"Find where the heart lies first, and you’ll find where the heart lies now"
Chapter 1
Evening rays of light graced a small part of the Crystal Empire, namely Downtown. The streets were filled with bustling ponies, all heading in different directions. Most of them wielded knives in their hooves and refused to make eye contact. Those who did often scampered away, or broke into fight.
Those who weren’t brandishing any weapons in plain sight were mostly folks who were trying to earn a decent living; that accounted for less than half of the district’s population. Still, somewhat-legitimate businesses and deals were made.
“Look what we got here, boys!” A cerulean pony, the center of three, yelled at a cowering, light green pony in an alley. The other two ponies who stood alongside him bore an equally serious face.
The three crystal ponies kept walking towards their victim until she bumped onto the wall. Trembling, she shut her eyes and focused on the thoughts of them disappearing.
Go away! There might have been a force of wind ,but ultimately, the trio stood steadfast. A vine popped from the ground and wrapped around her hooves. She shrieked. One after another, vines surfaced and wrapped her. Her lips were first covered, and then her hooves. In a few seconds, only her eyes protruded out of her green captive.
Her muffled screams increased as her coin pouch beside her vanished, and reappeared on the ringleader’s head.
“Let’s bail.” He motioned towards the exit of the alley, and the three of them left posthaste.
Ember Rogue was a pale orange mare with and violet eyes. She pulled off her hood, revealing her golden yellow highlights that blended well with her dark purple mane. She had been standing across the street and had watched the entire scene unfold. “Now that’s asking to be robbed. I’ll show you how a real thief steals.” She closed her eyes and focused on Dreamspace.
She will imagine the pouch to be a rock. She will imagine the rock beside her to be the coin pouch.
Her thoughts had to be exactly precise: Any lighter or heavier, and it wouldn’t work. The rock had to be spherical, and the three ponies’ actions had to be what she imagined.
"Now boss, who’s next?”
“Don’t get cocky, Rump Bottom.” He slaps his face with the coin pouch.
She focused on the impact; it felt like there were twenty-seven coins in there. No, twenty-eight.
”Ohoho, big brother’s gonna love our steal!” He giggled, and likewise, the center pony smacked him too.
“Don’t be an ass too, Head Grinder. We’re doing this for our brothers. There’s nothing proud about all of this.”
“Not me. Ohoho!”
She imagined all of that: the laughs, the actions, the reactions. It all felt real to her.
“Rookies,” she muttered under her breath.
As she opened her eyes, whatever she had just imagined unfolded accordingly: the smacks, the laughs and the seemingly righteous leader. Whatever happened in Dreamspace was imposed onto her reality.
“Perfect.” There was a sly smile as she glanced at three oblivious ponies. There was a click at the back of her head, and the coin pouch on top of his head had turned into a small pebble, just like the size she had imagined.
“Huh? What gives?” She heard him scream as one of the ponies grabbed the pebble of his friend’s head. “Check it out, Steel Slicer, we got another Dreamer amongst us.”
Ember growled at the name ‘Dreamer’. She hated that label.
“I’m not one of you—.” She watched them scan the crowd. She was hoping their eyes wouldn’t meet, but they did. Her violet eyes matched Steel Slicer’s piercing white eyes.
“There she is.” He pointed to the red mare across the street. With a flick of his hoof, his two other friends rushed towards her.
She saw all this coming, and yet she stood her ground, refusing to budge. She watched as they climbed over pavements and ponies to reach where she was at. She watched them tackle her to the ground, and watched as ‘she’ vanished.
“Where’d she go?” asked the two puzzled ponies.
Perched up on a flagpole, Ember Rouge watched her little trick unfold and smiled. She flicked a knife out and held it in her hooves. Swiftly, she jumped down and pinned one Steel Slicer on the floor. “I think this belongs to me now.”
She took the coin pouch from the ground and dangled it above his head. He wasn’t trembling, even with the knife by this throat. Rather, he was smirking.
“Ah, another Dreamer. So glad you came.” With a swirl, the scene around them changed. They were alone now. The sun that had been above them shone, but she could feel the absence of heat. With every breath, cold mist came out of their mouth.
