Chapter 8
Dew had a plan. Her heart raced almost as fast as she was running through the camp, zigzagging by ponies performing their morning chores.
Even with everything going on around her, she had only one clear thought in her head. She was going to get her uncle back! All she had to do was fall asleep. She skidded to a halt, as she realized she wasn’t going to fall asleep right away. She was still wide awake.
“Ponyfeathers…” Her eyes widened, and she looked around, hoping her curse wasn’t noticed. Her eyes widened upon seeing a white pegasus in a soft, brownish-green jacket and top hat. He smirked at her.
“Got a bit of a mouth on you, missy. Don’t worry, I’ll keep your secret. You can trust the word of Point Blank.” He raised his hoof and tipped his hat. Then he turned and called out in a loud announcer voice, “Nightmare repellant charms!”
“Wait, mister! What do you mean nightmare repellant charms?” Her ears sprung up as she moved closer to the stallion.
“Ah, well, you see, the buffalo make these magical charm pendants that keep nasty nightmares away. They hire me to sell them.” He held up a painted wooden disk. The pattern did look like something Dew imagined the buffalo would create. Then again, she thought the buffalo lived in a grassy plan where wood was rare.
She cocked her head. “Um, isn’t wood very valuable to the buffalo? Why would they give it to you to sell?”
Point Blank ruffled his feathers “Well, aren’t you a smart filly? See, the buffalo knew something was wrong as more ponies were having nightmares, so they made extra to help. However, just as you said, wood is expensive for them, so they want me to sell these and buy wood cheaper here. See, it makes sense.” He winked.
She tilted her head as she tried to think about that, then shrugged. “Okay, Mister Blank.”
“Well, little miss, would you like to buy one of these little trinkets? It would help the buffalo and quell your nightmares.”
Dew’s ears lowered, and she looked down. “I don’t have any bits.” She pawed at the ground.
Point Blank sighed. “Figures. Seems a lot of ponies didn’t get their bits before evacuating.” He turned and started walking away. “Oh well, I won’t be getting bits talking to you, little missy, so farewell.”
“Bye, Mister Blank.” She turned and started walking to the cooking area. She spotted a group of earth ponies pulling carts loaded with barrels and fresh supplies. Her eyes widened, and she galloped to catch up to the carts.
Once she got close to the caravan, a smile came to her face as she recognized the elderly stallion in charge. She pranced up to him and smiled. “Hello, Golden Grain! Is that the summer harvest? I’m getting so tired of grass soup.”
“Well, if it isn’t Morning Dew.” He chuckled. “Indeed, we got the harvest early, so dinner tonight!” Golden Grain replied as he trotted on.
A group of armored pegasi approached them from the destroyed city. Morning Dew saw they carried crates. It was organized chaos. As the boxes were set down, other ponies rushed over to talk to the pegasi who brought them in. Others put labels on the crates and moved them to different piles. Her walk slowed down as she watched. Among the different groups of ponies near the crates, she spotted a few she knew. They were castle maids like her mother. No longer interested in following the caravan, she pranced over to the castle’s servants.
“Hello, Miss Feather Duster!” she called out once she reached the maids. “Are those guards bringing stuff from the city?”
The bright yellow maid smiled and moved a lock of pink mane from her eyes as she saw Morning Dew. “Well, if it isn’t our little helper. You are right, dear, the guards are venturing into the city to retrieve what they can.”
“If they are going into the city, does that mean we will be able to go home soon?” Morning Dew asked as the others started sorting through the retrieved items.
Feather Duster sighed. Her ears lowered as she looked down to the filly. “I’m afraid not. I don’t know how to explain, but the forest is not safe. Princess Celestia is going to give an announcement soon.”
Dew nodded and chewed her lip for a moment. “So, if all the castle staff are here, where is my mother? Didn’t anypony go get her?” She tilted her head. “Oh, are you letting her sleep because she’s affected?”
“What? She hasn’t told you? Your mother quit,” Feather Duster replied as she started sifting through a crate.
“Quit, why would she quit?” Dew turned to look at the tents, eyebrows raised.
“I don’t know, perhaps it's because she was Princess Luna’s personal maid. She was one of the few ponies Princess Luna allowed close to her.” Feather tapped her chin. “Come to think of it, Practically Perfect and Lavender Calm also quit. Perhaps it’s guilt at not being able to help the princess?”
“I’m going to find out.” Morning Dew turned and waved. “Bye, Miss Feather Duster.” She turned and ran for the tents. How could her mother quit? Serving the princesses was the best job a servant could have. She ducked under a cloth line. “Excuse me,” she called out to the ponies doing laundry.
She slowed as she approached the tent she and her mother shared. “Calm, how can I be calm? That alicorn ruined everything!” Morning Dew stopped in her tracks upon hearing her mother’s voice. Though the volume was low, Dew knew the tone her mother used was when she was angry. Curious, she slowly moved to the tent’s corner to peek in.
Her ears shot up when a calm and measured male voice responded, “Anger will solve nothing, my dear Misty Dawn.” It definitely didn’t sound like a common pony.
