//------------------------------// // An Exchange of Dreams // Story: A Cultural Exchange // by Illiad_Easle //------------------------------// Illiad knew that there could be serious consequences to telling this story or allowing this encounter, but he was willing to risk it to make Dax feel special. "You know what's more amazing? A star wants to meet you." He held out his gem towards Dax, it was still glowing faintly. "I know she doesn't glow as bright as she did then, but she's still as alive as ever. Which do you want to do first, meet her? Or hear the story of how I met her?" Dax blinked, looking at the gem. "But... but how can..." As realization set in, Dax's face went from sad curiosity to open wonder. "Really? I mean, I know I talk to 'em all the time... but you're saying a star actually wants to talk with me?" Dax was taken completely by surprise. "But YOU'RE the important one here, that's why they spoke to you... why would they ever..." He looked at Illiad for a moment, then looked back at the gem. "... there's a story? I'd... like to hear that, if I may please?" He stared raptly at the stone, as if he was waiting for it to reach out and boop his muzzle. Illiad was glad he, or rather Selena, was able to instill such wonder. His face grew a little more serious, yet still kind. "Alright, the story has some background to it so I'll start there and work forward. It all started long ago, back before Discord was defeated. You may have learned that Celestia and Luna were given the elements of harmony and defeated Discord, but that is not the whole story. The princesses found The Tree of Peace in the Everfree forest, and it gave them each a gift to help defeat Discord. To Celestia it gave the elements of harmony, and to Luna it gave the scales of balance. Together they defeated Discord and restored peace to the world.” “Each of their respective gifts were too great to be wielded by any individual, even an alicorn, so they divided their gifts and formed groups to share their burdens. Celestia formed the elements of harmony in a similar manner to the ones you know today, and Luna formed the Balance. The Scales Balance were composed of four distinct pairs, Good and Evil, Sickness and Health, Rain and Shine, and Wisdom and Strength. The first three were better known as the balance of Karma, Life, and Weather respectively. Each balance had their own special gem that assisted them in their tasks of balance, Karma had a cloud diamond as good and evil are nebulous concepts that can change based on the perspective, Life had a fire ruby as fire can save lives as well as end them, Weather had a storm sapphire which allowed them to create or dissipate weather even if they were not a pegasus. The last had a wisdom gem, the only known in existence, a light purple octahedron that would balance the holder's wisdom and strength, making them as smart as they were strong and vice versa, which ever was higher.” “Anyway, As Celestia bore the element of magic, Luna bore the balance of karma. Balance is not as easy as harmony as balance must be kept in a constant state of motion, an ellipse that neither gets too close to the far edges, nor to the center as if it were to achieve a perfect balance, there would be no good nor evil in the world, all would be stagnant and unchanging. As our world tends towards good, Luna was then obligated to cause bad things to happen to prevent the balance from shifting too far towards good as if it were to hit perfect good of perfect bad it would be just as unfortunate as a perfect balance. Celestia however did not see it this way and couldn’t understand the plight Luna faced, and thus forbade Luna from doing what she had to do to keep the world in balance.” “Eventually what was required to save the world was too much, she was too good a pony to do what had to be done, so she split her soul. She removed the good parts of herself and placed them in the diamond, intending to return it once her task had been completed. She became Nightmare Moon, threatening to end the world in order to save it. As harmony was not meant to counter balance, Celestia lost her connection by opposing Luna and banishing her. The remaining ponies Luna had entrusted the Balance to each removed a shard of their gems and sent what remained to the moon to rescue Luna, each gem contained a static copy of their souls and the enough charged magic to glow as brightly as any star. And so the Balance became stars, the four gems working to break the spell that bound Luna and return her to the world where she could be reunited with the other half of her soul.” “When she returned however, the elements found her first, filling the hole she had made in her soul, and making it impossible to reunite with the part she had removed. The gems had been scattered by her return, they had to find new ponies to wield them so they went to where they could be discovered by the right individuals and reunited with the shards left behind. Celestia recovered the cloud diamond, believing it to be the source of her sister's corruption she locked it away. Until I, as the new balance of karma, was sent to recover it. The soul that Luna had left had grown conscious over the thousand years, a being of magic that named itself Selena." The gem floated upward and towards Dax until it was fairly close to his face. "In a way I am important, but my importance relies on the fact that no one knows I'm important. Thus I must ask that you not tell anyone what I told you." Illiad looked back up at the sky. "She is not like the rest of the stars in the sky, those are not conscious, and technically Selena was never really a star, but astronomers named her such and so she is." Looking back towards Dax. "She has the same dream-walking ability that Luna has, so you will meet her when you go to sleep tonight. I hope the story made sense to you, though I would be happy to clarify any points that weren't clear." Dax had listened intently, never losing interest or fidgeting like other teenagers might; he was effectively a prisoner of the tale's cell, and he wanted no key. After Illiad finished speaking, Dax kept looking at the gem, the wonder in his eyes genuine and fresh - and he spoke to it, though the look on his face showed a bit of hesitancy. "H-h-hello, Selena... it is nice to m-meet you." He almost whispered the greeting to the gem, as if he expected it to fall apart at the slightest breath. He then stepped back reverently, and looked at the unicorn with a combination of awe and curiosity. His emotional state was one of reverence, and his entire body language was that of someone who was afraid they would wake the world with a single sniffle. His shining emerald eyes wide, he spoke quietly. "I won't say a word. Why would I? This is