Everfree Forest, The Castle of Shadows

A dark green unicorn stallion trotted up the crumbling steps towards the entrance of the castle. Standing between him and the inside of the castle stood a large double door made of wood. A silver crescent moon with a crimson colored liquid dripping from the lowest point could be seen on the door. The stallion knocked twice, in quick succession, then waited for ten seconds. He then knocked four more times.

“In the realm of dreams she stalks feeding on the fear of the unconscious mind trying to break her chains. Chaos bond in Order...” A deep ominous voice recited from behind the doors.

The unicorn waited another two minutes in silence before giving an answer. “ Until we the children of despair free our mother from her prison.” Almost as soon as he finished talking did the doors open wide enough to let him in. He slipped through the opening and entered the castle. Once he was through the entrance, the doors closed behind him. As soon as the doors closed he sighed and was engulfed in green colored flames. When the flames disappeared the green unicorn was gone, replaced by a black insect looking pony with a horn and dragonfly like wings. In front of him stood a pony dressed in a silver cloak that covered them from head to tail with only the blue colored tip of a horn to hint at their identity. On the sides of the cloak sat the image of a crimson crescent moon. “Welcome back Split Image, Tri… I mean I am glad you are back from your mission. I take it you have good news?” The cloaked pony asked in a self important voice.

He looked at the cloaked unicorn and shook his head. “You know I can't tell you anything until you get clearance from the boss Arcana. Speaking of whom, I should go report to him.” The changeling said and headed down the hallway toward the throne room. As he traveled down the hall he passed by some thestrals and other changelings like himself. There were even some half breed thestrals, though he could never remember what they called themselves. He knew it was something starting with a V. ‘ Now that I think about it, there was something different about that thestral in Ponyville. Some magic that my scan couldn't read, let alone copy.’ he thought to himself as he walked to the cult leader’s office. ‘ And that Arcana, she rubs me the wrong way. I mean. I can't even feel any emotions coming from her. It's like she isn't there.’ As he mulled over his thoughts he came to the door leading to his destination. He knocked on the door and a gruff voice immediately invited him in.

Upon opening the door, he was greeted with the sight of a brown colored thestral stallion with a salt and pepper colored mane sitting behind a desk. The thestral looked up at the him as he entered the room. “So what do you have to report?” The thestral asked.

“You were correct in your hypothesis Shadow Hex, the ponies you need were born in our time. I have identified all five of them. Four of them are currently living in Ponyville. With the last one visiting for the festival with her brother.” As he said this he floated a quill and scroll from the desk and started to write with his magic. “ Here are the names and physical descriptions for them.” He finished writing and floated the scroll over to the cult leader who took it.

“Good. As you have been a tremendous help, once we free our older siblings from the dream realm, we will help free your queen from tartarus.” Shadow replied and looked at the scroll and started to read it. Split Image took this as a dismissal and turned around to leave before he remembered the thestral he ran into.

“One more thing. When scanning for potential ponies to replace with other changelings I found a thestral under the effects of an illusion spell. Did you have any scouting out the town?” Image told Shadow whose ears perked up in interest.

“No. But do tell me about this thestral.” Shadow said eager to hear about this discovery. Image preceded to tell him all the information he was able to garner from the scan. Unknown to the two they had an invisible listener outside the door.

Ponyville Town Hall

I stood there staring at princess Luna not sure what to do. ‘Why is the princess here? What does she want with me? And what the heck did she call me?’ I must have sat there with a dumbfounded look on my face for about five minutes as I pondered those questions. She finally coughed into her hoof and gestured towards the door. ‘Oh, right the door.’ I thought as I turned around and closed it, my cheeks red with embarrassment.

“Now please sit down and be at ease. You are not in trouble. I have to talk to you about your dream last night.” Luna said in a soft pleasant voice trying to calm me down. As she said that, I remembered that she had appeared in my dream last night.

“Wait so you actually were in my dream? I thought that was just an old mare’s tale. You know something your parents tell you when you are a little foal to help you sleep at night.” I blabbed out before I could think better of it. I berated myself for my lack of decorum when my brain caught up to my mouth. I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks as my embarrassment made itself known. I then heard a soft chuckle coming from in front of me. I look forward to see princess Luna lightly laughing in merth.

