Steam filled the room in a haze that made everything just a little harder to see. After stepping out of the shower and drying off, he donned his boxers and pants and walked over to the mirror, using his towel to quickly dry the mirror off so he could see. With the mirror clear enough to see, Ash gazed at himself. His hair, a brown so dark is seemed black, was shiny from still being slightly wet. Having not had access to razors for several months due to hospital regulations, Ash also had a slight beard, which he ran his hand through. He considered shaving it but, after a moment, decided to keep it. Once he got a razor, he would certainly be sure to trim it, at least. His eyes, a deep green color, seemed to shine for some reason. Looking closer and leaning toward the mirror, he noticed that his eyes were just brighter, not actually shining, which he was thankful for.

Leaning back from the mirror, he took note of his chest and stomach. He was far from the most fit of person, what with three years of being tossed around hospitals and growing weaker making it impossible for him to work out in any way. On the other hand, neither was he fat or even pudgy, since the hospital food was rather lacking on sugar and stopped him from gaining weight, even with the little exercise he was able to get. For a moment, he considered keeping a simple workout routine to keep himself from gaining weight, but he wasn’t sure if he would keep it. Knowing himself, he figured he would get distracted by his magic and forget it entirely. Maybe the castle had a track he could run a few laps around every morning.

Ash turned and left the bathroom after tossing the towel in a basket near the door. He made his way over to the large bed and proceeded to fall into it, instantly realizing that it was incredibly soft to the point of him nearly sinking into it. The blanket was cool to the touch, something that felt great against his bare chest. Ash allowed his eyes to drift closed as, moments later, he fell asleep.

In the Dreamrealm

Ash wasn’t sure when he became aware that he was in a dream. It was sometime during the spell battle with a dremora, yet after he summoned two Storm Atronachs to help him. One moment, he was lost in the haze that was a dream, and the next he became aware of the world entirely right before his final Thunderbolt slammed into the dremora’s chest, launching him back and turning him to ash.

“An impressive feat.” Ash heard from behind him. Once he had become lucid, he had instantly realized he was in a dream and that there was only one person who could have entered his dreams and made him lucid.

Ash turned around, seeing the sight of a dappled Luna standing behind him, a soft smile on her muzzle. His own face split into a smile at the sight of her, her dapples just absolutely adorable. “Just a taste of the kind of power the Destruction school can give.”

“And these creatures?” Luna asked, gazing at the construct. It looked like a collection of floating rocks held together by lightning, given only the vaguest of human shape.

“Storm Atronachs, summoning which is an Expert-level Conjuration spell.” Ash answered.

“So this is a dream that shows you what you want to be? A master of the different schools of magic?” Luna mused. “Where are we, anyway?”

Around the pair, ancient stones formed a large circle, hundreds of feet across. The two stood on one side of the large circle with the outer rim of a massive maze obscuring the other side of the arena-like structure. The ancient wall was adorned by markings of runic symbols, writings in a language neither could read, and imagery that depicted the assumed shapes of various Aedra and Daedra.

They seemed to be standing in the entryway of the maze, with a large runic circle glowing with four floating staves, a small garden of various flowers growing past that in front of them. To their left and right, two large staircases led to raised areas where the participants of the maze could be watched. Ash gestured his head toward one of the raised platforms and the pain walked over to it, climbing up to the higher platform. From their new vantage point, both Ash and Luna could see a literal labyrinth running inside the maze, waving back and forth repeatedly.

“Welcome, Luna, to Shalidor’s Maze.” Ash said with a wave of his hand. “I will admit that this place is different than the last time I had seen it, but it’s a close enough replica of the maze.”

“Who was Shalidor?” Luna asked curiously, gazing around the maze. “And why did he build this?”

“Shalidor was an incredibly talented and powerful Nord mage back in the First Era. In fact, he was an Archmagus, which is the old term for Archmage. He invented a number of spells, furthered the knowledge of the different schools, and, toward the end of his life, retreated into the ancient city of Labyrinthian and built Shalidor’s Maze. Here, he continued to research anything and everything that his mind came across until he eventually passed.” Ash explained, gesturing toward the information recorded on the walls. “Of course, that’s an incredibly simplified version of who he was and what he had done, but it’s enough to understand.”

