//------------------------------// // Kyā Ruknā Sapnā // Story: The Gentle Nights: Audience of One // by PaulAsaran //------------------------------// The Gentle Nights Audience of One Chapter V Kyā Ruknā Sapnā Luna was waiting for her sister to arrive on the balcony, as she always did. This time she watched the stairs, eager to see Celestia’s face. Well… eager was the wrong word, wasn’t it? Yet she had to know. When Celestia at last appeared, she seemed no less chipper than usual. Luna despised her ability to smile so readily upon waking. What was that modern term used for ponies like her? Ah, yes: ‘morning ponies.’ The phrase itself was almost insulting. She pushed her frustration down; she’d been putting up with Celestia’s ‘rise and meet the day’ attitude for an eternity, and there were far more important issues to consider. “Good morning, dear sister.” “Hello, Luna.” Celestia’s greeting smile was as radiant as ever. “How was your night?” “It went well enough, I suppose.” Luna turned to gaze at the night sky, pondering on her sister’s pleasant demeanor. She was truly gifted in hiding her emotions, that pony. “It was a long one. Let us end it quickly.” Celestia stepped up to her, only the tiniest waver of concern in her voice. “So be it, but it’s difficult to work my art when it’s rushed. You owe me a slower dawn, sister.” Luna couldn’t smile at Celestia’s words. She wanted to, but… she simply couldn’t. So instead she reached out with her magic to grasp her beloved moon and begin its descent. Soon the sun was rising in its place, brilliant and majestic and lovely. To her, it was a sunrise like any other, but she heard Celestia whisper a self-depreciative “How bland…” Luna could understand her sister’s annoyance. She might not be able to appreciate the sunrise in the way Celestia did, but she imagined it was no different from the deep, steady workings of crafting a moonrise. For this reason, she was deeply apologetic. Yet still, there were more important matters on her mind. It was so hard to broach the subject, though… “Luna?” Celestia leaned forward and turned her head to get a better look at her face. “Is something wrong?” Luna turned her head away, battling with herself. She knew she had to ask. The answer could be terrible, but not knowing could be infinitely worse. All her will was needed to keep from trembling. At last she was able to open her mouth. “Last night I… I noticed you were being plagued by a nightmare.” The world went quiet. Luna’s ears folded as she waited with bated breath for a response. Celestia’s voice was even, steady in a way only a millennium of political practice could perfect. “Luna… did you look?” Luna slowly turned to her sister, struggling to maintain her tone. “No, sister. I remember my promise. I only… wanted to offer my help, should you desire it. You know that dreams are my domain.” Celestia’s face had been hard, but she slowly smiled upon hearing her sister’s words. “Thank you, Luna, but no. I do appreciate your concern, but I do not think it is anything you need to fret over. To be honest, it wasn’t much of a nightmare, and I can’t remember most of it.” It was easy to believe most of her words, but Luna hadn’t missed the slip. Perhaps Celestia wasn’t aware that she could judge the strength of a nightmare’s power by the intensity of the colors. Yet she pushed her doubts down and forced herself to smile. “Very well, but should you ever change your mind, I am here.” Celestia moved in close to nuzzle her. “Should I need it, I won’t hesitate to ask. Thank you, dear sister.” They remained close for a few seconds, Luna somehow managing to maintain her smile. When they parted she gave a great yawn. “Oh dear… last night was busier than the norm. I think I will be going straight to my chambers.” “Oh…” Celestia pouted. “I had hoped we might have breakfast together.” “Forgive me, sister, but I ate not long before you awoke.” Which was true, thankfully. “Perhaps we may have dinner tonight?” That brought a smile back to Celestia’s face. “Tonight, then. Good morning, Luna. Pleasant dreams.” “Of course.” Luna turned to walk away, her smirk fading as soon as she was out of her sister’s view. “’Tis one of the perks of being the keeper of dreams.” Luna let her head hang just a touch as she walked down the stairs. Celestia hadn’t told her. She was having terrible nightmares, and she wasn’t willing to share them with her. What did that mean? Did it mean anything? That terrible doubt was scratching at her mind yet again. A dark fog filled the world in shadow. Though stars shined in the sky, they offered no relief from the oppressive force looming within the darkness. It wasn’t a simple form against