Normally, if there was anything in the world that would make some creature in Equestria feel uneasy, it was being overwhelmed with so many things to do in so little time. Whether it would be small day-to-day errands or big events that just happen to creep up on you at the last minute, many go through the day worrying about if they would have the time to do all those things. While there were some who did their best to try and keep their lives organized, there wasn’t any organizational system that could prepare for every possibility, no matter how hard you tried.
However, for one particular pony, her dilemma was the exact opposite. For when it came to Princess Luna, it wasn’t the feeling of having too many things to do that bothered her. It was the fact that there were too little things for her to do. For ever since she and her sister Celestia had entrusted the well being of Equestria to Princess Twilight and her friends, the two sisters have been living in cozy retirement. Something that many ponies in Equestria would be happy to reach at some point in their lives.
Yet, to the former princess of the night, retirement felt… routine. Luna would wake up, have breakfast, talk with Celestia, check to see if the delivery pony left anything for them in their mailbox, have lunch, check the mail again, go through any mail that arrived, dinner and sleep. Aside from a few surprises, such as friends coming over for tea or something else, it felt like most of those days just went by on a constant loop. It felt very stagnant, and she wasn’t very comfortable with it.
The only exception to this was when she would walk through the realm of dreams. In there, it served as a place for Luna to not only watch over her subjects, but talk with them about issues that deeply bothered them. Even though there weren't as many ponies here that needed assistance over the last few years, she was at least doing something instead of nothing.
Yet, for some reason, tonight felt different. The alicorn didn’t know how to describe it exactly, but there was a presence here that was not the same compared to the other dreams she visited. As she trotted past many of the doors in the dream realm, Luna first assumed that the dream had belonged to Discord. However, if that were the case, there would be some amount of familiarity with it. Whatever this was, it was completely foreign to her.
As Luna trotted closer though, she felt something tickle under her hooves. Looking down, the alicorn began to notice blades of grass under her along with flowers that were about to bloom. “That’s… new. Never had the contents of a dream spill out like this before.”
As her eyes followed the trail of flora, the alicorn of the night now noticed where it was coming from. It was a door to a dream similar to that of the others here, but its appearance was rather majestic. The frame of the door was covered in fresh moss with two lines wrapping around it and the wood was a darkened green. Flowers bloomed at the base with some appearing on the vines as the princess looked to see a symbol of a majestic tree, with a heart at the bottom where the roots would be.
To Luna, this possibly meant only one thing. That the dreamer that resided within was a powerful one. One that knew they were in a dream, and was able to understand the turbulent nature of dreams. “Could this belong to… a kindred spirit? Somepony who understands dreams as much as I do?”
There was some hesitation at the thought of this. But Luna knew for a fact that the only real way for her to know for sure was to step on through and meet the dreamer themselves. Though, as she pushed her hoof against the door to open it, a gentle voice was heard as a warm and comforting sensation was felt around her.
Make yourself at home.
In the world of Teyvat, the land of Sumeru was primarily known for two things. Knowledge and the scholars who take it upon themselves to research said knowledge. For the longest of times, the people of the Dendro Archon trusted the words of the sages of the Sumeru Akademiya, its main governing body and the most renowned learning institution in all of Teyvat. Many students would come from all corners of the world in the hopes that an education from the Akademiya’s top scholars would provide them success in life.
However, in the last few days, major revelations about the Akademiya have led to a wave of change that stretched out across the land from the Dharma Forest to the Great Red Sands. The deeds of the Sages that were in power; including the exploitation of Sumeru’s people, their treatment of the God of Wisdom and their collaborative plans with the organization known as the Fatui, were exposed by the efforts of a foreign traveler and the companions they met along their journey. Some of the details as to how this happened were a little bit more complicated than others, but the effects of what transpired could be felt everywhere.
One of the biggest and most noteworthy changes to the people that lived in Sumeru was that they could dream. On the surface, that wouldn’t sound like something to be surprised by. Yet, for the longest time in Sumeru, it was believed that the adults who lived in Sumeru were incapable of doing so. However, the truth of the matter was a lot different than anyone expected and when the changes of Sumeru took place, that meant that there were many people who were experiencing the wonders of dreams for the first time alongside their archon.
Tonight though, as Nahida closed her eyes and prepared herself to enter the realm of dreams once more, a curious feeling washed over here. There was someone new here that was unfamiliar to her. Almost like the traveler, but not the same.
“I wonder who decided to make themselves at home here.”
