Companion to 'The Witching Hour'. I'm nothing to these ponies, I hide in the shadows to avoid detection, and I intend to keep it that way.
One-shot story to Chaotic Ink's 'The Witching Hour' I am not a monster, I am not a pony- what I am is up to you to decide, reader, I'm not what I was, and probably never will be again. I hide in the shadows, and under cover of night to avoid them, and I intend to keep it that way...
Every night, there are dreams, and there are nightmares; I suppose, dear reader, it won't take you long to figure out which I am. But then again, I'm not of that much importance to you, am I? You've probably come here, expecting to hear a story of what's happened since my arrival here...I'm sorry to say I can't supply you with such a tale, the only thing I have to offer are my experiences in this upside-down world.
All was silent on the dark streets of Canterlot, Luna's moon hung in the sky, accompanied by a blanket of stars. To the untrained eye, this could be considered a good thing, but to the princess of the night, it meant things had not changed one bit since her banishment. She'd seen a few ponies out and about, a select few being her guard, the other few being night-owls, wandering the streets for who-knew-why.
Princess Luna, however, looked to Ponyville in the distance, the small town buzzing with just a little more night-activity than Canterlot. She watched from her balcony of the castle as the moon bathed everything in its glow.
She sighed to herself as she walked into her room, closing the door behind her. Laying on her expansive bed, she shut her eyes and focused her magic, her horn lighting as she felt herself drift into the dream world. Her ethereal form walked the plane, watching the dreams of her and her sister's subjects drift by in the fog; a small smile came across her muzzle as she went, her first memories of walking the dreamscape coming to mind. It had always provided an escape for her when things got a little stressful, or provided something for her to do, given that nopony came to her court with their problems, only wanting to see Celestia's court during the day. Not that she blamed Celestia, of course, who would want to see the mare that tried to plunge Equestria into eternal night?
She shook her head as she continued, curiously watching the dreams of the little ponies, finding herself especially amused by the images conjured by the young colts and fillies of the land. Some blissfully innoccent, happily wandering with their parents, as the dreams drifted by, she saw a few that were a bit more grown up, presumably stemming from young ponies in their teens. Those weren't adult per se, but showed enough signs that led her to believe they were the dreams of young adults, the dreams a bit more realistic and defined.
'Ah, what's this? A nightmare?' she thought curiously, approaching a darkened dream contained within its bubble.
Luna probed the nightmare, and found herself pulled into it, immediately finding herself in a darkened landscape, a forest of blackened, twisted trees jutted from the ground, as if attempting to reach the sky as the branches swayed in a nonexistent wind.
Hooves thumped against the ground as they grew close, two pairs, if she wasn't mistaken. The first pair was definitely smaller than the second, shallow rasps for air filling the air as the two figures approached.
The smaller cleared the trees, running as fast as her legs could carry her, her orange-and-white mane flapped in the the wind as she ran, glancing behind her at her persuer. A large but slender mare followed not far behind, the eyes replaced with two buttons, sown into the head, partially covered by a ragged mane, the tail was no different from the mane. One of the buttons was pinkish, contrasting the vibrant green of the other, the mouth of the mare covered by a zipper, closed as the metal teeth were held together by the locking mechanism. The cutie mark stamped on her hide was a swirling cloud, further confusing the night princess.
The monster mare descended approached the filly, a dead stare set on her. Luna reacted quickly, shielding the familiar filly from the nightmarish apparition.
"BEGONE DEMON! DO NOT HAUNT THIS CHILD'S DREAMS!" she roared, sending the nightmare skidding back.
The creature stared at them a few seconds longer, and turned tail, heading back into the blackened forest.
"Art thou alright, Squeaky Wings?" Luna asked, peering down at the filly.
"I-I'm f-fine, princess" the filly stated, shakily standing on her hooves.
"Does that nightmare occur to you often?" she inquired.
"N-no, this was the only time"
"Very well, I shall keep an eye out for anymore of these creatures, awaken and retire to thy mother" she said, touching her horn to Squeaks' forehead.
Her eyes dulled as she felt Luna's horn pulse, and felt herself waking.
Squeaks gasped as she shot upright in her bed, her sheets stained with sweat.
"Squeaks?" Midnight asked, staring down at her, concerned.
"M-mom?"
"I'm here, what's the matter? I heard you screaming"
"It-it was just a nightmare..."
"Really? What was it about?" the kirin asked, sitting on Squeaks' bed.
"I don't know...but it was really scary! I was running through the woods, and there was this pony that was chasing me! Well...I don't think it was a pony...it looked like one, but it was different..."
"Different how?"
"It had a zipper for a mouth, and its eyes were buttons!"
Midnight waited for Squeaks to continue, letting her calm herself down before she relayed the rest of the dream.
"And then- and then, we were running, and it felt like hours! She wouldn't stop chasing me!"
"And then what happened?"
"Princess Luna found us, and then she scared it away..."
Midnight fell silent as the two of them hugged, her large, leathery wings enveloping the filly.
"It was just a nightmare...that thing can't hurt you out here" she said softly, holding Squeaks in her forelegs.
"I know..."
"Do you think you'll be able to get back to sleep?"
"I think so..."
"Alright" she said, standing up.
"Wait-" came the voice of Squeaks.
"Yeah?"
"Can I sleep in your room?"
"Of course" Midnight said, waiting at the door.
Squeaks walked through and into Midnight's room, the kirin herself not far behind. The two settled into bed, Squeaks curled on the left side; Midnight laid down, draping one of her wings over the filly as the two drifted off into a blissful slumber for the rest of the night.
Do you see now, reader? Do you see what I am? I send ponies running at the sight of me, and to that, I take great displeasure. Did you see the way she ran? The look of terror in her eyes? I had only wanted to talk, and yet she took off running through the forest. Naturally, I went after her, ponies have been known to get lost here. And you're wondering how they can get lost in a dream? It happens often, I've seen it only a few times before- you have a word for it...oh...what is it? A comb? A...A...A coma! That's it! Ponies wander here for days, sometimes weeks, on a few rare occasions. I myself occasionally take trips to the waking world, if only to observe ponies- you may think this is a bit unusual for a dream-eater to explore the world outside its own. This is partially true, I grow tired of only observing them in the dream-world, I wish to see them. How they function. Why they do some of the things they do. Now you're asking 'Why don't you go and observe them?', the answer, reader, is because of events that had occured long ago. A few ponies had caught sight of me, and screamed bloody murder- you can imagine how that turned out...perhaps you've heard some of my labels? 'Boogeymane' and 'The Sandmare' being the most popular.
And so, I wander the dream realm, feeding on the dreams of these ponies. Don't mistake me for an actual nightmare, you never want to meet one of those...in fact, I consider myself to be the opposite. There are times when I grow bored, and will sometimes effect the dreams floating by. Let me get one thing straight, I DO NOT CAUSE NIGHTMARES, that responsibility is left to the creepy-crawlies and monsters conjured by the ponies' own imagination. I will, however, twist the dream so it will not become a nightmare, turning it towards happier thoughts. Which leads to the abrupt ejection from that filly's dream...I had only wished to speak with her, and she was terrified (not that I blame her, mind you), so she ran, and my chance run-in with the lunar princess. She, the filly that is, has had a tragic past, and has been steadily rectified by her relationship with the kirin; the two share something special, that I'll admit, somewhat regretfully, only because I will never be granted the same liberty. Being portrayed as a monster and creature of Tartarus throughout history will have that effect on you.
I sighed to myself, and walked the dreamscape...
Squeaky Wings yawned as she sat up, feeling something heavy draped across her back. She sighed in relief when she found it was only her mother's wing, the mare it was attached to still dozing on the other side of the bed.
Squeaks hopped down from the bed, her wings flittering to ease her landing- her hooves touched the floor, and she trotted into the hallway, heading to the bathroom.
