Ink sat in a section of the castle gardens that had been cordoned off for private use. She relaxed beneath the warm summer sun, a small bead of sweat forming just between her shoulders as a crystal gl... View MoreInk sat in a section of the castle gardens that had been cordoned off for private use. She relaxed beneath the warm summer sun, a small bead of sweat forming just between her shoulders as a crystal glass floated in her magic. A long drink from the iced mint water was followed by a satisfied sigh. While it was refreshing, it had a bitter sweetness that was mellowed out somewhat by the drop of honey that had been mixed in. It calmed her nerves as she basked in the heat of midday, her mind softening as her eyes hung heavy. She had healed much of her injuries, and with help she'd even been able to reclaim her dreamscape to a degree. The experience of isolating the section that had been tainted by the shade and locking it off, a cage for the monster within, had been mentally and physically exhausting. It was like cutting off a piece of herself- a terrifying thought even when she knew it would eventually regrow. In the safe for now, until she could properly deal with the shade, she could feel herself slipping into a daydream, a memory of another time.
---
Ink felt a hoof in her own, her body swaying to the music, the sounds of a small orchestra floating above the din of conversation. The sounds of hooves and metal across the ballroom floor all played in unison, the grand vaulted ceiling only serving to amplify everything. She felt warm. Looking at her hoof she saw her regalia, but she couldn't recall wearing it to any events besides her appointment to advisor, which was merely a ceremony. Her robes looked new as well. The once pure white now bearing silver embroidery at the sleeve where they linked to the silver bangles and shoes. The hoof held against hers also appeared to be the same silver, before shifting across a spectrum of colors. It was impossible to pin a single color down. The sleeve of the jacket worn by its bearer also seemed to shift, though less drastically. When Ink tried to look at the face of the pony she was dancing with, it was familiar though she could not make it out. It was as if she was being stopped from recognizing its features, not just the simple face-blindness she got when dreaming.
They asked if she was alright; their voice carried a hint of concern she'd only heard between her parents. Despite being confused by the entire situation she replied that she was fine, just a little tired. Ink decided to go with the flow of the dream since it was a fairly pleasant one so far. She leaned her head against him, somehow feeling small against his form. She looked down at his back only to find it now resembled a griffin, with no sign of the stallion she'd seen before. In her hand now lay a griffin's claw. Yet she was not disturbed, instead the warm feeling of comfort remained. A wave of dizziness washed over her as she tripped over her own hooves. The griffin caught her and held her steady as her hoof went to her forehead. She left him to go sit down, as he went to get her water rather than the alcohol that freely flowed around these banquets. That dance partner seemed to shift between stallion, griffin, mare, and even a dragon whenever she looked away. The voice always felt warm, it made her smile, but she could not see who it was they really were supposed to be. Was this truly a dream? Or was this a glimpse of what could be? Ink wasn't sure, but she would enjoy it a bit longer, a smile on her resting face as two guards and her maid watched over her dozing form in the gardens.
"Some days are better than others." Wheat said softly as she folded a robe, fresh from the linen service, neatly placing it atop a growing stack in varying shades of white. The mare who'd questioned h... View More"Some days are better than others." Wheat said softly as she folded a robe, fresh from the linen service, neatly placing it atop a growing stack in varying shades of white. The mare who'd questioned her nodded solemnly as she rested her regal haunches on a couch that had been repurposed from her younger days. While it was not uncalled for that the princesses would be concerned for the budding lunar successor, it was surprising that it was Celestia who checked in on her most often. She knew that her sister, a far more powerful magic user than her protege, struggled to break free once it had preyed on her and she feared that drastic measures would need to be taken for Ink as well. Things were quiet now in the late evening, but just earlier Ink had needed another dose of hemostasis magic applied. It would take days for specialized unicorn teams to clean up the main pavilion of the royal gardens after she lost enough of her silver blood to fall unconscious again. They weren't sure how to treat a unicorn who had become something more akin to the breezies and the fae. She could sustain herself on magic alone, so her organ functions were all foreign to the doctors of the castle. All they could do was supply her with magic and hope for the best at this point. With nothing left to do, Celestia thanked Golden Wheat before taking her leave from the servant's attached residence, and heading next door to the patient's room.
