A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Princess Luna looked up at the luminescent moon, pleased with her work. She had brought about yet another glorious night, and all was well with the world. Or so it seemed.
But Luna knew better.
For the dreams of her subjects were under her care, and it was her duty to quell nightmares and bring peace to their minds. Often, their nightmares were of mundane things, like fear of failing an important test, or fear of rejection by another pony. But as Luna trotted away from the balcony overlooking the tranquil fields of Equestria, she knew there was one subject who would likely prove yet again to be an interesting case.
Her thoughts drifted to the supposedly legendary sorcerer who now resided in her land, making his home in the quaint little town of Ponyville. The two-legged wizard who called himself Vaati the Wind Mage.
He was unlike anything Luna had ever encountered before. He was an enigma, a puzzle that was difficult to solve. Luna had yet to meet Vaati in person, but through the elusive mage's dreams, she had come to know him far better than anypony else. In him, she saw many similarities to herself. Like her, he had been treated as an outcast in his youth for being different. Like her, his bitterness had driven him to madness, and he became a terrifying monster, a demon of the night, his name to be remembered forever in infamy.
Luna had been hesitant to directly approach him inside his dreams. She did not know how the sorcerer would react to her snooping around in his dreams. But his nightmares had been escalating recently, and their severity troubled her. With this in mind, Luna quietly trotted over to her bed and lay down, slowly entering the world of dreams that was her domain.
XXXXXX
Vaati, predictably, was not getting a favorable night's sleep, his dreams fraught with bitter memories and dreadful nightmares. Twilight and Spike were fast asleep, but the sorcerer twisted and turned in his bed. The nightmare he was currently having was one he had already had in the past.
Vaati, a seven year old Minish boy, ran as fast as his little mouse-like legs could carry him as the three bullies relentlessly pursued him down an empty street. Chip and his two goons, Giles and Tiku, were off on another monster hunt, and as always, Vaati was their unwitting victim. The little orphan ducked into an alleyway, hoping to lose his pursuers. However, all he succeeded at doing was backing himself into a corner as the three Minish bullies ominously advanced on him, cracking their knuckles and grinning evilly.
Vaati curled himself up into a little ball and put his hands over his head to protect himself from the beating he was about to receive, crying softly and shaking in terror. Chip reached out, grabbing hold of Vaati's shoulder, the little boy crying out in fear as the bullies prepared to assault him.
"Unhand that child at once, you thuggish miscreants!" a strong, female voice unexpectedly cried from behind the bullies.
Chip let go of Vaati in surprise and turned around. Vaati couldn't see who it was, but whoever it was, they were coming to rescue him. "Who the heck are you?" Chip demanded.
"That is none of your concern, peasant," the woman answered coldly. "We will not allow thee to continue thy barbaric assault any longer. Now LEAVE."
Amazingly, Chip and his buds did as they were told and scurried out of the alley without so much as a glance at Vaati, thus revealing his savior. A tall, midnight-blue alicorn with the starry skies swirling in her spectral mane stood over Vaati, smiling benevolently.
A...pony?
A pony.
Luna immediately sensed Vaati's mind going tense at the realization that someone might have entered his dreams and reached out with her own mind.
Wait! Luna spoke. Wind Mage Vaati! We mean no harm!
Luna then manipulated the dreamscape, the deserted alleyway dissolving away as the scene was replaced with a tranquil lake surrounded by trees on a starry night. Vaati was no longer the small, frail Minish boy. He was in his normal Hylian form, and was quite tense. "Who are you?" he demanded. "What do you want?"
Luna inclined her head. "Fair greetings to thee, Wind Sorcerer Vaati. We are Princess Luna, Celestia's sister and Guardian of the Night."
Vaati's tension eased only very slightly. "So you're Princess Luna? Why, then, did you invade my dreams, spy on my memories, and violate the privacy of my mind?! These are not slights I take lightly, Princess!"
"We understand your shock, Vaati. But it is our duty to patrol the world of dreams and drive off nightmares. And yours, Vaati, are by far the worst we have encountered."
"They are my memories! I've seen and done things your kind are not meant to know!"
"By bearing them alone on thy shoulders, you exhaust thyself even further, sorcerer. Dost thou not see how thy reclusiveness hinders thee? It would do you ill to keep your troubles to yourself...like we did."
Vaati glared at her with suspicion and just a hint of curiosity as she dipped her head in remembrance. "We were like thee once. Vilified by those who did not understand us."
