Dreams of Forever

"A little to the left." Somnia bit her lip as she watched Shield adjust the mirror just right. "Straighten it."

"I didn't realize I became a guard to be the personal butler to a filly." Dusty chuckled from the room opposite Shield while she organized the bathroom. The entire room was made of crystal, only two false windows at the top edges of the room opposite the door providing 'natural light'. The bed-frame itself was made of crystal, albeit far too spacious for the filly that now occupied it, and several other pieces of furniture such as the dresser and grooming table were also made of the same blueish-purple crystal that the walls were made of. It was so much crystal it made Love gag.

"Better than ponies dying." Love commented from next to Somnia, leaning against the nightstand, yet another crystal piece of furniture. "At least now we got good beds and proper meals."

"I didn't know you liked cooking, Shield. Why did you never tell us before?" Dusty called out to their unicorn companion.

"Never came up. How's this?" He turned to Somnia who gave her nod of approval. "Your turn, Love."

"Ugh." She picked up the backpack Spike had generously provided, bringing it over to the 'grooming station' to begin sorting through the various things while Shield moved the dresser to it's new location with ease.

"Why doesn't Scuttle or Dawn have to do this stuff?" Dusty asked the laying filly. "Doesn't seem fair to have us day guards do it and for them to do nothing."

"Oh, they have their tasks." Somnia smiled to the bathroom doorway. "It's not easy to salvage anything good from the old library without drawing attention."

"Ah." Dusty nodded from within. "I see we got the easy tasks."

"Easy for you ponies maybe. What even is this?" Love held up a small container.

"Makeup. Sort it by color please." Somnia giggled. "Have you really never seen makeup before?"

"I'm a griffon! My face is covered in feathers! Why would I put something thick over them?" She exclaimed, returning back to the task at claw.

"Alright, I'm done here." Shield declared, examining his reorganization work. Four additional tables, thankfully non-crystal ones, had been set up around the room, each with a specific purpose for Somnia's work until the basement lab was finished. The Tree of Harmony actually took her into account, adding a massive complex beneath the castle large enough for four medium-sized laboratories and enough space for the fission reactor she wanted to build, whatever that was.

"I'm going to the throne room. Mom is getting a shipment of books and I want to have a look through it before she does." Somnia carefully got down from her bed, fitting her back-right leg into the mechanism she built to ease movement until it fully healed. Doing up the straps, she took a few tentative steps before settling into the rhythm.

"You sure you'll be alright?" Shield asked with some concern as she hobbled towards the door.

"I wouldn't mind if you came with me?" She smiled sweetly, immediately breaking the defenses of Shield who followed along after her. They walked around the unnaturally long hallway towards the throne room. Gratefully the throne room wasn't too far away, giving her ample time to continue taking note of the different rooms. The castle was significantly larger on the inside than it was on the outside. In some ways it reminded her of Excalion's Tower, but that was much, MUCH larger.

She spotted a lost mover pony down the hall checking the map they had been given of the castle, and to her luck, they had the new books. "Hello!" She stopped to wave to them before continuing her slow pace towards the cart they were pulling.

"Ah, Princess Somnia! Thank Celestia you're here. I'm a bit lost and- Is your leg alright?" He tilted his head to look at her back leg as she approached.

"I wanna look through the books!" She declared. "Shield?"

The unicorn lifted her into the air so that she could get a better view of the pile. First book at the top...

It's enchanted.

"Thanks for the helpful input, Grar. I can see it's enchanted." She grabbed it from the top of pile and quickly skimmed through. It was a journal of some kind, always starting with either 'Dear Princess Celestia' or 'My Faithful Student'. Most of the pages were blank after a certain entry which she read through in its entirety. Sunset Shimmer... Isn't that the pony I heard about from that mirror place?

"Hold onto this." She threw the book over to Shield who caught it with his magic while she continued to search through the pile. The cart contained mostly textbooks and encyclopedias to replace those lost in the Golden Oaks Library, only a few of which were actually useful for her work. She picked out the book on advanced alchemy and threw it over to Shield, not even looking back as she continued to have a look through the pile.

"Somnia?" Shield alerted her to a buzzing noise. "It seems the enchanted book is reacting."

He set her down and passed her the book to examine. "It's..." She grinned. "To the throne room!" She sluggishly hobbled down the hall, mover pony following behind with an equally confused Shield.

She peeked around the corner and saw each of the elements performing various tasks: Rarity cleaning her throne, Fluttershy and Applejack pushing a crate of supplies, Pinkie blowing up balloons, Rainbow Dash chilling on a window sill, and her mother reading letters likely from the Equestrian government. Wherever Spike and Nightwind were, they certainly weren't here.

"Hey, mom!" Somnia trudged into the room, book balanced on her back. "You got a message from Sunset Shimmer!"

"What?!" She rushed over, taking book into her magic and reading it.

"How is that even possible?" Rarity asked curiously.

"I have no idea, but it sounds like they need my help." She closed the book. "Let's go to the library. I need to investigate this."

"Where do you want these books?" The mover pony asked with an award-winning smile.

"The library. I'll show you where it is." She cantered past him, the rest following behind. Somnia thought back to the layout to the castle as she understood it. Third door on the left, easy to miss since there's no signs anywhere. I'll need to setup some organization system, maybe some wooden signs above the doors.

Leaning on Shield for support, she barely reached the library to catch the tail-end conversation. Both Spike and Nightwind had apparently been hanging out here, the colt trotting out as Somnia entered, but not before giving her a quick peck on the cheek which she gladly returned on his lips.

"If the Sirens had their way, they would have divided and conquered all of Equestria. But a certain Star Swirl the Bearded wasn't having it. Rumor has it he found a way to banish them to another world - one where he believed their magic power would be lost. That world must have been the one where my Canterlot High friends live." Twilight finished the story.

"But Star Swirl must have sent them there ages ago. How come they're just surfacin' now?" Applejack asked.

"I don't know. But if my hunch is right and it is the Sirens who have come to Canterlot High, this spell they've cast is just the beginning. My friends need me. I have to get back to them." Twilight firmly stated.

The Sirens, absolutely fantastic. Tell them daddy says he's very disappointed. Grar chimed in, getting a giggle out of Somnia and Pinkie.

"I hate to burst your bubble, Twilight, but the connection between their world and Equestria will still be totally cut off for a super long time." Rainbow countered.

Nonsense. Use the book as a direct connection. It already appears to have a tunneling enchantment to the same microverse, you just need to redirect it into the deactivated surface of the mirror to reignite it.

"And I already know how to get it done!" Twilight took the blanket off of the mirror portal Celestia had transferred from the Crystal City and floated over various spare parts that were laying around. Within a few minutes, she had a makeshift contraption to reactivate the portal.

"Now to see if it actually works." Twilight put the book atop the machine causing a lot of activity as it copied characteristics of the book's magic to shoot into the mirror with a few 'ooo's and 'ahh's from the other elements.

