The night had fallen, and the princess of the night found herself truly puzzled. New ponies had shown up from an alien world, and all of them bore the mental scars of war. Many of them were asleep now, and she could feel their dreams, some slowly turning into nightmares, which as princess of the night, she was honor bound to correct them.

But was puzzled her was the words of the aliens leader, Regwald, who to was asleep, for he had told her that his dreams were not for her to witness.

It made no sense to her, for nopony in the history of the world had ever denied her access to their dreams, not even her sister's dreams were beyond her influence. And now, somepony was baring her from helping them, and though his dreams seemed pleasant, there was an underlying tone telling her that he was extremely uncomfortable.

So, deciding her guardianship over dreams outranked his word, she pulled open his door and walked inside.

*

When she entered the dream, she ground herself on a foreign world, nothing looking familiar to her as she looked for the dreamer who lay within. As she took her first few steps, a massive dragon flew over her head, its black body blocking out the sun as it soared toward a large mountain, where an even bigger dragon awaited it.

When Luna's eyes fell on this dragon, she realized that this was Regwald, for Celestia had let her get a glimpse of his true form.

“Kira...why do you come?”

“To ask you once again....to take me as your mate, like I have been for so long now.

“You know I cannot Kira, it is forbidden....”

“But you are a dragon!”

“I am the lord of time!” roared Regwald, causing the young dragoness to back away in fear. “I am forbidden from engaging in mortal acts, less I be tempted to become partial to the workings of the world around me.”

“Then what about before, when you didn't know what you are!”

“That is different....”

“NO IT'S NOT!” roared Kira, advancing forward as she glared at the titanic dragon before her, “You indulged, you interfered, so why not indulge in me, am I not good enough for you!”

“That's not the...”

“No, I want to know, why can't you let me love you!”

As Kira continued to rage, Luna saw this as an opportunity to help the young being, lighting up her horn and beginning to reach out to the dream, preparing to take command.

However, the moment her horn lit up the entire scene froze, and then vanished as Regwald's glowing red eyes fixed upon her, and then he spoke. “I told you you were not WELCOME HERE!”

He slammed his fist into the black abyss, and all at once Luna was expelled from the dream, the door slamming shut behind her before chains wrapped themselves around it, much to her utter shock.

“He locked me out....impossible...”

She activated her magic, trying to rip the chains apart, but received a magical backlash the likes of which she had never felt before, stumbling a bit as she got back to her hooves. “I shall have to speak of Tia about this...this is something that should not be ignored.”

*

Fluttershy sighed a bit as she headed to her forest home, feeling a bit guilty for leaving her friends at the castle after the new ponies had shown up, but at the same time not really wanting to be their because of them.

She couldn’t really place why, but something about that group of ponies unnerved her to no end, for they felt…wrong, like Nightmare Moon had.

“But that can’t be,” she thought, “none of them looked like her…well that one red maned pony did, she was scary.”

Fluttershy shivered at the mere thought of that dark mare, for everything about her screamed Nightmare Moon, and it didn’t help that she was an alicorn.

“And that other one…Regwald…why did it feel like every time I stared at him that I was staring upon a being older than Celestia, he…he carries himself like Celestia and Luna do.”

Fluttershy shivered again, hoping that her observations would prove false in the end. But she couldn’t shake her observations, and if she was right, Regwald was just as old, if not older than the princesses, and that scared her a great deal.

Suddenly Fluttershy stopped, hearing a rustling sound coming from the bushes beside her, and turning to see a pair of ears poking out of the bush.

“Hello?” she said, looking at the bush as the ears shivered, then watching as they began to move. When it fully emerged, Fluttershy saw that it was a small bipedal squirrel like creature, covered completely in red fur with large ears and a long tail.

“Hi,” said the creature, “my name is Twilly, what’s your name?”

“EEEEEEEEEEE!!!!”

Fluttershy grabbed the little critter up in her hooves, pulling it close and hugging it as she squeed over the cute creature.

“Oh you are the most adorable thing ever!” said Fluttershy excitedly, hugging it a bit more before letting it go and introducing herself. “My name is Fluttershy, it’s nice to meet you Twilly.”

Twilly giggled, then looked puzzled as he spoke, “Um, not that I don't want to get to know you more, but have you seen my friends, I thought I saw them earlier, but then I lost them.”

“Oh you poor thing,” said Fluttershy, “what did your friends look like?”

Twilly immediately lept into explaining what they looked like, and this immediately filled Fluttershy with dread, for he had just described the ponies who were now in Twilight's Castle. However, her kind nature won out in the end, for she could tell he really wanted to see them, so she allowed him to hop on her back as she turned back to the castle.

Neither of them noticed however, the tall dark figure that soon began to follow them, followed close behind by a pony who, if Fluttershy had seen him, would have sent her running for the hills.

