Past The Sunlit Treesby Miss Sugar-PinkChaptersSweet DreamsGood MorningSistersSweet DreamsThe princess of the moon sighed as she walked through the realm of dreams. Doors were closing all around her as she wearily made her way to the last few slumbering ponies of the night. Tonight had been a night with few horrors, at the very least. It was nonetheless exhausting, however. She thought back to the nightmares she had bested tonight. A child running from a hydra; a stallion who fought against shadows; a mare who dealt with her ‘monster’ in law. Luna sighed again, stifling a yawn. What she wouldn’t give to escape the last few dreams of the night. Perhaps these last few doors could simply last without her interference? She indulged the thought as she walked, imagining it. She would stretch and rest on her bed, letting her head sink down into her pillow. Slowly, her eyes would begin to fall, her navy room turning into a sweet, chilled oblivion. Time would become meaningless and all weariness would cease… She yelped as her head smacked against the next door. She rubbed her forehead, cursing her exhaustion. “I’ll have a headache in the morning,” she muttered. She shook her head and looked at the door. Glancing around, she realized all the ponies she had yet to check up on had settled their dreams already. She breathed a sigh of relief. “Only one more left, then.” Luna turned back to the red door, eyeing it curiously. “Now who might you be, my little pony, and what might you be dreaming about?” She ran a hoof over the door. Just as one could test the heat of a fire through a door, she could sense the tension and intensity of a dream. She hummed lightly; the door was somewhat warm. It felt peculiar, however. It was unlike the turmoil associated with a nightmare. She dropped her hoof. “Let’s see what this is about.” She opened the door. She shielded her eyes as she trotted through and into- The grass tickled her hooves gently, caressing her fur as the breeze ran through her mane. She gasped as she felt her bare hooves make complete, direct contact with the earthy soil, feeling her body instantly starting to relax. She took a step, taking along with her dew droplets and a soft blade of grass here and there. The entire air of this place was soft and relaxing. She took a deep breath, relishing the scent in the air; it reminded her of the festival she had seen in Ponyville with the children in costumes. It was sweet with a hint of sugar, yet not overpowering - a dash of cinnamon and apples? She didn’t care about what it was labelled. It simply made her feel content. She looked around, her eyes adjusted to the sun. She appeared to be in a field; where that field was, however, was a mystery. There looked to be apple trees in the distance. She felt an all too familiar compulsion to go towards them. She smiled. Still a dream. She thought about flying, but decided against it. Something about the prickly yet smooth grass made her body feel ten times lighter. Still smiling comfortably, she began her journey past the apple trees. As she walked, she relaxed even more - the sunlight on her fur warmed her fully, making her entire body unwind joint by joint. She shut her eyes briefly as she walked, smiling softly. This was a very good dream. She tilted her head to the side as she trotted over the crest of the hill, peeking out from behind the trees. The trees were scattered here and there, opening up again into that same lush green field that surrounded her. She squinted; was that a pony, there in the field? She trotted closer, her curiosity at this peculiar dream urging her hooves onward. The pony came into view. Luna was fairly certain it was a male; he had the brightest red fur, and he was big. He seemed to be asleep, a single piece of hay hanging out of his mouth. Luna smiled - this was her final dream tonight? A man, sleeping away in one of the warmest, most comfortable fields she had ever been in? She yawned widely, her eyelids drooping ever so slightly. She shook her head gently and sat next to the stallion. She cleared her throat softly. “I hate to disturb your slumber, sir stallion.” The man opened an eye, munching on the hay idly. “Don’ worry ‘bout it none.” She looked surprise. “Were you not fast asleep?” “Nnnope.” “Hm. And… you knew I was here for how long, exactly?” There was a pause as he contemplated the question. He shrugged. “Ah dunno.” “For awhile?” “Eeyup.” She smiled. “You don’t say much, do you?” “Nnnope.” She stood once more, stifling another yawn. It was getting harder not to: the warmth of the sun and the comfort the grass promised her was sorely tempting. She nodded toward the stallion. “I merely stopped by to see if you were having a nightmare. This… dream holds the same intensity as some.” The stallion shrugged. “Ah’ve had this dream before. S’just a nice lil’ place t’rest.” She laughed. “Yes, it is. I do believe I should return to the realm of wakefulness. Moon knows, I’ve been awake too long as it is.” The stallion nodded, his eyes shutting once more. “Eeyup.” “Farewell…” “The name’s Macintosh. Most ponies jus’ call me Big Mac.” “Very well then. Goodbye, sir Macintosh. Sleep well.” “Y’have a good night, now.” Luna trotted off, sighing happily. Something about this place simply made her happy. She would have to remember this dream. She felt something shift, and she returned to the realm of dreams. All doors were closed. She sighed in relief and tiredness. “Thank goodness…” In a burst of light, she was back in her room. She looked at the position of her moon as her ambient magic moved it slowly through the sky. It was perhaps midnight; a few hours yet before sunrise. Another small miracle. She trotted back to her bed, collapsing on it with a huff of air. Slowly, Luna wormed her way under the covers, practically purring at the warmth they gave her. It reminded her greatly of the sunlight in the field of the dream she had just visited. Shutting her eyes and snuggling into her pillow, she could practically feel it all now; the wind gently brushing through her mane and tail, with each little blade of grass tingling on her fur. She could almost smell apples. Within moments, the exhausted princess was asleep. Good MorningLuna hurried down to the dining hall, eyes wide with alarm as her silver slippers clicked loudly against the floor. Ponies looked at her and jumped quickly out of the way, lest they be run over. “I’m late, I’m late, I’m late,” she muttered under her breath, berating herself. She never slept in like that usually. Morning breakfast always took place at 7:30, sharp. It was nearly 8:30. Luna prided herself in very few things; impressive magical talent, a growing sense of humor, and most of all, her punctuality. She was never, ever late. She shook her head and kept running, dodging past servants as best she could. She supposed she would have to take punctual off her resume then. She kept running until she reached the double doors. She took a few deep breaths, panting. Clearing her throat, she opened them both with her magic and strode in as regally as she could, trying to ignore her ragged breath and messy mane. Maybe nopony would comment? She looked around. The table was already set. Celestia sat at the head of the table, as always. The food smelled delicious, as always. She felt her mouth tingle with anticipation, as always. Nopony else was there. That wasn’t as always. Celestia sipped her tea, smiling without opening her eyes. “Good morning, Luna.” Luna knew she was blushing from embarrassment. She held her head up high, however. “Good morning, Sister. We trust the meal to be enjoyable?” “Why yes, it is indeed. Come.” Her