Solid Script Equestria
Chapter 26: Chapter 24: A Wizard’s Dream Chase
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“Lay down your head and I'll sing you a lullaby
Back to the years of loo-li lai-lay
And I'll sing you to sleep and I'll sing you tomorrow
Bless you with love for the road that you go
May you sail far to the far fields of fortune
With diamonds and pearls at your head and your feet
And may you need never to banish misfortune
May you find kindness in all that you meet
May there always be angels to watch over you
To guide you each step of the way
To guard you and keep you safe from all harm
Loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay
May you bring love and may you bring happiness
Be loved in return to the end of your days
Now fall off to sleep, I'm not meaning to keep you
I'll just sit for a while and sing loo-li, lai-lay
May there always be angels to watch over you
To guide you each step of the way
To guard you and keep you safe from all harm
Loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay, loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay..."
With a quiet sigh I finish my song, looking at the three little girls all sound asleep in their bed. With a smile, I get up from my chair, give the three a quick goodnight kiss, and leave their room. It had been only a few hours after sunset and I knew my girls were emotionally exhausted from the ordeal of the Heartless. I managed to give the townsponies and members the rundown on what happened, and reassure them that I could handle the heartless should they return. I also set up an appointment with Mayor Mare about going over the girls...adoption.
I still cannot comprehend what I am doing. I am barely into my twenties and I am about to adopt three girls? What the hell is going on with me?
I am not sure why, but now that the dust has settled and I can think logically, it still doesn’t make sense why I am doing this. The girls seemed perfectly happy as members of the guild, so why am I giving them more attention by making them my daughters. Is what I am feeling really maternal instincts, or something else?
Why did I feel so happy when Mei called me mama?
I release a relatively loud sigh and head downstairs to the bar, intent on getting a drink in before bed. I take a seat at my spot on the bar, Zen somehow knowing my order before I say it, warm apple cider. The hard stuff, not apple juice. With a nod in thanks, I take the drink like a shot, the warm alcohol only burning slightly compared to some of the drinks I have had back on earth.
“Still trying to wrap your head around your decision?” Zen asks, putting away the last of the glasses for the night as well as giving me another shot. I just nod, taking the shot and downing it in a second. He just shrugs. “Well, you know that you have more than enough help with the girls if you need it Faekage. The guild is more than happy to help out.”
I just sigh and nod, stretching and taking a quick look around the abandoned building. Everyone had already left for bed, so Zen and I were the only ones here. I take another look around before sighing and heading up to my room, leaving Zen to lock up the guild.
Heading into my room, I strip down to the minimum, and curl up in my bed. The town was scheduled for a small heat wave the next couple days, so I couldn’t wear much to bed unless I wanted to wake up soaked and dehydrated. With a sigh, I turn over in my bed, intent on at least getting a few hours of sleep. Little did I know, despite getting sleep, tonight would not be peaceful in the slightest.
Lex’s Mind
I was....falling? Yeah, I felt it, the air going past my body as I fall through the blackened void. I didn’t know where I was, but I knew I had a destination. Looking above, or is it below me, I see a circular platform. It was blinding white, completely blank. Righting myself as I get close to the platform, I land softly, the sheet of light around me dissolving and leaving me in my original outfit. I looked around the area, seeing nothing but darkness and the circular platform. Then I took a step forwards.
As soon as my bare foot hit the glass platform, it began to glow brighter, forcing me to cover my eyes slightly. But I could see it, the area from my foot expanding and turning into white flower petals, revealing a stain glassed portrait, and in that moment I knew what was going on. I was in the Dive to the Heart.
The portrait showed me, Fairy’s Flow in hand, leaning along the curve of the circle, eyes closed, relaxed. Behind me was small portraits of my family. Adam, Natali, Sorano, Edward, Mei, Ammy, Kuna, even Sonbā and Echo. Around the circle were more circles, each one being a different spell matrix. The majority of the glass was blue, red and gold, with incredible details in everything from my brothers mask to my Fairy Glitter tattoo.
With an awed smile I just look at the portrait before noticing something on the edge of my vision. Turning, I see in the centre of the platform was a mirror, showing me, but something was different. It took a second, then I noticed I was looking up at my reflection. I go wide eyed and shift my hair, seeing it is a deep chocolate brown. Just like back on earth.
