Of Olden Times Long Past
An Introvert's Perspective
October 15 2012
7:05 AM
Fate Oh So Cherished

Songs used during production: Black Hawk Down: Leave No Man Behind, Hans Zimmer

Luna had a massive headache. The type that felt like her horn was being split in two by a sledgehammer driving a wedge down the middle using a hacksaw as the nail. And for whatever reasons that were beyond her, the bed that she was currently lying on felt very uncomfortable. The Night Princess groaned as she tried to adjust herself to a more comfortable position.

“Ughhhhh. Its far too early for the morning sunrise Tia...” Luna grumbled, shifting herself on her lovely silk bed in a vain attempt to get comfortable. It certainly didn't feel like a silk bed though. For one, whenever she tried to shift either too far right or the left side of the bed, Luna felt the cold touch of metal press against her, furthering the Princess's discomfort. To add to that, the air smelled of some kinda of antiseptic, almost with a hospital like quality. It didn't help that her head was being pounded like an anvil, drilling it's way into her skull.

There was also something else that was nagging at her. Something to do with preforming a spell experiment with Twilight Sparkle and...

“Gah. Next time we deal with some magic related activity, we will have to train Twilight Sparkle before hoof. Confound this pounding headache, it must be that damned spell's doi- EEEYAH!” Without thinking of the consequences, Luna opened her eyes, only to be blinded by a bright light.

“We'll get you for this Tia.” Luna growled, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the intensity of the beam of sunlight that was shining directly in her eyes. Slowly, her headache eased to nothing, allowing for coherent thought to dominate once again. Luna absent mindlessly tapped her hoof against the metal railing in thought. Something didn't feel right though.. She just couldn't place her hoof on what though. Figments of her memory from yesterday's events took it's sweet time in rearranging itself.

Getting up from the bed slowly, she composed herself as her vision slowly cleared up.

“Okay, Twilight Sparkle and myself had perfected a method of tracing down this source which observes our presence. We then constructed the necessary spell matrix, which led to.... Wait..."

Spell Matrix..... THE SPELL MATRIX!

Luna bolted up wide awake, eyes wide. All the pieces of the pieces of the past few days came back to her in a rapid, furious frenzy of bot flies. The preparations, the nagging presence, the avian.

Luna's vision cleared during this instant, which only addled her even more as her surroundings became immediately clear.
She wasn't in her comfy silk bed, rather she was currently resting in a hospital bed, surrounded by medical equipment of all sorts that quite frankly, she couldn't make heads or hooves as to what function they preformed. In other words, your typical hospital bed that came complete with all the familiarities to any who had the misfortune to spend more than a day in one. What was odd though was that the entire area looked completely derelict, abandoned for some time. The air had a yellow, musty feel to it, as if the building was imposing an eerie force upon her.

In retrospect though, she shouldn't have really been surprised by that all that much though.

"So you are awake then."

Luna jumped as her head whirled to see that the same avian from before was resting on a chair, casually reading what appeared to be some fictional romance novel of considerable length. The book snapped shut as the avian looked Luna directly in the eyes.

Now, it should be known that Luna isn't a being that one can just simply intimidate with a show of force. More often than not, she was the one responsible for inspiring terror within the hearts of Equestria's enemies. However, she could almost feel those sharp pupils pierce into her soul, and the Night Princess couldn't help but feel unnerved by being his focus of attention.

"We have much to discuss, oh silent paladin of the night."

"Forgive thee for our... Ignorance. But pray tell, what hast thou summon us for? For that matter, just whom to we speak to this day? What matter of such importance that you have summoned our presence personally? We recall that you have stated that you know something of these odd occurrences?"

The avian raised a talon, silencing any further questions Luna had for the individual.

"All will be explained in due time Princess Luna, all in due time, be patient. As for how I have come to know your name, I shall explain how I have come to know this, as well as the knowledge that you seek of at present time. If you will allow me the time to explain myself and your presence here, you will find the truth to your questions."

Luna eyed the strange avian cautiously, unsure as to what this odd bird might be hiding. After all, it isn't every day that the lunar princess finds herself being the one drawn into a dream, usually with her being the one that enters a pony's dream world to lay rest to their weary mind, spreading out comfort and solace to those who especially need it, and nightmares to those particularly wicked when she could. Nopony, not even Celestia herself, had the power to draw the Night mare herself into their own dream world by their own will. It simply just never happened.
Never had she been forcefully dragged into the dream realm by another than herself.