When Luna first opened her eyes and saw where she was, the first thing that she could see was nature all around her. Flowers of various shapes and sizes that normally wouldn’t be possible in reality existed here. Roots from the base of trees stretched out from the ground and curled upwards to create shaded canopies. Lily pads on the surface of a pond served as a bridge to cross to the other side as some animals were able to move across safely. Each one of these sights both puzzled the alicorn, but also left her in awe at the same time.
Then, when she looked up to see if there was a night sky, Luna found herself looking at an exact reflection of everything around her. Some things were different in color, and everything was in the same place. However, there was no reflection of herself up there.
“What a rather peculiar dream… I wonder who this dream belongs to.”
As she trotted down to get closer, the flora in the environment began to react to her presence. Most notably, a giant flower bud that hung overhead now began to unfurl and blossom right in front of her. Some of the vines that once were canopies now began to extend and intertwine with one another to form a path for the alicorn to guide her. Which seemed rather surprising, considering the various dreams that she has visited over the years.
Normally, when dreams would want you to go a specific way, it was because there was something that the dream or the one who the dream belonged to wanted to show you. Yet, such circumstances were rare. Whoever this dream belonged to must be just as skilled as she was… and Luna did not know anypony else who could be on par with her. Was this somepony she had yet to meet?
As she approached the top, the alicorn found herself looking in wonder at what was around her. Above Luna’s head looked like a see-through shrine. Conjured by a power she could barely recognize, but it didn’t stop the princess of the night from staring at it in awe and wonder.
Then, a voice was heard. Gentle, welcoming, but also curious. “So, you’re the dreamer that wandered in here? You’re much different from the others.”
When Luna turned around, she found herself looking at a creature that looked like the ‘humans’ from the other side of the mirror portal where Sunset lived. Yet, this one looked very different. Their size was no bigger than that of a filly and even sounded like somepony that Sweetie Belle would befriend. The clothes they wore were in an intricate design that was unlike anything the alicorn had seen before, but one thing she did notice was that by their left ear was a leaf. Something that matched the surrounding environment of the dream.
“Who are you? Is this your dream?”
The simple question was met by a brief moment of confusion as the small figure tilted her head, “That’s strange. You know about dreams, but you don’t know me,” She put a finger to her chin, as if to ponder something. Yet, that itself did not last too long, “Well, perhaps you can tell me your name first, if you would be so kind.”
“I’m-” Luna had to stop herself for a moment, almost forgetting that she was now retired and not an active member of royalty. “-My name is Luna.”
“That’s a pretty name,” the little one commented, “As for me… well, I’m referred to by many names. But, you can call me Nahida.”
Luna didn’t know why, but the sound of her name had a feeling of warmth and comfort wash over her as she looked at the landscape of the dream. “Well, Nahida, I must say… this is rather delightful-” when the alicorn turned back around, she found that the little one was not there anymore.
Instead, she felt something press to her side. When Luna turned to see what it was, the little one was holding out one of their hands and gently petting her fur. All the while, the other one was holding onto what looked like a playground swing that was made from what she assumed was a form of magic that she was unfamiliar with. “Uh, wha-?”
“Oh, sorry. I was just checking something,” Nahida giggled, before retracting her hand, “My people have a tendency to pretend that they are something else entirely when inside a dream. Though, you seem to be rather different from them.”
“I could say the same,” the alicorn replied, “This dream isn’t like any of the ones I’ve visited before.”
That small comment was taken much differently by Nahida, “Visited before? Then… you’re not just any ordinary dreamer. You must be a dream walker.”
The princess nodded her head as her starlit mane twinkled a little, “If that’s what you want to call it. I mean, I can walk into the dreams of others. Yet, I only do so if it’s absolutely necessary”
As the little one listened, it looked like she was pondering something in her mind. Despite Luna not saying much to her, it told Nahida a lot more than she would expect. So much so that when she spoke again, what she asked caught Luna by surprise.
“Miss Luna, I’m sorry if this sounds a bit sudden to ask you, but are you a god?”
The unexpected question puzzled Luna. She didn’t expect a creature that looked so young to be asking about something along the lines of godhood of all things, “W-what makes you say that?”
“Well, the only other people that I know that have the same amount of power you have are gods or creations of gods. That and I am a god myself, so it’s kind of easy to piece it all together.”
“Hold on a minute,” Luna interjected, “You’re a god?”
At that, Nahida just tilted her head and gave the alicorn a rather puzzled look at first. Then, some realization hit her as she just gave a friendly giggle. “Oh, did I forget to mention that? Silly me, I thought you knew already,” the young looking girl replied, “Remember when I said a couple of moments ago that I’m called many names?”
