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Dreamscape: Worlds Apart -o-O-o-

Chapter V: Moonlight and Familiars

"And yet to home the heart doth call, Through obstacle shall conquer all." -o-O-o-

Luna stood alone in the darkness basking in the stillness of the night, gaze lost somewhere in the middle distance as she idly glanced out of the window. The hour was so late that it probably qualified as early by that point, though it would still be quite some time until the dawn.

The view that Graeme's bedroom window overlooked wasn't exactly the stunning natural vista she was used to from the palace. It offered a simple small garden surrounded on all sides by more residential plots and homes. None of that really mattered, though, since her attention was elsewhere. Luna's gaze was directed upwards into the sky. The starscape was so different, so alien, not at all her own welcomingly familiar constellation... And the moon itself was little more than a strange unfamiliar sliver of off-white light.

That didn't mean it was all new to her. She'd seen them all before, of course, in the Dreamscape. But these weren't her stars. Sure, she could still feel them, and the moon itself called out to her from the vast heavens above - she could probably even convince it to move if she tried hard enough, though it would be an awful waste of magic in this depleted world - but they still didn't feel quite right.

Still, even the weak beams of wan moonlight were enough for her to bask, and they did something to rejuvenate her just as the light of her own namesake always had back home in Equestria would.

Luna wrapped her arms around herself as she thought of home, closing her eyes and taking a few soothing breaths. It wasn't easy being separated from everything she knew. Well, just about everything she knew. At least she was in good, familiar company now, as the gentle snores from the bed behind her served to remind.

She wondered if Graeme's dreams had taken him to their shared little world. She wondered if he'd yet noticed her absence from it. She hoped his sleep was peaceful.

A light tapping at the pane before her roused the princess back to reality, drawing her attention once more to the outside world. She looked and was met with surprise. There, just the other side of the glass, sat a small all-black cat, barely large enough to be considered more than a kitten, looking into the room and pawing at the glass.

"By the fates..." Luna whispered as she stepped closer. They were one full storey above the ground. How the small fuzzy mammal had managed to reach the windowsill of Graeme's bedroom was beyond her. Inherent dexterity? Unnatural deftness and daring? Black magic?

Luna looked behind her to the sleeping form of Graeme, wondering if he'd mind if she let the small creature in. By all accounts he was completely lost to the world at present. So, with a shrug, she reached forwards and lifted the window open.

The cat looked at her with its big yellow eyes. They narrowed.

"Mrow!" It pounced with a snarl.

Luna reeled backwards and over the bed trying to escape it.

-o-O-o-

Graeme had laughed almost uncontrollably for quite some time after he'd woken to find an indignant Luna hanging off the edge of the bed. Much to the lunar princess' distain the dark little feral little beast of a cat had then proceeded to climb onto the bed, giving her a firm death-glare, before nudging its way into Graeme's lap and demanding to be stroked.

The small kitten was his pet, Luna had then discovered, of at least a few months and less than a year of age. Ardently territorial over her owner and slow to warm to strangers, the beast was a typical feline as far as the lunar princess was concerned.

She'd brushed it all off as best she could and gone back to bed once the cat had been put out again. By the morn she'd done her best to forget the experience entirely, instead looking forwards to what lay ahead - a trip to the market with Graeme.

The Market filled the ancient cobbled square of the city and it was, to say the least, deceptively expansive. Much to Luna's surprise the collection of permanent stalls and fabricated stand-alone shop huts created a seemingly infinite bazaar comprising a veritable maze of walkways and avenues, bristling with customers patronising stands providing just about every conceivable ware or service.

The place was an almost overwhelming hive of activity, but it felt amicably crowded rather than aggressively claustrophobic.

Luna was impressed.

"Right," Graeme stood beside her as they looked over the hubbub within from just outside one of the market's many entranceways, "If we get separated, make your way back here and I'll come find you. Okay?"

The princess simply nodded. She was listening, but her attention was definitely focussed eagerly on the experience they were about to embark upon. Graeme could see the twinkle of excitement in her eyes. With a chuckle he took her hand and the pair pressed onwards.

-o-O-o-

Graeme was surprised just how easy it was proving to move through the multitude of the market. He hadn't once let go of Luna's hand, his own past experiences reminding him just how difficult it could be to move through the teeming throng of shoppers and market-goers. Usually it was a case of either having to force your way through the distracted masses or simply going with the flow and fighting your way out of the current when you passed a stall that was of some interest.

This time however, contrary to everything that he'd expected, the crowd was simply parting out of their way. Luna obviously had something to do with it - she was the only new factor in the whole experience - but whatever she was doing it didn't seem to be conscious. She was far too busy taking in the sights, sounds and general ambiance of an ancient commercial quarter that was probably as old as she was. And the people were simply parting around them. Maybe it was magic, or maybe it was the way she seemed to exude an elegantly regal air, carrying herself with a natural, instinctive grace?

"What is that delightful scent?" Luna pulled Graeme from his thoughts.

He inhaled deeply himself to be greeted by the welcome aroma of freshly served breakfast in the market, "Hmmm... Fresh bread, baked cakes,"

"Cakes?"

"And the Full English Breakfast."

"Prithee, what is a Full English Breakfast?"

"Well, let's see... Toast, mushrooms, baked beans, tomato, baco-" Herbivore! Herbivore! Graeme's mind screamed in abject warning, "oh, would you look at that! We're getting close to the furniture section of the market."

Luna's eyebrow piqued, but Graeme was relieved when she didn't press further. The pair walked on without another word.