I shake my head for a second before looking at my reflection, the taller version of me following my movements despite being taller. I eventually reach my arm forwards and place my hand on the mirror. I wasn’t expecting it, so I lost my balance as my arm went through the mirror, causing me to stumble through with it. Once I passed the threshold, I could immediately feel as I was back in my Displaced form. Mostly because of the slightly increased weight on my chest.
Turning, I see the mirror again, but it just shows my reflection as I am now, a Displaced Levi who became more. Eventually the mirror begins to float up, and it was then I noticed the platform I was in was surrounded by what looked like windows, but each one was playing a different memory of mine from a third person’s perspective. They reach up higher than I could see, each one playing a different event.
Eventually three windows leave the circling groups, slowly coming to hover before me. The first one showed my sword fight against Cobalt and Grand Axe. The second one shows me casting Fairy Glitter against the Darkside. The last one, shows me during the opening of Fairy Tail, standing on the railing with my finger in the air, the crowd of creatures below cheering. I hear a voice as the three windows hover before me, it almost sounded like me, but older, calmer.
’Which trait will you embody? Vitality? Wisdom? Balance?’
I look around the area, searching for the voice, before remembering this was just like Kingdom Hearts. But in that game, each one was a factor to which stat increased when levelling up, so what would it do for me? With a shrug I look over the windows for a second before making my way to the last one in line, Balance. Back when I played the games I always tried to remain balanced, never choosing magic or attack over the other. With a determined grin, I sweep my arm out, summoning my keyblade and send a beam into the window, watching as it turns to white pedals and dissolves, the other two windows going back into the circling tower.
Then three new windows come down to me again. The first one showed a seventeen year old me in fencing class, going against and actually beating my teacher. The second showed me in the library at my old high school, studying for an exam. The last though, showed the day I met Nat, hitting those jerk bullies on the head with my books. After a second the voice comes back, asking its question.
’Which path will you follow? The Warrior? The Scholar? The Guardian?’
Without a second thought I headed to the last one in the line again, the Guardian. I knew that this choice would help me in protecting others, as opposed to helping me fight or helping me learn. I was already good enough at the other two choices as is. Like before I summoned my keyblade and sent the beam into the window, watching as it dissolved into flower pedals before the circling memories begin to fade away.
I smile and just wait for a second, expecting to appear back in my mindscape. Once what felt like two minutes passed, and nothing happened, I begin to wonder if I was missing something. I look around the void again, seeing nothing for a second, before spotting something in the distance. It was a light, but I couldn’t tell what it actually was. I walk towards the edge of the platform I was on and look over the edge, seeing nothing but the abyss below, and then to the light. I couldn’t tell how close or far the thing was, but my curiosity was peaked.
I almost tried to use my magic, but then I heard rumbling, and watched as several glass stairs began to rise from the abyss, making a glass bridge towards the light in the distance. Now overcome by curiosity, I decide screw it, and begin to trek across the bridge.
Walking calmly across the bridge, I reach the top of the arch before it goes down and see a better look at what I am going towards. It looked like another stain glass platform, but it was completely blank. There was nothing there, and there didn’t look to be anyone nearby. Confused, I continue across the bridge, eventually coming to the platform. Stepping on the bright white platform, I half expected it to change into a stain glass portrait like mine did, but nothing happened. Confused, I glance back to the glass bridge that brought me here, and see it rapidly dissolving, leaving me on the platform.
With a raised brow, I turn back to the circle, and now notice a large amount of cracks going along the platform, going in each and every way. How this thing hasn’t shattered or something is beyond me, but it also made me worried. This platform represents someone’s heart, so it being cracked like this is not a good sign. But as I looked closer to the cracks, I can see them slowly melding together, almost like this thing is repairing itself.
Confused, I look to where the cracks seem to converge and barely stop myself from gasping. At the centre of the platform, stood something that was familiar, yet not. It looked to be a lot like Truth in FMA, just an outline of a humanoid being with no eyes, but that was the only similarity.
Unlike Truth, this thing wasn’t blinding white, but almost looked like the night sky, a majority of it being pitch black with small specks of white twinkling on its body, with a dark purple aura around it. It also had hair, a long mane of purple and white much like Luna’s mane. It didn’t seem to notice me, so I took a chance and guessed who it was.
“Tantabus?” I question, the being lifting it head and turning to me. As expected it didn’t have eyes, but it also had no mouth.
”Hello Lex. Tell me, do you know what this place is? I awoke here not long ago.” she questions.
“This place is referred to the Dive to the Heart. It usually happens whenever someone gains access to a keyblade, like I did. How you are here, I have no idea.” I reply, looking over the silhouette woman. She nods slowly and looks to her hands, then to the platform.