“I’m Steel Slicer, Dreamer of Mirrors. And you, my friend, have just lost.”
The scene changed once more. She opened her eyes to a dusty, dim room. There was trash scattered everywhere. The room smelled of wet algae and soiled socks.
She budged, but her body did not move. She felt her hooves wrapped in something wet but firm. Her head was held towards the ceiling and her eyes were forever glued onto a pair of ghastly, white eyes.
“You finally woke up. How’s it like trapped in your failure?”
She swore and spat at him, which only made him grin wider.
“Seeing ain’t believing. And you can’t see through me.” He inched closer to her face and smiled. “So how’s it feel?”
She headbutted his face and sent him tumbling slightly backwards. His nose oozed out blood, but he just barred white teeth at her.
“Do you want me to send you back?!” He growled. She swore once more.
“Or I can cut you open, real easy. Don’t make me.” With that, he walked towards a door and opened it. He turned back once more and stared at Ember.
“Don’t make it hard for me, or you.” With the mysterious tone, he slammed the door. Ember heard a click, and smiled; the sound of locks was music to her ears.
“Silly Steel Slicer, you think you can keep me here forever?” A grin stretched across her face as she giggled to herself. She closed her eyes and focused on two things: The ‘lock’ on her hooves, and the lock at the door.
She will squiggle her leg out of it until they are free. She will stomp on them and crush them. She will find a key in that lock. She will unlock the lock wrapped around her neck.
She pushed those thoughts upfront and executed them in order. Her hooves were first freed, and she unchained her neck. Now that she could move her head, she took a good look at her surroundings.
There were no windows where she could climb out from. All the air vents were bolted shut and the nuts were melted to the frame. There was a wooden table stacked with cups and plates of unfinished food and drinks.
She spotted something glimmer on the floor beside the table, and walked towards it. She scooped it up; it was a hairpin, perfect for pick-locking.
Without missing a beat, she placed it on her lips and walked towards the door. She placed the pin in the keyhole gently, and proceeded to imagine the door getting unlocked.
It didn’t take too long, or too much effort, before she heard a tiny click. Relieved, she opened it. She barely stepped in before she found herself staring at her own reflection. There were no mirrors. However, she saw her mimicking every action she did. If she walked backwards, her reflection would as well. If she dared to enter the next room, she would bump into her own reflection.
“Oh come on!” She heard her own voice echo twice in the two rooms as she looked towards the ceiling, and then back down towards the door. “That’s not fair.”
She smirked as she remembered she could easily level the playing field. “But this isn’t either.”
She shut her eyes once more.
“He can control mirrors? I just got to steal that from him then.”
She will be in a dark space. She will stand beside a miniscule figure of this room. She will imagine a mirror at the door that reflects the entire room so it looked like there are two rooms.
She will simply take that mirror away. She will imagine the next room to be on the streets once again. She will spot them.
And she will steal their memories of her. Everything. Right down to the point where they first met.
”I am going to walk out of here.”
She stood still, focusing on every little detail; the mirror—a probably generic rectangular mirror with a mahogany frame, coupled with simple doves engraved around it—and the streets. She pictured it exactly like how it was—from them stealing from the mare in the alley to her current situation—and her ‘stealing’ that memory from them. Afterwards, she would take that coin purse, and walk away.
As she opened her eyes, she stared at her reflection, and nodded her head. “I am going to walk out of here,” she called out and the pony in front of her disappeared. As according to plan, the scene behind the door unraveled itself to the busy streets of Downtown. The sun was at its original position, and she spotted those three ponies walking towards an alley.
With gusto, she walked out of the room and watched from afar as they approached a cerulean mare. She heard her scream out, and smiled.
As they left the alley, she couldn’t help but giggle at the pebble on his head. In one swoop, she grabbed the coin purse beside her and trotted off, leaving three disillusioned crystal ponies with their ‘loot’.
“That’s how you steal.” She looked at the loot in her hoof, but her smile quickly diminished. A frown formed in its place, and she sighed.
“But for how long more?” She asked herself. She had always asked herself that question after a steal. She managed to convince herself it was necessary for survival; she had to be the top of the food chain. She had to be the best. “I wonder what it’s like in a world without Dreamers.”