which one could transcribe a direction, a size or a distance; the presence was all around, pressing in like a black, drowning liquid. Luna stepped out on the flat, hard ground. There was no way for her to ignore the intense anxiety within her, but she did what she could to hide it beneath a veil of anger. She turned her head about with a small frown, ears twitching as she sought out some kind of sound. There was none. “You again,” she muttered. “Why will you not just leave me alone?” A chuckle resounded in the darkness. The voice that replied didn’t seem to be coming from any particular source… but rather, from her own mind. Oh, Nightmare. You know as well as us that we can’t leave you alone. “Don’t call me that,” she hissed, turning in place as she scanned the rolling wisps of black fog. “That is not who I am.” Don’t say that. It breaks our black heart. Luna stomped her hoof, head held high. She pushed down the sick feeling in her gut. “Go away. You were defeated. Accept it.” Defeated? The voice was mocking, almost mirthful. Such a strong word. They pushed us back, Nightmare, that is all. We know that. Luna gained a smug smile. “You cannot defeat them. You should know that.” The voice only gained confidence. We only failed because they caught us off guard. Oh yes… this time we are aware of what awaits us. Tearing them apart will be much easier now. Luna’s wings flared, her teeth were bared. She jerked her head about, seeking something to target with her anger. She found nothing. “You will never return, monster.” Oh, yes we will, Nightmare. “Stop calling me that!” Lightning streaked from the princess’s horn, but it struck only the hard ground. “I am over my sins, you wretched thing!” Are we? Are we really, Nightmare? Luna felt something cold drift across her withers. She turned about with a glare, but found nothing. A thousand years. Do we believe that was just? We cannot tell ourselves that we are willing to simply let it lie in the past. Luna sucked in a sharp breath. “Celestia… was defending Equestria. There is nopony to blame but you.” Us. “You!” Luna’s wings tensed as she cast her glare about once more. “I would never have betrayed my sister!” A slow, pleasant chuckle trickled through the air. Possession. That’s the best excuse we have? There was a terrible twisting feeling in Luna’s stomach. She stepped back, though she knew the ominous force was impossible to escape. “It… it wasn’t me. I love Celestia, and she loves me.” The fog began to roil. A thousand years! It would have been longer if not for the distancing of the Elements. She would have left her own sister to rot on that rock for all time if she had the choice. That is Celestia! “Be silent!” Luna covered her ears against her tormentors words. “We were going to destroy Equestria with our eternal night! My sister did what she had to do, what you made her do! None of it is her fault.” It was no use; the words wormed their way into her brain. Seductive, tempting, pleasant. She fears us. We see it in her eyes, we know it in her voice. What is it that she dreams of, hmm? What is this thing that torments her slumber? We know, Nightmare. We know. “It’s not true…” Tears were forming in her eyes. “You don’t know that…” We know. “N-no we don’t.” We know, Nightmare. “Stop calling me that…” We know. “Celestia isn’t…” We know. Luna’s eyes jerked open. She stared at the ceiling with sweat beading on her brow and breath coming in shallow gasps. She merely lay in her massive bed, the familiar voice reverberating through her mind like an eternal echo. Not in a millennium had it been so strong. She sat up and bowed her head, entire body shaking as she struggled to push the memory away. “It’s not true,” she whispered, eyes set to her hooves. “It’s not true. It’s not true.” She repeated the line like a mantra. Slowly, her trembling came under control. Her breathing steadied, her heart stopped pounding, the moisture in her eyes dried up. The voice faded, leaving her in merciful silence. Yet there was still the uncertainty. It clutched at her, forcing her mind to wander in directions she didn’t want it to go. Luna climbed out of her bed. Lips set in a deep frown, she scanned the massive room. The marble walls, stained dark for her comfort; the sapphire curtains that barred all sunlight; the exquisite dark wood furniture. Yet underneath all the things that were most certainly hers, Luna could still see the shape of the room. The servants had worked their best to clear the marks left by the crates and antique statues and dust. Sometimes she wondered if they shouldn’t have left it all here with her. After all, what was she but an unwanted antique? She shook her head with force. “Stop