In the hall several ponies milled about. Some she recognized- guards who had decided to serve the new archmage, one of her old classmates with flowers, a servant from her family, likely there to deliver well wishes on their behalf; they still held a grudge against the royal family for shackling their daughter to the castle in the name of 'protection.' Though that was only a facade, in truth she often had tea with Wishful Dreamer, the young prodigy's mother. There were some faces mixed in she did not recognize though, likely just more visitors looking to offer condolences, or prayers for the young mare. Luna had told her that in the realm of dreams, Ink was often more impactful for resolving worries and minor nightmares than she was, and had begun to grow her own minor following. Celestia was hopeful that those followers would become the young mare's strength one day. Nevertheless she wasted no more time pondering as she made her way past them, her divine magic opening the door to Ink's chambers and parting the way of those who had been idling. Inside was somewhat better than she had anticipated.
Although pale, Ink's coat had lost it's sickly pallor from before, merely leaving her looking exhausted. She was talking softly, her eyes barely open, with Luna and a unicorn mare who shared the deep blue coloration. A physician from the lunar guard, more experienced in magical injuries than most, if not all, others in the employ of the castle. They'd lived through the era of turbulence that her own student had brought peace through after all.
"...ould be weeks, maybe over a month. Internal injuries are difficult to gauge whether our magic is effective on you." As Celestia made her way forward, she soon picked up a bit of the conversation. It seemed they were discussing some difficulties with the treatment.
"I've tried reaching out to the seaponies, and the old blood unicorns." Luna started nodding to Celestia in acknowledgement as she sat down on one of the couches within earshot of the talking trio. "I'm hoping they have records of the night-mares and their medical history. It seems our records were mostly expunged after I was controlled by an ancient one. What we have left is rudimentary at best."
"The previous dreamers aren't answering me either," Ink said with a sigh, her eyes closing as her brow knit tightly. "I can't even access the dream realm they're in, and I can't visit mine since the shade might return."
"Once you've fully recovered we'll travel there again to reclaim it. Even if it's truly a shade, not just a dark night-mare, it would be impossible for it to stand before the queen of dreams and live." Luna said haughtily. Celestia knew she was trying to shoulder the young unicorn's fears by wearing a mask of confidence, but the Princess of the Night was just as anxious. Luna couldn't defeat a nightmare on her own, and neither could Celestia since she could not traverse the dreams like these two. And if it manifested by possessing ink, she no longer had the elements to separate the two, they would have to rely once more on the magic of the Dusk Princess, Twilight. Celestia listened to them converse for a few more minutes before the doctor and Luna said their goodbyes. She joined them as they left, giving one last glance to the mare who was bedridden with two unicorn nurse attendants, their horns illuminated as they maintained a magic energy transfusion from a series of crystalline spheres. She'd have to thank Cadance for the supply the next time they were in the capital.