definitely one of the coolest things I've ever known... but, there's something that makes me wonder, Illiad; what happened to the Wisdom Gem? Does Princess Celestia have it? Does Princess Luna? What happened to it?" Illiad's expression fell slightly, he feared he might have made himself appear too distant. "We don't know, both the shard and the piece that was sent to save Luna are still missing to us. The shard was expected as all the shards went missing over the thousand year absence, but the wholes were recovered fairly quickly after her return. We've been looking for it but no luck so far. I trust it will eventually find its way into the right hooves." He gave a curious glance at Illiad, but returned his gaze to the gemstone soon enough. "Pieces of stars... of Luna's soul... I don't know what to say, Illiad; I'm really honored and flattered that you shared this...her... with me. I'm worried, though - if there are other ponies with abilities like yours, will they be able to see it in my mind? Will I even have to worry about that?" He returned to silence for a moment, still staring. Then, "I hope she likes me." A small grin appeared, and eagerness and hope began flowing from the Earth Pony. Seems like someone was going to be happy to get to sleep tonight. Speaking of night, it was certainly dark out... dark and cold. Illiad shivered slightly from the cold, he wove a warming enchantment into his robes, replacing the protection one from when he arrived. "Empathics can't read your mind Dax, you don't need to worry about that. And as long as no one knows you know then you won’t have to worry about coercion either. I think Selena likes you just fine, remember how she was half of Luna's soul? Well, in my being the new balance of karma, part of me is in her too, though she is mostly Luna." Illiad looked around again. "It certainly gets cold here at night, much colder than in Troy." Dax blinked a few times rapidly, refocusing from the hypnosis the Cloud Diamond had him under. He then gave a soft chuckle. "Yeah, this far north? It gets plenty cold in the winter; still kinda cold in the summer, too. But you're living in Troy - here, stay right there." Dax made his way into the tent, and after a bit of shuffling around from inside, he poked his head out. "Okay, c'mon - there's a blanket in here that I'm sure has your name on it!" When he looked inside, Illiad saw what was what - the tent was somewhat big, but roughly half of the room in it was taken up with an 'Outdoor Study' of sorts; an actual desk with paper and quills and ink... a mirror and a washbasin... a small, worn yet comfy-looking stool... an actual filing cabinet... all of which was fairly tidy, if a tad cluttered. In the other half of the tent, there were twin squares of layered blankets, complete with pillows. In the center was a magic-powered lantern, turned high enough to see, but low enough to still get a fantastic view of the sky through the mesh windows. Illiad looked around, impressed by the little room. "This is a nice little place you've got here. Cozy, it reminds me of my little work room back home." As Illiad had no idea as to where it would be acceptable to sit, and he didn't want to look like he didn't know what he was doing, he turned his attention back to the stars through the mesh windows. Dax motioned to the blankets. "You can take either side - I'm not picky. I don't think I snore, so you should sleep fine... if it's still cold, let me know and I can come up with another blanket." He looked about as Illiad complimented the place. "Yeah, I brought all this stuff little by little; this is where I like to stay, after all. Might as well have myself a little home here, including some creature comforts." He watched Illiad for a moment, simply enjoying the company of a real, honest-to-goodness friend. "So, you uhm... are you tired, or do you wanna talk some more? Either way, I'm fine with it." He smiled kindly. "I'm just happy I'm not by myself." Illiad moved to sit on one of the blankets. "Well, I don't really have a strong preference one way or the other, I've gotten used to staying up all night from my time in Troy." The gem seemed to glow slightly differently for a short while. "As excited as Selena is to meet you more directly, she is content to wait if you want to stay up and talk." Dax looked back and forth between the gem and Illiad. "Oh... now I'm kinda torn; I don't wanna be rude and keep someone waiting on me... but I don't wanna just leave you here alone, either. Aw, shucks." He may have been lamenting the situation, but his emotional flow said he wasn't actually rattled - merely indecisive. He stayed put for a bit, then he got a bit of a smile. "Y'know... it's funny how things work out sometimes. When I started writing letters to you, I was really in a bad place in my head. I figured I'd give this a try, seeing as how I didn't really have anything to lose. I didn't expect an answer from you - heck, I didn't expect an answer from ANYPONY, to be honest." He turned his kindest smile on, facing the unicorn. "But you did. You wrote back, and you sounded so thrilled to write to me, that it gave me hope... hope for the future, y'know? It made me feel like, hey, if I can make a friend through the mail, then face-to-face should be easy, right? I mean, not here at the quarry - I know - but all over Equestria. And every single one is a potential friend." He finally laid back on one of the sets of quilts, crossing his forelegs over his chest as he gazed out at the stars. "I was thinking... I don't know... maybe I will write a letter to Princess Luna, like you suggested. I mean, you said yourself that she enjoys hearing from her subjects, right? I... well, I..." The blush on Dax's face was visible, even in the low light. "... I really think she's the most beautiful mare I've ever seen. I mean, I know I KNOW... there's no point in wanting to... to marry her... as I'm just a commoner; I'm no Prince or anything... but, she always looks so lonely in the photographs and paintings I've seen of her... and someone like her shouldn't be lonely. I know what that's like, though nowhere NEAR the level she knows, I'm sure. But..." He glanced at Illiad. "... but I'd make sure she never felt lonely again. We could help each other; no more nights by ourselves anymore. She wouldn't have to be trapped in royal solitude anymore, and she..." Dax blinked, realizing he was rambling about something that was, to be honest, somewhat embarrassing... though, for what it was worth, there most certainly was a ribbon of affection coming from the young stallion. "... well... I know it's a pipe dream, sure... but I've whiled away a lot of nights thinking of her. I know I probably shouldn't, but I can't help myself. And I... probably shouldn't