****

Lyric

I stuck close to Ari as we entered the shop. Despite the many things that called the shop home the first thing I noticed was the temperature. It was a good ten degrees warmer than outside, that was quite a feat considering it was summer. It was Saddle Arabia all over again, I could practically feel my scales drying out as we stood in the front room, we weren’t even near the forge yet. This cloak certainly wasn’t helping.

But uncomfortable temperature aside, the shop was very grandiose and quite frankly impressed me, watching my father work on his enchantments had given me a discerning eye for quality work and these were very fine pieces from what I could see.

A glass case occupied the majority of the front room, acting as the front counter, and displaying the masterpieces. It held both standard and foal magic inhibitors, which was rare for a average smith, but I could already tell by the various swords and shields beside the inhibitors that this master smith had a eye for detail. We were definitely in the right place, the apprentice was sure to be something special, no smith puts this much effort into their work to accept just any being.

Not only was the shop grandiose in presence and quality of the pieces for sale, but the technology in here was first rate as well. Whoever owned this shop must also be a master enchanter, no journeyman could refine the jewels and enchant them to such a level nor could they afford the amount of money it would take to get this quality of work done. I couldn’t even feel the magic leakage, a telltale sign of the enchanted jewels.

I could practically feel my father’s joy at seeing these enchantments.

Looking around my eyes lit up as all the steel and bronze glittered under the light. Above me a light topaz illuminated the store with such magical efficiency that you couldn’t even hear the thrum of the magic powering it anymore, unlike the older models of jewels I had seen in Saddle Arabia’s underbelly. This enchantment lasted longer as well, not cracking after two years of use. Now if only-

Sorry, I get carried away I just love enchantments. I couldn’t enchant worth my scales even after a millennia of practice, but I still had a love for them.

Anyway, we followed Dinari further into the shop, past the display case, and through the door that lead to where the real magic happened. We stopped in front of a forge as she sat down on a bench, looking pensively at the letter then us. Now seated in front of the still steaming coals in her forge, she roughly opened the letter, tossing the envelope into the coals.

I noticed an empty bucket sat beside the forge, dripping water onto floor, it looked like she quickly shut down the forge at our arrival.

As she opened the letter a slight smile broke her mask, before it was lost in her mask as her eyes traveled down the letter.

Have nothing to do while she read I looked around the back of the shop. A series of tall bookshelves framed in a work desk in the far left corner that was covered in scrolls, one was unrolled with various diagrams scribbled out. Opposite to it, a tool rack hung on the wall, tools ordered from smallest to largest, with several covered wine barrels standing against the same wall. Presumably they held parts for projects. Letting my eyes wander I realized with a jolt that there was no windows back here, just door and a set of stairs leading upstairs. We didn’t have an escap-

“Take off your cloaks.”

Dinari was gazing at us with her unreadable face again, the letter crumpled in her fist, and I couldn’t help but notice her neck muscles flex a little. My mind instantly recalled Jabbar, the signs before he would get violent, and I couldn’t help but flinch under the cloak. Usually the punches had been directed at others, but sometimes it had been me, again that was not my proudest time in my life. I looked at my herd mates, judging their reactions, the uneasy feeling I got from her commanding tone could all be in my head after all. Not that I had been expecting being welcomed with open arms and hugs but the tone coupled with her species still wore at my nerves, many nights lying awake from pain were hard to forget.

A little relief went through my nerves as Ari stepped forward, removing his cloak in one motion, he stood before the Minotaur as naked as the day he had been born.

With a slight nervous flutter of his wings he gave her a smile, “So I guess it still sounds pretty crazy on paper, huh?”

She opened her mouth and quickly shut it, looking at his horn before frowning as she tossed the letter in the coals, the coals more than happy to eat the evidence of our plan.

I tensed as I noticed her body hadn’t completely relaxed itself, her fists were still clenching and unclenching as she frowned at us, well Chrissy and I now. Ari noticed her attention on us and gave us a smile.

“Chrissy, Lyric I think you can remove your cloaks, she seems to be taking this-“

Dinari’s fist flew at his face, sending him landing back into coals, as he thrashed on them trying to get up she grabbed a hammer that had been hidden on the other side of the forge. Well all rational thought went out the window then.