This one seemed to be reasonable though. Whether his intentions were pure remained to be seen however.
On the other hoof, he did claim to have answers to the visions that had been plaguing her for the past few months now.
It didn't take long for the embolden princess to make up her mind. She couldn't sense any malice coming off this individual's aura, and her gut told that there might be more perilous matters that could come of this. Setting herself down a few feet form the owl, she began her personal interrogation.

"Well... We accept your proposal. Thou must note however that We are not to be double cross nor deceived. Tis isn't in our habit to associate Our presences with evils doers and the like."

If the owl had been intimidated by her thinly veiled threat, he didn't show it. For a moment, silence reigned between them, the silence thick even to cut butter.

Finally, Luna made the first move. "We... We wish to know why you have summoned our presence to the Dream Realm. We are also most curious as to how you managed to pull thy presence yourself."

"To answer your second question, it involves my kind's being having a complex system linked from the physical to the abstract realm. To put it bluntly, we are powered by our aura user."

"... Forgive thee for our ignorance, but what is an "aura user"?

The owl thought for a moment, then a flash later, Luna saw that a bipedal being, fully clothed all over his body, come into existence. Walking a circle around his projection, the owl stopped to the right of him.

"An aura user is, simply put, our Earth Realm's counterparts. We are their creation, an imaginary friend if you will. While the place where my aura user hails from has no real form of magic, in the dream world it is a different story. I suppose you could say that we serve as their advisers, their companions when they are alone, and inspiration in times of innovation. Be it in literature, construction, chemistry, we help aid them in the creation and problem solving process. We are also their crutch when they fall into hard times. Finally, we are a shield against dark influences. Though our influence directly isn't all that far, we can help aid as a form of their conscious. " He sighed as the image disappeared.

"I guess you could say we are their projection, an image of their personality fully expressed, an alter ego." He stood silent.

"... Curious. We have something similar back in Equestria, though far more pronounced in our magic. But lately we have felt a disturbance in the Dream Realm. A very sharp one that has me most worried."

"Strange, it appears we are slowly adopting modern formalisms..." She thought to herself, then shook her head.

The owl sighed as he took his helmet off. "I am afraid that is exactly why I am here in the first place. As of recent times, my master has gone through hard times...." He paused as he steeled his will in with strength.

"The one you whom you know as Nightmare Moon as captured him."

The silence that followed for the first ten seconds, one could hear a pin drop.

"... You better not be making this claim in light jest, or I shall have you annihilated and turned into a pulp."

"Unfortunately, I am not joking. And my person is in grave danger. To answer your question, she is planning to harvast his emotions for her own devices and to increase her power..." He gave a visible shudder.

"I had to watch as that bitch capture him. One moment he was brooding by himself in his secluded sanctuary away from civilization in the woods. The next..." He shook his head with a sigh.

"She popped into existence with a burst of magic, accompanied by what I can only coin to be a dark aura. He never stood a chance. I could only watch helplessly as she dragged into the realm which we currently occupy, an ethereal plane of existence that bridges the gap between reality and dreams."

"We are well familiar with this plane of existence. However, it seems that our plane of existence differs from your own, for I did not sense a disturbance until as of recent. Is this correct?"

"Dead on. Now tell me this. You should know how dreams are the abstract creations of the individual, a sort of fantasy land where stress and havoc of everyday life is sorted and file by their profound experience that affects the person in question."

"Indeed...." Luna could sense that the conversation was about to become a lot more dire, and she felt as if an invisible hand tighten it's grip on her mane. She braced herself.

"What point are you trying to emphasis? We rather not stand in idle banter while our foe is creating unholy havoc."
The owl paused for a moment's consideration, pondering carefully as he thought how to convey his next piece in the conversation.

"Let me put it this way. Tell me this. Are you or anyone else capable of shifting a being's physical form?"

"No. As of present time, there is nopony, not even my sister Celestia or I, that are capable of such magic...." She stared on cautiously. "And your point? How does this relate to the subject at hoof?" The owl sighed. Here was hoping he wasn't royally manhandled within the next few minutes time.

"It would be better to show you than tell you from only my words alone. I advise you steel yourself."
Without warning, the entire room vanished in a flash of light that was so bright, that it blinded Luna for a moment. When she was finally able to rub off the disorientation, she saw that the two were in a black plane of existence. Oddly enough, she was still able to make out bother herself and the odd dream deity before her in a cast of light.

"We are at what I like to call the "Blank Zone". The reason why I call it that? In every individual, exists a centralized specific plane of existence that is almost completely separated from the others that are linked within the person's mind.
This is where the most important changes in their mental facility take place, as well serving to store a person's "essence" if you will."

