• Published 13th Sep 2016
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Finding a Place - Battlecat



Moving to Canterlot was supposed give Silver Spark a chance to begin again. So far that hasn't worked out.

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Chapter 33 - With Anger

With Spark’s assistance, I fell asleep in seconds after quickly moving a chiming clock to my bedroom. I returned to awareness in the familiar star-filled void of the Astral Plane. As usual, I was seated in my recliner and Spark was in his chair. Sunset and Twilight’s doors were nearby although both of them were faded out. Everything was exactly as we left it except for one odd detail.

“Spark, did you mean to bring this coffee table back?”

He tapped a hoof to his chin as he examined the cloth covered wooden crate. “No, I had nothing to do with this being here. I thought it was you.”

“That's weird. Why did we forget we wanted to look inside this crate? We discussed how oddly heavy it was back when we moved it in.”

“Pinkie distracted us right after we put it down and I never gave it another thought,” Spark replied, eyeing the box suspiciously. “Not even when it showed up uninvited the first time we tried manipulating our dream.”

“That’s true. I’m beginning to wonder what’s going on with this crate. It’s the only thing in our dreamscape that just showed up. We just hand waved it away as familiarity but there are other things that would make just as much sense.”

“It’s been in every dream we’ve built, except last night when there was a closed portal between us and this crate,” Spark concluded. “We need to find out what this thing is.”

“It’ll have to wait until morning,” I replied. “We'll open it first thing in the morning. Let’s get the doors for the rest of our friends in place before we can check on Fluttershy.”

Spark spread his wings and flew up into the star filled sky. He swooped around the star filled sky and collected our friend’s astral projections one by one. Soon we had a line of doorways sitting there in empty space. Every once in a while I could hear the faint ticking noise of the clock, marking the seconds as they passed. They hadn’t slowed down but at least time was staying steady. All of the doors except for Twilight’s had become fully tangible while we worked. I brushed my hand against the smooth crystals of the doorframe.

“Do you think Twilight’s dream will be accessible when the portal is closed?” I asked Spark.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Spark replied. “For all I know we could wind up in her human counterpart’s dream. I suppose we’ll have to see what happens if the door becomes available. For now, it looks like Fluttershy has fallen asleep and I don't like what I'm seeing.”

Fluttershy's door had gone from being insubstantial to solid while we talked and its actual appearance was worrying, to say the least. It was a simple wooden door with an arched window set into it. The wood was faded, worn and there were scraps of pink paint that look like remnants of a bad sanding job. The only indication I saw that this was truly Fluttershy's door was the faint engraving of three butterflies just below the window.

“Sweet Luna,” I whispered. “The door is a reflection of her soul.”

Spark flew over to the door and laid his hoof on it. “This doesn't look new damage. I think she's been suffering for a long time.”

“I hope we can help her.”

I pushed the door open and the two of us walked into a gloomy pitch dark forest that was Fluttershy’s current dreamscape. There was no moon or stars visible in the sky. The air was damp and chilly as we walked onto the uneven ground. I had only taken a couple steps before tripping on a root hidden in the shadows.

“Bugger, I can’t see a damn thing!” I grumbled.

Spark snorted. “So pony up for pity’s sake! It’s not like you’re stuck in your plain old human form in either world.”

I was embarrassed and didn’t reply while I transformed. The darkness quickly faded revealing Spark standing there watching me with an amused grin on his face. I did my best to glare at him but my stern expression quickly dissolved. I shook my head and tried to come up with some snappy comeback. Before I could, the sound of somebody running through the forest caught our attention.

Fluttershy burst out into the clearing where Spark and I were standing. Her eyes were wide with terror and she was gasping for breath. Her dress and shirt were torn badly and there were scratches on her normally smooth skin where branches had clipped her as she ran from whatever was pursuing her.

It was apparent she hadn’t seen the two of us in the pitch dark forest so I darted over to her before we lost her. A small squeak of terror escaped her lips and her legs locked up sending her tumbling to the ground. The exhaustion of her imagined run had finally caught up to her and her voice was barely audible as she tried to get back up to her feet.

“Don’t hurt me, please. I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have run away.”

“It’s ok, you’re safe now Fluttershy,” I said quietly, kneeling down next to her. “I’m here to protect you. Spark, we need some light!”

My heart nearly broke as she whimpered with terror. Her eyes were wide with dilated pupils that darted back and forth trying to see her pursuer. When the moon came out a moment later her cyan eyes finally focused on my face but her terror didn’t vanish.

“You have to run! Don’t let him hurt you. Just leave me and run!”

“Not while Spark and I draw breath,” I said, gesturing at my partner. “We are here to help you. Who is chasing you?”

It was easy to tell that she wasn’t lucid yet. Her eyes skimmed over Spark, almost like she wasn't even seeing him. Before she could speak, our attention was drawn to the sounds of a large creature stomping through the forest. I stood up to prepare to face whatever was pursuing the first friend I had made in Canterlot. By the time I was on my feet, my short sword and shield were in my hands. My lunar bracers shimmered into existence on my wrists and I was decked out in my breastplate and helm from the fall formal.

I began to step towards the sound with my sword and shield at the ready, wishing there was a bigger space to fight. Somehow, the dream responded to my unspoken wish and the trees seemed to flow backward away from me leaving a wide open clearing. I didn't have time to consider because the monster chasing Fluttershy exploded out of the trees into the clearing.

He was a huge man who stood about a foot taller than me with dark gray skin, black hair and icy blue eyes. His expression was twisted with fury and he was carrying a large club. I had never seen this man before in my life, but it was clear he was prepared to hurt my friend.

