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Moonlit CYOA

By Mirta
Created: 12th February 2023 01:40:58 AM
27th March 2023 09:27:14 PM
Cyoa

  1. >Your mirror image stared back at you from a polished granite floor.
  2. >You waved a hoof in front of your face.
  3. >The reflection mirrored your move.
  4. >You're fairly certain that mirrors weren't supposed to work in dreams.
  5. >You were also fairly certain that you were asleep since the last thing you remembered was crawling into bed after a night shift and marveling how smooth and warm your sheets and covers were.
  6. >But as seconds ticked on, you began doubting that.
  7. >The moonlit corridor you found yourself in was too detailed for a dream, with its mirror polished floors, engraved pillars, and the row of doors lining the wall that wasn't mostly stained glass windows.
  8. >It was something you'd only seen in pictures of Canterlot Castle.
  9.  
  10. >You smashed your hoof on the floor as a final confirmation.
  11. >The loud bang echoed up and down the corridor as you shook the stinging pain out of your leg.
  12. “Ow.”
  13. >Definitely not asleep.
  14. >Probably.
  15. >You wished you knew.
  16. >You also wished life was easier and getting an answer didn't raise more and harder questions.
  17. >Like 'How did I end up here?' or 'What in Equestria is going on?'.
  18. >There was also a shiver going down your spine as how your ears swiveled all around, trying to make sense of the sound of hoofsteps coming from somewhere.
  19. >Perhaps making a very loud noise wasn't the best of ideas.
  20.  
  21. >Your ears perk up as you focus on one direction.
  22. >There's at least two sets of hooves coming your way, accompanied by the jingle of metal.
  23. >Guards, if you had to guess.
  24. >Whether that was a good thing or not depended on where you were.
  25. >You slink into the shadow between two windows and focus on the other direction.
  26. >Heavy steps of shod hooves.
  27. >Only one set.
  28. >Further away than the pair(?) of guards(?).
  29. >Apart that, there were the stained glass windows and the doors.
  30. >You could smash a window and leap through, but you had no idea what was out there – apart the moon somewhere high up in the sky.
  31. >The windows were also pieces of art depicting scenes of Equestria's past and you really didn't want to destroy one.
  32. >Finally, there were the doors.
  33. >They were all identical, with locks and very polished gold doorknobs.
  34. >And hopefully unlocked.
  35.  
  36. >You were just about to make for one of the doors when two ponies rounded a corner at the end of the corridor.
  37. >They should've been further away and-!
  38. >Two... ponies?
  39. >They were the size and shape of ponies, moved like ponies, and their hoofsteps sounded like those of ponies.
  40. >But, they looked nothing like ponies.
  41. >What you saw was two blotches of darkness that felt like blind spots in your vision.
  42. >Fuzzy blackness in the shape of a pony.
  43. >Whatever they were, they hadn't noticed you yet as you were hidden in the shadow between two beams of moonlight.
  44. >But, it was only a matter of time before they would as there was nothing to hide behind.
  45. >You gulped down a bit of saliva and hoped they wouldn't hear your racing heart.
  46.  
  47. []Chekku dooru
  48.  
  49. >You ears perked up once more as you listened closely to the approaching pair.
  50. >You heard their hooves and a light jingle of metal, but nothing else from that direction.
  51. >The pair of heavy, shod hooves was getting closer in the other direction.
  52. >Hiding behind one of the pillars felt like a bad idea and that was the best you had.
  53. >Glancing at the closest door, you figured it was your best bet.
  54. >You set a rear hoof on the wall behind you, tried to push everything else out of your mind, and bolted for the door.
  55. >The starting boost from the wall helped your hooves not slip on the rock hard, mirror polished floor, but it didn't make it any less noisy.
  56. >Your hoofsteps thundered in the quiet corridor as you zipped across.
  57.  
  58. >Or so it felt to you.
  59. >Either way, you skidded to a stop in front of the door and pulled on the knob.
  60. >The door swung open, revealing a bedroom.
  61. >One that nopony'd been in for quite a while.
  62. >It wasn't dusty, but the bed, the desk, and the chair in front of it were covered with white cloth.
  63. >There was a small window on the opposite wall, but otherwise the room was a dead end.
  64. >Apart that, there was only a large, fancy closet of engraved wood.
  65.  
  66. >You glanced down the corridor again.
  67. >The pair of guards(?) had stopped.
  68. >One of them was pointing a hoof at you and looking at the other.
  69. >They looked like they were talking, but you couldn't hear a thing apart the now galloping set of shod hooves rapidly approaching from the other direction.
  70.  
  71. []Geddin, try to lock or block the door, checkku winduwu
  72.  
  73. >You slipped into the room and pulled the door closed behind you.
  74. >The inside of the door was no different to the outside: just a doorknob and a keyhole.
  75. >A quick glance around the room didn't reveal a key and with three sets of hooves approaching you didn't have time for a more thorough check.
  76. >There could've been one in the desk drawers or in the closet.
  77. >You scampered to the window instead of checking those.
  78. >After a bit of fiddling, you found a latch that released the window.
  79. >It swung outwards as you pushed it.
  80. >A most peculiar sight awaited you outside.
  81. >Right below was a moat, deep enough that you wouldn't get out yourself after falling in.
  82. >Above was a spectacular night sky with far more stars than you'd ever seen, with even the milky river of light of the galaxy clearly visible.
  83. >But, the oddness was on the other side of the moat.
  84. >There was a thatch roofed quaint village house, like one from Ponyville, squeezed between a patch of untamed jungle and a high-rise apartment building from Manehattan.
  85. >You blinked, and could swear the trees in the jungle and the windows of the apartment building moved.
  86. >A sudden scraping sound from the door reminded you that you had no time to waste.
  87.  
  88. []The Closet calls
  89.  
  90. >You glanced down into the moat and the murky water at the bottom of it once again and shook your head.
  91. >Nope.
  92. >Lacking better options, you yanked the closet open, hoped you wouldn't knock a coat hanger off to clatter on the floor, and hopped in.
  93. >The doors, once you'd pulled them closed, had a tiny crack between them.
  94. >You peered out the best you could.
  95.  
  96. >They... walked through the door like it wasn't even there.
  97. >You could've sworn they were bigger now than they were in the moonlit corridor.
  98. >Their hoofsteps sounded like claps of thunder to you as one of them trotted to the window and the other strode to the bed.
  99. >Somewhere, in the back of your mind, you registered the sound of metal screeching on stone from somewhere very close.
  100. >But you were too caught up on the guard(?) who checked the bed now heading straight at you.
  101. >Time itself grew still as it got closer and closer, with each hoofstep echoing in your head.
  102. >You pulled your head back, propped yourself against the back wall, and lined up your rear hooves to give the closet door a solid kick.
  103.  
  104. >Slam!
  105. >The door out of the room slammed into a wall loud enough to make you twitch just as you were about to kick the closet's door into the approaching thing.
  106. >That'd make it confused!
  107. >You bucked with all your might.
  108. >A mighty crack of wood echoed in the room as the closet's door was torn off its hinges.
  109. >And sailed right through the being like it wasn't even there.
  110. >As did your hooves.
  111. >It felt like plunging your hooves into a bucket of ice water.
  112. >”Begone, fiend!”
  113. >Numbness spread upwards from your hooves.
  114. >It reached your head in a fraction of a second.
  115. >As your vision began fading into blackness, you saw a majestic dark alicorn with a mane of billowing stars lunge at the darkness with a sword of dark steel.
  116. >The last thing you saw was an arc of blue light.
  117.  
  118. >You lied on a soft mattress.
  119. >Your head was propped up against something firm.
  120. >Something warm caressed your cheek.
  121. >”Such scant little time we have.”
  122. >An alicorn, with a coat as black as the darkest night, a mane of twinkling blue, and cyan eyes with slit pupils lied beside you.
  123. >Not just beside you, but below you as well; your head rested on her flank.
  124. >”I wish we had more.”
  125. >Her lips curled into a smile, parting ever so slightly in the middle to reveal sharp fangs.
  126. >She leaned in as you drew breath, pushing her soft lips onto yours before you could utter a word.
  127.  
  128. >The next thing you knew is that you were staring at the moon.
  129. >You were lying on a blanket on a small balcony with silver railing around you.
  130. >A wide open glass door led to a luxurious bedroom.
  131. >You heard the steady crackle of a well kept fire and saw a bed with plush silk covers that had a large crescent moon embroidered on top of them.
  132. >After listening for a while you also heard the scribble of a quill on paper.
  133. >You shifted a little to see more.
  134. >”Ah.”
  135. >Wood scraped on stone as a chair was pushed back.
  136. >”You're awake.”
  137. >Princess Luna trod into her bedroom.
  138. >”That means you have a strong enough will to resist fading away. But, I have to ask. Who are you and how did you end up in the guest quarters?”
  139. >Her head tilted to the side as she arched a brow.
  140.  
  141. [](You) are the Kirin and know jack shit
  142.  
  143. >”Well.”
  144. >Luna's gaze glided from your horn all the way down to your hooves.
  145. >She'd had too many decades to practice showing the expression she wants to for you to guess at what she was thinking.
  146. >”A shame. I'd wished you could tell me what is going on, but it appears we are equally clueless. Still, I suppose I can tell you what little I do know of this place.”
  147. >The princess beckoned you to come inside.
  148. >”Come. You've definitely stabilized. Moonlight weakens them and helps fight fading. What are they, you ask?”
  149. >Luna shook her head.
  150. >”I would tell you if I knew.”
  151. >She held a hoof on the door handle as you pushed yourself off the blanket and onto your hooves.
  152. >Her lips twitched, revealing a hint of a smile.
  153. “Aren't you mad about my intrusion? And what do you mean with fading?”
  154. >You trotted into her bedroom.
  155. >It was smaller and simpler than you'd expect a monarch's room to be, with just the bed, a desk and a chair, and a fireplace in it.
  156. >That, and two doors leading somewhere.
  157. >”Mad?”
  158. >Luna had a surprised look on her as she pushed the door closed behind you.
  159. >It took a few seconds for her to answer.
  160. >”Had you faded out, you would've become a shadow creature much like your assailants were. I much prefer making friends to making foes. Speaking of which...”
  161. >Her horn lit up and one of the two doors that didn't lead to the balcony swung open.
  162. >Behind it was a small kitchen.
  163. >”...would you like some tea?”
  164.  
  165. >You blew at your tea, floated the cup to your lips, and took a sip.
  166. >It was absolutely top notch stuff: full of flavor and with a charming aftertaste that lingered forever.
  167. “I'm not the first one to show up? What happened to the others?”
  168. >Luna stirring her tea with a small spoon filled the intervening silence with quiet clinking.
  169. >”You are the fourth. The first two agreed that we best stick together and are out there looking for fresh produce. The third left. I do not believe he'll return with the terrain around the castle changing like it does – what is now a cottage and a jungle now might be a vast mountain range tomorrow.”