Her stomach growled. She took out three bits and walked inside the salad bar whose window she had been leaning on the entire time. She went inside and sat by a table, and signaled the waiter to come.
“Give me the Ceaser plate.” She passed him three bits. He walked briskly away.
In a few minutes, he came back and placed a plate onto her table. And then he slammed the table.
Eyeing her suspiciously, he asked, “You’re no Dreamer, are you?”
Ember flinched slightly, before shaking her head. “No.”
An obligatory stare-back was at hand. There was a brief silence before the waiter broke his gaze, and took down her orders.
“Okay. One Ceaser it is. I’d be careful if I were you. That bag of bits look darn easy to steal.” Ember reflexively moved her hoof over to her pouch, making sure it was there, and hid it inside her left hoodie pocket. Her eyes never broke contact with the waiter’s.
“I’m no Dreamer,” said the waiter. His gaze had not been averted since Ember had stepped in. The air around them was tense.
Cold sweat broke at the back of Ember’s head, but she steadied her breathing. She had a feeling he was up to something.
“Neither am I.” She took her bag of bits and placed it on the table. Undoing the knotted string, she took out a few more bits and placed it beside her plate. “Five bits, and you’ll leave me alone.”
His eyes glistened, but only for a short while before he switched it back to the pair of piercing pupils. “I don’t trust you.”
“Well, it’s the only option you have. There are other Dreamers around who would like the bits I have, as well as—” there was a deliberate pause “—yours.”
The sounds of other ponies’ chatters were drowned out as the pair held firm. Neither party moved, or dared to budge.
The waiter let a breath of defeat out, and inched closer to her face. “Ten, and you promise never to come here again.”
“Five. You better make your choice fast.” Her eyes scanned the crowd, and picked up two ghastly white eyes in the distance. “Shit.”
Alarmed, her thoughts went to Dreamspace.
She will run towards the guy. She will pickpocket the gun by his side.
She managed to open one eye before she heard the sound of pipe bending. Without any warning, a blast of water was shot from under the waiter. It flung him towards the ceiling, and kept him pinned against it for a few seconds before he dropped back down into a swimming pool.
Ember’s eyes widened at the sight of the pool; she was used to seeing the magic of Dreamers, but it was usually more violent. There could have been a shark-infested sea or a tank filled with electrical eels. Instead, there was a full-sized swimming pool. The marble tiles were mosaic and the color of the water was a calm blue.
Her memories played back records of scenes that happened a few years back, back when she was still ‘normal’.
There was a time where she didn’t believe Dreamers existed. She lived life according to her schedule—a constant change for a thief like her—and everything seemed normal.
There was a time she went swimming in a pool like that. She felt relaxed—a rare moment for a thief like her—and everything seemed normal.
And then she met a Dreamer. And everything was no longer normal.
She remembered meeting the Dreamer by the pool. He had scruffy grey mane and had a dirty yellow coat. He was often paranoid, telling her about Dreamers and their powers.
He went nuts. He kept saying, “Believe!” She shrugged it off.
He told her that if she believed, she would live a wonderful life. She shrugged it off.
He tricked her that if she believed, he would go away. She tried believing.
He went away. She started seeing things. She started believing.
She found out about Dreamspace. She believed. And everything was no longer normal.
The waiter climbed out of the swimming pool. His face was ghastly white and his hooves trembled. “Dreamer!” He yelled.
There was another blast of water that rained from above. However, no matter how much water was released, there was never a flood on the floor. The water seemed to evaporate the moment it touched the floor.
Screams filled the place as ponies rushed out of the bar. “Pipe burst! Pipe burst!”
Ember watched as the torrent choke the waiter. In a matter of seconds, the column of water dissipated, leaving behind a ‘drowned’ pony.
“Don’t mess with us Dreamers when we say so!” announced the pony. Ember turned to look at him.
He had half-blonde, half-brown mane that flowed down his cool blue coat. His white eyes had turned back to a shade of dark blue. He had an ice cube as a cutie mark, and had wings; a rare occurrence in crystal ponies.