The alicorn nodded her head, not knowing what exactly to expect as she watched her walk around. The grass at her feet reacted to her presence as she put both of her arms behind her back and gave the princess a warm smile, “Well, back where I am from, I am known as the god of wisdom.”
That caught Luna completely off guard. She did not think that somepony that looked as young as Scootaloo or Sweetie Belle could, in reality, be a god. If that were true, then Nahida was probably just as old as she was. Maybe even older than that!
“Um? Miss Luna?”
“Huh?” she blinked, before finding Nahida looking back at her once again, “A-apologies, I… was not expecting that.”
“No worries. Many would be shocked if they realized that they were actually talking to a deity,” the god of wisdom kindly told her, “But you still didn’t answer my earlier question. Are you a god as well?”
“That’s… a difficult question to answer I’m afraid,” the princess replied back, “Despite being around for a rather long time and some of our subjects worshiping both my sister and I as a god, I don’t see myself as one.”
“You don’t?” she asked, “Why?”
That was rather hard for Luna to try and answer. But she still tried the best she could, “Because unlike how my people see us, we aren’t perfect. The title of godhood to us implies that we are incapable of making mistakes or getting something wrong. However, time and time again, it has been proven otherwise. We get tricked, make bad decisions and do things that put the lives of our subjects at risk-”
“That’s just silly.”
The alicorn blinked. She was going to go on, but Nahida’s remark had her train of thought just stop completely. “Come again?”
“Nobody’s perfect, not even the gods,” she smiled back, “I mean, look at me. Despite being the god of wisdom, I still have a lot to learn about my people and the world around me. We all have faults, but what truly makes us who we are is if we can learn from them and take it upon ourselves to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
This was completely different from anything that Luna was expecting. Normally, it would be her duty to help her subjects overcome their own nightmares and give them advice to face their fears. Now, she was the one getting advice from a god she only just met. Yet, she didn’t reject it at all. If anything, the advice that was given was actually genuine.
“Does that help make the question a bit easier?”
The alicorn smiled, before sitting down next to Nahida, “Actually, it does.”
The god of wisdom couldn’t help but match Luna’s smile with one of her own. Yet, in doing so, another question was now asked, “So, in your world, what are you a god of? I mean, Teyvat is home to many gods, but I don’t remember any one of them resembling you or having your name.”
“Well, I never heard of a ‘Teyvat’ before,” Luna told her, “But in my home, Equestria, some of my subjects revere me as a goddess of the moon. Even though my preferred title is Princess of the Night. Being able to walk into dreams and help my subjects is not just a special trait I have. It’s a duty and an obligation I take rather seriously.”
“So, that’s how you can walk into the dreams of others!”
“Yes, but I don’t really just prance around from dream to dream and do as I please. The only dreams I can be able to enter are those who I’ve visited before or the dreams of those who need guidance. To overcome something that has been bothering them and help them overcome any concerns or fears. Though, I’m not sure how the door to your dream came into being.”
It was at this moment that Nahida’s expression changed slightly. “W-well, there… is one thing that has been on my mind a bit.”
“Oh?” Luna raised an eyebrow as she looked at Nahida, before noticing the new expression on her face, “We… don’t have to take about it if it's uncomfortable for you-”
“Actually, I think maybe talking about it would be a good thing. Not saying anything would have it just boil up and spill like water in a cooking pot,” she countered, “I mean, you did say that you help your subjects overcome any concerns. So, imagine me like I’m one of your subjects.”
The request was a bit of an odd one, considering everything Luna had learned in the last few minutes about Nahida. Still, it wouldn’t feel right to just not do anything. So, much like she would with her own subjects, the alicorn let the young god sit next to her and get comfortable before she asked her a simple question “Then, what troubles you tonight, dear Nahida?”
“Well… to better understand it, maybe I should start from the beginning.”
Much time had passed, but in that time, the story that Luna was told was beyond anything that she had heard of before or read in the halls of the Canterlot Library. It was unbelievable to think how much pain Nahida had to endure. To be the god of her people, but to be treated like a helpless bird in a cage and only watch as those who were responsible for caring for her people were acting harming them in the misguided pursuit of knowledge.
Though, in her mind, it felt as if there was a piece missing. Something crucial that could explain everything. Yet, she did not think about it too much. “I see. That is quite a tale you shared with me.”