  170. >You glanced out of the window and past the balcony to see that the cottage and jungle, along with the high rise, were indeed still there.
  171. >”Well, I say tomorrow, but there are no days here. The sun never rises. I keep the moon in the sky because moonlight weakens the shadows. Sunlight should banish them back to the hole they crawled out of and perhaps even break whatever power holds Equestria like this. Or us here, whichever is the case.”
  172. >Luna drew another breath, only to stare at her cup in silence for a while.
  173. >”I dare not leave the castle myself in case my power is what keeps it here.”
  174. >She sucked her lower lip between her teeth, then let go of it and forced a smile.
  175. >An extremely convincing smile.
  176. >It would've fooled you had you not seen how she was before it.
  177. >”Now. I'd like to know whether you want to stay and help or search for a way out on your own. I will of course answer any questions you have the best I can should it help you decide.”
  178.  
  179. []I have many questions, Your Highness
  180.  
  181. >Luna rolled her eyes at your honorifics and glared at you for a second before even drawing breath.
  182. >"The others said they arrived much like you did, finding themselves here after falling asleep."
  183. >She sipped at her tea.
  184. >"But tell me, on what date did you end up here? What is the last day you remember?"
  185. >Her cup clinked as she set it down on its platter.
  186. >You found yourself squirming under the gaze of her blue eyes.
  187. "Um..."
  188. >You told her the date.
  189. >She blew a little bit of air out of her snout and nodded.
  190. >Her lips curled into a tired smile.
  191. >"Which is the exact same day I remember before waking up here. And for everypony I've asked so far."
  192. >She waved a hoof in the air and shook her head.
  193. >"Every time I go to sleep I hope I wake up, trod downstairs like usual, hug my sister, and have some of her overtly sweet pancakes for breakfast. I've woken up disappointed every time for the past three weeks now.”
  194. >For one vanishing moment, she looked very tired.
  195. >You weren't sure if it'd been real or just your imagination once the moment passed.
  196. “Thanks. I just wish it made more sense.”
  197. >This time, Luna's lips curled into a genuine, warm smile as she stared at you.
  198. >She reached out to cup your chin with a shod hoof and made you look up at her instead of into your cup.
  199. >”We are half awake and half in a dream, my floofy friend. Do not expect even half of a dream to make much sense.”
  200. >Princess Luna was...
  201. >A very charming pony, you had to admit, as you stared into her mesmerizing cyan eyes.
  202.  
  203. >The moment was interrupted by plodding hoofsteps and furious muttering from behind the door that led to neither the kitchen nor the balcony.
  204. >Wham!
  205. >Said door swung open and slammed into the wall, revealing two mares, one carrying the other on her back.
  206. >The one doing the carrying had a dark purple coat, a red mane styled into a mohawk, and wore a skintight suit and shoes armor on top of it.
  207. >But the most glaring things about her were how most of her horn had broken off and she had a huge scar over one eye.
  208. >”Luna! Your pet noble did it a- oh, I didn't know you had another pet.”
  209. >She had a deep, authoritative voice.
  210. >The other unicorn, on the dark one's back and completely limp, was the polar opposite.
  211. >A mare as well, but with a tall and slender build, a milky white coat, and a light pink mane with white stripes in it.
  212. >Her mane and tail were trimmed and styled just so, her coat was blemishless, and one of her hooves was as black as the night with the very tip of it the slightest bit translucent.
  213.  
  214. >”Tempest, meet Anon. Anon, meet Tempest.”
  215. >Luna nodded at the dark, broken-horned unicorn, then at you.
  216. >”I'd introduce Fleur as well, but it looks like she is in need of some aid. Speaking of which...”
  217. >The princess' teacup set itself down with a clink as the blue magic surrounding it faded away.
  218. >Her chair scraped the floor as she pushed it back and got on her hooves.
  219. >”...please excuse us for a moment. I have to make sure she doesn't fade any more than she already has.”
  220. >A blue magical aura wreathed the unconscious mare and lifted her off Tempest's back.
  221. >The door to the balcony clicked and swung open.
  222.  
  223. >You set your own cup down and hopped off your chair as Luna lifted who had to be Fleur into the balcony.
  224. >You weren't the most familiar with pony greetings, but remembered hearing of one thing so you stuck a hoof out at Tempest.
  225. “Hi there. Nice to meet you!”
  226. >Shaking hooves was a pony thing, or so you'd heard.
  227. >Tempest arched a brow and glanced at your cloven hoof.
  228. >Then at the scales on your back and the floof around your neck.
  229. >”Huh. Can't say I've seen one of your kind before.”
  230. >She lifted a front hoof out of its shoe and bumped yours with it.
  231. >”Kirin, right? I'd heard of you but I never thought you'd be quite so...”
  232. >You nodded at her as her gaze flitted from your face to your hooves to your horn and finally back to your face.
  233. >”...ambivalent. Sorry, but I have to know who I'm working with.”
  234. >She'd slipped past you to your side before you could react.
  235. >One of her shod hooves pulled on your rear hoof, forcing it up and out to the side.
  236. >A burning heat rushed to your face as she stuck her head under your hoof to get a look at what hung between it and the other hoof.
  237. “Eep.”
  238. >”So male Kirin do exist. I'll have to cash in on a bet.”
  239. >She let go of your hoof, but you were too tense for it to fall back down.
  240.  
  241. []Sure, but I would vote to give her a love tap and not an outright kick.
  242.  
  243. >You coiled your leg for a kick.
  244. >Tempest ducked and spun out of the way from where your kick would've landed before you could've hit her – had you tried to.
  245. >She didn't react as you hopped closer to her on three hooves, holding one in the air and ready to kick.
  246. >You did, however, notice her steal a glance – or two, or three – at your crotch.
  247. >Which meant that your kick did catch her off guard as she was too busy ogling and biting her lip to see it coming.
  248. >Not that it was much of a kick.
  249. >Just enough to snap her out of it and make her rub her cheek to ease the stinging.
  250. >”Okay. I deserved that one. Can you forgive me?”
  251. >You said nothing as you cast a judging glance at her and trotted towards the balcony where Luna and Fleur were.
  252. >You did, however, brush her cheek with the tip of your tail as you left.
  253. >She drew a sharp breath, but you didn't see how she reacted.
  254.  
  255. >Luna sat on the same blanket you laid on not long ago.
  256. >She'd set Fleur down in front of her and had stretched out the blackened hoof into direct moonlight.
  257. >Said hoof looked smaller and more translucent than you remembered it being.
  258. “Is that how it's supposed to work?”
  259. >The princess glanced at you.
  260. >”Yes. The shadow has to be purged before what it replaced can return.”
  261. >Luna stared at the unicorn for another second, then stood up and stepped off the blanket.
  262. >It flapped in the air as a flash of blue magic pulled it to cover Fleur from the withers down.
  263. >”She'll be fine in an hour or two. Meanwhile...”
  264. >The alicorn's shod hooves clopped on the stone of the balcony as she trod back in.
  265. >”...there's what these two were after. Tempest?”
  266. >”Huh?”
  267. >Tempest, who'd stared out of the window, lost in thought, shook her head.
  268. >”Oh, we found it but I had to leave it behind when she-”
  269. >She pointed an armored hoof at the balcony.
  270. >”-got too fancy – again – and I had to carry her back. It's just outside the gate. I'll go get it right away.”
  271. >She shook her head once again, glanced at you, and headed for the door.
  272.  
  273. [] Ask ALL the things!
  274.  
  275. >Your flood of questions brought a melancholic smile to Luna's lips.
  276. >She looked down at the floor between you.
  277. >”Something far too precious to risk losing keeps this whole tower safe, not just my personal quarters. The whole castle's protected by it, even if it doesn't keep the weaker shadows out.”
  278. >Her voice was quieter than usual.
  279. >After a second of silence, she looked back up and at Tempest, any sign of sadness gone.
  280. >”I will make her an amulet while you're go-”
  281. >”Him.”
  282. >Tempest's lips curled into a smug smile as she interjected.
  283. >The princess glanced at you, then at her, then at you again, and shook her head with a bewildered look on her face.
  284. >The look was gone as soon as it appeared and stayed for such a short instant it once again left you wondering whether you'd imagined it or not.
  285. >”I will make him an amulet while you're gone so don't let him get too far and keep him safe. You are a better teacher than I am so I'll let you tell him what you know instead of confusing him myself.”
  286. >Luna's horn flashed in blue as the door to the corridor swung open.
  287.  
  288. >Less of a corridor and more of a very tall and narrow spiral staircase, as it turned out.
  289. >Tempest thudded her shod hoof into one of the two doors on the floor below.
  290. >”Fleur and I sleep here. I think these were the quarters of Luna's closest servants.”
  291. >She was quieter than you thought was possible, scaling down the stairs with steelshod hooves.
  292. >”We'll have to get you something to sleep on. Or maybe it'll be taken care of when we return. She's actually pretty good at organizing things and ponies. Runs in the family or something.”
  293. >Your tail swished from wall to wall as you stepped as light as you could.
  294. >Which, given your cloven hooves, was even lighter and quieter than Tempest.
  295. “So, about the shadows. Luna fought off the two that found me. How do we fight them? And what did Fleur do?”
  296. >The armored mare in front of you stopped mid-step for just long enough to glance back at you.
  297. >”We don't fight them. We avoid them. If we can't, we hide. If we can't hide, we run. If we can't run either, we lure them into moonlight and hope we hit whatever scrap of solid shadow is in them on the first try.”
  298. >Wham!
  299. >You flinched as a steelshod hoof slammed into the wall right in front of your face.
  300. >Tempest – as tall as you despite being on the step below you – stuck her face right up to yours so your snoots almost touched.
  301. >She had a dead serious look on her and tiny sparks of magic arced around what was left of her horn.
  302. >”Never.”
  303. >Her voice, despite being but a whisper, resounded in your ears.
  304. >”Ever. Try to take anything on in the dark.”
  305. >She narrowed her eyes and glared at you.
  306. >Your tail tucked itself safely between your rear legs as you gulped down a bit of saliva.
  307. “O-ok. I won't.”
  308. >Tempest held you there for what felt like an eternity before finally letting her hoof fall back down.
  309. >”Fleur thought she knew where to strike. Don't ever think you can do what Luna did. She is an eternal alicorn princess of Equestria who rules over the night. You, are not.”
  310.  
  311. >The two of you managed to reach the Grand Hall just a short courtyard from the main gate when you heard the all too familiar soft jingle of metal and a pair of hoofsteps coming your way.
  312. >Both your and Tempest's ears perked up as you heard it.
  313. >”Hush. They're here.”
  314. >She pulled you back into the corridor where you'd come from.
  315. >The hoofsteps were coming from the opposite end of the Hall – which, thanks to its grand size, was quite a ways away.
  316. >The Hall was a long rectangular room, much longer than it was wide.
  317. >To your left were the ludicrously tall double doors leading to the throne room.
  318. >To the right were the not quite as but still very tall doors to the main gate.