"Don't suppose we could join you this time around?" Applejack smiled to her hopefully.

"Better not." Twilight crushed her friend's hopes. "It could make things pretty confusing if Canterlot High all of a sudden had two of all of you." To which the elements agreed, although some *cough* Rainbow Dash *cough* weren't super enthusiastic.

"But I still get to go, right? There isn't another one of me at Canterlot High. And you never know if you might need your trusty assistant." Spike grinned to her, getting a simple 'Mm-hmm'. "Yes!"

"We won't be gone long." She looked back to her friends.

"What about me? Is there another one of me?" Somnia asked, eyes full of hope.

No. "No." Grar and Twilight answered at the same time.

"Can I come? Even if it's just for a little bit?" She pleaded with her eyes.

Twilight sighed, smiling to her daughter. "Alright, for a little bit."

"Yeah!" Somnia hobbled over to her. "Umm, do you think my leg is going to be a problem?"

"Hmm..." Twilight thought about it. "I can probably get something to help you move around over there if you're having problems. You won't look like you do now, so I don't actually know what will happen."

"I guess we'll find out." Somnia moved up to the portal while the elements said they goodbyes.

"Oh, you be careful, Twilight." "Take care!" "Y'all be safe now." "And don't forget to dress well."

With a last squee from Pinkie, Twilight turned to her travel companions. "Ready you two?"

Spike cracked his knuckles and prepped himself while Somnia stretched her legs, both finishing with "Ready!"

"Then let's go." Twilight entered first followed by Spike. Moving up to the mirror, Somnia reached out and felt it. A silent feeling of dread settled over her, shivers running down her spine.

That's not a good sign.

No, it isn't. Somnia took a few deep breaths before stepping forward through the mirror.

Tartarus. That's what it felt like, or at least what she believed Tartarus felt like. At the edges of her very soul she could feel the universe tugging to get her to change, but she refused. It was excruciating, and completely nauseating. By the time she could start focusing on one thing, the environment shifted again.

Then came the worst part, stepping out. Or rather being launched out into some things, tumbling until she made impact with one of their legs. Her heart pounded in her chest as she kept her eyes closed, the soul signatures enough to send her into an anxiety attack.

"Somnia?"

No, this was all wrong. This world, it reeked of pain. Everywhere she looked, there were monsters watching from afar. W-Where am I?

"Woah, I wasn't expectin' an actual pony!"

We need to leave, I didn't realize it was here.

Entity known as Somnia, return at once. Your presence is upsetting the delicate balance of our project. A voice boomed in her mind.

I'm Balderiaol, former Pentus of Ambition for the Grand Councilor of Harmony. By my authority, given by the Prophet, I decree her presence as legitimate. Grar broadcast outward so that whoever was contacting the now crying filly would back off.

No known individual within our records by the name of Balderiaol assigned to the Harmony-2 Project, nor is there a Grand Councilor of Harmony. Return to where you came from or we will--

ENOUGH! Somnia cried out. My authority is that of the Ascended! Should you make any moves to disrupt my work, I will have your entire project terminated!

"Are they doing telepathy? That's awesome!"

This is your--

Meciclara jinsd hivalimaka, postil miktac.

Meciclara jinsd hivalimaka, postil miktac! She called out involuntarily, the background drone slowly dissipating.

"I must say, that is quite the feeling."

"Somnia?" Twilight knelt down to her on... two knees? "What's going on? Who were you talking to?"

The automaton assigned to this project, most likely. They didn't recognize me, which likely means that this was made rather quickly and with only my external colleagues in the records. Grar answered.

"Hey, can you do that crazy magical burst again?" A bipedal Rainbow Dash also knelt down. "That felt so cool!"

"Are you really okay?" Twilight asked again.

"Y-Yeah. I'm fine now." Somnia wiped her face, still not daring to open her eyes. Those souls...

Lost, but now found.

"J-Just give me a minute." She shakily stood up onto her hooves. The brace was still attached to her back leg, which gratefully meant she could move around just fine. The souls stretched far taller than her, likely meaning that she would have to look up constantly. Spike's soul was the only one on her level, actually, it seemed to have been compressed into a smaller shape.

She walked back towards the portal that she could see swirling, getting close enough so that it would be the only thing in view. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw a marble surface directly ahead. Looking upward, she noticed a statue of the 'classical' variety, what ponies used to look similar to in pre-historic times.

With a last breath to steel her nerves, she turned around and her eyes immediately regretted it.

"You're what they look like in Equestria?" The creature she could only assume was Applejack by the hat said.

"Yup." The red and yellow haired creature approached, reaching out a hand. "Hi. I'm Sunset Shimmer. I think I saw you briefly in the Crystal Empire."

The filly slowly reached out a hoof, making contact, albeit with significant reservation. Her breathing was ragged, trying to push through the fear that kept threatening to make her bolt back through the portal.

"Don't worry. I was scared the first time too." She smiled to Somnia in the hopes of getting her to calm down. Why am I so scared of them? I've seen creatures like this before. I've seen Excalion before!

A great tragedy, one that must be corrected.

"Did someone hurt you?" The unusual creature serving as the doppelganger for Pinkie Pie asked confused.

"What do you mean? Has she been here before?" Fluttershy asked worried. "Did another hu--"

STOP! Somnia closed her eyes as she shouted out. She couldn't bare the word for whatever reason. Her future-sight was completely shot, barely able to go a second into the future or past without turning into an incomprehensible mess of cosmic horrors.

You are safe, little one. No need to fear what happened so long ago. You are safe here, my daughter.

"Somnia, if you want to go back, I'll understand." Twilight knelt down, rubbing her daughter's cheek with a hand before giggling. "I never realized how soft our fur is."

"Probably softer than Earth horses." Sunset added tongue-in-cheek.

"I-I want to stay. See what this world is like." Somnia said with an affirmative nod in spite of her own feelings on the matter. "I need to. It's just as important for me as it is for..." Humans, they are called humans. "hoo-mans."

"It's pronounced humans, darling." Rarity corrected.

"It's not going to be easy getting her around." Sunset remarked, examining the filly. "The horn and wings, plus the fact she's a tiny horse doesn't help."

"Can you act like a dog?" Pinkie suggested, crouching to scratch her ear with her leg.

"That's disgusting." Rainbow cringed at her friend. "But I kinda have to agree with her. Act like a dog, and don't speak to anybody else but us. Not many talking animals around here."

Somnia nodded, getting picked up by Twilight. She was small enough to be cradled by the two arms, snuggling into the soft cushions on her chest.

"Watch the horn." Twilight winced. "Those are delicate."

