The sunlight roused Twilight from her slumber as it poured in through the window. She slowly rolled over and sat up.

She hurt all over.

Dash had not been particularly gentle with her flying lessons and she had eaten so much dirt that it was a surprise she hadn't put down roots by the time they were done. One hoof at a time she pulled herself out of bed. Pain shot up her legs and across her back from the sorely abused muscles. Her wings felt like lead weights that pounded against her sides every time she moved.

She looked over to the basket that Spike slept in and didn't find him there. However, there was the smell of food wafting up the stairs. Somepony must be making breakfast. Her stomach growled in agreement and she slowly followed the scent downstairs.

Twilight entered the kitchen to find Rainbow, Random, and Spike sitting around the table eating some pancakes. "Oh, morning Twilight," said Spike. "I made all of us breakfast," he said gesturing to the food. "Want some?"

"Thank you Spike," she sat down next to the table and levitated a few pancakes onto a plate. "What would I do without you?"

"Probably waste away with a book in your hooves," said Spike before going back to eating.

She took a few bites of her food as she took stock of everypony else. Random was eating his food and casting an annoyed look at Rainbow Dash, and Rainbow Dash was...reading the paper? "I've never seen you read the paper, Dash. Something interesting in there?"

Rainbow looked up upon hearing her name. "Oh hey Twi," she said. "I didn't see you come in. Yeah, a Wonderbolt got attacked last night. See." She passed her the paper.

She picked up the paper in her magic and read the headline aloud. "Stadium attacked, Wonderbolt Hospitalized. Suspect still at large." Twilight read through the article. "Eye witnesses saw a lone pegasus being chased above the cloud stadium by Princess Luna suddenly dive through the track, clipping one of the racers and making his escape over the south gate." She turned the page and continued to read, "if anypony has any information about the suspect, please contact the nearest authorities." It included a picture of a white pegasus stallion with a black mane and a vortex cutiemark.

Rainbow's eye's bugged out looking at Twilight, "do you know how fast you have to be to outfly a whole city and a princess? I'm not even sure I could do it, and I'm awesome."

Twilight looked back at her with eyes wide, "are you saying there's somepony out there faster than you?"

"Pfff, fat chance Twilight," said Rainbow with a smug expression. "There's no pony faster than me. But that right there," she said pointing at the paper. "Goes beyond reckless and straight into crazy. And what do you think he did to make the princess chase him?"

"I'm not sure, what do you think Random?" She said pulling him into the conversation.

Random sighed as he got up, clearly not getting his paper back. "All I know is they both buzzed me while I was stargazing last night. Princess Luna and that fool she was chasing."

"You saw them last night? Do you think he's hiding around Ponyville?" Rainbow asked, perking up.

"Yeah I saw them," said Random as he made his way over to the sink. "And I've got no idea if he's hiding in Ponyville. Not my problem."

"He's got a point Twilight. It's not really our problem unless the other princesses ask us for help."

Spike suddenly stopped in the middle of breakfast and his cheeks puffed out. "Hrrmff...BURP" He burped up a flame that spiraled in on itself and with a 'pop' it disappeared and a sealed scroll landed on the table.

"I think you might've just jinxed it Rainbow," said Twilight while chuckling. "I wonder what the princess has to say...Um Random? Why do you have a water balloon?"

Random walked past them with a water balloon he had been filling at the sink. "Oh this? This is just in case. I got a hunch so I'm heading up to the roof for a bit," he explained. His tone giving the impression like he was doing something obvious.

They watched him leave the room, still wondering what he was talking about. "Enough of that Twilight," said Rainbow while poking at her. "Find out what the princess wants so we can get back to flight training."

"Haven't you tortured me enough?!" Complained the princess of tailspins.

"No where close enough," laughed her coach. "C'mon Twilight, you'll learn to love it and we'll all look back on this time on laugh.

