Three to Five

by TwilightsmyMare

Interlude: The space between spaces

The night sky shone with a billion stars, Luna looked out smiling as she turned her gaze down to the city below. She closed her eyes letting her mind touch dream after dream, long ago she resented those ponies she now smiled upon, watched over, protected.

A thousand years gave you a lot of time to think and while she had been mostly subjugated by the Miasma she could still think, ponder, regret, agonize and sink into madness... But that didn't happen... While the nightmare raged against her imprisonment a piece of her, a tiny piece still reached across the vast distance to touch the sleeping minds of the ponies. She wasn't able to interact with them and they never knew she was there but she saw, saw them grow, struggle, fall and get up.

And through them she saw her sister, through their eyes... Regal, powerful, perfect and serene... But even though they couldn't see it she could, that she was cracked, damaged... By her, the weight of a kingdom. She made a promise to herself then, no matter how long it took she would make it up to her, to them all once she was free...

She liked to think she'd made strides in that direction, through the night court, friends she'd made but mostly in the Dream. Even those few she revealed herself to few remembered but that didn't matter to her, she just wanted to help.

Tonight, however she had other plans, a quick pass over the dreamers and the night court closed. Tonight, she and Discord would try to expand the Dream. Her father had first taught her about the Dream, showed her it's beauty. While she knew, the Dream encompassed the whole world and every creature on it she could only touch those within Equestria. The Crystal Empire and even a few pony settlements on the border were beyond her reach, tonight she hoped to remedy that.

She could control the Dream, change it but there was still so much she didn't know, her father had barely begun her training before... She frowned shaking her head, no time to dwell. Tonight, I expand on your domain father, you and mothers dream... She took a deep breath turning back into her chambers the scene there bringing her smile back.

Her precious little god-child, her sister Scootaloo and her friends Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom all together on their large bed Discord with them, the girls snuggled together another long day of exploring the castle driving the staff nuts. And her beloved curled around them, not quite touching, not snuggling, just watching them until she entered then looked up to her with a grin.

"Finally, a little peace and quiet."

"Hardly your style at all dear one."

"Yes well... I suppose my time as a rock must have influenced me a bit." He chuckled stopping as he saw her face fall. "No, no..." He pulled her onto the bed across from him looking her in the eyes. "Not your fault, my fault. Never think otherwise." He smiled softly kissing her.

"But we..."

"Nope." He interrupted kissing her again.

"But you..."

"Nope." He repeated.

"You’re so infuriating sometimes!" She grumped.

"That’s why you love me..." He chuckled.

"Hmm... Maybe." She giggled sticking her tongue out. "But enough teasing, let’s get to work."

"As you wish..."

They settled down closing their eyes, their breathing slowed as time seemed to stop. They opened their eyes and they were on the very boundary of her influence in the Dream. She, Discord, a foal and three young fillies...

"What?! Luna, we are here at the edge of our world to try to expand what your father made, expending huge amounts of energy and power and you brought them?!" He accused trying to ignore the foal determinedly climbing his paw.

"Aww, you’re worried about them. I told you they'd grow on you..."

"Like a fungus..." He muttered.

"Their perfectly safe here, you or I can send them back in an instant. Your just being overprotective, and I love it." She giggled, the girls along with her.

He blushed slightly. "Hardly, more concerned that they'll distract us or knock over a vase that breaks the Dreaming..." Looking over he could see the condescending smirk on his beloved's face, three angelically grinning fillies not to mention the little foal now somehow nestled in his arms and he knew he was beaten. "Fine." He gave Star a kiss on the forehead putting her gently down. "But you listen to Luna or I, what we say goes understand?"

"Yes, uncle Discord!" The girls echoed.

"Yes, unca Cord!" Star beamed happy to be included.

"Just sit quietly and watch for now, or its back to sleep with you."

Surprisingly they did just that as he and Luna turned to examine the boundary.

"Shall we give it a small push?"

"Y... Yes." She was a bit nervous now that it came down to it, they'd talked about it, thought up scenarios and surveyed every last bit of the boundary. But now they were finally ready to take action, her fears and worries seemed magnified but with her beloved by her side... She'd endure.

