Equestria Girls: The Witching Hour

At the same time as Megan and Brianna's shared day together there is another shared day going on. This one is of a different nature however as Storm meets with Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle in an effort to try and discern what the strange dreams some members their circle of friends might mean.

Naturally the meeting takes place at the Canterlot City public library. Twilight who was looking through a book, after a few minutes she closed it in frustration and her forehead swiftly met the table she and Sunset were sitting at. "UGH! This is no good! Nothing in any of these books is any help at all." She grumbled annoyed.

Sunset laid her hand on Twilight's shoulder after putting down the book she had been looking through. "It's okay Sparky, we knew this wasn't going to be easy. Let's take a break until Storm gets here okay?"

Twilight lifted her head from the table and smile at Sunset. "Okay Sunset, actually he is running a little late I hope he is okay."

"Actually I've been here for five minutes. You two were deep in the books, so I decided not disturb you and went down to rare books and tomes archive. These books are for reference only, and many are are of historical value. They are the Journals of Nebula the Dream Thief of the witch trials in the fifteen hundreds. Doctor Mind Vent's study of Dreams and their effect on realty, and the written works of someone called the Dream Walker. All of these are works quoted online as being serious looks in to dreams of their time even if modern study would label them fanciful or mad men suffering delusions. Given our situation I thought the more out of the box minds might help better than the collective establishment consensus on the matter." Said Storm as he rounded the corner from the girls right surprising them.

Both girls jumped and Sunset glared at Storm. "You could have said something you know." She replied dryly as she leaned back in her chair and folded her arms over her chest.

"Ugh! Why didn't I think of that?" Twilight groused

"It's not your forte. I am, by nature an unorthodox mind. You look at a problem and try to come up with a solution with what has been done already. I try to find a new way to solve it however. Like the water toy I made Aria. I could have just got a high dollar squirt gun, but instead I built her something unique." Said Storm setting down the books one was actually bound with leather and thread.

Twilight glared at Storm until Sunset laid her hand on her shoulder again. "He is right Sparky, you tend to be more than a little conventional when you look for a solution. You need to think outside the box more often." Said Sunset only slightly teasing Twilight. "So will any of that be useful Storm? I mean from what you said the material might be a little unreliable."

"It gives us a new view rather then what we already are getting into different words. So it might be in these." He said picking up the top book and wiping the dust of to show it was black not white as it first looked.

Twilight lifted her face up off of the table. "A change in perspective might actually work. So what do we have?"

Sunset laughed "Give him a few minutes Sparky, it's not like he'll have an answer right when he opens the book."

He looked through the first book. "The realm of dreams is not merely in ones mind, but is a possible connecting point for all life capable of dreaming in all realms of reality and changes in any reality can effect the dreams of those in adjacent realities due to the ripples of their effect in one. That's an interesting hypothesis..."

Twilight suddenly turned very thoughtful. "What's up Sparky? You have that look again." said Sunset

"Contextually it makes perfect sense. Storm did mention that he had a dream that featured Megan, Danny, and Molly even though he hasn't actually met Megan's younger brother and sister just yet. He may have seen Danny around school, and Molly too at some point but there has yet to be a formal meeting between him and Megan's family." said Twilight

Sunset blinked "That does make some sense actually. So then the question is who is this red head that both Brianna and Storm have seen in their dreams?"

"I don't know." Twilight replied "She does seem to play a key role in what seems to be happening though. But what?"

"She matches no one in the school databases of both Canterlot high and Crystal Prep. I'm still trying to get access to D.M.V. records to run a scan, but as of now I can't find anyone that looks like her. Though I did make a composite image of her and the witches. Perhaps it could help." He said as he read on. One hand tapping on the phone before pictures were sent to Sunset and Twilight. "I'll send the others the pictures after we talk to them to make sure that the more hot headed members of our group don't just grab them by the shirt if they see them on the street." He looks up. "But according to this they might not even exist in our world if what we saw where the events of another world. But then how are Brianna and I the ones seeing it when it was Megan fighting? "

"That's an easy one for Brianna." Twilight replied "Megan and Brianna have a life long bond, they've been friends since they were five and started dating when they were eleven. So there is a very strong bond there and those ties of life long love are so strong it transcends even the multiverse." Twilight said in a dreamy tone.

Sunset laughed "You really are a hopeless romantic Sparky." She said teasing Twilight and causing her to blush. "In all seriousness though love is a very powerful bond so it definitely plays a role with those two. But for those of us who have known them long enough know that Brianna has a certain level of sensitivity to unexplained events, kind of like Pinkie does but it's expressed differently. As for you Storm you seem to share that capability with Pinkie and Brianna on some level. There might also be a hidden connection between your family and Megan's somewhere for all we know."