”And what of this platform?” she continues, looking at the cracks closely.
“The platform is supposed to be a representation of your heart and spirit. Mine is a little ways back there and it showed me and my family as a stain glass portrait. I am confused though, how is it you have this area anyways? You don’t have a heart.” I question. Before I could react, the entity shot to attention and turned to me, and I am slightly creeped out as a mouth like a galaxy begins to appear on her face, before she smiled creepily.
”Not yet.” she says, confusing me. I watch as she lifts her arm to the side, her hands being sharpened into claws.
“Tantabus? What are you doing?” I question, crouching into a fighting stance as a precaution. I watch her look to her hand, before TEARING INTO THE AIR next to her, creating what almost looked like a void portal, like the ones that appear when my siblings and I are summoned. I look between the entity and the portal in shock, before understanding what she is going as she takes a step to the portal.
“TANTABUS STOP!” I rush over to stop her, a second too late as Tantabus jumped into the portal, leaving me on her platform. “Oh shit.”
Without a second thought I use my own dream magic and tear a portal into the dreamscape like Tantabus, appearing in a new void with a night sky above me and mist low to the ground. Looking around, I rush through void, a specific location in mind.
Luna’s Mind
It took a while, but I eventually found a door with Luna’s cutie mark, so I knew it was her dream. She mentioned that she was taking the night off her nightmare watch so I knew she was sleeping. Rushing into her dream, I see what looked like a weird yet calm orchard of a variety of trees. Looking around for a second, I eventually find Luna, the mare just sleeping against one of the trees. Without a second thought I rush over to the lunar Alicorn.
“Luna! Luna wake up!” I call out, the mare stirring from dream sleep. Looking to me, she becomes confused as to our location.
“Lex? What’s going on? Where are we?” She questions.
“We’re in your dream, we’re asleep but that is not important right now.” I tell her, trying to catch my breath.
“We’re asleep. Curious, I was asleep while I am asleep. Meta. So what do you-“
“Tantabus escaped.” I cut her off, the mare going wide eyed, her left eye twitching slightly.
“What.”
“I don’t know what happened! Tantabus just got stronger all of a sudden after I unlocked my keyblade, strong enough to break out of my mind and into the dream realm! You are the princess of the night, you have the most knowledge of that domain so I need your help to find her!” I yell frantically, the annoyed look on Luna’s face slowly becoming softer as she sees my panicked state. After a second she walked over and laid her wing across my back.
“First, thou must calm thyself my Faekage. Acting in panic will not help any.” She says softly yet sternly. After a second I nod and go through those breathing excises Cadence taught me a while back. After about ten breaths I am calmed down to the point I can think straight.
“Ok. I’m good, I’m good. Now, what do we do?” I question, Luna lighting up her horn and in the next second we appear in the dreamscape again. She looks around for a second before lighting up her horn again, covering me with her aura for a second, then a new door appears. It has the symbol of an emerald flame with sparkles on it.
“I managed to find the Tantabus magic signature, it appears to be in young Spike’s dream. Lex, I will pursue the Tantabus and try to trap it, I need you to go to other dreams and inform the members of the guild and my sister of what’s going on just incase we fail.” She says, not giving me a chance to reply before she bursts through the dream door. I am stunned still for a second before shaking my head and heading out to do my part.
It took a while, but eventually I managed to tell all the members in Ponyville what is going on, but I haven’t been able to find Celestia’s dream yet. I think she is pulling another all nighter. With a shake of my head I collapsed on the ‘floor’ of the dreamscape, mentally exhausted from jumping from dream to dream in rapid succession. Luckily everyone was now on the alert and I left them all with the equivalent of a beacon to call me incase the Tantabus appears in their dreams.
It just doesn’t make sense. I should have been able to tell how powerful the Tantabus had become before she escaped, and then there was the question of why she escaped in the first place. It doesn't make sense, she isn’t just some mindless entity hellbent on causing nightmares anymore, she’s a living being with cognitive thought, emotions, a Dive to the-
I freeze as I think that last part. A heart. I remember what I said to her before she left, and how she reacted. She said, not yet, when I said she did not have a heart. What does she mean by that though? Is she trying to get herself a heart or something?