it, Luna. Such thoughts are unbecoming.” She blinked a few times before facehooving. “And now I’m talking to myself.” The tiny voice in the back of her mind told her to go to Celestia, to ask the question that was burning inside her brain. She couldn’t give that idea any serious consideration, however. Every time she imagined her sister’s traumatized face she felt cold. Luna turned with a sigh and approached the window. Bracing herself, she used her magic to open the curtains and almost had to close her eyes at the glare of the sun. She turned her face away from that piercing light, not at all pleased by the thought that even Celestia’s sun was attacking her. Once her eyes were adjusted, she turned to gaze out at the world. Canterlot shined in the brightness of daylight. It was only a little past noon. Luna stared down at the ponies, from this height little more than ants to her vision. They were completely unaware of her gaze, ignorant of the eyes that roamed over their fair city. What would they think if they knew she was watching them from on high? Would they flee inside, eager to escape the gaze of the pony who once threatened Equestria so? She was little more than a frightening legend to them. She wanted to be so much more… A glint of light reflected off one of the buildings below, making her wince. She was reminded of Celestia, of how brilliant her coat was, of how much she was adored. Celestia, who had ruled this land alone for a millennium. Celestia, who left her on the moon. Celestia, who did nothing to prepare Equestria for her return and make her integration back into society a smooth one. Celestia… Luna retreated from the window, letting the curtains close. She was engulfed in darkness once more, clutching at her head with a shuddering breath. “Don’t think like that. Celestia loves you, Luna. She does. And you love her. She had no reason to believe Starswirl’s prophecy would come true, you know that.” She lowered her hooves, head low as she slowly eyed her surroundings. Her chambers, her darkness, her sanctuary. Not a cell. She wasn’t being hidden away like… like a criminal. So why did she still feel so alone? So unwanted? Luna flopped back onto her bed with a sigh, letting the weariness sweep back over her. She lay still on her belly, pouting as she flicked at the sheets with a wing. What she wanted was clear, but she had no idea how to get it. Celestia had tried, but Luna couldn’t find comfort with her. The pain was too great. Yet where else was she to get it? She closed her eyes and allowed her mind to drift, knowing it might be a mistake. Time lingered inexorably on. Thoughts drifted around the princess’s troubled mind, most unpleasant. She did her best to divert her attention away from those, but there were so many… After a while, she realized she was humming. She paused, her frown weakening just a touch as she thought on that fact. She began to hum again, paying closer attention to the melody. Her eyes opened gradually as she tune solidified in her mind. Yes… she knew that song. Why was she so eager to hear it again? They were leaving her again. Octavia sat there, her composer’s baton raised but unmoving. She didn’t have to look to know it was happening. It was a feeling inside, something painful that made it seem like her stomach was trying in knots. Slowly, she turned around. The audience was more than half gone by now, but she didn’t gaze out over the seats. No, her eyes fell to the very first row. Her mother and father, her three brothers… and that one open seat. That particular seat had been empty for a long time. Even after everypony had left her, when there wasn’t a soul left in the audience, Octavia’s eyes didn’t leave that seat. Why was her chest so tight? She had tears in her eyes, and she didn’t even understand why. Slowly, she shifted her gaze so that it encompassed the empty chairs as a whole. She wanted to call them back, but couldn’t find the words. Why would they leave? She lowered her head and clutched her baton to her chest. Maybe this was how it should be. Maybe she wasn’t even supposed to have an audience. It was often said dreams had meaning. Could this one be foretelling her future? The idea was almost enough to bring tears to her eyes, but she shoved them down; she would not let something so intangible beat her down. Octavia Melody wouldn’t cry over this… no matter how much she might want to. Octavia detected the presence. She didn’t understand how, but she knew she was no longer alone. Her head slowly rose to gaze out at the seats, but there was nopony there. She looked about, trying to determine the source, but then felt something… in her mind? It told her to look