The return of the seventh shadow, The Lunar Eclipse

by OnASeaOfDreams

Chapter 1

Stowed away in a local neighbourhood bar and down a lonesome back ally in Canterlot City a young lady sat. The hood of her jacket draped down covering the top half of her face as she nonchalantly stayed in the shadows of the basement watering hole. The dim light of dusk slowly drained from the high set windows as Sunset Shimmer slowly sipped her beer and watched the high set TV as it played the local news.

"Tragedy struck today at are very own Cantrlot High. A small bomb was detonated, and the explosion destroyed their trademark statue," stated the reporter to his non-existing audience; as though in anticipation of that unknown number of viewers watching his every move.

"Behind me lies the broken rubble of the once proud statue of their trademark stallion." The camera panned off the reporter and to the broken remains of the horse statue that had greeted all that stepped foot onto the school grounds.

"The only solace this tragedy provides was that no one was injured in the explosion, but hearts still weigh heavy to the loss of this historic land mark!" The picture quickly turned to Principle Celestia as she gave her rebuttal. Sunset Shimmer turned her head and took another sip from her beer as the interview skipped from person to person in the usual manor.

As Sunset sat listening to the news program her eyes went from focusing on the floor to starring back into herself as time slowed down. Memories took hold, the sounds around her faded, slowing down into a nonexistent and unmoving white noise. She couldn't stop the rampage of images that now flooded her mind, so she simply sat back and let herself remember...

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"Are you sure about this!" Yelled Rainbow dash.

"No I'm not!" Sunset Shimmer hollered back as they ran down the hallway of Canterlot High. "I just Hope the other Twilight got my message."

The two arrived at the statue in the court yard that hide the portal from Canterlot High, into Equestria, there chests heaving and sweet dripping from there brows while they caught their breath. "Do you have it Rainbow?" The Orange haired girl said while ducking behind the statue. "Ya it's right here, but what is it anyhow? Rainbow dash asked while pulling out a small object from her backpack giving it a perplexing look.

"It's an explosive," Starlight Shimmer deadpanned.

"WHAT!" Rainbow dash yelled out while fumbling with the device which nearly slipped through her fingers. "Starlight what on gods green earth do you need with an explosive?"

"Rainbow you were there when our Twilight explained it to us" Starlight coldly satiated.

"Well duh but I don't understand half of what that egghead says." Rainbow remarks while handing the device to Sunset.

"Ok to put it plainly even if the portal gets turned off a sufficient power source can turn it back on. Magical or not! This is the only way to ensure that they can't use the portal to get to Equestria!" With a sigh Sunset Shimmer attached the explosive device to the lower half of the statue, delicately she configuring the timer. Sharing a grim look with Rainbow Dash she turned back to the device and activated it. As if on cue sirens started to blare within audible range.

"Ok time to go." Sunset said as she quickly darted up and ran, Rainbow following closely behind!

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"Sunset Shimmer", a voice announced, braking her from her trance.

"Again if you have any information about Sunset Shimmer's whereabouts please contact your local authorities. She is considered armed and dangerous!" The reporter sternly stated.

Every muscle in Sunsets body clenched and she couldn't control her natural instincts of flight anymore! Standing up sharply she dropped some money on the table settling her bill and hastily excited the bar. The cold dark alley greeted her as she walked toward a carefully selected hideaway on the outskirts of town her and her friends had chosen in advance.

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Twilight Sparkle stirred out of her restful sleep, normally she would of been up earlier but she was doing one of her late night study sessions. She couldn't give up on all the fascinating data she was uncovering about the migratory habits of the Northern rough-winged swallow and to accompany that data she had found the actual recorded mating habits of that exact species! With a bit of help from Fluttershy to ask one of her bird friends she uncovered further details of the migratory ritual that debunked a few older theories.

All this could wait though she had to check on the magical portal that linked Equestria with the human world. Twilight received a message from Sunset Shimmer to turn off the portal two days ago and all attempts to get a answer back to why had went unanswered. She decided that it was a safer idea to shut it down then to wait for a reply. 'Sunset was probably running a few experiments on her side of the portal' Twilight thought to herself!

"Hey Starlight", Twilight shouted seeing her apprentice sluggishly walk out of her room and into the main corridor.

"Oh good morning Twilight." Starlight yawned.

"I was hoping I'd run into you, I'm headed up to reinitialize a rather sensitive piece of equipment and I was hoping that you would accompany me!"

"Oh ok I guess so. As long as it doesn't turn my mane a different colour!"

"No of course not," blushed Twilight.

"Alright because the last time that happened it took almost a week to get it the right shade of purple again!"

Strolling down the hall, proceeding up a long expansive set of stairs, the teacher and pupil communed as their lessons of the day turned more into a hoofs of project. Starlight received information much like a sponge would receive water; wholeheartedly and with a driving persistence that rivalled most of Celesta's school for gifted unicorns. It had occurred to Twilight how only a few short years ago this same unicorn was closed off to everything and everyone. Too turn a one eighty like that, to accept friendship in such a way was never a easy feat and Twilight knew that better then most ponies!

