A Midwinter's Night Lucid Dream

Chapters

Dreamwalker
Dreamweaver
Reaching For The Stars
A Friend In Deed...

Dreamwalker

The night was chill and quiet; the kind of silence that seemed to blanket sound entirely and leave anypony wondering if they had gone deaf or not. Luna stood atop the Canterlot tower, watching the lights of businesses and homes wink out one-by-one. With each new light that found its rest, the noise of the busy day seemed to go with it, leaving in its wake the solemn stillness Luna so loved.

Her night had descended upon Equestria completely, leaving only a stalwart dozen lights or so on in the entirety of Canterlot. Even the castle beneath her hooves had grown still and dark, save a small team of cleaners working at mopping and dusting while the city slept. Indeed, Luna felt alone with the oppressive quiet that seemed to wrap around her, broken only now and then by the gentle breeze playing across her body.

The night was cool, but Luna's passions were hot, and her mind preoccupied with many things. For, in the stillness of these solemn nights was when some ponies awoke to a new sort of purpose; and it was towards those fanciful flights Luna turned her attention. The tower melted away beneath her hooves, replaced instead by a long hallway adorned with many doors. This place was as familiar to her as any, and had been her solace on many nights. Indeed, her duty was to assist dreaming ponies through their darkest nightmares, and show them that in the darkest night, there was still a light to behold. But even still, this dreamscape was every bit as much her home as Equestria was. She began a slow walk down the ephemeral hallway, passing doors to her left and right, never paying any heed to one in particular. Indeed, she was intent on the far end of the hallway, where even the ghostly light of this place seemed to grow more dim, as if out of respect for the dark fantasies held within those particular doors; inside the dreams of sleeping ponies.

She approached a rich mahogany door set with a large brass knocker, but for the Princess of the Night, she needn't announce herself into another pony's dreams. Indeed, doing so might just ruin some of the surprise. Quiet as a shadow, Luna opened the door and slipped into the dream. She caught the updraft as her hooves crossed the threshold, her hallway melting away into a somber skyline populated only by her sacred moon, the stars, and a grassy hill. On that hill sat a pony, alone and contemplative. Their eyes were cast downward, as if deep in thought.

He was a slight unicorn, with a slightly bookish appearance. Luna knew his eyes to be a keen gray in color, but his mane matched his coat in that both were a frosty-blue. To many, he would likely appear as dull and gray as his eyes, but Luna knew that in the moonlight his coat shone like the frost-covered surface of a pond. She circled the pony several times, watching his contemplated head bowed deep in thought.

Luna needn't fear being seen if she truly didn't want to, but she still kept her distance from this pony, and their quiet musing. She wheeled high in the sky, looking down at the scene with a sort of melancholy appreciation for what she knew was going through this pony's mind, and indeed what would transpire in just a few short moments.

"Good evening, Mist Walker." Luna's voice came alongside an apparition of herself, a conjured shade in this dream world.

"Good evening, Princess Luna." The quiet pony rose his head to smile at the copy of Luna, a conjuration of his own imagination. Luna still flew high above the two, one pony very real and very asleep, the other a figment of his imagination populated into this dreamscape by sheer force of will. "You look beautiful as always."

"You flatter me."

"You flatter me." Luna whispered alongside her shade, watching as the apparition of herself blushed and covered her coy smile with a hoof. How many times had she watched this scene? How well did she know the lines, the progression of conversation in this pony's mind? How many times had she seen this play out?

Too few, if she were being honest with herself.

"Flattery is not my intent, though the product is not unwelcome." The pony named Mist Walker rose to all four of his hooves, smiling warmly at the phantom Luna. "You're so gorgeous when you blush like that... would that I could make you my own, Princess, to behold that blush a million times before I die."

"Oh, Mist, please do go on." The apparition cooed.

"Oh Mist..." Luna swallowed, watching the slight unicorn approach her conjured visage. He rose a gentle hoof to her cheek, cupping her face tenderly. Slowly, the two leaned in, cementing their union with a tender kiss. Luna felt her heart throb in her chest, a twang of longing finding its way into her breast. The kiss stretched on, accentuated by the tender motion of their lips moving against one another, never opening more than to permit just the faintest brush of a tongue to the other's lip.

"Princess," Mist panted, pulling away from the kiss with a furious blush of his own. "We shouldn't."

"Oh, but why not?" The conjured image of Luna's face took a half-lidded, lusty look, boring straight into Mist's heart of hearts. He was torturing himself with the apparition, and Luna herself bore witness to it all, hovering far above the pair. "It'd be so good to let loose for the night, would it not? Come now, Mist... Open yourself to me."

"I-I can't." Mist choked, turning away from Luna. As he did so, the apparition shattered, as if it were a pane of glass. The fragments spiraled into the night, dissolving away until nothing but shimmering pinpricks of light remained, wheeling off into the dark sky to join their brethren adorning the inky blackness with winking, muted beauty. Mist hung his head once more, and again Luna found herself looking at a lone pony, left with his thoughts and nothing more.

Wordlessly, Luna turned to the mahogany door and opened it. Behind her, the dreamscape dissolved away, leaving nothing in its wake but blackness. She found herself in the hallway once more, and behind her, the door vanished into nothingness.

It did when ponies woke up. And ponies like Mist Walker had places to be, things to do. With a heavy sigh, Luna turned towards the brighter end of the hallway, making her way solemnly out of the dreamscape and back into reality. Her hooves landed on worn tile and a slight breeze wafted over her coat once more. As if on cue, a soft knock turned her attention away from the magisterial night and the slumbering city back into the room behind her.

"Enter." She said curtly, smiling as Mist Walker quietly slipped into her private chambers.

"Good evening, Princess Luna."

"A good evening to you as well, Mist. As always, you're here early." She smiled at the unicorn, taking note of his slightly-frumpy mane and the bags beneath his eyes. The dreamscape was a strange thing, though she was certain less than an hour had passed since she bore witness to Mist Walker's private dream. He must have woken up and came straight to her quarters. Her smile remained, but behind it were tortured thoughts.

"I make a habit of being punctual." Mist dipped into a low bow, righting himself to look at Luna fully. "Shall we get started on this evening's agenda?"

"With pleasure." Luna nodded, gesturing towards the door he had just entered through. Together, the two of them left her private chambers, descending out of the tower and into the castle proper. Their descent was not silent, as Mist Walker began speaking before they had made the first landing down.

"The Night Court has been suspended, as you well know, while the Equinox goes through. Your council of mages will be awaiting your arrival at midnight, to assist in painting the constellations properly. Following that, you've requested a lemongrass crumb bake for lunch, and will be served in the castle gardens. Your students are scheduled for a lecture at two in the morning, followed by your nightly flight, dreamwalking from five to six, at which point Princess Celestia will meet you in the Royal Dining Hall for breakfast."

"An easy night, then." Luna smiled as Mist painted that evening's activities handily, ticking off each activity on a mental checklist that Luna knew to be accurate to a tee.

"As easy as any we've had." Mist cast a quick glance up to her, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips as they reached the first expansive hallway in the castle proper. "Would you like me to escort you to your first appointment?"

"No, thank you, Mist. I believe I'll take a stroll in the garden before I meet with the council for the Equinox... You're welcome to handle your business."

"As you wish, your highness." Mist bowed his head low and turned on his hoof, making for a servant's entrance off of the main hallway. He wasn't aware of it, but Luna watched him go with a melancholy smile on her lips.

"Oh Mist." She sighed, watching his tail disappear into the shadowy recess of the servant's corridors. "Some night, you'll find your courage. Will that night be tonight?" She stood still, watching that shadowy alcove for a moment longer.

"... Perhaps not."

Dawn tugged at the horizon, and both princesses looked out of the dining hall at the faint amber glow slowly threatening the purple pre-dawn sky.

"Does he know?"

"I haven't told him." Luna sighed, feeling the guilt she knew would come with this discussion.

"And will you ever? It's been six days now. Sequentially, mind you. Forgive my brashness, but I've known you to jump on anypony who'd dream of you for more than an hour any given night."

"Ooh, that was low." Luna cast a playful glare at Celestia, a coy smile curling her lips. "True, in the past I'd have sated whatever passions lie in that pony's mind the first night..." She closed her eyes and inhaled slowly. "But for whatever reason, I find myself unable to approach him. At least, in that manner..."

"Hmm." Celestia hummed into her coffee cup, peering at Luna intently over the rim. Behind those eyes, Luna saw a brilliant mind at work, trying its hardest to make perfect sense of the situation. She knew Celestia to be a slow, reasonable pony. Not that she wasn't unintelligent. The opposite, in fact. Celestia weighed each of her words carefully, analyzing every possible outcome and reaction before the words ever left her mouth. Patiently, Luna waited for Celestia to say what was on that brilliant mind of hers.

"And what, pray tell, is giving you this feeling of trepidation? I know you've been back for less than a year now, but what is keeping you from acting as you have in the past? Surely it's not hubris; we've already established the genesis of your Nightmare. If it were indulging in the lusty passions of your underlings, we'd have clashed long before the Elements of Harmony were ever forged." Celestia's slow and measured speech was thick with concern, but the truth of her words cut to the heart of Luna's doubt. She almost winced with how succinctly her sister debunked her flimsy excuse for not indulging Mist. She grimaced at her sister and cast her gaze downward.

"I can't say for certain. True, I would blame old habit for my hesitation, but you and I both know that's no excuse... I don't know, Celestia, but it's causing me no small amount of distress. Not to mention him; he's hardly sleeping at all of late."

"Could it be that he feels guilty?"

"That's certainly plausible." Luna groaned, praying to the stars that wasn't the case. She'd had enough of ponies groveling and thinking themselves unworthy of the dirt on her hooves. Mist had stood head and shoulders above the simpering masses during the interview process. If anypony would be one to treat her as she was - a pony - it'd have been him. Knowing that, guilt wasn't a plausible excuse for Luna's crushing aide. What, then, was giving him pause? Or herself, for that matter? A dark frown crossed Luna's lips as she stared intently at the crumb-riddled plate before her, the last evidence of their breakfast.

