Chapters
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Mira made her slow way into Meridian's apartment. The state of the interior was frightening, torn apart from one side to the other. His maps were scattered callously on the floor, his telescope deliberately shattered.One unicorn stood near the door, his spear balanced over his back, point towards her as she stepped in. From the fury on his face, she had every reason to suspect he would use it. The other waited by the window, beside a bat tied by makeshift restraints. Sheets wrapped around his body, binding…-
87.2 K •
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Getting a map of the Astral Sea turned out to be something easier said than done. Not just because of the constant pressure of royal discovery looming overhead, though that was certainly a big part. Mira had no idea what power she had used to banish the guards once, and didn't know if she would be able to repeat it against somepony who actually knew some dream-magic of their own.They couldn't even rely on the pony's tribe to suggest whether or not they could be trusted, since of course she had already been…
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87.2 K •
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Mira woke in her familiar repose.She should be used to the transition by now—but this was the first time she'd ever done it intentionally. There was no confusion and disorientation that came from "dying" and returning to life. She sat up, waking from her sleep as she'd done so many times before.Her relaxation lasted all of five seconds, when she realized two-dozen bats were staring at her.Somepony dropped an offering plate, scattering bits to the floor. Night, wearing an overly elaborate recreation of…
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87.2 K •
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"Exactly like this," Mira explained, gesturing at the diagram again. The runes covering it were a team effort—her, and Pixie. But she couldn't tell these ponies that. Her familiar still disagreed with her openness up to that point.At her order, the pews were all gone from the hall, except for those under the glass ceiling. If she got her way, they would never pack a room full of ponies to stare at somepony asleep ever again. It was time to believe in something real.The extra space meant there was plenty…
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87.2 K •
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Mira waited in Meridian's basement, where she had the other end of the portal established. It was easily the safest space in the house. Not that she expected another attack in Hope. The city did not answer to Equestria, nor did it appreciate violent ponies traveling from the waking world to attack honest folk. But if she was bringing a new bat into her operation, she'd rather their first experience not be of the “near dead” variety.Then she was inside, and the world opened to her. Once the whole…
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87.2 K •
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Mira did not invite the captain of the Diaspora to visit her in Meridian's home. Rather, she couldn't help the feeling that showing anything less than the wealth of a princess would fail to impress the crew. If that happened, she might lose her best chance at a ship brave enough to venture into the Astral Sea. But they couldn't judge her as the regent of Princess Luna if she had no palace to inspect.So she went to the dock, with only Pixie and Kallisto for company. With Kallisto's help, they both wore the…
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87.2 K •
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"It's everything I imagined," Mira said. She circled slowly around the ritual stone, inspecting every facet of the runes on its surface. Let nopony say that all the craft of thestrals was dead. Master stonemasons and jewelers remained, carrying their expertise forward just like Kallisto had at the monastery.Granted, nopony ever executed a jeweler for teaching how to make a ring. But Celestia might now, if she ever saw this masterpiece.Occasionally she held out the sketch of her original runes with one…
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87.2 K •
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The Diaspora raised no sail as she pushed off from the port of ancient Hope. Mira had a place of honor in a room called the “bridge,” where the ancient magic of the Diaspora was governed. Great windows covered the three largest walls, providing an unbroken view of the ocean all around them.Mira had no experience aboard a ship, so she couldn't say if what she saw was typical of other vessels. Even the paintings she had seen of such ships depicted the helm as located on the highest deck, directly over…
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87.2 K •
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Mira stared out through the fake windows of the Diaspora, taking in the terrifying scale of what awaited them.An Equestrian fleet floated here, though how long they'd been there was somewhat less clear. Maybe they knew what she'd been planning this entire time, and so knew where to wait. Either that, or just knowing what city she had made into her headquarters was enough to plot an ambush.It wasn't just one Equestrian ship, though that would be bad enough. These were the vessels that brought fear to the…
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87.2 K •
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It took some time to convince the population of Legacy to gather for another council meeting.Without the fear of extinction, without the advancing army, the bats did not much want to think of danger. Explaining the esoteric risk to themselves if they remained in this world of dream was a losing battle. Most were too practically-minded to care. The island was far larger than their small population could possibly require, with the oceans for many miles rendered peaceful by Mira's reality anchor. Sometimes…
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87.2 K •
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