This FanFic was written by Mikhelle.
Mission Unaccomplished
It all started with a little free Luna, traveling all over Tibia, enjoying her newfound freedom when she heard Vanys’s voice in her mind. She decided to pay him a visit to check on him, as nothing she heard was clear, but his angst was.
-It was just about time! – Vanys exclaimed when he saw her – I did not know how to reach you! My dear friend we are so in need of your help – he said – The barrier between Feyrist and Roshamuul is weakening again, monsters of darkness are crossing the border and kidnapping fairies… They are gathering strength and magic… If they succeed, and Feyrist falls, the Dream Courts will follow…
Luna nodded, Vanys knew he would always be able to count on her. “You need to go to Feyrist and talk to Queen Aylie, tell her I sent you to her aid… Oh! And don’t forget to take this with you” Vanys said and handed Luna a Dream talisman “it will enhance your magic and protect you”. Luna left the Summer Court to Feyrist, and as she passed by, she realized people looked at her dream talisman with curiosity. When she reached Queen Aylie’s throne room, a faun called Taegen asked for her business.
-I am Luna. Vanys asked me to help Queen Aylie to restore the magic barrier and save Feyrist – Luna exclaimed confidently. Taegen opened his eyes in distress, covered her snout, and pulled her into the throne room. Luna was confused.
-Your Royal Highness – Taegen to Queen Aylie in front of the court – May I introduce you to the horned horse Vanys sent…
Luna could not believe her ears, “horned horse?” she asked herself, “how came he did not know what a Unicorn was?”. Queen Aylie looked at Luna unamused and made a sign for her to approach. Luna did not respond to such humiliation and stayed in her place. Queen Aylie smiled and commanded, “Come closer, horned horse, and tell me your business”.
Luna’s indignation skyrocketed and she replied:
– A horse with a shiny horn doesn’t make a unicorn! And that is what I am. I am made of elven magic and dreams. You shouldn’t treat your savior like that! – Luna raised her voice in anger. Aylie looked at her unaltered, but clearly not happy as the circus was being witnessed by her court.
-You came to my lands and insulted me by raising your screeching voice in my presence. You did not bow, did not address me properly, and then call yourself our savior. Why should I pardon you life when you had insulted your Queen? – Aylie asked.
Luna could not believe this strange called herself “her Queen”. She explained she was also a Queen, she was Queen of the clouds and the skies, to which Aylie laughed. “Please enlighten me on which are the borders of this kingdom to whom you are its Queen” Aylie asked in mockery. “My Kingdom has no limits, everything there is above your head I am Queen of. I have slept on clouds and raced the skies; you would understand if you could fly…” Luna replied, and Queen Aylie’s face became pale, the whole court was silent just waiting for the Queen’s reply, but as she raised from her throne to take action, an exalted Vanys stormed the room.
- Unexpected Alliances
-Your Royal Highness – Vanys exclaimed while bowing – this is my envoy, Luna. I would very much appreciate it if you, in all your grace, would allow a moment of privacy for us three… – Aylie nodded and dismissed the court – I should have come myself but I was very much occupied your grace…
-She called herself a savior in front of my court, dear Vanys, she disrespected my authority. If your envoy is questioning my position, there is not much we can do, and less on times like these when the cause to fight is of the utmost discretion… – Queen Aylie told Vanys, to which he nodded.
-I apologize for her name, your grace – Vanys looked at Luna disappointed – But as the barrier weakens so is your magic. Joining your power with Luna’s would result in an unstoppable team, and I am confident this time the threat will be ended for good.
Luna and Aylie sighed at each other as they realized there was no other option than to team up. Aylie asked them to follow her to her meeting room, it had a long table in the middle that was covered with documents and papyrus. Vanys started to read some of the documents and asked Aylie if they had any clue about the missing fairies to whom she replied negatively. Luna was inspecting the room and as she looked up, she realized the ceiling was made of flowery tree branches hanging down. Some sparky pink dust was floating in the air, and as it approached Luna’s nose, she sneezed. “Sorry” she said, as Aylie and Vanys looked at her for a second and focused back on their business.