She thought she saw something out the corner of her eye, and turned, thinking it was Sapphire. She blinked in surprise when she found nothing there, only herself in the hall. She hesitantly turned and walked into the bathroom.
Are you surprised to see me here, reader? I should say so, there's only so much I can do in the dream world, it can become boring very quickly when your only company is the fog and the dreams. But since it is morning, there are no dreams, are there?
Midnight, Squeaks, and Sapphire sat at the dinner table, eating their breakfast. A plate of pancakes waited in the center of the table, the three hungry ponies were already more than halfway through the stack before Midnight looked up at the ceiling.
"What's wrong?" Sapphire asked, noticing the kirin stop.
"Nothing...just thought I saw something..." Midnight replied, continuing to eat.
"That happened to me, too" Squeaks interjected.
"It did? When?" Midnight asked.
"In the hall this morning, I thought I saw somepony there, but when I turned to look, nothing..."
"That's odd..."
"Yeah..."
Midnight looked to Squeaks with unease, then shook it off as the three of them continued to eat.
It's both odd and refreshing to observe these ponies, namely their behaviors. As I suspected, the kirin and the filly have a close bond, but the other pony? I have no idea...Oh, the small one is talking ag- wait, nevermind... I think she talks too fast- no matter, though.
There is no way to describe what I feel towards these ponies, perhaps I observe them because of my feeding, or maybe I have a desire for companionship. Either way, these ponies need to be studied further...
Sapphire toweled off her mane as she stepped out of the bathroom, carrying it to her room as she hummed. Once she returned, she noticed a mare, no ordinary mare in fact, but the same one Midnight had described in Squeaks' nightmare.
She screamed, and the monster mare took a hooful of black powder from out of nowhere, the mare threw it against the ground, blinding Sapphire as she backed out of the bathroom. The approaching hoofsteps of Midnight made themselves known as Sapphire rubbed her irritated eyes.
"What happened in there?" Midnight asked, motioning to the bathroom.
"I...don't know...there was this thing...and it had this powder, it blinded me..."
"Well, nothing's in there now..." Midnight said, her eyes cutting through the clearing smoke "What did it look like?"
"It looked....like that thing...Squeaks saw..."
Midnight's eyes widened, and she turned and galloped into the kitchen, hastily grabbing a piece of paper and quill.
"What are you doing?" Sapphire asked, watching the mare hastily scribble on the paper.
Midnight found herself in a dark landscape, the surrounding area completely black. Nothing had a set form, nothing save for the ground stayed the same.
'I must be dreaming...' she thought, staring dumbfounded at her surroundings.
She contined walking, finding herself in no rush. It was just a dream, right? Nothing could hurt her here, what she dreamed of could only go so far.
'If I'm dreaming, why isn't there a landscape?' she wondered, stopping.
A good point, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't conjure so much as a cloud. The only thing definite was the smooth ground she was standing on. As if to answer her, a bright light flicked on, creating a lone pool of light on the ground. The spot moved forward, and Midnight hesitantly followed, walking after it.
She froze as soon as the light stopped, focusing itself on-
"You" Midnight hissed, spying the monster-mare.
The mare turned, revealing her face. The zipper sealing her mouth opened of its own accord, the mare stretched her jaw, cracking it as it closed.
"Finally, we meet" she responded. "What am I doing here?!" "Just to talk, and to give an explanation, I suppose..." "You- why do you keep showing up? Sapphire saw you!" "Yes, which led to my hasty escape" "Stop dodging my questions!" "I'm not, I want my questions answered as well" "What questions?" Midnight asked "Why would you have questions?" "I have watched the beings of this world for some time, and they always run at the sight of me" "I wonder why..." Midnight snarked. The mare flinched, and the metal teeth of the zipper curved into a frown.
"If you would prefer, we can meet in the real world, we might be able to discuss things better there" the mare suggested. "Why would I do that?" "If we were to meet, perhaps you would be convinced I'm not a figment of imagination"
Midnight hemmed and hawed, then groaned as she cautiously approached the mare.
"Alright, you win- but on one condition" "Yes?" the mare asked, her ears flipping forward. "You stay out of our dreams" "When you say 'our', do you mean the three living in your home?" "Yes" "Very well, I will honor my end of the bargain, if you honor yours. When shall we meet?" "Does tomorrow afternoon work?" "Why yes, it does, I've got alot of free time on my hooves"
Midnight nodded as the mare disappeared from the spotlight, the light itself flickered out not too long after, leaving Midnight in the darkness.
X X X X X X X
"What? She's coming here?" Sapphire cried. "Yes" Midnight replied. "Why?" "She wants to know more about ponies" she shrugged. "But why would somepony- or something, want to know more about us? Wouldn't she already know all there is?" "I honestly don't know, she didn't seem dangerous to me" "Midnight, nothing seems dangerous to you"
Midnight shrugged in return.
"And did you see her? She looks like something that crawled out of a nightmare!" "Do you think I don't know that?" she replied "I'm just as worried as you are" "You sure don't look like it..." "Practice; it's almost noon anyway, she should be here soon" "Does she even have a name?" "If she does, she hasn't said" "Huh...yeah...so what is she, anyway?" "She might've been a dream-eater" "What are those?" "They're just a foal's tale," Midnight stated, rolling her eyes "they supposedly wander the dream world, feeding on the dreams and nightmares ponies have every night" "I don't think they're a foal's tale anymore..." "Tell me about it- you get used to some of this stuff after living in Ponyville"
Before Sapphire could respond, there was a flash, and a cloud of black smoke drifted to the ceiling. The room cleared, and the monster mare stood in its place, the same one that they'd seen the past few nights.
"Hello!" she said, enthused. "Er, hi" Midnight replied. The mare trotted forward, and took Midnight's hoof, she shook it up and down in her own repeatedly. "Is this okay? Am I doing this right?" she asked. "Um, yes..." Midnight said, retracting her hoof. "Oh, forgive me! Have I offended you? I haven't talked with somepony in so long" "No problem" Midnight said "So...what do you want to talk about first?" "I believe it would be best if we took turns, answering each other's questions accordingly" "Okay...I guess I'll go first...what's your name?" "My name is Dreamcast, am I correct in assuming you are Midnight Storm?" "Yes, I am- how did you know my name?" "Oh, I know everypony, I've seen their dreams" "Okay...but you've never actually met them?" "No, I have not" "Wait a minute..." Sapphire interjected, startling Dreamcast "you said you watch their dreams...how long have you been doing...that?" "I don't know- I suppose I've lost track..."
Sapphire and Midnight exchanged a glance, then looked back to Dreamcast.
"Anyway, my next question would be-"
"Hey mom, Dinky inv-" Squeaks started to ask, entering the living room.
She stopped dead when she saw the thing that had haunted her dreams, staring at her with those mis-matched button eyes.
The mare bounded over to Squeaks, practically muzzle-to-muzzle with her, an wide grin adorning her zipper-mouth.
"Greetings!"
Squeaks screamed in terror, then galloped out of the room at full speed, scrambling to her room and locking the door as if her life depended on it.
"Squeaks, come on out" Midnight said, talking to the filly through her bedroom door. "No- she's going to eat me!" came the muffled response from the room. "She's not going to eat you..." "Why?" "Because she eats dreams, Squeaks, she doesn't eat ponies"
The door creaked open, one of Squeaks' slitted pupils peeking through the crack.
"Really?" "Yes, really" she replied "she's here to observe us" "Why?" "She wants to know more about ponies, I guess" "That...makes sense..." Squeaks said, opening the door a bit more. "Sure it does, would you at least like to meet her?" "...do I have to?"
X X X X X X X
I am back, dear reader, are you surprised?
I spied the kirin and the thestral trotting into the room out of the corner of my eye, I pretended to ignore them as the one known as 'Sapphire' greeted them. The filly approached me, and I tilted my head downward, greeting her with a small smile.