"You already know what I'm going to say, Luna."

"That I should just get it over with." Luna grimaced. "Invite him to my quarters for the morning, sate his wild lusts, and put the whole affair behind us."

"Hmm." Celestia's soft hum came with a faint chuckle from the solar princess, hidden deftly behind her tea cup. "Well, you're not wrong. Does that not sound wonderful? Wouldn't you want to give him what he wants; indeed, what you want as well, and then move on?"

"Well..." Luna felt an indignant anger rise up in her, the cloud of rage slowly filling her vision. "Well maybe I don't want just one night?"

"Aah, and here we are." Celestia set her tea aside, sitting a little more straight as she leveled her gaze at Luna. "The heart of the matter."

"So we are." Luna growled, ashamed that she had been called out, but rather thankful that Celestia was done teasing her. "I don't want any more brief flings; these one-night dalliances that fade away as the morning mist does before your sun. Maybe I want something with more permanence?"

"Do you?" Celestia lofted an eyebrow at her, that coy smile still tugging at her lips, still taunting Luna with her sister's smug worldly knowledge. 'If I hadn't spent a thousand years on the moon, maybe I could be as smug as her.' Luna grimaced at the bitter thought. "Take it from me, little sister," Celestia slowly stood from her cushion and padded around the table to her, laying a tender hoof on Luna's side. "Permanence is all we're about. Tread cautiously, if you're seeking more than one night of passion with Mist Walker." She slid away, walking quietly towards the nearest hallway, and the exit into the rest of the castle where she would once again become Princess Celestia; indomitable co-ruler of Equestria... and stop being Luna's bigger sister. At least until the next breakfast.

"But," Celestia paused at the door, on the cusp of family and responsibility. Luna met her gaze once more, listening intently as her sister spoke once more. "For both your sakes... do decide promptly?"

With that, Celestia was gone, out into the castle to handle her constituency for the day. In her absence, Luna felt conflicted.

'Passion or Romance...?

'Can I not have both?'

This night was even more chill than the last, but Luna didn't mind. Alongside permanence came a sort of hardiness that allowed her the comfort of maintaining homeostasis in extreme climates. Where other ponies would be shivering uncontrollably in the late-December chill, Luna felt delightfully cool. Once more, the lights winked out in her beloved city, steadily chasing the day into its bed, and ushering in the solemn quiet.

As if on instinct, Luna found herself in the hallway once more, walking woodenly towards the dim portion of her dreamscape, and the familiar mahogany door with the brass knocker. Mist Walker sat forlornly on his hilltop, eyes on his hooves as per usual. Luna hovered above him, watching as her apparition appeared once more. It was a welcome scene by now, harkening to a part of her heart that Luna hadn't felt quite yet. Even in her thousands of years of life, this sensation was as alien to her as any blushing maiden.

Without even thinking about it, Luna swooped out of the night sky, alighting soundlessly behind the shade of herself. Slowly, she stepped forward, passing through the apparition until she stood in its place, playing the part of Mist Walker's own subconscious. She had done this countless times in the past, taking place of nightmares and visages to soothe troubled sleepers. But this night in particular, Luna had a different motive. "Good evening, Mist Walker." She spoke with the same tone and inflection as any other night. Mist raised his head and smiled at her, a warm thing reserved only for these intimate dreams. She had seen that smile only here, and never out there in the real world.

It was her smile, reserved for the two of them, and them alone.

Her dream smile.

"Good evening, Princess Luna. You look beautiful as always."

"You flatter me." Luna felt the same blush color her cheeks, the same throb in her chest as she did the past six nights watching this scene unfold before her. But this time, she was a part of it. Not the apparition of herself, conjured by Mist, but her. As true and real as anything could be in this dream land she called home.

"Flattery is not my intent, though the product is not unwelcome. You're so gorgeous when you blush like that... would that I could make you my own, Princess, to behold that blush a million times before I die."

Luna listened to the words coming from her aide, a pony she had known for close to a full year by now. Mist Walker had been her secretary and errand pony since her return, after a rigorous selection process. Celestia had offered the field herself, and Luna interviewed them all. Mist had stood head and shoulders above his peers, offering a brazen amount of humility in front of the pony that had once threatened Equestria with never-ending night time. She had admired him for that, not to mention his skills were quite admirable. She hadn't missed an appointment or rendezvous yet, thanks largely in part to his miraculous scheduling and punctuality.

In a way, he was every bit as much her friend as Twilight Sparkle was. In many other ways, he could be so much more...

"Then make me yours, Mist."

Luna broke from the traditional dialogue, barreling straight past the familiarities, past the kissing, straight to her heart of hearts. She stood on all four hooves before him, the knot in her chest threatening to squeeze her breath from her lungs. Her break from tradition was not unnoticed, and Mist Walker blinked in shock at her.

"What?"

"If you're so desperate to make me yours, then do it." She choked, feeling the heat of tears build up in her eyes. The dreamscape around them quivered. "Stop dreaming; fantasizing about me. Tell me what you feel." The night sky was wiped clean in an instant, only the moon hanging above them. "Talk to me about your feelings, Mist." Luna pleaded. Two tears slid down her face, impacting the grass beneath her hooves, even as it began to pitch wildly; as if in a furious windstorm.

"Tell me you love me."

The dream shattered around them, and Luna was once again in the hallway. The mahogany door was gone, replaced by a blank stretch of dreamscape. Luna sniffed, looking forlornly at that empty portion of wall.

"I'll see you in an hour, Mist."

At the soft knock, Luna let loose a breath she didn't know she had been holding.

"Enter."

He was early. And not by his typical, punctual standards... but by almost a half an hour. She wasn't even expecting him quite that soon. Still, she smiled as Mist slipped into her quarters, looking as haggard and tired as she had ever seen him. While she knew the reason for his disheveled appearance, it still anguished her that he looked exhausted.

"Good evening, Princess." Mist bowed low, hiding his red-rimmed eyes behind a hastily-brushed mane.

"Good evening yourself, Mist. Pardon me for saying, but you look a touch out-of-sorts. Is everything okay?"

Mist gave pause, looking up to Luna with a conflicted look. For half a moment, she panicked. 'Does he know? Could he possibly suspect that I'm the one behind his most recent dream?' After a pregnant pause, Mist spoke.

"I just haven't been sleeping well, milady. I'm sorry, if you'd like I can take a moment to freshen up and be more presentable."

"No, no!" Luna surged forth, catching herself just short of wrapping him in a protective hug. She restrained herself, setting a hoof gently on his shoulder. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to sound condescending or rude... just concerned. You can imagine why."

"I'm... sorry...?" Mist stuttered, glancing furtively at her hoof before meeting Luna's intent gaze. "I don't follow."

"Come now, Mist." Luna teased. "Princess of the Night? Dreamwalker?"

"Right." Mist's jaw seemed to be set in stone, but behind his brilliant grey eyes, Luna could see a fire lit; be it from panic or desire, she couldn't quite tell. "You haven't been..."

"No, no not at all." Luna brushed him off, falling into a practiced speech she had rehearsed a million times in her head. "I make it a point of professionalism to avoid peering into my immediate underlings' dreams. That'd make for an awfully awkward work environment, would it not?" Her answer seemed to disarm him, so she pressed the advantage. "But I do find myself concerned. If you're not sleeping well, the problem very well may be in your dreams. I presume you are having dreams, correct?"

Mist was on the brink, she could tell. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, all the while never breaking her intent look. After what felt like an eternity, he spoke.

"I am, but forgive me for saying Princess, it's rather personal."

"Aah," Luna sat back, a teasing grin on her lips. To Mist, she prayed it came off as 'mischevious,' and not 'knowing.' "Trouble with the mares?"

"You... could say that." Mist narrowed his eyes at her, though she could tell he stiffened at her response.

"Is it somepony I know? Perhaps I could act as a liaison. After all, it wouldn't do to have my assistant not sleeping well." Luna flipped her mane over her neck. "That'd reflect poorly on my work ethic."

"I... Well," Mist rolled his neck, seemingly searching for the right words to say. "You could say you know her... Thought I doubt liaising would be a viable option."

'Oh this is too much fun.' Luna couldn't help the giddy grin spreading across her lips. 'He doesn't suspect I know, but he doesn't want to tell me. Believe you me, Mist Walker, I will have you spilling your heart by the end of this night.'

"Well, if you won't have me talk with her, then perhaps I can help you speak to her. Come," She tapped a hoof smartly on the tile floor beneath them. "Treat me as if I were the mare in your dreams. We can practice."

"I-" Mist froze, blinking at her with wide eyes. "Princess, I'm sorry, but this strikes me as-"

"Nonsense, Mist. You're early, so humor me before we get around to our schedule. You're my aide, after all, and I care that you're well-rested enough to perform your duties properly." She tapped the tile once more, smiling invitingly. "I'll play the part of this mare in your dreams, and you can tell me what's on your heart. I promise," She laid a hoof over her heart, though it didn't diminish her coy grin in the slightest. "No judgments. I'm here to help."

"I..." Mist Walker stood with his mouth agape, looking intently up at Luna. She could tell, behind those gray eyes, Mist Walker was waging a war within himself. He was so close to confessing! Even if she were acting the part of herself, she could always take his confession to heart. That, if nothing else, would whet her passion. And perhaps help the two bridge the gap between themselves. Luna feared to admit that she knew of his dreams, and indeed had been the cause of the most recent one's wayward ending. Yet still, she wanted... no, she needed to hear those words. Not in some starry-sky dreamscape, with her playing the imposter to another pony's psyche in the most intimate of ways. Not in her domain of sleep, where she ushered the ponies of Equestria through their dark nightmares and into another blissful day, thankful for the restful night they'd received at her hooves.

Face-to-face, real flesh and blood. No dirty tricks, no dreamwalking, no under-hoofed plots to get a pony to confess his undying love for her, and finally, at long last, step into the warm light of true love she so desperately desired.