I take a seat proper and try and think about this from her angle, but that is very difficult since I really never gave Tantabus much thought while she was in my head. Sure I checked on her to make sure she didn’t do something stupid like give me amnesia, but other than asking her for some help now and then, I mostly left her to her own devices in my head. Which I remember mostly her doing the equivalent of watching TV with my memories. Most of the ones I saw her watching were simple things, like my classes back on earth, but I have seen her sneaking looks at my memories from after I was Displaced, mostly about my Alchemagic lessons.
I knew that Tantabus would be curious about my magical knowledge, but I always tried to keep that info under lock and key as a precaution. I am not sure why she would leave my head though, from what I was able to see she was perfectly fine, even happy staying with me.
To be honest, it kinda hurt that she would just leave like this. I by no means love her or anything, but she is almost like Sora in a sense, yet, I could tell she was different to how I view my youngest sister. I could consider her family, yet because she is not physical it feel off. Maybe that is being shallow, but that is how I feel about the former nightmare walker.
With a sigh I raise to my feet, and not a second too soon as a door with what I recognize as Lyra’s Cutie Mark appears and Luna steps out, but she looks exhausted.
“Ok....the Tantabus....if far more....creative than I gave it credit for.” She says through pants before face planting on the ground.
“Heh, that’s my girl.” I blink a couple times as that comes out my mouth. “Where did that come from?” Shaking my head, I turn my attention to the tired princess of the night. “So, I take it you lost her?”
“Unfortunately. Because Tantabus has knowledge of everyone you have met in Equestria it can enter their dreams. Luckily it seems incapable of going to the Crystal Empire from what Cadence told me. Also just a note, DO NOT enter Cadences dreams on Tuesday.” She warns. I raise a brow before thinking for a second.
“Cadence and Shining are going to have dream sex with a sensory link active aren’t they?” I deadpan with a mild blush, Luna nodding with her own blush.
I don’t really hold it against the Alicorn of Love, but she seriously has no filter when she doesn’t think she needs it, like when she went on a quest to look for a rare gemstone some stallion wanted to propose to his coltfriend with while disguised so she wouldn’t be recognized. I got a complaint immediately about inappropriate behaviour, such as Cadence asking if she could stay and watch them consummate their marriage. So I can only image how her dreams play out sometimes.
With a cough and shake of the head, Luna gets back to her serious stance.
“Well, now that I can’t keep up with it this is just going to be getting infinitely harder. Every dream we passed through, I could sense the Tantabus was slowly growing in strength, so we need to end it before it has enough energy to enter the real world.” She states, earning a nod from me as I try and think about how to catch Tantabus. Before long, an idea pops into my head.
“You said that the Tantabus only has access to the dreams of those I have met before, right?” Luna nods. “Well, a majority of those I have met are currently in Ponyville from what I know of. Maybe you could create a shared dream or something, and that way we wouldn’t need to chance after the Tantabus, plus all the members would be present so we can fight her.”
“That....is....actually not a bad idea. But I would be unable to help as I would need to try and use all my focus on keeping the dream together.” She says with worry, but I just pat her shoulder.
“Hey, don’t worry. I know we can stop Tantabus before she does something dangerous. With any luck I might be able to figure out why she is doing this and maybe get her back in my head.” I tell her with a confident smile. After a second Luna nods and takes a deep breath, her horn slowly glowing brighter and brighter.
In the real world, from the guild hall, a wave of white dream magic began to cover the town and neighboring area, creating a faded white bubble around the town.
I open my eyes as I appear in what looks like Ponyville at night, but I wasn’t the only one. Slowly many of townsfolk began to leave their homes looking around in confusion as random oddities begin to appear here and there, like a bunch of flying, quaking muffins, some mare rowing a boat through the air, and I think I could see a giant Ditzy playing with a ball of yarn like a cat with her daughter.
“Oookkayyyy? I know dreams are naturally chaotic, so I guess this isn’t too odd.” I mutter, before hearing a variable stampede heading my way.
“Lex!” I turn and see most of the guild running up, Arakunia flying up, causing me to catch and cradle her to me.
‘Mama, what’s going on?’ Mei question, and I remember I didn’t let these three know what’s going on.
“Sorry sweetheart, but a very dangerous entity left my head earlier and has been hopping around dreams all night. This is actually a shared dream princess Luna cast so we can catch it.” I explain softly.
“You mean Tantabus? But, she wasn’t causing any problems in my dream.” Ammy says, causing all of us to look to her.
“Actually, now that you mention it, that smoke thing didn’t really do anything negative to me. I was just dreaming about fighting some Grimm, and it just showed up and took them down for me.” Spike says.
