Author's Note
This story is contained in my book "Dash Tries to Win Your Heart and Other Short Pony Stories"
If you have interest in purchasing this non-profit book, check out my online store at this link: http://www.lulu.com/shop/search.ep?contributorId=1662371
Main Story
Ba-Thump. Ba-Thump. Ba-Thump.
You catch the small ball in your hand and toss it back against the marble wall.
Ba-Thump.
"Uuugh. Why is this so boring!"
You lay back in your bed, adorned in fabric of the highest quality, in a room that could be big enough to be it's own small apartment. Tossing the ball into the air over your head, you catch it in your right hand without really focusing on it. Let's review the basics again; you think to yourself.
One, your name is Anonymous. You throw the ball into the air with one hand and catch it with the opposite hand. Two, at your very fingertips is any sort of food that you would want, an endless supply of classic literature, as well as the resources to begin attempting any hobby that you could possibly want. With a light toss, the ball bounces off the golden headboard of your bed, emblazoned with an insignia of the sun and the moon, and lands on your stomach. Three, you live in a magical world of colored ponies that all love you and want nothing more than to talk to you.
Plus, the ruler of the country, Princess Celestia, is pretty cool. Her sister, Princess Luna, is cute too. Most of the time, they are off doing their Princess duties. Whatever -that- is. Which leaves you alone most of the time.
You toss the ball against the post of the bed, but instead of bouncing back to you, it rolls out the door of the bedroom and into the hall. Great. Now you have to get up. Rising to your feet, you step out into the hall and pocket the ball.
Maybe a walk around the castle would be what you need to get some sort of mental stimulation. Walking through the decorated, ornate halls of Canterlot castle is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, that most ponies in this world travel far and wide to experience just once. You just call the layout confusing as hell. Seriously! Who in their right mind keeps the kitchen so far away from the bedrooms. What are these ponies? Animals?
You remind yourself not to answer your own question.
It's not healthy.
As you stroll through the halls, you notice two guards walking past.
"Hey fellas."
"Yes sir, Anonymous," One guard answers.
"Guys. I've already told you, call me Anon."
The guards look to each other in confusion.
"Uh, sir, no you haven't."
"Well shit, I can't tell any of you apart. You all look the same to me. What's your name?" you ask, pointing to the closer guard.
"Uhm. It's Brave, sir. Brave-"
"I'm going to call you Dude from now on. Alright dude?"
The other guard snickers as Dude furrows his brow.
"Sure thing Anon."
"Perfect. Anyway, how many days has it been since Celestia left?"
The guards look to each other.
"Uh. She just left this morning."
You stare at them silently. "I don't like it when you lie to me dude."
"Sir, I'm serious."
You shake your head and rub your forehead. "Fine. I'll just find something to do to occupy my time."
"Sir, we would like to remind you that the Princess specifically ordered to not let you into the kitchens."
"Yeah, yeah. I know. No cooking. I get it."
You examine a chicken egg closely. How DO you get these things open. Look down at the pan. Back to the egg.
Pan.
Egg.
Easy.
You smash the egg in the pan, shattering the shell and splattering egg white on the stove.
"Perfect!"
Stupid guards. You aren't -that- bad of a cook. How were you supposed to know that cooking a cake at 700 for ten minutes, isn't the same as 350 for 20 minutes. It's simple math. You bet that they have made the same mistake. It will be fine though, you can't possibly mess up your current plan. Eggs and toast. What could possibly go wrong?
"I DIDN'T DO IT!"
You run screaming from the kitchen as the fire burns out of control and the guards run in with water hoses.
"Anonymous! Get back here!" The guards call as they chase after you.
As you nope your way down the hall, you enter the first set of double doors out of the sight of the guards. Slamming them shut, you hold your back against the door as tightly as you hold your breath. You close your eyes and focus your hearing. Listening outside, you hear the guards gallop by and stop, looking around.
"Where'd he go!" One masculine voice calls out.
"Spread out, he can't have gone far," another replies.
Sliding down the door, you sit quietly, hoping they don't hear you. If they caught you, that means there might be punishment for your actions. A severe punishment. Like cleaning. You hate cleaning. Almost as much as you hate being bored.
Opening your eyes, you look around the room that you've entered. It seems to be a small private study, with a few well padded chairs, a desk and walls lined with books. One well-placed fireplace and a few tasteful animal heads and you might think that this room was out of some murder-mystery story.
"Good Morning Anonymous," States a cool, feminine tone.
You place a finger to your lips, as you look at Princess Luna, who sits quietly, reading a book.
"Are they searching for -you-, Anonymous?" She asks in a more reserved tone.
"Naaww. I just wanted to have a run around the castle a bit. Get some exercise. Read some books and be a productive member of society."
"Did you go into the kitchen again?" Luna asks bluntly.
With a groan, you listen closely as the hoofsteps begin to die down.
"Why does nobody want me to cook?!" You whisper in annoyance.
Luna rises from her seat and strolls to the doors of the room and picks you up with her magic. The cold, tingly sensation sends shivers down your skin.
"Hey! Put me down." You attempt to command the Princess of the Night.
Luna opens the doors and steps outside.
"Guards. We have found him," She confidently shouts to everypony in a fifty mile radius.
"DAMN IT LUNA. Screw you and your third person references!" you proclaim.
The guards immediately approach her, out of breath and bowing.
"Thank you, Princess. We can handle it from here."
"Oh come on dude, cut me some slack."
"I thought I was dude." One guard says disappointedly.
"Look! Now you hurt his feelings. Luna, let us take this human to the dungeon," The head guard asks.
"We do not believe that should be necessary. We shall handle the human's punishment."
The guards nod.
"Yes, your highness," They answer in unison.
With a deep reverent bow, they leave you to struggle and wave your arms as you hang in mid-air.
"Stop struggling."
"No!"
"Stop."
"No!"
"Please?" She asks politely.
With a groan, you fold your arms as you hang upside down in mid-air.
"Fine."
Luna steps back inside, levitating you along with her and closing the doors behind you.
