Past The Sunlit Trees

The 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.