"Hello" I said, somewhat quiet. "Hi..." she responded. "My name is Dreamcast, what is yours?" "I'm- I'm Squeaky Wings..." "Greetings Squeaky Wings, a pleasure to meet you" A small smile of her own adorned her face, and she returned the greeting before stepping back towards the kirin.
'An odd relationship the ponies of this household have...' I thought, watching Squeaky standing under Midnight.
"So...what is...this?" I asked, waving a hoof in their direction. "What's what?" Midnight asked. "Rela- Relative? No...rel...rel-atio-n-ship" "Squeaks is my daughter" Midnight replied. "Ah...but...how?" "What?" "How? Squeaky is a thestral, you are a kirin"
Squeaky's ears fell against her head as she buried herself under Midnight, the orange of her mane only showing from beneath the kirin.
"Did I do something wrong?" "No...not really..." Midnight replied "maybe I should tell you later" "Very well" I relented "so...you have answered some of my questions, why don't I answer some of yours?" "How did you come to be?" "I'm afraid...I don't understand" "Were you a regular pony before this?" "Define 'normal'" "Regular eyes, didn't eat dreams?" "Dreams are part of my diet, and I find the eye question hypocritical" "Hypocritical? How?!" "Both your eyes and Squeaky's are slitted, such as a dragon's is, whereas other pony eyes are round" "I see your point, but what does that have to do with the question?" "..." "Well?" "...to answer your question, I have no idea how I came into existence, whether through conventional or supernatural means" "Oh...okay, how do dreams feed you?" "You see, I believe myself to be much like a symbiote, I eat the dreams of ponies, and in return, I steer the dreams away from becoming nightmares when I can" "Didn't you say you ate both dreams and nightmares?" Midnight asked. "Yes, I did, dreams tend to taste sweet, such as a confection or the like, whereas nightmares, while sustaining, taste a bit bitter, like a lemon" "Wow..." Sapphire said "so how do you control dreams?" "I don't control them, I merely observe, and provide assistance when I can" "Okay, how?" "Take a scary object, Nightmare Moon, for the sake of argument" "Alright, go on" "Say this apparition of Nightmare Moon were attacking you in your dream, I simply prevent the apparition from getting to you, or I may just 'delete' it from the dream" "What happens then? When the nightmare is cast out?" "I happen to know it will be ejected to such a place specially designed for nightmares to live" "Where do they live?" "I know not of its name, only that it exists" "Oh..." "I have a question" Sapphire said. "What is it?" "Are you ethereal, like a ghost? Or not? 'Cause I can't tell half the time" "I am solid, just like you" I chuckled "though my form gains elasticity when I walk the dream world" "What's the dream-world like?" Squeaks asked, still under Midnight. "Very foggy, and very empty" I responded. "Are there others like you?"
"..."
"Bad question?"
"...no...it is fine...I am the only one of my kind"
Squeaky Wings sat boredly in her seat, listening to her teacher give a lecture on mythology.
She felt someone tap her shoulder, and looked to see who it was.
'Is she new here?' she thought, staring back at the girl. She had red-ish eyes, and a short hair cut.
"Hello" the girl said. "Uh...hey" Squeaks responded.
The teacher then called for everyone to split off into groups, Squeaks got up to join Applebloom and her friends, and the girl followed.
"So...what are we supposed to do?" Applebloom asked, awkwardly looking at the new girl. "We're supposed to make a poster of a myth" Scootaloo replied boredly. "Well...which one do we pick?"
"Prometheus was punished by the gods for giving the gift of knowledge to man" the girl said suddenly "he was cast into the bowels of the earth and pecked by birds"
"Uh...okay?" Sweetie Belle said, confused.
"Well...we might as well go all out on this thing...how d' you suppose we pick one?"
"The answer is beneath us" the girl said.
"What? That makes no sense" "Um...girls...isn't the library one floor down?" "It is? Huh..."
Squeaks' gaze shifted from her friends, to the new girl, then back again.
'This school just keeps getting weirder and weirder...'
X X X X X X X
"Alright class, today we'll be studying pointillism" Ms. Dreamcast said, finishing setting a canvas on the desks of the art room. "What's...pointa- pointi-" "Pointillism, Sweetie Belle, it's art that's made up of thousands of tiny dots, which collectively, make a picture" "Oh..." "Now...I'd like you all to paint something on your canvases using this method" "What do we pick?" Snips asked, his hand in the air. "It can be anything you want" she replied "It could be a flower...or a car! Or...just something that you made up"
The students went to work, the sound of paintbrushes swirling in the cleaning glasses was heard throughout the room.
'This is going to be a long day...' Squeaks thought to herself.
"That was quite an impressive display" I said slowly, careful not to spook Midnight. Though, I doubt she is one that scares easily, reader.
The kirin turned to face me for a brief moment before turning back to the scene before her.
"I thought I told you to stay out of our dreams" Midnight said, her serious expression saying everything.
"Indeed you did" I relented "but...it's a reflex...sometimes I see a bad dream, and I act"
The kirin half-nodded, watching the day's events play out before us.
"It's not so much as a dream, as it is a memory" she commented, the both of us watching Midnight's dragon-self battle a hydra.
"How is it you are able to achieve such a level of transformation?" I asked, watching the kirin revert back to her normal form.
The memory fizzled out of existence, leaving just the two of us.
"You are an enigma to me" I finally said "I have seen many things...this however...takes the proverbial cake"
"..."
"I will protect this information to the best of my ability- this will go no farther than me" I said, placing a hoof on my chest. The kirin stared at me for a few moments, not even blinking.
"Well...I suppose I'll let myself out" I said. I vanished from Midnight's mind, leaking back into the dream world.
I sighed to myself as I just...wandered...letting my mind wander.
"What's up, Dreamy?"
I turned, and saw nothing, only the massive amount of haze that usually permeated the dreamworld.
I suddenly felt as if I were being drawn backwards as I was forced back into Midnight's mind.
"What? How?" I wondered aloud, trotting through the darkness. What had brought me here? Midnight was nowhere in view, only the swirling darkness.
Two heterochromic eyes, much like my own, stared at me from a distance. One being a light blue, the other purple, the whites of the eyes were replaced with yellow.
"Who are you?" I asked. "Who aren't you?" a disembodied voice replied, distinctly female- presumably belonging to the owner of the eyes. "I am Dreamcast, a dream-eater- who are you?"
The eyes didn't reply, further confusing me as they shifted, surveying me from all angles.
"Huh..." she said.
"Well...*ahem* I really must be going now" I said, turning to bolt out of the dream. "Oh, I doubt that" the voice said as my body rose from the ground and flipped upside down "because...you see, it's ever so lonely in here- no one else wants to talk"
I stared my assaulter in the face as I was suspended, my mind doing back flips as I stared at the creature.
"Impossible..." I whispered.
"Impossible you say? Nothing, and I repeat, nothing, is impossible with me"
"You...y-you...how...you-"
"-shouldn't be here? Believe me, I've heard it before" she said, rolling her eyes.
The creature looked upon me with scrutiny, inspecting me as I hung there.
"You're probably too boring to play with anyway..." she snorted, haphazardly tossing me.
I flew through the air, and landed on my hooves a good distance from her.
I flew up to exit the dream, stealing one last glance to the draconequus before departing.
'What a lonely soul...'
Then again...so am I...
I groaned as I walked back to the draconequus, who was jumping up and down on a cloud.
"What?" she snapped. "Hello" "That's it? Just...hello?" "I believe that's how one greets another" "I wouldn't know" she shrugged, rolling her eyes.
"Well...what is your name?" "Calypso"
A spirit of chaos being direct? This is new...
"What are you doing in here?" "Why should I tell you?" "I'm the only other one here"
"At the moment"
"What?"
"Nevermind...just...get out..."
I glanced at the creature for a few seconds longer, before turning and leaving Midnight's dream.
Dreamcast appeared with a flash, white smoke rising as she dusted herself off.