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A week earlier in Canterlot, the Princess of the Sun rested in the royal chambers. Celestria was; as of late; having trouble sleeping and after several nights of restlessness she had became plagued by mysterious dreams that not even she could make sense of. On The third day princess Celestria set the sun as part of her royal duties and went to talk to her sister.

Normally Luna would be up in plenty of time to raise the moon but from time to time Celestria or the royal guard would have to wake her. It was not that the night Princess didn't take her duties seriously but on occasion she would stay up to enjoy breakfast with Celestria. Yesterday being one of those days she didn't find it unusual that Luna was not awake and felt obliged to go wake her herself.

"Luna dear, it is time to raise the moon." Celestria whispered from the still cracked door.

Finding that she was unable to wake her sister she slowly creeped into Luna's quarters to prod and shake her awake, "wake up dear sister, come on wake up!"

"This is not funny Luna! Now wake up!"

She still didn't wake from her deep long slumber. Panic started to grip the diarch of the sun, Celestria's heart began to race, in a loud, broken and worried voice she began to shout at the unmoving mare. "LUNA thIS IS NOt fuunnnY WAKKE UP, wake uP... Please W A K E up!!!! Luna?" Her gentle prods turn into violent shakes before the solar princess fell to her knees and broke down into uncontrollable tears!

"Luna please wake up!" She was able to squeak out one last time before a torrent of tears spilled to the floor.

The solar guards; hearing the muffled screams; stormed into the Lunar mares quarters and upon seeing the display they dispatched two of the junior guards for immediate help! The remaining two guards stood aghast before having to pull the grief struck Celestria away; whom had by now grabbed her younger sister in a tight, uncompromising embrace. With a unsurmountable effort the guards could only lesson the grip of the elder alicorn, it took the others eventual return to remove Celesta from the throws of the grief stricken embrace. Upon removing her from Luna's quarters the castle doctor rushed in to assess the still unmoving Lunar princess!

One last scream could be heard through the castle hall as the four guards held her back.

"LLUUNNNAAAAA!!!!"

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"Huh" said Twilight curiously.

"So has huh became a technical term yet, or is that more of a opinion?" Starlight said with a half cocked smile.

"Oh hush, I'm trying to figure out why the spell matrix isn't working! The equations are the same, the rotational balance has been adjusted to compensate for the spacial realignment!" The young alicorn thought out loud now almost oblivious to her friends presents.

"Hey Twilight?" Starlight Glimmer said trying to get Twilights attention as a visual crack started to appear on the mirror.

"Or maybe the calibration of the other portal is fluctuating, I could attempt a alternating algorithm to pinpoint the....."

"TWILIGHT" the dutiful student shouted while pointing a hoof at the mirror.

In a split second the crack encompassed the entire mirror, as light emitting from the cracks; faster then the two mares could blink the portal shattered and fell to the floor. The broken pieces turning into a ethereal dust upon impact with the ground and they blew away on a invisible wind.

Twilights ears flattened, her mouth agape, as she watched her only link to the other world disintegrate into nothingness and fly away. "No," she said in a low almost unheard tone.

"How could this of happened?" Twilight asked the silence.

"I don't know Twilight, I can't rightfully say for sure. The calculations alone. Well I've never even heard of half of them until now." Starlight announced, trying to sympathize with her friend.

"I'm sorry Starlight but I'm going to have to go over everything down to the last detail. I need to know what happened." Twilight deadpanned.

"I understand Twilight but I would still like to assist you." Starlight stated while giving her friend a sympathetic smile.

"Thank you Starlight I could use all the help I can get."

With a sigh the two mares then went to the study to go over the day's events. Twilight was sick with what had happened; the lump in her throat made her wary that this could of been her fault; but she still needed to know the how's and why's of it in order to unravel the cause of the accident.

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Dearest Twilight

I'm unfortunately burdened with a sad dilemma that I must ask your help with. Luna is stuck in a endless dream and we have no idea why! Countless attempts have been made to wake her but all have failed.

I am aware that you have been learning the dream walk with Luna and you yourself have been able to enter others dreams.

I have attempted this on Luna but she has a barrier spell erected to keep me out. For what reason I do not know?

Please come to Canterlot post haste!

Celestria

With a wisp of magic from her horn the letter vanished and was carried off on the invisible tide. Celestria stood and began to make her way to the royal court to preform her daily duties uncertain to the peril her sister was in.

Celestria solemnly walked from the royal study; in which she had sent the inquiry to Twilight; to her rightful seat in the royal court room to begin her daily agenda. The weight in her chest was undeniable but for the practiced mare barely a trace would show in her demeanor and the royal court would proceed as normal for the day. Once her day came to a end and the normal insincere gratuitous of pompous diplomats finally ceased she was able to make her egress. A all too brief sigh escaped her lips when she closed the court room doors, her royal guards stood at attention before following the Princess as she made her way through the hallways and stairwells of the lower castle. She felt so small and insignificant in the vastness of the palace, a feeling she had not felt since the construction of such a grandiose and in her opinion overly indulged structure!

