Trickles 2 - Memory Sound

by Glen Gorewood

Threads of Memory Part One

Canterlot Castle - 6 days after Nightmare Night, early afternoon

Princess Luna can’t sleep.
It is hours past daybreak and yet every time she closes her eyes she sees that place. Few know of it, that gateway between here and there. Fewer still know when it opens or why, but those who do know that the day it does so is six days past. Luna is one of those few, and the only one besides possibly Discord who has a connection to the place beyond. Even when she was on the Moon she could sense that the cycle of the gateway stayed the same, opening and closing on one day and night like clockwork. More predictable than the tides themselves.

So why does she keep seeing the gateway when she closes her eyes? Why can’t she sleep? And why, despite her lack of sleep, is she not tired?

“We do not understand.” Luna grumbles into her pillow as yet again she closes her eyes to be faced with that same scene. Those arching branches over the miniature pool of water that seems to stretch back into the archway one moment, only to be but a simple font pool the next.

“Why can we not sleep? What does thou want from us?”

Her voice is tinged with irritation and an underlying tone of worry, and perhaps fear. As Princess of the Moon and Dreams, she is the one to whom visions and the like come when the dark or other realms are involved. She is the one to whom the first vision of Sombra came, and the one to whom the flutter ponies once sent dream messages to. It is she who has the closest connection to the Gateway, for it is her duty to ensure nothing remains in Equestria from the other side after Nightmare Night.

For many things beyond the veil are too monstrous to allow upon the soil of the world of Equis for more than once a year.

Her eyes still shut, she pulls her blankets over her head; encompassing herself in a cocoon of silk and fine fabric that muffle the sounds of the waking world. In a weary voice she half asks, half begs to seemingly the air or some invisible force.

“Why do we see the Gateway when our eyes close? What is the meaning of this constant intrusion upon our rest?”

As if in answer within the vision behind her eyes, a sound fills her ears. A trickling like a silver stream, and on the other side of the archway two great globes of shimmering light appear, the head they are attached to hidden in shadow. Iridescent and mesmerizing to those who are untrained, she watches as four shadows walk towards the globes only to disappear into or beyond the water of the endless gate.

Then to her horror the vision shifts to another pool, this one a mix of silver and deep blue by a silver stone. The trickling sound of water turns into a rush of a river, as from the water a shape emerges. A single limb that ends in clawed hand, made of the same material as the water.

“NO!”

Luna throws the sheets off of her, freeing herself from the blanket cocoon in such haste that she does not even grab the unfortunate fabric in her magic. Her bed a disastrous mess of tussled sheets, Luna tries to calm her panicked breathing as a chill settles over her body. Getting down from her luxurious mattress, she does not even pause before running to the door, yanking it open with such forceful magic that if not for enchantments upon it, the door would have fallen free of its hinges.

Like a midnight blue bolt she races down the halls towards her sisters court, her mind frantic as she puts the pieces of the puzzle together. The reason for her visions the past six days, the reason for her lack of exhaustion. The horrible truth of what is going on, the source of this deviation in the predictable cycle of the gate.

The gate is still open. Something remains in Equestria from the other side.

Her hooves beat a staccato rhythm as she reaches the day court doors from which her sister usually enters. In a rush she grabs them with her magic, throwing them open she bursts into the room. As luck would have it the only ponies there are her sister and her seneschal, both frozen and staring at Luna in shock due to her abrupt entrance and disheveled appearance.

Breathing heavily, the night princess canters over to her counterpart and kin, her sister Princess Celestia. Her eyes fall upon a letter in her sisters magic, and she can’t help but ask a single fateful question. Hoping to have her worst fears nullified, even if deep down she knows the truth.

“Sister, does that letter say anything about missing ponies?”

Celestia’s jaw drops, her mind drifting over the contents of the letter from her beloved student. How could Luna know about that? Stunned, Celestia responds in the closest she can to her usual calming voice.

“Luna, this is a letter from Twilight Sparkle. My beloved student did mention a few missing ponies and...”

Luna interrupts the sun princess, her mind racing as she tosses out one question after another that Celestia answers as quickly as possible.

“Did the letter mention anything melted or dissolved?”

“Yes, a cart and a home of a shaman but..,”

“How long since the incident?”

“Six days but Luna you need to understand there was one..”

“Did traces of the ponies or missing just vanish?”

“Luna how do you know this? My student’s assistant is one of those missing but one pony did manage to..”

“Did they go missing in the Everfree?”

“Well yes, but Luna there was a survivor and she may hold the key to..”

Luna’s eyes widen as her jaw drops, her worst fear realized as the last reply from her sister makes its way into her ears. A thread is connected, a memory of long ago surfaces in her mind, and she realizes what she must do.

“Where is this survivor Tia? Who is it?”

Celestia is stunned by the raw power and fear in her sister Luna’s voice. Something is very wrong, she can sense it. Her sister’s reaction only verifies an unnerving feeling she has had for the last six days. One that was amplified by the letter she holds in her magic. Taking a deep breath she responds.