Luna nodded. “He sounds almost like Starswirl the Bearded, the first Archmage of Equestria, which is the title given to those who advise the crown on matters of magic. It is because of him that my sister and I created the position as we valued his word highly in those days, more than a thousand and two hundred years ago. We still do, as seen by my sister being eager to read one of his recently-translated journals. He was one of the leading minds in almost every field of study and some of his discoveries and technologies are still considered cutting-edge.”

“Such as?” Ash asked curiously.

“It was Starswirl who first learned to harness charged arcane gems for the purpose of powering spells. While the field has advanced beyond simple spellcraft and now includes machinery and other equipment, nopony has yet discovered a more effective way of draining them. The only one who comes close is you, provided the arcane gems are soul gems and you can charge them.” Luna explained with a reminiscent look in her eyes. It was clear that she remembered Starswirl well and likely looked back on those days with a fondness that was unmatched.

“I think they would have gotten along.” Ash said, receiving a nod from the Alicorn.

“I think so.” She replied, a soft melancholy in her voice. Ash, not wanting to see her upset, wracked his brain for something to distract her. After a moment, an idea struck him. In fact, it was his original idea, the very reason he was eager to show her Nirn.

With a thought, the world around Ash and Luna shifted. Gone were the ancient ruins of Labyrinthian, replaced by the fields south of Whiterun. To their left, the massive center of commerce sprawled across several tiers, with the palace of Dragonsreach at the very top. Around them were green fields, flowers dotted everywhere. In the distance, Ash could see two deer bounding across a stream. Behind them, three mammoths were being herded, led by two peaceful giants.

Far off in the distance, mountains rose and breached the sky, their snow-capped peaks in contrast to the starred void of the night sky. Ash turned to Luna, seeing her gaze around the landscape in wonder as several soft green, glowing butterflies floated through the sky, the mesmerizing Luna Moths catching Luna’s attention, a fact that Ash found mildly amusing. Reaching over and lightly grasping her muzzle caught her attention, even as the softness of her fur surprised him, he pushed her muzzle up, tilting her head toward the sky in the distance, above a mountain.

The rising question died in her throat as a gasp tore out of her mouth, her eyes widening in pure shock. Above the two, a few scarce clouds did nothing to block the sight that greeted her eyes. Hundreds of stars both bright and dim made constellations she had never seen nor heard of before, but that was not what had her shocked. Nirn had two moons.

One of them was massive, easily thrice the size of her own. It was a dark grey, similar to her own in color, yet also had a tinge of red to it. Even from the planet, hundreds of thousands of miles from the moon, she could see some parts of the moon were smooth, where ancient magma had cooled into plains of rock. Other parts were cratered, ages old marks where meteors had once hit the surface of the satellite, sending plumes of rock and dust miles into the sky of the moon.

Allowing her gaze to drift to the other, much smaller moon, she saw that it was almost the same size as her own, though it seemed a little smaller. It was even the same color, a solid gray that seemed almost white. Several smooth plains of rock and massive craters were visible, though they were harder to see from her view due to the size of the second satellite. Luna, gazing upon the two moons, felt like she couldn’t breathe. Never in her dreams had she seen a world with two moons, and yet the being next to him was showing her his world, sharing his moons with her.

“You know,” Ash started, speaking softly. It seemed fitting to nearly whisper, the awe of the moment and the silence of the night making it seem like a crime to be loud. “They said that Masser, the larger, and Secunda, the smaller, are the physical remains of Lorkhan, split in half after he was punished by the Aedra.”

“Two moons…” Luna whispered. “You have two moons.”

She fell onto her rump, sitting there beneath the sky and staring at the moons. Ash sat down next to her, crossing his legs and he watched the sky, too. With this being his dream, he had no worry of wild wolves or feral vampires attacking them. They were perfectly safe to just sit in the middle of the flower fields for the entire night.

“It’s beautiful.” She breathed out. Luna wasn’t sure why she was so affected by the sight of two moons. Maybe it was the novelty, the majesty of it all? Two massive orbs of rock orbiting the world below when she had always seen one for her thousands of years of life.