He roared with a primal, unthinking fury when it saw me standing between it and Fluttershy. There was no hesitation as he charged towards me with his club raised high. I raised my shield and sword, prepared for his attack. I had to assume this thing was a true nightmare and so I blocked the massive strike from his club with my shield. The impact was so powerful I felt a bolt of pain run up my arm into my shoulder.

“BUCKING HELL!” I screamed, my voice reverberating around the forest as I counterattacked slicing deep into his arm. “You are going down nightmare.”

The creature screeched in pain and jumped back with inhuman speed. It looked at me with surprise but then it bared its teeth at Fluttershy. She curled up into a ball, trying to hide from whatever this beast was. Its voice was gravelly and completely bereft of emotion as he finally spoke.

“You try to defy me again Fluttershy? Naughty girl, actually trying to fight back with your imaginary, tarnished knight. Tell you what, once I rip this wretched figment apart, I'm going to beat you to within an inch of your life.”

“You wish monster,” I snarled at him. “Bring it on.”

It raised its club and took another swing at me. I dodged to one side and slashed my sword across its legs but it didn’t even slow down. With inhuman speed the club switched directions and came smashing in against my breastplate, knocking the wind out of me. I fell to the ground and rolled onto my back; shield prepared to block the next strike. Suddenly he howled with pain and collapsed to the ground on its face next to me. Spark was standing on top of it with something in his hooves pressed deep into its back. It squirmed around on the ground, trying to gain purchase while I walked over. Even as I watched, the creature began to dissolve into ash.

“You aren't tormenting her ever again, nightmare,” I snapped with barely contained rage.

With one last shudder of agony, the nightmare evaporated into black smoke and drifted away. With our opponent gone, Spark’s weapon was finally revealed. He was wearing a pair of purple metal shoes on his front hooves. They were armored, protecting up to his knee. However, each shoe had a vicious pair of foot hooked blades attached on either side of his hood. They looked absolutely deadly and it was now clear how Spark had dispatched that nightmare so quickly.

“Where did you come up with those things?”

“Well I can't exactly carry a sword now, can I?” Spark replied, examining his creation. “These seemed like a good comprise and they worked quite well.”

I shook my head as I turned my attention back to Fluttershy. “Compromise? Those are terrifying . . . and I want a pair. I wonder if I can craft a real set of those for when we're in Equestria.”

"You should make sure it's legal Silver. That thing didn't know you were real, did it?"

I thought for a moment. "No, it didn't. That's probably the only advantage we have right now."

Fluttershy was curled up next to a tree with her eyes scrunched shut. She was whispering the same thing over and over. “Please, don’t kill me, father; I didn’t mean to hurt you. It was just a mistake.”

I sat down next to her, not wanting to put a hand on her. “Fluttershy, I want you to think back to this morning. We were walking into the school and you asked me to do something while you slept.”

She stiffened for a moment and then half uncurled. Her eyes flew open and she stared at me for a moment as comprehension began to flood her face. “ I . . . I asked you to . . . to come help with my nightmares. This is . . . Is this a dream? Oh my goodness Silver, are you ok?”

I sighed with relief when I saw her become lucid. “If this was a true nightmare, I’m going to be feeling those hits in the morning but I’ll be fine. What about you? That wasn't your step-father was it?”

Fluttershy looked away nervously and pulled her knees up against her chest. “I’d rather not say. Please don’t tell anyone what happened.”

“That goes without saying,” I replied, carefully beating down the anger I was feeling. “This is between us alone. Is somebody hurting you in the real world? Did you call him father?”

She looked incredibly uncomfortable and didn’t look at me. “Please, just let it go for now Silver. Thank you for helping me.”

Spark trotted over to Fluttershy and sat down on his haunches in front of her. “Anything for our best friend. Just know that we’ll be here for you here on the Astral Plane or in the physical world. Just let us be there if . . . are you ok Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy’s eyes had grown wide when she finally noticed Spark. The sky was slowly brightening as a smile grew on her face. In mere moments we were sitting in the shade in a grassy forest glade that was illuminated by brilliant sunshine.

“Hello Spark, it's nice to meet you,” she whispered, reaching over to scratch him behind his ear. She giggled when he sighed and scooted over to lay his head down in her lap to enjoy the attention. “He’s reacting just like you said like you said he would Silver. It this is what all the ponies look like?”

Spark's voice was barely audible. “Too relaxed to move or think. Show her Ponyville.”

I nodded and closed my eyes. I focused on bringing my memory of our trip through the portal into my mind and pushed them out into reality, just like we had done for other things.

“Oh, do you have pic . . . tures . . . oh, my.” Fluttershy’s voice trailed off as the world shifted around us.

When I opened my eyes the tree we had been leaning on was replaced by Ponyville's town hall. We were sitting in the middle of my memory of Sunset, Twilight and I walking through town after our massage. Dream versions of the three of us were visible talking with Big Mac at the Apple Family’s booth in the market. Fluttershy’s eyes were wide as she looked around the scene.

“This is where Sunset and I went on Monday,” I said to her quietly. “It's just a memory, they won’t interact with us.”

“They’re all so cute,” Fluttershy gushed, while still scratching Spark’s ears. “They're just like tiny little people and . . . is that Rose and Lily?! And Macintosh? Oh my goodness, they're adorable.”

I hopped up to my feet. “Now that things are under control here, I should check on Sunset. Do you mind if she comes to join us in your dream? I’d like to practice shared dreaming a bit.”

