> Prince of Dreams
>  by ShadowStar_IMHP
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A lucid dream is a dream during which the dreamer is aware that they are dreaming. During a lucid dream, the dreamer may gain some amount of control over the dream characters, narrative, and environment; however, this is not necessary for a dream to be described as lucid.





The apartment was not grand, just a simple home of a bachelor college student. A brown couch that screamed ‘found on a street corner’ stood in front of a coffee table with so many scratches and stains that its original color was lost to time. Off to the side was a TV along with an Xbox game system collecting dust. Mounted on a wall just next to it was a cheap bookshelf, which, among other oddities, bore six figures of pastel-colored ponies, all dust-free and apparently cared for with love. These were the main six characters of a recently concluded cartoon show targeted at little girls. Admittedly, the owner of said figures didn’t fit in that demographic but enjoyed it nonetheless.  

Next to the ponies were books about magic artifacts. Not fantasy novels or stories of hobbits, or anything like that, these books were about Wiccan rituals, Norse rune deviations, and magic from a host of other cultures. There were also a few books on new age guidance meditation. They shared the shelf with books about psychology and dream interpretation, almost all of them coated by a layer of dust. The only book that has seen some use lay on the coffee table in the center of the room. The title was ‘Modern Lucid Dreaming and Meditation Techniques’, and its pages were filled with bookmarks and staples sticking out its sides. The owner of this meek apartment was David Tanner, a college student going for a Psychology Major.

Rubbing his shoulder tiredly, David entered his apartment. His eyes landed on a light gray speaker on the end table. “Alexa, turn on the lights,” he muttered.

A light blue ring lit on the top of the device, and a female artificial voice responded, “Okay,” along with a chime. The lights of the apartment turned on. Alexa was a useful hands-free device, but, ultimately, it just reminded David of how lonely he felt. 

He moved to the makeshift kitchen and looked into the refrigerator at the meager supplies left. “Do I want to cook, or order out?” he mused. He sighed, choosing to decide later. “Alexa, make a reminder to buy fresh groceries on Friday.” 

Once again, the device chimed and lit up. “Reminder made, buy fresh groceries on Friday.” 

David shook his head. “Alexa, what would I do without you.”  

“Hmm, I don’t know that one,” the device replied. 

David smiled and went for a good hot shower after a long day of work, throwing off his janitor uniform as he trotted into the bathroom. Once in the stream of flowing water, he let the liquid flow down his back to soothe all the aches and exhaustion of another night shift.

He ran his hand over the pale skin of his right arm and the Norse runes tattooed therein--the runes of Uruz for Strength of Will, Eihwaz for Stability, and Raidho for Growth. The tattoos were styled to look like stones with the runes glowing a light blue, lined with vines twisting and turning in an endless loop of branching paths, all to hide the deep jagged scars from an earlier trauma. His fingers brushed along the damaged tissue as two-year-old memories bubbled up in his mind. David blinked a few times, his gaze growing distant. He winced when a wet lock of his brown hair flopped into one of his eyes. He snapped out of his memory, and, moving the hair away, he noted it was time to have it cut again.  

He sighed and stepped out of the shower when his gut rumbled hungrily. “Alright, I’ll feed you.” He patted it and walked into the kitchen, where he again took stock of the few foodstuffs left in the fridge. “Eh, whatever,” he muttered as he pulled a frozen pizza from the freezer and tossed it into the oven. He grabbed a bottle of beer, settled down on the couch, and turned on the TV.  Logging into Hulu, he started watching My Little Pony.

Shortly after the first episode of the list ended, a ding from his oven alerted him to when the pizza is ready. He brought the steaming dish back to the couch and settled down with a content smile. His binge-watching of the last season has begun.  

The leftover slices of his pizza gradually got cold, his beer warmed, and his eyelids started drooping. He yawned and shook his head. “Who approved of a filly being sent to Tartarus and now turned to stone? No one thought of reforming her? Jennifer would have been so pissed.” He sighed bitterly, looking at the ponies on the shelf. They stared back with their unmoving eyes. David shook his head and stood up and tossed the remaining pizza.

His only desire as he crawled into bed was to escape the mundane, boring life he now lived. Two years ago it was different, she was a part of his life back then.  

David nestled into the cushions of his bed and lifted his hand, his fingers brushing over the dream catcher pinned above his head. It wasn’t the mass-produced, decorative one, but a handcrafted dream catcher he bought when he visited the Cherokee Nation. He smiled at the memory of the old woman demanding to know if he was just buying it for decoration or a reason. After telling her about the nightmares he was having, she let him buy it. 

He rolled over on his side and looked at an amethyst crystal geode on his nightstand. Even though some of the magic books he owned mentioned crystal healing, he just got the geode for how it sparkled in the morning light. Next to the geode lay another echo dot device, this one with a built-in clock showing it was past seven o’clock in the morning. “Good thing I don’t have classes today,” he mused. “Alexa, start lucid dream sounds.” 

A chime and Alexa responded, “Starting lucid dream sounds… pleasant dreams.” 

Lucid dreaming wasn’t an instant thing, it needed a certain degree of preparation. One key was preparing one’s mind with meditation. As he listened to the rhythmic sounds, he slowed his breathing and cleared his mind of distractions. Slowly his body and then mind fell to sleep, his consciousness left him as he entered the REM stage of sleep. Blurry images crossed his mind, then started to take a more defined shape as he stabilized the dream. He stood now near a very familiar apple cart in Ponyville. It was hard to miss the pastel-colored ponies walking about the town full of thatched-roof houses. It was a scene pulled right out of the cartoon he was watching just before bed. “Oh… okay, this is interesting.” He smirked to himself, amused at what his subconscious has decided to manifest.  

“It's mine!” 

“No, it’s mine!” 

He sat down, watching a fight break out among the Cutie mark Crusaders over Smartypants. “Lesson Zero?” he guessed. “Yup, there is crazy Twilight.” He chuckled as said frazzled mare eyed the squabbling fillies.

“This is so much better than watching it on TV.” Pinkie Pie’s voice came from behind David. He turned to the sight of the pink pony sitting on a recliner and eating popcorn.

“Pinkie Pie?” David shook his head, the pink pony was once again invading his dream. It didn’t matter what the dream was; once he dreamt of going to class, only to have Pinkie Pie sitting at the next desk in a catholic school girl outfit. David tried to keep that image out of his head.

“Nope, er, yes. I’m your subconscious taking the appearance of Pinkie Pie. So sit back and watch the show!” the-not-Pinkie-Pie said just like Pinkie Pie would. At first, he struggled to understand why Pinkie was one constant in his dreams for the last few years, until he figured that she was likely a reminder of Jennifer. The pink pony was her favorite character, so in his loneliness, his subconscious recreated her as this enthusiastic mare.

David chuckled as Pinkie stretched out on her pink recliner with a rainbow polka dot pattern. Smiling at the perfect company, he lifted his hand and snapped his fingers. With a flash of white light a second recliner appeared, this one a deep blue. David’s clothes changed as well, now he wore a pair of black pants and a red shirt, a copy of the Star Trek uniform.  

“Oh going all Q, David?” Pinkie giggled and threw a couple of popcorn kernels into her mouth. 

He shrugged. “When I have the power, why not flaunt it.” He sat down on his recliner and grabbed a large chocolate milkshake that manifested itself where it wasn’t there a moment ago. “Way better than the TV. I love it when I can lucid dream.” He smiled. “Jennifer would have loved this.” The memory of both of them enjoying the show together crossed his mind.

“I know, I’m you… and somewhat her, after all.” Pinkie Pie looked over at him. Her mane hung limply, a deep sadness in her eyes. David’s face mirrored her downcast expression, and his left hand moved to rub his arm where the tattoo-covered scar was.  

Celestia showed up on the scene playing out before them when a sudden rumble shook their seats. David and Pinkie looked at each other questioningly as the sky suddenly grew dark, decked in thick clouds.  

A swirling vortex was so black it seemed to absorb light formed among the clouds of darkness, odd symbols of sickly green flashing around it. Pinkie gasped as the vortex grew larger and larger. Thatched roofs, trees, and ponies alike were sucked up into the dark gaping maw, their bodies twisting and vanishing. 

“No!” David cried and forced himself to avert his eyes. He turned to the mare by his side, but she was gone. He stood up, his knees shaking, and his heart beating loud in his ears. He sprinted from the raging cyclone. 

His conscious mind struggled to control his panic. Subconsciously, he knew this void was wrong, that it didn’t come from him. 

Something grabbed him, nothing he could see, but he could feel the grip around his body. He floated up into the air, the invisible force tugging him closer and closer to the vortex. He thrashed and struggled, but to no avail. Unlike the ponies, he didn’t vanish into the void. His view was swallowed up by the dark clouds as the hole in his dream started to close. The last thing he saw was a frightened, re-appeared Pinkie Pie looking up at him from the ground far below. 

He tried to focus his will on the darkness and emptiness around him. A spike of fear pierced him as the void refused to respond to his desires. “Come on, I was lucid before…” Control, he needed to regain control of the dream. He patted the top of his head then worked his way down his body. “Okay, think this through, I have conscious control of my actions, but not over the dreamscape. What is with this fucking fog?” He stepped down feeling a firm floor beneath, though his field of view ended at his knees. The mist was so thick that all around him was a wall of nothing.  

Unable to think of anything else, he started walking. Blinded by the fog, he relied on his other senses. The mist felt wrong, it was as if he was trudging through a gel rather than fog. Spotting movement to his right, he turned just in time to see a shadowy form fade from sight. It was bipedal but too tall and thin to be human. His instincts screamed at him to run, but he resisted the urge. Next came the sounds. 

A girl's voice called out, “Mommy? Where are you, Mommy?”

Dark and twisted laughter followed. “Georgie is that you. Georgie?” It was accompanied by many disembodied voices, speaking, echoing, and hissing from the darkness. Soon the voices were drowned out by the beating of his own heart in his ears. 

“Think! Okay, I must have slipped deeper into my subconscious. It’s still a dream, no way that was Pennywise. I have been meditating and lucid dreaming for years, I cannot panic just because of some fog!” Unconsciously, he gripped his own forearms as he walked into the darkness.

There had to be a way out of what subconscious hell he fell into. “A door! Come on, David, focus on a door out.” He imagined a steel door with a large glowing exit sign overhead. Another voice and movement. He turned to look and saw a shape in the mist. It was horse-like, made of pure shadows and darkness. The figure’s head moved, and two glowing white eyes stared at him. At that time his conscious mind chose to agree with his instinct, and he ran.  

He didn’t care if the shadow horse followed him or not, up ahead he saw a solid shape, the shape of a door. “Huh… that’s not the door I had in mind.” It was old, wooden with cast iron bolts, and a handle that was a lever instead of a doorknob.  

He reached out and touched the handle. The door swung open. David stumbled back. Terror gripped him as a dark mass reached out of the doorway. Sickly tendrils of black ooze latched onto his leg. He tried to crawl away as more of the ooze sprang forward. A scent hit his nose, a foul smell similar to tar mixed with rotten eggs. Every fiber of his body screamed to flee, and his brain recognized something that shouldn’t be.  

Rolling over so his belly was to the ground, he could now see the floor of dark gray stone. There were no seams, no edge of the stone to grab. Nothing to stop the ooze from dragging him back into its dark mass. “Someone help... meeee!” His yell of pure terror ended as the oozing slime covered his face and entered his mouth. The last thing he heard was the sounds of hooves on stone.





David groaned and groggily rubbed his head against something hard and cold. Opening his eyes, he found himself lying on a marble floor. “What the hell was that?” he mumbled, sitting up. He noted he was in some grand hall. “Um, subconscious, what’s going on? Hello? Pinkie, please show up, I need answers” For the first time he could recall, the pink figment of his imagination didn’t appear. He looked around, noticing the large, slouchy red carpet next to him. It ran the whole length of the hall and had a large stylized image of a crescent moon and a sun in the center. Something about that design nagged at David’s mind.  

At the end of a hall, the carpet snaked over a few stairs onto a small podium topped by two thrones--one in shades of gold and yellow, the other blue. “The Castle of the Two Sisters,” David whispered.  

His eyes moved to the wooden beams supporting the ceiling high above. His eyebrows shot up when he realized he could see the grains in the hardwood. His gaze drifted down the walls. He could make out the flecks of quartz in each block of granite and even the mortar holding the stones together. Even with his imagination filling in the gaps, it never bothered with this amount of life-like detail in his dreams. Leaning down, he let his fingers slide along the carpet, feeling every string of the woven thread. “This is way too real…” He slowly got up and walked over to the two thrones. The fires in the alcoves next to the thrones emitted faint hints of smoke. “Is that alder wood?” he asked as he raised his eyes to the pink stained glass window above a podium. 

He jumped as something moved to his left. In the next moment, Princess Luna walked from behind the blue throne. However, it wasn’t the pony princess from the cartoon. This was the most realistic version of the Princess of the Night he has ever seen. Somehow this Luna was more real than an actual horse would appear. 

She had a long, thick neck and thin legs, a body similar to a thoroughbred. Her muscles ripple beneath a silky, royal blue coat that seemed freshly washed. He could make out a faint scent of lavender. Mouth agape, he stared as her mane and tail flowed with a wind he couldn’t feel and stars sparkled in the waving, ethereal hair. Her horn wasn’t the same color as her coat like in the cartoon, instead, it was a spiral of dark blue. It shimmered in the light of the torches as if it was made of gemstone. Almost like a deep blue sapphire, he thought to himself, stunned at her beauty. 

Bright teal eyes showed clear intelligence; they were smaller than in the cartoon, more realistic, and facing forward. anger burning within them. Seeing that intense stare, he started backpedaling, too shocked to turn away from the angered princess. Her wings fluttered as she stepped forward, showing the feathers in different shades of blue. Her muzzle was not as long as a horse’s, though it still was truer to life than the small muzzle the cartoon showed.  

She started speaking in a language he couldn’t understand. It was a language just not meant for human ears, how his subconscious went that far, he had no clue. He started to turn as he felt another presence in the chamber, only to see Celestia approaching the thrones.

David gasped as he realized he was in the scene where Luna becomes Nightmare Moon. “Oh, this is interesting,” he remarked. 

The royal sisters both fell quiet and looked around, trying to identify the sound. They gazed in his direction, yet neither seemed to see him. When no other sound followed, they turned back to each other and the yelling started. 

So I’m a spectator in this play, David thought to himself. Even though the events were playing out differently and he couldn’t understand the words, he could grasp context from that episode. The argument was more back and forth, Celestia adding more to the verbal fight than in the cartoon.  As Celestia walked by him, he saw how realistic this dreamworld was. Celestia’s horn shone like a polished pearl, and her snowy white wings reminded him of a dove. Her body was more like a draft horse breed, she had a clearly heavier frame. However, she wasn’t fat, there were well-developed muscles on her. “Should be about time for the transformation sequence,” he muttered and stepped further away from the mares. Both royal sisters’ ears turned to him, but unlike before, they ignored what they heard.  

Luna let out a scream and rose into the air. Then, the window behind her shattered, revealing the sun being eclipsed by the moon. The world was cast into a sickly orangish-red tinge. David’s stomach lurched at the darkness radiating from the now-blackened moon. Dark magic. 

The darkness seemed to wrap Luna in a sphere. What was not in the show was the cry of shock and fear from the strange orb of dark magic. David was confused about how Luna’s transformation was going. She was screaming in agonizing painful cries. Worry gripped his heart, the truth was he admired Luna. A sound to his right caught his attention. He looked out the window in an alcove to see a blast of the same black magic hit a tree. It twisted and deformed, darkening, and growing thorns. Everything the dark magic radiating from the eclipse touched was changing.  

The sphere vanished and the Princess of the Night appeared. Her features were twisted, still following the thoroughbred appearance, but off. Her limbs were even thinner, her body stretched like a nightmare version of a horse. In his gut, he knew she was no longer Luna, but Nightmare Moon. Her fur was now growing darker, turning almost black. Her wings lost their feathers and deformed into bat-like wings. Each one of her ribcages stuck out, and bumps rose along her spine as the bones threatened to burst out of her skin. Her teeth fell out and were rapidly replaced by sharp fangs. Her pupils narrowed into cat-like slits, and her horn was now black and jaded, reminding David of onyx.

“That wasn’t like it was in the cartoon…” he muttered, eyes wide. In the show, Luna laughed all the while her teeth and wings just transformed. He blinked, only to be blinded by an explosion of magic. The next thing he saw was Celestia being hit by Nightmare Moon’s magic and tossed into one of the supporting pillars.

The fight was more graphic than any cartoon could be. It also was wrong, Nightmare Moon in the cartoon blasted a hole in the ceiling, she didn’t fire on her sister as this version did. Celestia’s side was bleeding. The scent of burnt hair was nauseating. Celestia called out in a pleading tone to her sister. Even if he couldn’t understand the words, David could tell she was telling her to stop.

He didn’t need to know the language to see the insanity in Nightmare Moon's eyes. She sprang forward and slammed her front hooves into Celestia's already wounded side. Celestia's horn lit up, a wall of magical force shoving her sister away. Not waiting for another attack, Celestia rose to her hooves and charged at her twisted sister. At the last moment, she leaped up into the air and flew out of the now broken window, knocking Nightmare Moon down with a blast of air. Once she recovered, Nightmare Moon took flight after her.

One of the first things David ever did when he learned how to lucid dream was fly. So, wanting to see this oddly-realistic fight, he focused his thoughts, only to raise his hands like a child pretending to be superman. “Come on! Why can’t I do anything! This is my dream… isn’t it?” Doubt and fear crept into his mind. Was he dreaming? Racing to the broken window, he looked out. What he saw was a city, a burning city.  

Everywhere he saw only chaos. The ground shook and the buildings toppled as the caverns and tunnels under the city caved in. Whatever magic turned Luna into Nightmare Moon was still in effect, was warping any life hit by the spell. The trees' bark darkened, branches twisted and curled. The debris-covered cobblestone streets of the city were ripped apart as sickly green weeds and bushes burst forth and pushed their way to the sky.  

A pegasus guard rushed to help fight Nightmare Moon, only to be hit by the strange dark magic from the moon. David flinched as the guard crashed to the ground. The stallion’s screams of pain were more from the magic than the crash. His coat turned blood-red dark, and his mane and tail blackened. His wings lost their feathers and became membranous, like those of a bat. “He’s becoming a thestral…” David muttered in disbelief. Everywhere he looked he saw more ponies transform into nocturnal beings.  

“The Everfree! This is the creation of the Everfree Forest. It’s nightmarish, no wonder ponies were terrified of it,” he rationalized. Smoke from the burning fires hit his lungs, and he coughed. “Wait… I’m coughing? How can I cough in a dream? Is this real?” The sound of a loud crash caused him to turn.

The bruised, bloodied, and battered form of Celestia slammed into the floor. David ran over as one of the thick beams came crashing down through him. For a moment he stopped, shocked that the heavy beam didn’t crush him. He shook his head and knelt beside Celestia. He reached out to her, but his hand passed through her. “Right, I can’t touch anything.” Helpless, he watched as blood poured out of Celestia’s cuts and gashes, her pastel mane and tail lying still. His breath caught in his lungs. Was she dead? How could she be alive after losing so much blood? His eyes widened. It had to be real. This reality’s Nightmare Moon won. Suddenly, Celestia gasped and struggled to stand back up, determination burning within her eyes. 

Celestia was quiet as she cast a spell. Stones rumbled as a slab lowered and moved aside. Rising from the hidden chamber beneath it was a large sphere with branched arms housing the Elements of Harmony. 

David moved around, wanting to get a better look. Unlike the amethyst geode on his nightstand, these gemstones shone with their own inner light. Celestia flew up to the central sphere, and the gems rose into the air in her magic.

Hearing laughter, David turned, seeing the dark figure of Nightmare Moon comes through the new hole in the ceiling, her horn charged.

That was when the Elements of Harmony sprang into action. A rainbow blast shot straight at Nightmare Moon. And David. He stood between the two sisters. Both blasts of magic struck him. The magic from Celestia was stronger. It didn’t just go around him; it passed through him on its path to Nightmare Moon. It was as if he was shoved by a hurricane.

Screaming in agony, he felt his body being broken down to the purest of his essence. Every nerve, every muscle, and every cell was vaporized as he was lifted and passed through Nightmare Moon. Her screams matched his own… and the world faded to black.
> Chapter 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The weather was just starting to change as autumn overtook the heat of summer. For David, it was a perfect time: just warm enough to enjoy swimming and just cool enough to cuddle with his girlfriend Jennifer. He opened the trunk of his car and put his suitcase next to the sleeping bag, tent, and other camping supplies stored therein.  

A final camping trip before it got too cold, a private celebration. David was accepted by the University of Pennsylvania to follow his psychological schooling. Chuckling, he remembered getting the letter. He had sat there, looking at the envelope for five minutes, terrified that he would be rejected once again. He feared his grades were not enough but he took a chance, and when he did get the courage to open the letter, he found his chance paid off.  

After his parents divorced, things were difficult. But now, after years of hard work and determination, his life was looking up again: he was financially sound, getting into a good school, and…  

He smiled as he opened a pocket of his backpack and pulled out a small black box. He gently flicked it open and looked over the engagement ring placed on the cushion inside. It was adored by three moonstones that each looked like a sky-blue nebula captured in smokey glass: A large circular one was flanked by two smaller stones on either side, one in a waxing moon shape and the other waning. It was a symbol of the triple moon goddess, the central figure of Jennifer’s religion. He smiled nervously, though pride welled inside of him that he bought it without financial help from his parents. Next to the engagement ring sat a wedding ring, made of white gold and inlaid with tiny diamonds mimicking stars, just like the engagement ring.

He had planned this weekend getaway to propose. Just the two of them camping on the lakeside, warmed by a campfire and each other under the moonlit sky.     

“She’s going to love it,” the voice of David’s mother came from behind him. He jumped in shock. 

“Damn it, Mom. I almost dropped it.” He quickly put the ring box back in his backpack.  

Her compassionate brown eyes glistened with barely-contained tears as she tried to fight the urge to cry. “Wish you would propose in front of me. That girl makes you so happy, you just light up whenever you see her.”

“Yeah, she does. You know how camping by the lake is one of her favorite things, I really can’t think of a better place to ask her than by the lake,” David said and hugged his mother. “We will make sure to tell you all about it when we get back.”

She nodded and patted his shoulder. “You better get going, she’s waiting.” She flashed him a wink. 

“Yes, Mom.” He shut the trunk and headed to the front of the car. “I love you.”

“Love you too.” She smiled, watching her son drive off. “And don’t make me wait too long to have grandkids!” she yelled.





Parking spaces all taken, David had no choice but to bring his car to double park next to the Cox's Suburban. He hopped out of his car and went inside the house, having long ago been told by his future mother-in-law that he was welcomed to come in and was considered family already.  

The home of the Cox family was like most homes in the United States, the only sign it was home to practicing witches was the altar with the triple moon goddess symbols on its surface and the sweet-smelling incense in the air welcoming him once he stepped through the door. “Mrs. Cox, I’m here to pick up Jennifer,” David shouted.

“I told you before, David, call me Mama G, you are practically family.” Mrs. Gabriel Cox walked out of the kitchen. Her graying red hair hung in a long braid, swaying from side to side as she walked up to greet him. With her sparkling green eyes, many freckles, and that red hair, she could easily be a Weasley from the Harry Potter franchise. The only sign that this Wiccan was a real witch was the pentagram pendant hanging proudly on a cord around her neck. She leaned in close to David and whispered, “Can I see it?”

“Now dear, leave him alone.” Mr. Nathan Cox cleared his throat and trotted to them, his long blonde ponytail whipped up behind him. The tall man yanked David into a hug, a broad grin on his face. David gladly returned it. In many ways, Nathan filled the void in David’s heart his father left open. 

Gabriel watched them for a moment with a tender smile before she leaned close to her husband’s shoulder and whispered, “You big softy, if you start crying, she might figure it out.”  

Nathan chuckling and let go of David. “Ah, my dear, didn’t you say that you love me because I’m not afraid to show my emotions?” He waggled his eyebrows at her. She just rolled her eyes.

Gabriel then looked up and called out louder, “Jennifer, he’s here!”

“Almost ready!” came a voice from above. There was a loud crash. “Who put the lamp there?!” Together all three sighed and glanced at the ceiling. 

“You alright, dear?” Gabriel asked.

“Stupid lamp! Yeah, Mom, just knocked my lamp over, it’s fine. Oh, I need a new light bulb,” Jennifer’s voice was heard just a mere heartbeat before she raced down the steps with her backpack in tow. “I'll take care of the light,” Nathan exclaimed, rushing downstairs to the storage room and secretly wiping away a few stray tears.  

 “David!” Jennifer’s bright green eyes widened and sparkled with joy upon seeing him. Ignoring her mother standing there, she dropped her bag and squeezed herself against David, delivering a passionate kiss. He gently embraced her soft sides and ran a hand through her strawberry blonde hair.

“Dear, no making out in front of your mother!” Gabriel’s voice was full of mischief, a grin on her face.

Breaking the kiss, Jennifer blushed. “Sorry, Mom, I’m just so excited.” She straightened up, adjusting her bright pink shirt with the image of Pinkie Pie on it.  

“You’ll have plenty of time to fool around once you get to the campsite.”

“Mom!” Both David’s and Jennifer’s faces turned an even deeper shade of red.

“Don’t take me as a prude, I know very well you went and got new lingerie. Just make sure you use protection, I can wait for grandchildren,” Gabriel teased.

“Well, um... We need to hurry. I had to double park,” David said, flashing them an embarrassed grin.

“Of course I got protection,” Jennifer interjected. “You handed me the box of condoms yourself, Mom.”

For a moment David wondered if he could blush more. The red was now creeping down his chest.

“David, dear, you seem flushed. Perhaps you two should go get fresh air.” Gabriel smiled, her eyes twinkling.

“Alright. Take care, Mama G, bye Nathan.” David grabbed Jennifer’s backpack, noting that it was stuffed to the point the zipper was struggling to keep closed. Jennifer held the door open for him as he passed. 

“Bye Mom, bye Dad!” she called before running outside after her boyfriend. “You're the one driving!” she exclaimed as she jumped into the car’s passenger front seat. 

David just smiled and nodded as he threw her backpack next to his. He then settled into his seat and started the car.

“That’s odd both my parents watched us pull away,” Jennifer said as she turned around and caught a glimpse of her parents standing on the steps of their home.  

“They most likely wanted to make sure we were driving away, your mother apparently had something mischievous on her mind.” He swallowed, hoping she bought his little excuse.

“Yeah, you’re right, that was probably why Mom was so excited. She thinks she can act cool, but I can tell.”  

At that moment David thanked every god and goddess he could recall.





Jennifer was sitting with her backrest leaning all the way back, her bare feet sticking out the window and resting on the passenger side mirror. “Are we there yet?”

“Soon, Jennifer, just a few more miles till we are at the lake.”

“Good, because I want to go skinny dipping.”

It took all David’s willpower to not jerk the wheel when he heard her. “Um… sure, but you do know there will be other campers, right?”

“Well, they can look, but only you can touch, with permission.” She playfully moved her hands up her side to cup her breasts, a mischievous grin on her face as she did so.

“How did I fall in love with an extrovert exhibitionist sexy witch?”

“Because you're under my spell.” She pulled out her phone and after a few taps on the screen, the song ‘Under Our Spell’ started playing.  

David's eyes spotted a red Ford Mustang coming up behind them in the rearview mirror. The other driver was going faster than the speed limit. The road was thin with two lanes separated by a double yellow line.  

“Great, a moron is coming up behind us.” David shook his head as they approached a curve in the road. The Mustang came closer, speeding up and swerving into the left lane to pass.  

David’s eyes shot forward when he heard a blaring horn and the front end of a semi-trailer truck came around the bend. Beads of sweat shimmered on his forehead. He slammed on the break. The Mustang pulled back into the right lane, hitting their Camry's front end. Jennifer screamed. David screamed. The rear of the Camry crossed the centerline right in front of the truck. In the next moment, the car was airborne, then gravity reinforced its law once more.

The car rolled. Once. Twice. Three times. Four times.

White. 




 
David was sore all over as he came to.  

He felt like he had run a marathon, entered an ironman competition, and then fought a heavyweight boxing match and lost. His thoughts were scrambled. He spoke out loud, trying to get his thoughts in order, “Ponyville, and a castle? Memories of the fight?” The pain of being hit by two blasts of magic ran across his mind.  

Jolting to full alertness, he saw nothing but stars, more stars than he ever imagined. The sight of the swirling cosmos washed away the last shreds of the confusion in his mind. The closest thing he could compare this sight to were photos of the universe, and even those paled in comparison to this wonder.

Below him was a disk of glowing light. At first, he thought it was solid, then he saw the disk was thousands, no, billions of smaller points of light. It was as if he was lying on a disk of glowing dust. I must be still dreaming, he thought to himself.  

His muscles felt like they were recovering from the worst cramps he ever experienced. He tried to pull himself up on his hands and knees, only to lose balance and smash his nose into that strange disk of light. “Fuck!” He moved his hand to his now bruised nose, yet something hard connected with his face.

What he saw instead of his hand was a hoof. A thick hoof black at the tip, gradually changing to blue where it met the fur covering the rest of his arm. Or, rather, a dark blue foreleg. “What the hell?!” 

Turning his head in a way no human neck could, he saw an equine body with bat-like purplish-blue wings folded at its sides.

His sight then traveled to his mane and tail, and he gasped. They seemed to flow in a wind he couldn’t feel, the locks of gray and silver rippling like clouds in the light of a full moon. He felt the strands of hair of his mane dance over his foreleg. The only ponies he thought of that had ethereal manes… he didn’t finish the thought.

Reaching up to his forehead, he felt the base of a horn. His eyes widened. “I’m an alicorn?” he muttered as his gaze moved upward, and he saw a horn similar in color to onyx. Slowly this time, he maneuvered to stand on his hooves and looked down between his legs. “Good, still male. Just one identity crisis at a time, thank you.” 

He shook his head. “Okay, focus. This is clearly still a dream, and you are a skilled lucid dreamer.” Taking a deep breath, he focused on clearing his mind of any remaining doubt. This was his dream, there was no other possibility. He was in charge. “Alright, first, this strange floor I’m standing on. I need something more stable. All these stars are making me seasick… Solid land. Focus, David!”

Grass grew under his hooves and spread out, then bushes and trees materialized into a lush garden. The plants of the garden shifted every time he looked at them. Some were changing as he watched, trees morphed and twisted. The garden was unstable, still a loose construct of his thoughts. The only tree that didn’t change was a large willow. Its trunk split a few feet above the ground, spreading into a canopy of delicate branches. Long, thin leaves hung down from the branches like a curtain of emeralds. The garden was just a few yards across, a green island in a sea of stars.

Now with some solid land under his hooves, the seasickness he felt ended. He sat down to enjoy the vastness of the stars. He smiled. “Well, that was a wild trip through my subconscious.  

“Okay, I need to see what I look like. A mirror, no, better a mirror pool.” He motioned with his hoof, and the ground shifted, forming a bowl with a silvery bottom. Water just appeared within the confines of the bowl, a shimmering pool where before was only grass. 

He tried to walk towards it, only to trip over his own hooves. He fell face-first into the water. “Agh… I better not wake up having peed myself.” He looked down at his reflection.  

His reflection was indeed that of an alicorn bat pony. He noticed his body was realistic, just like the versions of Celestia and Luna he saw before. “I guess this is handsome for a horse,” he remarked.

He then inspected his flank and saw a cutie mark of a crescent moon with a thin cloud across it. “Oh great, I even have a butt tattoo.” He turned around, expecting Pinkie Pie to show up with some comment about a tramp stamp. Sadly that did not happen.

“Okay, time to transform out of this pony body...” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He felt his form shift as if silk flowed over his skin.  

His eyes snapped open. He shot up, noting he was lying in his bed. “What the hell was that dream about…” he mumbled as he moved his hand in front of his face and wiggled his fingers. “It was bizarre even for a lucid dream.”  

Reaching over to his nightstand, he took his trusty dream journal and a pen from within its drawer. He opened it and started scribbling down his memories. “I must have lost control, that’s the only explanation. That, and I made the stupid error of focusing on my body. Yeah, that’s why I woke up, though to be fair, I think I wanted to wake up.”
> Chapter 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Psychology Professor Edward Norse’s sharp gray eyes snapped to the clock. “That’s it for today's class.” Several dozen feet started shuffling across the lecture room as students gathered their things and headed outside. Norse looked to one young man in particular and called over the ruckus, “Mr. Tanner, please stay a moment.” David halted on the spot and turned, then headed down the steps towards the professor. A hint of worry flashed through his mind, yet he quickly quenched it. Norse was rather friendly and laid back. Heck, once he tricked the whole class into believing that he was just another student and then ordered pizza for them.

“You wanted to speak with me?” David asked, curiosity written on his face.

“Ah yes, Mr. Tanner. Would you mind if I address you by your first name?” said Professor Norse as he stood up and walked around the desk, then sat on its edge.

“That’s fine, professor.” 

Norse nodded. "David, are you doing alright? You seem to be distant during my lessons, like your mind is elsewhere. Is there something bothering you? I couldn’t help but notice your grades have been slipping. Is my course too difficult?” He leaned against the desk with worry on his face.

David’s shoulders slumped, and he glanced down. He knew he wasn’t performing as well as he once did. “I'm sorry. It's nothing. I'll try harder."  

"David, you know you can talk to me. After all, I used to be a psychologist before I began teaching. If there is anything you need to get off your chest, I am here for you." The professor leaned forward, his voice bearing a clear, caring tone. 

"Well… I watched a show on television, and it… reminded me of my fiancée, before she died." Feeling the weight of his memories, David hung his head and sat on the closest seat.  

Professor Norse rubbed his chin in thought. "Talk to me, what show was it, and what about it made you think of her?" He settled on a seat next to David. 

“She was a major fan of the show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Called herself a pegasister, a female brony.” David chuckled and relaxed slightly. “More than once we would binge-watch a season together. She had all the comics and toys. The day she…” He stopped, recalling the fateful day. His voice hitched as he choked out the words, “...S-she died...she had on a Pinkie Pie shirt. That was her favorite character, a pink pony.” 

Norse bobbed his head slightly. “I understand. What is your favorite character?” 
 
“Huh?” David cocked his head. His confusion then turned into realization. He smiled awkwardly, ashamed that he could be considered a fan of such a girly show. “Oh, I’m not a fan, I just watched it with her. I know something about the show, though I can’t name the background characters or anything. I just nodded and tried to keep up when she went on a tangent about the lore. Like the time she tried to explain how the fans think one character was an orphan. Without her, I got bored of it near the end of season seven.”

“Then why did you continue to watch it?” The professor reached behind himself and drew forth his wallet.

“I guess I haven’t gotten over her. It’s my fault. We were going camping, there was a narrow road, and I saw this car behind us speeding. He tried to pass us on a double line, but around the bend came a truck hauling logs. I should have slowed down when he pulled around us, should have… told her to fasten her seat belt.” His voice died as he tried to swallow his guilt.

Norse nodded solemnly. “If you’d like, I have some friends who are still practicing in town. There is plenty of stress at school, and you are suffering from grief as well.” The professor pulled a business card from his wallet and handed it to him. “Please do yourself a favor and get an appointment.”

Taking the card, David looked it over. “I’ll think about it.”

“That's all I ask, do take care of yourself, David.” Norse smiled.

“See you next class, Professor.” David headed out of the room and soon out of the building and into the campus. He was aware he walked faster than normal. He told himself he was late to his next class, his emotions were in turmoil, and he wanted to get out and into the fresh air.

A flash of pink in the campus library window caught his attention. He turned to look at it, then the other way. “Huh, Pinkie?“ He spotted a woman with a pink book bag reflecting in one of the windows. He eyed her tight-fitting jeans for a moment. Shaking his head, he continued on his way.





The scent of a steak filled the apartment as he sat down to dinner. He glanced at the pony figures on the shelf. “Well, girls, another night alone. Perhaps Professor Norse is right, I might need professional help.” He thought about the woman he saw. Was it time to try dating again? Then he looked at the black ring box sitting next to the figures. Do I let myself feel love again? It's my fault she’s dead… I deserve to suffer. He sighed and shoved the idea to the back of his mind.

He tried to find something interesting on television. Failing to find anything live, he flicked on the final two-parter of season seven, Shadow Play, and watched it idly as he chewed through his juicy steak. Then he nearly choked.

“Impossible…” He reached for his phone and tapped the screen, only for it to flicker and glitch. “Stupid piece of shit…” he grumbled. He set down the phone, grabbed his laptop, and searched for the Pony of Shadows.

“That’s what I saw, the shadow horse with glowing eyes! How could I have dreamt of something I’ve never seen before? No, I must have seen this and just forgot. It would have been right after her death. That must be it, I just forgot about seeing this episode.” Already at the computer, he closed the tabs and started working on his school work.

He yawned as he finished the homework for two of his classes. Once his laptop was off, he stood up and went to the center of the room. “Alexa, start meditation routine,” he called out to the speaker. 

It chimed and announced neutrally, “Beginning meditation routine.”

The lights dimmed, and the sound of a bubbling brook played out of the speakers. He sat on the floor with closed eyes as he imagined that brook. He let the worry and stress of the day wash away with the imaginary water. His thoughts turned to the dream he wanted tonight, a calm and peaceful location. A library came to his mind, and he explored the idea further. Perhaps he could add that pretty woman with the pink bookbag.

Then the sounds ended, and a chime rang out as one hour of the meditation routine finished. He stretched and headed to bed for sleep and hopefully a dream of a pretty woman in a library.

He settled below the covers and hugged his pillow before closing his eyes. High walls with rows of books filled his mind as he painted the picture of the library he wanted. His breathing slowed as sleep took over his body. The mental image of the library vanished like smoke in the wind, and he found himself standing on grass in a garden.

It was the same garden from yesterday, flowering plants shifting and changing each time he looked. The night sky stretched above, now with swirling galaxies and clouds that appeared to be moving in a clockwise motion above the garden island. “What the…” He glanced down and saw he was once again on four legs.  

It wasn’t the same as yesterday though. He lifted his right foreleg and looked at it. There was no hard hoof; it was as if his leg was just a deep blue tube. “Oh no…” He made his way to the pool of water and looked down.

His reflection looked back with frustration on his face “I look like a recolored Princess Big Macintosh.” He smashed the pool with his forehoof.

