It was a pretty typical dream, I suppose. Much like the one I was having earlier. I was receiving a wonderful massage from Hal.

Er. . . Hal?

Yeah, Hal the Hand.

. . . Right.

”*Snickers.*

Anyway, it was a pretty normal dream, when I started becoming aware of being . . . watched. At first, I tried to ignore it, but the more time went by, the more I became certain someone was watching us. And so I got up and went looking for who it might be. I admit, my first thought was it might have been you, Princess. Sorry.

There is no need to apologize, young one. It is terribly rare, for any but myself to appear in your dreams, after all.

That’s true, I guess. But, yeah. I went looking. And I found him. He was a human, I guess, although he looked nothing like you, Fyren. He was all in black and dark shadows, and had a bright red face with a big nose and a bushy, white mustache.

Really? Hmm.

Yeah. Um. . . Yeah, he . . . his hands had, like, claws, it seemed, and were dark. I couldn’t really tell what they looked like. Oh, and he had a sword! Like something from a Neighponese manga! I saw it somewhere in there, through all the shadows around him. When I noticed him, he moved towards me, but, I think he was a bit surprised.

What by?

I didn’t run or anything. It’s just a dream, and I kinda knew that, I guess? Mostly I was more curious than scared, and so I asked him who he was and what he was doing there. It really seemed to put him off for a minute, before he spoke to me.

What did he sound like? Did he have an accent?

Not . . . really? No. His voice was kind of . . . normal, actually. He even had a little stutter, for a minute. He said his name was Titan, and that he had come searching for a mate. I asked him what he meant, and he sort of went quiet for a minute, before muttering something or other about how he was having trouble getting the one he wanted, but that he wasn’t going to stop.

Did he say which one he wanted?

No, and when I asked why he was in my dream, he just stared at me and was really quiet for a bit, before he changed the subject. He asked me if I’d like to see his hands, but they were kinda creepy and I . . . I kinda told him, so. That must’ve ticked him off, because that’s when he came after me.

I assume that wasn’t long before I arrived.

No, princess. You showed up just a few minutes later, when I was running down that were endless staircase.

* * * * *

I looked at Luna, cocking an eyebrow, and she made a face. “It was a construct he had created. He was coming down the stairs one step at a time behind her, while letting her only be able to get a little farther away. Toying with her. It was. . . disturbing, to see somecreature using the powers of a Lucid Dreamer in that way.”

Lyra snorted. “You think you were disturbed?! You should have been me! It was freakin’ terrifying!”

While Luna apologized, both for her statement and for not arriving to Lyra’s dream sooner, I drifted away in thought. A human, wreathed in shadow, carrying a katana and wearing what sounded very much like a Japanese kabuki mask. That’s what was invading pony’s dreams? The appearance, coupled with Lyra’s description of a normal voice, a stutter, a slightly over the top sense of melodrama, and an apparent sadistic streak, made me wonder. . . .

Were we dealing with a psychopath? . . . or an edgelord wannabe?

“Fyren?”

I turned and saw Luna staring at me. I had been off in the middle of my own world for a bit, it seemed. Lyra had apparently forgotten about us, for the most part, and was in the midst of receiving another patented Hal-Massage. Luna cocked an eyebrow at me. “What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking . . . I’m not sure yet. If we only had something more to go on! I just don’t know-”

It was that moment that Luna shot straight up, her eyes going wide, and he mouth opening. “Oh! I . . . Somepony’s having a nightmare! A bad one!”

I blinked, narrowing my eyes at her. “That’d be awfully convenient.”

She twisted her mouth. “Yes. I can’t simply ignore it, though!”

I shook my head. “I wouldn’t even dream of suggesting it! However, I suggest a modicum of caution. He’s been keeping you from knowing when most of them are having nightmares, right?”

SHe nodded her head, and I ground my teeth. “So why not now?”

“Could he simply be getting sloppy?” She asked, while she effortlessly transported us out of Lyra’s dream and into the interspace of the Ether, to her hall of floating doors.

I remained silent, nodding to her to take the lead. It was possible, of course. Most Psychopaths do get sloppy eventually, due to their own tendency to think they’re superior to everyone and that nothing can stop them. Still, I felt like I was missing something. Something important.

In most of the Detective stories I liked to read, when the main character felt like that, it rarely boded well. . . .

Author's Note

Sorry for the short chapter this week, gang, but I promise things will be picking up speed! I’ve also been having some thoughts regarding the future of pony plots, and, well. . . I won’t make promises, as that could turn into a case of repeating past mistakes. That said, I think there’s going to be some big things happening in this story in the future. That’s all I’ll say, for now. Don’t want to cause a fuss, after all. ;) Until next time, Ponies! Harmonia Resurgent!