---
Ink watched as the backs of her teacher, doctor, and surprisingly supportive regent, exited her room. She had taken one step forwards and two steps back in her recovery; the doctors' best guess was that because her body utilized magic for most functions, her movement while her magic was unstable caused the injuries to reopen, and her body of course reacted by trying to remove the fluid filling her lungs. It was a near miss once more, and she was lucky that she had taken the lunar guard with her. They had beacons to contact and summon Luna to their location, otherwise it was doubtful anypony could have teleported them to the medical wing successfully without causing further damage. Wheat had been against this whole endeavour, and had once again seen Ink in a state so dire it would haunt her for the rest of her life. Ink couldn't imagine what she would say the next time they spoke, especially since for the first time since her long slumber Wheat wasn't by her side when she woke up. Just a rotating pair of nurses. Ink wanted to cry, but she felt too drained for even that. Yet despite her grief and pain, she wanted to keep hearing the voices of others, anything to drown out the silence of her own dreams. She advised the lunar guard by her door to let the next visitor in, she'd take as many as she could before the dawn rose and visiting hours in the Lunar wing of the castle ended. #rp
What was it called again? That sense of foreboding that something wasn't what it seemed? Like a spider it crept along the walls, like dust it hung in the air heavy and undisturbed, and like a cold win... View MoreWhat was it called again? That sense of foreboding that something wasn't what it seemed? Like a spider it crept along the walls, like dust it hung in the air heavy and undisturbed, and like a cold winter wind it sent a chill down the spine of the wisteria mare. It had been some time since the conversation had started with this pale brown counterpart of hers, so similar they could have been twins if not for their palettes. Yet despite their extended conversation and the lack of any servants, her cup still remained full. The eternal dreamer glanced down at her tea, eyes watching the leaves as the words directed her way began to fade from thought. The leaves swirled slowly while suspended in the tea, drifting back to the bottom of the cup with no patterns, no strange behaviors. It was just tea. Plain, black, simple. This sense of malaise still filled her with discomfort. 'It's just anxiety,' she thought. 'We've got wards upon wards and even Luna herself trusts us to handle nightmares now. There's noth-' Her thoughts were sharply cut off as she caught movement from the tea while glancing back up. The leaves had settled. They were looking at her. The clattering of porcelain onto the stone pavilion floor rang out sharply. Her breath came out unsteadily as she glanced up at her mirrored self. What she was met with was a shade of complete darkness, adorned with jewels like stars embedded to its coat. Eyes like hers, wreathed in the green and red of dark magic, sharp and predatory gaze locked onto the dreamer herself. This was not a normal nightmare.
Leaping up from her seat Ink Dreamer cast magic to throw the table at her counterpart as the world slipped away around her- the once vibrant meadow gave way to a forest of trees so thick the light could no longer reach the floor. Every shadow cast by the glow of her spells became a terrifying visage, tearing through the dreamscape like wolves as they followed their prey. The shade seemed to always be on her heels though it never seemed to move, still seated, it's body dripping with dark magic as its stars gave way to eyes by the thousands. All of them watching as she fled in terror, her magic only dragging her further down into despair. Ink could only run, and run, her mane flapping wildly behind her, tail catching on low hanging branches in this abyssal forest that had swallowed her confidence like a snake swallows a mouse. She couldn't even see the shadow beasts' individual bodies at this point- they had become so numerous that they were merely a writhing mass of dark flesh and screeching horror that shambled behind her at a pace that made them seem less like a living creature and more like a raging flood. Ink knew she couldn't keep this up much longer, and against her efforts the forest came to a sudden end, running up against the lower side of a cliff. She tried to cast magic again, to teleport, to create footholds, to build a barrier, anything. But either due to her fear, the panic at not knowing what she was up against, or the continuous spell usage so far, the archmage mare could do nothing but sputter out a few sparks as her glow began to dim. She looked back only to be met with the flowing mass of bodies that flowed over her like oil, dragging her into its depths as she struggled to reach its surface until she could no longer hold her own breath. In the moments before she passed out, she could see the shade that had cornered her mouth a few words. She couldn't understand them and choked on the last bit of air in her lungs before the shadows consumed her.
---
A panic echoed through the northern wing of the Canterlot Royal Palace as ponies of all positions had been awakened in the middle of the night. Doctors were scrambling to get assistance from the guards to locate supplies, maids were running back and forth as they carried ever increasing amounts of towels and sheets soaked in black, even the day guard had been summoned to add increased security. For the first time in over a decade since the Dusk princess had sealed away the villainous alliance, something had attacked a member of the courts, an apprentice to one of the princesses at that. Luna had barely managed to pull her student out of the dream world before her mind was lost, and the foul curse of a shade had followed them back. They'd managed to remove it, but the side effects had caused the dreamer's lungs to fill with a black bile while her body tried to purify the dark magic poisoning it. Using magic they'd been constantly draining it but it ate through several wooden buckets before they'd switched to metal.