-If I may speak plainly, your grace – Vanys asked, to which Aylie nodded – These creatures of darkness are in hiding, and if we learned something from the last war we fought, is the places where they used to hide. I do not know if you considered searching the caves under the meadows…
-We do not know what we could find there, last time most of the rescuers did not return, and the fairies freed died after a couple of days. Our magic is weak on the tunnels, if we go, we might not come back -Aylie replied
-This time you have Luna, your grace – Vanys said as Luna sneezed again in the background. He rolled his eyes – she possesses strong elven magic, from the Dream Courts, and she will be carrying the dream talisman, which will strengthen both of you… You are the strongest elementalist on Tibia, your grace, but for this mission to succeed, your power alone will not suffice… you will both need to trust each other, and yourselves, as we all do.
Vanys sighted at both of them, and they nodded in agreement. Everything was said, he bowed as a sign of respect and prepared to leave the room when he heard a sneeze again and gazed at Luna “careful with the fairy dust”, and after those words, he left.
Aylie gathered her stuff and approached Luna with a saddle. “What do you think you are doing??” Luna asked shocked “I am not your pony!!” and backed down. Aylie rolled her eyes and put the saddle back on the floor, “fine, we leave now before it darkens” Aylie said and they both left the castle.
They walked through the flowery meadows, as the sun was hiding until they reached the entrance of a grotto. Aylie tied a rope and asked Luna if she wanted to descend first, but she refused. The ambiance felt grim, and Luna became anxious as she saw Aylie descending through the cavern. Once she reached the button, Aylie pulled the rope twice as a signal for Luna to follow, but how would a unicorn use a rope?… Luna decided to use her magic to descend on a cloud, but as much as she tried, all that she could see was darkness. Aylie pulled the rope again, and Luna started to panic “My magic is not working” she told Aylie.
-You need to relax. It is your first-time encountering darkness. Just close your eyes and breathe, think of something that brings you joy, fight the negative thoughts that live in your head, and just remember you are capable, you are strong, and you are free – Aylie said.
Those words sparked Luna’s confidence in herself, and she tried once again to use her magic, this time, thinking about how happy she was on the clouds. She called a cloud from the button of her heart and it came to her aid.
Luna hopped and descended the cave, and as she was approaching, the faint light from the outside became more and more scarce, and as her hoofs touched the ground, she realized she was surrounded by darkness… and its creatures.
Haunted
Luna opened her eyes to her reflection; everything was just a dream. She walked back to the stables and heard Palomino calling her: “Juna dear, you have visitors” as he pointed to a child jumping in excitement. “Another day, another gold coin”, she thought. She just wanted to go back to sleep and dream again of that time she was a unicorn, with a beautiful purple coat, with a tail so fluffy… “Luna” she heard someone calling. “Is that me?” She asked herself, but then she remembered she was just a pony called Juna. She walked towards the kid and heard Palomino saying “Juna is my favorite pony, I have cared for her since she was a little foal. Be gentle with her and one day she might take you to the skies” Palomino winked. Luna rolled her eyes and looked at the kid, something was off. As she approached, the sense of uneasiness increased… “Luna” she heard someone calling her, so she paused. She looked at Palomino confused. “What is going on dear? Little Jimmy came all the way from Greenshore just to mount you” Palomino said as he extended his hand to Luna, but she started to walk back, hearing echoes of a voice calling her “Luna” over and over again. The kid walked towards her and whispered “Go back to sleep”. Didn’t he want to take a ride?…
“Luna”, she heard again, followed by a thunderbolt of light that blinded her and woke her from the nightmare. Standing in front of her was Aylie, waving her staff in circles, emanating a light so bright that melted the night creatures approaching them. She saw the boogies chanting “go back to sleep”, and felt immediately immense drowsiness, a lethargy. She looked at Aylie’s face, her eyes wide open in full white as if she was possessed by something… “Was she trapped in a nightmare?” She asked herself, “Aylie”, Luna called and pulled her robe, but Aylie ignored her and continued emanating magic, weakening by the second. Then Luna saw it: Aylie was wearing the dream talisman, which was as brightened as it never had been.
The boogies were being melted as they tried to reach them, one by one, and in their last breath they were still chanting “go back to sleep”.
Luna, confused, looked around her, and when her sight crossed Aylie’s satchel, she crawled to fetch it and inspect its insides for something that could help them. It was as if the bag was bottomless and you could drown yourself in there, and she would inspect one thing after the next as Aylie’s strength continued to fade.