Or maybe the fact that, attuned to the moon as she was, she felt different, more special with two in the sky? The sight of the night sky, even if it wasn’t her night sky, with strange and foreign constellations, adorned by two massive and awe-inspiring moons made her feel alive. No matter the reason, something about the sight moved her to tears, small trails of water running down her cheeks and dripping to the ground below. They were not tears of sorrow nor loss, nor of joy and happiness, but of awe and beauty.

The Alicorn was vaguely aware of Ash’s hand on her shoulder, the man who felt the need to share such an amazing sight with her. Even more, he did so to help her, to distract her from her thoughts of Starswirl and her longing. Ash had seen that she was upset and so shared such a sight with her to cheer her up. She couldn’t thank him enough for that.

Turning suddenly threw Ash’s hand off of her shoulder and made him lean back in surprise, yet it didn’t slow her down or make her hesitate. Darting forward, she set her head on his shoulder even as her wings came and wrapped around him, holding her close to him. From her position, she heard his heart beat faster, so she spoke in a whisper, one so soft it was hard to hear even in the dead of night. “Thank you. Thank you for showing me this.”

“Whatever do you mean?” Ash asked with a playful grin, his arms wrapped around Luna’s barrel, just under her wings. “I just figured you’d be interested in Masser and Secunda.”

“No jokes.” Luna said firmly, her wings tightening around him. “I know what you did. Why?”

“I didn’t like seeing you upset.” Ash answered simply, patting her side with one of his hands. “So I thought I’d show you something you might like.”

Luna’s muzzle softly nuzzled his neck, lighting his nerves on fire, though he doubted she knew it. Her wings slowly came apart as she leaned back, a warm smile on her muzzle as she stared at him, her teal eyes meeting his own green ones. The Alicorn scooted over slightly and leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder as she looked to the sky again. “Tell me of some of the constellations, Ash.”

The stars above them winked out of existence as the sky shifted. Slowly, thirteen different groups faded into sight again as the constellations formed, Ash speaking all the while. “There are thirteen constellations in total, but not all of them are visible from the same location at the same time, so I’ve shifted the sky so we can see them. I’m leaving the moons as they are, though.”

As he had said, the two moons stayed in the sky, where they were framed by the constellations. Luna noticed quickly that there were three groups of four and a single outlier, which she assumed there was a story for. A moment later, when the sky had stilled again, he continued talking. “There are three Guardian constellations, each of which protects three charges, with the exception of the Serpent, who wanders the sky alone and in a different location each night. It is said that those born under certain constellations often have either certain temperaments or abilities that depend on the constellation.”

“The first Guardian is the Warrior, who protects the Steed, the Lady, and the Lord. He protects his charges during their season. Those born in his season, the Last Seed, are skilled with weapons of all kinds, though they are also prone to short tempers.” Ash said as he gestured toward a collection of stars that made out a warrior holding a shield and axe.

“The Steed is one of the charges of the Warrior, and its season is Mid Year. Those born under the Steed can be rather impatient and tend to hurry from one place to another throughout their lives.” Ash said, pointing to a constellation that resembled a rearing horse.

“The Lady is one of the Warrior’s charges and her season is Hearthfire. Those that are born under the sign of the Lady are said to be kind and tolerant.” This time, he pointed toward a constellation that that resembled a kneeling woman.

“The Lord is the last of the Warrior’s charges, and his season is the month of First Seed, and as such, he oversees all planting. Those born under the sign of the Lord are said to be both stronger and healthier than others.” Ash said, directing Luna’s attention to a constellation that resembled a man. Luna was listening intently, paying close attention to what he was saying. She was very interested in hearing the story behind another world’s constellations, a fact that did not surprise him.

“The next Guardian is the Mage whose season is Rain’s Hand, the month that is believed to be when man first used Magicka. His charges are the Apprentice, the Golem, and the Ritual. Those born in Rain’s Hand are said to have more Magicka and are talented spellcasters, yet tend to be more arrogant and absent-minded.” He gestured toward a man holding a staff in one hand, with his other waving forward as if he was casting a spell.

“The Apprentice is the first of the Mage’s charges, and his season is Sun’s Height. Those born under the Apprentice have an affinity for all magic, yet are more vulnerable to magic in turn.” Ash said, pointing toward a constellation that depicted a man holding a staff with both hands.

