//------------------------------// // Tears // Story: Nursing Old Wounds // by Just Reading //------------------------------// Darkness, swirling around. Lights, white and blue. Screams and cries. All of it dampened by sobbing, the overbearing sound of choking and sniffling. “Luna? Luna, what’s wrong? Is it another one of your dreams? I’m here for you Luna.” Fluttering her eyelids, Luna opens her eyes to a blur of moisture, the purple blob still whispering comfort into her ear. She wipes the sheen of tears away, the picture of Twilight holding her growing clear. “I’m sorry to trouble you again Twilight.” The words roll slowly off Luna’s tongue, each syllable of the apology an arrow in Twilight’s chest. “Luna,” Twilight grasps the princess’s jaw between her hooves softly, directing Luna’s eyes into her own. “This is something I want to help you with, not something I see as a burden.” Tilting her head forward, Twilight closes the gap, her lips embracing Luna’s lightly. “So please, tell me what you dreamt.” Her thoughts still scattered by the recent mental attack, Luna searches the dim room around her for the missing pieces, the familiar surroundings helping to settle her mind. Soft, black cotton sheets cloak both ponies. the dampness of sweat glueing the material to Luna’s body. The poor light of the room hides little furniture. A rosewood desk made for one but often used by two. Heavy oak painted white to match the palace’s theme forms the door, a misfit among the black walls of the room. Obsidian surrounds them on all sides. The cold stone magically enchanted to display Luna’s sky, her other great love. The white marble balcony extends beyond a wall of glass, the windows and doors bearing no curtains, free to portray the night’s beauty. “It was the same as always,” Luna speaks finally, knowing Twilight has heard the nightmare countless times. “I saw her, me. I was chained to the tallest tower of our old home, only able to watch as she tore the city to shreds. The worst of it was Celestia’s sorrow, her sobbing is growing louder with each dream since my return. The cries seem to come from right behind me, but when I turn there’s nothing but destruction. Without you rousing me I would be trapped in that torment all night, forced to watch my greatest sin on repeat.” She pauses again, decision straining her face, not knowing whether to alarm Twilight or not. “I fear if I don’t find a way to combat the demon I may fall under her will once again.” Twilight’s breathes in Luna’s tale, her lips still inches from the princess’s. “Did you try any of the waking techniques we practiced?” She questions, subconsciously nipping at her hoof, demonstrating one they practiced together. Luna can't help but giggle at the notion. “Twilight,” Still smiling, she presses her lips against Twilight’s snout to control her laughter. “I’m the Princess of the Night, the Goddess of the Dream Realm. If this were something as simple as a dream this discussion would never take place.” “And just what would we be doing then?” Twilight questions slyly, her lips suggesting her thoughts with a playful nibble at Luna’s ear, barely wetting the fur. Luna purrs in response, a shiver passing along her neck as she lowers it to nuzzle Twilight’s. “Luna,” Purple hooves raise, a wedge to pry the eager princess from Twilight. “As much as I’d love to, we need to focus.” Taking the hint, Luna retreats, a disappointed pout touching her lips. “Is there anything we haven’t tried?” Memories of the various sessions with Twilight skip across Luna’s mind, each lightening her heart a little. No matter what they tried, whether it be exhaustion till she lacked the energy to dream, or talking out her problems in the hope that sharing the burden would ease the dreams, they had all ended in distraction. Twilight’s tempting lips, a slender frame that overcame Luna’s ability to concentrate many a time, resulting in the two having to release some stress. Each solution bringing no solace to Luna’s hauntings. “There is one thing,” Luna’s mouth twists and head turns as soon as the words leave her mouth, regretting the decision to speak instantly. Peeking back at Twilight, she grimaces. Noting the raised brow with wide eyes below, lips forming an O, telltale signs of the unicorn’s curiosity. “Forget what I said, it would be foolish to even think of attempting.” “I would play the fool for eternity if it would help you Luna,” Twilight replies, the sappy remark lifting the corners of Luna’s lips. “So please, could you tell me?” Luna hesitates, thoughtfully pursing her lips. “If it’s too dangerous, I promise I won’t force you to do it. I just want to know.” A sigh escapes Luna’s lips as the argument building in her head collapses, knowing it won’t hold against the storm of questions waiting on Twilight’s tongue. “I can’t deny you the knowledge after I hinted it,” She speaks finally, choosing each word carefully. “It involves an advanced form of dream magic, thought sharing.” “I-” Twilight fails to restrain the instant of speech, instinctively curious about the topic. She takes a slow, calming breath, restraining her mind, noticing Luna waiting for her. “I’m sorry for interruption, please continue.” “As I said previously, the technique is thought sharing,” As she speaks, Luna pulls away from Twilight, sinking into her deep-blue pillows behind. “It involves forming an intimate connection between two ponies. Once the process is complete each party can sense the other’s thoughts and in theory share dreams. It is a largely undocumented spell and only four ponies have ever performed it successfully, the most recent pair falling