“Do not worry, this is not a formal visit. You do not need to worry about doing or saying something wrong. I am here as the guardian of dreams, not as princess Luna but as Luna.” She said with kindness and merriment. “But before we begin could I ask you to take off your illusion?”

As she uttered those words my world came to a stop. ‘She knows!! How does she know? Wait she was in my dream last night, what if she has been in them before. I have had several dreams about revealing who I am to the world, what if she saw one of those? Great of course one of the two ponies that my mother said must never know about me knows. Now we have to move again.’ I thought in a panic. ‘No now is not the time for that. I must get out of here and make my way to Zecora’s hut in the Everfree forest. Mom's instructions were to wait there for her to come get me.' I then started to hum a fast paced melody as I mentally reached for the amethyst stone in my left mane tie. But before I could activate the gem, I felt a wave of calm take over me. I looked up to and noticed Luna’s horn glowing a soft blue color.

“Be at ease young pony, I mean you no harm. I just would like to see who I am really talking to.” Luna said as I felt the last my panic fade away thanks to her magic. “ I hold no ill will to your race’s actions while under control of the Queen of Nightmares.”

“There are others like me?” I asked her in a shaky voice. Despite my feelings about the situation I was curious. ‘If there were others like me why had I never heard of them?’ My question seemed to take her by surprise if her widened eyes were anything to go by.

“Do you know nothing of your heritage?” She asked in disbelief. When I shook my head in negative, she sighed. “Well I don't have the time to tell you the entire history of the thestrals but I will tell you the important parts. In exchange, you have to answer some questions I have. Sound fair?” She offered.

‘Well she hasn't tried to do anything to me yet but that could be her trying to get me off guard. Mom was very adamant that princesses should never find out but she never said why. She is also here by herself without any soldiers, so she probably means me no harm.’ I mused to myself as I pondered Luna’s offer. “Only if I can keep my illusion on.” when Luna nodded her accent I let out a sigh of relief.

“ Where to begin?” Luna mused. “What do you know about the Nightmare Era?”

“Well I know what they teach in school. An unknown entity calling themselves the Queen of Despair showed up about a hundred years after the foundation of Equestria. With her came three alicorns, two earth ponies, a unicorn, and a pegasus. With the help of these ponies and an army of monsters, she conquered equestria. Her rule lasted for about twenty years. The Alicorn of Time Eternity banished The Queen and her subordinates to the dream realm with the help of seven heroes.” I recited from what I remembered Ms.Learning teaching us about that part of history.

The princess sighed and shook her head. “I should be glad that they even teach that much, what with my sister censoring almost all history taught to the small details. How can ponies learn from the previous generation if all the history they hear is altered?” She said hotly before looking back at me. “While you know the basics, the Queen of Despair did not have an army of monsters. Each one of her seven generals altered a sentient race to their own ends. The Alicorn that called herself. Woeful Lullaby took a few hundred pegasus and made them more like her. She changed their feathered wings into bat like ones and gave them slanted eyes to allow them to have better night vision. She also gave them fangs with which to administer a powerful sleeping agent. She called this new race thestrals and used them to put ponies into comas. There she made them relive their worst fears over and over again to increase her own power. This is where the myth of vampires came from.” She said as a matter of fact. “Did you follow all that?” She asked me.

“So I am descended from a race of magically altered pegasus whose sole purpose was trapping ponies in unending nightmares.” I replied to which she nodded happily. “I was better off not knowing.” I muttered under my breath. ‘Being part of a magical sleep inducing vampire pony race is the last thing I would have guessed as why I have to hide what I look like.’ I thought to myself. I looked back at Luna Not wanting to hear anymore about the vampires in my family tree I asked her, “Okay so what did you want to ask me?”

“I would like to know about the dream you had last night. If you would be so kind to reiterate it for me I would appreciate it.” Luna said as she floated a quill and scroll next to her most likely to take notes. I proceeded to tell her of how I dreamt that I was a unicorn named Crystal Quartz and how I stood against two alicorns in a crystal castle. She showed no visible reaction to hearing any of it. When I got to the part where she entered the dream she stopped me. “Have you had any other dreams with the mismatched figure in it?” She asked me.