"Alright. So what do I have to do? If it's cleaning I'll stage a revolution like the sort you've never-"
"Like when we tried to rebel against our sister over 1000 years ago Anonymous?" Luna teases.
"Better than that!"
"We are sure you mean the truth," The Princess smiles with a hint of sarcasm, letting you float back to the ground.
Standing back up, you stretch to try and shake off the feeling that magic leaves on your skin. It's almost like being coated in some form of cold, tingly lotion.
"No Anonymous. We... I simply wish to speak with you," Luna states clearly, sitting back down in her chair.
She motions you to sit in the chair across from you and instantly something feels wrong. This doesn't seem right. The princess of the night wants to talk to you. One on one. While her sister is away and right after you turned the kitchens into a fiery inferno of eggs and toast.
She must want the D.
You strut to the chair and sit down, folding your legs and placing your head in your hands in a way that seems non-nonchalant, but you are exposing your good side.
"Ask me anything. It's my privilege," You reply in a sultry tone.
"Alright then. First, you have to stop that. It's ridiculous," She states, suppressing a giggle the best she can.
She resisted your god-like charm! This is truly a mare of great tastes. You like that.
"Alright. What's up?"
"What do you do for... fun around here," She asks innocently.
Your eyes open wide and you stare at her. "Uh. Seriously?" You ask. She nods her head sincerely. "Well. Uh. I dunno. I try to find things to do all the time, but I mean, you can only prank Celestia so much until her hair catches on fire like the sun, and-"
"You've pranked my sister?" The Princess asks, shocked.
"Oh yeah. Loads of times. Like..."
You do your best to contain a giggle as you watch Celestia being served her morning meal.
"Thank you," She states reverently to the waitress pony that brings out the silver platter.
The silver platter is lifted slowly to reveal a medley of mixed greens. Using her golden magic, she lifts the salt and pepper shaker to her breakfast, just like every other morning. Carefully, she tips the salt shaker towards the mixed greens and lightly seasons the morning meal. Your smile is wider than it should be for a normal morning, so you bury your face with cereal.
"Did you sleep well Anon?"
"Fwibe," You answer with a mouth full of corn flakes. "You?"
"Very well," She answers with a calm, happy tone.
She picks up the fork with her magic and stabs a few green leaves and brings it to her mouth. They enter her mouth slowly. She bites down. Chews for a minute. Then swallows. The room goes deafly silent.
"This is exceptional today! I think this will be a great day!"
She raises a cup of coffee to her lips and takes a deep gulp. The cup is then thrown across the room at the speed of sound as she leaps to her hooves.
"What is this! WHO WOULD DO THIS!" She screams at the top of her lungs, pushing ponies away like basketballs colliding with a freight train. Celestia screams bloody murder for a glass of water, as you desperately gasp for breath from laughter.
"You filled the coffee with hot sauce!" Luna asks in aghast.
"Yep. She totally flipped her lid."
Luna erupts into a laughter that fills the entire room.
"That is priceless. Oh how I've missed seeing our sister pranked on occasion. Discord didn't -always- used to be a bad fellow after all," She giggles, wiping a tear from her eye.
"Well, maybe we could totally stage a few pranks when she gets back."
"Yes. We must," The royal alicorn answers. "I remember one time I pranked dear sister..."
Princess Celestia and Princess Luna sit serenely in the royal garden, reading peacefully with a small loaf of fresh bread. Luna looks up at her sister, who wears a wide smile as she reads letters from her most faithful student. A gently navy blue glow as she quietly snickers to herself. The moon rises up high over the horizon and covers the sun, shrouding Celestia in dark and leaving you in perfect reading light. Celestia looks up to the partial eclipse, then looks back at Luna with a frown on her face.
"Really?" She asks rhetorically.
"Really?" You ask in surprise.
"Yes! Her face was priceless," Luna says, laughing at her own joke.
"I'm... surprised," You answer the Princess. "I didn't see you as a practical joker."
"Neither did I, and it's so dreadfully boring in this castle."
"I know! I mean. I totally didn't wanna say it first, and I don't mean anything against you or Celestia or anything, but this place sucks."
Luna snickers to herself. "I completely understand."
You furrow your brow for a moment.
Wait a minute.
"Hold on. Don't you have Princess stuff you should be doing?"
Luna's bright demeanor dampens as she lets out a sigh. "It's remarkable that since my return, sister has been... unwilling to pass down many of her responsibilities. She prefers a more hooves-on approach to ruling Equestria."
Sitting back in your chair, a new question sits on the tip of your lips. "Then what do you even do?" You ask.
"A lot of reading. I have clear responsibilities for the moon, but otherwise I've taken my evening hours to dreamwalk amoung the citizens of Equestria."
"Oh okay. That makes sense. I mean perfectly logical," You state as if you know exactly what she is talking about.
Luna stares at you as if expecting a question. You can't give in. Just act like you know.
"I mean... it's quite fun you know," She eggs you on.
"I can only imagine," You answer flatly.
A moment of silence passes and Luna lightly sips a cup of tea.
"Okay. What the fuck is dreamwalking?"
"I thought you would never ask." Luna smiles widely. She leans inward to you with a wide smile.
"Want to try it?" She asks deviously.
"Is this some kind of drug? Crack is whack Luna. Just say no."
"Oh. Nothing of the sort," She explains. "It's simply magic."
"Not really helping your case."
Luna laughs and shakes her head. "No Anonymous. Using a magic spell I can enter the dreams of other ponies. This way I can help them to learn some sort of truth about themselves or discover something they may never have discovered on their own. Dreams are very interesting things."
"It's a good thing I don't dream then," You scoff.
She raises her eyebrow with a sly smile.
"Three nights ago."
"Don't you dare," You warn her, knowing the exact dream she was referring to. Luna shakes her head with a smile.
"It's fine if you think of me that way Anon... I don't mind."
Beads of sweat form on your brow. "How many of my dreams have you seen?" You ask fearfully.
"Oh... not many, but when you sleep talk, I can only get so curious before I go see for myself," She mentions flirtatiously.
