//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: Dreamscape // by Ogopogo //------------------------------// Breathe in. Breath out. Princess Luna repeated the motion, continuing her meditation in the cool night. Though her body was at peace, her mind and magic, were not. From the balcony, Equestria stretched out before her, dappled in shadows formed by the pale moonlight. Few were up at this hour to appreciate the sight, but perhaps she could excuse the countless tired souls. For in the dreams of those who slept, Luna saw beauty she could never hope to replicate in real life. Atop her lofty perch, Luna’s horn lit in a soft glow, as she sifted through the dreams of her subjects like endless grains of sand. Echoes of their happiness reverberated in her mind as she searched across Equestria. Each time she chanced upon a nightmare, she gently reached out and nudged the dreamer away from topics of sorrow. A second spell, one to detach her mind from the dream, subtlely followed the first. Snippets of dreams, such as magnificent spring mornings or sullen rain, lingered after for all a moment before returning the void. Then, Luna returned to her search. There was something soothing about the nightly routine. An almost audible rhythm in the constant motions permeated Luna’s senses, like the whispers of the symphony she could sometimes hear on calm evenings. More than once she found herself lost in the music, but maybe it was something else which made the process so gratifying. Perhaps the reward was found in the ponies she protected. Unlike the pettiness of the courts, or the bickering of private meetings, here Luna could reach out and touch the lives of her subjects directly. The nightmare of a foal? Banished in an instance. The anxiety from a dream about an upcoming test? Soothed into blooming confidence. However, Luna couldn’t just ignore the right to privacy. No suspicion or belief was reason enough to violate the sanctuary of the mind. Rare were the times she ventured beyond the boundaries of a dream, and rarer still were the times she confronted the dreamer. Only when they were in danger, be it of their own making, or that of another, would she go that far. With her own rules in mind, she continued to pick her way across the field of dreams. Till she came to an abrupt stop. A dream danced at the edge of her perception, distorted and skewed. It resonated with the voice of spells not meant to be cast so lightly. Two minds occupied a single dream; a second soul occupying a space meant for only one. It was wrong, unnatural, and just what Luna had been searching for. The willowy midnight blue alicorn opened her eyes and rose from her seat on the balcony. She strode down the hall, barely noting the two Lunar Guards stationed outside her room falling in beside her. They did not speak a word, leaving no noise save the soft patter of their muffled shoes against the floor. In the wee hours of the morning, the stillness of the castle was a blessing and a curse. It offered quiet and peace to those seeking it, but it was accompanied by accompanied by a profound loneliness. In the presence of others, however, the same silence began to grow unbearable. “Princess,” one of the Lunar Guards, Whisper, began, “What is bothering you?” Luna did not spare the time to look back. “I’m afraid an issue has arisen. You may return to your posts.” “Are you sure, your highness?” She nodded solemnly. “Absolutely – I desire not to be disturbed.” The two guards peeled off and returned to their previous station while Luna pressed onwards. Turning onto a set of stairs, Luna continued down till she passed the ground floor and descended into the levels below. Down here, the air didn’t smell quite as fresh, nor did it show the signs of constant traffic other areas of the castle did. Magical torches stood in place of lanterns, fouling the air with no fumes or smoke, only a slight honey-like fragrance. The light cast was slightly off compared to the sheen of sun, but did not stray so far as to become sickly. Two hallways with two turns followed, each step distancing her from the stairs, bringing her further into the depths of the castle. It would have been easy to construct her destination closer to her room, but being this far down in the castle brought about a certain degree of security. Only those with a purpose for coming this far would be down here. At the present time, those who were, were either digging through one of the many archives, studying the uses of subterranean fungi native to the crystal caverns, or reporting for duty at Dreamscape. Dreamscape served as both the name for the guard division Luna had recently created, and the facility where they were housed. The entrance to Dreamscape was a simple, nondescript door; made from cut oak, treated and varnished. Despite its heavily worn appearance, the door swung open without a sound. The two secretaries sitting behind the counter inside looked up simultaneously. A flicker of light played over their horns as they examined Luna, checking for anything amiss. Satisfied, they rose from their chairs to bow. “Wisp,” Luna commanded. “I wish to speak with Wisp. I have an immediate assignment for one of her teams.” “Let’s see...” Bright Rose said. She hummed as she ran a hoof down a list of names. “Tonight it is Apatite, Piccolo and Tangled Braid on standby. Should I ring for Tangled?” “Yes,” Luna said. “And tell the others to prepare themselves. This dream has almost escaped even my senses.” While the two mares worked, Luna’s eyes rose to the emblem on the wall. Dreamscape’s coat of arms had been her personal creation; a design she had taken great pride in repurposing. A black four-pointed star rested in the center of a white shield. The shield was divided into quarters by a pair of deep blue diagonal lines which ran perpendicular to one another. The design had once belonged to one of Luna’s assistant: Tasseled Velvet. The only addition Luna had made was a single line of flourishing text. Though Old Equestrian was largely an extinct language, all of Dreamscape knew the translation: “Perfection is anything but.”