Fluttershy leaned back and smiled while she continued stroking Spark's back. “That sounds nice. If it wasn’t for the cute little ponies, I’d have trouble believing this was a dream. It feels so real.”

“I know the feeling, I'd be having existential meltdowns if it wasn't for Spark,” I replied, bringing envisioning the doorway back to the Astral Plane. I looked down at the puddle of fur that was all that remained of my normally my quirky, energetic brother. “Why don't you wait here while I check on our girlfriend, Spark. I'll stay out of trouble."

“Mmmkay,” he murmured in response. I rolled my eyes and walked out to the Astral Plane. I pushed Sunset's door open carefully, bracing myself to flee if another nightmare had taken hold but everything was quiet. I stepped out of the Astral Plan and through the front door into my living room. A movie was playing, illuminating a surreal scene. Twilight was sitting next to a dream version of me on the couch. They had their arms around each other and I was worried that Sunset was having a nightmare about the trio failing.

That fear quickly subsided when I spotted her, and the sight brought a grin to my face. Sunset Shimmer the Unicorn was sprawled across the two laps gazing at the TV. The dream versions of Twilight and me had their free hands on her side and my girlfriend had a wonderfully content smile on her face.

“Sunset?” I whispered, trying to get her attention.

Her eyes drifted over to me lazily and then her head shot up when she realized who was speaking. She glanced up at the dream version of me and then back at me several times. It only took moments for her eyes to widen with comprehension.

Silver? How did you- . . . Wait . . . this is a dream,” she said, almost instantly becoming lucid. She hopped down and looked herself over before trotting over to me. “Wow, I don't remember the last time I dreamed I was a pony. Umm, sorry about this.”

“I don't see anything wrong. Honestly, this scene looks wonderfully relaxing,” I said smiling. “I was tempted to leave you to your dream but we did have plans. Come on, Fluttershy is waiting for us with Spark in my memory of Ponyville.”

Sunset got onto her hooves and trotted after me. “Really? Is she doing alright?”

“For now,” I replied. “We'll see how badly bruised I am in the morning, but I think I took out a nasty nightmare creature. It wasn’t a parasite either; it was actively hunting and tormenting her.”

“What was it pretending to be?”

“Can't say. She asked me to keep the details to myself. That's a promise I have to keep, as with everything I see in this realm," I replied. I paused a moment before continuing. "In retrospect, I wonder if I even should have told you that much. I'm actually not sure how I'm going to handle bringing someone along if I need help. The whole 'keep it secret' oath makes it pretty sketchy.”

Sunset looked up at me with a serious expression on her face as we walked back into the shared dream. “I can keep a secret just as well as you can. Nobody will hear a word from me.”

“Fair enough. I do trust you but we'll have to discuss that further with our friends at our next gathering. AJ’s birthday is coming up soon.”

Sunset and I walked out of the town hall door and over to where Spark was lounging in Fluttershy’s lap like a pet. Fluttershy looked over at us and blinked a couple times. Her hand went up to her mouth and her eyes again widened in surprise.

“S-S-Sunset?” she stuttered in surprise, staring at the Unicorn.

Sunset laughed as she looked down at herself. “Yes, it’s me Fluttershy. I suppose I should change into something more appropriate.”

Even as she spoke, her body warped like a mirage and a moment later Sunset was standing next to me back in her human form. Fluttershy was absolutely speechless and then let out a disappointed huff of air.

“So what do you want to do tonight?” Sunset asked. “Should we check on our friends?”

I shook my head. “I don’t think my body can handle too many nightmare defeats. Backup is going to be a necessity going forward if every monster winds up being this nasty. How do you like the idea of a new, low-risk experiment?”

Sunset grinned at the prospect. “What did you have in mind?”

“Well, at some point I want to see if I can dreamwalk to Twilight while the portal is closed but I think we should coordinate that. Tonight I was thinking we should begin testing the impact of learning new skills in the dream realm. I’ve got the perfect idea how we can pull it off as well.”

“That sounds fun,” Sunset said cheerfully. “Want to join us Fluttershy?”

“Only if it’s not too much trouble,” she said quietly. “I don’t want to interfere with your dream/date thing.”

“Nonsense,” Sunset said, pulling Fluttershy up to her feet in spite of Spark's protests. “This’ll be fun and we can always use another data point. Where are we going, Silver?”

“We’re going to borrow a series of my memories as a guide for this,” I said, closing my eyes. “Spark, I know you’re a pony at heart but I’m betting you can be human in this realm just as easily. We need another pair of actual hands for this little project.”

“Yeah, I suppose I can contribute,” he said, closing his eyes.

Spark shimmered just like Sunset had and a moment later I had an identical twin standing next to Fluttershy. Sunset looked between the two of us and she blushed quite red. I shook my head, not entirely wanting to know what she had in mind. In the meantime, the town hall doorway had transformed at my will into a modern metal door. I walked over and held it open for the others.

On the other side of the door was a wide open room with wood floors and mirrors lining two walls. There were handrails along another wall and there was a small group of people gathered and chatting like they were waiting for something. Fluttershy and Sunset looked confused as the looked around the room and even more so when they saw a familiar figure in the group nearby.

“Silver, isn’t that you over there?” Fluttershy asked. “You look so young though. Who is that lady with you? Where are we?”

