Moon Guide My Dreams

There were no plans for a meeting the next morning, so when Cadence woke, she had no idea what to do with herself. Usually, Shining could come up with something for them to do, but… She glanced at the empty bed spot next to her. She had expected that he would come back during the night. It wouldn’t have been the first time he did that, but clearly she just wasn’t worth the effort to him.

Cadence scowled. How dare he treat her like this!! Now angry, Cadence got out of bed and got dressed. She stormed out of her room and went to knock on Twilight’s door, certain he would have gone to his sister. One rude knock later, Twilight opened the door, looking barely awake. She slowly opened the door and peeked her head out, her mane a mess while she kept a navy blue robe tucked tightly around her frame.

“Mff...Cadence?” she asked, rubbing one of her eyes. “Whats up?”

“Where is he?!” Cadence demanded. “I know he’s in there!!”

Twilight’s eyes widened and she immediately clenched her up her robe. “W-woah s-settle down Cadence! It’s a little too early in the morning for yelling, isn’t it?”

“Twilight, where is he? I need to talk to him. NOW!” Cadence yelled angrily. “He had no right!!”

“N-no right to do what?” she said, now actually trembling before Cadence but with a snap of a finger she regained her composure and stepped out into the hallway, closing and locking the door behind her. “He is not available for talking right now. And I don’t think he’d want to talk to you when you’re this angry.”

“I don’t think that’s your call to make Twilight!” Cadence argued. “Now tell him to come out here right now, or I’m going in there myself!”

“B-but he’s--...look, could you possibly come by another time or something?” she asked, trying to remain polite. “He’s had a rough night. We went to dinner, came back here, and I let him sleep over. There’s nothing wrong with that. He’s exhausted from some argument he wouldn’t tell me about.”

Cadence’s eye twitched. “What did he say? Did he tell you anything at all? I’ve never known him to keep secrets from you before.”

She leaned against the door lightly. “Well I know, he’s always very open with me. But lately, he’s just been getting angry over the littlest things. I’ve never known him to be so...heated. Or use such distasteful words in front of me about someone I thought he cared very much for. Calling her a...c word and a...b word...and a lot of other words I don’t want to go through.”

“He… he…. HE SAID WHAT ABOUT ME?!” Cadence screeched, storming past Twilight and bursting into the room.

“C-CADENCE WAIT!” she yelled, dashing in after and trying to shield her eyes from the bedroom that was right around the corner. “Wait!”

But her words were in vain as Cadence stormed right past her and turned the corner to confront her husband...

...only to find a bedsheet-covered Flash Sentry laying in Twilight’s bed. He squeaked upon seeing Cadence, blushing a dark red.

“U-Um… good morning your highness?” he managed.

Cadence stared for several seconds before managing a, “....what?”

Twilight grabbed Cadence by her waist and dragged her out of the bedroom and tried to look assertive in front of her sister in law.

“I have a feeling that you and I were discussing two very different people.” started Twilight, her eyes narrowing. “So logically, that only leaves my brother. So can you please explain to me why you felt the need to bust in my room acting all tough and angry?”

Cadence blushed darkly, covering her eyes. “I’m so sorry!!” she squeaked as she turned and hurried out of the room, embarrassed.

Twilight blinked and sighed, rubbing her forehead in embarrassment as well. “Well that happened…”

“Oh god… I should have said Shining’s name,” Cadence mumbled. “I’m sorry Twilight. I was just so mad…”

“What is going on? I thought everything was fine between you and Shining Armor.”

“...we had a horrible fight last night,” Cadence admitted. “We’ve been fighting a lot lately.”

Twilight nodded. “Wait a moment.” She went over to the bedroom and addressed. “Flash, dear. I’m sorry, my sister in law has a bit of a problem. I’ll be right back okay?”

Flash nodded and gave her a quick kiss before she dressed. Within less than 10 minutes, Twilight came back out in sweatpants and a tank-top, sitting down in one of the seats by the window to join Cadence. Flash had quickly dressed himself and saluted towards Twilight, smirking slightly before leaving. Cadence watched him leave before turning back to him.

“...so about Shining. I can tell there’s been some problems.” started Twilight, blushing furiously and trying to change the subject.

Cadence sighed. “He’s changed. He’s not the stallion I married anymore…” she began. “I mean, I expected him to change some. Becoming a ruler is bound to have that effect. But lately… it just seems like his priorities are completely all over the place.”

The violet alicorn tilted her head. “What do you mean? Shining seemed to be just fine when I talked to him last.

