated, Princess."

"It's the least I can do for all the help you're giving me, Spirit Guide."

Spirit picked up the drachma Seal and walked toward the portal, stopping just before it and turning around to look at the Princess of the Night. Luna watched him with her luminous eyes, her smile honest and bright. Thanks to him, she now had the power and the knowledge to safeguard the dreamscape, the domain over which she holds sway, for the good of all Equestria.

It was a good feeling to have had a hoof in it all.

"Goodnight, Princess Luna."

"Goodnight and sleep well, Spirit Guide."

Spirit turned back to the portal and walked through it unchallenged. He felt as though he were falling, first down, then sideways, then as though on an updraft. Finally, he fell down normally into the physical world of Equestria, in the center of the library floor in Twilight's tower. Spirit fell ungracefully on his face.

"Ouch." He sat up and rubbed his muzzle. "That was unfortunate."

Dazed and a bit bruised, Spirit stumbled down the stairs and back to his bed. Fang was still dreaming in the basket bed, now mumbling about washing out the entire Republic by flooding it. With his overnight dreamscape visit with the Princess still fresh in his mind and his closest friend talking as he snoozed, Spirit climbed back into bed and willed himself to sleep.

Author's Note:

There are some things in this story I've been planning for a while and was looking forward to writing. The dreamscape sequence was one of them.
All the dream-related episodes contributed much to my headcanon and all lore relating to the dreamscape I already had. It was a nice addition