Shiera was doing her final stretches before bed. Her body was still sore from her prior injuries, though she was glad they were healing as well as they were. Equestrian Healing Magic must be legendary stuff, almost makes one wonder why they even have hospitals in the first place...

Rarity's words echoed in her mind, but ultimately she found herself not agreeing with the mare. Whether in peace or war, failure to take action can lead to more risks and danger than not. Sure, it is wise to be diplomatic when the times call for it, but surely it is better to stop a criminal than it is to beg them not do it? True, some are successfully talked down, but to treat every situation like that seemed foolish to her.

Shiera finished stretching, and glanced down at herself, embracing a distant thought, but only briefly. Other things drifted into her mind. It was....disturbing how she was now able to read all of the garbled words in each and every book in the library. And she still wasn't sure how this was possible. Still, it felt odd to be reading anything. The words still looked like gibberish to her, but somehow she could understand their meaning, as if something else in her head was translating it all for her. Yet, that didn't quite explain it right, as that would imply there was another voice there, but there wasn't. It was like the knowledge just came out of nowhere, being fed to her from....somewhere, or something....or, or...ugh, it still didn't feel like an accurate description.

The thought was a bit unsettling, but there didn't seem to be anything she could do about it now. So, with a sigh, she decided she would ask Twilight about it tomorrow. But for now she needed sleep.....if only to clear both the confusion and the sorrowful thoughts still lingering in her mind.

Luna let a small sigh as she finished raising the moon. She hadn't been able to free up her schedule a visit to Ponyville yet, but there was plenty of time to sort that out later. For now, she had her nightly duties to attend to.

Should I visit Shiera's dreams again? she pondered, initially against the idea, but she couldn't deny that with each visit she was making more progress with her, and there was so much mystery there that Luna couldn't help but be curious.

With her mind made up, and her mind bracing itself for what it might see, Luna lit her horn and entered the Dream Realm.

It didn't take long to find Shiera's door and open it. With one last breath to steel herself, she went through it.

Everything was dark at first, but then slowly, light began to trickle around her. In the distance, about thirty hoofsteps away, the familiar light grey coat and almost glowing snow white mane of Shiera could be seen.

She was still, and facing away from Luna. "Shiera? It is I, Luna....do you remember me?"

She could hear faint whispers echo around her, but they were to distant for her to make out, even with her acute sense of hearing. Suddenly, the Shiera before her dissolved into nothingness, and a long, narrow path of mysterious cyan light appeared once more. Up above, many stars suddenly filled the sky. It was almost beautiful, if it weren't for the eerie, unnatural quiet that permeated throughout the place. She walked for what seemed like hours, but she new it hadn't really been that long.

Suddenly, she felt it.

A movement, a shift, it was ever so subtle, but it resounded like a raging monsoon amidst the quiet.

At first, she glanced around, but saw nothing different. Until she looked up.

That is when she saw it....the enormous not-eye opened above her and an endless sea of mountainous teeth began to appear as its maw slowly opened. Then many, many, not-eyes began to open, each dwarfing any concept of size, yet at the same time none were there at all.

Then she felt that Primordial Instinct kick in, pushing away all rational thought as an indescribable terror seized her thoughts. She felt a warm fluid escape her nethers that she only just barely recognized as her own piss. But somehow, this was enough to snap her back to reality, as it was something so out of character for her, that she couldn't help but feel her cheeks flush with embarrassment.

The thing before her still terrified her to her core, but she knew this was just a dream, and no nightmare held power over her in her own realm!

Focusing her magic into her horn, she released a powerful burst that wiped the Nightmare away, leaving only the path of cyan light and the strange starry sky above. The....creature...was gone, for now. She then casted a spell to clean up the little mess she made.

How embarrassing, to think that a silly nightmare had terrified her, The Princess of the Night, so much so that she did something so foalish as wetting herself. She was glad that neither Shiera nor any pony else was around to see that.

Speaking of which, where was Shiera? Perhaps she was further down the path?
Guess there was only one way to find out.
With a breath to steady her nerves, she continued onward.

