The Unbroken Spear

by Jamis

13.Shadow Cast by a Mountain

Night had began and it was finally time for the Lunar diarch to watch over the dreams of her people again. She walked through the realm of dreams, a misty and ever grey world. She had established her Lunar guard yesterday though she had yet to receive any recruits that was to be expected. Word would spread and she would have guards, some would transfer from the newly renamed solar guard. They would of course have their own reasons for this hours, personal preference, or any of the many things which could bring about the decision. She would receive applications from those who wanted to join the guard of course, but the ones from that would be smaller than even the transfers.

Sighing at how long it would take for her to have a full guard force of her own Luna adjusted her crown. She never saw a need to show her wealth with gems in her regalia, they were plentiful but she was content with her black fine crafted crown and necklace. She was never as tall as her sister but upon her return to being herself she seemed to have shrunk. This most likely had to do with the fact that she felt magically drained. 'The Elements of Harmony are also quite mysterious. We...I can not forget their part in this.' Her dress was a darker blue than her hair, it almost hugged her form. She was slim but she did not give off the look of being skinny or bony. She like her sister was beautiful, though she was not quite in her prime.

The princess continued on her walk through the mists of the realm she saw the round flat mirrors that were her subject's dreams. She could usually tell what type of dream was happening from the feelings the dream gave off. She tended to move away from dreams of more a personal nature. Every now and again she would come across a nightmare. Though not sentient, nightmares were more than simply the mind. The dream realm made them into almost living beings. Parasites which fed on fear and all other negative emotions. They didn't live very long maybe a year if they fed regularly, but they had no way to reproduce.

Ultimately they were harmless even if left alone however, the mistress of the moon was not one to abandon her ponies' dreams to fear and darkness. She would enter and kill the nightmare by forcing it to manifest itself in the dream. She had a busy night last night, there were many nightmares and she had to purge their existences now that she had returned. Now Luna could enter other races dreams however it was a matter of distance, she could not access any dreams on the moon because of how far away she was. If she could she would spend time helping the other races with their dreams but it wasn't feasible.

After exiting a dream having destroyed a nightmare she continued walking, she turned her head and smiled to herself. Her sister's mirror stood proud and beautiful. It was like any of the others though, ⁠when a pony learns dream magic dreams of others you know take on a trait or two to show you it is them. Celestia's mirror had a frame of white with gold trimming, her solar cutiemark at the top of the frame. 'White and gold. In her palace, in her wardrobe, and in her dreams.' Luna chuckled to herself.

Her smile and laugh faded however, she could only think of how many mirrors she had been able to recognize as ponies she knew back before her banishment. Her maids, guards, a few close friends she had made among subjects. All of them gone, the only mirror to show any changes from a usual mirror was her sister's. She had yet to truly morn. She felt small immaterial tears fell as she thought about how much more alone she was now. Before she was banished if she had sought her friends and ponies sympathy with her feelings she may not have felt so alone then. She quickly pushed those thoughts away, 'I must learn from that, if I do not seek help I will almost certainly not get any. I must talk to ponies if I want them to understand, try as they may they can not feel emotions.'

Luna walked farther, saddened but determined, she paused in place. Looking at a mirror in the mist nearly out of her perception. She turned and walked there as she approached she look at the mirror. It was a blue framed and trimmed in reds, oranges, and yellows on its edges. The crest for where a cutimark was usually instead held what looked like a small star.

Beauty could barely describe it, the princess weaved the night sky like an artist. It had become her night, she made it so vibrant. Celestia could barley maintain what Luna had last made, the constellations were almost always there but Luna moved the heavens not as a unit but in a way which was hard to describe. Luna had a feeling some ponies were not happy with her return, the Pony Astrology Society for one. She may spin wonders in the sky that they would love to observe but she could understand how a constantly changing sky would derail their work.

Luna returned her thoughts and attention to the star, it shone bright and blazing. It was only now visible now that she was close, but now that she was she could see nothing else in comparison. She knew who it belonged to, who else fit the description of the mirror. 'Do I even know anyone else? I believe I have not truly got to know the bears of the Elements enough to see their mirrors like this. I know more about Atreus than he knows about me, he spoke of his past as if he has only rarely spoke of it. But he still felt as if he wanted to speak of it, like he had to.'

Luna moved to his mirror almost unconsciously, she could only feel a little from his dream. Unlike her ponies the man felt muted, muffled, quite. As Luna took her final steps she paused before entering, 'I need to know if I can trust him, Celestia isn't just having him watch me. She is watching him, I should help her if I can. I won't expose anything personal. But I should check if he is being honest.' When Luna enters dreams she doesn't have to make the dreamer aware of her presence, she can destroy nightmares without showing herself to ponies. She tends to show herself to foals and the young to comfort them after their nightmares, as they have a harder time coping even once the nightmare is gone.

She entered the dream and found herself immediately breathless, the stars of another world shone clear as the sun on a cloudless day. A cloudless night on a mountain, she looked over the edge and her breath was once again taken. She did not truly comprehend how high she was. The mountains below broke the clouds and peaked above, she was over five times the height of the next highest mountain. "Targon" Luna spoke as if involuntarily, 'When he spoke of scaling a mountain to gain power. I knew it must have been tall but this... I would have never imagined' Her breathing returned, though she didn't technically need to. She had not realized how great a feat he had accomplished by reaching the top.

The top...this...was...a memory. Reality hit like a brick to her face as she turned around to see Atreus cradling another man. The princess could see the remains of tears on his face, having frozen to death and stopped breathing the other man was clearly dead. A smile on his face, as if contented, eyes semi open. 'His battle brother,' Luna thought, 'I am sad he wasn't lying. It would have made him a liar, untrustworthy, and easy to deal with. However instead he is truthful, strong, and most of all emotionally hurt. I guess we share those similarities.'

Just as Luna was about to move to leave she heard a sound, "May I ask why you are here?" Luna froze from her half turn and looked at where the sound came from. Atreus was looking at her, a look in his eyes telling her he was not happy having her intrude on his memory. How could he see her, how? She had not relieved herself, why did he see her? "I can tell you are confused. From my experience, being stuck in the mind, I know when something has entered and have quite the dislike for it. That being said you most likely didn't intend to see something so personal, so I will ask you to explain yourself if you can."

Author's Note:

Oi, I know I haven't been posting. Here's my excuse. Didn't feel like writing.

Now Riot, I don't think that's how atmosphere works.

Thanks again for reading, much love to the few of you who stick around for my work. 🙃

How you like them cliff hangers, I know you do.

Comments

[Alitaher003]

I mean, Targon is high above the mountains, literally reaching the stars, and it's made by what basically amounts to gods. The atmosphere is the least of your concerns..

[Archon Priestmane]

9925380
Oh hey Ali, nice to see you here xD

[ShortCaveman]

We Need more league of legends in Storytelling.Good Job I'll wait for more.