//------------------------------// // The Thing in the Moon, Part 2 // Story: My Little Planeswalker: Sideboard Stories // by Zennistrad //------------------------------// The next day had been uneventful, much as Luna’s days had always been. After so many years of raising and lowering the moon, and tending to the dreams of her subjects, her duties had become so dreadfully routine that they all blended together. Nightmare Night was the one night a year that she looked forward to, despite her initial reservations towards the holiday. Yet even still, she always managed to convince herself that it was worthwhile, all to see her subjects grow and develop into the best ponies they could be. After all, the last time she grew dissatisfied... ...it was something she preferred not to think about. She was beyond that now. As Luna sifted through the seemingly endless dreamscape, sorting through the thousands of thoughtborn bubbles that drifted through the collective unconscious, one of them stood out to her in particular. While every other bubble was transparent, showing a window into vivid images that flashed by like lightning, this one was different. It was an inky black glob that hovered in place, not a single hint of what was inside showing through its opacity. Luna’s mind idly hovered over to the bubble, and probed it gently with a touch of her magic. Immediately, the dream pushed back. It repelled Luna with a force so intense that it nearly severed her connection to the dreamscape. It took an active effort prevent herself from being forcibly ejected back into her awaiting body, where it lay entranced in the waking world. It sent an icy chill rippling through her astral projection, touching the very core of her soul. When she was brought back to her senses, all she could do was stare at the unmoving bubble. That’s no dream. That’s a nightmare. There was no doubt in her mind about that. But it won’t let me in. Why? An idle thought crossed Luna’s mind. For Tamiyo to watch her lower the moon the night before, she would have had to adhere to an unusual circadian rhythm, much like Luna herself. The dream was not like any she had seen before, and had only appeared after Tamiyo had sought an audience. Curiosity gnawed at Luna’s astral form, where her chest would be if she had retained her body, followed by an even deeper pang of worry. I know this torment, Luna thought. If it truly belongs to her, she won’t tell me if I ask directly. Yet I cannot do nothing. That way lies disaster. Determination wrapped itself around her, tugging at her from within through a set of invisible strings. The night was getting older still, and it would not be long before she would return to the waking world to attend to her court. She couldn’t ignore the nightmare, but she couldn’t force herself into it either. She would have to seek the truth on its own time, when it was ready. Luna put the thought away, and continued the rest of her nightly journey through the world of dreams. The answers would come to her soon enough. ——————— The night had soon given way to the earliest hours of the morning. Luna had already returned to her body, standing on the very same balcony where Tamiyo had met her before. As the minutes ticked down to the moment when she would lower the moon, her eyes kept darting back towards the entrance to her room, expecting her new friend to approach at any moment. Sure enough, just one minute before her task was due, Tamiyo entered through the double-doors to the bedroom, invited in by the twin guards standing watch on the outside. She moved with a grace and fluidity that was far more natural than her sluggish gait the day prior, her feet giving dull thumps on the floorboard as she deftly hopped forward. She proceeded through the remainder of the bedroom, quickly making her way to through the open doors to the overhanging balcony. Luna’s expression turned to a grin. “I’m happy to see you’ve learned to use your legs.” Tamiyo’s face went blank. She stared back at Luna, at an apparent loss for words. Luna’s smile vanished. “Ah. I’m sorry, that was a joke. I haven’t offended you, have I?” “No, it’s fine.” Tamiyo managed to smile back, but it was a hollow gesture, wooden and stiff. “I’m just glad you gave me this opportunity, Your Highness. There is still so much I can learn about your magic up close.” A part of Luna demanded that she press further, but ultimately she decided to let it be. “And I’m happy to have you as a guest. It’s nearly time to perform my duty, so let us not delay any further.” Tamiyo nodded along, signalling her agreement. Luna closed her eyes and felt the familiar sensation of magic running through her horn. Before long, her grasp had touched against the silvery light of the moon. Lowering the heavenly body beneath the horizon was practically a reflex at this point, but now she was made aware of her magic’s every motion by Tamiyo’s watchful eyes. When the moon finally dipped out of sight, Luna opened her eyes, and let out a breath that she didn’t realize she was holding in. Her heart fluttered within her chest cavity, and her muzzle split into a wide grin. Now was the moment she had been waiting all night for. Tamiyo returned the smile, at some point having taken out her quill and scroll to take notes of the moon’s motion. “So, how about it?” said Luna. Tamiyo paused. There was again a stiffness to her appearance that Luna couldn’t quite articulate in words. “How about what?” “Trading stories,” Luna replied. “You agreed we would, remember?” “Ah,” said Tamiyo. “Yes, of course. My apologies, Princess, it must have slipped my mind.” There was another pause, and her nose twitched slightly. “Why don’t you go first?” Luna giggled lightly. “Of course! Here’s one that I think you’ll like.” She sat onto her haunches, in the same comfortable position she’d always taken when sharing tales with her elder sister. “Many centuries ago, shortly after the fall of Old Equestria, an ancient evil threatened to awaken once more...” The words flowed out seamlessly as she was drawn into the vivid pictures of her own mind. Luna told of the story of her fillyhood, how her quit life with her sister was torn away when her village was drawn into the dark realm of Tambelon, the deepest circle of Tartarus. She told of fearsome Grogar, the demonic caprine necromancer, and the apocalyptic bells he wore that commanded legions of the dead. She told of the horrors he and her sister