“It’s not that bad, handsome!” The voice shocked him, and he fell as he scrambled to turn around, feeling the pain of the fall before dismissing it. There, standing under the large emerald green-leaved willow tree was Pinkie Pie, laughing. “Oh, that was good! You should have seen yourself, David!”

“Okay, Pinkie, what the hell is going on? This is the same place as yesterday, yet I focused my mind on a library!”

Pinkie Pie sat down and tapped her chin. “Well, this island garden is kind of a bubble where you have control. The reason this is an island and not a larger landmass is because that control stops at the edge. You are able to make clouds, but no sun or moon. Those stars aren’t from your imagination.”

He cocked his head at that. “What do you mean? This is a dream.”

“Nope. It’s something between reality and dreams. Unlike a normal dream, this is here even when you are awake. A constant connection that doesn’t fade. I know, I was exploring while you were gone!”

“How can this not be a dream?” His ears fell back as confusion came to his face. 

Pinkie Pie bounced over to him. “You do make a cute Big Mac, too bad we aren’t anatomically correct,” she teased with a wink.

“Be serious, Pinkie. I’m not going to make the same mistake I did last night and focus on my body’s appearance. I need to understand this.”

Pinkie rolled her eyes. “Okay, I only know what you know, so this is guesswork, but I think we are in the dream realm. Luna’s magical dream realm.”

“That makes no sense, Pinkie.” He stomped the ground, and his wings fluttered.

“Well, it does, just a twisted insane and slightly loopy sense. First, we were in a dream version of Ponyville, then that hole in the sky appeared, a hole that drew you into it. Any dream character that got pulled up vanished, you didn’t even wake up. A normal nightmare would have caused you to wake up if it was that scary. Because you were still dreaming, your mind generated elements like the voices, but the Pony of Shadows wasn’t from your mind.”

“David, you haven’t seen the season seven final before, you were too busy with the funeral. That was not your imagination, that was the Pony of Shadows.” Pinkie’s form shifted, growing darker and taller than David’s pony form. A dark smoky horn grew out of her head and her body became male in appearance. 

The Pony of Shadows’ voice echoed as he spoke, “Take a closer look, this isn’t the cartoon version. His legs are lean with clear joints and muscle structure. We saw the real thing, like how Celestia was real. If you created the Pony of Shadows from your imagination, then why would it look so real? Remember Twilight said Limbo was a place between places. Your dreaming mind traveled through Limbo and arrived here.” 

The shadowy figure moved to the edge of the island. With each step, it shifted until finally, Pinkie Pie leaped out of the fading shadow form. Once the shadows disappeared, she stood at the edge of the island and stuck her hoof out. The end of it turned into smoke, just like the library before. Once she backed up, her leg reappeared.  

“See, out there you don’t have control, too far away from the tree it becomes unstable. This is your haven where you are in charge.” She looked up to the stars. “Out there, among the stars, it is a different matter. Those aren’t stars, they are souls. Each one a dreamer. Face it, David, you are like Freddy Krueger now, a dream walker.” She giggled.  

Pinkie Pie moved up beside him and nudged his withers. “It's more stable than any dream. It’s as good as the real thing. Take a sniff, you can smell the flowers. And remember how you fell earlier? You felt pain. Real pain, you don’t feel pain in dreams.”  

“No way, Pinkie, I won’t believe it. That kind of thing just isn’t possible.” His hoof struck the ground again, and he turned to look at the willow tree. It hasn’t changed since last night, yet details would change even in the strongest dream.

“Then prove me wrong. Go and enter someone’s dream, or should I say somepony’s?” Pikie motioned to the stars above.

David shook his head. “That proves this is a dream. Why would I, a human, be in the dreams of cartoon ponies?”


“That Celestia and Luna didn’t look like cartoons. Oh! Let’s find out, let’s explore!” Pinkie exclaimed and bounced into the air.

Shaking his head, he walked with her to the edge of the island. “Okay, what do I do?”

“Like I know?” She sat down and tapped her chin with her hoof. “Okay, those stars are dreamers, so we need to choose one. Then enter it… Oh, wait! We should make a magic gateway that connects the island to the dreamer’s dream. It would be easier for you to enter a dream that way, I presume.”

He shrugged. Technically Pinkie Pie was a part of him, so it was his idea. He looked at the grass, and a stone archway rose into the air from there immediately. It was a stone dolmen like something taken straight out of Stonehenge. The three stones were dark gray granite with Norse runes carved into them.

Pinkie Pie smiled and tapped one of the tall stones. “Oh, you used Elder Futhark Norse runes! Very nice.”

After rolling his eyes, he turned his gaze to the stars. Spotting a sparkling pinkish star nearby, he mentally willed the gate to connect to that star. To his surprise, the star moved and came closer, its light bathed the area in a pink glow. The star, or dream, settled down on top of the dolmen, and a few of the runes lit up with that same pink light. 

David looked at the runes that were glowing. “Hmm, Pertho, Ehwaz, Ingwaz. I think those runes together would mean this dream has something to do with primal law, relationships, and love? Wait, Ingwaz could mean Fertility? What kind of dream could this be?” 

Pinkie smiled at him. “Only one way to find out!”

David looked at the dolmen stones, in between which was now a forcefield shimmering with the same color as the dream star. He took a deep breath and then walked into the field and, if Pinkie Pie was right, someone else’s dream. As he passed through, it felt like he stepped into a swimming pool. There was just a slight surface tension that gave way to him as he entered.





Legs, wings, his very body was suddenly numb. Reaching out, he saw his forearm was a shapeless mass of shifting white and silvery gray. Much like how Nightmare Moon turned into a dark mist in the cartoon.

Then he felt his mist form change, growing and shifting into the form of a realistic pony. He saw his legs were pure white and seemed to almost glow. He looked back at a silver tail and mane.  

Glancing around, he noticed he was standing in someone’s home. A log cabin with a dirt floor and a plain wood table below a single window. The window itself was just a hole in the wall with a thick blanket-like curtain drawn aside to let the light in. The rays of sunlight danced over a simple clay pot with flowers on the table. 

There was a loft above with steps leading up to it from the main floor. No sign of any other rooms or furniture, not even a closet.

“Your Majesty! You came for me!” a clear female voice called from behind him. With a smooth graceful stride, he turned, his silver mane flipping behind him as if he was in a cheesy romance novel. What the hell? He tried to scream, but couldn’t, his body was moving on its own.

In the doorway of the cabin stood a realistic-looking mare with a copper-red mane and a tan brown coat. He winced when his mouth started speaking of its own accord, “My dear Lilly Belle. It’s I, Prince Platinum Shine, and I've been searching all my life for you.” His forehoof tilted her head up, and he leaned down and kissed her. What’s going on! Pinkie Pie, are you here? I can’t control what I’m doing!

“Let me take you away from this boring life of lilies for the unthankful fools of this humble village,” he spoke softly as he started nuzzling the mare’s neck. The room changed to a lush bedroom with a large four-poster bed and a grand fireplace.

Oh no, don’t tell me it’s… She is having that kind of dream! Pinkie, get me out of here! Panic gripped him, he really didn’t want to endure a pony wet dream. He struggled to gain control, only to see his hoof twitch before he lost grip on it again.

“No, I can’t, My Prince. Growing lilies is my talent, it’s my life. I love watching the buds grow and bloom under my care.” David fought against his body as he gazed into the rose-red eyes of Lilly Belle. 

He leaned in to kiss her as the room shifted back to the log cabin. Suddenly the air in his lungs was gone as he was knocked off his hooves and into a wall. “Villainous unicorn! You will not take my Lilly Belle from me!”  

Pain, he was feeling real pain. David felt the ache of being slammed into a wall. What the hell hit me? He groaned inwardly.

He heard Pinkie’s voice then. Just like his own thoughts, it was coming from his head. Oh, it was that red stallion that Lilly Belle is now confronting. Spoilsport, we were just getting to the fun part.

Pinkie, I do not want to have sex with a pony!

His body rose, and he saw the large red stallion. The guy was pure muscle. “Redwood! I’m not some property you can control!” Lilly Belle stood before the stallion, stomping her front hoof into the ground repeatedly.

“Knave! You are the brute who forbids my love of Lilly Belle! I challenge you to a duel, a fight to the death!” No, you idiot! I don’t want to die! Still feeling the pain of being slammed into the wall, David silently screamed at his body to listen to his commands.

Lilly turned to face him and cried in a dramatic stage voice, “No, Plantumn Shine! If you die, my heart would break.”

This girl read too many romance novels. David mentally sighed as the scene started to change.

Silly, you assume she can read. More like she heard one too many stories from a storyteller or bard, Pinkie replied.

The surroundings shifted to a simple village square surrounded by wooden buildings with dirt piled up on the sides and sod rooftops. It reminded David of Viking buildings. In the center of the square was a water well, and he could see a few buildings further away similar to longhouses. There were even a few yards for farm animals and growing crops, all protected by a wooden wall.

He turned his eyes back to Redwood and snorted, then pawed his hoof on the ground. The earth pony crowd surrounding him murmured quietly. He started walking away from the well slowly. “Seven, Eight,” Lilly Belle's voice echoed in his ears as he paced away from his adversary.

“Nine, TEN!” He turned around and charged at Redwood, who was galloping at him. No! Stop, you stupid body!

The two stallions met and rose up on their hind legs, swinging their front legs. David felt each hard impact, his jaw bone shattered when one Redwood’s strike connected. Agh!

He fell to the ground, and the world seemed to ripple as his awareness rose from the limp body of the prince. “Redwood! You won, I knew you could.” Lilly Belle ran up to Redwood and kissed him.

That bitch!





Staggering through the portal, his body rematerialized. Once more, he was in his dark bat-pony alicorn form. Physically aching and tired, he fell to his belly, embracing the grass as a mattress.

“That was fun!” Pinkie’s voice came from above him. Opening his eyes, he saw the bubblegum pink fur legs ending in dark pink hooves standing before him. His gaze moved up the legs to see two bright blue eyes. Eyes that weren’t taking up half the entire face. Pinke was now in that realistic appearance, yet her mane and tail still seemed to deny any concept of order, all twisted in springy curls, but unlike before, he could see individual hairs.

“No, Pinkie, that wasn’t fun. I couldn’t move my body. I thought it was going to turn into a…”

With a slightly teasing voice, she said, “An adult pornographic scene. I know your body urges are building up. I'm surprised you haven’t had a wet funtime dream yet.” She giggled playfully. “I know you wanted a kinky dream. You even thought about that college girl with the pink backpack!”

“I couldn’t control myself! I was trapped, I felt that body die!” He neighed and stomped his hoof against the ground, his wings fluffed up.

Pinkie curiously tilted her head, looking him up and down. “That’s interesting.”

“What’s interesting?” He took a few steps back, and Pinkie Pie’s form shifted, turning into a purple alicorn with a darker purple mane and tail.

Just like Pinkie before, the Twilight Sparkle now standing in her place was real-looking. He could see the different feathers of her wings, the hairs of her mane, and the sharp calculating eyes. She smiled. “Instinctive response to your anger. Your body language in this form is that of a pony.”

“What?” He looked back at his body and noticed his wings were flared.

Twilight was smiling mischievously and exclaimed with a bit of excitement, “We are now anatomically correct, however, I think we need more… science!”

She ran over to the portal gate and motioned to a light sky blue star. David sighed and focused on it. Just like the pinkish star before it, it moved closer to rest on the stones. The empty area under the dolmen was then filled with a matching shimmering field. “There, ready to try again? I doubt we have a second dream about stallions fighting for the affection of a mare.” 

He knocked his forehead with his hoof and sighed, feeling the pain of whacking himself. “Mental note: facehoofing hurts. Alright, I confess I’m curious, let’s try this again.”

The light blue glow rippled as he walked into the field. If he had paid attention, he would have noticed the glowing runes on the dolmen. They were Isa, a rune for ice or clarity, Hagalaz, the rune of storm or air, change or growth, and Uruz, the rune associated with manhood, and power. 
> Chapter 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once he passed through the dolmen leading to another dream, his body went numb as it changed into the misty, cloud-like form as before. The dream started to take form as a long, cathedral-like hall took shape around him. High above, materialized an arched ceiling supported by pillars of light gray stone, which seemed to shift and flicker strangely. He then blinked and noted upon closer inspection that the stone was in truth clouds. Long rows of bunk beds formed on either side of the room, their exact amount hard to determine as the dream's unstable nature meant they kept shifting in size and numbers. Still, there were at least a dozen of them that seemed to be consistent.

David found himself near an entrance to what he assumed were military barracks. Farther away from him the details of the hall shifted, the number of ponies running around changed, so did the color of blankets on the bunks, and the length of the room was different every time he focused on it. Typical unstable dream. 

“Thundercracker, get up, the sarge will be here any moment.” David jumped at the harsh voice coming out of his throat. His host then turned to look at the bunk to his right were two sleeping ponies moaned slightly as they stirred and woke.  

 “Lay off, Starscream, we had a long night last night,” came a voice from a mass of sheets on the lower bed. It groggily rose, and the speaker uncovered his head, letting the sheets slip past his blue face and gray mane. 

Wait, Thundercracker, Starscream? David caught his appearance in a nearby mirror. Staring back at him was a red pegasus stallion with gray mane with stripes of sky blue and red in it. Fuck, I’m a pegasus version of Starscream? Why the hell are we the pony versions of the Transformers Decepticon Seekers? What kind of dream is this? 

Another stallion fell off the upper bunk and landed on his back with all four hooves up in the air. “Ugh, I got a horrible hangover, at least it was worth it. Spent the night with Nova Storm and Shadow Striker,” he groaned.

“From what I heard, you passed out on Nova, and she left you at the bar, Skywarp,” spoke a sea-green mare.

“Shut it, Seawave.” 

Seawave started laughing, and the cacophony of others following suit filled the barracks. 

“Attention!” A large gray, buffed stallion with black mane and tail walked into the room, dressed in the armor of a Roman centurion. David’s host hurried to stand side by side with the other pegasi, lifted his right hoof, and placed it to his chest. I guess the hoof to the chest is a salute of some kind, David mused.

“Commander, they are ready!” the large stallion yelled after looking them over, his voice echoing around the barracks.

Commander? Wait, am I going to see this reality’s, Commander Hurricane? He looked to the door with interest. I wonder if this Hurricane will resemble Rainbow Dash somewhat.

Then he heard Pinkie Pie’s voice in his head, So, you accept it’s another reality?

David’s enthusiasm abated. No comment.

The large stallion stepped to the side, revealing that the commander was not Hurricane, but a light blue colt, perhaps the age of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, or a few years older. It was hard to tell with a more realistic appearance. 

Great, I’m in the dream of a kid.

“Listen up, you dodo birds! We have a winter storm approaching Cumulus Shire! We can’t let that storm disrupt our homes! Our families! My sleepover tomorrow!” the colt yelled, his voice’s pitch changing and hitching during his speech.

Aww, he’s a cutie! Pinkie Pie’s voice echoed in his mind.

The colt continued, “This flight will be dangerous, the ice could build on our wings, a few might even freeze and fall to their doom. I accept this risk! I refuse to let our home be destroyed!” He turned dramatically. “What about you? Will you cower under your beds, or will you join me?”

“We fly!” David found himself yelling with many others.

“Right! We are pegasi, we master the clouds, we master the wind, we will master this storm! Now armor up and follow me!” 

Got to admit the little fellow has some charisma. That speech wasn’t half bad, David thought as he put on a helmet and jumped into the air. He felt the strange sensation of his wings catching the updraft, the flight muscles in his back and chest moving and shifting with each stroke of his wings.

The commander flew to the far end of the room were two double doors appeared and opened to the outside, the rest of the flock followed soon after him. The bright sun blinded David for a moment as he exited the barracks.

The town came into view as his eyes grew accustomed to the light. He looked around. The barracks stood on its own cloud with other military-like buildings, basic square or rectangle constructions. He noticed other buildings with real gardens floating on their own clouds nearby, all clearly manors of the very wealthy. Then he saw the main town, a massive anvil-shaped cloud with buildings carved out of it. What he assumed were government and public facilities were farther out on the edge of the main cloud, whereas the poorer homes and warehouses were higher up or deeper in the cloud. 

It kind of reminds me of a Roman-like Mesa Verde. Just instead of being set in the rock cliff, it is carved out of clouds, David mused as his host spiraled above the town.

It was no major city, he guessed it could hold about a thousand ponies at most. There also wasn’t any sign of larger manufacture of any kind. The clouds were floating over a large lake. He spotted groups of ponies working and playing in the water below. Pegasi fishers dove into the water and pulled up nets full of fish moments later. Seems like ponies aren’t pure herbivores in this world. 

The dark sky drew his attention back to the fast-approaching black clouds. 

The air went from pleasant to cold as they entered the storm front. Rain splashed down with such force the pegasi were drenched in seconds.

“Goggles!” the colt commander yelled. David found his forelimbs reaching up and lowering goggles that weren’t there a few seconds before.

The wind was frighteningly chilly. Even though he registered it, his pegasus body didn’t seem to suffer. He didn’t know if pegasi were resistant to cold, or if the dreamer didn’t know how it could affect the body. Either way, he didn’t react to the cold as much as he thought he should.

The flock split into teams of three. David sighed as he got hooked up with the other Seekers, Thundercracker, and Skywarp. “We got upper anvil duty this time! Follow me!” David’s host yelled out. They rose to their section of the storm as other teams went lower to the shelf clouds. 

Rain splattered against his goggles as they raced to the outlining clouds, flying counter-clockwise around the storm. Along the way, they kicked apart the outer edge of the storm clouds. A jolt of energy went down his spine and down to his hooves with each kick. It took a few times for him to realize that he was feeling the pegasus magic exiting his body and disrupting the cloud’s makeup to break it apart. 

The reason they flew in a counter-clockwise direction became apparent to David when the flock moved together and picked up speed. Now they were closer to the storm cell. 

David was reminded of the episode where the pegasi were able to create a waterspout with their combined wind speed. They were doing a similar thing here, creating an artificial high-pressure area to cancel the storm. He had no idea if that would work, but dream logic was in play, so if the dreamer believed it, so shall it be.

David could hear something scream, something familiar, but he couldn’t place it. Something was hiding in the clouds, and it was angry. As if in reply to the odd scream, the rain picked up. He felt it stinging his body as they reached max flight speeds. A ghostly figure of a horse-like entity came out of the clouds with another haunting wail. 

“Windigo!” yelled the colt commander.

Hail started peppering the flock... They were the size of small pebbles or marbles at first, but they increased in mass till the ones zipping past were as large as baseballs. David yelped as one such hail struck his wing. His muscles spasmed at the pain. Unable to keep the rhythm, he lost control and spiraled. 

His body struggled to get his wing pumping again through the agony. The ground came up fast, and he was sure he was going to crash. Then his wing started moving again, and he regained his rhythm. Someone stops this ride, I want off! That fucking hurt!

The groups of pegasi came closer together, and David noticed the dreamer wasn’t hindered by the storm’s more violent elements. In fact, they never touched him. The hail just whizzed by, and it seemed even the ice avoided him. Of course, he’s the hero, silly! Pinkie’s voice echoed in his mind.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Thundercracker get struck in the face with large hail. Streaks of dark red blood flowed across the wet blue fur of his forehead. The pegasus fell, his body limps as gravity drew it down to the hard earth below. 

“Thundercracker! Noooo!” He heard Skywarp yell over the wind and then saw him dove down racing to his friend. No one came after me when I was hit, David grumbled to himself. 

With speed nearly as fast as Rainbow Dash, Skywarp rocketed faster and faster after his fallen friend. A vapor cone formed in his wake as he approached the sound barrier. His forelegs outstretched, gripped Thundercracker’s tail, and then he pulled up out of the dive, just in time to save his friend’s life. The limp forehooves of the knocked-out pegasus dug two groves in the freshly fallen snow on the ground. 

Out of the clouds came the windigo, screaming in a murderous rage. It headed directly to the commander’s team. The three lead pegasi flew apart, yet one mare wasn’t fast enough. She was caught in the spirit’s freezing breath and plummeted to the ground. No one got to her in time. She shattered into frozen chunks. 

The colt yelled, “No!” He then drew weapons that weren’t on him a moment ago. A curved crescent blade with a mouth grip in the center reminding David of a Klingon Bat’leth. Armor enveloping the colt’s forelegs now sported raised blades. 

“Keep flying! I got the wendigo!” he ordered as he flew past the beast, slashing it and leaving a deep gash on its barrel. Blue thick liquid seeped out of the wound before freezing into icy blue crystals. 
 
As ordered, the other pegasi continued to fly. Faster and faster they went. Each time they passed the epic battle with the windigo, its wounds covered its torso. One pass David caught a hail and threw it at the spirit, distracting it. The colt took this opening to deliver a deadly blow and severed its head. 

The windigo’s magic that was driving the storm weakened and then faded till just a few random clouds remained. The sun shone down on the anvil-shaped town again.

They flew back to the town, every pegasus was bruised and battered, all except the hero commander who didn’t have even a scratch on his armor. 

The flock lifted the colt into the air. “Three cheers for Commander Jetstream, the windigo slayer!” David’s host called out as David himself rolled his eyes at the situation. The colt commander then leaped and performed a loop-de-loop over the crowds, savoring the teenage ego trip. 

Once he landed two fillies came up to him. “Oh, Commander Jetstream! You saved us!” They kissed the colt passionately. 

Yup, he is a teenager, fourteen perhaps, David chuckled. The dream started to fade as the dreamer woke up. The colt himself vanished then the very world around David dissolved.

David felt the stinging pins and needles sensation as he came out of the dolmen. His body took on a new shape once again. He was standing on four hooves. He signed. He wished his dream body was human again, at least just once. 

The laughter of Pinkie Pie caused him to look up. She was by the willow tree, rolling in the grass. “Not funny, Pinkie, that was a windigo…” He froze. “Why is my voice so high-pitched?” 

“You’re… he, he… you are...” Pinkie grabbed her stomach in a fit of laughter.  

He lifted his hoof and looked at the lavender fur covering it. Quirking an eyebrow, he reached back and moved his mane to where he could see it. His mane was dark purple. “Why am I purple?” His ears perked up. His voice was familiar, he knew he heard it not that long ago.

“Oh no.” Turning, he saw a six-pointed star on his flank surrounded by five white stars. He hurried to the pond and looked in, staring back at him were two violet eyes. The eyes of Twilight Sparkle. “Fuc…k, I said only one identity crisis!” David sat up and stared into the dream realm swirling around. His vision swam, and his head spun, then he suddenly collapsed.

He rubbed his forehead with a hand and sat up, finding himself back in his bed. “Okay, David, think, two nights in a row. Something very odd is happening.”

Not bothering to get dressed, he headed to his living room and pulled out all the books about dreams he had.  

“Oh! try the dream interpretation book,” Pinkie’s voice said. David jumped and expected to see the pink pony behind him. All he saw that was pony-related were the figurines on the top shelf of the bookcase. 

“Must have still been dreaming,” he muttered and shook his head.

For two hours David looked through his books and found nothing remotely close to what he experienced.

“Maybe we should check the new age astral projection stuff, David.” He didn’t question Pinkie’s voice till after he got to the bookshelf. 

“Pinkie?”

“Yupperoonie!”

“Oh, fuck, now I’m hearing voices.”

“Technically you always hear voices, if you don’t, you would be deaf.”

A mental breakdown, that had to be the answer. He had lost his mind. Professor Norse was right; he needed professional help.

Still, he did what Pinkie Pie suggested and opened the book about astral projection and the astral plane. “Huh, interesting.” He flipped through another few pages. “This description does seem similar to how I appeared during the fight of the two sisters.” 

He closed the book and headed into his bedroom to change. 
 
“You sure we should go to her?” Pinkie Pie’s voice echoed in his head.

“Of course, Pinkie, Mama G taught me how to lucid dream. If I did an astral projection, she would know how to fix this… and if it’s not an astral projection, I’m going crazy.”





David pulled up to the Cox’s townhouse. Shutting off the engine, he sighed. He still visited Gabriel and Nathan from time to time, though he had to fight the sadness that Jennifer wouldn’t be there each time.

He braced himself against the emotions and went to the door. He needed help, and the only one he could trust and hope could understand was Mama G. 

He knocked and waited for the door to open. “David! Why didn’t you ca...” Mama G’s voice faded into a huff. She stepped outside and put her hand against his forehead, then moved her forearm close to his cheek and saw the small hairs there rise. “Hurry up and get inside.” She turned and called down to the basement, “Nathan, I need my toolbox!” 

David quirked his brow. “Mama G?”

“Not now, David, I told you to come inside. Get settled on the couch, we got work to do. I will answer your questions soon.” She gave him a caring smile before she entered the kitchen, filled a teapot with water, and set it on the stove to heat up. Then she set down an incense burner on the coffee table and lit a cone of myrrh.

“Honey, I got the toolbox” Nathan came up the steps with a red toolbox, only to stop and sniff the air. “Wait, you lighting the incense? Then I have the wrong toolbox,” he said as he turned around to get his Wiccan wife’s witch toolbox.  

“Nathan, grab the cheap digital watch your brother got you. You don’t use it.”

“Sure, dear,” he called from the steps leading to the basement.

“Mama G, what’s going on?” Confused, David watched as Gabriel went into the kitchen and got a tea pitcher. She then poured a mug of warm water and added honey and camomile. Then she returned to the living room and set the mug down in front of David. 

Once she sat on the other side of the coffee table, she looked at him with the most serious look David has ever seen on the normally relaxed witch. “Tell me everything, David, don’t leave anything out. I can see your heart is racing enough the veins in your neck are throbbing, and you keep looking around as if you expect to see something jump at you. The bags under your eyes tell me you haven’t been sleeping well. I know that something strange happened, so talk.”

“Well, I guess it started two days ago. I was lucid dreaming and everything seemed fine, but then the sky turned black against my will and a vortex pulled me into it.”

Nathan came into the living room and set down a blue toolbox marked with the Triple Moon Goddess symbol. He looked over to David, then to his wife. “What’s the issue, love?”

“David's energy is high, highest I have ever seen, and tainted… not sure by what though.” Gabriel took the toolbox and opened it. She removed four candles and a homemade wand with a rose quartz stone bound to the wood with copper wire. Then she took out a cloth with the goddess symbols on it and laid it down on the table. “Nathan, hand David that watch. If I’m right, it will mess upon contact with his skin.”

“Love, you know this watch was a gift from my brother.”

“Yes, and we saw it for eight bucks at Walmart. It’s a cheap piece of crap, but today it has a noble purpose.” 

David took the watch and put it on. As soon as he did, the display blinked and read 88:88. “Well, it did glitch, like my phone,” he said and shrugged lightly.

“Right, dear, I bet your energy overloaded the display of your phone. Now then, let’s get back to your story. Tell me about this vortex.”

David sighed and removed the watch. “Sorry, Nathan.” 

“No problem, it was a cheap piece of shit anyway.”

David took a sip of tea, letting the sweet taste of honey dance over his palate for a moment. He closed his eyes as he tried to force the memories of panic down and recall what happened. “Well, inside the vortex was a hole. Once I was within it, at first I saw nothing but fog, it was everywhere. Then I started seeing shapes in the mist, just shadows. no real defined forms. I also heard voices, some were just mumbles, others I heard clearly, then I found a door. Large and wooden, like you might see in a medieval castle.”

“David! You're forgetting the Pony of Shadows!” Pinkie Pie called out. For a moment the three people glanced around then at the same time they looked down at the table where a three-inch high Pinkie Pie figurine stood. The only sign it wasn’t a normal toy was the fact it was waving at them.

“What the hell?” Nathan reached down to touch it, yet his finger went through the illusionary animated toy.

“Hi, I’m Pinkie Pie, David’s imaginary friend!” Pinkie jumped away from Nathan’s hand and stuck her tongue out and blew a raspberry.

“An illusionary projection, amazing. David, what did she mean about this Pony of Shadows and her being your imaginary friend?”

David looked down at Pinkie, his eyes wide with fear. “You two can see her? Please tell me I'm not hallucinating.”

“Yes, David, we can see and hear her too. So talk, this is far worse than I imagined. I need to know everything.” Mama G sighed and slowly slumped into her chair. Her eyes flitted to the toolbox.

''Well, um… it’s hard to explain.”

“No, it isn’t, silly.” Pinkie giggled. “David made me to remind himself of Jennifer. It’s sad, really. Pinkie Pie was her favorite character, she even had a shirt with Pinkie Pie on it when…” Pinkie’s mane fell straight and her voice took on a sad tone, “...when she died. David’s subconscious kind of fused memories of Jennifer with the character, so I came to be. I’m his memories of her.” 

Mama G sighed. “David, I love you almost as much as I loved my daughter, but you need to let go. It’s unhealthy to dwell on our loss.”

“He knows that yesterday he even looked at a girl’s butt!”

Unfortunately, David took another sip of tea at that time. He spat it out and coughed hoarsely. “Pinkie!” he called out in shock, then shame crossed his face.

Nathan chuckled. “No offense, Miss Pie, but how the fuck is an imaginary friend appearing in my living room?”

Gabriel sighed and nodded. “It’s David’s magic, I have never felt one with so much energy. He is projecting the apparition.”

“What? I don’t have magic, even though Jennifer tried to teach me. None of the spells I tried worked.” David's voice was soft, his mind recalling the past attempts at magic. He never got any results. Whatever energy a witch had, he clearly didn’t, till now. 

“You say that David, but there is a pink, toy-sized illusion dancing on my coffee table we can all interact with.” Mama G smirked as she motioned to the small pony.

“Go on, David, get to the good part!” Pinkie Pie smiled as she pranced around.

David looked at the mug in his hand, then sat it down. His eyes looked around as the terror he felt resurfaced before fading shortly after. “Okay, one of the things I saw was the Pony of Shadows, a character in the MLP show I never saw before the dream. The episode aired… after Jennifer died, so I didn’t see it till last night.”

“We think the place with the gray fog David was sucked into was limbo, described in the show as a place between worlds,” Pinkie Pie chimed in.

Gabriel sighed as Nathan came around her and started to massage her shoulders. Her hand reached up and took his as she turned her head to look at him. They both knew that the other was thinking about their hyper and somewhat chaotic daughter. Nathan didn’t even bother to wipe the stray tear that escaped his eyes. “Let him tell the story, Pinkie.” 

“Okey dokey lokey.” 

Nathan looked at David. “She’s more annoying than Jennifer. Really, how do you put up with her?”

“Until today she was just in my dreams…” David paused when Gabriel cleared her throat... “Oh yeah… I opened the door, and something grabbed me and pulled me through. It was just a dark mass.”

“It was Nightmare Moon’s mist form. All dark and creepy, full of stars. You were panicking, so you didn’t see the twinkling.” Pinkie walked over to the incense burner and sniffed the sweet fragrance. “Hey, David, Mama G lit that good dark myrrh for us.”

David just rolled his eyes. “Well, as I was saying, I was grabbed by that dark mist and pulled through the door. Then I guess I blacked out. I know it sounds strange, I was asleep, but I did seem to blackout in the dream. When I came too, still dreaming, I was in the Castle of the Two Sisters.”

David looked to Nathan and then Gabriel. “I don’t know how much you know of the show, but the two sisters were rulers of Equestria, then the younger sister turned evil. They fought in the castle, and I was there watching the fight.”

“They were all realistic, not cartoony at all. They looked like horses with only slight differences. Like shorter muzzles, and they were all different colors,” Pinkie added.

“They didn’t see me, though I think they heard me as both reacted to my voice. At the end of the fight... I was standing between them and got hit by their magic.”

“Now, David, real magic doesn’t make any fancy blasts of light. It’s a manipulation of possibilities,” Nathan spoke out. 

Mama G coughed. “Dear, we have a small imaginary friend standing on our coffee table.” She pointed to Pinkie Pie who had sat down by the incense burner to enjoy the scent.

“Okay, good point.”

Mama G, leaned forward, the weight of the situation seemingly dragging her down. “I think that’s all I need to know, David. When you woke up, really woke up, you brought this magic with you. I can feel it in the air around you, like a static charge ready to cause a spark.”

She stood up and paced back and forth. “The closest thing I can think of even close to this are stories of the fae and elves. Otherworlds where the fae folk live or lands like Shangri-La. The stories mention that most taken by the fae never return. None spoke of magic bonding to a human though.”

“Wait, you mean I’m somehow being taken to Equestria? The real Equestria, not the cartoon?”

“Not if I can help it. I lost one child, I will be damned if I stand back and lose another.” She looked to Nathan. “Honey, get the pure white towels, we are going to try a purification ritual. Hopefully, this strange magic hasn’t got a strong grip on him.” She picked up her wand and hummed a melody as she moved to wave it in a pentagram over David's head. “I think you need to do this, David. Don’t worry, I’ll talk you through each step”

She ushered him to a cleared floor space in front of the altar. Nathan handed David the towels. She spoke with a clear voice one could contribute to a teacher “First twist these towels and make a circle on the floor large enough you can sit in the center.” 

Once David settled down in the center of the circle, Gabriel handed him one of her white candles and a crystal candle stand. “Good, now light the candle and place it in the circle with you. Just make sure it’s a few inches away from you and the towels, for safety.”

When he put the lighter down, he settled back in his preferred meditative pose. Gabriel continued calmly, “Good, now clear your mind, then focus on the flame. Imagine its light increasing into a ball of light, make it grow and cover you. As the light grows, mentally push all the energy that’s not yours away.” 

David did as he was told and focused his mind, using the meditation techniques he learned for his lucid dreaming. The flame of the candle turned blue and its light formed a sphere. It grew till the room was bathed in light. 

When the light faded, David looked up. “What the hell was that?”

“I believe that was Equestrian magic, and no, it didn’t work.” Nathan motioned with his thumb to Pinkie Pie, who shrugged and waved her hoof.

Gabriel came over and pulled David into a hug. Her breath was harsh as worry shook her body. “I’m sorry I failed you, there is nothing I can do alone at this point, David. This magic seems bound to you.”

Tears ran down her cheeks as she barely kept her fear contained. “Even if I knew a spell that might do something, I don’t think there are enough witches on the planet that could overpower this level of energy. To put it in layman’s terms, a normal person has enough energy to light a light bulb, a strong witch could perhaps light three bulbs at a time. Yet you with this magic… you are akin to a lighthouse spotlight.” 

Nathan came over and gripped both in a bear hug. “David, you are the son I never had. Whatever comes from this otherworldly magic, you don’t have to face it alone. We will call the coven and get more help, maybe then we can disrupt this energy that is gripping you.” 

Nathan’s face was wet but determined. Just by looking into the older man’s eyes, David knew this man would do whatever was humanly possible for him.

“Thanks, Nathan.” David shook his head. “Thank you, Dad. You have been the father my biological father wasn’t.” David’s own eyes glistened with tears. After wiping his eyes, he added, “I didn’t even know it was magic, I was dreaming. I think I was entering the ponies’ dreams, I had no control. I thought I had lost my mind.”

“Yeah, he was even able to change one of the dreams,” Pinkie Pie chimed in again.

David froze and looked at her. “Wait? I changed one of the dreams?”

Pinkie nodded. “Yupperoonie. Remember that dream with the mare, the one that was about to become a wet dream? Then out of nowhere came that stallion Redwood, and suddenly the dream changed. You manifested the stallion and bent the dream enough she became fixated on him instead of you.”

She giggled, then added, “Also, who do you think provided the names and appearance for the pony Seekers? That was our influence on the dream.”

Gabriel looked at Pinkie Pie. “It might have been better if he didn’t. Seems this magic is tied to dreams and illusions, so by changing the dream he used the magic, and it got a better grip on him. You are proof of that.” She pursed her lips momentarily. “Speaking of which, mind going back to where you came from? You manifesting is also using that magic and strengthening its bond on David’s soul.”

“Oh, sorry.” The three people blinked as she popped like a balloon with glitter and confetti. 

Davis stood up. “I better get going. I was able to contact my teachers via email to inform them I wasn’t coming to class today, but I wasn’t able to call out of work.”

“Ah, yeah, that problem. Some witches and other people who have high energy fields tend to mess with various techs like digital watches and touch screens,” Nathan said as he went to a side table with a drawer and removed a flip phone with hard buttons. 

“We have this around in case of such emergencies. Take it with you, call us if something more happens, including more manifestations of Pinkie Pie.” 

“We are serious, David, that magic isn’t meant for beings like us, there is no way to tell how it might affect you.” Gabriel pulled him into a hug. 

David hugged her back, then took the phone. “How long till you can get the coven together?”

“There is a meeting this Saturday here at nine in the morning where we can have breakfast before we get together. Then we can bring you before the Head Priestess,” replied Nathan.

David smiled, looking at the two. “So I guess I will see you both Saturday.” Then he added, “Till then wish me luck, Mama G, Dad. 

He looked at the phone as he exited the house. The weight of what he learned felt heavy on his mind. Magic. The real magic, and not the ritual stuff of a witch. He could make talking illusions appear and enter other beings’ dreams. The temptation to test what he could really do with Equestrian magic was there, but the fear of being yanked into that medieval world kept the urge to try at the back of his mind.

He went over what he thought he could and couldn’t resist. Pinkie stated he was tied to that dream island, so that was something he likely couldn’t avoid. However, going through the dolmen into another pony’s dream he could resist, so all he had to do was hang out on the island till he awoke. 
> Chapter 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

He had to wait three days, three days doing as little as possible with the magic at his fingertips. Or was that hooftips now? The time would be tedious and boring at the same time. What child didn’t try to move things with their mind or shoot fireballs? He wanted to try, he really did. However, the fear of what might happen if he did prevent him from experimenting.

No matter how hard he tried, his form in the dreams was invariably that of a pony. His usual mental discipline over the dreamscape didn’t seem to apply to it. Thankfully, to his great relief, except for the time he manifested as Twilight Sparkle, he always appeared as male. Another constant was that he was always an alicorn.

Wednesday night, he was a yellow stallion with a bright orange mane. His vision came into focus to see two blue eyes staring at him from the pool. He stumbled back, falling on his plot. “Argh… damn it, Pinkie!” He growled in frustration.

“I’m bored, David, it's going to be way too long if we don’t explore dreams. There is nothing to do on this island.” David looked around and saw that the island was indeed rather boring once you got used to the ever-shifting flowers. There was the willow tree, the pond, and that was it. It was indeed beautiful, but ultimately tedious. “You are right, Pinkie, it is boring.”

