//------------------------------//
// Battle of Wills 
// Story: Trixie in the Gryphon Empire 
// by Phaoray 
//------------------------------//

	Grumbling, Trixie rolled over. A few swipes of a hoof removed the sleep from her eyes. She nuzzled into her pillow again, giving a content sigh. As her mind began to wake up more, she perked an ear, listening for any sounds.

Silence. Blessed silence.

Her eyes opened to pitch darkness. A darkness her horn easily parted with a simple spell. Slowly, she rolled off of the side of the bed and fell onto the floor with no regard to catching herself. Her morning rituals were a bit strange, but they worked for her. She wandered in and out of conciousness for a few minutes, feeling the cold wood beneath her before finally standing up to begin the day.

The room was mostly bare except for the bed and a dresser. The dust on the floor made it clear that no one had used it in some time. The room was small, too small for an adult gryphon, and small enough for a pony like her to only be slightly comfortable in it. Still, Trixie knew the two reasons Gretta had tossed her in here last night after hearing Trixie screaming bloody murder.

First, there was no windows. Trixie didn't have to worry about  waking up to that again. Second, the three large bolts on a very thick wooden door. The hinges were, strangely enough, on the inside of the room as well. While safe, Trixie was pretty confident that whatever use this room once had was not a happy one. It was a little concerning to her. 

Of course, Trixie had many concerns, all of which she decided could wait until she had something to eat. 

Using her magic, Trixie unlocked the door and stepped out, getting her first real light of the day. The hallway was bare, as always, save for a leather clad white gryphon wearing the colors of the city guard standing near her door. He was new.  

Looking over, the gryphon nodded. "Good afternoon, honored prey."

"Afternoon?" 

"Yes Ma'am. You will find your old room ready for use again. We made sure none of your possessions were removed or damaged during the repairs and capture of the criminal. Feel free to freshen up if you like."

Blushing a bit, Trixie brought a hoof up to her mane, only now remembering the warped abomination that it became at night. Her hair was most likely a mess, jagged where it should be smooth, and she had noted it constantly trying to cover up one of her eyes already. Wordlessly, she walked past the guard. 

Cautiously, Trixie opened the door to her room. The window had been replaced, as well as part of the wall. She had been a bit panicked and disorientated last night and wound up just chucking anything that she could see at the shadow trying to make its way through the window. Everything but the bed had needed replacing. 

She took her time getting ready for what was left of the day. Despite sleeping in, or perhaps because of it, Trixie was feeling a bit groggy. She blamed it on Luna.

Trixie groaned while grooming her mane. That was not the way Trixie had hoped to meet her. In the audience of one of Trixie's shows, maybe. Introduced to her by Trixie's paramour, certainly. But getting into an argument and blasting her out of Trixie's dream? No, that was not on the list. Trixie sighed as she thought over what Luna had said.

First, and only pony to make it through The Hunt? Figures, all Trixie needs is the power of an Alicorn and she'll be just fine then...

She shook her head, putting the brush down and heading over to a small pile of scrolls. Better not think like that. Trixie tried for power with the Alicorn amulet and was lucky to not be kicked out of Equestria. She just needs to see the king before this week is up and then get out of the city as fast as possible.  

Silently, Trixie read the first part of the scroll.




Starlight Glimmer's Guide to Inner Harmony
 
Loyalty. Honesty. Generosity. Kindness. Laughter. These elements are found in all living things, and have proven to be what has guided Equestria through the worst of times. Among the races, Equines in particular seem to be attuned the best to these five virtues. While magic is often misconstrued as one of the elements, it is, at best,  a helper to the five virtues. Magic, like cutie marks, has actually been evidenced to cause more harm in Equestrian society than good. But, such thoughts are for later, good reader. Let us talk about you for a moment.

Apart from research, the main reason for somepony to desire to read through this is due to a sense of disharmony within themselves. Perhaps you feel shunned from others, or do not feel like you belong. Perhaps you have problems with friendships, both in making and keeping them. Do you fear that you cannot understand others, or think too differently from the herd? Do you stick out like a sore hoof? If any of this is true, dear reader, then there is one simple explanation.

You are not balanced.

This is not completely your fault. Parent's can encourage a foal to try to be unique, to feel and think of themselves as special compared to others. Many such foals become bullies later on in life, exp-




Trixie skimmed down the scroll, searching for what she was hoping to become her mantra.