“Astral Beacon! Just look at me, I’m a freak. It’s all that alicorn’s fault,” Misty Dawn shouted and spread her bat wings. “My beautiful feathers are gone!”
“You are still lovely, my dear, those wings might not be feathery, but you can maneuver far easier. One should look at the benefits of the change.” Astral Beacon tilted his head and looked to the open tent entrance. “Is that your daughter, Misty? Come, child, let me have a look at you.” He beamed, showing his pristine white teeth.
Misty Dawn turned to see her daughter peeking in through the tent flap. Her face contorted in panic before her expression shifted to anger. “What are you doing? Why are you here spying?”
Astral Beacon shook his head and put a hoof on her shoulder. “Now, now, don’t get angry at the little dear. I’m sure she's just nervous seeing a noble pony.” He smirked as he turned fully. Morning Dew backed up slightly. The stallion was a noble light gray unicorn. He shook his head, causing his perfectly groomed deep blue mane to sway. He was very typical for the nobility, though she did notice his left foreleg was bandaged.
Behind the stallion stood her mother, glancing nervously between Astral Beacon and her. “She doesn’t need to get involved, Astral Beacon,” she muttered.
“Nonsense, she's going to come with us. Not like you can leave her here,” he replied before taking an easy step forward to Morning Dew. He flashed her a smile. She felt a shiver run down her spine.
“I was hoping her uncle could take her,” Misty whispered. Her wings flapped a few times in frustration.
“You were going to abandon me?” Morning Dew squeaked.
“Not abandon you, just let you live with your uncle. But now he got himself transformed and went crazy.” Misty stomped her hoof and snorted. “It would be for the better if the fool wasn’t so brave. If he had stayed with you, he wouldn’t have been hit.”
“Misty Dawn, I’m shocked you would abandon such a precious filly.” Astral Beacon shook his head and frowned disapprovingly. She is more than welcome in our group. I’m sure our benefactor Baron Silver Bar would allow her to come as well. The more, the merrier, after all.” Astral smirked. Dew’s ears fell.
“Baron Silver Bar? He’s one of the meanest nobles! All the maids talk about how cruel he is and such,” Dew cried, her tail pulled between her legs. Her wings ruffled as she thought to Silver Nugget.
Astral smiled gently and shook his head. “Oh, little one, you cannot trust everything you hear and see. Have you considered the fact that maybe it’s just the maids badmouthing him? I know the baron and consider him my good friend. My, he is one of the noblest ponies I now!” he exclaimed. “He’d surely be sad to hear ponies spread such foul hearsay about him.”
Dew pawed at the ground. “But...”
“No buts!” Misty interjected. “You are coming to the Silver Mansion with us. And you better learn to keep your mouth shut,” she spat.
Dew clenched her teeth, and her nostrils flared. “No! The prince will save Sure Strike, and then I can stay! You’ll see!” She stomped her hoof against the ground.
Astral Beacon’s ears perked up “Prince? Prince Platinum Shine can’t help the affected.”
“Not Prince Platinum Shine. I’m talking about Prince Morpheus, my friend. I visit him in my dreams. He can fight the nightmares and rescue my uncle!” she shouted.
“A dream, ha, your imaginary prince won’t help us, Morning. Now stop spreading lies.” Misty Dawn snapped. Dew growled. Her frustration was so strong she failed to notice that her mother looked panicked.
Astral Beacon tilted his head. “Really? Tell me all about this prince, Dew.”
“Um… he’s an alicorn I met twice when dreaming. I was having a nightmare, and he came and stopped it. The next night we played on a magical island floating among stars.”
“If this prince shows up more, I’d be happy to hear about him,” Astral Beacon remarked with a smile. He then turned to look at Misty Dawn and commanded, “Your daughter is coming with us. I will make sure she will stay away from Silver Bar and his son.” He then looked to Morning Dew “You have my word on it. I take care of those under my guidance.”
He nodded once, and, with a dramatic turn to the left, he headed away. His steps were even and steady without any sign of limp on his bandaged leg.
Misty Dawn sighed. “Now you’ve done it.” She yawned. ”Go do something useful, I still need sleep.” With that, she turned and walked into the tent. No longer sure what just happened, Morning Dew sat down as a sense of dread settled in her heart.
“Prince Morpheus, please help,” she whispered.
David walked into his old home. His emotions were always confused when coming here. The good times with his mother. The bad times when his parents were fighting. His mother struggled to keep the house after the divorce. He shook his head and focused on the good times, basking in the comfort they brought him.
“Okay, David. Do you believe those witches? They haven’t been drugging you or anything?” Margret asked as she sat down on the sofa in the living room.
“I thought you believed them?” He looked over to his mother, his jaw dropped a bit.
Margret shook her head. “I don’t know what to believe, David. Magic is real, and somehow magical beings from another universe are changing you, into what? A pony? I’m overwhelmed. The only thing I know is I can’t deny something is happening.”
David sat down on one of the chairs and cradled his head in his hands as he thought about the last week. “It wasn’t the witches. I haven’t been around them for more than a month before this started. I only went to Mama G after I realized I was over my head.”
