//------------------------------// // The Fight, The Couple, The Dream // Story: Springtime Nights - Pneuma Flower // by nioniosbbbb //------------------------------// The size of Edem’s house didn’t bother Sky. The musky smell of wood from the furniture, and the heat radiating from the stove that kept them warm during the night more than complemented Edem’s home with a heartwarming atmosphere. Adding to it, the old unicorn was the answer to all her questions. And once she started… “Do you have almonds here?” “Do you get snow often? We got some this winter. It was great!” “Can you tell me where I can get the Pneuma flower?” Edem had to simultaneously treat her guests, and answer the young mare’s questions, but she felt more than happy to. While the young one shot her inquiries one after the other, she would observe her face. She’d see the glow in it, the twinkle in her eyes, and she could sense the passion coming from her. She sat on a small stool in the kitchen where Sky, disguised as Cloud Nine, had followed her, bombarding her with her questions while Edem cleaned the dishes. Once Edem finished the last plate on the counter she took a deep breath. She looked around, and found a vase with some margaritas. Taking one she took off the petals and put them in Cloud’s hoof. “The Pneuma flower grows only in the desert oasis during springtime nights. Its bloom is delicate , and the smallest gust of wind can scatter its petal to pieces. Like this…” She placed her mouth on Cloud’s hoof, blowing the petals away. They danced effortlessly in the wind, swirling as the currents took them, never to be seen again. The princess watched silently as the mare continued. “To be able to keep such a flower unscathed demands patience, devotion, and determination. It is a flower that proves one’s intentions as honest, and pure. Few actually decide to go after it, even fewer manage to keep it alive long enough for others to see.” Edem paused, letting her words sink in. The little pegasus sat quietly with her ears perked, taking in everything she said. “Wow… No wonder uncle says that it made mom realize dad loved her!” Cloud was indeed impressed that her father had managed such a feat. How much time did it take him? How many steps did he take carefully not to spoil it? She was a tad bit jealous… would she find someone like that? Being so romantic to her? Her mom must have felt so lucky to have him… “Aaaarrahhhh!!” Cloud yawned. She was tired from the journey, and her eyes fluttered as she tried to keep them open. “Come now Cloud, my dear, you must be really tired. Why don’t you go to sleep? I’ll tell you more first thing in the morning, okay?” Edem rubbed Cloud’s back and kissed her grandchild’s cheek. “But… I have so many questions…” Edem saw Cloud yawn once again after saying half a sentence. “There’s always tomorrow, dear,” Edem assured her. Cloud yawned again, but finally complied to the mare’s request. She had to squeeze out the kitchen, its width barely fitting two ponies standing side by side. Edem followed her, but went to the dining room instead. Chrysalis was there too, disguised as Silver Wing. She scrunched her nose at how little space she had. She’d barely had room to put her hooves on the table between the plates, and if she and Ao were to transform to their original forms they would be sitting with their backs against the wall… literally! Not to mention that despite the shop being downstairs there was no empty space. There were rectangular pots full of “swords”: a plant that, living up to its name, had the shape of a sword. Some had basilisk, and other aromatic herbs for cooking. There were even little bonsai trees in windows, and it was clear that though this house’s maintenance took much of the couple’s time they enjoyed it. It was so… trivial. Despite that, her husband and his brother seemed to have fun sharing petty little stories about their childhoods with the stallion sitting across from her. Shining Heart’s wrinkly old face reverberated, his laugh a resounding drum. Silver pretended to clear her ears, not wishing to rudely shove cotton in them. “So… eeeeh… you’ve been… working? How’s that going?” The grey coated stallion’s speech was slow, and his question to Fire made it evident. As Shining ruffled his black mane she noticed deep stitches below it, though the old stallion tried to hide it, one glance was all it took for her. “Oh you know me… can’t stay in one place for long! Numerous old recipes to try out, made by griffons, ponies, centaurs!” Passion Blaze, disguised as Fire Heart, spread his hooves out as if to show that the opportunities were everywhere. “Yea… heh… that’s why you don’t have