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Prologue 1: Arrival1,184 words
Prologue 2: Unexpected company1,866 words
Prologue 3: Revelations4,356 words
Chapter 1: Waking Dream931 words

Chapter 1: Waking Dream

Chapter 1

Waking Dream

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"We're what?" Twilight groaned, still wobbly from the blast.

"Thanks to the reaction of your Harmony magic with my Chaos magic, we were thrown into my mind... I think," Trace said. "This place is definitely the Dark World of my time, but something seems off. I just can't put my claw on it." He paced for a few moments, then realization spread across his face.

"Miss Sparkle, what does the ground feel like to you?" The lavender unicorn blinked, then scuffed her hoof across the shale and lava rock, chipping a few brittle pieces off.

"It feels like volcanic rock," she replied, still unsure of what Trace was asking. "Why, what should it feel like?"

"It shouldn't feel like anything if we were just in my memories. It would have the consistency of air, or a cloud." The purple dragon bent over and gripped the black rock. With a heave, he ripped up a large section of ground. Beneath it, gems shined and glimmered from every crack and crevice. Twilight's eyes lit up.

"Wow..." she breathed. "Is all of your world covered in gems?" Trace nodded and grabbed a few. He tossed a ruby into his mouth and chewed it thoroughly, his expression grim.

"How does it taste?" Twilight asked.

"Like a ruby should. A mix between cherry and raspberry." The ancient dragon looked to the horizon. "And that's a big problem." He started walking, motioning for the unicorn to follow. They walked in silence for a minute or two, before Twilight could take it no longer.

"Why does a ruby tasting normal constitue a problem?" Trace looked at her for a moment before trudging on.

"You see, it's like the ground feeling normal. In a memory, you cannot experience any of the senses save for sight and hearing. It's something to do with the way past events get relayed through the mind. If you and I have all five of our senses in tact, it means that we aren't in my head." Twilight breathed a sigh of relief.

"So we can find our way to the World Gate and get home?" Trace shook his head.

"We're still in my memories," he replied slowly. "But somehow, our combined magic gave the memories a body of their own. We effectively created an alternate timeline." Twilight stopped, her jaw hanging loose.

"S-so... what does that mean?" She feared the answer, but had to know.

"It means we, along with your friends and the princesses, are trapped here. Possibly forever." Twilight fell on her rump, tears welling up in her eyes. Trace walked over to her and ran a claw through her mane, whispering words of encouragement. Some time later, she managed to stand again and wiped the wetness off her face.

"So what do we do now?" she asked, clearly still on the verge of tears.

"We move," Trace said simply. "I have to find out why our magic reacted the way it did, and I know exactly how and where to find out." Twilight perked up slightly.

"You do?" Trace nodded and the unicorn smiled, finally recovering from her breakdown. "Well, where are we going then?" Trace turned and pointed to the horizon behind the mare. Her face fell again when she couldn't make out where he was pointing through the gloom and smog.

"It's called the Mount of Beginning. It's where I was born, and at it's foot is the World Gate. It is about two weeks travel from here by air."

"TWO WEEKS?!" Twilight screamed. "What about my friends?! What about the Princesses?" Tears shown on her cheeks again. Trace picked her up and hugged her. Twilight stopped crying and blushed from the contact. Trace's scales were tougher than Spike's, but they radiated a soothing warmth that slowly but surely calmed her down.

"Easy, easy there..." he whispered. "Everything will be okay..." The dragon held her for a moment longer, his eyes closed, before he realized that Twilight had already calmed down. He replaced her on the ground, the slightest hint of pink showing on his face.

"Um well... now then, uh..." Trace stuttered, looking everywhere except at Twilight. "Oh right! The answers all lie at the Mount. From there we can find your friends, and figure out a way out of here, if there is one."

"Well that solves all our problems except one," Twilight said.

"Oh?" Trace raised an eyebrow. "And which would that be?"

"You said 'two weeks by air' earlier. Well I hate to break it to you, but I don't have wings. How would I fly there?" Trace's eyes gleamed mischievously.

"Oh, I thought of that," he said. Before Twilight could begin to back away, the dragon snapped his fingers. With a small puff of purple smoke, the mare found herself on his back. Twilight's eyes widened in fear.

"Wait, no!" she cried. "NonononoNOOOOOOOOOOO!" Her voice was lost as Trace heaved mightily and shot into the sky. Two wing beats and the dragon pulled even with the cloud of soot, soaring just under it.

"HANG ON!" he shouted to the unicorn clutching to his scales for dear life. The dragon leaned forward slightly, then shot off, leaving a twisting trail of purple and black smoke behind him, as well as the fading wails of a distraught Twilight.

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Author's note: WHAT?! THE CHAPTER GOT OUT ON TIME? DESPITE ME BEING IN FLORIDA? WHAT? Yeah, it's a bit shorter than I wanted, but then again it is just a transition chapter. Tune in next time for Chapter 2: The Bright Side of the Dark Side.

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