"Sorry." Somnia whispered back as the group moved off to a cafe. During their walk, Somnia made note of several things. These 'humans' were technologically superior to modern ponies, but still behind Excalicorn in complexity. Second, they didn't use magic. At all. It reminded her of the 'apocalypse' communities in the Harmonic Empire, ponies who would forgo the use of magic in any form to live life as best they could.

The third, and most obvious, was that she was terrified of them.

Sunset took off her jacket to conceal Somnia while they slipped by the front counter of the cafe, Pinkie breaking off to place their orders. Once they were seated, Sunset took back her jacket to let Somnia breath.

"Oh, I do hate you had to return at a time of crisis. There's so much catching up to do!" Rarity started off the conversation as Pinkie brought over their smoothies.

"For starters, a certain blue-haired guitar player was just askin' about you." Applejack and the other girls smirked to Twilight, dropping their smiles at her frown.

Taking a quick drink from her cup, Twilight sighed. "I'm afraid that ship has sailed. I'm due to be married in a few years."

"WHAT?!" The other humans yelled out in surprise. Sunset was the first to ask: "When? How?!"

Twilight looked down to Somnia. "I'm her mom, and she wants her dad back around."

"Twilight, darling, you can't be serious? Aren't you only our age? How can you have a daughter?" Rarity asked with concern.

"It's a long story..." Twilight scratched the back of her head. "But I've proven it, many times. She's without a doubt my daughter, and my 'fiance' is her father."

"Ya don't sound particularly excited about it." Applejack pointed out.

"He's in the hospital right now..." She scrunched up her face. "Terrorist attack at the Equestria Games. He jumped in front of a blade to save me, and this little monster threw herself directly into a laser as well. That's why her leg is like that."

"You would have died!" The filly countered. "Hurting my leg is worth less than your life!"

"Thanks." Twilight ruffled up her mane, halfheartedly smiling at the proclamation.

"Has there been any other news from your world that you wouldn't mind sharing with us?" Rarity asked curiously. "Sounds like a lot has happened since you last visited."

"She's got an official title now." Spike spoke up, playing a mock fanfare with his dog treat. "The Princess of Friendship!"

"Wow, that's really impressive. Guess you really were Princess Celestia's prized pupil." Sunset added.

"She's even got her own castle!" Spike exclaimed.

"A castle?!" Rarity bumped into her, getting close to her face and far to close for the filly. "You have your own castle?! Eh..." She grabbed a napkin and wiped Twilight's shirt of the spilled smoothie, clearing her throat. "Ooh, uh, lovely."

"What's new here? I mean, besides your school becoming the target of dangerous magical creatures from Equestria?" Twilight took a long sip of her drink.

"Yeah, so, that isn't exactly the only strange thing that's happened since you left." Rainbow showed Twilight her electrical square device with a video playing of Rainbow Dash growing wings and a hair extension.

Somnia, it appears psio- I mean magic, has leaked into this world. They have an entire society built upon technology without magic or even interference. I shouldn't have to tell you why this is a bad thing.

Malevolent entities, right?

Correct. The pink one is already a host, like her pony counterpart, but far more malicious. We'll need to do something about them before it escalates out of control.

What do you mean?

I mean, if we don't prepare these humans to combat them, they will tear themselves apart. Ask about radioactive weaponry, they are of sufficient technological advancement for development of such weapons.

"There's a big party tonight for all the bands who signed up to be in the showcase!" Pinkie explained. "That would include the Dazzlings."

"Looks like we've got a party to crash." Twilight smiled to the group getting a squee from Pinkie before turning down to Somnia. "I'm afraid I'll have to send you back to Equestria. It's not practical to hide you from every-one."

"That's alright. Can I ask a question for your friends though?"

"Go ahead." Rainbow Dash answered, sipping the last remains of her smoothie.

"Do you have weaponry based on radioactive isotopes?"

"You mean nukes?" Sunset replied, confused with the question. "Yeah, lots of nations have them. Why do you ask?"

The timeline will need to be moved up.

"Just curious." The filly nervously chuckled. Buck, this is bad.

When we head back through, I'll measure the rate of the bleed. Hopefully nothing will worsen it.

Another painful return trip later, Somnia fell from the portal onto the purple carpet of the library. "You're back early." Fluttershy reached out to help the filly up, but Somnia refused to move. The entire world was spinning around her, any motion might--

"It's SOOOO good to see you again. How's the other me? Just as happy to see you?" Pinkie picked up the filly and put her into a hug.

"Oh no." Rarity barely had time to say before Somnia threw up all over Pinkie's back and onto the floor.

"Oh dear." Fluttershy covered her nose while Rainbow snickered from across the room with her Daring Do book.

"I'll get you two cleaned up." Rarity levitated both of the dirty ponies, preventing anymore puke from dropping to the floor. "Fluttershy, dear, if you wouldn't mind cleaning the carpet before it drys?"

"No problem, Rarity." She followed them out into the hallway and began the search for the clean supply bin that was brought in. Rarity floated the two ponies down to Somnia's room, receiving a salute from Dusty who unlocked the door and allowed them entry. It took her the better part of an hour to scrub them down completely, then she did herself since she didn't have any 'protective' gear.

Pinkie hopped happily from the bathroom while Rarity tucked in the exhausted filly. "Sleep well, Somnia. Twilight will be back before you know it."

As she drifted to sleep, Grar called out to her: Somnia?

Opening her eyes, Somnia could see a pleasant blue sky with the occasional cloud high above. She was on something incredibly soft, but also firm. Sitting upright, she took in the surroundings. Silver-colored grass punctuated the field she laid in, surrounded by the forest she had seen before far too often for her liking. The golden leaves on the white-barked trees told her what this was about.

Getting onto her hooves, she realized that she didn't actually have hooves this time, or a body for that matter. Floating over to the trees, she took a good look at the markings along the bark dancing along. It was soothing, exactly like the first time she had seen the forest in-pony, although she was far too young to remember much other than Excalion carrying her out and her mother being absolutely livid. Moving into the woods, she slowly floated between the trees, the minor differences being a whole layer of depth on their own.

She was alone, yet surrounded by family. The wisps kept their distance, silently cooing at her or offering greetings in a special way only they could. Brushing against a tree, she closed off her vision to take in the experience. Knowledge without limit within reach yet unable to be grasped. Millions of years passed in the span of a blink while she took in the feelings of eternity. The pain, the sorrow, the joy, everything that makes life worth living. That separates it from the non-living.

I bestow this small gift. May you still find it equally soothing when the time comes.

Her head ached as she reopened her eyes to the darkened interior of her room. Somnia rolled over to see on her nightstand where a crudely made box of wood lay. She knew what was inside, nothing could have been more precious than this gift. Reaching out for it, she picked up the box and brought it to her chest, embracing it.