into madness after a number of months. In their possesed state the magical power they held was used to perform many horrible deeds. Whole villages being destroyed before Celestia and I stepped in to stop them.” Shifting on the mattress, Twilight leans back into her own purple pillows, listening intently to Luna’s words. “Why exactly did they go mad?” She questions, the prospect of losing the ability to think clearly frightening. “Did they not have enough magical power to maintain the bond?” “No,” The corners of Luna’s lips turn downwards, her face a somber picture as she fight’s a staring match with the darkness before her. The drawn out pause wears at Twilight’s patience, her curiosity threatening to speak for her. “They were great magicians,” Luna breaks the silence finally. “Powerful unicorns who had fallen in love through their work. The spell was supposed to be the final step in their relationship, to show the eternal commitment they shared, but all ponies are different.” Luna pauses again, her heavy breaths the only sound holding back silence. Twilight holds the princess in her eyes, her body silent, her mind begging, pleading to speak up, ask one question. Not wanting to disturb Luna however, she holds back, instead focusing her mind on the shape of Luna’s face. The curve of her downcast muzzle, messed starry hair, free from its tiara, falling over deep-blue, unblinking eyes. Each feature draws Twilight closer until her breath brushes across Luna’s cheek. “Twilight,” The sudden sound surprises Twilight. She jolts back, giving Luna room to turn her head, blue eyes capturing Twilight’s own. “How compatible do you think we are?” The question comes as confusion to Twilight. “I, I guess extremely compatible,” Her eyes roll upwards, attempting to recall an excerpt from one of the many relationship advice book Twilight had read. “We share similar interests, similar friends, we’ve never fought,” She recounts the signs, her hoof bobbing midair as she lists each item. “Even our personalities are extremely similar. According to my research we’re the perfect match.” Luna nods her head thoughtfully, considering Twilight’s statements. “You are correct, but that is only a minute amount of what matters. All ponies think, it isn’t something that can be taught, how our minds work is something that comes naturally.” Luna’s words come slow, each one thought through carefully before spoken. “If we perform this spell our minds will be interlinked, our thoughts mingling with one another’s. If our processes of thinking are not perfectly compatible our minds will grind against each other, slowly wearing away until we are no longer able to control our minds. The mess left over, it’s very unpleasant.” “I’ve, never, thought, of, that, before,” Twilight allows the words to dribble from her lips, her mind consumed by thought. “How we think. It doesn’t even seem like something I could explain.” Her eyes light up with awareness, locking back with Luna’s. “”How do you think Luna?” “It’s, it’s a blur of images, words and emotions,” Luna recites clearly. “Almost like a everything is in a mixing pot, thoughts combining with each other, new thoughts formed from the mix.” “Oh,” Twilight utters, disappointment staining her voice. “That seems quite different to how I think. My mind seems closest to a library, thoughts clear and ordered, waiting for me to pick them out. Images are rare, most of it consisting words.” Her teeth capture a purple lip, chewing the flesh. “It doesn’t sound like we’re too similar.” Forcing herself to smile, Luna pulls Twilight’s face closer with blue hoofs, as if rubbing their lips together will spread the joy. “Don’t worry Twilight, it’s actually good that our thought processes aren’t exactly the same.” Twilight’s mouth forms a silent question at the prospect, confusion creasing her brow. “Compatibility of two minds isn’t based on their similarities. It’s like two puzzle pieces, they are perfect reflections of one another, fitting together with ease.” “So is there a way to calculate the compatibility of our minds?” Twilight questions, her mind unable to determine the answer without a clear cut definition. “There is,” Luna’s smile widens, her eyes flicking from side to side. “And I may have already tested our compatibility two months ago.” Twilight’s mouth moves to question, a breath escaping her mouth before she snaps it shut, the memory Luna mentioned coming to the forefront of her mind. It had been a beautiful night, Luna had treated her to a moonlit dinner atop Canterlot Castle. The food was passable, but it was Luna’s handiwork and that was what mattered to Twilight. Luna’s fidgety movements and distracted words had broadcasted her intentions to Twilight, she wanted something. The whole evening that thought had plagued her, an itch she couldn’t scratch. Luna slipped in her question as the night was coming to a close, her voice shaky, her lips holding a weak smile. The striped, purple stockings had been cosy, a snug fit around her legs. Luna’s attitude was the memorable part of the night. Motherly, she had tended to Twilight’s every need, not allowing anything in return. It hadn’t been unpleasant, rather Twilight had a night of overwhelming pleasure. Luna had reminded Twilight a little too much of her sister, a thought Twilight had spent pushing from her mind the whole evening. Having sifted through the memory, Twilight catches Luna’s eye, confusion twisting her mouth. “I don’t understand, what part of that night was the compatibility test? Was it the stockings, or the dinner, or something else?” Unable to control herself, Luna lets loose a