“I call him Memory,” I replied. “Simplistic I suppose but it gets the point across. The lady with him is my mother Swift Strike. A few years ago I took two months of ballroom dancing lessons with her as my partner. The idea is to join the lessons and see how much you two can pick up in the dream world. Spark and I will be your dance partners if like. ”

“Rarity is going to be so jealous when she finds out,” Sunset said gleefully. “So you're going to have Spark be Fluttershy's partner? Do you think we can learn in time for the Winter Ball?”

“We'll take turns. Assuming I can keep dream time stable, we should be able to get through them. It was a total of eight two-hour lessons and the best part is we can repeat them if necessary.”

Fluttershy looked nervously at me. “This sound lovely but are you sure you want me here? Isn’t this for couples?”

“It's also a sport and good exercise,” I replied. “Besides, you are one of my best friends. Close friends can also dance together, right Sunset?”

Fluttershy’s face brightened up with a shy smile. She glanced over at Sunset who was nodding approvingly. Fluttershy took Sparks arm which he had politely proffered and we waited eagerly for the class to begin. Tonight was going to be a night for Fluttershy to remember. I just hoped she would remember this instead of the nightmare when morning finally arrived.


Wednesday, December 7, 2016

I woke up early and without any disorientation at five in the morning. I felt ready to take on the world until I sat up and got a painful reminder of the hazards of dreamwalking. My left arm was aching from the brutal strikes against my shield. I looked down at my arm and winced at the bruises forming where the shield was strapped to my arm.

We need to be smarter about fighting these nightmares or our body is going to break.
I know Spark. We need some strategy that is better than winding up with a bruised arm.
And pulled muscles in my shoulder. I'm going to put some ice on it.
Good plan. Hey, at least the dancing was nice.
Yeah. It's weird remembering dancing with both Sunset and Fluttershy.
The shared memory thing is a bit disconcerting in the morning.
It's a shame we couldn't dance with Twilight.
Dreaming through a portal is a risky prospect we'll have to try another day.

I wandered down the stairs and pulled two ice packs out of the freezer. Once I sat down in my recliner, I put one on my shoulder and the other over my forearm. I grabbed a tennis ball off the coffee table with my right hand and started squeezing idly while I stared out the front window. A light rain was falling and it was still pitch dark outside.

Together, Spark and I pondered the identity of Fluttershy's assailant. At the end, we realized there were three options that sounded reasonable. The first possibility was the Nightmare had fed off Fluttershy's inherent insecurity and created a situation to build more terror. A second possibility was the nightmare feeding off the terrible experience from Halloween. Those two options were manageable with counseling.

The third possibility was much worse and it would be incredibly hard to help her with given my oath. My worry was that her step-father was abusing her. She called her biological father Daddy on the few occasions we had discussed him. Father was the name she used for her step-father whose ire she clearly wanted to avoid. I felt my anger growing as the potential crimes of this so-called parent rolled through my mind.

Is there anything we can do?
We can't tell anybody; you know that.
Could we dig into his dreams for evidence?
It's worthless if Fluttershy won't talk. Our oath applies even to monsters.
I suppose 'I saw it in a dream' won't stand up in court either.
Ya think?
Ugh, it makes my blood boil thinking about what she might be suffering.
Mine too. Just don't take it out on that poor tennis ball.

I opened my eyes and looked at my right hand. The mangled remains of the tennis ball were crushed between my fingers. My joints popped when I released it. I tossed the ruined tennis ball on the end table crate and got up to my feet.

“I need to burn off some energy,” I muttered out loud, getting up to my feet. “I'm going to train.”

With that, I walked to the back door and walked barefoot out into the cold winter rain. The cool rain was refreshing on my aching shoulder and arm. I raised my fists, closed my eyes and began slowly and methodically working through some Tae Kwon Do routines to work the kinks and aches out of my body. The droplets of rain tickled my bare chest and I knew my sweatpants were getting drenched but I just didn't care. I lost all track of time as I moved across the muddy ground and was only drawn out of my near trance when a voice called over from the porch.

“You chose this over a warm bed? You're completely insane Silver.”

I opened my eyes and looked over at the porch. Sunset was standing there wrapped in my bathrobe holding a cup of coffee in both hands. Once I stopped moving, I finally noticed how chilly I was getting.

“Looking a bit muddy there sweetie,” Sunset added shaking her head as she looked at my feet. “You need a shower badly. Why aren't you wearing shoes?”

“I find the cold is quite invigorating,” I replied, stretching out my back and shivering. “Time to wrap this up I suppose.”

She sighed but kept watching me with a small smile on her face. “I wouldn't mind watching you more but we really should get ready for school. This is a good way to start the day but it feels a bit surreal after the night we had.”

I chuckled. “Careful you don't say that around our friends. I doubt four hours of dance lessons in a lucid dream will be their first thought if they overhear you.”

Sunset's laugh was warm and unrestrained when she realized how wrong that could have sounded. I walked over and gave her a quick peck on the lips; there was a hint of the coffee she had been sipping on her breath. Water was running down my face and Sunset pushed me back when a chilly drop of water ran onto her face. She had a grin on her face that didn't fade while I wiped the mud off my feet and walked into the house to go have a shower.

“Can I make something hot for breakfast?” She called up after me as I walked up the stairs. “You're going to need it, aren't you?”

“Go ahead, that sounds awesome,” I called back down. “Whatever you feel up for but something with protein would be preferable. I won't be more than ten minutes.”

I started the shower and stepped into the hot stream of water. My skin was tender from the cold and began to prickle as the heat burned across my head, back, and shoulders. I closed my eyes and just let the water sooth my aching muscles.