-Interesting, this could be useful – Luna said as she held a crystal of focus. She tossed it up, gathered her strength, and charged her horn in its direction to break it into a thousand pieces. A green light filled the room, and as she found themselves completely surrounded by boogies lunging towards them, Aylie came back.
– “Exevo Gran Mas Frigo” – Aylie cast.
A raging blizzard emanated from her staff and all the boogies froze and crashed as they fell. Only little icy pieces of them remained. A weakened Aylie fell to the floor, trembling, suffering herself from the eternal winter she cast. Luna covered her for warmth as they both cuddled together, and waited for the effects of the spell to pass to recover their strength.
-What was so hard to come back from? – A snoozy Luna asked, referring to Aylie’s nightmare
-Aren’t you nosey? – Aylie smirked and struggled to reach her satchel. She extracted a mana potion and drank it – we need to rescue my sisters… “Exura sio Luna” – she cast while touching Luna’s wounds.
-I just wonder… because you were completely gone… all zombie…
-Luna… the boogies feed from your nightmares and the nightmares from your magic… Next time they will not reach us before our magic reaches them – Aylie explained as she weakly raised from the floor – And about my dream… Some things are better kept forgotten…
Luna nodded and gathered her strength to second Aylie. They continued their journey, hobbling and holding the cavernous walls, trying to balance themselves on the slippery ground and go unnoticed, until… Luna sneezed. The echo of the sneeze resonated in the whole cave, and Aylie rushed to cover Luna’s snout “this is really bad timing” she scorned her, as Luna gathered air to sneeze again.
-It’s not my fault… maybe it’s fairy dust, I don’t know!! – Luna exclaimed, covering her nose.
Aylie froze, and then looked at Luna. It was all clear now, they had a compass hidden in plain sight!
-If there is fairy dust… there are fairies… – Aylie smirked – we are close, Luna! Your allergy is the best sign – Aylie said in excitement while Luna covered her runny nose – You will sniff our way to them!
Luna frowned. First Aylie called her a horse, then she tried to mount her, and now she wanted her to sniff??? “I am not a German Shepherd, you know?” She said and rolled her eyes. But it was a good idea, and for the sake of the mission, she complied. So, they routed themselves in whichever direction that made Luna’s allergy hit the top and once the sneezes reached an unbearable frequency, Aylie covered Luna’s snout with a scarf.
Fairy Wings
In front of them, imponent energy walls raised from the soil to the ceiling, shaping a cage, and just in the middle of it, a little fairy slept. Aylie rushed to the prison and whispered to the fairy to which she opened her eyes. The cage walls emanated a light that felt debilitating, radiation that would gradually weaken you. Luna observed how Aylie’s skin and hair were slowly greying, it was not easily perceivable, but for an elven magic bearer, time and space had a different meaning.
-Aylie, you need to back off… – Luna said – Something is… not right…
-I will get you out of here – Aylie whispered to the dying fairy to which she replied with a weak nod
Aylie ran to her satchel and started to search desperately. Luna kept her watch on the cage and realized that it started to move toward Aylie, slowly inspecting her, as if it was alive. Aylie kept focused on the contents of the satchel, trying to find something that could help them, and for a fraction of second the energy walls paused, and then wrapped Aylie in an electrifying embrace, holding her tightly as she was transferred inside the cage, next to the dying fairy. She felt her skin burning to which she replied with a heart-breaking cry, but the pain was much more unbearable for the wounds that could hardly be seen, the disappointment of being trapped just next to the person that she failed to rescue.
A shocked Luna approached the cage and realized the walls were not interested in her as they were on the fairies. She also observed how Aylie’s aging process speeded, and her skin became subtly marked by wrinkles. “Please, Aylie, how do I help you? There must be something I can do” Luna begged, as an absent Aylie was sitting in tears, comforting the dying fairy as she gave her last breath. The little fairy started to decay instantly, but instead of rotting, it slowly permuted into fairy dust, each particle floating toward the ceiling in a paused manner, until the top was reached and it started to disappear, and as the dust disappeared, the cage walls seemed to be recharged, shining brighter than before. When she looked at the floor, Luna realized that there was one part of the fairy that did not turn into dust: her wings. Luna begged Aylie again to answer her cry, and this time she raised her hand toward her satchel. Luna emptied the bag in front of Aylie, all its contents were scattered on the floor. After a few seconds, Aylie finally found what she was looking for, it was a little black sachet. Luna put everything back, and then she saw something that caught her eye, “why would Aylie keep this with her?” she thought, but then she turned her attention back to the sachet and opened it to discover a shiny Crystal of Power. She felt its strength and decided to proceed just as she did with the crystal of focus, but this time directed towards Aylie.