hot stuff like your brother! AHAHA-cough-HHAHAHAHHA!!!” Even with his old age, his lungs weak, the stallion wasted no opportunity to have a good laugh. “I suppose you do, eh Shining? Guess you were a great womanizer when you were younger? I’m wondering what happened to that guy... once he tied the knot.” Shining’s laugh steadily died down as Silver’s words hit the mark. Edem let her tongue out, winking as she nudged the stallion and gave him a soft kiss. “Yup! He’s all mine! Naughty little Shining fell for my charm!” She giggled, her laugh shared with all. “I bet you have more recent embarrassing stories to tell, eh Shining? Like those stitches beneath your hoof? My they must be deep...” Shining gulped for a moment at Silver’s words.Silver Wing smirked, if she had managed to make him uncomfortable perhaps he’d stop talking a bit. Regardless, she was enjoying the way she read the stallion with her observations. Satisfied with her move, she didn’t notice her husband’s mood change. Tidal grabbed Shining’s hoof, who resisted him, but once Tidal saw the stitches he gasped. “Where did this happen?” He demanded, an eerie silence echoing in the room after he spoke. “Haven’t I told you… haven’t the doctors told you…” Tidal’s voice trembled, his father shook his hooves, his smile leaving his face. His struggle to take his hoof away was in vain, his son was far too strong. “You’re just going to tell me.. to sit down, like everyone… I’m sick of it.” The stallion refused to look Tidal in the face. Chrysalis could sense the turmoil of emotions building up as everyone tightened around their positions. “Now now, Tidal…” Edem tried to calm her son down, putting a hoof on his shoulder to enhance the effect of her words. A jerking shoulder later she was pushed away. “How many times do you have to injure yourself to understand your condition is not a laughing matter? You can’t just go lifting stuff! You’re old, you need help!” The old stallion stubbornly looked down, refusing to acknowledge the words of his son. Fire Heart was silent as well: torn between interfering or not, he looked away from the fight. “What’s…” began Silver. “Paralysis Agitants. Otherwise known as Limp Bones disease,” declared Ao disguised as Tidal Rider. “My father has a neurological disease that slowly progresses, it makes his movements slower. Symptoms include shaking, slower speech. Just know all it takes a small push, and my father acts like a bowling ball. And it’s probably getting worse, because he’s probably been lifting!” “I told you, I’m fine!” Shining hitched back, raising his voice. He jerked his hoof back, but lost his balance on his chair, and almost fell but for his wife’s support. “Fire, aren’t you going to say something?” said a flabbergasted Ao. “You should both calm down…” Fire’s tone was calm, his eyes steady upon Ao’s twitching ones. Silver could just watch, the overload of information having stunned her temporarily. “If you haven’t noticed I’m trying to save my father, he’s your father too! Do you want him dead?” Fire put his hoof down, slamming the table at his brother’s words. The two siblings looked at each other intently, not backing down. “Easy there, Tidal…” Chrysalis tried to reach for her husband, only to receive a jerking hoof. She felt a sharp pain, his hoof smacking on her lips. She put a hoof to check there was a drop of blood. “Look at what you did!” she said, gritting her teeth, but Ao was unrelenting. “Oh I’m sorry you couldn’t read how frustrated I am now! Your wounds are soooo much more important than the health of my father!” he barked back, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “You know… I can take care of myself,” Shining interjected, trying to speak as fast as his condition allowed. “EVERYONE! Listen!” Edem shouted, slamming her hooves on the table, and in the second that she did they all heard the clear sound of hooves, followed by a slamming door. “That’s enough!” Said Edem, the old mare speaking steadily and clearly as she eyed down both her sons and husband. “There’s a mare in the next room trying to sleep. You’re probably scaring her with your shouting!” A wall next to them, Cloud was sleeping in a small bed covered in blankets, trying to silence the sound of fighting. She’d risen to get a glass of water, and had watched their fight. This was not going well… but she didn't know what to do! What was she supposed to do to cheer them all up? Could she even do something? For all her worth as a princess… Did her title grant her any influence on her family? Those questions and more troubled the young princess, who would just give anything for her parents to have a good time here. She