She didn't know how long had passed since she had grabbed the box, but she knew it was worth it. Opening the latch, she revealed the object that started and ended wars. To an ordinary pony, it was a regular seed. To her, it was life itself. The Crucible of Harmony at the center of Excalion's Tower was surrounded by such trees, hidden away from the universe within walls of magically reinforced alloys. She only knew that the queen, her mother, Excalion, Grogar, and herself had seen the inside since its containment was built by Grogar and Excalion over a million years ago, and even then she saw it only that one time.

To Somnia, it was a recurring dream always ending before she entered the forest. Until now. Now she had in her hoof the knowledge of forever, the strength of eternity, and the resilience of life. There was only one question on her mind as she put the seed back in the box.

"Hey, Grar, where should I plant this?"

Plant what? You're holding an empty box.

She reopened it to see the seed. "It's not empty. There's a seed."

If there is, then I cannot see it. Would you mind explaining how this seed came to be?

"What do you mean?"

That box has been sitting on your dresser since you moved in, and even before then it was sitting in the Golden Oaks Library next to where you slept. How did you not notice it? I was going to ask you what it was, but never did get around to it. Must have somehow survived the explosion.

Somnia dived back into her memories. No, there was no box anywhere at the Golden Oaks Library, meaning that somepony has had their memories altered. "Nevermind, do you have a suggestion where to plant it or not?"

If this hypothetical seed exists, then I would recommend somewhere you can easily access it for care. Do you know how tall it will grow?

"A bit taller than Excalion in her girivi form? Maybe more? I don't know, it's a tree."

Grar went silent for a solid couple of minutes. How about out front? That's easy to access.

"Sounds good to me." Somnia got up out of bed, noticing her leg support wasn't where she usually left it. Taking a quick look around, she spotted it in the bathroom. With a great sigh, she called out: "Dusty!"

Dawn entered the room, noticing her stretched out on her bed. "I know I'm not Dusty, but I--"

"Can you get my leg support?" She pointed to the bathroom. Retrieving the device, Dawn assisted her in putting it on. "Thanks. Do you have a shovel or trowel, or something?"

"Planning on getting into gardening?" He chuckled. "How deep of a hole do you need?"

"I don't know. It's a seed." She shrugged.

"Usually they have specific depths they have to be planted." He looked her up and down. "You look like Tartarus."

"Wasn't a smooth trip back." She lightly chuckled. "I guess I'll just keep it in its box for now." Opening the drawer to her nightstand, she placed the crude box into it. That's future Somnia's problem.

Moving over to the library, Somnia began the process of sorting through the book delivery. She wished she could have stayed with her mom in the other world, but the entire experience was harrowing on its own without the issues of traveling to and from there. It still didn't make much sense why she was so scared of them.

She began by sorting the books by general topic. Sciences, fiction, history and poneology, assorted non-fiction. Next came dividing it by internal divisions. There weren't as many books as there was in a typical Twilight resorting session at the Golden Oaks, but sorting by hoof was tedious at best.

Checking the clock... Oh, the clock hasn't been put up yet. Leaving the library, she made her way to the front doors of the castle. She unlocked the door and opened it slightly, looking up at the serene night sky before regarding the stern faced changeling that turned to her. "Psst. Scuttle?"

"Yeah?" He came over from the side of the door. "Need something?"

"What time is it?"

"Dark." He chuckled. "I don't know. Sunset was a while ago. Probably after midnight."

"Ugh. I'm going to have to include watches in your new armor." She closed the door and locked it again. That gave her an idea on what she can do until morning. Walking back to the library, she grabbed several large rolls of paper from one of the 'study' supply bins provided to them by Celestia. If her schematics were gone, she'll need to redo them, and it's better to get it done now while she doesn't have a lab than when she could be actually making them. She returned to her room with all the items before getting to work.

Five different sets of armor... The more she drew, the more flaws she saw in her original designs. More maneuverability, more utility, less room for disabling different sections. The more she worked, the more it became apparent that a better power supply would be needed. Grabbing a separate roll, she began sketching out the design for a new power source to include in the armor, using her hoof-grip Dawny and Scuttle were able to salvage from the ruins of the Golden Oaks Library greatly sped up the process.

A knock at the door startled her from her work. She adjusted her sight to see her cousin outside. "Come in!"

"I wanted to see how you are feeling." He opened the door and trotted over, pulling up another chair to sit next to her. "What are you drawing?"

"Schematics for a micro-fusion battery. The old magi-kinetic generators didn't produce enough power for the armor." She tapped the pencil on the paper. "I just thought of a material replacement for some of the rarer materials."

Nightwind continued to watch as she drew down even more of the design, barely taking any rest between pencil strokes. "I don't know what any of this is."

"This?" She pointed to her rough calculations. "It's just some math. I need to know the minimum and maximum needed outputs and how long it will take to burn out before it needs replacement. A few hours at maximum activity, if my math is right. A few weeks at minimum, assuming I don't use several."

"I didn't really learn much math besides addition and subtraction." He put his head on the table while he watched her sketch. After a few minutes, she dropped the pencil and examined the design. "Does it look good?"

"No, I need to find a better solution." She grabbed a sixth roll of paper and began making even more designs. "Too much effort to manually produce these cells. I need to automate the process."

"Is that what you're drawing?"

"What I'm drawing is an improvement of my old smelter. This one should be able of alloying most of the hardest materials known to ponies. The metals will need to readjusted, cost will likely remain static..." She scribbled some notes at the side. "Reduction in cost by a few thousand bits, even more if my lab is still in decent shape."

"Why don't you just use magic?" He asked curiously.

"Too fickle. Magic can be easily countered or taken away without even more advanced technology, which I don't have access to right now. Eventually I'll be able to make use of enchantments, but until then this is the best option." She grabbed a seventh roll to put on the table. "Can you go get Love," she sighed at the predicted response, "the griffon, for me?"

"Uh, yeah, sure." Nightwind trotted off while Somnia began the preliminary sketch of her newest idea. Wings were a major weak point in the design. Too fragile, not strong enough to compensate for increased weight of the armor. Griffon wings were the strongest, with changeling wings being the weakest. Each one will need to have their wings upgraded, Scuttle being last after they've returned to their regular form.

Grar, can you give me designs for medical equipment? Also, do you know a lot about pony and griffon biology?

Enough to do whatever crazy scheme you likely have planned.

"You wanted to see me?" Love walked into the room with Nightwind following behind.

"Can you hover in place for me?" Somnia closed her eyes while Love hovered in place, walking around her to get a closer look at the magical pathways. A crystal buffer could work for Scuttle. Still won't be as strong as the other two though. "Alright, thank you."

Landing back on the ground, both Love and Nightwind stuck around while Somnia began designing the interface. "What's that?" Love questioned.

"I want to replace your wings." Somnia stated simply, getting a jerk back from the griffon.

"You want to what?!"

"You heard me. I want to replace your wings with something better. Your wings are a major weak point in my designs. With a new set of magi-mechanical wings, you'll be able to fly faster and further than before without the same weaknesses. It's an outright improvement."