David stood back up. “Oh, I got an idea.” He walked over to the edge of the island, and, seemingly from the strength of his will, it started to change. To the left of the dolmen, the ground shifted and moved to form marble and granite steps. He went down the new staircase till he came to an alcove embedded in the rock. A set of oak doors with silver inlaid vines along the edges were set in the alcove, above were the elvish words Ennyn Durin Aran Moria. Pedo Mellon a Minno. Im Narvi hain echant. Celebrimbor o Eregion teithant i thiw hin.

Looking back, he saw Pinkie Pie behind him with a puzzled look on her face, her ears up and alert. Pinkie looked at the doors and spoke up, “Oh, you recreated the Doors of Durin. Sure hope Tolkien is not going to get upset you are ripping off The Lord of the Rings.” 

David nodded. “It was either that or Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” He patted himself on the back, before theatrically saying, “Behold, Pinkie, my game room!” He shoved the doors wide open, then stepped to the side and motioned inside of the brightly lighted room.

The room was large, about the size of a school gym, with white walls and wooden floors polished to a shine. To the far right was a bar stocked with an assortment of drinks, a DJ booth, and a dance floor with several small tables to drink at. Across from the DJ booth were billiard pool tables, as well other various games ranging from poker to arcade video games. Closer to the two was a concession stand complete with a popcorn maker and soda fountain next to an entrance with the words Movie Theater high above. “This room should provide plenty of things to do so we won’t be bored.” David smiled, impressed with the level of detail. On Earth, even his best lucid dreams weren’t as well-formed. Just another reminder he wasn’t dreaming in the normal sense of the word anymore.

Pinkie stuck her head into the theater, nodding her approval, and then pranced over to the pool table. Her face was serious as she walked into the game room. She eyed the concession stand, then the DJ booth. Finally, she sat down and moved her hoof to her chin as she thought. “Good, but it still needs something… Oh, I know. Behold the background ponies!” She clapped her hooves together, and the room was suddenly filled with ponies playing and dancing around. A lot of them seemed like characters from the show, judging by Berry Punch servicing the bar or Vinyl Scratch manning the DJ booth. 





David looked at his cards, then asked, “Is it a hand if we all have hooves?” 

Pinkie Pie, acting as the dealer, shrugged. “I don’t know, never thought about it before.”

Twilight Sparkle set her cards to face down and rubbed her chin in deep thought. “A very good question. It’s possible card games in Equestria came from the minotaurs. So, it could be considered a hand, given they have hands.”

Rainbow Dash yawned. “Who cares.” She pushed five bits forward. 

“Well, sugarcube, that’s a little rich for me.” Applejack set her cards down, pulling her stetson downward. “I’ll be foldin’ this round.”

Twilight mumbled as she looked at the cards. 

David looked over. “You aren’t counting the cards, are you, Twilight?”

“What? No, of course not.” She flustered, pushed five bits to the pot, and then added one more. “I match your five and raise you one.”

David looked at his cards and resisted the urge to smile, then pushed ten bits to the pot. “I raise it to a full ten bits.”

Rainbow Dash slapped down her cards. “A straight from two to six! Beat that!” 

Twilight sighed in defeat and set her cards down, revealing three sevens, a two, and an eight. “I just had a three of a kind.”

David smiled and laid down his full house. “As you wish, Rainbow Crash.” 

He looked over to see a plushie of Rainbow Dash slump over. It faded away into smoke. The others followed till it was just him and Pinkie Pie. “Guess it’s time to wake up, see you next time, Pinkie.” 





Wednesday came and went. On Thursday David arrived on the island of dreams and was surprised at how large it appeared. It was now about fifty yards in diameter, the ever-present willow tree right in its center.

Spreading from under the tree to the edge of the island was lush green grass. David had to accept the fact it even smelled tasty. The scent of cool freshwater caught his attention, and he headed over to the water. The pool was no longer a small pond. On the northern edge of the pool was a set of rocks three feet high with fresh water cascading down into the swimming pool-sized body of water. 

A stream from the pool flowed over the edge of the island in a waterfall that vanished once it reached the border of David’s control. 

“What are you thinking, David?” Pinkie asked as she came up the steps from the game room below. 

“Well, this pool is now large enough to do some swimming.” He smiled and stomped his hoof. Decorative stones formed around the pool, transforming the place into a proper swimming pool. At one end of the pool, he created a barbeque with a stove, a granite counter with a large sink, and a cooking area with a refrigerator. 

A sound system came next. It had a fully decked out DJ booth with turntables, as well as various wireless speakers about the pool. Finally, he added some lounge chairs and tables.

“Okay, Pinkie go get the background ponies, we are having a pool party!”

“Oki, doki, David!” With that, she turned to the direction of the steps, smiled mischievously, and pulled out a megaphone shaped like a mouth that moved when she yelled, “Pool party!”

David flinched at the volume. “Thanks, Pinkie. I’m sure glad this is a dream, or I think you would have just deafened me.”

“Oh, David, we both know you could have just summoned them with a thought.” Pinkie smiled as the ponies from the game room came up the steps.

First was Vinyl Scratch who headed to the sound system and lifted her shades, revealing her ruby red eyes. After she gave the system a once over, she looked to David and nodded her approval. Soon daft punk, as well as other electronic dance music, sounded across the island. 

Pinkie Pie zipped back and forth from the food preparation area to serving tables that materialized out of nowhere. Snacks, drinks, and cupcakes were put on display, complete with balloons and streamers. 

“Pinkie, you do know I can refill the snacks with a wave of my hoof,” David said as he looked at her work. 

“I’m having fun, David!” Pinkie replied as she dashed by, heading to the drink table to fill the punch bowl.

“Let her do her party pony thing, darling,” Rarity spoke up from the lounge chair she lay on. 

David cast his eyes away. Rarity was anatomically correct and on full display as she lay on her back. “I know my subconscious is teasing me, but I have no interest in experimenting with sex as a pony.”

Pinkie hopped over. “Sorry, David, it’s like a human body is alien to us now. I tried to make a human appearance, and it kept getting messed up. Last time the girl looked like a hairless gorilla.” She waved her hoof, and a monkey in a pink polka dot bikini appeared. 

“Same with the annoying sky. How can a mare sunbathe without the sun?” Rarity chimed in.

David waved his hoof, and a large spotlight appeared over her. “Best I can do, Rarity.”

“Thank you, darling,” she replied with a happy sigh. He looked away as she moved a towel to cover her lower half. “You know, darling, you need to get used to ponies going nude. It’s our natural state.”

“I know, Rarity, just my human sensibilities,” David replied 

The night went on. David was in the pool floating with his eyes closed when Rainbow Dash yelled, “Cannonball!”

David looked up just in time to see Rainbow Dash’s rear end come down right next to him. He went under for a moment, and panic hit him before he dog-paddled to the edge of the pool.

He saw Rarity spring to her hooves, dripping wet. “Agh! Rainbow Dash!” 

David let out a laugh. A loud beeping sound suddenly chimed across the island. His vision turned blurry and the dream ponies faded out before everything went black. 

Sitting up, he turned his head to look at the beeping alarm clock. 





Friday’s dream took shape in his mind, and soon he stood on the island, traces of the last night pool party gone, including the food and sound system. Everything had reset to the earlier appearance.

“What the hell?” His new body sported butterfly wings, white fur, and blue mane and tail. “Fuck, why do I have butterfly wings? At least I’m not a changeling.” After a quick check, he sighed in relief at seeing he was still male. 

His ears shifted when he heard voices coming from the direction of the dolmen. Walking past one of the flowering bushes, he spotted a stage with two podiums. For a moment David thought he was seeing double because behind the lecterns were two very similar ponies.

Pinkie Pie pounded her hoof on her podium. “We need to know what we can do. This is Equestrian magic, it can’t be bad!” 

The other pony was Pinkie’s straight-haired, slightly less bright alter ego Pinkamena Diane Pie.

Pinkamena sighed and looked to her counterpart. “Pinkie, we saw the dark magic that pulled us through the door, and that was before Luna became Nightmare Moon. We felt how wrong that type of magic is. This isn’t Earth, Equestrian magic can be bad.”

“But… Magic. We have a chance to be special. All these stars, each a soul, we can see so much.” Pinkie Pie waved her hoof at the skies above.

With a sigh, he looked at the two. Once again, he had to wonder if he had lost his mind. “Let me guess, Pinkie Pie is representing my Id and Pinkamena my Superego, and I’m having an internal debate about exploring another dream.”

“Yup! Come on, David! I know you are curious,” Pinkie Pie called out from her podium.

Pinkamena tapped her hoof. “We can’t use magic. Just look around, we haven’t been doing anything, and it still affects us. The island has been growing, it’s surely due to the magic getting a stronger grip on us.”

Pinkie looked at her counterpart. “Is that bad? The magic we have now isn’t that nasty stuff that pulled us through limbo. For all we know, it’s the magic from the Elements that lets David return home when he awakes.”

David sighed and spoke up, “Pinkie, we don’t know, and that’s the problem. This magic might be protecting us, but we do know if it affects the real world around us. Humans aren’t meant to have that much power. Mama G is right, we really should not be using it.”

Pinkie Pie sighed. “Alright, if you say so, David.” Pinkamena and the podiums vanished in a puff of smoke.

“I’m just so bored!” Pinkie Pie said, then plopped down onto the grass with an audible huff. She rolled over, spread-eagle on her back. Her four legs spread in a way earth ponies wouldn’t be able to. 

“I know, Pinkie. So, another game of Go Fish?” David asked as he sat down and looked up at the stars. He started to grasp what the dreams were just by focusing on them. Almost instinctively, he knew things about the dream and dreamer.

Bright lights were young, innocent life, children. Dimmer lights were older souls, some so dim that he feared they would blink out at any moment. Some were grouped in spiraling clusters. Why it was so, he didn’t know.

“What’s that?” Pinkie Pie’s voice was puzzled as she pointed to one of the specks of light above.

David looked up and saw a dark cloud of inky blackness obscuring a star within. It was as if he was trying to see a candle through the smoke.

The sense of wrongness gripped David’s chest. He felt it before, he saw the same thing when he was pulled into the void and through the doorway. David and Pinkie stood and spoke the same word, “Nightmare.”

Pinkie Pie looked over at him. “David, if we investigate, we could gain a better understanding of what’s going on!”

“I just decided that the risk is too great, Pinkie!”

Pinkie’s hair fell straight. “That’s a nightmare, we both know it. We can feel the wrongness.”

“Yeah, why do we feel it? That’s the magic. Besides, we can’t control others' dreams. I don’t want to get stuck in a nightmare! Lucky as I am, I would be a victim of some monster, I don’t want to know what being someone’s meal feels like.”

The nightmare star came closer to the island; no glow came from it. The area grew even darker as if the light was consumed. The star settled on the dolmen, and the gap between the stones became a void of darkness.

A high-pitched scream of fear came from the dolmen.

He lowered his head and turned to walk away, only to face a gray, sad Pinkie Pie. Tears ran freely down her face. “That sounded like a young girl. Are we going to abandon her? She’s so alone…”

“Mama G said not to.”

“David, can we ignore this?”

With the sounds of a child begging for help ringing in his ears, he could walk away. He turned back and headed to the dolmen. 

Knowing full well he might be risking his humanity, headed into the black void into the nightmare. 





The transition into the nightmare was disgusting. Just walking into it felt like walking into a slime-covered pond. His flesh crawled as it took a new shape.  

Buildings of wood and stone lay in rubble all around him. Dark twisted plants consumed the debris of the former city. The air was heavy with the scent of smoke, blood, and death. 

He heard a chorus of voices, screams of pain, fear, and anger fill the air. He dismissed them as soon as he realized they were just background noises of the dream. He focused on the only voice that was real, the filly in the distance. 

A metallic scent filled his nostrils, evoking a sense of hunger. He licked his lips. Wait, I know that smell… His eyes moved to a pile of debris where a deep red liquid pooled under a blue-furred mass. 

A mare crushed by the rubble of a collapsed building stared at him with cold, empty eyes. Her back bent where the debris crushed her spine. Oh, god that’s too real… Ugh. 

He wanted to throw up, to run away, but the nightmare was in charge. His host went closer. He could feel saliva drooling from his mouth.

Oh, fuck! No, not that, please goddess, not that! What caught his attention was his host appearance in the crimson fluid. Red, slit eyes stared out from two dark sockets of his skull-like head. His long and sharp teeth dripped with saliva. Bone spikes ran down his back, and his taunt, hairless skin revealed the bones of his ribcage.

His host lifted his hoof and crushed the skull with a sickening crunch of flesh and bone. Lowering down, his host ripped a still warm bite from the dead pony, fur and all. He gagged mentally. He could taste blood and raw meat.

Another scream echoed among the dilapidated buildings. This was a real scream one made by a living being and not the background sounds. The head of his host sprang up. He felt the overwhelming hunger for live food, fresh meat. He wanted to kill. His host started running in the direction of prey, the direction of the dreamer.

Oh, fuck no! I am not going to be the monster of this nightmare! he mentally screamed.

There, ahead of them, the filly came into sight. Her ears flat against her head, blue eyes wide in terror. Her yellow fur was wet with panic sweat. Her red mane and tail reminded him of Apple Bloom. Seeing him approach, she faced him, her hoof pawing the ground as she spread her wings wide to make herself appear bigger. Her bravery had quickly vanished when he walked out of the shadows. She turned and bolted down the cobblestone road.

Why didn’t she fly? he asked himself. 

David, we need to stop this! I don’t want to hurt her! Pinkie shrieked.

The buildings and plants twisted and turned like a maze. Her hooves pounded the cobblestones as she ran. He could smell her sweat and fear as he chased after her. His heart beat faster and faster as he leaned down. No, no!

His teeth just missed her flank as she turned a corner. He followed her into what was once a park. The trees were now dark and warped and seemed to reach down, grabbing her mane and tail with finger-like branches. He continued the chase, breaking the branches that got in his way. She got a farther lead, but no matter how far she ran, he was always just a few hoofsteps away from catching her.

She was there… She was in the city when Nightmare Moon attacked. This nightmare is a distorted memory, Pinkie whimpered in his head.

It's worse than that. She saw dead ponies, I can see corpses in the tree branches, and that mare’s body was too real to be just made up.

David focused his will, forcing a change to the dream. He felt himself get hit from the right, his host flying into the twisted nightmarish trees. 

“Run, I got this!” Shining Armor willed by David into existence called out to the filly. He stood ready to fight, his horn glowing. David’s side burnt, what little fur his monstrous form had smoked, and the dead flesh of his side sizzled.  

Agh, that hurt! Keep it up, Shining!

David’s host grunted and stood back up, then spun to look at the attacker. Shining lit his horn again and cast another bolt of magical energy at the nightmare pony. The nightmare charged, shrugging off the magical attacks.

Shining rose and struck David’s host in the face. In response, David screamed and sprung forward, biting Shining’s neck. Warm blood burst into his mouth, as the nightmare ripped the flesh open. 

Shining, no! David, we killed Shining Armor! Pinkie’s voice screamed in his mind. 

Pinkie, don’t let the nightmare take you over! It’s a dream, focus, that wasn’t the real Shining.  David felt the panic overwhelm him. Even if his rational mind told him this was just a dream, the flavor of fresh blood in his mouth was distracting. 

The nightmare pony was still chewing on the warm flesh when it lifted its head. Tattered skeletal wings sprouted from its back. 

With each wing beat, he rose higher into the air. His sharp predatory eyes spotted the filly running into another group of destroyed buildings.

“Help! Somepony help me!” Her voice echoed off the buildings as she turned into an alleyway.

His host landed and started to approach the opening of the alley. The landing itself knocked over a lantern, spilling its oil. It burst into flame and cast the monster’s shadow on the wall across the alley. His monstrous silhouette slid along the wall of the alley. He could hear the sudden gasp and scream of the filly. It was the classic trope, David was sure she came to a dead end.

I need to take full control, now! He felt the tingling silky sensation of his body shifting. With each step closer to the alley, he focused his will on his nightmare host. He felt his flesh twist and change. I will not be a monster!

Bones snapped and reformed, his body moved like clay under the force of his mind. Black fur grew on his body, and a silver platinum-like mane sprouted on his head. The twisted and tattered leather wings mended and shifted into the bat wings of a thestral. 

The filly faced the opening of the alley when that dreadful shadow wavered in the light cast by the fire. Then she gasped as a colt her age turned around the corner. He hoped his smile was friendly. “Hello, you called for help?” he asked. 

He tried to appear calm, but inside he was struggling to reshape the nightmare around him. It was similar to how he lucid dreamt, but felt like he was fighting against another mind, one that was determined to continue the horror of the nightmare.

To gain an advantage, he narrowed the scope of the dream to the alleyway. No need to spend his attention on changing anything the filly couldn’t see, all that was needed was what was around them.

With each step, he changed the scene. The fires faded into cold ash. The dead bodies vanished, erased from the nightmare without a trace. 

“You’re a-affected. One of the ponies that got hit by that nasty magic.”

He blinked. “Well, I do remember being hit by nasty magic.” It was the truth, he was hit by Nightmare Moon’s dark spell, after all.

The filly came closer, ears flat against her head. Her eyes wide, looking at every shadow. High above the sky grew lighter as David moved the time of day to morning. Soon they were in a peaceful daylit alley. He even added birds flying and singing.

“They… are they gone? The monsters?”

“You have my word of honor, they are gone. Nasty nightmares they were, but I banished them.”

She halted and tilted her head. “Nightmares?”

David nodded. “You were having a nightmare, I came to help.”

“Like… like how Princes Luna did before that bad pony took her away?”

So, that’s the story Celestia is going with. “Yes, I can enter other ponies' dreams, like Princess Luna.”

“I’m Morning Dew, what’s your name?”

Crap, I need a pony name! Pinkie, help! he mentally screamed.

Oh! Your steam login name! Just drop the numbers, Pinkie’s voice chimed.

“I’m Morpheus. A pleasure to meet you, my lady.”

“I’m not a noble… I’m the daughter of a maid.” Her eyes widened as she noticed the horn on his head. “You… you're an alicorn!” She bowed. “I’m sorry, Prince Morpheus.” 

Her ears swiveled back, and her tail swished nervously. Her body shook slightly. 

She was afraid, David realized, but this time it was him she was afraid of. 

David, think of the medieval period, she’s a peasant and thinks you are royal. She believes you have the power to have her beaten or even killed, Pinkie’s voice chimed in his head.

“Don’t be afraid of me. I’m no prince.”

She looked up, puzzled. “The three alicorns I knew were all royals. There was King Cosmos, Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna.”

David was curious about this King Cosmos, but he shoved the question to the back of his mind. “It’s a secret, just you know I exist, no one else.”

“Oh! You're in hiding! I can understand that. Okay, Your Highness, I’ll keep your secret.” She lifted her head, and her ears perked up.

David sighed and looked around. “I need to get going, you should be safe now.”

“No, please, I don’t want to be alone.” Her tail laid low, clamped down near her rear. The wings at her sides twitched. He realized she was ready to bolt at any moment.

Aww, look at her, David. Do you want to leave her here? The nightmare could start back up again once we are gone, Pinkie pleaded.

David still felt the odd presence in the back of his mind, the one that fought against him. Was that Morning Dew’s subconscious or something else? If he left her alone, would the nightmare return?

“Alright, let’s go to a happier place.” He turned and looked at the exit of the alley and waved his hoof. 

The dolmen appeared, free of the tint of the nightmare. The granite stones shone in the morning sun. “There, just walk through the stones, and you will arrive at my… um, home. Yeah, home is the best way to describe it.”

She looked at the strange stones that just appeared out of nowhere. She didn’t see his horn light up, so it wasn’t magic she knew off. However, it was not her place to question a noble.

He smiled and walked through the stones. She couldn’t see him after he passed through the stones. Stopping at the stone she looked at the strange veil of shadows between the stones. Fears fought in her mind, if she stayed behind she would risk seeing the monsters again, the ingrained fear of ignoring the orders of a noble, and the fear of walking through a shadowy doorway. He was royalty and so far seemed nice, so she closed her eyes and rushed through the dolmen. 

In the back of the alley, shadows rippled and flowed like water into the center of the cobblestone path. The dark pool rose, changing its shape and form till a pony stood in their place. An alicorn mare with black fur, bat-like wings, and teal eyes. A predatory smile came to her face as she looked at the dolmen.

“How interesting,” Nightmare Moon said before her form changed into a blue mist. She passed through the dolmen just as the dream faded completely.
> Chapter 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

David came through the dolmen and staggered after a few steps. He looked down at his small hooves, then turned to his wings. “What the hell, why am I still in the same body?”

He was so distracted, he didn’t notice Morning Dew blindly plummeting through the portal. The two tumbled to the ground. 

“Oh gosh!” Morning Dew scrambled off of him. She backed up and bowed. “I… I’m sorry, Prince Morpheus.”

Morpheus stood up and laughed. “My fault. I’m not used to other ponies coming with me. I should have gotten out of the way.”

She tilted her head, confused. Her ears sprang up and shifted about as she thought about the puzzle of her savior. He ruffled his wings under her gaze and trotted in the center of the island. She shrugged and went after him to the large freshwater pool. She cast him a wary glance, then leaned down and took a sip. “Wow, this water tastes great!”

The two foals didn’t notice the blue mist creeping across the grass from the dolmen and settling in the underbrush. Two teal slit eyes appeared among the leaves. The bush started to change due to Nightmare Moon’s influence, producing purple five-pointed nightshade-like flowers. 

Morning Dew looked to the willow tree and smiled as she smelled the lush grass. “You live here?”

Morpheus winced and rubbed the back of his head. He couldn’t tell her he was from another world. “I come here every day when I go to sleep. I don’t dream like normal ponies,” he answered.

“So, every night you dream of this place?” Morning Dew went to the edge of the island and looked down. She quickly backed away, moving so fast she stumbled and fell on her rear. 

“What is it?” Morpheus asked as he got trotted up to her. He stared over the edge. The endless sea of stars of the dream realm stared back.

Morning Dew saw the confusion on Morpheus' face. “The ground is gone… There is no there, there!” She motioned to the void. “Where is the rest of the world?”

“Oh, yeah the island is all there is. This is a magical place, made from the same stuff as dreams. Dreams seem real when you have them, but like this island, there is nothing beyond. The island is all there is because it’s all I needed to make.” He sat down and rubbed his chin. “Are you afraid of heights? Is that why you didn’t fly when that monster was after you?”

She looked down, and her front hoof scraped the ground. Her ears lay flat against her head. “If I tell you, you will laugh at me.”

Morpheus shook his head, then walked closer to her. “I swear I will not laugh.”

She looked into his eyes seeing the honesty within. Once she took a few breaths, she softly spoke, “I can’t fly” Her eyes closed right away. She knew it would happen again, it always happened. They laughed, even when they promised, they always laughed.

Morpheus opened his mouth, but someone else spoke. “You are like Scootaloo! She can’t fly either.” Both foals turned to the voice.

Filly Pinkie Pie bounced her way up the stairs leading to the game room. “Welcome to the Island of Dreams. I’m Pinkie Pie, I kind of take care of the place when D…” Pinkie pretended to sneeze and shook her head, “...Morpheus is away.”

Instinctively, Morning Dew moved closer to Morpheus as she eyed the new filly. “So, you are some kind of steward?”

Pinkie tilted her head, then nodded. “Yes, you can consider me the imaginary pony behind the scenes.”

Morpheus draped his wing over Dew’s back. He quickly dismissed the question of how he knew this was akin to a hug. “See, I didn’t laugh. We even know of another pegasus foal who couldn’t fly. We are friends here, no one is going to laugh at you.”

“Besides, here we can all fly,” Pinkie Pie spoke up. Morpheus looked at her, seeing the pink filly’s mischievous grin. 

Morning Dew’s eyes widened. “You don’t have wings. How can you fly?”

“In this place, anything you imagine can become real!” Pinkie smiled as she lifted off the ground like a hot air balloon. “See, just use your imagination and want it to happen!”

 Dew’s eyes widened and her ears shot up. “She’s flying!” She went over and waved her hoof under Pinkie, expecting some kind of trick.

Morpheus smiled and lifted off the ground just like Pinkie. His instincts kicked in, and his wings started flapping. “Yup, all it takes is imagination and belief. In a dream you can do anything, you just have to believe!”

Dew couldn’t deny what she saw, an earth pony was floating in the air. Her wings flapped at a fast pace. Her tongue slipped out of her mouth as she concentrated. Morpheus couldn’t help but think how cute it was.

Dew’s front hooves rose off the ground, followed closely by her rear hooves. Her eyes widened as she felt herself lift into the air. “I’m doing it!” 

She took off as fast as she could. Years of the frustration of being flightless were swept away with her joy of being airborne.

The Joy she displayed was infectious and a wide smile came to Morpheous' face, he even let out a light chuckle.

This caused the filly to stop. “You said you wouldn’t laugh!”

“I’m not laughing at you, Morning Dew. I’m happy and laughing with joy at your happiness.” 

Pinkie came over. “Yeah, he was laughing with you, not at you. We are happy that you are happy. Now let’s have fun!”

Morpheus nodded and clapped his hooves. On the ground, three ponies appeared in a flash of light and started singing an upbeat song. 

Morning Dew looked to the singing ponies. “Where did they come from?”

Pinkie Pie flew up next to Dew, her head bobbing to the melody. “Just like how Princess Celestia is the Princess of the Sun, and Princess Luna is the Princess of the Moon, our friend Morpheus is the Prince of Dreams! He can make anything he imagines here and in other ponies’ dreams.”

She blinked and turned to gaze at Morpheus. “The Prince of Dreams? So you are a prince. Can you make anything here?”

“Yeah, anything I can think of. Watch.” He closed his eyes and focused his thoughts. Soon a cloud appeared under them. “See, now we can land on a cloud and listen to the music.”

Once he sat down on the cloud, he started humming along with the song. 

Morning Dew smiled as she looked at Pinkie Pie, then at Morpheus. “Thank you for bringing me here.” A sad look crossed her face, and her ears lowered.

“Aww, what the matter, Dew?” Pinkie Pie asked as she leaned against Dew nuzzling the worried filly.

Dew bit her lip. “If this is a dream, and with all that has happened, I can’t deny it, that means when I wake up, I’ll never see you two again.”

Pinkie winked at him with a mischievous smile.

Pinkie, what are you thinking?

Pinkie put her leg over Dew’s shoulder and whispered loud enough that David still heard. “Well, Morning Dew, Morpheus is a very lonely pony. He’s so lonely he makes imaginary friends. I know, because I am one.”

“You’re imaginary?” Morning Dew blinked.

“Yup, I can prove it.” The pink pony took off in the direction of the edge of the island and stuck her hoof out. Once outside of the area that David controlled, her hoof dissolved into mist. “I can’t leave the island. Only real ponies like Morpheus and you can. I and the rest of the dream ponies are bound to the island or dreams of other ponies.”

“No!” In a blur of motion, Dew shot over to Pinkie. She grabbed her and pulled her away from the edge. “Are... are you okay?” Her breath was rapid as she examined her. 

Pinkie smiled. Her hoof rematerialized. “Yup. See, as I said, I’m a dream pony. We don’t get hurt even if we look like it. Remember your nightmare? Those ponies that were moaning? They didn’t feel anything because, like me, they were imaginary.”

“They were scary.“ Dew poked Pinkie in the chest. “I like to think we are friends now. Seeing you like that scared me.” 

This time it was Pinkie that looked ashamed. “I’m sorry, Dew. I didn’t mean to--”

“What is happening, why am I disappearing!” Dew screamed as she saw her hoof was now translucent. 

“Oh, don’t worry, Dew. You're waking up, next time I’m asleep, I will find you again,” Morpheus said. 

“I would like that, it’s so pretty here, even the moon looks pretty.” She smiled and faded away.

Morpheus chuckled, then froze. “Wait, the moon?” They turned and saw a bright moon rising behind the willow tree. They both watched as a dark shadow upon its surface took shape the infamous Mare in the Moon.

“Pinkie? Did you make a moon?” His chest felt tight, and his tail swished back and forth as a feeling of dread gripped him.

“No… and we both know you didn’t.” The two looked at each other. “Well, the island has been growing with the magic, perhaps it has something to do with that?”

The shadow on the moon shifted and looked down at them with two teal eyes. A spike of fear ran down their spines. 

David sat bolt upright in bed, his heart racing as the last moments of the dream replayed in his head. He rubbed his eyes clear, feeling a tingling sensation just under his eyelids. “What the hell was with that moon?” he mumbled.

After a stretch, he rose out of bed and felt the call of nature. By the time he got to the bathroom, the odd tingling of his eyes was gone. He didn’t even think about it till he glanced into the mirror. His once brown eyes were now teal. “Fuck!” 





Later that day, David, Nathan, and Gabriel approached the front door of a ranch-style house isolated in rural hills about an hour outside of the city. The home of the Coven’s High Priestess.  
A young woman with dark brown hair answered the door. She smiled. “Hello, David long time no see.” She motioned the three to enter.

“Yeah, busy with school and such, Mary,” David replied.

Mary softly sighed under her breath. “Sure, school”.

Fourteen people lounged on a large couch and several folding chairs in the open living area the group was chatted quietly amongst themselves, occasionally nibbling on refreshments from the coffee table in the middle of the room.

An elderly woman stood up and walked over to David, her white hair swinging across her back in a long braid. She was dressed in blue jeans and a simple white shirt. “Welcome back, David. It has been a long time.” She glanced at the bags under his eyes. His teal eyes. 

“Bridget, eh… High Priestess, we need your help.” Hearing Gabriel address her with the official title, the other witches quieted down and turned. Some out of respect, others out of curiosity.

“What’s going on?” a blond-haired woman asked.

“Hush, Emily, we'll find out soon,” a fellow she was talking to just a moment ago replied.

Bridget looked at David and motioned over to the sofa. “Everyone please make room on the couch for our guests, this is going to be interesting.” The witches nodded and stood up, giving David and Mama G a wide berth. Nathan chose to stand behind his wife. 

Bridget frowned and rubbed her chin. “I see it has developed even more than when you called me. Mary, let in our last guest. She should be here right about…”

With the sound of someone knocking on the door, Mary blinked, then opened the door to reveal David’s mother. “Oh, welcome, Ms. Tanner.”

The High Priestess smirked when she saw the looks of surprise. “Come in, Margaret, now that you have arrived, we can get to unraveling this mystery.” 

David looked at the door, then to the High Priestess. “Wait, why is my mother here?”
A black-haired woman leaned over to her partner. “How did she know she was going to knock on the door?” 

“It's simple, she saw David’s mother walk to the door out of the window,” the fellow witch replied. The other facepalmed.

The High Priestess shushed them and turned to Margaret. “I am glad you could make it, Ms. Tanner.”

“When Gabriel told me something was happening to my son, I made sure I made it. David, I wish you told me something was wrong.” She went over to her son and hugged him. “What is happening?”

“Your questions will be answered soon, Ms. Tanner.” Bridget addressed the others, “Everyone, our normal meeting is postponed. Nathan and Gabriel called me yesterday, and I can see that their fears are sound. Those who knew David might recall his eyes were brown.” She then sat down in a chair with flower-patterned fabric.

Margret looked to her son and spotted his teal orbs. “What the hell? Are those contacts?” She sat beside him across from the High Priestess. Mary settled down in a light brown recliner beside the High Priestess’s chair. The rest of the witches scooted their seats closer.

Calmly, Bridget answered, “Please, Ms. Tanner, let Gabriel tell us what she knows, then we can ask David directly.”

Gabriel nodded. “We think he met some powerful Fae. His energy shot up beyond anything I have ever seen.”

Mary gasped and whispered, “Oh, shit, it’s that serious?” Bridget shot her a disapproving glare.  

“The other day David came to us and told us about him having a very vivid dream. The dreams continued, and then he… he created a truly magical projection. Full image and sound illusion.”

“If anyone else said that, I would think they were lying,” a black-haired man spoke up. 

Margret's voice shook as she replied, “I respect your religion, but what you are talking about is not real.” She put her hand on David’s shoulder.

Bridget sighed and looked at David. “Can you call your friend, David? Don’t worry about being bound to the magic in your body, it’s already too late. Judging by your eyes, your very being has already been altered.”

“Come on, David, we are leaving.” Margret turned, then stopped. “Wha…”

“Hi, I’m Pinkie Pie!” The pink pony jumped through the wall. She pranced into the living area. Her form was fully realistic, each hair of her coat easy to make out... Bright sky blue eyes looked around with joy.

The coven gasped, only to be replaced by the High Priestess’s voice. “Judging from everyone’s reactions, we can all see the talking pink pony.” 

One of the women reached over. “Is this real?” Her hand went through Pinkie. “It has to be some kind of projection, a hologram.”

Pinkie jumped back. “Hologram my plot! A tech-based hologram is a programmed image. Reacting to your comment would take a complex AI, not to mention multiple light emitters. Those hologram emitters would be blocked by you walking around me and sticking your hand into my business. I react instantly and when you move around me, you don’t disrupt what you are seeing.” She snorted and stomped her hoof.

Margret stepped back and sat down. “David, are you doing that?”

“Yeah, Mom. Pinkie Pie was Jennifer’s favorite character.” He rubbed the back of his head. “Somehow she became self-aware, or some kind of subconscious manifestation.”

Bridget stood up and went to the mare. “Everyone, please don't annoy our guests, including the pony.” 

“A talking horse thing? It can’t be real.” Margret kept staring at Pinkie who was the center of attention. Some brave coven members stood up and went over to talk to the pink pony. 

Still, in a state of shock, Margret gazed into David’s teal eyes. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, then she turned to the High Priestess. “How did this happen? My son is not a witch, he even told me he tried magic and nothing happened.”

Before she had a chance to answer, David asked, “Why is this happening to me, High Priestess? A week ago I couldn’t even do a simple spell, now my eyes are teal, and I have an imaginary friend who manifested as a pink pony that everyone else can see.” He glanced at Pinkie.

The High Priestess nodded and continued, “That’s something I don’t know, David, but I can guess. Throughout many cultures, there are stories of beings of immense magical power. They often come from other realms, alternate dimensions. From those realms beings that we call Fae arrived at our world. It's a catch-all term for fairies, gnomes, goblins, as well as other such entities. Some still roam around the Earth, maybe they were banished or trapped here. What we do know is that there are stories of the two most powerful Fae, two sisters, one of summer light, the other of winter darkness. Tell me, David, does that dynamic sound familiar to you?"

“Celestia and Luna,” David whispered.

“One day, the other night. Both love each other, both hate each other, the similarities are striking. I believe you were astral projecting when you witnessed the battle between the two. Both these sisters used strong magic, the likes of we humans will not achieve for thousands of generations even if we focus solely on gaining those abilities.”

“The magic followed your spirit back to your body. I believe the magic of Nightmare Moon would have destroyed your soul, but the magic from Celestia and the Elements of Harmony saved your soul.” The High Priestess sighed. “However, given the magic was not aware of humans, it repaired your soul using what it knew.” She looked at Pinkie Pie. “That universe never had humans, the dominant life is equine. So, that's what your soul form was turned into.”

“This is too much for me. You're telling me my son’s soul was turned into a pony?” Margret spoke up again. “I need a drink.”

“Mary, break out the bourbon. Hell, serve everyone, I think we could all use a drink.” The group shared a laugh.

A young man raised his voice. “This could be useful. Many groups would pay big bucks for proof of real supernatural abilities.” He pointed to Pinkie Pie. “A magical talking pony fits the paranormal supernatural category. Not to mention what other abilities David may develop thanks to this magic.”

“No, Frank, we will not parade David around like a show magician. History is full of examples of why that’s a bad idea. The general population tends to go insane at any hint of magic. It is also demeaning and insulting to David,” the High Priestess declared. “The general population is still seeking reasons to condemn us, just look on YouTube. There's that moronic woman who thinks Monster Energy Drink is satanic. Not to mention the Westboro Baptist Church. We can’t trust the general population, we have been hunted too many times. Besides, I don’t think we have much time.” 

“What do you mean, High Priestess?” Gabriel asked.

“That magic isn’t from our universe. Sooner or later, it’s going to be drawn back to its native reality. With David's soul having been changed by said magic, I fear his soul will remain in Equestria. I pray I am wrong, by the Goddess, I pray I am wrong.” The High Priestess took her drink from Mary and sat back, sipping the bourbon. 

“I don’t know what to think anymore.” Margret glanced at Pinkie Pie. She could tell the pony was depressed. Her once bouncy hair now hung straight, her eyes cast down in thought.

“We can’t just do nothing, Grandma!” Mary spoke up.

Bridget looked at her drink. “Oh, we do something. Beginning tomorrow, David will be given a crash course in every magic trick, spell, technique, and theory we all can think of. We might be lucky, and it might take years before that magic returns to its native reality.” She took another sip of her bourbon before she continued, “So much of this is unknown, but the coven is going to be with you every moment we can.” She looked at the group. “If you don’t like it, you can leave.”

“Wait, tomorrow I have work and school,” David complained.

Bridged raised an eyebrow. “David, you might want to quit school and even your job. Right now you are a walking superhero able to create illusions with a mere thought. Frank is partly right, if the public becomes aware of your abilities, they will swarm you.” 

Her eyes focused on everyone in the room one at a time. “News of David will remain in this room. No posts, tweets, gossip, or any word to anyone, even to our fellow witches. Secrecy of this is paramount.”

With determination in her eyes, she settled her gaze on David again. “I will offer my home and every assistance I can.”
> Chapter 7
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bridget clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. “Well, I delayed being the High Priestess long enough. David, Margret, how about you two enjoy my lovely garden? Gabriel and Mary will accompany you to answer any questions you may have.”

Mary blinked confused as to why she was chosen. “Grandma, I’m not that skilled in magic.”

Bridget smiled encouragingly at her. “You are more skilled than you think, my dear, but I’m thinking that your knowledge of the My Little Pony show is more valuable at this time. You and Jennifer were best friends, and you did talk about that show constantly.”

Margret stood up. “Come to think about it, fresh air will be nice.”

“Yeah! I want to see this garden!” Pinkie Pie chimed in.

Bridget looked over to the pink pony. “I’m sorry, my dear, I think it will be best if you return to… well, wherever you came from. My home may be outside of the city limits, but we aren’t as isolated as I would like.”

Pinkie’s hair fell flat. “Oh… okay, well, I can still see through his eyes.” She vanished in a puff of glitter that faded soon after.

“Is her being out and about, uh, dangerous?” David asked.