"No not Megan's family, but I did come up with a relative in the group my great grandfather Hutch Morgan who got married the sister to Applejack's great grandfather. So it turns out by blood Applejack and I as well as even more distantly Pinkie are actually cousins. Next family reunion at Sweet Apple Acres will be interesting. Though I haven't told anyone else but Big Mac. So if you please let me tell them." He said as he switched books.

"That's strange, then other than as of very recently you have no ties to Megan at all then. I wonder how this came about then." Sunset replied thoughtfully.

"The only way I could see that is if Applejack's family was related to Megan's, but I don't think that's the case." Twilight said while scratching her head.

"Perhaps we are missing information on the other world. If this was the ripples of events from the one world effecting our dreams then that could mean other parallels we don't know about." Storm said as started to take notes from the book he was reading.

"Yeah like we can just get that information." Twilight replied sarcastically. "We have nothing to go on other than you what said about Megan, her siblings and some sapient ponies you mentioned. So yeah that really narrows it down."

"I'm afraid you're right Sparky, though I don't see a need to be sarcastic about it. We are well and truly at a loss here." said Sunset

"Actually I just found something in that wizards/warlocks book. It's a potion. Drinking it creates a dreamlike state that subject will be half sleep half awake and in this state can answer questions even if they consciously don't know the answer. However, it requires some controlled and one dangerous substance to make. But if the their of parallel worlds connected by the dream world is true then this potion could give us the answers we need. In theory. The ingredients has a five percent chance of causing cardiac arrest in the doses need. Who ever drinks it should be in peak physical condition." Said Storm as he copies the formula.

Sunset got up and moved around the table and grabbed Storm's wrist. Absolutely not Storm." She said in a firm tone. "There is no way we are going to use something this dangerous, not to mention the fact that the ingredients are illegal for us to possess. We find another way, one that doesn't risk anyone dieing and doesn't use controlled substances."

Twilight sat quietly in awe of Sunset's decisiveness.

" I'm just copying it down for my brother. He's a geneticist remember? He could, in theory find a safer way to get the same results. Do you really think I would risk any of our lives? Especially after the lecture I gave Dash when she pulled that show boat move that rolled her bike in practice? I leave the endangering others thing to my brothers." He pulled his arm free. "Nice to know how far you trust me though. But given the short time we've known each other it's a good amount." He offers the book to her.

Sunset glared at Storm. "You're more reckless than Rainbow is Storm and you seem to forget that a scientist needs to be ethical. We'll find our own way, one that doesn't use controlled substances."

"What about Brianna's meditation techniques?" Twilight offered "When I asked her about them one day what she told made it sound like the effects aren't that different. Maybe we can use that somehow."

"In theory yes. But we would need some sort of catalyst to induced a R.E.M state while still cognitive. Which again is limited to restricted or controlled substances. Let's go through last two books maybe we will find something else." He opened the next book.

"Maybe not." Sunset said as she sat back down. "I have heard that there may be some natural substances that might work, but I have no idea what they'd be given how many new discoveries are made everyday."

"I don't think that will help given how much research needs to be done still Sunset." Twilight tapped her chin thoughtfully. "We will need something like Storm said, but just how many such catalysts could there be?"

"Hundreds that man derived from the same base with... oh my that's... I need to actually send this to my brother now. If it's true we have our best bet... But it will take several days to get the ingredients." He said as he snaps a picture of the page then texts his brother adding in the notes he made. "What I just found is another potion but different called the Waking Dream, it's a non-toxic but a mind enhancement brew to work with meditation. But the ingredients is what has my interest do you recognize these plants? Wolf's bane, blood vine, black lotus, grave oleander, and nightshade. On there own they are low dose deadly but combined with poison Joke those, blue flowers that cause the purple itching and swelling sores when touched that grow in the Everfree woods. That's how we can make the Dream Walker. I've sent both potions to my brother in text. If he gets back to me maybe we can have some definitive answers."

Sunset laughed "Well that's one way then, but we need to be careful still. I mean is this potentially addictive?"

"I don't think so..." Twilight replied "But we'll only know if we can get some information from an organic chemist or a botanist that knows about these plants. I think I can find out from some of my contacts if I try on my end."

"A response already?" Storm then facepalms. "Really? That's the first question he has with this topic? Why dose everyone think so low of me?" He said as his head hits the table.

"You are over eager sometimes Storm, that tends to cause a lack of trust in your judgement." Said Sunset with a sigh.

Twilight nodded "I have noticed that you do tend to jump really far ahead Storm. I think you need to slow down and take your time more often."

"But do I look like the kind of guy that would rooffie a girl? Because my brother just asked if that is my intention and suggested more traditional formulas." He said in a more deadpan than normal tone somehow. "I mean seriously?" If that was his attempt at humor then he needs more practice then I do." Storm sighed

Twilight and Sunset's only response was to facepalm simultaneously.

"That was my response at first as well if you recall." said Storm

"Well I think avenue just got closed off." Sunset replied dryly.