Luna walked over to the edgeof the lake and looked down into her reflection on the water's surface. Vaati tentatively joined her, glancing down at his pristine reflection as well. "We grew bitter with the world, and it changed us...into something we are not proud of."
Luna's reflection distorted, the water rippling as a new image appeared in place of Luna's reflection; a pitch-black alicorn with a dark-blue helmet and green, cat-like eyes. The unmistakable face of Nightmare Moon. Vaati's reflection changed as well, morphing into an all-too-familiar spherical shape; three pairs of bat-like wings, golden horns atop its head, and a single eye that stared coldly back up at him. His demon form.
The two of them were silent for a long moment, staring at the reflections of their dark sides, Nightmare Moon and Vaati's Wrath, until finally Luna broke her gaze and turned away, causing the grim images to ripple away. "We want to help you, Vaati, for when we look upon thee, we see ourselves," Luna spoke.
Vaati said nothing for the longest time, until he finally queried, "Why?"
Luna blinked. "Why what?"
"Why this? Why help me?"
Luna smiled shyly. "Because we believe you are worth it."
Vaati admittedly felt rather flattered by this, and an uncomfortable silence permeated the atmosphere as they each considered what to say. "How...exactly do you plan to help me?" Vaati asked. "You have millions of other subjects to attend to. As much as I'm flattered by your generosity, I would suspect that your sister deems the masses more important than I."
"Our sister holds no jurisdiction here," Luna replied with a bit more force than she intended before smiling calmly. "No, Vaati. You are more important than you realize. Now tell us then, Vaati. Where do you feel the most at ease?"
Vaati pondered for a brief moment. "In the sky, where the wind caresses my skin and whistles in my ears. Where I am king, undisputed."
Luna's wings unfurled. "Then let us fly."
The alicorn princess took to the air, hovering over the lake as she waited for Vaati to accept her invitation. A few moments later, a great spherical shape rose up to meet her. The floating orb dwarfed Luna several times over. Three pairs of bat-like wings protruded from the main body and flapped in perfect sync, keeping the great creature aloft. A single eye, trimmed with gold, opened wide and gazed upon the Moon Princess.
Luna took in the sight of the beast the sorcerer had become. She had to admit, it was an impressive form. It was like his own personal Nightmare Moon; however, she got the distinct impression he exerted a great deal of control over his beastly alter-ego. There was a certain majesty to be found in his power that meshed with hers startlingly well...
"Are you quite finished staring at me like an infatuated schoolgirl?" Vaati jokingly asked, startling Luna out of her thoughts.
Realizing what she had been thinking, Luna stuttered as her cheeks flushed hot pink in embarrassment. "We...I...uh..."
The sorcerer laughed in amusement. That was by far his favorite reaction amongst women. Perhaps this night might turn out to be enjoyable after all. "Come, Princess," he bade, flapping his wings faster. "We shall fly."
Luna shook off her blush and followed after the great eye. Alicorn and demon soared over the treetops, ascending higher and higher into the night sky, where the cool air kissed their skin. The moon shined brightly overhead as they flew, looking down upon the countryside. Not a soul could be seen. Just them, riding upon the cool night air, exchanging no words, for no words were needed.
The two of them soared majestically through the air, occasionally daring to perform an aerial trick or two. Luna's were often more impressive, as her smaller, more streamlined body made her more faster and maneuverable than the larger Vaati. But with the wind at his command, Vaati kept up with some skilled feats of his own. Luna laughed in pure exhileration, and soon the mage joined in as well.
Luna, for the first time in a thousand years, was truly having fun.
Vaati, for the first time in his life, felt truly at peace with himself.
The two of them flew together the entire night, and when Princess Celestia awoke to raise the sun, Luna bade Vaati goodbye, promising him to visit again the following night. Thus it was that Celestia noticed a sudden spring in Luna's step, and a much happier countenance. Celestia found herself pondering the cause behind Luna's happiness, but soon decided it didn't matter. Luna was happy; that was all the answer she needed.
Far away, in the quiet town of Ponyville, Twilight Sparkle could not help but notice a change in Vaati's demeanor. At times, it wasn't very obvious, but Twilight could see that the sorcerer was less...irritable than usual. And as Vaati worked with Fluttershy and her animals, Fluttershy discovered, to her immense joy, that Vaati appeared to actually have a smile on his face as he worked. Whatever had happened, something had gone right with the world.
And one thing was certain; Vaati couldn't wait to go back asleep.
For the once-feared Sorcerer of Winds had not just found a friend.
He had found a kindred spirit. And that was perhaps the best friendship of all.