Luna threw the crystal into the cage with all of her strength, but the walls made it bounce back to her. “Does it have a mind of its own?” She thought, and proceeded to hit it with a pebble; the cage rearranged most of its energy to the exact point where the pebble was about to hit, leaving other wall areas vulnerable to an attack. The pebble bounced back, and that gave Luna an idea. She found a heavier rock and threw it towards the cage, and as the rock was traveling its way and the walls were distracted preparing to parry the attack, she threw the crystal of power to another point of the wall. This time, the cage crashed the rock instead of throwing it and then concentrated the energy towards the crystal of power, but when the point of contact charged, Luna did too, with her shiny horn, pushing the crystal inside the cage, emanating blinding lights that made Aylie cover her eyes. It was a short battle of Luna trying to push the crystal in, with all her might, and the fairy prison walls keeping it out, all the magic concentrated in that single point caused enough pressure that the crystal of power did not endure, and it shattered in a dozen pieces.
Luna was frozen in disbelief, she used all her power, and the jail was unscratched… and crystal pieces were scattered everywhere. But as Aylie uncovered her eyes, a smirk brightened her face, a little piece of the crystal fell on the insides of the cage, and that was more than enough. She held it with both hands and absorbed its magic. Her complexion started to improve and the wrinkles marking her face started to vanish, she gathered the strength to stand up and called for her Elementalist staff which just like Thor’s hammer, followed her hand as a little clip on a magnet. As they made contact, she hit the floor with it and yelled with every atom of her being “Exevo Ulus Tera!!!”. Ivy tentacles flourished from the soil at a crazy speed and started to branch through the circled energy walls, and just when they touched the ceiling of the cave, they rushed back to the floor again, an earth explosion that destroyed the walls that kept Aylie, as many other fairies before her, hostage. Luna, all weakened, smiled and try to stand up without success, Aylie smiled back and rushed to her friend, hugging her, and crying, grateful for all she had done for her.
-Am I a hero after all? – Luna asked with a cheeky smile. Aylie smiled and hugged her again – I don’t want to seem nosey, but when I inspected your satchel…
Aylie knew exactly what she was about to ask. She raised towards the ruined cage, now with no walls, and just right in the middle the little fairy wings remained. She held them and walked back to sit again with Luna. She had a deep breath and open the satchel, instantly finding the controversial item: a jar with fairy wings. She placed the wings from the fairy that just died inside it and closed it again, then she looked back at Luna, who was just observing in silence.
-I was born a fairy – she paused – and as all fairies, little Aylie dreamt of the day she would grow her own wings and fly away from everything, maybe even to sleep on a cloud – she smiled to Luna but she didn’t smile back – anyway, they never grew, they tried… but never managed to break free… Sometimes I wonder, if it had something to do with the way I was born, from magic and spells, and not from a mother… – Aylie started to tear up while holding and inspecting the jar – I trained hard to become an Elementalist, and just forget all the things I could have done or could have been, and shaped my own life, not being determined by things I could not control. I did not have a mother so I became my own mother and a mother for the realm… I never had wings… and you know, – she interrupted herself – when a fairy dies, everything, even the clothes she is wearing become fairy dust, but the wings… they remain… so what would remain of me when I die?
-Your legacy will remain – Luna interrupted – You saved this place once, and you are doing it again. It would be sad if all that remained of me was a pair of wings and not the love and gratitude of my people.
-It is my duty to protect them – Aylie cried – And these wings, are a reminder of all the times I couldn’t.
-Then you couldn’t – Luna interrupted again – You shouldn’t punish yourself for things out of your control, and as you said yourself, just focus on what is on your hands. We are going to end this thing, and you will never have to add another pair of wings to that jar, I promise.
Aylie continued crying on Luna, both silent, and this opened Luna’s eyes to how much they had in common: the dreams they had, the goals they accomplished, the people they wished to protect… Aylie looked at Luna and said “my nightmare just became a reality… the one you asked about… adding another pair of wings to the jar…” and they were interrupted by a blinking dream talisman.