"Hnmm," groaned the princess of faceplants. "Well let's at least see what the princess has to say." She floated to scroll over to herself, broke the seal on it and read its contents aloud. "Dear Princess Twilight, first and foremost, it feels good to address you like that. I still remember when you were a little filly, excited about getting your cutiemark. But I'm stalling. The real reason I'm writing you is I've assumed you've heard about the incident in Canterlot last night. We've managed to keep several details out of the news and would like to keep it that way for the time being. The main detail we've kept hidden is what happened to the Wonderbolt, Soarin. I would like you to visit him in Canterlot hospital and give me your own opinion on his condition as soon as possible. I'd say more but I'm worried about the panic it would cause if this letter was intercepted. Your mentor and friend, Princess Celestia."

"Looks like you're off the hook for today," said Rainbow.

"Quite frankly I'm not ready for another day like yesterday just yet," said Twilight while rubbing her sore shoulder. "Don't worry Dash, I'll put you at the top of my list once I've seen to the princess's request."

Random was on the roof with his eyes closed and just letting the breeze brush his fur. The water balloon floating next to him in his magical grip. Now that he had some time to think, his thoughts went back to the persona he sent off to Canterlot last night. It really had made quite a mess of things. All it needed to do was snatch a compatible pegasus soul, but no, it had to go and make a scene.

He slowly let his eyes drift open and gazed over town. Luna had been really upset last night. Could he really blame her though? No pony really likes to have their emotions played like that.

The water balloon slowly drifted outward from him in his grasp. He watched float away with a lazy grin. "Heh," he laughed to himself as he dropped it. "Wait for it..."

A distant splash was heard from the path, along with cursing and shouting. "My beautiful mane is ruined!!! Quick! Back to the salon! I must keep my royal visage perfect!" Came a male voice from the front of the library.

Random looked down to see a once pristine Prince Blueblood galloping away at breakneck speed, his lackeys close behind him. "Too easy..." He sighed while watching the clouds. He still needed to put a couple things in place and he was running out of time to do so.

Suddenly a weight fell onto back, shoving him down into the deck.

"What did you do to my friend?!" An angry, feminine voice cried at him from just behind his head.

Hooves dug into his shoulders, preventing him from turning around to see who was assaulting him. He strained his eyes and caught a glimpse of some jasmine feathers at the edge of his vision. "Cloudy? Is that you?"

"Don't you 'Cloudy' me! What did you do to Blossomforth?!" Cloudkicker shouted at him hysterically.

"What are you talking about? I haven't seen either of you since yesterday morning...Aack. That really hurts you know." Her hooves were digging harder and harder into his back. He also felt a few warm splashes against his neck. Was she crying?

"Don't you play innocent with me!" She continued shouting at him. "I thought it was weird that she looked drunk yesterday morning and while that may have explained the headache she had for the rest of the day after she finally woke up. It doesn't answer why she woke up this morning screaming or why there's black smoke pouring out every part of her."

That got his attention. How had that gotten inside her? Why wasn't Cloudkicker affected? His mind started racing over what he saw and knew about the other flyer. He didn't know all that much about Blossomforth aside from the night that none of them remember. She seemed to have a pretty standard build for a...Oh crap.

"Cloudkicker, you need to get off of me right now." He tried to communicate the sincerity in his voice to no avail.

"Not happening." She continued to dig into his shoulder. "I know unicorns can't cast while they're in a hold like this. Now tell me what I wanna know before I shove your horn up your..."

No time for this. He channeled his internal magic down through the pegasus crystal he acquired last night. A tingling sensation ran through his fur, making it stand on end. The sensation ran up to the spot Cloudkicker was digging into his back and as it connected with her hooves, a jolt of electricity ran up through her body, causing her to involuntarily jump off of him. Taking full advantage of the reprieve, Random scrambled to his hooves and pushed his magic through his horn now that he was no longer pinned. An emerald glow formed around Cloudkicker and left her suspended in the air.

"Put me down and..." Suddenly his glow slammed her lips shut, cutting off her words.

Random floated her close and looked right into her eyes. "Listen to me Cloudkicker. Your friend is in more danger than you realize. She may have only hours to live if she's even got that long. I can help her, but you need to stop attacking me. Understand?"

Her eyes went wide as his words and realization sunk in. She quickly nodded her consent.

"That's better," he said while placing her back on the ground and releasing his grip. "Now follow me, I don't know where she lives and I need to grab something downstairs first."