Quotes from the current bearers of the five virtues:

Loyalty: Be true to your friends, and they will stay true to you in return.

Generousity: Give freely, the more dear something is to you, the more likely that it can help another more.

Laughter: The important thing about a good joke is how many smiles it brings.

Kindness: We all hurt or get hurt by somepony at some point. What matters is how we recover as friends from those incidents. 

Honesty: Lyings never done anypony a lick of good. Work hard, be upfront, and there ain't nothing you can't do!




After reading these lines several times, Trixie closed her eyes and repeated them in her own head. After a minute of this, she opened them again, gathered her attire, and headed for the exit. With a gentle click of the door closing behind her, Trixie made her way downstairs, and then to the bar. She was greeted by Gretta, along with a plate of her normal fare. 

"Ah, Miss Trixie." Gretta said, waving to her from the bar. "I must apologize for the last few days."

Trixie sat down at the bar, and started nibbling on her food. "For what?"

"Well-" Gretta started, a look of regret on her face. "I have not been as careful as I should have been. I had hoped that the staff who work here would be enough eyes to keep you safe, but I did not realize just how many gryphons would break the rules and come after you. For that, I am sorry, and I assure you that events like last night will not happen again."

Trixie gave Gretta a unconvinced look. "Trixie wants to believe you, and she knows you are doing your best, but..."

Gretta nodded. "There has been issues, I know. But there is now a guard outside on patrol, both day and night, and one in the hallway by your bedroom. I was hoping after the first two attempts it would stop, but I was wrong. This hunt has been...different from the others, from what I have been told."

"Oh?"

"It seems that honor and the glory of the hunt itself is less important than the prize this time."

Trixie thinks it has something more to do with their sick desire to hunt others for fun.

"Wait...what prize?"

Gretta stopped cleaning a shot glass at that question, and looked at Trixie with confusion, and then understanding. "Ah. I suppose that information was lost, or was never important at your training camp. The hunter who kills the honored prey is written about, getting his name in the papers across the empire. They are usually invited to many of the higher nobles parties for a time, and, if there family is not noble, there is a good chance that they can be made minor nobility. They even have the honor of sitting at the King's table and recounting the story." Gretta shrugged her shoulders. "Personally? I think the ones risking hunting you early are trying to get their record cleaned off, which is possible if you were, or even if you are, a criminal. A criminal history brings much shame on a family, noble or otherwise." 

"...Great, and just why are they able to get any of that if they...catch Trixie early?"

"Pfft, the one from last night? He would have been dead the moment he tried to claim the prize. His was a stupid plan, left too much evidence. What did he think the guards would believe? That you decided to take a stroll outside, couldn't wait long enough to walk downstairs, let alone open the window, and figured the best idea was to just jump through it? Idiot."

Gretta shook her head in disgust. "No, they need to make it look like you decided to run, or disappear for a few days, and make it into a Hunt of Shame. The rewards for that are not nearly what the Hunt of Honor gives, but it is enough for gryphons like that."

"Figures, even this so called 'honorable hunt' has loopholes." Trixie began to wonder if there was any she could exploit.

"The hunt's rules are from a different time, less gryphons, less crime, etcetera, etcetera. It is still the most fair of the hunts out there though. And perhaps some rules will be changed once this one ends."

Trixie nodded while chewing on a carrot. "So, how's Groat?"

Gretta grinned at that. "Oh, the little hunter is of no worry to you for the moment. You sprained one of his legs, so he won't be after you again. At least, this week. But even if he tries again next week, you will have bigger gryphons to fry. Fledglings like him are pushed to the back once the first week is over."

Trixie gave a little smirk back, despite how her insides felt at the mention of next week. "Well, it's good to hear he wasn't too hurt." She sighed, looking over to the inn door. "Trixie supposes she's left her adoring public waiting long enough on her." Trixie gave a nod to Gretta, and, With a groan, got off of the stool.

"Knock em dead. Or, well, knock them over, they are fledglings after all."

With one last grin, Trixie made her way towards the exit. "Trixie will work to remember that while they are trying to kill her."





Ugh. Are they really trying to kill Trixie, or just waste her time?

She was only a few blocks from the palace by now. Considering the time of day, she doubted she'd have much chance of even getting to the two chucklehead guards at the door, but, well, she didn't really have anywhere safe to go before nightfall anyways. 