"No my brother is just an ass. I've sent him a strongly worded response. He will look in to it." said Storm

"We still don't have a lot to go on right now." Twilight mused "And I know how that is Storm, Shiny can be that way too."

"Sometimes I think I'm lucky to be an only child." Sunset replied

"No offense, but your brother is an idiot not an ass. I've seen him." Storm replied

"Cadence would disagree with you Storm, she does still love him though." Twilight deadpanned casing Sunset to chuckle.

"So what else can we find Storm?" asked Sunset "We do need to try and get more to go on."

"Well the one book is a dream journal and a disturbing one, the last is well... I'm not sure what to make of it. It's written in rhyme. 'When dreamers dream the matching dream. A land as yet unseen is seen in the world of fate. All will hate lest the blessed to fight the battle take.' Then it turns in to spiraling madness." explains Storm

Both girls blinked before Twilight finally manage to speak. "Yeah that's not cryptic and hard to understand." She said with a scowl.

"Easy Twilight, getting mad isn't going to help us get anywhere." Sunset leaned back in chair thoughtfully. "It sounds almost like a prediction of what will happen based on the writer's past experience to me. That's the way it seems anyway."

"I can say for certain that the first part about the dreamers is true and has come to pass. After all some cultures called prophets and people with third eye kind of ability dream seers. Also my family sees the gift in that way. So if Brianna has had prophetic dreams in the past then she and I are the ones mentioned there. The world seen but unseen is obviously the place in the vision. The battle and fate points to based on my experience in video games as some kind of threat. But I think the last part is smudged. It says this, but probably what the blessed meaning that someone chosen to fight against the fate that is to come has to stand up to stop it. Basically it's your generic 'chosen one' hero prophecy common in video games and movies. This might have been the origin for them even. But without more details who or whom they are is any ones guess. I mean could you imaging if we had to rely on, say Lightning Dust or maybe Gilda to save the world?" Said Storm laughing a little at the end.

"We'd be screwed then. " Twilight replied

"I wouldn't call Brianna's dreams prophetic," said Sunset. "but they do tend be to right. Although I will say she has never had anything this specific before. In all of the years I've known her her it only came down to a vague impression that something was going to happen. I think some outside force must be at work here if it's that explicit." Sunset concluded

"Or something triggered it." Said Storm closing the book. "It seems our research has raised more questions then it answered."

Sunset nodded "You're right about that Storm."

"So where do we go from here?" asked Twilight "I mean I've been here before, but it's never been this bad."

"I think we'll have to wait Sparky, there doesn't seem to be anything more we can do. That is unless I'm missing something." said Sunset

"We are at an impasse. This is because we are trying to find a solution for X but only have half of the equation. The simple answer is we don't know what's going on or how to find out." Said Storm he gathered up the books as he stood. "I'm going to put these back then head home to prepare for worst case scenarios."

"Shoot!" Twilight replied "I thought that between the three of us we could make more progress than this."

"I am afraid not Sparky, Storm is right we only have half of the equation. And that is if we are lucky, personally I think we have less than that and that means we're in the dark." said Sunset

"No I think the dream gave us something important, we just don't know what. But my non-existent eye is twitching. That's sign in my family that something about to happen. I'll ask my grandmother for advice she made a living on the side as a fortune teller. She will at least give me a reading and an idea of where to look next. It's not the most scientific approach, but I've found that she is right ninety-nine percent of the time. The one time she was wrong, the girl was hit by the toilet seat from an exploded space shuttle. I mean who could predict that?" Said Storm before walking off.

"Nobody." Twilight and Sunset said simultaneously.

Twilight turned to Sunset. "So what do we do now Sunset?"

"Go to your place, have dinner with your family, and study for that test we've got tomorrow." Sunset said as she stood.

"Okay Sunset, you've convinced me." Twilight said giggling as she got up to join Sunset.

"Don't forget the good night kiss" Said Storm teasing them.

Twilight snakes her arms around Sunset's left arm and laid her head on Sunset's shoulder. "We never do. Do we Sunnybun?"

Sunset blushed "No, and I wish you wouldn't call me that Twilight. It's embarrassing."

Storm looked back around the book case. "Oh the girls are going to love hearing that little nick name." There was a flash of light as he took a picture with his monocle and ducked away. Not a minute later a their phones buzzed with a group text showing them and reading. 'Twilight with her Sunnybun in the stacks at the library ;)'

"Storm I'm going to get you for that!" Sunset retorted

"Oh come on Sunset, they would have found out eventually. Now let's get going! My mom is making some pasta tonight and I don't want to miss out." Said Twilight as she drug Sunset out of the library by her arm.

Storm chuckled to himself. "I'm the mad scientist after all. I have to cause some mischief. Besides as the token male in our group it's my job to tease you girls when you get mushy according to the mangas Pinkie sent me. So blame her." He texted to Sunset.

"Payback is a bitch and so am I squirt." Sunset texted back. "Have a nice evening Storm :)."