Graeme actually had a specific set of stalls in mind, ones that seemed to always deal only in fine old antiques. Since Celestia and Luna had explained that they were after something oaken and ideally with a few score decades between the present and its inception,

Graeme was fairly sure their only option would be some form of antique cabinet or wardrobe - something big enough for a person or a pony to fit inside. If they were really lucky they'd find a mirror, but he had his doubts given the expense of such things. Since it was only the wood that needed to be aged they could always improvise the "focal point" as Luna had called it, though he still wasn't convinced there was enough material there to work with...

One hurdle at a time.

The stalls in question were typically located in one of the market's furthest corners, hemmed in by the surrounding medieval buildings that defined the square's boundaries, one of which doubled up as a mid-sized warehouse. Presumably that spot meant the tenders didn't have to transport their wares all that far - not an easy task for bulky furniture.

Graeme's heart began to sink as he and Luna approached, though, his eyes falling on nothing larger than a bedside cabinet or coffee table.

"Looks like the pickings here are pretty slim..." Graeme sighed.

Luna gave his hand a reassuring squeeze before releasing it entirely. The lack of adequate merchandise wasn't lost on her, though she could tell from the feel of much of it that some of the items were certainly old enough to fulfil their needs. Placing her hand palm-flat against a small writing desk, labelled as "Regency", whatever that meant, she could feel the way the antiquated wood enticed her innate magic to the fore. It was just a shame there was so precious little of it.

"What if..." Graeme began, but trailed off.

"What?" Luna didn't remove her hand from the desk.

"Well, say we purchase this mirror," he pointed at a poorly varnished wood-framed wall mirror laid on top of a much more modern looking table. It looked barely large enough to fit a person or pony's head through, let alone their entire body, "could it be used to pass material back and forth?"

"I don't see why not..." Luna thought to herself, trying to work out what he was getting at. Then it clicked, "Oh, marvellous! Very astute. Equestria supplies the material, and we assemble it here."

Graeme nodded, pleased she was catching on, "And at least then we know it'll definitely work."

"Though, it will mean We remain trapped here for longer." Luna pointed out

"Not by much."

"I suppose we can tolerate it." She proffered a wry smile.

With a smirk of his own Graeme went off in search of the stall's keeper.

-o-O-o-

The mirror they'd retrieved took pride of place on the living room mantelpiece, and Luna regarded its frame with a critical eye, scouring the fine detail of its finely etched engravings. The lacquer finish was sloppy and uneven; clearly it had been poorly refurbished at some point in the not too distant past, though the underlying work itself was truly exquisite. The mirror itself was clearly the original for the piece, showing all the imperfections and blemished wear of something that had seen too many uncaring winters.

That was perhaps the one thing they may wish to replace were they to actually put it to its intended use. She could work her magic on a worn mirror. But, like a scratched lens, the imperfections would make it less than ideal as a focal mechanism.

"So," Graeme asked from behind her, "Will that do?"

"For the moment." Luna turned to face him.

Graeme extended a hand to her, "Come on, let's go to bed."

Luna smirked to herself. Under different circumstances such a proposition may have held more promise.

Naturally, she accepted.

-o-O-o-

"I see." Celestia pondered as she lay amongst the cool fronds of swaying long grass, legs tucked up beneath her, "And when do you think you'll be ready?"

Luna had fully explained their progress to her sister, and thankfully that left Celestia with precious few questions.

The solar princess was once again a resident guest in Graeme and Luna's shared dreamscape, cast as it always seemed to be in an eternal night. It was peaceful and serene, and even if the daytime was her domain she found it quite relaxing simply being there, enjoying the fresh night-time air.

Luna was similarly laid amongst the grass, legs folded beneath her just a little off to one side angled so that her flank faced her sister, providing a backrest of sorts for Graeme - the only one amongst them in non-equine form - who seemed to be comfortably reclining with the lunar princess to prop him up.

They hadn't been like that when Celestia arrived, but as the conversation progressed they'd slowly made their way closer together. Celestia couldn't help but wonder whether or not it was deliberate. Whatever the case, it was certainly endearing. And neither one of them had seemingly reacted to it.

"We believe that the current mirror could be anchored forthwith, and the shipping of oaken frame would follow soon thereafter. Construction ought be uncomplicated." Luna looked pointedly at Graeme as she said that, giving no doubts as to who she expected to complete said construction, "And from that point we need only anchor the greater portal to proceed further."

Celestia nodded, a light grin of amusement crossing her lips, "I'm surprised you're in such a hurry to leave." She gave Luna and Graeme a pointed sideway smirk.

The duo looked at each other, paused, then quickly parted leaving Luna blushing beneath her midnight fur and Graeme sitting bolt upright in a lotus position a little way off to one side.

Celestia had to work to contain her snicker.

Luna promptly brought the topic back on track, though the heat in her cheeks lost very little of its intensity, "Our one concern is that in the human world we lack the capacity for the magic required."

"Lack of supply?" Celestia raised her eyebrow in piqued curiosity, trying to clarify what her sister meant precisely. Earth was naturally low in magic after all, but she'd assumed her sister held enough in her own reserves to overcome that particular obstacle.

Luna shook her head, "Lack of capacitance. We simply cannot store it all within Us without the wider world sapping it away."

"What would you suggest?"

"Our magic has always been strongest at full moon." Luna admitted.

"That's only two or three weeks away." Graeme offered, chiming in helpfully.

Luna looked to him and nodded, recalling the moon she'd seen the night before.

"We would be best to try and forge the connection then." she concluded, "Traversing will require far less power than actually forging the link."

Celestia considered the implications for a moment, "And you still need a means to store the potential?"

"Forsooth." Luna rolled her eyes.

Celestia smirked again. She'd deserved that for pointing out the obvious, "Perhaps a familiar is in order?"

Luna's thoughts turned immediately to Graeme's cat, manifesting on her face as a mischievous grin, "We believe we have a perfect candidate..."

-o-O-o-

Chapter V: Moonlight and Familiars