have said all that, huh?" He gave a sheepish grin that could beat the band. "When you get lonely, the mind goes pretty darn deep, sometimes." He put his hooves behind his head now, still looking out the window at his only other friends. "You've actually MET her, too... and you're pretty special to her, I gather. Is she really as pretty as they say?" Illiad found Dax's ramblings to be somewhat cute, especially when he was talking about Luna. That is not to say he didn't take them seriously however. "Well, first of all I'm glad I was able to improve your life in some way. As to Luna, I know she'd appreciate having someone to exchange letters with. I would if I didn't already meet with her directly often enough. You sound like you really do care about her, you'd fit in well with Trojan culture in that regard. I think she's a decent looking mare, she's not exactly my type as she's a bit too authoritarian for my tastes, but she's kind and caring too. I would say many of the more recent depictions of her are fairly accurate to what she looks like, but it's never a good comparison to actually meeting her directly." A sly smile came to his face, "You know, she does visit Troy fairly often, maybe we'll run into her during your visit?" "I know MY luck; I'll have either just missed her, or she'll be there next week." His response was cynical... but the Empathic could feel a little, tiny flicker of hope kindle in Dax Blackwater. "But, yeah... I kinda wish I was older, y'know? I wouldn't care if I was royalty or not - I would try my best to charm her. Treat her how she deserves to be treated. I might not get taken seriously, but I would at least try; then I wouldn't spend my twilight years wondering if I'd have missed out on my chances. Such as they'd be." He smiled then, his eyelids half-closed as he settled back a bit more into the covers, pulling the top blanket halfway over himself. "A ball would be nice, tho'... I could see it, Illiad; the music, the atmosphere, the dancing... I would be waitin' at the side, with a nice suit on - and not one o' those fancy numbers Mother tries to dress me in; I mean a really nice suit... and I would see her across the way, lookin' all alone an' sad... she'd be beautiful, too... an' I'd have the chestnuts to walk right over to her an' tell her, 'Madam, we may be among the stars here, but your light outshines them all... may this comet take a spin in your orbit with you?'..." he gave a sleepy chuckle, and yawned before continuing. "She would smile, an' tell me I was quite a gentlecolt... an' she'd take my hoof... an' we'd dance... an' dance... an' dansirmuff..." There was only the sound of crickets chirping their lullabye for a moment, then a soft, tiny little snore issued from the lump of quilt and pony next to Illiad Easle. Illiad thought Dax’s talk of Luna was slightly endearing, he contemplated telling Luna before they met, but decided against it. It would not be well to have any preconceived notions at their meeting. Illiad set the gem so that it would be close enough to both of them to work its dream magic before settling in to sleep himself, there was no point in staying up later than his host after all. Illiad was aware of the dream as he had grown accustomed when Selena wanted to talk, it appeared she wanted him to be there for the meeting with Dax. Illiad was surprised to see that the plain white room had been furnished slightly, in that there were chairs already there. He supposed that made sense given Dax would have no experience with this room when Selena pulled him into it. Speaking of which, Selena looked as radiant as she ever did, she seemed like she wanted to impress Dax. Her form was the familiar one of a young and thin crystal mare, her slightly bluer mane and tail were arranged in a cute, yet beautiful way. Illiad approached and gave her a slight hug, "I'm sure he'll like you just fine." With a slight nod that betrayed her nervousness she went to the doors of the room, and prepared to summon Dax to the collective dream. She managed to snag him right at the beginning of what would no doubt be a wonderful dream if left unaltered, but Selena managed to pull him away. Dax would become aware of the dream world and find himself in front of a set of closed doors in front and a lever behind him marked exit. There was a moment where nothing happened at first. Before any worry could start, however, the doors were carefully pushed open, and the visitor outside stepped in... but it took a moment before either of them realized what was standing in front of them. They had expected cute little Dax Blackwater, almost grown yet still so child-like that it was hard to take him seriously as an adult for many ponies... The stallion that entered the room was a shocking difference, but also familiar. He was as tall as Luther Blackwater himself, and had a similar build as well. He looked strong and powerful, like he was the King of the Rock Miners. He was also roguishly handsome; the emerald eyes, the black and green mane pulled back in a neat ponytail, the goatee well-trimmed and sharp all added to his personal allure - even the notch missing from his left ear added a sense of hidden danger to him. He was wearing a very expensive, yet reserved, tuxedo with a crisp white rose in his lapel, and cuffs for each hoof, all decorated with emerald cufflinks. Aside from that, though... there was the hesitant way he moved, those eyes scanning the room nervously, the careful steps that made barely a sound... he might look like a full-grown adult stallion, but the personality beneath could be nopony else but Dax. When he caught sight of Illiad, he smiled... and when he saw Selena, he simply stared for a moment. When he spoke, his voice was rich and deep, if perhaps a bit soft. "I suppose the Ball can wait until another night." His chuckle was resonant and hearty, but the smile that spread across his features was the kind of smile only Dax could have. "This is incredible... and you, my dear, are exquisite to behold. Greetings," he bowed low and respectfully, "I am Daxter Blackwater, heir to the Blackwater Quarry; it is a fine and rare pleasure to meet you at last, and your radiance shall shine within the halls of my mind forever - a portrait of the purest definition of the word 'beautiful' will hang there, showing you at this very moment in time. I pray that you forgive my lack of proper vocabulary - as there are truly no words to do any description of you any form of justice." Apparently. Dax was a bit more eloquent in his dreams. Illiad was impressed by the change in Dax. While it did betray a difference in image to reality, IE Dax did not see himself in the same way he actually appeared or was perhaps uncomfortable with his physical appearance. It was likely