Luna and the Dreamscape - Episode 9: Fire Heart

[Lux]

As Fire delved deeper into her viscous cycle of pessimism, all the events in her life came rushing back, the dark moments overpowering the good times, no matter how good they were. But just when she thought she'd lose control again, she heard Luna's words over the tempest. While normally she would correct anypony calling her a child, this time it was something different, a comforting call that helped break through the cycle.

 

 "Your mind is boiling uncontrollable, but you should not let your heart become cold in retaliation. It is obvious that Ice Storm means a lot to you. And you are right, having friends in the right places makes all the difference. But don't for a moment think that ponies, especially Ice Storm, would turn her back on you because of a mistake. No one is being more critical of your flare-ups than you."

 

"You're right, I am my own worst enemy," she said as she tried calming her thoughts, "I don't think that any of my friends will abandon me, but there's always that little voice asking 'what if' as in what if I do something that can't be corrected like in this dream. You know, I though that it was my magic or my emotions that were my problem, but maybe it's my mind. Maybe it that I overthink things too much..."

 

She left the thought hang as suddenly everything froze into place literally like some wintry scene. But as she approached the frozen water began to turn back to liquid by her heat. But the coolness started to in turn help Fire Heart as her circle of heat became less and less. 

 

"Have you ever gotten so cold from weather that your skins burns? And have you ever shivered underneath your blankets while you have a fever?"

 

She nodded, remembering that night she got stuck in the blizzard how instead of simply feeling cold her skin burned. 

 

"The warm feeling and the cool feeling work in tandem with each other. They are opposites and they are rivals, but one cannot exist without the other, and when one leaves, the other comes. You and Ice Storm having any kind of relationship is actual more poetic than you could imagine. Have you ever thought of that? "But let me help you because it seems you find your part in this duo as an unwelcome sight. Ice Storm has seen your flare ups, yes? 

 

"Oh yes, she has," the unicorn replied not knowing if it rhetorical or not, remembering that night when things could have gone so badly but ended in pure joy. 

 

What has she done to help? 

 

"On that time when I was upset, she helped calm me down, and when I knew I couldn't just stop my magic she helped by encasing me in ice, even though she hated doing so because it caused me pain. But at that moment I realized that she cared for me enough to help."

 

If I was to guess, I would suggest that staying away from Ice would only make things worse, it would make you empty. Is it possible, she is the source of cold that will help balance you?"

 

"Oh, I don't want to leave her, as that would break both of our hearts! I used to wonder though how we could be together due to being opposites with our magic, but now I see that it's balance between us. Princess Luna, how do you clear your mind when you have moments like these when you feel the world is on fire and falling apart?" 

[Hippo]

"Well there are several ways to clear your mind.  Each solution depends on the specific problem.  But I'm pretty sure I can narrow down the one you would need, as I have experienced the same problem with the same solution.  It wasn't too long ago I had to come clean with my own identity.  I had to come to terms with what I had done, and move one.  Of course, I'm speaking of the issue I had over a thousand years ago.  The issue you might remember wasn't too long ago."  Luna started to explain her short story.  As she did, all of walls of Ice Storm's shoppe became stiff and frozen, some water remained pooled around Fire Heart.

"You remember hearing about the Tantabus?  When I had returned, I summoned a curse on my dreams that I may never forget the pain and anguish I caused Equestria when Nightmare Moon inflicted me with overwhelming jealousy.  So jealous I would betray my own sister.  I punished myself every day, until one time, the dream did not end in nightmare and I was aware the Tantabus had escaped.  The Tantabus began running nightmares into some of my best friends, the very friends who helped reunite me with Celestia.  I tried to control it, but my guilt made matters worse, and it started to affect the dreams of everypony in Ponyville.  The Tantabus was gaining so much power, it began to have the capability to escape and I would be the reason Equestria would fall again."  Luna started to cry a little.

Then she smiled.  "But my friends reminded me that they had long since forgiven me for my troubles of the ancient past, and that the Tantabus was not necessary.  The reason the nightmares continued was because I could not forgive myself for what I had done.  When I gained the strength to overcome that feeling, I could forgive myself and the Tantabus, a nightmare spirit that I created, was gone.  But I could not do it without friends to support me."  Luna stared into Fire's eyes with conviction.  "You need to forgive yourself.  If Ice Storm cares about you the way I think she does, than she has already forgiven you.  The only one who can escape your mind being so clouded by doubt and guilt, is you."

[Lux]

All signs pointed to Fire Heart needing to change if she wanted to improve her life, and the young mare was more than willing to do so. But willing and knowing how to do so was another thing entirely! Sure she tried controlling her emotions and learning more about her magic, but the red unicorn thought that there was more that she could do. But there was something that Luna said: having to come clean about her identity. Before Fire Heart could ask more about this, Luna continued. 

"You remember hearing about the Tantabus?

Fire shook her head. She heard whispers from ponies she passed by about a creature haunting dreams, but thought these were merely isolated events. But as Luna explained, this was something she created to punish herself! She couldn't believe that the Alicorn felt so much pain that she insisted on remembering the same thing every time she slept. Even worse was the fact that her creation threatened others just as Nightmare Moon did! 