snort of laughter, shaking her head at Twilight’s assumption. “That night was not what I was referencing,” Her burst of laughter over, Luna sighs, breathing deep to recover. “The tests were performed in the Canterlot Library, a few days prior to that night.” Twilight’s lips still hold a puzzles smile, her signal for Luna to explain further. “We performed spells with ink. I questioned you on certain topics while you held the ink in your magic, just above a blank page. The patterns each thought formed I compared against the results of my own self-testing. The patterns were surprisingly similar, some identical but for a few blots.” “So that’s good then?” Twilight guesses, incapable of reading Luna’s face. “According to my theory, yes,” Luna’s answers lifts Twilight’s spirits, the hope lighting her eyes. “But it is completely untested, so I could be completely wrong.” All the evidence now in front of her, Twilight examines the case, weighing up the risks and rewards. The potential to free Luna from her terrors in the night, definitely a positive result. The chance to fall into madness, lose all ability to think clearing, doomed to a life not worth living, a thought that sends a shiver through Twilight’s spine. The ability to communicate with her anytime, be with her anywhere, for the rest of her days, a result she still finds difficult to contemplate. The thought of sharing every thought with another something her mind immediately backpedals at. The thought of sharing it with Luna however, a pony whose touch she yearns for each day, whose voice calms her nerves, a pony who she wishes to spend every moment with. That thought excites her mind, sending fantasies of what the coming months, coming years, could possibly hold. Among the storm brewing in the library of her mind, a thought fluttering through the air catches against her face, forcing itself into her attention. A thought that had been floating about her mind the whole conversation. “What happened to the other pair?” Twilight questions, the details of Luna’s unfinished tale her want. “I, what do you mean Twilight?” Luna’s brow creases, her voice laced with confusion. Twilight’s hoof paws the air, as to not let her question escape into the torrent of other thoughts flowing through her mind. “You mentioned earlier that there was four ponies, two pairs. Yet you only mentioned what happened to one of them. Did the others go mad as well?” Emotion flicks across Luna’s face, too quick for Twilight to recognise. “No, they were compatible enough to maintain the bond throughout the lifespan of a pony,” Luna responds, each word hand picked. “It happened many millennia ago however, there was no documentation of their minds before the bond was formed.” The knowledge of possible success swings Twilight decision, her internal debate ceasing. “I think we should try it Luna,” She exclaims, the prospect tinging Luna’s face with regret. “I mean if two other ponies could do it, why wouldn’t the Princess of Dreams and Celestia’s student be able to?” “I think it would be unwise Twilight,” Luna replies forcefully, a scare attempt her last hope to push Twilight away. “It is much too dangerous, the possibility of you falling into insanity’s clutches not something I wish to risk.” She stops to take a breath, her mouth primed for another hail of excuses. A purple hoof pressed against her lips stops the second round. “Luna, I know you care for me,” Twilight says, her soft, emotional words catching Luna’s attention. “But you said it yourself. If you don’t beat this nightmare soon it’ll be you who goes mad, and that’s something Equestria can’t risk again. Trust me Luna, I’ll be fine.” “I-” Luna’s mouth flails, protest still on her lips. “I must apologise Twilight. What you say is correct. It’s just the thought of you, the memory of those two. It paints horrid pictures in my mind.” A breath of air escapes her chest as she sighs, holding Twilight’s head between her hooves, uniting their lips in a soft kiss. “But your judgement is true, we need to take this risk.” Luna squirms against the pillow behind her, rolling to lie on her stomach. “This would be done best if we were lying down.” Twilight follows suit, cuddling her body against Luna’s, the black bedclothes a mess beneath them. “Now just close your eyes and let my magic guide you,” Luna instructs, the ringing of her magic filling the air. Obedient, Twilight waits blindly. A spark, soft, deep-blue, requests entrance. Reaching out with her purple glow, Twilight grants it, Luna’s magic mingling with her own. The newcomer rallies Twilight’s magic, encapsulating her mind in purple, preparing one end of the link. Ready, the blue spark leads Twilight’s magic out through her horn, meeting with the rest of it’s kind. Upon contact Twilight’s thoughts jolt, the sudden flood of enlightenment shocking her, a way of thinking never imagined to her now obvious. “Is that it?” Twilight inquires, noticing the spell settling. “Yes, the bond is now complete,” Luna breathes, recovering from the spell’s strain. “Now only time will tell how compatible our minds are.” Scrunching her face, Twilight studies her thought process, noting her findings aloud. “It seems like my mind works differently now, I assume that is a result of our minds melding together? I can see images so clearly now, it’s seems so bright, so-” “Twilight,” Luna stops the unicorn’s trail of thought, drawing her attention back to the physical realm. “Don’t you think we should focus on what we planned?” “Oh, sorry” Twilight’s lips form a weak smile. “So how do we start?” “It is a dream world,” Luna explains. “So first we must sleep.”