a result of being unused to being pulled into a shared mental area. Illiad looked the same as he did in reality as he had long accepted his body and all of its flaws, right down to the scars on his back. He was wearing his typical robe but he would admit that he made this one whiter and more comfortable. Selena gave a slight yet dainty laugh, "I suppose it will have to wait, your flattery knows no bounds. However, this is no place for facades, I want to know the real Dax, not the Daxter Dax wants to be someday. If that is alright with you that is, while I can I won't force you to change. Come, take a seat with me." Selena somewhat walked but mostly floated over to the chairs she had made in the white room, they looked fairly comfortable, yet quite plain being the same color as the rest of the room but easily distinguishable from it. Selena's gait was like one who knew the concept of walking, yet lacked practical experience in that regard. Selena took a seat and gestured to another as Illiad took one as well. "Do come join us. As I am the host it is only fair that you get to ask the first question, if that’s what you want." Dax stood there a moment, a puzzled look on his face before glancing down at himself. "Oh. Well, I suppose that could be a tad disconcerting... a moment, my lady." Dax's form began to shrink and mould into what Illiad knew the young Blackwater to be. As the reformation completed, Dax looked himself over and gave a bit of a sheepish grin. "Sorry about that - I was... uhm... in a different dream; I'm sorry if I kept you waiting long." Dax made his way over to the seat reserved for him. He tried not to stare at Selena... but of course he did. When he walked over, there was an interesting effect; behind Dax ran a softly glowing trail, the color of emeralds. It flowed behind him as he moved, and slowly caught up to him after he sat down. There was no telling what it was about - it simply seemed to be a part of Dax. He kept watching Selena as he took his seat, fascinated with somepony so different than anything he had ever seen before. Normally, he'd be extremely nervous... but for some reason, he seemed to have at least a passing grip on his skittishness. Perhaps it was Illiad's presence that made the difference. "It's a real honor to meet you; Illiad always seems fit to burst when he speaks about you, like he wants to tell me more, but..." he turned to the Trojan, "you were right; nothing like meeting somepony like her face to face." He looked around a bit at the room, then returned his gaze to the lovely mare. "I do have questions... and I kinda hope you have some for me, too - though what you'd wanna know about ME, I have no idea..." He cleared his throat, and squirmed a bit in the chair; he was trying to find a good place to start. "Illiad told me the story of why you and the others... your siblings, I guess?... came to be. I guess a good starting question would be to ask you what it's like to be a star? I mean, a real star in the sky... how did it feel? DID it feel? How was the view? Could you-..." Dax checked his enthusiasm, taking a breath to clear his thoughts. "Uhm, yeah... so how was it?" Selena seemed puzzled by the green ghosting that Dax was doing, but didn't want to seem to comment on it at the moment, her expression brightened when he asked his question. "First off, I don't see the world like you two do, I don't have eyes. I can feel the world through a combination of vibrations and an ability similar to Illiad's in sensing the emotions around me, though it isn't as powerful. And in space there is not much of either so I couldn't see much outside of Luna herself. It was very quiet in space, peaceful even. My memories compare it to lying in a still pool with your eyes closed. It was also quite cold, though there was a lightness to me, it took significantly less effort to change shape there. I much prefer life here, the silence got very boring after a while and freeing Luna was a time consuming but not very challenging task." She paused her reminiscing and returned her focus to Dax. "I would ask about the trail you seem to leave as you move, but I would guess you don't know. So, what do you think of Equestria? I find the younger have the least biased opinions and Illiad is just a bit biased against it to answer honestly." "Trail? There's a trail?" Dax looked behind him - but of course, there was no trail while he was sitting down. Shrugging, he turned back to face Selena. He spared a moment to look over at Illiad and smile. "But wow... to actually BE a star. I've gotta admit - I'd love to see-... I mean, FEEL the sky like that." He listened to Selena's question, and pondered it for a moment before answering. "Well... Equestria is my home, of course. I mean, well... I haven't really had a lot of chance to visit many places. As far as what I HAVE seen, I've been to Manehattan - which was big and bold - and Ponyville, which looked wonderful from the Everfree... though I didn't actually go in there; I did see the ponies there having fun, though. I wished I could join 'em..." Dax got a wistful look in his eyes for a few seconds, then realized he was still among company, so he shook his head to refocus. "Uhm, yeah - like I said, I haven't seen a lot of Equestria, but what I have seen has been really magnificent! Beautiful mountains, somber valleys, fruitful forests and playful rivers and streams... I think everypony that lives here is lucky to have such a beautiful place to live in." He smiled at that... but then he got quiet and thoughtful. "I... I've heard a lot about Princess Celestia from Illiad, and I wanted to ask... why is she doing all these things that make no sense? It bothers me - a lot, actually - that the Princess I've heard so much about seems to almost be petty and cold... why? Is the mantle of royalty so heavy that she's suffering? Does she not realize what her edicts are doing to the ponies of places like Troy? Why would she be like that?" Selena looked slightly surprised by Dax's new line of questioning, but gave a bit of a shrug. "Ultimately? She fears that you ponies won’t need her anymore. She has striven to make herself indispensable at the expense of your social and technological development. She has played off the other forms of government by making the other nations seem inferior for not being ruled by an eternal monarch. In her eyes, if you were to see that a society could live and thrive without her guidance then you might want that for yourselves and depose her. Ultimately, she fears being alone and unwanted, and accidentally caused those same feelings in one of the few that would walk through eternity with her. Even worse? She can't go back on her decisions, it would show the world that she was wrong, and if she can be