He raced down the stairs and back into the treehouse with Cloudkicker closely behind him. He didn't see Twilight or Rainbow as he was running though. Good. He didn't need the distraction or the audience right now. He threw the door to the Archive open as it came into view and leapt down the center of the stairs. He bounced off the pillow, landed on the ground, and kept running. Once he got to the second set of stairs, he leapt off those as well and casted a bubble on the ground for him to bounce safely to the front of his office.

Cloudkicker had a bit of trouble keeping up with him once he started jumping off of ledges, she wasn't near as fast as Rainbow Dash. She did however manage to keep him in sight. She followed him down into the office right outside his bedroom and found him wrenching open a blank wall to a hidden room. She moved to the doorway as he stepped inside and her mouth just hung open as she watched him.

Random scooped up several empty vials and began to hurriedly fill them with the various base components he had in scattered flasks. "Cloudkicker, are you able to fly me back up the way we came and over to where Blossomforth is?" He asked her as he arranged tools and vials into saddlebag he picked up on the way in. "Time is of the essence."

"Sorry, I'm not strong enough to take a passenger," said Cloudkicker crestfallen at her lack of ability. "We don't live that far away though."

"That's fine," he said while closing his bags. "So you two live together. Anypony else live there as well?"

Cloudkicker was angry and flustered by his question. "Is that really important right now?"

"Yes it matters," snapped Random while closing the hidden door behind him and racing out of the room.

"It's just us there," resigned the pegasus, not seeing why it mattered right now.

"Don't worry, there's a good reason I'm asking," explained the unicorn while galloping up the stairs three steps at a time.

They made their way out of the library and across town. A few passersby turned to look at the odd couple racing through town. A couple of them knew Cloudkicker by reputation, but hadn't seen the stallion she was with yet.

Cloudkicker led Random to a simple thatched roof house like many of the others on the street. "Is this the place," he asked.

"Yes it is. Let me get the door...Hey wait!" Random pushed past her and let himself into her home. Yes he was breaking some basic etiquette right now, but he was in an especially big hurry. Once inside he ran up the stairs and started opening doors until he found what he was looking for.

A white pegasus was on the bed, laying on her back, and staring at him. "What do you want?" She weakly got out through a raspy voice. Her mane was a complete mess and thin black smoke pealed off her body. "Are you the one who did this to me?"

"In a sense, I did, but I'm also going to fix you if I can." Random set his bag down next to the bed and pulled out a stethoscope. He approached her with it, causing her to back up into the headrest of the bed in a panic. He pulled her back down to the center of the bed with his magic and started using the stethoscope to listen to her heart.

"Cloudkicker, are you just going to watch this?" Cried Blossomforth who started breaking out into a cough.

Cloudkicker was sitting in the doorway watching this all go down. "He seems to know what's wrong with you. Also, I don't think I could stop him if I tried," she explained, out of breath from keeping up with this mad stallion. "So how is she, can you help her?"

The mad stallion nodded while checking other vitals. "She not as far along as I feared. We have more time than I thought. More than enough time to treat this."

"Treat this?!...Cough...What exactly do I have?!" Wheezed the sick pony.

Random turned to the door, "would you get her some water please? I'd like to clear this throat up."

"Sure," said Cloudkicker as she left the room.

He quickly turned back to his patient, "she knows, doesn't she?"

Blossomforth looked down at him from her position on her back, no longer being held in place by his magic. "Knows what, you crazy unicorn?"

"That's why she didn't go to a doctor first," sighed Random. "She knows you're a changeling."

"What?!" She snapped at him. "That's just crazy talk. What even makes you think I'm one of those creatures?"

"Fine, you need proof?" Asked the Unicorn who really didn't want to be having this talk right now. "Here's what I think happened. After the party where we somehow all ended up in the same bed. No, I'm not even gonna question what happened that night. It isn't important right now. You woke up feeling hungry next to two ponies that were chock full of love and you thought you'd take a bite. No harm, no foul, and a small bite would normally go unnoticed. However, love feeding takes place on a spiritual level as opposed to a magical one, so you took a bite off of me. But then you got something extra you weren't counting on. You took a bite of something cursed, now you're possessed, and now it's killing you. I can treat you but it's going to be a lot harder if we either have to play keep away from your roommate or if I have to work the necessary spells and medicine through a changeling's veil. So I ask again. Does she know?"