"Ahem. We had better get started, your highness. We have a busy night."

Mist Walker turned to her door, indicating that she follow with a gentle nod of his head.

Luna sighed and stood from her spot, following him out of her quarters and into the stairwell.

"You're scheduled to liaison with the griffin dignitary at ten, followed by tea with the captain of the Night Guard at eleven; he has a new proposal for armor design that he wanted to submit for your approval..." She let Mist Walker's voice drone out, following him down and out of the tower into the castle with a faint smile on her face.

'One of these nights, Mist... You'll realize I'm not just a dream.'

Dreamweaver

Luna looked down at the dreamscape beneath her, a melancholy feeling descending over her heart. She had been watching Mist Walker torture himself for almost a week now. Though if she were being perfectly honest with herself, this might have been more torturous on her. She wheeled in a slow circle over the contemplative pony below, one lip drawn between her teeth as she waited... watched.

In time, it would happen.

She flipped over into a dive, sweeping out of the night sky just as her shade appeared. As quiet as could be, she slipped into its place, taking over for the dream's populace. She stepped up to Mist Walker, a faint smile on her lip, despite the thudding of her heart in her chest. "Good evening, Mist Walker." She greeted him as was customary in this dreamscape, a product of routine more than anything at this point. Never mind that she wanted to tackle him to the ground, pin him there, and make him confess all those feelings he'd been keeping bottled while she-

"Good evening, Princess Luna." Mist Weaver turned to her, derailing her train of thought, and taking with it the blush that had darkened her cheeks. She beamed at him, and got that smile in return. Her heart throbbed in her chest at the sight of it, that brilliant smile that made Mist Walker's eyes dance like two lovers spinning across a sultry-lit floor. It was her smile, and hers alone. Just the sight of it brought a peace to her mind, quelling the anxiety that made her feathers quiver and her chest ache.

"You look beautiful as always."

"You flatter me." Luna covered the returning blush with her hoof, glad that Mist Walker was resting as easily tonight that he had the past two weeks. In the back of her mind, Luna prepared for what came next, but that didn't stop it from making her blush intensify.

"Oh Mist, please do go on." Luna cooed, waving at him playfully. She didn't have to fake the coy smile that turned her lips upwards, nor the darkness on her cheeks. She feared to break the dreamscape, as she had in the past, but her thoughts could still play out the scenario to their content. Something far more important was occurring just then. Mist's hoof tentatively reached up to cup her cheek, holding her with such a tender passion that in many ways, it felt so good.

But in so many others, it also hurt.

Their lips met in half a moment. Luna had never done this before; taken the dream this far. She would always stop, or step away and let the shade take her place. But tonight was no ordinary night, and she wasn't in any mood to deny her passions.

His lip curled underneath her own, quivering ever so faintly. Mist was anxious, as was she if Luna were being honest with herself. But that didn't stop her; it didn't even give her pause. She inhaled a deep breath through her nose, taking one gentle step forward to deepen the connection between them.

The dream world rocked around them, wind picking up to blow their manes about their faces. That one small step, that one yearning motion, had done it.

The dream broke, and Luna was once more in the hallway, her heart thudding against her ribs, and tears pooling in her eyes.

"Why." She whispered to nopony. Indeed, nopony shared this place with her. It was her hallway, these doors were hers; portals into the dreams of sleeping ponies. Behind her, the empty space where Mist Walker's should have been. Instead, a blank space of wall populated his dream. "Every night. Why, Mist? What's wrong?!" She stomped a hoof, fighting the tears back until her eyes dried. She stood there for what she knew to be only a minute or two, but in the real world would be fifteen. Maybe even more. If she started back now, she would arrive on the balcony at the same time Mist Walker arrived at her quarters.

The walk to the exit took maybe five minutes. In the real world, that was closer to an hour.

A thought struck her, and Luna broke into a trot.

"Guard."

"Princess!" The guard standing outside of her quarters snapped to attention as Luna poked her head out.

"Send for Mist Walker. He takes a detour to speak with the kitchen about meal arrangements for the night. I need to speak with him immediately. Have somepony standing by at the castle entrance to inform him he is to skip all preparatory arrangements and report immediately. As I am awake, I will not require your duties anymore. You are relieved for the night." She spoke as confidently as she could manage, though her heart was trying its hardest to beat its way out of her chest. She could feel the anxiety in her body. It made her feel tight; like a spring wound until it threatened to burst.

"Yes, your highness. I will do as you have instructed." The guard snapped to a salute and turned to leave immediately, trotting away down the hall as quickly as he could to do her bidding. Luna watched him go, trying her hardest to quell her tumultuous thoughts. Slowly, she shut the door, turning back to her bedroom with her lip between her teeth yet again.

'Why are you doing this to yourself, Luna? How many dozens of paramours have you entertained over the years? How many lovers have shared your bed and your passions for the evening? What makes Mist Walker so different from any other stallion or mare that's warmed your sheets?

'I would argue my professional relationship with him, but that falls short in light of what I did with Noctem Incantatem that one night... So it's got to be something else. Could it be some teenage flight of fancy? Am I reliving my days as a filly?

'Or is it something much, much more serious...?'

Luna found herself before her vanity, the pony in the mirror looking her back just as intently as she shared its gaze. In those deep, cyan pools of infinite knowledge and experience, Luna found a mare that was, shockingly, unsure of herself.

"Calm yourself, Luna." She sighed, closing her eyes and hanging her head slightly. "You're thousands of years old. You've loved and lost and loved again. This is no different from any other one-night dalliance." The self-dialogue did wonders for her burgeoning anxiety, and she looked into the mirror with determination anew. The corner of her mouth twitch upwards as her horn came to life, grasping several beautification products.

"No different." She assured herself, spritzing a sultry perfume onto her neck.

"Enter." Luna answered the gentle knock confidently, standing well inside of her room. Not too close to the bed, but not that far either. Slowly, the door swung inward to reveal Mist Walker standing on the threshold, his brow drawn down in a contemplative frown.

"Good evening, Princess. Is everything okay?"

"Just fine." Luna smiled warmly at him, beckoning her assistant into her bedroom. Cautiously, Mist Walker entered and shut the door behind him. "You'll have to forgive me sending for you, but I had a matter I wished to discuss before we got to our itinerary this evening." At that, Mist Walker's cautious look intensified, his eyes taking on a slightly hard look. Oh how she loved that look, of intent concentration and thought. 'He looks like a young colt trying to solve a jigsaw puzzle.' Luna couldn't help it as her smile turned into something more playful, and a faint twinkle of playfulness glinted in her eyes.

"Are you certain everything is alright? I hadn't expected you to be awake for almost another half an hour."

"An early night, then." Luna brushed him off. "And I didn't call you here to discuss myself. Come, I won't bite, Mist." She beckoned him closer, knowing just how far away he would have to be to smell her perfume, to see the care she paid to her ephemeral mane, or her faint blush. Hesitantly, and still with that careful look of contemplation, Mist sat opposite her. Luna sank to her own haunches, still smiling warmly at him.

"I wanted to talk about you. The way I understand it, you've been having some... troubles with the mares."

"Princess-"

"Ah." Luna rose a hoof to cut him off. "I'm just concerned, Mist. Last time you left me hanging. You'll have to forgive me for being curious, especially when left on a proverbial cliff like that." She leaned back a little, looking down at the shorter pony with that devious, playful smile still on her face. "If it makes you feel more comfortable, this mare can remain anonymous. But I'm here to help, if nothing else."

Mist Walker looked up at her with that same expression, but in his eyes Luna could see the turmoil wracking his psyche. After what must have been some major conflict inside his own mind, Mist Walker heaved a heavy sigh and hung his head.

"There's this mare..."

"I figured."

"She's gorgeous." Mist Walker kept his head down, but Luna could hear the reverence in his voice.

'Oh how awkward this must be for him...'

"But I feel as if she's... almost never there. Not physically or even professionally; she's actually very punctual. But... well, it's difficult to explain." Mist Walker looked up to her, the war still raging in his eyes. "It's almost as if she's so far removed from everything that to imagine myself beside her is a fallacy; blasphemy, even." He swallowed, and Luna watched the lump in his throat bob up and down. When he spoke again, it was in half a whisper, so gentle that it sent a shiver up a spine.

"There are serious implications behind me approaching this mare... societal, economical, not to mention personal. But, heavens help me, I can't stop it." Mist Walker leaned in a little, his eyes dancing. "There's this... this pit, in my mind. And when I think of her, it beings to fill." Luna found herself leaning in as well, enraptured by his confession. Or at least, what she hoped was his confession... "Slowly, at first, but the more I imagine her, the more full it becomes. And I always reach this point, where the pit is just a dent, a... a pockmark, even. And then..."

They were only a few inches away.

'We're so close. Come, Mist Walker. Grasp your passion. Make it yours. Own it.

'Own ME.'

"Ahem." The spell was broken, and Mist Walker leaned back, shaking his head faintly. "Forgive me, Princess. This is unprofessional of me.

'No, damn you! Come back here! You were right there! JUST BUCKING KISS ME YOU F-'

"Let's get started on this evening's schedule." Mist Walker turned from her, making for the door to her quarters. "We must attend to the raising of the moon first, followed by an appointment with the Night Court's Head Justice, Pembrose Eulogy. He mentioned something about the most recent charter for-"

"Mist." Luna stopped him with one word; his name, uttered so passionately one could hardly imagine it uttered anywhere outside of the throes of passion.

"Princess?" Mist paused at the door, looking back at her curiously.

"Did it ever occur to you..." Luna swallowed past her doubt and anxiety, pushing that lump in her throat down into the pit of her stomach. "That this mare, whom you see as being so far above everypony else, sees herself in much the same way?" Luna stood, fixing him with a look that spoke volumes about her innermost desires. He'd have had to be blind to not see it. "Did it occur to you that maybe, just maybe, this mare looks down at those beneath her in much the same manner that they look at her?" A look of realization crossed Mist Walker's face, but Luna wasn't finished just yet.

