Luna walked the familiar corridor of dreams passing by several doors before finding the one she was looking for. It was odd to say the least, definitely different from the rest of her ponies. It was a set of double doors decorated in a kind of simple art that she would never have considered. Massive lines going vertically like bars and diamond shapes lay at the bottom of the doors that the lines from on high seemed to flow around. Not like a parted river but strong and sharp redirection. That’s to say nothing of the edgings of the doors where the lines were interwoven like you could follow them and never find the end.
Luna couldn’t take the dwarf’s words at face value she needed to know what kind of life she lived if she was going to trust her. If she was guessing right this Sereda Aeducan is one faced much in her relatively long life. So whatever memory she saw was likely going to be intense. She released a heavy sigh and grabbed the handle with her hooves and pulled…
It didn’t budge.
Blinking confusedly, Luna pulled again and was met with same result. Growling to herself Luna spit into her hooves and tried again this time putting all her weight and magic into it. Her brow began to sweat as she continued to put more and more magic into it. Finally the door began to budge slowly and steadily the door was pulled open until she could just wide enough she might be able to squeeze through. Sighing both relief and frustration Luna made her way into the dream.
Luna was confused she was in what looked like a court only a little smaller than hers and Celestia’s. There were two long tables with many kinds of food and drink she could only compare to her time with griffons when their king invited them for a party. However, that was where the similarities ended, there were no windows, only torches and crystals gave her any ability to see at all. Chairs lined the tables and the whole room had the same aesthetic theme as the dream door. A red intricate carpet lead to for what Luna could only guess was throne. The roof if you could call it that looked like a cave ceiling. More puzzling was that behind the throne was a statue of what she could only assume was a dwarf with both arms above its head and holding a strange war hammer that had the hammer on both ends. Bellow it sat the throne itself made of stone. Interestingly the back of it was a large hammer with two more stones carved to outline the hammer. Even the bottom of the chair was elaborately designed. What was odd to say the least was that although everything was elaborate and eccentric in its design they still held an air of simplicity and functionality. It confused her to no end.
“Atrast Vala Princess Luna.” Luna’s eyes widened and spun around to one of the tables where saw Sereda sitting one of the long table with a plate of food in front her. “If that is really you and not some demon. And congratulations on piecing a dwarf’s mind.”
Luna warily approached the dwarf not knowing how she was able to sense her presence. “How did you know it was me.”
Sereda looked at the alicorn with board eyes. “Number one I didn’t and I still don’t. As for how I know this is a dream, just experience. Dwarves normally can’t dream, but thanks to training and my experience being pulled into the fade I have learned to open and close that link.” Luna just stared confused. “Anyway why are you here?”
Luna shook her head before giving the dwarf and studied look. “Never mind I will be leaving.” She turned and began heading towards the door.
“You don’t trust me do you. So you decided find out for yourself if there was anything I was hiding in my mind.” Sereda stated before idly munching on a chicken leg.
Luna halted whirled around eyeing the dwarf much more cautiously. “Our sister may believe you are here to help us but I am not convinced. Why should we trust you when you have proven yourself just as quick to violence as you are friendship?” Luna leveled a glare at the small dwarf who seemed to busy eating to care. “I believe you are merely a wild card sent to us by discord to cause chaos. And I won’t risk my ponies on the off chance that you decide to turn on us.”
Sereda just finished her chicken leg and set the bone back down on the plate and looked at the alicorn princess. “Being cautious is wise in fact let me give you an example.” Luna suddenly found herself in what looked like a massive camp in the middle of a forest. Luna back peddled in surprise only to bump into something.
Turning around quickly Luna saw a figure that stood taller than as herself, and maybe as tall as Celestia. It seemed to have similar features to Sereda but was much taller and lacked any hair on it’s head at all. It had a cutie mark or tattoo of some sort on its face vaguely resembling a tree. It was also ghostly pale, when compared to the dwarf. It had pointy ears and was clad in a robe with a staff on it’s back.
“This is Zathrian I met him a long time ago. His people were suffering from a curse, imposed onto them by werewolf.” Another being appeared next Zathrian. It looked like a gold wolf that had stood up on its hind legs and stretched out like taffy but still maintained and appropriate torso. “Now let me paint the picture for you.” Behind Zathrian others seeming to be the same race as him appeared all lying in cots and writhing in pain. “For whatever reason you wish to aid Zathrian and his people so you ask ‘What can I do to help?’ and Zathrian replies ‘You must seek Wither Fang and bring me his heart to save my people.’ Naturally you seek this beast called Wither Fang to save his people.”
The camp and other beings disappeared into mist, leaving only the original werewolf. The scenery began to take form again this time two more werewolves appeared and the backdrop of a waterfall deep within the forest. Sereda’s voice rang out emanating from everywhere. “You track the beast only to find these werewolves. They approach and you prepare for a fight but then it does something odd it speaks! It calls himself Swift Runner and calls the elves treacherous. He also refers to someone called the ‘Lady of the Forest’ before retreating after giving you a warning. This would confuse anybody as you were told the werewolf’s were nothing but savage beasts and were incapable of speech. It confuses you but you need to find Wither Fang and help those ‘poor’ People so you put it out of your mind.”
The seen changed again and she found herself in some ancient ruins staring a bunch of werewolves and another being that looked more like Sereda but lacked clothing and was taller. She had roots covering her arms and legs. “You’re search for Wither Fang has sent you here in the depths of the werewolves’ layer where you encounter this spirit known as The lady of the Forest. She tells you that a tale centuries old were a young girl was brutally raped and murdered at the hands of humans. And that Zathrian cursed them making them werewolves. However, he allowed the curse to spread to other humans who had not wronged him causing all of them to live in pain. Those who committed the atrocity are long since dead. So tell me Princess Luna what do you do?” Sereda materialized next to her. “Do you go after Zathrian to end the curse or do you kill the lady of the forest and seek Wither Fang again?”
Luna turned to Sereda “What is the point of this hypothetical situation?”
The dwarf smiled at Luna “It’s not hypothetical Princess Luna, forty years ago I had to face this exact situation. And do you know how I responded?” Luna’s eyes widened not sure how to respond. The scene around them changed to back at the camp with werewolves on one side and the other beings on the other. “I took the werewolves and marched to the dalish camp to demand Zathrian undo the curse he inflicted onto these poor souls. And he refused.”
Luna watched as the scene played out naturally. She watched as a memory of Sereda ran a sword through Zathrian as a woman in rags wielding a long charred stick sent spells at other combatants, another in a heavy suit of armor wielding a sword shield charged in and of all things a large dog tore through the people. “My point Princess Luna.” Sereda almost spat as she casaually walked toward the stunned mare. “You are right to fear me, because I am no agent of chaos and nor am I a wild card. I will do as I see fit and act on my own accord. And should I find you and your ponies have misrepresented yourselves or lied to me about your enemy who you want me to so dearly destroy for you, I will not hesitate to repeat this. NOW BEGONE!” Luna was suddenly thrown out of through the dream door and landed on her plot and watched as the doors slammed shut in her face.