wrong then, she can be wrong now. So she must live with the consequences of her actions, her fear guided ways, so that she can remain where she desperately desires to stay." Selena paused for a moment. "In a way, you are all like her children, but she can’t seem to let you grow up and move on, for she knows she cannot follow you further. I hope that makes sense. My turn then, tell me your fondest memory, if you don't mind sharing that is." Dax listened to Selena's explanation of Celestia's issues... and seemed a bit sad when she finished. However, it didn't last very long, as he paid attention to the next question. He looked down, smiling at the floor, and spoke with a touch of great fondness. "That's easy; the day I found the Blackwater Emerald." He sat up straighter, and gestured with his hooves animatedly as he spoke. "This was a while ago, back when I was still sneaking into the mines and working on the side... before my cutie mark. Y'see, I had been helping out for a few weeks when we had gotten pretty far down into one of the tunnels. I was down there for about two minutes when I started getting this... tingling, twitching feeling in my hooves - like ants crawling over 'em. And it got stronger and stronger as I went down one of the side tunnels the crew had abandoned. The miners figured there was nothing there, so they just left it to be sealed up by the blasting." Dax got a light in his eyes as he spoke, completely enraptured in his own tale. "Well, as I had been working hard with the others for a while now, the forepony knew my name and he trusted my judgement. So, he followed me there, along with a small, hoofpicked crew of other workers. We st to work, either kicking or hauling away. It was rough, but my hooves kept spazzing... so I knew we had to be close." "When we broke into the chamber, it was all dark at first. Then, when one of the others shined a light inside, there was this ENORMOUS pillar of pure emerald, reaching from the floor of the cave and through the ceiling. The other miners and I just stared at it. Then... completely without warning... out of nowhere..." He leaned forward, adding to the suspense. "... they picked me up and carried me on their shoulders, like a hero. They kept calling out compliments and kudos to me, and didn't even expect a response! It was later carved and removed, and is still really pretty... but it stays locked up in the Vault. To this very day, it holds the record for being the largest emerald in all of Equestria - and I was the one who found it! That was also when my cutie mark appeared." He turned politely to show the side of his flank, where a lump of gray rock was pictured... but sticking out of the rock was a chunk of a beautiful emerald; Dax's talent for finding emeralds AND his hidden self were both represented. "I was so happy that I was so thoroughly accepted - it was wonderful." He sighed, smiling, before his eyes simply regained contact with hers. "My turn again." His grin shone from the sun of his face as he spoke to Selena. "What kind of music do you love?" "Music? Well..." She sat pondering a few moments. "I like soft string music most, slow relaxing tunes are my favorite. I like songs with powerful harmony, especially when it has a mix of instruments, so a full orchestra would be my second favorite. Though high pitches can be painful for me to listen too. How about you? What music do you like?" Dax shyly chuckled, grinning humbly. "Well... I've always been a fan of Rock music, but the older bands; the ones with feeling, y'know? The Barn Doors, The Rolling Boulders, The Birds, The Monkeys, The Beetles... I like their music because it tells a story between the words, and it's really cool when you can see the images in your mind of what they're REALLY singing about." He looked a bit stumped for a moment... then shrugged. "Well... uhm, tell me more about you, Miss Selena. I've never seen anypony like you!" There was a slight blush (and from the Empathic's standpoint, perhaps a slight crush) coming from the young stallion. Selena felt, and was slightly surprised by, Dax's slight affection for her. Illiad was the first to respond though, aiming to give Selena some time to compose herself, and to feel less like the third wheel in this situation. "The Beetles huh? I like some of their music too, though mostly their earlier ones like 'Hard Day's Night' and 'Yesterday', their later music really started to get weird." Selena managed to adjust to the new affection quickly enough, "It isn't often someone has feelings for me, but I suppose that is due to the secret nature of my existence. I am fairly unique I would say, the only others like me I've encountered are the other balance gems, but even they are not quite like me. I am a living construct of magic, a soul sustained outside of a living body. I learn and develop much like any other pony, I am just in here while all others are out there. Someday Luna and Illiad will find a way to give me a permanent body so I can interact with the world outside, currently there hasn't been enough raw material nor a source of energy sustainable enough to be effective at maintaining a body for long periods of time. Moonlight is looking like a pretty promising source but that falls back on insufficient material to store enough energy to last a full day." She waved a hoof dismissively, "I'm sure they'll figure it out eventually, and I'm in no hurry. The world will still be there when it happens." She seemed a bit unsure on how to proceed. "I suppose that's a general overview of myself, is there something more specific you'd like to know?" Dax sort of fidgeted for a moment... then, he gave a small grin. "Well, uhm... I was on my way to a ball - and I do like to dance..." He smiled, stood up and made his way over to Selena. Once there, he gave a low bow with his right hoof outstretched. "Maybe we could... dance? If you like? I know there's no music or anything, but... I don't know if anypony's ever asked you to dance before, so...?" He was blushing a bit, and his nervousness was obvious... but Dax was trying to not only be brave, but suave as well. At least one of those succeeded. Neither Selena nor Illiad were expecting Dax's proposition. "I.... No, No one has ever asked me to dance before. I'd be happy to dance with you." With a slight smirk the room melted away, replaced by a polished marble ballroom floor. Pillars surrounded the large rectangular area with tall windows between them around the perimeter. Glowing crystal chandeliers were evenly spaced along the peak of the roof, evenly illuminating the large dance floor. From no known source soft string music began to play. The chairs sank into the floor, leaving their occupants behind. Selena accepted Dax's outstretched hoof. "You may