“The Golem, most often called the Atronach, is the second of the Mage’s charges, and its season is Sun’s Dusk. Those born under this sign are natural sorcerers with deep reserves of Magicka, yet cannot generate it on their own and must absorb it from other spells.” Ash explained, turning Luna’s attention to a star constellation that showed what seemed to be a mix between a Storm Atronach and a Frost Atronach.

“The Ritual, the last of the Mage’s charges, has the season of Morning Star. Those born under this sign are said to have a variety of abilities depending on the mood of the Divines.” He pointed toward a constellation that looked like an eye, an eyebrow, and a curled symbol below the eye.

“The last Guardian is the Thief, who protects the Lover, the Shadow, and the Tower. His season is the Evening Star, the darkest month of the year. Those born under the Thief are not always thieves, though they do have unnatural luck. However, it is said that their luck will run out and that they will not live as long as those under other signs.” He gestured toward a constellation that showed a man running through the sky.

“The Lover is the first charge of the Thief and her season is Sun’s Dawn. Those born under the sign of the Lover are said to be graceful and passionate.” Ash pointed toward a collection of stars that showed a woman.

“The Shadow’s season is the Second Seed. Those born under the sign of the Shadow have the ability to hide in darkness and avoid detection.” Ash said, pointing at a constellation that showed just the hand and head of a man.

“The Tower is the final charge of the Thief, and its season is the season of Frostfall. Those born under the sign of the Tower are skilled at opening locks of all kinds and can find gold in all kinds of places.” Ash explained, pointing to the final constellation under the Thief, one that showed a large tower.

“And the Serpent?” Luna asked curiously. “Why is it alone?”

“The Serpent has no season and no Guardian. It wanders across the sky and is not always in the same place at the same time of the year, though it can be predicted to a vague degree. While the Serpent has no season, it is possible to be born under the sign, provided it shares the sky with the sign of your birth.”

“So, if a pony is born in the month of the Ritual, ‘Morning Star,’ and the Serpent sign is in the sky that night?” Luna asked to clarify.

“That’s right. Those born under the Serpent are said to have their natural abilities amplified, yet are also doomed to meet the most cursed of fates.” Ash said. “It is said to wander the sky for the sole purpose of attacking the other signs.”

“What sign are you born under?” Luna asked curiously.

Let’s see, I was born on July 15th, and July corresponds to Sun’s Height, which is the season of the Apprentice. Huh. You know, that’s kind of funny. I’m learning Magicka and I was born under the sign of the Apprentice. “Sun’s Height, the sign of the Apprentice.”

“So, more gifted in Magicka, yet more vulnerable to it as well?” Luna asked, making sure she remembered right.

“That’s correct.” Ash said, gaining a bright smile from her, happy that she had remembered what she told him. “Does Equestria have twelve months?”

“Yes, we do.” Luna said. “Why?”

“What month were you born under? Or Celestia?” Ash asked.

Luna hummed lightly, realizing what he meant. She thought for a moment, making Ash think she had to remember when she was born. After a few moments, she spoke. “I was born in the second month. My sister was born in the ninth month.”

Second month is February, which is Sun’s Dawn. Luna was born under the sign of the Lover. Why am I not surprised? Celestia was born in September, which is Hearthfire. She was born under the sign of the Lady. That’s not surprising, either.

“You were born under the sign of the Lover,” Ash said, which made Luna’s dappled muzzle flush lightly. “So, if the signs have an effect on this world, too, you are graceful and passionate. Your sister was born under the sign of the Lady, so she is kind and tolerant.”

“I suppose both of those are fitting.” Luna said. “Moreso my sister, though.”

“I don’t know.” Ash said in a teasing tone. He couldn’t pass the chance up. “I don’t know you well enough to say for sure, but I think you can be rather graceful and passionate.”

Her muzzle darkened even more, though a sheepish smile came across her muzzle. “I don’t think so.”

“Do you dance? Waltz, perhaps, or another type of dance I don’t know of?” Ash asked, draping a hand over her shoulders. Internally, he was tensed, hoping that he wasn’t going to be thrown a few hundred feet away by being so bold.