“Okay, that’s enough for me to stop suspecting the coven. The first thing is we don’t tell your father. I know neither of us has reached out to him for over a year, but if he gets a hint something is up, he’ll demand some exorcism. Bridget did say this magic is bound to you. That’s a form of possession, isn’t it? He would see it like a demon granting powers to corrupt you or something.” Margret sighed, tears forming in her eyes.
“Damn it, David, what can we do? Call a voodoo witch doctor? Maybe some other magic-using group? Hell, I’d even call the Ghostbusters if they were real.”
David shrugged. “I don’t know much about Fae lore. One thing I do remember is that you don’t accept gifts from them. No food, drink, or… magical offerings.” His eyes widened, and he clasped his mouth. “It’s my fault!”
Margret walked over to him and rubbed his back. “None of this is your fault.”
“No, it is. As I said, you don’t accept a Fae’s gift. Even when they are good, the gifts often have consequences a mortal can’t handle. In the story of Rip Van Winkle, for example, he accepted an offering of drink and fell asleep, only to wake up years later.” He wiped the building moisture from his eyes.
“I somehow can enter ponies' dreams. I entered her dream and it was a nightmare, a traumatic one. I just had to help her, I could hear the terror in that little filly’s voice. I used the magic to end the nightmare and turn myself into a colt her age.” He turned to look at her. “Mom, I consciously accepted the magic. I accepted the gift of a Fae. That’s why it’s bound to me, why it started to change my body. I accepted it in that nightmare.”
“I wish I could understand what’s happening. This is so out of my league, give me business accounting work any day.” Margret rubbed her temple. “One thing I do know is I raised a good son, one who chose to be a hero rather than let a girl, or filly, suffer. No matter what, David, I’m proud to be your mother. Now go and get some rest, tomorrow we are going to your job and school. After that, we start emptying that apartment of yours. I know Gabriel said they would help cover the cost, but you are my son. I will pay to cancel the lease contract and help you move. I’m having my son home till this is over. Fae or no Fae.”
David smiled. “You never back down. I’m sure I got my heroic nature from you.”
“Damn right, now shoo! You need to go to sleep. It’s already near midnight, and you know what they say about the witching hour.”
“Mom, we are dealing with witches, fae, and magic. Perhaps we shouldn’t joke about the witching hour, now that we have seen proof that old folk tales do have some truth to them.”
“Oh shit. Well, maybe I’ll dig out one of the old crosses your father left. Who knows, maybe those superstitions have some truth as well.” Margret looked to the attic.
David followed her gaze. “Better not, it’s already late, and there's no light up there.”
“Perhaps praying? Invoking that Triple Moon Goddess?” Margret asked once more, her shoulders slumped.
“I think I can make a simple altar. I remember a few things Jennifer showed me.” David looked around.
“Okay, I’ll let you do that. Now that we both know magic is real, we might as well use it. What do you think? Could witchcraft help with accounting?”
David laughed. “You have to ask the High Priestess about that. I’m just an amateur.”
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yay more chapers! also congrats on getting healthyer
Mom of the year award goes to *drumroll*
Morpheus's mom for going along the rollercoaster ride of madness she's suddenly in, definitly not Misty she gets the shitty parent award
Good chapter can’t wait for more
Great chapter, and I hope your cousin's doing well
Perfection intensifies
Well now she's done it. Got sucked into a Nightmare cult in the makings! They have Equestria's best interests at heart, Shirley?
Interesting tidbit about the Buffalo charms. Wonder if the weave could be altered to beacon instead of repel? Poor Dew might have a while to get the chance to find out...
10737114
The “charms” are fake, Point Blank a swindler selling cheep knock-offs. Dew almost figured it out when she mentioned the wood being rare and valuable. Something the Buffalo wouldn’t be handing over to a Pegasus to sell. However the Buffalo might have something like dream catchers. Other cultures would have their own means of dealing with nightmares.
As for the cult... congratulations you win a prize! 🚘 A brand new car! You are the first to mention the cult. Here I was worried I made it to vague.
10737179
Don't ruin our dreams! 😇
But, each superstition is based on something....
Good chapter, glad you got over the writers block
10737179
Yup, can't trust Point Blank, he is the original swindler. So don't trust a thing from him!
Thanks for the chapter
Good chapter. Happy to see a new one popping out and that you're starting a healthier lifestyle. Keep up the good work.
You have thoroughly captured my interest
10802218
Thank you, I'm working on chapter 9 as I type this. So it should be posted soon.
10802224
I’m glad for it! The intrigue behind what’s going on and what will happen has me hooked. Plus I’m a sucker for friends across time and space. You handled the accident part well too! I’m very eager to see more!
10802224
yes, YESSS!! GIVE US MORE!! MOREEE!!! ahahaHAHAHAHA, 'cough, hack, cough'
(in wheezy voice) sorry, sorry, still can't wait to see new chapter.👍
10803656
I had to rewrite a major part of the Chapter. My very skilled Editor pointed out a flaw in the section.
The rework is much better just means more work. *looks at trash bin with discarded notes* no big deal.
Why no i have the feeling that pony is a bad sign for everypony involved?
Magnificent chapter!