//------------------------------// // Chapter One // Story: A Great And Powerful Secret // by Drunk Luna //------------------------------// The playground was silent, bathed in a dull gray mist that muddied the usual pitch black of the night. Ominous black clouds hid the moon, shrouding everything in a cold, otherworldly darkness. It was in this darkness that four-year-old Trixie suddenly found herself. The little blue unicorn squeezed her eyes shut, willing her horn to light up, but she could only create a tiny spark. Trixie stomped her hoof in frustration and tried again, this time igniting her horn with such force that the energy from her attempted spell seemed to hit an invisible wall. The little ball of magic surged back towards Trixie like a boomerang. As it hit her, she toppled backward and plopped onto her bottom. “Perhaps you should try relaxing a bit,” a gentle voice suddenly said. Trixie’s ears perked up; she knew she had heard this voice before, but she couldn’t remember where she had heard it or who it belonged to. She still decided to take her invisible companion’s advice. “That’s right,” the same voice encouraged her. “Focus on what you want to do. Just relax, close your eyes, and trust yourself.” “Who are you?” Trixie asked. “Why are you here?” “There is no need to be afraid, little one,” the voice assured her. “For now, you only need to know that I am the guardian of your dreams; I protect you from nightmares. Now, relax and try the spell again.” Trixie took a deep breath and lit her horn; this time, the light stayed, illuminating her path—and her dream guardian. Four silver hooves stood only inches in front of the filly, and as Trixie looked up, she realized that a magnificent alicorn was towering over her. The mare had a glossy dark blue coat, mesmerizing turquoise eyes, and a billowing mane and tail that sparkled with all the stars and galaxies that the universe held. Trixie’s jaw dropped. “I think it might be time for you to return to your peaceful, dreamless slumber,” the alicorn said with a chuckle. Trixie shook her head. Something inside her made her want to stay. As if she had read the filly’s mind, the mare lay down and motioned for Trixie to join her. Trixie cuddled against the alicorn’s side and sighed softly as the mare’s wing covered her. The mare lowered her head and nuzzled Trixie so tenderly that the filly began to cry. “Sssshhh, little one,” the alicorn cooed, nuzzling Trixie again. “I must leave you soon, but first I’m going to clear your mind of all distractions so that you can get some rest.” Then, she began to sing: “Loo-li, loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay Loo-li, loo-li, loo-li lai-lay Lay down your head and I'll sing you a lullaby Back to the years of loo-li lai-lay And I'll sing you to sleep and I'll sing you tomorrow Bless you with love for the road that you go May you sail far to the far fields of fortune With diamonds and pearls at your head and your feet And may you need never to banish misfortune May you find kindness in all that you meet May there always be angels to watch over you To guide you each step of the way To guard you and keep you safe from all harm Loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay May you bring love and may you bring happiness Be loved in return to the end of your days Now fall off to sleep, I'm not meaning to keep you I'll just sit for a while and sing loo-li, lai-lay May there always be angels to watch over you To guide you each step of the way To guard you and keep you safe from all harm Loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay, loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay Loo-li, loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay Loo-li, loo-li, loo-li lai-lay Loo-li, loo-li, loo-li lai-lay Loo-li, loo-li, loo-li lai-lay Loo-li, lai-lay.” When she knew that Trixie was sound asleep, Luna teleported to the waking world. There, in the dark silence of the orphanage, among hundreds of other sleeping foals, Luna gave the filly’s forehead a tender nuzzle. The foal stirred a bit in her sleep, and her lips curled into a peaceful smile. A lump grew in Luna’s throat as she gazed down at the small blue unicorn. This had been Trixie’s very first dream, a moment for which Luna had spent four agonizing years waiting. Luna decided to give Trixie at least one pleasant dream per week, which Luna could use as an opportunity to see her daughter regularly. Though she desperately wanted to adopt the filly, Luna had a gut feeling that she still needed to wait; the time was not yet right. Perhaps, she thought, if Trixie miraculously happened to show promise with her magic, or if she needed a tutor, which was a much more likely outcome, Luna could offer to take the filly under her wing as her personal student. Then, an even better idea occurred to her: She could take a position as vice principal at her sister’s School for Gifted Unicorns, persuade Celestia to accept Trixie as a “charity case” in two years when the filly was old enough, then find some reason to spend as much time with her as possible. Her plan was foolproof. “I love you, my little warrior princess,” she whispered. Terrified of losing her composure and waking the young dreamers around her, Luna teleported back to her bedchamber, buried her face in her pillow, and wept uncontrollably, finally giving into the gnawing pain that had followed her every day for four years. The next two years would feel like an eternity.