Any lingering presence of the Nightmare or its host were nowhere to be found as Dash and the rest escaped the depths of the cave with Ms. Yearling in tow. Despite her insistence that she was fine enough to fly on her own, Edweena refused to let her exert herself any further. Once they returned to the surface and distanced them from the forest, the little light they could find revealed the severity of Ms. Yearling’s injuries.

So, they departed the gloomy forest for Canterlot as quickly as possible, with Edweena carrying Ms. Yearling in her talons for their ascent. As they climbed over the thick clouds that shrouded the base of the mountain from the light of the sun, they discovered that it was very nearly night. The moon’s glow began to rise over the mountains, as the fading rays of the sun dipped below the cliffs of Canterlot Mountain above them.

They passed the docks as they returned within the city limits. A contingent of guards were still present on the scene, diverting the gawking civilians that came from the further reaches of the city to see the devastation of the Nightmare’s minions. Most of the debris had been cleaned, but there would still be much work in the following weeks to return everything to normal.

Dash and her group did not stop there. While there were medics for Ms. Yearling at the docks, they felt the urgency to return to princess Luna with answers of their progress. They had been gone for hours, and Dash insisted she needed to see Twilight, and there would be undoubtedly help for Ms. Yearling in the castle.

As they approached the castle, they saw that there were far more guards present in the sky around the mountain. The castle walls were alight with magical braziers that light the night, culling the encroaching darkness.

It wasn’t long before they were spotted in the air. They were approached by a few squads of royal guards. They were surrounded quickly, and a single pegasus, dressed in officers colors hovered closer. His eyes scanned Dash’s group, before he noticed Dash herself.

“Miss Rainbow Dash?” he said.

“Yeah, that’s me.”

“We were informed to bring you back to Princess Luna upon your return.”

Dash raised an eyebrow. “Why? Did something happen?”

“Please, follow me. Guards! Escort formation!”

The guards repositioned themselves around Dash’s group, and the continued on towards the castle. Dash’s mind started to wander when the guard did not answer her. Her worry for Twilight started to rise. It had been hours since she last saw her, and who knows what the Nightmare could have done while they were running around the docks.

Her worry got the better of her, and without a word, she sped off without the group. She heard shouting behind her as the guards mobilized to follow her, but she was already well out of reach. Nothing was going to stop her from getting to Twilight.

She flew straight to the tower which held Celestia’s bed chamber. She reached the balcony and burst through the door. “Twilight! Are you okay!?”

Dash blinked at the scene she found on the other side. Luna was still at Celestia’s bedside. She directed an amused glance in Dash’s direction as her horn glowed. A shimmering light encompassed Celestia on the bed as Luna focused her magic. Her eyes were closed, but still were awash with the Nightmare’s dark influence.

Twilight was still there, unhurt. She was sitting still on the floor, eyes closed. Crystal Dream was sitting in front of her, her eyes also closed as her horn glowed. She and Twilight were connected by a faint cord of magic, and did not rouse from Dash’s entrance.

“T-twilight?” Dash said.

Giggling from the bed prompted Dash to turn to Luna. She looked rather amused as she regarded the worry on Dash’s face. Her magic continued to glow over Celestia’s still form on the bed beside her. “I’d recommend keeping your voice down, Miss Dash. Dreamwalking works best if they are actually dreaming.”

“Princess Luna, what’s going on? Why is Twilight asleep?” Dash’s heart began to race. “Did something happen to her too?! Did she catch the same thing that Celestia did, but we didn’t see it in time?” Dash darted from the window to Twilight’s side, when she felt something tug at her tail.

Luna’s horn dimmed and released Dash. “Calm yourself, Rainbow Dash. Twilight is fine. She is attempting to look through her memories for something important.”

“Her memories? For what?”

Luna’s eyes narrowed. “She claims to know the identity of the Nightmare’s host.”

Dash blinked. “W-what? We just ran into her less than an hour ago in the caves under Canterlot Mountain, how could Twilight know?”

“Caves beneath the mountain? Did you find something?”