“No this is the first time.” I answered in truth. I then thought about how it didn't feel like a dream but like a memory. “When I had the dream, it felt like I had seen it before like it was something that I experienced first hand and not something that I had dreamt up. Is that possible?” I asked Luna my curiosity getting the better of me once again.

“While possible, I doubt that is the case here. The entity that appeared in your dream was not a figment of your mind, but a powerful creature of chaos that my sister and I turned to stone over a thousand years ago. I would not trust anything you see or feel when he appears in your dreams as he would do anything to escape his prison.” She explained to me. “Now, I do not know how he was able to access your dreams from his prison. I can cast an enchantment on you that will warn me if anypony but me tries to enter your dreamscape, with your permission.” She asked and then waited for me to answer.

‘If what she says is true I should get help but mom has always said to always look at a problem from all angles.’ I thought as I mulled over what was told me. ‘Ugh, I don't know enough to make a snap decision. Maybe she will let me think on it so more.’ I then looked back at the princess to see her still patiently waiting. “Is it okay if I mull it over for a couple of hours?” I asked.

“I understand your reluctance to do this. So how about this I will give you the rest of the day and then I will visit your dreams tonight for your answer?” She offered to me.

‘Perfect, this will give me time to talk to mom about everything and ask her opinion.’ I thought as I mentally congratulated myself. I then nodded my agreement. There was a knock on the door and a deep voice came from the other side of the door.

“Pardon me your majesty, but we need to leave now if we want to be back at the castle before Princess Celestia notices your absence.” The voice said to Luna. Luna used her magic to open the door. In the doorway standing at attention was a black unicorn with a long navy blue mane that was edged in a burgundy red color. He wore the typical blue armor of the night guard. But none of that caught my attention at that moment. What did was the fact that he had fangs and tufts of fur at the tips of his ears like me. I then looked at his eyes and was greeted with two different colored slanted eyes. His right being a gold like mine but his left was a ruby red.

“How many times have I asked you to drop my title lieutenant Blade?” Luna asked the guard with a false scolding tone. Meanwhile, my brain was still trying to process the fact that a pony like me was not only out in the open but also a guard for one of the princesses.

“Five hundred and twenty seven times and counting Princess.” He answered with a smirk that showed off his fangs. “But seriously, we need to go.” Luna nodded to him and then rolled up the scroll she held in her magic and then set it on fire.

“Okay I am ready to go, Crescent Blade.” She said to her guard then looked back at me. “I look forward to your answer tonight Rose and I will also be glad to answer any questions you want to ask then.” She told me as she left the building with her guard following. After about ten minutes of staring off into space my brain rebooted. I shook my head and looked back at the desk. I then remembered the light stones for the mayor. I took out the stones and put them on the desk along with a note saying how much she owes my sister and me for the stones. I look at the clock on the wall and noticed that I was late. I rushed out of the building and almost ran head first into a frantic Rainbow Dash.

“There you are!” She exclaimed. “I was looking for you everywhere. We need to go now!” she said as she flew behind me and started to push me down the road toward the Everfree forest.

“Calm down and tell me what's wrong Dash.” I said to her as she continued to push me down the road.

“I was practicing my tricks at my parents house when I noticed that both Scoots and Dinky were no longer watching me. I asked my mom where they were and she said that they went to Scoots room. But when I checked it, I found a note saying that they were going to see the zebra witch that lives in the Everfree.” She answered in a rushed panic. That got my attention.

“Why didn't you say that in the first place. Let's go.” I said as I started to run toward the forest. While I ran I started to hum and mentally reached out to my sapphire tail tie and then I started to speed up to a faster pace. Rainbow kept up with me in the air. Once we were well into the forest and halfway to Zecora's hut Rainbow stopped me.

“Did you hear that?” She asked me as she looked around. I shook my head in negative. “I think I heard screams coming from that direction.” She told me as she pointed off into the dense brush. I start to head into the brush when I felt something hard and heavy hit the back of my head after which I blacked out.

Author's Note

Hello Silver here and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks to New Lunar Principality for use of his OC Crescent Blade.