closed the door and locked it behind her, refusing to answer the knocks that came later. Deep in thought, she didn't hear their voices. The image of the room was distant, the scent of the flowers granted her no joy now, and she was feeling cold despite the windows being locked. She looked at the posters on the walls, old brochures of the Canterlot Guard, and the Wonderbolts. She looked at her father in his pony form on top of a surfboard. This was his old room, but this all seemed so distant. How did the stallion on those posters change? Was he different? Calmer? Should he have stayed there? A black fog engulfed her as she drifted into the darkness of her mind, tearing her disguise as it did. Red flashes danced around her as she peeked into the small light ahead. The light took the shape of a lock, and she approached it, wanting to peek through it. “You betrayed me!” one of the voices said to the other. Angry hoofsteps rocked the ground, scaring the princess, whose breath became shallow, her body trembling. She couldn't see much… but she recognized the two changeling forms from where the sound was coming. “Stop…” Sky pleaded. She tried to open the door but there was no handle. She couldn't stop her parents, they wouldn't listen, her voice was low… distant… too far to reach their ears let alone their minds. “I didn’t betray you! I did it for your own good!” Ao said. “You helped the ponies, warned them! Taught them our magic!” Chrysalis exclaimed. She heard the sound of a sword unsheathing. She banged the black door, but no sound was made. Even the metal door refused to hear her pleas. “The fate of traitors… is death,” declared Chrysalis. “Stop! Mother, please! No more!” Sky wanted to reach them, to stop them, to scream. But her body refused to respond, her bangs on the door becoming slower as she tired herself out. Did she not have power to stop this? Was there no other way? None at all? The downed figure of her father gurgled, but his words were calm. “If I’m a traitor… then… I deserve this. Long live the Queen!” The King bowed and Sky finally got a look into his eyes. Those eyes of green and brown staring ahead confidently, directing their full attention, their love, their care, their life to someone who didn't want them. He was going to die… “STOOOP!!” As if obeying an order, the dream froze in place as blue covered everything. Sky felt another presence. She turned around to see the Princess of the night trotting steadily in the darkness with a simple smile upon her face. “Be at peace, changeling princess. I mean you no harm.” The blue alicorn made no sudden moves, not wishing to disturb the little changeling that stood before her, lest the weak dreamscape be shattered. “Princess Luna?” Sky responded, staring at the Nightweaver with an expression of wide-eyed awe. “I am here child, your dreams cannot harm you. I shall stand before you, and we shall face them together. Tell me… what is troubling you?” Luna’s speech was steady and clear. She had taken speech lessons, as well as studied psychology extensively to get up to speed with her subjects. As she progressed she noticed a steadily better reception, and apparently it was working. The changeling before her wasn't running, she didn't yell or scream, and as Luna smiled so did Sky. It didn’t last long though, as Sky lowered her head. “My parents are fighting. I fear they’re going to kill each other…” Luna waited for her to say something more. A few seconds later it was apparent that there was nothing more the young changeling could say. “Ao and Chrysalis. A strange couple, are they not? You must be Princess Sky then, correct?” Sky nodded silently, saying nothing more. Luna sat on her haunches, reaching the same height as Sky. She lifted Sky’s chin, meeting her eyes. “Listen, Sky. I know more than anyone how terrifying it must be to even think of killing your own flesh and blood.” Luna, fortunately, didn't have to explain what she meant to the changeling, the inaudible gasp combined with the shrinking pupils showed that she knew the legend and the truth behind it. Still, the changeling remained silent. “I can guess by the nightmare that you were dreaming of a time shortly after the Canterlot Wedding failure, no?” Another silent nod by Sky. She gulped as tears streaked down her cheeks. Luna conjured a tissue with her horn and wiped them out. “I want to see them happy again…” Sky rubbed her eyes and sniffed as Luna tugged her to her barrel, letting Sky’s head rest on her collar. “I’m here… I’ve sworn to your father to protect you however I can. I never break my oaths.” Luna caressed the changeling’s mane, her motherly instincts kicking in as