"And you know how to do that?" She asked uncertain. "I mean, you really think it will work?"

"It will." Somnia turned to her. "Stretch out your wings fully."

Moving around to the griffon's back, Somnia rubbed spots to measure the reactions of the magic and muscles. Griffons can fly without magic, but with magic they are truly a force to be reckoned with. The natural strength of griffons comes from the muscles, meaning that muscular integration for Love would be the best course of action. Far more complicated than a complete replacement like what Dawny or Scuttle would receive.

How long of a recovery do you think?

With healing magic, a week or two tops. Without, several months.

"You having fun back there?" Love sarcastically asked.

"How do you feel about having mechanical wings?" Somnia prodded at the muscles again, rotating the wings.

"If it works, and it's better, I won't complain." She cringed. "What are you doing?"

"Testing range of motion." Somnia did one last motion with each wings before returning to her desk. "Alright, that's all I need for now."

Love shrugged indifferently and left the two foals on their own. Nightwind sat back down next to Somnia while she worked. "You're really smart."

"No choice. Probably got some of it from mom. The rest came from Grar." She giggled. "Dad isn't too smart when it came to stuff like this. He liked using any muscle except his brain."

"Do you want to hang out with the crusaders today?" He asked with his head on the desk.

Somnia set down her pencil, taking a deep breath. "Okay. This can wait. No rush until I have the materials for the lab."

The two walked from the castle towards Carousel Boutique. The outskirts of Ponyville were generally less traveled than the inner parts, a simple reality of population density. The two foals passed by only a few ponies on their way to the boutique, them happily waving to the two. Seeing as it was a prime opportunity, Somnia would go out of her way to nuzzle up to her coltfriend or give him quick kisses, always when others were watching. He really is handsome when he's embarrassed. She had to giggle at his blushing. She knew he would try thinking of ways to get back at her, and she anticipated whatever he thought of with enthusiasm.

Entering into the main area, Rarity came out to greet them. "Hello, Somnia, glad to see you are feeling better. Hello, Nightwind. Are you two looking for Sweetie?"

"Yup!" She declared. "Is she out?"

"No, she's up in her room." Rarity sighed. "She has homework that needs to get done before school tomorrow."

"Oh." Somnia quickly thought up an idea. "What about a study group with the other crusaders? I can do brainstorming for my designs and Nightwind can learn from them! Everypony gets what they want."

"Hmm... If you can get Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, I'm willing to let you all hang out in Sweetie's room, on the condition that you are studying."

"Deal!" Somnia walked back out the door and made her way across town. She found Scootaloo practicing tricks on her scooter, the pegasus providing a quick ride all way out to where Apple Bloom was doing chores. A simple convincing for Applejack later and the three headed back to the boutique with their homework in-hoof.

Nightwind spent the time watching Sweetie work through the sheets she was given, both wracking their brains over the problems but neither getting correct answers.

"Hey, Sweetie Belle!" Scootaloo called out as she entered followed by Apple Bloom. "Somnia said we could all hang out while we do our homework."

"Is Rarity okay with it?" She looked up at them. "I thought Nightwind had just come to learn what we are learning."

"Yup, as long as the homework gets done." Somnia sat next to Nightwind. "I grabbed a few pieces of paper from downstairs for me."

The five of them sat around doing the mind-numbing work, occasionally chatting about gossip or particularly tough problems. At some point, Somnia began directly teaching Nightwind, starting with basic mathematics and working her way up. The crusaders were surprised at the relative lack of education the colt had, being at least two grades behind them despite being the same age.

"Have either of you won the challenge?" Sweetie asked her friends after a few minutes of concentrated effort leading her nowhere on a problem.

"Nope." Apple Bloom shook her head, pointing at Nightwind. "That one doesn't want to kiss me!"

"At least you have somepony." Scootaloo groaned. "Rumble doesn't even want to talk to me after what happened! Now I need to find another colt."

"What about Featherweight? He seems to like you." Sweetie suggested.

"He's too friendly! And he likes everypony!"

"What about the other classes?" Apple Bloom asked. "Plenty of colts in those."

"Yeah, but I only see them in town, not regularly!" Scootaloo threw her head down onto her homework. "I'm doomed!"

"Do ya forfeit?" Apple Bloom smirked.

"Never!" Scootaloo shot back up defiantly. "I'll find a colt if it's the last thing I do!"

"Why not Nightwind?" Somnia suggested, receiving looks of surprise from the crusaders. "It's not uncommon for several mares to chase after a single stallion, and you already know him."

"Hey! I don't wanna share him with somepony else!" Apple Bloom glared at her, getting an amused smirk from the filly.

Somnia turned to Nightwind, leaning in close, getting a nervous chuckle from him. She started the kiss which became more passionate once he understood what she was doing, her eyes turning towards Apple Bloom as she pulled away. "Still think he's just yours?"

Sweetie and Scootaloo both held back their laughs as Apple Bloom's jaw dropped. "B-But, I... Y-You're already... and yer okay with it?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be? I'm the one who set you up, remember?"

"Why didn't any of you tell me?!" She looked around to the rest of the group. "How long has he been snoggin' her?!"

"Since he came into town." Scootaloo shrugged. "Didn't you see them giving each other looks in the library?"

"Looks ain't the same!"

"Are you really saying you didn't know?" Sweetie asked slightly concerned for her friend. "It was pretty obvious with how they talked to each other, even for me."

"I-I guess I wasn't payin' attention." Apple Bloom pouted towards the floor.

"It's not so bad." Somnia nuzzled into Nightwind's neck, getting a blush from the colt. "You've known each other a few days, only a little shorter than he's known me. None of us are invested right now. If you really want a colt to yourself, there's plenty out there."

"Yeah!" Scootaloo added. "Like you said, there's other colts around town."

Apple Bloom sighed. "Fine..."

"Fine as in...?" Somnia sought clarification.

She turned back up. "I'll share 'em. But no doin' any funny business without tellin' me!"

"Should we tell her?" Somnia giggled to her coltfriend.

The yellow and red filly glared at them. "Seriously? You couldn't wait a month before gettin' all intimate?"

"A few days for him, years for me." Somnia purred into Nightwind's ear, getting him to blush even more. "I knew the old him since we were foals. We played, we laughed, and when we got old enough, we loved."

"I take back what I said earlier. You're crazy too." Nightwind playfully smiled at the filly on his shoulder.

"Crazy, and relentless." She held her expression for another few seconds before dropping her smile and backing off from him. "But I do want you to understand you have a choice. If you feel like choosing somepony else, just tell me. It'll hurt, but I'll live. I don't want you to feel pressured to choose me because of what things were like before or because I'm so forward with my advances."

"So he's on the market?" Scootaloo grinned to them.

Apple Bloom turned on her friend. "Hey! What did I just say?"

