//------------------------------// // The Thing in the Moon, Part 4 // Story: My Little Planeswalker: Sideboard Stories // by Zennistrad //------------------------------// Luna was nowhere. At least, she was nowhere that should exist. She knew she wasn’t dead... or at least, she was fairly sure she wasn’t. She had, on rare occasions, tended to the dreams of the dying. Luna had grown acquainted enough with death to recognize her doorstep. But if Luna wasn’t dead, it wouldn’t make sense for her to be here. A seemingly endless void, a pristine expanse of white extending in all directions as far as she could see. She had no memory of this place, and yet... all the same, it felt familiar. Like something tickling at the back of her mind, something that didn’t belong. A sharp pain shot down the base of Luna’s horn. She clutched at her head, and was assaulted by images of a monster beyond her wildest reckoning. That thing. The thing that had been sealed with a moon that was not hers. Its merest presence had corrupted her, forcing her to retreat to this place... a place she had hoped never to see again. She had been here once before. Once, for a span of a thousand years. Trapped within the deepest depths of her own mind. A soft patter struck the surface below her. She wasn’t even aware she was standing on anything. Everything in this place existed only in the abstract, there was as much a floor beneath her as there was nothing. Either way, it didn’t matter. More of them, things that left gentle noises as they slowly dripped beneath her. Tears, Luna realized. These are my tears. The epiphany was like a set of floodgates being opened. More tears fell, the scars on her soul she’d thought healed opening anew. She tried to cry out, but the sound wouldn’t even leave her throat. There was no use. She was alone, just like she had been for centuries. Pri... ...una.. Luna’s ears swiveled atop her head. She thought she’d heard something, but she couldn’t place the source. It had seemed to come from both nowhere and everywhere, only to disappear as soon as it had sounded. ...L...na... There it was again. That voice. She was sure she’d heard it now. There was a gentleness to it, one that she could vaguely recognize, yet right then it felt like everything she could have ever needed. “Yes?” said Luna. “Who is it?” Luna... The voice came again, clearer than the clearest crystal. On the edge of her field of vision, a light began to form, brighter than the endless landscape white around her. The light expanded, taking up more and more of the horizon, and as it grew closer, Luna could feel herself rushing towards it. Her vision tunneled, centering itself on the light, until it grew so immense as to engulf her world entirely... ...then, just like that, it was over. Her eyes jolted open, and her head lunged upright, having apparently been lying prone before. Several moments passed before she could fully process what she now saw. She was sitting in the midst of a cobblestone city street, the same city that she had been in just before falling into the limbo of her own subconscious mind. Above, the alien moon loomed large, still engraved with the geometric glyphs that had sealed that thing away. “You’re back,” a voice spoke. She’d heard it before, yet what she saw when she turned to meet it was not a face she knew. At least, not entirely. It was no longer the face of a rabbitfolk, but that of a different creature. A human, Luna would have called it, but humans did not have such elongated, ribbonlike ears, nor did they float with their feet inches above the ground. “Tamiyo?” said Luna. “What... what happened? What has become of you? And where am I?” Tamiyo frowned. “I am sorry. I was afraid this would happen.” Luna paused, ruminating on the thought. “You mean the monster. The one currently sealed within that moon.” Tamiyo shook her head. “No, Your Highness. I was afraid you would see me as I truly am. That is why I sealed my dream off from you.” Luna’s eyes went wide. “You sealed your dream from me?” “Please don’t be alarmed, Your Highness. You must understand, my task is to observe, never to interfere.” As she spoke, a subtle quavering ran beneath Tamiyo’s voice. The stoicism she wore had already begun to crack. “I can see now that I have failed once more.” Luna paused again, this time allowing the truth to dawn on her. “You’re a planeswalker.” Tamiyo gave a single nod. “Yes. I had learned of your world from an acquaintance of mine some time ago. The world you see here is a distant plane that I had hoped never to revisit, even in dreams.” “But why?” said Luna. “Why would you feel the need to hide your true identity? Princess Twilight had made planeswalkers public knowledge months ago.” “I am aware of that, yes. But even still, I... I made a promise