horn began to glow, and the chair right next to her was pulled out. “Why not join me?” Luna gulped lightly. She usually sat on the opposite end of the table. Maybe her sister just wanted to be closer so she didn’t have to shout? She trotted over and sat down. “How has your morning been?” “Oh, not terribly bad. I woke bright and early, went through my daily routine. I must say, it was quite refreshing to not only rise the sun, but also set the moon this morning.” Luna winced visibly, shrinking down in her seat ever so slightly. Celestia simply chuckled. “Overslept?” “Er… yes. We were rather… weary from our duties last night.” Celestia sipped her tea, smiling and looking at her. “It’s perfectly alright, Luna. Everypony has late mornings sometimes.” Celestia smirked lightly, her eyes swimming in nostalgia. “Why, I remember once when I overslept, back when you were away.” Luna raised an eyebrow, sitting up a bit taller. “Oh?” “I… slept in quite late. Perhaps until… noon? The time is a little hard to recall at this point.” Luna was gaping. “Noon? Dear sister, our subjects must have been terrified!” Celestia put down her glass, laughing. “Surprisingly, nopony questioned it! No panic in the streets, nothing! Evidently, there’s been rumors floating around ever since that I’m something of a prankster, and perhaps a bit lazy. Not that anypony would ever confirm it, of course.” Luna smiled. “Not at all. After all, nopony wishes to be THAT brutally honest.” “Hey!” She levitated over some food, sighing in relief with a few giggles. “We are quite glad you are not angry at us. Being late as we are, you must have had to deal with the nobles yourself. We do not envy thee.” Celestia chuckled. “Oh, they weren’t too hard to handle.” She speared a bit of pineapple with a toothpick, levitating it over thoughtfully. She ate it quietly and glanced at Luna. “Why are you speaking so formally, dear sister? It is only us.” Luna felt her ears fold back in embarrassment. “Oh.. er… Sorry, Tia. Force of habit.” Celestia smiled softly. “Don’t apologize, Lulu. I was only wondering.” Luna scrunched up her nose lightly. “Why do you insist on that nickname? It doesn’t even make sense - it’s just as long as my normal name.” “It’s cute.” She ate another piece of pineapple, giggling. “You’ve never minded it before. Why would you mind it now?” “I’m a grown mare, Sister. Perhaps it’s time to leave these pet names behind?” She levitated over some apples, sprinkling cinnamon sugar on them before taking bites into the slices. She hummed in delight - the juicy apples seemed to suck up the sweet taste of the sugar, bursting in her mouth. It was heavenly. “Says the mare who just called me Tia not minutes ago.” Celestia rolled her eyes, dabbing her muzzle with a napkin. She glanced curiously at Luna’s concoction. “Hmm. That looks interesting.” "I got the idea from a very interesting dream last night. You should try some." Luna ate another slice as Celestia prepared one herself. "And calling you Tia is completely different. It actually shortens your name." Celestia simply rolled her eyes and let the matter drop as she took a bite of her apple. She tilted her head. "Why, that does taste good. What dream did you encounter that lead to this tasty discovery?" "His name was Macintosh. It was a strange dream filled with green fields and apple trees." She smiled softly. "It was quite the serene setting. I would like to visit it again, some time." Celestia smiled. "Macintosh? I think I might have seen him in day court recently." "Oh?" "Something about a land dispute. It was quickly settled. What I found most memorable was that his sister was there." "Sister?" "Yes. You know her, actually. The Element of Honesty." Luna choked on a bit of apple. She swallowed it quickly. "Oh! I should've seen the family resemblance.” She frowned lightly. “I do hope he didn’t expect me to have recognized him. I am still rather unfamiliar with ponies…” Celestia chuckled. “I wouldn’t worry about that, Lulu. After all, nopony can expect you to memorize the names of all of our subjects.” Luna smiled as she ate another apple slice before pouring some syrup on her still warm pancake. “I suppose you’re correct.” “Dear sister, I am often correct. You simply refuse to listen.” “Tia!” Both sisters giggled, enjoying their breakfast together. No nobles got in the way today, at least. It was, all in all, a very good morning. *~*~*~ Macintosh snorted out his nose, huffing as he finally got to town. This was not a good morning. First, he’d woken up much later than he should’ve. Granny wasn’t the best alarm clock, and she certainly wasn’t kind when she woke ponies up. Then, he had to get ready in a rush, meaning his mane and coat were still a complete mess and he still hadn’t quite woken up yet. That probably meant that today would be a miserable business day. But if that wasn’t enough, those damned rabbits had snuck into the barn last night and had made off with quite a few apples, meaning they had less to sell today. Not only were they gonna need to fix whatever hole those varmints made, but they would have fewer bits on the table. He sighed, wearily rubbing his eyes as he yawned. At least the walk here hadn’t been too bad; with fewer apples, the large cart he always walked to town with was at least a bit lighter than usual. With a tired smile, Mac told himself he would have a good day, despite the morning he had been having. No reason to let one rotten apple spoil the harvest, after all. He set up the stand as he usually did, and just as he usually did, he started his day by kicking back and waiting for the ponies of the morning to start their shopping. He watched as ponies milled about a bit, chatting idly with others around. It was still early enough that few ponies were wandering about, and most everypony who was up was rubbing the sleep from their eyes. With a tired yet relaxed sigh, Mac sat back and shut his eyes. It was still a while until somepony came to his stand. “Hello, Big Mac!” His ears twitched lightly and he smiled, opening his eyes. “Mornin’, Miss Cheerilee.” She nodded, looking over all of the apples. “I’m going to need some of these for a fun project with the kids later today. Apple cookies!” She giggled, smiling brightly. “How about half a dozen apples? That should be plenty.” “Eeyup.” Mac pulled six apples from the bunch, putting them on the counter of the stand. He rose his eyebrow as he saw 12 bits on the counter. “This’s too much,” he said softly, his rumbly voice making him sound louder than he really was. Cheerilee rolled her eyes. “It’s not, Macintosh, and you know it.” She smirked. “It’s 2 bits an apple everywhere else.” She winked. “I know you can put that money to good use.” He frowned softly. He shook his head and adamantly pushed away some of her bits. “Nope.” She sighed. “Oh, alright then.” She nudged her bits back into her bag. “I do wish you would let me pay more, Mac. You and your family always charge so little for your apples…” “Eeyup. We make do, M’am.” Cheerilee smiled softly. “Yes, I suppose you do. Well, have a good morning, Big Mac.” Humming, she made her way to the schoolhouse with her apples in tow. Mac sat back down again, thinking. He smiled softly; Cheerilee has always been a good mare. Almost too good for her own good. She was always trying to give far more than she had. He shook his head softly as he thought about her. “Gonna get herself in trouble one day,” he said as he shut his eyes once more. Still, he thought, she’s mighty pretty. The day began to pass more swiftly after that. Ponies came and ponies went; Pinkie Pie ordered 3 dozen apples, confessing to having