"Did it ever occur to you..." Luna let a single tear slide out of her eye, down her cheek, and onto the cold tile beneath her hooves. She passed Mist, whispering her last words.

"That she wants somepony to reach for the stars, in the hope that they would touch them?"

"And he didn't jump on you then and there?" Celestia blinked incredulously, even as Luna laid her muzzle on the table with a groan.

"He's hopeless, I swear."

"He just may be." Celestia hummed, sipping her coffee with a coy smile. "I may not indulge in the dark passions you do, but even I can see an open invitation so blatant. You even wore the perfume?"

"I even brushed my mane! Look at it!" Luna clutched at the floating strands of her mane, pushing it towards Celestia. Indeed, the constellations and stars in her mane glimmered with a little more light, and the whole thing shifted as if it were more alive, more energetic. "How could anypony just... deny this?! Ugh!" Luna collapsed on the table once more, feeling despair weigh on her mind. "What is it that I'm doing wrong? Have things really changed so much in the last thousand years that every stallion is suddenly a prude?"

"Well, I'm not the one to be asking that particular question." Celestia chuckled into her cup. "But population growth and census reports actually show an increase in foals born, not a decline. So, one can assume that's not the case."

"Great." Luna deadpanned. "So you're saying it really is my fault?"

"It's nopony's fault, Luna." Celestia set her coffee mug down, frowning at her little sister intently. "Listen here and listen good, Lulu," she settled into the 'elder sister lecture mode' with a sort of ease that Luna prayed she could have one day. "Mist Walker and yourself are two vastly different ponies, in a new culture that's still as new and different to you as it was the day you returned to Equestria. You say that Mist Walker sees you as so far above everypony - so aloof - that he could never dream of reaching you, let alone sharing passion with you. Then show him that you're just like any other pony." Celestia tapped a hoof on the table. "I've watched you tend to the political matters of Equestria day in and day out for the past two years. No vacations, no days off, no rest. Who is it Mist Walker desires, hmm? Princess Luna?" Celestia waved a hoof over her, sitting up to her full height. "Or just Luna?"

"Are you-"

"There's a lovely little cafe just outside of the palace gates, and they are open all night." Celestia stood from the table. "I do enjoy their lemon cress salads, though they do have a delightful daffodil sandwich." She turned to leave, though she paused at the door. Her brilliant eyes turned back to Luna, dancing with mischief and intrigue.

"Maybe you should show Mist that you're not so far above everypony. That maybe those stars in your mane really are within reach."

Reaching For The Stars

The chill night air gave even Luna slight shivers as the pair made their way through the moonlit streets of Canterlot. Luna enjoyed the slow, solemn walk and the quiet between them, broken only by their hooves on the clean cobblestone streets. Luna and Mist Walker moved quietly through the slumbering streets, passing only three ponies in their entire walk. The first was the guard stationed at the gate, and the second had been a security guard making his rounds outside of Equestria’s bank. The third had been a wayward pony on their way to wherever ponies went in the wee hours of the morning.

The last had given the two of them a passing glance and a warm smile before turning a corner, disappearing into the annals of memory as a brief greeting, a momentary friend on the solemn journey through cold, quiet Canterlot. Luna had an ultimate goal that night, but there were steps to be taken to reach that point, and many of those steps lay along the path to and from Canterlot’s central park and open space.

It was there that they arrived next, leaving the stony streets for an even more quiet path through the trees and bushes. The chill breeze left them for a moment, leaving only a cool night wrapped around the two of them. Having left the streets behind for the solemn quiet of the city park, Mist Walker finally spoke.

“Princess, forgive me for asking, but why are we not attending to matters of state this evening?”

“Because,” Luna gave Mist a faint smile. “Even we princesses require a night off every now and then.”

“But-“

“Mist, how many days off have you had since you became my aide?” Luna cut him off succinctly, and her point cowed him into silence. He tucked his muzzle into his scarf, looking pensively down at the dirt path beneath their hooves. Luna, however, continued speaking. “I’ve not taken a break since my return. Two full years, with everything that has happened, without a single pause. Forgive me, Mist, if I’m so selfish to request a single evening to just…” She inhaled softly, catching the scent of rain in the atmosphere, a slight tang of ozone that promised thunder and lightning later on.

“Enjoy my night.”

“… Forgive me, Princess, I didn’t mean it to sound that way…” Mist spoke after a brief pause. Luna lifted her shoulder indifferently.

“I know you didn’t, but my point stands. Too many nights I’ve spent alone in the castle, looking out at this.” She waved a hoof to their surroundings, the lush foliage still clinging to its branches and stems despite the lateness of the season. “I just figured it was about time that I actually familiarized myself with the night, rather than observe it.”

They fell back into silence once more, their mute hoof-falls the only thing to break the night. Every now and then, the breeze would ruffle the trees above them, sending pinpricks of moonlight dancing across the path before them. Luna watched the night’s light show with a sense of wonder and merriment. The dance of the leaves and light left her breathless, so much that she had to pause whenever a stiff breeze brought the revelry to a fever pitch.

Mist Walker stopped with her, walked by her side, and marveled at the sights just as much as she did. They didn’t need to share words in those moments, but rather, bonded over their mutual appreciation for the night. She would steal surreptitious glances at him now and then, and each time she saw his eyes wide with wonder.

’That’s what you’ve been missing, Luna… One thousand and two years ago, you’d have killed for just one pony to look at the night like that. Thank the stars I’m not as blind as I was back then… They’re out there, these ponies who love the night… You just have to look for them.’

Their walk lasted a solid hour, spent meandering through Canterlot’s park at night. They crossed bridges over streams of molten silver, strolled across moonlit meadows with the wind tugging at them, and passed underneath rustling foliage, with nothing but each other and the dancing moonlight for company. But Luna’s machinations would not be without fruit that evening, and she was determined to see her plan through to fruition.

After the park, she led them back into the city streets, passing another couple of ponies on their way elsewhere. She paused to give the two of them a slight bow, and received one back in kind. They didn’t say a word, but the wide look in their eyes betrayed shock and excitement at meeting Luna in the pre-dawn morning.

“I recognize those two,” Mist Walker waited until they had moved on before speaking. “They work at the palace, in the library… I think they’re archivists.”

“I should take the time to introduce myself, next time we run across them.” Luna mused, drawing a curious eyebrow from Mist.

“Next time?”

“Well, I was hoping to make these walks something of a normality.” Luna alluded with a wave of her hoof. “Like I said, it’s been too long since I’ve taken a break from my work… I think a midnight stroll once per week is… admissible.”

Mist remained silent, but Luna could tell his tight-lipped pensiveness was product of deep introspection. She left him to his thoughts and walked on, turning onto Canterlot’s main drive. Here, the first illumination aside from the moon greeted them. The warm golden glow of a diner shone its beacon out into the night, promising a comfortable booth, warm coffee, and good food to wayward travelers lost in the night.

Luna may not have been lost, but she certainly was hungry, and an omelet sounded divine just then. Mist seemed to sense her desires, and he picked up the pace a little. The two of them made for the diner with eager expressions.

A cheery bell greeted them as they opened the door, ushering them in out of the chill air and into a blissful warmth. The solitary waitress emerged from the kitchen, her hooves stuttering across the polished linoleum at the sight of Princess Luna and her aide waiting patiently to be seated.

“W-welcome, Princess!” She was a cute thing, a bit heavyset for an earth pony, but with soft eyes and a warm coloration that supplemented the diner remarkably well. Her apron was spotless, and blended into her off-white coat well, accentuated by a warm mane of red hair. Her cutie mark was a plate heaped high with eggs and hash browns, steaming faintly. Luna returned her nervous smile warmly, nodding towards a nearby booth by the window, looking up at Canterlot Castle.

“Table for two?” She asked. The poor waitress blinked at her for a few moments, likely expecting Luna to be visiting for official reasons. When it clicked that the eternal regent of Equestria wasn’t there to banish them or something else nefarious, her smile turned a mile wide.

“Of course! Sit anywhere you’d like, Princess. What are you drinking tonight?”

“Coffee, please. Cream and sugar. Mist?”

“Tea, if that’s enough. With lemon.”

“Of course! I’ll be right back with drinks and menus.” The waitress trotted off happily, though Luna could swear she heard an excited squeal from the kitchen, preceded by a curious unicorn peeking out at them with wide eyes. As much as she hated being treated with privilege, Luna couldn’t help but smile at the thought that she’d be on the receiving end of some particularly delicious food before long.

Mist took his seat first, with his back to the castle. Luna slid in opposite him, looking out of the window and up at the tall spires of her home, blocking out the constellations. Only a few windows were illuminated that evening, likely the archivists they passed on their way in to work, or maybe one of the cleaning crew putting in some early hours. Either way, the solemn sight of the castle dim and quiet struck a chord with Luna.

“Princess,” Mist drew her out of her reverie. “Remind me why we’re here?”

“I was in the mood for some coffee.” Luna shrugged. “And it seemed you were a little cold out there. We could both stand to warm up a little before getting back to work this morning.”

“Yes, but… we’re hardly five minutes’ walk from the castle. We could just as easily have called the kitchen for food and coffee.”

“The kitchen staff all know my name, and I know theirs.” Luna shrugged. “I think it’s high time I learn the names of ponies who work through my night.”

“Y-yes, your highness.” Mist muttered quietly, nuzzling back down into his scarf with a pensive look. Luna looked at him for a few moments before smiling and looking back up at her castle. She had expected this silence to last a while, but Mist spoke again, his eyes still on the table before him. “But why this diner?”

“Because it’s open.” Luna answered, lofting a brow at him. “Why, do you have any issue with it?”

“N-no, not particularly, just-“

“Here you are.” The waitress returned with a tray sporting a carafe of coffee, a mug, cream and sugar, and Mist’s tea. She slid each across the table towards their respective owners, but Luna didn’t miss the sly grin she shot Mist’s way. “What, uuh… what can I get you to eat, your highness?”