"Did you find her?" Sapphire asked, getting up from her seat next to the unconscious kirin. "Most definitely" she responded "it was quite an interesting trip" "Is she alright?" "Oh yes, perfectly healthy in terms of her mind."
Midnight's chest heaved up and down with every breath, her wings folded to the side as she slept.
"Yeah...the nurse said her injuries might take her a while to heal...she took a lot of damage from that hydra..." "Indeed, the love of a mother is a force to be reckoned with, her wrath even moreso"
Sapphire nodded as she sat back down, adjusting herself as she did.
"So...she's alright?" she asked. "Still kicking" she confirmed "Where might the little one be?" "She's in the next room, asleep" "Ah, I wouldn't be surprised, it has been quite a long day for her as well" "Yeah..."
"Well then...this is a family matter, I wish the three of you good luck"
And with that, Dreamcast disappeared from the waking world, her form disappearing in a puff of smoke once more.
"I don't think I'll ever understand how she does that..." Sapphire sighed to herself.
"Oh...it's you..." Calypso grunted, seated at a small table with Midnight, a deck of cards between them. My gaze shifted to the kirin, who was doing all she could to avoid my eyes.
"Do you mind? We're kind of in the middle of something" the draconequus said, motioning to the table. "...leave her alone Cal..." "Pfff, what does it matter? I'm never getting out of here anyway" she said, setting down her hand "Full house" "Doesn't count if you use you're own cards" the kirin said, rolling her eyes. "You're no fun, you know that?" "I'm in a coma, I don't have time for fun" "Yet here you are, playing cards with me" The kirin rolled her eyes once more, collecting the cards.
"So...nothing better to do...you wanna play?" the draconequus asked, pointing to Dreamcast. "Who, me?" "Unless there's somepony behind you" The dream-mare sat down at the table, somewhat hesitantly, as Calypso took the deck of cards from Midnight's hooves. "Alright, anypony up for poker?" she asked, literally cutting the deck with a butcher knife she summoned. "How about something simple?" Dreamcast suggested. "Aw, does it have to be?" The draconequus shrugged. "Fair enough, how about 'Go Fish' for our little beginner?" "..." Calypso divided the cards, and set the remaining cards in a pile in the center of the table. "Any reason for the fascination with card games?" Midnight asked, a look of suspicion across her face. "Eh, dice are more my speed, unpredictable outcomes, you understand" "All too well..." Midnight grumbled. "Anyway, what's up with you?" she asked, looking to Dreamcast "Not too often we get visitors" "Just on an errand" she replied "Do either of you have any threes?" "Go fish" "I wonder if my counterpart'll ever find me..." Calypso mused. "Oh Faust...not this again..." Midnight sighed, burying her head in her hooves. "I'm serious! It's a real possibility!" she cried, slamming her cards onto the table. "Am I missing something?" Dreamcast asked. "I have a firm belief that one day- the multiverse will collapse, and one of the other me's will find me" "Uh...hum..."
The dream-mare watched as the two continued to bicker, the card game and herself long since forgotten. She stood, and vanished from the landscape, now watching it from the Dreamscape.
'By far...the oddest case of dissociative disorder I have ever seen...' she thought, watching the two.
I stared at Calypso, trapped inside a comically-small cage, her arms and legs dangling out the sides as she glared at me.
"Well...what're you waitin' for?" she snarked. "I fail to understand, what is it you are waiting for?" I replied, confused as to what she meant. "Nevermind" she said, her eyes popping out of her skull. They landed in her claw, and she swirled them around, before dropping them to the floor.
I stared blankly at her.
"...that joke always got at least a few laughs..." "..." "Well, you're here...why?" "Just a visit" "Oh really? Whatever for?" "Do I need a reason? You are trapped in here, day-in and day-out- I would assume that you'd need at least some company" "I'm perfectly fine by myself" she said, rolling her eyes "I've got Midnight, anyway..." "You sound depressed" "It'll pass" she shrugged. "I see...and what of Squeaky Wings?" "What of her?" she snorted. "You seem to enjoy watching Midnight's memories of her" "Thare's a little thing called 'privacy' we have here in the real world" she snapped. "So I've been told" I returned "...but...if you wouldn't mind...why?"
The draconequus was quiet, something I felt didn't occur too often.
"You have any idea what it's like to watch Midnight and Squeaks? Knowing that I can't be a part of it?" I shot her a flat look. "Well...*ahem* apparently you do..." "Do continue" I replied, rolling my eyes.
"Before Squeaks...it was just Midnight and I...and...ugh...I don't know!" "Are you meaning to tell me...you are jealous of Squeaks?" "No...not jealous..." "What then?"
"I DON'T KNOW!!!" she roared, slamming up against the bars of her cage "I JUST don't know..."
"I'm sorry...I'll leave..."
I disappeared from the darkness, and reappeared in the real world.
"Hello? Is anypony home?" I called, trotting through the halls.
I stopped upon Squeak's room, spying the filly herself splayed out on her bed, staring boredly into the ceiling.
"Shouldn't foals such as yourself be playing outside?" I questioned.
The filly jumped about five feet in the air, her wings flared as she stared in fright.
"M-m-mom grounded m-me" she stammered, cementing herself to the bed. "What does the restriction of flight have to do with anything?"
She simply continued to stare, her eyes watching my every movement.
I smiled briefly, before leaning out of the doorway, and trotting down the hall.
I wandered into the kitchen, and stared up. My hooves flew out from beneath me, and I fell up, attaching to the ceiling. I crossed my forehooves as I hung by my hind-legs, I then closed my eyes, readjusting as I did so.
'This is rather comfortable...' I thought, drifting off 'No wonder bats sleep like this...'
My ears flicked forward as my eyes remained closed, I heard the rushed gallop of hooves against the floor, as if somepony were in a hurry.
'That sounds like Squeaks...I wonder where she could be going?' I mused, peeking a bit to see who it was.
The mare Midnight identified as 'Twilight Sparkle' rushed into the room, a large tome held in her magic, panic evident in her features. She let out a surprised shriek as she skidded, bent on keeping her distance from me.
"May I help you?" I asked curiously.
"Wh-where's Midnight?! What did you do with her?!" she cried, her voice shaking in fear. "I've done nothing with her" I responded "What do you require of her?"
"I have some very...delicate...important business to discuss with her"
Midnight stared down at the book in front of her, sitting at the living room table, along with Sapphire and Twilight. The latter having gathered the three of them hastily, growing frantic with each passing second.
"Wait a minute...she's a what?" Sapphire asked, rubbing her temples with her hooves. "She's one of the Reversed-" Twilight explained "-according to the legends written here, the three tribes described these ponies as being cursed by an ancient goddess for betraying her, certain characteristics of themselves amplified to the extreme" "So...what does all of that mean?" Midnight asked. "I have reason to believe that Dreamcast is one such pony..." "Really?" "What proof?" "Well...nothing definite..." she said sheepishly "But think about it! We know next to nothing about her-"
"But still...what if she isn't? There's no real evidence she is one of these 'Reversed' ponies" Sapphire said, motioning to the book "On the other hoof, you have to admit...this does make a bit of sense, Mid"
The kirin sighed as she leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling as she contemplated what the purple unicorn had presented her with. Maybe Dreamcast was one of the Reversed, but what did that mean? She'd told them herself that she watched dreams, but how much did they actually know about her? Was she dangerous?
"...beats me..." she shrugged.
X X X X X X X
Dreamcast lay in the dream-world, her heart content as she drifted in the blissful mist. A small smile splayed across her face as she lay. She watched dreams, needless to say, she absolutely loved them, but...there was one small detail. So miniscule, so insignificant, well, maybe to somepony else- truth be told, it always drove her nuts.
She couldn't dream.
It was true, no matter how hard she tried, she could never accomplish that which other ponies had. She knew something was off, but she could never figure it out- she knew she possessed a mind, and to that extent, thoughts of her own. It had been such a long time since she'd had her last dream, she hadn't even remembered when it was, or what it was about, but she knew she'd had a dream at some point in her life.