  319. >A very plush and grand red carpet ran the entire length of the hall from the throne room to the entrance.
  320. >The carpet was lined with intricate and lifelike statues of ponies.
  321. >The only two you recognized were Luna and Celestia right by the throne room doors.
  322. >All the statues stood on pedestals and had very official looking stiff poses – apart Celestia's, which had a playful smile on its lips and was lying down on its side with one wing spread.
  323. >In addition to a row of statues on both sides of the carpet, there were also a row of pillars supporting the ceiling on each side, with the statues placed between the pillars.
  324. >Intricate stained glass windows lined the top edges of the walls to let some light in.
  325. >Not the most functional layout, but it was an impressive sight to behold.
  326.  
  327. []Stay quiet, stay hidden, follow her lead.
  328.  
  329. >You reversed further back into the darkness of the corridor and hid behind Tempest.
  330. >Which was quite easy considering how you were the size of a pony mare while Tempest was a fair bit larger than average.
  331. >”So you have half a brain. Good.”
  332. >She kept her voice down to a whisper as she scanned the Hall.
  333. >Her ears stood upright and swiveled from side to side as she tried to pin where the hoofsteps were coming from.
  334. >”Let's see where they're going before making our move. We'll be fine here unless they come straight at us – they can't see very well.”
  335. >She leaned into the wall next to her, blending into the shadows.
  336. >You followed her example.
  337.  
  338. >Two blobs of darkness in the shape of ponies walked out of the corridor opposite to you.
  339. >Tempest tensed up as she watched them head to the center of the room.
  340. >You backed up a few steps, but she remained still.
  341. >Their hoofsteps turned into soft thumps as they reached the carpet.
  342. >And turned towards the throne room.
  343. >Tempest waited for them to get some distance, then zipped to the closest statue.
  344. >You tread back to the end of the corridor, glanced at the pair of shadows, and followed her.
  345. >Both of you peeked out from behind the pedestal.
  346. >The pair hadn't noticed you and was still headed for the very tall doors.
  347. >You glanced at each other.
  348. >She nodded at the doors to the main gate.
  349.  
  350. >You never heard the ridiculously tall doors open so you assumed the two voids passed right through them like you'd seen them do before.
  351. >If there was something solid in them, it definitely didn't stop them from phasing through solid wood.
  352. >You made a mental note to ask about it later as you and Tempest reached the doors at the opposite end of the Hall.
  353. >She set a hoof on one door and gave it a push.
  354. >It clicked and crept open with a very quiet groan.
  355. >Both of you peeked out.
  356. >The main gate was a good five second's dash away.
  357. >A cobbled road led to it, lined by bushes trimmed into shapes of ponies.
  358. >Stone walls surrounded the pathway with their crenellations casting shadows on the path.
  359. >Right outside the gate, on the drawbridge and in the moonlight, lied a pile of small brown sacks.
  360. >And a lone shadow guard(?) looking(?) at it.
  361. >Tempest turned to look at you.
  362. >”Well now. Looks easy enough for even you. Any ideas?”
  363.  
  364. []Do you think the same rock trick is going to work another four times?
  365. []NTA but I say ask Tempest.
  366.  
  367. >You turned to look at the mare behind you.
  368. “You think I could do that another four times?”
  369. >Tempest shook her head.
  370. >”Maybe one more time. They're not that dumb.”
  371. >Your brow furrowed as you peered through the bush – unicorn mare – that you were hiding behind.
  372. >It was a shame you could see so little through the gate.
  373. >There was an open grassy area and then a treeline way further than you could throw.
  374. >You figured you'd try your luck again and chucked a pebble over the wall, roughly in the same direction as the first one.
  375. >It landed with a rustle and a thump.
  376. >The shadow looked at where the sound came from, glanced at the bags, then dashed off once more.
  377. >Tempest sprung into action.
  378. >”Load me up.”
  379. >She leaped from behind the bush and dashed to the bags.
  380. >You did as told.
  381. >Your glimmering aura enveloped a bag, lifted it off the ground, and let it fall onto her back with a quiet thump.
  382. >It felt excruciatingly slow as she kept glancing in the guard's direction and you floated another bag onto her.
  383.  
  384. >”Time's up!”
  385. >Tempest rocketed off as soon as the third bag landed on her back.
  386. >Her shod hooves struck sparks off the cobbles and filled the courtyard with thundering noise as she took to a full gallop.
  387. >Her horn sparked with magic.
  388. >She had enough control over it to yank the doors open.
  389. >A lot quieter but almost as fast came the shadow behind her.
  390. >Its armor clinked and jingled as it too galloped through the courtyard behind Tempest.
  391. >The thunder of metal shoes on cobble turned into hard thumps of shoes on carpet, then into increasingly distant clatter of steel on polished granite.
  392.  
  393. >Silence took over soon after, leaving you alone behind the bushes with a bag next to you and one on the drawbridge.
  394. >You lit up your horn and floated the last bag to you and onto your back.
  395. >Heavy.
  396. >Tempest had to be far stronger than she looked.
  397. >You floated the second bag onto the first one, wiggled your body to make whatever was in the settle, and glanced around yourself.
  398. >There was no way you could run and not drop the bags, but they weren't too heavy to carry.
  399. >You sneaked to the doors and peeked in.
  400. >The Hall was deserted.
  401. >Only thing you could hear was the now very distant sound of shod hooves pounding the stone floors.
  402. >That, you figured, meant Tempest was just fine.
  403.  
  404. >You slipped into the Hall and pulled the doors closed behind you.
  405. >They shut with a quiet click.
  406. >The click turned into hoofsteps and a soft jingle of metal.
  407. >Those came from the direction of the throne room.
  408. >You glanced around yourself, saw a statue nearby, and zipped behind its pedestal to hide.
  409. >A pair of shadows trotted right through the throne room doors and into the Hall.
  410. >If those were the same pair you saw on your way out, how come they hadn't heard Tempest's less than stealthy approach?
  411. >You shook your head.
  412. >That was a question for later.
  413.  
  414. []Wait till the shadows are gone, then retrace the same route we took back to Luna.
  415.  
  416. >You skulked behind the pedestal, sneaking a peek at the pair every few seconds.
  417. >They looked to be in no rush as they trod to the very center of the room before turning towards the corridor they originally(?) came from – the only one you didn't know anything about.
  418. >It led away from Luna's tower, and the princess said something about a power keeping her tower safe with a lesser effect on the rest of the castle.
  419. >Was it the same for the whole castle, or did the power fade with distance?
  420. >You listened to the jingle of chain armor and the clip-clop of hooves on stone grow quieter as the pair headed down the corridor.
  421. >Another question for later.
  422. >You perked up your ears and swiveled them all around, but couldn't hear anything else.
  423. >Even the clamor of Tempest's hooves was gone.
  424. >Hopefully because she'd reached her goal.
  425. >That you also had to reach, with a shadow somewhere between you and it.
  426.  
  427. >The silence made you nervous as you crossed the hall.
  428. >Your cloven hooves did little to break it, despite the stone floor.
  429. >Lacking anything to process, your brain filled itself with terrible scenes of what could've happened to Tempest.
  430. >Such as you running into a shade in her shape.
  431. >Or perhaps even worse, returning to the Princess to find out you were the first one back.
  432. >You shook your head to rid it of the thoughts.
  433. >At the mouth of the corridor, you paused to listen once more.
  434. >Silence.
  435. >It felt like it pressed on your ears.
  436. >But, rather silence than the jingle of metal.
  437. >You squirmed to make the bags settle again and continued down the corridor.
  438. >The dense burlap chafed on your back in a way you really didn't like.
  439. >You'd no doubt find dust and tiny bits of string between and under your scales.
  440.  
  441. >The route to Luna's quarters was neither long nor complex.
  442. >It was just to the end of the corridor from the Hall, through a courtyard, and down another corridor that soon turned into stairs.
  443. >You were about to reach the end of the first corridor when you heard... something and slowed your steps.
  444. >A faint jingle of metal and soft hoofsteps came from ahead, but it wasn't the only thing.
  445. >You could've sworn you also heard muffled speech.
  446.  
  447. >You sneaked up to the mouth of the corridor and peeked into the moonlit courtyard.
  448. >It wasn't a big place, with a flower arrangement in the middle that looked like a crescent moon, covered, paved walkways around the edges, and a few stone benches on the grass around the flowers.
  449. >A shade paced back and forth on the grass near the corridor that led to Luna's quarters.
  450. >The muffled speech didn't come from that direction, but from the opposite side of the courtyard.
  451. >There was a single closed door on the wall there.
  452. >You weren't close enough to make out any words, but it sounded like a mare and a stallion.
  453.  
  454. []Well, we can't get passed the shade yet, so we might as well sneak over to the door and eavesdrop.
  455.  
  456. >The shade looked preoccupied with its pacing and staring into the corridor.
  457. >You'd only have a low stone fence with holes in it for cover, but the sounds were too intriguing for you to ignore.
  458. >New friends, perhaps?
  459. >Staying out of the light, you kept your steps light as you sneaked on the paved pathway surrounding the courtyard.
  460. >The bags on your back were quiet, if not comfortable.
  461.  
  462. >You made it to the door without the shade noticing.
  463. >Or if it did notice, it didn't care.
  464. >The sounds were still to muffled for you to make out any words, so you pressed your ear onto the door.
  465. >There was nothing to hear for a moment.
  466. >”I know. It's getting worse.”
  467. >A stallion's voice.
  468. >”Yeah. It's something new every day. Should we even call them days? The sun never sets.”
  469. >A mare responded.
  470. >You nearly fell off your hooves.
  471. >What in Equestria?
  472. >That made no sense.
  473. >You had to know more, so you glanced back at the shadow.
  474. >Those things never spoke.
  475. >You just had to know.
  476. >A light tug of the handle was enough to open the door so you could slip inside.
  477.  
  478. >”Did you hear that?”
  479. >A flash of your magic pushed the door closed behind you.
  480. >”Yeah. Sounded like the door opened.”
  481. >You found yourself in what looked like an apartment.
  482. >Rain coats hung off hooks on the wall beside you and there was a worn rug under your hooves.
  483. >But you had little time to study the living room you were in as two sets of hooves approached.
  484. >All you had time for was to hide behind the closest thing – a recliner.
  485. >”Huh. Nothing.”
  486. >A peek revealed two... shadows?
  487. >They were the size and shape of ponies, but they weren't the same as the one outside – that one was a solid blob of darkness you couldn't see through at all.
  488. >These two were like normal shadows, like those cast by sunlight: a bit darker than the surroundings.
  489.  
  490. []Slowly poke our head out: "Umm... Hello? Please don't be alarmed, I just want to talk."
  491.  
  492. >”Did you hear that?”
  493. >Both of them perked up their ears.
  494. >The stallion glanced at the mare, then turned to stare at you.
  495. >His brow furrowed.
  496. >”I heard something but I have no idea what.”