That was refreshing but we'd better be careful. It's cold out there.
Agreed. Don't want to get sick. Sunset would kick our butt.
Yeah. You know, it's really nice having someone here.
I agree.

I finished my shower and got dressed before heading downstairs, following the scent of cooking food. Sunset was just finished cooking when I got downstairs. She had made some scrambled eggs and toast for both of us. There was also a cup of coffee waiting for me.

“Thank you Sunset,” I said as I sat down at the table. “Feels weird to not be acting as the host in my own house.”

“I've been here so many nights since we started dating, it felt like time to return the favor,” she replied, sliding a plate over to me.

“Heh, that's true isn't it,” I said, quickly taking a bite of the eggs. “This is delicious by the way.”

“Glad to hear it,” she replied before pausing a moment. “So Silver . . . what’s with the mangled tennis ball on the table in the living room?”

There was something . . .
What is it Spark?
Nothing. Just thought I'd forgotten something.

I put down my fork and rubbed my eyes wearily. “Keeping secrets about what I see in other people’s dreams is going to be a challenge. The ball was an unfortunate victim of me coming to terms with the limits I have to work with.”

“That bad?”

“It could be,” I replied. “I honestly don’t know what to do about what I can’t tell you about.”

“Princess Luna will know,” Sunset replied confidently. “I’ll be she’s run into every situation you can imagine while dreamwalking. ”

“I hope you’re right,” I replied, taking a deep breath and smiling at her.

We dug into the rest of our breakfast, turning our conversation to more mundane things. After breakfast, I ponied up but I couldn’t hold the transformation for as much time as our previous attempts. Sunset theorized that the extended shared dream the previous night had used more of my magic. There was so much more to test and figure out which left Sunset determined to get her lab apparatus set up as soon as possible.


Sunset and I gave Applejack, Applebloom and Pinkie Pie a ride to school that morning. It turned out they had spent the previous evening with two of the Dazzlings. The results were mixed. Pinkie was very excited and bouncing in her seat as she described the events of the evening.

“Hanging out with Sonata was super fun last night,” Pinkie exclaimed. “We made cupcakes and watched a movie! Maude thought she was pretty funny as well. I can’t wait to hang out with her again.”

“Ah wish ah’ could say the same for Adagio,” Applejack grumbled. “She’s a bit of a pill and thought my life was quaint and old fashioned. I didn’t hear her do anything but complain.”

“She was pretty cool,” Applebloom chimed in, looking over at Applejack sheepishly. “Ah know ya told me to stay away but she talked to me while you were feedin’ the horses. She helped me with my history homework and I heard Granny laughing at something she said.”

I chuckled. “Just a word of warning Applebloom: They have a very personal experience that might not match what’s in our textbooks.”

“Ah suppose that makes sense,” Applebloom said. “Is that why she called Henry the VIII an easily manipulated philandering letch? She said the mess he created was the best meal in a hundred years.”

“Ah swear, she’s just trying to cause a ruckus,” Applejack growled. “Let me see that report, Bloom. Ah' don’t want you getting in trouble at school if she fed you a load of hooey. Do you think Rarity had better luck with Aria?”

I exchanged a glance with Sunset while trying to suppress a grin. Pinkie began to giggle hysterically but I could tell Applejack wasn’t amused. Fortunately, it looked like Adagio had actually been sincere in her effort to help with Applebloom’s essay and there wasn’t anything dire that needed fixing. When we arrived at school, Rarity was waiting at the front entrance out of the rain.

“Good morning Lady Belle,” I said in greeting. “How are you today?"

“Sir Spark, I am desolate,” she said in a slightly hysterical voice. “My efforts to reach out to Aria through fashion were a complete failure. She was rude, abrasive, and condescending for the entire time I was attempting to help her. I fear the failing may have been partly my own but she is just so angry!”

Rarity looked around and her eyes focused on Sunset. Her expression darkened as her eyes flickered over her regular outfit and worn out leather jacket. “Clear your schedule Sunset Shimmer! Tonight we are fixing the travesty that is your current wardrobe!”

Sunset was slightly taken aback by Rarity’s slightly crazed reaction. “Well, I suppose if I can make the-”

“I’m not taking no for an answer!” she interrupted, her tone desperate. “Please! I NEED this!”

Sunset walked over and gave Rarity a hug. “I’ll make the time.”

Rarity sniffed quietly. “Thank you, darling. Will you be joining us, Silver?”

I shook my head, feeling slightly irritated. “As much as I would love to, I think I need to see if I can connect with Aria.”

“Wasn’t she the one that zapped ya?” Applejack asked curiously. “You’re not going to do anything foolish are ya?”

“I’m really not eager to repeat that experience but I need to do my part and at least try."


I hadn’t managed to catch up with Aria before lunch and I was a bit frustrated. Earlier in the day, Fluttershy had politely repeated her desire to ignore the events in her nightmare. There was this nagging feeling like I had forgotten something important haunting me as well. It turned out Aria was just hanging out in the upstairs hallway. I had to resist the urge to forcibly drag her to a private room to talk. Instead, I just cleared my throat to get her attention.

“What do you want?” she growled, crossing her arms and glaring at me.

“To see if you're ok and what you're up to later," I said.

Aria rolled her eyes. “This is about that fashion girl, isn't it? Ugh, are you going to lecture me about how I have to be nice to everyone? Your magic friendship bullshit just makes me want to scream.”

She has serious anger issues.
Are they chronic or does she just need to vent?
Only one way to find out.

“Tempting, but no, that's not my thing,” I replied. “I wondering if you wanted to do something after school today."

