Nightmare Dove Arc

Starburst and company entered the distorted oak tree that was Zecora's home. The flasks and potions which normally stocked the indented walls and hung tightly by rope around the ceiling were notably lesser in number, with Del and Turquoise helping to retrieve the missing quantities from the cart outside. They carried them meticulously around Zecora's center caldron and placed them about the dirt laden floor. Del placed the last bottle at Zecora's left hoof, her right currently engaged in stirring the available ingredients. He rose, then joined his friends in sitting across from Zecora, anxious at her explanation.

"Thank you for coming, dear pony folk," she started, relaxing from her mixing. "With these ingredients, we shall soon have hope. I have a mix; a brew, as it is known--It will allow us to see, see that which has yet to be shown." She turned and tugged a book from one of the surrounding upper shelves, then leafed through its elaborate pages before stopping about midway through. She returned, and presented the page.

"The brew shall harden, as you see here," she stated, tracing her free hoof down the left-hand page. It passed a series of odd imagery with numerous lines of delicately crafted font circling around and between each image; the last on the page being that of a crude looking emerald. "Then, when you wield it, it shall glow at whoever is near. When you make contact, touch one with the gem--you shall enter their world, their slumber, their head."

"So..." Nidra began, rolling her squinted eyes up and down the pages. "It's sort-of like my mother's and my dream-walking ability..." she commented, her pride growing somehow ever wounded. "Where did you gain the knowledge to create something of this manner?"

"The brew is from far beyond Equestrian lands," Zecora continued. "It's make-up is costly, yet affords power in its sands. Take warning, however, it has but a single use--and once that use passes, to ashes, it will assume."

"Okay," said Prism Bolt, a hoof beneath his muzzle. "We only have one shot before it crumbles, so we need to make sure we can bring Dove out on the first go, right?"

"There is another stipulation, if you wish to succeed in your intervention," stated Zecora, flipping the page. A large illustration of a sleeping zebra and another within a clouded dream filled the left page. "A pony must be in dream-like state before entering the mind--and if the wielder enters with little care," she continued, drawing her hoof the right-hand page, "its presence will be excised." The illustrated wielder fell from the dream, laying discombobulated on the floor next to the still sleeping zebra. Starburst stepped forward.

"In other words," she began, looking up to Zecora. "We need to be... careful?"

"Nay, it is empathy which is required to succeed," Zecora explained. "If you lack it, the dream will draw you out, and the dreamer you shall barely see."

The room looked at Nidra, who blushed deep red upon becoming conscious of them and turned her head away in a huff. "I tried, alright? I'm not my mom yet. I can't do what she does." She left her last statement particularly embittered.

"It would not be an easy task for anypony," Zecora assured. "So, to prepare for what's in store, we shall practice our exercises--two-by-two each of you, stand by the door."

"What?" questioned Prism Bolt, who was already sitting opposite Anthea before he knew what was what. Zecora paced around them.

"You must each of you try to build a path," she elaborated. "Look past the pain and the wrath. Your eyes are a gateway, and your expressions an archive--unpack the knowledge within them, and you may something shall arise."

"Hm... um..." Candy hummed in front of Starburst, her eyes searching about for a topic. "Well--what's up?"

Starburst smirked. "Nothing much. How are you?"

"Staaarrrr!" Candy returned. "There's gotta be something that's up. We've been walking around all day; through the Everfree, inside the Apple Farm, outside the Apple Farm, and probably lotsa other places I don't know about for you. I wanna know about it." She leaned forward with a smile.

"Well... what if I don't want to talk about it?"

"Well then..." Candy postulated, a hoof below her muzzle. "I guess I could just... sit here and smile at you for a while!"

She held her elongated smile out to Starburst, who chuckled in return. Starburst felt shoulders slacken somewhat, and the two continued their wordless contact.

"Now that you are all apparently at ease, you're next partner, you will now see."

The far line shuffled itself, with the pony at the distant end standing up and trotting to the front. Turquoise sat himself beside across from Valiant Heart.

"Hey..." Turquoise addressed in a sincere affect. "How are you holding up?"

"I could ask you the same," Valiant pointed out, retaining his cool demeanor. "Your parents are out there too. And it's my fault they are. If I hadn't taken leave, I might've prevented all this."

"But you wanted to see June," Turquoise said. "There's nothing wrong with that. There's not much point in having a land at peace if you can't spend time with the ponies you love."

"...Thank you," Valiant stammered. "If you could do me a favor, please," he started, turning his view down the isle, catching Star's militant gaze as she conversed with Red June. "Tell Star the same."

The night rolled in as Celestia and Luna saw off the departing train, now deep into the Equestrian countryside. From inside Canterlot Castle's high nest, they pivoted their heads to the West, dreading the unseen foe moving swiftly beyond the veil of dusk and trees. Luna's horn brimmed with purple shading, and the far wall nearest the castle took on a similar hue. Starlight seemed to swirl about it, and as it dissipated, a complexly woven circle became apparent on the white brickwork; a selection of curved lines leading into smaller circles before connecting to other sets of curved lines. Luna nodded to Celestia, the white glow in her eyes slowly fading to her violet irises and pupils.

"All is prepared," Luna remarked. "The guards have moved to the outer walls?"

"Yes," Celestia stated. "None will be involved. This fight will be ours alone. Are you ready, Luna?"

"Ready... would not be an apt word."

"Come on, you're not getting cold feet, are you? I'm actually feeling pretty giddy myself."

"Forgive me if I withhold my enthusiasm," Luna snarked. Celestia stifled a giggle. She looked once more beyond the window, then, stepped forward and flared her wings. Luna did the same. With a massive gust, the two departed out the open window, and continued on to the last remnants of the setting sun.