Let it be known that you should never attack a herd stallion in front of his mares, especially when a mare is with foal. Chrissy was pretty much screaming at the heifer as she forgot all about using magic, her instincts probably screaming louder than mine were, I didn’t have the foal in my belly after all. She forgot all about the anonymity Ari was aiming for, that there was the master smith still asleep in the shop. Not that I was doing any better than her at keeping quiet when our stallion was getting attacked.

I just hope the smith is a deep sleeper…A really deep sleeper.

Chrissy and I ditched the cumbersome cloaks and bags, springing at the Minotaur that dared to attack our stallion, anger and fear coursing through my body as I readied myself to attack the eight foot tall heifer. My horn glowed as thoughts that would have pointed out Ari was an Alicorn and was perfectly capable of fighting for himself were beaten down but the need to protect the herd.

Instincts being in control were never a good thing.

However my brain was interrupted in my effort to protect my stallion when I heard him in pain.

Ari was squealing as he tried to get away from the coals, that cow would have to wait. Chrissy could handle her for now. My horn glowed as I launched a jet of water at Ari, soaking the coals, and muffling his sounds of pain under the torrent of water. His poor back, those Hydra blood burns were still healing too. With my stallion not catching fire anymore I turned back to the threat, rearing up and preparing to stomp the, the… Well I sort of froze at the sight and fell back onto my rump.

I was all prepared to kick her furry heifer hide to Zebrica and back but Chrissy beat me to it.

The scene before me was almost comical if I wasn’t getting a little worried for Chrissy, her belly was exposed to the heifer, one good head butt or misplaced horn…

Anyway, she had the Minotaur on the floor, cowering under her. Dinari lay there, unable to move her body as she was literally stuck to the floor. The spit that just days ago had helped Ari’s back heal was now holding the eight foot tall behemoth down no trouble at all. It was made to hold food in cocoons after all. I was gratefully for it and my lead mare in this moment. Her quick thinking had ended the fight and if the silence above us was correct then we had by some miracle not woken the smith!

My trance was broken as a soaked Ari exited the now thoroughly soaked coal bed, wincing a little as he got back on his hooves.

“Ari!” I was at his side in an instant, supporting him as we walked over to Chrissy and Dinari, that Minotaur might not be long for this world if the growling and magic thrumming off Chrissy was a sign.

“Well, I guess you don’t want to help us after all.”

Ari frowned at his own words, looking away from Dinari for a second before turning to me. “Lyric do you know any mind magic to make her forget about us? It would probably be for the best if she didn’t remember us…” His voice petered off before a new look entered his eyes that I hadn’t seen before, “Or better yet is there any way to make her make the magical inhibitors for us and not remember it afterward? She doesn’t need to be aware of helping ‘icky changelings’ after all.”

Chrissy looked at him oddly now too.

He took me by surprise by suggesting that. While what he said was true, I could use my mind magic on her with a little modification as my innate branch was meant for males after all, female minds could be accessed as well it just took a little more focus. Not that reflected intelligence, it was more reflective to my innate skill, there was some truth to us enchanting sailors...

It was as a prank okay? Nopony ever died over it.

But Ari hadn’t crossed into that area before. The area that gave ponies nightmares about this branch of magic: to be controlled against your will. Even with my innate skill in the art using my mind magic was not always my favorite answer, people hated it, and It garnered the fear that had made my family outcasts. Though my aunts would have laughed at using it on ponies, and I agreed partially with them there, there was still the pain of hearing the words ‘monster’ spat at your muzzle.

Only a ‘monster’ would defend themselves with what they had right?

Mind magic still was part of the problem of my species perception. No magic had been fully developed yet to counter our innate mind magic and this made using it a damning act around ponies. At one point I hadn’t cared, it allowed me to stay with the gang, and I wasn’t alone then. But I wasn’t happy either. Although part of me still agreed that if the ponies couldn’t resist a little mind magic it wasn’t our fault they were weak or that they hadn’t developed a counter magic yet, I didn’t want to have anymore hate directed at me.