set up a cider making contraption in the basement of Sugarcube Corner; Rainbow Dash dropped by and bought one apple as a snack before her noon nap; Time Turner dropped by, but it was mostly to chat. Macintosh strongly suspected that he was hitting on him slightly. With a shrug, he passed it off as friendly chatter. All in all, it wasn’t too horrible a day. The morning had started miserably but the idle chatter of ponies brightened Mac’s day considerably. He had always loved to listen to the stories ponies brought him. “Well, the last time I tried to make an apple pie,” Derpy was telling him just now as she bought some Bailey Sweet’s, “I somehow ended up mixing the apples up with my mangos… I didn’t even know I had mangos.” Mac chuckled and gave her her apples. She nodded and promptly flew away, only to run into a lamppost. “I’m okay!” He glanced at his store of apples. “Runnin’ low. Might as well close up here soon.” He started to clear on up, humming softly as he did. His low voice had always been one he had enjoyed, rumbling deep in his chest and shaking his body lightly. He could actually feel the music as he made it. He sighed softly, happily, as he got all cleaned up. He made his way back home, the sun already beginning to set. The day had been a long one, but had went by so fast. That was just the nature of days, he guessed. Some days they were short but felt so terribly long, and some days they just ended so abruptly. He made his way to the barn with the cart, tucking it away in it’s place. He went inside to find his sister hard at work at the stove. “Ah’m home,” he said with a smile. “Heard y’come in, Mac,” she said, smiling. “Applebloom’s jus’ finishin’ up her chores. Go wash up for dinner, it’s near done. We’re havin’ some nice soup tonight.” “Alrigh’.” The night progressed as it always did. He washed up and the apple family gathered at the table. They ate and talked softly, each about their own days. Applejack had spent the day bucking apples and chasing Dash around the orchard as she stole said apples. Applebloom and her friends had tried to get their cutiemarks in skydiving today (much to Applejack’s horror), but had thankfully been caught in time by a weather team. She was also now doing Applejack’s chores as punishment. Granny had slept in most of the day and worked on cooking up some more apple jam for selling later on in the week. “What about you, Big Mac,” Applebloom said with a big smile. “Did you have a good day?” Mac shrugged. “Eeyup.” Granny chuckled. “Silent as a rabbit, as always Macintosh. Speakin’ of, did anypony think t’fix that consarned hole?” “Ah did, Granny,” Bloom said. “They won’t be gettin’ in anytime soon.” “You did a real nice job too, Bloom.” Applejack chuckled. “Y’know, maybe you should go ‘round fixin’ some more stuff. You’re mighty good at it.” Applebloom tilted her head. “But there’s not all that much t’fix, Sis.” “Well, you and your little friends sure tear up the town. Why not fix some of that?” “Hmm… Yeah! Hey, maybe we can be Cutie Mark Crusader Fixer Upers!” Mac chuckled. “Eeyup.” It wasn’t long after that that Applebloom began talking about a cute colt in class that she had never really noticed before. Mac smiled as his family bantered and carried on. He sighed happily. This was, all in all, a good day. Author's Note FINALLY GOT OUT ANOTHER CHAPTER *collapses tiredly* I've done the writing thing. Woohoo. Time to sleep. SistersLuna growled under her breath, speeding through the air. Her body was covered in scratches and her mane was windswept. Behind her, black beasts chased, their banshee cries still raining in her ears. They were impossible to look at head on; Luna could not describe their appearance but for the term ‘horrific’. And annoying. “The shit I go through for my subjects,” she growled. The wind whipped her face as she struggled to see through the dark forest to find the missing pony. She knew she should be a little abashed of her strong language, but one could only take so many generic nightmares in one night before getting tired of, as she said it herself, ‘this shit’. And this nightmare was just too generic for her tastes. In fact, it was nearly identical to 8 other nightmares she had gone through already. Evidently, today had been an awful waking day for Equestrians. She bit back a sigh as she flew as fast as ponily possible. Just get this over quickly, she thought to herself. Then you can possibly get some rest before tomorrow. She darted through the trees, a sliver of white catching her eye. Her eyes centered in. There was the little filly now, running for her life and screaming at the top of her lungs; perfect. Well, not perfect, awful, but there was the pony she was looking for. A glint of moonlight in her eyes, she dove. *~*~*~ In a burst of light, Princess Luna tiredly collapsed to the floor. She groaned, not wanting to get up - but then she glanced at the clock. 5:30. “Fuck me!” She let her head hit the floor with a sharp thud, groaning louder. It was not many nights wherein she couldn’t sleep, but it seemed tonight was going to be one of them. Too many ponies having too many nightmares. She knew, deep down, that she could just leave them to their unrest. After all, all of her subjects had lasted 1000 years without the powers she had over their dreams. But therein lied the problem. 1000 years was a very long time to suffer from nightmares. Luna had made it her goal, the instant she resumed her various duties, that her subjects would suffer no longer. As long as she could, she would combat their nightmares - so what if she didn’t get to sleep for a few days? She could survive on no sleep for a surprising amount of time, being an alicorn. She couldn’t allow herself to grow soft just because she’d been getting too much sleep whilst locked away on the moon. That didn’t stop her from setting her alarm for the sunrise and promptly passing out on the cold floor, however. 1 hour of sleep is always, always, better than none. Her severe lack of sleep is, of course, the reason why she didn’t hear Celestia knocking at 6:30. “Sister? You weren’t on your balcony. Are you alright?” Snoring was the only response. “Sister?” “Mmn…. zzz….” Celestia sighed softly, rolling her eyes and opening the door, trotting in without a care for her sister’s privacy. Celestia had been without a sister long enough. Privacy meant nothing to her anymore. She took one look at Luna on the floor and her face softened. “Oh, Lulu…” She couldn’t suppress a small giggle. Her sister had absolutely no right looking so adorable. Next to her, the alarm on the desk went off. Celestia silenced it without a second thought. Luna didn’t even stir. With another soft giggle, Celestia lifted Luna up with her magic, levitating her with ease. She pulled away the covers and laid her sister down, tucking her in. Just like old times, came the thought without any warning. Celestia swallowed her nostalgia and kisses her sister’s forehead. “It’s okay to take a break, dear Sister. I shall take on your duties for the day.” She exited the room, closing the doors quietly. She then turned to the guards ever present at her sister’s door. “I ask you two,” she said in a whisper, “to guard her rest for me. Luna is in desperate need of sleep at the moment. If she tries to run out of here to meet me at breakfast, I want you to stop her. Will you do that?” The guards looked at each other, uneasy. Celestia scowled. Well, that wouldn’t do. “It would be a great duty,” she added on, before they could try to convince themselves otherwise. The guard on the right - that’s right, Swift Spear was her name - cleared her throat and stood a bit