"That you were fine with sharing him." Scootaloo repeated. "Since Rumble's probably not going to want me back, what do you say about a date, Nightwind?"

"Make it a double date!" Apple Bloom quickly added.

"Okay, a double date. Sugar Cube Corner, tomorrow after school?"

The colt thought for a second, looking to Somnia for approval and receiving a nod. "Tomorrow after school. I just have one question: When does school end?"

Combing his mane the best he could, Nightwind took one last good look in the mirror. He was presentable, as far as batponies go. He never expected to have a marefriend, let alone three all competing for his affections. Well, two competed, the other simply took it. Biting his lip, he still didn't know why she was so loving with him, nor did he know why he felt compelled to reciprocate. The two crusaders were just doing it to win a bet, not because they actually had feelings for him, at least that he knew.

Leaving out into the hallway, he didn't expect for Somnia to see him off considering the work she was doing. Either that, or still sleeping from staying up half the night. Going into the library, he quickly found a map of Ponyville that had been left out. Sugar Cube Corner wasn't too far from Town Hall meaning he could always use that as a reference point. He left the castle in pursuit of the two fillies, taking care to head in the general direction of the town hall.

Since arriving in town, he hadn't seen another batpony. A few of the townsfolk gave him curious glances but most didn't really care, assuming he was just going about his business. Trotting along, his mind wandered to the differences between Ponyville and Hollow Shades. He didn't get to see much of Hollow Shades during the daytime, so the extra color really stood out compared to home. And the plants seemed, for lack of better word, softer. It was like he traveled across an ocean to a foreign land with only vague similarities.

Reaching town hall, he took a quick look around the square. There were some other ponies his age around, but compared to the adults they were few in number. Adjusting himself in front of town hall, he determined the direction towards Sugar Cube Corner. The large clock off in the distance on the hill seemed to suggest it was close to when school should be ending for the crusaders.

Not wasting another moment, he trotted off towards his objective, getting used to the street layouts without just flying to his destination. He got a little lost on his way to Sugar Cube Corner, but since the crusaders hadn't arrived by the time he arrived, it gave him time to place an order. Somnia had given him a pouch of about fifteen bits to use, courtesy of the Royal Treasury. He trotted up to the counter of Sugar Cube Corner and rang the bell, a pink blur flying from the back room and smiling to him.

"Welcome to Sugar Cube Corner, Nightwind! What can I get for ya?" She happily asked. He thought her name was Pink-something, but didn't really remember all that well from their introduction at the Traders Exchange.

"I, um, what do you have?" He wasn't entirely sure what they made at bakeries since back home the closest thing to a baker made plenty of meat-related confections.

"Let's see... We have cupcakes, muffins, cakes, bread, candies..." She kept listing off more things for another minute, some of which he knew. "...and pies!"

Would a pie be nice? Something they could all share. But what did they like? "Do you have any recommendations? I'm kinda hanging out with--"

"Apple Bloom and Scootaloo?" She smiled back. "I got just the thing, but promise not to give any to Somnia." She trotted into the back room, returning with a box. "Blue-raspberry-apple pie! Blueberries for you, raspberries for Scootaloo, and apples for Apple Bloom!"

"Blueberries for me?" He opened it to take a look at the steaming pie. "How did you know I liked them?"

"That form Twilight made you fill out." Pinkie giggled. "I try to get everypony new to town to fill out one so that I know what they like right away! Wouldn't want somepony to go without their favorites come their birthday."

"Uhhh, thanks? How much will it be?" He slipped off the pouch.

"Fifteen bits for the pie. Oh, and I was told to give you these by Somnia." She brought up a tray with three cups onto the counter.

He blinked a few times, hoofing over the entire pouch. Pinkie grabbed the tray and box, trotting outside with him following behind. Just as Pinkie finished setting the small table, the three crusaders came galloping over.

"We're so sorry! Ms.Cheerilee had us stay after class." Scootaloo sat down in a huff. "You already ordered?"

"I..." He considered telling a lie, but what Somnia had said before bed returned to the forefront of his mind. Honesty would be the best policy with the crusaders. "Yes. Pinkie Pie thought this would be something nice we can share. Blue-raspberry-apple pie."

"Sweetie Belle, do you want to come inside for a minute? I've got something for you too!" Pinkie led the white unicorn filly back indoors while Apple Bloom and Nightwind took their seats at the table.

"It's awfully thoughtful of ya to get us this." Apple Bloom commented before all three clinked their cups and took sips. "Woah, that's--"

In an instant, all three were teleported into an autumn-time forest, leaves gently falling from the trees. They all took a few seconds to look around in panic.

"W-Where are we?" Scootaloo angrily asked Nightwind. "Did you set this up?!"

"What?! No! I-I don't..." Closer inspection of the environment told him it was familiar, but he didn't know why. A path just through the trees caught his attention. "Let's go along that path. M-Maybe we'll find somepony who can tell us where we are?"

"Worth a shot." Apple Bloom deadpanned, glaring at him as she walked past. "But no funny business!"

The three made their way to the path, choosing to head in the direction of a distant mountain. The hilly terrain didn't tell them much, mostly looking out over more trees.

"Hey, do you think that's natural?" Scootaloo pointed to the mountain in the distance. There was what looked like a city between them and the mountain, but both were so far away that measuring distance wouldn't have been possible.

"Of course it is! It's a mountain!" Apple Bloom exclaimed frustrated. "Where the hay are we? I don't recognize these trees. They ain't like the ones around Ponyville."

"They're not." Nightwind answered, distantly staring off a particular sight not far from them. The crusaders turned their gaze to where his lay and froze. The three slowly, and quietly, made their way over.

"Are you sure they'll like this?"

"I'm certain. They just need a small push in the right direction."

"What are you two doing here?" Scootaloo asked to Sweetie Belle and Somnia who sat on a blanket. "Do you know where we are?"

Somnia giggled. "An old memory I reconstructed." She motioned to the trees. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"That hardly answers the questions." Apple Bloom raised a suspicious brow.

"Over there." Somnia pointed off to a nearby clearing through the trees. "There's a picnic basket with all sorts of foods in it. You don't need to worry about what they are made of, you're not actually going to be eating them, merely experiencing the flavor together."

"We're going to be here when you're done so Grar can send us back." Sweetie added, smiling to the filly next to her. "But don't rush."

The three very confused foals trotted to the clearing, seeing it had been setup for a romantic outing. They sat around, taking in the clearing. It looked lovely in the fall colors, a gentle but warm breeze washing over them.

"This is... somethin'." Apple Bloom said, her anger quickly vanishing.

Nightwind groaned, covering his face with his hooves. "Why can't she just let me do this on my own?"

"She probably just wants it to be the best date possible." Scootaloo theorized. "This is a lot better than just going to Sugar Cube Corner."