You stare at her stone faced. "That's a massive invasion of privacy," You state.
"It's all how you look at it Anonymous," She answers, sipping her tea.
"You do this to just... anyone?"
"Any-pony," She corrects you.
"Then you play with their dreams."
Luna nods her head. You stare at her even harder.
"That is the god damned coolest thing ever." Luna smiles and nods her head. "I mean. Shit. You could do literally ANYTHING you wanted. You could make the dream ridiculous or terrifying or-"
"This power cannot be used lightly Anonymous," Luna backtracks.
"You went into my sex dream."
"You were moaning my name."
The two of you squint at each other.
"Point taken."
The two of you sit in silence, awkwardly looking at each other.
"Well. If we can't mess with other ponies dreams. What can we do for fun?" You ask. Luna rubs a hoof on her chin and thinks to herself.
"Well there has been something I've been wanting to try, but it wouldn't be easy." You turn and give her your full attention once more. "I've wanted to try to enter a lucid dream," She states.
"Oh yeah. That would be really interesting," You answer blankly.
"You have no idea what that is do you." She smiles.
"What? Is it painted on my face or something? Goddamn."
She shakes her head. "A lucid dream is a dream that the dreamer -knows- they are having. So they can control what happens in it."
You think to yourself. "So, essentially, we could both control the dream."
"Precisely."
"But who would be more powerful in that dream?" You ask.
"I'm not sure... that's what I want to know. My powers are strong... but are they stronger than the dreamer's mind?" She asks openly.
You stare at her. She stares at you.
"Well, how do I have a lucid dream?"
"Are you sure you are ready to try this Anonymous?" Luna asks, standing in your room next your bed.
"It's not like we got anything better to do than test my very limits of my sanity by letting someone into my mind and attempt to control my thoughts."
She stares at you curiously, then shrugs her shoulders. "Alright. Just like I taught you," She calmly says.
You close your eyes and attempt to visualize the area you want to go. Just a boring white room. A simple cube with no doors or windows. Start there. You feel your body become heavy, as if the gravitational pull on you were stronger. Every aspect of this room feels real to you. The size, the shape, where you are standing. Just focus on your breathing. Soon, your body begins to feel light.
Gently, you reopen your eyes and you find yourself in a simple white room, with no distinguishable features. Spinning around, you are surprised that Luna had not joined you in the dream yet. Oh well. You can always have some fun in the meantime. Mustering the majority of your mental power, you strain yourself to envision an object. Taking a deep breath in, you focus on the items existence. It's shape, it's feel, the way it acts remain focused and resolute in your mind. With a deep breath out, you envision the object in your hand.
Then it is. A small ball sits in your hand. Perfect. You toss the ball at a nearby wall. Ba-Thump. Ba-Thump. Ba-Thump.
"You have the realm of infinite possibilities at your fingertips and you make a ball." Princess Luna asks in amazement.
"So what?" You answer.
Ba-Thump. Then it registers.
"About time you got here. What should we try first?"
"Well, I propose a duel."
Ba-Thump.
"Go on," You reply.
"You begin to create a part of the dream, then I will attempt to change it."
Ba-Thump.
"Alright. What determines the winner?"
"If I can't change a part of your dream, you are the winner. Otherwise, I am the winner." Luna answers confidently.
Ba-Thump.
"Fair enough. What are the stakes?"
"Stakes?"
You turn to Luna with a sly smile. "Right. What happens if I win."
Luna thinks hard to herself, darting her eyes around.
"If I win... You have to clean my room."
"Nope. Too dangerous."
"But I haven't even-"
"Can't risk it. Deal off."
"Anon-"
"I'm not cleaning your room."
"Then take me on a date!"
You stare at the blushing navy blue alicorn, who looks away.
"I-I mean. If you win, I suppose I'll go on a date with you."
With a raised eyebrow and an adequate prize in sight, a little cleaning might be worth the effort.
"Deal."
You reel your arm back and throw the ball as hard as you can at the white floor. On impact, the white floor shatters like glass and leaves the two of you falling through black space. The two of you fall faster and faster as Luna folds her hooves, waiting for you to impress her. Focusing your thoughts, the two of you slow your descent and softly land on a small patch of grass in the dark. You extend your hand to Luna, still focusing your vision.
"A twirl?"
Luna smiles and takes your hand. She stands on two hooves as you twirl her slowly. As she does, you bring the meadow filled with white flowers to life, underneath a star studded night sky and illuminated by a bright full moon. Luna looks around at the vast unending landscape and smiles.
"Starting out easy I see?"
"Hold on."
A light breeze flows through the meadow, causing each individual flower to sway in it's own particular pattern. Ripples appear in the waves of blooming white plants.
"What flowers are these?" Luna asks you.
"On Earth, scientists called them Daturas." Luna looks over them carefully, picking one up. "However, they only bloom at night, so I call them moonflowers."
Luna picks one up and sniffs it. "I will remember these... moon flowers," She smiles. Luna levitates the flower in midair and it multiplies into a full bouquet.
"But still, an easy dream to change. You will have to try harder if you want to win Anon."
"Oh, trust me. We've only just started.”
Reaching your hand up, you grab the moon with your hand, and pull it down to you. It's really only about the size of your hand. You spin the moon on your finger as you raise one of your hands up in the sky. Over the horizon, the sun slowly rises, basking the field in a warm orange glow.
"Simple tricks aren't going to get you anywhere Anon~" Luna teases.
She takes the moon from your hands with her magic and pushes it back into the sky, next to the sun. With her magic, she pushes the two together and creates a blinding solar eclipse. You shield your eyes from the bright light. Reaching up to grab the moon again, you find it's out of reach. Luna yawns on her royal horseshoe and shines it on her soft fur.
"Give up?"
"Not even close."
Pulling another ball from your hand, you aim to the sky and throw the ball as hard as you can. The ball rockets into the sky, and seems to freeze. A small black shadow remains in the sky in the shadow of the solar eclipse. Gravity does it's job and returns it back to your position, but it grows larger and larger as it nears the ground. The small meteor begins to blaze with fire as it comes closer and closer to where you stand. You and Luna simply stand, watching each other in a game of chicken.