Fortunately, he was safe. Her muzzle dipped as it shifted from a light pink to solid red, embarrassment clear on her face all around even as she spoke shyly, her ears folding down flat against her head. “Waltz.”

“On rare occasion, such as a party, or perhaps even just for enjoyment?” Ash asked, bringing his head closer to hers, which was still partly on his shoulder.

Her head moved away quickly, darting under her wing to try to hide for him, a tactic that was both utterly useless and absolutely adorable. Ash followed her as best he could, leaning over slightly as his voice dropped, softly whispering. “You know, I can box step waltz and forward progressive step.”

That seemed to be the tipping point. Luna’s wing shot to the side, smacking him hard enough to push him away, yet the soft feathers prevented it from hurting. She surged to her hooves and resolutely stared at the sky, specifically the Serpent constellation. Her muzzle was flushed a red so dark that he couldn’t see her dapples anymore, a fact that made him feel surprisingly disappointed. “So you said something about the Serpent chasing the other signs across the sky to try to harm them? What’s the story behind that?”

Ash rose to his feet and walked up beside Luna, placing a hand on her withers again. That caught her attention again, making her look over her shoulder with a nervous look in her eyes. Ash flashed her a soft smile as he spoke. “I’m sorry. I’m shouldn’t have teased you like that.”

The nervous looked faded, replaced by a smile, though her eyes drifted down. “It’s okay. I’m not mad at you. I didn’t hurt you with my wing, did I?”

“No, you didn’t. The feathers were soft enough that prevented it from hurting.” Ash said, making Luna give a nod of relief. After a moment, he continued. “You looked adorable with the flush, though.”

Dropping his hand and taking a step forward before Luna could think he was going to start again, he pointed back up to the sky again. “The signs aren’t just stars in the sky, Luna. All thirteen constellations are known as Celestials, living beings that have ascended to the skies and gained godlike power, though they are still mortal.”

“They...they are alive?” Luna asked in shock.

“Yes, they are.” Ash said simply. “The only time they have walked Nirn is in the Second Era, the year 582. The Warrior, the Thief, and the Mage fell from the sky and took on mortal forms, reappearing in the sky some years later.”

“What year is it now?”

“Fourth Era, 202.” Ash said in reply. “It was two Eras ago. Nirn measures an Era based on important events, rather than a number of years. The Fourth Era will end when something sufficiently important happens, beginning the Fifth Era.”

“So, it’s been a long time.” Luna said. Even though she hadn’t said it, Ash knew what he was thinking.

“It was a long time ago, yes, but it was something that was never forgotten because of how important it was.” Ash explained to her.

Luna hummed for a moment, then replied. “You were right about Oblivion and the Daedra, so I’ll take your word for it about the Celestials.”

“In any case, it is said that the Serpent was a Celestial who was an enemy of the others, choosing to follow them into the sky to destroy them. That is how it has gone for ages, but nothing has changed. I do not know if the Serpent is capable of destroying the others, or even if it is repelled each time.”

Luna nodded and allowed her gaze drifted around the world, taking in the sight of the mammoths, giants, and deer, eventually settling on the city in the distance. “Where are we, Ash?”

“Skyrim.” Ash explained. “On the continent of Tamriel, which is a part of Nirn.”

“Your homeland?” Luna asked.

“No, but I’ve been here.” Ash answered. “The city in the distance is Whiterun, which lies in the center of the country, and as such is the trade center of Skyrim. Almost everything passes through the city at some point.”

“Tell me about Skyrim, Ash.”

“A frozen land, ringed by mountains on three sides and the Sea of Ghosts on the fourth. It is always cold here, though not all places are coated in snow, as you can see. Northwest holds a swamp, with the southeast holding a hot springs. Otherwise, the country is full of mountains, hills, and snow plains.” Ash said.

“What kind of beasts dwell here?”

“As you can see,” Ash began, pointing to the giants. “There are mammoths and giants that wander the plain. You can find bears, big cats, trolls, wolves, deer, foxes, rabbits, and so much more. However, the most recent addition is the return of dragons.”

“Return?” Luna asked.

“A story for another time, I think. The story of the dragons is a long one that requires me to go back hundreds of years to explain, explain artifacts that predate Mundus, and further explain the Aedra and Daedra.” Ash explained.