have this dance." Illiad moved to the side of the floor, seemingly impressed by the mental construction, but content to watch for now. Dax led her to the center of the dance floor. His eyes wandered around the place, absolutely in awe with the ballroom... but kept his cool - inside and out. He gently took her by the hoof and began to lead in a slow, yet graceful waltz. It was actually rather impressive; Dax's movements were fluid and sure, and he was careful to allow Selena room and time to keep up, if she needed it. As they swept about, he first gave her only a shy glance or two... yet as they danced, he eventually began to really look at her. Then, eye contact was established. The hue of his emerald eyes was bright and merry, and looked very much like the same gems that the mines that held his namesake produced. "This would actually be Mother's doing; with all the high society skills she insisted I have lessons in, I found out I like to dance... and with the tutors I had, it didn't take long to get pretty good at it, either." Illiad had an interesting view, as the trail that seemed to follow Dax earlier continued to do so now; it left a beautiful wall of motion behind them both as he twirled, turned and stepped with her across the dance floor. "So... do you like dancing too?" he queried, grinning with a kind and happy smile while he continued waltzing with the radiant mare. Selena had her eyes closed as she moved through the steps of the dance in Luna's memories. She simply felt the world around her as she danced, her form a bit more fluid than a normal pony. "Luna too was taught from a young age about all things etiquette and class, and thus she learned to dance as well. She saw dance as a way to train her body for combat. But I do enjoy this dance, I suppose that's how Illiad and the others influenced me. While he never learned to dance like you did, he still saw it as a thing of beauty, a connection between two people to move as one." She gave a contented sigh, opening her eyes to watch Dax. "For a first dance, I think I'm doing pretty well. Not to distract you or anything, but the trail is back. It seems to appear only when you move, like a ghosting image." "You're a terrific dancer; I'm just trying to make sure I don't trip YOU up!" Dax laughed out loud as he continued to go through the beautiful routine... then, an improvised step, and he swept the semi-etherial form of Selena around in a circle, standing on his rear hooves to do so. The trail behind him seemed to grow as Dax enjoyed himself, in length and brightness. When Selena pointed it out, he naturally looked behind himself to try to see it. "Where... I don't see it. Is it really there?" He smoothly broke loose and, without missing a single step, began dancing in swooping circles, keeping to the beat. He was apparently trying to catch a glimpse of the trail - however, it was obvious from both Selena and Illiad's point of view that it should be right in front of his muzzle. He looked genuinely puzzled; he simply couldn't see it. However, his dancing made fascinating rings behind him, further attesting to his fluidity as a dancer. After a bit of this, he looked at her and shrugged, moving right back into step with his dancing partner and continuing the waltz... but with an extra twirl or two added in, adding a little surprise to the traditional fare. He was having what seemed to be the time of his life. At one point, he turned to look over at Illiad as they spun past. "Look at me - I'm dancing with a star!" For Illiad, being an Empathic could sometimes be vastly rewarding; the emotions coming from the young stallion dancing with the beautiful entity were worth every moment of their waltzing together. Illiad was only slightly jealous of the exchange, he wished he had thought to ask her to dance sooner. He reasoned it wouldn't be as magical an experience given they viewed each other in a more familial light, practically siblings at this point. "So you are, if only in your dreams." he said with a smirk. Selena gave a light laugh at Illiad's statement. "I suppose you wish Silver were here so you could have someone to dance with too. Maybe you can figure out how to make that happen one of these nights. “ Dax never wanted it to end... but he knew he didn't have forever. He brought the dance to its inevitable end, making certain to finish with a flourish, and dipping the shining mare as he did. After a moment, he set her back upright and made a low, sweeping bow before her. "You dance divinely - thank you so much for allowing me the chance to make you smile." He stood back up... then paused a moment, the look on his face full of thought. Such done, he turned back to look at Illiad. "You said that Selena is a piece of Luna's soul, but she has her own existence now, right?" He faced Selena, and the look on his muzzle was one of concern. "Do you remember what it was like, when you first became self-aware? I mean, I can't remember when I was born, but... do you?" Illiad seemed to be doing something in the background Selena had a contemplative look on her face. "Well, the timeline of my memories flows seamlessly from Luna to me, but there is a wide period between those two points where Luna was becoming me, and so I was neither her nor me. I suppose the moment I really became distinct from Luna was when part of Illiad's soul filled what was missing in my own. As to me being self aware, I suppose I noticed when I wasn't within Luna's body anymore if that's what you mean." The music of the room changed as Illiad made his way over to Selena. Her eyes and smile widened as she heard the song. "May I have this dance?" Looking over at Dax, "You're not the only one that can dance." Without another word they began to dance, shifting in pace and speed with the intensity of the music, starting with a slow sway and building into more complicated steps. Their forms becoming a bit more fluid for some of the motions. The young stallion watched in silent reverence as the two danced together, his eyes matching step for step, almost seeming like emerald-bedecked backup dancers. They got misty and even dropped a tear or two, watching them both - yet a broad and happy smile accompanied the watery gaze, so amazing was what he was watching. The song was over quickly and they separated with a hug before returning to Dax. "Now, you were saying?" Dax took a bow before them both. "Okay, I admit it - you two have me beat, hooves down. That was magnificent... but I expected it to be." He gave them both a kind grin... yet, even beneath all of that, there was the tiny, tinny ring of loneliness from the bell of his soul. It didn't remain a mystery for long, however. "You both seem so at ease with each other, like brother and sister... I kinda wish I had