"AT LAST! WE HAVE FOUND THEE! SURRENDER AT ONCE OR FACE OUR WRATH!"
Her eyes shot open, as she awoke with a start, her head shooting off the ground as she stared in horror at what had appeared before her. A dark-blue alicorn, possessing an ethereal mane of dozens and dozens of stars and galaxies, dancing in the non-existent wind.
"I...I...I..."
"SPEAK UP! WE CANNOT HEAR THEE!" the alicorn shouted, the sheer volume of her voice fully able to burst her eardrums.
"I...I'm humbled...to be in the presence of royalty..." she said, as loud as she could, lowly bowing as she stared up at the intimidating mare "...p-p-please forgive me...I have no tithes to offer...I am broke, I have nothing to give..."
The mare stared down at her, her steel gaze softening somewhat as she did.
"You know the old ways...quite impressive..." was all she said, keeping her eyes locked with hers "Now tell us...what manner of nightmare are you?" "I...I'm not a nightmare...highness...I...I am the last of the Dream-eaters" She continued staring, her eyes never wavering.
"...Impossible...We would have known"
Dreamcast shook, terrified of what the Night Princess might do to her.
"You will join Us at once, we have much to discuss"
She only nodded absently as the alicorn touched her horn to her head, filling her vision with darkness as she lost consciousness.
X X X X X X X
Midnight spread herself on the sofa, exhausted in mind and body, her eye-lids drifting closed as she sighed.
*FLASH*
"Princess Luna's here, Midnight" Sapphire called from the kitchen.
'Oh for buck's sake...'
She peeked over the back of the couch, and spied the night princess, her mane billowing as she looked on with a worried look in her eye.
"Midnight Storm, I do believe we have a bit of trouble on our hooves"
Luna simply stared at the creature contained within the dome, her magic keeping it in place as it cowered, the button-eyes staring right back at her. She didn't understand how this creature was able to exist outside the dream-realm, only a select few nightmares were able to accomplish this feat, which was a difficult one to begin with. She turned and spied the Elements of Harmony, as well as their guardian and Sapphire.
"Greetings" she stated, restraining her volume as her sister had been teaching her. They exchanged pleasantries, and quickly got down to business. The monster mare cowered as nine pairs of eyes fell upon her. She took notice of Midnight's stare, hers was a different kind of surprise, one of recognition.
Now, it was her understanding that Midnight Storm was a bit anti-social, and kept a small circle of friends. And as such, it became a very large surprise to her when the kirin stepped forward, walking toward the dome.
"Dreamcast? Are you okay?" Midnight asked. "Hold on a minute..." Applejack said "...are y'all sayin' ya know this...uh...pony?" "Yes, I do" Midnight said, before turning to Luna "Could you please drop the shield, highness?"
Luna stared at her in bewilderment, before slowly dissipating her magic, watching for any change in the creature's movements. There were none.
Midnight helped the mare to her hooves, the other eight ponies' jaws dropping.
"Princess, can you let her explain herself?" Midnight asked. Now it was Dreamcast's turn to be surprised.
"Why?" she asked simply, staring wide-eyed at the kirin. Midnight ignored her, and continued talking.
"Princess, between Twilight and I, we might be able to fill in some of the gaps"
Luna mentally shook herself, and addressed Midnight. "Of course, let us retire to my study- mayhaps we might discuss things a bit better in privacy"
"Quite an interesting tale..." Luna said, Twilight and Midnight having finished presenting what little information they had. "H-honored, highness" Dreamcast said quietly. Luna nodded, before standing. "While I understand a majority of what Captain Midnight and Twilight Sparkle have found, I would like to hear what you have to say" she said, looking to Dreamcast. "I-I-I'd rather not, highness" she squeaked, lowly bowing. Luna nodded simply, and addressed them collectively.
"I am rather sorry for pulling you all from your daily schedules, but thank you" Midnight sighed good-naturedly as she bid the Elements goodbye, before leading Sapphire and Dreamcast through the winding corridors of the castle and out into the open. "What do we do now?" Sapphire asked. "We go home, I guess" Midnight replied. Dreamcast dared not say a thing, lest she somehow provoke the ponies around them, giving her stares and looks as they went.
"Home sweet home" Sapphire sighed, flopping onto the couch. "Yeah..." Midnight agreed, closing the door after Dreamcast stepped through "I'm going to check on Squeaks" After the kirin left, Dreamcast found her voice.
"She left Squeaks here, alone?" she asked. "No, Berry looked after her, she must've left a little bit before we got here" Sapphire responded. "Might I ask something of you?" "I think you just did, but okay" "Why are you no longer afraid of me?"
The pegasus was silent for a moment, deep in thought.
"Huh...well...I guess it's because I've gotten to know you" she finally said "I mean, you look scary, but you aren't- at least, not as much as I thought you were" "Ah...and what of the Elements, now that they know?" "Well...I really can't say for sure...I think Twilight'll want to ask you questions more than anything" she chuckled. Dreamcast let out a small laugh of her own, before sobering. "So...what brought this on?" "Midnight's foal..." "Squeaks? Why?" "I know she's terrified of me...and...it bothers me..." "Mind if I ask why?" "It reminds me of a...friend's...problem..." "Who's the friend?" "Oh, you wouldn't know her...but anyway...I was hoping for Squeaks to like me...I suppose that was just wishful thinking..." "...well...um, give it some time- I'm sure she'll warm up to you eventually"
Dreamcast perked up a bit.
"Perhaps you are right" she said. "Who knows, maybe you'll-"
*Knock Knock*
Sapphire got off the couch and went to answer the door as Dreamcast rendered herself invisible. Sapphire opened the door-
"Yes? How may I-"
*THUNK* *Tick Tick Tick Tick*
The door closed of its own accord, and Dreamcast became visible once more. She quickly bolted, running into the hall to find Midnight.
But the question was- how was she going to tell Midnight that Sapphire had been foalnapped?
Sapphire groaned in pain as her eyes fluttered open, and shook the darkness from her vision.
'Wh-where am I?' she thought, pushing herself off the ground.
She tested her wings, and found them bound to her sides by a length of rope. Confused, she checked her surroundings, finding herself in a windowless room with a single door. The door creaked open, revealing a pony wearing an obviously fake mask, a literal plastic smile spread across it.
"Wh-who are you? Where am-am I? You tell me right now!" she screamed, fully prepared to bash the pony in front of her.
The pony only continued to stare at her, it then cocked its head, as if it didn't understand her.
*Click* *Whir* *Tick* *Click* *Whir* *Tick*
"What...what's that noise? What are you doing?!" she shouted, terrified.
The pony motioned with its head out the door. "You're setting me free?" she asked, confused at her situation. The pony shook its head, then began to trot out of the room, this time beckoning with its forehoof.
"You want me to follow you?" she asked incredulously "No way pal, I'm not going anywhere else with-"
She was interrupted, much to her displeasure, as the pony took her by the hoof, rather roughly, and practically dragged her out of the room. Her attempts were in vain, however, as the pony virtually had an iron grip on her. She switched tactics, this time taking her free hoof and striking the pony repeatedly. This too, had little effect on the pony as she was led Celestia-knows-where by Celestia-knew-who.
"Who are you?" she huffed, hoping to glean at least that much information out of the pony.
He/she/it didn't respond, it just kept leading her through a long passageway.
*Click* *Whir* *Tick* *Click* *Whir* *Tick*
'Seriously! Where's that noise coming from? It's starting to drive me nuts!' she thought, glancing around the hall, searching for anything that might be the source of her distress.
The pony stopped, and motioned for her to go through a door at the end of the hall.
"No" she said, sticking her tongue out at the pony.
Her answer didn't matter, apparently, as she was pushed through anyway.