  497. >He did not, however, mention seeing anything.
  498. “Hello? Can you hear me?”
  499. >You were as loud as you dared to be without alerting the shade outside.
  500. >”That's definitely something.”
  501. >The mare trod closer.
  502. >You waved a hoof at her.
  503. >She didn't react at all.
  504. “Hi. I'm right here, want to talk?”
  505. >”I don't kn... It's so qu... Can't...”
  506. >Her voice faded out as she was speaking.
  507. >As did her form.
  508. >A few seconds later you were staring at a deserted, dead silent apartment.
  509. >You hopped out from behind the recliner and took a look around.
  510. >It was a luxurious apartment, with plush exotic carpets that felt nice under your hooves and the kitchen had actual silverware in it.
  511. >But, there was no sign of anypony there.
  512.  
  513. >You pulled the door open and peeked outside.
  514. >The courtyard had no sign of the shade.
  515. >A quick shove made the door swing open.
  516. >You left the apartment with one last look and a second spent listening.
  517. >Silence.
  518. >A flash of magic pushed the door closed as you zipped across the courtyard and into the corridor to Luna's tower.
  519.  
  520. >A sense of warmth and security filled you as you passed the spot where you saw the shade pacing back and forth.
  521. >It felt like walking next to a stone wall in the evening when it'd been heated up by the sun during the day.
  522. >It was that kind of a soothing warmth.
  523. >Giving it some thought, you surmised it'd always been there but you only noticed it now that you'd left and come back.
  524.  
  525. >When you reached the top of the stairs, you only wanted to get the bags off your back.
  526. >They'd been fine down on level ground, but climbing made them chafe and pull on your scales in a way you really didn't like.
  527. >You banged a hoof on the door before pushing it open.
  528. >A fragrant scent of floral tea filled your nostrils as you trotted in.
  529. >Tempest peeked out of the kitchen as you let the bags slide off your back and thump on the floor.
  530. >”What took you so long. I was starting to get worried.”
  531. >She sounded impatient, but you thought you saw a look of relief flicker on her face.
  532. >”You should trust your allies, Tempest.”
  533. >Luna's voice came from somewhere out of sight in the kitchen.
  534. >You glanced at the balcony and saw Fleur there, in the same position but with her hoof looking as immaculate white as the rest of her.
  535.  
  536. [] Get a cup. Discuss nice shadows talking about the world of eternal day. Do Luna and Tempest have any long-term strategy, or they just wait for something good to happen?
  537. [] And it's about time we ask what's actually in these heavy sacks as well.
  538. [] The shadow that chased you was waiting in front of the door for a bit.
  539.  
  540. “I was held up by the thing that followed you.”
  541. >You glanced around the room to see if there was a brush of some sort to get all the dust and bits of string out of your scales.
  542. >There was one.
  543. >A very fancy looking silver hairbrush, with a handle that was shaped like a diving alicorn.
  544. >Its backside was a very dark blue and had a crescent moon of inset white jewels on it.
  545. >You dared not touch something that fancy.
  546.  
  547. >You pointed a hoof at the sacks down on the floor next to you.
  548. “So what's in these anyways?”
  549. >Tempest's lips curled into a smile as she trotted out of the kitchen.
  550. >”Flour. A mare's gotta eat and bread stays fresh for only so long. This'll last us a good while and doesn't go bad.”
  551. >She trod right up to you, looked down at one of the bags, bit her lip, and focused.
  552. >Sparks of magic arced out of the stub of her horn as a bag rose into the air, wobbling and tumbling.
  553. >She hopped under the bag and let her magic fade.
  554. >The bag thumped onto her back.
  555. >The focused look on her turned into one of triumph.
  556. >You lit up your horn and floated one bag beside you as you followed her into the kitchen.
  557.  
  558. >Luna had set four cups on the table and was looking into a cupboard when you got in.
  559. >The cupboard was full of various kinds of teas on one shelf and coffees on another.
  560. >She beamed a smile at you and pointed a hoof at a narrow door on the far wall.
  561. >”You can put them in there. I set one for Fleur too as she should be waking up any moment now.”
  562. >It wasn't too amazing of a kitchen.
  563. >A stove and an oven, a tap and a sink, and a fridge.
  564. >Some table space to prepare foods in, a few cupboards to store ingredients in, and the kitchen table along with four chairs.
  565. >All very fancy, with just about every available surface carved, gilded, polished, or otherwise decorated
  566. >And top quality of course.
  567. >But with little signs of wear on any of it – apart a teapot on the stove and the cups on the table which all looked well worn in with ingrained discolorations from past drinks.
  568.  
  569. >Luna's horn flashed with magic and the narrow door swung open to reveal a stocked pantry.
  570. >With railings for hanging clothes off of in it, complete with coat and dress hangers but sans any coats or dresses.
  571. >There were a few fancy hats on the top shelf, though.
  572. >”Don't mind the clothes. I'll get more whether I want to or not once all this is done with.”
  573. >You waited for Tempest to drop off her bag before adding yours on top of the pile.
  574. >The sound of tea being poured into cups filled the room before she reversed out of the tiny room.
  575. >Multiple chairs scraped the floor and you wheeled around to find the princess pointing at pulled back chairs.
  576. >You needed no further encouragement.
  577.  
  578. >The tea was truly excellent, with a bold yet subdued flavors of mint and jasmine in addition to that of tea leaves.
  579. “Have you ever seen or heard a different kind of shadow? I saw two that were translucent and spoke of a world of eternal day.”
  580. >Luna's cup stopped halfway to her lips.
  581. >She turned to stare at you.
  582. >”Near one of those dark fiends?”
  583. >The cup, held in her magic, rose to her lips and she took a sip.
  584. >You nodded.
  585. “Yeah. I ran into those while one of the darker kind blocked my way here.”
  586. >The princess set her cup down and flashed a smile.
  587. >”Pay little heed to what happens around those abominations. The dream is thin around them and echoes from the other side can get through.”
  588. >She let out a tired sigh and looked down at the cup in front of her.
  589. >”I wished not to horrify you with the full truth, but it's better you know all than try to guess at some.”
  590. >She squeezed her eyelids shut and remained still and silent for a moment.
  591. >”It matters not how or who, but somepony had access to terrible forbidden magic and attempted to rip all of Equestria apart and replace it with their dream version of it. It is a spell even I would not dare attempt not only because it would be an unthinkable thing to do even when successful, but because I doubt even I or my sister would manage a spell that powerful.”
  592. >Luna blew some air out of her nostrils to produce a 'hmph'.
  593. >She looked dead tired all of a sudden.
  594. >”Needless to say, the spell failed. It ripped Equestria in half and fizzled out, probably due to the caster running out of spell power and life force to maintain the spell. At that point, instead of joining back together, the halves of reality merged with the dream realm. I know not why that happened, but it did and now there are two realms, both half real and half dream.”
  595. >The princess glanced at Tempest.
  596. >”Can I trust him?”
  597. >The unicorn shrugged and nodded.
  598. >Luna turned to stare at you.
  599. >Her cyan eyes pierced yours and, as it felt like, your soul as well.
  600. >”Can I trust you? With my dearest, most precious thing and secret?”
  601.  
  602. [] Nod resolutely. "You can trust me, Princess. I won't let you down."
  603. [] If there is any chance that bits and pieces of this pony's perfect dream realm still linger around, then "who" does matter. What kind of a pony it was?
  604.  
  605. >Luna glared at you for a moment longer, studying your face.
  606. >”You need a few more decades of acting classes before you can fool me.”
  607. >Her lips curled into a smile and she reached over the table to boop you on the snoot.
  608. >”I decided to trust you earlier, when you were eager to help us. I'll show you when we're done with tea.”
  609. >You were taken aback by the sudden touch of metal on your snootle and lost your train of thought.
  610. >As a result, you stared dumbfounded at Luna for a few seconds.
  611. >Tempest, you noticed, hid a snicker by sipping at her tea.
  612. “Uh. So about whoever cast the spell. If there is any chance that bits and pieces of this pony's perfect dream realm still linger around, then "who" does matter. What kind of a pony it was?”
  613. >You sipped at your tea and found the taste calmed your nerves.
  614. >Luna shook her head waved the same hoof she booped you with in the air.
  615. >”Whoever it was must have perished in the attempt. Their dream died with them. It no longer exists.”
  616. >She blew into her cup before downing its contents in one big gulp.
  617. >”I know not who it was either way. I felt it happen when I was in the dream world, and then I was here before I could even react.”
  618. >You followed her example and downed your remaining tea.
  619. “I see.”
  620. >Your chairs scraped the floor as you pushed them back and hopped off.
  621. >Glancing at Tempest, you saw her in no rush as she took a leisure sip at her drink.
  622. >”I've seen what there is to see. Go ahead, I'll watch over Fleur and give her an earful when she wakes up.”
  623. >Luna rolled her eyes and threw her a disapproving glance, but said nothing as she trotted out of the kitchen.
  624.  
  625. >The princess led you into the staircase and down one floor.
  626. >There were two doors there: one that Tempest said was where she and Fleur slept, and another that you had no clue about.
  627. >Luna bowed her head and her horn lit up with a bright white glow.
  628. >She faced the door you knew nothing about and stuck her horn into its keyhole.
  629. >The lock clicked, and she pushed the door open to reveal a small bedroom.
  630. >There was a single small window through which moonlight shone in, a desk and a stool, a chest of drawers, and a cabinet.
  631. >And the bed, of course.
  632. >In which slept a pure white alicorn with a mane of billowing rainbow colors.
  633. >Luna pushed you inside before you could say anything, followed behind you, and flicked the door closed with a flash of her magic.
  634. >The corners of her mouth drooped and you noticed a glimmer of wetness in the corners of her eyes.
  635. >”Sister! We have a new friend! Would you like to meet him?”
  636. >Her voice was cheery, too much so.
  637. >Luna trod to her sibling, placed a hoof on her withers, and shook her gently.
  638. >To no avail.
  639. >”Sister! Celestia! Wake up!”
  640. >You winced at how loud the princess' voice was.
  641. >The elder sister did not react.
  642. >Her barrel rose and fell gently with her breathing, but otherwise she did not move in the slightest.
  643. >Luna let out a deep sigh and planted her rear on the floor next to her sister's bed.
  644. >”I will find a way to wake you. That I promise.”
  645.  
  646. []Aww, give her a hug
  647. []What is she doing here, one hoof in the dream and the other in the nighty realm?
  648. []Is she the one keeping the shadows at bay? But how?
  649. []Who else knows about Celestia? Does Fleur know? Does the fifth pony, the one who left Luna to try her luck elsewhere, know?
  650.  
  651. >You head was swimming with questions.
  652. >You pushed them aside for the time being, trod to Luna, wrapped a hoof around her withers, and pulled her in for a hug.
  653. >She was incredibly tense, and had an incredibly smooth coat.
  654. >You felt her shiver as you nuzzled the side of her neck.
  655. >Whether that was a good sign or a bad sign you did not know.