“The survivor is the zebra shaman Zecora, she is currently living with Twilight Sparkle in the library in Ponyville. They are trying to find out what happened to Spike and three little fillies who went missing. According to the letter Zecora requested her memory of Nightmare Night sealed and Twilight wished for my guidance concerning unsealing it to find out crucial information. All things considered, I was about to send a reply saying that unsealing those memories might be our best chance to find out who was responsible. At the very least it would explain Zecora’s newfound fear of trickling sounds...”

Luna nearly flies across the room, halting right in front of her sisters throne, her eyes wide in fear and dread as she speaks in a voice akin to one whose worst nightmare has been made real. A haunted look grows stronger within her eyes.

“Did you say a fear of tricking water?”

Celestia nods, “Yes it started after Nightmare Night. I was about to send a letter telling Twilight she should unseal the memories. If only to help soothe Zecora’s fears.”

Luna’s mind races as she realizes the truth behind the vision, now confirmed by her sister. In a frantic voice she shouts, “Tia, you must not let this Zecora remember! Twilight Sparkle is in grave danger, as is this survivor! The threads are connected to the memory!”

Celestia stares, confusion written upon her face.
“Luna I don’t understand and what you are talking about? What is going on? You should be sleeping at this hour, please tell me sister, why are you so scared? What has gotten into you?”

The midnight blue alicorn merely stares at her sister, eyes boring into Celestia’s conveying things that words alone cannot. Fear, anxiety, terror, danger, and unspeakable things that haunt the mind. Things that are made clear as Luna speaks.
“Tia, the Gateway is still open. We must go to Twilight Sparkle and this Zecora. We must warn them of the danger they are in, protect them from those that hunt the one that escaped.”

Celestia shudders, sensing something horrible somewhere in Equestria. Something that her sister understands and she does not. For the Gateway to still be open, something powerful must be on the loose or worse, something powerful must have been taken to the other side. Voice quavering, Celestia asks, “Luna, will you tell me what it is that you fear is hunting my student and her friend?”

Luna shakes her head, sorrow and regret visible on her face.
“We, I, cannot tell you dear sister. Not without putting you in danger as well.”

Celestia, her mane like the shimmering dawn, heaves an exhausted and tired sigh. For if her sister cannot tell her, then the matter must indeed be grave. There are things beyond the gateway that she herself fears, for Luna to be scared as well, Celestia cannot fathom what her sister believes may have managed to gain a foothold in this world. Glancing up, she says the words that she both dreads and yet must put all her hope into, for her sake and Twilight’s.

“Very well Luna, I trust you. Go, protect my student and her friend from whatever has remained from the other side of the gate. However promise me one thing.”

Luna backs up, her mind already on what she must do to protect Twilight and Zecora as she replies.
“What Tia?”

Celestia, trying to keep her voice calm but unable to hide the slight quivering in her voice.
“Promise me you will stay as safe as possible Lulu.”

Luna replies in a somber tone, “We, no I, promise to do my best Tia.”

With that she begins to cast the teleportation spell that will take her directly to her royal carriage. In a flash the day court is gone, and she is in the carriage house where her special day transport awaits. A few specially trained bat ponies of her Night Guard turn in shock as she marches forward towards her carriage and barks out orders.

“Lieutenant Night Breeze, Officer Wisp Moon, to my carriage now. Warrant Officer Dusk Lake, call my personal day contingent and tell them to meet us in Ponyville. Hurry!”

The Night Guards burst unto action, with Night Breeze and Wisp Moon attaching themselves to the carriage just as princess Luna gets in and closes the door. Dusk Lake races off, delivering the message to the Dark Day division that they are to dispatch to Ponyville yesterday.

As the carriage takes to the sky towards Ponyville, Luna stares out over Equestria. Her mind drifts towards Twilight Sparkle, a mare she considers a very close friend. One who is in very real danger. The threads of memory connected to the survivor must run deep, and those things must be connected somehow. Closing her eyes, Luna casts a spell of magic sight, one only she is capable of. If she is to stop the worst from happening, she must allow herself to truly see.

Opening her eyes, she can’t help but gasp. For she can see now what she is facing, and the threads in the distance that grow stronger by the minute. “No, Twilight don’t do it. You must not wake the memory the survivor wished you to seal away. You mustn’t let the threads gain more strength.”

As the carriage flies across the land, the princess of the night can only hope that her sisters student will not break the binding on the zebra’s mind before she can arrive. Luna can only hope she isn’t too late. For if she is, the gate will be the least of Equestria’s worries.

Author's Note:

I had to split the chapter into two parts for story reasons.
Luna it seems is very aware of what is going on, but will she make it in time to stop “them”?

Feel free to comment below.

Glen Gorewood

Comments

[Flutternight]

This is getting exciting! I look forward to reading the rest of this.

[Glen Gorewood]

8526390
Thank you, the next chapter will be out later tonight.
I hope you enjoy it.

Glen Gorewood