“He’s good at putting on a front, Twilight,” Cadence replied. “But… the big brother you remember had a strong sense of responsibility, didn’t he? And he was always willing to do his fair share of the work, right?”

“...yeeeeees but he always has a sense of fun and adventure. When I came out to see him, we had a fun little adventure with a crystal monster. He was happy and we both enjoyed ourselves. It was only for a little but he loved nostalgia and the things we used to do in the past. He is NEVER a straight, business only, professional pony. It’d kill him. Besides, you can’t put on the front you are ALL business. I certainly can’t. Luna and Celestia put it up but they don’t become one with the front they put up, right?”

“I know, and I’m not asking him to either,” Cadence answered. “But he does need to handle his responsibilities as Crown Prince of the Crystal Empire. He doesn’t seem to care to do what he’s supposed to. He even tried to turn this summit trip out of be some sort of vacation, as though we have nothing to do here, no jobs or anything… It feels like he’s trying to say I’ve been a bad wife, and I know I’ve been doing all I can. I take my crown seriously, yes, but I love Shining, and I want to be good to him. He doesn’t seem to care about any of that, though. He just gets mad at me and accuses me of things like neglecting him, or being some sort of workaholic.”

“W-wait what?!” Twilight sat up fully. “Shining...no, that doesn’t seem like him. And I don’t want to pick sides here though, last time I saw you, you kept addressing a schedule and looked like you were going through the motions. Hey, I’m a bit of a workaholic too but you remember what you told me when I nearly collapsed from working so hard? NEVER surrender yourself to your work, live to have a little fun on the side unless you want to get burned out. Maybe Shining wants to balance both. I’m sure it’s not a crime to do both. If you gave up on the brighter side of life, you’d be...well boring. And that’s not my BSBFF that I know. Why don’t you relax WITH him. This summit isn’t going to take the entire time you’re here.”

Cadence fell silent. Maybe Twilight had a point. She did miss simple things like kicking back and relaxing with a bowl of ice cream, or cuddling with Shining and watching a movie. Maybe she had been surrendering herself to her crown a bit too much… but if that were the case, then that meant she was the one who had been in the wrong. She refused to believe that she was wrong for putting her people first. It was a Princess’s job to care for her citizens. Still… she was a person too… and so was her husband.

Cadence sighed. “I… have a few things to think about. Thank you Twilight. I’ll talk to you later,” she said, standing up and returning to her room.

~!~!~!~

Shining sat on the windowsill, staring out at the sky. He had awoken to embarrassingly wet sheets after that vivid dream. After quickly changing the sheets and showering, he considered returning to his room, but instead found himself sitting here, thinking. This was the second time he’d had a excessively vivid sexual dream involving Luna. What’s more, he could remember every detail of both dreams, something that was extremely unusual for him. Normally he couldn’t recall a thing. This however, stuck out like a sore thumb.

He remembered the taste of Luna’s lips from kissing her. He remembered the softness of her flesh. He remembered every curve of that body. He remembered how gently she had touched him. He remembered that mischievous sparkle in her eye when he made eye contact with her…

Wait. That sparkle.

Shining blinked as he realized something. That sparkle was identical to reality in every way. When Luna had bade him goodnight that first night she cast the spell to help him sleep, it had been there. When he had been caught daydreaming, that same glint had been there. Even last night, as she brought him up here to sleep, she had that same sparkle in her eye.

His brow furrowed. Luna was the princess of the night, and was the guardian of dreams. Did that mean… his recent dreams of her and how clearly he could recall them were somehow connected to her in reality? Had Luna… actually been there? Had she been in his dreams?

Shining paled. If Luna had been there for real… then had he been cheating on Cadence without knowing it? Oh dear Celestia!!!

“No, no, calm down Shining,” he muttered to himself. “You don’t know anything for sure yet. Keep your head.”

He took a deep breath. There was only one thing he could think to do. He was going to have to talk to Luna about this, and find out if his suspicions were correct.

~!~!~!~

Late afternoon, Celestia had returned to her chambers after another summit meeting with delegates from Saudi Arabia. Though she enjoyed working and talking with others to make Equestria a better place, she grew tired of the summits falling into quick little routines. Retreating to her chambers, she removed almost of her jewelry and collapsed onto her couch, closing her eyes briefly. The last thing she wanted was to be disturbed...and a knocking upon her door was there to remind her the day wasn't over just yet. She groaned, slowly pushing herself up off the couch and heading towards the door. She unlocked it and peered out to see her sister standing there, looking concerned.

“Celestia… I need to talk to you. Please?” she asked in that quiet voice that implied she was scared about something.