Ari hadn’t seen the power of my magic yet, seen ponies soo enthralled in my spell that they would kill their friends if I asked them to.

It was a magic that inspired fear and from that hate, a reason my family wasn’t in this world anymore. But he didn’t know that, he is just using what he has on hand to try and make the world a better place. He can’t help it that the average being is weak willed.

Ponies really did fear anything that was stronger than them, no that wasn’t completely true, they feared anything that didn’t benefit them. The princess of the night was actually extremely proficient in the mind arts, perhaps even better than my mother, but she called it in the public eye ‘dream magic’ to avoid panic among the masses. If Princess Celestia and Princess Luna didn’t have to answer to their people, providing them with the perfect seasons and pretty festivals I’m sure the people wouldn’t find them soo attractive as leaders. They are just as powerful as anyone one of us in the herd after all.

We don’t have to answer to anyone though.

Ari may be right about us being under scrutiny after saving the world. We were powerful, more so than the general populace, with the few exceptions being individuals like my father and that bearded unicorn.

Which is probably what my stallion was starting to realize now, that he was a powerful stallion on Equis, and he was didn’t need to do things the hard way anymore.

My silence must have been too long because Ari shook his head before narrowing his eyes at the downed heifer.

“So was that your answer Dinari, that I should be burned for trying to save the world?”

“You’re not a changeling?!” Her face was contorted in fear and shock now, looking between the mare ready to kill her and the stallion that was slowly losing his patience.

I sighed and watched as my stallion’s eye twitched, this fear of the powerful was understandable but also getting old to me, I had lost track how many had that expression when they saw me. Not to mention the fact that Chrissy wasn’t even at full power, she was probably only using a small portion of it. In fact, though the Minotaur didn’t know it the power she used today would probably leave her hungrier than ever, with all the extra food the foal had to be consuming, Alicorn genetics shinning through. At least I thought so, she had even started snacking on me now! Well that and she could trust me more too, I’m sure she had heard all of the stories of my heritage.

“I’m not, but what if I was? Surely Gennady wrote how in his letter how they have affected even more than Minotaria, how Chrissy is the literally last one.” I could feel his tail start swishing behind me as he talked, creating a nice cool breeze on my scales. Nuzzling my stallion I watched as Dinari absorb his words, her face becoming a mask again.

Chrissy looked at me at his words, eyes wide and nostrils flared as the fact that she still hadn’t told him about the foal. I mouthed ‘later’ to her, we really did have to come up with a way to broach this subject to him, and get her over this mental block she has with telling him.

“Your mare, ‘Chrissy’, lead the invasion-“

“She was looking out for her family! They were starving, DYING out there! It was either die at home or leave the hive and live! I thought you would understand that type of loss at least, your brother said you were displaced by the crazy shit show the world is facing. But I was wrong-“

“NO! Don’t you dare say I don’t understand loss, I have had to deal with more than you could possibly ever know! Let me up cha- mare.” Dinari was struggling under her cocoon casing, looking angry, and I had couldn’t help pressing into my stallion for more comfort, she really reminded me of Jabbar’s fits of rage too much for my comfort.

“I have a name heifer and why would I let you up when you attacked my stallion? I may have failed at my invasion but I’m not stupid. Don’t think for a second-“

“Chrissy?”

Ari was looking at her with a frown and intent ears, “You’re shaking, come here. Are the cloaks blocking the love too much? Cause we can go slower and take feeding breaks.”

And she was, as she stood over the Minotaur her legs were trembling. It caused me to be worried now, had she absorbed soo little love that she the small act of cocooning Dinari and charging her horn did this?

Chrissy didn’t seem to know what to do.

She was looking at her legs like they had betrayed her, looking for all sakes lost on what to say to Ari. Taking that as my cue I trotted over to her far side, nudging her shoulder chitin lightly I got her moving to Ari. He had a wing up, a wing hug ready for Chrissy. A worried smile was on his muzzle even as she walked over. She was walking fine but I think that was on her will alone and I think Ari figured that out. For some reason I have yet to understand Chrissy was determined to hide her pregnancy like it was some horrible thing. Such a silly thought when my parents were ecstatic to have me. They tried for years to have a foal, with the only results of their rutting being temporary relief from the heat and lots of great sex. It was a siren thing I think, she never really explained that to me. Mind you, it was ‘tell you when you are older’ sort of topic, she had a couple of those.

