//------------------------------// // 2: Crescent // Story: One Moon // by Lord_Artemis //------------------------------// “So you say that he... she... they weren't even using magic at the time, and that it was somehow just magically stayed as a fixed combination?” “Yes.” Prince Artemis replied to the anxious purple stallion, who was pacing back and forth and unconsciously twitching his wings in apprehension. “Neither of their horns were glowing... at least as far as I could tell, though my brother and his doppelganger seemed entirely too intrigued with... each other to be casting a continuous and powerful spell that kept the dreams together.” Dusk Shine blanched, and cautiously inquired “To what degree of *ahem* fornication were they engaging to?” Artemis grimaced and blushed, then hastily replied “Oh no, not... They were, I believe the modern term to be 'making out'... as to say they were kissing quite aggressively, with quite a show of tongue-pony-ship displayed by both parties...” at which he blushed and grimaced even harder, and Dusk's cheeks tinted pink in embarrassment. “Oh” he replied in a small voice, in equal parts slightly relieved and disturbed by this. “Yeah... hmm...” the Lunar Prince trailed off. After a brief moment of painfully awkward silence, Dusk cleared his throat and declared “I think I know how this feat might have been achieved. In our past correspondence, we have discussed the use and creation of magical artifacts, and we even set a scrying pool artifact so we could have immediate and personal conversations. While we used these so I could teach you of the modern behaviors and trends, and you could teach me the illusionary arts and dream magic, which was never taught to me by Solaris.” “You think an artifact was made to scry beyond the limits of our dimension?” Artemis cautiously inquired. “Yes, though it may only work through the common medium of the dream world, where boundaries are less defined, as you said yourself. This could have possibly been used with another, or had the magical qualities added, so that the dream could be shrouded from the errant eye of a dreamwalker such as yourself.” “This obviously wasn't strong enough to stop me, though,” Artemis smirked, though there was no humor in his voice as his mind wrapped itself around this concept. “Solaris probably underestimated your ability, or overestimated his magic when creating this, as you were the obvious reason to obscure such a dream.” Dusk sighed, and looked around the study that was attached to Artemis' royal chambers, and levitated a cushion to recline upon as his mind sagged from the lengthy calculations that uncontrollably strutted themselves around his psyche. “The effort to create one or two artifacts of this magnitude must have been immense, not to mention the research that even your brother would have to do to find such a spell. Magic that crosses dimensional boundaries sounds like dark magic, and would probably not be present in any tombs in Canterlot. The dream shrouding seems to be a bit more mundane, but the way you described it as... pockets of the immaterium itself twisting and binding, seething away from even your experienced eye. Hmm...” A puzzled look splayed across the purple stallion's face, And Artemis checked the time. Looking out towards the west, the Lunar Prince saw the moon getting dangerously near it's setting point, and realized that he had entirely forgotten his nightly duties. “Well, we will have to discuss this more in the evening, as I have to go set the moon and rest, but I will rise early so that I can see you for longer and still fulfill my responsibilities to my sleeping ponies of Equestria. Get some rest Dusk Shine, but stay here in the night wing and avoid approaching my brother until further notice. I have had a room arranged for you, where Spines is resting now, and I hope that you will take this opportunity to re-familiarize yourself with the machinations of the dream world, and the workings of dream magic, as I will need assistance tomorrow night.” A dusty tomb inscribed with the lunar insignia was levitated off the nearby shelf and presented to the purple prince. “Read this when you awake from your sleep, and prepare yourself in any way you can for a possible dream walk. I will make sure your presence here is unknown to the rest of the castle save my guards, and that you will not be disturbed with anything but meals until I am ready to meet again.” Dusk Shine arose and grasped the book with his own telekinesis, and bowed his head slightly to the Lunar Prince. “I will do so, your highness, and I will keep Spines from running off as well.” Artemis nodded and smirked, saying “Thank you, Dusk, for your help and your friendliness. It is not too often I see very much excitement or enthusiasm for tasks such as yours, but you have made this issue seem so much more manageable. Sleep well, as I will, and I will see you at an hour before sunset tomorrow.” ~~~ Artemis' sleep was fitful, pocketed by nightmarish twists of his own memories and horrified musings of his future. As he tossed to one side, he could almost feel the demonic weight of Night-terror Knight's armour digging into his body and soul, and as he tossed the other way, his dreamwalking ordeal twisted with agonizing fear and loneliness to blast the very breath from his lungs. After several hours of pained attempts of rest, Artemis arose from his bed, and staggered to his wash chamber, were he started a soothing bath to try and relax. As steam clouded the air in the vaulted marble chamber, Artemis looked into the ornate platinum and silver full-length mirror that had been a gift from Draconia several millennia ago. After magically clearing the glass, he gazed at himself, without armor or ceremonial garb, for what seemed to be the first time since returning. His short ethereal mane billowed behind his head, not quite long enough to brush his withers, but still longer than his brother's