It's a dream. It can't actually hurt you. Or at least, you will feel it in the dream, but as long as you remember it's a dream, it won't hurt you.
The fiery ball collides with the earth and the ground beneath you tremors. As the ground shakes, it elevates, pushing you and Luna high into the sky on a newly forming hill. The center of the hill begins to hollow out and fill with hot, red molten magma. Smoke floats from the magma into the air, making the princess blink soot out of her eyes. Taking the opportunity, you grab the moon and throw it to the other side of the sky, removing the blinding light from the scenery.
The landscape lies parted between half day and half night, with an active volcano marking the center between the two lands. Luna steps out of the way of the smoke and looks over the land you have created. She nods to herself.
"Not bad. Very complex, two ecosystems combined with day and night at the same time. I'll concede one point to you."
Bowing deeply with a smirk, you attest to your creation. "Why thank you."
"But, creating the dream is only a small part of the challenge." Luna adds.
Her horn glows in dark blue magic as the magma inside the volcano bubbles viciously. A deep guttural roar sounds from deep within the volcano and the ground resumes it's shaking. Turning to view the center of the creation, a massive dark red form launches from the inside into the air. With two massive spiked wings and a long red tail, it flies into the sky and shrouds itself in the smoke.
A dragon?
That's the biggest dragon you've ever seen! The massive beast hovers in the air and lets out another ear-splitting roar. Well, it's the only dragon you've ever seen, but that's not the point. Looks like you have to slay this thing. Luna smiles and watches as she controls the dragon's movements with her horn. You quickly imagine yourself a set of armor with two small holes in the back as well as a ridiculously oversized greatsword for your combat. Picking up the sword, it feels as light as air.
Perfect.
If you are going to imagine things, you might as well as imagine it in your favor. Just one last thing. You sprint to the Princess of the night and firmly grip her wings.
"Hey, I'm going to barrow these. Kay thanks."
"What?"
With a tug, her wings pop off with ease and you attach them to your back.
"Anon! You reattach those this-"
"Don't care. Killing a dragon."
Grabbing your sword, you flap your new wings and take off into the sky. The air breezes by you as you ascend higher and higher into the air. The dragon roars at you and swipes it's claws, narrowly missing you. Luna's powerful wings allow you to navigate the air on a dime and evade the dragon's attacks with ease.
The beast roars, while swinging it's massive spiked tail at you. You gasp when you finally see the attack. In an attempt to evade the spikes, you dive down. A large gust of air signals that you just barely avoided the attack. Swinging your sword, you flap your wings and head straight on towards the dragon while it's back is turned.
As you reach the base of the wing, you bring the sword down on the tightly knit scales. The metal sinks through and you feel the softness of the dragon's flesh underneath, as it leaks a light green blood. The beast roars in anger, and his left wing can't flap with the same power that it was able to. Leaping off the dragon, you see the tail swing back to slap it's back. You deftly avoid the blow as it smashes into where you just stood.
The beast spins in the air and breaths in deep. It points it's face at you as you attempt to put some distance between you and your enemy. A torrent of fire erupts from the dragon's mouth, forcing you to dive lower to evade the blast. The intense heat warms your skin as the attack edges closer and closer to you. Flapping your wings as hard as you can, you manage to evade the attack as the dragon runs out of breath.
Seizing your opportunity, you fly around to the dragon's back one last time. Targeting the already damaged wing, you sink your sword inside and push it through to the other side. A deafening roar fills your ears as you leap off the dragon. The air flies by you as you attempt to get out of attack range of the beast. It attempts to stay afloat with his one usable wing, but falls steadily from the sky. With a mighty quake, the dragon collides with the side of the volcano, and lies still.
"YEAH! Get wrecked nerd," You yell at your slain foe. You dive back to the volcano, as Luna scoffs. "How was that."
"A lucky break."
You smirk at the Princess of the Night. "So is that a point for me then?"
Suddenly, you are engulfed in a fiery inferno of fire, covering your skin in black soot and royally messing up your hair.
Luna laughs haughtily as you blink from the unexpected attack.
"Always finish your opponent Anon. Point to me." You groan and shake yourself off. Planting your weapon in the ground, you fold your arms.
"Alright. Winner take all then. What's next?"
"The wings first Anon." Luna says flatly. You flap Luna's wings on your back and examine them.
"But I was just starting to like them."
With a pop, Luna's magic removes them from your back and returns them to their proper home. "Ahhh. Much better. Now then," She answers, flapping her returned wings. "Lastly, We will try misdirection."
Luna walks away from you, but begins to grow two more horns.
Which turns into three heads.
Then three necks...
Three identical Lunas stand directly in front of you. You groan.
"This is going to suck." With a wave of your hand, the delicately crafted landscape disappears and you and the three Lunas are replaced in the solid, white room.
"So, Anon. Which Luna is the real one?" The three say in unison.
You look over the three very carefully, walking around each of them in circles. All of them are navy blue. All of them have the same starry mane. All of them wear the same jewelery. As well as have dat ass. You stand in front of them, as the three each eye you carefully.
"You all look exactly the same." One of the Luna's smile, another giggles while the other watches you with a stone-faced expression. "So, I have to figure out a way to lure it out of you."
You reach into your pocket and pull out a small ball.
Tossing it on the ground, it ricochets back into your hand.
Ba-thump.
"What city do you all live in?"
"Canterlot," They answer in unison.
Ba-thump.
"Well that won't work."
"What's wrong Anon?" The first alicorn questions.
"Not sure?" A different one asks.
"Ready to give up?" The last Luna asks teasingly.
"Nah. I'm just gettin warmed up," You answer with a smile.
They look the same. Talk the same. The personalities are all different, but it makes sense. If they were all the exact same, you could figure out which of the two were acting differently. Instead, now you have to discern which is the real one. Definitely no walk in the park.