Securing his wing around Chrissy I heard her sigh a tired sigh as I made my way to his other side. A smile leapt to my face as I saw a wing ready to hug me as well.

“I love the anonymity of the cloaks and all but not using my wings is hard, it’s like wearing that thobe all over again!” His words got a small smile from Chrissy, though it was clearly forced.

The urge to just blurt it out was growing in me, if I didn’t fear her wraith I just might, but…It wasn’t my news to tell.

Taking a deep breath Ari turned to what we thought would be our helper, “So, as Chrissy said, why should we release you? What is stopping you from attacking me again?” His voice was calm but his eyes were cold, mind magic still an option in his mind.

Dinari gulped, “I will help you, I am the pot calling the kettle black, you are not…Evil. Changelings are not…bad. They choose a bad path…It can happen to anytaur- anypony...” She closed her eyes, giving a long sigh.

It didn’t take a changeling to feel Ari’s excitement growing as he started trotting in place from her words, “Really? Thank you, thank you, thank you! You will not regret it…Well I gue-“

“OWW”

We looked over at Chrissy, she had ‘lightly’ bit his neck, “Quit jumping around you are making me nauseous.”

“Sorry.” And he did look sorry although more worried than anything else at her statement; she turned away with a huff.

“I’m still on the floor.”

Snorting at Dinari’s complaint, Chrissy walked over to where the substance glued down the Minotaur’s arm and neck, and opened her mouth wide to give her a clear view of her sharp canines. Understandably with those teeth in such close proximity to her throat the heifer stopped moving. Her eyes were pleading with Ari and I, the message clear.

“Don’t be a calf about this.” Chrissy gave a chuckle before bringing her open mouth closer to Dinari’s throat.

My stallion still didn’t move so I didn’t either, not that wanted to, this was getting good. Ari looked manically happy with a wide grin as he watched Dinari sweat in the face of the canines. I guess his back demanded a little retribution.

A snap echoed in the shop and I had to stop my giggle from escaping, the look on Dinari’s face!

Beside me, Ari was shaking as a quiet laugh escaped his muzzle. He quickly put a hoof over his mouth as Chrissy went back to his side with a sway in her hips and a grin. That mare is a genius!

“W-what?!”

Dinari was looking open mouthed at her freed arm and then back at a grinning Chrissy.

“Just rip the rest off, unless the little calf needs help getting out of her cocoon?”

With a snort, the heifer ripped the rest of the casing off of her body. Giving us a shake of her head before standing and moving to the work desk in the corner, ready to get down to business. The brawl forgotten as she set up a blank scroll with a focus that I had scarcely seen in these last hundred years, a excellent sign of the quality of her work.

“Come on then Ari, we have to discuss these inhibitors. I haven’t made any to contain Alicorn’s before-” Seeing Ari frown, she quickly added, “-But I think I could once I know something’s first.”

Ari seemed pleased with her attitude so we settled around the work desk to discuss one of the most crucial parts of this plan. If the princesses broke free from their restraints we were all going to be sent to the moon, if not outright killed. Well, they might not kill Ari since he was an Alicorn, but he would suffer of that I’m sure.

With a foal on its way, this had to work.

“So we need to figure out your power output to figure out how many gates and what level of power the en-“ She paused seeing Ari’s face scrunched up and head cocked to the side.

“Continue.” Ari said waving a hoof at the frowning Minotaur.

“You look confused.”

“I am.”

“What was confusing about that?”

“Nearly all of it, I know nothing about the finer workings of magic. My understanding begins with focus and ends with intent.” Ari had a sheepish smile on his face, aware of how ridiculous he sounded. A full grown stallion, with an immense amount of magic, and only a little more than foal’s understanding of magic. He had improved, now knew how to locate objects, create astral objects, and teleport. Okay that last one I wasn’t so sure he got. I have never had a teleportation feel like that before, it was like I was everywhere at once then in one place all too quickly, very disorienting.