“Please, you’re welcome to call me Luna.” She smiled at the waitress, who blushed furiously at the formality. “I’ll have an omelet with tomatoes, chives, mushrooms, and peppers. A side of hash browns, and toast. Do you have apple butter?”

“Fresh from Ponyville!” The mare beamed, hastily writing out her order. “Will that be all?”

“That’s it for me. Mist?”

“Eer…”

“Yeah, what can I get you to eat, brother?”

Luna blinked between them. Out of the haze of memory came a conversation she’d had with Mist a long while ago, about his family and their occupations.

“You’re Silver.” She surmised, grinning at the waitress.

“Aah, so my reputation precedes me.” The mare winked at Luna, nudging Mist playfully. “You always talk to royalty about me, little brother?”

“Shut up, Silver.” He groaned, covering his face with his hooves.

“Ah, that’s fair, I suppose. I get to brag about my little brother working at the palace, personal aide to Princess Luna herself. It’s divine karma that he talks about his older sister, bussing tables at the diner just down the street.”

“I assure you,” Luna tried her hardest to hide her mirth behind a hoof. “He only spoke of you with the utmost respect. In a way, I think he admires you.”

“Oh really?!” Silver Ware, or Silver for short, threw her hoof over Mist’s back, ruffling his mane playfully. “You look up to we lowly earth ponies, writing with our mouths and hauling dishes all around the diner?!”

Luna couldn’t help but chuckle at the display of sibling affection. In a way, it reminded her of herself and Celestia, at least if nopony was around. It wouldn’t do to have the servants seeing the two immortal princesses of Equestria needling one another or ruffling their manes. But still, whenever they could, the two of them displayed their affection openly. Watching Silver needle her little brother made Luna’s night that much more enjoyable.

“Eggs, over easy, and toast.” Mist finally managed to extricate himself from Silver’s teasing, and she winked at Luna playfully. “Thanks, sis.”

“It’s good to see you in the middle of the night, rather than every morning after you’re done.” Silver tucked her order booklet away, beaming at Mist warmly. “You should stop in more often. And you can bring the Princess if you’d like.”

“I should hope so.” Luna quipped, winking at Mist. “I’d hate to miss out watching him blush like that.” Sure enough, Mist’s cheeks had darkened considerably, his muzzle tucked ever-tighter into his scarf. He looked so much like a colt then that Luna couldn’t help but grin at him. Silver had chosen that moment to slip away and leave them alone, one Princess and her aide, caught between sibling affection and his burgeoning feelings for the mare opposite him.

Idly, Luna wondered if he had told his sister about his developing feelings. There was something in Silver’s wry smile that told her that he had, and seeing the two of them together was giving her all sorts of delight. Indeed, Luna lofted a quick glance towards the kitchen, and spotted two manes whipping back around the corner.

’Perhaps here isn’t the best place to confront him…’

“I see now why you were hesitant at first.” Luna broke their silence with a faint smile, one that Mist mirrored after a few moments.

“She’s really nice. After mom and dad… left… she really looked after me.” His expression turned melancholy, but there was a look in his eyes; a fire of sorts, that told Luna he was deeply grateful for Silver’s presence. “It’s not easy paying for rent in Canterlot on a waitress’ wages, but she did it… Held on long enough for me to get a job with the Scribes, and the rest is history.”

Luna recalled having recruited Silver out of the Scribes, the ponies who recorded incidents across Equestria and catalogued them with the help of the Archivists. It was dreadfully boring work, but required good planning and excellent time management. The ranks of the Scribes had always produced the best assistants and aides across history, and that held true even now, a thousand years after Luna’s departure. But her thoughts weren’t on Mist’s conditional employment, but rather his history.

“What happened with your parents?” She asked quietly. Mist looked up from the table to meet her eyes, his own wide and expressive. Luna had never in her history bridged this gap between them. In fact, his mention of his parents had been the first bit of personal information he had volunteered. Learning about his sister had been a wayward occurrence, a passing mention in conversation some time near the beginning of his helping her.

Now, it seemed, Luna would finally get to learn something about Mist. And not just his dreams or passions, but his history. What made him who he was.

Luna’s heart throbbed at the thought of learning more about him.

“They were astronomers. Both of them met and worked at the observatory, gave birth to my sister and me, and then…” He heaved a soft sigh. “Left. Packed up their books and personal belongings, left the furniture and bills, and just… left. We got a letter a few months ago, they’re living in some cabin in the mountains outside Trottingham. They said it’s beautiful out there, that they can stargaze all they’d like… I just hope they don’t have another kid.”

Luna felt her heart throb at that. Mist’s face was pensive, his expression serious and drawn. She could tell, he spoke his heart. Rather than belabor the point, she reached across the table to lay her hoof on his.

“I’m sorry you had a difficult foalhood.” She said quietly. “But I’ll tell you now, I’m honored to have somepony as resourceful as you working for me.”

Her words came from her heart of hearts, and she could tell, they’d struck a chord with Mist.

’Finally,’ Luna could have sagged with relief. ’He sees me for the mare I am. Not some heartless, untouchable despot… Real. Tangible. And heavens help me, I care for him.’ She pulled her hoof away as Silver emerged from the kitchen with two heaping plates of food. Her hunger won out against her compassion, and Mist seemed to share her sentiment. The two of them set in on their food, eating voraciously as the very first hint of dawn began to light the eastern sky, from pitch black to a deep, royal purple.

Daybreak would be on them soon.

But that didn’t mean Luna couldn’t enjoy her coffee and the company.

The dreamscape was not as cold as Luna remembered it being. She wheeled through the sky, well above the pensive form of Mist Walker, who was so enraptured with the ground beneath his hooves that the magisterial night above him might as well have been invisible. For Luna, it made for convincing cover. She flapped a lazy circle around him, watching as the dream unfolded once more.

The dialogue between the two progressed as normally as it ever had, though each word Mist spoke from his heart still made her heart throb in her chest. Up through the kiss, everything was the same…

Until Luna’s counterpart gingerly wrapped her hooves around him, pulling Mist on top of her as she sprawled backwards. Luna watched her own mane and tail splay out onto the grass, painting that small patch with a bit of the night sky. Atop her, Mist lavished kisses onto her, the two of them tangling together in such a way that made her envy her own shade.

’Fly down there, Luna. Take the place of your shade. He’s finally surrendered to his passions; do you not want to receive them, as you should?’

Quietly, Luna flew through the door and into her hallway. Behind her, the door remained. She knew that if she were to re-emerge into that dreamscape, she would see herself and Mist locked together in the most passionate of embraces.

’You could just watch… Nothing wrong with that. Heaven’s know you’ve watched a thousand other ponies locked together with you. Many times, that’s your invitation to pursue them in the waking world…’

Luna looked back at the door, her lip drawn between her teeth.

’It’d be so easy… Just open it, fly above them, watch as he-‘

The door disappeared. Luna looked at the empty expanse of wall, her heart growing heavier in her breast. She didn’t need to have been there to know that Mist’s passions, however exuberant, did not last very long. Which meant one of two things to her…

’Either he’s lacking in the stamina department…

‘Or he’s still unsure.’

Author's Note

Not 100% on this chapter... It feels a little off, but it feels like it's been ages since I've published anything, and I'm too tired to edit this to flesh it out a little more. I know it feels slow, but the story should wrap up in the next 2-4 chapters.

A Friend In Deed...

Luna paced the hallway lined with doors slowly that evening. She wasn’t frequenting the darker end of the hall, wherein Mist Walker’s door usually sat, but instead a lighter side, with colorful doors and bright lighting. These were the doors with the dreams of foals and benign adult ponies behind them. Following Mist’s internal struggle with his feelings for Luna (and the fiery night of passion she had respectfully left him to,) Luna hadn’t visited Mist Walker’s dreams. In fact, she had given the poor pony a week’s leave. Given that it was the week of Hearth’s Warming Eve, Luna felt it appropriate that he be given some time to spend with his sister.

That, and it helped that he wasn’t around so Luna could get her head straight and actually do some work. It seemed like it had been too long since she had tended the dreams of poor young foals, and one suffering colt had had a recurring nightmare for three nights straight now. She took great pleasure in assisting him, overcoming a seemingly irrational fear of the dark places beneath front porches and stairs.

After laying his demons to rest and helping a few other foals, Luna found her thoughts wandering yet again. She cast a longing glance towards the darker side of the hallway, seeing Mist’s mahogany door with the brass knocker resting in the slight shadow. She was sorely tempted to investigate, to ensure her burgeoning feelings were indeed returned…

But guilt won its victory and sent her walking the opposite direction. Too many nights peeping into Mist Walker’s dreams had led to the poor pony getting little restful sleep. This week-long sabbatical was half a break for her, to get some actual work done, and half for him to get some actual sleep. Still, the fact that he had dreamt of sex with her had Luna wondering many different things…

“Things I ought not to be wondering.” Luna stopped in front of a door, painted with a myriad of bright colors and obnoxious motifs. Balloons, glitter, streamers, confectioneries, and wrapped presents bedecked this doorway, and Luna gave a soft sigh, steeling herself for what lay beyond.

Thousands of years of patience couldn’t have prepared anypony for the dreamscape of Pinkie Pie. As she stepped in, a cannon blast of glitter and streamers doused her with party supplies, followed shortly by a cream pie to the face. Groaning inwardly, Luna wiped pie from her eyes, catching a glimpse of what appeared to be a thunderhead of chocolate rain rolling over the horizon. “Always a mistake.” Luna groaned, turning tail on the mayhem and exiting into the hallway. Thankfully enough, none of the accouterments of Pinkie’s excitable lifestyle followed her, though she could swear the scent of candy canes still wafted on the air. It was still relatively early in the night, and many ponies were still asleep. She sought another door, this one a different sort of shock.