  656. >Perhaps ponies just weren't used to the touch of scales.
  657. >You were surprised when a slender black hoof wrapped itself around your neck and buried itself in all the fluff.
  658. >”Thank you.”
  659. >You held each other for a moment before the flood of questions you were holding back grew too large to contain.
  660. >Letting go of her, you drew a deep breath.
  661.  
  662. >”You have many questions but I'm afraid I have few answers.”
  663. >Luna stared at her sister's sleeping face in silence for a moment.
  664. >”The four of us here are the only ones who know of her existence. She does indeed keep the shadows at bay.”
  665. >She shook her head.
  666. >”The rest of your questions I cannot answer. I found her in her own quarters, slumped over her desk and fast asleep, and brought her here so I could better keep watch over her and make sure nothing happens to her. As for dreams?”
  667. >She turned to look at you as her lips curled into a sly smile.
  668. >”There are none. The realm of dreams is no more. We sleep, but do not dream. You may catch the occasional glimpse of the other half of dream-reality, but that is it.”
  669. >Luna plodded to the window and looked out at the moon, falling silent for almost a full minute.
  670. >You dared not interrupt her, choosing to watch her sister's sleeping form instead.
  671. >Princess Celestia looked peaceful, without any signs of distress.
  672. >If what Luna said about the lack of dreams was true, was she watching the other realm, or was she just out cold?
  673. >The moment was broken by some very muffled shouting coming from the floor above.
  674. >”Ah. Sounds like Fleur woke up.”
  675.  
  676. [] "Um... should we intervene, Princess?"
  677.  
  678. >”No, I trust Commander Tempest's judgment. If she believes Fleur deserves an earful, then she deserves one.”
  679. >Luna looked up at the ceiling as her ears perked up.
  680. >Silence took over.
  681. >”See? She's not angry. Just scared and shocked that Fleur took a risk.”
  682. >The princess pushed herself onto all fours and leaned in towards you.
  683. >”Tempest can come across as cold and rough, but she cares immensely for her friends. She fears nothing more than losing those close to her – again. Just don't tell her I know, nor that I told you. Best let her hold to her image.”
  684. >You nodded as she trod past you to the door.
  685. >It swung open with a short flash of blue from her horn.
  686. >”Now, I believe it's time to get you introduced. And to make some dinner.”
  687.  
  688. >Luna traced some shape on the door with her hoof after she pushed it closed behind you.
  689. >She muttered something as her horn lit up and the lock clicked.
  690. >She then leaned in and pressed her forehead against the wood
  691. >”Stay safe. I'll be right back.”
  692. >You had to look away for a moment.
  693.  
  694. >Fleur sat in the kitchen, with a steaming cup of fragrant tea on the table in front of her, as you trotted in behind Luna.
  695. >One of her brows arched as she looked at you, her gaze pausing for a split second on your horn and on your floofy chest.
  696. >”Why hello there. I was told we have a new friend.”
  697. >She hopped off her chair and trotted to you.
  698. >Her hooves were a bit louder than those of the others as they hit the stone floor since she had a bit of flair to her steps.
  699. >”Always a pleasure to meet some... one new. Fleur de Lis.”
  700. >She half-bowed, half-nodded at you and offered a hoof.
  701.  
  702. [] Gentle hoof touching, like a fist bump but softer
  703. [] "Anonymous. I'm pleased to meet you too. I take it you've never met a kirin before, Ms. de Lis?"
  704.  
  705. >You weren't quite sure what to do, but remembered Tempest bumping your hoof.
  706. >Imitating that, you lifted a hoof off the floor and pressed it against Fleur's.
  707. >Hers was warm and smooth, well cared for in every way.
  708. >You also noticed a faint floral scent coming from her.
  709. >You glanced at Tempest, hoping you'd done your greeting right.
  710. >Fleur cocked her head and arched a brow.
  711. >”I have indeed not. And I can tell you have not met too many ponies. You learned it from Commander Tempest, did you not?”
  712. >She rolled her eyes as you nodded.
  713. >”But of course. Commander, I would prefer if you did not teach him such brutish manners.”
  714. >The scolding tone of her voice mare Tempest's lips curl into a smug smile.
  715. >Fleur let out a sigh and shook her hoof and yours with it.
  716. >She then pulled her hoof back and set it back down on the floor as she turned to look at Luna.
  717. >”My apologies, Princess. The commander and I could not agree on whose plan was better. It was short sighted of me to reject the inferior plan when either would've been more than sufficient in the situation.”
  718. >”Inferior?”
  719. >Tempest interjected before Luna could get her mouth open.
  720. >”You're the one who wanted to – and did – rush in headfirst! That was...”
  721. >The princess lifted a hoof into the air.
  722. >You weren't sure what it was, but that simple gesture was enough make the two mares quiet down.
  723. >”That is enough. Let bygones be bygones. Now I believe you two-”
  724. >Luna fell silent for a moment as she cast long looks at both Tempest and Fleur.
  725. >”-should make us dinner. I'm sure you can come to an agreement on what to make to welcome our new friend.”
  726. >She trotted back into her bedroom as the two mares cast sheepish glances at each other.
  727. >”I will go see the spot where you saw some reflections from the other half, Anon. Would you like to join? Or will you rather stay and ensure those two make something palatable?”
  728.  
  729. [] We're the one that saw it, so it makes sense that we should be there.
  730. [] Wouldn't mind taking another crack at communicating with the other side. If the world really is split in twain then we might need coordination from both sides to heal it. The last time the two lighter shadows definitely heard us, albeit faintly, before fading away. Maybe with Luna's more powerful magic and her knowledge of dream realm we'll have more success this time.
  731.  
  732. “I trust these two lovely mares are capable cooks.”
  733. >You beamed a smile at Tempest and Fleur.
  734. “So let's go have a look at that apartment. What's it there for, anyways?”
  735. >Luna glanced back at the two mares, arched a brow, and shook her head before trotting to the door to the stairs.
  736. >”The apartment? That's for the night minister. He takes care of my duties in Equestria should I be unable to, like when I was away visiting some other place, and whatever simple and mundane issues I'd delegate to him.”
  737. >She gave the door a quick shove to make it swing open, then nodded and pointed at it.
  738. >”The apartment's actually rented to him. That's what we do for most of the apartments in the castle – apart ours, of course. They get the prestige of living in the castle and a large place for cheap and you taxpayers don't need to pay for all of the upkeep.”
  739. >She flashed a smile as you trotted past her into the stairs.
  740. “Huh. All we ever had was Rain Shine taking care of what we couldn't. Which wasn't much. Sometimes she had to have the final say over something to get some kind of a decision made, but that's about it.”
  741. >You scaled downwards and soon heard Luna's shod hooves hit the stone behind you.
  742. “I guess stuff gets more complex when there's more than one village to take care of.”
  743. >”Like you wouldn't believe.”
  744.  
  745. >You enjoyed the feeling of grass caressing and tickling your hooves as you trotted through the courtyard and past the crescent moon flower arrangement.
  746. >Now feeling safe and secure, you stopped for a moment.
  747. >It was a warm night and the air was heavy with the scent of flowers.
  748. >It was quiet, apart the distant sound of cicadas somewhere outside the walls and Luna's hooves thudding on the grass.
  749. “This is where I first heard it. There was a shadow about where you stand right now, pacing back and forth and looking into the corridor where we came from.”
  750. >You pointed at Luna, who stood at the edge of the flowerbed close to the mouth of the corridor.
  751. >”This is indeed as near as they can come to our quarters. You could have dashed past it and it couldn't have followed.”
  752. >The princess trod in a small circle, her ears pivoting from side to side.
  753. >She stopped, stuck her snout up at the sky, and sniffed at the air.
  754. >”'tis a fine night. Let us look at the apartment. What exactly did you see and hear?”
  755. >She stared at you as she trotted past.
  756. >Her horn flashed blue as the door swung open.
  757.  
  758. “And that's when they faded away. I don't think they ever heard what I said, just that there was some noise.”
  759. >You held a hoof on the recliner you hid behind not long ago as you finished recounting your encounter with the reflections.
  760. >”Hmm.”
  761. >Luna's brow furrowed as she trod into the kitchen.
  762. >You heard her rummage around as cutlery clinked and cupboard doors creaked.
  763. >”There is something in here, but it is too weak on its own.”
  764. >She peeked into the living room.
  765. >”Help me find it. It's quite small and has this hazy feel and look to it, like it doesn't quite belong in this worl-”
  766. >The princess froze in place all of a sudden, before her eyes opened wide and a look of revelation spread on her.
  767. >”But of course!”
  768. >She trotted into one of the rooms you hadn't checked – an office – and came back with... a stamp?
  769. >It looked like it was wreathed in shadows and shifted around in Luna's blue aura like it was trying to escape.
  770. >Looking at it made you feel dizzy.
  771. >You shook your head, rubbed your eyes with a fetlock, and looked away.
  772. “I don't like it. What is it?”
  773. >”The day minister's seal. They are each other's substitutes.”
  774. >The dizziness didn't fade.
  775. >You stumbled backwards a few steps before sitting down.
  776. >That helped enough for you to look at Luna and the seal again.
  777. >You could've sworn it fizzled in and out of existence as you watched it.
  778. >The princess let the item fall into her hoof and offered it to you.
  779. >”You hold it. That should make it more stable to you; I'll be fine.”
  780.  
  781. [] Take it.
  782. [] "The day minister's seal, huh? I suppose if this world really half runs on dream logics, then certain amount of symbolism and duality is to be expected. Bad news for me, since I was never any good at interpreting dreams..."
  783.  
  784. >You lifted a hoof off the floor and stuck it out towards Luna.
  785. >She placed the seal in your outstretched hoof.
  786. >A sudden jolt hit your spine.
  787. >You jerked and almost dropped what you held.
  788. >Luna cocked her head and arched a brow while looking at you.
  789. “I'm... fine?”
  790. >You felt almost normal.
  791. >There was just a slight tingle in your neck.
  792. >The seal looked almost normal.
  793. >It was made of wood and bronze, had a sun motif, and had traces of wax on it.
  794. >It still looked like it had a layer of shadows covering it, though.
  795. >”Good.”
  796. >She flashed a smile and headed for the door.
  797. >”Let's take it somewhere safe. We can probably find a use for it if we find another like it...”
  798. >The princess' words trailed off as she stopped mid-step.
  799. >”...I'm sure it's fine.”
  800. >She shook her head and trotted back out into the courtyard.
  801.  
  802. >”Duality and intepreting dreams?”
  803. >Luna's lips curled into a smile as she lifted a shod hoof to suppress a chuckle.
  804. >”The castle is full of duality. That is how we designed it. Celestia's tower has a near identical courtyard near it, only the flowers are arranged to form a sun.”
  805. >She made a sweeping motion towards the crescent moon flowerbed as you passed by it.