"... Curious. We were not aware of this plane of existence." Luna spoke after a moment of shock, analyzing the incredible magic that she felt in her surroundings.

"Few do Princess Luna. Rarely, will anyone pass into this plane of existence. It only occurs under some of the most extraordinary circumstances. There is a reason for that. It is a dangerous thing for one to tamper one's essence... I request that you remain silent for the duration of what is coming next. This requires that none to disturb the vision field that I am about to project."

Luna nodded. "Please do enlighten us. We shall respect your wishes."

"Good. I should advise that the images that I am going to show are merely fragments of the past. They are only illusions that illustrate what has happened. I only need you to stay silent for the beginning, then you may speak."

A shroud of darkness flickered across Luna's vision, blinding her for a moment. When it cleared, she almost jumped.
In front of her stood two beings, transparent ghosts that stood to reenact the past.. Nightmare Moon was standing over the human from before in an oppressing, victorious manner. The boy before her was on the ground, barely conscious.

"Pathetic," Nightmare Moon spoke, kicking over the human's body on his stomach. "I would have expected much more resistance from a mortal of such great energy than I see now. No matter, this shall make my job easier.... I look forward to ending your current life." She chuckled in a cold, menacing manner.

"For you shall start anew."

Suddenly, Luna felt her head pound as she felt like the magic around her being pulled away, directed into the human before her. What was this madmare doing? That answer came abruptly immediately after as nearly gasped in shock.
She could sense it before it even happened, but... It simply couldn't be true. His aura was shifting, melding into something. But is it?

"This isn't possible. Even she couldn't be mad enough to-"

Her words were caught in her throat as she saw the human become engulfed in a mold before her.

What followed would stay with Luna for eternity.

Even thought she couldn't see it, the intense and extremely vivid emotion of anguish coming from the lad made her nearly faint. Emotional pain beyond description coursed from him. She couldn't say anything else about it other than it was a moment that was so horrible, that it rivaled nearly that of her fall to darkness.

Then, as if it couldn't get any worse... It was only for an instant... But it felt like an eternity.
When the cocoon that held the human finally dissipated, Luna's jaw fell off its hinges.

Now, it should be known that Luna is a long lived mare, barely even into her twenties in mortal years. Over the centuries, she had seen things that no one should wish to be a part of at all. Luna herself thought she experienced the ultimate when she was banished to the Moon. But here...

If horror were an actual physical element that could be measured, one would find themselves nearly drowned in the size of a swimming pool. The Moon Princess struggled to accept the information that was processed only a moment before.

"... What in Faust's name is this sorcery!?"

Before her, stood a younger version of herself, unconscious. Luna stood there blinking, then she saw Nightmare Moon chuckling, a smirk affixed to her muzzle. "Aww. So small and humble. So innocent and beautiful. Something that I can twisted in meld to serve me."

When "Luna" came to, she shrieked when she saw her reflection in a mirror, only to nearly slam a hoof to her muzzle when she saw a hoof instead of a hand. Panicking, she found to her utter horrific realization that her body was not her own. Then she saw Nightmare Moon hover menacingly above.

"Wh-what did you do to me!?" She squeaked, backing away. But that only caused Nightmare Moon to chuckle in amusement as she circled the reborn mare like a hawk.

"Dear Stuart, you haven't even begun to realize the amount of potential that you have. For you see, you hold a great power that you do not yet realize. And I plan to use it." She glared.

"And I plan to use it. I believe you will most enjoy being my servant. Nay, my sex slave."

Rage coursed through Luna's veins.

"THOU SHALT DO NO SUCH THING, HENIOUS DEMON!!!" She charged, intending to put a gaping hole in her mockery, before in a flash, she nearly slammed into a wall. Bewildered, she looked around to find herself back in the hospital, the owl from before panting in utter exhaustion.

"Ugh... Remind me never to do that ever again..."

"Art thou well?" Luna trotted up to him in concern, only to be waved away.

"I will be once this is all over." He gasped. He took a moment before he stood up, legs shaking.

"... Tell me all you know about what she is planning." She nearly butted in face to face with the owl.

"Every. Single. Detail." She hissed. If Luna didn't have a personal vendetta against Nightmare Moon... Well, she had another thing coming.

The corpsman dusted himself off and saluted.

"But of course. Only as the Lady wishes."

Author's Note

“Someone.... Anyone.... Please help me..... I just want to go home...” A voice echoed from both nowhere and everywhere at once.

(Note: Just a little piece from the prototype. Anyhow, bout time this finally update. It isn't exactly the next chapter per say, but it is something I suppose. I'll deal with any bugs later on, for right now Chemistry Class awaits.