It was long past dawn by the time things were finally calming down. The diarchs had called in the dusk princess to raise the sun while they replaced the wards that had broken on the dreamer. Now, three of the five royals sat exhausted in the room of the dreamer who had fallen into a light slumber once she'd been stabilized. A nurse and a maid from her own family were sitting by her bedside while the alicorns talked amongst themselves. Time passed and they each left in turn to return to their normal duties, but throughout the day, the dusk and sun princesses came to visit. The princess of the moon did not return until nightfall and kept a vigil until dawn. The process repeated for the next week and a half with mild changes in the routines. The maids bathed the dreamer while she slept, taking assistance from the princesses when cleaning her horn as it still seeped dark magic even while unconscious. It was in the middle of one of these bathing sessions that the mare awoke, her eyes fluttering as they barely squeaked open.
---
"I'm serious, Wheatie, I'm fine. I can walk on my own, my magic is close to being seventy percent of the way there, and I'm not even having nightmares now. Luna can vouch for me, I see her every night along with Mind's Eye for therapy."
"Mhm, right. So you're telling me, that the mare who almost *died* in her sleep, while literally down the hall from the Goddess of the Night, and being the most skilled dream magic user in the past millenium aside from her majesty herself, is fine after a few days of talking things out. Luna above, Ink you still flinch when you see your own shadow move." Ink winced at the comment from her longest held friend, not because it was harsh, but because she knew it was true. There was no hiding from what could be plainly seen frequently throughout the day.
"I'm getting better, really!" She tried to smooth things over as she smiled, her braided but slightly unkempt mane and loose robes only helping to sell herself as a patient. "You can come with me, just, let me walk through the palace gardens, at least the open pavilion at the entrance even if we can't visit the lake in the middle. I want to sit by the fountains. I can't use magic per the doctor's orders," she chided before leaning in close with her eyes wide. "And if I have to read another of your romance books you keep pawning off on me, I will genuinely lose my mind to tartarus."
"..."After contemplating the less than appealing thought of the mare following through with that, Golden Wheat sighed in defeat and hung her head. "Fine, we can go to the gardens, but only until lunch, then we're coming back to this wing where they've assigned additional support for you." Ink smiled as she followed after Wheat, the two making their way towards the gardens flanked by two day guards who actually got close to Ink's towering height. #rp
"I haven't the faintest recollection what I've been doing for the past year, it's like I was in a fog where I couldn't tell my hoof from my horn." Stated the familiar wisteria mare, her eyes locked on... View More"I haven't the faintest recollection what I've been doing for the past year, it's like I was in a fog where I couldn't tell my hoof from my horn." Stated the familiar wisteria mare, her eyes locked onto the ceiling as she listened to the quill of the castle doctor scratch across his clipboard. She was robed in white, silver regalia holding the flowing fabric in place around her body. Simple bands at first glance, but with intricate carvings of spells and seals meant to limit the effect she had on those around her.
"Well miss Dreamer, if you don't mind me being casual with your highness," spoke the doctor in a matter-of-fact tone. Rapid Recovery was not a stallion of pleasantries and he preferred to be curt and efficient in these sessions, as Ink had come to know over the past few days. "Truthfully, we are unsure of what occurred to you in that comatose state either. Her majesty, Princess Luna was able to hold back the flow of your magic outside that room, but even she was not able to pull you back from the dream realm. We were hoping that you would have regained some memory of yourself within the dreams by now, and could explain to us what you experienced. But..." He paused as he looked at the mare lying across the entirety of the couch which normally fit two. Her mane and tail spilled across the floor of his office like water, encroaching on every spot it could. He hesitated to move off his own chair to retrieve his glass of water- an oversight on his part as an earth pony.
"I don't think we're going to be making any progress in the near future. In light of this, I'm recommending the castle release you from the medical wing, and instead have you escorted within the west wing to be looked after by the Lunar Guard and the other night staff. They have some resistance to dream and sleep magic as retainers of Princess Luna so they should be able to better assist you in your recovery." He scribbled a note on his clipboard before tearing it off and watching in vanish in a flash of green fire. In all his years he would never get used to that.