“Since the efforts of the Sages were foiled, I’ve been working hard with those who rescued me to change Sumeru for the better,” the god of wisdom replied, “All of the Sages who took part in the scheme of the Doctor, including the Grand Sage, were removed from their positions and those being considered to replace them have to be approved by me personally. My home is beginning to change for the better. However… there’s still one thing that hasn’t been done yet, and that’s what I’m having trouble with.”
“You mean the one you called The Balladeer?”
Nahida nodded as she looked at her hands, “I’ve been… hesitant to punish him because after seeing his memories in Irminsul and looking into it further, I realized that his hatred for both humanity and the gods was fabricated. He was misguided down this path because someone else wanted him to do so. Now that he’s been discarded by The Doctor, I think he’s the only chance there is to get answers from Irminsul.”
At this point, the young god looked up to Luna and asked the first thing that came to mind, “Luna, is it possible that someone who’s done a lot of bad things can change? That they can actually do some good?”
“That is a bit of a heavy question to ask,” the alicorn admitted, “But yes. Not only because I believe it's possible, but because I’ve seen it for myself first-hoof.”
Now it was Nahida’s turn to be surprised, “Really?”
“A few times, actually,” she replied, “You see, in my home, just because someone does something bad doesn’t mean they’re necessarily evil. There have been times where creatures we thought were beyond redemption actually changed their ways for the better. One such story that comes to mind involved my sister’s former protégé, Twilight Sparkle. Some time ago, she met a mare who thought that the root of all her woes was what made her special. Yet, instead of punishing them, Twilight extended a hoof to her in friendship so she could choose a different path for herself. Now, her former student Starlight Glimmer is the headmare of the School of Friendship that Twilight and her friends created. Our equivalent of a Grand Sage, if that helps.”
Much to her own doubts, she was surprised by this story. In fact, if Luna’s story held up, then maybe it was possible to do the same thing for herself.
Though, it was at this moment that the dream around them began to shimmer and fade. Something that caused Luna to let out a heavy sigh. “Well, that is unfortunate. It appears that I will have to wake up soon. Thank you very much for welcoming me here, Nahida. I enjoyed my time here, and perhaps one day, we’ll meet again.”
At this, Nahida was going to say goodbye herself. But then, a sudden realization came to mind. There was still one last question that she forgot to ask! “Luna, wait!”
More of the dream began to fade and disappear as the mare of the night turned back to look at Nahida once more. “Hm? What is it?”
“Are you a descender-”
Before she knew it, Luna’s eyes fluttered open as she found herself staring at the window of her bedroom. Rays of sunlight filled the small empty space as she let out a yawn. While she had hoped for the dream to last a little bit longer, it was possible that Luna would have the chance to go back into the dream again if the door was still there.
“Morning, Lulu.”
Her ears twitched at the voice, before turning to see that her sister was standing at the door frame to her room. She wore a burgundy turtleneck and was holding a mug full of coffee in a magical grip, “Did you sleep well?”
“You can say that,” Luna stretched her forelegs, before rising from her bed. She levitated a robe over to her and trotted towards her sister. “In fact, I met someone in my dreams that I think you might like.”
“Really now?” Celestia raised an eyebrow, intrigued by her sister's words, “Tell me more.”
“Well, she reminds me a lot of us. Like, back when we were younger,” she replied, “Rather young, but also rather wise. That and her dream was a rather beautiful place to visit.”
As Nahida’s eyes opened and found herself inside the Sanctuary of Surasthana, the question that she tried to ask remained unanswered. She had hoped that Luna would be able to provide something that she could tell the traveler next time they visited, but that would have to wait. Thanks to her, she now had a decision to the question that remained on her mind for the last few days.
Once she stepped foot onto the floors, Nahida turned away from the center of the sanctuary and turned to another one of the chambers. With an extended hand, the door to the chamber dropped and the figure inside looked out to see her.
The Balladeer himself. “So, we meet again. Have you decided to finally rid yourself of me, like my mother before me?”
Much to the puppet’s surprise, her answer was much different from what he was expecting. “No. In fact, I actually have a proposal. Something that could benefit both of us, if you wish to hear it.”
Author's Note
So, hot take here. Sumeru's story is what I believe to be the best one in Genshin, not because of the different twists and turns occurring throughout, but because of its characters. Nahida stood out the most to me because she reminded me a lot of Luna. So, I thought that a story involving both of them was desperately needed.
Thank you for taking the time to read another one shot story of mine as the new year begins. I hope the best for everyone and I look forward to great things in 2023.
Until next time
-Frost