"What was your opinion on being on the moon?" You ask the Lunas.
"Terrible. A nightmare." The stone faced one answers.
"Oh it wasn't too bad, but I'm happy to be back," The cheery one answers.
"I was hurt and it felt like an eternity, but it could have been worse." The last Luna answers.
"Hmmm..."
Ba-Thump.
You toss the ball from hand to hand.
"What am I going to do with you three..."
Luna is smart and knows how to play this game. So how are you going to have her slip up? Could it be a trick? None of them be the real Luna? You ponder the idea to yourself as you circle the three, studying them closely.
One of them keeps making idle glances at you, as if it were nervous. It could be her. It could also be a bluff. Think Anon. Think. What is the one thing you can't change about a creature. You stand in front of the three and they all stare at you. Keeping your best poker face, you realize it. Reflexes.
If you can test the reflexes, Luna may involuntarily act before she remembers to copy it to the others. Now, which one do you target? The last one, that seems nervous is likely a bluff. Which leave serious Luna and overly happy Luna as suspects. You twirl the ball in your hand.
"I think you just about got me... but..."
With a wide stretch, your arms extend. The serious Luna smirks for half a second.
Her.
Mustering your power into your arm, you throw the ball at Luna's head as hard as you can. The eyes on the three grow wide and the ball stops in mid-air, shrouded in blue energy. Serious Luna's horn is lit with magic, while the others simply look at the ball.
"Got you."
Instantly, the glow on the other two's horn goes lights up as well.
"You have to maintain the illusion. If you reacted fast enough for it to not let the ball hit you or a copy, you didn't have enough time to copy the magic to a clone."
Luna releases the ball from it's grasp and it falls the floor.
Ba-thump ump ump ump.
"What makes you so sure?" The serious Luna asks curiously.
"Well, other than that the other two copies look worried, I'd say that the two copies are extensions of your mind and that you are putting on an act. You got over-confident."
The Princess smiles and laughs to herself.
"I think it's you that is overconfident."
Your eyes grow wide and you look to the other two. There's no way! You thought it through so carefully. It made sense.
"Wait. What?!"
Luna smiles.
"But, you are correct."
The other two Luna's fade from view and leaves you alone with her in the barren white room.
"It's your turn then Anonymous. If I beat your challenge, then this is a draw."
Taking a deep breath, you straighten your posture and stare directly into Luna's eyes. A smile crawls on your face, for just a second.
"I forfeit."
What?
"What?!"
"I forfeit. There is no way I can beat you at your own game Luna. Simply no way."
You study Anonymous's features carefully. Why would he do this?
It is not like you are going to turn down a win... but this battle has been much harder than you would have expected. Somepony with powers over the dream is almost too much for you to handle.
Almost.
"Fair enough. Sounds like you are cleaning my room then," You smirk at Anon.
Anon folds his arms and leans on one foot.
"Yeah yeah. Sure. Rub it in. How do I get us out of here."
You smile and shake your head.
"Imagine yourself surrounded by a brilliant white light. Allow the light to lead you away from the dream and into the real world. As the light dissipates you will slowly fade back into consciousness.”
You see the white light appear in the room, and everything begins to feel warm. The white orb circles around you two and Anon closes his eyes.
"When I tell you to open your eyes you will return to the present, feeling peaceful and refreshed."
The light grows in intensity and blinds your eyes.
Raising a hoof to your eyes, you only wonder what Anon would have done if he completed the challenge.
"Open your eyes Anon."
The light fills the whole room and your eyes are forced closed.
When your eyes open, you see Anon gently waking up on his bed. Light streams in through his bedroom window. Anon sits up and yawns.
"How long was that?"
You look outside and try to judge the time by the sun's position in the sky.
"I am not sure, maybe about an hour or two?"
He stretches and sits on the side of the bed, facing where you sit. "Well that's not so bad. Just a nice little nap. I'm going to need to dream like that more often. It feels great."
You smile to yourself.
"You mean dreaming lucidly or having me in it?" You tease.
"Hmmm," Anon mock wonders, rising to his feet. "I dunno. I'll have to sleep on it."
Anon stretches his arms and back, and turns to you.
"Well. Let's get this over with, how bad could your room be?"
"I assure you, it is quite-"
"Princess!"
A masculine voice calls from outside the hall and galloping echoes into the room. You look to Anon, then the door. Rising to your hooves, you open the door with your magic and step into the hall. A guard searches up and down the halls, until he locks eyes with you.
"Princess! We need your help. King Sombra has returned."
Your eyes grow wide in terror. Of course. Right when Celestia has left the city. Cadance and Twilight are too far away to assist you. He has likely been waiting for months for the right moment to strike.
"Of course. Thank you. We will take matters from here."
The guard nods and scrambles back to his post while you become deep in thought. Can you handle Sombra by yourself? This could turn out terrible.
"Woah, we? Are you using your third person bullshit again?"
You turn to Anonymous, thinking carefully. He might be able to prove himself useful. You just need to think of something. Focusing your magic, your grab a near by suit of pony armor and bend it to Anon's shape.
"Not this time. You are coming with me."
Anon sighs. "Alright, but like hell I'm cleaning your room. I want a sword too."
"Now is not the time for fun and games Anonymous. Are you aware of how dangerous King Sombra is to Equestria?"
"I read a book on him once I think... He was the weird crystal dude, right?"
You shake your head. Hopeless. He probably does not even know what he looks like.
"We need to avoid a conflict, but we also need to be prepared for the worst."
"Then why do you need me?"
"I do not have time to assemble the other Princesses or the Elements, plus I can not carry a guard on my back."
Anon stares at you. He looks at your back, then back to you.
"Are you sure we can't walk?"
"For Celestia's sake Anonymous. We do not have -time- for this. Are you accompanying me or not?"
"Yeah, sure, fine."
"Then we need to figure out as much information as possible."
You turn and fly down the halls, doing your best not to show the nervousness or concern. The guards should not be assembled too far from here. They have strict emergency plans in the event of a possible attack on the castle. Of course it had to be today when you attempted the duel with Anon. It could not have been any other day. How can you even begin to stop him? What is his plan?