Rainbow Dash’s door was bedecked in the symbol of her cutie mark, highlighted in golden filigree and wreathed in multicolored paint. Her cutie mark itself was emblazoned on the door with millions of tiny gemstones, amethyst and amber and diamond, sapphire and ruby and emerald painting all of the individual colors of her personal rainbow, along with the cloud the bolt struck from… It was a door every bit as extravagant and important as the pony who dreamt behind it. Luna stepped through that portal and into the dream of Rainbow Dash, swept away on the blitz of hurricane-force air. Luna caught the draft and squinted through the storm, spotting a rainbow-colored streak burning through the air above her.

Flapping for all she was worth, Luna caught up with Rainbow Dash, flagging her down by cutting in front of the skilled flier.

“Woah! Princess! Watch your drag.” Rainbow Dash came to a halt, the storm around them quieting as she flapped idly midair. Above and below them were storm clouds, rumbling ominously as if threatening to shock them. Luna had visited Rainbow Dash several times in her dreams, and she was always flying at a blitz-like pace through a storm, dodging lighting and rogue clouds like it was her birthright. She was indeed good at it, and Luna had to fly harder than she ever had to catch up with Rainbow Dash.

“Sorry, Rainbow, I didn’t mean to alarm you. I just came for your help.”

“What? Me? Help you?” Rainbow Dash seemed about as shocked as Luna herself felt. She always tried to avoid seeking help from anypony that wasn’t her sister, but times had changed significantly in her absence. Celestia had relied on the strength and cunning of other ponies quite a bit during her absence, and continued to do so to this day. If she hadn’t, Twilight may not have ascended to Princesshood, or saved them all from the myriad of issues they had faced. Tirek, Discord, even Luna’s own nightmarish counterpart had been bested by Twilight and her friends. If they could defeat evils the likes of which even she and Celestia couldn’t handle, maybe they could lend her some insight into personal troubles…

“We’re… friends, are we not, Rainbow Dash?” Luna asked, feeling rather sheepish all of a sudden. Such a question seemed to imply she didn’t trust or believe in Rainbow before then. Still, she felt it necessary to ask.

“Of course. You’ve helped us out, we’ve helped you out… I’d say that makes us friends.” Dash shrugged nonchalantly, piquing an eyebrow at her. “What’s up?”

Luna steeled herself with a deep breath.

“I am having… stallion issues.”

“Woah.” Rainbow Dash staggered mid-air, flapping hard to catch herself. “That’s… Wow, that’s… out there.”

“You see why I’m so hesitant-“

“No, yeah, this is… Wow, this is huge.” Rainbow Dash rubbed a fetlock with her opposite hoof, blushing intensely. “I, uuh… I’m not sure how much help I can be… have you tried talking to Rarity or Fluttershy yet? I’m sure they’d be a lot more help than me.”

“What do you mean? I value everypony’s opinion, no matter how small they may seem to themselves.”

“That’s, uuh… That’s the thing.” Rainbow Dash’s blush intensified to all-new levels. “I’m, uuh… not really into stallions.”

“Aah.” Luna connected the dots suddenly. Then a frown passed her lips. “Does that somehow invalidate you on giving relationship advice?”

“What?” Rainbow Dash blinked at her.

“Just because you prefer mares to stallions, does that somehow disqualify you from matters of the heart? Should it matter who I feel for, only that I do and I need your help?”

“Wow, when you put it like that.” Rainbow Dash grimaced, running a hoof through her mane. She stayed quiet for a few contemplative moments, the ominous thunderheads rumbling around them, as if agitated their master was too busy trying to reconcile personal feelings to run from them. After a long pause, Rainbow Dash spoke again.

“I dunno what advice I can give, but lemme tell you about something I struggled with for a long while… It’s no big secret that I’m pretty close friends with Applejack. Sure, we’re competitive and she can rub me the wrong way sometimes, but like… I had the HUGEST crush on her. For like, the longest time. She’s strong and honest and… Well, she’s frickin’ gorgeous, right?”

“Right.” Luna had to admit, all of Twilight’s friends had certain alluring qualities about them. While she’d never held a romantic interest in any of them, she could still appreciate things like beauty, athletic capability, or intellect.

“Well, I’m too much of a dunce to just up and spill my guts. I took way too long to talk to her about how I really felt, and now…”

“Now…?”

“And now she’s got a stallion of her own.” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “It was ages ago that it happened, and I’m not angry or bitter at all. I was, but I’m not anymore. What I’m sayin’ is, don’t wait too long to tell somepony how you feel. If you haven’t already, that is. Like I said, I’m not bitter or anything, but that… that doubt… that’s always going to be in the back of my head. Y’know? ‘What could have been?’ I don’t think I’ll ever find out.”

Rainbow Dash’s ‘advice’ had struck a chord with Luna. She’d spent all this time with Mist Walker trying to get him to admit his feelings towards her, when all along she ignored her own. ’It’s a two-way street, Luna.’ She chastised herself, trotting briskly down the hallway towards her next destination. ’There’s no sense in waiting for him if he’s looking for me to make the first move. Still, that’s just one experience… I need to be thorough.’ Her next doorway was painted bright red, made of rough-hewn oak and banded with thick iron braces. It was heavy and creaked loudly as she opened it, but inside was the thick smell of fresh-tilled soil, foliage, and the sharp tang of sweat.

’Heavens above, she even DREAMS of work.’ Luna hadn’t visited Applejack’s dreams quite yet. She’d never had any reason to. But after hearing about Rainbow Dash’s feelings towards her friend, she decided to make a night of visiting the Elements of Harmony, and seeing what they could offer her as they’d helped her sister so many times.

As she discovered, however, Applejack didn’t dream of work, just the aftermath. She was found reclined under a tree next to a babbling brook, with a good view of the Apple Family’s valley. The sun painted a magnificent picture of thousands of trees, their branches bare and baskets of apples sitting at their trunks ready for pickup. Applejack’s trademark Stetson hung low over her eyes, and a thick jar of what appeared to be cider rested next to her hoof.

“Well howdy, Princess Luna… Ain’t suspected t’ see y’all ‘round here.”

“I shouldn’t think so, I doubt you’d have any reason to dream OF me, so I needed to visit.”

“Well, grab yerself some turf. Ah got all night t’ chat. Want a pick-me-up?” She offered the mason jar, and Luna graciously accepted. The alcohol was mild, and quite delicious, but wouldn’t affect her. Nothing really could, inside the dreamscape. She passed it back after a small sip. “What brings y’all t’… Well, mah dream?”

“Truth be told, I’ve a favor to ask. You see, I’m having some… well, stallion troubles.”

“Ah huh.” Applejack lifted the brim of her hat to glance at Luna, her eyes dancing with intrigue. “An’ y’all thought it’d be a good idea t’ ask fer mah advice?”

“Well, with how much you’ve helped Celestia over the years, yes… I thought it’d be prudent to seek your council as well.”

“Hmm… Well, ah ain’t too sure how much help ah cin be…” Applejack took a long pull from her jar, her eyes gone back to the beautiful landscape before them. “Y’all talked to any of the others?”

“Only Rainbow Dash… I tried Pinkie Pie, but… Let’s just say I’m not sure which it was; dream or nightmare, but it was terrifying either way.”

“Ah huh. An’ lemme guess, Dash told y’all about how she felt fer me, an’ let it all go ‘cuz she waited too long?”

“Something like that.” Luna nodded.

“There’s some truth to that, you know… Waiting, that is. Ah was just waitin’ for her to come out an’ say it. Iffen she’d have said anythin’… anythin’ at all about feelin’ for me th’ same way ah felt about her, ah’d have been with her in a heartbeat… So, ah guess, from the other side o’ that particular coin, it ain’t fair to either party to keep yerself waitin’. On either end. There’s somethin’ there about middle-grounds an’ fair compromise an’ all, but… T’ be honest it jes’ takes one pony makin’ the first move fer somethin’ wonderful to happen. She an’ I have had plenty o’ talks about the whole thing, and we’re glad we’re still friends. Ah know she’s still wonderin’ ‘what coulda been’ an’ all that, an’ t’ be honest, so am I… But what ah got now is pretty nice.”

As if on cue, a stallion walked up the hill towards them. He was a dapple grey-and-brown earth pony with a yellow horseshoe around a sapling for a cutie mark, and smiled genuinely at Applejack. He sat opposite Luna from Applejack, helping himself to the cider, but otherwise remaining silent. Applejack cuddled up to his side, sighing contentedly as he swiped her Stetson and plopped it on his own head.

“Thing is, even if what you got is wonderful, it ain’t always gonna be that way… Rainbow Dash an’ I were fine leavin’ things as they were, but ol’ Lucky here took exception t’ it… Didn’t want Dash hangin’ around when he knew that as soon as he was outta my life – if he ever were t’ find himself there – she’d take his place. Ah know they ain’t angry at each other no more, but it took me knockin’ some sense into both of ‘em t’ set the issue straight.

“Point bein’, love is wonderful an’ all, but it ain’t just the two of you in that relationship. Lucky has friends and family that ain’t terribly pleased he’s settled down in Ponyville instead of Dodge Junction… Ah’ve got friends that ain’t too pleased I settled down period. It makes fer some troubled waters, as Granny’d say. Sure, we made it through on love and tolerance… But it’d have been a lot easier on us all iffen we’d just talked it out b’fore jumpin’ into things like we did. Made sure our apples were in a bunch, as it were.”

“Hmm.” Luna mulled those words over for a long while, and it was only when Lucky’s dream vision got a little frisky that she saw fit to excuse herself. She enjoyed a long walk through the apple trees on the way back to the door, though… all the while thinking things over.

Rarity’s door was just what Luna would have expected; extravagant but elegant all at once. Crystal glass sat in a stylized fashion of her own cutie mark, off-set by white-painted birch wood with a fluted golden knob. Inside, Rarity was in the midst of a lavish spa treatment, a dozen ponies waiting on her hoof and horn. The scent of a dozen mane products, lotions, soaps, and other beautification chemicals hung heavy in the humid air, nearly choking Luna with the pervasive scent. Still, as soon as she made herself known with a polite throat clearing, the hoofservants and spa technicians vanished almost immediately, replaced instead by one hunky stallion doing things to Rarity’s back with his hooves that made Luna rather jealous.