Bridget shrugged. “I don’t know, David. However, we do know the magic is affecting your body. Rewriting your very being, as your eyes demonstrate. However, how it’s doing so, I don’t know. Would it be better to limit its use to just practice, or use it as much as possible? My mother once told me: when in doubt, don’t poke it. So, for now, we limit any magic you do, including manifesting Ms. Pie.”

They walked out and were welcomed by a view of a large herb and flower garden. The large patio offered plenty of various places to sit. After a small moment of hesitation, they chose to settle around a small table.

Margret sat down. “Okay, I can’t deny that my son’s eyes changed, and that… pony appeared out of nowhere, but I always thought Wiccan magic was just some kind of praying. This is real. I can see the results.”

Gabriel went to the chair beside her and nodded. “As Bridget said, humans are nowhere nearly powerful enough. This Equestrian magic is beyond anything we can dream of.”

David and Mary took the other two seats at the small table. Mary spoke up, “I think I can explain a little. Ms. Tanner, have you heard that certain subatomic particles seem to react to being observed?”

“I don’t know, that sounds like too much rocket science to me.” Margret chuckled. 

Mary smiled. “It’s quantum physics, actually.” She cleared her throat. “The physicists’ observations indicate that the mere act of observing causes particles to behave differently. That means without touching, humans can affect reality on a quantum level.” She leaned forward. “What if a being could focus on a given desire and shift reality just a little? From those particles to atoms, all the way up to what we consider the physical world? Would you consider that magic?”

Margret shook her head. “That is not possible, the number of particles needed to have such an effect would be astronomical! You are talking about shifting billions of trillions, no, I don’t even have a name for a number that large.”

“It's still a raw guess, it’s not like we can ask a quantum physicist to study us as we cast a spell. Even in this coven, only the younger generation thinks that’s how magic could operate. Our spells take time, sometimes months with regular focused casting. Not only would a witch need strength, but they also need focus, and that’s just to shift the possibility to an outcome we want. Few have the patience to practice witchcraft to where they can get a measured result. It takes a lifetime to get that strong,” Gabriel commented. 

“Mama G, you said my body’s energy was the highest you've ever seen. What does that mean, exactly?” David timidly asked.

Gabriel finished the last of her bourbon before answering, “Anyone that practices real magic produces more energy than someone who doesn’t. This is why some of us short out digital watches and touch screens or at least cause them to glitch. Though you’re the first one who managed to fry a watch in an instant.”

Mary smiled as she chimed in again, “There are seven nerve clusters--called chakras--that we think, grow when various magic activities are used. The more the nerve clusters are exercised, the stronger the witch is in magic.

“However, everyone doesn't practice magic the same way, so different witches have different skills depending on how they exercised their chakras. Mama G, for example, has a stronger third eye cluster.” Mary pointed to her own forehead. “So she can sense auras, including yours, David. However, my third eye chakra is weak, so, I have no idea how powerful you are.” 

Gabriel sighed. “I agree with you, Margret, the whole particle idea seems far-fetched. It is something the younger generation came up with.” She looked over to Mary. “Though we have no way to test it, and we don’t trust those who could.”

“So, why is this changing David’s eyes?” Margret glanced between them.

Mary shrugged. “I’m not sure, though there is plenty of shape-changing magic in My Little Pony. If we go with the quantum physics theory, then the magical particles from Equestria may be attempting to make David more compatible.”

Nathan spoke up as he walked out onto the patio, “It might be saving his life.”

They looked over to him as he grabbed a seat from a larger table and brought it over. “I don’t think I need to be inside. They are talking about Elizabeth’s upcoming wedding. So, here I am.” He shrugged.

“What do you mean the magic might be saving his life by changing him?” Margret asked, staring at Nathan. She grabbed David’s shoulder protectively.

“Think of it like the electrical wiring in a house. If it gets too much energy, the wires short out or even spark and burn the house down. David’s body wasn’t wired for this much energy, so the magic’s now rewiring him.” Nathan reached over to massage his wife’s shoulder.

“Oh, that works with the chakra idea. David’s nerves got supercharged, so they would either short out or need to be redone to handle the extra magic.” Mary smiled.

“So, why my eyes?” David looked to Nathan, then Mama G. “Why would it start with them?” he asked meekly.

“As the High Priestess said, this magic isn’t used to humans. Your eyes could just be a side effect of the magic reworking your body to a system that could handle it.” Nathan rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. “We cannot be certain, but it’s fairly possible that even if they seem random, these changes might be needed or you could find yourself with nerve damage and organ failure as the nerves controlling your heart and lungs stop working.”

“So, either I change or die,” David muttered. He clasped his shaking knees with his trembling fingers... Margret grasped his shoulder even tighter. He smiled at her, then idly looked down at his hands. His eyes widened. “It’s not just my eyes,” he mumbled as he brought his hand up to his face. 

The others shot forward and gasped. There, at the base of his fingernails, ran thin, dark blue lines. Nathan’s confusion turned into a look of determination. “It could be just some chemical reaction.” 

Mary bit her lip. “Or, it’s just like fanfiction. David’s becoming a pony!”

“The fuck I am! There's no way I’m becoming a pony.” He slammed his fist on the table. It’s not so bad in the dreams, though. He forcefully denied the idea.

“David, watch your language, and, Mary, there is no evidence of him turning into a pony. Like Nathan says, it's just some chemicals acting up,” Gabriel remarked calmly. Nathan cast her a side glance as he felt her muscles tighten against his palm. 

Margret exhaled and spoke up, “Fuck, okay, we need to talk about what to do. If these changes continue, people will notice. I agree with the High Priestess. Tomorrow we will go to your school and your job and quit both.”

David frowned. “What about my apartment? I can’t pay rent.”

Gabriel looked to Nathan, and, when he nodded, she smiled at David. “I think we can cover the cost of breaking the contract. You can move back in with your mother for the time being.”

Bridget spoke up as she came outside, “I’m thinking of a nice retreat at my cabin. It’s where the coven performs our more private celebrations and rituals. It is far enough away and as safe as can be without helicopters or drones flying overhead. Something even this house doesn’t provide.” 

Margret blinked. “You have a cabin? One large enough for this coven? How do you pay for that?”

“My late husband was smart enough to buy stock in a few industries. Some failed, a few others he was lucky with. He bought Amazon stock early and then Tesla.”

“I feel like we are talking about my death.” David laid his head down in his arms. Margret rubbed his back.

Mary sighed. “Might be the opposite, really. Celestia and Luna are stated in the show to be over a thousand years old, so you may become immortal.”

Margret stood up. “Either way, I want to take my son out to eat. Guess we'll see you tomorrow, High Priestess.”

Bridget nodded and stretched out her hand. “Please, my name is Bridget, I only use that title when it’s important. You both are welcome at my home at any time.”





Morning Dew slowly woke up from the strange dream. She rubbed her eyes and furrowed her brows. Something was wrong, her bed felt different. She was lying on a cloth cot, not her straw bed. Her ears perked up as she realized she wasn’t in her bedroom.

Then the memories came back. The eclipse, she was outside to watch the eclipse, when the sky turned dark, that strange red glow engulfed the moon, and ponies started panicking. Uncle Surestrike led her back to the castle. That was when she saw Celestia and some black alicorn fighting in the sky. Then she was alone. Surestrike was hit by the strange dark magic. He screamed… 

Tears came to her eyes as she fought the memory. Her home was no longer safe, the city destroyed, consumed by a forest that grew in minutes. She shook her head to clear her mind.

She poked the thick blanket she was lying on, then stood up. There wasn’t much in the drab brown tent except for two cots, a trunk with a few pieces of clothing they own, mostly her mother’s. She frowned. There was not even a single one of her toys. Figures her mother didn’t think about saving any of her things. Her ears fell, and she fought back a whine. She will miss the wooden pegasus guard figure painted in her father’s colors.

Morning Dew looked at the dark gray figure of her mother asleep on the other cot. Leathery wings covered the head, and her light gray tail curled up against her body.

“Mom, I’m hungry, is there anything to eat?” Dew prodded.

The figure let out a moan. One of her wings moved and revealed a red slit eye. In a sleepy voice, the mare mumbled, “Get something in the kitchen. I’m tired.” She once again covered her face and fell back asleep.

Morning Dew sighed and kicked the ground with her hoof. Anger welled up in her, and she bared her teeth, then a whimper escaped her, and she lowered her head. Her tail hung limp as her anger was replaced by sadness. Why did she think things would be different now? There's no reason why her mother would stop ignoring her. Once her father vanished, Morning Dew came to understand. Her mother didn’t love her. 

At least Uncle Surestrike supported her in the castle, and she also helped in the kitchens to earn her own meals. However, those were now gone, the castle surrounded by an uncontrollable forest. Luckily Celestia had set up a few soup kitchens to help feed all the refugees.

Dew glanced at her mother, then slowly opened the trunk. She knew her mother would yell if she messed up the maid uniform within. She carefully fumbled around it and removed a set of saddlebags, a wooden bowl, spoon, and a cup. 

As she got ready to leave, she chuckled.  They were lucky that the attack happened on the longest day of the year. It was a nice mild summer, and the nights were warm and comfortable. If the disaster happened during the colder months… She shivered.

Sore muscles soaking in the warm sunlight, Morning Dew made her way to the food line. What little pleasure she gained from the sunshine was quickly lost when she noticed the other ponies in the camp... Her ears drooped. Foals cried, older ponies moved around with lowered heads. There were nearly ten thousand ponies in Everfree City, and now the majority of them were homeless. The wealthy left for other cities or privately owned lands. 

“Oh, look, it’s the flightless wonder!” She sucked in a breath at hearing the voice. Her ears fell, and she tried to stop her tail from tucking down. She turned her head and spotted two colts, one a white unicorn with a black mane and tail, the other an earth pony. The unicorn was dressed in a fine blue jacket with silver buttons. The gray colt next to him wore a simple butler outfit.

She bowed down, trying to control her nerves. “Sir Silver Nugget? I thought Baron Silver Bar would have moved to your family lands?”

“Well, peasant, we would, but Daddy is doing something vital involving some very important ponies.” Silver Nugget rolled his eyes and waved his hoof mildly. “I don’t know why he's dealing with those wizards.”

“Wizards?” Morning Dew lifted her head, then realized she made a mistake.

“That’s none of your business, peasant. Brimstone?” Silver turned to the butler colt.

Brimstone smirked and shoved Morning Dew to the ground. “Stupid peasant, know your place!” He kicked a hoofful of dust into her face, then trotted back to his master’s side.

Morning stood up shakily. Her eyes widened upon hearing Silver Nugget call out, “Guards! This filly is trying to cut in line!” He flashed her a cruel smile. 

A bored-looking guard came over and sighed once he assessed the problem. He saw that  Morning Dew wasn’t in the line. “Get in the back,” he snapped.

“But I was in line, I just… fell! Just ask anypony.” Morning Dew gestured to the ponies surrounding them. Her face still had dirt on it.

The guard looked at the other ponies, all but Silver Nugget turned away. They wouldn’t dare counter the word of a noble, even if he was just a colt. The guard shook his head and spoke up, “I don’t care, you were about ready to attack these two. Get in the back of the line!” 

She fought back tears as she marched to the end of the line. By the time she got to the food, there wasn’t much left. “More grass soup?” She looked at the cauldron.

The serving pony, an earth pony mare with green fur and yellow mane, smiled sadly at her. “Sorry, Dew, we have to stretch what we got. More supplies are coming in, but it takes time.”

Morning Dew lifted her bowl to get her breakfast. “It’s alright, Ms. Buttercup. Is there any bread left?”

Buttercup shook her head. “Sorry, dear.” Then she glanced around and lowered her head to Dew. “I snagged one for you before we ran completely out.” From under a cloth on the table, she pulled out a flatbread. With a smile, she passed it over. “I saw what that noble colt did to you. We’ll keep this our little secret.” She winked.

“Thank you, Ms. Buttercup!” She smiled, her ears perking up.

A little spring in her step, Dew made her way to the benches; simple wooden platforms set up nearby. She settled down to eat. Most of the other ponies had already left. The remaining few were off on their own as well, filling their bellies rather than conversing. 

She took a sip of the grass soup. There was some green onion as well as other wild plants to add more flavor. The cooks did know what they were doing, and the soup was good, though not very filling. Thankfully she had her flatbread. 

Once she scraped the last of the soup with a bit of bread out of the bowl, she fished a rag out of her saddlebag and wiped the bowl before she put both away. 

Looking back to the tents, she sighed. There was no reason to return to her mother yet. She’d just be bored. She turned and headed away. Perhaps Surestrike will be well enough to talk today.

Her trek led her out of the civilian section and entered the hospital area. A few royal guards that knew her waved, and she returned the greetings. Finally, she came to a hastily constructed fenced area.

The pen held a group of ponies, each tied to a post keeping them away from each other. Sadness gripped her chest as she saw the ponies inside. They were all changed and twisted by the dark magic. 

Some ponies haven’t made it through the change healthy. Some died mid-way through the transformation. The ponies in the pen were messed up mentally, acting more like panicked feral animals than ponies. The smell of sweat and fear hung heavy in the air.

A dark reddish-brown bat pony stallion bucked and kicked wildly. His head whipped back and forth, and, as she got closer, he bared his teeth at her. Remains of the armor he used to wear were scattered about the holding pen. She sat down on the other side of the fence and watched him, her ears lowered. She took a deep breath and spoke up. 

“Hello, Uncle Surestrike. I was hoping you were better today.” She sighed. “Mom is worse now than ever before. Keeps mumbling about failing at something when she’s awake,” Morning Dew said softly, hoping her voice would calm him.

“You there, be careful! These ponies aren’t safe.” A unicorn came closer. She identified him as a healer because of the pendant with Mage Meadowbrook’s cutie mark on it. 

“I’m sorry, sir, it's just he’s my uncle. Do you know what’s wrong with him? My mother was changed, and she is not acting like this.” Dew's voice cracked a little.

The stallion’s glare softened. “Ah, well, just stay outside the fence, these ponies are not seeing reality. It's like they are in a waking nightmare, seeing and hearing hallucinations.”

“Nightmare?” Dew cocked her head.

“Yes, one of the others was mumbling about seeing Nightmare Moon.”

She jumped up and hugged him. “Thank you, sir!” She ran past him to the tents. If they are in a nightmare, then perhaps she could ask Prince Morpheus to help!
> 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.”
> Chapter 9
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Morning Dew watched as her mother entered the tent. Left alone, the filly laid down, and her hoof reached out and nudged a nearby dandelion. She wanted to stay with her uncle. Thinking back on what the adults said just plunged her further into despair. If she had just kept quiet, Astral Beacon wouldn’t have taken notice of her. Like her mother told her, she should have remained quiet.

The sound of trumpets broke through Morning Dew’s melancholy. Looking around, she saw Celestia standing on a cloud overlooking the refugee camp. The two pegasi guards stepped to the side and opened the space for Celestia. She approached the edge of the cloud platform so she was in clear view of the camp. Morning Dew stood as she watched the Princess move to the edge of the cloud. Even with a regal pose, the physical stress Princess Celestia suffered was on display. There was no hiding the bandages around her barrel, and her hair hung limp. 

Celestia lifted her head and spoke in her projected royal voice, “My fellow ponies of Everfree City, I have grave news.”

“Huh, what? Morning, you better have a good reason for waking me up.” Misty Dawn's voice came from the tent shortly before she poked her head out. “What is Celestia yelling about this time?”

Morning Dew ignored her mother’s grumbling and turned back to the Princess. 

“As you all know, our brave E.U.P. soldiers have been going into the ruins of our city to search for survivors.” Celestia took a deep breath. “The reports aren’t good. The plants therein are no longer normal. Reports include blue flowers that cause random chaotic effects, as well as dangerous pony-eating plants that are behaving like wolves.”

Celestia hung her head. “And it is not just the plants, new animals have also appeared in the ruins. Even magic as we know it is different; clouds refuse to be manipulated by pegasi, and the flora rejects earth pony magic.” 

“What about our property?” asked some unicorn.

“With a heavy heart, I decree the city of Everfree is completely lost. We must abandon it and relocate.” Celestia’s voice was filled with regret, and her wings ruffled instinctively as the ponies below reacted to her statement.

“Where are we going to live?” a nearby earth pony called out.

More voices of the crowd grew louder, filled with despair and hopelessness. “What about our homes?” 

“My brother is still in there!” cried a foal. The chaotic symphony of voices became so loud that Morning Dew pressed her ears flat against her head.

Celestia took a moment to listen to the crowd before she spoke up again, “The soldiers going into the Everfree C--” She cleared her throat. “Everfree Forest are retrieving what property they can. There is now a staging area where you can go and find what they have recovered. The items are categorized by location, so we know what homes they came from. They are also returning with any bodies of the unfortunate that they find.” Celestia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “As you know, among the lost is Princess Luna. However, her body cannot be retrieved.”  

She took another moment to compose herself. “For those who have no place to go, we are moving the population to the mining town of Canterlot. The crystal caves can easily be used for temporary dwellings, just like during the time of the Great Freeze. We will begin relocation to Canterlot once the retrieval operations are over.

“Any questions you have should be directed to the Unicorn council representatives Mister Noble Grace. That’s all for now, my little ponies.” Celestia leaped into the air and flew overhead before turning in the direction of the royal campsite.

Morning Dew heard her mother’s voice behind her, “As if she cares. Go do something useful and see if any of our property has been retrieved.” 

“Yes, mother.” Rolling her eyes, Dew stood up and headed to the area where she first saw Feather Duster. She didn’t want to go help, but anything was better than being around her mother.

There were many more ponies now at the collection site. Dew’s ears swiveled as she filtered the noise from them all. Nobles demanded their property, peasants tried to keep their foals calm, guards attempted to maintain order. The result was a chaotic mess. 

It didn’t take her long to figure out she would be waiting all day and still wouldn’t get to the front of the line. She imagined her mother yelling at her for being useless again. 

She stomped her hoof, then moved around the group. As she did, a voice called out to her, “No cutting in line!”

Dew turned and spotted a guard. “I’m not cutting in line, I’m here to help. Just ask the castle staff, I often do chores with them. My mommy told me to come here and make myself useful.” 

The guard narrowed his eyes. 

Dew sighed. “Let me talk to the castle staff.”

The guard glanced at the gathered ponies, then nodded. “Sure, kid, let’s go find someone from the castle.”

As she followed the guard, she saw a large mounted map of the city with various locations marked. 

“Wow, there's been a lot of work done,” Morning Dew commented once she saw everything organized in a roped-off section. 

Morning Dew waved when she spotted Feather Duster. “Miss Duster! I’m here to help.”

The guard glanced at her before addressing the head maid, “Miss Feather Duster, do you know this filly? She claims to work with the castle staff.”

Feather Duster’s sadness was quickly hidden behind a false smile, a skill she perfected thanks to years of serving the nobility. “Yes sir, I know that filly well. She did odd jobs around the castle.”

“Very well, madam, I shall leave her in your hooves.” After a quick nod, he turned and marched off to his post.

Feather Duster turned to Morning Dew. “Hello again, Morning Dew.” A slight frown crossed her face, and she looked over to a nearby field with pony-sized mounds covered with sheets. “It would be better if you helped out at the food station.”  

“Umm, Miss Duster, what are those sheet-covered things?” Morning Dew’s ears lay flat against her skull, and she sucked in her lower lip nervously. 

Feather Duster's head lowered, and she sighed. “I don’t want you to see that. Dew, they aren’t just bringing items, they are retrieving the dead they find. It is not a good idea to have you help out here.”

Dew looked away from the bodies. “My mom wants me to get our property. She will be mad if I don’t return with anything.”

Feather Duster draped a wing over her back. “Come on, I’ll take you to the food carts. I will also go with you once dinner is over to talk to your mother.” The filly nodded after a moment of hesitation. “The priority is to search the other buildings; they wouldn’t be clearing out the castle for a while.”

“Why not bring the castle stuff out first?” Dew subconsciously leaned into Feather Duster’s side, seeking the comfort of the older pony. 

Feather Duster leaned down and nuzzled her. “It’s because the rest of the city isn’t safe anymore. We don’t know how much time the E.U.P. have to work in a given area. With those strange monsters and dangerous plants growing, the only safe place is the castle. They already abandoned the northwest area of the city. Entire sections of that district collapsed into the sewers and subterranean tunnels.”

“Northwest… that’s the nobles’ district. Why is that place more dangerous?”

Feather Duster smiled as she led Dew away from the bodies. “The answer is because the nobles had more land and animals. All the exotic plants and pets they kept have now been changed by that dark magic. Don’t get me wrong, the other districts are dangerous as well. The merchant district has strange trees growing, the fruit looks like rainbow-colored apples. One of the pegasus guards got too close and was zapped with electricity. If it wasn’t for natural pegasus resistance to such shocks, he would have been hurt.” 
 
When the two came within sight of the food carts, Feather Duster called out, “Miss Buttercup, I got a little help for you.” 

Buttercup lifted her head. A smile came to her face as she moved to greet the two. “Help? I don’t know what you think you can do to help, Morning Dew?” she asked playfully. 

Morning Dew smiled back. “I can wash dishes or peel vegetables!” She saluted. “I’m happy to serve.” 

The two older ponies chuckled at the display. Buttercup nodded. “Alright, Morning Dew, we are preparing grilled asparagus and yellow squash.”

“Oh, do you think I could get my mark for cooking?” Morning Dew glanced to her flank.

“Thank you for watching her, Buttercup,” Feather Duster said, then turned to Morning Dew. “I’ll see you tonight, Morning Dew.”

“Thank you, Feather Duster. See you tonight.” Morning Dew waved as Feather Duster trotted back to the staging area. 

Morning Dew turned to Miss Buttercup. “I know I won’t be getting my cutie mark for waiting, so… where are those veggies?” 
   




David sat and meditated. His eyes watched the flame of a single candle flicker in the dark bedroom. It sat in a plain silver candleholder placed in the center of a dark blue towel. 

Around the candle lay some herbs, fresh peppermint, garlic, as well as dried lemongrass. He didn’t know what a proper altar should look like. This one was amateurish, but he hoped it was enough.

For the second time in his life, he questioned the idea of a god or gods. If there were powerful beings like alicorns, could beings like Zeus and other deities exist? The witches were the only ones who seemed to have a grasp of what was happening. If they were right about magic, perhaps they were right about the goddess as well? 

Lighting the candle, he took a deep breath. He focused on the flame, falling into the meditative state he was familiar with. “Goddess, I don’t know if you are real, I don’t even know if I accept the possibility that you are real. Like many in my desperation, I’m grasping for any lifeline. Please grant me your guidance and protection as I face forces from another world.”

A memory from his time with Jennifer returned, a time she cast a spell. He licked his lips and closed his eyes, remembering the spell she performed.

“Protect with light that is pure.” He was deep in his trance. He didn’t notice the blue glow shimmering around him.

“Protect through day and night.” Neither did he notice the light of the full moon outside his window seemed to grow brighter in response. 
  
“Protect from harm. Protect from negative energy. This shield cannot be broken. So may it be.”

The blue glow and the light from the moon faded right before David opened his eyes. “Hopefully that was enough.” He blew out the candle and stood up. 

David yawned and looked at the table clock’s face. It was past one in the morning. “Hmm, it’s that late?”

It took some time for him to get comfortable in the spare bed; it was just a tad too soft for him.  Eventually, his breathing slowed, his mind relaxed, and he was off to dreamland. That a restful sleep was not what awaited him. First, he felt as if he jumped headfirst into slime. An oily, ooze-like sensation tingled all over his body, reminding him of when he entered Morning Dew’s nightmare. There was something familiar tickling the back of his mind, a memory that refused to surface.

Once the dream garden took shape in his mind, it wasn’t how he left it. It was now a mist-filled forest. He could only see two yards in front of him before the dark purplish fog obscured his view. It was a distortion of his garden, the formerly diverse multi-colored flowers were transformed into dark purple nightshade blossoms. Dark thorny vines covered the ground. “Plunder vines,” he muttered. 

The only place cleared of the mist and corruption was the willow tree. Still, the tree was sickly; its wilted leaves seemed ready to fall. Morpheus narrowed his eyes and tried to focus his will into the garden.

From the fog came Pinkie Pie’s voice, “Run Morpheus! It’s Nightmare Moon!” His ears moved to identify the direction of the yell. The mist caused sounds to echo and distort. 

He looked around. “Pinke, where are you?” 

“So that’s the parasite’s name.” Morpheus jumped when heard the voice of Nightmare Moon come from all around him, with no one single direction. His heart raced as he took a few steps forward in an attempt to peer into the fog.

“Nightmare Moon, you’re supposed to be banished!” Morpheus yelled at the mist once he figured out what was happening. Subconsciously he stepped back, his tail tucked tight against him.

“It’s good to know that you know of me, little colt.” Her voice once again came from the fog bank as it twisted and turned, taking the shapes of snakes, dragons, and other predatory animals.

“You are supposed to be exiled to the Moon!” he yelled.

The mass of creatures twisted and curled into each other as they focused their teal, slit eyes on him. “Ah, yes. I was indeed bound to the Moon by those accursed Elements. Though even I am limited, I am still the mistress of the night. I am free to roam the dreams and nightmares.”

Morpheus narrowed his eyes. “I heard Pinkie Pie’s voice! Where is she?” He felt alone without her companionship. He was surprised at how lonely he felt without her giggling presence in his head.

“Aww, the little colt is worried about his imaginary friend. That thing is holding you back. However, if it’s so important to you, behold…” The wall of mist parted, revealing Pinkie Pie in a cage of thorny vines. “There it is, safely in a cage.”

“Let her go, Nightmare Moon.” He snorted and stomped the ground.

“What could you do to me, little pony? You are all alone with no training or experience. I will do as I want. With you, I will bring ponies the night sky and awe them with its vast expanses.” The mist twisted and turned like an opaque and angry abomination. It coalesced into the sleek form of Nightmare Moon.

“Do you have any idea what would happen if the sun never rose? First, all the plants will die, then the animals and ponies will soon after, either frozen or starved to death. On the other side of the planet will be an unbearable desert. You will doom the planet!” Morpheus yelled, pointing a hoof at her.

“So sure the rules of reality follow what you believe. With my power, I can move the Moon and the Sun. I can keep my little ponies safe as they gaze upon the stars.” She stepped closer and lowered her head to look him in the eye. “You will serve me if you want to keep your secret… human.'' A cruel smile came to her face. 

Morpheus gasped, taking a step back. His heart raced, and his ears lay flat against his skull. “I… I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Little liar, I saw your world through your memories.” With a strike of her hoof, the garden landscape vanished in a flash of white. 

When the blinding light faded, Morpheus found himself standing alone in a familiar hallway. He was back in his mother’s house, at the base of the stairs to the second floor. There was something wrong with it as well, the hall was decorated differently. “What…”

Then a voice cut through the silence. A voice from his past, his father’s voice. “My son won’t be hanging around any fagot!” 

Morpheus moved to look through an archway at the end of the hall. “No…” His eyes moved to the decorations again, and he realized they were old pictures, ones that were thrown away after the divorce. 

He moved slowly, his hooves clip-clopping softly as he walked to the archway. He stopped and leaned forward just enough to gaze into the living room. A soft gasp escaped him as his eyes fell on his father and mother. Both were far younger in appearance, confirming this was indeed the past. 

He spun around on his hooves to see himself at the age of fourteen sitting on top of the stairs. “It’s me…” He sat down and covered his mouth with his front hooves, his eyes wide with panic. How many movies about time travel going wrong has he seen? 

From the end of the hallway came Nightmare Moon’s voice, “This is a deep memory, nothing we do here will change anything, my little human.” She walked out of the shadows at the end of the hallway. She turned her head and looked at the silently crying young David. 

His mother’s voice echoed down the hall, “Don't you dare say that. Fredric is a fine boy and a good friend.”

Morpheus' ears went flat against his head. “Why did you bring us here, Nightmare Moon?”

“Consider it curiosity.” Nightmare Moon looked into the living room. “Oh, that’s your father?”

Morpheus moved over to the archway and looked in. “Yeah, I didn’t see him much after this.” 

Morpheus lowered his head as his father yelled again. “He’s a homo! I not letting my son hang around a fag.”

Morpheus looked up, raising a brow. “At this time my best friend Fredric confessed to liking me, as in really like me. I told him I didn’t feel the same. Our friendship ended a short time after.”

Nightmare Moon lowered her head and whispered into his ear, “You blame your father for the loss of that friendship. Even if he didn’t do it physically, you still heard him and that doubt wormed its way into your mind. I can teach you to hurt him, make him suffer. It would be so easy. Just agree to join me.” 

“Not that stupid phobic shit. There’s nothing wrong with being gay.” Morpheus' ears lowered again when he heard his mother’s voice. 

“I’m not letting my son be corrupted by a fag. I’m the man of this house, and what I say goes.” David’s father abruptly stood up and strode right up to Margret. His face distorted in barely contained anger. 

Nightmare Moon felt something brush her foreleg. She saw Morpheus standing behind her front legs like a foal that sought the protection of an adult. Her eyebrow rose, the only sign of surprise she allowed herself.

Margret stepped back and shoved her husband away. “Don’t get in my face, Jack.” Jack struck  Margret across the face with the back of his hand.

Her eyes wide with shock, she stumbled back and bumped into a desk. A lamp fell from it and crashed to the floor. 

“Mom!” The young David ran past the two ponies into the room. 

Morpheus closed his eyes as he whispered, “I don’t want to see this… please make it stop.”

Nightmare Moon nudged the colt under her. “Open your eyes, hiding won’t change this.”

“Leave her alone!” David screamed and tried to throw a punch at the older man.
 
Morpheus’s eyes widened when he heard his younger self yell. Nightmare Moon watched with interest as the woman stealthy reached under the desktop. 

Jack dodged David’s wild punch. “You dare strike your father!” With a right hook, he buried his fist into David’s chest. The boy fell to the floor, gasping for breath. 

“That’s enough!” Margret lifted the pistol she took from the hideaway hoster in the desk and aimed it at Jack. “Get out now, or get taken out.” Her voice was calm with a cold and determined tone. The embodiment of a mother defending her young. 

Jack’s eyes widened. His hands rose, and he took a step back. “Calm down, Margret.”

“I am calm. It’s over, Jack. Get the fuck out, now!” She moved over to the younger David and stood protectively before him.

Jack turned and walked out of the house. “You both are going to hell, you know that, right?”

“News flash, Jack, I’m atheist. Any God that you follow is no God of mine.” Margret lined up the sight of the pistol with Jack.

David stood up, his eyes wide with shock. He moved away from the two, shifting his head back and forth between them.
 
Only when the front door slammed shut did Margret lower her arms. With her gaze still on the door, she spoke, “David, call the police.”

Nightmare Moon shook her head as she muttered to herself, “No this isn’t what I’m looking for.” She then slammed her hoof into the floor, and the world shifted once more. 

When Morpheus's vision returned to him, he found the two of them were now standing on a country road. A deer leaped from the grass-filled ditch along the road and into the old oak tree forest. Morpheus sucked in a deep breath when he recognized the location. It was the very spot Jennifer died. 

“No!” He spun around to look at Nightmare Moon. “Don’t you fucking dare! I don’t want to relive this!”

“Why not? Such nightmares haunt your soul, little colt. Face it, Morpheus, you are happy you escaped this reality for mine. You wanted to get away from your pain, but it’s part of you, there is no escape.” Nightmare Moon’s head turned to gaze down the road at David’s old Camry that came into view.

Nightmares, that one word triggered a memory. It was in Morning Dew’s nightmare that he felt a presence fighting him. His eyes widened. The presence he fought and overpowered was Nightmare Moon. He closed his eyes and focused his thoughts. “You are in my head, I can feel you in my mind. You made a mistake, Nightmare Moon.”

A cruel smile came to her lips as the second car appeared, the Mustang that caused the crash. Her gaze turned to Morpheus. “I don’t make mistakes, my little pony.”

His nostrils flared with anger, and his tone of voice mirrored his mother’s calm rage in the other memory. “You were there, in Morning Dew’s nightmare. I felt you resisting me changing it. I beat you before, and I can do so again!” 

He reared up, then slammed his hooves against the road. The two cars slowed down and everything else but the two alicorns stopped.  

“What? Impossible. Dreams are my domain!” Nightmare Moon yelled and took a step back, her wings spread out in shock. A smirk on her face betrayed her facade.
  
“Two can play this game, Nightmare Moon.” Morpheus once again lifted his hoof and struck the ground. A fog came in rapidly, blocking the view of the world.

Then the fog rolled back and revealed a frozen wasteland. Nightmare Moon found herself on top of a hill overlooking the rubble of a midsized town. A few roofs of the buildings had collapsed under the weight of the ice and snow piled upon them. She approached an oddly shaped ice mound with a darker shape within the ice. 

“Behold your Equestria.” Morpheus stomped through the snow to one of the mounds of ice. “Tell me, who here worships you now?” He struck the ice with his hoof, shattering it with ease and revealing the frozen remains of a lime green earth pony. “The dead can’t see your stars. None are alive to bring you tribute.” 

“Bravo, little colt. Here I was worried you couldn’t use your magic properly, even though your style is as subtle as a drunk earth pony bucking a boulder.” Her voice filled with sadistic satisfaction, she let out a laugh, and a wicked smile returned to her lips as she moved closer to the frozen pony. Then she rose on her rear legs and slammed her front hooves into the corpse's head, shattering it. 

Then she looked at Morpheus. “You can’t defeat me. I told you dreams are my domain. Your so-called imaginary friend told me about you venturing into dreams. You have no true training, and your methods are sloppy and rely on you getting emotional to force a change. The first time you caused a change, you were disgusted at the idea of mating against your will. When you made your first conscious change of a dream, it was during Morning Dew’s nightmare. You were terrified of harming her. Terrified of being a monster, just like your father. ” She moved closer to him. With each step she took, the ice melted, and the snow retreated as if it was being blown away.

“What? You are supposed to be weak! I defeated you in Morning Dew’s nightmare.” His voice cracked, and he backed away from the approaching mare.

“You didn’t defeat me, I let you change the dream. I resisted just enough to see how much power you had. True, my body is bound to the Moon, but my mind is still free to roam the dream realm. There is no such thing as distance or time in the dream realm. You can travel to the Moon or even another world with a mere thought.” 

She reached out and brushed his silvery mane with her hoof. “There is so much you need to learn, and so much you can teach me. I want to know about your world, your technology, your magic.” 

He backed away farther from her. “I won’t help you. You might have more skill than I do, but I will fight you.” Though afraid, his eyes radiated determination. 

With a laugh, Nightmare Moon leaped into the air and spread her wings wide. Her horn lit up, and a wave of blue-colored magic radiated out and erased the landscape. When Morpheus' eyes readjusted, he found himself on a lunar landscape. He realized he wasn’t on the Moon of Equus, but stood on the surface of Earth’s Moon. 

“You don’t need to fight me, Morpheus. The creatures of your world walked on your Moon, and humans even live in space. Your species are mastering space, something I never even thought possible. The possibilities you provided me caused me to rethink my goals. I want to bring ponies to my Moon, I want them to see the stars unhindered by the atmosphere.” She looked up at the Earth. “The stars never fade on the Moon. Out here, the night truly does last forever.” 

She then looked at him. “As I said, I want you to serve me. Together we can give my little ponies the very stars.” 

Nightmare Moon’s steps were controlled and regal as she moved closer to him. She then spoke with a calm and measured tone, “I will teach you what you need to be a pony, teach you the magic of both the dream realm and how to use your alicorn abilities. In return, you will tell me everything you can about your world. If you agree, I will keep your secret. Your little filly friend will never know you are from another world.” 

Morpheus' head lowered as he thought about the situation, his ears flat against his skull. Then he looked her in the eyes. “You might have the upper hoof, Nightmare Moon, but I can’t help you. The science of space travel is beyond my knowledge. A pegasus might know more about unicorn magic than I do about landing on the Moon.”

He shifted his pose in an attempt to look defiant. “I’m not afraid of Morning Dew finding out the truth. I will tell her myself. I trust her.” 

Nightmare Moon’s eyes narrowed as she returned the stare. “I see. Very well, little colt, we shall see if your trust is valid. My trust in her mother wasn’t.” 

Morpheus blinked in surprise. “What do you mean?” Nightmare Moon’s horn lit up, and the lunar landscape faded away. 

Morpheus found himself alone under the willow tree. He walked into the garden. With each step he took, the vines withered and blew away from him like dust in the wind. As the shadows from Nightmare Moon’s influence faded, the plants returned to health. Bright vibrant flowers grew from the ground and blossomed on the now lush and healthy bushes. Even the willow tree returned to its earlier healthy state. Its leaves shone like emeralds in the sun. 

“Pinkie!” he called out and broke into a gallop, seeing the thorn cage holding her fade away.

Once free, she ran at him and tackled him in a hug. “I knew you could do it! You saved me!”

“Why do you let that thing touch you?” Nightmare Moon asked, causing both foals to turn to look as she materialized before them. 
 
Pinkie Pie hurried behind Morpheus and pointed her hoof at Nightmare Moon. “Do something, Morpheus, she will kill me!”

Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes. “Relax, little parasite, Morpheus is sharing his power with you. Your mere presence is slowing down the physical changes in his biological body. Your continued existence as his,” her lips twisted into a sneer, “imaginary friend will continue.” 

The dolmen lit up, and Morning Dew pranced into the garden. “Prince Morpheus, I need your…” The words caught in her throat. Her eyes widened in shock when she spotted Nightmare Moon standing over her friends. A rage-filled scream came out of her throat as she channeled all her anger and frustration and charged full speed at Nightmare Moon. “Leave them alone!”

Nightmare Moon’s head lifted in surprise as the filly came at her. She didn’t move a muscle when Morning Dew leaped and flew straight through her body. 

Morning Dew’s eyes widened. She stumbled for a few steps, then turned to look suspiciously at Nightmare Moon. “Why did I miss you?” she barked. 

Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie ran for cover behind the willow’s trunk. 

Morpheus watched in shock, then he turned to stare at Nightmare Moon. “Illusion, it was all an illusion.” He cleared his throat and raised his voice. “I was right, you don’t have the power to do anything but illusions. Even here in the dream realm, all you can do are tricks. No one was in any real danger.”

Nightmare Moon sat down and let out a chuckle. “You guessed correctly. With me bound to the Moon, my power is limited even in the dream realm. The only reason you couldn’t defeat me was that I have experience. You are talented, but you do things by instinct. You only gain control over another being’s dream when you are under emotional distress.”

The cruel smile returned to her face. “You need a teacher, and there is no pony else that can teach you.”