close-cropped mane, which seemed a waste as his god-head allowed for such a magnificent ethereal mane. To Artemis, Solaris wore himself in too military of a dignity and appearance to fit the peaceful Equestria, but that was beyond what Artemis could impress upon the Solar Prince. “Still, I think I look much better in armour as well, so I shouldn't complain to him...” Artemis mused, slightly reveling in the shallowness and lightheartedness of this change in train of thought. As he chuckled, his voiced filled the softly lit bathchamber of the Prince's apartment and resonated in a rich baritone that almost reminded him of his brother's slightly lower voice. As his thoughts past over his brothers chuckles, his mind leapt back into the memory of seeing his brother and that other mare in the dreamworld, and Artemis winced, turning back to look into the mirror. His mind idly played through his conversation with Dusk Shine, and his eyes widened in the reflection. Since mirrors could be used for scrying, what should keep him from making the very mirror in front of him into an artifact to peer across the unseen expanse? The idea tingled in his mind as the dark mare wisped by the periphery of his thoughts, and his heart fluttered in... some unknown emotion. The water stopped frothing into the large tub behind him with a cerulean flash and Artemis looked into the steely resolve that showed in his reflection, and his mind expanded towards his arcane knowledge and power, the inner fire that burns within all unicorns, as well as in the unicorn component of all alicorns, and he breathed out a heavy sigh. He inhaled and opened his normally teal eyes, which were now glowing with the ferocity of miniature suns, and his horn and the surface of the mirror erupted with azure flames. No heat scorched his flesh, like a similar sized inferno of natural fire would, but the magical heat of his work made him sweat just the same. Reaching his scrying spell through the glass, he, instead of searching and connecting it to another reflective surface in a far town or city, focused the spell on what he had felt when he had come into contact with the other side, and searched with pure will through the immaterium. Even though his godhood allowed him a near-infinite reservoir of magical energy, he could feel tongues of pure arcane power bleed from the tendril of his spell, and felt as if he were really succumbing to hemorrhages as his body gushed energy outwards. Onwards he probed, trying as hard as he could to find the other world, where this mystery was coming from, but a nagging doubt formed in his mind as he thought. “I never felt the other world, I just felt a reach from it. I will never make it, because Solaris only had to make it to a middle ground in the dreamworld... to think of stretching twice that is impossible, it would require all the magic of this realm and then some...” Artemis' thoughts trailed into forsakeness, as his last vestiges of hope began to tear loose. “I could try to push to the same middle ground that Solaris used, but I doubt it will be open since he is awake and in court...” As the Lunar Prince thought this, he still dove his mind into the familiar tides of the dreamworld... his dreamworld. Since there was no direction, and very few ponies dreaming at this hour of the afternoon, the taxed alicorn had to stop to gather his bearings before using the last ounces of determination to extend the thinning tentacle of perception into the magical gulf that had been the warped pocket. Stray magic still resided there, a testament to the amazing amount of supernatural force that had resided there so many hours before. Artemis could see where a path trailed off away from him through the pocket, but he was stretched to his limits, and was about to give up hope and leave right then. That is, if he hadn't seen another tentacle of magic, the same color and tone, snaking slowly and listlessly just like his, but with an origin that lay beyond the opposite edge of the pocket. The shock of seeing what his heart had feared and hoped for so deeply confirmed right in front of him made his magic freeze, as did the other tendril of arcane fire. A second passed, a minute, an eon. Artemis lost himself in a sea of lost thought, and his grip on the spell laxed. The strain of his magical stream lessened, as he was wrapped back up and brought all the way out of the dreamworld, pulled back from the immaterium, and pushed through the surface of the mirror as if it was made of rubber. Artemis fell dumbly to the ground, senses and thoughts overruled by a flood of emotions. He sat like this for several moments, before becoming aware that his servants had arrived and were scurrying about in search of him outside the bathchamber. “In here...” Artemis called, sounding to himself like a drunken sailor pony who had spent too many years adrift at sea. A swarm of concerned servants and guards came to check upon him, and upon finding him whole, his guards left to settle the commotion. The four remaining servants assisted him in getting into the bath, and the Lunar routine picked up as if nothing were amiss. ~~~ After the Price had been prepared, and was standing in full dress ready for his nightly duties, he was alerted that Dusk Shine was waiting to meet with him. The news hit Artemis like a weight, as he remembered his request and how he probably had been keeping Dusk waiting for almost an hour by then. He strode out of his chambers, his armored boots going from soft thuds on the carpet to echoing crashes in the hallway, and he paused self-consciously as the noise bothered him for some strange reason. His thoughts meandered around this issue, keeping him from noticing the rather concerned glances he was receiving from the now retiring servants, and from his royal escort of four guards at his sides. With a quick flash from his horn, the soles of his boots emitted a muted tone as his magic enveloped them. He