“I was just dreaming about an endless library and the Tantabus just showed up with a ton of books I have never seen before. She left a note saying they were from your world Lex.” Twilight says, some brows raising at her dream. I then notice Trixie being quiet and blushing.
“Trix? What’s up?” I question, all attention going to the reluctant showmare. She just look around before glancing to Twilight with a blush.
“Tantabus uh....just...help me sort some things out.” She says quietly, earning raised brows from all of us. I don’t get to follow up on that answer as we see an orb of light slowly lowering itself to the ground, revealing Luna with both hands and her horn alight in magic, keeping the dream together.
“Luna!” All of us run over to her as the townsfolk bow, but I do notice some doing a double take upon seeing Luna’s guild mark.
“Now is not the time for bowing my subjects, or reunion my guild mates. I managed to cast this dream but I cannot aid you in battle as I need to spend all my focus on keeping it together. Now we need to-” she is cut off as a low roar sounded out form every direction.
Looking to the dream sky we see as a mass of dark purple and white stars begins to cover the dream town, the ponies beginning to panic. I watch as the ponies all run around in panic while the guild members get ready to fight. But I didn’t want that. Without warning the others I flew into the air before Tantabus.
“TANTABUS!” I call out to the mass, the purple energy shifting and appearing to look at me. “Why? Why are you doing this?” I question.
I watch as the mass shudders before forming together, creating a giant version of the silhouette from her Dive. I just hover before her face, the crowd below silent as I stare down the dream giant. After a second she clenched her fist and turned to look me in the eyes.
”Because I want to be part of it all.” was her answer, leaving us confused, before she pulls back and tries to hit me out of the air. I managed to dodge and that was the signal for the guild members to attack. Spike flew up next to me and took a deep breath.
“Emerald Dragon Roar!” The spell managed to hit Tantabus in the face, but she didn’t even react as she tried to swipe us out of the air.
“Not good!” I yell as Spike and I back off, the other members all trying to help out. I could see Nate using attacks like Sand Coffin alongside Swift trying to use her Purple Dance to immobilize it, without much luck. Trixie was trying to combine her attacks like Swords of Frozen Black Lightning with Spark’s Rainbow Flare spell, but it didn’t even leave a mark.
“Damn it, this isn’t working!” Rainbow yells in annoyance, summoning a cyclone of lightning to try and push Tantabus off balance. Meanwhile some of the members like Fluttershy, the CMC and my daughters were trying to keep the civilians back.
‘I don’t understand, all of the spells should have at least done something! It’s almost like we’re fighting the Celestial Spirit Beast or something. How is she able to tank those attacks without even flinching?’ I think to myself, trying to use my Dark Ecriture, but nothing was working.
It didn’t make sense, all these spells should have at least done something. It was as I was trying to hit Tantabus in the chest with my Ice Make magic, that I spared a glance to Luna, seeing her straining to keep the dream together.
Wait....dream...that’s it!
“Everyone! Fall back! I have an idea!” I call out to my guild, everyone jumping back as I land before the Tantabus and take a deep breath.
“Lex! What are you doing?!” I hear Echo call out, but I ignore her and focus. I needed to remember, remember how he unlocked and used his magic.
Salamander.
With a grin, my eyes shoot open and I release a roar like a dragon as orange flames and lightning surround me, the others all backing up as they see this.
“Lightning Flame Dragon mode!” I yell with glee. I realized, this is a dream. A world we can do anything in. Like using magic Tantabus has never seen us use before. The other all look to me in shock and confusion as I crouch and launch myself towards Tantabus.
“Lightning Flame Dragon Firing Hammer!” I yell as I slam my arm into Tantabus chest, causing her to roar in pain and being sent flying back.
“I knew it!” I yell, earning everyone’s attention. “This is a dream! Meaning we can use anything our imagination can think of! And the reason Tantabus was being unaffected was because she knows about our magic. So we need to use attacks she’s never seen before!”
The others all look to one another in surprise before Trixie steps up, placing her fingers on her temples.
“Memory Make Downpour of Ancient Wisdom!”
We all look towards Tantabus as the odd golden design appears above her, increasing the gravity forced on her and keeping her pinned. She just roars in frustration and tries to get up, without much luck. The others all see it’s working, and begin to think of new attacks to use. I watch as the first ones to go forwards were actually Gilda and Silk.
“Water Nebula!” The mare calls out, summoning two cyclones of water like a DNA helix that actually head towards Gilda.