Morning Dew stomped her way over to Morpheus and Pinkie, then she looked angrily at Nightmare Moon. “Princess Luna can teach him! Free her, you monster!”

Nightmare Moon snorted. “Use your eyes, filly. My cutie mark is the same, my powers are the same. I am Princess Luna!”  

The righteous anger Morning Dew felt up to that point vanished. She slumped down as tears came to her face. “Why? Why would you betray us, betray your sister?”

Nightmare Moon stood up, and her form burst into blue and black flames. “They betrayed me first! Your mother deceived me, used me! Even now they plan, and you are no different. I heard you, little filly, you came seeking help from Morpheus. You are just like your mother. When he will need you, you will betray him.” 

Morpheus draped a wing over Morning Dew’s back. “Whatever the fuck happened to you, Nightmare Moon, isn’t important to me. I trust my friends, and that's enough.”

Nightmare Moon’s gaze returned to him. “Really? Then tell her the truth of your origin. Let’s see if she trusts you after that.”

“What is she talking about, Morpheus?” Morning Dew looked at him, her head tilted slightly.

He looked at the Nightmare Moon, then to Morning Dew. “Dew… Nightmare Moon knows where I’m from. I wasn’t born a pony.”

Dew studied him closely. “What do you mean you weren’t born a pony? You look like a pony to me.”

His ears drooped, and he hung his head. “Some dark magic grabbed me and yanked me into the dream realm. I don’t live in Equestria, I don’t even live on your planet.”

She looked between the two alicorns. “So, you are on the Moon with Nightmare Moon?”

“Farther than that, even. Fuck, I don’t know how to even begin to explain.”

Morning Dew’s ears drooped low, and she dug into the dirt with her hoof. Her voice was barely above a whisper as she asked, “Does this mean we can’t be friends?”

Morpheus gazed into her eyes. “If you can accept that I’m not from Equestria, I am happy to be your friend.”

A wide smile came to her face, and she hugged him. “I got a real friend! I don’t care how far away you are.”

Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes at the display of affection.

“Morpheus, can I ask you a question?” Morning Dew timidly asked.

He released the hug. “Sure, what is it?”

Morning Dew bit her lip and looked at Nightmare Moon, then returned her gaze to Morpheus. “Can you help me save my uncle? He's been trapped in a nightmare.”

“This might be interesting. It will be a good lesson for my student.” Nightmare Moon turned her judgemental gaze to the willow tree and met Pinkie Pie’s terrified expression. “Perhaps he will learn a few things.” 
> Chapter 10
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nightmare Moon flapped her wings to get the foals’ attention. When they turned to her, she started pacing back and forth in front of them as she spoke, “The first lesson, what is the difference between a dreamer, a lucid dreamer, and a dream walker?”

Morning Dew tilted her head to the side as she tried to think of the answer. Morpheus bit his lower lip as he recalled an introductory chapter about dreams. “A dreamer is just a being who has fallen asleep and their mind has entered the REM stage of sleep. A lucid dreamer’s consciousness is active enough to affect or control the dream.” His ears fell slightly. “Wait, let me remember… um…” His ears sprang up, and he spoke a little louder than normal, “In shamanism, a dream walker is someone who works with dreams and can travel in the dream realm.”

“Took you long enough, maybe if you bothered reading up on dream walkers instead of moping the last few days, you would have remembered faster.” Nightmare Moon snorted and shook her head. “Dream walking is very powerful, and very dangerous too. We dream walkers can gather information and aid a person or a group, or cause madness. We also are the guardians of the dream realm and seek out threats.” Once more, Nightmare Moon’s eyes looked to Pinkie Pie before she returned her gaze to the two foals before her. 

“There is something else dream walkers can do, we can open passageways between minds. We can lead other dreamers through these channels. Like you did, Morpheus, when you brought Morning Dew to this garden. Just like an untrained foal playing with things you don’t understand, you opened yourself to danger.”

Morpheus’ ears sprung up. “Wait, what danger? How could bringing her here be a risk?”

Nightmare Moon looked at the dolmen. “You left the pathway open. It’s how Morning Dew came back after falling asleep again. It’s also an entrance for anything else to enter your mind, and you were unprepared and unprotected when you were awake.” She returned her attention to the foals. “Morpheus, anything could just stroll right in because you left the door open.”

Morpheus and Morning Dew sheepishly followed Nightmare Moon’s gaze to the dolmen once again and saw the shimmering field within the stones. Morpheus’ ears fell flat against his skull. “Oh, but would that send Morning Dew back if I closed it?”

Nightmare Moon tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. “Why would you think that? No, you won’t be banishing her from your little dream garden. Though if you want her to return, you will have to get her again next time. For now, close the doorway before I have to clean up an even larger mess.”

Morpheus stood up and focused on the dolmen. The shimmering field vanished, leaving behind just the dark rune-marked stones. 

“Now I’ll tell you why it’s important to close those channels. Our ponies are the most magical of the natural beings in our world. With focused thought, we can turn rocks into teacups and cause trees to grow. We can also distort the physical rules of reality to suit our needs, alter the bonds of particles in a cloud so it can support our weight, and we can even make our bodies lighter so we can fly.”

Morning Dew’s head lowered and she let out a sigh. “I can’t fly.” Morpheus saw her head lower in sadness. He scooted closer, then leaned in and nuzzled her. “That’s alright, flying is not that special anyway.”

A loud snort came from Nightmare Moon. “Please spare me the pity. Sometimes a pegasus is indeed born without enough magic to sustain flight. I knew of a colt with that condition. He even learned to fly later in his life… before…” She shook her head. “Nevermind, as I was saying, we ponies have the most magic of all beings in our world.” 

She then turned her focus back to the foals. “If we can alter the world when we are awake, what prevents us from doing so during our sleep? Once we believe a dream or a nightmare has a life of its own, there is a possibility we could make it a reality.”

Morpheus sat back up. “Wait, you’re talking about a tantabus.”

“You know about them? I will have to take a closer look at your memories, my little colt. Indeed, I speak of the nightmare-spawned parasites called tantabus. They vary in power, but most feed off of emotional energy and manipulate dreams and nightmares to get the emotions they desire.” She looked at Pinkie Pie once again before moving to the dolmen.

“Weak tantabus hide in a being’s subconscious and create a new nightmare every night. The fiend Sombra used such abominations for torture. Stronger ones may force the dreamer into a coma or waking nightmare.” Nightmare’s attention turned to Morning Dew. “Tell me, Morning Dew, what is happening to your uncle. Is he not waking up, or is he lost in a waking dream, unable to see the real world?” Nightmare lowered her head and brought her muzzle a few inches above Morning Dew. 

Morning Dew stood up and faced Nightmare Moon for the first time without fear. “Um.. the few times I saw him awake, he stands and looks around, but no matter how hard I yell, he doesn't seem to hear me. Then he starts telling someone to hurry. All the time, he punches and kicks the air until he passes out.” She nervously rubbed her forelegs together. “A few times he called out, ‘No!’ like something bad only he could see was happening. Once he passes out, the healers hurry and stick a tube down his throat and feed him some broth to keep him alive.” She sniffed as she fought back tears. Her voice grew soft. “They say he will be okay, but I can tell they are lying to me.” 

“A powerful tantabus then.” Nightmare’s wings dropped just a few inches before she shook her head clear, then she returned her focus to Morning Dew. “Do you know how many others are in these waking nightmares?”

Morning Dew shook her head. “I don’t know, the fenced area where my uncle is located has two others in it, but I don’t know if there are more in other places.”

“Morpheus, pay attention! Follow my lead” Nightmare’s voice was harsh and commanding as she spread her wings wide. Her focus was on the star-like lights above. Morpheus nervously bit his lip, then stood up and went to Nightmare Moon’s side. He mimicked her pose.

For a moment her eyes moved to look at him, and a slight smirk came to her face as she lit up her horn. Her magic formed a thin cord that moved from her horn to Morpheus’s own. At first, fear gripped him as he felt a tingling sensation on his horn. His magic was responding to hers.

“This is the technique you will use to find a pony’s dream. There are millions of dreamers’ minds in the dreamscape. You have to summon the one you want, or you could take lifetimes searching for Morning Dew’s dream again.” He felt his magic move by her will, it wasn’t like she had full control, more like she guided his touch, her magic moved his.

Soon even Dew noticed the lights move, and a mass of stars in a dark cloud came into view. Nightmare’s voice had a bit of strain to it as she spoke, “These are all the dreamers having nightmares. Their emotions manifest in the dark clouds; the darker the clouds, the darker the nightmares. Just another example of how Celestia ignores a problem till it becomes a hazard. I have no doubt she will find some foolish student to clean up this mess, once she bothers to take notice, that is.” Morpheus felt like he had jogged a mile, but when he looked at Nightmare he saw her muscles twitch. 
  
“Celestia is doing her best,” Morning Dew spoke up, stomping her hoof.

Nightmare Moon turned, baring her predator-like teeth. “Celestia does what’s best for her. She ignores anyone who is not of use to her goals.” The light of her aura flickered. She took a deep breath, regaining her focus. “If you want my help, you show respect.” 

Morpheus put his wing on Morning Dew’s back. “She’s right, I can’t help your uncle alone. I don’t know enough to fight a tantabus by myself.”

After a few more calming breaths, Nightmare Moon returned her focus on the dreamers. “These are just normal nightmares. Now…” Her horn lit up, and the sky shifted again, revealing a black oily tar-like mass that bubbled and churned as it floated in space. Orbs of faint glowing lights bubbled up, only to be drawn back into the dark by tendrils of the tar.

“Those orbs you see are the minds suffering from a tantabus infestation. The fainter the light, the less life is left. If it’s not stopped, the pony will die, or worse, become an empty, mindless husk.” She turned to look at Morpheus. “This is the first time you have seen such a mass?”

Morpheus chewed on his lower lip for a moment. “No… I haven’t seen anything like that before in real life.”

Nightmare raised an eyebrow. “So, there were no manifestations?” She then glanced at Pinkie Pie and watched with mild curiosity and a slight tilt of her head as the strange dream filly scooted back behind the willow. “Hmm…Given your lack of experience, I’m truly surprised you managed to escape the fate of a tantabus infection.” 

She went to the dolmen and put her hoof on it. “Unfortunately, we don’t know which one of those nightmare-trapped dreamers is her uncle.”

“I don’t have much time! Soon that creepy Astral Beacon is going to…”

“Don’t say that name!” Nightmare Moon’s proportions twisted, one wing too large, her other wing’s color faded into a brown shade. Her motions were a blur as she moved to stand just inches away from the filly. The breath from her nostrils disturbed the fur on Morning Dew’s muzzle. “You need to stay away from that pony!” 

Morning Dew’s eyes widened, and she cowered down, her tail subconsciously tucked under her and her ears pressed against her head. She stared up at the twisted form of Nightmare Moon. “I...I ca-can’t! He wants my mother and me to go with him to Baron Silver Bar’s estate. If my uncle wakes up in time, he might be able to get me away from my mother.”

Morpheus slammed his hoof against the ground, his wings extended and fur bristled. He took a deep breath before belting out as loud as he could, “Nightmare Moon, you are scaring her!”

Nightmare turned slowly to look at Morpheus. Her right eye grew larger as her focus bore right into his soul. “There is a good reason to be afraid, Morpheus. It wasn’t I who triggered the spell that doomed Everfree City. It wasn’t I who transformed those ponies into creatures of the night. It even changed me.” She started walking closer to Morpheus, her body shifting with each step till she was back to her black regal and beautiful, yet intimidating appearance. 

She leaned down so she was face to face with him. “You don’t yet understand, David. He is the reason you ended up here in the first place.” Morpheus’ eyes widened, and he stared into the slit eyes of Nightmare Moon and saw the rage and loneliness within. 

She spoke with a tired voice barely louder than a whisper. To Morpheus, she sounded more like Luna than the dark persona of Nightmare Moon. “That’s when Morning Dew’s mother betrayed me. There was a drug in my drink, and I had finished the glass before I realized it. The last thing I saw was Misty Dawn’s hate-filled grin. When I came to, I found myself in a spare storage room. I was bound and gagged in the center of a magic circle. There was an enchanted ring on my horn, similar to the ones we use for criminals.” 

She sat down, now speaking more to herself than to the two foals, “Astral Beacon was there before me. I trusted him, and he tortured me. In his own words, it’s for the good of the kingdom. There needs to be an heir.”

She lifted her head, her eyes meeting Morpheus’ gaze. “Cosmos couldn’t decide who he wanted to be his queen. So he let fate decide and declared that the first to give birth will become the queen. It was a cowardly way to choose, but one that took the stress off of him. We were foalhood friends, later we became lovers. He loved us both equally. In hindsight, things would have been easier if he had favored just one of us.” She let out a sigh before continuing “We became alicorns via a very dangerous spell, one Star Swirl was going to destroy. We don’t know if we can even have foals with normal ponies, the magic in our bodies could harm any foal we might carry.”

“After Discord banished Cosmos, it was just the two of us, the only alicorns in existence. The dread of being the last of our kind, the loneliness, it was almost too much to bear. It must have been driving Celestia crazy. Cosmos is lost to us, however, trapped in Limbo is another male alicorn, Stygian. With him, she could have a family of her own like she always wanted. To retrieve him from Limbo, they needed magic that was attuned with darkness. My magic. ” Morning Dew and Morpheus shared a sad look, neither was sure if what they heard was true or the ramblings of a mare going insane. 

A single tear escaped her eye as she continued, “It hurt me so much, having my magic ripped from me through that enchanted ring. He used my magic to open a portal into Limbo itself.” She shook her head. “It was killing me. The dark magic started to flow out of the rupture in reality.” She stopped for a moment and looked at the now purplish splotch on her flanks. “I did the only thing I could; I drew that corrupted magic of limbo into myself and used it. The spell was cleverly made, it would remain open till somepony or something came through, or I died. I couldn’t let the Pony of Shadows escape.” Morpheus’ eyes widened, and he took a step back, his breath came in fast gasps. Morning Dew moved up close to him and placed her wing on his back. 

Nightmare Moon sighed. “Unable to close the portal, I searched for somepony else, anypony else. David, I’m so sorry, somehow I opened a rip into your dream. I was desperate and unable to keep my hold on you, so I created a lure, a doorway out.”

Her head lowered to look at the ground, tears flowing freely. “When you opened the door, Stygian was right behind you. I had no choice, David. I used the dark magic and pulled you into Equestria.” She then lifted her head to make eye contact. “Only then did I realize my mistake. You were there in mind, but not in body, a soul still alive but separated from your flesh. That caused the spell to backfire. I absorbed what I could.”

Morpheus tilted his head. “Wait… so, you didn’t want to become Nightmare Moon? I saw the fight between you and Celestia, I saw with my own eyes how you were transformed.”

Nightmare Moon’s eyes narrowed. “So it was your voice we heard. No, Morpheus, I didn’t want to be this, I didn’t want to fight Celestia. We took up the cause as co-rulers. It was meant to be temporary, till our husband returned.” She shook her head, and her voice grew stronger, more arrogant. “I was barely aware of what was happening when Celestia challenged me in the throne room. Physically and mentally drained, I felt intense rage when she judged me for using dark magic. I realized then that it didn’t matter to her if I used it in self-defense. I was simply corrupted in her eyes.”

She cleared her throat. “If all she saw was a villain, to Tartarus with the consequences. That’s when I freed the dark magic and became Nightmare Moon.” The rage and anger returned to her eyes as she stood back up.

Her voice was once again Nightmare Moon’s with no hint remaining of Luna’s. “I saw that story in your memories, Morpheus. It’s all a lie. That version of Nightmare Moon must have stopped Astral Beacon as well. That Celestia must have come up with the story of me falling into bitter jealousy to cover up the truth.”

Morning Dew gasped. “Wait! Celestia didn’t do anything. If she was working with Astral Beacon, there wouldn’t be a reason for him to leave her side and move to the Silver Mansion.” 

Morpheus scratched his head. “Morning Dew’s right, I don’t know who this Astral Beacon is, but if he was working with Celestia, he wouldn’t be leaving.”
 
Nightmare Moon sighed with frustration. “Are you telling me two foals, one from another universe no less, suddenly see things more clearly than a full-grown adult? There is a logical reason for Astral Beacon to leave the public view. I’ve told you he was marked by the same magical explosion that scarred me. It’s just a matter of time before his nightmare form manifests.” 

With an arrogant tone Nightmare Moon loudly spoke up, “Enough of this, time to get back to what we were doing.” Her eyes fell on Morning Dew “You will not come with us, first you are not a dream walker, and second I will not expose two foals to a powerful tantabus. Begone with you child!” Her hoof struck the ground, and, with a flash of white light, Morning Dew vanished.

Morpheus spread his wings, then leaped into a hovering flight in front of Nightmare Moon. “What did you do to her?!” 

“Relax, your little filly friend is safe and sound, waking up in her bed. Unlike you, she is as old as she appears. Facing a powerful tantabus is endangering one’s sanity and life. I won’t risk exposing a foal’s mind to a living nightmare. Not even the daughter of Misty Dawn.” Nightmare Moon smirked as she stared at him. 

He lowered down to the ground. “I, um, didn’t think about the danger. You are right, but I don’t have to like it.”

“Good, now let's see if we get lucky and find her uncle on the first try. If not, I will search for him when you are awake.”

“How are you going to do that? You woke her up before she could tell us his name.”

“Morpheus, her mother, was my maid. I know who her brother-in-law is. His name is Sure Strike, a royal guard just like his brother Blazing Glory.” She turned and headed to the dolmen. “Take note, Morpheus, I trusted her mother. I called her my friend. Then she drugged me and watched with a smile as Astral Beacon tortured me. There is a saying, daughters follow their mother’s hoofsteps. Be careful around Morning Dew, if she is anything like her mother, she may betray you one day. ”

Morpheus gazed up at the slime-covered lights as he replied, “I’m going to end up in Equestria eventually, so I need friends to rely on. No matter their history.” He turned to look at her. “And I’m including you as one of my friends.” 

Nightmare Moon’s eyes had widened in surprise when he called her a friend. With a shake of her head, she said, “You are lost and alone, foolishly and desperately grasping for companionship. Such behavior has led many into trouble.”

Morpheus nodded. “I’m realizing people and ponies aren’t meant to live alone. The fear of being hurt again caused me to push people away. I can’t live like that anymore. I want to have friends.” 

He then motioned to one of the slime-covered lights. “That one is rather weak. If we don’t do something soon…” He focused harder on bringing the light to the dolmen. It felt like the muck was fighting him like he was pulling a hoof out of thick mud.

The dream settled on the dolmen’s top, the runes glowed, and the portal into the nightmare shimmered like oil on water. “I only walked into one nightmare, Morning Dew’s. It was such an unpleasant feeling like I was walking into icky water.” With a sigh, he reached out and touched the surface. It jiggled like jello. Closing his eyes, he ran forward into the portal.

With a smirk, Nightmare Moon followed suit. 





The black ooze gripped and squeezed him from all sides. An acidic scent stung his eyes and nose, each breath painful as he choked on the fumes. The more he struggled, the worse it became. He felt the slime penetrate his skin, crawling just under the surface. It was a struggle just to breathe. Then reality reformed around him, and the ooze was gone. He screamed as he fell into a vast body of water.

After the shock of impact faded, the cold came. His limbs became numb as he struggled to reach the surface. There was just darkness around him. Endless watery void everywhere he looked. The same dark expanse spread in every direction. He gasped, realizing he was going to die. 

Then a blue light surrounded him, and he started to rise. He gasped as his head broke the water surface. He coughed up the water that made it into his lungs.

“Morpheus, you fool, remember your lucid dreaming lessons. You need to focus your mind when you enter a dream, otherwise, you will be caught up in it yourself. ” Nightmare Moon sighed and shook Morpheus in an attempt to rid him of the abundance of water.

Morpheus looked down at his green body, he was a smaller body. He felt the top of his head, noting the horn on his forehead. “Seems I’m a unicorn filly now. I’m glad Pinkie stayed behind, she would have been teasing me about this. So far my body has changed when I entered a dream. How do I stop it from happening?”

“Willpower, Morpheus, just like how I’m standing on water. I refuse to let myself believe the dream; it’s all in the mind of the dreamer,” Nightmare Moon stated as she moved Morpheus to her back. “Until you learn to control the dreams of others as much as your own, it’s better if you ride on my back.”  

Morpheus blew his grass-green hair out of his face. “Why are we in the middle of an ocean? Where is everypony?”

Even though the water was dark, and the waves rose all around them, the water under Nightmare Moon was smooth as she walked. “Is dream interpretation not taught in that college of yours?”  

“Well, I just started taking general psychology courses. If they were going to teach dream interpretation, we haven’t got to that yet. Plus the idea of dream interpretation has been put aside for a more modern view of psychology. It has been found that too many factors can affect how a person’s dream manifests.”

“Your kind sounds very confused.” As Nightmare Moon walked, the sky overhead filled with storm clouds. Morpheus looked around and saw the waves grow in intensity. “Seems like we have been noticed. Morpheus, focus on your body. The tantabus will try to affect you if you don’t harden your focus and will. You should be able to do that at least.” 

“I was taught focusing too hard on your body in a dream could wake you up. It did earlier when I tried to turn myself human.” 

“That applies to lucid dreaming, not dream walking. I suspect you had trouble taking a human form simply because humans in this reality don’t exist. When you tried before, your mind returned to your home reality where humans do belong.”

Morpheus looked down again at the body he inhabited and focused his mind on the task of changing it to his alicorn appearance. His eyes crossed as his body slowly built up mass growing in size, then two nubs appeared on his back then stretching out to form bat-like wings. Finally, his coat grew darker till he was his normal near-black shade of gray. “There, I’m a colt again.”

“Good, now keep your focus, Morpheus. The dreamer is just ahead, and so will be the tantabus,” she commented before taking a deep breath. 

Morpheus leaned to the left so he could see past Nightmare Moon’s mane. There, on a wood raft was a young green unicorn mare. Judging by her size, she was in her late teens.
   
Nightmare Moon spoke as she walked “I will change my appearance. I don’t want Celestia to know I’m still able to dream walk.” With each step, hundreds of twinkling stars appeared and danced along her body. Ripples of color flowed over her coat and mane, reminding Morpheus of the northern lights. When the light faded, her coat was the white of freshly fallen snow in the moonlight. Even her cutie mark was changed to a white snowflake on a blue splotch. 

When the two got closer to the mare, Morpheus called out, “Um, miss, are you okay?”

“No… stay back! I’ll kill you too!” she yelled as she moved to the edge of the raft.  

Nightmare Moon looked around, her eyes scanning for the amorphous form of a tantabus. She then glanced back. “Go on, you wanted to do this. I’m just your backup.”

He nodded, then took a deep breath. “Okay, let’s do this”. He turned to the young mare and calmly stated, “You look like a good pony to me. Why do you think you killed anypony?”
 
She tilted her head slowly from side to side. “I… was fighting with my parents. I got mad and stormed out of the house.” Lightning flashed and thunder rolled. Her ears fell back against her head. Her breathing became erratic. “I don’t want to hurt anypony else, stay away!” Her rear hoof slipped off the raft and into the water. 

Morpheus’ ears drooped as he watched the mare attempt to flee. After a moment, he asked in a calm and gentle tone, “That doesn’t sound like you intentionally hurt any pony. Can you explain what happened?”

Her knees wobbled, and she sat down after a short moment of hesitation. Her head hung low as she started to cry. “I… I slammed the door and lit my horn… The sky became dark, and then I blasted the house… it… it fell.”

The nightmare started to change. The ocean waves rose high, impossibly high, then they hardened and formed into buildings. Storm clouds parted, giving way to a bright sunny day and lighting up the now colorful city of Everfree. Morpheus leaped off of Nightmare Moon’s back and gaped at the beauty. Tall and thin half-timbered buildings were squeezed together along the cobblestone street. 

Her voice was forced out between sobs “See, It’s all my fault. I killed them.” Her watery eyes were focused on the three-story building in front of her. It had a small shop with a window displaying baskets on the first floor. Then the sky grew dark, the ground shook, and cracks formed in the walls. Screams of panicking ponies could be heard from within. A loud rumble followed as the walls collapsed on those inside. Once the earthquake was over, the home was a mere pile of rubble. 

Morpheus moved to the mare, then sat down next to her, his wing spread out and laid on her back. “You are having a nightmare; you didn’t do this.”

She shook her head “No! It was me… they said so.”

Then he heard a sound from the rubble. Rocks and debris shifted, then came whispers. Finally, he heard a clear voice of a child, “You never loved us… you hated us. Why did you kill us, Lilly Belle?” A bit of wall fell, revealing an open gap in the mound. A shadow moved and slowly crawled out. Small green legs pulled the filly into the light, the same filly Morpheus became when he entered the dream. There was a gash going from her broken horn down the left side of her face. 

Lilly Belle stepped back, eyes wide. “Emerald? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to!”

That was when Nightmare Moon’s horn lit up, and the filly was caught in a sphere of blue magic. “Found you.”

Emerald turned to look at her captor. Her eyes widened, and her ears lay down against her skull. She then spun around to face Lilly Belle as her injuries healed up. Bones reset and open gashes closed. The now healthy filly cried out in fear, reaching for her big sister. “Lilly, help me! Don’t let her hurt me!” 

Lilly Belle’s mouth hung open, and she rapidly shifted her gaze from Emerald to Nightmare Moon. “Emerald? I don’t understand, what’s happening? And why did you put my sister in that sphere?” 

“Morpheus, don’t just sit there, use your magic to blast this parasite,” Nightmare Moon called out as she moved the magical bubble away from the rubble and into the center of the street.

“Don’t hurt my sister!” Lilly Belle screamed as she ran over to stand defensively with her legs wide and nostrils flaring, shielding Emerald with her own body.

Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes. “This isn’t your sister. Think, you said you killed your family.”

Lilly Belle blinked, then shook her head in confusion. 

“Um, I don’t know how to create a magical blast. I don’t know any magic,” Morpheus confessed. He turned his attention to the captured filly, only to see her start to melt. Her body bubbled and twisted, her coat became a smooth black surface. Then her shape distorted as her body grew to take up all the space in the sphere. Nightmare Moon’s magic flickered, then burst apart.

The mass continued to grow and alter its appearance. Soon a full-grown alicorn stallion stood behind Lilly Belle. The tantabus now had a tan body with a silver mane. His wings had silver-tipped feathers. 

The tantabus-turned-alicorn narrowed his silver eyes. “Luna, I never loved you. I only married you out of pity.”

“No… you loved me!” Nightmare Moon took a step back. Her tail tucked between her legs. Her body shimmered, then ripples of shadows moved over her ice white coat, till there was just the normal form of Nightmare Moon.

Lilly Belle stepped back, her head turning from the now revealed Nightmare. Her gaze returned to the stallion. “King Cosmos? You vanished…”

Morpheus called out, “Lilly Belle, focus on my voice. This is a nightmare, you are dreaming.” She turned to him as he continued to talk, “You started believing you killed your family. It’s not true, accidents happen.” His ears lowered. “It’s easier to blame yourself. It’s easier to believe that you caused it than to feel helpless. It’s sad, I know, but it wasn’t your fault. Nothing you could have done would have changed anything.” He reached out and gently squeezed her shoulder. “Let your guilt go, be free to grieve and heal. I know it’s hard, but your family would want you to be happy again.”

Lilly slowly blinked. Her tail hung low, and she licked her lips before she said, “I don’t know, it’s hard to think. I do remember being told my magic is weak. It had to be a surge, I was so angry, I don’t even remember why I was mad…” She turned her head to look at the rubble of her home. “Did I do this? I remember screaming when the quake happened.” Morpheus just tightened his grip on her shoulder. She lifted her head, then examined the destruction around her. “You must be right, I am barely able to do basic magic, let alone destroy an entire house.” She turned to face the tantabus. Her nostrils flared, and then she yelled as loud as she could, “You are nothing but lies! How dare you pretend to be my sister! You are nothing but an illusion, a trick! The king vanished ten years ago during Discord’s reign. Leave me alone!” She then ran up to the false king spun around and delivered a two-hooved buck right into the stallion’s barrel. 

King Cosmos’ form jiggled like jello before he sidestepped and snarled at Lilly. “You pathetic little weakling, you barely can light a candle. Worthless waste of flesh, at least now you won’t be a burden to your family.”

Morpheus backed away from the tantabus, his wings spread wide. He took off, pumping his wings as hard as he could. . His chest heaved, and his lungs burned. Then came the screams. He stopped and turned. Below him, ponies ran in panic. The ground opened up, and many fell into the gaping chasms.

He gasped, tears budding at the corners of his eyes. He shook his head. “No… I can’t let it affect me, it’s just a nightmare...  I must be brave.” The rapid beat of his heart thundered against his chest as he looked down and saw Lilly deliver the kick. He took a deep breath, then dove from the sky front hooves first. 

With a surge of pegasus flight, Morpheus plunged both hooves into the head of the tantabus as he yelled, “Shut up and die already!”

Cosmos’ form distorted. Black sludge oozed from his body before he burst apart in particles of blue light. 

Nightmare Moon’s sight remained on the dissolving form of King Cosmos, tears flowing freely. Then she slowly closed her eyes and shook her head. With a quick brush of her wings, the tears were wiped away. Then she moved with determination to Lilly, and with a note of pride in her voice, she spoke, “You did well, Lilly Belle. It is not easy to face one’s fears.” 

She gasped in shock. “You… you are the alicorn that destroyed the city.” Her ears lay flat against her head, then rose back up as her face hardened. With narrow eyes, she yelled, “You killed my family.” Lilly’s horn lit up, and she sent a blast of magic at Nightmare Moon. 

Nightmare Moon leaped to the side, letting the small magical blast streak past her. Before Lilly could charge her horn for another spell, Nightmare Moon rushed forward and pushed her horn against Lilly’s. A flash of green and purple light lit up the street as the spell Lilly was channeling imploded. The young unicorn gasped for breath. She dropped to the ground, a faint smoke trail rose from her horn.

Nightmare Moon spoke with a firm and angry tone, “I did not destroy the city!” She took a deep breath to calm down. “I know you are angry, but the magic that ravaged our home wasn’t mine. Even alicorns are limited to just one spell at a time, and I was fighting Celestia.” 

Lilly took a few steps back, then lowered her head. “I… I’m sorry. If you didn’t do it, who did?”

Nightmare Moon nodded. “The truth of what happened is far more complex than I can explain. What is important is for you to heal. And to do that, you need to wake up.” She then lifted her hoof and brought it down again, producing a ringing sound. Lilly Belle vanished in a flash of light. 

“Is she going to be alright?” Morpheus asked as he walked next to Nightmare Moon. The dream started to fade around them, colors turned to grays, buildings vanished. In front of the two, the dolmen appeared with a clean silvery portal between its stones. 

“Only time can tell. She can properly grieve now that she isn’t being manipulated by a parasite,” she said as the alicorns walked through the dolmen. “You did well against the tantabus. If we haven’t interfered, I believe she would have lost her will to live and died after a few days. The tantabus would then move on to a new host.”

She looked to the willow tree as they stepped back into the garden, “Tell me, Morpheus, when was the last time you had a nightmare?”

Morpheus tapped the dolmen and closed the portal, then tilted his head. “Odd, there was a time after the crash I had bad nightmares. Now I can’t recall having any nightmares for... close to two years now.” He looked down, his ears went flat and he whispered to himself, “Has it really been that long since she died?” 

She leaned down and softly asked, “Think hard, have you had a nightmare after Pinkie Pie appeared in your dreams?”

He sat down and scratched his head with his hoof. “None comes to mind. I can’t recall a single nightmare of my own once Pinkie showed up in my dreams.” 

Nightmare Moon nodded. “I have never met such a being as Pinkie Pie. However, she is still a magic parasite that has been feeding off of your magic.”

From the other side of the garden came Pinkie Pie. She tripped on the way and skidded to a stop at Morpheus’ hooves, With tears in her eyes she gazed up and gasped. “I… don’t know what I am, David. I’m not a nasty parasite, I Pinkie Promise I’m not bad.”

Morpheus hugged her. “It’s alright, Pinkie. I know you are my friend.”

Nightmare Moon looked at the two, then spoke again, “Pinkie appeared in your dreams before you came to Equestria. Somehow she prevented you from being infected by a tantabus.”

Morpheus shook his head. “Humans don’t get tantabus infections.”

Nightmare Moon looked back at him. “Perhaps not the same as we deal with in this reality, but I have been looking into some of your memories. There are conditions your psychology class mentioned that are similar to the symptoms of a tantabus. Humans suffer night terrors, depression, sleep paralyzes, and even extreme conditions like waking nightmares as well as visual and audible hallucinations.”

She turned her head to look at the dreams still caught in the dark mass. “In your case, the memories of Jennifer and your refusal to let her memory fade produced a subconscious manifestation of her favorite character. One that took a life of its own. I don’t know what Pinkie Pie is. She might not be a tantabus, but could very easily become one.” 

Pinkie looked at Nightmare Moon “So… this means you won’t kill me?”

Nightmare Moon let out a deep laugh. “You are safe from me, Pinkie Pie. I couldn’t harm you even if I tried. My current condition left me powerless, I was only able to capture the tantabus in that nightmare because I took magic from Morpheus.” 

David’s mother’s voice echoed across the garden “David wake up!... please wake up.”

To Morpheus, the dream garden vanished, and he opened his eyes. His mother stood there over him, her hands on his shoulder as she shook him. “Ugh… Mom?” Then he saw her panicked face. “What happened?”

“Finally, I've been trying to wake you for… I think ten minutes or so.” She relaxed and sat down on the bed. “Must have been some dream, you were never such a deep sleeper.”

David rubbed his face with his hands “I'll tell you later when we visit the High Priestess. This visit to Equestria was... interesting.”
> Chapter 11
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The weather was pleasant with just a touch of chill in the breeze, the kind of weather Bridget would enjoy while tending to her garden or walking in the woods. However, as the High Priestess of her coven, she had to set such pleasures aside. 

She kept her face calm as she listened to David’s report from last night. The only sign of her worry was the rippled liquid that threatened to spill from her tea mug. She quickly covered her nerves with another sip of tea.

David let out a sigh before he finished, “Then I heard mom’s voice as she tried to wake me up.”

Mary shook her head. “I can’t believe you called Nightmare Moon a friend.”

Bridget sighed and put her teacup down. “Mary, there are a few things we need to get straight. First, this isn’t Nightmare Moon from the cartoon’s lore. If we take her word, she has been tortured physically by those she once trusted. Second, the Nightmare Moon David is dealing with hasn’t spent a thousand years bound to the moon. Isolation is considered punishment for humans, for a herding species the mental stress of being truly isolated would be torture.”

Bridget reached over and picked up a book. “Even if the Nightmare Moon of the cartoon was Luna being jealous, spending a thousand years in isolation could have driven her to insanity. Luckily that is not the case with the one David is dealing with.”

David shrugged. “It’s not like I have many options myself. I only know two ponies over there, three if you count Pinkie Pie, and she is part of me.”

Bridget opened the book, removed the bookmark, and set it aside. “Speaking of Pinkie Pie, according to my research, I now believe she is a spirit the Japanese call baku.” She placed the book down so David could see the illustration.

Margaret leaned over to look at the picture. It had an elephant’s head, tusks, and trunk, and a tiger’s claws. “No offense, High Priestess, but that looks nothing like a pony.” 

Mary smiled. “That can be explained easily, Ms. Tanner. David hasn’t had any influence from Japanese culture to give Pinkie the traditional baku appearance. Though look at the description of its traits.”

David read out loud from the page, “Legends say that the baku will come into the child's room and devour the bad dream, allowing the child to go back to sleep peacefully. However, calling to the baku must be done sparingly, because if it remains hungry after eating one's nightmare, it may also devour their hopes and desires as well, leaving them to live an empty life.”

Margaret fell back onto the couch and blinked a few times. “David, your school grades have been slipping. Heck, you barely left your apartment for anything other than work and school. I thought you were depressed, but if Pinkie is this baku thing…”

With a pop and pink smoke, the filly version of Pinkie Pie appeared on the table in front of Margaret. “No, I wouldn’t hurt Morpheus, he's my friend!”

Bridget saw that Pinkie’s right rear hoof was in her tea mug. She cleared her throat. “Pinkie, please don’t stand on the furniture.”

Pinkie sheepishly hopped off the table. “Oops, sorry.” 

Mary leaned over to David. “Morpheus? You used your Steam account name?”

David just rolled his eyes, then nodded. 

Bridget smiled at Pinkie Pie. “I know you are a good pony, Pinkie. For a time David needed you. If my guess is correct, baku is a magical manifestation. I believe the reason some Baku end up leaving a person with no motivation is that they drain the person of magic. David now has magic from Equestria, so he has plenty to sustain you, Pinkie.”

Bridget let out a sigh, then with a stern face looked at David. “David, I’m afraid we don’t have as much time as I would have liked. The fact you couldn’t be woken up could mean you are becoming more firmly bound to Equestria, and there is something else.”

Margaret sucked in a breath. “What do you mean not much time?”

Bridget motioned to David. “His eyes have changed again, this time his pupils. His body is actively becoming less human.”

Mary let out a gasp. “Oh, my goddess, David, your pupils are slit, and I think your ears are more pointed too.”

Pinkie hopped up and down. “Morpheus, soon you’ll have your thestralicorn form here!”

David let out a sigh and rubbed his temples. “Pinkie, thestralicorn is not a real word.”

Pinkie huffed. “Well it should be, it’s either that or a horned bat pony.”

Mary laughed. “Oh, how about nocternalicorn?”

Bridget turned her attention to Mary. “Go out back and light the fire in the pit. I don’t think we have time to teach David any complex magic, but a few basic tricks should help.”

The young witch nodded. “Sure, Grandma.” She rose and rushed to the backyard.

Bridget then smiled at David. “Now, I'm going to give you a little crash course in magic.” 

She stood up and went to her bookshelf where she removed a book. “All magic systems can be broken down into a few basic methods. Ponies have evolved to use magic, it’s ingrained in their very being. Humans use rituals to utilize magic, they don’t.” 

Her fingers brushed over the pentagram design on the cover. “The first method could be considered the repetition technique. A spell is cast repeatedly, and each time more magic is added till the power needed is reached. Chanting is an example of this method.”

Bridget turned back to face those at the table. “A second method is storing power before casting a spell.” She motioned to the rose quartz necklace she had on. “Crystals are a good tool for this, but not the only item that could be used as a magic battery. This is akin to the repetition method because you build up the magic over time, the difference is you don’t need to cast a spell more than once.”