Moving to the large basket, Apple Bloom opened it and took stock of the items. "Fruit, pie, this thermos, and a bottle of somethin'." She pulled out all the contents, laying them onto the blanket, strategically placing the apples closest to her.

"'An Ode to Friends'?" Scootaloo read off the name on the bottle. "Non-alcoholic refined grape juice."

Scootaloo poured each of them a cup of the juice while they tried the foods and attempted to open the thermos. "Your turn." Apple Bloom passed it over to Nightwind who put some effort into it, eventually it coming loose. He could smell the sauce within as the seal hissed open. Taking a look inside, he saw meatballs poking from the saucy mixture.

"What is it?" Scootaloo asked, taking the thermos from him.

"Meatballs." He stated, wincing at the fillies flinching back.

"W-What? But we can't eat meat!" Apple Bloom protested.

"Hey, remember what Somnia said. We're not actually eating it, only tasting it." Scootaloo reminded her, using a fork to push two meatballs onto the paper plate in front of her. She carefully ate the steaming ball on the plate, taking in the different flavors.

"And?" Apple Bloom asked with morbid curiosity.

"Tastes pretty good actually." Scootaloo finished chewing. "I haven't had anything like it, but the sauce reminds me of what Pinkie puts on those grilled fruits she usually serves at barbecues."

"Ya mean barbecue sauce?" Apple Bloom leaned down and took the other meatball from Scootaloo's plate, popping it into her mouth. "Yeah, it kinda does, not the same though."

"My uncle used to rarely take me out for dinner at the tavern in town. This was one of the few items they served." Nightwind poured a sizable portion onto his plate. "I've missed having them."

The three continued to eat for a bit, Apple Bloom taking a small break after finishing her cup of grape juice. "So what do ya do all day? I know ya don't go to school here in Ponyville, so what keeps ya busy?"

"A lot of reading." He sighed. "I haven't really told you the truth. I'm not in school because I haven't been in school for a few years."

"I wish I didn't have to go to school." Scootaloo groaned. "It sucks!"

"It's not because I didn't want to." He stared down at his mostly empty plate. "There wasn't enough ponies helping with the hunts, so we only learned the most basic things. I learned to read, and spell, but that's about it."

"Wait, you can't write?" Scootaloo asked concerned to which he shook his head.

"We had one teacher in Hollow Shades, and they only would teach us the bare minimum since they were a part of the hunting team. Schooling isn't a very high priority when you're barely getting enough to eat as it is."

The two fillies turned to one another, both thinking of different things. Apple Bloom finally spoke: "Ah'm sorry. Didn't know it was like that where ya lived."

"Do you want to learn how to write?" Scootaloo asked with a smile. "We can teach you. We're practically masters at writing after Ms.Cheerilee started getting us to write essays."

"Masters is puttin' it on a bit thick." Apple Bloom lightly chastised, turning to Nightwind with her own half-smile. "But we can prob'ly help, if ya want."

He smiled back to both of them. "I'd appreciate it a lot."

Sweetie Belle stared up at the clouds passing overhead, thinking about everything Somnia had said. For somepony younger than her, she had gone through quite a lot. Romantically, that is. It somewhat deflated Sweetie's ambitions to hear from Somnia the hard truth about love around their age.

"You get what I'm saying?" Somnia spoke up from next to her, also looking to the clouds above.

"Yeah." Sweetie admitted. She wasn't happy about it, but it made sense. "Do you think I'll ever find somepony?"

"Certainly. Give it time, focus on you and your friends. Somepony will come along when you're a bit older."

"Why are you looking for somepony then?"

"It's complicated." Somnia swallowed. "I've always been more mature than others my age. Part of it is being exposed to it so early, part of it is being an alicorn, and another part is because my family encouraged me."

"Twilight encouraged you?"

"Before she was called Twilight, yeah. My entire family did. Alicorns have problems conceiving, it's only natural to start as early as possible. We may not have the constraints of time, but we still don't want to postpone it."

"Sounds rough." Sweetie considered her next question. "What does being an alicorn have to do with it?"

"We mature faster, mentally and sexually. While our physical growth is restrained by our biology and magic, we try to make the most of our early years. I know unicorns who control their magic earlier are also prone to mature faster. Neither of us are as fast as changelings, but they breed like rabbits." She giggled.

"Why Nightwind then? He seems a bit immature compared to most colts."

"He's the only one I had for a long time." Somnia let out a deep sigh. "Other than the two times Fae and I were fooling around, he was always there for me, and I was always there for him. His mom and dad were killed when he was still young, and my mom and dad weren't around as much as I would have liked. We found comfort with each other."

"So this memory is important to you?"

"Huh? No, this is when Fae and I were fooling around one of those times. My mom and dad were at the other blanket while Fae and I were here. Laying, and staring at the clouds."

Sweetie sat up and turned to Somnia, a hurt expression on on the princess' face. "You miss her, don't you?"

"She was my second friend, and one of the only ones I could rely on to have my back other than the old Nightwind." She closed her eyes, suppressing the tears. "It feels like so long ago since I was playing with her in this forest. I miss her. I-I really do."

Sweetie laid back down a little closer to Somnia so that she could wrap her hooves around her. The two sat cuddled for a few minutes until Somnia decided to speak again, having regained her composure. "Then there's Nightwind. While Fae and I sometimes fought, I never fought with him. We understood each other and what we needed, even if we didn't know why. That's why I went with him, rather than Fae."

"You liked her romantically too?"

Somnia simply nodded. "What I said before, I didn't really mean it. I'm going to have little time for family when I'm older, and I want somepony I know I can trust through the hard patches. Somepony I can trust to raise our foals while I'm ruling."

"There's spells for mares to have foals with other mares. You don't need to choose."

"It's not so simple." Somnia turned to Sweetie. "Those spells work for normal ponies, not alicorns. There's more at play for us due to what we are destined to become. Grar told me about what Excalion did, how she needed to implement certain safeguards to make our kind feasible. One of those was that alicorns can only be conceived naturally, and not with magic. And only with other harmonious ponies. I guess we could have tried sex-swapping stuff, but I don't know if that would have worked."

"Oh." Sweetie readjusted her head on Somnia's chest. The two continued to lay there for a few more minutes before some giggling caught their attention. Sitting up, they both turned to the three others watching them.

"Aww, you two looked comfy." Apple Bloom cooed.

"Ready to go back?" Somnia asked slightly embarrassed.

"Yeah, we're ready." Scootaloo walked forward and sat down on the blanket in front of them followed by Nightwind. "So how do we get back?"

Five potions appeared in front of them. "Drink, unless you want to wait another couple of hours to wake up."

Apple Bloom trotted over and all five of them drank the potions. Reopening his eyes, Nightwind rubbed his head and took a look around the room he was in. From the abundance of sweets and pink, it looked like--

"Hey! You're finally awake!" Pinkie Pie came trotting in, helping each of the four foals get up. "Did you have fun?"