Aria rolled her eyes. "Sonata and Adagio are already tied up so I might as well."

"Excellent," I said enthusiastically. "Then meet me in the atrium after school and bring your gym clothes.”

She stomped away. Once she was gone, I pulled out my phone and dialed the only person I knew who would have the space I needed. After a couple rings, the phone was answered by a familiar voice.

“Silver? What can I do for you, my boy?”

“Hello Sir, I'm hoping you'll be able to help me out.”


After school, I drove Aria to an unassuming storefront in downtown Canterlot. It was only a block away from Rarity's home and shop which was pretty nice. The windows were still covered in paper and the sign wasn’t up yet but the address was right. I walked up and knocked on the door.

“The door is unlocked, come in!” a muffled voice shouted from inside.

“What is this place?” She asked suspiciously as I began to open the door.

I sighed and held it open for her. “A place you might actually enjoy once it opens. Have a look.”

Aria glanced at me with a raised eyebrow at my words and stepped cautiously inside. I followed her and couldn’t help but smile at the achingly familiar sight. There were stacks of boxes and construction materials along the walls. Shelves and wall hangers were waiting to be installed but the core of the space was ready. The whole ground floor of the building had ten-foot ceilings and was wide open with a line of pillars down the middle. The left side of the divide was covered in a beautiful new wooden gym floor, ideal for swordplay. The other half was covered in thick mats and there were two punching bags hanging in the back of the room. It was twice the size of the old dojo in Manhattan and even unfinished it looked fantastic.

Steel Rain came striding across the room and pulled me into a bear hug. “So glad you could make it Silver! Who is this lovely lady?”

“Sir, this is Aria Blaze, Aria this is my mentor, Steel Rain,” I said.

Steel Rain offered his hand and Aria took it after a moment’s hesitation. She seemed slightly surprised when I mentioned his name but she quickly buried her reaction away. I made a mental note to ask her about it later. Steel Rain didn't notice as he continued shaking her hand warmly.

“A pleasure to meet you,” he said. “Welcome to the soon to be opened Canterlot Martial Arts Academy! Well assuming I don't change the name at the last minute! I’ll be officially opening in January but I'm glad you two want to try out the facilities! Let me know if the floor mats are adequate when you're done, Silver! I have to go run some errands so you two have fun!”

Steel Rain walked out the front door and closed it behind him. I looked over at Aria. “Your reaction to the confrontation with Gilda yesterday was almost exactly what I would have done. The way you cleared your hands yesterday was impressive. Am I correct in assuming you have some martial arts training?”

Aria crossed her arms smirked at me. “Oh, you called it all right. Are you itching for another beatdown already?”

"Who's going to be beating who I wonder," I replied, grinning at her. “I haven't had a good sparring session in ages. Steel Rain is a good partner for sword fighting but I haven't fought hand to hand for over a year. My friends have many skills but martial arts is not one of them.”

“My sisters and I all know how to fight but I am the best by far,” she said without any trace of modesty. “Adagio might be the de facto leader of our group, but when it comes to battles, I take point. They don't like sparring with me for some reason.”

I sat down on one of the benches near the entrance and started taking my shoes off. “You three are really sisters?"

“Not blood sisters; it's a far deeper relationship,” Aria said enigmatically while pulling off her shoes. “Trust me, I wouldn't have tolerated my siblings if they were as off the wall as Sonata. Sister is an adequate word for the relationship. I'm going to the back to get changed.”

I went back to the change room and pulled my Tae Kwon Do uniform out of my bag for the first time in ages. I had cleaned it up and packed it in my sports bag in preparation for helping Steel Rain but I hadn't expected to be using it so soon. I slipped the white uniform on and wrapped the belt twice around my waist before tying it off. The scars on my wrists were visible thanks to the loose sleeves but I did my best to ignore them today. When I looked in the mirror, I was nearly overwhelmed by sorrow. Everything this uniform represented had been taught by my mother.

We keep practicing in her memory Silver.
Because ignoring what they taught us would be a terrible betrayal.

With that brief bit of sadness out of my way, I stepped out of the changing area. Aria wasn't out yet so I began alternating between stretching and bouncing on the slightly spongy padded surface for the martial sparring area. It was a perfect surface for training throws and falls.

“Well I'm glad to see you aren't just full of hot air like most boys,” Aria said in a sharp voice. "A proper black belt and everything."

I turned to face my opponent. Aria had changed into track pants and a t-shirt. I wasn't surprised to see there were subtle hints of muscles coiled under the smooth skin of her arms. I was also relieved to see her arm had completely healed. When I looked back up at her she had a sardonic half smile on her face.

“Like what you see?" she asked, slightly amused. “I wonder how your redhead girlfriend will feel about your wandering eyes. I’ve noticed she has anger issues.”

“I hope it won't bother her,” I said sheepishly while I continued to warm up. “Given the company I'm keeping, I'll be walking into walls and poles if she puts up a ban on looking at other girls. Out of curiosity, do you know Steel Rain? You seemed surprised by his name.”

“Nah, he just has the same name as some pony from back when Equestria was founded,” she replied, shrugging her shoulders. "I never really cared much about history and he died long before my time.”

We warmed up for a few minutes in silence before walking over to get the sparring gear. We strapped on a padded helm and a chest pad to protect ourselves. Even though we were going to be sparring with light contact, accidents could happen. We faced each other in the middle of the mat and I bowed to her. I was surprised to see her returning the bow. We dropped into our respective sparring stances and began to shift around the mat sizing each other up.

