thenearshore | and I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem

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and I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem

Who: Princess Zelda + YOU
What: Zelda accidentally goes dreamwalking. Shenanigans ensue.
When: September 1st, night
Where: ~the land of dreams~
Warnings: Please put any content warnings in your subject lines!

[Gods and shinki, strictly speaking, do not need to sleep. The biological need simply does not exist in the spiritual beings of the far shore, and if the old gods, beings with no experience in being bound by the physical needs of the body, were still around, perhaps we wouldn't be having this discussion.

But it is said old habits are hard to break, and sleep can still offer some benefits to the denizens of the heavens besides, even if it is no longer truly necessary for survival. So it is a quiet night, and though the air is warm, the rising of the moon brings with it a breeze that keeps it from being nearly unbearable as it is during the light of day. You drift off, as you have likely done a thousand times before, but something is different now--

Your dreams are not your own tonight.]

_{[ooc; dreamwalking log! set up the kind of dream your character is having in your starter and zelda will appear in the middle of it, mildly befuddled. and again, please make sure to put any content warnings that might come up in your subject lines. thank you!]}

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[Surprise is written plainly on the intruder's face as well, but the delight is sadly absent. As warm and bright and beautiful the kingdom surrounding them is, she finds she can hardly enjoy the sight when that singular word breaks her heart.

Sister. Someone she clearly, obviously, is not.]

... Forgive me. My name is Zelda.

[And for once, there is no questioning how or why the pretty rainbow pony is talking, because that's how dream logic works.]

Oh, goodness.

[At once the profession attitude of Princessly serenity and calm practically slams down over her like a window being shut with all the force a pony could muster. Celestia inclines her head gracefully.] Please forgive me understanding. My sister is Princess of the Night, and her duty is to walk in the dreams of ponykind, to guard Equestria's slumber.

I... I fear I do not understand completely, but...

[But she could practically feel the walls coming up, and even if everything else she's said is too much to comprehend at once, she does understand that. After all, she's guilty of doing the same more than a few times herself.]

There is nothing that needs forgiving. I merely wish I could have been the one you long to see.

[You miss her, she'd say, if she were crueler, if she didn't understand the safety the dutiful mask provides. It hangs in the air instead, heavy and perhaps even palpable, given the hazy and blurred line between thought and action in dreams.]

I miss my sister, but not quite so much that I wish for her to show up here. [Because even if she came as a god, that would still present many of its own problems. Celestia can admit to missing her sister so long as the princessly serenity is in place; she doesn't have to worry about her subjects losing faith in her or worrying about her, here.] Am I to gather, then, that you are not used to this power?

[That is fair, she thinks, but also not-- Zelda is one thing, with no living family to her name, but to keep someone away from their close siblings indefinitely? The powers behind their kidnapping grow crueler and crueler.

But the conversation shifts, and she leaves those thoughts aside for more pressing matters.]

I... believe so? To be perfectly honest, I was not aware I was utilizing any kind of power.

[How little she knows about just how long Celestia and Luna were separated before. Not that the Princess intends to mention it without cause, mind.]

I see. That is a little dangerous -- to have a magic like this activate without warning or control. You might up in a very troublesome dream indeed.

Would you like some guidance? I am not my sister, but I know something of her magic. I believe I can help you, if you would like.

... I suppose so? I am familiar with magic, but this is...

[She stops halfway, the pieces of the puzzle finally aligning. Everyone was said to have received a new power upon arriving in the Heavens, but she could call upon no such thing. She thought perhaps she had been overlooked, or maybe the Triforce had intervened, at least until...]

... This is a dream? [Another pause, and then with more dreadful certainty:] This is your dream. Oh, Goddesses, I... I did not mean to--

[WOW this is not a responsibility she was ready to handle.]

I know you didn't mean to. [As warm as the sun, Celestia smiles to absolve her of all blame.] I'm certainly not mad. You clearly aren't here to do anything malicious, and honestly I might not have even realized you were here if I was not familiar with the touch of dreamwalking magic. You've done no harm at all.