up, so she did. Her lips parted in a small gasp as a pony of magnificent dark sapphire appeared, floating down on great wings towards the stage. Princess Luna drifted, her movements slow. Though she seemed so very calm, her lips were set in a deep frown and her eyes shined with concern. She landed before Octavia and gazed down at her, ears folded and a leg held up to her chest. Octavia shook herself as if to come out of a trance. She pulled back a step and ducked her head just slightly at the sight of the much taller alicorn. “W-why… why am I dreaming of you?” Luna took a deep breath, her eyes set to Octavia’s. “Because… because I wished to be here.” “Wish to be here?” Octavia thought on this, her gaze falling to Luna’s chest as she tried to make sense of what was happening. Luna gestured to herself. “I am the Princess of the Night,” she explained. Her voice was so soft… almost submissive. “Dreams are my domain.” Octavia tilted her head, both at the words and the tone. “So… you mean you’re actually here?” The princess nodded, though she averted her eyes. Seconds passed. The information slowly churned about Octavia’s mind. Her eyes fell on Luna’s horn and she considered the magic that would be required to… Reality came to her like a slap in the face, and she promptly dropped to a hurried bow. “F-forgive my rudeness,” she whispered before standing back up with a blush. “I just… didn’t know you could do this.” Luna winced, her wings fluffing. “Though we have tried to make it public knowledge, I am afraid most are still ignorant of my nightmare patrols.” “I see…” Octavia looked around at the empty stage and seats that surrounded them. “Is… that why you’re here? Because I’m having a nightmare? Of sorts.” “Actually…” Luna shifted from hoof to hoof, her eyes doing that free-roaming dance Octavia had witnessed when they’d first met. The princess’s head lowered and she chewed her lip. “If… If you do not mind… I would like to make a formal request.” Octavia’s heart skipped a beat. “A request?” At last Luna's eyes locked with hers. There was so much fear in them, it almost took Octavia’s breath away. “C-could you… could you play Tārā Sapnā for me?” “Tārā Sapnā?” Octavia’s jaw dropped. “You came into my dream to hear me play music?” Luna cringed and turned away, her distress as clear as the moon. “No… N-no. Forgive me, I should not have come. This was selfish of me.” Octavia stepped forward, raising her hoof as if to catch the princess. “Wait!” Wings half-opened, Luna’s shoulders tensed and her head lowered. She didn’t look back… but she didn’t leave, either. “Please, Princess, I’m sorry.” Octavia sat and grabbed her cello, not bothering to wonder how it had come to be right next to her. “I was surprised, that’s all. I don’t mind playing, so please don’t go.” There was a long silence. Octavia fidgeted, wondering what was on the princess’s mind. Luna didn’t relax, her wings never leaving that flight-ready state. Had she offended Luna? Was the princess angry with her? At last Luna spoke, her words slow and measured. “Do you fear me, Miss Melody?” In an instant, all anxiety dropped from Octavia’s mind. She stared at the back of Luna’s head for a few seconds. “Why would I fear you?” Luna’s head rose with a jerk. She turned about, eyes wide. “What do you mean, ‘why would I fear you?’” Octavia raised her hooves high and wide in a questioning pose. “I have played for you twice already, Your Majesty. You were not threatening then, why should I believe you are threatening now?” The princess gaped at her for several long seconds. She finally lowered her head, eyes shifting as she thought on this answer. “But… you… I… What about Nightmare Moon?” “Oh…” Octavia winced and averted her eyes with the slightest of blushes. “I admit, on our first meeting I was a little scared because of that. But—” she offered a confident smile, “—you’re not her anymore. The princess I met at the gala and for whom I played in the Nocturnal Wing didn’t strike me as the type to do such things.” Once again, Luna’s head rose at her words, this time slowly. She stared with wide eyes, as if seeing Octavia for the first time. Octavia only smiled back. She didn’t know why she smiled. It just felt… right. And then the princess’s face scrunched up, her entire body shaking. She bowed her head and wept, tears making tiny rivers on her cheeks. Octavia dropped her bow and cello and gaped at the sight. “Princess Luna?” “Th-thank you…” Luna tried to wipe away her tears, but they kept coming in an endless stream. She looked up at Octavia with a shuddering breath and… smiled. “You have… no idea what it means to me to hear you say that.” Octavia had no idea what to say, so she said