After about what felt like thirty minutes, Luna watched the world flicker around her, and suddenly the stars and the cyan path vanished, and a familiar grassy hillside unfolded around her.

"Hello?" Luna called, waiting to see if anypony would reply. To her right, a voice answered.

"What are you doing out here?"

Luna quickly turned to see a different creature standing there. He looked vaguely similar to Shiera, except he was male, his hair was dark and much shorter, and he had a bit more muscular bulk than Shiera did, but he wore similar armor.

Luna gave a confused look before remembering that brief image Shiera had turned into the last time Luna was here.

"You're Shiera's husband..." she whispered, "Or rather, her memory of him..."

He smirked, his smile warm, but his eyes carried the burden of a battle worn soldier. "Shiera...." he spoke in a warm but faded voice.

"I'm not Shiera, I am Luna, Princess of the Night. Do you know where Shiera is?"

He flickered out existence only to reappear thirty feet away, down the hill.
"Shiera....come." He called to her, motioning to Luna to follow.

"I told you, I am not Shiera. My name is Luna!"

The Aspect of Shiera's Husband seemed unfazed, so with a sigh she followed after him. He continued to flcker in and out of existence, all the while eerily calling Shiera's name, but continuing to motion for Luna to follow. He seemed to completely ignore her protests, and would only move once she made it to a certain point towards him.

He seemed to be leading her to a large castle-like structure and stopped before the castle gate, calling Shiera's name once more and motioning Luna to follow. The castle was rather large, possibly even bigger than Canterlot Castle. However, the architecture was vastly different. This castle was a fortress, built both to house armies and to keep them out. Yet, at the same time, no expense was spared in the decor of the place. Each wall and pillar was both practical and strategic, yet were also decorated with lion and dragon-esk statues of ornate gold and marble. It was impressive, even if it was just a memory.

With a sigh she followed the Aspect of Shiera's husband inside, only to notice that he had suddenly disappeared. When she turned to look back, she saw only and endless corridor where the entrance should have been. She guessed there was only way to go, forward.

It wasn't long before she came across a large, ornate door that was cracked open slightly. Curious, Luna took a step forward and peaked through the crack.

Nothing.

It was too dark to see. Still curious, Luna opened the door wider to get a better look. As the door opened, Luna was greeted with eight lethal looking spears all pointing straight at her. And holding these spears was Shiera, or rather Shieras.

Eight Shieras with a murderous glare stared back at her. Each wearing the same armor she had seen before, except each of them were also carrying large shields that covered everything except the arms carrying the spears, their heads, and their feet.

They were arranged in a formation in which the closest two were in the center, and the other flanked out behind them, a row four on the left and right.

Perhaps the real Shiera is in the center, an these Aspects are guarding her, Luna pondered, though it was merely a guess. She could not see for certain what it was these Aspects were guarding, but she figured she needed to know.

She noted their fearsome stares, that reminded her of an Ursa Major, or a dragon perhaps. Each seemed ready to kill her on the spot. "Please..." She paused as the spears suddenly lurched closer. Luna kept her composure, "Please, I am a friend. I'm Luna, don't you recognize me?"

The Aspects said nothing and remained unmoving. At least they hadn't killed her yet, not that they actually could in the Dream Realm, but Luna didn't like waking up like that.

Still, this was a good sign, hopefully....

"Please, Shiera, I only want to help you. But I can't do that if you won't let me. Please, Shiera, let me help you!" Luna pleaded.

There was a moment of tense silence.

Then, suddenly, all the Aspects lowered their spears.

Then they dropped their shields and stood aside.

Luna's eyes narrowed to mere pinpricks at what she saw. No, this couldn't be! She'd face a thousand of those horrifying creatures that lurked in Shiera's memories, anything but this.....

"Shiera....I'm so sorry...."

Author's Note

This one is a bit shorter, and I'm sorry for that. I've known how I wanted this chapter to go for over a week bow, but the writing block came when translating those ideas to paper, so to speak.

But thankfully, I made it through, but I again apologize for it being shorter than normal.