Celestia wasted no time opening the door and let her sister pass through, a reassuring hand placed on her waist guided her to the couch. She sat her down and looked at her, concerned.

“I’ll get us some tea.” said the pink-white alicorn. “Would you like anything with yours? I believe we will be here for awhile.”

“Some honey and lemon please?” Luna requested, sitting on the couch.

“The usual.” she nodded, quickly heading off to get the things she needed set up.

Celestia was usually slow with her tea, wanting to take her time while she listened to some of Canterlot’s finest musicians. Here, she worked quickly to get the kettle filled with water and the temperature turned up to the necessary heat. Once the kettle was set up, she returned to Luna’s side and sat directly next to her.

“What troubles you, sister?”

Luna sighed. “...Tia, how does one know when they are experiencing love?” she asked.

The subject took Celestia almost by surprise. “Oh. Umm...well…”

Luna blushed darkly. “I… I mean… I’m sorry!! I just meant…. er…. ooohhh….” Luna covered her face in embarrassment.

Celestia smiled towards her younger sister, shaking her head lightly. “Has my younger sister found a suitor perhaps? Is he or she someone I know?”

Luna fidgeted nervously. “I… there is somepony I am interested in, I will admit… but… but I shouldn’t be…”

Though oblivious at first, Celestia giggled lightly at the thought, taking Luna’s hands in her own. “Well Luna, this is wonderful. I never thought either one of us would find someone to care for at first but it appears you are the first to find one! Tell me all about him. You make it sound like it’s forbidden though. There are no laws saying a Princess cannot see others so long as they don’t share multiple partners with a love life full of lies or choose a suitor that’s already married.

Luna cringed visibly, seeming to shrink. Celestia paused when she saw this, giving her a surprised look. “...Luna?”

“I… I… The stallion I find myself taking an interest in…. he is married,” Luna forced out.

Celestia’s smile shrunk. “...oh dear. Luna, I love you very much but I would not advise you follow up on this one. It’s a very dangerous path and I believe it will only end in heartbreak.”

“I know… I truly do know… but… He is very unhappily married,” she said sadly. “He gives his heart to his wife, yet she seems to only return it with neglect and disregard.”

Celestia retracted her hands and leaned back against the couch. She was about to talk before she heard the kettle start to boil. Not breaking sight with her sister, she used her magic to assemble a tray with two cups and the kettle. Once it was brought down next to them, she retrieved a cup and poured some milk into it.

“That is most tragic.” started Celestia. “But there is little that can be done other than supporting them in their times of need. You wouldn’t ask me to divorce them so you could have him all to yourself, would you?”

“No, of course not!” Luna said quickly. “That would be wrong. It would be up to him if he left her, I would never dream of forcing the issue.”

Celestia nodded. “...out of curiosity, who is this stallion?”

“I would rather not say,” Luna replied.

The older sister raised an eyebrow but shook her head, sipping her tea. “Very well. All I can suggest to you, dear sister, is to help him in the ways you know how. Though the marriage is unhappy, it is unwise to taint the sanctity of their relationship. If he means that much to you, please be careful and do not grow too attached. The last thing I wish for is for your heart to be broken. And trust me, whoever shall do so will NOT get away with a free pass. Understood?”

“I… I understand. Thank you Tia,” Luna said, hugging her sister tightly. “I will try to be cautious.”

“Of course. Now! Let us discuss something of a lighter and happier subject before I depart to bed.”

~!~!~!~

Luna headed back to her room sometime later, mulling Celestia’s words over in her head. Perhaps she was right. She had already pushed buttons that she likely ought not have. Perhaps it was better for her to just be there for Shining as a friend rather than attempt to lure him in dreams. ...still, they were only dreams… and she wasn’t trying to lure him away in the real world. She took a breath. She wanted to carry on, but she also wanted to respect him and his feelings…

“Luna?”

Luna jumped. Shining was standing in front of her door, apparently waiting for her. She blushed slightly. “Yes Shining? Can I help you?”

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” he said,

“Oh no, I was merely going to rest for a while before it is time to raise the moon,” she assured him.

He nodded. “I understand. It won’t take long. I just needed to talk to you about um...some dreams I’ve been having. Dreams I’m slightly concerned with. And since dreams are your thing, I wanted to go to you to wonder what these dreams mean.”

Luna became slightly uncomfortable, but nodded, praying her discomfort wasn’t showing on her face. “Come then. Let’s discuss this,” she suggested, opening the door to her room. She lead him towards her couch. “Would you like some tea perhaps? Or anything else?”