  806. >”And that's just one of countless examples. It starts from the thro- r—m a-d t- w-l c- i-”
  807. >Her voice turned into a jumble of mismatched noises as her shod hooves reached the stone tiling of the corridor to her tower.
  808. “What'd you say?”
  809. >”An-n? W-t w-?”
  810. >She wheeled around, her hooves beating the stone tiling.
  811. >Or that's what you saw her do.
  812. >The sound never reached your ears, or got lost somewhere between those and your brain.
  813. >Instead, you heard another set of shod hooves approach from behind you.
  814. >You turned to look, but there was nothing to see...?
  815. >...or maybe, there was?
  816. >You had to stare at it for a while, but you thought you saw something that had the same shape as Luna.
  817. >It was ever so slightly darker than the surroundings.
  818. >Glancing back at the princess, you saw her getting more and more concerned.
  819. >Her lips moved like she was talking, but you couldn't hear anything.
  820.  
  821. [] Drop it.
  822. [] Say hi to the shadow.
  823.  
  824. >The seal, still in your hoof, was growing darker.
  825. >Instead of being veiled in shadows, it now had a sphere of shadows around it.
  826. >You stuck your hoof out as far as you could before glancing at the faint shadow behind you.
  827. “Hi. I'd love to stay and chat but I don't think it's a good idea.”
  828. >You tilted your hoof enough to make the seal roll off it.
  829. >”A shame. It's lonely in here.”
  830. >Its voice sounded like Luna's, but harsher – and sadder.
  831. >The seal reached the edge and fell off.
  832. >You had just enough time to feel sorry for whoever or whatever it was before a sudden jolt hit your spine.
  833.  
  834. >The next thing you knew was that Luna's magic held you mid-air.
  835. >You, along with the seal, floated beside her as she scaled up the stairs to her quarters.
  836. >She noticed you move, glanced your way, and stopped for just long enough to place a hoof on her chest and let out a sigh.
  837. >”Don't ever scare me like that again.”
  838. >She let you float down to the steps.
  839. >You first touched the stone with one hoof, then with all four.
  840. >The support of her magic faded away slowly as your weight shifted from her aura to your hooves.
  841. >They held, though not without shaking.
  842. “What happened?”
  843. >The seal floated down to Luna and did a twirl between the two of you.
  844. >”I cannot tell you, for I do not know. But I believe it has something to do with this. It appears that this thing's effects are amplified by sister's presence.”
  845. >She continued up the stairs.
  846. >”You couldn't hear me, but you heard and saw something. What was it?”
  847.  
  848. [] We saw something that had a similar build to you and a similar, but harsher voice. They seemed lonely and disappointed we said we were leaving.
  849. [] Tell her it was Nightmare Moon, and her butt is not as flat, you boldly assume, and that you want to see her again.
  850.  
  851. >Luna's wings spread halfway and she shifted her weight onto her rear legs as she heard you say you wanted to meet who you thought was Nightmare Moon again.
  852. >Her lips curled into an uneasy, twitchy smile.
  853. >”'tis... Not entirely impossible. Implausible, but not impossible.”
  854. >She fell silent for a moment.
  855. >She regained her posture and her brow furrowed.
  856. >”'tis best to avoid any contact with her, whatever the situation. Remember that her words are poison and she will lie, flatter, deceive, bribe, blackmail – anything to get what she wants. She knows of neither love nor compassion.”
  857. >Her ear flicked as a hint of red rose to her cheeks.
  858. >”And she does not even have a body of her own! She stole mine! Our forms are one and the same!”
  859. >She stuck her snout up in the air and craned her neck to look away.
  860.  
  861. []Has she ever experienced love or compassion?
  862. []A ton of other stuff.
  863.  
  864. >”She's experienced all I have. I know not where she originated from, but we co-existed for a while. Until she betrayed me and took over the first opportunity she had, that is.”
  865. >The princess looked down at her own hooves.
  866. >The corners of her mouth drooped to form a frown.
  867. >”She saved...?”
  868. >Luna turned to stare at you with her mouth left hanging open.
  869. >She placed a hoof on her face and shook her head.
  870. >”Why would you think she is the one who saved you? How do you think you ended up in my quarters, then?”
  871. >She stuck a hoof out at you to silence you as soon as you drew breath.
  872. >”No need to tell me. You are under her spell, are you not? Why else would you wish to ally with a traitor?”
  873. >Her nostrils flared as she glared at you.
  874. >”Hmph. You have had your only and final warning.”
  875. >You only realized how tense you were when Luna finally turned around and continued up the stairs.
  876. >”Come. Let us eat.”
  877. >Your tail unwrapped itself from around your rear leg.
  878.  
  879. [] Sorry, it turns out our memory is hazier than we thought. How did she find us in that room so quickly, anyway? Was she just accidentally passing by, or she was following some signs or feelings that manifest when a newcomer appears in this world? And where does she keep her sword? Will we get a sword?
  880.  
  881. >Luna's ears swiveled backwards as you spoke.
  882. >Her stance relaxed, she glanced back at you, and even suppressed a chuckle as you asked about a sword.
  883. >She spread her wings and took off with a mighty flap, only to bap your snoot with a rear hoof and land immediately after.
  884. >”You are impossible. Sure, I'll show you my 'sword' and let you hold it. You'll have to give it back, though.”
  885. >Her lips curled into an amused smile as she shook her head.
  886. >”And I found you because I feel any disruptions in the castle. You punched a hole clean through the dreamweave and fell through. That stood out like a bonfire in the darkness.”
  887. >You finally reached the top floor where Luna's quarters were.
  888. >The princess' horn flashed and the door to her own bedroom swung open.
  889. >She stopped to wait beside the door.
  890. >”It was the same for the three others I've found. It likely happens outside the castle as well, but alas, my ability is limited and I sense nothing from outside the walls.”
  891. >You trodded in past her.
  892. >She followed immediately behind you and pulled the door closed.
  893.  
  894. >The scent of fried onions, tomatoes, and pasta filled the room.
  895. >You peeked into the kitchen.
  896. >Tempest and Fleur sat at the table, both with frowns on their lips, and looked away from each other.
  897. >There were two pots on the stove, slowly bubbling away.
  898. >”Here. My 'sword'.”
  899. >You wheeled around to see Luna holding a cast iron poker in her magic grasp.
  900. “Oh. Is that really what you had?”
  901. >She nodded and floated it towards you.
  902. >You lit up your horn and took it.
  903. >It was fairly heavy and the tip was sharp so it would do for a weapon in a pinch.
  904. >”Now there's another one somewhere...”
  905. >Luna pulled her closet open and rummaged around in it.
  906. >”...ah, here.”
  907. >She pulled out a short sword.
  908. >Both the scabbard and the hilt were either silver or at least silvered, and beset with jewels.
  909. >”I'd give this to you, but your kind cannot wield the magic needed to make it effective against the fiends.”
  910. >To emphasize her words, she yanked the sword out of its scabbard.
  911. >Both her horn and eyes flashed blue as she swung it.
  912. >It left behind a blue arc.
  913.  
  914. [] Make a few lunges in the air with the poker.
  915. [] Do these work against the shadows? I thought they were incorporeal?
  916. [] Lick the poker
  917.  
  918. >You reared up and propelled yourself forwards with a strong push of your rear legs.
  919. >With the poker held in front of you, you imagined yourself as Luna lunging at the shadows attacking you.
  920. “Ha!”
  921. >You spun around and reared up again.
  922. “Begone!”
  923. >Despite your best efforts, you couldn't match Luna's poise and grandeur, or the ferocity of her lunge.
  924. >But, you did bring an amused smile to her lips as she watched you.
  925. >”You'd be an expert in no time. But, I think we've denied our hearth its tool for long enough.”
  926. >She pointed at a rack of tools next to the fireplace.
  927. >The fire in it had turned into a pile of glowing embers.
  928. >You floated the poker into the rack and let it fall into its place.
  929. >But not before before bringing it to your mouth for a quick lick.
  930. “Bleugh, oak soot. So bitter. I prefer maple or birch.”
  931. >Luna, with a half-formed word frozen on her lips, watched you bring a fetlock to your snoot to wipe off rest of the soot.
  932. “Do these work against the shadows? I thought they were incorporeal.”
  933. >The princess shook her head.
  934. >To clear it, not to indicate anything.
  935. >”Not without the proper spell to go with it. Alas, it is a difficult one and only the most capable and gifted unicorns may wield such magic.”
  936. >She glanced into the kitchen and the two mares – who now watched you – there.
  937. >”Of us here, I am the only one who can. Sister could, were she awake, and perhaps a few of her brightest pupils.”
  938. >Luna looked back at the sword she still held in her magic and stuck it back in its sheath.
  939. >She stared at it with a blank look on her for a while before chucking it back in the closet and pushing the doors closed behind it.
  940.  
  941. >You trotted into the kitchen, where the two pots still bubbled on the stove and the scent of onions, tomatoes, and pasta hung heavy in the air.
  942. >The two mares kept their gazes fixed on you, taking great care to not glance at each other.
  943. >Neither said a word.
  944. “What's got you so down?”
  945. >Fleur blew some air out of her nostrils to produce a loud “hmph.”
  946. >She slowly craned her neck to glare at Tempest.
  947. >”Why, nothing, nothing at all. I simply told her how much I appreciate her 'rescuing' me when I'm about to eliminate our opposition. That, and the onions I told her to sauté somehow ended up soft and overdone. And we'll be serving it to the princess herself!”
  948. >”Uh-huh.”
  949. >Tempest crossed her front hooves, cast a short glance at Fleur, and looked out of the window.
  950. >”Well sorr-y for saving your flank and frying an onion like you told me to. I couldn't have carried you here fast enough had you missed and gone through the thing instead of just grazing it.”
  951. >”Commander.”
  952. >Fleur's tone dropped by an octave.
  953. >”I do not miss when I catch them unawares from behind. And I did not stutter when I said sauté.”
  954. >You glanced back at Luna.
  955. >She had a sly smile on her and nodded at the two mares, then at you, and took a step back.
  956.  
  957. [] Is there a point in eliminating shadows? Aren't they inexhaustible? And the same question about food: does it regenerate, or sooner or later they'll exhaust whatever larder they've been raiding?
  958. [] From what Tempest said, it sounds like not missing actually would've been much worse. And, as for sautéing, most have not had enough cooking lessons to know the difference between it and frying.
  959.  
  960. “Wouldn't hitting it have meant touching it anyways and have had you end up the same way, or worse?”
  961. >Fleur arched a brow as she turned to look at you.
  962. >”What exactly have you been telling him, Commander?”
  963. >She glanced back at Tempest.
  964. >”I would have touched it anyways, yes, but that would've caused no harm as I would've hit and immediately eliminated the target. They are not at all difficult to terminate.”
  965. ”So.”
  966. >You had conflicting feelings about the two.
  967. >On one hoof, it very much looked like they were at each others' throats.
  968. >On the other, Luna did say that that's how Tempest showed she cares.
  969. “If they're easy to get rid of, why not just go on a hunt and get them all?”