“Ice Make Shotgun!” The hen yells, using the water from Silk’s spell to make several shards of ice launch towards Tantabus, freezing her left foot.
I grin as I see the members all working together in different combinations to wear out Tantabus, before glancing to the townsponies, who are just watching in awe. Unfortunately, while Tantabus was taking a little damage, she seemed more annoyed than anything, as heard my her growls as she tries to stand again.
I frown a little as I rise above Tantabus, the entity looking to me, then my members before clenching her fist and slamming it down to the ground, causing a shockwave that sends a few members flying. She then points her finger to a group of them, and we watch in shock as it glows blue before a large beam in launched towards the group.
“No!” I watch as Zen, Trixie, Cobalt and Bertha are hit by the blue beam, then freeze as the beam stops, leaving nothing in its wake. “W-what?”
“They’re awake!” I turn to Luna as she yells this.”The Tantabus somehow managed to eject them from the dream! They’re back in the waking world!”
“Damn it! We need to be careful, we won’t stand a chance if we enough of us wake up!” I yell to my guildmates, who all nod and try to take down Tantabus again, but without Trixie pinning her down with gravity she is able to get up and move now. Plus now she is shifting her form to defend herself, like making a shield out of energy, while sending beam after beam towards us. Our numbers slowly began to dwindle as more and more of us are ejected from the dream and wake up.
Before long the only ones left as myself, my girls, Sonbā, Echo, Spike, Twilight, Rainbow, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and the townsfolk, who were oddly untouched by the Tantabus.
“D-damn it...this thing just won’t give up.” Rainbow comments through pants. I growl in annoyance as Tantabus looks down to us, before turning and tearing into the air again.
“Oh no you don’t!” I fly up to her and stand before her, unlocking my Seal of Wind. “Sky God Boreas!” The cyclone of wind manages to punch Tantabus back a bit while Luna strains her magic and closes the tear.
”Stop it! Just let me leave here damn it!” Tantabus yells in annoyance.
“That’s not an option Tantabus! If you leave and enter the real world you’ll end up plunging it into a living nightmare! Your body is made of magic, so you’ll end up merging with the natural magic in the real world!” I try to explain, the entity shaking her head.
”Not if I can cast my spell before that happens!” that caused all of us to look to her in confusion.
“What spell?” Twilight questions. Tantabus froze at that, looking to me, then to my girls before turning to Luna.
”You’ll see.” with that Tantabus launched another beam, but at Luna, who is too focused on keeping the dream together.
“Luna!” I try to fly over and get her, but I am too slow and the beam hits her. In the next instant I gasp loudly as I shoot up in my bed. “Oh shit.”
Throwing off my covers, not caring about my lack of clothes I rush to my window, looking over the town and spotting members walking around, then I look up to the sky. In the sky above the town, I could see a small purple tear in the otherwise black sky. I pale as I see the tear beginning to glow and grow, and I know we failed.
“Ohshitohshitohshit.” I mutter, before opening my window and jumping out. “Requip, Black Wing Armor!” With a flip and a few seconds, I am in one of the skimpiest armor I have. All it really covers is my chest and groin, but I knew I needed to fly and having a boost in attack and speed with come in handy. Without a second to waste I rush through the air to the centre of town where I see the members are gathering, seeing the tear in the sky. Coming in for a landing near the centre of town, the others all flocked over to my area, but we all remained silent as we saw the tear slowly growing.
“Is this it? Are we going to be stuck in a permanent nightmare?” Sonbā questions, all of the others looking to each other in worry.
“No. Not if I can help it.” I mutter, taking a few steps forwards as the Tantabus begins to make it’s way through the tear. “Requip, Shikai.” In an instant I am in my black kimono, staring up at the mass of darkness as it makes its way through the tear and begins to spread around the town. With a frown and a small tear going down my face, I raise my hands before me. Unlike during the MPF test, the magic from the world around me wasn’t what was being used, but my sacred light.
With a frown, what sounded like a bell sounded out, golden light appears in my hands. I look up to the mass as it makes its way out of the dream realm. I focus on my spell more, allowing my magic to flow between my hands.
“1”
The orb in my hands appears slowly, being a golden yellow and white, my own eyes turning pure white with magic energy. Everyone began to slowly back away from me as charge my spell, while going back and forth between looking to me then the mass above us.
“2”
I turn my hands around the orb, before clapping them together, appearing as though I am praying.