With burst of speed and a few smoke bombs, Trixie ran into an alley. One of the few she noticed to not have any young gryphons lying in ambush for her.

Seriously, the first day, they chase Trixie like mad, and now it's all poorly done ambushes and glide by attacks. Trixie is...happy at how bad they are at this, but, still...it's beginning to feel a bit insulting.

Sitting down, Trixie started watching the road. She had earned a few minutes rest. Her mind slowly drifted back to last night with Luna.

What is Trixie going to do about her? Hopefully she took the hint, and will leave her alone now, but...somehow Trixie doubts it.

She pondered a bit, listening to the pitter patter of clawed feet as gryphons passed her by, and the small scrabbling of claws on top of buildings.

She's probably furious. Technically, she does outrank Trixie...okay, so it's not technically. Keep working on that ego, Trixie. It's gotten you so far in life. Buck, again with thinking Trixie...err..I'm better than other ponies...

She sighed, noting the sounds of clawed feet on the roads coming from all around her. 

Reading that scroll isn't helping enough. Would Starlight have even been willing to help me if I could have tracked her down? Just my luck she disappeared a few years ago...wait...the street is in front of me, so why is Trixie hearing walking from-BUCK!

Trixie bucked behind her as hard as she could, coming in contact with something. Something hard. Luckily, that something was not heavy enough to stop from flying away once Trixie's hooves hit it. With a solid smack, Trixie's would be attacker bounced off one of the walls. 

She quickly spun around, readying her horn to blast whoever was after her. Her ears zoned in on something she hadn't been expecting however. 

Crying.

A small gryphon was curled up near the side of the alley, holding its beak between its paws. While most of the gryphon's body was a deep red, their paws and head were a very pure white. Trixie took a cautious step closer, noticing the feminine features of the gryphon now.

Something nagged at Trixie about this gryphon, but she shook it away. Whether or not Trixie met her before wasn't the issue, this gryphon had tried to kill her, and had gotten exceedingly close. Giving a small grumble, Trixie approached the gryphon, lightly stepping on her tail to get her attention. With a cry, the gryphon clumsily jumped up, almost falling over again from the surprise. 

"Now-" Trixie said, "Turn around."

Shivering like a leaf, the gryphon slowly turned her head towards Trixie, tears still slipping down her beak, which was still being held in one clawed paw. When their eyes met, the gryphon's breathing began to pick up. It was almost ridiculous to Trixie, considering how this gyphon was just as tall as she was, yet almost cowering before her. A sick part of Trixie was actually enjoying the gryphon's terror, but she did her best to ignore it. Getting pleasure out of scaring children was definitely not a good thing.

The gryphon squirmed a little, whimpering as she tried to dislodge her tail from underneath Trixie. She stomped her hoof down harder, causing the gryphon to start tearing up again.

We all hurt or get hurt by somepony at some point. What matters is how we recover as friends from those incidents. 

Trixie sighed, taking her hoof off of the gryphon's tail. The gryphon immediately brought the tail up to her paw and started to gently stroke it, keeping two fearful eyes on Trixie. 

"Look...Trixie is sorry for scaring you. Just...don't try to kill her again, okay?"

It wasn't her best work, but then again, Trixie really didn't know what to say in a situation like this.

Trixie heard a heavy thump form behind her as another gryphon landed. She quickly turned around, horn blazing.

"Gertrude!"

"U-U-Uncle!"

The young gryphon, who Trixie now knew to be Gertrude, ran past her as fast as she could, and collided with her uncle in a bone crushing hug. Gertrude began crying as her uncle stroked her head. Calmly, the uncle looked over at Trixie.

"Honored prey, I apologize. I hope you can forgive my intrusion. I realize that all you've done is scare her compared to the ones who hunted you yesterday, but I was unable to watch any longer."

Trixie groaned, putting a hoof to her face. "It's fine, is she okay?"

He nodded, lifting the now calmer Gertrude up onto his back where she clung and hid between his shoulders from Trixie. "The kick and your actions after scared her much more than hurt her. She'll be fine. I thank you for your understanding."

"This wouldn't have happened to her if you didn't bring her out to hunt Trixie you know."

"I'm sorry about her performance, I assure you next time-"

"Trixie isn't upset about her not being able to sneak up on Trixie! Why do you, why do all of you think it's a good idea to hunt others in the first place!?"

