Luna glanced sidelong at her agents. "I am quite accustomed--" She extended a wing at the slumbering target. "--to investigating the mindscape of ponies. I will proceed. You wait here."

Bright crossed his arms, emitting a buzzer-like noise. "Yeah, not happening. We're a team, Lulu."

Luna leveled a hoof at Bright. "Then do your part and guard the area."

Sweetie saluted crisply. "Yes, ma'am!"

Rarity took a step forward with a raised brow. "Now now, let's not be hasty, darling. An extra set of eyes and perspective may be just what is required, hm?"

"Besides." Bright slapped his hands together. "There might be some big evil thing in there. You want some backup!"

Luna hesitated, weighing her agents' protests. Such creatures plagued dreams precisely by confronting dreamers isolated from communal context and care. Hadn't she just endured such chilling aloneness during endless imprisonment?

She sighed, tension ebbing from star-kissed wings. "Your wisdom humbles prideful presumption, dear friends. None need carry darkness unaided while kin stand ready."

Rarity gave a gracious tilt in acknowledgment before stepping beside Bright, magic interlacing as one. "Two minds may figure out what one alone would can not - my own brush with ancient enchantments has reminded me of that."

Luna smiled softly, heart gladdened. "Then we proceed united by bonds beyond blood or oaths sworn." Her midnight-maned form began transitioning to glowing mist. "Still thy breath and hearts now, beloved companions - the way into dreams lies within..."

Motes of shimmering silver enveloped the group in gossamer cocoon-like filaments. Hushed stillness reigned as living starfields swirled where walls once stood unmoving. Then all at once consciousness plunged unified into fathomless varied dark. Only Luna and Rarity could even see through it to guide Bright along.

Down they delved through glowing layers of mortal mental architecture - Bright's thoughts bouncing wildly between donuts, destiny, and dear Rarity beside him shining here silver as the subtle streamers steering their shared voyage through a stranger's troubled psyche.

Deeper still through coils of cascading dreams and sparking memory fragments quite unlike ethereal landscapes familiar... Until at last four frames stood firmly before cowering quarry in a vista that chilled even Luna's blood long ago.

Bright counted ponies. "One, two... Where's Sweetie?"

Luna smirked at that. "She, being a loyal agent, already agreed to stand watch. She is doing precisely that. " She took a firm step forward. "Now... this looks familiar."

Around them was the castle, but it was free of the rigors of time. It was brilliantly new. It even had ponies moving with purpose, as if the castle were still in use, instead of abandoned. "This brings back memories..."

Rarity's eyes twinkled. "This antiquated fashion has my head spinning with ideas! Darlings, I've only seen pictures, and they hardly did justice..."

Bright patted his mistress gently. "Take it in as we go, Rares. We have a mission to do."

Rarity composed herself with an effort, tearing her dazzled gaze from the elegant era ensemble adorning spectral castle staff bustling past on arcane errands. "Quite right darling - we mustn't lose sight of purpose however beguiling the backdrop..."

Yet the vampony couldn't entirely silence her designer instincts itching to chronicle such rich visual inspiration! As they pressed deeper into the regal ruins' interactive memory, Rarity discreetly sketched dress designs using a ghostly manifested pencil, parchment floating alongside.

"Do pardon the divided attention, my dears..." She smiled sheepishly to patient Luna and indulgent Bright loping loyally nearby. "But beholding such exquisite equine couture striding centuries slipped by? Simply scandalous to let pass unpreserved!"

Rarity winked impishly even as her phantom pencil continued furiously racing to capture flowing robes and sweeping trains in intricate detail. "Never know when such ageless aesthetics may manifest modern renaissance reviving yesterday's glamour today!"

She nudged the curious Bright eagerly as an opulent oval sedan chair carried by a quartet of prancing unicorns clip-clopped into being nearby. "Ooo imagine translating that graceful style rising phoenix-like from eye-catching ashes!"

Rarity clasped her hooves in rapture though the fantastical coach rumbled heedlessly onward, outlines already dissolving to swirling mist. Her pencil etched feverishly to preserve the final fleeting details...

"We all cope in our own ways," Luna said in gentle admonishment focused more on keeping Bright from getting distracted than Rarity's flowing sketchwork.. "Now is hardly the time for dresses or chairs. We seek a pony, and perhaps the thing plaguing his sleep..."

She pointed ahead where she could see two ponies talking, their features hazy, but their shapes somewhat recognizable. "There is our target, I believe..."

With quiet steps, they pressed through an unseen haze, bringing the scene into suddenly sharp focus.

A pony was on a knee, bowing before another. The kneeling one was a male. "Princess, you can't." The one being called a princess had a horn, but no wings. She was not an alicorn. "Think of the family's name."

The mare turned up her nose. "I am thinking of it. The Platinum name has been dragged through the mud." She scowled at the stallion. "And you know it! Those... celstial twits have taken it all."

"Don't speak of them that way." The stallion looked around as if afraid of spies, not noticing the new ponies watching them. "Ma'am, please..."

Luna sunk her head towards her agents. "Bitter memories these. The nobility did not look favorably on our taking of their power. Equestria would be ruled by nobles no longer... and not all of them were pleased with the idea."

Rarity tore her astonished gaze from the tense personal drama unfolding before royalty deposed to study Luna's somber features instead. How many painful personal chapters lay buried beneath the mythic mare's serene composure?

"None should be made outcast simply for circumstances of birth..." she murmured almost soundlessly, heart aching for the despairing scion beside them. Rarity knew such sting all too well before her own life tookflight anew...