Shining thought for a moment. “Umm...biscuits perhaps if you have them, please? I could use something to fill my stomach.”

Luna nodded and went over to her little kitchen area to prepare a snack for them. “What were you saying about dreams?” she asked.

Shining found it was his turn to blush. “Alright. Well...okay, how do I put this...they’ve involved you.” There was a small crash from the kitchen as Luna dropped a cup and it shattered. “Are you okay in there?”

“Y-Yes,” Luna answered, cleaning up the mess. “Go on.”

He thought carefully on his next words. “The first night I came here, when we spoke, you gave me a spell that you said would help me sleep better. And I did, better than I thought. But...the dream I experienced, I wonder if you somehow projected yourself into it to...help to relieve me in a…” he paused. “...sexual way.”

Luna dropped the biscuits she had been bringing over,but Shining was quick to catch it with his magic. He looked at her, concerned he had crossed a line. “Luna? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to suggest anything. It’s just… I usually can’t remember my dreams at all, and I remember the ones from the last two nights very clearly…”

“...my presence in a dream causes that to happen. I had forgotten,” Luna mumbled quietly, almost to herself. However, Shining still managed to hear her.

He slowly stood up and walked to her, setting the tray down with his magic. “Can you just answer me one question? ...was it actually you? Were you actually in my dream? The first one I had, I woke up in the woods by Canterlot and we…” he cleared his throat. “We...made love on the shore.”

“That one was not me,” Luna confessed. “I had intended merely to check on you to make sure you were resting well, but… I saw. I saw the entire dream unfold…”

“I apologize!” Shining immediately went into a state of worry. “I-I don’t want you to think I would cheat on Cadence for you, I swear I don’t know how that happened with you entering my dreams like that, I’ve never thought--”

“Please stop,” Luna interrupted. “Please…” She fell to her knees, her eyes brimming with tears. “That was merely the first dream. The second one… I created that one. I did that to you. I am the one who should be apologizing to you!”

He blinked, looking down at her and helping her up to her feet. “Why should you feel the need to apologize?”

“I… I am also capable of seeing daydreams if I am close enough to the pony,” she admitted. “I saw what you were thinking about that day in the meeting. When I saw that, and knowing what I knew of your previous dream, I… I thought I could perhaps… tempt you in dreams.”

“...tempt me? What do you mean?” for once, Shining was oblivious.

Luna stared at him helplessly for several minutes, as though trying to will him to understand. Eventually, she sighed and began to explain.

“You… you have made it very clear that you are unhappy with Cadence. I have absolutely no desire to see you unhappy. I never have,” she began. “I… I wanted to make you feel better any way that I could…”

“‘By invading my dreams?” he said, confused. “...you were there in that second dream, getting off on seeing me with a very dear friend of mine. I don’t even know how I should feel about this but...it’s just dreams. And that’s all it has been. Correct?”

“Yes, it has all been dreams, and nothing more, I swear to you on my crown,” Luna insisted desperately.

There was an awkward silence before he nodded, letting out a sigh of relief. “Okay. I don’t want to give you the wrong idea nor do I want to lead you on. Despite how terrible things are I...no. No I don’t know how much longer I can keep up that idea in my head when I don’t even believe it fully myself.”

“What?” Luna asked, looking up at him.

He slowly sat back down and ran a hand through his mane, looking for the words to say.

“...I’m trying to convince myself I can make things better here in three weeks so that when I go back to the Crystal Empire, maybe things will be a little easier. But I don’t want to go through another argument. I feel the urge to run away from these sort of things and just dive into my dreams to where she won’t be able to...get to me. And I can’t even deny what I’m feeling right now. I feel like a stranger to her practically and that pains me to say. It doesn’t even pain me to the fact that I wish those dreams were real--....”

“You… you what?!” Luna exclaimed, staring at him. “You… you wish it real?!”

“...I shouldn’t have said that aloud.” he sighed quietly, face-palming.

Luna grasped Shining’s hands, her eyes shimmering. “Shining Armor, does that mean you feel the same as I do? That you wish for the same things I wish for?” She smiled at him hopefully.

...if he wasn’t back into a corner already, now he was. He had no idea what to say. His heart was racing, he could feel butterflies right in his stomach, this was EXACTLY how he felt the first time he confessed to Cadence. But...no, this wasn’t right. He couldn’t.

“I...I’m sorry, I...I have to go.” he said, quickly escaping from her grasp and heading right out of the room. Things were getting too hot for him. The last thing he needed was to have his marriage go into a meltdown. And the last thing he needed was to wonder if he did have feelings.

...and unfortunately, they existed...