While our train traveled to Fillyadelphia to in my Equestria dreamscape Princess Luna was having her own little adventure. Doctor Steady Pulse carefully wiped his pince-nez and then return them to his muzzle. With that little bit of maintenance out of the way he looked over at the Princess of Moon who was sitting across from him in his office.
 
“Your Highness. I am happy to report that Prophecy has stabilized after her most recent procedure to the point that believe it would be safe for you to attempt to enter her dream fabric. I know you’ve been hoping to do this for some time but have been stymied by her physical condition. However I can now consent to it if you still wish to do it.”
 
The Prussian Blue alicorn smiled. “Doctor! This is most excellent news! Yes. I am most interested in pursuing this line of inquiry. Can you tell me what Prophecy’s regular sleep schedule is?
 
Later that evening Luna retired to her private quarters. After a quick check that the wards in her room were in working order the Defender of Dreams laid down her bed and dove into the Dream Realm. It took a few minute to determine the location of Prophecy’s personal dream fabric, but with its location discovered she headed off for it. Soon she found herself floating above the young mare’s dream fabric.
 
Luna stared at it intently for several seconds. Usually a pony’s dream fabric will have a single, predominate color that will have streaks, splotches, and swirls of lesser colors mixed in. Prophecy’s was very different. As Luna looked on the pale blue with marble streaks of Ultramarine Blue flashed and changed to a reddish Tiger Eye pattern. Then just as quickly it transformed to a swirling Malachite Green.
 
This put Luna on edge. To her it appeared as if she was staring at 3 distinctive dream fabrics all mixed together. With this in mind she carefully descended into the mare’s fabric. The alicorn found herself hovering in a bluish mist that limited her visibility. Except for the sound of her wings flapping it was a silent world. Rising up from the depths of the mist were two thin, craggy, pillars of rough stone. The pillars were 10ft across and about 20ft apart. They generally looked the same, but as Luna approached them she noticed objects resting on top of them. Cautiously she approached and examined them. On one pillar there rested a stacks of large, smooth, reddish black, semi-circular metal bands. They were stacked in neat piles upon the pillar. On the other pillar there appeared to be this twisted almost coral-like growth of Malachite Green stone.
 
Checking her surroundings for any threats and finding none Luna started to flying around these two pillars. As she did her horn flared as she began casting a series of spells trying sense the nature of these artifacts. Suddenly the stacks of bands shuddered. Slowly the bands rose into the air one by one stretching and twisting in a line. Finally a collection of smaller, flatter pieces floated off the pillar and flew into a formation at the end to form a serpent-like head. The head turned and looked at the princess.
 
From the other pillar greenish stone erupted into smoke and flames. The thin column smoke rose into the air and then coalesced into the form of this strange being with horned, skeletal head with bright glowing green eyes with horizontal slit pupils. Except for two heavily scaled hands that held of all things a white tea cup and its saucer the rest of the being appeared to made of wispy strands of fine green hair.
 
For several seconds all parties just stared at each other silently. Finally the serpent-like being spoke. “I recognize you. Our charge has seen pictures of a being with your likeness. You come before us bearing the likeness of CoRuler of the realm that our charge’s physical form resides in. Please state what business you have entering the mind of our charge?”
 
“Yes.” The other being paused and took a sip of its tea. “You who rule the great pearl in the nighttime sky, why do you soar across the veil of dancing colors tonight to arrive on this island we call home?”
 
Luna didn’t trust these strange beings, but so far they had been courteous so she’d returned it. Looking at the serpent she spoke. “You’d be correct in your observation.” She bowed her head slightly. “I am Princess Luna. CoRuler of the Kingdom of Equestria. Princess of the Moon and the Defenders of Dreams. I’ve traveled tonight to this dream fabric to help a subject of mine. A young mare named Prophecy.” She raised an eyebrow. “Would this be the charge you speak of? And by what names do you two go by? And where do you herald from?”
 
The serpent cocked its head. “In the plane we originated in I am.” The serpent proceeded to make a long string incomprehensible hissing clicks and sighs. “However in this plane I go by the title my charge has given me. Viper.
 
“In the Realm of Howling Darkness my fire shined bright as I danced and fought to survive. Many I slain to until a voice reached out across the realms and tasked me and my fellow dancer with the duty of peering into shimmering horizon that has not yet formed.” It took a another sip of its tea. “In my original plane I was not burden with the weight of a name, but my charge calls me. Creeper.”
 
Luna stared intently at Creeper. “The Realm of Howling Darkness is place I’ve heard referred by another name. The Lower Dark Realms. Would that be your place origin?” Luna drifted back a few more feet.
 
Viper looked at the princess. “Yes that is one of many names for the place of our origin. Our charge’s creators reached out for us there while the seed of their union was still forming in one of them. In exchange for our knowledge and skills they offered they offered their soon to be finished creation as an anchor to allow us to remain comfortably here in our new homeland.”
 
The princess scowled at Viper. “Are saying Prophecy’s parents sacrificed her to you two so they could have access to knowledge from the Lower Dark Realms? What would possess them agree to such a deal?”
 
Creeper took another sip from their seemingly bottomless tea cup. “The thoughts and reasons of most are like leaves blowing in a gale. Flailing and twisting with little direction or control over the path they travel. What motivated them is of little concern to us. They offered to dance with us and we took their offer and upheld our sworn duties.”
 
Luna growled. “Was one of your duties murdering them in their sleep? It appears that you two terminated your agreement with them before Prophecy was 2 years old. Or was that part of the agreement to?”
 
Viper squinted at the alicorn. “Their deaths were not the result of our actions! Our charge’s creators were sloppy in their summoning and by accident they allowed a third from our realm enter as well. Although that one’s connection to the realm we now reside in is much more tenuous than ours for they were not directly named in the summoning and binding. Still they have been able to lurk and survive. If they could they’d take our charge but we have thwarted it at every turn.”
 
“If you knew of this hideous being why didn’t you warn them?” Scowled the princess.
 
“Because in the waking world we’re only able to communicate through our charge, and she was too young and hadn’t developed the ability to speak when it struck.” Viper scowled back.
 
“Then why not inform others when she’d grown older?” Luna tossed her mane. “Did this other one also murder her aunt when she was 14, and if so why didn’t you try to warn her?”
 
Viper tensed. “Surely you don’t think we’re so foolish to not know how we’d be treated if we revealed ourselves so completely to your kind? We have no desire to return the Realm of Howling Darkness, but surely that’s what others of your kind would attempt to do if found out about our true nature. Either by arcane means or by killing our charge. Although any attempt to banishment would kill our charge in the process. Thus was conditions of our summoning. Why we were bound to our charge while still in what you’d call her mother’s womb. We three. Viper, Creeper, and our charge’s fates are now one and the same.”
 
The serpent started spiraling in the air as it continued to speak . “That’s why we’ve only revealed us to select few, and to the best of our abilities we’ve striven to constrain the actions of the other who’s entered the plane as well.”
 
“What is this being’s name.” asked the alicorn.
 
Creeper finished another sip from their cup and then sighed. “Like many names from our realm it is difficult if not impossible to say here, but you can call them Lurker.”
 
To be continued.