"Why do we hunt?" the uncle asked, a thoughtful look on his face. "Because we are hunters. Because we are predators. It is who we are."

"That doesn't excuse-"

"No, it doesn't excuse what we do. But it is necessary. To become docile means to die. It means opening our borders to invasion. If all we did was eat what comes off of the farms, we would grow soft. A soft predator surrounded by strong prey is a dead predator."

"And trust me, honored prey," He said, giving Trixie a small bow. "You yourself show us how strong the prey of your nation can be. We honor this trial you are going through as the only nation still willing to challenge us as you are."

"W-well..." Trixie shuffled her hooves a bit uncomfortably. "Trixie guesses that makes some sense...but wouldn't it be better to make allies with the stronger prey then?"

The uncle shrugged. "I am no diplomat. But, tell me, for the sake of argument. If all plants and edible things for you suddenly became sentient, would you allow yourself to starve, or eat them? How easy do you think it would be to ally with a nation of plants, when you and your ponies eat other plants daily? How long would it take you to understand that one plant is smarter then another, and that you should only eat it under the most strict of circumstances?"

"..."

He bowed to her again. "We respect the sacrifice that you and many others have made to keep our nation strong. I am honored that you taught my niece a lesson in a safe environment as opposed to her learning it when it is too late. May the hunt be glorious for you." With those words, he turned around and walked off. Gertrude looked back at Trixie from her uncle's back, and Trixie watched them both until they were no longer in sight.

"This...is this really how it has to be...?"

She didn't want to believe it, she couldn't believe that. Harmony always found a way. The virtues worked in Equestria, it worked on every race in Equestria, it even worked in the Crystal Empire. Surely harmony would work here too, with the right catalyst? But, what was the right catalyst?

Trixie can only hope its her. If not, this won't end well five days from now...



 

Collapsing onto her bed, Trixie wearily let out a loud sigh.

"Well, that was a waste of a day."

She writhed on the bed a little, trying to get comfortable. A brief flash of pain colored her features as Trixie accidently rubbed her back on the new cuts she received from a few of the better hidden gryphons. Apart from now being more wary of fruit stands, Trixie considered the day a bust.

"Didn't even get to talk to those idiot guards today. Not like they have ever been helpful. Maybe Trixie will get lucky and they'll drown themselves tonight."

Sadly, Gerard had been busy, so Trixie spent her night at the bar drinking and eating alone. She'd gotten used to at least seeing one friendly face in Gryphus. It made the daily near death experiences a little easier to handle.	

"On the bright side, at least the guards will make sure Trixie's rest is not disturbed for once."






So much for finally getting a good nights rest. I wonder if gryphons know how to patrol dreams?

Trixie rubbed her head, irritated that a certain Princess couldn't take a hint and stop obsessing over her. The irony was not lost on Trixie.

Still, she hadn't been back to the Pie's rock farm in ages, and decided to take a look around while she waited for whatever Luna was planning. Off in the distance she could make out the farmhouse where she spent many a night sore and completely exhausted. The fields looked the same as always; brown, and covered in rocks ranging from small pebbles, to the size of the farmhouse itself. Trixie had never managed to see how the Pie's hauled in the largest of rocks, but perhaps that was for the best. Some mysteries were best left unsolved in her opinion.

Far above Trixie, various memories and images flashed in and out in the sky like last time. After a few minutes of quietly looking around, she became a bit nervous. Luna had appeared to her much faster last night. What was she waiting for? While cautiously glancing around, Trixie made her way deeper into the stone filled fields.

After a few minutes, Trixie grew a little annoyed. The farmhouse was not getting any nearer for her, and she wasn't even sure if she had made any progress towards it. Was Luna just playing with her? 

She's probably still annoyed at the whole 'magic blast to the face' thing from yesterday. She seems the type to hold a grudge.

Trixie sat down, deciding that she was fine where she was for the moment. Her horn glowed as she lifted two rocks into the air with her telekinesis. They were each about the size of her, and made a soothing smashing noise as she crashed them together. Slowly, the rocks began crumbling underneath the intense pressure of her magic, as well as the blows from being repeatedly smacked into one another. After a short time of this, Trixie began to reminisce on the past. 