Together they gathered their magic and will, force of will being just as if not more important than their magical prowess here. And they pushed, not with their bodies but minds. Gently first then increasing and increasing until the boundary moved ever so slightly.

"It moved!" She squealed jumping with excitement buoyed by the cheers from behind her and the fact it hadn’t just snapped back when she broke her concentration.

"It's a start." Discord smirked giving her a squeeze. "Strange though... This energy we're struggling against feels so familiar..."

"You’re right, I just can't pinpoint it..."

"No matter, ready to try again?"

"You bet!"

Again, they focused, pushing, pushing until again the boundary moved slightly but this time they kept the pressure on and bit by bit it moved. Their excitement was palpable, they could feel the boundary expanding across Equestria, they might have pushed only a few hooves distance but that was multiplied across the land when suddenly their progress stopped dead.

"Ugh!" They collapsed together.

"What was that?"

"Just temporary, maybe we were telling ourselves it was time to take a break?" Discord smiled stretching out and immediately getting pounced by Star and the three girls.

A flurry of tickling and wrestling quickly followed Luna being pulled in until they all collapsed, tired out for the moment.

After a few minutes, they arose ready to do battle again, they focused and began to push, push and push... But to no avail, the boundary didn't budge. They pushed harder funneling more and more of their magic, determination and will but nothing...

Even in this place such excursions took their toll, they were both gasping for air, hardly necessary here but back at their bodies... Sweat poured off them again not so much a product of their excursions in this place but it did affect their physical bodies.

Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Star pushed against the boundary with all their might while Apple Bloom tried her apple bucking training against it the four of them bringing smiles back to Luna and Discords faces, but still it didn't budge.

"What exactly are you doing?"

They'd been so focused on the boundary they'd seen nothing beyond it, surprised they fell back concentration broken staring up at the being on the other side, it appeared human which was strange enough, extremely tall nearly seven feet but very thin. White skin, messy black hair and plain black robes, most strange were his eyes pools of shadow sparkling stars in the middle.

"Are you a human?" Scootaloo asked staring up at him.

"Girls!" Luna and Discord both intoned spells to send them back to their normal dreams from here but his eyes flashed and the girls didn't disappear.

"Hmm..." He looked down at himself then to them his form shifting finally settling into a pitch black Alicorn with a flowing silver mane and tail his eyes the same as before. "Sorry, I forget on occasion. Now why are you here?"

"Woow..." All four girls gawked at him heedless of Discord pulling them away Luna quickly putting herself between them.

"This is my realm, what are you doing here?"

"Your...?" He looked around seeming to notice the boundary finally. "Interesting, I wonder who taught you that...?" He whispered.

"Who are you?" Apple Bloom asked peeking over Discords tail.

"I am Dream, Morpheus, many other names to others. But Dream is who and what I am, I rule the Dreaming on this world and countless others..."

"What?! But my father..." Luna gasped.

"Your father?"

"Night Sky..." She whispered, saying her parents’ names still hurt sometimes.

"Night... Ah, yes. It's been some time, how is he?"

Luna looked up her eyes wide. "Gone... For a long time..."

"Killed by humans!" Discord growled somehow able to cover each of the girl’s ears.

"Hey!"

"Humans...? How would they even come here...? Well, they’re always managing something they shouldn't." Without a pause, he walked through the boundary nodding to her. "I remember him now, an age ago when he came to this place seeking a home... With another..."

"My mother..." She sobbed tears falling though he seemed not to notice.

"Hey!" Scootaloo shouted again struggling out of Discords grasp rushing up to stand defiantly before Luna. "You’re making aunt Luna cry you big jerk!"

"Hmm?" He looked down at her then to Luna his gaze softening somewhat. "I see, her too. My condolences, unfortunate. While the dream realm is mine and always has been there have always been those who can affect it either by natural talent or long study. Your father was one such, we met when he came here even fought so long ago. He thinking me an invader and I him..." He chuckled with a small smile. "In the end, he did concede but only just, still he impressed me. So, we began talking, it was nice to have someone to talk to... After many conversations spawning a few years I agreed to let him oversee this world, to take care of his tribes. A task it seems that has fallen to you, but what I'm not sure of is why you've constrained yourself this way?"