David watched as she returned to the table. She made eye contact with David and smiled, then continued, “Third is borrowing power. This is the method most covens use. We get together to cast our spells, each adding what little magic they have till we have enough for what’s needed. It isn’t limited to just groups of spellcasters either, a magic user could request magic from a fae or deity. Of course, said deities or fae often require payment in return. Before you ask, this also includes spirits or demons.” 

She took a deep breath. “Perhaps I should mention that there are some who take power from others. In our world, some use sacrifices for magic.” She shook her head as her eyes became downcast, then she looked back at David. “There is nothing technically wrong with sacrificing animals, it’s just not something I agree with. There are also more... darker methods of using energy from others, for lack of a better term, we call them energy vampires.”

She opened the book, and, after searching for the right page, she laid it down to reveal a diagram of a magic circle. “I believe all Equestrians use magic instinctively. There are no examples of rituals, altars, or any such tools humans developed. Only a few times do they use amulets or other items charged with magic. This means they don’t know how to use magic in small measures.”

Margaret watched her son, her lips curved into a smile as she saw the determination in his eyes. Then she looked back to Bridget “It’s as the saying goes, if the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail. Ponies don’t lack magic, so they use brute force to cast spells.”

Bridget smiled. “Indeed. Human methods of spellcasting would be something they wouldn’t expect.” With a smile, she then closed the book and slid it over to David. “Try to remember what Jennifer taught you, and read up on some basic magic circles, perhaps even apply some of your knowledge of runecraft. Now for your first lesson in magic.”

She then started walking to the patio door. “Please come out back, Mary should have that fire going by now. I want to demonstrate why humans developed our rituals.”

Pinkie happily hopped beside David as they headed outside. “I’m so glad I’m not a nasty parasite.” 

David smiled. “I’m glad too, Pinkie. I needed a friend.” He reached down and his fingers passed through the filly. “Right, can’t touch you here.”

Mary stood up when she saw them exit the house. “I had to cheat and use some lighter fluid, would that be a problem?”

Bridget smiled. “No, it’s fine for my little demonstration.” 

David squinted some as he came into the sunlight then looked at the firepit. “What demonstration?”

The firepit had four lawn chairs around it. Bridget sat on one and motioned for the others to join her. “The methods I spoke about so far are mostly human techniques to compensate for our lack of magical power. The last method, however, is direct channeling, Unicorns are an example of this; they channel the magic in their bodies to do their bidding.”

Once all of them had sat down, Bridget leaned forward and held out her right hand to the flames, just enough to feel the heat.

“Now I will show you what happens when a human channels magic.” She raised her hand, and the flames erupted. What was once a small start of a campfire was now raging flames engulfing the logs.

Bridget slumped into the chair, taking slow breaths. Her voice was softer than before. “There is a cost to direct channeling.” Her hand shook as she held it out to David and Margaret. Both could see the skin of Bridget’s fingers turned gray and even black at the tips. 

Margaret gripped her chest, seeing the damage. “What happened to your fingers? It almost looks like frostbite.”

Mary stood up. “I’ll get you a drink, Grandma.” 

Bridget smiled. “Thank you, Mary.” She then addressed Margaret and David. “It seems similar, our bodies aren’t used to magic. So when humans channel magic, there are side effects. Witch hunters once called these side effects the witch’s mark. This is why modern witches use more careful techniques.”

Pinkie bounced up and down as she waved a hoof. “Oh, oh, is it like how a unicorn’s horn can get burned out if they use too much magic?”

With a smile, Bridget replied, “It might be a similar condition.” Just then Mary returned and handed a cup of coffee to her. “Here you go, Grandmom.”

Bridget took a sip from the mug. “Thank you, Mary. I needed this.” She set the mug down on a small table, then looked at her guests again. 

She took a deep breath and continued her lesson, “What you saw was me using my magic to stimulate the fire, increasing the heat and rate of burn. It is also the most I can do. If I was careful and targeted something extremely flammable, I might be able to start a fire directly. However, I have no desire to experiment.” She rubbed her blackened fingers together.

Bridget then moved her hand once again to the flames. “I mentioned energy vampires. I won’t go into details, but such beings can also take energy. Both from around them and from living beings.” Her eyes focused on the heart of the flames, and her breathing became controlled. 

Soon the flames became less intense, till just a few flickering embers remained. 

Mary looked at her, then reached over and touched her shoulder. “Grandmom, I think you should lay down. Even with the coffee, I can see you are exhausted.”

Bridget covered a yawn, then stood up. “You're right, perhaps a little nap would help.”

Pinkie tilted her head. “Didn’t you get energy back from the fire?”

Bridget chuckled. “Sadly even magic has to follow the rules of thermodynamics. I used a lot of energy to increase the fire’s heat, however, the amount of energy I got back was less than I used. Normal energy vampires don’t expend their energy before they take, it is a technique to add to their magic; not to retrieve what they spent.”

After rubbing her shoulder, she focused her attention on David. “For now, let's put aside quantum theories, magic, and thermodynamics.” She then turned her gaze to Margaret. “I’d like David to remain here for tonight, tomorrow we head to the cabin. It’s no longer safe for David to be seen in public.”

David shifted as he looked at the faces of the two older women. “Don’t I get a say in this?”

Margaret, Bridget, and even Mary exclaimed in unison, “No!”

Pinkie Pie looked up at David. “Face it, David, you got outvoted.”





Later that night, David laid the book down and walked into the bathroom across the hall. Once he turned on the lights, he examined himself, seeing the slit teal eyes, pointy ears, and the latest change, his now black fingernails. “I look like a goth Vulcan.”

With a chuckle, he turned off the light and headed to the bedroom. Settling down in bed, he murmured, “Alexa, play lucid dreaming.” After a moment of nothing happening, he slapped his forehead. He activated the soundtrack on his cell phone and closed his eyes, listening to the soothing music.

The gray veil parted and revealed the emerald-leaved willow tree. The bright multi-colored flowers bloomed around it, welcoming him back to the garden. His ears twitched as they picked up Pinkie Pie’s voice. “Then she said I was not a threat to David thanks to all the magic he now has.”

He turned around and saw Pinkie hopping around Nightmare Moon. Nightmare’s face was twisted in frustration, and her hoof lashed out to strike the much smaller pink filly. Pinkie didn’t even notice the hoof going through her.

Pinkie stopped her prancing after she spotted Morpheus. “Morpheus, you are here!” She ran over and tackled him in a hug. “I was telling Moonie all about what the High Priestess told us!”

Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes and softly spoke, “Thank harmony she stopped.”  Louder, she added, “How can you stand this annoying pink menace?” 

Morpheus hugged Pinkie back, then let go and headed over to Nightmare Moon. “You’ll get used to her, eventually.”

The older alicorn snorted. “I doubt I would ever get used to her.” She then returned her gaze at Pinkie. “My name is Nightmare Moon, not Moonie, or Nyx, or Selene.” 

Pinkie stopped her prancing and tilted her head. “I can’t call you Nighty, that's just wrong.” 

Nightmare Moon snorted, then walked to the dolmen. “I had enough with your pet parasite, Morpheus. Let’s do something productive. I have identified Surestrike’s nightmare.” She raised her hoof and pointed to a dull blue orb stuck in the tantabus ooze. “I either have to drain more magic from you, or you bring it to the dolmen yourself.”

Morpheus looked up. “That bluish one?” Nightmare Moon just nodded her head. With that, Morpheus' wings spread out, and his horn lit up. He started panting as he struggled to get the dream free from the sludge. 

Nightmare Moon leaned down. “Do you need me to do it, little pony? Let me have some of that magic, and I do all the hard work.”

He grunted. “I… got this.” With a flash of more magic, the orb detached from the goop and came down to the dolmen. The oily portal formed between the stones. “See, I told you I got this.”

Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes. “I saw, my little colt. Too bad your little filly friend wasn’t here to see you.”

“Why are you picking on Morpheus?” Pinkie asked as she came closer to the dolmen.

Nightmare looked over to her. “Because being a dream walker is a lonely fate. Ponies will hate him just because he could see their inner fears and desires. By toughing him up now, I spare him what I dealt with.”

Pinkie smirked. “Aww, you care about Morpheus!”

Nightmare Moon let our growl, then turned her attention to Morpheus. “If Pinkie here is this nightmare-eating baku creature, perhaps we should bring her with us.”

Morpheus swallowed as he stared into the slimy portal. He glanced over at Pinkie. “That might be a good idea, she prevented me from having nightmares. She even was the one that wanted to go to Morning Dew’s nightmare. So her instincts must be to seek out nightmares.”

With a nod, he made up his mind. “Come on, Pinkie, we got to rescue Morning Dew’s uncle.” 





Morpheus felt his body twist and blur like when he entered the other nightmare. This time he remembered Nightmare Moon’s comment about keeping focus. His thoughts focused on his body, the sensation of breathing, the feel of his four limbs. 

The world snapped into place, and he fell face-first into a large flat slab of quartz. Once he sat up, he rubbed his sore muzzle. He held out his charcoal-colored fur foreleg, then checked the rest of his body, seeing that he was still in his usual form.

“Odd how I’m now thinking this is what I should look like.” Shaking his head, he noticed he was on a rooftop with the view of a city square.

An odd smell was in the air, the tangy scent of burnt fur and flesh. Then he heard the screams; so many voices blended together he couldn’t make out what was being said. His ears lay flat against his head as he approached the edge of the building. The streets below were packed with hundreds, if not thousands of ponies. 

There were two distinct groups, armored and armed ponies surrounded by unarmed ponies. Dead bodies were being trampled over by those rushing to attack the armored troops, only to be struck down by their weapons. It was a massacre. “Wh… why?” he whispered.

From behind, he heard the voice of Nightmare Moon, “Look closer, Morpheus, remember what I said about how things aren’t what they seem.” She came up beside him, her gaze swept over the scene “Sadly we had no choice. Look at the crystal ponies, notice anything odd?”

He glanced at her face, then examined the battle below again. At first, he just saw ponies being murdered, then he saw what she meant. None of the crystal ponies were running away, none were even yelling. He focused on the screams and tried to make sense out of the clamor. 

It dawned on him the voices belonged to the armored ponies, he could even make out a few. 

One pony closer to the building pleaded with the mob, “Please stop, run away… don’t make us hurt you.” 

A mare held a foal's body as she rocked back and forth. “No no... he was just a foal. I killed a foal.”

He turned to Nightmare Moon, his eyes wide and wet with tears. “What is this?”

He saw her wipe a tear from her face before she took a deep breath. “A memory. Welcome, Morpheus, to the Crystal Empire.” She looked to their right. He followed her gaze and saw the towering spires of the Crystal Castle. There, on a balcony was a dark unicorn whose red and green eyes emitted purplish magic. “Sombra,” Morpheus whispered.

Pinkie moved up beside him. Her hair was straight, and streaks of wet fur marked where her tears ran. Her face was firm as she looked at Sombra. “He’s a no-good meany head. He’s worse than you, Black Snooty.”

Nightmare Moon narrowed her eyes as she stared at Pinkie. “Do you have to use such foolish names?”

Morpheus smiled, then returned to frowning. “She’s trying to cheer me up. Seeing all those ponies throwing themselves at the guards...” He shivered and shook his head. A sigh escaped him.

Nightmare Moon shook her head, then turned her attention to the sky. “They were all under his spell, mind-controlled so much they would rather die than continue to be trapped in the torture he placed on their minds.”

She watched as a group of pegasus guards flew to the castle. In front of the flock were two alicorns, one white, the other blue. 

“Celestia and I were new to leading armies; we simply didn’t have the experience or knowledge of what we would be facing.” Nightmare Moon looked down at the two. “I’m not the first pony to be corrupted. Although unlike myself, Sombra freely gave himself to it.”

She flapped her wings and leaped into the air. “Come, you two, we need to find the tantabus, the horrors you see are just distractions.”

Morpheus turned his head to Nightmare Moon, then back to look at Sombra. “So… That Sombra isn’t the tantabus? I kind of figured it would be mimicking him.”

Nightmare Moon sighed. “Perhaps if this was Celestia’s nightmare, however, a tantabus would be near the dreamer. It would be something more personal to them, like how Lilly Belle’s was her sister, then… my husband. The dreamer is always the center of focus and power in the dream or nightmare.” 

Pinkie Pie took flight with her right front leg out straight and her left near her barrel. “Up, up, and away.”

After a leap into the air, Morpheus followed Nightmare Moon on their way to the castle.

Nightmare Moon was quiet for a few moments. “There were three flight teams that attacked the castle at once. Two were just to provide a distraction as Celestia and I got into place to use the Elements of Harmony.”

Morpheus tilted his head. “You were going to use the Elements? That wasn’t in the cartoon.”

Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes. “Why wouldn’t we use the most powerful tool we had to stop such a monster as Sombra? Enslaving the minds of his victims, torturing for his amusement, he’s the worst kind of evil. What you saw in that show of yours was a flashback, depicting only the most vital of information.”

A group of pegasi flew over, and Nightmare Moon motioned to two of them. “That’s Sure Strike and Morning Dew’s father Blazing Glory.” 

Morpheus followed her gaze and saw the bright candy apple-red pegasus stallion flying with another stallion that had the same coloring as Morning Dew, the only difference was his mane had streaks of fiery orange.

Nightmare Moon was quiet for a few moments before a thin smile came to her face. “Perhaps for your education, we should watch this play out fully. Observe, Morpheus, this is your first lesson as my student. A tantabus can use any strong negative emotion, fear, anger, doubt, the list goes on.”

Black tendrils lashed out at the flocks of pegasi. From above Celestia’s voice commanded, “Evasive maneuvers!”

Both Sure Strike and Blazing Glory turned to the left. Blazing, however, wasn’t fast enough. A tendril of magic struck his right wing. He shrieked and saw black crystals had started growing along his wing.

With each flap, the crystals grew and grew. He became slower and slower. He banked to the left to avoid a second blast of magic. His wing froze in place. “I have to land!”

Sure Strike dove after him. “Bro! Look out for that group of ponies!” 

Blazing’s head tilted upwards as he struggled to pull out of the dive. Unable to stop his fall, he angled for a water fountain. 

The three dreamwalkers landed on a nearby building. Morpheus and Pinkie sprinted over to the edge and looked down.

Blazing Glory stood up and shook the water free from his body. His ears turned to the sound of hoofsteps. Many hoofsteps. His eyes widened when he saw a group of crystal ponies at full gallop.  

Nightmare Moon’s attention wasn’t on the brothers; her focus was on the Crystal Castle where she watched her younger self flying next to Celestia. The dream Celestia yelled out, “Sombra, your time of evil is over!”

A cruel laugh came from the tyrant. “You only lead more to my grasp, fools!” Sombra lit his horn, and with it, the entire castle started to glow with power. A dark purple sphere formed under the castle and rapidly spread out.

Suddenly, Luna’s Royal Canterlot Voice thundered across the city, “Retreat! Everypony pull back as fast as you can!” 

“Shit!” Blazing yelled as he leaped out of the water fountain. Sure Strike grabbed him under his front legs. “Come on, Blaze, we got to go!” The purple sphere of magic raced across the city. 

Blazing then leaped onto Sure’s back “Go!”

Pinkie Pie looked on. “Is it time for us to do something?”

Nightmare Moon groaned. “We have time to let you and Morpheus see these events. This is Sure Strike’s memory, and the cause of his nightmare hasn’t yet fully arrived. Our time to interfere will be happening soon.”

Nightmare looked down at the two foals. She slowly blinked and let out a sigh before she shook her head. “Don’t worry, you two, remember this is just an illusion created by the tantabus. We are safe as long as we don’t give in to the reality of the nightmare.”
 
Morpheus watched as the sphere grew, consuming ponies and buildings. Everything was swallowed by that wall of magic. Then the world twisted and warped, colors blended, then reformed. The three of them stood on a layer of snow, before them was an open gate composed of crystals. Morpheus looked to Nightmare Moon. “You moved us? Where are we now?”

Around them, the chilly wind blew snow across the vast tundra. The snowy field was broken up by several tents and burning bonfires that kept the cold at bay. Morpheus watched as camp workers' eyes widened in surprise, and they stopped their work. 

Nightmare Moon motioned to a large crystal archway marking the city limit. “Morpheus, pay attention. We are now at the welcoming gates to the Crystal Empire.”

Around them, groups of ponies came closer to watch the chaos beyond the archway. Hundreds of armored ponies ran in full retreat across the emerald green grass. The slowest vanished as the sphere of magic consumed them.

“There they are! I think Sure Strike is going to make it,” Morpheus cried. 

Sure Strike felt his rapid heartbeat, each thump in rhythm with his wings. The farms surrounding the city passed by in a blur as he approached the border. “We are almost there!”

Blazing Glory looked back behind them. His eyes widened when he saw how fast the magic sphere was moving. “We won’t make it, but you will.” With a twist, he yanked his front leg from Sure Strike’s grip. Then he gripped Sure Strike’s left leg and tossed his brother over his shoulder just as the sphere caught up with them.

Sure Strike spun around and saw the face of Blazing Glory vanish within the dark sphere. “Blaze!”

He flew at the wall of magic and reached for the magic sphere with his hoof. Inches separated him and the location where Blazing vanished. The sphere then reversed course and pulled back into a tiny dot before disappearing. A massive empty pit several miles wide and deep was all that remained of the once glorious city.

Sure dropped to the ground, his eyes wide as he stared down the bottom of the pit.

Angrily, Morpheus spun around to face Nightmare Moon. “Is it now time to interfere?”

Nightmare Moon nodded. “Yes, let's break him free of this cycle of grief.” She then ordered Pinkie Pie. “You, little baku, be prepared when the tantabus makes it move.” A predatory grin came to her face. “We’ll see what a nightmare eater can really do.”

Out of nowhere, Pinkie put on an army helmet. “Yes, ma’am! Special agent Pinkie Pie has something special primed and ready!” 

From the camp came a high-pitched scream of despair. Then Misty Dawn ran past Morpheus and stopped at the edge of the chasm.  

Misty's head slowly turned away from the pit and faced Sure Strike. “Why? Why couldn’t you be faster? You let him die!” She looked up and spotted Celestia and Luna flew overhead. “This is your fault, Sure Strike. Thanks to you and those alicorns, Morning Dew is going to grow up fatherless!”

Nightmare Moon blinked. “I didn’t know she blamed us for the loss of Blazing Glory. Explains why she stabbed me in the back.”  

Sure Strike shook his head. “I’ll help take care of her.”

Misty Dawn snorted and jammed her hoof into Sure Strike’s barrel. “You? You are a waste of air! What are you going to do? Teach her how to be a failure?”

Morpheus spoke up then, “Well, he's been doing a good job filling in for Blazing Glory. The real Misty Dawn is a failure.”

Misty Dawn snorted. “Oh, what do you know, yet another disappointment?” Then her voice changed to that of David’s father. “You are damned! Look around, boy, this is a world full of monsters and you are becoming one of them. Corrupted by that witch slut of a girlfriend. Her death was the best thing that happened to you.” 

Pinkie charged at Misty Dawn. “Leave him alone!” At the last moment, she spun and delivered a double buck into Misty’s side, sending the mare into the pit.

Sure Strike ran to jump in after her, only to skid to a stop when Morpheus leaped in the way. “Get out of the way!” 

Sure Strike shook his head, then blinked slowly. He focused on Morpheus and Nightmare Moon behind him. “What… who are you?”

“Hello, Mr. Sure Strike, I'm Morpheus. I’m friends with Morning Dew. She’s been worried about you,” Morpheus said as he walked up to the pegasus. “You are having a nightmare, and that wasn’t Misty Dawn. You're infected by a tantabus.”


The voice of Misty Dawn echoed across the chasm, “Don’t Listen to them, it’s a trick of Sombra! He’s messing with your mind.”

Nightmare Moon spoke up, “Remember the time Morning Dew wanted to help bake a cake for Celestia?” She snorted, and Sure Strike nodded slowly. “She snuck into the kitchen in the morning, and the resultant mess took two hours to clean.”

Sure Strike stood up. “Yeah, she’s what… ten, now? This… this happened years ago.”

Nightmare nodded. “Yes, Sure Strike, remember your training. Remember that Sombra used tantabus to torture victims. Trapping them in constant nightmares.” She pointed to the ghostly figure. “There's one right there. Focus, fight the fog it has on your mind.”

From the pit, a pillar of black crystals rose with a thunderous cracking sound. On top of the pillar, Sombra now looked down at the four. “Fools! I will destroy you all.”

Morpheus took a step back as he gazed at the Sombra. Then beams of sunlight breaking through the clouds caught his attention. His mouth opened in a gasp when he saw a cartoon sun smiling down as it used white gloved hands to part the clouds. “What… Pinkie, is this your doing?” 

The sunbeams melted the snow in just a few seconds, and lush green grass grew in its place. Bright cartoon sunflowers rose from the ground and bloomed in seconds. 

The booming voice of Sombra thundered, “Explain yourselves, mortal fools!”

The giggling voice of Pinkie rolled across the now springtime hills. “This nightmare was so boring! All snow and darkness, I made it better.”

A moon-sized globe rose from the horizon. It was mostly pink with a band of blue along the equator, and a large yellow disk on the northern hemisphere.

Nightmare Moon blinked. “That’s no moon…”

Morpheus yelled, “Pinkie! You have a Death Star?”

Pinkie’s voice came from all around. “No silly, it’s a Party Star! Fire the Mega Party Cannon of Friendship!” 

The large disk split open, and a large cannon barrel extended from it, then erupted with three blasts. For a few seconds, no one said anything. Then Sombra started to laugh. “Ha! Is that the best you can do, some smoke and…” He fell silent when he noticed the light from the sun was no longer shining on him.

Morpheus watched as a large shadow overtook the pit. Then, just as Sombra looked up, a city-sized cake smashed down into the chasm. 

The top of the cake burst open and out came four large black spider-like legs. Then the deformed body of Sombra rose. The tantabus now had two goat-like heads, and sword blades extended from its front hooves. “It’s… going to take more than a cake to stop me.”  

That was when the other two layers of the cake smashed down, complete with icing and candles. Dark Mist started to rise out of the cake, the mist started to form into a single cloud. 

Pinkie Pie leaped out of the top of the cake “Now this is a cake! Hmm, all this stuff makes me hungry.” 

Pinkie Pie opened her mouth with the sound of a vacuum. The tantabus cloud screamed in panic as it was sucked in. 

Nightmare Moon watched the display with wide eyes. “Okay, I need to keep a baku for myself.” 

Sure Strike blinked a few times, then rubbed his eyes. “What was that?” He turned to the two alicorns. “Will someone explain to me what and how this is happening?”

Nightmare Moon nudged Morpheus, who nodded and stepped closer. “Well, sir, you’ve been under the influence of that tantabus for a few days, maybe a week. I don’t know how long it’s been.” He looked up and took a deep breath. “Morning Dew is in danger, and you are the only pony that can do something about it.”

Sure Strike’s eyes widened, then his muscles tensed. “What’s the situation, kid?”

Nightmare Moon spoke up with a commanding tone to her voice, “The filly has caught the attention of Astral Beacon. He is not to be trusted. He is heading to the Silver Bar Estate and plans on taking Misty Dawn and her daughter with him.”

Sure Strike turned his attention to Nightmare Moon. “Princess Luna? Is that you? What happened to you?”

She snorted. “It doesn’t matter, soldier, your mission is to make sure Morning Dew doesn’t go to the Silver Bar Estate.”

Sure Strike saluted. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Dismissing Sure Strike, Nightmare Moon then turned to the shimmering portal of the dolmen. “Come, Morpheus, you too, Pinkie.” 

Morpheus looked back to Sure Strike. “Please, take care of Morning Dew. She’s the only friend I have in Equestria.”

Pinkie burped and turned into a pink cloud that drifted into the dolmen. Nightmare Moon snorted at her before she glanced back at Morpheus. “Hurry up, Morpheus. It is time for Sure Strike to wake up.”

Morpheus rolled his eyes and muttered sarcastically, “Yes, mom…” 

Nightmare Moon's head whipped around, and her eyes narrowed. “What did you say?”

His eyes widened. “I mean, Nightmare Moon!” His cheeks turned red with a blush, he charged through the portal.

Nightmare Moon shook her head, then exited the dream.

Sure Strike stood there and watched as the dolmen vanished. “Mom? Luna is a mother? What in Tartarus happened?” Then he faded as his consciousness awoke.





Morning Dew sat by the fence and watched as healers rushed in and tended to Sure Strike when he collapsed again. 

She didn’t pay attention to the other ponies as she made her way back to the tent. So she didn’t notice that a unicorn started to follow her. 

“Stupid Nightmare Moon, I wanted to help,” she exclaimed as she kicked a rock. She could hear the sounds of the camp all around her, only her tent was silent. Focused on her thoughts, she didn’t notice the shimmer of magic as she moved the tent flap open and walked in. 

Her head snapped up as she felt the tingling of magic. Her eyes widened when she saw her mother.

Her mother stood facing a pony in a hooded cloak. Morning Dew could smell the fear in the air. “Mom? What’s going on?” 

Misty Dawn took a moment to look behind her, and her eyes widened “Dew, run! Get the guar…” Purple magic gripped her around the neck and lifted her. 

Dew backed away and bumped into something behind her. She turned her head to see a unicorn, one she knew. A cruel smile came to the noble’s face. “Oh, so this is the flightless runt. You will be leaving with us, little filly.”

Morning Dew cowered. “Silver Bar… Please, sir, let me go.” 

Silver Bar let out a laugh “Stupid filly, you are among your betters.” 

She heard the thump behind her and turned to look. A gasp escaped her. There on the ground was her mother. Her body was still, and even her chest didn’t rise and fall. Dew then faced her mother’s killer.

The hooded pony’s right dark gray leg lifted and lowered his hood, revealing the face of Astral Beacon. There were dark gray splotches on the left side of his face, and his horn had turned dark with a tip of red, and his eyes… those horrible eyes glowed green with red pupils with purple magic smoke. “Ah, little Morning Dew, I’m so glad to see you again. Your mother was being stubborn and refused to bring you to me.”

He glanced down at the body. “Seems her maternal instincts were just strong enough for her to want to protect you.”

Her heart raced, and she took a step back. Astral Beacon's head snapped towards her. That was when Dew made another mistake; she looked into his eyes. That moment his magic gripped her, those eyes took up all her thoughts. She couldn’t turn away. Her muscles refused to budge. 

She tried to resist the magic, but then she heard his calm voice commanding her, “Now, my little pony, tell me about Prince Morpheus. Tell me everything you know.” 

Her mouth moved against her will, “I first saw Prince Morpheus during a nightmare I was having…”

The last thought she had before her awareness slipped into unconsciousness was Morpheus… I’m so sorry.
> Chapter 12
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bridget sipped her coffee. As she looked out of the window, she spotted a tan and brown RV pull up, followed by Ms. Tanner’s car. “David, Mary, get our bags. Our transportation has arrived.”

She set her mug down and looked at David. His head was down, and his long silvery-gray hair hid his face. “I will prepare your mother and the Coxs to face your latest changes.”

David nodded and, with a voice that was a few octaves higher than it was yesterday, he said, “Thank you.”

She headed outside to greet the new arrivals with a calm smile on her face. “Nathan, Gabriel, thank you for getting the RV ready.”

Nathan smiled. “No problem, we got the items you requested us to buy along the way. Of course, we want to know why you need…”

Bridget raised her hand. “I will explain why I had you buy those in a few minutes. And I will pay you back for the expenses.” Then with a calm commanding voice, she added, ”Margret, I need to warn you. David’s changes progressed. I’m here to try to soften the shock.”

Margret sucked in a deep breath. “Is he… Did he become a pony?”

Bridget looked at the house, then made eye contact with Margret. “No, he is not a pony. Though it does seem his transformation is complete. However, he isn’t truly human.”

Margret didn’t wait any longer; she ran past Bridget and entered the house. She staggered to a stop once her gaze fell on the person on the couch.

“Mom!” David ran to her and wrapped his arms around her torso in a hug.

Margret looked down at the young boy. She gasped, then whispered, “David?” Kneeling down, she looked at the child before her. His face was more angular than she remembered, still, she could tell this dark gray, nearly black-skinned boy with long white hair was David.

David blinked when she knelt down. “Um… yeah, it’s me, Mom. It’s kind of a shock, but at least I still have fingers, right?” She just wrapped her arms around him in a hug. 

With bags in his hand, Nathan walked in. Seeing the two, he turned to Gabriel behind him. Nathan smirked. “Well, that explains why Bridget wanted us to buy some boy’s clothing.” 

David broke the hug and looked at Nathan. “Not funny, I’m a kid!”

Margret stood up again and looked at Bridget. “I thought he was becoming a pony? What’s going on now?”

Bridget returned to where she left her mug and finished her coffee. “I said the magic was changing him to be a better host. What that turned out to be is a member of the fae. He is now one of the elven races.”

Both Nathan’s and Gabriel's faces turned pale. Gabriel spoke up, “Any chance the fae could find out?”

Bridget shook her head. “No, we should be safe from the fae courts. The majority of the ones we need to worry about stay far away from human population centers. The rumors place the largest population of elves in Iceland. Even those that could pass for humans avoid getting noticed.” 

She made eye contact with everyone. “This is another reason we need to get to the cabin. Though the chances are low, there is still the possibility that David would be spotted by either a human or an agent of the fae court. So, let’s get our stuff loaded into the RV and get going, anything more can wait till we are on the road.” 





David sat in the back of the RV, reading from the book of magic. Then he let out a huff and closed the book. “I’m bored, can’t I at least look out the window?”

Bridget's seat swiveled around to face David. “I’m sorry David, the whole point of going to the cabin is to cut the risk of you being seen. It would be countered if someone saw you through the window.”

Mary got up from her seat and went to one of the cabinets from where she removed a decorative wooden box. “I got an idea to keep the kid distracted.” 

David rolled his eyes. “Mary, I'm twenty-three, not some kid.”

Mary smiled as she sat down beside him. “So says the pre-teen Drow.” She then sat down the box and opened it, revealing an assortment of stones and crystals. 

Mary nodded. “Grandmother already told you crystals, as well as other objects, can store magic. Now, the issue is not all crystals react to the same frequency of magic. If you try charging a crystal that is in opposition to your magic it would result in a poor or no charge. Today we will try to find the one that would be the best match for your magic.” 

Margret moved from her seat to sit beside David. “Okay, Mary, what do we do?”

Bridget looked over from her seat. “You want to learn magic, Margret?” 

Margret shrugged. “I might as well, after all this I know magic is real.”

Bridget nodded. “Welcome to the Coven of the Three Moon Goddess.” She then looked to Mary “Mary, please continue your lesson.”

“Of course, Grandmother. Okay, David and Margret, hold out your hand over a stone. Pay close attention to how your palm feels. Some stones would feel cool or even cold to you, whereas others might feel warm. You want to find ones that are cold, they are the ones that are responding to your aura and already absorbing your energy. Once you find a stone that works with you, go ahead and pick it up. Then we’ll proceed to the next step.”

Both David and his mother held their hand over the stones. David scrunched his nose and closed his eyes. Then he lowered his hand and picked up a blue polished crystal. Soon after David, Margret picked a stone as well.

Mary then took a breath. “Now the hard part, focusing and waiting.” She smiled “Look at the stone in your hand and focus your mind on it. Try to ignore everything but the stone, imagine your body warmth flowing into the stone, heating it up. Once it’s warm to the touch, it’s charged. To draw energy from the stone, try to visualize the warmth drawing into you. ” 

Nathan asked as he drove, “What did David get?”

Mary twisted in the seat to face forward. “He picked up the labradorite”

Gabriel laughed. “I win, Nathan.” She turned and looked back. “Nat was sure he’ll pick up the smoky quartz.”

Bridget chuckled and shook her head. “No, David’s magic is more in tune with dreams, smoky quartz helps promote sleep. Labradorite does fit David’s abilities far better. It is used in lucid dreaming and protects against nightmares.”

She then looked to Margret. “What did you pick up?”

Margret looked at the red stone in her hand. “It’s a bit of red jasper, I think.”

Mary nodded. “Yes, that stone is strongly linked to awakening energy in a person. A good first stone when beginning magic or meditation.”

Bridget spoke up again, “Well, back to your first lesson in using crystals. Hold the stone and just focus your mind on it, imagine it warming up, even getting hot. The more energy it has, the more it starts to repel your energy. Your body registers this as heat.” 

David cried out as the crystal in his hand glowed, then shattered with a loud crack. He dropped the fragments onto the table and rubbed his hand. “Well, it got hot, almost burning hot.”

Gabriel shook her head. “Sounds like David has overpowered the crystal. Bridget, you might need to teach him how to channel.”

Bridget nodded. “It seems so. Unlike us, David has no problem with power. It’s control he needs to work on, and we can’t do any lessons on that till we are at the cabin.”





Celestia let out a soft moan as she reached for another sheet of paper on the short table she used as a desk. 

From another desk in the royal tent, Prince Platinum Shine looked over to her. “You need another willow bark tea, auntie?”

“No, I’m sore, but I can manage.” Celestia then picked up the report. “Oh… no.”

Platinum Shine raised his brow. “What’s wrong about that report?”

Celestia looked over at him. “It seems the guards found a young foal, probably just a few months old. She was crying in the rubble of a building on the edge of the city.” She looked at the report. “That building was searched thoroughly before… she was abandoned.”

He gasped. “Why would anypony abandon a baby?”

She set down the report. “She’s been transformed during the event.”

He shook his head, then picked up a quill. “I add it to the list of crimes against the changed. Perhaps we should think of moving the affected to their own location. It would be easier to protect them if they are all in one area.” 

Celestia sighed and looked to the floor. “No, there are families where only one pony got hit by the dark magic.” She lifted her head. “I’m not going to rip anyone else’s family apart because of fear.” She rose to her hooves. “Let’s go for a walk, I need some fresh air.”

Prince Platinum moved to follow her “We don’t have to force anyone apart, the sanctuary could be for volunteers only. The family of any changed would be welcomed to join.” 

They walked out of the grand tent and started to head to the food carts. Four guards moved to protect the royals as they traveled. They didn’t get far when a pegasus commander guard landed in front of them. He saluted. “Princess! Urgent report from the civilian tent patrol seven. We discovered a murder.”

Celestia's eyes widened. “Show me.”

They trotted through the tents with haste till they came to the tent where two guards stood watch. Celestia stuck her head into the tent and flinched, seeing the body. Her gaze moved around the rest of the tent and landed on a smaller cot for a foal. She then noted the words written on the tent wall: ‘Sombra’s Slut’.

She lowered the tent flap and looked to the pegasus guard that led them. “Have you found anything?”

The pegasus sighed. “Not much, it appears to be another hate crime. Her neck was crushed with magic, so the murderer is a unicorn. There were no reports of any sounds of fighting, and from the placement of the body, we think the killer knew the victim. It appears to be a sudden attack; the killer didn’t give any warning before they gripped her with their magic.”

Celestia looked at the guard. “Any sign of the foal?”

The guards at the tents shook their heads. The commander spoke up then, “There hasn’t been any sign of the foal. I have teams asking the civilians if they noticed anything.”

Prince Platinum Shine glanced to the tent, then back to the pegasus. “Do we know who the victims were? Was the foal changed as well?” Then, after a few moments of thinking, he asked, “What’s your name, Commander?”

The commander shifted his stance to fully face Platinum. “Commander Wind Shear, sir. As of now, we know only the mother was a bat pony. The victim's name is Misty Dawn.”


Celestia sucked in a breath. She looked at the tent, then to Commander Wind Shear. “Bat pony?”

Wind Shear’s ears lowered, and he shrugged. “It’s kind of what ponies are starting to call those who have been transformed.”

Celestia nodded. “Keep me updated on what you find. I want to know where the filly is as soon as you know.” With that dismissal, she turned around and started walking back to the royal tent.

Platinum Shine looked at Celestia, but kept quiet till they were out of hearing range of Commander Wind Shear. “You recognized the name and knew the missing foal is a filly. Mind telling me what you know?”

Celestia’s head lowered. “Misty Dawn was Luna’s personal maid. Her filly Morning Dew was a bright sun in the castle, always trying to help and not just to get her cutie mark. One day she delayed breakfast because she tried to make me a cake.” She sighed. “I hope she is just away doing some chores.”

Celestia looked to the setting sun. Her ears twitched and swiveled as she caught voices yelling to her left. She turned her head to look for the source of the disturbance and spotted the medical tents and the pens where the tantabus-infected ponies were being kept. 

Platinum Shine followed her gaze. “Sounds like one of the sleepwalkers is being extra disturbed today.”

Celestia started to walk in that direction. “I’m not sure, I can hear more than one pony yelling. It doesn’t sound like the ravings of a sleepwalker. ”

Shine tilted his head and wiggled his ears. “Hmm, you are right. I can hear more than one voice.”

When they got closer, they could see a blood-red bat pony struggling against two healers. “Sir, you have to calm down! You've been under a tantabus influence for a week, you need to rest to regain your strength!”


The stallion growled. “It’s taking two of you to hold me down, and you're barely doing that. I got plenty of strength! Let go, I need to save her!” 

One of the healers yelled, “We need a unicorn with a stun spell, stat!”

Celestia’s commanding voice cut through the chaos, “Belay that order!”

All three struggling ponies stopped, and Sure Strike stood at attention. Celestia pointed to one of the healers that requested a stun. “What’s going on here?”

The healer looked to the other healer, then back to Celestia. “He was diagnosed with severe tantabus influence and was physically fighting when mobile, so we couldn’t get close to him till he collapsed. Only then could we get some broth into him. A few moments ago, he woke up and demanded to leave. He’s dehydrated, malnutritioned, and suffering from long-term tantabus influence. He needs treatment, but refuses.”


Celestia moved to face Sure Strike. “Is there a reason you are refusing treatment?” She noted how he was standing. “Soldier?” 

Sure Strike saluted. “As the healer stated, I was under the influence of a strong tantabus. I must confess my mental training slipped, and I wasn’t aware of it.” He squinted at the setting sun. “During the day, I was visited by Princess Luna.”

Celestia stomped her hoof. “Stop right there. I assure you Princess Luna is gone, some other dream walker must have used her image to snap you out of your coma.”  

Sure Strike’s jaw dropped. “But…”

Celestia cut him off, “I said stop, soldier. Come with me, I want a full report of this imposter.” She turned and headed for her tent. Her ears twitched when she heard the two healers whisper amongst themselves. Platinum Shine followed silently behind her.