taller. “Of course, your highness. We’ll make your order known.” The other guard - Dainty Wings - nodded as well. She smirked. They would use her as an excuse, more like. Luna could be intimidating to anyone except her. So, if they had “Celestia’s orders” behind them, they could say anything to her. It was certainly an overreach of power sometimes, but that’s what made them sisters, of course. “Thank you. I trust you’ll protect her. Good day.” With that, she spun around, moving past the corner of the hallway before teleporting to her balcony. Ah. The moon. She smiled at it. It wasn’t rare that she looked at it, now. Before Luna’s return, she had hated to look at the moon, and was certain to make her encounters with it short and brief. The only time she had looked at it long had been on Luna’s birthday, of course. But now, with its surface unblemished and smooth, it looked so much grander than she ever remembered it being. Perhaps she just gave it the proper amount of admiration it deserved, now. Just like her sister. She took a deep breath and allowed her horn to glow. And, as she did for so very long, she rose the sun and lowered the moon. It felt familiar and yet oh so foreign to her now. She relished the feeling. *~*~*~ “I see that Princess Luna will not be joining us today. Again.” Celestia paused and allowed the cup of tea to leave her lips without a sip taken. Her eyes narrowed as she glanced at the pony who spoke. The room had gone mostly silent - not that it was ever particularly loud. She searched for a name for a moment. Ah, yes, Golden Lace. She had always been a rather… insensitive mare. “What was that, Lace?” Celestia said, a dainty smile just barely touching her face. Golden seemed to squirm slightly in her chair as all eyes turned to her, obviously or not. “W-Well, Princess, I merely wanted to question the health of your sister. Is it usual for her to take punctuality so frivolously?” Celestia waited for those here to stop muttering softly enough that they thought she couldn’t hear. The smile never left her face. So this was their fencing game today? “I throw no barbs my sister’s way for her need for sleep. I know I myself have overworked myself to the point where I dozed off past breakfast.” She levitated her cup of tea back to her lips, taking a short sip. “While that is certainly true, Princess, we are all just a bit concerned about this becoming a recurring thing.” Golden pushed ahead - Celestia could see the sparkle of politics in the mare’s eyes. “Perhaps it might be best for your sister’s health if you took over a few more of her duties. Surely that would ease her enough that she could get enough sleep to meet us for breakfast?” Celestia took another sip of tea, letting the room grow quite silent. Nopony spoke. Golden began to shift somewhat uncomfortably. Slowly, Celestia let the teacup rest back on her plate. She shut her eyes and let out a soft giggle. “Oh, that sounds like a lovely idea, Lace.” A collective sigh of relief swept through the room. Golden looked as though she had won a medal of honor. “I thought so,” she announced, as though she had been certain of all of her actions thus far. “If you just take over like you used to-” “As I was saying,” Celestia said, the hints of amusement in her voice growing as she cut off Lace’s triumphant scramble, “it’s a lovely idea, but it sadly can’t happen.” She shut her eyes, sighing wistfully. “You see, I have no control over the night, and thus cannot take over her duties.” Golden looked rather affronted at the idea. “Why not, Princess? You did perfectly well for 1000 years.” Celestia opened her eyes once more, only briefly struggling to keep her smile on her face. Those 1000 years were not perfectly spent, and she had half a mind to correct that particular misconception. Oh, but she knew it would do no good. Not yet, anyways. She sighed softly. “Those 1000 years were spent with many a nightmare, Golden. I cannot walk in the realms of dreams easily, as it is not my domain. Luna must be in charge of the nightmares of Equestria.” One of the other nobles thought to ride on the curtails of her success now, it seemed. Lemon Slate cleared his throat. “Be that as it may, Princess, we have clearly survived with nightmares for quite a long time. Is that duty of hers truly that important? Or is it just a nice ‘bonus’ of her duties?” “A bonus? Whatever do you mean?” “Well, Princess, isn’t it obvious?” He chuckled. Celestia scrunched her nose up ever so slightly; his personality was as sour as his name at times. “She spends all night dreaming and all morning napping. It seems to me she gets more sleep than those she helps!” He kept chuckling - and that was truly the only term for what he was doing, strangely enough - although few joined in on his laughter. Celestia smiled serenely. “You truly believe my sister is asleep all night as she works to end all nightmares in all of Equestria?” Lemon seemed to sense the slight edge in her tone. His laughter ceased. “W-Well,” he said quickly, “I merely assumed-” “You do know what they say about assuming - though, that is a particularly racist comment, isn’t it?” She hummed to herself, lost in thought. Whoever had thought of that silly phrase? She shook her head, giggling softly. “In any case, the phrase stands true. Assume and you make an ass out of me, Lemon.” The tension in the room seemed to grow as Celestia uttered the pseudo-curse word without a single hint of hesitation. No doubt all of them were correcting their mental image of her to having used the term only as the original meaning. No matter, another misconception for later. “To educate you, Lemon, allow me to tell you what my sister does each and every night.” “Princess, that is really not-” “Necessary?” She smiled. “I do believe it is.” “You see,” she began, “my sister begins each night by casting a powerful spell. At the start of my reign without her, I, for lack of a better term, auditioned ponies to try and cast it. The best unicorn who cast the spell lasted in the dream world for, perhaps, 2 minutes.” Maybe it was 3, she could be a tad biased. “Thus, she already casts a spell so powerful, normal unicorns such as yourself can only-” She paused, smirking at the pun. “-dream of casting.” “Then, she goes through the realm of dreams and seeks out every single nightmare in the entirety of Equestria.” She paused, glancing to her right side. A noble she was particularly close to was there, a smirk hardly hidden on her face. “Crystal Clear? What was the last census count for the entirety of Equestria?” Crystal Clear shyly cleared her throat. “Well, Princess, it has been awhile since we did a complete census, but given average death and birth rates in all of the space between one border to the other, averaging up, Equestria currently has around 100,000 ponies in its borders, discounting the Crystal Empire.” “And counting the Empire?” “105,000, approximately.” Celestia turned back to Lemon Slate, who looked particularly cowed by now. “There you have it. She looks and sorts through the dreams of approximately 105,000 ponies every single night, which is after she runs night court, raises the moon, and casts that spell which most fainted after when they attempted it. And then, after going through and clearing out every last nightmare she can, she proceeds to wake up at the same hour I do and set the moon and meet us all for breakfast.” “Now, tell me, Lemon Slate - doesn’t a pony deserve a day off now and then?” She sipped her tea. Author's Note Did I mention I low-key adore Princess Celestia? Sorry it took me so long to write a chapter of this, my friends. It has been a long, hard journey for me these past months! ^^;