*

Regwald awoke with his eyes glowing an evil red, the stallion letting out a feral like bark as he left his bed. He had told her, he had told her his dreams were forbidden, yet she had gone in anyway, and she had seen what lied within the depths of his aching heart.

As he let himself collapse upon the balcony outside his room, he let his mind wander, thinking of the woman who was his secret love, his flame before he had figured out what he was. He had always planned, after the war was over, to admit his feelings for her, and allow her to take him as her mate, like she wanted so badly. But then he had found out his true nature...and the other had surfaced, haunting his every decision, his every waking thought!

“Is that really how you think of me, the other?”

Regwald growled as the phantom image of his other half appeared beside him, the dragon getting comfortable as he lifted his head and spoke. “Yes, that is how I see you, for nothing else fits in my mind when it comes to you.”

The dragon chuckled, “Well that is your choice, but it does not change things, especially in regards to the female.”

“I've already told you, I will not pursue her.”

“So you say,” said the dragon, “yet your words sound hollower and hollower every time you say them, your will is weakening.”

“...so what if it is?” asked Regwald plainly.

“You cannot claim her, it would weaken you, make you biased, make you unable to make the sacrifices necessary if it came to saving lore.”

“And what if I don't care anymore.”

The dragon looked like it was about to speak, but then they both heard a chuckle, Regwald turning to see Princess Celestia looking at him, the mare smiling a knowing smile as she spoke. “So, I am not the only own who holds conversations with my power, I must admit it is quite refreshing to see.”

Regwald stared in disbelief, even as the other faded away and the mare sat down beside him. “You have an other?”

Celestia nodded, “I don't call her that, but yes, I have an other, all alicorns do.”

“I see,” said Regwald, “that is troubling, I hope the others don't develop them like I did.”

“They will, though unlike you, they will hopefully not let themselves be ruled by them.”

Regwald gave her a curious look, so she elaborated. “You let your other dictate how you live your life, which is something you should not do, especially not when it comes to matters of the heart.”

Regwald growled, “So she told you, well it doesn't matter, a being like me can't indulge, as you well know.”

“So you say, but would it surprise you to hear that I have had relations with over forty ponies in my long life?”

Regwald's eyes widened, “what...but you...such indulgences would make you biased, interfering to make sure the people you indulge in survive, rather than letting them dictate their own lives.”

“True, but you forget Regwald, you are not separated from your people anymore. You walk amongst them, as such, you must indulge and interfere, for you are not just some unseen god anymore who influences the lives of all mortals, you are a god who walks among them, and thus you must pick a side...though from what I have seen, you already have.”

Regwald hesitated a moment, then he realized that she did have a point. Long gone were the days where he would simply float through space on his little island, watching as the mortals dictated their own lives. But when he had let Galanoth kill him, and then was reborn as Regwald, he had interfered, he had indulged, and even after he had realized he was a god, he had continued to interfere, even with the voice in his head telling him he must detach himself from his mortal connections.

“She obviously has had an easy life,” said the other, appearing again by his side to speak, only to stop when, much to both of their surprise, glared at the other and spoke.

“I have had to banish my sister to the moon after her other became corrupted and took over her body, and it was thanks to my indulging in the love of those few ponies who were brave enough to see me as more than a god that I got through the thousand years she was gone without slipping into madness, now begone you, I am speaking to Regwald.”

The other glared at her, then vanished, the mare waiting till he was fully gone before speaking once more. “Now, I am not saying it won't be hard, but you should allow yourself to indulge in what you can, especially the love this Kira wishes to give you, for it will help you heal.”

Regwald nodded his head, “I can see the wisdom in that...and I am amazed, your words remind me of my Celestia, for she would often say similar things to me, back when I was just your average hero.”

Princess Celestia smiled at that, then she decided to speak. “Speaking of your Celestia, do you happen to know if she is into...women, I believe is the term for your females?”

“If I recall correctly yes, she was never one for hiding it, why do you....” asked Regwald, only for his eyes to widen as he looked at her. “Wait, you're not thinking of pursuing her...are you?”

“I may be, she is an attractive mare after all.”

Regwald shivered a bit in disgust, not due to the fact a pony was seeking Celestia, that wasn't the issue. It was the fact that he had always looked upon the woman as a second mother, so the idea that she might have a sex life was a bit...nauseating.

The Princess read him like a book, “So, like my dear student Twilight, you see this Celestia as a second mother. Well, I shall drop the topic for now, for there is something else I need to speak to you about.”

Regwald gazed at her curiously, and then she spoke. “Your queen of monsters is here in the castle, and she has asked to speak with you.”

Author's Note

Sorry for the delay, life keeps happening and what not.