Blossomforth stared at him with a look of shock and horror. At that moment, her roommate stepped back into the room with a wing wrapped. She stood stock still as she read the tension in the room. The pony on the bed looked up at her friend with tears in her eyes. "Yes...sniff...she knows," she said while resigning herself.

Random took a step back from the bed, relaxing a bit. "That's better," he said. "Now take it off, let's examine you properly."

"OK," she nodded slowly, still crying a bit.

"Take what off, what'd I miss?" Said a confused Cloudkicker, moments before a ripple of green light cascaded down Blossomforth. Leaving in its place a pony shaped insectoid, body covered in a black chitonous shell except for the white carapace on her back. Her eyes were a soft blue color but lacked pupils. She had fangs in her mouth, holes in her legs, and a wicked curved horn sticking out of her head. Her wings no longer sported the feathery plumage of a pegasus, but instead were now long and thin. Light shone through them, playing a pattern onto the bed. The smoke pouring off her body a little thicker than before. However, she was also visibly breathing more easily than before.

"You happy now?" Said changeling Blossomforth. She turned her head to Cloudkicker, "he found me out."

"I see," Cloudkicker was looking at Random a bit apprehensively. "What happens now?"

Random ignored her as he went back to retake her vitals. He nodded as he listened to heart, lungs, and a few places along her neck. "OK, I know what you need now. Lets get that thing out of you."

An hour later Random and Cloudkicker had proceeded to clear out some space in the other bedroom. Her bedroom to be exact. Furniture was stacked against the wall and the bed was leaning up against it, leaving the bulk of the room as a large open space. "Is there a reason we're destroying my room?" She asked while she boarded up the window at his request.

"It's big enough, it doesn't face the main road, and I still owe you for kicking my flank this morning." He rattled off.

"Isn't that a bit petty of you? No, I mean why do we need a big open space? And why are you tearing up my carpet?" She snapped while watching him pull up a corner of the carpet and started rolling it up across the room, leaving the hardwood floor exposed.

"You ask a lot of questions for a pegasus. We need to perform a ritual to cleanse your friend, an exorcism of sorts. The problem is that rituals work better at night and since she won't last that long, we need an array to simulate the energy we need. Unless you think you can convince the princesses to raise the moon half a day early," explained Random. "And yes, I am a bit petty."

He continued to work, drawing out a large circular diagram on the exposed floor with a piece of chalk. Carefully he etched out diagrams and formulas across the floor and poured a strange pale liquid over sections he seemed satisfied with.

Cloudkicker and Blossomforth watched from the doorway to the room in silence. Blossomforth was still in her changeling form for he had insisted she stay like that to reserve her strength. They had long since had given up asking him questions since they often got a long winded response that didn't really answer anything they could understand.

"And we're done," he stepped back, looking at his work. "It's a bit rough but it will give us the moonlight we need."

"So what happens now?" Asked Blossomforth, a bit wary of whatever was going to happen next.

"Nothing too much now that the easy part's done." He pulled several vials out and started mixing them into a larger flask. The contents taking on a muddy green color. "Fortunately there's only a little corruption in you and it shouldn't take something stronger than this to remove it." He poured some of the flask into a smaller vial and passed it over to her.

Blossomforth took the vial he offered in her chitinous hooves. She took a tentative smell of it and flinched away at the pungent odor. "Please don't tell me I need to drink this."

"Sorry, that's how it's gotta be," he held up his own, much larger portion up in a toast. "Bottom's up." He downed the whole vial in one fluid motion, shivering a bit and licking his teeth after consuming the foul concoction. "Oh that is nasty."

Watching him drink the same vile substance she was holding did not comfort her. However, after coming this far she may as well see this through. Steeling her courage, she downed her own portion of the potion. Her eyes went wide as it hit her tongue and rushed down her throat. It tasted a lot worse than it smelled. The taste of rotting tomatoes and oranges filled her mouth, and as she forced herself to swallow it, it left the lovely aftertaste of rotten eggs. She buckled over afterwards, coughing and wrenching but the vile substance wasn't going to come back up.

Random was sitting in the middle of the circle as she looked back up from her place on the ground. "When you're ready, sit before me. Let's get this over with."