something like that." There was no 'kinda' to it; he was lonely. Normally, he took it well enough... however, he couldn't help but feel as though he was missing out whenever he saw any couple, be they friends, siblings or lovers, having a grand time. Being Dax though, he wasn't about to let it spoil the moment here; he didn't want to do a single, solitary thing to cause Illiad Easle, the unicorn from Troy, nor his incredible companion any grief. "You can travel in dreams, kinda like Luna does? Uhm... would it be rude of me to ask if we could peek in on my family's dreams? I mean, if that's too far, then I understand, but... I really just wanna see what they dream about. Not for any nefarious purposes or whatever; I'd just like to see if their dreams are anything like mine... can relatives' dreams be related?" As it was clear they were going to be talking again the chairs rose up again under and behind the occupants of the room. Selena had a slightly apologetic expression, "While I can dreamwalk like Luna I don't have nearly the amount of power that she does. My range is limited to a length or two in any direction, so we'd have to both be pretty close to do that. As to their dreams, a dream is made up of your experiences, fears, and desires. The more similar those are between ponies, the more similar their dreams will be. Relatives generally have similar experiences if not similar fears and desires, so out of anyone one's family would be the closest match in dreams." Dax chuckled ruefully. "That's a really roundabout way of saying 'no'... but its okay. I'd see if they would try it, but... yeah, I already know the answer to that; on both sides, even. But it's okay." He wasn't entirely sure how to proceed, from the look on his face. "I don't even know what to say now; this is just so incredible... I've always thought there was more out there in the world than what my tutors knew, and your sheer existence proves it. Oh, no worries - I won't tell a soul about this; it does feel good to know that I've been let in on this big secret, and I won't be the one to ruin it!" There was no doubt; Dax would rather die than betray his only friend... make that, 'friends'. "Okay, well... uhm, did you... have anything else to ask me? Nopony ever really asks me anything; they're always trying to tell me what they think I don't know - so you asking me stuff is... well, it's fun, actually." He gave Illiad and Selena one of his trademark sheepish grins. Selena pondered for a moment, "Hmm, Of the activities that are planned for your trip to Troy, what are you most excited about?" Illiad too decided to ask a question, "Also,is there something else that we're doing here that you're excited to show me?" He wasn't out to spoil a surprise, he just wanted to know what he could expect and if there was the chance that he could spend some more time with Silver before they left. Dax gave Selena a comical look of pain. "Ooooooh... I don't know! I mean, one the one hoof, there's the observatory that Illiad spoke about - ohhh, the things I could see with one of those - it would be like a full-on view of paradise! But on the other hoof, Illiad has said he has some changeling friends who might want to talk to me; I've always wondered if they were just misunderstood - and Illiad says they are! And then on top of that, I have GOTTA see how Silver's Machine works! So, I have a LOT to look forward to; I'm so excited, I could explode!" He gave Illiad a bit of a curious look upon the second question. "Uhm, well... admittedly, there's not a lot else to see, but... I mean, I could show you the vault, and the manor's inner courtyard and garden... maybe the Gem Refinery... but, I... don't tell me I'm starting to bore you - I'm REALLY trying not to..." Dax gave Illiad a worried look. "You don't already wanna leave, do you?" Illiad looked at Dax with a bit of surprise, "Not at all, I've loved being here. Even if we aren't doing something super cool I have no intention of leaving early." "Besides, staying here gives him the best chance at seeing Silver again." Selena butted in with a smirk. Illiad blushed before continuing, "Regardless, I'm glad to hear how excited you are to see where I live, I hope it lives up to your expectations." Dax grinned broadly. "I'm glad to hear it, my friend... and it feels so good to be able to call you my friend - and I hope you are too, Selena; I'm so glad I wrote that first letter! It was a flyer that Mother brought home from Ponyville, last time she went - she saw the word 'cultural' and probably decided I could use it. I'll never, ever regret deciding to write to you - thank you so much..." Illiad smiled broadly, "I'm glad I wrote to you too, I was looking to bring a sort of adventure to my life to distract me from my then present woes. I'm glad we got paired together and that I was able to improve your life in even a small way." The young stallion got up and made his way over to the Trojan, wrapping him in a huge hug when he got there. "I've gotta be the luckiest stallion in the world - or at least it feels like it." Stepping back from his friend, he gave him an appraising look. "Y'know... I could talk to Silver and see what she thinks of YOU; it'd be great if you two became special someponies - then you'd come here more often, right?" Illiad’s expression shifted to be a bit more conspiratorial. "In regards to Silver, if we were to become a bit more than friends I suppose I'd Have to visit again, maybe even on a regular basis." Dax chuckled softly. "You've really got it bad for her, don'cha? I mean, I thought you liked her a good bit, but you sound ready to whisk her away to the sands of Troy at the drop of a hat! I'd be happy to play Cupid; I'll find out what I can from her, and pass things along to you - sound good?" In a way that felt somewhat odd to the colt, Selena spoke directly to Dax without speaking, a sort of one way mental communication. You've helped Illiad much more than even he realizes. This exchange has already shifted many aspects of his future to more favorable probabilities and for that I am extremely grateful. She gave a slight, but thankful bow towards him as the room began to return to its plain white state. He grinned, yet his eyes slid sidelong for only a moment as Selena spoke in his noggin; he managed to tip her a wink, unbeknownst to Illiad. "I know that she loves machines... and she can make shoes; the miner's shoes here are ALL her creations... and she never lets a pony go hungry, as her folks run a charity, I think... and she- OH! She LOVES tulips; she says her parents used to plant them all the time when she was smaller... she told me she can play the sousaphone... and she likes the taste of mushrooms... uhm, that's all I can remember at the moment, but