She took a defensive stance, wielding her pocket knife in her mouth and leaning forward. She was ready to pounce if anything bad happened.
“Hello there!” He smiled and waved over to her. “Hope you didn’t mind that. I was worried you couldn’t fight back so I stepped in.”
She allowed herself to relax slightly, but her pose remained. “Who are you?” It was more of a demand than a question.
She blinked shortly, and the first sight she opened her eyes to was the crystal pegasi flying towards her.
Reflectively, she pounced forward, ready to strike him before he could retaliate. On the other hand, he stood with his head up high and his chin forward. He had a smile of a kid and his eyes beam widely. Pushing his chest outwards, he declared, “I’m Ice Cube!” and beamed at Ember Rogue.
She stopped mid thrust, completely taken aback by his lack of self-awareness. She compared him to a monkey before silently cursing and stood upright.
“Hmph.” She kept her knife in her hoodie and turned towards the exit.
“Wait, where are you going? We just met!”
She didn’t reply as she walked out. He chased after her.
“Hey, uh, that was some water blast, right? I mean like, whoosh! In one second, he was dead. Isn’t that dandy! Also, I made that swimming pool. It was like the one I had when I was a little kid.”
Ember zoned out and walked along Downtown. She was used to getting stares because of how mysterious she looked with her hoodie pulled over, but she was getting rather uncomfortable. Mostly because Ice Cube was behind her, rambling about himself. And people were mostly likely staring at him as if he was the next kind of crazy.
She swore and dropped her shoulders. She wanted to lie down, and headed eastwards towards her home.
“And then I had parfaits. Parfaits are delicious!”
She swore once more and wished she had the power to mute ponies. If anything, she wanted someone else to steal her ears for once, or his mouth.
“Have you ever had a parfait?”
“Yo!” She screamed at him. “Shut it, you little shit before I steal your mouth. Literally.” Immediately, he flinched and placed his two fore hooves on his lips.
She stared at him as he smiled sheepishly and nodded.
“Now, get lost.” She looked him sternly in his eyes, and he frowned. With his head hung low, he walked away as torrents of water seemed to gush out of his face.
He had barely walked away before he turned his head around. He had on sad puppy eyes and his lips quivered. In return, she continued with her piercing stare. “I said get lost! I don’t want to see you. Shoo! Scram!”
He quickly turned around and doubled his pace. In a few seconds, he turned a corner and was out of her sight.
Dropping her shoulders, she sighed in relief as she continued walking back home.
“We could use her,” said a female voice.
“She could be our greatest ally, or our greatest threat,” said a male voice.
“Do you want me to finish her? We can’t take risks, you know.”
“No. Get her on our side.”
“But I sense she won’t help you.”
“Then I shall help her.”
There was a last glimmer of the sun before the moon rose to take its place. Night in Downtown was quiet. Ponies had learnt not to travel unnecessarily after the sun had been lowered; there were Dreamers of the Night lurking in corners. They could do anything to them, and they wouldn’t see it. And to those that were normal, they saw thugs roaming the streets. Law seemed non-existent as crime sprees happened every night.
Ember Rouge lived on Star Alley, under a few cardboard boxes; they were to be her only source of comfort and protection. She had a green blanket that looked like it went through a couple of owners before. It barely covered her body, and she often used it as a pillow rather.
Thankfully, the skies were clear, and stars shone brightly. The air was cool. She lay down onto the flattened cardboard box and stared at the stars. She began counting them; it would drift her off to sleep.
She enjoyed this moment of peace; the alley was secluded in a corner of Downtown, and barely any ponies passed by street before that. She could count them in silence and watch the moon change shape each night.
Sometimes, she would steal a star. A small one. So small that she could imagine it by her side. It would shine and radiate warmth—just enough to make it through a cold night.
She would return it in the morning; beautiful things should remain beautiful.
“That one looks like keys. And that looks like a—” A shadow was cast onto her. She turned her head towards it, and spotted a pony standing still in front of the alley.
“Hey you, get your ass outta here.” She commanded, but the pony stood undaunted. Ember’s eyebrows knitted and her voice got lower. “I said, get lost.”
“Dreamer of Thievery, do not be alarmed.”