  970. >Both of the two mares stared at you.
  971. >It was Tempest who was quicker to draw breath and get her mouth open.
  972. >”Luna tried exterminating every single one she could find, but there would always be just as many the next day. We don't know where they come from or if they're truly endless, but so far our efforts have made no noticeable difference in their numbers. So, it's best not risk it.”
  973. >Fleur nodded.
  974. >”I agree that it's best not go out hunting for them. But, eliminating one does remove it for at least a couple of hours. Long enough to get whatever you're doing done.”
  975. >She and Tempest glanced at each other, then shook their heads in disapproval.
  976. >You heard Luna let out a sigh somewhere behind you.
  977. “Well if the shadows are endless or near enough, then how about food? We got some flour, but where'd you find it and how much is there left to find?”
  978. >The princess trod into the kitchen, her shod hooves breaking the quiet.
  979. >”We largely exhausted the castle kitchen's stocks stocking our little storeroom here. What we get now is from outside the castle where the terrain changes often. Most changes brings food with them. They've even found fresh milk out there a few times.”
  980. >She squeezed past the table and the mares sitting at it to get to the stove.
  981. >Her horn lit up and both lids floated off their pots.
  982. >She stuck her snout close to the column of steam rising off the pot that had tomato sauce in it and sniffed at it.
  983. >”Anon, why don't you add the spices? There's plenty; you should be able to make it similar to what you're used to.”
  984.  
  985. [] Should probably taste some before we do anything seasonings-wise.
  986. [] >sprinkle in some oregano, salt, sugar and drizzle in some olive oil. shred in a generous amount of Parmesan if they have that too. "Such an empty realm we find ourselves in. Where do you think the rest of the population is? Will they slowly turn up like we did?" "Princess, you mentioned that somepony didn't stick around and left the castle on their own. Did they say least say who they were?"
  987.  
  988. >You zipped over to the pot and leaned in with Luna.
  989. >Sniff, snif...
  990. >Tomatoes from a can and overcooked onions.
  991. >Not the best, but also not beyond salvation.
  992. “I can work with this.”
  993. >A quick trip to the pantry had you return with jars, dried bushels, and bottles floating around your head like some weird halo of flavor.
  994. >You hummed an old Kirin song as you flipped the dials on the stove to zero, floated down a cutting board and a knife, peeled a few cloves of garlic, chopped them to bits, and set them aside to wait.
  995. >You failed to spot a mortar or a pestle, so you pulled a few leafy twigs of both basil and oregano from their respective bushels and placed them next to the garlic on the board.
  996. >Sacrilegious taste contamination, you knew, but they were going in the same dish anyways.
  997. >Lacking better tools, you lifted a hoof off the floor and turned it around to look at its bottom.
  998. >And stopped.
  999. “Now this is going to be a biiiit weird but don't panic, OK?”
  1000. >You flashed a smile at the mares around you.
  1001. >Luna cocked her head and arched a brow, Tempest leaned in closer, and Fleur shifted in her seat and glanced at the door.
  1002. >With the warning out of the way, you drew breath.
  1003. >Fwooooosh!
  1004. >And breathed a jet of dark flame at your hoof.
  1005. >It tickled, and sterilized.
  1006. >You had the ingredients, but you figured they weren't ready for Nirk's Breath in their food quite yet, so you kept it to your hoof.
  1007. >It was very quiet when you ran out of breath and the flame died out.
  1008. >You didn't let that stop you from stomping the herbs to dust.
  1009.  
  1010. >”I commend your expertise and quick thinking, Anon.”
  1011. >Fleur set down her fork and floated up a napkin to wipe the traces of red tomato sauce from around her lips.
  1012. >”I did not think it recoverable but you made it work. Thank you.”
  1013. >She bowed her head at you.
  1014. >You figured it was an important gesture.
  1015. >Tempest rolled her eyes at it.
  1016. >”That was tasty. Thanks.”
  1017. >She had a tiny speck of tomato on her dark cheek as she hopped off her chair.
  1018. >You rubbed the back of your neck, not used to such lavish praise.
  1019. “I'm glad you liked it. I thought we could all use something good in an empty world like this. Where's the rest of Equestria anyways? You said somepony chose to leave. Who was it?”
  1020. >Luna dabbed her lips with a napkin.
  1021. >Her magic tingled in the air as the plates and cutlery floated into one neat pile.
  1022. >”I believe they are stuck in time, as you were. Perhaps they will show up somewhere at some time, like you did, or perhaps they will wake up as if nothing had happened once we fix all this.”
  1023. >Her shod hooves thudded on the floor as she slipped off her chair and turned towards the sink.
  1024. >”Thunderlane, I believe his name was. He said he would go find his friends and left. I have not seen him since.”
  1025. >The stack of dirty dishes jingled as she lowered it into the sink.
  1026.  
  1027. >The sound of sloshing water and Luna scrubbing clean the dishes carried from the kitchen.
  1028. >Tempest lounged on the princess' bed, staring out of the window.
  1029. >Fleur stood on the balcony.
  1030. >You padded to her, your cloven hooves making little sound on the stone.
  1031. >She stared at the high rise building, biting her lip and looking deep in thought.
  1032. >”I wonder...”
  1033. >Her voice was so quiet even you could only just hear it.
  1034. >She fell silent for a few seconds, still staring at the building.
  1035. >Then she shook her head.
  1036. >”...no, best not -oh!”
  1037. >Only then did she notice you.
  1038. >She flinched and took a step back, only for her rear to bump into the railing.
  1039. >”I didn't notice you. I thought I'd read a bit before we retire for the night. Would you accompany me on a trip to the Royal Library? Or did you have something in mind?”
  1040. >She cocked her head and arched a brow, then shook her head again and placed a hoof on her chest.
  1041. >”Ah, but how uncouth of me. You must be tired after such an eventful day. I'll show you where you can rest.”
  1042.  
  1043. [] "Forgive me, didn't mean to startle you. I saw your staring at that building. I know the look of homesickness when I see it, is there somepony you miss?"
  1044.  
  1045. “Sorry! I didn't mean to startle you. You just looked homesick to me. Do you miss somepony or someplace?”
  1046. >Fleur let her hoof fall back on the stone tiling and looked down at it.
  1047. >She let out a sigh.
  1048. >For a moment, she looked very tired.
  1049. >”There are some I miss more than others. I haven't...”
  1050. >She trailed off and took a second before continuing.
  1051. >”...slept quite right without my cat purring me to sleep. He's the sweetest, gentlest little nugget to ever exist.”
  1052. >Her lips curled into a smile as she looked back at you before trotting back inside and beckoning you to follow.
  1053. >”Come. You can rest on my bed while we find you a proper place to sleep.”
  1054. >You were unsure what exactly she meant, but decided to follow her.
  1055. >Tempest, now nodding off on the bed, cast one glance at you as you passed by.
  1056.  
  1057. >Fleur led you down to the floor below and pushed open one of the two doors.
  1058. >”Here we are. It isn't much, but it'll do.”
  1059. >She let you squeeze in past her.
  1060. >You found yourself in a room with two beds in it, a drawer for each, a desk with a mirror on it, and a chair for the desk.
  1061. >There was an open door on one wall that led into a bathroom.
  1062. >The furniture, compared to the princess' room looked plain.
  1063. “It'll be a bit cramped if we want to fit a third bed in here.”
  1064. >You measured the room in your head and figured it'd fit, if only just.
  1065. >”That is true. But, we have to make do. It is far better we have a room up here where it's safe than go down to the guest rooms where there's plenty of space.”
  1066. >Fleur flashed you a smile.
  1067. >”My bed is the one on the left. Rest for as long as you like. I will ask Tempest to accompany me to the library to pick up something to read. We'll bring you a bed on the way back up.”
  1068. >She bowed her head at you.
  1069.  
  1070. [] Tempest seemed pretty tired herself. We can accompany you to the library and hold off on getting the bed until everybody's awake.
  1071. [] What books she may recommend us in this library?
  1072.  
  1073. “Tempest looked pretty tired. How about I come to the library with you instead? Let's let her rest.”
  1074. >You wheeled around and beamed a smile at Fleur.
  1075. >”Well...”
  1076. >She blinked twice and glanced down at her hooves.
  1077. >”You really should get some rest, but I'm not going to oppose if you insist.”
  1078. >She then flashed you a sweet smile, beckoned you to follow, and trotted out of the room.
  1079. >You followed behind her, only stopping to pull the door closed with a quick flash of magic.
  1080. >The door thumping closed and your two sets of hooves echoed up and down the spiraling stone staircase as you scaled down.
  1081.  
  1082. >The castle was quiet.
  1083. >Fleur zipped from shadow to shadow, pillar to pillar, or door to door ahead of you, her hooves only just audible on the mirror polished stone.
  1084. >Both her and your ears swiveled back and forth as you listened to any sign of trouble.
  1085. >But, apart from you two, the hallways were dead silent.
  1086. >”I am not sure how to feel about this. It's getting late, but not so late there shouldn't be any patrols around.”
  1087. >She stopped in plain sight in the middle of the corridor for the first time and held a front hoof in half in the air.
  1088. >She drew a deep breath and held it in, then perked her ears upright.
  1089. >Her face became one of focus.
  1090. >You stopped in your tracks, teetering on two hooves until she let the breath out and shook her head.
  1091. >”Nope, I cannot hear a thing. Curious.”
  1092. >She shrugged and beckoned you to follow.
  1093. >This time she trod in the middle of the path and her hooves made quiet clip-clops.
  1094. >Quieter than those of Tempest's, but still louder than before.
  1095. “How do you know what to expect here?”
  1096. >Fleur glanced back at you as you took a few faster steps to catch up.
  1097. >”I have gone out every day – or night, or whatever these are. With Luna or with Tempest. Do that enough and you start noticing patterns. They do not follow the same schedules as the Royal Guard did back before all this happened, but they do follow some kind of a schedule. For the most part.”
  1098. >She wagged a hoof in the air in a dismissive motion as she said the final sentence.
  1099.  
  1100. >You had to admit you had lost track of both time and where you were until Fleur stopped at the entrance to the Great Hall and peeked in.
  1101. >It was just as quiet as everywhere else.
  1102. “I guess I should get myself something to read as well. Is there anything you think I'd like? There's definitely going to be too many option to choose between.”
  1103. >Fleur didn't make her way to the middle where the statues were yet, but remained still and listened for a few seconds.
  1104. >There was nothing to hear.
  1105. >”Hm.”
  1106. >She turned to look at you, studying you from hoof to horn.
  1107. >Her brow furrowed.
  1108. >”I believe you would like Princess Celestia's diaries. They offer a very unique look into Equestria's past, spanning from Nightmare Moon's banishment to her defeat and Princess Luna's return.”
  1109. “That does sou-”
  1110. >Fleur stuck her hoof almost into your mouth all of a sudden.
  1111. >”Hush.”
