The Crescent Pact

“... It all started when I was 7 years old,” Misty began speaking as she shuffled awkwardly in her seat. Trying to maintain her composure wasn’t the easiest task given there was one of Equestria’s two rulers standing a mere meter away from her, but the pink unicorn was resolute in her desire not to appear like a fool.

Luna, sitting regally just in front of her, simply watched as Misty fiddled with her hooves, trying to find the best way to start retelling the story of her abilities.

“I remember the day I discovered my abilities like it was yesterday,” Misty continued. “It was a late rainy afternoon, during the weekend. I was with my parents, walking in the streets of Fillydelphia. My mother had gotten us tickets for some play she helped set up… Uh, that was before she became director,” Misty clarified. “She had yet to climb the ladder,” she explained.

“Or, rather,” Luna interjected, “she had yet to remove her competition with that criminal’s help, right?”

“Uh… Yes, before that,” Misty winced. She knew Luna didn’t exactly approve of her past, but being reminded so quickly in her story certainly didn’t help settle the poor unicorn’s nerves. “Anyhow, we were getting a little bit late. I remember feeling unwell that day. My parents practically had to drag me out of the house by force.”

“Were you sick?” Luna asked.

Shaking her head slowly, Misty hesitated. “Not… Not quite. I did not have a fever, nor a cold, or anything of that nature. I just had a… A feeling. Like something was just… Off. I remember thinking… It was like somepony took the sky and replaced it with a perfect copy.”

Leaning forward, Luna’s interest grew noticeably. “... How queer,” she simply said. Misty wanted to ask what Luna was thinking about, but decided not to, out of fear.

“Indeed. Quite strange. Still, that wasn’t enough in my parents' eyes to convince them not to take me to the opera, since I wasn’t really sick. Just some silly filly pretending to be ill… And so, there I was, walking through the streets, wearing a dress, my parents and I almost running as we were running late and we had left with no umbrella. They were in a pretty sour mood and so, I did my best not to do or say anything to upset them… Even when I started feeling really cold all of a sudden.”

“Cold? So, you really were sick?”

“No, it was not an illness. I just remember my whole body being overtaken by… By shivers. Starting from my horn, and spreading throughout my body via my spine… As if every single nerve in my body was dunked into ice-cold water. And then, I heard it.”

With just a quick glance, Misty could easily tell Luna was standing at the edge of her seat. Her story, for some reason, had wholly captivated the princess who was doing her best not to let anything show… Even though Luna was doing a bad job at it.

Feeling somewhat emboldened by this development, Misty carried on. “I heard a voice, coming from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. Or, rather, coming from outside of my body, but also from deep within. That voice was… Chilling. As if dozens of ponies whispered at the same time, right into my ears… Or, I suppose, right into my brain. I’m still not quite sure.”

“And what did the voice say?” Princess Luna asked.

“Just a single word. It said ‘behind’. Honestly, I almost didn’t hear it… I was just so surprised. But then, I looked behind me, and… And I saw my ticket for the opera on the ground, lying in a puddle. It had slipped from my pocket as we were running.”

“Hm. So, you heard a benevolent voice that helped you avoid a disaster?”

“Eh… Not… Exactly,” Misty replied with a forced smile, looking away in shame. “I, uh, I was too afraid to tell my parents. They were already pretty annoyed with my antics, and I remember not wanting them to yell at me for dropping my ticket, so… I didn’t tell them.”

“... You didn’t? But didn’t that create an even bigger problem down the line?”

“It… Most certainly did. Foals aren’t exactly known for their rational decision-making, Princess. It goes without saying that my mother was livid once we arrived at the opera house.”

“I can only assume.”

Misty chuckled. “Not only did I lose my ticket on the way, which caused her to, according to her later that evening, completely humiliate her in front of her coworkers, but also…”

Luna raised an eyebrow.

“They were pretty angered by the fact their daughter had gotten a cutie mark out of nowhere, and said daughter couldn’t even explain how she received the mark. Or, even, what it meant.”

Remaining silent, Luna simply nodded, clearly having something in mind. Misty waited for the monarch to say something, but as the silence grew increasingly more awkward, she decided to continue with her story.

“The next few days were strange. My parents were confused and annoyed, and took me to countless specialists, mages and even to a therapist… I remember feeling as if I was just a spectator in my own body rather than the one controlling it. I was also scared. I thought I did something bad, something that would warrant a strong punishment, but… Eventually, I heard the voice again.”

Replaying the scenes of her youth in her mind, Misty’s body relaxed a little, sinking further into her seat. “Every time I went outside, I felt the same shivers that overtook me on that day. I heard the voice, though it was even more muddled back then. It took me months just to be able to understand what it was saying, but…”

Luna finally chimed in, surprising Misty. “Every time, that voice guided you, correct?”

The pink unicorn slowly acquiesced. “Exactly. Most of the time, it was for small things, like ‘there’s a dog on the loose in that street’, or ‘you forgot your lunch at home’, but it also warned me every time something more dangerous was about to happen. Like… When a stallion was following me while I was walking home from school. It was not too long before the whole… Debacle, between my mother and the opera.”

“Interesting. So, your ability is to hear some ghostly, otherworldly yet benevolent voice?”