A riddle within a riddle
Luna held the talisman and focused on Vanys, and even with the amount of noise and static, after some efforts, she managed to see his face. He looked excited as if he just had a “Eureka!” moment, and Luna kept focusing on what he was saying, but could only distinguish a few words: “portal”, “talisman”, “cage”, and “evil”.
-Hear me out – Aylie said, and a smile brightened her face – I am the queen of riddles: he wants us to place the talisman on the cage which will open a portal to evil. Voilá!
It made sense, so Luna followed Aylie’s plan, and nothing happened. They looked at each other and Aylie shrugged her shoulders, then Luna remembered the long energy walls, and how seemed to be powered… “The cage source of power is fairy magic…” Luna said. Aylie stared at her for a second and then directed herself toward the cage.
-Aylie, wait! That is not what I meant! – Luna exclaimed – I have a theory; we have another fairy magic source in our possession… – Aylie instantly understood – I believe they do not decay because they contain non-destructible fairy magic…
Aylie held the fairy wings jar with melancholy as Luna continued explaining her theory, “you are quite the glooth engineer” Aylie joked, with profound sadness, and then handed the wings to Luna.
-You would be surprised the things one learns with Vanys – Luna smiled, and then looked at the wings – You should do it, they will serve a higher purpose than staying on your satchel…
Aylie nodded and walked towards the cage. She placed the wings around the talisman, and said her farewells, “you are still part of this fight my dear sisters, and when we defeat our enemy, this will be your victory too”, then she closed her eyes and started to chant a spell that Luna never heard before. As the last verse of the spell was chanted, both the talisman and the wings started to shake, then a twirl of wind emanated from the talisman growing from the floor to the ceiling, lifting the fairy wings in a spin as they were transformed into fairy dust. This dust was different from the others, for the more it revolved, the more it sparked, powering the talisman that when fully charged with energy, created a small pink tornado that collapsed shaking the floor and leaving a portal on its place. The girls walked towards it, hesitant and confused about what was on the other side, when they heard an evil laugh, and as they tried to look for the source of a such malevolent sound, they turned back the portal was gone.
Out of thin air, Raxias appeared before their eyes, curiously looking at them, and after him a twisted pooka jumped right on his shoulder, analyzing the girls too.
-Who would have said, such a sweet couple would give so many problems… – Raxias laughed.
-Who are you? – Aylie asked
-Oh, don’t concern yourself, dear, my name is not important –Raxias said as the twisted pooka laughed – it is what I do, and what I offer…
-Which is? – Luna asked
-The keys to the realm, to your freedom, to your dreams… but you must earn them, just playing a little game with me… – Raxias said malevolently
-Why would we lose our time with you? You seem a weakling who would hardly suppose a threat to us – said Aylie as she pointed her Elementalist staff toward him.
-I am a weakling, dear – he laughed – but to pass the portal you should first defeat the master of riddles… with your wits and not your fists – and he laughed with the pooka.
Aylie put down her staff again and looked at Luna, they both sighed “shall we start? We do not have much time” Aylie said.
-Oh, but we do – and they laughed again – we could stay here forever if you do not answer the riddles… Let’s start with my favorite…
“I am a friend of light, but got no spark,
I am daily waiting for the sun’s last arc,
I cannot be seen, heard, or smelt, I leave no mark,
And your fears shall dance when outside is…”
Luna and Aylie stood at each other in confusion when Raxias finished his riddle. “You are good with riddles, right?” Luna asked Aylie in a whisper to which she rolled her eyes in response. They were silently waiting for the answer to come to them when Raxias pulled out a small pocket clock and turned the chronometer on.
-Oh, you said you did not have time… one minute will suffice… – he said as the twisted pooka twistedly laughed.
“A friend of light but got no spark… it’s not fire… it waits for the sun to finish its daily rotation… cannot be seen…” Luna thought, and then she remembered the moment she opened her eyes and her fears were dancing… the boogies… and then she had it…
-It is the darkness! – She jumped – “And your fears shall dance when outside is dark”! That’s the answer!! – Luna answered
-Very impressive… You got one out of three… are you ready for the next riddle? – he asked with a smirk, and the girls nodded
“I am a sphere, but not of wrath,
Sometimes I am full, but got no mouth,
A dark side I have, but I’m not called Darth,
I am the King of the night, but got no blue eyes”
And then he clicked his chronometer. This time Aylie smiled in pride as he knew the answer: a sphere, sometimes full, with a dark side, that reigns the night.