"Please wait for me here." Stated the princess as she entered Luna's quarters. A unicorn nurse and doctor meet her as she walked in.

"Celestria my majesty, how are you holding up dear," the nurse said with a kindly, soft undertone to her voice.

"Nurse Odessa Heart, yes I am doing fine. How is my sister doing?" Celestria chirped in the most pleasant voice she could muster.

"We are providing comfort for her, she is breathing fine on her own, but we are monitoring her and there hasn't been any sign of change yet. We are q2h.. errr turning her every other hour." The medical mare said with a brief blush shading her teal coat.

To the unpracticed eye a blush such as that would easily go unnoticed, but to the princesses trained eye it was easy to pickup upon, "what is q2h my little pony?"

"I'm sorry princess, just a nurses term, it means quaque hora, it's old Minotaurian for 'every hour'. Every two hours it this case!" Nurse Odessa Heart calmly explained to Celestria.

"Ah I see, thank you for your kindness Nurse."

"You are welcome your Highness!" Odessa said as she gave a quick curtsy before heading to her makeshift station in Luna's lounge.

The solar princess then turned to the attending physician with a dash of hope left in her eyes. "Doctor Hailstrong, please tell me is there any new data on my sisters condition?"

"I am sorry your highness but her mental state has not changed! This however is not a bad sign, it shows that whatever has her insnared in her dreams, she has not let it gain any ground and she is still fighting." He stated as frankly as he could.

The news while daunting didn't phase her. Doctor Hailstrong had initially discovered the separate magical variants of another entity within her sisters mind. With the assistance of his staff, he created the measuring equipment necessary to identify and record the two distinct energies within her sister. There was no precedent for such a exam ever being preformed in Equestria, so Celestria took his word at face value but also took it with a grain of salt. While the procedure was ingenious and she recognized it, the data was not as 'complete' as she would have liked. Regardless of her want to know more, she was still awed by the ingenuity of her staff and made a mental note to reward there valiant efforts.

"Thank you for your candour doctor. I have actually invited Princess Twilight Sparkle to assist with your blessing of course." Celestria proactively declared.

"Interesting, what are you proposing your old student could do?" The physician asked curiosity getting the better of him.

"Princess Twilight has been studying dream walking with my sister and even though I have not been able to visit Luna's dreams, I would like my protégée to attempt it!" A confident and determined look flashed across her face as she conversed with doctor Hailstrong.

"Yes I see, would you mind terribly if I could monitor the exchange? It could provide some rather pertinent data!" Hailstrong asked with a almost foal like wonder in his voice.

"I wouldn't deny you the opportunity my dear doctor. Now if you would allow me I would like to see my sister in private"

"Yes my Princess, we will be in the next room if you need us!" Doctor Hailstrong said as he walked into the lounge and closed the door behind him.

"Good evening Luna" Celestria greeted her sister in a soft and loving tone. "I hope you are treating your guests well. I know you are used to your privacy during the day but do not worry, once you wake up and are back on your hooves are lives will get back to normal!"

"I wanted to tell you how proud I am of you my dear sweet sister! So what story would you like me to read you today??" Asked Celestria as she settled in to read too the night princess...

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The foot falls of the young dragon could be heard at least a minute before he entered the library! Princess Twilight Sparkle and her student Starlight Glimmer were going over everything they could find on the portal. It was a extensive project which; as of so far; had spanned days and they were no closer to a answer. Spike walked in on the two mares, literal towers of books stacked to three times his height loomed over the young drake and they lined the floor all the way to the end of the main table.

"Uuuhhuummm, Twilight I know your busy but I have a letter for you!" Said the baby dragon, shoulders raised and his head half cocked as he starred at the mess.

"Oh Spike, yes thank you!" Twilight gleefully grasped the letter away from him with her magic, "Now that you are here could you start putting away that stack of books, we're all done with them." The young Alicorn asked as she opened the letter and absentmindedly waving a hoof at a stack of books.

Spike shook his head but walked over to the pile regardless and started at the daunting task of sorting the books. He was about to put the first book away when a gasp from Twilight caught his attention.

"Oh no this is awful" a shocked look overtook Twilights visage, "Celestria says Luna isn't well and is stuck in some sort of endless dream! She asked if I could come to Canterlot and try to help her?" Stated the mare as a sorrowful look adorned her face.

"That is horrendous news Twilight! Are you ok!" Starlight asked

"No, no I'm not. Luna has always been a guiding light in the dark and although she was entrapped by Nightmare Moon for a thousand years she has helped guide Equestria into are new golden age!" A distraught Twilight proclaimed.

"As much as it pains me to say, we'll have to continue this research later and leave right away! Spike, pack a bag we're going to Canterlot!" Ordered the star-crossed alicorn