“3”
I look up to the mass of purple darkness and stars as the last of it leaves the dream realm and appears in this world. With a frown and I sigh I prepare to unleash one of my strongest grand spells.
“I invoke, Fairy law.” I mutter, slowly pulling my hands apart, only to pause as I get a tingle in the back of my mind. Confused, I pause my spell and focus on the sensation, feeling it was very important somehow.
Images begin to flash before my eyes, memories of mine from a time not that long ago. Focusing on them, I remember them as my lessons in human anatomy from high school, and then my lessons in Alchemagic from Aunt Luna. Even more confused, I focus on the memories more, and see the memories of my parents, of when my siblings and I were kids, and most prevalent, how I act around Arakunia, Amaterasu and Unmei.
‘What is going on? Why am I remembering these things now?’ I question myself.
”Because that is what I want.” I look up to the mass of darkness, seeing it actually stopped growing, now covering the entire town and part of the Everfree, but not moving any farther than that. Confused, none of us were prepared when blue electricity began to spark from the Tantabus, causing the mass to shudder and slowly shrink.
“What the hell? What did you just do Lex?” Rainbow questions, before seeing my spell still paused in my hand.
“I’m not doing this.” I mutter, dispelling my attack before it can be released and just watching. I watch as the mass of darkness slowly begins to shrink in on itself, before noticing one of the stars in the mass above me is glowing brighter than the rest. Confused, I focus my magical senses on that spot rather than the mass as a whole, and what I found was shocking.
I could hear a heartbeat. It was slow, like whatever it belonged to was almost catatonic, but it was unmistakable. I try and focus deeper, and soon, I can see the small beginning of a soul. I gasp as I almost fall back looking at the mass. Suddenly all of what Tantabus was doing was being brought to the light.
She said ‘not yet’ when I said she lacked a heart. She traveled from dream to dream, not being a bother to other, but helping and then taking a small portion of their magic. Then during our fight, she didn’t directly fight back, she just forced us to wake up.
She isn’t evil, I knew this, but I didn’t realize she just wanted the same thing as my little sister. She wanted a life her own, not as a parasite, but as a person. But that still didn’t explain why she was looking into my memories about anatomy and Alche-
My eyes shoot open as I realize what is going on. These sparks, they’re the spark of alchemagic. All the magic she’s absorbed, all of the energy she’s stored, she trying to use all her magic to transmute herself a physical body. But...
“Tantabus no! It’s too dangerous!” I yell frantically, summoning my wings and flying up to the mass, much to the others shock.
”I don’t care! I want to be me, not be a parasite inside someone else!” she responds, her voice distorted and sounding strained. I watch in fear as the speed in its shrinking increases.
“Stop! You don’t understand, you’re using too much magic too fast! At the rate you’re going there will be nothing left before the transmutation is complete!” I yell.
“What are you talking about Lex?!” I turn and see Spike and Sonbā in the sky next to me, the stallion being carried by Echo.
“Tantabus is trying to use Alchemagic to use all her magical energy to create the building blocks for a body! She’s trying to turn herself real!” I yell frantically, trying to find a way to stop her.
“WHAT?! But the only reason we were able to make your sister a body is because we collected all the materials needed! Can it really create them all from magic?!” Spike questions.
“Technically she can but it uses up massive amounts of magic energy to create physical material out of magic. Just making things like saltpetre would cost all the magic Scootaloo possesses, let alone all the material needed to transmute a living body!” I yell, still panicking and at a loss for how to help.
“But wasn’t the Tantabus growing stronger through each dream it went through?” Echo questions, causing me to stop for a second. She’s...she’s right. All those dreams she went through, she was absorbing more and more magic from each dream, and I can sense she is absorbing the ambient magic in the air too.
“But that won’t matter since she doesn’t have any physical material to use a base in their first place. For all we know she could end up turning herself into a cat or a bat, or a Cragodile.” Sonbāsutā points out. I nod in worry as all those lessons Ed and Aunt Luna taught me come rushing back, telling me all the flaws of this spell. Maybe if Tantabus had something to work as a base it would work but we would need someone to add their own DNA mid-transmutation.
I look up to Tantabus in worry as I sense the magic draining too fast, hearing her groan in pain. I grit my teeth and glance down to my daughters, the trio looking to me with pleading eyes, seeming to have the same idea as me.
“Buck it all!” I yell as I rush above Tantabus and dispel my wings, falling towards her. As I am falling I summon my rapier and hold the blade in my free hand, pulling and slashing my skin. Ignoring the stinging sensation as my blood begins to flow, I clap my hands and summon my own Alchemagic.