  1112. >Her ears perked up and swiveled backwards as her gaze lost focus and she stared somewhere far behind you.
  1113. >There was nothing to hea...
  1114. >...r?
  1115. >The faintest jingle of metal and the sound of many hooves came from somewhere across the Hall.
  1116. >There were too many for you to come up with a number.
  1117. >More than four was your best guess.
  1118. >Fleur wrapped her hoof around your neck and chest and pulled you deeper into the darkness of the corridor, close to where it forked.
  1119. >”I do not know what they're doing. Best stay back for now and let them pass.”
  1120. >You nodded and squeezed yourself to a shadowy wall.
  1121. >You heard her do something similar behind you, but dared not look as a pair of shadows emerged from a corridor on the far side of the Hall.
  1122. >It was followed by another pair, then another, then another, and even more until you lost count.
  1123. >Each pair trotted to the center of the room, to the plush red carpet, then headed out towards the main gate.
  1124. >The once quiet corridor was full of the sounds of jingling metal and hooves on both stone and carpet.
  1125. >Fortunately, none headed your way.
  1126. >It took several minutes before the final pair trotted out, reached the carpet, and headed out.
  1127. >The sound of metal and hooves started growing more and more distant until it faded out entirely.
  1128. >”I wonder what that was all about.”
  1129. >Fleur stepped out form behind you and rubbed her chin with a hoof.
  1130.  
  1131. [] Go after them
  1132.  
  1133. “Let's go see where they're going and find out.”
  1134. >You hopped out of the shadows and headed down the corridor towards the Hall, keeping your ears perked up as you went.
  1135. >The only thing to hear, apart your own soft hoofsteps, was the now very distant jingle of metal and hooves on gravel.
  1136. >”Follow them? Just the two of us?”
  1137. >You heard Fleur's hooves thud on the stone behind you as she took after you.
  1138. “I feel like knowing what they're doing will help us get to the bottom of everything.”
  1139.  
  1140. >Peeking into the Great Hall, you found it deserted.
  1141. >There was no sign of them left.
  1142. >You zipped across to the statues faster and louder than you would've liked, afraid of letting them get out of earshot.
  1143. >Fleur was slower to follow than you would've liked and kept glancing back the way you came, but follow she did.
  1144. >Your heartbeat felt louder than usual as you stepped onto the plush red carpet and dashed towards the door to the main gate.
  1145. >The luxurious rug dampened the sound of your hooves enough for you to hear the horde ahead.
  1146. >You were catching up.
  1147.  
  1148. >”Wait!”
  1149. >Fleur set her hoof on top of yours just as you were about to push open the door leading to the main gate.
  1150. >She glanced around the Hall before looking at you.
  1151. >”Luna didn't give you your amulet, did she?”
  1152. >Her horn lit up and a dreamcatcher floated out from under her mane.
  1153. >The string looked like it had the faintest, tiniest stars stuck in it and the feathers hanging off of it were dark blue.
  1154. >”You may not be able to find your way back to the castle if you go out without one.”
  1155.  
  1156. [] Drats, I guess we should stick to within the castle grounds. I suppose technically we will be alright if we venture out with Fleur, but I don't like the risk of us two getting separated. I vote on going back to visiting the library.
  1157.  
  1158. “I might have forgotten about that. Maybe it's best we just go to the library, then.”
  1159. >You let your hoof fall back to the carpeted floor.
  1160. >Or would have, if Fleur hadn't pinned it to the door with her own, warm hoof.
  1161. >The mare let out a short sigh before letting go.
  1162. >”A relief. I do not fancy the thought of being out there with so many of them.”
  1163. >Her springy steps thudded on the carpet as she headed away from the door.
  1164. >”Come. I'll show you to the library. It's not far.”
  1165. >You heard the distant sound of a multitude of hooves on gravel from somewhere beyond the door.
  1166. >You'd find out what it was all about some other day.
  1167.  
  1168. >Fleur zipped across the Hall to peek into the corridor they came from.
  1169. >You couldn't hear anything, and her beckoning you forth suggested she didn't see anything either.
  1170. >”It's along this corridor. Come quick, they patrol here often.”
  1171. >Your hooves made quiet thuds on the carpet and the stone as you crossed the distance between you and her.
  1172. >The corridor you were heading towards had a white and gold theme to it, compared to the blue and silver the one that led to Luna's quarters had.
  1173. >Otherwise it was similar: granite floor polished to a mirror sheen, carved pillars lining the walls, doors of various sizes between the pillars, and the occasional painting or photo hanging on the walls.
  1174. >Fleur trotted down the corridor until she came to a halt in front of a particularly wide and fancy door.
  1175. >She glanced back at you, flashed a smile, and pushed the door open.
  1176.  
  1177. >The library was... extensive, with a word.
  1178. >Extremely tall, decorated shelves packed to the brim with books of all imaginable shapes and sizes filled the room.
  1179. >There was a counter and a few reading desks near the door, and a balcony above with even more desks on it.
  1180. >Fleur shoved the door closed with a rear hoof.
  1181. >”Here we are!”
  1182. >She trotted towards the shelves and did a sweeping motion towards them.
  1183. >”Only a few of Equestria's largest libraries can match this collection of literature. And that's not counting the Royal Archive, which is in its own building on Canterlot Square.”
  1184. >Her voice gaining in pitch and tempo as she spoke betrayed her excitement.
  1185. >”The history section is this way, I'll show you where. Princess Celestia's diaries are there.”
  1186. >She headed off towards a specific row of shelves.
  1187. >You noticed she once again had that same spring to her steps as when you first saw her awake.
  1188. >You were just about to follow her when she slammed all four hooves to the floor and skid to a stop, and then wheeled around to look at you.
  1189. >”...or was there something else you wanted to read about first? You have a lot of questions. Maybe some of the answers are here?”
  1190.  
  1191. [] She is clearly excited about Celestia's diaries, we can look at those first. Plenty of time for some other books after, right?
  1192. [] I wasn't aware that the Princess publishes her diaries, are the public versions heavily edited in any way?
  1193. [] Maybe there is a book or two that can teach us some new spells?
  1194.  
  1195. >You fancied the thought of studying magic, but that'd be very slow and you weren't sure you could do unicorn magic in the first place.
  1196. >It'd been no doubt tried, but you hadn't heard of the results – and weren't too gifted with magic anyways.
  1197. “How are the diaries? Are they heavily edited or?”
  1198. >You pointed a hoof and nodded at the shelves past Fleur.
  1199. >”I would say they are relatively lightly edited. The editors have added extensive notes to explain most less known events and has added some narrative based on other sources to bridge some gaps in entries. The Princess' own writing is almost untouched.”
  1200. >She headed towards a row of shelves as she spoke.
  1201. >”She thought about her diaries ending up in the wrong hooves and didn't write down anything that'd compromise national security. Or so she wrote after the second changeling invasion – that she never forgot the first one and kept the critical information to just herself.”
  1202. >You nodded at her as you followed her deeper into the library.
  1203. >The massive bookshelves stacked to the brim on both sides muffled the echoes of both her voice and your hooves.
  1204. >”Now, I believe her intention was to publish them all along to make other ponies realize she's much more like them than the idolized perfect ruler some make her to be. Or that's how I feel since I know she's more than enough of a diplomat to hide how she feels yet still I found since she always seemed uncomfortable if somepony treated her like she was superior or...”
  1205. >Fleur's sudden flood of words about the princess left your head swimming.
  1206. >She just kept babbling on like an excited filly, more and more about Princess Celestia.
  1207.  
  1208. >”...and then – ah! Here we are.”
  1209. >Silence took over in a welcome change as Fleur both stopped and fell silent.
  1210. >She pointed at a extremely long row of near identical books right next to her.
  1211. >Celestia's Diary, parts 1 through...
  1212. >...
  1213. >...you had to trot along the row for a bit to see the last one...
  1214. >...103.
  1215. >Well then.
  1216. >”Now don't worry. They're far faster to read than you think. But yes, a thousand years is a lot to write about!”
  1217. >The mare beamed a wide smile at you.
  1218.  
  1219. [] Follow the mare back and ask her more about her book.
  1220. [] Boop her back or rub your flank against her side
  1221.  
  1222. “One more thing.”
  1223. >You trod to her side, lifted a front hoof into the air, and looked at the book.
  1224. >Then turned to look at her and went for a sudden boop!
  1225. >Her hooves clopped on the floor as they shot into a wider stance and she swung her head out of the way.
  1226. >Then she realized what was going on and let out a chuckle.
  1227. >”Oh. I apologize. I am a bit too much on the edge here.”
  1228. >She pressed her soft, warm snoot into the bottom of your cloven hoof.
  1229. >You felt the corners of your mouth curl into a smile at the sensation.
  1230. >”I believe that makes us even, no?”
  1231. >She pulled back and trotted past you, flicking her tail so it brushed your side as she went.
  1232. >You shook your head, made double sure you had both books floating above you, and turned around to follow her.
  1233.  
  1234. >The castle's corridors were once again quiet.
  1235. >It was just your two sets of hooves, with no other sounds to be heard.
  1236. >There was something in the air that kept the both of you glancing backwards as you headed towards the Grand Hall.
  1237. >It was a twisting feeling in the bottom of your stomach that urged you to run faster because there was something back there, just out of sight.
  1238. >But, there was nothing to see or hear.
  1239. “S-so. That book. What's it like?”
  1240. >You had to make an effort to not break into a gallop.
  1241. >Fleur zipped to the end of the corridor you were in and peeked into the Hall.
  1242. >There was nothing to see or hear.
  1243. >”I wish I could tell you.”
  1244. >She glanced behind you and you heard her gulp down a bit of saliva.
  1245. >”But I haven't read it yet.”
  1246. >She sounded tense.
  1247. >”I can tell you that-”
  1248. >Her ears perked up and swiveled around.
  1249. >She otherwise went stock still.
  1250. >Silence.
  1251. >Deep silence.
  1252. >There was nothing to see or hear.
  1253. >Fleur let herself relax and let out the breath she'd held.
  1254. >”Never mind. I believe it's best we get a move on.”
  1255. >She beckoned you to follow her with a swing of her hoof and dashed into the Hall.
  1256.  
  1257. >A long, wailing howl carried down the corridor you were in from somewhere far away.
  1258. >Both you and Fleur came to a stop and turned to stare at each other.
  1259. >Your tail wrapped itself around your rear leg.
  1260. “That was just the wind, right? Sounded just like it.”
  1261. >Silence took over as Fleur's ears swiveled to scan the surroundings.
  1262. >”I... hope it was.”
  1263. >She glanced back the way you came.
  1264. >There was nothing to see.
  1265. >”There's a few rooms with beds in them just down this corridor, along the way back.”
  1266. >She continued down the corridor, her hooves beating the stone floor at a faster pace than before.
  1267. >You followed behind her.
  1268. >But, you didn't get far before another wailing howl came from somewhere, this time followed by the sound of rushing wind.
  1269. >It was still distant, but not quite as.

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