“So you know jujitsu,” I noted when I saw her stance. “Any particular reason you chose that style?”

"The better to pin you down with," Aria snapped. “Besides, what makes you think that's all I know? You have no clue how long a thousand years is.”

We exchanged a few light jabs that ended with her failing to get a joint lock on my arm. I responded with a whip kick to her side before stepping back a couple paces. I bounced slightly in my sparring stance to keep myself mobile while I eyed her speculatively.

“So what did Rarity do to get you so riled up anyhow?”

Aria’s expression darkened. “That the fancy dancy crap she wanted me to wear was completely absurd.”

I took a swing at her with my foot which she blocked. I pulled my foot back before she could grapple it. Her foot lashed out right behind the foot she lost which I managed to block. We both back off a few steps, evaluating the other's condition carefully.

“So did you tell her you would prefer something more practical?" I asked. "Rarity was pretty adaptable when she helped me improve my look.”

“No, I didn’t!” Aria snapped.

"Why not?"

Her face suddenly twisted with rage and she charged towards me. “Because I DON’T CARE!”

Her fists were nearly a blur as she unleashed punch after punch towards my chest. Her sudden change in behavior caught me off guard and I was hard pressed to block the flurry of strikes as she began ranting at me.

“None of this matters, don’t you understand!?”

She threw a full power punch at my chest; all plans for a light contact sparring session were out the window. The impact knocked the breath out of me and I stumbled back out of reach of her fists while I tried to regain my balance. She was after me in seconds, her eyes flashing red with rage.

“A thousand years we’ve been stuck in this miserable world trying to scrape up enough magic to do more than survive! If we could just find something powerful we could maybe just maybe end our banishment and finish our mission!"

She was impressively fast, slamming her foot into my side before I could block. I countered with a punch to her chest that sent her stumbling backward. Her eyes narrowed as she was clenching and unclenching her fists reflexively.

“We were about to reclaim our glory but you and your friends stole that from us! We can’t ever go home but at least we would have beaten her! Now we have NOTHING! NO HOPE, NO PURPOSE!”

She sent an unsteady backhand swing at my head which I ducked. I dropped to the ground and swung my leg around to sweep her feet out from under her. She tumbled backward and landed heavily on the mat. Aria laid there for a moment, refusing to even look at me while trying to catch her breath.

“Aria, I don’t pretend to understand what you’ve been through or what you failed,” I said quietly. “You, your sisters and the two princesses are the only individuals I know who were alive to witness what happened all those years ago.”

“You mean the white demon and her little purple minion?” She growled. “There was only one Princess alive when we were banished and she cared for nothing but the needs of her sycophantic followers. She killed her sister and apparently replaced her without hesitation with that- that pretender!”

My hastily planned comforting speech was right out the window as I tried to process her comment. “Twilight? No, I wasn't talking about her, she only became a Princess a few months ago. Hold on a second . . . you think Princess Luna is dead?”

“Princess Luna, Lady of the Night, Astral Guardian and Mistress of the Tides. May she rest in peace,” Aria confirmed in a dead voice. “Slain by her sister, Princess Celestia, the Uncaring Sun, the Solar Tyrant, and Oathbreaker. She splattered her dead sister's visage across the life-giving moon as a show of power after her victory.”

“I don’t know how to tell you this, but Princess Luna is alive and well,” I said as I tried to process this sudden shift in conversation. “I'm pretty sure she's ruling along with Princess Celestia.”

“I call bullshit on that,” Aria snapped. “There’s no way. Just because their counterparts here are a shiny happy family doesn’t mean you know anything about Equestria.”

“Princess Luna is the one teaching me about dreamwalking,” I said quietly. “I saw her in Equestria the night before you and your sisters came back to CHS.”

“I’ll believe it if I ever see it,” She snapped, sitting up abruptly. “Even if it’s true, it doesn’t excuse the atrocities Princess Celestia ordered her followers to visit on everpony who opposed her.”

“What atrocities?” I asked curiously but I immediately regretted that question when I saw the expression on her face.

“NO! Not a chance,” she said, her face going pale. “You want to know about the details of what that monster and her followers did, you try to convince Adagio to fill you in. Or coax it out of the Solar Tyrant herself if you dare. I’ve already remembered more than I care to. Don't you dare ask Sonata about what happened either."

Wait, I thought Luna turned into Nightmare Moon because everyone ignored her night.
Yes Spark, that's what Spike told us on Thanksgiving.
So why is a thousand-year-old Equestrian exile speaking of her in almost reverent terms?
Ummmm . . . I'm not actually sure.

“I'm sorry I pushed you into remembering something traumatic,” I said quietly, feeling terribly guilty. “I swear to Luna I just want to help make things right."

"I doubt you can do anything to help now," she muttered. "Everything that mattered is long gone."

"Maybe but maybe not," I said. "I'll still try."

I stood up and held out my hand to her. She stared at my hand but didn't take it. "What now?"

"You up for sparring a bit more?" I asked. "I was actually quite enjoying myself before I opened my big mouth.”

Aria looked at my hand suspiciously again and then took it. “Fine. I feel a burning need to punch something and you'll suffice. This doesn’t make us square though.”

I kept the relieved smile off my face as I pulled her to her feet. “I know, I'll keep that in mind.”