Is it some sort of attempt to trade Canterlot for the Crystal Empire? You can not let him have it back. You also can not let him have Canterlot. The guard post should be just around the corner. Maybe they can fill you in.
Rounding the corner, you find where they are assembled. Several guards hang their head over a map and point to various places, muttering to themselves.
"What is the situation gentlecolts?"
The guards turn to you and salute. "Princess Luna, it seems that Sombra just suddenly... appeared in town, he imprisoned many of the townsfolk in crystals and is holding them hostage."
One of the guards points to an area on the map.
"He then took a small filly and left, saying that he will not free the citizens until you meet him outside of Canterlot at these coordinates."
"Let me see."
You step closer to the map and examine where the guard is pointing. A small meadow about forty miles out.
"I see. Are the citizens safe inside the crystals?"
"We... think so. They just seem frozen."
"Hmm... How peculiar."
The guard looks to you, then to Anon, then to the other guards. "What should we do?" One guard asks.
"I want you to send the quickest message you can to Princess Cadance, the Elements and my sister. Alert them of the situation and to come at once." The guards look up at you. "I am going to do my best to hold him off and buy us time."
"Princess, all due respect... This looks like a trap."
You look back down at the map and sigh to yourself. "I know, but it has to be done."
The guards look to each other, then nod to you. "We will send the communications at once. Good Luck Princess."
"Thank you. Dismissed."
You turn from the guards and turn your attention to Anon. Look confident Luna. Do not show your worry or doubt. You can do this.
"Come along Anon, we can not afford to waste time." Anonymous follows behind you as he rubs his head. "Are you alright?" You question him.
"Yeah," He answers, rubbing his temples. "Just a little headache I guess."
"Good."
"What's got you so tied up Luna? We should just be able to go to this place, knock out the dude, save the filly, save Canterlot and be back before dinner."
You remain silent. If only he knew how powerful your adversary was. Stealing a filly is... below him. This is so much of a trap that it is painful to think about, but you have no choice but to head into it. If you do not, he could assault Canterlot and do more than just imprison ponies in crystal. If you do...
Well, the safety of the citizens comes before your own.
By the time you and him are finished, Celestia should be here to help ward off any attack. Then Twilight and her friends can use the elements to finish him off. You feel a hand on your back, in between your wings. Looking to Anon, he has his signature smile on.
"Hey. It's going to be alright."
"I hope so," You answer, your confidence renewed. You can do this. This is the day you prove to your sister that you are able to do more than raise the moon. Yeah! This is it! A determined smile curls on your lips. Let us do this.
Anon follows you as you walk through the castle to your private chambers.
"Just one moment,” You tell him.
"Okay. What are you getting?"
"Armor... from the old days."
"Alright."
Stepping inside, you look at your organized chaos of a room. What a shame. You could have really used help with this. Stepping over various books, you make your way to the closet and open it wide. There, covered in dust, was your old set of armor from another time.
Taking the helmet with your magic, you examine it carefully. With a great huff, the dust comes off easily, and the armor shines as if it were brand new. They just do not make it like this anymore. Placing the helmet on your head, it faintly glows a light blue. Carefully putting on each other piece, you feel the magic enhancement charms amplify your strength.
Perfect.
You trot to the mirror to get a good look at yourself. It has been forever. As you look carefully at the way the armor lays on your body, you can not help but remember the countless wars that you assisted Celestia with before Equestria was as stable as it is now. With this armor, you defended this young nation from all forms of harm. Until the Elements of Harmony were discovered. Then a new era of peace dawned.
You agreed to never use this again, except in emergency situations. With a sigh, you take one last look in the mirror. This is one of those times.
As you return to the hall, Anon is rubbing his head again. "Are you sure you are alright, Anonymous?"
"Yeah, yeah. Fine. Let's get this over with."
He turns and heads down the hall to an open balcony.
You hope the dream duel did not do any damage to him.
If it did... You shake your head. He is fine Luna. Relax.
We will go just take care of Sombra and be done with it. Easier said than done. You follow Anon to the balcony and spread your wings wide.
"Get on my back, Anonymous."
"Alright."
Anon walks up to you and looks down at you.
"What is the problem?" You question him.
"Are you sure you can handle my weight?"
You roll your eyes. "That's part of the reason why I put the armor on. So that I would be strong enough to carry you."
"Alright then. If you insist."
Anon places one hand on the back of your neck and another on your back.
"Hey, are you calling me fat?"
"We have no time Anon."
"Fine. Fine, but this conversation isn't over, Princess."
In any other situation you would have laughed, but you can not take your mind off of the coming battle. You look out over the horizon towards the open plain that was shown on the map. It is not like you could miss it. A massive black crystal juts out of the pastel landscape like a tumor and contrasts the horizon. Anon pushes himself up onto your back and look at the black crystal himself.
"Alright. Let us do this,” You say, probably for your own benefit more than his. With a deep breath, you try to push out whatever butterflies you have left.
"Okay," He answers.
Your wings flap hard and you take to the sky with minimal effort. The wind rushes past your face, as everything begins to come back to you. You missed helping during the Canterlot Wedding incident. You were the problem with last years Summer Sun Celebration. There was not a chance for you to help against Discord. This is your time to shine.
Letting your wings guide you to the destination, you fly as fast as you can to the dark crystal. Anon's arms wrap around your neck, trying to stabilize himself on you as you head to the battlefield. In a different circumstance... this would have been most enjoyable. If everything goes well, you will have to remember to fly with him again. As well as go into his dream with the moon-flowers. Yeah. It is not just Canterlot you are fighting for. You are fighting for Anon. Stay strong Luna. You can do this.
Approaching the mountainous dark crystal, you feel a lump form in your throat. You slow your pace, to scope the scene. There is only Sombra, watching you from beside the crystal as you circle around the scene. The filly must be inside the crystal then.
"Anonymous."
"Yeah?"
"Do not get too daring out here. If I tell you to run, you run, alright?"