"You're right, I should forgive myself!" Fire said with conviction, "I know that Ice has. I guess it's because I'm stuck on the What Ifs, like what if I harm my friends or if others avoid me because they see me as a threat. Then there's this nightmare... Wait...my nightmare! Could it be...that I created this nightmare to torture myself, to remind me of the times that I let my magic get out of control, only now it keeps repeating, just like the Tantabus it's kind of taken on a life of its own? Well maybe not as powerful as the Tantabus being able to escape and enter other dreams, but still powerful."

Spoiler

This was one of the ideas I had for why Fire keeps having this dream, even before "Do Ponies Dream..." with Fire's mind keeps with looping this nightmare as a painful reminder.

 

[Hippo]

It appeared now that Fire Heart had come to a magnificent fruition.  One, Luna wasn't exactly sure of, but is glad to see progress made with such a high potential student.  "Indeed, it is possible this nightmare is powered by your guilt.  And if so, it is quite easy to extinguish.  We always create our own nightmares.  Unless, of course, you're infected with an enemy of the night like I was so long ago.  What you dream isn't always a crucial part of your life, but it can help illustrate what you think of yourself and your relationship with others.  As Princess of the Night, I am willing to help you in your dreams.  But in the end, you create your own dreamscape, and only you can control how much heat exists in your alternate universe."

Luna finished patching most of the building.  The replica of Ice Storms shoppe was charming.  Luna made a mental note to visit it in the real Canterlot.  "So what say you, Miss Fire Heart?"  Luna asked with a smile.  "Can you forgive yourself.  Can you let your past misfortunes stay in the past?"  Underneath Fire Heart charred sidewalk and burnt fencing remained affected by the radius of Fire's heat that still penetrated the imaginary property of Ice Storm's.

[Lux]

Fire Heart didn't know if Princess Luna understood her sudden revelation. then again it took the young mare time to let her brain to catch up after uttering it. But thankfully the Princess did know that the red unicorn's guilt was becoming a viscous cycle, affecting her dreams and real life. Fire shuddered when Luna mentioned becoming a victim of the Nightmare like Luna was, all her power of fire magic being used for evil! But there was something very telling about her dream that Luna explained: she was in control of it.

"You're right. I created this dream, and every night I'm letting my guilt destroy it! And that affects beyond my dream realm."

"So what say you, Miss Fire Heart? Can you forgive yourself.  Can you let your past misfortunes stay in the past?"

"Yes," Fire said without hesitation, "I'm ready to forgive myself. I'm ready to move on."

She paused for a moment when a thought came to mind, "Princess, when you brought me into the castle along with Ice that blizzard, did you sense that I was having this issue with not letting go with the past?"

[Hippo]

 

Fire Heart was ready to move on.  And as she confirmed it, the circle of influence Fire kept went away, and even more, several charred pieces of rubble everywhere around the dreamscape Canterlot started to repair itself, without Luna's intervention.  Luna started walking away, admiring the dreamscape's interpretation of the great pony city of Canterlot.  It was looking like home again.  Luna was glad to see Fire Heart gain a peace of mind, and hoped for soon and beyond that she would always keep her hooves in front of her never dwell on the past, something Luna was all too familiar with.  But the student had one more question.  Fire Heart asked if Luna knew she was struggling when she first met her on that fateful night.  Luna stopped in her walking away, turned and looked at Fire Heart.  Luna wore a thousand year old curse of regret and looking at the past with remorse.  The expression can sometimes be read like a book.  "I don't sense it.  But I do live it every day."  Luna started walking away again, and with a blink of an eye, she vanished.

 

[Lux]

Fire Heart watched as the city around her was restored to its former glory. It was just like the streets that the unicorn spent her life trotting to and fro. But this wasn't the Princess who was doing this. It was Fire's resolve and her new insight that restored her dream world. She felt better about herself, her abilities, and how she interacted with others. But the pony still had that one question on her mind that brought the events on the dream back to the first time she met Luna and Ice Storm. But the response wasn't something she expected. 

 

"I don't sense it.  But I do live it every day."

 

It wasn't just the comment but that thousand year gaze on the Princess showing her remorse of the past. The two did indeed share a sacred bond, both knowing how the past can linger and both feeling the pang of regret. What Luna said further solidified this bond as she addressed her own personality as well as Fire Heart's. Although she wished that their meeting and their bond was under different circumstances, she welcomed to having another pony on her side that understood her on a deeper level. She watched as Luna walked away and then vanished. 

 

"Thank you... for everything," Fire said staring where Luna was last seen, "I hope we can meet again, friend." 

 

With that she stood before the now restored flavored ice and ice cream parlor that Ice Storm lived and worked, beckoning her to enter in. With a smile and a new calm washing over her, Fire Heart opened the door and stepped into the light as the dream dissolved around her, returning her to the peace of sleep. 

 

Spoiler

I think that we reached the end of the journey. Thanks River for the great Dreamscape experience!