”W-what are you doing?!” she strains to question.
“I’m making sure this works! I could be sent to see Truth, I could be sent to the Void, I could just disappear, but I refuse to let one I consider family vanish without a fight!” I all but scream, my magic being siphoned at an alarming rate. I just grit my teeth and bear it, consciously creating more magic within my cells from the little magic in the air around me.
As I begin to feel faint, I feel a weight being lifted off of me. Literally, my sword disappeared from around my waist. Glancing beside me, I go wide eyed as I see Sonbāsutā slashing his own hand, looking to me with a determined look in his eyes.
“What the hell are you doing?” I question as he step closer to me, placing his bleeding hand over mine.
“There is no way I am letting you do this alone. Echo and Spike are keeping everyone back, so I will add my own strength to this. You have done so much to me and everyone else already, so let me return the favour.” He says softly, looking down to the mass beneath us as the bright star glows brighter still.
I allow myself to just gawk at Sonbā for a moment, the stallion just smirking to me, before I take a quick breath and kiss him on the cheek, shocking him.
“Once this is all over, I am so taking you on a date.” I say with a grin, one he returns as he lights up his horn and I focus both of our magic. I can sense that the spell is nearing completion, and I swear I could see a small outline of a girl in the bright star.
Sonbā, Tantabus and I all yell in determination as we all give one more push with our magic, resulting in the star to glow brighter than the moon above us, causing everything to go white. I am sure, once this was all over, we would be adding another new member to our ranks.
Groaning, I begin to come back to my senses. I expected many things, like waking up in a crater on the ground, or waking up in my bed and finding everything was a dream, or maybe waking up in a hospital with several life threatening injuries.
I was not expecting to wake up in a purple void, with a large amount of mist along the pale turquoise ground with several galaxies floating in the sky above me. I almost cast a spell on myself to make sure I was awake as I looked around the void, being reminded of the dreamscape and the World Between where I met Master Mavis.
Getting to my feet, I look around a little more, before seeing a silhouette through the mist before me. Walking towards it, I am met by a welcome sight.
“Hey Lex, there you are.” Sonbāsutā says with a grin, becoming fully visible through the mist. I just giggle a little and give him a quick hug before looking around again.
“So...any idea where we are?” I question the stallion, earning a shaking head in response. I just sigh and look around again before Sonbā’s ears perk up.
“Someone’s coming.” He says, pointing to the left. I look through the mist, and I can slowly make out the silhouette of a familiar entity. Walking towards them, I see as Tantabus becomes visible, the grown entity looking to Sonbā and I nervously.
”Why did you two do that? You didn’t need to risk yourselves just to help me pull of some insane spell.” She says, and I notice her voice sounds a little higher.
“You seriously think we were just going to let you risk yourself like that? Like Rainbow says, ‘you never leave a friend hanging’. And that goes for family too.” I say with a grin, laying my hand on the Tantabus shoulder, surprised it feels like skin and not mist.
“Besides, if this would work, we would end up getting another member for the guild, and everyone in the guild is considered family.” Sonbā continues, laying his own hand on her other shoulder. She just looks between us, and I swear if she could she would be tearing up right now. Instead, she just dryly sobs and hugs us both.
”Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.” she repeats several times, slowly getting smaller with each thanks. While I feel like I should be freaking out, I’m not. Like I know this isn’t a bad thing. I just smile and hold her close, Sonbā holding the both of us close to him as she continues to shrink before stopping, now only the size of an infant.
”C-can I get a new name? I don’t want to be the Tantabus anymore.” she says, her voice soft and tired, like she is about to fall asleep. I just look to Sonbāsutā, who places a hand on his chin in thought, before smiling.
“Blissful Night. I think that would be a good name for this little one.” He says with a smile, one I return as I look down at the little mass of stars and darkness nuzzling into my arms.
“Shifuku Yoru then. Blissful Night in Japanese.” I reply with a smirk, laying a small kiss on Yoru’s head. I could tell, she would be having the largest smile if she could. Before long I could hear her lightly snoring and turn to Sonbā, who just smiles and holds the two of us close. I close my eyes as I could feel my own fatigue clawing to the surface. With a yawn I lay my head on Sonbāsutā’s shoulder, the stallion just laying back to let me rest. It was as I was about to fall asleep again that I feel something odd.
I swear I could feel a couple of feathers wrapping around me.