“Princess Luna? Could she still be alive?”

“You heard Celestia, it's obviously a fake Luna.”

Sure Strike‘s eyes widened when he overheard the healers talking among themselves. Then, with a shake of his head, he increased his speed to catch up to the two royals. 

Once all three were inside the royal tent, Celestia’s horn lit up as she cast a spell. “That’s a level three security spell, nopony outside will hear what we discuss. First and foremost, what’s your name, soldier?”

Sure Strike once again saluted. “Corporal Sure Strike, of the 14th Unit, Your Majesty. Permission to speak?”

Celestia’s ears dropped when she heard the stallion’s name. She quickly turned to move behind her desk, taking the opportunity to hide her emotions from Sure Strike. Once she sat down, she addressed him again. “You may speak openly, Corporal. I believe there are many questions you want to ask, and there is much to tell you about.”

Prince Platinum Shine settled down beside Celestia and started searching among the papers on the desk for a specific report.

Sure Strike closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then replied, “Your Majesty, what were the healers whispering about? How could they think Princess Luna was dead?”

Prince Platinum spoke up before Celestia could, “Hundreds of ponies are missing and presumed dead, Princess Luna is among those. No one has seen her ever since the destruction of the city.” 

Celestia then softly told him, “I can honestly swear she hasn’t been seen in flesh and blood for a week. So I’m very interested in hearing about this dream Luna you met.” 

It took several minutes for Sure Strike to tell them about his dream. Then he looked at Celestia. “As they left, the alicorn colt called her mom.”

Celestia sighed. “That only proves it’s a lie. Everyone knows that neither Luna nor myself had any foals.”

Sure Strike nodded. “I had standard mental training to recognize when there is another awareness affecting my thoughts. I do admit I do not have any knowledge of Princess Luna’s previous visits to my mind. However, due to the strength of the dream walker, I was sure that it was the Princess.” 

Platinum tapped his chin with his hoof, then leaned forward and spoke, “You said the colt mentioned that Morning Dew was his only friend and given his appearance, he must be one of the changed. I think he’s a very lonely pony and could have manifested a mother figure that looked similar to himself. The Princess Luna you saw could have been nothing more than his creation.”

Sure lowered his head. “That… makes sense.” He then lifted his gaze. “But it doesn’t change the fact I was tasked to protect Morning Dew. So, if there is nothing else, I’m going to find her tent.”

Celestia sighed. “I have bad news, Sure Strike. Misty Dawn’s body was discovered earlier today. I saw her remains myself. The guards are still searching for Morning Dew.”

Sure Strike's nostrils flared. “When her father died, I swore to protect her. I have no choice but to go to the Silver Bar estate and question this Astral Beacon.”

Celestia nodded. “Sure Strike, it’s already night, and you are still recovering from the tantabus. As of right now, we believe the murder was a hate crime. There is no evidence that Morning Dew is at the estate, and the word of a dream walking colt is not enough to charge Astral Beacon of foalnapping.” She took a deep breath, then continued, “However I’m not going to ignore your worry. Tomorrow at dawn, I will go to the Silver Bar estate, and you are welcome to come along.”

Prince Platinum leaned forward. “Your body has been transformed by the corruptive magic you were exposed to. You have new wings and need to relearn how to fly. Rushing into battle is unwise.” 
 
She deactivated the security spell. “Sure Strike, we will do everything we can to find your niece.” 

She then rose up and stuck her head out of the tent to address the guards outside. “Guards, would one of you please lead Corporal Sure Strike back to the healers so he can get something healthy to eat and a good night's sleep? Make sure they know I expect him to be ready for a trip tomorrow morning.”

Sure Strike looked up to Celestia. “Thank you, Your Majesty.” He then started walking back to the medical tents with one of the guards.

Celestia closed the tent flap and recast the security spell. 

Prince Platinum Shine spoke up as soon as the spell was stable. “Do you think he bought it?”

Celestia turned and sat down with a sigh. “If he doesn’t, he will be leaving as soon as he can. If he does, believe me, he will be with us in the morning.”

Platinum picked up the report he got out earlier. “This is the second tantabus-infected pony that woke up. The first case was a unicorn mare named Lilly Belle. She woke up yesterday. Her report also mentions a colt named Morpheus. There are some differences though. Nightmare Moon didn’t disguise herself this time, nor was there any pink foal.” He looked up at her. “Could she be gathering undiscovered dream walkers?”

Celestia shook her head. “I have no clue what Nightmare Moon is doing. I… I banished her to the moon with the Elements of Harmony. There shouldn’t be any possibility for her to come back.”

Platinum looked at the paper. “Princess Luna was the best dream walker ever recorded, most need to be in physical contact or know the pony personally to enter the sleeper’s dreams.” 

Celestia tilted her head up. Her ears lay flat against her skull. “Could that be it? Is she still able to dream walk all the way from the moon?” 

Platinum stood up and faced her directly. “I’m more concerned about the colt. Sure Strike heard him call her mom. I hate to imagine the uproar that would cause.”

She shook her head. “It’s not true, it can’t be true.”

Platinum sighed. “It doesn't need to be true, the nobility will manipulate any rumor they can. If they cast doubt on you now, we could be facing the start of a rebellion.”

Celestia closed her eyes and spoke softly, “Do you remember Luna was ill a few months after we defeated Discord? We discovered Luna was two months pregnant a short time later. She was so happy.” She sighed and looked to the floor, her eyes glistening momentarily. “One day she collapsed to the floor screaming in pain, The foal didn’t make it. Luna had a name and everything picked out. Her name would have been Snow Drop.”

Platinum grunted and slammed his hoof into the ground. “That's all they need, he’s the right age. Has shown to be a powerful dream walker.”

Platinum nodded. “The unicorn nobles still remember when they ruled with King Bullion. If Morpheus is an alicorn then I can see them proclaiming him the rightful heir. Once that’s done, they may set up a regent to rule, cast you aside, and turn the crown prince into a puppet king. Celestia, we need to find this colt before they do.” 

Celestia covered a yawn with her hoof. “I agree we need to find this Morpheus before he’s found by the wrong ponies. Get some rest, Platinum, tomorrow we begin the search.”

Platinum nodded. “Good night, auntie Tia.” With that he exited the tent, leaving Celestia alone.

She moved to one of her trunks and opened it, revealing a simple wooden container within. With a sigh, she lifted the lid and peered at the Elements of Harmony. She touched the now powerless Element of Magic. “You still refuse to respond to me. Is it because Luna was telling the truth? Did I betray her without knowing? Please, I need your guidance.”
 




David held his hand up as he gazed into the lightly glowing crystal within his fingers with awe. Loudly, he cheered, “This one didn’t shatter!”

Bridget smiled. “Good work, David. Now that you learned to store magic, you always have a back-up.”

Mary chimed in, “Not that he needs it.”

Gabriel smirked. “Sounds like someone’s a tad jealous.”

Mary blinked and looked to the elder witch. “Jealous? Of being turned into an elf and having enough magic only legends spoke of?”

Nathan laughed, joining in the merriment as he pulled into a stone driveway. “I think being cooped in this RV is getting to everyone. Good news, we are finally here.”

The RV pulled into a private gated lot. Lush trees and bushes surrounded the lot, providing a natural fence. Unseen from the road stood a large three-story log and stone cabin with a wrap-around porch. 

Margret smiled. “It’s beautiful.”

Bridget took a deep breath of fresh air, then headed to the cabin while withdrawing her keys from her purse. “Okay, let's get our bags inside, and I'll start dinner. I had Frank Walker stock the place up, so we are set for a while.”

David got up from the seat, grabbed his suitcase, and exited the RV. “Yeah Mom, Jennifer loved coming here.” He frowned slightly and wiped his eyes. He looked at the building again and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

Gabriel moved up beside him and gently squeezed his shoulder.  “You, okay there, David?”

He nodded. “I’m okay, Mama G. Just a little melancholic. Oh, I forgot my crystal on the table!” He let go of his suitcase and turned and ran to the RV, then staggered. He gasped for breath and grabbed his chest. “Priestess? Something feels wrong.”

His heart raced, and he watched, wide-eyed, as his hair rose up with electrical spark flashes. 

Time seemed to slow down as he slowly turned to face his mother. He reached out to her as a shimmering purple and blue bubble took shape around him. He opened his mouth in a silent cry. Then with a flash and a bang, he was gone.

Margret gasped and ran to where David vanished. “David!” She dropped to her knees, her gaze locked on the ground where he last stood. Gabriel somberly came over and hugged her as she cried.
> Chapter 13
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Morning Dew’s ears twitched as she blinked the sleepiness away. When she opened her eyes, she saw her legs were tied together. Shifting her body, she felt her wings were bound as well. She took a deep breath and was about to yell when she heard voices and bit her lip as she listened.

“You fool! Everything we have accomplished since Sombra’s failure is in jeopardy,” said an unseen mare. Morning Dew scrunched her brows as she listened.

“It worked! I had opened the way into Limbo, I saw the Pony of Shadows myself.” Morning Dew flinched when she heard the voice of Astral Beacon. Her wings twitched.

There was a flash of green magic, and Astral Beacon cried out in pain. “Your success destroyed another city! We need ponies to be afraid, not dead!”

Astral Beacon shouted in rage, “I will succeed where Sombra failed. I will free the Umbrum.” 

The mare huffed. “Your plan to use Princess Luna failed. The only reason we won’t kill you is that the Princess of the Night is no longer able to hunt new tantabi. However, without her, there isn’t anypony that could free our brethren.”

Astral Beacon let out a long breath, then spoke in a calmer voice, “Please, I know of another alicorn, and the key to finding him is the filly. When I first met her, I felt a touch of magic very similar to Luna’s. There is another pony whose magic can cross the planes of reality, this Prince Morpheus.”

“It’s still a foolish action, Astral Beacon. Because of your recklessness, Celestia is now suspicious.” Morning Dew heard hoofsteps moving back and forth behind her. “Even if there is such a pony as this Prince Morpheus, you have no idea where he is located.” The voice of the speaker sounded full of anger. Morning Dew flinched at the hate dripping from the words.

Astral Beacon replied. “That’s why I took the filly. His magic in her it’s fading. I must do the tracing spell now before it is gone.”

The mare spoke up again, “This is your last chance, Astral Beacon. The Shadows will be watching.” 

Morning Dew heard the rustling of heavy fabric on the floor followed by the hoofsteps coming closer. Then the mare came into her view. What she saw was a black-cloaked figure with glowing yellow eyes. 

Dew didn’t see a mouth but the voice came from that cloaked mare. “Seems the young one is awake.” Then the dark cloak rippled like water and turned into a sickly green emaciated pony with a face that was more bone than flesh. Morning Dew squeaked when the ghastly pony smiled and then faded into the shadows. 

Morning Dew’s lip quivered. “What are you going to do with me?” 

With a prominent limp of his left rear leg, Astral Beacon moved to stand before Morning Dew. “You? Well, nothing, if you behave. I want to see your little friend for myself.” With a glance behind her, his eyes flashed green. “Prepare the ritual.” 

A shadow fell on her, and she turned her head to see it was Silver Bar. She made eye contact and saw his eyes were droopy and glowing green.  

With his magic, he drew out a knife. Its blade reflected the light from the torches in the room. Her heart thumped in her chest as the blade moved closer to her foreleg. She tugged against the ropes and let out a whimper as the razor-sharp edge stung when it sliced into her skin. Her pleading gaze went to Silver Bar’s face only to be met with that mindless stare.

She cried, “No don’t! Stay back!” Her gaze moved to look at the knife as it cut into her. The sight of her blood sent a shiver down her spine. She then noticed how close the knife was to the ropes. Biting her lower lip, she shifted her forelegs so the blade sliced the bindings. 

Silver Bar's face twitched, then a snarl formed on his face, his eyes focused on her with awareness. He took a breath, and his mouth opened to speak, but then the green glow grew stronger, and what conscious thought he had left him. 

When Silver Bar withdrew the blade, he nicked a vein, and blood splattered on his face. He didn’t react and just backed up to let a second mind-controlled unicorn move in to catch the blood in a small wooden bowl.

Astral Beacon spoke up, “Careful, if she dies, the magic her body will release will disrupt traces of the foreign magic.”

Morning Dew looked at her leg and saw the cut wasn’t very deep, but it still stung. Tears ran down her cheeks, her ears flat against her skull. One of the unicorns wrapped her leg with a bandage. She flinched as the bandage was bound tight. 

Morning Dew said, “I thought Silver Bar was working with you? Why do you have him under your mind control spell?”

Astral Beacon snorted. “Silver Bar was a unicorn supremacist, his hate for the alicorns made him an easy puppet. However, once he learned my real goal, his usefulness was no longer needed. Now be quiet, I don’t need you to be conscious.” Beside him, Silver Bar’s glowing green eyes twitched. 

Astral Beacon stood at the far end of the room, drawing a complicated pattern on the floor. Once he was finished, the other unicorns in the room moved to stand with him in a circle. The bowl was then placed in the center, then all six lit their horns and cast the spell. The auras of their magic blended into a purple hue, then spiraled down into the blood. 

After a few heartbeats, Morning Dew watched as Astral Beacon’s facial expression shifted into a grin. Dew lowered her gaze to the blood and saw it was beginning to boil. Rising from the blood were wisps of colored smoke. The majority of the smoke was orange of a similar shade as her coat. Intertwined within the swirling orange was a small amount of blue smoke. 

Astral Beacon excitedly exclaimed, “There! That blue has to be his magic.” The unicorns then cast another spell. Astral Beacon’s purple-tainted magic reached out from his horn like a claw of a dragon and plunged into the smoke to grip the blue magic. With a flash the orange dispersed, leaving a sphere of purple with the blue magic formed into a small orb in the center. 

As the blue sphere grew, a unicorn screamed in pain, and his horn cracked from the stress. Then a second unicorn collapsed, her eyes rolled, and her body spasmed. Crackling electricity bolts singed the floor and walls till a flash of blinding light forced Morning Dew to shut her eyes. Her ears went flat against her head when she heard a loud pop. When she opened her eyes, she spotted Morpheus suspended above the circle. Dew noticed something was wrong, he didn’t move, he wasn’t even breathing. Her eyes widened and her ears went back “No, Morpheus! Wake up!”  Then his mouth opened and his chest expanded as he took his first breath of Equestrian air. 

He didn’t know what happened, but he felt as if he couldn’t breathe, as if his lungs had stopped working. All his limbs tingled with pins and needles as if his entire body had fallen asleep and now was going berserk. The sensation of falling came next, and then the sudden hit as he fell onto a hard surface. Opening his eyes, he saw a stone floor and a burnt wooden bowl. 
  
He squinted his eyes and his ears fell flat against his skull. “Dew? I don’t feel so good.” He struggled to lift his head when he heard hoofsteps behind him “Dew, is that you? I can barely see.” Then his eyes focused on the large figure that now stood before him. A dark-gray stallion with green glowing eyes with purple magic smoke emitting from them and his horn. His voice cracked as he spoke in surprise, “Sombra.”

Astral Beacon shook his head. “No, young prince. I am Astral Beacon, and I’m so happy to meet you. Morning Dew told me so much about you.”

From deep in Morpheus’ mind, the chilling voice of Nightmare Moon spoke, I told you she would betray you. Get away from him!

Morpheus grunted as he rose to his hooves. Legs shaking, he lifted his head and looked at Astral Beacon. “I don’t care what you say. Free us or regret it.” 

Astral Beacon lifted an iron collar with red gemstones and rune-like markings. “Oh, no, little prince, there is a reason I need you, or should I say your magic.”

Morpheus' eyes widened as he lifted his right front leg and looked at the hoof. “This… isn’t a dream.”

His ears perked up as he noticed the voices of his friends. 

Morning Dew yelled, “Morpheus, run!” 

Nightmare Moon's voice was laced with anger. That’s a magic suppression collar! Don’t let him get it on you.’

Next came Pinkie’s and it shook with worry. He’s a bad meany head!

He glanced at the door, then looked toward Morning Dew. 

With determination, he stared into Astral Beacon’s eyes and said, “Buck you.” Astral’s horn lit up. Morpheus charged and leaped to swing a punch at that horn.

Pain erupted on the left side of his ribcage and he was sent tumbling to the floor. Lifting his head again, he shifted his forelegs under him and pushed himself up. 

Astral Beacon snorted. “Stupid colt, trying to fight a full-grown stallion. You don’t even know how to walk properly. Pathetic.” 

The last thing Morpheus saw was the blinding flash of purple magic, then the darkness of unconsciousness took over. As his mind retreated, he faintly heard Morning Dew’s cry, “No!”





Nightmare Moon watched it all happen on a magical screen floating in front of her. When the screen went blank, she banished it with a wave of her hoof.  The screen burst into particles of colorful lights before fading into nothing.  As she stood up the ground started to shake valiantly, along the edge of the island chunks broke off and drifted away to burst into a mist. 

Beside her Pinkie's eyes widened, her ears flat against her head as she looked at the changes to the garden. The once vibrant colorful flowers were now fading into gray. Soon after all the colors were fading into shades of gray. “Moony? What’s happening? Everything is going black and white.”

Nightmare Moon snorted. “I told you I am not Moony.” She shook her head. “Morpheus got himself captured. By now he has that cursed collar on, and it’s draining him of his magic. Without his magic, this island is dying.”

Pinkie turned her gaze to Nightmare Moon. “I’m made from his magic! If it’s dying… Does that mean I’m dying too?” She sat down and looked at her hooves. “I’m fading? No, I’m still all pink.”

Nightmare Moon looked at the smaller pony. “Not yet, you did get a boost of magic from the tantabus that was feeding off of Sure Strike. However, one tantabus wouldn’t be enough to keep you alive.”

Pinkie’s hair deflated and hung straight. “Oh… how much time do I have?”

Nightmare Moon looked to the now gray willow tree. “I don’t know, Pinkie. My best guess is a  few days. As for me, once the spell matrix that holds this island together breaks, I will be forced back to haunting nightmares of foals or be doomed to be alone for a thousand years.”

Pinkie sprang to her hooves. “Moony! We need to get help! You can dream walk, you can get somepony to rescue Morpheus and Morning Dew!”

Nightmare shook her head. “Didn’t you hear me, Pinkie? I don’t have the magic to go to anypony but the weak-willed, and most of those are foals or idiots. None would have the ability to rescue anyone, nor get others to save Morpheus or that little traitor.” 

With a huff, Pinkie grew in size till she was face to face with Nightmare Moon. “First use your eyes, Moony. Morning Dew was tied up, and Astral Beacon was all Sombraing. Either he tortured her or did some mind mumbo jumbo on her, there’s no way she would betray Morpheus willingly.” 

She then looked up to the stars. “Second, how much magic do you need to get to Celestia?”

Nightmare Moon raised a brow. “Celestia? Why do you think I would go to her even if I could? Don’t forget I’m bound to the moon because of her.”

Pinkie’s eyes turned green as she faced Nightmare Moon. When she opened her mouth, she didn’t speak with her usual shrill voice. Instead, it was Jennifer’s voice. “How much magic do you need?”

Nightmare Moon looked up, and a bright star moved down, unlike many of the others this one was in an orb of golden magic. “I taught Celestia how to shield her mind, both awake and asleep.” She shook her head. “Just to attempt it, I would need what remains of the garden, and perhaps everything that holds you together.”

Tears ran down Pinkie’s cheeks, and she nodded. She took a deep breath and cried, “Then save him!” Her body started to glow with a soft pink light. It grew stronger as she lifted into the air. Then from her chest burst a billion motes of light that surrounded her in an increasingly complex magical circle. 

Nightmare Moon stepped back. “What form of magic is that?”

Pinkie smiled as her whole body began to glow with the pink light. The light spread out, engulfing the garden in a sphere of pink magic. Then the spell collapsed into a mist that flowed into Nightmare Moon’s chest.

Nightmare Moon shook her head as she struggled to grasp what had happened. Then she touched her chest. The magic she was given coursed through her body. “Fool, trusting me to go beg Celestia for help.” 

Around her, the vastness of the dream realm stretched out, stars of the minds of sleeping ponies dancing in the endless night sky. Light flashed under her hooves with each step as she moved closer to Celestia’s dreaming mind. She lowered her head and sighed mournfully into the starlit void. She looked back to where the garden once was. Her ears lay low, and her chest tightened with remorse. Then a flash of pink caught her attention. She turned to look at a speck of pink magic that floated beside her. “So I didn’t absorb it all…” The pink light flashed brightly, then dimmed before it floated off into the sea of stars. “Fine! But don’t blame me if she just sits on her plot!” Nightmare Moon snorted. “Celestia never did anything herself!”  

Nightmare Moon then approached Celestia’s dream. “Well, sister, we're going to meet again far sooner than either of us expected.” Her horn lit up, and her magic slithered against the protective orb of magic around Celestia’s dream. The orb ruptured and parted. Her mane flowed around her body till only her misty smoke form remained, then the mist moved into the dream.





With the rich aroma of the fresh flowers in the air, Celestia pranced with joy. Just on the other side of the lush curtains was the grand hall decorated for the Gala. The music of the orchestra played for the gathered guests. She smiled as she fought the temptation to peaked through the curtains, instead, she turned to her husband Cosmos. 

His platinum hair shimmered as it blew in the ethereal breeze of magic. His golden eyes watched her as she moved; he smiled mischievously. “You know, we could ditch the party and enjoy a lovely night alone.”

Celestia smirked, “As lovely as that sounds, we got guests. Not to mention, I don’t want the annoyance of the nobility complaining if we don’t show up.” She leaned over and nuzzled his neck, then playfully whispered, “Perhaps we can sneak out early.” 

The two stepped through the doorway and into the grand hall. Beside the door, one of the party’s guest announcers called out her arrival. “Her Royal Highness Princess Celestia, Champion of the Sun, Sole Ruler of Equestria.”

Celestia stopped and looked at the announcer with a raised brow. “Sole ruler? Dainty, what is the meaning of this?” 

The pony turned with a puzzled expression on her face. “Princess? You are all alone.” She leaned closer and softly whispered with a worried tone, “My grandmother was Dainty, I’m Pristine.” 

Celestia's attention returned to Cosmos, only to see that he wasn’t there. Shocked, she faced Pristine again and gasped as Pristine's face grew more wrinkles and her hair changed to shades of gray. Celestia's attention then went to the gathered ponies and watched as they rapidly aged and then their skin and clothing decayed to dust, their bones collapsing to the ground.

Vines grew along the crumbled marble pillars of the grand hall, and long cobwebs sparkled with dew in the moonlight that shone from the holes in the ceiling. In the center stood Celestia all alone in a beautiful display of death. She released a wordless scream of rage and reared up, then brought her hooves down on the cracked floor.  “I will not allow myself to endure this nightmare!” 

Her will pushed against the nightmare, trees burst from the stone, bright shrubbery grew and hid the remains of the ponies. She took a moment to listen to birds' chirps and the leaves rustling, then she opened her eyes to see the bright sunny spring day in the royal garden.

She looked around at the beauty and peace of the dream. “Much better…”

Celestia’s ears perked up, then she spun around to look to the east. “Who’s there! I can tell when someone is in my dreams.”

The sky grew dark with storm clouds. Once they overcame every sign of the sky, a patch opened and revealed the moon. Lit from behind by the full moon stood Nightmare Moon, unfolding her bat-like wings. “I’m glad you still remember our lesson. I hate to imagine what kind of tantabus you could spawn.”

Celestia stepped back, her eyes wide as she watched “How? You are supposed to be banished.”

Nightmare Moon sighed, then leaped off the cloud and glided to the garden below. She faced Celestia with a playful smirk. “Indeed, you succeeded to banish my physical form, however, I still can visit the dreams of our dear little ponies.”

Celestia moved to face Nightmare Moon. “So now you have come to attack me where I have no help.” 

Nightmare then rolled her eyes. “Just like before, jumping to conclusions. I tried to tell you what was happening, but all you could see was the dark magic corrupting me.”

Then Nightmare Moon’s shadow stretched out from under her hooves, growing darker as it consumed the garden, even the grass, and the sky above. Every element of the dream was gone, leaving just the two alicorns alone in a black void. Then the shadows parted like a curtain to reveal the castle’s throne room as it was right before the fight. 

Nightmare Moon walked slowly over to Celestia. “Let's look at that argument again, shall we? Perhaps this time you’ll listen.” She then turned and pointed to the thrones as a dream version of Luna stepped out from behind them. 

Luna called out, “Celestia! We were betrayed!” Her nostrils flared with rage “Summon the guards! We need to capture them before it’s too late.”

Celestia watched a dream version of herself walk into the room with a determined expression. She sighed and spoke to Nightmare Moon, “I had no idea what you were talking about, Luna. Who betrayed you?”

Nightmare Moon snorted. “Oh, now you ask, but when I needed you, all you did was confront me.” Nightmare Moon motioned to the dream version of Celestia approaching the thrones.

Nightmare Moon chuckled as she heard David’s voice speaking from nowhere. “Oh, this is interesting,”  Celestia narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth to speak, but she was cut off by her own dream double’s accusing tone of voice. “Luna, what have you done? I can feel the dark magic from here.”

Celestia shook her head. “I didn’t mean it like that! I wasn’t so judgemental…”

Nightmare Moon snorted, waved a hoof, and stopped the dream. Then she faced Celestia fully. “Are you sure? Look at how you stood, Celestia. You were confronting me like a foal. I understand why you were like that. Starswirl taught us that any pony that gets corrupted goes insane.”

Nightmare Moon sighed. “And that’s the problem, you focused on the fact I was being influenced by dark magic, you didn’t give me a chance to explain. Now I can show you what happened.” 

The colors of the throne room faded to gray, and the stone melted and moved like clay. Once the stones finished shifting, the dream solidified and the two stood in one of the castle’s spare rooms. Celestia's eyes widened when she saw Luna tied up on a table. Around her neck was a black collar embedded with red gemstones that glowed with a dark reddish hue. 

Luna struggled against her restraints as Astral Beacon and Misty Dawn walked into the room. With venom in her voice, Misty spoke, “Feeling helpless, Luna? The great and powerful alicorn brought down to her knees.”

Celestia shook her head. “Misty? She was found dead, her neck snapped by magic.” 

Nightmare Moon blinked and looked to Celestia. “I see. I can’t say I feel remorse. As you can tell, the last memories I have of her aren’t pleasant.” 

The image of Luna cried out, “Misty! Why are you doing this? We were friends.”

Misty smirked. “Friends don’t get their friend's husband killed! All those soldiers are gone because you and Celestia were weak. You go around prancing proclaiming you are strong, but when the Crystal Empire needed you, you failed.”

Astral Beacon shook his head. “Ladies, don’t waste your energy arguing.” He smiled as he looked at Luna. “After all, I need every bit of energy from you to open Limbo.” 

He moved to a piece of furniture covered with a cloth and pulled the fabric free, revealing a horseshoe-shaped mirror with the same red gemstones. “I have been studying Starswirl’s mirrors for years, and I finally got one that should work. All it needs is magic… magic tied to the Misty Planes.” 

Luna struggled against the bindings. “You can’t! The Far Planes are worse than the chaos of Discord’s realm! Limbo is a timeless void, you risk reality itself coming undone!” 

Astral nodded. “Indeed Limbo where Starswirl sent the Pony of Shadows.” He lit his horn with a soft orange glow, then tapped his horn to the frame of the mirror. The gemstones glowed brighter, and Luna screamed as the collar responded.

Celestia gasped and her ears lowered down in shock as the collar worked its magic. Tendrils of her blue magic filled the air as it traveled from her struggling form and into the silvery mirror. It wasn’t long before the mirror turned dark, and the misty-filled landscape of Limbo was seen. Dark mist seeped out of the mirror and sought out prey. 

Astral Beacon backpedaled away from the mist, but a tendril lashed out. It struck his right foreleg, leaving a dark gray blotch. 

Celestia tilted her head as she spoke with a thoughtful tone, “Astral Beacon had a cast on his right leg, he said it was due to being wounded in the collapse of the city.”

Nightmare Moon nodded. “Of course, you believed him without question. Now watch as I saved Equestria and doomed myself.” 

On the other side of the mirror, green ghost-like ponies stepped from the mist. Then a larger shadow emerged. A dark twisted version of an alicorn, smoke-like wings spread and two glowing white eyes peering right at Luna.

Luna's eyes widened. “No!” Her vision shifted to the dark mist, and she started to draw the corruption into herself. The mist responded and flowed into her flanks, her very cutie mark.

Dark magic erupted from her horn with an aura so dark it seemed to absorb light. Her hate-filled eyes focused on a spot where the Pony of Shadows stood. She then sent a spiraling sphere of black and green magic into the void of Limbo. For a brief moment, a second portal opened and a colorful town of ponies was seen, and one strange bipedal ape looking up.

Nightmare Moon yelled, “Enough!” The dream vision vanished into the mist, leaving Celestia and herself standing once again in the royal garden. She then faced Celestia. “Yes, dear Celestia, I did use dark magic. I used it to alter the spell and prevent Stygian from escaping.”

As she turned to look at Celestia, her eyes changed to those of Luna. A tear ran down her cheek. “Morpheus is the product of my actions and my magic, his form is modeled off of my own, even our cutie marks are similar. Do you understand, Celestia? In a bizarre way, he’s my son. Every moment here dooms me to that banishment you cast upon me, but I’m risking it in the hope you save him. You must stop Astral Beacon before it’s too late.” Then her body dissolved into mist, and she retreated from the dream.

Celestia ran to the portal, only for it to close before her. She lowered her head. “Luna…” She awoke with her face wet from crying and her chest heaving. She gathered her bearings and slowly got out of bed. A quick use of her telekinesis later, the cot she was using as her bed was remade. She glanced at her face in the mirror of the vanity. With a sigh, she took a few moments to wipe away the tear streaks and compose her emotions. 

She looked at her own reflection and spoke softly, “Okay, either she’s lying or she's telling the truth? What would she gain from the lie? I was already planning on going to the estates, so that is not it.”

She ran a towel over her face. “Is she trying to drive a wedge between me and Astral Beacon? I would know the truth about him when I see him in the morning, so that can't be her plan either.”

She turned and started pacing in the tent. Suddenly, she stopped and looked at the painting of Star Swirl the Bearded. “Father, what should I do? You were always so logical and straightforward.” She rubbed her temple. “Evidence, you would have sought out evidence, and that’s at the Siver Estates.” 

Having made her mind up. she headed out of the tent. She took a deep breath of the crisp night air. High above, the moon shone, and she looked at the image of an alicorn on its surface. She nodded to the moon, then turned to face the two guards stationed outside her tent. 

“Get Commander Hard Knocks, up! I want the Sunburn Regiment ready to move in half an hour!” 
> Chapter 14 (Unedited)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celestia took a deep breath, savoring the scents of the few night-blooming flowers nearby. At that moment she let her thoughts leave as she enjoyed that peaceful quiet glade. Then she remembered why she was there. With a sigh, she turned and brushed her pastel rainbow mane aside. Its once lush form no longer moved on its own.

Her hoofsteps were heavy, and she barely lifted them high enough to complete each step. Before her, the peaceful glade ended, and the military base camp began. 
 
Soon she came to stand beside Commander Hard Knocks. She looked over the regiment. “As soon as the scouts return, we need to strike. Are the troops prepared?” 

He snorted and looked at her. “As ready as they could be. Permission to speak, Princess?” She gave a single nod in reply before he asked softly, “Are you sure this is wise, Princess? If your informant is correct, we are fighting a corrupted unicorn without the sun boosting your powers.”

Celestia sighed. “I know the risk of attacking when my magic is the weakest. Remember the informant assured me that we have the element of surprise. She also told me if we waited, it would be too late.”

From behind them, a lookout spoke up, “Incoming pegasi… They are ours!”

Celestia looked up to watch three pegasi come to land. She focused on one whose flight was slightly erratic, the flaps of the bat's wings were out of rhythm and caused him to strike the ground with a tumble. Her eyes widen and her neck arched, just as she was about to open her mouth he stood up and saluted. The other two pegasi landed beside him and delivered their salute.

She let out a breath she wasn’t aware she was holding once she saw he was not wounded. “Corporal Sure Strike, please give your report.”

Sure Strike nodded. “Under cloud cover, we observed the Estate’s guards. The majority of the guards are unicorns. Those we saw had the glowing eyes of the Sombra’s mind control magic.”

Hard Knocks looked at one of the pegasi. “Private! Does he speak the truth?” 

Celestria turned her head slightly and flared her nostrils. She then looked to the pegasus scout as he confirmed the report. With a nod to the three scouts, she dismissed them. “Thank you, gentlecolts. Dismissed.”

Once the three were out of range, her horn lit up, and a dome of golden magic blocked Hard Knocks and herself from the outside world. “Commander, why did you question Corporal Sure Strike’s report?” 

Hard Knocks snorts with a tone of disgust in his voice as he answers. “Isn’t it obvious? He’s tainted by dark magic, we can’t trust any infected.” 

She moved so she faced him straight on. “Commander, I been looking into effects of magically corrupted. I could only find seven examples of ponies going mad due to corruption. The majority suffered confusion and disorientation.”

Hard Knocks nodded “I understand but, one of those corrupted ponies was Sombra. Two cities were destroyed by corrupted ponies. Thousands of lives ruined, we can’t let it happen again.”

She flinched, then looked down. “Still, my point stands. We don’t know enough about what happens with ponies that get corrupted. So far only one affected during the Eclipse lost control, and she’s recovering.”

He snorted. “No offense, Princess Celestia, but you were primarily the diplomat. Princess Luna led the armed forces till now. By experience, we learned to distrust first, until proven otherwise.”

Celestia glanced at the moon and then focused on him. “Then understand my source is Princess Luna, and the corporal only confirmed what she told me.”

Hard Knocks took a step back and blinked in surprise. “Princess Luna is alive?”

She nodded. “Yes, Commander, Luna is alive, just… She sacrificed herself to spare as many ponies as she could. She took in nearly all of the corruption, and only when she couldn’t hold it any longer did the dark magic affect the city. The stress caused her to snap. She is the only one from that day who lost her mind.”

Hard Knock lowered his head. “So that means the black alicorn who attacked you…”

Celestia sighed again. “Was Princess Luna, lost in madness, a madness she is now recovering from. I don’t know how long it will take, but the cure for her recovery lies in that estate. We must save those foals. Without them, there is no hope for Luna.”

He nodded, then saluted. “Very well. I will attempt to keep the discrimination out of the army.”

With a smile, she dispelled the dome of magic. “Thank you, Commander, I am glad I can still trust you.” She looked off in the direction of the Silver Estate. “I wish I could say the same for Astral Beacon.”

Hard Knocks turned to look at the gathered forces. “Listen up! The scouts confirmed the Silver Estate is compromised. We have a Sombra-style mind control spell controlling the estate's population. Luckily the nearby village hasn’t been taken over, so we just have to deal with the manor’s population.”

He started pacing in front of the troops. “Unlike typical mind control spells, the type being used here links every pony under control to the caster. So once one knows we are there, they all know we are there. Squad leaders, plan Applesauce!”

Celestia didn’t wait for the Sunburn Battalion to pass her, the sound of hooves pounding the ground only confirmed the troops followed her. Glad none could see the nervousness in her eyes.





With the Royal Voice Celestia spoke. “Surrender and free the ponies under your control and I will show you mercy!” 

Astral Beacon's head snapped up, his eyes glowing. “No! Why would she be here now?”  He slammed his hoof against the floor and then turned to face two of the waiting unicorns. “You two get the mirror in place, the rest of you go and delay them.”  

Dew saw she was being ignored as the brainwashed ponies left the room. Astral Beacon started mumbling to himself. She wiggled against her binds and felt them give just slightly. 

Then the sound of something being dragged on the floor reached her ears. The ponies that left returned and brought into the room a horseshoe-shaped mirror with red glowing crystals. “Hurry! Get it in place!” The two unicorns set the mirror about ten feet away from the table Morpheus was tied to. Astral Beacon moved over and roughly drove his hoof into Morpheus's side.

Morpheus moaned and opened his eyes. “What… Oh, it’s the cheap knockoff Sombra. Still not finished with me?” 

Astral Beacon snorted and turned to look at the mirror. “Arrogant colt, just like Luna. However your attitude won’t help, even with all her skill it only delayed my plan.” He turned around and focused on the two unicorns, dark purple magic flowed from his eyes and into the eyes of the helpless ponies. “Go, hold them off as long as you can.” the two turned and headed out of the room.  

Morning Dew kept quiet as she maneuvered her head to chew on the bindings. She added a little whimper when Astral Beacon glanced in her direction. 

Morpheus's ear turned when he heard the whimper then focused his attention on Astral Beacon. “You are making all the villain mistakes. If you had half a brain you would have had that thing set up already.”

Astral Beacon shook his head. “It’s one of a kind, I was not going to risk it being damaged by any foolish actions. Now do behave, I have a whole race of beings to free.”

Morpheus shook his head. “It’s going to fail, just like before. I know the future, history doesn’t even mention you. You will be forgotten, not even a footnote!”

First, there was a chuckle, then a laugh from Astral Beacon. “Oh, good try, attempting to use my ego. That was what I used to manipulate Lord Silver Bar. I’m not motivated by ego, little colt. I worship the Pony of Shadows and the Umbrum! I have already been blessed by the shadows!” With a quick spell, he activated the gems on the collar.

The gems started to glow pulsing with the beat of Morpheus’s heart. At first, Morpheus squirmed as dark blue tendrils of his magic seeped from the gems. When the tendrils of magic reached the gems of the mirror he screamed in pain and the faint scent of burnt fur rose from him.  

Morning Dew's eyes widened as she watched Morpheus twitch and squirm in agony. “Morpheus! Fight it!” 

Astral Beacon laughed as the mirror portal reacted to the magic. “Foolish filly, he can’t. Luna had her entire life to master her magic. A mere colt of eleven years wouldn’t even know how to begin to fight the magic of the portal mirror!” 

Astral looked into the mirror eyes widen as the figure of the Pony of Shadows took shape in the mist. “Master! I have opened the doorway!”

Morning Dew yanked with all her might on the weakened bonds till they snapped. She looked up her eyes wide with fear that the snap was heard. Once she saw she was being ignored her attention returned to her binds. A deep moaning voice came from the portal, no real voices just a whine or something between crying and laughing. Whatever it was, the sound was so unnerving her fur rose on her neck. The sound of her thumping heart grew faster and louder in her ears. She tried to ignore the wrongness of the realm beyond the portal. Once her front hooves freed she bent to untie the rest of the ropes holding her. 