'Jerk...' she thought, glaring at the pony as it closed the door.
Her attention then turned to the room she was currently in. It wasn't anything she was expecting, that was for sure- boxes and large crates were stacked as high as the ceiling, which had industrial lamps hanging from it. The dull, grey, stone floor was cold against her hooves.
"H-hello? Is anypony here?" she asked, wondering why her foalnapper had brought her here in the first place. "Yes. I am"
She did a 180, her heart pumping as she came face-to-face with a stallion, wearing a masquerade-type mask.
"Who are you?! Why did you bring me here?!" she screamed, prepared to knock his block off if need be. "Forgive- I am The Ticker" the stallion said, walking closer. She stepped away from him, taking as many steps as he did. "O-okay...but...what are you...why did..." "Looking for The Dreamer. You know her. Need to see her"
'The Dreamer? Is he talking about Dreamcast?' she wondered.
"I might've seen her..." she said, unsure of what to make of the stallion "But first, answer my questions- who was that, out in the hall?" "Ticktock thing. Made by myself" "Uhm...ok-ay...why did you foalnap me in broad daylight?!" "Forgive. Ticktocks do not know subtlety"
She couldn't really make heads or tails of his answers.
"Why are you looking for...The Dreamer?" she asked, not knowing the consequences if she used Dreamcast's name. "Ticker is lonely. Looking for the Cursed Ones"
'Looks like that old legend about the Reversed is starting to come together...'
"How are you cursed?" she asked.
The stallion lifted his mask, and revealed a straight sided spline serving as his right eye. What was worse, was that the gear was actually spinning, turning at a slow pace as light reflected dully off the golden-brass. The color actually went nicely with his dirtied brown coat...
She could only stare.
"Ticker is cursed. Heart of tin. Always alone"
She snapped out of it, and backed away from him. She actually felt a pang of sadness for the mix of pony and machine, but in reality, there was nothing she could really do, he was stuck like this...a long time by the sound of it.
He then did something that surprised her somewhat- he didn't get angry, he only sighed.
"Understand. Occurs often" he said, walking to another door behind him. He opened it, showing the green grass and beautiful sky above. "Go. Leave. Have life" he said, not meeting her gaze. "I- I- there's a-" "No. Leave." "I- ok-okay..."
She trotted to the door, and kept an eye on 'Ticker', just in case the whole thing was fake. Though, somewhere deep inside her, she doubted it. Her hoof barely got through the door, before Midnight burst in, smoke literally pouring out the kirin's muzzle. The Ticker was knocked backwards, flung into the wall.
"Where are they?!" she demanded, cracking the concrete floor beneath her "WHERE ARE THEY?!? I'LL- I'LL- I'LL-" Words escaped her in her fit of rage.
"Midnight?" Sapphire asked. "Sapphire!" Midnight said, relief evident in her voice. "How did you find me?" she asked.
"Dreamcast" they said in unison. "Where is she though?" the pegasus asked as Midnight cut the rope bounding her wings.
"Huzzah!" a familar voice shouted, appearing in a puff of smoke before the two It cleared, and there stood Dreamcast, dressed in clunky armor, a vorpal sword in hoof. "Prepared for battle!" she cried, saluting. Midnight and Sapphire held back a smirk as the armor grated against itself, filling the air with the offending noise.
Midnight turned, and looked to The Ticker, lying unconscious on the floor, his mask askew.
Dreamcast sat on the couch, a book on Equestrian myths and legends between her forehooves. She found the book to be captivating, given that the book didn't just have tales, it gave history, as well. Turning the page, she found an interesting section on a bearded wizard, telling of a secretive place, where he conducted his research in private. As she scrolled down the page, she also found a passage on another, Clover the Clever- the wizard's assistant. The next paragraph told of how Clover came into her own, becoming more of a partner to the unicorn, rather than an assistant. Photographs depicting the statues dedicated to their image in the Canterlot sculpture gardens lined the margins, catching her interest.
'Perhaps I'll ask Midnight and Sapphire when they return...' she thought, bookmarking her spot, then closing the book.
Rubbing her hoof across her eyes, she wondered what to do next- Midnight and her friends were in Canterlot for a gala, and Squeaks was nowhere to be found, presumably out with Dinky or Berry Pinch. A small smile came across her mouth as she recalled some of their antics- mostly their adventures with many, many pillows. Of course, she'd been ethereal when she watched them, she didn't want to frighten Squeaks' friends.
'Friends'.
It was such an odd word, why was it called that? Where did it begin? Was it something that began just a short while ago, or had it been occurring for centuries, maybe even longer?
Her list of questions grew longer, and she found answers to none of them. Floating off of the couch, she went to the bookshelf embedded in the wall, and began perusing them. Nothing in particular caught her eye, and she trotted off, deeper into the house, searching for something to do.
Windrunner, Dinky, and Squeaks trotted down the quiet Mane Street of Ponyville, the twilight aura created by the sinking sun morphing into one of darkness as the sun slowly sank behind the far hills, exchanging its place with the moon. The two fillies were talking excitedly, mostly about what their mothers were doing at the gala. Windrunner however, prayed their respective mothers weren't too bored at the social gathering, given the tendencies of the upper class.
They soon reached Midnight and Squeaks' home, and Windrunner pushed the door open, allowing the two to enter before her. Turning, she closed the door, and heard a piercing shriek fill the air, worse than a banshee, in her opinion. Her ears flipping up, she soon spied Dinky running back into the living room, full tilt. Squeaks soon followed, at a much calmer (and quieter) pace.
"What's wrong?" Windrunner asked, concerned at the filly's behavior. "Th- th- the-" Dinky stammered, shivering as she curled up into a ball.
Her behavior only served in adding to Windrunner's confusion.
It soon disappeared, as a monstrosity out of a horror novel entered the room, pipecleaners between the metal teeth of its jaws. Spitting out the craft materials, the thing walked right up to Windrunner, who was staring slack-jawed, and wide-eyed, not believing what she was seeing. It then smiled, holding out its hoof towards her.
"I wasn't expecting somepony to be back here so soon," it said, its voice female "I assumed everypony would have had plans tonight"
Words escaped Windrunner.
"Oh, I almost forgot!" it said, trotting back into the hall.
It returned a short while later, three three things in its zippered maw.
"Squeaks" it said.
Windrunner then tensed, ready to pounce on it if need be. The filly in question looked up from her friend, who was staring at the thing with fear, and a hint of curiosity. She stepped forward, stepping closer to the thing hesitantly, her hooves shaking a bit.
"I...um...made this...for you..."
It placed a round thing before the filly, a circle of reinforced pipecleaners, pieces of string woven through the center in an odd pattern. The filly looked down upon it, then back up at the face of the monster-mare, as if she were unsure if she should take it or not. She finally made a move, and picked it up, staring at it with confusion.
"It's...a dream-catcher..." the thing stated, almost sounding uncomfortable "...it...it's supposed to bring good dreams..."
Squeaks could only stare down at the present, just as speechless as Windrunner.
The thing looked down, appearing to be unhappy, then began to turn.
Something came into contact with her forehoof.
It looked down, and saw Squeaks, her hoof lightly touching its hoof, as if she were unsure what to do. Taking some initiative, Squeaks then wrapped her hoof around its own. Now it was the thing's turn to be surprised.
"Th-thank you" Squeaks said, holding the round object close.
It then smiled softly, returning the hug with hesitation.
"Could somepony tell me just what the hay is going on here?" Windrunner asked, finally finding her voice.
"...and then we came back to Ponyville, and she visits us" Squeaks finished.
Windrunner, along with Dinky, were silent after Squeaks, along with 'Dreamcast', explained her presence in the kirin's household.
"I...I...guess that makes sense..." Dinky finally said.
"How?" Windrunner asked, her eyes flicking down to the gold-maned filly.
"Well...I guess if I were alone for that long...I'd want somepony to talk to..." she explained.