Dash waved her hoof impatiently. “Long story. We found Edweena, and one of the Nightmare’s goons started trashing the cloud district docks. We managed to stop it, and it turns out the Nightmare corrupted more ponies than just her host. We followed a lead into the caves and found the one who discovered the Prism’s location for the Nightmare.”

She gestured to Twilight. “Now will you please tell me what’s going on with Twilight? I have a right to know!”

Luna stared a Dash without so much as a blink as she listened. Her gaze drifted to Twilight and she nodded slowly. “Of course, Miss Dash. I’m sure somepony will be along to give me a more detailed report.”

Dash’s eyes narrowed as Luna rose from the bed. She placed a hoof on Celestia’s forehead and held it for a moment, before she walked over to Twilight and Crystal Dream.

Dash bit her lip as guilt tugged at her mind. She glanced at Celestia. The moment Luna left her side, Dash could see Celestia’s eyes moving underneath her eyelids. Her mouth moved as she muttered quietly and her brow furrowed as her body began to shake on the bed.

Dash gulped. “Is she okay?”

Luna glanced back to the bed. “Celestia has fears like any pony does. They are few and complicated, as is expected of one who has lived as long as she.” Luna smiled. “But she is strong. I can give her strength in these dark times, but it is ultimately up to her to fight. I can leave her for a time, long enough to learn more of our enemies.”

Luna stopped beside Crystal Dream and Twilight. “Twilight had been getting worried the longer you were absent. She was concerned deeply for your well being, and was starting to feel guilt over not accompanying you on your hunt for the gryphon.”

Dash sighed and place a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “Oh, Twi. The last thing you need to worry about is me. Nothing can get me down. You know that...”

“And I can tell she knows that, but love has its way of turning devotion into obsession. So she looked for any way to help your search.”

Luna sat on the ground beside Twilight. Her horn came to life again as she added her magic to the link between Crystal Dream and Twilight.

“Crystal Dream is my court esper. A magician of the mind and emotions. I call on her aid when there is troubles in the minds of dreamers and other similar woes that befall those under my care.”

Luna turned to Twilight. “Miss Sparkle claimed she saw something in the Prism’s hiding place. A light in the darkness, so to speak, and a tiny fragment of a memory that may identify the host that the Nightmare has corrupted.”

Dash’s eyes widened. “Really? She actually saw something?”

Luna nodded. “It is possible. Considering what happened to my sister, and the strain that has had on Twilight’s psyche, it was difficult for her to remember. And so, Crystal Dream offered to aid her in locating the memory. It is her special talent, after all. If it wasn’t for her, I would be forgetting the birthdays of all the nobles every year. It is a bother to learn so many different names and dates after only being back for a few years.”

Dash smirked as she turned her attention to Twilight. She was still, as if sleeping upright. Her face was calm, focused. Dash recalled many sleepless nights where she lay beside Twilight, and found peace enough to drift and dream by simply watching Twilight sleep.

“Does this usually take a while?” Dash said after a while.

“It can, but it solely depends on Twilight’s ability to focus on the important details. Any stray thoughts could easily distract her subconscious mind from finding what she wants.”

“Ugh. I wish there was something I could do to help.”

Luna’s eyes flickered. “There may be.”

Dash perked up. “Really? Anything!”

Luna gestured to the spot across from her, between Crystal Dream and Twilight. “I can pull you into their trance, and you can join them in their search. You were both present at the time Twilight is trying to recall. The memory that she is looking for would stand out greater if you both were there.”

Dash hesitated. “I… are you sure? I mean, this is Twilight’s mind. I wouldn’t want to invade on her privacy.”

Luna’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “And why would there be something she would hide from you, but not Crystal Dream? It is the nature of love to share in each other’s lives is it not? There should be no secrets between lovers, if the bond is to remain strong.”

“P-princess!” Dash said, her face glowing. “Don’t say it like that!”

Luna tilted her head. “Say it like what?”