"Constrained?! We've been trying our hardest to expand this..." Discord growled.

"Restricted myself...? I don't know what you mean..."

"The dreamscape of this world is yours to control, surely your father told..." He stopped perhaps seeing the anguish in her face. "His passing was that swift then... These is no true barrier here." He again passed through looking back.

"We can see it! Just because you can pass..." Discord grumped.

"This, like everything here is all created from the Dream and as such has no effect on me, but for its unwitting creator..." He gestured towards Luna. "And her friends it's as real as you make it, and in a struggle against yourself that you don't even know you’re in you can't triumph, no matter your assistance..." He nodded to Discord and the three fillies and foal watching wide eyed. "Best of luck, I'm sure we will meet again..." And just like that he was gone.

"What was that Luna? Did you know...?"

"No... Father never mentioned, we were so young..." She muttered walking up to the boundary everyone following. "Is this really my doing...?"

"I hardly think we can trust that, that... Whatever he was."

Luna smirked leaning against him. "A term more often used to characterize you beloved... Though this is my realm made for us, or I suppose bartered for by my father before his passing..." She sniffed then gasped immediately feeling a small pair of forelegs wrap around hers quickly followed by three more. She laughed kneeling down and gathering them in with her wings for a hug. "Thank you..." She whispered wiping a tear away. "Since then and my imprisonment it's felt different here, not how I remember it. I've tried to change things..."

"And you have auntie Luna! Right?" Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom and Star all nodded in agreement with Scootaloo.

"Maybe, but perhaps I could have done so much more! My own fears and insecurity’s holding me back...? Holding us all back? Well no more!" She stood up confidently striding to the boundary striking out with her forehoof only to have it stop against it. "What? But I..."

Discord was already by her side catching her forehoof before it fell pressing it gently against the barrier. "Remember, remember your father Night Sky... Everything he taught you, all three of us. Your mother, Solar Wind... Their love for you..."

"All three of us..." She whispered with a small smile nuzzling against him closing her eyes and letting herself relax smirking at the insistent pushing on her side and puling on her mane as a determined little foal climbed up her side with her sisters help.

"Careful Scootaloo, you'll push her over..." Sweetie Belle warned.

Another small shove and she could feel Stars little hooves on her back, she sighed opening her eyes. "Girls I'm... What?" All three fillies were staring down at her leg, looking down herself she stiffened finding her foreleg having slipped from Discords grasp while her mind wandered had fallen across the boundary! Ever curious Star reared upon her back trying to reach out and touch but went too far overreaching and tipping over.

There was no danger, even awake a fall that far would only end in a scrape or two that would need a kiss and band-aid. Here she couldn't be hurt by such things at all but she didn't think of that she just reacted, side-stepping to keep her centered on her back and stable ending up half in, half out of the boundary. Her eyes went wide as tiny cracks began forming across its surface quickly spreading in all directions until it disintegrated into tiny fragments each disappearing before they could hit the ground. "It was me..."

The world fell apart, bit by bit reforming into a familiar scene. Fluffy clouds and a sky full of stars...

"Woww..." The girls gasped staring up.

Luna herself looked up feeling Discord put his arm around her. "So many... Finally..."

Together they sat a moment looking up to the stars the girls fading away joining them leaving the two of them alone.

"So... What now?"

"Now beloved, the real work begins..." Luna grinned.

Author's Note:

A bit of explanation for those unfamiliar with the DC universes Endless. Recently I was prompted to dig out my old Sandman comics which I haven't read in ages and I felt he quite possibly might have a hand in the Pony dreamscape. However just a small indulgence for me, it won't become a major part of the story.
Oh... Ahem, the Endless is property of DCcomics as My Little Pony is property of Hasbro ect, ect...
As always so sorry I'm so slow lol I'll keep plodding along though not to worry, thanks for your patience and as always thanks for reading!

Comments

[Dan50]

They made their way to the human world?

[TwilightsmyMare]

7878665 Not quite, Dream has domain across all worlds, boundaries and even dimensions.