“Princess! What a pleasant surprise! I… well, to be frank, I didn’t expect to see you here! Am I in trouble?”

“Hardly.” Luna sat opposite Rarity, hardly drawing more than a passing glance from the masseuse. “I came seeking some advice, as it were… You’ve helped my sister out dozens of times over the past few years, so I figured-“

“Naturally, we’d be able to help you as well.” Rarity’s smile seemed genuine and heartfelt. “Well, maybe you should tell me what you’re struggling with. I’d be only all too happy to give you what advice I can.”

“It’s… well, I’m having stallion issues, as it were.”

“Oh! Oh my!” The masseuse vanished in an instant, along with the humid spa and thick atmosphere. Immediately, Rarity’s boutique flashed into existence, complete with all of her seamstress gear. “I never suspected the princesses involved themselves with we ponies… romantically…” A scandalous look flashed across Rarity’s face, underlined with a hint of playfulness. “Who is the lucky colt?”

“It’s… my assistant, Mist Walker.”

“Shame I haven’t met him, he must be dashing to catch your eye.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.” Luna simpered, rolling her hoof in the air. ’He may have a muted handsomeness about him, but it’s not his looks that drew me to Mist…’

“So you care about his mind more than his body.” Rarity surmised. “I should have known. Forgive me, I tend to find myself attracted to dashing looks and suave smiles than anything else… And believe me, it’s spelled disaster in the past.” Rarity shuddered visibly before walking a slow circle around Luna. “Here I am, tittering like an old bird… Please, go on, Princess.” Rarity busied herself with a tape measure, stretching it out alongside Luna. She didn’t stop the fashionista, and wondered how much inspiration the alabaster mare would draw from this particular conversation.

“I’ve held dozens of paramours in my life, Rarity… I’m no stranger to physical passion and dalliance. But something about Mist just strikes me as… different. Like if I were to satiate our desires and call the engagement finished, it’d be an affront to everything I hold dear.”

“You’re clashing.” Rarity nodded. “Much like I can see clashing colors in an ensemble, I can see it in your personality… In the past, you’ve entertained one-night stands and fleeting partners. It’s normal for you – not that that’s a bad thing! At least, I would hope not, for personal reasons.” Rarity passed by Luna’s front, a faint blush apparent on her cheeks. “But now, you find yourself intrigued by a stallion, and not for his looks or what he can do between the sheets…”

“But for who he is… as a pony.”

“Precisely.” Rarity smiled, looping the tape measure around Luna’s neck and drawing it snug. “I’m not sure what advice you’ve been given by any others, if you’ve even visited them yet, but let me say this:” She released the tape measure and looked up into Luna’s eyes, her own amethyst orbs piercing and intent.

“Make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into. Some of us aren’t who we seem to be on the outside. While he may be intelligent and passionate enough to draw your curiosity, there may be some ugly part of him you haven’t seen yet.” Rarity’s expression darkened slightly. “I speak from experience on that much.”

The night wasn’t quite over yet, but if Luna were to visit the other elements before daybreak, she’d have to rush. Fluttershy’s door was the same color as her coat, slightly faded, but well-worn. It even had a welcome mat laid before it in the hall; a rare occurrence that indicated the dreaming pony was very open-minded and forthcoming. These dreams were the easiest and most welcoming to enter, almost as easy as taking a step through the threshold of a castle hallway. Inside, Fluttershy’s dream was a bustle of activity, with birds and butterflies flitting across a well-lit path through a cheery wood. Various animals shared the path with her, making their way peacefully towards some destination or another.

Many of them turned off into the foliage, but for each one that did, another joined her. As they walked, Luna came upon a wide clearing with a gentle creek and a small pond. Fluttershy stood in the middle of the clearing, communing with animals of all shapes and sizes. Luna approached with a smile, watching as the animals stilled their chirps and calls, allowing the two of them quiet to speak.

“It’s good to see you again, Luna.”

“And you as well, Fluttershy. How long has it been? Six weeks? Ten?”

“I lose track, but it’s always nice to see you in my dreams. What can I help you with tonight?”

“The tables have turned, eh?” Luna had been seeing Fluttershy in her dreams for quite some time now. There was much the young mare was afraid of, and she frequently had nightmares about one thing or another. Sometimes it was dragons. Other times it was her friends being hurt, or being helpless when an animal needed her most. Over the years since her return, Luna had assisted where she could, and had found a steadfast friend in Fluttershy. Tonight, however, it was her seeking console for a troubled mind. Luna took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

“I’m having some stallion troubles.”

“Oh. I see.” Fluttershy’s cheeks colored faintly – less than Rarity or Rainbow Dash’s – and she smiled. “Have you spoken with any of the others?”

“Everyone except Pinkie Pie and Twilight… Not for lack of trying with the former, mind you.” They shared a brief chuckle, and Fluttershy turned towards the far side of the clearing. Luna followed, the two of them sharing a peaceful walk.

“Well, I’m not sure how much help I can be… I’ve never been in a relationship. At least, not like that…”

“Well, I knew that much, but I was hoping you might be able to help with a little context. You see, this pony has been dreaming of me quite often.”

“Dreaming of you, specifically?” Fluttershy piqued a brow at Luna. “That seems like a rare occurrence.”

“It most certainly is. Most dreams involving me are nightmares – of myself, before I turned. Those are easily handled, of course, but his are… different. He dreams of me, not as Nightmare Moon, or the Princess…”

“But of just you. Luna.” Fluttershy surmised, pursing her lips as she fell into a contemplative silence. They left the meadow for another woodland path, though the sun had left the sky and now the moon lit their way, hanging full and bright amidst a blanket of stars. They found their way with ease, though nocturnal moths and owls accompanied them now instead of their daytime counterparts. Cryptic hoots and the scurrying of quiet, unseen animals through the underbrush were their accompaniment, broken only by the soft sound of hoof-falls.

“Well, is this development… troubling to either of you?” Fluttershy broke their silence with a humble question. Luna sighed, feeling the guilt of her nighttime peeping coming upon her.

“He’s been losing sleep, and we haven’t been quite as productive as usual. That’s not necessarily a bad thing – the productivity, that is – but I don’t want him to lose sleep over such troubling things.”

“You want to lend him peace, then.” Fluttershy nodded. “I can help you there… The first question, naturally, is how do you feel towards him?”

“… Intrigued.” Luna answered with the only word that came to mind. Mist Walker was, at his basest level, curiously interesting. Never in all the thousands of years of her life had she met a pony who had felt so passionately about her, but been so cautious in their advances. Even the one night she had seen him take her for his own, it had ended so abruptly. He either had less-than-stellar stamina, or had called an end to the entreaty before either party could really enjoy themselves. She had to believe the latter, given his history of stopping short and leaving her alone in the hallway, her heart thundering beyond control in her chest.

These things made him infinitely more interesting than any one of her other subjects. Hundreds of times over the years, Luna had interjected into the dreams of other ponies, and occasionally met them in the waking world for some real intimacy. There was always some attraction – physical or otherwise – that spurred her and her partners into action. They always took her in their dreams, inviting Luna to join them for the fun. If not then, they would surrender under her advances in the real world. Willingly, of course.

But Mist Walker did neither. He wanted her oh so badly, of that she was certain… But there was something holding him back, some wayward thought or idea that kept him from cementing their first time together. If it wasn’t infuriating to the point of rage, it was certainly intriguing.

“Intriguing?” Fluttershy gave a soft laugh. “That’s different. Well, you find him ‘intriguing,’ and he’s obviously smitten with you, if not something more intense. If you want him to rest easy, perhaps a resolution is in order?”

“Therein lays the problem.” Luna groaned, coming to a stop in a small pool of moonlight. “I’ve approached him already, at least, as much as I’m willing to. But every time I do, he shies away. If his dreams and restlessness are any indication, he obviously cares for me in some capacity. But for every advance I make on him, he turns it away, blushing like a schoolfilly.” She ran her hooves through her mane, inhaling a deep breath. “It’s infuriating.”

“It certainly sounds that way.” Fluttershy beamed, her warm, knowing smile taking the edge off of Luna’s burgeoning frustration. “But let me say this: Nopony gets anywhere without communication. Not talking is almost always the root of trouble. Look at me and Angel Bunny.” The white rabbit appeared instantly, hopping up to Fluttershy and looking up at her grumpily. “We have such a rocky relationship, he and I, chiefly because he can’t talk, but also because he resorts to violence when he wants something.”

As if to demonstrate, Angel leaped up and wrapped his paws into Fluttershy’s mane, tugging on the luxurious pink strands hard enough to make even Luna wince. Fluttershy sighed as the dreamscape around them began to shiver and quake, breaking apart with them inside.

“I’ll just say this much: Don’t be afraid to sit down and talk with him about your feelings. I dare say he has just as much right to know as any of us do.”

“Thank you, Fluttershy.” Luna smiled at the young pony as the dream began to destabilize more and more.

“Oh, and make sure you talk to Twilight.” Fluttershy grimaced as Angel continued to do his best to wake her up. “Funnily enough, she has a book for th-“

The dream shattered, ejecting Luna into the hallway, where Fluttershy’s door and the welcome mat had both vanished. But that wasn’t the most shocking transition. What made Luna’s eyes snap wide open and her heart pound in her chest wasn’t the fact she’d been suddenly shot into the hallway, but rather the fact that she wasn’t alone.

“T-Twilight?!”

“Hello, Luna.” Twilight smiled warmly at her, standing in the midst of the hallway of dream doors, several of them winking out of existence around them as the ponies behind them began to wake for the day. Still, Twilight stood in the midst of her hallway – Luna’s own hallway – as easily as if she had walked through any one of these doors. Luna took a deep breath to calm herself, a million questions whirling around her mind all at once.