"I really do appreciate you trying to help, doctor. But if even Luna is lacking information, then perhaps it's best to hope that time will heal all." Ink said with a sigh as she stood up from the couch, her mane moving with magic to avoid her hooves as she stood. The stallion's water levitated over from his desk to the table between them as Ink stretched her back in a cat-like manner. "I don't suppose you know how long it takes for them to prepare a room these days, would you?"
"Once they receive my notice, they should have your room prepared before nightfall. There's still a few hours left before the kitchen will have dinner ready. Feel free to roam the castle, but be aware that you cannot leave unless you're accompanied by a guard detail, an officer, or the princesses themselves." He added as almost an afterthought. He'd seen Ink a few times now and had gone through the general rules she was to follow the first day. No need to make any significant note of it now.
"I'll head to the gardens then, please inform the guard to send my escorts there once they've been decided. If I leave before they arrive, I'll let the castle cleaning staff know to pass the information on." With a pop and a flash, the large purple mare vanished from the doctor's sight, leaving nothing but a few flower petals and a sense of drowsiness. The stallion sighed to himself as he struggle to keep on his hooves. They weren't kidding when they said her magic was potent. Even suppressed as she was, the aftereffect of her spellcasting was enough to make an earth pony waver. He managed to send another note to the guard before ambling over to his couch and getting what he felt was a well deserved-nap. #rp
//attempting to get back in to a lot of my hobbies again. this is on my docket and I've begun to set up some other characters. hope you've all been well, I hope this motivates me back into making more... View More//attempting to get back in to a lot of my hobbies again. this is on my docket and I've begun to set up some other characters. hope you've all been well, I hope this motivates me back into making more art as well.
//I promise i will reply to the replies i have pending soon. I just got busy. My bad
Ink shifted uncomfortably in her seat as the carriage she was riding passed over a particular rough patch of road. She had spent the past few days on a train coming from Canterlot into the deep south ... View MoreInk shifted uncomfortably in her seat as the carriage she was riding passed over a particular rough patch of road. She had spent the past few days on a train coming from Canterlot into the deep south of Equestria, to the lands that were once called the badlands. Decades ago they had been deserts, but thanks to the reclamation done by the changelings they had been revitalized into prosperous farmlands. Much of her closest confidant, Golden Wheat's, family had been moving here as time went on. Overseeing many of the large wheat and corn fields they had become the leading mercantile family in the area. She was coming to visit, partially on business and more so to see her friend and her fiancé, as their wedding was not even a full year away. Unluckily for Ink though, the region had not had train tracks run to some of its more remote areas yet. So she had to suffer through a less than pleasant carriage ride.
At least she had been provided with her own carriage as part of her benefits as an archmage, and hers had been custom made with her new personal insignia, a shield with two unicorns back to back, and a crescent moon over top. It even came with a pair of strong stallions in silver plate, matching her circlet, pendant, and hoof cuffs. Along with the caravan of guards and supplies following along behind her, it still felt vaguely like she wasn't being trusted, but it was the least she would accept as an apology for being doubted when she had been reborn as a mara. True, historically the mara had been known to be the source of nightmares, but they were the source of all dreams as well. A distinction that the alicorn who ruled over the night itself should have been well aware of, but conveniently forgot out of fear. The trust and faith she'd lost in her teacher would take a long time to be rebuilt, on both sides. She hoped this short vacation would help to further clear her mind.
However her arrival would have to wait as the carriage came to a rolling halt as the caravan came to a commotion ahead. It appeared to Ink, who had stuck her head out of the window of the carriage to see around the front, that another carriage had broken a wheel, and a second had stopped to help them. One of the guards from the caravan galloped ahead of her own carriage to go and examine the situation in better detail. Knowing that it would likely be some time before they would continue on, Ink was eager to step out and stretch her legs. She used her magic to open her door before two maids stepped out, pulling a set of stairs down to allow her to walk out. As she stepped out, she pulled a silver veil down over her eyes, a light purple and blue parasol held over her head to keep the sun off. A small table and chair had been retrieved for her by some guards as they began to break for a midday meal. She sat down as one of her maids cast a spell to fill a glass with ice and water for her, before glancing back to the group being interviewed by that earnest young guardspony. She thought she saw a familiar face mixed in but couldn't tell. She'd soon find out though as they were following the guard back at a lax pace, something you'd only see a guard do in an area as rural as this. #rp
//fwiw, I only write long starters, I'm fine with shorter replies. I just like to set the scene.
