Beyond the Veil of Sleep

by Starscribe

Chapter 26

Mira waited in Meridian's basement, where she had the other end of the portal established. It was easily the safest space in the house. Not that she expected another attack in Hope. The city did not answer to Equestria, nor did it appreciate violent ponies traveling from the waking world to attack honest folk. But if she was bringing a new bat into her operation, she'd rather their first experience not be of the “near dead” variety.

Then she was inside, and the world opened to her. Once the whole basement had been coated with a thick layer of dust, concealing the truth about Meridian's history. Such a complex spellcasting meant there was usually someone running up and down these stairs, searching for or bringing back supplies he needed.

Mira tapped one hoof, her anxiety building. What if Nacht had gotten cold hooves? If he didn't follow her, there was nothing Mira could do to force him. Will was a critical ingredient in almost all magic, including hers.

She watched the outline of a door on the wall. If something bad did happen, at least Pixie would be there to warn her—right?

Then it swung open, and Nacht stepped through. At first his expression was skeptical—then he saw where he was standing, and his mouth fell open. He looked past Mira to the steps, then down again to the depths of the basement below. "How could anypony build this?"

She grinned back. "The Dreaming is a lot less solid than where we came from. But places like this—this is how our cities used to look. Tall spires, digging into a common cave-system underground. We didn't always have to hide in the jungle. We're not from there."

Nacht opened his wings, then lifted into a low hover. He touched the wall, forcing his hoof hard against it. "Where exactly is this, Mira? Where did you take me?"

"It's called Hope. One of the regions of the Dreaming. There are many cities that would be sympathetic to what I'm doing, but Hope really seems like the best fit. We're fighting against incredible odds, against enemies who are older and have more resources than we do. Hope is the best weapon we have."

Nacht watched her. After a few seconds he landed on the steps again, covering his mouth to cough. "I hope the whole place isn't underground. An awful lot of dust down here."

She gestured for him to follow, then hurried up the steps. "I can't keep you here for long, you really need to learn the magic yourself for that. But you should at least meet the others, see what we're doing. I need a pony I can trust in the waking world. A basement stairwell doesn't really prove anything."

He followed her up the stairs, then out into Meridian's home. The damage of that first attack was repaired, though there were still some lingering signs. Instead of a beautiful work of art, the huge telescope looming over them now had bits and pieces of assorted metal and glass held together with brackets and straps, wrapped in cloth.

The bat himself looked up from his work as they came in. His entire kitchen table was covered in scrolls and parchment, along with various tools of calculation that Mira did not understand. She'd seen sailors use some of these tools before, but never a scholar.

"How is the work going?" she asked, waving one wing in his direction. "Successful?"

The bat rose from the telescope, glancing from her to Nacht and back again. "Where did you find that one? He looks as bedraggled as you. Maybe worse."

"Understory," Nacht said. He spoke for himself, raising his voice just a little. "Who is this?"

"Meridian," she answered, hurrying past him to the window. "If you'd like to see what Hope looks like, Meridian's place has an excellent view."

He followed, then his mouth fell open. He touched one hoof up against the glass, staring out at the incredible city beyond. "Where exactly is this? I've never... I don't even think that Harmony is this big. It shouldn't..."

"Not in your world," Meridian muttered, as annoyed as before. "I don't need any other assistants, Mira. Certainly not a sleeper. Sandy is doing wonderful in that capacity."

"I'm nopony's assistant," Nacht snapped. "I want to go out. There's a beach down there, can you imagine? Those ponies are actually swimming in it."

"I might be able to take you," Mira began. "But like I said, we can't stay here long. I just wanted you to understand what I was doing—to know for yourself that I was telling the truth. It makes perfect sense that bats are skeptical of Night—she was as big a fraud as they think. But I'm not. I'm really on a mission from our princess. I'm really going to save her."

She had repeated that sacred calling to several different creatures now, but few believed it. She was still having trouble accepting the weight of it herself.

"I can... admit you were telling the truth," Nacht finally said. "I guess the Dreamlands are real. Maybe less of what they said was completely made up to steal from gullible bats. But you're still asking for a leap. Believe you is one thing—but I don't know how you could possibly get our old queen out of the moon. If a demigod couldn't resist Celestia, what hope do you have?"

Meridian chuckled from across the room. He was still pretending to work, but apparently not enough that he couldn't listen and overhear. "So you didn't recruit yourself a patsy. Let him ask the question we all wonder."

"I'm not challenging Celestia's magical strength. You're right, we'd be doomed. But we don't have to fight her directly anymore, just find a flaw in her spell. The princess can worry about the war, once we save her."

Nacht nodded, lowered his hoof from the window, then turned. He extended one wing, touching it against her shoulder. "I want you to tell me straight, Mira. Tell me you think you can do this. Tell me this isn't a scam. Tell me that we have any chance of winning. Because even if we win, you're turning Understory into the capital of your own little rebellion. Equestria is going to notice us sooner or later. Then they'll act. A lot of innocent bats will die."

She stared back, defiant. "I understand how crazy it sounds. But if nopony does it—Nacht, we're already dying slowly. Sometimes bats get picked up while they're shopping, and dragged off by the Solar Army. Sometimes they get sick, and we can't afford a healer. And every winter, there are always some who don't make it. It's the same way for bats all over Equestria. Understory isn't unique.