-It is the Moon – Aylie said excitedly
-Good, good… you got 2 out of 3… but if you fail the last one… you failed… You will only have 30 seconds this time… it is easy you see… – he smirked malevolently and the twisted pooka followed – shall we? – the girls assented.
“I am hanging on walls, but I am no painting,
When you see me in the darkness, I got you guessing,
I give your reflection but got no connection,
If you look into my face, I am someone,
If you look in my back, I am no one”
Little drops of water were leaking from the ceiling, and the sound distracted Luna. She turned her gaze to the top and followed the tiny drop of water to its final destination, a little puddle, that showed her a distorted reflection of herself. She saw the purples, she saw the browns, she saw the stable fences transforming into electrified branches, just as the fairy cage, she saw the clouds she hopped and then long clean steppes where she could run free. She felt Aylie’s hand on her back as if she worried that she would get lost in a nightmare again, and then she reflected on how much they both had in common, and how their own pasts were a reflection of one another. They looked at each other and smiled, they both had the answer, so almost in a chorus Raxias heard how they said together “Mirror”.
-Well, well – he said surprised – you ladies are the proud winners of a trip to hell!! Should I say “Bon Voyage”? – he laughed in unison with the pooka – you passed the small test, but a bigger test is coming, and if you are smart enough, you will be able to find the riddle within a riddle, my masterpiece… – he looked at the twisted pooka and accommodate him on his lap – you shall pass… – he said as he theatrically disappeared into thin air, leaving on his place the portal again.
And they entered the portal.
Lord of Nightmares
Aylie and Luna found themselves in a dusty old hall, with big and fancy furniture, stone walls, spider webs everywhere, and little to no moonlight filtered through the stained-glass windows that extended all the way from the floor to the ceiling. As they inspected the place, the portal from which they crossed vanished, and they looked at each other in confusion.
-It will be over soon… – Aylie said with hope
-Or we will… – Luna whispered to herself
They then walked through a long corridor with walls covered by mirrors which reminded them of the riddle. They reached the end and encountered two heavy doors, each with a demon knob, they shared a gaze of complicity and then pushed the doors with all their strength, opening from side to side, revealing the insides of the room… filled with nothing but darkness. As they entered, the door disappeared, just like the portal before, and they knew there was no escape from this, they either win or die.
A ghastly silence and an absorbing sense of nothingness reigned, they could not see, feel or hear anything besides themselves… darkness? They then remembered the riddle, but could not make sense of it. A fog started to fill the space with the smell of sulfur, something felt grim. And then, from the shadows, a creature started to emerge; a pair of horns came out from the fog, followed by its demonic body, red skin with large black spots, four long spikes on its back, and lizard-like eyes, green, and elongated, sparking as they posed on their prey. He walked towards the girls, and sniffed them before breaking his silence “And to think that I just lost all these years feeding from useless fairies” he laughed “and now the real treat knocked on my door, dessert is served”.
Aylie held her staff fiercely, as she held the tears to not show her pain, the responsibility for all the suffering caused to her kind was standing in front of her. Luna was frightened for she never felt something like this, a void, a feeling of emptiness, she was an envoy of hope and dreams that came true, but as the being approached them, she felt as if hope and dreams started to evaporate from her body.
-I have not introduced myself… – he said as he kept approaching them – I am Kroazur, but some call me… the Lord of Nightmares…
And as he said that, in a blink, he disappeared. Aylie turned to Luna and she was gone too… did he eat Luna? “Luna!!!” She started to yell, looking for her in the emptiness, and as she blinked again, she was back at Feyrist. “Luna!!!” She kept calling while walking the flowered meadows of Feyristopia, and as her subject walked through her, she realized they did not see her, and they were all walking in the same direction. She waved at their faces as they continued walking, thus she realized she did not exist. She joined them on the pilgrimage and that is when she saw it… Maelyrra stirred on a pot while everybody watched “rose petals, for her to have a kindred heart…” and she knew what it was: a nightmare… “When will my wings grow???” A young and desperate Aylie asked Maelyrra… Everything was happening so fast… all her life before her eyes and she knew where it was headed… she saw the fairy dust and the wings remain… the cry of her fairy sisters… “how do I wake up??” she asked herself… and then she saw Taegen comforting her, “You are strong my Queen, you kept us all safe… never forget who you are” and he handed her a little something… she then Raxias’s laugh on the background… “a riddle within a riddle…” she repeated his words and then he looked back at Taegen and the little something he was handing… and everything made sense… a riddle within a riddle… the void started to consume Feyrist again, but she could still see Taegen and herself unwrapping the little gift he gave her… Dark… Moon… Mirror…
Aylie put her hand inside her pocket and felt what had been there the whole time: a Dark Moon Mirror. As she held it in front of her and looked at her own reflection, saw as everything around her was swallowed by darkness and she was back in the void room.