"I'm not going to abandon you out here. I'm gunna help you take this guy down."
"Anonymous," You say sternly and forcefully.
He goes quiet. "Fine."
"Good."
You don't know what you would do if something terrible happened to him. However, you can not do this alone either. Maybe you should have left Anon at the castle...
Sombra's eyes lock onto yours and he smiles. No going back now. Slowly, you descend to the ground and Anon hops off your back, standing a distance behind you. With your magic, you focus on a room of artifacts deep within the castle in Canterlot. Third row. Bottom shelf. You focus on it being moved from there, to here.
With a loud pop, the blade appears beside Anonymous.
Please do not say something. Please do not say something.
"Oh, sweet. Kick ass sword."
Darn it Anonymous.
"A pleasure to see you arrive Princess Luna."
"What do you want Sombra?" You answer tersely.
"Oh, I merely wish to talk... King to Princess."
"A King without a kingdom is no King in my eyes. We only see evil," You reply.
"Oh Princess... if you continue to say such mean things, I'll have no choice but to do things the hard way..."
You exhale, yet continue to stand resolute.
"I believe we can strike a deal where I get what I want... and you get what you want."
"We are not here to play games Sombra."
"Yet you are the one to bring a monkey? Curious," He replies, stepping away from the crystal and closer to you. Your brow furrows. "I simply mean that things have changed from a century ago. Look at us Princess. I've lost my kingdom. Your attempt to gain your own was thwarted... I simply suggest an alliance."
"We would never attempt to overthrow my sister or any kingdom, much less with the likes of you."
Sombra laughs devilishly and Anon tightens the grip on his sword.
"Yet, your eyes tell a different story." Don't listen to him Luna. "I can see it still, lingering deep in the bottom where you hide your true feelings. The pain, the hurt. The Nightmare." His plan is now clear as day to you. "The only difference between you and me is that I've embraced who I really am. Join me Luna. Do the same and together we can rule the entire planet. We can teach this world what true darkness really is."
You smirk to yourself. "We admit. A long time ago, we would have considered your offer. Now we are simply curious if you are done talking."
Sombra clicks his tongue and shakes his head.
"A pity. Truely a pity. I could have used a queen as brilliant as you. Oh well."
A massive dark blast of energy suddenly erupts from his horn at your position. Diving out of the way, Anon holds up his blade to shield him from the attack. The dark energy is absorbed by the sword and causes it to glow a bright white energy. The Purifier.
You were never quite adept with it, but you knew in Anon's hands he would be able to handle it. At least, after the way you watched him perform in the dream, you assumed he knew slightly what he was doing. You hope.
Luna, this was a terrible mistake. You never should have put Anon in danger.
Turning your attention to Sombra, your horn glows with energy. You charge and his attention is drawn to you. Firing three quick beams, he disappears into the shadow given off by the massive crystal, causing the beams to break off pieces of the crystal. Before you can react, you feel a hoof trip you and you tumble forward. Looking around, nothing is there.
Two hooves jut out of the shadow on the ground and wraps around your neck. They pull down hard as your try to wrestle yourself free. Your breaths become shallow as your airway closes from the pressure.
"I've gotcha. Hold on!" Anon yells, sprinting towards you.
He brings the sword down on the hooves that restrain you. Sombra roars and the hooves disappear back into the ground, droplets of blood staining the white flowers of the meadow you lay in. Jumping to your feet, horn at the ready, you call to Anonymous.
"Back to me, so he can't jump us. We need to get out of the shadow."
As if on queue, massive dark crystals outline the shadow of the massive crystal. You spread your wings and envelop Anon in your magic, taking to the air. As the two of you take to the sky, Sombra follows behind in the form of a black, whispy cloud. Placing Anon on your back, you watch as the evil King quickly catches up to you.
"Get ready to attack."
Anon grasps his sword tightly and pulls down the visor on his helmet. Sombra bellows with laughter as you turn in flight and head directly towards him.
"You think I am so easily caught off guard?"
Miniature dark crystals propel from his shadow essence like bullets and force you to veer off course. You feel a few crystals bounce off of your armor as you return to the ground outside the shadow of the crystal. Gasping for breath, you try to evaluate your strategy. Fighting in the shadow didn't work.
An aerial assault didn't quite work. Now, you are out of breath from being out of practice. The others better hurry soon. You aren't sure how much longer you can hold on.
"Are you alright Anonymous?"
"Y-yeah. I'm good."
You turn your gaze to him and your eyes open wide. A large dark crystal, dripping with blood juts out of his left arm.
How long has he been like that?!
"Anon. Get out. You're done."
"No."
"Anon. Go!"
"No. I'm helping you."
"Anon!"
"If we can't beat him together, how can you beat him alone?"
"I do not want you to be harmed any more! Go back to Canterlot!"
The black cloud dives to the ground and you faintly see Sombra's deep green and red eyes pierce your soul.
"GO!"
Using your magic, you grab Anon and toss him to the other side of the meadow. Sombra lands on the ground and walks towards you slowly.
"Tired out already? I honestly expected more of the Princess of the Night," He says malevolently. You grit your teeth and hold your ground.
There has to be a way to get on the offensive, but his crystal magic is almost too strong for you to handle. At this rate, he will destroy you.
Your horn lights up with magic and you push every ounce of strength you have into your horn. A massive beam of blue light erupts from the tip and heads directly for Sombra. His horn glows black and green as a large black crystal appears in front of him. Pushing your power into the beam, you hope that this will be enough to break through the crystal. The beam collides with the crystal and reflects back directly towards you. Your pupils shrink as you gasp.
The beam of energy directly collides with your body, sending you flying through the air. The armor glows brightly with dark blue energy, then shatters. You land on your wings a few feet away from the impact site. Your muscles are sore and it hurts to breathe.
Keep pushing Luna.
For Canterlot.
For Anon.
For everypony.
You put one hoof on the ground and lean your weight into it. Placing another down, you immediately collapse on the ground. An insidious laugh rings through your ears as you hear hoofsteps approaching you.