'When you put it like that...' she thought, finding reason in the filly's explanation.
Once again, foal-hood innocence had won out.
The pegasus approached the th- Dreamcast, and hesitantly held out her hoof, showing her intent.
'I feel like I should know you...' the pegasus thought, watching Dreamcast trot back over to Squeaks, and began chatting excitedly with her '...but that doesn't mean I don't think you could still be dangerous'
Windrunner sat, as Dreamcast took up a spot on the couch, both of them watching Squeaks and Dinky play a board game, the latter's eyes shooting to Dreamcast occasionally.
Why? You ask? The reason was very simple- another of the cursed ones had been discovered. And her sister, being the oh-so-generous princess she was, asked her to take on this venture. Make no mistake, she was happy to finally have something to do, but this...this took the cake.
'You have been wanting something like this to come up.' she said.
'It seems fate has given you an opportunity-' she said.
'Fate my left hoof.' the lunar princess grumbled to herself.
Briskly trotting through the dark, deplorably drab halls of the dungeons, she discovered her mind to be wandering. Passing an empty cell here, an occupied one there, she thought harder about the supposed 'Dream-Eater'. Even in her time, they were the stuff of myth and legend, such as goblins, or perhaps humans!
Chuckling to herself, Luna stopped at the correct cell, silent for a moment. She had to be fluent in this matter, or as foals these days said, 'smooth'. It still baffled her how much Equestrian had changed since her time, barely anything was recognizable to her.
"How art thou?" she asked, then immediately feared that she'd somehow offended it, since nothing but silence followed.
"A mite better. I've had rest." came a stallion's voice from inside the dark cell.
"We cannot see thee."
"I did not want to scare you. Guards took my mask."
'Truly he can not be as horrid as he makes himself out to be.'
"Have no worries, We shall not judge thee on thy appearance." she stated, hoping to quell his fears.
"False." he stated "Everyone has rejected my appearance."
"I find that hard to believe."
"Stated the all-powerful Mare in the Moon."
Luna's ears flipped up as her eyes went wide, hearing the horrid pseudonym from her past.
'It is common knowledge,' she reassured herself 'but the way he said it...mayhaps there is more to this than We first thought.'
A creak from the cot inside the cell, and the small space was lit. Luna blinked, her eyes adjusting to the sudden change, and discovered the accused, his hoof on an arcane lantern. His mask held a somber expression, an indifferent curve of the mouth etched into it.
"Well." he stated, not as a question, mind "Here I am. Make your judgement."
"It would behoove us to talk with thee before casting a punishment."
"A refreshing sentiment. What of my trial?"
"Given your...appearance...We will not hold a public trial." Luna stated.
Midnight Storm had, of course, informed the lunar princess of the stallion's uniquities, begging for a change in protocol. This was not uncomfortable for her, oddly enough. This task could be completed without such pomp and circumstance, and she found it to be relaxing. She once, rather sheepishly, admitted to her sister that she was not ready for audience with the ponies of Equestria, not so soon after the 'return of Nightmare Moon'; or as some ponies called it 'The Coming of Days', 'The Apocalypse', etcetera, etcetera. One unreliable news source even went so far as to name it 'Celestia's Master Plan'.
"Thank the gods." he sighed, sounding relieved.
"Instead, We shall deliver Our own justice."
"Oh hell..." he whimpered, barely audible.
"Why didst thou foalnap Sapphire Breeze?"
"Drawing attention to myself." he admitted, still quiet.
"Why, pray tell?"
"Your sister and yourself captured me."
"That holds no relevance to the charges against you." Luna stated authoritatively.
"Forgive. Let me repeat. I am in your possession."
"You..."
Luna stopped and thought for a moment, finding an oddity in the stallion's words. He hasn't avoided my questions, yet answering cryptically...
"I would have attempted to flee if I wished." The Ticker added.
"Thou...thou let thyself be captured?" Luna asked, bewildered.
The stallion nodded, his mask jiggling a bit. The shadows of the mask itself had cast themselves long and reaching, thanks in no small part to the lantern inside the cell, creating them with its glow.
"Indeed."
"Why?" she asked simply, genuinely curious as to why he'd do such a thing.
"I gained your attention. I got captured. Here I am."
"You make no sense!" she all but shouted "How can We interrogate you properly if thou art so cryptic?!"
"I've been as straightforward as possible. You're turn now."
Suddenly, it clicked in her mind, and she stared at the resting pony-though-not-quite-a-pony.
"You committed the crime, just to be caught; you had no plan for what to do afterwards, with Sapphire, We mean."
"Congratulations. If royalty doesn't suit you. You should become a detective."
Luna refused to be swayed by the compliment, but blushed never the less, her muzzle growing hot.
"Why didst thou brave this entire song and dance-"
Celestia will be so proud of me! Grasping modern Equuish.
"-just to be imprisoned?"
"That was the plan. I thought we just uncovered this." he stated.
"SILENCE!" Luna proclaimed, growing tired with the stallion's games "THOU DAREST TO SHOW SUCH INSOLENCE TOWARDS US?!"
"I'm not. Dearest princess. You misunderstand my words."
Abashed, Luna turned away, blushing furiously at her actions.
"Back to the question at hand!" she stated, turning back towards the stallion "Why didst thou want thyself to be caught by Us?"
"I need help." he said calmly.
"Thou needed thyself imprisoned for that?"
"Indeed."
"Why? What plausible reason could there be to warrant such desperate actions?"
'The Ticker' reached upwards, his hoof touching to his mask. Slowly but surely, his hoof reached its destination. Going just as slow, the mask was pulled away at a snail's pace, making the lunar princess anxious. What could be behind the mask? Who was this stallion? What was he hiding?
There on his face, just as Midnight and Sapphire both attested to, was an industrial cog, spinning obscenely on his face, taking up the spot where his right eye would've been.
"This is why."
"So you and Dreamcast are on speaking terms now?" Midnight asked her daughter, the kirin spread out on the couch.
"Not exactly," Squeaks replied honestly "but...I know she's not so scary anymore, especially after that night you went to the Gala."
"Ah, I see," Midnight said "I'm glad you've talked to her, at least, regardless."
"Thanks mom." Squeaks smiled, soaking in the praise as she nuzzled her mother.
"You're welcome sweetie."
Squeaks flew off, towards her room, and Midnight reclined, letting her muzzle dig into the couch as she closed her eyes.
Scritch scritch scritch.
Midnight's ear flicked.
Chsk chsk chsk.
Another flick.
Scritch scritch scritch.
"Dreamcast, what are you doing?" Midnight sighed, not even opening her eyes.
"Taking notes." came the mare's voice from above.
"Why?"
"I don't want to miss a thing- if I write it down, I'll never forget it!"
"Can't argue with that logic." Midnight said sarcastically.
Dreamcast said nothing, and instead the sound of quill on parchment continued.
"Have you spoken with Calypso lately?"
Midnight's eyes shot open, and she leapt off the bed. Her wings flared outward as she spun to face the dream-eater, the claws on her wings extended.
Dreamcast stopped for a moment, regarding her with indifference.
"Was it...was it something I said?" she asked, concern leaking into her voice.
"I trust you with that secret," Midnight growled lowly "don't go spreading it around like gossip."
"I...wasn't, I was only asking if-"
"I know what you said!" she shouted, her voice then dropping to almost a whisper "What if someone heard? Did you ever think of that?"
Dreamcast's mouth opened, but Midnight beat her to the punch.
"No, you didn't," she stated "you didn't think one little bit."
"...I was thinking about both of your wellbeing..." Dreamcast said shyly.
Midnight's rage died down a bit, and she saw that the dream-mare was backing away, her eyes quivering.
The kirin then sighed as her wings closed, and by extension, her claws.
"Dream, come down here." Midnight stated tiredly.
The mare hesitantly floated down to the floor, her button eyes not meeting Midnight's slitted ones.