Sweet DreamsThe princess of the moon sighed as she walked through the realm of dreams. Doors were closing all around her as she wearily made her way to the last few slumbering ponies of the night. Tonight had been a night with few horrors, at the very least. It was nonetheless exhausting, however. She thought back to the nightmares she had bested tonight. A child running from a hydra; a stallion who fought against shadows; a mare who dealt with her ‘monster’ in law. Luna sighed again, stifling a yawn. What she wouldn’t give to escape the last few dreams of the night. Perhaps these last few doors could simply last without her interference? She indulged the thought as she walked, imagining it. She would stretch and rest on her bed, letting her head sink down into her pillow. Slowly, her eyes would begin to fall, her navy room turning into a sweet, chilled oblivion. Time would become meaningless and all weariness would cease… She yelped as her head smacked against the next door. She rubbed her forehead, cursing her exhaustion. “I’ll have a headache in the morning,” she muttered. She shook her head and looked at the door. Glancing around, she realized all the ponies she had yet to check up on had settled their dreams already. She breathed a sigh of relief. “Only one more left, then.” Luna turned back to the red door, eyeing it curiously. “Now who might you be, my little pony, and what might you be dreaming about?” She ran a hoof over the door. Just as one could test the heat of a fire through a door, she could sense the tension and intensity of a dream. She hummed lightly; the door was somewhat warm. It felt peculiar, however. It was unlike the turmoil associated with a nightmare. She dropped her hoof. “Let’s see what this is about.” She opened the door. She shielded her eyes as she trotted through and into- The grass tickled her hooves gently, caressing her fur as the breeze ran through her mane. She gasped as she felt her bare hooves make complete, direct contact with the earthy soil, feeling her body instantly starting to relax. She took a step, taking along with her dew droplets and a soft blade of grass here and there. The entire air of this place was soft and relaxing. She took a deep breath, relishing the scent in the air; it reminded her of the festival she had seen in Ponyville with the children in costumes. It was sweet with a hint of sugar, yet not overpowering - a dash of cinnamon and apples? She didn’t care about what it was labelled. It simply made her feel content. She looked around, her eyes adjusted to the sun. She appeared to be in a field; where that field was, however, was a mystery. There looked to be apple trees in the distance. She felt an all too familiar compulsion to go towards them. She smiled. Still a dream. She thought about flying, but decided against it. Something about the prickly yet smooth grass made her body feel ten times lighter. Still smiling comfortably, she began her journey past the apple trees. As she walked, she relaxed even more - the sunlight on her fur warmed her fully, making her entire body unwind joint by joint. She shut her eyes briefly as she walked, smiling softly. This was a very good dream. She tilted her head to the side as she trotted over the crest of the hill, peeking out from behind the trees. The trees were scattered here and there, opening up again into that same lush green field that surrounded her. She squinted; was that a pony, there in the field? She trotted closer, her curiosity at this peculiar dream urging her hooves onward. The pony came into view. Luna was fairly certain it was a male; he had the brightest red fur, and he was big. He seemed to be asleep, a single piece of hay hanging out of his mouth. Luna smiled - this was her final dream tonight? A man, sleeping away in one of the warmest, most comfortable fields she had ever been in? She yawned widely, her eyelids drooping ever so slightly. She shook her head gently and sat next to the stallion. She cleared her throat softly. “I hate to disturb your slumber, sir stallion.” The man opened an eye, munching on the hay idly. “Don’ worry ‘bout it none.” She looked surprise. “Were you not fast asleep?” “Nnnope.” “Hm. And… you knew I was here for how long, exactly?” There was a pause as he contemplated the question. He shrugged. “Ah dunno.” “For awhile?” “Eeyup.” She smiled. “You don’t say much, do you?” “Nnnope.” She stood once more, stifling another yawn. It was getting harder not to: the warmth of the sun and the comfort the grass promised her was sorely tempting. She nodded toward the stallion. “I merely stopped by to see if you were having a nightmare. This… dream holds the same intensity as some.” The stallion shrugged. “Ah’ve had this dream before. S’just a nice lil’ place t’rest.” She laughed. “Yes, it is. I do believe I should return to the realm of wakefulness. Moon knows, I’ve been awake too long as it is.” The stallion nodded, his eyes shutting once more. “Eeyup.” “Farewell…” “The name’s Macintosh. Most ponies jus’ call me Big Mac.” “Very well then. Goodbye, sir Macintosh. Sleep well.” “Y’have a good night, now.” Luna trotted off, sighing happily. Something about this place simply made her happy. She would have to remember this dream. She felt something shift, and she returned to the realm of dreams. All doors were closed. She sighed in relief and tiredness. “Thank goodness…” In a burst of light, she was back in her room. She looked at the position of her moon as her ambient magic moved it slowly through the sky. It was perhaps midnight; a few hours yet before sunrise. Another small miracle. She trotted back to her bed, collapsing on it with a huff of air. Slowly, Luna wormed her way under the covers, practically purring at the warmth they gave her. It reminded her greatly of the sunlight in the field of the dream she had just visited. Shutting her eyes and snuggling into her pillow, she could practically feel it all now; the wind gently brushing through her mane and tail, with each little blade of grass tingling on her fur. She could almost smell apples. Within moments, the exhausted princess was asleep.
Good MorningLuna hurried down to the dining hall, eyes wide with alarm as her silver slippers clicked loudly against the floor. Ponies looked at her and jumped quickly out of the way, lest they be run over. “I’m late, I’m late, I’m late,” she muttered under her breath, berating herself. She never slept in like that usually. Morning breakfast always took place at 7:30, sharp. It was nearly 8:30. Luna prided herself in very few things; impressive magical talent, a growing sense of humor, and most of all, her punctuality. She was never, ever late. She shook her head and kept running, dodging past servants as best she could. She supposed she would have to take punctual off her resume then. She kept running until she reached the double doors. She took a few deep breaths, panting. Clearing her throat, she opened them both with her magic and strode in as regally as she could, trying to ignore her ragged breath and messy mane. Maybe nopony would comment? She looked around. The table was already set. Celestia sat at the head of the table, as always. The food smelled delicious, as always. She felt her mouth tingle with anticipation, as always. Nopony else was there. That wasn’t as always. Celestia sipped her tea, smiling without opening her eyes. “Good morning, Luna.” Luna knew she was blushing from embarrassment. She held her head up high, however. “Good morning, Sister. We trust the meal to be enjoyable?” “Why yes, it is indeed. Come.” Her horn began to glow, and the chair