Dinari looked at Chrissy then me for a answer, I could only nod at her and I’m sure Chrissy was doing something similar.

“You are serious? How can you not know-“

“Yes I don’t know now can we please move on.” She crossed her arms at his tone. “I am from a world without magic, it is because of that I know next to nothing on it, my mares are teaching me as we go. So whatever you say they will teach me about later.”

After a second of thinking she grabbed an inhibitor from the case and placed it on the table before starting again. “Okay, see these slots, they are called gates. Each gate is enchanted with a string of cuneal writing-.“ She gave a sigh at his look, “-,runes, they connect and disconnect when you turn the primary rune key in the gate. Do you understand?”

I understood and I had to hold in my eye roll at her simplification of it, this was like a lesson from my dad all over again.

Turning to Ari I smiled the sight of his happy expression and enthusiastic nodding. I can only imagine how hard it would be to be in a world with a new set of rules, language, and skills. He has had to learn soo much… Maybe we should relax, unwind here for a bit. Find a little out of the way sea cave and take a dip, preen, snuggle, maybe more if he is up for it.

Who am I kidding? With the way Chrissy is there will be more.

“Good, so there are usually three gates on a standard inhibitor, one on a foal inhibitor, and two on a second rate, cheap hack of an inhibitor.” Dinari snorted before continuing, “For the ones I am going to make I will have to go above that, however, there is no record of inhibitors requiring over three gates so I will need to do some research in Star Swirl’s laws of magic and then test it on you. Are you okay with that?”

My eye may have twitched at the name of that pretentious- Sorry, never mind me I’m just going to take some deep breathes.

“Yes, now I was wondering-“

Grumbles echoed into the room.

Ari paused and cocked his head looking at himself then me. Actually, everyone was staring at me now. My scales were heating up under the gazes. “What?!”

Dinari chuckled before getting up, “Sounds like you could use a midnight snack, all of you probably. What can I get you? Sorry we don’t have any cake here.” She smirked a little at Ari.

“Please anything but cake, the icing is always too sweet. And you know you aren’t the first one to make that joke. I’ll have you know not everything you hear about Alicorns is true.”

She was halfway up stairs now, “Tell me about it, I was expecting a long floating mane and tail.”

As we listened to rustling upstairs Ari turned to us, “What does she mean by that? Moonbutt had a weird ethereal mane and tail too, is that normal here? Actually while I’m talking about normal why do most ponies have a flank tattoo? Is it like a coming of age thing here because it seems pretty standard here?”

I looked at Chrissy and she looked back, our expressions matching as we realized he still needed to learn a lot before we even sprung the news of the foal on him.

Motioning to Chrissy to start I levitated a canteen out of the bag, taking a drink as I watched his face.

“A mane and tail can act as an easy way for Alicorns to burn off excess magic so it doesn’t lead to magical outbursts. I think you just must not have reached your magical capacity yet since you haven’t been here that long. Or maybe you’re a different variety of Alicorn since you’re from Earth.”

“Oh,” He played with mane a little, squinting at it before dropping it, looking back at Chrissy.

She motioned to me.

Sighing at her foalishness I started with the most basic explanation, “The ‘tattoo’ as you put it is called a cutie mark, every equestrian pony has one.” They both raised their eyebrows at me, “I’m quarter Equestrian!” Nods followed, “Anyway, It appears when we have found what we are best at, our calling.” Pointing at my cutie mark, a treble clef and a quaver, “I’m good at singing so I have a music related cutie mark. I think I agree with Chrissy’s theory, you just haven’t gotten there yet, give it time.”

Ari perked up, although I couldn’t tell if it was over the possibility of getting his own cutie mark or the plates loaded with apples and hay fries that Dinari was carrying down.

“I know it’s not much but-“

It can be assumed that what I am beginning to think of as ‘the black hole’ struck.

Dinari was not prepared at all, she looked at the plate then Ari, and I didn’t blame her. Once her hooves had hit the main floor the food on his plate had levitated itself straight to his mouth. This took less than ten seconds.