It hadn't been easy, staying at the rock farm. She had stumbled in, having lost her wagon and just about everything else long before making it to the small town near the farm. She'd found out the farm needed helpers, and they didn't bat an eye at her claims of greatness when she came in for an interview. 

It was pathetic of her, now that she thought on it. She had acted so prideful, despite the tattered cloak and hat she wore that day. She'd even claimed to be a master of the art of rock smashing. She was pretty sure her ribs had been showing at the time, further proof that she wasn't in the best of shape for lifting a pickaxe, let alone the work they wanted her to do.

The final small rocks drifted to the ground, leaving Trixie a solid core of gems and cracked open geodes held in her telekinesis. She drifted them over to the cart Luna had brought over, and picked up two slightly larger boulders before going back to her thoughts.  

This job helped me become a lot more down to earth...for a short time, at least.

She had started out in the worst of ways, her stubbornness causing her to drive herself to unconsciousness in the fields each day. She had been angry at the time. The job was desperately needed, and paid well, but she still couldn't believe her life as a show mare trying to amaze Equestria had brought her to this dead end farm. For the first three months, she had constantly collapsed in those fields, only to wake up in her bed at the farmhouse. Nopony said a word about it, though it was clear that they weren't happy with her actions. While a small part of Trixie thought it might have been due to them being worried about her, her cynical side at the time assured her it was more likely that the Pie's did not think they were getting their monies worth out of her. She had tried harder, continuing to ignore breaks the other Pie's took and suggested she did as well. Regardless of the wisdom at the time, Trixie had preferred collapsing than admitting defeat to a bunch of dumb rocks. She had already lost too many times as it was.

Still, I did improve. Lifting objects like this is a joke to Trixie now. 

Absentmindedly, she re-filled the empty cart Luna had brought back before picking up another two boulders. 

Her magic might still be weak at a lot of things, but her telekinesis had improved in leaps and bounds thanks to the farm. Six months in, and she had stopped using a pickaxe entirely, it wound up just slowing her down. Her magic was enough to crack them open, albeit slower then she had liked at the time. While she still couldn't compare to how quickly the Pie's could smash their hooves through solid granite, she was at least able to almost keep up with them as time went on. Eventually, she just did what she was doing now, levitating and smashing the rocks against eachother, all the while grinding them down under the pressure of her magic. Finally, she had found a technique that put her on even hooves with the rest of the farms members. 

That success, as well as the end of the harvest season (Again, something best left unsolved) had netted Trixie enough bits to try to re-make her image. But to do that, she needed a way to defeat Twilight and show Equestria that she wasn't a joke. Unfortunately, while she was stronger, Trixie's only new skill was being able to lift heavy objects and crush them. While that may have been enough to defeat Twilight, Trixie was not willing to cross that line to win.

"You really should rest, the rocks aren't going anywhere."

"Fine, just one more and Trixie will take a break."

"Very well, though that's the last one I'm hauling for you. Call me a touch arrogant, but I like to think that I'm a bit over qualified for a job like this."

And then Trixie had found the amulet, along with several books of advanced magic she could never use with just her own meager powers. She had studied those books for months, the world getting a bit hazier every day, until-

Trixie screamed and ran a few dozen hooves away from Luna before turning around and staring at her. "What are you doing here!?"

"...Unloading this cart for you?"

"Don't get cute with Trixie!"

Luna blushed, bringing a regal hoof up to her lips. "Are you...coming onto me? I was so sure you were interested in another Alicorn, but if it's me, well-"

"Stop!" Trixie held up a hoof demandingly. "Stop right there! Trixie is already a master at changing subjects when cornered, so she knows what you are trying to do!"

"Hmph." Luna took her hoof down, losing her blush and flirtatious look. "Forgive us for trying to banter with you. Though what if we were to say we were actually interested in you in that manner?"

"Trixie is flattered, but she is already taken."

"Right." Luna started to approach Trixie, her steps causing Trixie to start backing away from her slowly. "I have quite a few questions about that as well. But I would like to see you alive and well to ask them first, if you don't mind."

"T-trixie in fact, does mind. She would rather you not come to Gryphus after her."

"Pfft. For a mare claiming the desire to be virtuous, you think a lot of yourself."

Trixie's eyes widened as she looked to the ground. "Trix-I-I'm not trying to-"

"Stop that." Luna interrupted. "We were teasing you, but perhaps we should speak of this now as it has come up. You, Trixie Lulamoon, are not meant to be a humble pony."

