The crickets are chirping outside. You toss and turn in your bed. You got up and walk across the squeaky wooden floors of the house. You slowly open the door, walking over to Rain Shine, who was sound asleep.
Rain Shine lightly yawns, “Mmmm. Hmmm? Oh?”
She calls your name and asks, “What’s the matter? Why aren’t you sleeping?”
She listens to your answer and replies, “I see.”
“Oh? Of course, you can sleep with me, if you want to. It’s no trouble at all. You are my guest after all.”
Rain Shine scoots over on her bed, which creaks as you climb in with her. She wraps her hooves around you, close to her soft mane.
Rain Shine asks, “Are you comfy?”
She yawns, “…Alright then. Let’s get some sleep… おやすみ。(Good night.)”
The ambience sound of a quiet night. Crickets chirp outside. Winds were blowing. The sound of Rain Shine’s gentle, quiet snoring is heard, next to you.
"Hmmm? What...what is..." She yawns as she shuffles in her bed and turns to face you. "何？(What?) すみません。(Excuse me.) Wake up. Wake up! You're having a nightmare!"
"I'm...I'm sorry for waking you, but...you were tossing and turning in your sleep. I presume you must have a bad dream..."
"Oh, you do? What is it? What troubles you so? If you don't mind my asking..."
"I see."
"Oh, how dreadful! And you’ve been having these terrible dreams for how long?"
“Goodness!”
"No...no...don't be ashamed of yourself..." Rain Shine gently shushes you and whispers closely to your ears, "It's okay. It's just a bad dream. Every creature gets them...It's going to be okay."
"Look at me. I know it may feel real, but it's not. Just take slow deep breaths with me," Rain Shine inhales a slow deep breath, followed by a slow exhale. “Does it help?”
Rain Shines yawns and gets up from her bed.
“Follow me. I’ll prepare us some herbal teas. They’re made with the best herbs used to help us sleep…and treat bad dreams.”
You follow Rain Shine out of the room, with the sound of wooden floorboards creaking, with every steps. You walk down the stairs, into the kitchen.
Rain Shine’s horn lit up, as she levitates a cup, off its shelf, picks up a tea kettle, pours water into the container. She inhales a gust of air a breathes fire to heat up the kettle.
“Hmmm? Oh, impressed, are you?” Rain Shine giggles. “We’re not without our mastery of the fire magic. Fire has always been a specialty of ours.”
“It’s been said that long ago, there was a time when we, the kirins, were once ordinary unicorns. Until one day, we stumbled upon a lost magic that granted us power over fires, much like dragons. In fact, it is believed that it was from this fire magic that we became part-dragons.”
Rain Shine giggles, “Yes, I know it’s hard to believe. I even find it hard to believe these stories myself. But I’m proud of who I am. I’m me. That’s what matters.”
Rain Shine blushes and giggles, “Oh no…Stop it. Stop calling me beautiful, I…I can’t! I’ll…” Rain Shine’s fire lights up and she giggles. “Oh no, now look what you made me do…you got me all flustered. I’ve lost control of my fire. My mane is on fire.”
Rain Shine takes slow deep breaths, until she was able to calm herself. The intensity of the fires burning on her eases and grew quiet.
Walking over to a table, Rain Shine uses telekinesis to pour the herbal tea into a cup.
“Here you are, bottom’s up.”
“How does it taste? Do you feel calmer, to say the least?”
Rain Shine smiles with a chuckle, “Well, good.”
She lets out a yawn, “Come. Let’s go back to bed.”
The floorboards creak beneath your steps. You walk up the stairs, then follow Rain Shine, back into her room, where both you and her plop into bed together.
“Now let’s get some sleep, with no bad dreams, this time.” Rain Shine yawns as she cuddles herself up in bed.
“Hmm? Oh. どういたしまして(You are welcome)! It was my pleasure. I’m glad I could help.”
“I’m not Princess Luna, but I know a thing or two about having pleasant sleep and what to do in case of bad dreams.”
Rain Shine sighs, “Admittedly, I’ve had terrible dreams myself. Sometimes, I would find myself in the center of our beloved home, inflamed, in ruins…everything and everyone I’ve known and loved destroyed.”
“Other times, I would often find myself looking in a mirror, and see myself, as a my inner Nirik, tempting me into giving in, and become one with the dragon’s flame for destruction.”
“And every time, they all ended the exact same way.”
“I wake up, and I would find myself, here in the safety of my room, reassuring and calming myself that the nightmare is over, before I go back to sleep.”
“ いいえ(No). I’m not afraid about having another nightmare again. Because we can’t run from them. But we can learn to fight with them.”
“Take it from me, my friend. Never let your fears stop you from being yourself. We are better than these nightmares. We are who we choose to be.”
“I’m glad you feel inspired,” Rain Shine yawns. “And…I think it’s time we go to sleep…”
Rain Shine giggles, “Of course I can hold you close. And…would you like for me esing you to sleep?”
“Alright.”
Rain Shine clears her throat and sings, while yawning.
約束, Yakusoku - 秋絵, Akie
At the end of the song, Rain Shine kisses you to sleep.