Ink sat quietly, staring at her reflection in the mirror as several ponies swarmed around her, a whirlwind of preparation as they worked to turn her into the best she could be. Today was the day to an... View MoreInk sat quietly, staring at her reflection in the mirror as several ponies swarmed around her, a whirlwind of preparation as they worked to turn her into the best she could be. Today was the day to announce her official status as an archmage, a prestige rarely awarded to somepony so young, and of which only one other had earned in recent memory. Twilight's student, now advisor, Starlight had been given the honor for her proven capabilities and mastery over magic that could fundamentally shape the world. She was hailed as the second coming of Starswirl, with how quickly she learned and even created spells. Growing up, Ink had heard a great deal about her, popular among the nobles despite her commoner status. To be put in the same class as the greatest unicorn she'd ever heard of was nerve-wracking, and the heavy jewelry and adornments that were being woven into her mane and laid over her body did little to distract her.
She sighed, her breath coming out shakily as she rolled her shoulders, trying to loosen up. The ponies dressing her didnt seem to pay it any mind as they continued weaving her mane with silver threads and gems that matched the color of her magic. A circlet made of the same silver sat off to the side, placed in a velveteen box engraved with the icon of the moon and sun. It was not a decoration like the rest though, it would help her to have finer control over her magic so that she wouldn't leak any and cause a panic.
"We're almost done duchess," said a mare who was fastening shoes to her hooves. Also silver. With how much silver they were using Ink had half a mind to ask them if they thought she was some sort of monster, and these were her restraints. She though better of it, and decided she was aready stressed enough. The remaining prep seemed to breeze by, as she was rushed from her chambers to the main celebration hall of the castle, and ushered to a balcony that overlooked the entire gathering.
Ink could feel her magic trying to escape as she gave her greeting, the practiced façade she was so used to threatening to crumble. After a short list of her capabilities, and addressing Ink's loyalties to the crown, the princesses each confirmed her being granted the title of archmage. It was less dramatic than she'd expected, no grandiose ceremony, no ritual to follow... for a gathering of the nobility it was quite serendipitous that she hardly had to participate. She'd been offered every noble's hoof in marriage more often as of late, and she was happy to avoid talking to them in pony. As soon as she'd managed to break off from the procession in the ballroom she sought out one of the many balconies overlooking the castle gardens, hoping to find a place to relax. Most were already occupied but after checking the fifth one she found it was as of yet unused. Sighing in relief she made her way over to the couch and table, followed only by two newly appointed mare's maids. Her usual keeper, Golden Wheat, had been charged with overseeing the kitchen servants for the night, and so Ink had to make do without her biggest supporter.
One of the maids poured her a glass of wine before hurrying off to find other refreshments. The other was fixing Ink's mane with her hooves while her magic fanned her with a palm frond. Ink called out to the guard in a plain collar, no armor for this formal event, standing by the curtain that muffled the voices from the hall and gave her some privacy.
"Audiences of one only," she started, listing off stipulations since she knew she couldn't avoid the guests for long. "No stallions unless they are either business partners or prior acquaintances... or guardsponies, retired or active." She said after a pause, a gruff companion of hers coming to mind. "And no mares of my mother's age. They're only here to push their sons in my direction."
With a stiff salute the guardspony turned and stepped to the outside of the curtain, acting as a doorkeeper. 'And now we wait,' Ink thought, already planning how to spend her newly appointed freedoms. #rp
//do you ever randomly get ideas for a character while you're in the middle of writing something for another character?
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