I'm sure there's more!" The young stallion wanted to help so much; again, even though he didn't have much to go on, Dax seemed to be right on the money when it came to being a friend. "Maybe you could talk Selena into looking into Silver's dreams for you?" Illiad blushed quite a bit at the initial comment. "I suppose I am particularly fond of her. In my defense she has only grown more attractive the more I've learned about her. Usually liking mushrooms is a deal-breaker for me, but I think I can overlook it for her. I think she's perfect otherwise at any rate. Yes, I would appreciate anything you can do for me." Selena took that opportunity to speak up. "The same restrictions would apply to me seeing her dreams as it does to seeing your parent's dreams. I'd have to be close enough and it makes it significantly easier if they're aware and accepting of it. In the most basic terms I would need her permission to do so as I would have to be nearly next to her to see anything. Maybe if you invited her out here to join us one night?" "I could do that - yeah, sure! She's always been open-minded about stuff she and I talk about, so maybe if-..." suddenly, Dax's face looked as though he'd had a revelation. "But that would mean revealing Selena to her too, wouldn't it? Would it be safe for you to do that, Illiad? Would it be safe for Selena, too? I don't want anypony to get in trouble over all this... but, for what it's worth, I'm pretty sure Silver can keep a secret." Illiad gave a nod with a smile. "It would indeed mean telling her, but if she is to spend any meaningful amount of time with me she'd need to know at some point anyway. I think she'd keep the secret well too, it isn't a hard one to keep." Dax looked at them both, smiling from ear to ear. His eyes came to rest on Selena as he spoke up. "Oh, I don't wanna forget to ask anything - I don't know WHEN I'll ever see you again, after all! Maybe I should ask about the moon? Or perhaps I should ask about how you feel about Alicorns in general? OOH! Can you sing?" "I don't even know WHAT to ask about!" Dax seemed to be enjoying his current dilemma. Illiad's expression suddenly shifted to perplexed. He felt the sadly familiar sensation of sadness and loss from without the dream world. "Something is outside, I'll go check it out. You two have fun okay?" Without waiting for a response Illiad ejected himself from the dream and into the conscious world. Selena didn't seem to mind Illiad's sudden departure from the room. "I could answer any of those questions, we have plenty of time, all you have to do is decide an order to ask them in." Dax gave Illiad a puzzled look, and blinked a bit when his friend vanished. "I hope everything's okay..." Yet, after a moment's thought, he turned back to Selena with a question in his eyes. "Uhm... with Illiad not here, would it be okay if I asked you what I've changed about him? You spoke in my head earlier, and I don't know how to talk back the same way - but I gathered it wasn't for him to know, or you would have said it out loud. So... I'd like to ask about that, if it's all right? Since he's not here to overhear it, I mean." Selena looked conflicted for a moment, before she sighed. "Alright, I'll tell you. But you can't tell him I told you this." She shifted into a more comfortable position on her chair. "As you may have noticed, Illiad is a bit of a loner, and extremely introverted. After the incident that caused him to leave Canterlot he's had trouble making deep friendships. You are the first creature he has trusted enough to tell about me. Ever since you started writing him he's been more outgoing and involved with the few friends he still has. He has a chance now at finding someone to share his life with even if he doesn't end up with Silver. When he defended you against those workers it was the first time he felt so strongly about one of his friends. I didn't say so earlier because he didn't want to face that something was missing from his life." The young stallion was floored by Selena's response. "So... you're telling me he needs me as much as I need him?" This thought rolled through his mind for a moment, Dax taking his time with his response. "That's wonderful... really, it is! I've always felt like I was just here for the sake of being born a Blackwater, because I've never really felt needed, y'know? But to know I'm actually necessary, THAT is a wonderful thing..." Dax wiped his foreleg across his eyes to clear the tears misting there, though there was a look of gladness on the muzzle beneath it. "It feels good knowing that; thank you very, very much." Dax thought for a moment. "Uhm... I don't wanna seem... rude or anything... especially since you're so sweet to me... but, can I ask you something about Princess Luna? I mean, I know you said you were a part of her soul at one time, so I think you'd be better than anypony else to ask about... well..." He looked rattled, but he took a deep breath to calm himself, then looked Selena in the eye. "Do you think that - if she met me - would she like me? And, if she did, would it be..." It was Dax's turn to blush brightly. "... honestly speaking, would I ever have any chance to... uhm... if I was older, I mean... could I..." It was a fair bet that Selena could take a decent guess as to what Dax was saying: he wanted to know if Luna could ever love a stallion like him. It was awkward... and adorable. Illiad looked about to see if he could find the one that felt so sad. There was a purple light coming from outside. By the creek, there was movement and that eerie purple light that almost seemed to make things around it feel... colder, somehow. Sitting on the bank of the river was what looked to be a colt... except that there were pulses of energy that formed various things around him; another set of legs, a long mane and two humongous pairs of wings kept fading in and out of existence around him. The colt was crying, but it wasn't the bawling of a foal... it was the subdued, shuddering sobs of a stallion who has lost everything. The voice making the sounds was resonant and deep, with an almost echoing effect to it - as if the sounds faded into existence before they were actually made. Upon closer inspection, the colt was wearing a silk nightshirt, currently hanging open in the cool night air. He seemed disheveled, as if woken from a deep sleep, with what appeared to be his true mane a mess and his true tail, as well. Along with all this, the colt/creature/being was most certainly the source of the sorrow. Illiad was oddly calm about the whole situation, and decided to push some of that calm towards the strange creature before him. Tentatively he emerged from the tent, "You are certainly something different, mind telling me what's got you so down?"