witnessed as every other pony they knew was dragged away and captured, brought to his fortress as slaves. She told of the unicorn wizard Gusty the Great, who reunited the three pony tribes after they had split apart five years prior, and of the alliance born out of the mutual threat they faced. And while Gusty’s army traveled to Tambelon to raid Grogar’s fortress, she told, Luna and her sister infiltrated the inner sanctum, confronting the mad necromancer himself. And Luna told of how her sister distracted Grogar, challenging him directly, while she snuck behind him from the shadows. She told of how two of them acting together stole the Bells of Tambelon right from beneath Grogar’s neck, turning their power against him. As the final blow was struck, their great deed sparked their ascension, and Luna and her sister became the first alicorns the world had ever known. By the time Luna had finished her tale, Tamiyo had become just as entranced by it as herself. She sat quietly on the balcony’s surface, her large feet jutting out from her cross-legged position. “So,” said Luna, “did you like it?” Tamiyo smiled sagely. “Yes. I quite enjoyed it, Your Highness.” A light giggle made its way past Luna’s throat. “Excellent! Now, you go next!” “Hm?” Tamiyo frowned, her nose twitching ever-so-slightly. “Are you certain?” “That is what we agreed,” said Luna, “was it not?” Tamiyo paused. Her whiskers swayed gently in the breeze. “No, you’re right,” she said. “I think I do have something I can share with you.” And as she began to speak, Luna was at once astonished by the skill and eloquence with which she spun her tale. Tamiyo was a skilled orator, perhaps one of the most skilled that Luna had ever witnessed, every phrase and sentence cascading over the imagination like poetry. She told of an land far away, ruled by a great and terrible Emperor whose power could shatter mountains. She told of the empire’s Champion, a man torn between his honor and his master. She told of the Champion’s turn from the tyrannical regime, and how he destroyed the very seat of the Emperor’s power. She told of how the Emperor, enraged, pursued the Champion into a realm of purest thought. She told of, unknown to him, the Emperor had been lured into a trap, allowing the Champion to put an end to his reign. But as Tamiyo told her story, Luna couldn’t help but notice that something was amiss. Names and locations were kept vague, hidden beneath layers of verse so elaborate that most would not think to probe further. Yet despite the skill with which she danced around giving any details, the meaning behind it all was clear. She’s hiding something from me, thought Luna. But why? Before Luna could get the chance to interrogate further, a bright light suddenly flared from the edge of her vision. Sure enough, the sun had begun to peer over horizon, signalling the arrival of her sister. Luna sighed. “I’m sorry Tamiyo, but I’m afraid I will have to cut this short. My sister will expect that I join her for our daily breakfast. Perhaps we could continue this on the morrow’s night?” Tamiyo paused again. Luna could read the uncertainty in her features, but couldn’t tell where it had come from. Finally, she replied, “I would be glad to.” “Most wonderful!” said Luna. “I look forward to sharing stories with you again.” Luna saw Tamiyo off as she departed through the balcony and bedchamber, and exited into the palace hallways. As she turned out of sight, a new certainty made itself clear within Luna’s thoughts. Tomorrow. Tomorrow, I will find my answers. ———————— The following night, Luna returned to the dreamscape, the thoughts of her previous visit pressing heavily on her mind. She could not have forgotten what she had seen before even if she’d tried. So focused was she on the impenetrable nightmare she’d discovered before, that she could barely care to watch over the dreams of her own subjects. The mystery was enticing, and she spent nearly an hour searching for the same dream, the same blackened presence that blemished the otherwise pristine realm of sleep. And sure enough, she had found it. Despite the thousands upon thousands of dreams she had sifted through to find it, she could only wonder how she had not found it sooner. As impossible as it seemed, the pitch-black glob she had seen the night before had somehow managed to grow even darker, to the point where the dreamscape itself seemed grew darker in its presence. Just looking at it, she could feel the terror and desperation radiating from its presence, sending a deep shudder through her soul. A new sense of urgency swelled within Luna, tugging at the heart of her astral form. It’s gotten worse. I have to do something. With a great surge of power in her horn, Luna charged forward, rushing towards the tainted dream-bubble. The nightmare had before resisted all attempts to enter it, and yet she could think of no other way. If it would not let her in, she would simply have to force it to. All her efforts ultimately proved fruitless, as no matter how much she attempted to pierce it, the dream remained resolute. Every effort she made to push through was only met with an equal and opposite push from the nightmare, every attempt to breach its surface met it bouncing her back, as though she were being yanked backwards by a rubber band. After more tries than she could care to count, Luna was only left to stare at the nightmare bubble, fatigue aching through her form despite having left her body behind. Already the other dreams surrounding her were beginning to fade out of existence as the late hours of the night slowly gave way to the earliest hours before the sun’s rise. With an incorporeal sigh, Luna resigned herself to her failure. There was little time to waste, before meeting with Tamiyo for their nightly session. With a gentle glow of her horn, she fell away from the world of dreams, drifting back into her awaiting body. As she stirred, guilt and pity loomed over her waking mind, only able to imagine how the unfortunate soul trapped in the nightmare must be suffering. Next time I will succeed, was her first waking thought. I will because I must. ———————— Repeating Terrors 1BB Enchantment — Aura Enchant creature you control Sacrifice enchanted creature: Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. Sacrifice two creatures: Return Repeating Terrors from your graveyard to your hand. Those confined by sleep are at the mercy of their dreams.