"...What?"

"Look at yourself." Luna pointed to Trixie's cape and hat. They were clean, crisp, and sparkling. "Look at this dream...nevermind. You are not experienced enough to see it, but I do. There is no red agitation, no confusion here. When we were just speaking, you were yourself, and not a befuddled mess  trying to follow another's beliefs."

Trixie sighed. "Thanks for rubbing that in my face. Yes, Trixie is still struggling to better herself, and yes Tr-I am still failing at it. I know."

Luna gaped at her. "A-are you even listening to what we are saying!? This path you are walking is not who you are, it is not a path that anypony should follow! You wish to care for others more? Then do it. You wish to be a better pony? Then do it. But do it in a way that is right for who you are. Don't follow a path that tries to lead you away from yourself like this. This path that claims to be virtuous is only bringing you down a road you can't walk."

Trixie looked at Luna, wide eyed for a moment, before her look of surprise turned to a narrow eyed glare. "You...wish for Trixie to fail...don't you?"

"What?"

"Trixie thought over the virtue of kindness today when faced with the decision to hurt a fledgling, or to let her go. Part of me wanted to injure her, to keep her from coming back and trying to kill Trixie."

"Well, in your circumstances, that is understandable, but-"

"Trixie only stopped because of remembering the quote about the virtue of kindness! They are helping her!"

Luna shook her head sadly at Trixie. "Please do not take this the wrong way, but, no, they are not. From what I have seen, and what little I know of you now, you would not have hurt that nestling. You only think those beliefs are helping you, Trixie. You wouldn't have hurt her because you are not a bad pony. Not because of what a book tells you to do."

Helplessly, Trixie let a lone tear fall down her cheek. "W-why won't you understand!?"

"I do, Trixie, more than you know. Please, let me help you. I should have a small group ready to head to Gryphus soon. But, if you could just make it to the border, I can-"

"No! I'm not done here yet! I told you, I can't go back!" Trixie turned around and began trotting away from Luna. Away from the farm. But, no matter how she tried, there was no end in sight, and Luna easily kept up to her.

"It's happening again. You're mind is unsettled, your path unclear. It's why you aren't making any progress."

Trixie's legs felt like they were fighting through molasses with every step. "Shut up! Let Trixie go!" 

"I'm not doing this to you. Look, let us talk about something else, perhaps that will calm you down. The Alicorn on that pedestal, I could not see them clearly, but-"

And just like that, the molasses was suddenly gone. Blushing red, Trixie focused on getting away from Luna and that conversation as fast as possible. She ran like a bat out of Tartarus.

Unfortunately, Luna seemed used to chasing such bats, as the sounds of the Lunar Princess gaining on Trixie confirmed.

"Wait, Trixie!"

"Just leave me alone!"

"Please! Could we just...huh." Luna looked around her, noticing she was now in a dark forest. The moon was overhead, but, as she continued to run after Trixie, the light dimmed worse and worse.

 This is a very bad time for her Dreamwalking talent to come into play...

"Trixie! Stop!"

A sob from far away caused Luna to feel as if she had been kicked in the chest. The light continued to dim, and she lost sight of Trixie. All Luna could hear was Trixie's hooves as she continued to run, her mind subconsciously continuing to warp the dream. Her latent dream walking was making it impossible for Luna to use her usual tricks to regain control and help her.

We...we did not mean for this to happen...

Luna stopped chasing, unable to find her way anymore. She could do nothing as the dream turned into a nightmare meant to prey on Trixie's fears. Most likely, from what little she had gleamed of Trixie so far in the waking world, Luna would be hearing the sounds of a Ursa roaring within the next few minutes.

I was only trying to help...

Luna shook her head in dismay and regret. Trixie was going to be hard to help through this, if it was even possible. The mare was unbelievably stubborn and unwilling to let Luna, or probably anypony else, in. It reminded Luna of herself, long ago. She decided she would try again tomorrow, and began the almost subconscious by now spell needed to leave the dream. Just as it was almost completed, another sob made its way to Luna's ears.

Sighing, Luna undid the spell and started to slowly feel her way through the forest again. She decided to spend the rest of the night in the nightmare. If lucky, they would stumble upon eachother and Luna could try again. If not, Luna would have to walk through a nightmare of her own making for a night. 

It wouldn't be the first time.