nothing. Luna’s smile faltered and she bowed her head once more, silently weeping for reasons Octavia couldn’t fathom. All she knew for certain was that seeing the princess like this… hurt. It hurt in a way that was deep and almost traumatizing. She didn’t want to hear this, didn’t want to see it. She wanted it to stop. What possessed her to do it, she couldn’t fathom, but Octavia slowly picked up her bow and righted her cello. With a calming breath and a moment to compose her thoughts around the piece, she began to play. The soothing sound, enhanced by glissando motions with the strings, rose into the night sky, providing a gentle backdrop to Luna’s hushed sobs. The tempo was so delightfully larghetto, seeming to stretch the introduction in a velvety caress. As she picked up to a gentle adagietto, briefly reverting to a spiccato playing style, Luna’s crying began to fade. The music went on, never rising beyond a gentle pace, Octavia’s body beginning to sway as she allowed herself to indulge in the deep, dulcet tones. She felt so incredibly at ease when she played Tārā Sapnā. She hoped it would have the same effect on her fresh audience. At last the song came to an end, Octavia carefully holding the triple stop of a long, delicate tone that seemed to linger in the air even after her bow stopped moving. That last note often made her smile, both with the pleasure of the culmination of a song well played and the pride of a final note that few could achieve. She opened her eyes to find Luna sitting where she’d left her, watching with a wide smile. Her cheeks were still moist, but it seemed she had at least stopped crying. “Thank you, Miss Melody,” she whispered. “It was beautiful.” Octavia beamed, chest swelling with the praise. “It was my pleasure. I only hope it helped.” “It did, thank you. I feel much better.” Luna blushed and averted her eyes, her smile becoming anxious. “Please forgive my distressing behavior. To be seen in such a state by you… I admit to being just a little ashamed.” “I don’t mind,” Octavia assured her. “So long as my cello can give you comfort, I don’t mind at all.” She hesitated, eyes dropping to her instrument. Luna noticed. “You wish to ask.” Octavia lowered her head just a touch and nodded. “I don’t want to be nosy.” “It is okay,” the princess replied, her voice calm. “I imagine it must seem strange to you, how we keep meeting like this.” “I was wondering why,” Octavia confessed, still unable to meet Luna’s gaze. “I can’t imagine why a pony as unknown as I would warrant your attention.” Luna tilted her head at this statement… but then smiled. “Perhaps my sister was right about this, after all.” At last, Octavia’s eyes met Luna’s. “What do you mean?” The princess considered her for a few seconds, setting a hoof to her lips in a thoughtful pose. “Miss Melody… I have another request, if you would but indulge me one more time.” “Oh… of course.” Octavia raised her bow to the strings in preparation. “I would like you to visit me tomorrow, after nightfall.” Her hold on the bow tightened, her jaw dropped. Octavia stared at Luna, unable to speak for several seconds as she processed this request. Luna shifted, a touch of pink in her cheeks as she offered a tiny smile. Octavia finally found her words. “This isn’t like my last trip to the castle, is it?” Luna’s eyes drifted to one side, her anxious smile growing just a fraction. “I might have a musical request or two, but no, it is not. Should you come, I promise to clarify things. Some.” “I…” Octavia’s lips worked, but she could manage no sound. She couldn’t help but wonder exactly what she was getting into. She couldn’t really say no, could she? Did she even want to? She was so confused, so… surprised that she couldn’t really think properly. Luna’s wings opened and she began to fly backwards. She smiled down on Octavia and her horn began to shine. “It is your decision, of course. Please consider this a request, not a command. I shall leave you with a parting gift, for providing me with your musical blessings. Good night, Miss Melody. May your dreams be pleasant ones.” The princess turned away and flew high, almost straight up. Octavia craned her neck to observe the ascent, still trying to grasp what had just happened. A white light shined in the black sky, which Luna flew directly into. As she did, the darkness rolled away like a fog being pushed back. In its wake was a sky of brilliant stars, accompanied by a beautiful full moon where the light had formed. Luna was nowhere to be seen. The cheers made Octavia jump. She looked down to find that her audience – every last pony – had returned and were giving her a standing ovation. Except for that one seat.