Dash rubbed her face and quelled the flushed feeling away. “N-nothing. Just forget it.” She took a deep breath and nodded briskly as she sat down across from Luna. “I’m ready to help her any way I can.”

Luna nodded. Her horn glowed again, as she plucked a thread of light from the cord between Twilight and Crystal Dream. She wove the magic in the air, and slowly drifted it towards Dash.

Dash winced away from the thread. Luna halted. “Calm yourself, Miss Dash. Think of sleep. Let your mind wander.”

Dash let out a shaky breath and closed her eyes. “Right. Calm. Wander. I can do that.” She chuckled. “I mean, I nap all the time, falling asleep should be a—”

Dash opened her eyes. She was no longer in Celestia’s bedchamber. She sat on a cloud, high in the night sky.

“ —breeze.”

She stood and glanced below. There was no ground that she could see. It was only a clear sky above an endless ocean. Bright lights glowed from deep under the water, casting an ethereal glow on the surface.

“Wow… This is Twilight’s dream?”

She looked around. She saw nothing else. Not a cloud, nor land, nor any other pony. She was alone.

“Twilight!” Dash shouted. “Where are you?”

No response. Only the wind replied over her tiny plot of cloud. Dash grunted and sat down, propping her chin with a leg. “Well this was a great plan. I’m in Twilight’s head, which is probably the size of Equestria on the inside, and I have no idea how to find her.”

She tapped the cloud, watching the water blow drift past. The lights seemed to be dancing under the surface, flashing as far as the eyes could follow. A closer light shook her from her thoughts. She grabbed the necklace around her neck and stared into it. “Would this work in here?”

The amulet glowed as she filled her mind with thoughts of Twilight. She shrugged. “Well, no sense not trying it out.”

She stood and spread her wings. She let another phantom wind drift through her feathers, before she tipped of the edge of the cloud and dove off. Her wings caught a faint current of wind and she let it carry her along. The amulet glowed brighter, so it was as good a bearing as any.

Other clouds drifted into view as she glid. They were small, barely enough for a single pony to stand on. Dash steered towards them and used them to propel herself further into the endless sea ahead.

The flashing lights continued their dance below, seemingly following Dash as she continued her flight. Dash stared at them, feeling more thoughts of Twilight invading her thoughts. Her amulet shone brighter with each passing moment, which brought an empowering calm to Dash’s mind.

Her ears twitched suddenly at a loud crash of water. She turned, and saw that great geysers erupted from the water. They played in a strange rhythm all around her, bringing with them the effervescent colors of the water. It was like a show of water, light and color, playing solely for Dash. She hovered past them slowly, captivated by the display.

A rumble from the water below broke her from her haze. The water trembled and roiled as the light underneath began to blaze. It faded into a crimson red as the water swirled like blood. Dash tried to hasten her flight, but in that instant, a pillar of water exploded from below and rushed towards her.

She was engulfed by the torrent of water. Dash took in a deep breath and tried to escape its confines. She reopened her eyes, and was face to face with Twilight… as a filly.

Dash blinked as she watched her marefriend, well under ten years old, sitting on a small dirt path. She was clutching her leg, wailing loudly. Tears streamed from her eyes as she rocked back and forth.

“Twi?” Dash said.

The young Twilight didn’t respond. She kept crying, as she lifted her hoof from her leg a moment, and her cries got even louder. Dash spotted red in Twilight’s fur, and small streaks falling to the ground under her.

“Shining!” she wailed. “Shining, where are you!?”

“Easy there, Twi.” Dash said. “I’m here. Let me help.”

Dash reached out to help the filly Twilight with her cut, but her hoof passed right through like she wasn’t there.

Dash jerked her hoof back, stunned. She could see right through it.

“Twilight?” a voice asked.

Dash turned, and saw Shining Armor standing there. He too was far younger than she remembered. He had a small saddlebag hanging off his smaller frame as he approached his little sister.

Twilight looked up and saw her brother. Her crying stuttered a moment, and the constant stream of tears halted just for a moment as they welled in her eyes. “Sh-shining! It hu~urts!”