right next to her was pulled out. “Why not join me?” Luna gulped lightly. She usually sat on the opposite end of the table. Maybe her sister just wanted to be closer so she didn’t have to shout? She trotted over and sat down. “How has your morning been?” “Oh, not terribly bad. I woke bright and early, went through my daily routine. I must say, it was quite refreshing to not only rise the sun, but also set the moon this morning.” Luna winced visibly, shrinking down in her seat ever so slightly. Celestia simply chuckled. “Overslept?” “Er… yes. We were rather… weary from our duties last night.” Celestia sipped her tea, smiling and looking at her. “It’s perfectly alright, Luna. Everypony has late mornings sometimes.” Celestia smirked lightly, her eyes swimming in nostalgia. “Why, I remember once when I overslept, back when you were away.” Luna raised an eyebrow, sitting up a bit taller. “Oh?” “I… slept in quite late. Perhaps until… noon? The time is a little hard to recall at this point.” Luna was gaping. “Noon? Dear sister, our subjects must have been terrified!” Celestia put down her glass, laughing. “Surprisingly, nopony questioned it! No panic in the streets, nothing! Evidently, there’s been rumors floating around ever since that I’m something of a prankster, and perhaps a bit lazy. Not that anypony would ever confirm it, of course.” Luna smiled. “Not at all. After all, nopony wishes to be THAT brutally honest.” “Hey!” She levitated over some food, sighing in relief with a few giggles. “We are quite glad you are not angry at us. Being late as we are, you must have had to deal with the nobles yourself. We do not envy thee.” Celestia chuckled. “Oh, they weren’t too hard to handle.” She speared a bit of pineapple with a toothpick, levitating it over thoughtfully. She ate it quietly and glanced at Luna. “Why are you speaking so formally, dear sister? It is only us.” Luna felt her ears fold back in embarrassment. “Oh.. er… Sorry, Tia. Force of habit.” Celestia smiled softly. “Don’t apologize, Lulu. I was only wondering.” Luna scrunched up her nose lightly. “Why do you insist on that nickname? It doesn’t even make sense - it’s just as long as my normal name.” “It’s cute.” She ate another piece of pineapple, giggling. “You’ve never minded it before. Why would you mind it now?” “I’m a grown mare, Sister. Perhaps it’s time to leave these pet names behind?” She levitated over some apples, sprinkling cinnamon sugar on them before taking bites into the slices. She hummed in delight - the juicy apples seemed to suck up the sweet taste of the sugar, bursting in her mouth. It was heavenly. “Says the mare who just called me Tia not minutes ago.” Celestia rolled her eyes, dabbing her muzzle with a napkin. She glanced curiously at Luna’s concoction. “Hmm. That looks interesting.” "I got the idea from a very interesting dream last night. You should try some." Luna ate another slice as Celestia prepared one herself. "And calling you Tia is completely different. It actually shortens your name." Celestia simply rolled her eyes and let the matter drop as she took a bite of her apple. She tilted her head. "Why, that does taste good. What dream did you encounter that lead to this tasty discovery?" "His name was Macintosh. It was a strange dream filled with green fields and apple trees." She smiled softly. "It was quite the serene setting. I would like to visit it again, some time." Celestia smiled. "Macintosh? I think I might have seen him in day court recently." "Oh?" "Something about a land dispute. It was quickly settled. What I found most memorable was that his sister was there." "Sister?" "Yes. You know her, actually. The Element of Honesty." Luna choked on a bit of apple. She swallowed it quickly. "Oh! I should've seen the family resemblance.” She frowned lightly. “I do hope he didn’t expect me to have recognized him. I am still rather unfamiliar with ponies…” Celestia chuckled. “I wouldn’t worry about that, Lulu. After all, nopony can expect you to memorize the names of all of our subjects.” Luna smiled as she ate another apple slice before pouring some syrup on her still warm pancake. “I suppose you’re correct.” “Dear sister, I am often correct. You simply refuse to listen.” “Tia!” Both sisters giggled, enjoying their breakfast together. No nobles got in the way today, at least. It was, all in all, a very good morning. *~*~*~ Macintosh snorted out his nose, huffing as he finally got to town. This was not a good morning. First, he’d woken up much later than he should’ve. Granny wasn’t the best alarm clock, and she certainly wasn’t kind when she woke ponies up. Then, he had to get ready in a rush, meaning his mane and coat were still a complete mess and he still hadn’t quite woken up yet. That probably meant that today would be a miserable business day. But if that wasn’t enough, those damned rabbits had snuck into the barn last night and had made off with quite a few apples, meaning they had less to sell today. Not only were they gonna need to fix whatever hole those varmints made, but they would have fewer bits on the table. He sighed, wearily rubbing his eyes as he yawned. At least the walk here hadn’t been too bad; with fewer apples, the large cart he always walked to town with was at least a bit lighter than usual. With a tired smile, Mac told himself he would have a good day, despite the morning he had been having. No reason to let one rotten apple spoil the harvest, after all. He set up the stand as he usually did, and just as he usually did, he started his day by kicking back and waiting for the ponies of the morning to start their shopping. He watched as ponies milled about a bit, chatting idly with others around. It was still early enough that few ponies were wandering about, and most everypony who was up was rubbing the sleep from their eyes. With a tired yet relaxed sigh, Mac sat back and shut his eyes. It was still a while until somepony came to his stand. “Hello, Big Mac!” His ears twitched lightly and he smiled, opening his eyes. “Mornin’, Miss Cheerilee.” She nodded, looking over all of the apples. “I’m going to need some of these for a fun project with the kids later today. Apple cookies!” She giggled, smiling brightly. “How about half a dozen apples? That should be plenty.” “Eeyup.” Mac pulled six apples from the bunch, putting them on the counter of the stand. He rose his eyebrow as he saw 12 bits on the counter. “This’s too much,” he said softly, his rumbly voice making him sound louder than he really was. Cheerilee rolled her eyes. “It’s not, Macintosh, and you know it.” She smirked. “It’s 2 bits an apple everywhere else.” She winked. “I know you can put that money to good use.” He frowned softly. He shook his head and adamantly pushed away some of her bits. “Nope.” She sighed. “Oh, alright then.” She nudged her bits back into her bag. “I do wish you would let me pay more, Mac. You and your family always charge so little for your apples…” “Eeyup. We make do, M’am.” Cheerilee smiled softly. “Yes, I suppose you do. Well, have a good morning, Big Mac.” Humming, she made her way to the schoolhouse with her apples in tow. Mac sat back down again, thinking. He smiled softly; Cheerilee has always been a good mare. Almost too good for her own good. She was always trying to give far more than she had. He shook his head softly as he thought about her. “Gonna get herself in trouble one day,” he said as he shut his eyes once more. Still, he thought, she’s mighty pretty. The day began to pass more swiftly after that. Ponies came and ponies went; Pinkie Pie ordered 3 dozen apples, confessing to having set up a cider making contraption in