"There are still enough of us left to make a difference. If we don't fight back now, there might not be enough bats alive in a generation. It's worth the risk. I think Understory agrees with me—more and more bats are helping. Soon enough we'll start teaching them Oneiromancy again. Not just prayers at midnight anymore, the real thing. We'll take back our birthright."

Nacht nodded slowly. "If anypony could do it. So what happens next? Why did you want to bring me in here, exactly?"

The front door banged open, and a pair of creatures walked in. Kallisto led the way, slowed by the weight of heavy saddlebags on her shoulder. Sandy was flying instead of walking, with a cloth bag filled with food up against their chest.

"Brought those scrolls you were looking for," Kallisto said. "Still not sure how a library would have information about a lost dream floating in the Astral Sea."

He stalked over to her, flicking the saddlebags open with one hoof, then selecting one scroll among many from inside. "If reading the titles was not enough to understand my intentions, then explaining would accomplish nothing further."

Kallisto looked like she might be about to argue, but then she looked up, to where Mira and Nacht were standing. "You brought... is that Nacht?" She tilted her head to one side, thoughtful. "One of the guards?"

"You sound like you know me." Nacht watched her, confused. "Did Mira mention me before now?"

She shook her head once. "You've brought her back to me more than once, when she got herself into trouble. The young mare's talent for inviting danger is one of her greatest gifts."

"Back to..." He gasped. "Kallisto! The monk? I thought you were dead."

"Wasting time," Meridian called, bringing another armful of scrolls over to his worktable. "I'll be finished with these calculations by the next full moon. I should remind you, nothing remains stationary within the Astral Sea. If you do not act on this map, then your target will drift, and I would need to begin again. I am already giving far more than I could ever be expected. I will not perform this labor a second time."

Mira nodded. "I think we have a ship on its way, thanks to Kallisto. Apparently sailing into the Astral isn't that strange. Much more common than up to Lunacy."

Of course she had no way of knowing if the Diaspora's crew would really be willing to help her. She couldn't even rely on the crew being entirely thestrals to make it safe, either. She had only died in the Dreaming once, to a bat with more loyalty to Equestria than his own tribe.

"They will be here before the moonrise," Kallisto agreed, shrugging out of the saddlebags, and hanging them up on the edge of a chair. "Whether they agree to help or not is down to your persuasion. I would never imagine any thestral would deny the command of our princess, but—she isn't here to be the one to give her own commands. They will not feel the same loyalty to a stranger."

"I think they'll like what I'm offering," Mira said. But she wouldn't elaborate more, nudging Nacht with a wing. "You wanted to see the beach? I can probably keep you here for a few more minutes. I've visited once or twice—the water is wonderful."

He nodded instantly. "I never thought I would get to see the ocean in person. Let's go."

"Let me come too!" Sandy said, scurrying after them. They kept their head down, antennae hanging low. Even if they had overcome most of their fear around a strange dreamer, there was something unmistakably deferential about the way they acted around bats. Maybe it was because they ate moths?

Mira nodded her agreement. They took the stairs together, down a wide boulevard, and soon they were on the shore. The sun was a little bright for Mira's taste, but at least that came with benefits. This was warmth without the crushing humidity of her home, where there was always a welcoming breeze just a few seconds away. No wonder there were always so many creatures on this beach.

Not ponies, as Nacht had said. There were few outsiders here, and almost all of those were bats. If she saw more unicorns, she would probably fly for her life.

The locals did, scattering from around them as they stepped out onto the sand. Only Sandy was brave enough to remain, following Mira up to the water. She didn't get in, like Nacht did, but stood in the water just far enough to get her hooves wet.

"Meridian says you're a great assistant," Mira said, conversationally. "How's the map-making coming?"

The moth grinned meekly back. "Nothing better than having a goal, Mira. He strives after the impossible. This was always what made him so welcome in Hope. I expect he will join us one day."

Mira watched Nacht drive headfirst into the waves. After a few seconds of struggling, he emerged with a fish in his jaws, flopping wildly to either side.

"He already lives here," Mira said. "I'm pretty sure he's already a citizen of your city, right? How much more could he join you?"

The moth opened both wings, spreading them wide in the perpetual sundown. "You're a dreamer, you wouldn't understand. You have a body somewhere, reminding you of what you are. But he doesn't. He's still a bat because of inertia. That's why you used to all stay in that magical city—so you could remind each other of what you were supposed to be. He already thinks like us. He would probably have changed already, but he doesn't want to give up being he. He can't explain why it matters."

Nacht returned from the water, dripping wet with a fish in his mouth. He dropped it to the sand in front of her, beaming. "I'd like to bring this back with me, if I could. None of our rivers have fish that taste so... good."

Mira grinned back at him. "Sorry, doesn't work like that. You can't usually bring things back and forth. But if you learn Oneiromancy, you could come here on your own. Any night you wanted."

"I might have to," he said. "If we're going to be rebels anyway, I might as well enjoy it."

Comments

[redmar]

Bringing Nacht into the dreaming was successfull at least. I wonder how much success they will have with the rest of their plans.