Shining Armor smiled. He knelt down and he withdrew a bandage from his bags. He administered it to his sister’s cut, and her cries started to lessen.

He lifted a hoof to her face and wiped away the tears. “Hey, now kiddo. Dry those tears. Let’s go get some ice cream.”

Twilight’s face lit up immediately, as if she had never been injured at all. “Yay! Ice cream!”

Dash stood, dumbfounded as she watched Twilight and Shining Armor walk away, fading into a distant veil. Her vision darkened suddenly, as she felt water and cold fade away from her. She shook her head and opened her eyes again to see that she had returned to the endless sea.

The waters below her churned and ebbed as they fell away, leaving her completely dry. She scratched her head, her mind reeling.

“Well, that was… weird.”

She located the closest cloud and took a moment to rest. Her attention remained on the water, keeping a close eyes on the geysers as they jumped and soared into the air all around. The amulet’s light held steady, and brightened slightly as each geyser erupted nearby.

Dash groaned. “All of these geysers lead to Twilight. I knew this thing wouldn’t work!” She rapped a hoof against the cloud and slumped into it. She flicked her tail, propelling the cloud into a light drift as her attention wandered lazily below.

“I don’t know what Luna was thinking sending me here. I have no idea what I’m doing! Twilight could be anywhere in here.”

Dash heard a faint chuckle behind her. “And I assumed you knew everything about your lady love.”

Dash’s head popped up from the cloud and turned around. She tilted her head at the sight of Crystal Dream, hovering in the air before her. She had a faint smile as she stared at Dash, who only returned blinking eyes and stuttering.

“I… uh… how…” Dash managed, pointing at Crystal Dream's obvious lack of wings.

Crystal Dream’s smile deepened. “This is the land of dreams and memory. Logic and limitations only hold sway here if you let them.”

Dash slowly nodded in understanding, when she snapped to her hooves. “Wait. Where’s Twilight? Isn’t she with you?”

Crystal Dream looked to both sides slowly. “She is, and she is not.”

Dash frowned. “And what does that mean?”

Crystal Dream waved her hoof with a flourish and bowed her head. “Traveling dreamscapes is one of my many talents as a maiden of Princess Luna’s court. Considering the vast landscape of the mind, especially one of Twilight Sparkle’s renown, it is preferable to be in many places at once.” Her eyes fluttered to Dash. “I detected my lady’s intervention and your added presence to this realm, so I came to collect you.”

“And you couldn’t just bring Twilight with you?”

Crystal Dream looked away. “She is...currently distracted. It would be unhealthy to interrupt her.”

Dash’s breathing quickened. “What do you mean? Is she in trouble?”

Crystal Dream’s expression held. “I would not say as much. Her search for answers has confronted her with things she would rather not face.”

“Then bring me to her! I can help her!”

Crystal Dream shook her head. “I do not think there is anypony who can help her at this point. Twilight Sparkle is special, in a way that is not beneficial to her here. I have discovered in my time with her in this place that she does not like to be vulnerable. Being faced with one’s own memories, even recent ones, can be overwhelming to those not prepared for the complexities of dreams.”

“So she is in trouble then.”

Crystal Dream’s eyes flickered with amusement. “And you are as every bit loyal and protective of her as her dreams have led me to understand, Rainbow Dash. Perhaps even more so.”

She waved her hoof, and below, the waters began to rise. A single pillar of water shaped dozens of meters up, until it reached their height. At its peak, the water swirled around and around like a whirlpool. The gushing torrent sped faster as it emptied into the ocean below.

“Very well,” Crystal Dream continued. “If you wish to see her and aid her as you say, then you must make the first step.”

Dash stared at the spinning water. There were a million reasons that jumping into it was a stupid idea, and the deepest corners of her mind were quick to remind her of that a thousand times over. But only one reason was good enough for her to listen to.

She glanced at Crystal Dream. “For Twilight. I’ll do anything.”

Dash pumped her wings once and floated over the whirling tide. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and dove in. Hang on, Twi. I’m coming!

Author's Notes:

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