A harmed Luna was tied up, purple wearing off from her fur, and her beautiful horn flaking. She was looking at Aylie, in tears, and as they rolled down from her eyes, more of the purple faded away. “Luna…” she said and prepared to cast a healing spell when Kroazur quickly charged towards her.
-Look who came back from her nightmares – he laughed as Aylie tried to get back on her feet – the Queen of Threatened Dreams – he charged again throwing her with force. As he tried to charge a third time, she cast a strong ice wave that he managed to avoid. He was fast, Aylie realized, so she needed to confuse him somehow.
– “Utevo res energy elemental” – She cast – “Utevo res ina energy elemental!”, “Utevo res energy elemental” –she and her summons ran towards him, he avoiding every time they lunged him. And just when he distracted himself for a second by attacking one of the elementals, Aylie tied the Dark Moon Mirror to her staff, and threw it towards Kroazur, as a paladin would a spear. It hit him, and he howled and growled in pain, before taking the staff out from his shoulder. He prepared to charge against Aylie one more time when a weakened Luna put all her strength into calling her unicorn magic and cast a powerful attack coming out from the remains of her flaky horn.
Kroazur roared with all the force of his lungs, blinded by rage, to lung against Aylie again resisting Luna’s continued to attack. As he approached, Aylie raised her hand calling for her staff. Luna saw everything in slow motion as the spell drained her body, Kroazur raced, and just when he was above Aylie, the staff made contact with her hands, for her to cast an Eternal Winter.
– “Exevo Gran Mas Frigo” – and just as she chanted, a raging blizzard came straight for Kroazur, freezing every single atom of his demonic body. He froze in the air and crashed into the ground. All that was left of Kroazur, lord of the nightmares, were tiny ice fragments scattered all around the nothingness and darkness he reigned.
Aylie fell to the ground too, wounded, and as she grasped some air, she crawled back to a vanishing Luna. Purple flakes were all around her, and her horn completely disappeared, leaving only a circled scar on her forehead. Luna was shaking, cold and frightened. Aylie was also in pain, but she took her robe, and covered Luna with it, just as she did in the past, and laid her head on her. They both stayed in that position for a while, in silence, grateful to be alive still, but grieving for everything they lost on the way.
– “Exura gran mas res” – Aylie cast, and both their wounds slowly started to heal – we need to leave this place.
Luna nodded and so they did, leaving the lair of the Lord of Nightmares.
Ends and Beginnings
Luna woke up, still in pain from the wounds the battle left, and her memories scattered. She tried to carry herself but could not, and decided to lay there a little longer.
-Look who is back from her beauty sleep! – Aylie exclaimed – how do you feel?
-Tired – Luna said and directed her gaze toward a mirror hanging on a wall. She wanted to look at herself.
-Well, you can officially call yourself our savior – Aylie smiled, but Luna’s melancholic sight continued to be fixed on the mirror.
A proud Vanys stormed the room and put his hand on Luna’s forehead lifting the bandage and applying some potion before putting it right back. He smiled at Luna and gave her some words of encouragement but she just continued silent, thinking of all her losses.
-Oh, please dear, brighten up – he said – you survived something not many would have, so please smile…
Luna faked a smile and lowered her gaze, she just wanted to be left alone.
-By the way, about your horn… – Vanys said and got Luna’s full attention – if you rest, and smile! It will be back to normal, just like your fur and magic! You will be riding clouds again in no time, so please try to cheer up! – Vanys asked before leaving the room.
-Will I look the same again? – Luna asked Aylie with a smile, to which she replied by giving her a mirror. As Luna saw she was recovering her color and horn, she sighed in relief.
-Who is Palomino? Is he a boyfriend? – Aylie asked cheekily
-Eww, no! He is my dad – Luna replied, and looked down
-I did not know you had a family! Would you like me to call them?