to myself. It is not my place to meddle in the affairs of other worlds. I...” Tamiyo’s body tensed, and a single tear ran down the edge of her cheeks. “...I have lived my entire life by the promises I make. And yet again, I couldn’t do anything to keep them. I failed to keep you out. I failed to uphold the promises I am sworn to. I... I don’t know what to do. What am I, if I cannot even live up to my duties as a scholar?” “You are a friend,” said Luna. “You were there to keep me company when nopony else was. You are more valuable than you know.” “If I am a friend to you, then why, might I ask, did you intrude upon my mind?” There was a flash of anger beneath Tamiyo’s question, a level of emotional intensity that Luna had never heard from her before. “I had told you not to pursue the matter further! I had warned you that it would only bring you suffering! And yet you stubbornly pursued after me, only to expose yourself to the very darkness I had tried to spare you from!” Luna flinched away, the sudden outburst feeling to her like a slap against the face. “Tamiyo, please. I was only trying to hel—” “To help me, yes,” Tamiyo interrupted. “Because you were trying to be a hero. And do you know how many supposed ‘heroes’ I have met within my lifetime? How many more I have researched the stories of, and recorded within the pages of my work? Everywhere that heroes walk, calamity follows in their wake, yet always they have the sheer egotism to believe they can avert it. To be a hero is to wallow in unwarranted self-importance. That trait is a luxury that I cannot afford.” “Enough,” Luna shot back. Tamiyo froze, the force and power behind Luna’s voice commanding her attention. “Are you suggesting to me that it would be better if I did nothing?” Luna continued. “I have seen the darkness lurking within your mind. I know how much it pains you to endure it. I do not believe that you would have suffered less if I did not come to your aid.” After a moment’s hesitation, Tamiyo answered. “...No, Your Highness. My life is unimportant to the affairs of this world. But you are the guardian of dreams for this entire plane, and your mere presence shields the dreams of this realm from intrusion. It was foolish of me to allow you to put yourself at risk. I should never have come to this plane to begin with.” “Risk...” Luna’s eyes briefly drifted upwards, toward the silvery moon, and the glyphs inscribed on its surface. Even now, merely glancing at it sent a shudder down her spine. “...That monster I saw. The one imprisoned in that moon. That is what you mean?” “It is no mere monster,” said Tamiyo. “It is a force of the multiverse, one that surpasses even gods. And what you saw of it, I fear, is no mere product of my subconscious mind. I fear what you saw is the thing in itself, trying to extend its will into the plane.” A slight shudder ran through Tamiyo’s body, another tear running down her cheek. “I... I thought I was rid of it forever, when it was sealed within the moon of another world. I had hoped my mind would not be intruded upon again... but I fear I underestimated its power. Even now it still lurks within my nightmares, hoping to escape into your world.” Luna’s stomach turned itself inward. The stoic scholar’s face she had known, rabbitfolk or not, was almost completely gone. “There is someone in this plane it wants,” Tamiyo continued. By then, any trace of composure had disappeared from her voice, and she was barely holding herself back from a sob. “Someone here, that it can reach only through dreams. But it cannot enter that dream while you exist. Only mine, the dream of one from outside. I... I smuggled it into your world, without even knowing. And if I hadn’t saved you at the last moment, it would have eliminated the only thing holding it back from the minds of your subjects. I... I broke my promise the moment I set foot on your plane. I have betrayed everything I’ve ever stood for, and all I could think to do was isolate myself, hoping it would make a difference.” Luna stepped forward, her hooves falling softly against the cobblestone street. “Tamiyo...” Tamiyo complied, turning her head to face Luna. As Luna approached, their gazes met, and just then Luna could see the radiance behind Tamiyo’s eyes. “I understand how you feel,” said Luna. “I have witnessed horrors like perhaps no other pony living today. I have seen darkness, and been enveloped by it in totality. And I know it feels to blame yourself for an evil you brought with you. But you are worth so much more than any mistake you have made. And whatever it is that intrudes upon your mind, it cannot hurt you now.” “But how can you be certain of that?” Tamiyo replied. “You were nearly consumed by it.” “Were you the one that sealed it within the moon?” said Luna. “I... no,” said