She floated subtly closer to Luna in wordless solidarity even as the stoic princess maintained regal poise under memory's old wounds reopened raw. But healing surely began acknowledging past and present pain together...

The scenario shivered strangely before reforming: now Celestia blazed wrathfully down upon the cowering stallion as lilting laughter echoed from his tattered regalia. Familiar crystal fragments glimmered...and a once-wise face stared back savaged by vengeance and pride.

Aghast, Rarity tore her eyes away from the distressing vision to meet stricken Luna's. So this lay beneath their mysterious quarry's cryptic torments...How to transmute such toxic memories into... How did she turn it around?

"Luna...we cannot mend if he will not give up old pains. But empathy may forge where facts fail." She squeezed their visitor turned reluctant victim's shoulder in solidarity. "Help me reach out?"

Luna let out a sigh. "Yes... Yes." She circled in front of the stallion, cutting off his view of the angry spectre of Celestia. "I will hear you."

The stallion blinked, stunned a moment. "Y-you will?" He inclined his head. "I thought the royal sisters were quite done with her words, and mind... I..."

Luna reached for his shoulder. "I will hear you."

A tear ran down the stallion's face. "Do you speak truly?"

Luna sat before the stallion. "You have my complete attention. Speak your words, that I may hear them."

"Your majesty." He lowered himself prostrate. "I thought I had... Princess, she did not know what she was doing! Please, show clemency. The Platinum name doesn't deserve to be cast aside."

Luna gave a haunted smile. What that stallion spoke of, she knew. "I will speak on her behalf... But her crimes are severe."

"I know... I know." The stallion curled on himself. "But to harm even more than her? Do others need to feel the flames she encouraged?"

Luna slid a hoof under his chin, raising his view towards herself. "The Platinum family will survive this day... their name will not, spoken only in tales of the past... But their blood will remain, I promise this."

Luna glanced at Rarity, to the vampony's faint startled motion. "They will go on to perform great deeds in the future, and be celebrated. Just... without that name."

The stallion let out a choked laugh. "Truly? Truly?! Ma'am.... You are too..." He threw himself at Luna's hooves. "You can take my wretched life! A fair price for the mercy you are showing."

Startled by the stallion's rash offer, Rarity darted forward to gently intercept his desperate lunge. "There now dear heart, let's everypony retain their lives and limbs intact, yes?"

She cradled his crumbling facade of composure, taking a moment to just hold him. Rarity felt his rigid defensiveness soften slowly with her gentle presence.

Keeping the tentative connection held by her supportive presence, Rarity inclined her head respectfully towards Luna. “Your Highness spoke true regarding mercy tempering memory’s bitter sting. Might you trust sharing further of the past ”

She smiled gently down at the anxiously watching pony whose crisis of identity they had accidentally unlocked alongside dreams disturbed. “One lesson learned on my reborn road sings that no mistake measures worth beyond redemption’s reach - or names us through eternity.”

Her own hoof interlaced symbolically with his. “So may old titles fade but not the hearts still yearning connection behind them in one Living land we all yet share.” Rarity turns compassionately to Luna. “Would you help unfold more of this wounded healer’s hidden story?”

Luna flipped an ear back at that. "Some of that... should wait. Dear pony." Her eyes were on the stallion. "You have done all you can, more than can reasonably be demanded of any single pony... I commend you."

"You..." He slumped tonelessly. "Thank you..."

The dream faded around them.

They awoke with a start even as Bright thrust a fist forward. "What? Dang it! I had such a good line worked out..."

The sleeping stallion sat up, blinking. "What? Princess!" He colored brightly. "I was just dreaming of you..."

Luna smirked at the stallion. "A common refrain, I assure. But we have not found the meddler of dreams..."

"Pretty sure..." Bright was pointing past everyone to the balcony above them.

There, a swirling form took the shape of a razor-toothed laughing figure. Sombra recomposed themself with a dark flash of power. "Finally. Pathetic ponies. At least your nightmares can serve as fuel."

Sweetie Drop's dagger flashed into her hoof from hidden bands as she silently assessed potential angles of attack on their exposed position. Before she or Luna could strategize response to the nightmare apparition, Rarity stepped forward with head high.

"Begone bitter phantom - your vice no longer vexes waking souls." Defiant sparks kindled in her narrowed eyes though fangs briefly betrayed Rarity's own anxious nerves facing the vile specter unvanquished.

Sneering shadows swirled lazily around Sombra's jagged corona as he focuses intently upon Rarity alone. "Such courage from one already touching immortality's dark doctrine...why oppose perfection of the power you woke within?"

Before she could retort, inky tendrils erupted - engulfing Rarity in isolating opaque cocoon shutting out all else. Rarity’s scream was cut short, as were all cries for aid.

Bright launched at the prison. "You let Rares go, jerk!" He pounded with battering hands and powerful feet, making the tendrils quiver in pain under the spirited onslaught. "Let go!"

Luna's horn glowered with power. "Your first mistake was to reform where we could see you, foul thing." She took off on powerful wings. "We will crush you."

"I think not." Sombra tossed his head, crystals erupting near Luna, forcing her to dodge and zip as they exploded in a cascade, always reaching for her. "As if you could avoid me for long. Foal! You'll make a fine slave when I have my hooves on you."

It was easy to forget Sweetie was there, at least until she did something. She lunged for Sombra from the shadows. He dodged, but a moment late. She cut a fine line along his side as she came to the ground, dropping the shadow-sizzling dagger.

"Was that your best?" He made a motion of throwing Sweetie away, sending her flying off the balcony. "Trivial."

Author's Note

And now things get... tense... battle music here!

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