She awoke to find herself in an unfamiliar landscape, surrounded by billowing clouds that stretched as far as the eye could see. Memories of Lunarette's teachings flickered in her mind, reminding her of the dreamscape known as the “realm of souls,” where mortals are sent upon sleeping. But something felt amiss. A celestial should not be able to dream, and yet here she stood, adrift in this surreal realm.
A sense of dread slowly started to creep up on her as she contemplated the possibility of what could possibly have happened. Had Nemulis, the guardian of souls and dreams, breached the sanctity of the astral palace? The thought sent a shiver down her spine. Despite her celestial powers, Yume knew she was nothing compared to the powers of her mother. Who knows what awaited her here in this unfamiliar landscape? And another thought crept up on her. If harm were to befall her, the lineage of conduits would end with her…
With determined resolve, she rose to her feet and surveyed her surroundings. Clouds billowed beneath her, obscuring any glimpse of other beings. Frustration gnawed at her insides as she ventured forth into the dreamlike expanse, her azure hair trailing behind her like a shimmering constellation in the void. “Without us, the universe would fall into disorder. They would be nothing without us, make sure you remember that as you walk with pride.” Her mothers words echoed in her mind, as she tried her best to shake of her fear and walk with a queenly stride.
Hours passed as she wandered, until at last, she encountered two figures cloaked in pristine white robes. As they removed their hoods, Yume was taken aback by their featureless faces, bathed in an otherworldly glow.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Before she could utter a word, the leftmost figure spoke, its voice sounding oddly familiar. “Finally, we found ya! Now Yum-yum, it's important that you stay calm.”
Yume's heart skipped a beat as realization dawned upon her. That was Auntie Solas' voice! Only Solarie and Lunarette dared to call her "Yum-yum," just as she addressed them as Sola and Luna. Knowing that they could probably not leave their stations as guardians, Solarie and Lunarette had somehow brought her into the land of dreams to speak with her. But how?
Solarie's brash tone filled the air as the proxy she spoke from proudly folded its arms together. “Impressive, huh? Stella would probably kill us if she knew what was up, so we had to get you out with some more... creative options. She’s kind of a bitch if you ask m-“
Just then, the other faceless being slapped her. “Language!” The suave, charming voice of Lunarette radiated from her. “Ahem, what she's trying to say is... We had an important message to deliver to you. But we are duty-bound to remain on earth at all times, except when your mother calls us in to grant you lessons. So Solarie found a pair of willing dreamers, and the two of us could use them as proxies. I am terribly sorry if this unnerved you, dear Yum-yum. Know that if we could do visit, we would,” Lunarette's proxy said, carrying her elegant voice. In that moment, Yume relaxed. “Don’t worry, I trust you guys,” Yume said, smiling warmly. Despite the unorthodox method, she was just happy to hear their voices again. After all, Stella had told them to not visit as often due to how they were “bad influences” on her.
“And what is that important message you ask?” Solarie's proxy said. She beckoned for Yume to come closer, so Yume did. But then suddenly, Solarie's proxy pulled her in for a hug as she spoke:
“So get this. We finally... have a way to let you have that one trip around the universe you always wanted!”