the basement of Sugarcube Corner; Rainbow Dash dropped by and bought one apple as a snack before her noon nap; Time Turner dropped by, but it was mostly to chat. Macintosh strongly suspected that he was hitting on him slightly. With a shrug, he passed it off as friendly chatter. All in all, it wasn’t too horrible a day. The morning had started miserably but the idle chatter of ponies brightened Mac’s day considerably. He had always loved to listen to the stories ponies brought him. “Well, the last time I tried to make an apple pie,” Derpy was telling him just now as she bought some Bailey Sweet’s, “I somehow ended up mixing the apples up with my mangos… I didn’t even know I had mangos.” Mac chuckled and gave her her apples. She nodded and promptly flew away, only to run into a lamppost. “I’m okay!” He glanced at his store of apples. “Runnin’ low. Might as well close up here soon.” He started to clear on up, humming softly as he did. His low voice had always been one he had enjoyed, rumbling deep in his chest and shaking his body lightly. He could actually feel the music as he made it. He sighed softly, happily, as he got all cleaned up. He made his way back home, the sun already beginning to set. The day had been a long one, but had went by so fast. That was just the nature of days, he guessed. Some days they were short but felt so terribly long, and some days they just ended so abruptly. He made his way to the barn with the cart, tucking it away in it’s place. He went inside to find his sister hard at work at the stove. “Ah’m home,” he said with a smile. “Heard y’come in, Mac,” she said, smiling. “Applebloom’s jus’ finishin’ up her chores. Go wash up for dinner, it’s near done. We’re havin’ some nice soup tonight.” “Alrigh’.” The night progressed as it always did. He washed up and the apple family gathered at the table. They ate and talked softly, each about their own days. Applejack had spent the day bucking apples and chasing Dash around the orchard as she stole said apples. Applebloom and her friends had tried to get their cutiemarks in skydiving today (much to Applejack’s horror), but had thankfully been caught in time by a weather team. She was also now doing Applejack’s chores as punishment. Granny had slept in most of the day and worked on cooking up some more apple jam for selling later on in the week. “What about you, Big Mac,” Applebloom said with a big smile. “Did you have a good day?” Mac shrugged. “Eeyup.” Granny chuckled. “Silent as a rabbit, as always Macintosh. Speakin’ of, did anypony think t’fix that consarned hole?” “Ah did, Granny,” Bloom said. “They won’t be gettin’ in anytime soon.” “You did a real nice job too, Bloom.” Applejack chuckled. “Y’know, maybe you should go ‘round fixin’ some more stuff. You’re mighty good at it.” Applebloom tilted her head. “But there’s not all that much t’fix, Sis.” “Well, you and your little friends sure tear up the town. Why not fix some of that?” “Hmm… Yeah! Hey, maybe we can be Cutie Mark Crusader Fixer Upers!” Mac chuckled. “Eeyup.” It wasn’t long after that that Applebloom began talking about a cute colt in class that she had never really noticed before. Mac smiled as his family bantered and carried on. He sighed happily. This was, all in all, a good day. Author's Note FINALLY GOT OUT ANOTHER CHAPTER *collapses tiredly* I've done the writing thing. Woohoo. Time to sleep.
SistersLuna growled under her breath, speeding through the air. Her body was covered in scratches and her mane was windswept. Behind her, black beasts chased, their banshee cries still raining in her ears. They were impossible to look at head on; Luna could not describe their appearance but for the term ‘horrific’. And annoying. “The shit I go through for my subjects,” she growled. The wind whipped her face as she struggled to see through the dark forest to find the missing pony. She knew she should be a little abashed of her strong language, but one could only take so many generic nightmares in one night before getting tired of, as she said it herself, ‘this shit’. And this nightmare was just too generic for her tastes. In fact, it was nearly identical to 8 other nightmares she had gone through already. Evidently, today had been an awful waking day for Equestrians. She bit back a sigh as she flew as fast as ponily possible. Just get this over quickly, she thought to herself. Then you can possibly get some rest before tomorrow. She darted through the trees, a sliver of white catching her eye. Her eyes centered in. There was the little filly now, running for her life and screaming at the top of her lungs; perfect. Well, not perfect, awful, but there was the pony she was looking for. A glint of moonlight in her eyes, she dove. *~*~*~ In a burst of light, Princess Luna tiredly collapsed to the floor. She groaned, not wanting to get up - but then she glanced at the clock. 5:30. “Fuck me!” She let her head hit the floor with a sharp thud, groaning louder. It was not many nights wherein she couldn’t sleep, but it seemed tonight was going to be one of them. Too many ponies having too many nightmares. She knew, deep down, that she could just leave them to their unrest. After all, all of her subjects had lasted 1000 years without the powers she had over their dreams. But therein lied the problem. 1000 years was a very long time to suffer from nightmares. Luna had made it her goal, the instant she resumed her various duties, that her subjects would suffer no longer. As long as she could, she would combat their nightmares - so what if she didn’t get to sleep for a few days? She could survive on no sleep for a surprising amount of time, being an alicorn. She couldn’t allow herself to grow soft just because she’d been getting too much sleep whilst locked away on the moon. That didn’t stop her from setting her alarm for the sunrise and promptly passing out on the cold floor, however. 1 hour of sleep is always, always, better than none. Her severe lack of sleep is, of course, the reason why she didn’t hear Celestia knocking at 6:30. “Sister? You weren’t on your balcony. Are you alright?” Snoring was the only response. “Sister?” “Mmn…. zzz….” Celestia sighed softly, rolling her eyes and opening the door, trotting in without a care for her sister’s privacy. Celestia had been without a sister long enough. Privacy meant nothing to her anymore. She took one look at Luna on the floor and her face softened. “Oh, Lulu…” She couldn’t suppress a small giggle. Her sister had absolutely no right looking so adorable. Next to her, the alarm on the desk went off. Celestia silenced it without a second thought. Luna didn’t even stir. With another soft giggle, Celestia lifted Luna up with her magic, levitating her with ease. She pulled away the covers and laid her sister down, tucking her in. Just like old times, came the thought without any warning. Celestia swallowed her nostalgia and kisses her sister’s forehead. “It’s okay to take a break, dear Sister. I shall take on your duties for the day.” She exited the room, closing the doors quietly. She then turned to the guards ever present at her sister’s door. “I ask you two,” she said in a whisper, “to guard her rest for me. Luna is in desperate need of sleep at the moment. If she tries to run out of here to meet me at breakfast, I want you to stop her. Will you do that?” The guards looked at each other, uneasy. Celestia scowled. Well, that wouldn’t do. “It would be a great duty,” she added on, before they could try to convince themselves otherwise. The guard on the right - that’s right, Swift Spear was her name - cleared her throat and stood a bit taller. “Of course, your highness. We’ll