Luna stayed silent for a while and remembered how she escaped the stables. She looked at Aylie, ashamed because she knew how she longed for a mom, and she who had a dad just thoughtlessly abandoned him. Aylie realized Luna was uncomfortable and told her it was ok if she did not want to talk about it.
-Well… it is just that… I am ashamed… – Luna sobbed – I think I hurt my dad… I just wanted to be free… – Luna opened her heart to Aylie; they had been through so much together and it was time to tell her about her past – Palomino found me when I was a little foal… my real parents were wild horses. We were just roaming around Thais when a bunch of trolls attacked us and killed them… and just when they were about to eat me, Palomino found me and saved me… He took me to his house, feed me, cared for me… and when I grew enough, he moved me to the stables… I was still his favorite I think, for he would always give me treats when the other horses were not watching… – Luna smiled at the memory – his line of business was, renting us for little kids to mount us… the other horses were fine with that but not me… wild horse blood runs thick through my veins… so one night, he forgot to close the fence, and that was it, I left and never looked back.
Aylie heard the story in silence, staring at Luna with empathy, for now, she truly understood where she came from. And that love for freedom, she could relate, and could not blame her for leaving, but at the same time, she knew something else bothered her.
-Well, you clearly have been looking back… You call him on your dreams… Maybe there is a reason for that… I am not saying go back to that life but you are yearning for home, you long for your dad and his treats, the warmth of his chimney… I never had that… I had people that loved and admired me for what I meant for Feyrist, but never for what I meant for them…
-You mean a lot to me… You are my best friend – Luna told Aylie, and they both smiled, tears running down their eyes, to which Aylie told Luna she was her best friend too.
After a few weeks, Luna was completely healed and not a single scratch was visible on her body. She was calling clouds and riding one, and then jumping to the next one. Aylie watched her from the ground, clapping in excitement, and a cheery Luna came down.
-You should come with me – Luna said.
-Where? – Aylie asked confused.
-To the clouds, silly – Luna laughed.
-But I do not have wings… I can’t fly…
Luna smiled and signaled Aylie to hop on. Aylie could not believe, the mighty unicorn that would never be mounted was inviting her for a ride. Aylie jumped on Luna’s back without a second thought and they both ride the skies and hopped on clouds, and Aylie finally felt what it means to fly, the wind on your face, your hair running wild… all of it… she finally got to experience what she missed out her whole life. And as they descended it was time to say their farewells. They cried, they hugged, and they exchanged tokens of their magical friendship, nothing would tear those hearts apart, the memories they created together would last for the rest of their lives.
Luna knew she had one last thing to do, before returning to her new normal life, and so she hopped on a cloud and visited the place where she knew unconditional love. As she descended the skies, she encountered empty stables, and she thought maybe Palomino had forgotten to close the fence again. She entered the house and it was completely empty, as if someone had raided it long ago, some broken things, dust everywhere, spiderwebs… no signs of Palomino.
She searched all over Mainland, from Thais to Venore, from Ab’dendriel to Carlin… but nobody had heard from Palomino. And as she passed by Femor Hills, all wrapped in her own sadness, a caravan passed by her side. Free horses galloping together, running free, one after the other in a perfect line, they looked happy, and as they crossed her path, she saw that the last horse had a rider: Palomino.
She galloped, smiling, and their gazes never crossed, he was caring for his horses as he always had, but something was different this time, he let them run free instead of keeping them in a stable. She followed the crowd until they stopped in Northport. Palomino stopped to feed the horses and to see if someone was interested in riding with them. Luna was trembling, ashamed, and fearful that he would not recognize her, she approached him, and when he looked at her, his eyes exploded with tears, “My Juna” he yelled, “my beautiful Juna”, he jumped on her and covered her in a strong embrace as she started to cry too.
-It’s Luna now – she told Palomino, smiling as much as she was crying.
-It’s Luna then – He smiled – I looked for you, all over Tibia, I searched every city, every village, every mountain… And we were still looking…
-I was lost… And then… well… I became Luna…
-A unicorn – Palomino said with pride – now your exterior matches your magical and special interior – he said as he put his hand right on her heart – a heart so pure, so kind…
-I am sorry I left… I should have told you how I felt…
-And I should have seen you were not happy… I am sorry too… I would never try to hold you back again… Wherever you are, wherever you go, you have a family…
Luna sobbed, as now she knew, she was finally free.