The changeling slowly crossed the edge of the circle. The shadows trailing off of her growing thicker as she got closer to the center. A soft humming filled her ears. Where was that coming from?

It was coming from him. He kept his eyes closed as he hummed. He rocked from side to side as he felt the energy in the room coalesce into a single idea.

Blossomforth nervously came to a stop in front of him, all the while wondering what she got herself into.

"Stay calm, little one," said the unicorn in front of her. The jovial tone they had gotten used to long since gone. All that came from him now was the embodiment of serenity as he opened his eyes to reveal an endless ocean of stars.

The dreamer found himself in the dark void of the spiritual realm that some referred to as the dreamscape. Stars filled the void as far as could be felt, for one did not truly see in a space like this. His body cloaked in the green of the forest, his body hidden from view, for this was how he saw himself and this is how this realm portrayed him.

He looked over his shoulder to the door that represented mind and memory. It was right where it always was and where he needed it to be.

He turned, putting the door at his back and felt into the void for the vessel that is the body. When he found the empty shell that was his body, he searched for another similar vessel.

Finding it, he followed its paths back to the spirit, mind, and memory of the other vessel. Doing so placed a new door opposite him.

"What are you doing here?" Came a voice from the direction of neither mind. An alicorn cloaked in midnight and stars appeared to one side of him. "And how are you here in the middle of the day?"

"The moonlight never fades dear dreamwatcher," he told the apparition. "One only needs to know how to look."

"But what are you doing here?" Demanded the dreamwatcher.

"A soul seeks balance and the scales are weighed." The dreamer leaned and pointed at the closed mind opposite him. "Open yourself up and show me what troubles you."

The mind slowly opened its door to reveal a small form, wrapped in chains and a serpent darker than the blackest night wrapped around it and while digging its fangs into her neck.

The dreamer reached out and caressed the serpent, singing to it as he petted it slowly. His tender touch causing the serpent to relax and as it relaxed, it slowly started to uncoil from its prey.

The serpent drifted toward the dreamer while the dreamwatcher, having become entranced by the dance of the dreamer, just watched in shocked silence.

The dreamer's mind opened to receive them as a long toothed maw sleepily pushed its way out from its depths. It opened its jaws wide to reveal towers of crystal from deep within its bowels.

The serpent circled the dreamer, dancing with him, before seeking a new shelter in the towers of glass. It drifted towards the maw that yawned and the moment the serpent's tail was clear of the dreamer's form, the maw slammed shut on it, missing the dreamer by the smallest of margins.

Its meal consumed and its hunger sated, the beast retreated back to its lair and both minds shut their doors.

Random blinked a few times until the world came back into focus. The sleeping form of his charge lay before him, no longer plagued by shadows.

"Sweet Celestia, what did I just watch?!" Exclaimed Cloudkicker from the door to her room.

"Get Blossomforth back into bed and stay with her until she wakes up," instructed Random. "She's cured of the blight that afflicted her but she will be weak. Your presence will help her greatly."

Cloudkicker rushed across the room to retrieve her friend while the writing on the floor quickly evaporated. She scooped her up onto her back and retreated out of the room. Just before leaving his view, she turned around, tears in her eyes.

"Thank you," the tears streamed down her face. "For saving her." And with that, she left to put her companion to bed.

Random was tired. Magic of that level was not easy to perform. And while he appreciated the gratitude, he really needed to make sure that piece of shadow he carried didn't try to get away again.

Luna opened her eyes to see Twilight in front of her. They were outside Soarin's room where Twilight had been examining the fallen Wonderbolt.

"Is everything OK, Luna?" Asked the new princess.

Luna stared at the wall in a daze. She found the dreamer again, but what did she just watch?

"We...are whole, Twilight Sparkle," said the night princess. "But we must leave you now. I trust you can continue the search on your own?"

"I won't let you down, Princess." Twilight gave her a little salute.

Luna nodded to her and walked away. She wasn't sure what she saw, but both times the Crystal Empire showed up the same time as the dreamer and she needed to find out more.

"It is time to head north," She told herself.

Author's Note

hurray for writing dream sequences at 1am, interesting things happen.

Edit: 11/10/20
Changed how Random got out of the pin he was in