When 5:30 rolled around, Aria and I were worn out but the effort had paid off in the form of a grudging respect for one another. We had sparred off and on while occasionally switching off to the punching bags for a break. I discovered Aria had learned a wide variety of martial arts from their years traveling our world. She had used her song to get accepted by teachers who wouldn't have considered training a woman. Her extensive experience was barely balanced out by my more focused and recent Tae Kwon Do training. The conversation had been limited to discussing techniques and different arts. My questions about their banishment would have to wait until I knew them better.

We were stretching and winding down from the session when we heard the front door being unlocked. Steel Rain pushed the door open and walked in. Steel Rain looked at Aria and me, noting our red faces and the scuff marks on the floor mats.

“Looks like you two had a good sparring session,” he said approvingly. He pulled out a key and offered it to me. “Before I forget, this is yours, Silver.”

“Why do you get a key?” Aria asked curiously.

“He’ll be one of my assistants when classes start,” Steel Rain replied, looking at Aria while stroking his chin thoughtfully. “You know, I might need a second assistant since Silver won’t be available every evening. Do you think she's qualified, Silver?”

“Extremely as far as hand to hand is concerned,” I replied, glancing over at her. “I’m pretty sure she knows how to handle a blade as well.”

Aria smirked at him though I could tell she was tired. “It’s been a few years since I used a sword but I’ll bet I could give you a run for your money!”

Probably closer to a few decades.

Steel Rain smiled at her enthusiasm. “That’s the spirit! If you’re interested in helping, I'll arrange a proper tryout. It's a paying job and you’ll get a key so you can use the dojo space when it’s closed.”

Luna help her future students.
She might actually do ok If her attitude improves.

Aria nodded at Steel Rain and looked over at me with a wary expression on her face.

“I think I actually enjoyed myself,” she said in a slightly surprised voice. “I didn't think that was possible.”

“That was the best sparring session I've had since I moved to Canterlot,” I replied enthusiastically. "If you want to make this a regular thing, I'm game."

"We'll see," Aria muttered as she pulled the door open and started to walk out but then she paused. "See you tomorrow I guess.”

"Goodnight Aria,” I said. “Give my best to your sisters.”

Aria waved and walked out. Once the door was closed, I faced my mentor. Steel Rain crossed his arms and looked at me expectantly. He didn't say anything, leave it to me to explain why I was still here. I fidgeted nervously under his calm scrutiny while I tried to figure out how to broach this subject.

“Before I go, there’s something I need to tell you about, Sir.”

“Does this have anything to do with how you met all these girls,” Steel Rain asked curiously. “Luna and her sister were reluctant to discuss the circumstances of your new friendships at Thanksgiving. They only told me that the full story was unbelievable and I would have to wait until you were ready to share the story.”

“I appreciate that,” I said. “I can't afford to keep this secret from you, Sir. I'm going to need your help with figuring out how to avoid chopping off my wings when I'm sword fighting."

Steel Rain looked confused by the sudden turn in the conversation. “What wings?”

It was impossible to pass up a line like that and there was no point in hesitating. I summoned the image of Spark forward in my mind's eye and our magic joined. The flow of energy was coming to us more easily with every pony up. I felt my body shifting and I spread my bat wings as soon as they were formed. I began to flap my wings and in moments I was hovering a foot off the ground in front of him.

“These wings, Sir,” I said quietly.

Steel Rain walked over calmly, though his face was slightly pale. He looked over my wings, ears, and eyes carefully before standing back and crossing his arms.

“What the actual hell?” he said in disbelief. “These are real.”

“There’s a lot I need to fill you in on,” I said in a tired voice, as I let the magic go and dropped to the floor. “Before you ask, no I'm not a vampire.”

He opened his mouth and closed it a few times. Then he snorted. “You've been asked that question a lot recently, haven't you? Let's go finish the conversation in comfort.”

I nodded and let him lead me to the back offices where we would finally catch up on the bizarre events that had overtaken my life.


Steel Rain was skeptical about the revelation that magic was real but he got past it quickly. Denial was hard when confronted with physical evidence like my wings. It didn’t take long for his imagination to start running wild with ideas about the three-dimensional nature of fighting while flying. After I'd filled him in on the basics of what happened over the past few months, he sent me on my way so he could ponder the possibilities over a stiff drink. I avoided sharing too many details about the other world. I felt the existence of a world filled with cute ponies might be a bit too much for the first conversation but it would have to be explained someday.

When I got home, I texted Sunset to let her know I was turning in early and that I missed her. She was still out with Rarity and it sounded like they were having a blast. It was a real shame I had missed out on shopping with her but making a connection with Aria was important. There was still a long way to go but the first step could be considered a success even with the near stumble. I worked through my evening routine and crashed into bed early. It was a bit lonely and I wished for a moment I had a way to contact Twilight without Sunset's book. The weekend seemed way too far away.

I closed my eyes and just let myself drift off to sleep.


I came back to awareness sitting in my recliner in the Astral Plane and looked around to get my bearings. Spark was standing on the starry ground in front of me, glaring at the coffee table. His wings were half spread, his fur was standing on end and his face was contorted like he was ready to scream. When he noticed me, he pointed an accusing hoof at the crate.

“Why did we forget about this damn thing?” he snarled. “We stared right at it this morning! What the buck is going on!”

Author's Note:

As of this chapter, the Sirens are officially significant enough to be tagged! I'm fairly happy with how Aria worked out. Adagio is the only character I still have to get a proper feel for but I have some ideas about how she'll fit in.

I have some ideas regarding the origin of the Sirens that I hinted at in this chapter. I have no idea if it's original or not but I have high hopes it will go over well. I think my approach to storytelling is heavily influenced by my years as a DM. I just hope I"m not being too stingy with information.

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