“You could have waited till she made it over here Ari.” Chrissy was ‘scolding’ him. Somehow I think she enjoyed him hurting the poor Minotaur’s head, either that or all those kisses and nuzzles meant she was horny, or hungry. I couldn’t tell since feeding and rutting was basically the same at this point.

I took my plate from her in my magic, keeping it away from ‘the black hole’ that I foalish was still standing beside. Seeing that he was giving the heifer an apologetic smile I turned back to my plate.

A crunch sounded beside me as the smell of apple hit my nose and whipped my head at the sound. Where did he get an apple to chew? He doesn’t even chew if he can help it, the only thing he chewed was that cake at the inn and I think that’s because he secretly loves cake.

With a wide smile devoid of food he looked at me and Chrissy giggled, glancing at Dinari I was surprised to find even her cracking a smile. What was soo funny? Everyone looked like they were ready to break down into giggles any second and I suddenly felt like the punch line. Grunting as my annoyance built, yes I was used to being the punch line from my aunts but that didn’t mean that I enjoyed it.

Deciding to not feed their joke anymore I turned back to my food.

It was gone.

This was the joke?! This wasn’t funny, I was hungry!

Ready to give Ari a good nip, Chrissy’s anger be damned. That was my food. I turned to him with my mouth open only to blink in confusion as my canines sunk into tart flesh and juice ran down my chin.

“Sorry, Lyric. I couldn’t resist it, I just feel soo happy. We are one step closer to saving the planet now.”

Grabbing the apple with my magic I bit into it, licking up the sweetness as it dribbled off. “Not funny, where is the rest of my food?”

“On your plate.”

Looking at where his hoof pointed I saw that my apples and hay fries had returned to my plate, minus an apple but I was too tired to care. Chrissy and Dinari shared a chuckle before Dinari made to go back up with Ari’s empty plate.

My adrenaline from the events of tonight was catching up to me. With a tired snort I began eating, the food filling my belly only increasing the need to sleep.

****

Ari

I tightened my wing around Lyric, she looked like she was about ready to drop off after eating and with the way Chrissy was leaning on me I would say that she wasn’t far off.

“Dinari, I hate to ask for more from you, but we didn’t quite plan where we stay while we are here-“

“Yes.”

“I didn’t finish asking yet.” I gave her a cheeky grin, “Thank you for your life’s savings though.”

She shook her head at my attempt at a joke. “You are a real jokester huh? Let me get you ponies some blankets. Go make your selves comfortable in my room. It’s just through the door there. We can talk more in the morning. I’m going to go to bed soon anyway, I actually need to work in the morning.”

Not needing to be told twice I floated Lyric’s plate to her outstretched hand and herded my tired mares to her bedroom.

It was a simple bedroom, not even decorated with family pictures or posters. On further thought it would probably be portraits here. Although it was hard to tell if they had cameras here, Chrissy’s wanted poster had been a picture, really more of a printing. Anyway, my curiosity aside the room was had an odd feel to it. In the middle was a long bed, surely custom built for the extra tall Minotaur. On the left side of the bed a small wooden dresser stood with a calendar hanging above it. The calendar’s design similar to the calendars on earth, It had a picture above a grid that supposedly had numbers. The print was of a sword coming down on a shield, and I almost believed I had found a ‘normal’ thing here, until I noticed this grid had sixty days on it, nearly half of them with a ‘x’ through them.

Another thing for me to learn, soo excited.

Odd calendar system aside this room actually depressed me the more I considered it. It was so empty and clinical, that was the part that got me the most, the cleanliness, the lack of personality. I could almost picture the calendar being a welcoming gift with it being the sort of thing you give people that you don’t know well. A calendar was practical, slightly personalized, and not going to break the bank…I had done it before. Don’t judge me, I was leaving work and it was all I could think to bring to the secret Santa party when all the stores were closed.

Chrissy’s yawn brought me back, she was leaning heavily on me now as we stood in the doorway, Lyric was doing slightly better: standing upright with a half lidded eyes.

