Chapters
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From the very first day Mira had heard Kallisto's stories of the strange otherworld of the Dreamlands, she had imagined what her own visits might be like. Maybe she would be a brave and noble champion of realms unimagined, saving them from oppressive conquerors. Maybe she would discover ancient mysteries, and return to Equestria with the secret her tribe needed. Maybe she would find one of her own ancestors in the ancient place, living on in dedication to the lunar rebellion, who would offer her a boon in…-
87.2 K •
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Mira wandered through the sleeping world. Apparently she was in the land of Hope itself, though she didn't know what that would mean, or how it could possibly manifest.But even she, a bat who usually shunned the full sunlight and wasn't welcome in the company of ponies who walked by day—even she had to admit there was something special about the land here.Maybe it was the unusual light, which filled her with warmth without burning her eyes or making her sweat. Maybe it was the vista of rolling hills and…
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87.2 K •
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Another terrible crash shook the ground all around Mira. She hovered high enough that she wasn't jostled, but the shelves weren't so lucky. One of the nearby sections rocked backward, then toppled over with a crash. Wood splintered, and dense map-scrolls went flying.The impact was enough to dislodge the next shelf in line, which crashed as it toppled too, perpetuating a chain-reaction of book destruction.The little kitten had clearly seen enough—she wedged into the saddlebags, and barely even poked her…
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87.2 K •
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Mira made her slow way through the city of the dead, eyes glancing periodically up towards the sky. Any moment Kallisto might emerge from the clouds, descending on her in a flurry of blades and unstoppable attacks.She knew one fact above all others—if she got caught here, it would not be a conflict she could win. Her master had spent decades in this place, maybe longer. It was hard to say how that worked in a realm without time.When Mira finally stepped out into the misty gloom, she saw nothing gliding…
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87.2 K •
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Mira couldn’t say how long she lay there alone, with only her tears for company. More than once she heard wings outside. Kallisto shouted, demanding for her to emerge. Step out so her dream-self could be murdered, and she would wake up again.If she was sent back to the waking world, then nothing would change. Nightmare Moon would stay gone, the bats of Equestria would continue to suffer. They deserved better—the race that could construct great cities and journey across the unconscious realm and fight a…
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87.2 K •
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Mira barely understood how she’d gotten there, or how it was possible. What was worse, the pony she’d thought would be there to help had melted in front of her into a whimpering, sniveling mess.Unlike the strange circumstances around her, this made perfect sense to her. The bats of Mira’s world had a difficult life—a life spent on the edge of a knife. Every winter brought starvation for some, and every encounter with the other tribes of Equestria might bring enslavement, captivity, or torture.Those…
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87.2 K •
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Mira didn’t understand. That was nothing new—there was a great deal that she didn’t know, particularly where the ancient magic of her kind was concerned.But usually being around Kallisto meant she would have her questions answered, rather than drown in a dozen new ones.“You could just do this whenever you wanted?” Mira asked, calling over the sound of rushing wind all around them. “Why wouldn’t… why did you wait so long?”Kallisto whistled ruefully. “In my youth, I would have. When the…
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87.2 K •
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Mira hesitated at the threshold, waiting for Kallisto to let her in. But no matter how much she wanted her old teacher to still be healthy enough for that, the reality underneath was obviously different. No hooves sounded on the floor, and the door didn’t swing open.Finally Mira could bear the wait no longer and she surged forward, ears flattening and wings lifting vertically behind her. “Kallisto?” she asked. But she didn’t have far to look. Kallisto was in her bed.She was the oldest bat Mira had…
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87.2 K •
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Mira was born to rule.She thought of it while begging for grain on the side of the road. She reminded herself when scavenging through the middenheap for scraps of moldy bread. She dreamed of it while catching moths during the deepest darkness of the night, collecting all into her basket.Only when it was filled could she fly home, watchful every second of her flight in case a particularly cruel pegasus was following her. It wouldn’t be the first time. Being small and pathetic sometimes helped ponies feel…
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87.2 K •
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Lotus rarely visited Canterlot anymore—less often than in her first year in Equestria. She could only sit for so many interviews and appear in so many elaborate public ceremonies before they all turned exhausting. Besides, she had a family to think about. Nothing could beat the peaceful, rural quiet of Hono.Until the village burned to ashes.Even so, there was something particularly impressive about arriving in Canterlot by train. Almost an hour weaving slowly up switchbacks up the mountains, until…-
133.2 K •
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