"King?" Luna asked in surprise, breaking the long silence that had been hanging low over the darkening void. Weaver's silver glow became brighter the darker the void became, soon becoming the only beacon in the dark. The darkness was actually scary, as Weaver was the only light that could be seen.

"My father was King Weaver Parallel, when he died I took his throne." Tears could be seen in Weaver's eyes as he sunk lower onto the ground, laying his head on his hooves. "For eight hundred years I dreamed of taking that throne... now I just dream of remembering their faces. Perhaps a mirror to remember what I look like, then I could at least piece their faces back together in my head."

"We can give thee a mirror," Luna suggested, readying her magic.

"Go home," the stallion said, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

"But thou art lonely and sad," Luna began, "it would be wrong of us to..."

"You wont like it after dark."

"Why," Luna all but demanded, growing tired of what little information he gave.

"There are beasts scared of fire that I make my clothes out of," the stallion said in a low voice, standing up and producing six swords out of nowhere and having them hover around him. In the distance there was a hissing noise, and Weaver began breathe raggedly.

"How many are there?" Luna asked, getting into a ready stance.

"I said go home," Weaver growled, thrusting two of the swords at Luna. "I will not have a mare coming to my aid. Now depart my kingdom or I'll force you out."

Luna became indignant, using her magic to knock the sword away. "How dare you threaten us. We have done nothing but be pleasant and understanding to thou. How dare thee look down on me for..."

Without warning, Luna found herself sliding backwards from Weaver's voice, making the Royal Canterlot Voice seen like a light breeze.

"I AM KING OF DREAMS, RULER OF THE VOID AND ALL MAGIC AND POWER WITHIN. I AM NO POLITICIAN OR SOOTHSAYER. I DON'T NEED YOUR UNDERSTANDING, I AM THE SUPREME POWER OF THE NOTHING. NOW LEAVE OR ELSE..."

Hooves feeling like somepony had held a torch under them, Luna waited for the rest of the screaming, but instead saw Weaver burst into a new fit of tears and drop all the swords. He backed away from a little turned, running away to the hissing monsters.

"I'm so sorry," he heaved as he ran away, "just go, I can only cause pain."

Luna lit up her horn to light and was about to go after him. But what she illuminated caused her to change her mind. Beasts in wolves standing on six thin legs like stilts, towering above her, their skins were made of patched cloth, like rejected foal toys. They were all around her.

One dipped its head close to her face and opened its mouth, displaying teeth made of rusted metal and chipped bone. A blast of magic against its face, only resulted in a yelp and a few burns. For all her power, Princess Luna found herself feeling helpless compared to this mob of monsters. With a flap of her wings, she rose above the mob and into the vapors, keeping an eye on them as they roared and leapt for her.

When she was far enough out of their reach, she looked about for Weaver, praying for a glimpse of his light. He had been protecting her, albeit rather forcefully and without telling her why. But he also had the paces, which never went away, especially after forty-four hundred years alone, slipping into a nightmare once everypony woke up. She had to help him. This was no life for anypony.

* * *

Celestia knew something was wrong. Her sister was never in the void this long, something must have happened. She rushed to Luna's room and threw open the door to see Luna curled up on the bed, still in her magical sleep. Celestia approached the bed and laid a hoof on her sister's head, closing her eyes and concentrating. Turmoil and fear emanated strongly from Luna's mind, there truly was trouble in the void.

Rather than just dive right in into the void to help her sister, Celestia laid down beside her and concentrated, getting ready to speak with Luna via a telepathic link they had set up a few years back so they could inform each other of trouble. Although Celestia abused it on more than one occasion to tease her sister or ask her where the cooks hid a cake. This would be the first real use of the link, and a of its use in the void.

Luna? What's happening? Why haven't you awoken?

It took a moment for Luna's reply to come back. It sounded worried with hints of fear.

Celestia? Thank you. We were growing worried? We are fine, have found a secret of the void. It is full of monsters.

Then leave, Luna.

We shall do no such thing, sister. There is a stallion in here in need of our assistance, we shall not leave him to the mercy of these beasts.

Celestia was shocked by this news, no mere unicorn could have such powerful magic as to physically walk the void. It had to be an alicorn.

You have found a male alicorn? There hasn't been one since...