[The anxiety still exists somewhat, but Celestia's radiance does much to calm her nerves. She releases her tension with a sigh.]

... That concept almost seems frightening in and of itself, that I might be able to do this to someone completely unawares. [great power, great responsibility, etc etc.] But... thank you. I... greatly appreciate your understanding.

It's quite all right. Unexpected new power, especially great power, is something I am used to seeing people try to handle. You may not have intended to enter my dream, but how you reacted and once you did once you were in it are just as important -- and your cautious and courtesy are a credit to you. Many others in your place might experiment injudiciously, or panic.

[Centuries of teaching young unicorns -- and seeing some of them adjust very poorly indeed to their burgeoning magic -- lie behind Celestia's gentle assertion and warm regard.]

[Celestia's words earn a stare, wide-eyed and awed, like she's conveying an entirely new concept to her. That simple courtesy might make up for a mistake as potentially personal as this... it seems unthinkable.

A tear burning at the corner of her eye brings her back to herself; she wipes it away, and nods.]

I... learned long ago the potential consequences of acting rashly. I have endeavored ever since not to do so again.

[She breathes, collects herself.]

Forgive me, you compliment my courtesy yet I have not even introduced myself. I am Zelda, Princess of Hyrule. I would be honored if you could teach me what you know of this power, your highness.

[Princess. Celestia has accepted that human rulers do not earn their title, but come to it through blood or persuasion. Yet Princess Zelda is not a human, is she? She carries a different air about her.]

[Celestia bows, one equal to another.]

I am Princess Celestia, and together with my sister I rule the land of Equestria. I shall do all I can to aid you. Are you familiar with magic at all?

[The "divine right to rule" is a bit more literal in Hyrule than it is on Earth. Zelda places a hand over her heart, bowing her head in return.]

I am, yes. In fact, it could be said I am more familiar with it than I am with many other things-- [A fact she would be hesitant to admit otherwise, especially to a fellow royal, but Celestia has not judged her for her inexperience yet...] --but this particular kind is something entirely new to me.

Oh, excellent. I was a little worried I'd have to start from the very beginnings of mental energy and spellcasting. [Which she would have done without hesitation, of course -- but not needing to certainly makes life much easier.]

If your ability, then, is much like magic, you should be able to influence things within the dream -- change them, banish or summon them, reshape them. I grant you full leave to try.

... I understand, though... I am not certain how to start--

[And honestly, a part of her is reluctant to spoil the beautiful vision of Equestria in Celestia's mind. But still, she closes her eyes, concentrating and biting her lip as she does.

It's not as simple as calling forth the magic running in her blood, that much is clear when her first attempt results in only her hands glowing with a shining golden light, ready to be unleashed upon some unholy being. No, it's clearly a more subtle art, closer to the illusions of the Shadow Folk than the divine powers of the Hylian Princesses.

She supposes that makes sense, with what Celestia's told her about the Princess of Night possessing this power.

She tries focusing on that instead, shadows and the night, and something does change then. A hazy image formed of purple-ish clouds appears before the pair, one of a tall, muscular woman with short cropped hair tied back into a ponytail and with long pointed ears much like Zelda's own. She's someone Zelda apparently recognizes, as she gasps when she opens her eyes, only for the image to vanish in the instant her focus is interrupted by surprise.

It takes her a moment to recover; she regains her composure with a deep, steeling breath and a shake of her head.]

I am sorry, this power seems more difficult to direct than I anticipated.

There's nothing to apologize for. You are trying entirely new mental patterns, and for a first attempt you did very well. [She'd achieved a coherent if not perfect image of a figure she apparently recognize -- by pony magic standards, which Celestia is certainly qualified to judge, she'd had an excellent first outing.] As you practice and become more familiar with this power, you'll improve. I have no doubt of it.

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and I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem

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