A whisper of a voice came from the back of her mind “Hurry” she didn’t even wonder why it was Pinkie’s voice.

Morpheus's thoughts were a jumble from pain, then an eerie wailing howl sound registered in his brain. He focused on the sound his ears raised and turned as his thoughts cleared. Then he took a deep breath and opened his eyes then blinked away the tears. Once his vision cleared he saw Astral Beacon standing in front of an open portal into Limbo. Within the fog, he saw there were more shapes moving forward the Umbrum.

They were green pony-like forms at first, but then their bodies shifted taking up different appearances. Each shape was a twisted abomination fed from Morpheus's own subconscious. 

One of the first to catch his attention has red hair, a white face with red lines on the cheeks and eyes, a dirty white costume, and the final feature was a smile with pointed teeth. The Pony version of Pennywise chuckled “There you are Georgie! I have been looking for you.” 

Morpheus ignored it, they were mostly twisted nightmarish shapes, some were Xenomorph ponies, and there was another with a hockey mask. Alone he could dismiss them, as just movie monsters, but others were more personal, and far more painful. 

The first figure that took a human form was a man, one very much like David. It was his father just as he was when last he saw him. “Look at yourself boy! No longer human, this what you got for dealing with a sinful witch!”

“What…No, you aren’t real.” He shook his head “You be older by now, your not real this is just a trick.”

A voice Morpheus hasn’t heard for years spoke up. “You broke my heart! I loved you and you rejected me.” Morpheus looked up seeing his former 16-year-old friend. “I told you I’m not into guys. You were my best friend… you left me! Couldn’t accept I didn’t feel the same for you! Besides I know this is bull, The real Richard Married the boyfriend he met a year ago! I got the Facebook notification!” A cruel smile formed on the young Richard’s face “Yes, and I didn’t even care enough about you to invite you, or even tell you in person.” 

Yet another voice spoke up, his mother stood there in the fog. “Not that you care, you abandon those who you don’t need anymore. Left me behind, alone, so you can come to play Pony. What an ungrateful son you are, why did I even bother.”

A fourth human figure pulled itself out of the fog taking a familiar appearance. The battered form face was pale, bruised, and covered in cuts. Her green eyes once full of life now filled with hate. 

The Zombie Jennifer sneered “You did this! If only you had stopped the car sooner! It’s your fault.”

Morpheus shook his head as he fought the waves of emotions. “No… no” He shut his eyes preferring to ignore the nightmare creatures that approached the portal.

Astral Beacon's breath increased with fascination as he stepped forward. His hooves were now covered in the dark mist that bellowed out of the portal. “Yes! I Astral Beacon succeeded where Sombra failed! Come bring forth and begin the new age, the age of the Umbrum!”

Just then the building shook with an accompanying sound similar to thunder. Astral Beacon turned to face the doorway. “What in Tartarus is that Alicorn doing!”

Morning Dew's fur was raised up fear gripped her then Morpheus whimpered again tears ran down the side of his face. She narrowed her eyes, she was so focused the flash of white light behind her was ignored.  Dew did notice a tingling sensation run down her spine, then her wings spread open and she leaped into the air. With all her might she flapped her wings thrusting herself forward and up above Astral Beacon. “If you want to be with them so much! Join them!” 

She gripped the top of the mirror and yanked it forward. 

Astral Beacon looked up “No! Don’t touch that… ” His horn lights up with dark purple magic. Before the spell manifested Dew caused the mirror weight to shift and it fell dragging the portal with it. Astral Beacon let out a “No!” just as he was engulfed by the portal.

Dew hovered above and looked down at the back of the mirror. Black mist was still seeping from the gap between it and the floor. Then the mirror started to lift and a hoof emerged from the edge. That was also when Morning Dew realized she was in the air.

“Wait… I’m flying?” The shock of her realization caused her to lose focus and fall down onto the back of the mirror. 

Morpheus screamed when the red gems of the mirror shattered, the gems on the collar cracked and died. Morpheus collapsed onto the table with his eyes rolled up in his head.

Morning Dew screamed and rushed over to Morpheus. 





Celestia’s voice thundered with the power of the Royal Voice. “Whoever is responsible for using forbidden magic, I will show you mercy if you surrender and free these ponies of your control!” 

The manor’s walls were built to hinder monster attacks, against the might of intelligent ponies it was just a minor hindrance. The front gate lights up with a golden glow before being ripped off its hinges. 

Hard Knocks yelled out “Non-lethal when possible! Remember these ponies are innocent!”

Earth Ponies charged into the now-opened defensive walls. Pegasi flew up into the air from the manor only to face the guard’s forces.

Celestia continued into the manor following Hard Knocks and her guards. Before them, the guards were standing before the manor in force fields.  

Hard Knocks snorted and then approached one of the sergeants. “You, what’s the hold-up?”  

The Sergeant turned and saluted “Sir, the manor’s unicorns haven’t exited the building. They are boarding up the exits and forming bottlenecks. We can’t get closer due to the magical attacks.”

Celestia looked at the manor “We can’t wait, we have to find another way in.” She tapped her regalia and activated the stored magic. Then she sent a powerful blast at the manor's wall, her magic gripped the stone bricks ripping them free of the mortar and tossing them away. 

Hard Knocks chuckles “When life closes a door, open the window.” 

Celestia looked down at him “Hard Knocks continue operations out here, I shall head inside.” She then pointed to four other ponies. “You four follow me.” 

Once the improvised entrance was a sitting room, she shoves the overstuffed couches aside and heads to the far door. Then one of the soldiers rushed forward and lifted his hoof “Sorry Princess, best we exit first. Kind of our job.”

After a nod, she replied “You are correct corporal. I let you take point.” 

The Corporal nodded and then motioned to the wall. He then moved to the door and when he was to the side of the exit he opens the door. When there were no attacks he moved slowly to the doorframe and peeked out “It’s clear”.

He moved forward into the hallway followed shortly by an Earth pony that moved beside him. Then Celestia moved to the center and the rear was taken up by the other two troopers. 

Celestia’s ears twitch as sounds of battle echo down the hallway from the entrance. She took a deep breath and then continued along the hall. It wasn’t long before three unicorns with glowing eyes charged at them down the other way.

In the lead was Silver Bar he released a focused beam of magic at Celestia. The Earth pony in the lead leaped in the way of the blast and fell to the ground. 

Celestia spoke out “Unicorns focus on attacking, I handle the shields, count three.” Then her horn glowed with a golden aura, and around them, a sphere of golden light blocked the incoming attacks. Then on the count of three, she dropped the shield to let the two unicorns with her return fire.

She looked at the Earth Pony that was hit by the magical blast. “Are you alright?”

He grunts and rose “Going to take more than one blast to take me down. Good old Earth Pony toughness.” 

A shiver went over Celestia’s body and her eyes widen. “Unicorns shields! Brace yourself!” The building then shook and a blinding flash of white light overtook them.

The Unicron in front of her shield flickered and dropped as the light faded, her horn was burnt and she flinched as she touched the damaged horn. “What was that? I have never seen anything like that.”

Celestia ignored the comment as her head snapped up when she heard a voice of a filly call out. “Morpheus wake up!”

She burst into a run and leaped over the knocked-out Silver Bar. After she turned around the corner she spotted a door was forced off its hinges and she slowed down to look into the room. 

The dead body of a unicorn with a shattered horn, then a second body. Her vision moved to the center of the room where Morning Dew was shaking the limp dark.

Celestia took a deep breath, her heart thundered in her chest. “Morning Dew?”

The filly lifted her head and blinked her eyes clear of tears. “He won’t wake up.”

Celestia walked carefully into the room, taking careful steps to avoid the blood and black glass scattered about the room. She looked at the colt and her heart skipped a beat. His coat was the same as Nightmare Moon’s, but his mane and tail were the silvery-white of platinum. 

She looked at Morning Dew. “I will perform a magic probe spell to see if he’s okay. However, I need you to not touch him as I cast the spell.”

Morning Dew whimpered, “O… okay,”  then moved away from Morpheus. 

Celestia’s horn lit up, and a golden glow surrounded Morpheus. Then her eyes went solid white as the information entered her awareness. Physically he was fine, his magic was weak, so weak she had trouble feeling its signature.

It was that signature that caused her to gasp. Her eyes went back to normal and she ended the magic. She stepped even closer and leaned down to take a sniff of his scent.  

Morning Dew watched with a lower lip between her teeth. When Celestia sniffed she swallowed and spoke. “Is he okay?”

Celestia blinked, and her head snapped up in surprise. “Oh… yes, he’s fine, just exhausted. Nearly all his magic is gone, but he will recover after a good bit of rest.”

Morning Dew wiped the tears off her face and nodded. Then her eyes widened, her wings spread out and with a burst of speed, she flew across the room to the doorway. Her hooves spread out and tackle hugged Sure Strike. “Uncle Sure Strike!”

His eyes widened for a moment when he returned the hug and nuzzled her. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t be there.”

Celestia smiled at the family reunion and then turned to look at Morpheus. She reached over and unbuckled the cursed collar then she removed it from him and tossed it aside. Under the color his skin and fur were charred. “Luna… I never doubt you again.“





Dark clouds covered the sky as a light rain fell onto a misty graveyard. Among the stones sat the small figure of Morpheus his head lowered. 

In front of him was a gravestone with the Three Moon Goddess symbol and the name Jenifer Alisa Cox. 

Lightning flashed lit the empty cemetery, and the next flash revealed a figure standing behind him.

Nightmare Moon’s voice was soft in volume and oddly gentle “So this is where you've been hiding.”

Morpheus barely moved just a slow rhythm of his barrel showed that he was breathing. “Leave me alone.”

Nightmare Moon sat down beside Morpheus “Why should I? I’m the queen of the night, after all, it’s my duty to protect my subjects from things that haunt them.”

Morpheus lifted his head “One of those things, in the portal. It became Jenifer. She blamed me, it was my fault.”

Nightmare Moon’s eyes widened a moment before she took a breath and then asked “What did it look like before it changed.”

Morpheus tilted his head and then waved his hoof in front of him. Mist formed into a skeleton-like pony shape with butterfly wings. He then spoke up “there were many like this but others changed into monsters or killers, but that one… became her.”

Nightmare Moon’s flared her nostrils and a bolt of lightning strikes the creature vaporizing it. Then she looked down at Morpheus “That, Morpheus was an Umbrum. Guess you might call it the adult tantubus. When a Tantabus gets strong enough it can escape into the physical world. It was using your fear, it wasn’t her. I saw your memory David, I know it was not your fault.”

He lifted his head and looked at her with a puzzled expression. “How do you know? You are Nightmare Moon, a villain. For all, I know you are lying to me now.”

She moved a wing over him settling it lightly on his back. “You know me as the villain of that show, I can gain power from your suffering. So why would I be lying? Even in that show did I ever really lie? I was even honest that Rainbow Dash if she sided with me and abandoned her friend, I would have made her the first of the Shadow Bolts. As the Nightmare Moon in the altered timeline did and made her Captain of her Guard.”

Morpheus then looked around as the rain stopped and a hint of a moon was seen before the clouds covered it again. “Pinkie?” His ears laid flat against his head as a silence grew as he waited. He turned to face Nightmare Moon and asked “Where’s Pinkie?”

Nightmare Moon’s head lowered. “Morpheus, when your magic was taken from you. The connection you had to the island and Pinkie Pie was severed. She… she sacrifice herself so I could contact Celestia to save you.” 

With a thunderous yell, Morpheus screamed “NO! Not her too!” Above the dark clouds engulfed the moon and lightning flashed. 

Nightmare Moon leaped to her feet her eyes scanned the clouds as they became darker with a tint of green. “Morpheus! Control yourself the nightmare it’s becoming a tantabus, don’t let it control you.”

He didn’t hear her as he mumbled to himself “It’s my fault… I killed them both.”

A laugh high above caused both ponies to look up to see the smiling face of Pinkie looking down on them from a pink cloud. “Silly Blacky, I didn’t give you all my magic.” Then she looked sadly down at Morpheus “Sorry it took me so long to recover, I was so very hungry and I lost track of time.”

Morpheus blinked “So long?”

Nightmare tilted her head her ears facing forward her tail flicked softly barely even a whisper “why is she hiding her body?” 

Then she shook her head and returned to focus on Morpheus. “Enough of this, it's time Morpheus wakes up. You have been in this coma sleep for three days now.” 

Morpheus's ears moved forward as he tilted his head “Three days? But I was only here a few minutes.”

Nightmare Moon sighed then slowly nodded. “Time and distance are illusions in the dream realm. A dreamer could experience days, and only a few heartbeats pass in the physical world. Or like the nightmare you were experiencing time could slow to a crawl. However now is not the time for a lesson, my pupil. Morpheus, it’s time to wake up.” She stops and lowered her head and touched her horn to his and spoke two more words “My Son.”





Morpheus opened his eyes with a gasp, then quickly shut them. “AGH… the light, why is it so bright?”

A feminine voice screamed in surprise and he heard something fall to the floor. Then the same force stammered “Oh, sorry Prince Morpheus. Um… I get that cleaned up.”

He squinted just enough to see a light pink unicorn with a red mane place a vase on a nearby table. Softly he spoke up again “Okay… could you close the curtains?”

The mare was not a child but didn’t appear to be much older than he was. Looked to him then to the window. “Um, of course, your majesty.” She hurried to the window and closed the curtains to block the sunlight. “I go get Princess Celestia.” Then the mare didn’t wait and ran out of the room.

Left alone Morpheus looked around the lush room. He found he was on a large canopy bed, there was a decorated wardrobe to his left and a desk for writing. To the right was a sitting area with plenty of couch-like seats and a fireplace. Everything was decorated with dark blue and gold, and was of such detail he was sure the room was worth more than everything he owned on Earth combined. With a sigh, he rubbed his temples “Well David, welcome to Equestria.” 
> Chapter 15 (Unedited)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Morning Dew had sat on the cliff side as she looked out at the forest where the capital city of Everfree once stood. Her home was barely recognizable now covered with plants, and the speed of the growth of the tree was slower than before but still faster than usual. 

She stood and turned to look at the manor she now lived in. The three-story building was constructed in a U-shape. In the courtyard, a statue of Princess Platinum stood proudly decorated with gems harvested from the mines. 

Morning Dew walked over and read the description of the statue ‘Of all the treasures I have, the ones I cherish most are my friends’. 

Dew’s turned her head to look at one of the windows of Morpheus’s room. Tears escaped her eyes and she sniffled as she lowered her head.

Behind her Sure Strike walked up to his niece and sat down. His left wing moved over her “He be okay, Celestia has the best healers taking care of him.”

She pressed her mussel against his barrel as she whimpered “It’s my fault, I told them about Morpheus. He’s hurt because of me.”

His heart thumped hard in his chest then he took a deep breath “I know how you feel Morning Dew. It’s very easy to blame ourselves for things. We all have to ask ourselves, did we have a choice? I know it’s easy to blame ourselves.”

Dew sniffled and wiped the tears from her face “But, I told them everything.”

Sure Strike looked her in the eyes “Did you have a choice? Did they make you tell them?”

Morning Dew looked out the window again. “No, I remember that nasty Astral Beacon’s eyes glowing… then I couldn’t control myself.”

He nuzzled her “There is your answer, you had no choice. I know you feel guilty, but it wasn’t your fault.” Lifting his head he looked at the room and noticed a maid quickly closed the curtain, then he smiled. “How about we go see how he’s doing?” 

Morning Dew lifted her head, her right brow raised a bit higher than her right “The healer said he needed his rest.”

Sure Strike motioned to the window. “Someone had those curtains closed. Who do you know that would not like bright light?”

For a moment Dew’s face was slacked as she thought about what her uncle said. Then her eyes widened, and her ears shot up. “He’s awake?” She didn’t wait for a response as she bolted from her uncle and then flew off. 
“No Flying in the …” He chucked and shook his head “Why bother, she's already out of yelling range.” Sure Strike chuckled as he trotted for the manor. 





At the other side of the manor, Celestia sat in the office she was provided with. A sigh escaped her as she turned her attention to the room's other occupant. “Are you sure about this Platinum Shine?” 

He brushed his mane aside and smiled “Of course Auntie. It makes sense, the mines aren’t producing as many enchantment-quality gems. What’s being found has too many impurities, I thought if we ever have a trade deal with dragons they would love the stuff.”

“My question still holds, are you sure about turning over your estates to be used as the new capital?” 

He shrugged “Grandmother was all about appearances, half of these rooms have only been seen by the cleaning staff. It would serve Equestria much better as the seat of government. The ground is not fit for farming, we bring most of the food from the valley below, and like I said the mine’s not going to be financially sustainable for long.” He rises and walks to a window to look at the view. 

Then he continued “However, we are nearly at the center of Equestria and it wouldn’t be too much trouble to redirect the roads from Everfree to Canterville. Any other city center would cause increased travel time to half the nation and require far more road construction.”

Celestia nodded “Those are good points but there are a few negatives. First, the roads wouldn’t be too much of a burden, Canterville is a mining town, it would need extensive reconstruction to be considered a city, not to mention the Capital of Equestria.”

Platinum chuckled and turned to face her “That’s more of a plus in my view. True it would need a full reconstruction, but we can get a more unified appearance and make the city a shining beacon to bring hope to the population.”

A smile finally came to Celestia’s lips “Now I see that Platinum's flare for appearances is still alive, as well as generosity.”

Platinum chuckled “The idea was Sweetie’s, though she didn’t articulate it as such.” He sat down and spoke in a higher pitch tone “Daddy! We need to do something for all those homeless ponies. Oh, we can let them live here!” he returned to his normal tone “After that, the idea just stuck in my brain.”

Celestia opened her mouth but a knock at the door distracted her and instead of giving a reply she spoke: “Enter”.
The light pink maid walked into the chamber. She nipped her lower lip and with a soft voice  “Sorry to disturb your Highness, but um...”

Platinum Shine raised a brow as Celestia spoke “Be at ease Magenta, now tell us why you are so nervous?”

“The Prince, he’s awake,” Magenta stated then gasped as Celestia bolted up and rushed out of the room, then followed by Plantium Shine.

In the hallway, Platinum spoke up “Antie he’s not going to vanish if we take our time. Besides you are unnerving the staff.”

Celestia slowed down to a more normal trot and let out a breath “It seems you are right. I’m just a bit excited to finally talk to him.”

Platinum smiled “I can understand, he’s part of your herd. Just give him time to wake up fully.” 

Her head lowered a tad and her ears lowered, and she whispered barely loud enough for him to hear: “It’s just hard Plantium, I lost so much, first Cosmos, then Luna’s foal, now Luna herself. Now this colt’s magic is nearly identical to Luna’s and she even claimed him as her own.”

With a sigh, Platinum nodded “I can’t imagine how you feel. How this colt came to be is beyond my understanding, I doubt even Starswarl would be able to figure it out.”

Just then the main door burst open with a blur of yellow and red fading down the hall. Outside a voice calls out “No Flying in the …” 

The two royals looked at each other before moving to view Sure Strike as he walked into the manor. “My apologies your Masgesties, Morning Dew just figured out Morpheus might be awake.” 

Celestia chuckled “It’s understandable, we were on our way there ourselves.”





As Morpheus looked around the room a high pitch softly spoke from the doorway “Are you thirsty?” 

The suddenness of the voice caused him to jolt and turn to look at the young unicorn filly with bright sky-blue eyes blond mane and a snow-white coat. On her sides were two saddlebags with her cutie mark of a bow with a gold heart and a green leaf above the bowl. He swallowed then spoke up “Um… I am a little thirsty, but who are you?”

The filly smiled as she pranced into the room “I’m Princess Sweet Heart, but you can call me Sweetie. We are cousins!” Then she tilts her head “I think we are, Aunt Celestia my great great aunt or something. So is Luna, and that makes you my cousin, I think.” 

She then runs to a pitcher and a wooden cup on a table. Using her hooves she poured some water. Then she took out a silver loose tea leaf holder and dropped it in the bowl, followed by some honey from a small jar. Her horn then lit up flickering for a few seconds before steam rose from the cup. Prancing she made her way back to his bedside and held out the cup. “The tea is chamam… chamomile with some honey. It’s good to chase away the bad vapers.”  

Morpheus took the cup and drank heavily, the water eased his dried mouth. The water was room temperature but still welcomed. “What are vapers?” He asked once he finished his drink.

Sweetie tilted her head “You don’t know about vapers?  It’s the bad stuff that makes ponies sick.” She lowered her head and sniffled “Sometimes we can’t stop the vapers and ponies die.” 

She takes a deep breath and then looks up determined “I Going to be a healer and save ponies!” With a turn, she revealed a gold heart with a blooming flower. “I got my cutie mark already, I’m going to find a way to prevent vapers from taking ponies away.” Then she sniffled “No pony going to leave me again.”

Morpheus watched as the filly’s emotions shifted and he hopped down from his bed and hugged her. “I lost someone important to me too.”

After returning the hug Sweet Heart stepped back and her lips scrunched up “You’re out of bed. You need rest, the healer said so.”

He smiled at the smaller filly, but before he made it back to bed a blur of orange and red tackled him. “Morpheus!” Morning Dew screamed as she hugged him. 

Sweetie spoke up “Don’t hug him so hard! He’s recovering and needs rest.”

Morning Dew let go of her friend and looked at the tiny princess “Sweetie, why are you here? The healers said we needed to leave him alone.”

Sweetie nodded “He was thirsty so I got him some tea.”

Morpheus smiled at the two, “So you two know each other?”

Celestia spoke up as she walked in “Indeed they do. I think they bonded the first day we arrived.”

“Auntie Celestia!” Sweet Heart bound over and hugged Celestia.  

“I know why Morning Dew is here, but I thought I told you not to bother Prince Morpheus.” Plantium Shine spoke as he walked in followed by Sure Strike.

Sweetie’s lower lip quivered “I wasn’t bothering him, he was thirsty and no one else was here. So I made him some tea.”

Platinum sighed “I see, you just happened to have all the stuff you need in your saddlebags. You aren’t fooling me, Sweet Heart.”

Celestia let out a sigh “As much as I love to see Morpheus meet new friends. Right now I have to ask Sure Strike to lead Morning Dew and Sweet Heart into the hallway.”

Morning Dew’s eyes widen “No, I want to stay with Morpheus.”

With a smile, Celestia nodded. “I understand, but this is important. You can talk with Morpheus once we are done. You have my word.”

Sure Strike, motioned the two fillies out. “Come on you two, you heard the Princess.” 

Sweet Heart turned and looked at Morpheus “Drink your tea before it gets too cold.” Then she walks out of the bedroom.

Once the room’s door closed Celestia’s horn lit up bathing the chamber in a golden glow that clung to the walls. “There, that spell will prevent anyone from overhearing.” 

She lowered her head and looked at Morpheus “You have her eyes” then she shook her head to clear her thoughts “Sorry, Morpheus, Luna told me about you during your extended rest. You are older than you appear correct?”

Morpheus looked between the two adults and then sighed. “I… hmm, age doesn’t work given I was a different species not to mention from another reality. There I was considered a fully matured adult, had my job, house, even… had a fiancee until she died.”

He sniffled and wiped his eyes with the back of his hoof. Celestia hesitantly spoke “I know things are difficult, your life has been turned upside down. Not only are you stuck in another world, but you also have a body of a twelve-year-old, with all the emotions and instincts that come with it.”

She then approached the bed and moved her wing to rest on Morpheus’ back. “There are some political issues we must tell you.”

Morpheus looked up at her “What issue?”

Platinum Shine spoke up then, “To state it simply, there is an active attempt to force Celestia to step down from the throne.”

The shock caused Morpheus to bolt out of Celestia’s wing to stand at the edge of the bed his eyes wide as he stared at Platinum. “What?”

The voice of Nightmare Moon came from a shadow that quickly reformed into the dark Alicorn’s shape “Morpheus, consider this your first lesson in the life of a Pony. That cartoon of yours got something wrong. Celestia and I aren’t biological sisters. We were married to the same stallion, the former King.”

Celestia felt a shiver down her spine, that one statement meant Luna, or Nightmare Moon as she calls herself, no longer thinks King Cosmos was alive. Celestia spoke up as well “Our Husband wasn’t king for long, and he couldn’t choose between the two of us. So he said the first to give him a foal would be the first wife, and queen.” 

Nightmare’s head lowered “I was the one that became pregnant, right before Discord. He banished King Cosmos, and during the battle between us and Discord. I lost my foal, she was malformed due to the chaos magic.”

Platinum Shine joined in “That brings us to you. The nobility is claiming that you are the foal that Queen Luna lost. Now they are saying Celestia banished Luna to get rid of her, and for your safety take you under their protection.”

Morpheus points to Nightmare “Well, she’s here. So the whole getting rid of Luna argument is…”

Nightmare snorted “Remember Morpheus, I am not Luna. No one who looks at me would see my former self. All they will see is a corrupt Alicorn who is blamed for destroying the former capital city. Not to mention I can only appear as an illusion around you.”

Morpheus plopped down “Damn, so what now?”

Celestia looks over “We give them what they want. I will formally step down as ruling Princess, and you will be the next king when you come of age.”

Platinum Shine smiled “Your Majesty, I am Prince Platinum Shine, and I shall be your Regent and run the nation as we teach you what you need to know.”

Morpheus spoke with a shake of his head “I can’t be King, I’m not even Luna’s son!”

Nightmare Moon “Right now you will pass any test as my Foal. Your magic is nearly identical to mine, and your body is forged by that magic. So your very, what that term you people use… DNA would reflect being my offspring as well.” 

She moved closer and looked him in the eyes. “Morpheus, for the good of Equestria, the world must see you as my foal. You will be king, and with your help, you will bring my little ponies to the stars.”





Morpheus stood behind the curtain, he lifts his hoof and messed with the decorative breastplate he had been put in.

Platinum Shine chuckled “Stop messing with it, your Majesty. The peytral is an important part of your gear. Not only is it enchanted, but the gem also stores your magic for emergencies.”

A pout came to Morpheus's face “But it’s uncomfortable.”

The larger stallion gave the young prince a nuzzle. “You get used to it. Your Mother even has it on when she materializes her illusion.”  

Morpheus nodded then looked out the curtain to where Celestia stood as she gave her last address as ruling Princess. “I still think this is a bad idea. I understand why, but… I’m not really a pony.” He turned and extended his bat-like wings, “I already know that there plenty of… fear of those like me. Having a King that’s corrupted will not be easy.”

Platinum nodded “I do agree, it’s a bad option out of a list of very bad options.” He looked to the curtain “It is better than not making this move and letting everything that has been done since Discord comes to an end by Eletist, narcissistic nobles.”

With a look to his young charge “Not to mention with all your knowledge we will be able to make some good changes.”

Morpheus replied. “Making too many changes too fast leads to even more problems. Right now Equus is healthy with very little pollution. Human knowledge had rendered thousands of miles deadly for generations, caused the air to be toxic, and even poison in the water in many places. For each advancement we made, we made just as many mistakes.”

A smile came to Plantium's face “And we have you to help us not to make similar mistakes.” He then lifts his head “She’s about ready to announce you.”

Morpheus heard Celestia’s voice then “So my little ponies, I will be stepping down as the ruler of Equestria. In my stead PrincePlatinumm Shine will serve as regent till my herd son, Prince Morpheus will be crowned king on his 16th birthday.”

Celestia’s horn lit up and she took off the crown on her head and stepped aside. “Ponies of Equestria, I am proud to introduce to you heir Crown Prince Morpheus son of King Cosmos, and Queen Luna.”
Morpheus takes a deep breath and then stepped out onto the balcony. Gasps of shock rose from the crowd.

He took a moment and spoke out with the Royal Voice. “My little ponies, I am Prince Morpheus, and as you can see I am of the new tribe. Some call us corrupted, others call us monsters, I have never been in any other tribe of ponies. Hidden because of the fear you now show.”

With a look up to the sky, “My mother Queen Luna was shunned because her coat was dark blue and she was the Princess of the night.” Then he looked down “So she kept me safe from the same hate and shunning she faced every day in public. Now, there is a population of ponies like me, we have a new tribe, and like the unification before we will become a stronger people by accepting all tribes in Equestria.”

Morpheus then looked to Celestia and then to the crowd. “You accepted the Alicorns as your leaders, King Cosmos lead the fight against Lord Tirek, My Mother Queen Luna, and Princess Celestia defeated Discord. I have been told I was changed by Discord’s magic, but I think I was changed by Harmony. I am an Alicorn of four tribes, not just three, Harmony made me ready to represent everypony.”

He then smiled “I am not corrupted, there is no madness in me, there is no madness in the others who now are nocturnal. Queen Luna was nocturnal and showed no madness, it was her sacrifice that delayed the destruction of Everfree. If it wasn’t for her many more ponies would have lost their lives to the evil actions of the unicorn Astral Beacon. It was she who spared those who were struck by the dark magic, saving them from the insanity that she took on herself. We aren’t corrupted, we are ponies, we are… Thestrals.” 

With a turn, he headed through the curtain. Then stopped as he came to the hooves of Nightmare Moon “That's not the speech we had you memorize.”

Morpheus chuckled “Yup, I’m not going to launch a new age industrial revolution if I come off as weak. So I need to present myself as a strong leader so I chose to speak my mind. Besides, I will be damned if I am called a bat pony for the rest of my life. For now…” He yanked off the peytial and let it fall to the ground and started running for the door. “I have two friends waiting for me.” 

Nightmare Moon watched as Morpheus ran out of the room. “Pinkie, you have to tell him.”

Celestia and Plantinum Shine both looked at each other than at the fading illusion of Nightmare Moon. Celestia spoke up “What are you talking…” then the illusion vanished. She looked to Plantium Shine. 

He shrugged “Guess we find out when Morpheus does.”





It wasn’t long before Morpheus burst into what became the foal’s playroom. The two fillies Morning Dew and Sweet Heart looked at him. 

Dew tilted her head “What is a Thestral?”

Morpheus smiled “It’s a creature from a story. They were horse-like creatures but with bat-like wings, so I chose to name the new tribe after the story.” With a shrug “Not like the writer going to find out.”

Suddenly Sweet Heart screamed her eyes widened and pointed to a shadow as it shifted into Nightmare Moon. Morning Dew moved closer to the frightened filly and spoke “Don’t be afraid Sweetie. She’s Queen Luna, just changed like the other ponies.”

Sweet Heart looked to her friends then to the Nightmare “But… she’s the one that…”

Morpheus sighed “Didn’t you listen to my speech? The pony that destroyed the city was Astral Beacon.”

Sweet Heart’s eyes narrowed as she looked at Morpheus. “I heard that, but she” She pointed again to Nightmare Moon. “Hurt aunt Celestia, hurting ponies is bad!” The fear she showed faded as the now angry filly stomped over to Nightmare Moon. “You need to apologize!”

Celestia chuckled as she walked into the playroom. “It’s fine Sweetie. My Luna and I have both made mistakes and hurt each other.”

Sweetie then looked to Celestia “Then you should both apologize.” 

Platinum Shine moved up beside his daughter. “My Daughter is correct, two wrongs don’t make a right.”

Celestia lifted her head to look at Nightmare Moon, “Luna, I…” 

Nightmare Moon snorted, “I’m Nightmare Moon remember.”

Celestia's ears lay flat but her voice was steady “Luna, you were my first friend, my best friend. We are herd sisters, Please, I want my friend back even if it is just in name only.” Tears started to flow from Celestia’s eyes as she approached the dark alicorn.

Nightmare’s head lowered “Celestia, it going to take time, but with Morpheus’s help I’m recovering.” She then looked to Celestia “I am still angry at you for sending me to the Moon, but I am sorry I thought you were… involved with Astral Beacon’s plan.” For a moment the slit eyes returned to that of a day pony “For family, I will forgive you and let you use my true name.”

Celestia went to nuzzle, and her head just passed through Luna. Nightmare Moon’s dark laugh was the reply “You forgot I’m just a projection didn’t you.” 

A blush came to Celestia’s cheeks. “Well, yeah… so what was that about Pinkie needing to tell Morpheus something.”

Morpheus looked between the two “Well that’s a change in topic, but one I do want to know. She has been avoiding me in the dream realm. The excuse of her hunting down those tantabusi doesn’t explain it.” 

Nightmare lifted her head “I know you are listening Pinkie Pie, you have to show them.”

Pinkie’s voice came from nowhere but seemed to echo from all around the gathered ponies. “But I’m scared!”

Nightmare rolled her eyes “For a being born to devour fears and nightmares, you can be such a coward.”

Morpheus looked around “Pinkie, you're my friend. We have been through so much together, heck you helped keep me sane back on Earth. Please, whatever the problem is we can face it together.” 

Reality moved to part as a curtain and Pinkie’s head pops out of the void. Her head was still a foot higher than Celestia’s and her left eye was now a bright green whereas her right was blue. In the center of her forehead was a Unicorn’s horn in rainbow colors. “Um… I kind of changed, a lot. I was so hungry, the more tantabusi I ate, the more I changed.  Now I’m… well…”

She stepped out of the void letting the rip in reality close. Standing on two mixed matching legs, the left was that of a chicken with feathers and claws, the other was the back leg of a zebra. Her body was long and serpentine with pink scales, and on her back, two butterfly wings with Balloons fluttered behind her. 

All but Nightmare Moon gasped, Celestia, moved to stand defensively over the foals as her horn lit up. “A Draconequus”

Nightmare Moon sighed “Yes Celestia, turns out that when a Baku grows strong enough they become Draconequus. Now drop that spell, or are you going to follow my mistake and jump to conclusions?”

Once again Celestia’s cheeks flash pink with a blush, “Sorry, Pinkie. Luna’s right I shouldn’t judge a pon… er being on their appearance.”

Morpheus ran forward and hugged Pinkie “Pinkie, I don’t care what you look like. I know you are a good pony, no matter what you are.”
Pinkie reached down and hugged Morpheus with her otter-like hands, tears that form bubbles float around them as she cried with joy. “I’m so happy you aren’t afraid of me!” 

Platinum Shine looked at the other adults in the room. “Well, this is certainly a surprise.” 





Another world away Margret held the glowing crystal as she finally fell asleep. Bridget made her way to the living room area of the lodge. “She’s finally asleep.”

Gabriel Cox picked up a tea cup and sipped it. Bags were under her red eyes “I wish I can do the same. First Jennifer, now David it’s like I had my heart ripped out all over again.” Nathan gave his wife a loving side hug as the two looked at the fireplace and watched as the flames danced along the wood.

Bridget was about to speak when her head turned to look at the door. “I think we have guests.”

As soon as the words escaped her lip there was a knock at the door. She made her way and opened the oak door to see three tall lean figures. The one up front stood roughly 7 feet perhaps even 7’6” his hair was platinum, and it wasn’t platinum blond but pure platinum like the metal with a metallic shine. 

He was an elf, for he clearly was indeed an elf with those long pointed ears and features just a tad too lean and angular than a human. The elf then bowed “High Priestess, I know this is peculiar but may I enter? I sware on the Sun, Moon, and Stars my intentions are honorable.” 

Bridget felt the hair on her arms and neck stand with the energy of the being before her command. “Of course, you are welcome as my guest. What shall I call you?” 

He motioned to the two other elves to remain outside as he entered. “I have been called the lost King, King under the Mountain, and many others, however, my true name is unpronounceable by humans, but loosely translated it’s King Cosmos.” 

Then the fire went out and his hair platinum hair rose “And I really want to know how my wife’s magic manifested here among humans.”

Bridget refused to reveal the dread she felt. “That is a long story, King Cosmos. Allow me the time and I shall tell you all I know about the situation.” 

The three humans watched as the elf king made his way to one of the seats and settled down. “You may tell me your tail.”





King Cosmos stood in the bedroom where Margret slept. The woman’s emotional exhaustion was still etched on her features. “I was so close, and here all that remains is one enchanted gem.”

He reached down to remove the gem from the sleeping woman but her hand closed up tight. Even in her sleep instincts still reacted, protecting the one link she had to her son.

“Very well, I give you a gift. When you see your son, relay my message.” then he started chanting, a language no human throat could ever produce. A language born of magic, the magic of Harmony.





The Island of Dreams was alive once again, flowers bloom, and the great willow glowed with magic. 

Nightmare Moon sat on a large rock as she watched the foals play. Pinkie shrunk herself down to foal size to join in the activity. Morpheus even brought Sweet Heart to the island of Dreams.

Then everything pulsed with magic, the magic she hasn’t felt in years. “COSMOS!” she yelled and leaped to her hooves.

The foals stopped and ran over, Morpheus spoke up “What was that?”

A new pony appeared on the island. She was a light tan coat and dark brown hair, she didn’t have a cutie mark even though she was a fully grown mare. Around her neck was a neckless with a blue glowing gemstone. “Where am I? What is this place?”

Morpheus ears twitch, then his eyes widen “MOM!” The colt bolted for the mare and tackled her in a hug. 

Nightmare Moon motioned to the two fillies, and Pinkie, “You three remain here. Let the two enjoy the time they have.”

Pinkie looked at her “What about you?”

With a sigh, Nightmare walked to the Mother and son. “I have to know something. Then I let them be.” Once she got closer she addressed the mare “You must be Margret Tanner. I’m… Queen Luna your son’s caretaker.”

Margret looked up to the dark Alicorn. “You are Luna? I thought you were blue.” With a shake of her head, “He sent me here, to visit. I can come here via dreams, only as long as there is the magic David put into this Gem. After it’s gone… he said there was no other way to recharge it.” 

Nightmare Moon nodded “I can feel David’s magic in the gem. Tell me, I must know… who sent you here?”

Margret let Morpheus go and looked at the other mare. “He told me, to tell you and Celestia a message. His words, ‘I am alive, we all are alive, now that the gulf of limbo has been crossed, we know it’s possible to return. It may take years, even decades, but we now have hope.  Luna, and Celestia, I love you both. Till we see each other again, Cosmos.”

Tears flowed down Nightmare’s cheeks. “I see, thank you, Margret.” She turned to walk away when Margret’s voice stopped her.

“Luna, I’m trusting you with my Son. Please take care of him in Equestria.”

Nightmare Moon looked back at the two “I will take care of him as if he was my own flesh and blood foal.”

Margret nodded “Thank you” Then she looked down at her son “So, mind introducing me to those friends of yours?” 

Luna walked away from the others, her eyes once more normal for a pony, her teeth smooth. Her coat was still black, but her armor faded to leave just her to sit on the edge of the Island to cry.