then nodded to himself and began trotting along the hallway again, but this time, his now magic-altered boots sounded as if they were landing on the thickest carpet, making nearly no noise. Artemis' guards regarded this new and, to them, pointless stop and show of magic, then looked at each other with even more increased concern. The guard to his immediate left spoke up, voicing the groups curiosity asking “Sir, is there a problem?” The vague wanderings of his thoughts fell away from him, with this brief inquiry, and he looked around at the inquirer. As he turned his head to reply, he saw the doorway arch of the throne room door, and his mind flashed with the thought of Dusk. “Oh, yes. I simply remembered that I was going to meet Dusk Shine, not begin my dream watch quite yet” he replied to the guard, in no way actually answering his question, and he stopped walking and tuned around. “But, sir... The moon!” a muffled yelp came from one of his escort, whom Artemis studied briefly, realizing that he didn't recognize him, and determined he was a new member of the night guard. Glancing at his cutie mark, a star streaking across his hip, Artemis said "Oh, I don't believe we have met...” leaving a vague question with his tone, and the guard's eyes spread wide. “Shooting Star, Sir. This is my first night on escort duty, I am sorry I didn't introduce myself” The guard worriedly responded, snapping into a stiff salute, followed by an awkward bow in attempt to hide the embarrassed look of pure fright on his face. Hearing this, Artemis filed his name and face away, and then froze, inwardly face-hoofing, as he finally processed what the guard had actually said to get his attention. He quickly looked around desperately for a clock, and locating one, blanched as he saw that sunset had occurred almost 10 minutes before, and he hadn't even touched the moon yet. He jumped slightly and yelped, giving the royal escort quite a humorous sight and story to be told at the barracks, and he galloped back into the throne room towards the balcony. This full tilt sprint was very unbecoming of a prince, Artemis could hear his older brother scolding in his head, but he swatted the thought away like a fly, and nearly flew off the balcony when he reached it. Behind him, another humorous sight was being created, though this one was not witnessed by any pony, as the royal escort thundered in their bulky armour after the oddly acting prince. The quick and well rehearsed task of raising the moon self-guided through Artemis, his thoughts instead focusing on the rather disturbing rate at which things were getting out of his hooves; forgetting Dusk, strangely bothersome boot steps, even forgetting to raise the moon. This lack of focus was new and unusual to the Lunar Prince, having never lost focus so dramatically and for so long. Embarrassment flowed through him as he thought of how laughable and ridiculous he must seem to his guards and servants by now, after all of these lapses. He then endeavored to think of the cause of this mental impairment, trying to remember if he had felt this way the previous night. As he thought back, he realized that this problem had started after his ill-fated scrying attempt in the bathroom, and he yet again inwardly face-hoofed. A little voice somewhere in his head said “you are making a habit of that, and if your mind had a face, it would be getting very sore and tired of it by now” He then flicked that voice away like a fly again, and started trying to find the source of this voice, to see if Solaris was listening to his thoughts. He stomped his hoof in frustration, causing the nearest guard to raise an eyebrow at the magically dampened sound and the sharp action, as he realized that he was yet again letting his brain be distracted again and stopping him from concentrating. He raised his eyes and saw the door to his apartment's study a few meters ahead. A brief scan of the room returned the magical presence of Dusk Shine, and Artemis smiled, resolving to just discuss this distraction with Dusk as well. Artemis stopped outside of the doorway, bowing to his guards, and simply stating “I will be studying and talking with Dusk, please encourage any passing ponies not to dawdle, and do not be alarmed by and strange effusions of magic. If anyone comes for me, knock, but otherwise leave us in peace” He looked each guard in the eye as they saluted their understanding, and he saw the hints of (perfectly understandable) anxiety and confusion in each of them, Shooting Star being the least experienced at hiding his emotions, but still putting on a good strong face. He walked through the doorway and purposefully used his own magic the shut the door, rather than allowing a guard to do it. This was so that the guards would not be surprised that the door was glowing blue in his magical grasp. However, while his telekinesis swung the door, he also wove a sound suppressing spell into the door so no sound would leak from his study. As his slight subterfuge completed and Artemis turned around, prince Dusk Shine looked concernedly at him, easily able to tell what the Lunar Prince was doing, unlike the guards. “You really are worried about this, aren't you?” The lavender alicorn looked at Artemis, his face riddled with consternation. Artemis almost avoided his probing eyes, trying to pull off an offhand chuckle and making only a stiff gurgle. His mind flashed through his thoughts, and worried was a good way to describe them. “It is not only that, I am worrying because I have been having trouble focusing and remembering since this afternoon, when I endeavored to reach the other world through a modified scrying attempt through my bathroom mirror” Artemis poked his boot into the carpet, looking anywhere but at Dusk. “You WHAT?” Shouted a livid purple alicorn, trying to crane his neck so he could stare the larger stallion in the eye while not bursting one of the veins standing out on his neck.