Tamiyo. “No, I was not. It... it sealed itself away. There was a scroll, and I... I...” Luna’s curiosity suddenly piqued. “Scroll?” “Yes! A scroll!” Tamiyo blurted. “When that monster confronted us on Innistrad, I held a scroll, one that could bring devastation to the entire plane, and yet... somehow, when it reached into my mind, the scroll changed! That monster it... it sealed itself away! And I don’t know why, or how! I don’t know what happened! I... I’ve never felt more powerless in my life! How can you say that what’s in that moon it holds no power over me now?” Luna blinked. From her perspective, sealing oneself in the moon seemed unthinkable. And yet... something about Tamiyo’s statement didn’t seem right. “Innistrad... that is the name of the plane where the monster is sealed within the moon. Am I correct?” “Y-yes,” said Tamiyo. “But it cannot stay there forever. Even now, its influence extends far beyond the plane. You’ve seen it yourself.” “But that is not what I’m trying to say, Tamiyo,” Luna replied. “Because we are not on Innistrad right now. We are within your own dream.” Tamiyo paused. The subtle twitches face displayed a range of emotions, as though she had not yet decided how to feel. “What do you mean?” “I mean this is not the same place you have told me of, nor is this moon the same moon as Innistrad’s. Now let me ask you this: within this dream, did you have this scroll when that monster was sealed in the moon?” “I...” Tamiyo paused again. Something from behind her eyes gleamed, as if it were a manifestation of an epiphany. “...No, I did not. But I don’t understand. What does it mean? And how?” “It means the monster’s reach beyond its prison is not as strong as you think,” Luna replied. “And it means you were the one to seal it away, within this dream. You have more power over the monster than it has over you.” At first, Tamiyo didn’t respond. Her face had gone blank, though not out of the usual forced aloofness. Seconds passed, a gentle wind blowing across the dreamscape. Luna could already feel it sifting through her mane, which had already begun to regain its ethereal quality. “Tamiyo,” Luna spoke again. “Let me ask you this. Do you wish for this monster to remain within your mind?” “I... no,” said Tamiyo. “But...” She did not bother to continue her sentence beyond the first word. Or, more likely, she couldn’t. “But?” said Luna. “I... I don’t know,” said Tamiyo. “When I read the scroll that sealed Emrakul — sealed the monster that had warped so much of that world — I didn’t want to believe I had done it. I was never to open it, not under any circumstances. That was my promise. But my mind was hijacked, moved to an action I would not even fathom otherwise. If the monster is gone, who is left to be held responsible?” “So you are keeping it within your mind,” Luna stated plainly. “Because you are more afraid of blaming yourself.” “I...” Tamiyo tensed for a bit. “...I don’t know what to say. If that is true, then... I have only further put this world in danger. All because of my own selfish cowardice.” “Tamiyo. Look at me,” said Luna. She stepped forward further, closing what remained of the distance between them. “I know how easy it is to blame yourself in these circumstances. I know what it feels like to have guilt and sorrow weigh down on your heart. But I want you to know, whatever wrongs you may have done do not define you. You are a friend, and a deeply compassionate soul, promises or not. I believe that is what matters most.” Tamiyo looked down into Luna’s eyes once more. “I... perhaps you’re right,” she said. “I have a home to return to, and a family. Even if this darkness never leaves me, I must be strong for them.” With a sigh, her body relaxed, and her feet touched to the ground. Crouching down further, she placed a hand lightly against Luna’s withers, meeting her at eye level. “And... thank you, Your Highness.” Luna reciprocated the gesture, leaning forward and wrapping her foreleg around tightly around Tamiyo’s body. Though she gave a slight, startled jump, Tamiyo quickly leaned into the embrace, and the night passed by them as they held each other. When she finally pulled away, Tamiyo’s mouth curved upwards, into a smile. “Before you leave, I believe there is one more thing I must do.” She turned her eyes upward, toward the silvery moon, and reached towards it with an open palm. Tamiyo’s hand glowed with a color that resonated with the moonlight, and the glyphs on the moon pulsed and radiated with the powers. In the back of her mind, Luna could hear a voice from within the moon give a sigh of resignation — disappointed, yet far from surprised. The glyphs on the lunar surface flared with argent light. In an instant they were gone, and the thing in the moon had disappeared. Luna