“Lemme guess, you’re shocked to see me here.” Twilight chuckled, gesturing towards a nearby door, this one a sturdy oak one unadorned, with a simple knob and a welcome mat stitched with Twilight’s cutie mark. It looked oddly enough like the door to the old library in Ponyville, before it had been destroyed by Tirek.

“’Shocked’ is an understatement.” Luna gasped, laying a hoof on her breast. “How… how did you… Why… I’m so confused. I thought this was my… my own-“

“Oh, trust me, it is.” Twilight turned towards the door opposite her own, laying a hoof on the knob. A flash of light filled the hallway, accompanied by both a cry of shock from Luna and pain from Twilight. When Luna looked back, Twilight’s hoof was smoking, and a small black mark had appeared on her hoof. “I can find my way here – to your hallway – but entering the dreams of other ponies?” She shook her head. “No matter how hard I study, I can’t find my way in there… That much, it seems, is beyond me.”

While that had put some of Luna’s fears to rest, the major question still remained. She narrowed her eyes at Twilight, feeling a slight bit of anger and indignation well up within her chest.

“How did you get here?”

“It took some doing, let me tell you.” Twilight shook her head. “A lot of nights after long study sessions spent sleeping a lot more than I should. It took me forever to accomplish lucid dreaming, and even more to be able to cast magic without waking myself up. Eventually, though, I was able to reverse-engineer a spell that allowed me out into this hallway. A way out of my own dream.” She gestured back towards the door, which even as Luna watched, began to flicker and fade. Twilight went and opened the door, revealing the interior of the old Ponyville library, again, before it had been destroyed. “I have to keep that dream going, though… I don’t know what’ll happen if I ‘wake up’ while I’m still out here in this hall. It gets more and more unstable the further I go. Even just a few feet makes it go all crazy.” Twilight stood on the threshold, smiling at Luna. “Perhaps we can talk inside?”

“S-sure…” Luna followed Twilight into the library, feeling rather impressed at Twilight’s capability, if a little threatened. Twilight’s dream was of her old library, but done in rather vivid detail. Everything, from the smell of yellowed old paper to the pinpricks of dust motes floating down through golden shafts of sunlight, was as clear to her as the stars in the night sky. She had a hundred questions for Twilight now, and less than half of them were about her trouble with Mist Walker. Twilight hummed to herself as she trotted towards one of the myriad bookshelves in the library, flipping through thick tomes in search of one in particular.

“Twilight,” Luna began, unsure exactly where to start. “How… how exactly did you manage to get into the hallway?”

“Oh, I told you already… You came to visit me four months ago during that nightmare I had about Spike, remember?”

“I do…” Luna narrowed her eyes. Twilight had had a nightmare of Spike leaving for his century-long nap without saying goodbye, and she’d helped the young princess through that night.

“And shortly after that, you came to help me with the same one.” Luna nodded stoically. Repeat nightmares weren’t uncommon, even after she lent her assistance. Particularly ones as vivid as Twilight’s tended to be. “Well, after those two visits, I knew there had to be a way you were coming and going – not just from my dream, but those of my friends as well.”

“Fluttershy told you her dreams?”

“Only because I asked.” Twilight affirmed, still scanning book titles interestedly. “She told me you helped her with some nightmares. That’s all. Still, I knew there had to be some way of you going to and from dreams… So I traced your magical power when you came to and from my nightmares. It’s not unlike finding gems; they leave a faint magical energy that ponies like Rarity can find and highlight. Each spell has this energy, some of them are just too quick or too powerful to follow in a sense… Others, like yours, are terribly thin and I almost want to say weak. More like they’re just… thin. Very hard to grasp. But, once I found one, I was able to reverse-engineer the spell that opened my door.”

“Huh.” Luna frowned at Twilight, tapping her hoof in thought. It was a genius spell, to be sure, but something about it just rubbed her the wrong way. As if sensing her trepidation, Twilight glanced over her shoulder.

“You don’t want me in your hallway, I’m guessing.”

“It gives me some sort of feeling, yes.”

“Well, I want you to know I didn’t mean to do it maliciously.” Twilight turned away from the shelf, approaching Luna with an apologetic look. “I was just really, REALLY intrigued…” That word sparked something in Luna, reminding her why she had ever sought out Twilight and her friends in the first place. Pushing that to the side for now, Luna confronted Twilight.

“You didn’t see fit to ask my permission before researching such a thing? I dare say I’d have been inclined to help, had you asked properly.”

“I’m going to be perfectly honest, Luna.” Twilight blushed, kicking the floor innocently. “I got so swept up in the research that I totally forgot to even ask you.” She lowered her head. “I’m truly sorry, Luna. If you’d like, I won’t pursue it anymore.”

Luna took another deep breath, the panic and fear and discovering her sacred hallway had been invaded gone now. Twilight was a fellow princess, and incredibly ingenuous to a fault. It was only logical that she’d express interest in Luna’s inherent ability. Even then, she seemed unable to enter into other ponies’ dreams. Whether or not that was Luna’s domain remained to be seen. ’After all, if she can escape her own dream, who’s to say she can’t enter into a different one with practice and research? Still…’

“Just keep me informed from here out. Naturally, I’m fine with you advancing your skills, but I’d certainly like to know the next time you plan on arriving in the hallway. Still, this presents a unique opportunity…”

“My thoughts exactly! What happens if one of us is incapacitated, or we get separated?” Twilight beamed. “Knocked unconscious, even, we still dream. So-“

“One or either of us can meet the other in the hallway.” Luna nodded. “That’s certainly something I’d like to have available in case of emergency.”

“I’ll see what I can do. With your permission, of course.” Twilight smiled at her genuinely, and Luna felt the anger and panic recede. Twilight only meant the best. Keeping the hallway and all its dreams from someone so curious with nothing but the best of intentions seemed selfish. She would monitor Twilight’s activity closely, however, to keep her from hurting herself or getting trapped.

Also to keep her away from the dark end of the hallway.

“So what brings you here tonight, then? Just doing your rounds? I haven’t seen you in that portion of the hall since I started visiting it.” Twilight went back to scanning the book titles, pulling a few tomes out here or there, which she subsequently floated to nearby tables.

“As it stands, I actually visited your friends, the Elements of Harmony.” Luna peeked at the books Twilight was setting aside, finding them to be complex tomes of magic and research. She was familiar with a few of them, but Twilight appeared to be pulling several she hadn’t read yet, or had forgotten about long, long ago.

“Oh? Is something wrong?” Twilight paused, concern in her voice. Luna shook her head, waving Twilight off.

“Hardly. Nothing major, anyways. It’s… well, it’s personal.” Luna sighed, saying the same line she’d said already tonight. “I’m having some stallion issues.”

*thump*

A small puff of dust kicked up as Twilight dropped a book. She quivered from horn to tail, looking furtively at Luna.

“Y-you don’t say.”

“I am… Are you okay?”

“F-fine, I just… Haah.” Twilight exhaled, quivering again. Luna arched an eyebrow, curiosity clean on her features. “’Stallion troubles’ might just be… what I’m dealing with as well.”

“Oh?” Luna couldn’t help it, but a faint smile spread across her features. “That’s interesting. What sort of-“

“I’m in heat.”

The silence between them stretched on for what felt like an eternity. Luna broke it first, a blush working its way onto her cheeks.

“You mean-“

“This isn’t my usual dreamscape.” Twilight nodded. “I’m usually in the castle, or sometimes flying… but I force myself here when I’m... you know. The books, and the quiet, and this place… It all reminds me of a time before I was… intimately involved. Makes dealing with it all that much easier.” Her blush intensified to all-new levels. “You’ve… caught me at a bad time, I’m afraid.”

“Ah huh.” Luna stood then, the door materializing behind her. “Maybe I should just go…”

“Sorry.” Twilight deadpanned, her blush intensifying ever-more. “I just… You know how it gets. I’m guessing you came here for advice-“

“- I did.”

“And, well, you know I’d probably tell you to just-“

“- buck him and be done with it.”

“Right.” Twilight closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath. “I know you were probably counting on me for something more than that.” Guilt suddenly filled Luna’s breast, and she paused halfway turned towards the door.

“I… Twilight, it’s not like that… I value your opinion, sure, but-“

“Hey, I get it. I’m sorry, I really am. You know how it gets.”

“I do.” Luna blushed herself. “Oh do I ever…”

“So, you know, just thinking about one, I…” Spawned by the change in conversation, Twilight’s dream began to change. It was suddenly much warmer in the library, and heavy crimson drapes covered the windows, cutting off the beams of sunlight. “Yeah.” She grimaced.

“I get it, I do.” Luna cleared her throat. “I, uuh… don’t typically hang around for these sorts of dreams, Twilight.” ’At least, not anymore. And not with mares. Not again.’

“I am sorry, Luna, but…” Twilight’s pleading expression gave her pause. “Maybe there’s some validity in this advice?”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Luna paused on the threshold of the dreamscape. Just as the disco ball descended from the ceiling and some smooth jazz began to play from seemingly nowhere, Twilight stepped forward.

“I mean, maybe bucking him wouldn’t be such a bad thing. Maybe it’ll help, I dunno, break the proverbial ice?”

And with that, Luna slipped back into the hallway.

The very dim, sultry-lit hallway.

“It’s going to be a long holiday.” Luna groaned, leaving Twilight to her dream.

Author's Note

I'm not feeling one hundred percent on this chapter. Granted, that's likely because this is just me getting back into the game, so to speak (it's been 8 months, possibly even more, since my last update for any given story.) That combined with the fact that this is the longest and most involved chapter yet, along with some potentially unnecessary magical exposition, is making for some pretty wary editing.

Nevertheless, I'm publishing. I don't know if this is a 'return to form,' per se, but I did just write a decently-sized chapter and upload it, so... Who knows? Maybe I'm back, maybe I'm not. We'll have to see how the next few weeks go. Either way, thank you for reading. It means the world to me.

Sincerely,
-Loyal