Choosing the right side of the room I got Chrissy and Lyric settled beside me as I fluffed my wings, the feathers were slightly ruffled from the cloak. But for once Chrissy, the preening queen herself, was too tired to preen them, and even Lyric wasn’t making the effort. Was I going to? Nope, I wasn’t going to put out that energy when I would be under the same feather musser tomorrow anyway.

The door clicked shut as Dinari returned, arms laden with blankets and our stuff. I gave her a grateful smile, they hadn’t thought straight when she had sucker punched me, heck I wasn’t thinking straight when she had done that. My back still hurt but I don’t think it was that bad, for one thing I didn’t smell burning fur anymore, and the fact that I hadn’t noticed the slight ache till now was a good sign.

As she set her load in front of me I felt a yawn creep up, sorting the load I looked over at her, our new helper. She was undressing with her back to me, quite brazenly actually, at least to me. I wouldn’t have, but the beings here were more accepting of nudity. Take ponies for example we were naked all the time, but Minotaurs were more humanlike than ponies, our bits were hidden on our undercarriage and by our tails, not as in your face as a Minotaur’s were.

Levitating a light blanket down onto my herd with my magic I took stock of everything: my mares were tucked in, the supplies were neatly stacked, and we had a new ally.

“Thank you Dinari, you have no idea how much this means.”

She simply grunted and touched a yellow jewel that was affixed to her wall which sent the room into darkness.

My mares shuffled against my sides briefly before murmuring their good nights, I gave each of a nuzzle on the top of their head before I entered the dream world.

****

Luna

For the last couple of days I felt my worry over Ari grow, his mind was not there when my sister and I looked, she had left disappointed and more melancholy than I had seen her in quite some time. I think she really wanted to meet him, study his mind maybe, we hadn’t met another Alicorn besides our mother and father after all. It had always been two, the sun and the moon, the aking minds to soothe and the unconscious mind to soothe.

My job used to be mother’s, she would take us to this plane of dreams, and we would giggle over some of the craziest dreams. Once there was-

No, I had a mission to complete tonight, one that I shall never tell my sister about. There are just some things one should never do with dream magic, and this was one of them.

I could clearly feel why my mother warned against it, my physical body felt a ache that transcended deep within, almost like a strain on my magical core itself. It was a state of discomfort that was acceptable though, I would get closure I needed. Perhaps I would even enlighten him to the truth behind our magic, if I could last that long. The further I went from Equestria the further the sensation of being stretched grew, the more persistent the ache became.

But I persevered, the forgiveness and future relations with the only Alicorn stallion was what was at stake here.

Yes he was coming to see us, and maybe he had other duties to attend to first but I had to see him before he arrived. Another fortnight was too long to wait for such a transgression to go without an apology, it ate at me already and it had only been two nights.

With the need to end that all too familiar feeling of guilt and regret on my mind I continued to push onward against the invisible force that made me want to rush to my body. I reminded myself of why I was doing this to help create more focus.

This apology could dictate how our future relations are. It would decide if we fight, are cordial with each other, or as I hope to do: grow close to him. There is only soo much conversation I can have with my sister before we travel the same routes of words again. Though now I have plenty to talk about a third or fourth conversationalist wouldn’t be terrible to have.

Perhaps I am being a touch melodramatic.

The dream world passed by me, now the dreams of the citizens of Minotaria, as I searched for Ari’s distinct bubble. Not seeing any distorted dream bubble I carried on over to the Gryphon’s mountains.

The distortions in his bubble while memorable still troubled me greatly. Mother had never mentioned distortions in the bubbles before. She had explained to Tia and I the intricacies of spotting a nightmare, a pleasant dream, and ‘specialpony’ dream as she had put it. Spotting such dreams based on the color of the bubble, but the ‘bubble’ appearance itself was based on the walls of the mind. That meant when I entered the ‘bubble’ I simply used my magic to match the pony’s magical wavelength. To have a distorted bubble…And to be under the attentions of ‘gods’ is most troubling, my main theory on his bubble’s distortion is that they have damaged him somehow, perhaps in bringing him from his own world or perhaps from all the activity around his bubble. Nothing good could come of such immense magic being done outside his mind’s walls.