“More or less. It only works when I’ve spent time in a more densely populated area. The more ponies, the quicker I can begin hearing the voice of the city I am in. It hasn’t worked in a village yet. Oh, and also, with time, I was able to… Focus this ability on a singular target. By turning my senses on just one pony, I can get the voice to share what they’re thinking… Or, rather, how they’re feeling at that specific time.”

“This must have been a useful skill to possess during your time as a criminal.”

Misty chuckled awkwardly. “Y… Yeah, it was, but… That life is behind me, now, I swear. A-Anyhow, that’s the story of how I got my cutie mark, and how I discovered my talents. I skipped some of the more mundane parts, but I can go further with my explanations if you so wish, Princess.”

Raising a hoof, Luna smiled softly. “No need. I have all the information I need… And I understand why my sister insisted so much on us having this meeting.”

“How so, if I may ask?” Misty enquired.

Luna stood up, and began walking toward the large windows at the end of the room. Peeling the curtains open, a shaft of light illuminated the room, causing Luna to wince ever so slightly. “... What I will share with you, Misty Step, is but a theory. There only was one pony in history who knew much about this subject, and I am afraid they are long gone. Still, though, he taught Celestia and me well. Listen well, young unicorn, as I shan’t repeat myself. Understood?”

Her body immediately tensing up, Misty gulped, then nodded. “Of course, Princess Luna.”

“Good. First, are you aware of my own abilities?” Luna asked. “Beyond raising the moon, that is.”

“I have heard you are able to enter some sort of… Dream realm, wherein you can visit your subjects’ dreams and nightmares.”

“Correct. Through careful magical processes, I can send my… Spirit, let’s say, to a higher realm of existence, above the material place, into what many called the ‘Dream Realm’. There is, however, an important nuance to this realm.”

Misty, drinking Luna’s word, sneakily left her seat while Luna was staring at the landscape. Furtively grabbing the nearest empty scroll and quill, the pink unicorn began taking notes, no longer caring about appearing proper.

“This realm,” Luna continued while ignoring Misty’s antics, “is infinitely more complex than just a ‘Dream Realm’. My tutor instead insisted on calling it a ‘Noosphere’, a realm which englobes the subconscious of every single creature in this world. Not much is known about this realm other than every creature is technically able to access it.”

“Every creature?” Misty asked. “Even the ones that aren’t… Magically-inclined?”

“Yes. And this noosphere, once accessed… Takes a different form for every single creature. For me, it shapes itself into a sea wherein I can swim and reach island-like dreams and nightmares. For you, it allows you to hear the personification of a city’s inhabitants.”

“Wait, wait,” the unicorn mare said, confused. “Are you saying both you and I can access that noosphere on the same level?”

“Ha!” Luna laughed, her tone more mocking than she intended. “There is a world of difference between your abilities and mine, young mare. Do not insult us,” the princess replied, falling back into her old speech habits.

“S… Sorry, Princess Luna. But I still can… Reach this noosphere?”

“As we said, every single creature is able to, given enough time and training, reach into this collective subconscious. Your specific talent is simply that you are more naturally gifted than others when it comes to this specific matter. With enough training, however… Who knows what you could accomplish.”

Dumbfounded, Misty dropped the quill she was holding with her aura. “I… I’m not sure I could really accomplish anything that great. I mean, it is already surprising to hear I can tap into that realm, but all it lets me do is to hear voices. Not exactly… Groundbreaking,” Misty said.

“For now, yes, but you’ve lacked the proper training to fully grasp your powers. Today, you can only hear the voices of large communities. Under my tutelage, you might begin to uncover more aspects of your abilities,” Luna calmly said, her voice growing quieter. “That is,” she continued, “if you prove yourself loyal.”

Misty blinked. “Did I understand correctly? You wish to… Teach me how to use my ability?” she asked, her eyes growing wider, her heart beating faster.

Luna acquiesced. “Yes. I have come to understand this must be why my sister arranged this meeting. Well, either she wishes me to teach you, or…”

Tilting her head to the side, Misty waited for Luna to finish her sentence.

“... Or, to execute you right here and there,” Luna nonchalantly continued before turning her head to face Misty, whose face became pale white. “It is a potentially dangerous ability to possess, Misty Step, and you haven’t exactly lived your life with the greatest moral compass so far.”

“P-Princess Luna, surely, you must be joking… Right?”

“I am not. Anyhow, thank you for this most interesting conversation, Misty Step. I have much to think about. You are dismissed. Go back to your quarters. I shall summon you again once I have reached a decision. Oh, and, of course, if you try to run, I needn’t say what would happen to you, right?”

Pale a ghost, Misty felt a pit form in her stomach. “... Of… Of course, Princess Luna.”

“Very well. Then, go,” Luna replied calmly as she opened the room’s massive doors with her magic. Absolutely frightened, Misty quickly stepped outside and began power-walking to her room, passing by many puzzled guards and servants.

As soon as Misty reached her room, she slammed the doors shut before throwing herself into bed, still reeling from the end of her conversation with Luna. Grabbing a pillow, she plunged her head into it and screamed as hard as she could, bringing the tiniest amount of catharsis to the mare.

Eventually, Misty stopped screaming into her pillows and stared blankly at the ceiling, already deciding to call it a day.

“... I wish Sandstorm was here,” she mumbled before consoling herself with happier memories.