Ember flinched. She hated that word. The word that made her sound like she was living under an illusion. But even so, she hated that this pony knew how she worked.
“You.” Profanities left her lips. “Get lost. You’re crazy.”
“It’s something you’d like to believe, don’t you? You Dreamers are all living an illusion. You believe it works, but I tell you, it’s all real”
“I said leave, before I get nasty.” She snorted at the mysterious pony.
“You’re resilient, I see. Good. I like that.”
Ember Rouge tensed her muscles and leapt forward. “I said, leave!” With a powerful swing, she swung at the pony. She expected to cut a wound or two. Instead, mist appeared in its position, leaving behind a smoky trail.
She huffed and panted as she attempted to catch her breath. However, her heartbeat rose once more as she heard a voice in the background.
“Dreamer of Thievery, if you wish to fulfill your heart’s desire, go through this door.” Instantly, her surroundings were warped. She was now standing in front of a giant crystal castle. The sun shone overhead and the birds were chirping.
She recognised where she was at: the Crystal Palace.
“Isn’t this the Crystal Palace?” She called out, but was greeted with silence. There was a flight of stairs leading to the main door. To her surprise, it was unguarded.
“So, up there?” Curiosity bit her. What if there was more to just stealing in her life?
Cautiously, she approached the stairs. Nothing happened, so she proceeded up the stairs, carefully scanning her surroundings with each step she climbed.
Step. Scan left, scan right. Step, scan left, scan right. It soon became a routine until she reached the top. Her mind was mostly blank—something she forced herself to do since she discovered she was a Dreamer—other than the goal in front of her. Wild and unplanned thoughts are not needed, thank you very much, mind.
At the top, a door about five times her size stood in her way and the answers she wanted. All she needed to do was to open the door.
She did just that; she barely tapped on the door handle when the doors swung inwards on its own, revealing a regal crystal pony. She had a light pink tiara on her head with a ruby in its crest. She donned a floral white dress and had many golden and silver bracelets and trinkets on her hooves. Her pink eyes shone and her pink mane matched her eyes.
“Queen Kira.” Ember Rogue just stared at her; it was the first time she had seen her up close.
“You have made up your mind, and your heart resonates deeply with it. I can tell.” She took small steps, each with elegance and grace, until she was a hoof’s length away from Ember.
“You said you could fulfill my heart’s desire.” She inched her head slightly forward.
“Yes, child. Speak and you shall receive.”
“I want to… I want to be normal again.”
Queen Kira paused for a while as she studied Ember Rogue.
“That, only you can do. But you can’t do it either, without the Crystal Heart. It’s been—” There was a deliberate pause. “—stolen.”
Ember inhaled deeply. “Big deal.”
“You do not understand, child. The Crystal Heart serves as many functions. It shields us from the outside world. Without it, they can see us. It also shields them from us. Some of us are… dangerous.” Queen Kira turned her back towards her. “Without it, havoc will wreck. Everyone will fall into Dreamspace. I’m sure you’re familiar with it.”
Ember nodded her head. “So you want me,” she emphasised, “To get it back.”
“Yes, child. The magic that shields us last for only another seven more days. If you bring it back by then, then we can restore its magic. If not, the world will plunge into darkness. Bring it back, and I shall grant you anything. I can even make you normal again.”
Ember studied her queen. Could she really turn time back for her?
“One question.”
“Speak.”
“Are you a Dreamer too?”
Queen Kira pondered for a few seconds before she replied. “Everyone’s a Dreamer.”
“That doesn’t answer the question,” Ember retorted.
“Think about it. Your time is up in Dreamspace. I can only tell you what I know now: I know nothing of the heart’s whereabouts. Find where the heart lies first, and you’ll find where the heart lies now.” In a flash, her scenes warped back to the misty Star Alley. Sun rays peeked out of the horizon. The birds started chirping. A rooster’s call was heard.
She smacked her dry lips as she stretched her hooves. A few hours had passed since she met the stranger, but it seemed like minutes in Dreamspace. She didn’t even feel tired or anything. Instead, she was rather eager to steal back the Crystal Heart. “”Time to go find answers."