As I looked at the many bubbles of the Gryphons I almost chuckled at the memory that resurfaced in my mind, I certainly felt damaged afterwards and Tia had a joyous time.

I wish she would smile more, true smiles.

Since mother’s death I had been slated to take over the night’s duties, however she hadn’t had time to fulfill her promise. She had promised to show me a ‘specialpony’ dream and how to assist in them if they ever turned into nightmares. However she would only when I was a mature filly, saying that those dreams can be hard to read, requiring a strong mental fortitude and were most often are left alone. That left Tia to show me, and she did. It had been enlightening to see it first hoof instead of in books, even if I was never able to look that stallion in the eye. That had been a problem…He had been part of my sister’s solar guard and had followed her nearly everywhere.

I still think she knew that before we entered his dream.

But distraction aside, my body is growing tired of this search; the ache on my core is making my focus waver, even so much as to cause distortions over my astral body.

To save time I think I will go as far as the coast then try the other directions tomorrow night, I still had to banish more nightmares in Equestria before I could go for dinner. I did not want to have to explain why I was overly tired to my sister at her breakfast, our plates were full enough wading through the legal jargon and hoops to amend The Law of the Herd. You would think with how much the citizen’s applauded our changes the legal team would allow it to happen immediately, but no they had look over all the ramifications of changing a five thousand year law. It almost made me wish for the days when father could just say some was and was, then and there with no discussion or councils needed.

Strangely enough, as I moved over the Gryphon’s dreams the ache on my core started to dull, fading to the back of my mind. With a sigh of relief and a faint niggling worry at the sudden change I continued on my search, it was the last place I would search tonight after all.

The Narrow Sea ahead of me if the glimpses of waves and boats in the bubbles were correct, but I didn’t see any distorted bubbles, no-

An astral flash blinded me as to my right five magic forces careened into the dream world.

The gods were here, and that might mean Ari is as well. Of course there might be a different reason for their appearance but I doubted that, mainly because what I am certain is the same white magic from before is making a beeline to an emerging bubble. It was growing as the being slipped into the dream world and distorting before my eyes, it was Ari, and he was unaware of the god about to enter his dream. Yet again I wanted to help him, but what could I do that the four gods chasing it couldn’t do?

I gazed at the once in a lifetime sight: the four gods protecting Ari’s mind from the white one that was tartarus bent on reaching him, deflecting his strikes, and encompassing Ari’s bubble in their magic.

Tia would be am-

But I can’t tell her about this, not only would the moon-

My astral body froze as the attacking god stopped mid strike and the laughing voice from before spoke to me.

Hello little fleshbag, fancy seeing you again. Come to check on your future prince charming?

A reaction eluded me. His words stunned me, insulted me, and made me terribly curious all at once. Thought the tone left something to be desired and had my sister been here she would have left, not willing to listen to the lies of the trickster gods.

But couldn’t help myself, I had to know what he meant at least.

“What do thou mean?”

The golden god left its post protecting Ari and took a shot at the white god, missing as he began weaving between the surrounding bubbles to evade.

Sorry dear, my brother doesn’t like me talking to you…BUT HE ISNT ANY BETTER BY BEING HERE AS WELL!

Although this was not really my body my astral ears still folded back at the mental volume, it was like having the Royal Canterlot voice spoken directly in my ear…In my mind.

As if the white god’s yelling had offended the other gods, the remaining blue, pink, and orange magical beings shot after him. The god was successful at evading them, taking sharp corners around bubbles, and even using some as shields. However, this game of cat and mouse was quickly escalated as he started throwing himself at the pink god. This caused the orange god to go ballistic. Orange bolts of pure magic charging from it, narrowly missing the white god and thankfully missing the minds that surrounded them on this plane. Then one bolt of magic flew above my wing and a thought struck me instead: sticking around while five gods duel was a bad idea.

With that in mind I made a hasty retreat, even more worried for Ari now. As the ache faded and Equestria came into my astral vision I promised to return and speak with the stallion…when he isn’t surrounded by gods.