"So much for the infamous Nightmare Moon, who nearly bested Princess Celestia herself."
You stare into the ground, wishing you could have been as strong as your sister. A part of you knew this would happen. Hopefully the others can pick up where you left off.
"Look into my eyes. Let me see you plead for your life, so that I may take it away," He laughs.
Is this it? Is this how it ends?
You suppose there are worse ways to die than to be a martyr. A part of you just wishes it was with somepony you loved.
"Never."
You gasp for breath and attempt to stand up once more. Sombra swiftly kicks you in the face, knocking you off your balance.
"Then die."
A long dark crystal is pulled from the ground in front of your face. He's showing you the weapon of your demise. You close your eyes, accepting your fate.
Sorry sister.
Sorry Anon.
You just could not do it.
"Goodbye, Princess."
The crystal comes down.
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You open your eyes.
A loud scream fills your ears. But it wasn't yours.
Blood drips down onto the ground in front of you.
"God damnit. I said I wasn't leaving you here," Anon weakly coughs.
Your pupils shrink.
No.
Not Anon. No. Nonono.
A large black crystal protrudes through Anon's chest and pokes through his back. Your body goes numb. Anon falls to one knee and holds himself up with the Purifier.
"Anon!"
Sombra pulls the dark crystal from Anon's chest and blood begins to pour out. Anon screams even louder and collapses to the ground, the white flowers surrounding him covered in blood.
"Whoops," Sombra chuckles. "Clumsy me... looks like I missed. Easy mistake."
That's when you feel it deep inside of you. Something unlocked. Something hidden away for years. Pure anger. Grabbing the sword from Anon's hand using your magic, you lunge forward at Sombra, your mind in a pure haze of hatred.
"How dare you!" You scream at the shadow king. You swing the sword at him repeatedly, brutally. He backs up, barely blocking each attack with his dark crystal.
"How DARE you!" You repeat, slashing harder and faster.
He killed him.
Visions of Anon fill your mind.
His signature smile.
His cunning mind.
Your eyes shrink to the size of pinpricks as you hack against your foe. With a scream, you slash the sword directly down on Sombra. He brings the crystal up to block. The black crystal shatters on impact. The sword continues it's momentum and passes directly into the face of the King. Sombra
simply looks at the sword wedged in between his eyes and freezes.
Victory.
The sword glows a bright white as Sombra and his shadow essence is drawn into the Purifier. He screams in agony as he was pulled into the blade, his new prison. You let out a deep breath and throw the sword to the ground, who's blade has changed from a bright silver to pure black.
Galloping back to Anon, you kneel beside him, trembling.He coughs, as red runs from the hole in his chest.
"D-did ya get him."
You shake your head and try to hold your composure. Don't cry Luna.
Don't cry.
Your hoof moves over and hovers over the hole in Anon's chest.
The same spot where you are hurting in your chest right now.
"Y-yeah... but you gotta hang on okay?" You sputter out, your other hoof caressing his face.
"Your speech is falling apart Luna," Anon smiles. "Did you just say 'gotta'."
You shake your head.
"I-I guess so... but that doesn't matter. You have to stay here."
Anon breathes deeply.
You can feel his heartbeat through his body.
Ba-thump.
"I... I think I'm going to be okay," He says with a smile.
Ba---thump.
"Yeah. That's it. You're going to be fine... all we gotta do is get you back to the castle-"
Ba...
"I'm not going back to the castle Luna."
Thump... Ba....
"Don't say that... Don't say that," You say unsteadily, tears running down your face. "We will."
"It's time to wake up."
The hole in Anon's chest begins to rapidly close, and the dark crystals disappear. Your heart stops. Anon sits up, as if nothing ever happened and picks one of the white flowers in the meadow.
"Moon-flower?"
You gasp. Moon-flowers don't exist in Equestria. You stand up, leaving anon on the ground and look around. The whole meadow that you stand in is covered in moon-flowers. But, if this isn't Equestria...
"Time to wake up."
Anon snaps his fingers.
Stop the music, if you played it.
Viciously sitting up, you gasp. Looking around at Anon's room, you find him sitting up and moving to the edge of the bed, smiling back at you.
"Welcome back to the real world."
H-how? How could he? You brought him out of the dream. Why are you waking up now.
"I'm going to be honest. I thought you had me early on."
You had no idea.
"The guards I made were pretty clueless. I thought you might have thought it was weird I followed you everywhere, but if I didn't, I couldn't control the dream."
He completely tricked you.
"Then, at a point when I had to create the outside landscape before you saw any of it to a level where you didn't fully realize it."
Your mouth hangs open as you watch Anon explain his plan.
"Once we got to the battle, I thought I might as well make at least some sort of hint, so I put the moon-flowers in the meadow."
"How did you know about King Sombra?" You ask stunned.
"Oh, some book Celestia had me read. Villians of Equestria's past, or something like that. It included everything on Nightmare Moon too, so I thought it would be an interesting call back. The connection between both of them happening around the same time was my own touch." You look at the ground.
"My Armor... The Sword..." Anon smiles.
"That was the coolest part. You focused on them so hard, that you created them in the dream by yourself. You helped me at my own game."
You place a hoof to your head. "It was all... a big trick."
"Misdirection, was the term you used," Anon smiles.
"I... thought you died."
"Yeah, I didn't really plan that part. I guess I made my mind Sombra a bit... too good. I'm sorry about that..."
He tricked you. How dare he. Nopony has ever done that to you before. The edges of your lips curl upward. Then curl into a smile. Which evolves into a giggle. You roar with laughter. This was it. The ultimate prank. You not only fell for it, but helped it happen. He got you so good, you can't help but laugh at yourself. Anon begins to laugh with you.
"Alright! You beat me at my own game Anonymous. I can't believe it, but... you win."
Anon pumps his fist in the air.
"Yeah!"
The only one to ever best you in a dream duel, isn't even from this world. You suppose you can come to terms with that.
"So then..." Your attention is drawn back to Anon, who smiles back at your beaming face. "How about that date?"