“Fair enough. Perhaps another time.” Luna said, understanding his point.

“Whether in dreams or in life.” Ash replied.

Luna’s gaze snapped to him, a surprised look on her muzzle. “You will allow me to enter your dreams again?”

“Yes, I will.” Ash said with a smile. “After all, you seem rather interested in Nirn, so why not?”

The two fell silent for some time, Luna seeming to think something over, though Ash knew not what. Ash, however, was gazing at Whiterun, remembering all the times he had gone into the city to sell his collected gear, walking out with a broke city behind him only to repeat the process two days later.

After what might have been ten minutes had time actually passed in the dream realm, Luna firmly nodded, though it seemed to be to herself. She turned rather quickly and approached him, a deep blush on her face in addition to a very nervous smile and folded ears. The black spots on her muzzle stood out even more, making her seem even more adorable to him.

“Luna?” Ash asked curiously.

Luna circled around him, her nervous smile growing wider as she did so, with her left wing extended out toward him. “It’s been many years since I’ve last danced with a friend, and nopony nowadays knows how to waltz. So I ask you one thing, Ash, my friend.”

“Will you dance with me?”

Ash grinned to her, then held out his left hand, the fingertips barely brushing against her wingtip as he copied her movements, circling with her. “I will dance with you.”

Luna brought her right forehoof forward and around as Ash did the same, both pivoting to face each other directly. Ash’s moved his left hand to rest on her shoulder while his right lightly grasped her wingtip and held it out from them, with Luna’s right wing wrapping around his back gently. Her smile had grown from nervous to hopeful, though her blush had darkened again several times over. After all, she had only known him for a day, so she must have been nervous to dance with him.

Ash took a step forward with his right foot, then stepped again to the right while Luna did the same, but mirrored. A second later, he slid his left foot forward and right to meet his right foot in one smooth motion, the bottom of his foot an inch off of the ground. Stepping back and left with his right foot, then sliding his left foot to match, he completed a box step, with Luna mirroring him perfectly.

Her movements were, as he expected, perfectly graceful and coordinated. Considering she had four legs to move to his two, she was doing an amazing job keeping in time with him, both rhythm and actual movements. Her shoulders did not bob at all, keeping entirely smooth and steady as she swayed side to side, back and forth, in time with him. The entire time, her smile was wide and bright, her blush dark and large, with her eyes shining with happiness at being able to indulge in one of her passions once again.

On the contrary, Ash’s movements were slightly hesitant, having to take the time to remember the correct motion rather than moving by instinct as Luna did. His shoulders actually moved up and down as he walked rather than stepped, the smooth feel Luna gave off fading away at him. While he had no blush, he did have a content grin on his face, the idea of dancing with Luna a very attractive one that he did not hesitate to do and would not hesitate to do again in the future.

Truth be told, the only ones he could have been romantically interested in were immortals, mostly Alicorns. He had always felt an attraction to Celestia, Luna, Cadence, and certain depictions of Nightmare Moon. Although the idea of ‘herding’ was one he did not enjoy, and the characters had not been real to his knowledge, so he never put any thought into why he felt a slight attraction to them. Truth be told again, he had never expected to ever use his knowledge of the waltz, but he was content to know it was being put to use.

Ash wasn’t sure how long the two had danced under the twin moons of Tamriel. Ash wasn’t sure if the constellations had truly gathered around to watch, or if that was just his imagination. Neither was Ash sure when the dream began to collapse, the distance fading out as he slowly awoke. The only thing he remembered for sure of that time was that, right before the dream ended entirely, Luna had leaned forward and gently nuzzled his neck once more.

He also knew that, when he awoke, his legs were sore as if he had danced under the stars for hours on end.

Author's Note

The next chapter of The Aetherium Mage and the one that I've been looking forward to for a while. It's less about Magicka, as several other chapters has been about, and more about setting up some character development.

Also, did anyone notice that all previous chapters happened in a single story day?

That aside, feel free to leave a comment and tell me what you think about this chapter! It reveals a bit more about Ash's obsession with horses and horse words and helped develop Luna's personality a bit more, and even reveals a few things about the signs, which is just more world building and lore expansion.