Luna glanced around cautiously as she carefully made her way through the Realm she found herself entering. With the way the material of the realm was constantly shifting like clouds in moonlight, and how the sky undulated like a starry river, she thought at first she was in the dream realm. However, a few things quickly indicated to her that she was actually only somewhere very similar. First, the entire area was much darker, not unlike the shadows she cast in the dream realm when she was Nightmare Moon. Second, creatures wandered, though their nature escaped her capacity to examine beyond recognizing them as distinct from the undulations of scenery. And third, she could feel her physical body. While entering the dream realm physically was possible, it required a supreme effort of magic on her part, leaving her with very little magic to combat anything she encountered there. Here, however, not only was she most definitely physically present, she could swear she could feel more magic than normal at her disposal, even if some of it felt distinctly different than normal, as though drawing from a different source.
However, she didn't have long to consider her surroundings. The Realm shifted in response to her walk, and she found herself in a calm glade, the endless shifting of the environment growing less and less pronounced until it stilled completely at the center. There, a woman wrapped in shadows sat in a rocking chair, allowing herself to rock back and forth, that rocking being the only noise in the entire realm that was in no way distorted by the shifting environment. Looking at the woman, Luna was surprised that she felt an instinctive sense of kinship with her, though couldn't for the life of her understand why. As she stepped into the calm glade, the woman turned towards her. "So you are the Night Princess Discord sent for me to 'play with'," she greeted calmly. "I am Vaermina, Daedric Prince of Dreams and Nightmares. What name are you known by?"
Luna felt her body relax. Not only did she now have an explanation as to why she felt instinctive kinship with the woman - their powers apparently shared a magical realm - something about the woman's voice was inherently relaxing for her. "I am Luna...Princess of the Night and Dreams. Pray tell, what is your relation to Discord, that you speak of him so familiarly?"
"I'm his mate," Vaermina replied simply as she continued to rock. "Sit, please."
Luna found herself taking a seat beside the woman without even thinking about it. "He seems quite...different from last time I encountered him," Luna observed carefully. "Might you have something to do with that?"
"I'd say his Father has more to do with it," Vaermina observed idly.
"...Discord has a father?" Luna asked in shock.
"Indeed," Vaermina confirmed. "Though it's debatable who changed more from the association...though both changed for the better, it seems."
Luna shifted nervously. "Is there...a reason the realm is so..."
"Dark and Nightmarish?" Vaermina interpreted. "From the feel of your magic, you are averse to your own connection to the darker side of dreams."
Luna glanced away. "I do not like remembering that part of myself..." she admitted finally. "I did...horrible things..."
"What were the consequences of those actions?" Vaermina asked pointedly.
"Admittedly, minor," Luna admitted. "My sister was able to act to remove me from the situation and minimize the damage I would have done when it happened, and young Twilight and her friends were able to bring me back to my senses to keep me from repeating the mistake. The only true loss...was a thousand years of my homeland I will never get back, and a legacy of terror attached to my name...and subjects I struggle to reconnect with."
"That certainly sounds like something worth creating a Tulpa specifically designed to torture you every night over," Vaermina observed dryly. When Luna's head jerked up in shock, the woman's eyes glowed beneath the shadows. "Part of my intimate understanding of Nightmares means I can see both the brightest and darkest aspects of the psyche of any I talk to. Don't you think you're being a tad bit overdramatic with this?"
"But how will I be sure I won't make the same mistake again-" Luna found her words cut off as Vaermina's eyes glowed brighter.
"Trust that I know my own Realm," Vaermina hissed out, her voice taking on a deep echo of power. "To relive the darkness overtaking you over and over does nothing but court madness, and drive the creature you have created to try harder for the same results as you become desensitized. If you want to learn from the mistake to not repeat it, turn back to the events leading to the decision, find the first domino, and work with those you care for and who care for you to ensure it does not fall anew. Now...where did it first go wrong?"
As the glow and echo faded, Luna caught her breath. She was beginning to realize the power of the being she was speaking to. "Well...our subjects loved sister's day and frolicked in it, but slept through my night. I put so much effort into the moon and stars, but..."
"Social change doesn't come easy," Vaermina stated flatly. "What next?"
"When I tried to speak with sister to find a solution...it..." Luna looked away, unsure how to explain.
"Communication failed, and you were left feeling like no one could understand what you were going through, and so you decided to try and make them understand, and make them love and respect you as they did your sister," Vaermina concluded.
Luna winced softly. "Yes...that is about the size...of..." She flinched back as she felt Vaermina's gaze boring into her.
"So failing to communicate your problems to your sister last time created the present issue...so you think the proper solution is to not even try talking to her about what you're going through?" Vaermina demanded coldly.
Luna blinked several times. "...perhaps there is a reason Sister is the one known for sound judgement and fair-mindedness?" she offered pathetically. As the intense gaze diminished, Luna straightened herself. "When the current crisis ends...I shall bespeak my sister regarding my ongoing sense of guilt-"
"And the Tulpa you made," Vaermina insisted firmly.
Luna sighed sadly, then nodded. She then turned to Vaermina. "Prithee, was it Discord's purpose in sending me here to have me undergo therapy?" she asked sardonically.
"No, he intended for us to have a dramatic battle of Night versus Night, Dream and Nightmare, ending in a climactic clash of powers, possibly leading into an intense make out," Vaermina explained, making Luna blush brightly. "Either that or he intended us to settle this over a game of checkers...or maybe he did expect this to happen. I've seen the entirety of Discord's essence - mind, body, heart, soul - and I still have no clue what makes him tick." Though her face was not visible, there was a sense that Vaermina was smiling. "That's probably part of the reason we're still together all this time." She lowered her gaze, her hand gliding over her abdomen. "And the reason why I won't be using my powers recklessly for the first possibility, though I haven't had a chance to tell him about that yet. Then again, I didn't know it was even possible...but then, he is CHiM..."
Luna smiled beatifically. Even if she didn't understand most of what Vaermina was saying, she easily recognized the overall stance...and she adored foals, whatever species. A soft sigh escaped her. "I admit, I believe I am feeling rather left out now. Sister and the others are probably experiencing something along the lines of climactic battles or exciting adventures...yet I get therapy."
"It's what you needed," Vaermina replied. "But if you really want a Nightmare Battle, I could make that happen." The shifting terrain around them rose slowly, forming walls and corridors with peeling paint and no windows. Dim bulbs barely illuminated the corridors, and the sounds of fabric garbed metal feet trumped back and forth.
Luna's eyes lit up eagerly. She recognized the layout from the Nightmares of far too many foals lately, one caused by a particular game. She'd had trouble banishing those nightmares because of the strength of the foals' fear...but here? "Oh, I'm going to enjoy this," she purred as she shaped a crescent scythe out of her magic. "I'm coming for you, Freddy..." With a wicked cackle, she charged into the halls.
Vaermina smiled to herself as she watched. She knew the artifact Luna had to collect was the Skull of Corruption, and she'd hidden it as the skull of one of the creatures Luna now hunted. She'd find it...eventually.