He is no alicorn sister, nor an unicorn. He is something new, or old. Have you ever heard of a void pony.

Celestia thought this over. She had heard countless legends in her time, but nothing called a void... Wait, there were legends of creatures that came into dreams, very ancient stories that were once meant for children, and again were forgotten and rare even in mythologies. The name took a moment to come to mind.

You are speaking of a nosferatu, Luna. From ancient stories I can't even remember. Is there anything I can do to held?

Bring fire and lots of it, we am weary from my travel and dare not risk such powerful spells right now.

Very well, Luna. I shall join you in but a moment.

* * *

Weaver hacked the spindly legs out from under the monsters with four new swords he had created, keeping them close to his body and charging at the beasts in rage. No screams or curses escaped his lips, and although he was enraged, there was regret in his eyes. A sadness that had clung to his soul for ever so long. But he seemed determined not to die, after so many years most would have given up, but something drove him on, and made him hold his tongue against the monstrosities.

Thousands of years made this all too easy, but he was too old to become over confident. The beasts learned slow, but they were just as just as he was lonely. He just had to keep this up for about sixteen hours, then relax when the dreamers dreamt again. He hoped Luna had left, he hadn't meant to get so angry, and it was a shame that his first physical contact in forever had ended so horribly. He would have been more than happy to talk the alicorn, just long as there weren't a lot of questions, and just as long as it was around dreamtime. That would be good. If she ever forgave him for his horrible treatment of her.

Guess I'll find out in sixteen hours. He spun around and sliced another beast right up the center while leaping into the air to avoid one that dove at him, slicing off its head as he came back down. The beasts didn't bleed, they just tore apart, like stuffed animals, except without stuffing, just inky blackness. In a few hours they would mend themselves and his work would be a fruitless effort.

Suddenly the sky lit up in blue flames, and the beasts shrieked and ran off in fright. The fallen ones blew away and Weaver's cloth struggled to release him, still alive. Keeping the swords ready, he turned to see and another wave of blue flames erupt from the distance. With a sigh, he dissolved the swords and began running towards the source of the fire. It was apparently hopeless that that blue mare would give up on him.

* * *

Her mane wreathed in golden flames, and red lashes extending from her wings, a scowling Celestia watched as the beasts ran off.

"What are these things, Luna? How could you not have noticed them before?"

"The pony said they were afraid of fire, and the dreams warded them off all the times we was here. We can only hope is all right, we made him angry and he attacked us..."

"He did what?" Celestia demanded, her scowl deepening.

"Calm thyself, sister," Luna spoke quickly as she settled back onto the ground. "He has been trapped here alone for longer than we've been alive. Were we not angry after you imprisoned us on the moon for a thousand years?"

"Fine," Celestia said half-heartedly. She did still remember, Nightmare Moon and the wrath she exuded before and after her banishment. "But I shall remain weary of him. He could easily be threat. If I remember correctly, not all nosferatu were peaceful, and came into nightmares."

"We watched him transform a nightmare into a happy dream with a touch of his hoof, and produce swords from thin air and tell us to leave so that we would not get hurt," Luna defended. She was starting to realize that Weaver might not be as acceptable to others as she had hoped. If others were to suddenly find a carnivorous, powerful pony in their midst, there might very well be panic. "Sister, he cannot stay here. But he is... very different, he may not be suitable for society, but we must find a way to get him out of here."

Golden flames suddenly erupted around them in a circle, blasting high into the vapors and frying the creatures, causing them to shriek in agony. The fell the ground like fireballs, some even falling apart like ashes as soon as they hit the ground. The flames roared loudly, but there was no heat radiating from them, in fact it seemed to be getting colder in the middle. Both sisters pressed their sides together, frightened by the sudden force.

Then Weaver strode straight through the flames, his clothes jerking in all direction and letting out muffled cries of fear and the flames pressed right up against it. Though he kept a calm outward appearance, Weaver's voice hinted anger and disdain; mostly directed at Celestia.

"For eight hundred years I was Prince Impossible, Commander of two hundred thousand warriors, proved myself worthy of inheriting the throne over my two hundred older brothers by shear power alone. But you dare to think I can't protect myself against mere monster's? How dare you stand in the presence of the King of Dreams with such contempt for his power." Next Chapter: -3- The Rivalery Estimated time remaining: 52 Minutes