she closed her eyes. Sky lifted her head up to look at Luna… Had she heard correctly? “Y-you were sent by my father?” Sky asked, clinging to the lunar monarch’s hoof. “Yes and no. I always strive to help all those who dream, regardless of species. But you see…” Luna paused. “Five years ago, your father and his brother helped us during Canterlot. They were the ones that warned us. Shhh…” she put a gentle hoof in Sky’s mouth before she could exclaim. “I’ll explain. They taught Cadance and Shining how to combine their magic, resulting in the unexpected blast of love that expelled the changelings. Your father felt guilty because he did few things to stop your mother’s vengeance in the past. He felt guilty his trust towards an individual was abused so.” Another pause, Luna closed her eyes “There was evidence that pointed to the idea that Princess Cadance was stealing changeling love. Your uncle suspected it was forged, falsified by remnants of a coup against the changeling nation. But…” Luna stopped and sighed. “But what?” Sky asked, eager to hear more. “But honor dictated your mother to not let this pass. The wishes of the changelings, of her people, demanded retribution. Retribution for deeds of oppression old and new. There was insufficient evidence to back your father’s claim… He tried to reach her, to show her the mistake she was making. I remember him saying he fell to his hooves and begged her to not start another war. He did not let her know, how sad he was for not being able to stop this. He couldn’t stop loving her.” Luna shook her head as if disappointed at what had happened. “Your uncle was proven right in the end. But without your father’s help, without having tempered his wife’s rage, many would have died. Princess Cadance would have been murdered, or starved even. A war was stopped with their help. But you want to know the most important thing? They all did it for you and your mother…” Luna’s face beamed as she tilted her head to the side. Listening to all this, Sky was at a loss of words. Her father saved a lot of people, it was true he might have done that out of selfish love, but then again did the motivation really matter? He’d done the right thing… The right thing… and had almost died for it. “That doesn’t help one bit…” Sky said, her mane covering her face as she tightened her teeth. “He almost died for it!” She jerked her head back, pulling from Luna. Luna pulled back, eyes wide at the sudden reaction. The young princess’s reactions were spontaneous, and she needed to handle the situation… fast. “I love the ponies, I want to know them more than anything. I want to meet the heroes that battled Tirek, that destroyed Sombra, that saved the world..” She pushed her hoof down, the dreamscape vibrating as her emotions echoed within it. “I want all of that… but I want my family back as well!” she put a hoof in her eyes, trying to stop their flow of tears. When she received another wipe she knew where to turn to see Luna. The night princess pondered for a moment. Could she really help? If she directly interfered with the matter what would others say about favoritism? Did she even have time? “I must find the Pneuma Flower,” the changeling said. Luna’s eyes widened. She knew of the flower and the rumors around it. Sky had a hard task ahead of her. “If what they say about it is true, then if I bring it back maybe…” She fell to her hooves grasping Luna’s collar, eyes pleading as they looked into the Dreamwalker’s. “Princess Luna. You have to help me… Please!” Sky’s eyes were red and likely she would be the same way in the real world, drenched in tears, back in her bed. “But… I am in Canterlot and that’s too far. Your parents have gotten over this once, do you really want to take up such a difficult task? It might be impossible. We might not even find the flower!” The night princess really wanted to help, but she needed to calm the changeling down. Sky needed to see that there were other ways, that this problem had more than one solution… But something in her wording pushed Sky back. “You don’t understand. Nobody understands. I must do it. I CAN do it!” The flash that sparked from within her eyes, the fire of determination, expanded. It engulfed the dream, surrounding Luna in one flash. “Wait Sky! I can…” Luna opened her eyes, gasping for air as the Dreamscape vanished and she found herself in her royal quarters back in Canterlot. “... help.” She trotted towards the window, looking south-east. There, beyond the horizon, where Los Pegasus was. There was something in Sky’s words that made her worry… She had to stop her from doing something stupid… Lest she perish in her quest for the flower.