"Dreamcast, I'm sorry, okay?" the kirin tried, approaching her.
The dream-eater cowered, still not meeting her gaze.
"Listen," Midnight sighed "I...I just get a little touchy about you know who, and...I'm not mad at you."
Before the kirin knew it, both of her forehooves were enveloped by Dreamcast's, the mare hugging them tightly.
"What...are you doing?" Midnight asked.
"Thank you so much!" Dreamcast cried, tears slipping down her face "You're so kind! I don't deserve such a fr-fr-friend!"
"Dream- pardon my Prench, but just what the hell are you talking about?" she asked, confused.
"I offended you! I wouldn't have been surprised if you cast me out! Or moved away!" she sobbed "Bu-But no! You-you accept me! You accept me!"
'I thought I was...' Midnight thought.
Trying her best to politely pry the dream-eater off of her, Midnight talked soothingly to her- something she was unused to, having only done it with Squeaks.
Midnight sat on one of the many benches littering the grounds of Canterlot High, boredly scratching a nail into the seat of the woodwork. She suddenly stopped when she raised her hand to scratch at her nose, and suddenly realized that there were slim shavings spiraling out from under the very nail she used to scratch at the bench. Quickly blowing the shavings off, she pretended to admire them as a pair of fil- girls, walked by, one with pink hair, a white stripe running through it, wearing a stylish, yellow jacket. The other girl's hair was silver, hers too, having a stripe running through it. A pair of blue-framed glasses sat on the bridge of her nose, reflecting the bright sunlight that shone down on the earth below it.
'Need to learn to be more careful about that...' Midnight thought, chastising herself to keep the small portion of power that had crossed over with her through the mirror under control. A fraction of her strength was basically all that had come with her, among other things.
"I'd very much appreciate it if you wouldn't refer to me as an object." a voice seemed to whisper in her ear "Can you lean to the left a bit? I'm getting a weak signal."
'Calypso...' Midnight groaned, hoping against hope that the she-draconequus hadn't crossed over with her.
"Hmph, buck you too, Midnight," Calypso responded snidely "besides, not like I can really do any damage in this stuff-n-sew body of flesh."
Midnight winced upon hearing her demon's words.
'Thanks ever so much for that image...'
"Hey, I'm here all week, try the oats!" Calypso laughed shrilly, the sound grinding against her host's ears.
'You're here for longer, unfortunately.' Midnight replied, knowing full well she shouldn't give into the trickster's jabbering.
"Once again, buck you too, Midnight." Calypso responded, then followed by silence.
'You need some new material.' Midnight responded with finality.
"..."
'At any rate, be quiet- I need to think.'
"Oooh, about what? Details!"
'You know full well, Callie.'
"You used my nickname, so it must be serious!"
'Calypso, shut up, for Celestia's sake...' Midnight groaned, rolling her eyes.
The annoyance of her voice went silent, much to the Midnight's satisfaction.
Midnight continued to lounge on the bench for a good half an hour, patiently waiting for Squeaks' school to let out for the day. She felt out of place, being there- everything was almost the same, yet felt so alien and different, she could barely comprehend she was in a different world.
Given, she really was in a different world, on behalf of Twilight Sparkle.
The metal bell hanging up on the side of the building rang, soon followed by dozens and dozens of people flooding out of the building. Some chattered excitedly with their friends, others were pushing through the crowd to make it to the buses, not wanting to miss their ride home. Midnight found herself watching the 'humans' with interest, some of them to be shockingly similar in appearance to some of the ponies she'd seen in her world. Namely, Lyra and BonBon talking about about something called a 'Cold war'. The crowd soon thinned out, leaving just a trickle of students as the horseless carraiges started, silently shaking Midnight out of her thoughts.
'I guess I know how Dreamcast feels, now...' Midnight chuckled inwardly.
Her thoughts turning to the dream-eater, Midnight wondered if the not-quite-a-pony had a counterpart in this world, as well. She figured she did, since Lyra and BonBon were here.
A sudden thought came to her, as shocking as if somepony had taken a few cubes of ice and set them on her back. If Lyra and BonBon had 'human' counterparts here, then that could mean...
Midnight hurried into the building, desperately looking for Squeaks. She needed to get out of here as soon as possible, she needed to warn-
"Oh! Miss Storm, how wonderful to see you!" a mysterious woman said, appearing seemingly out of nowhere. The woman was wearing an off-white smock, covered in a multitude of colored stains, most likely from paint. Midnight also took notice of the woman's scent, picking up what she thought was sawdust. Midnight took notice of her eyes, finding one of them to be purple, and the other to be green, just like...
"Erm...yes, nice to see you too!" Midnight said, then dropped the farce "I'm sorry, I have no idea who you are."
"I didn't think you would," the woman replied kindly "I'm the new art teacher for Canterlot High, I was hired just a few weeks ago."
"Oh?" Midnight asked, somewhat interested.
The woman nodded.
"Yes- would you mind stepping inside for a moment? I feel that I need to discuss something with you."
Midnight nodded, unsure, then followed Dreamcast's counterpart, wondering what the woman could possibly talk to her about. Midnight soon discovered what it was, as she found four fillies, eyes downcast, standing before a small desk in the nearest corner of the room.
"I see..." Midnight said, then looked to the woman as she sat down at her desk.
All four of the girls were covered from head to hoof in different arrays of paint, most likely the reason why Dreamcast's smock was covered with it. Then again, it just might've been part of her job.
"As you can see," Dreamcast said, after taking a sip from an orange and blue coffee mug that said 'I never say no to a complement'. Midnight wondered what it could possibly mean, not sure what the phrase meant. "we had a bit of an incident today in class."
"It wasn't our fault that Snips made fun of Squeaks' mom!" Scootaloo blurted out, then blushed furiously as she covered her mouth with both hands.
'So that's who he is, I thought he looked familiar.' Midnight thought, seeing the similarities between the slightly-chubby boy and his Equestrian counterpart. She also took notice of the ice bag the boy was holding to his eye, indicating that something more had happened than the four were letting on.
All six of them stood in silence, not sure what to do or what to say.
"Well, I think it's about time to go home," Midnight said, motioning to Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Squeaks to follow her, then turning to Dreamcast "I'll be sure to talk with Squeaks, and I'll let the others' parents know what happened."
Dreamcast hesitated a minute, then nodded, telling Snips that he could go.
Later, as they were walking home, in no particular direction, Midnight decided to confront the three about the incident.
"So...what exactly was it that got you so riled up?" Midnight asked.
"I refuse to talk! I want my attorney! I'll-"
Midnight burst into laughter, despite the situation, cutting of Scootaloo from a seemingly well-prepared rant.
"I'm not interrogating you, I just want to know what happened." Midnight responded as her laughter died down.
"Well..." Squeaks began "Snips was going on about how different the two of us are...and- and he said that you weren't my real mom, an-and...that...I was just..."
Midnight took action, wrapping an arm comfortingly around her as they continued walking.
"So...you got mad, and you hit him, right?" Midnight asked.
Squeaks was sobbing by now, burying her face into Midnight's side as she wept, stammering out apology after apology.
Midnight stopped, stooped so she was looking Squeaks right in the eye.
"Squeaky-" Midnight began, making the filly flinch "I'm proud that you defended yourself, and your reason was good."
Squeaks stared at her in confusion, as if she'd grown a second head.
"But that doesn't give you the right to let your friends whale on him."
"Er...actually, Squeaks was the one that gave him the black eye, Scootaloo and I actually tried to get him to go away..." Sweetie said "...and then we whaled on him..."
Midnight rubbed her eyes, and then stood up straight, continuing her walk.
"Well, let's get to Sugarcube Corner, since it's just up the street."
"Why're we goin' there?" Scootaloo asked "Aren't we in trouble?"
"Yeah, but not with me; as soon as we get there, I'm calling your sisters to come and pick you up."
Scootaloo's hope to get out of the situation scot-free was dashed.