"Yeah, much better than just sittin' around." Apple Bloom smirked to Nightwind. "So what's next?"

"Next?" He glanced between both of his prospective fillies curiously. "What do you mean next?"

"Well, Somnia helped with this one." Sweetie poked his side. "It's only right that you plan the next."

"Oh, uhm..." He wracked his brain for ideas. He remembered a 'bowling alley' listed on the map, whatever that was. "Bowling...?"

"Sounds good!" Pinkie trotted by with several boxes balanced atop her. "Here, each of these are for you. Somnia wanted to give you all something to remember the occasion by."

Taking a quick peek inside his box, Nightwind saw a quarter of the pie he 'ordered'. Surprisingly, all three crusaders bid him farewell hugs as they went their own ways.

Making his way to the castle, he only had one thing on his mind, and he would get it no matter what. Shield then Dusty motioned him in the direction of the one filly he wanted to talk to. He didn't let his mind wander too much as he entered into the library where Somnia was sketching on some paper.

"Did they like it?" She asked, not taking her focus from her task.

"Why did you have to intervene? Why couldn't you let me handle it alone?!" He demanded, getting her attention.

She gently smiled to him. "It was a double date, remember? Come on, did you seriously think I wouldn't get them alone with you? Seems to have worked out, now that you have a second date lined up."

"How would you know?" He asked suspiciously. Truth be told, he couldn't stay mad at her. The date was pretty good, especially after the conversation went onto other, lighter topics.

"Sweetie told me." She simply said. "Or rather, told Scuttle, who relayed it to me."

With a sigh, he relented. "Alright, yeah, it was a good date." His mind thought back to her holding onto Sweetie. "Are you and Sweetie Belle going on a second date?"

"No, not that we have planned. We do plan on getting ice cream and walking around town while yours is happening though." Somnia got up, taking off the device on her hoof and walking over to him to place a hoof on his shoulder. "I knew how anxious you were about making a good first-impression on them. A picnic in an autumn forest is a lot better than just sitting around Sugar Cube Corner. I also thought it would be a good idea to be nearby in case something happened, but from the sounds of it, everything went perfect."

He brought her into a hug, mumbling a single word. "Thanks."

"Anything for my Nightly." She nuzzled into his neck. "I need to get back to work. You can watch, if you want."

"I'd like that." They trotted back over to the table where Somnia was sketching. She picked up the pencil with her griping device and continued her work.

Never get me to do something like that again. It's exhausting to hold, even for only an hour.

I appreciate it, Grar. More than you know.

Underlining the total, Somnia breathed a sigh of relief. Expensive, but well worth the price. Taking the paper with her, she stopped by Twilight's personal study, still in its infancy, and left it on the desk for review when her mother returned. Her walking had gotten good enough to loosen the mechanical frame so that she could canter, a much needed improvement from the slow movement of a week prior.

Trotting back to the library, she entered one of the neighboring rooms and looked around, carefully noting every detail. Every object must be in its proper place. Going from object to object, she made adjustments to their angles and positions. When she adjusted them all just right, a seal in one of the walls revealed itself. Somnia parted the door and entered the stairway. It would be large enough to move a crate down but not large enough for any of the assembled machinery she planned on making.

Light was provided by crystals embedded into the stairway walls, the entire tunnel made of the same blue crystal that the rest of the castle was made out of. Reaching the bottom, she trotted down the barren hall towards the large double doors at the end. A few one-way windows displayed the caverns that ran underneath Ponyville, barely illuminated by small glowing stones.

Pushing open the door carefully, she took a look around the massive room with five decently-sized chambers connected off of it. Only some saddlebags she had left were in the room as she trotted from chamber to chamber, inspecting the size of each area. Moving into the chamber opposite the door, Somnia sat down on the crystal chair the Tree of Harmony had made for her, facing the large mirror opposite her.

Hello, Somnia. The reflection said in her voice, far less enthusiastic than she normally sounds.

"It's really cool. Thanks again for making this for me and adding the extra chamber." She smiled back to them.

If it means your work will be done without concern for security, then it is my pleasure. I understand the need to keep this knowledge from other ponies.

"I'll make sure to pay it back."

I'm certain you will, in one way or another. Isirilas has been speaking to me frequently since he gave you the catalyst. The forest is losing its magic. They will need assistance keeping their forest protected if ponies or other creatures attempt to mistreat them again.

"Oh. I'll help them if ponies try destroying their beautiful forest." Somnia nodded to her reflection. "Do you know where the other catalysts are?"

Two. One you are not ready for, the other will be given when it is due. The remaining three I'm afraid I don't know the locations of.

There were seven. Grar interrupted.

I only know of six. The Beneath only heard of six.

"How did the 'Beneath' hear about them?"

Your sister, Princess Stellar Shimmer, told Star Swirl the Bearded of them. My creator shared their memories with the Beneath so that future generations may learn from them.

Odd. Somnia thought. Grar, is there a reason she wouldn't mention the seventh?

Grar didn't respond to her, choosing to ask the Tree of Harmony a question: Do you know of the purpose of each one?

The six fundamental essences of reality were supposedly represented by them, if that means something to you, Grogar.

Somnia. Grar spoke directly to her. The core of the Excalicorn Amulet wasn't mentioned. I'm unsure of what this means.

You seem to be engaged in discussion. Is there something I should know about this seventh catalyst? The Tree of Harmony asked.

No, it's useless without the other six. Please let us know if you come across it, however.

Of course. You two may wish to return to the mirror portal. Twilight Sparkle has just returned.

"Thank you!" Somnia hopped down from the chair and began to trot back towards the library. Reaching the puzzle room, she moved different objects around and closed the door. Unless somepony knew the exact locations, it would be next to impossible for them to open it effortlessly. Leaving the puzzle room, she headed for the room next-door where her mother was bound to still be. Just leaving the library, Somnia called out to them. "Hi, mom! Hi, Spike! Did everything go well?"

"Somnia!" Twilight walked up to her, giving a hug. "Everything went great! The Sirens lost their magic and Sunset is feeling much better."

"What was wrong anyway?" She released her hug, curious as to what the big deal was.

"The Sirens were using their magic to absorb negative energy from the hue-mans, planning to use it to conquer their world." Twilight yawned. "I should be getting to bed, I can tell you more in the morning. It's been a long couple of days."

"Wait! You'll never believe who's back!" Somnia smiled at her deviously.

"Well, I'm going to bed." Spike left in pursuit of his room while Somnia led her mother further down the hallway. Twilight already suspected who it was, but it didn't help her nerves at seeing them again.

Opening the door to a particular room with a lunar necklace hanging from the door handle, Somnia stepped out of the way of her mother, closing the door behind her to leave them be.

"Good to see you again, princess."

"It's wonderful to see you again, Duskwing. And please, call me Twilight."