tried to speak, but the words were muddled and unintelligible. Everything became blurry, and the world of the dream began to fade away, a symptom of a wakening mind. As she was forcibly ejected from the collapsing dream, she could see Tamiyo smile with a bright sincerity that she had never seen from her before. ———————— Luna had spent the rest of her routine that day only half-attentive, distracted by the thoughts of the dream she had visited earlier that morning. Celestia had been very vocally worried ever since her absence from breakfast, but she had quickly reassured her elder sister that she had been fine. Even in the recent past, she would have found Celestia’s overbearing attitude annoying, but she had quickly grown to treasure it. None of that mattered, of course, when the night rolled around, and she awoke from one of her frequent short naps to attend to her Night Court. She raised the moon as usual, but this time there was something else to its presence, something that warmed her from within. A memory of a friend, perhaps. She had not heard from Tamiyo since that morning, and many lonely bureaucratic tasks paired with her irregular sleep patterns had given her little opportunity to check on her guest. But as she took seat on her throne for that night, she was approached by Echo, her faithful lieutenant. The spring in the bat pony’s step was all but gone, her bright eyes dulled by solemnity. “Um, Princess?” “Yes?” said Luna. “What is it? Is something the matter?” “No, not at all... well, yes. Kinda,” said Echo. “It’s Tamiyo. She’s, um... well, I think she’s gone.” “What?” said Luna. “Gone? What do you mean, gone?” “I mean exactly that,” Echo replied. “She’s not in her room or the library, and we can’t find her anywhere. We did find this, though... it looks like it’s meant for you.” Echo reached into her armor, and pulled out a silver relic shaped vaguely like a horseshoe — a semicircular loop, the ends adorned by right-angles with the flat sides facing one another. It glinted beneath the pale light of the Night Court, the same gentle glow of the moon itself. Attached by a string tied around it was a tiny scroll. Luna took the item from Echo’s grasp, levitating it before her, and carefully unfastened and unrolled the scroll, reading the message it contained. Dear Princess Luna, I apologize for leaving you behind without saying goodbye. I had hoped to speak to you once more in person, but upon waking I found my mind clouded by emotions that I was not prepared for. I decided then to return home, for the sake of regaining my composure. I have given much thought to what you had said to me in my dream last night. As a mother and a friend, I am meant to love those close to me. Yet as a scholar, I am meant to remain impartial to that which I observe. I have promised not to interfere in the affairs of other worlds, for attachment invites a bias that undermines everything my work stands for. It should have been obvious from the beginning that this was not a promise I could keep. To spend time in other worlds is to invite familiarity, and to become familiar is to develop the same attachments I forswore. Though I have embraced such feelings on my own plane, on others I had forced myself to bury them. Only now do I realize what a dire mistake I have made. I cannot continue to hide from my own attachments to other worlds. Yet all the same, I cannot continue breaking the promises I have made to myself. I am then left with no other choice to return to my home plane, and re-examine my priorities. What do I desire? What is my place in the multiverse? What am I to do when I find it? I have begun to question what I once valued, but I cannot help but feel that I am better off for it. I will never forget what you had given me when we met in my dream. Attached to this letter is an item from the plane of Innistrad, a relic I held to remind me of what was lost. But you have shown me what it means to move beyond my mistakes, and I understand that dwelling on the past will only hurt me more. Consider it now to be a symbol of my gratitude, something that you may remember me by. I do not know how long I will be gone, but it is my hope that I will one day return to your plane. Until we meet again, Tamiyo A soft droplet hit the surface of the letter. Echo looked up to Luna, concern written plainly on her muzzle. “Luna, why are you crying? Is everything okay?” Luna sniffed, wiping her eye with a foreleg. “Yes, everything’s alright,” she said with a smile. “I was just thinking about a friend.” ———————— Tamiyo’s Memento 3 Artifact Whenever a card is put into your graveyard from anywhere other than the battlefield, you gain 1 life. 2, T: Draw a card, then discard a card. A relic of a world lost to darkness, and a memory of a cherished friend.