make your order known.” The other guard - Dainty Wings - nodded as well. She smirked. They would use her as an excuse, more like. Luna could be intimidating to anyone except her. So, if they had “Celestia’s orders” behind them, they could say anything to her. It was certainly an overreach of power sometimes, but that’s what made them sisters, of course. “Thank you. I trust you’ll protect her. Good day.” With that, she spun around, moving past the corner of the hallway before teleporting to her balcony. Ah. The moon. She smiled at it. It wasn’t rare that she looked at it, now. Before Luna’s return, she had hated to look at the moon, and was certain to make her encounters with it short and brief. The only time she had looked at it long had been on Luna’s birthday, of course. But now, with its surface unblemished and smooth, it looked so much grander than she ever remembered it being. Perhaps she just gave it the proper amount of admiration it deserved, now. Just like her sister. She took a deep breath and allowed her horn to glow. And, as she did for so very long, she rose the sun and lowered the moon. It felt familiar and yet oh so foreign to her now. She relished the feeling. *~*~*~ “I see that Princess Luna will not be joining us today. Again.” Celestia paused and allowed the cup of tea to leave her lips without a sip taken. Her eyes narrowed as she glanced at the pony who spoke. The room had gone mostly silent - not that it was ever particularly loud. She searched for a name for a moment. Ah, yes, Golden Lace. She had always been a rather… insensitive mare. “What was that, Lace?” Celestia said, a dainty smile just barely touching her face. Golden seemed to squirm slightly in her chair as all eyes turned to her, obviously or not. “W-Well, Princess, I merely wanted to question the health of your sister. Is it usual for her to take punctuality so frivolously?” Celestia waited for those here to stop muttering softly enough that they thought she couldn’t hear. The smile never left her face. So this was their fencing game today? “I throw no barbs my sister’s way for her need for sleep. I know I myself have overworked myself to the point where I dozed off past breakfast.” She levitated her cup of tea back to her lips, taking a short sip. “While that is certainly true, Princess, we are all just a bit concerned about this becoming a recurring thing.” Golden pushed ahead - Celestia could see the sparkle of politics in the mare’s eyes. “Perhaps it might be best for your sister’s health if you took over a few more of her duties. Surely that would ease her enough that she could get enough sleep to meet us for breakfast?” Celestia took another sip of tea, letting the room grow quite silent. Nopony spoke. Golden began to shift somewhat uncomfortably. Slowly, Celestia let the teacup rest back on her plate. She shut her eyes and let out a soft giggle. “Oh, that sounds like a lovely idea, Lace.” A collective sigh of relief swept through the room. Golden looked as though she had won a medal of honor. “I thought so,” she announced, as though she had been certain of all of her actions thus far. “If you just take over like you used to-” “As I was saying,” Celestia said, the hints of amusement in her voice growing as she cut off Lace’s triumphant scramble, “it’s a lovely idea, but it sadly can’t happen.” She shut her eyes, sighing wistfully. “You see, I have no control over the night, and thus cannot take over her duties.” Golden looked rather affronted at the idea. “Why not, Princess? You did perfectly well for 1000 years.” Celestia opened her eyes once more, only briefly struggling to keep her smile on her face. Those 1000 years were not perfectly spent, and she had half a mind to correct that particular misconception. Oh, but she knew it would do no good. Not yet, anyways. She sighed softly. “Those 1000 years were spent with many a nightmare, Golden. I cannot walk in the realms of dreams easily, as it is not my domain. Luna must be in charge of the nightmares of Equestria.” One of the other nobles thought to ride on the curtails of her success now, it seemed. Lemon Slate cleared his throat. “Be that as it may, Princess, we have clearly survived with nightmares for quite a long time. Is that duty of hers truly that important? Or is it just a nice ‘bonus’ of her duties?” “A bonus? Whatever do you mean?” “Well, Princess, isn’t it obvious?” He chuckled. Celestia scrunched her nose up ever so slightly; his personality was as sour as his name at times. “She spends all night dreaming and all morning napping. It seems to me she gets more sleep than those she helps!” He kept chuckling - and that was truly the only term for what he was doing, strangely enough - although few joined in on his laughter. Celestia smiled serenely. “You truly believe my sister is asleep all night as she works to end all nightmares in all of Equestria?” Lemon seemed to sense the slight edge in her tone. His laughter ceased. “W-Well,” he said quickly, “I merely assumed-” “You do know what they say about assuming - though, that is a particularly racist comment, isn’t it?” She hummed to herself, lost in thought. Whoever had thought of that silly phrase? She shook her head, giggling softly. “In any case, the phrase stands true. Assume and you make an ass out of me, Lemon.” The tension in the room seemed to grow as Celestia uttered the pseudo-curse word without a single hint of hesitation. No doubt all of them were correcting their mental image of her to having used the term only as the original meaning. No matter, another misconception for later. “To educate you, Lemon, allow me to tell you what my sister does each and every night.” “Princess, that is really not-” “Necessary?” She smiled. “I do believe it is.” “You see,” she began, “my sister begins each night by casting a powerful spell. At the start of my reign without her, I, for lack of a better term, auditioned ponies to try and cast it. The best unicorn who cast the spell lasted in the dream world for, perhaps, 2 minutes.” Maybe it was 3, she could be a tad biased. “Thus, she already casts a spell so powerful, normal unicorns such as yourself can only-” She paused, smirking at the pun. “-dream of casting.” “Then, she goes through the realm of dreams and seeks out every single nightmare in the entirety of Equestria.” She paused, glancing to her right side. A noble she was particularly close to was there, a smirk hardly hidden on her face. “Crystal Clear? What was the last census count for the entirety of Equestria?” Crystal Clear shyly cleared her throat. “Well, Princess, it has been awhile since we did a complete census, but given average death and birth rates in all of the space between one border to the other, averaging up, Equestria currently has around 100,000 ponies in its borders, discounting the Crystal Empire.” “And counting the Empire?” “105,000, approximately.” Celestia turned back to Lemon Slate, who looked particularly cowed by now. “There you have it. She looks and sorts through the dreams of approximately 105,000 ponies every single night, which is after she runs night court, raises the moon, and casts that spell which most fainted after when they attempted it. And then, after going through and clearing out every last nightmare she can, she proceeds to wake up at the same hour I do and set the moon and meet us all for breakfast.” “Now, tell me, Lemon Slate - doesn’t a pony deserve a day off now and then?” She sipped her tea. Author's Note Did I mention I low-key adore Princess Celestia? Sorry it took me so long to write a chapter of this, my friends. It has been a long, hard journey for me these past months! ^^;
