Your Loyal Subject

Luna found herself in a dreamscape again upon her falling asleep. It was, yet again, very similar to the one of the market, with everything being large and misshapen. However, the location was different. This time, she was in what looked like a long classroom. The desks resembled towers, and the room was even larger than a great hall in the castle.

"What is this?" Luna questioned verbally. "Why have I, for a second time, ended up in a place like this? This shall only slow me down!"

In any case, Luna began to wander through the mazelike layout of the "classroom" in search of a way out. She made her way to the ajar door, and into a hallway of towering lockers, yet there were also lockers of regular size and shape, placed on the floor in front of the enlarged ones. Once she made it out of the room, that was when she heard a schoolbell ringing... but it was deeper in pitch and slower (presumably due to the enlargement of everything).

Once that sound concluded, Luna saw the doors opening around the hallways... and emerging from them were swarming of weird, animate mannequin ponies that were the same size as her. As they approached the Princess, glowing red dots appeared on the spots where their faces would be, and they changed their course to move straight toward her. Panicking, she darted for the nearest locker and hid herself inside.

The mannequin ponies were sitting right outside the locker, despite Luna praying that they would leave immediately. They sat for about twenty seconds before another schoolbell sounded, and then all of the ponies filed toward the nearest classroom. It was then when Luna realized again what was going on.

"Of course..." she said. "...I have to time it so that I can get through with each interval of class-in-session to get to the exit!"

So, with that in mind, Luna retreated from the locker and began to follow "EXIT" signs mounted on the ceiling that directed her to the way out of this dreamscape.

"Could it be?" Luna uttered. "Is this... also Avey's subconscious, just like the market one?"

After making it a step of the way further, another bell sounded, and Luna took refuge in the nearest locker. Once she waited, the bell rang again and all the mannequin ponies went back to "class." She continued this process until she made it to a gymnasium, and right on the other side...

"...the egress of this dreamscape!" Luna said upon seeing the door.

She rushed for it... but upon glancing up at the rafters, she caught a familiar sight...

...The shadow pony, standing upon a beam.

"You!" Luna said, attempting to fly, but found her wings immobile yet again. "Why do you keep showing up in these dreamscapes!?"

The shadow pony said nothing, and continued to give her a cold, piercing glare as she decided to abandon this place ASAP. She made it to the EXIT door, and stepped into the wall of blinding white light just beyond it. Once she made it to the Dream Void, she looked back at the door... and saw that it was Aversion's subconscious indeed.

"I knew it." Luna said. "There is definitely something going on with Avey... but it'll have to wait until I'm awake to piece together."

Despite having escaped and taking a heavy load of dream-work, Luna still could not get her mind off the event, particularly after a second occurrence. And that shadow pony...

"...What does this all mean!?" Luna questioned the cosmos.

One day that came a few days after Luna and Aversion spent their night together just so happened to be Aversion's twenty-seventh birthday. However, even in his younger years... his birthday was never really a significant event. This was because it was always held on the day of the Summer Sun Celebration, an event that stole his spotlight for twenty-six, and now, twenty-seven, years. Whenever he tried to bring it up with anypony, they always scolded him for "being selfish" and "disrespecting the ruler of Equestria by disregarding one of her most important duties!"

In any case, Aversion had told Luna about it beforehand, and told him that she would go out of her way to get something special for him. It was something that, she guaranteed, would make up for the birthdays he missed in his earlier life. Now that she met back up with him at the stoop of his house after several days absence, she was ready to give it to him.

"Hey, Luna!" Aversion said upon seeing the blue alicorn land on his lawn.

"Hi, Avey!" Luna responded. "Happy birthday!"

Aversion smiled weakly. "Thanks."

Luna was carrying a fairly large birthday present, strapped upon her back.

"Is that for me?" Aversion asked.

Luna nodded. "You're going to be quite happy when you find out what this is!"

Aversion began going at the wrapping paper after Luna took the present off herself, ripping it all over the place, and revealed what looked like a pair of doors inside frames. His smile left his face and his eyes narrowed.

"...I don't get it. Why would a pair of doors make me happy?" he asked.

"Observe..." Luna said.

She opened both of the doors simultaneously... and through them both was a mirrored version of Aversion, Luna, and his house... but it wasn't mirrored. Aversion realized what it was...

"...A portal!" he said.

"Yes!" Luna said. "And what I have in mind is something I'm positive everypony would envy about you should they ever find out. So don't tell anypony!"

"So, what am I supposed to do with them?" Aversion asked.

"Here's what will happen:" Luna spoke. "You put one someplace discreet, and I will put the other in the Castle of the Two Sisters!"

Aversion's eyes went wide as his mouth fell agape. "Really? You would do that for me, Luna?"

Luna nodded. "Of course! I believe a special friend deserves a special residence, especially with how much you have been through, Avey."

Aversion stood on his hind legs to give the Princess a hug, which she returned.

"Thank you, Luna." Aversion said. "You have no idea how much this means to me!"

After a long hugging session, the two eventually separated.

"And, I happen to have a pair of my own that I finished creating in a long stretch of free time I was lucky to obtain. So, I can set it up in my closet, as well as the other castle. That way, we can both visit each other much easier!" Luna said.

Aversion, nodding with his eyes to the ground and a big grin on his face, looked back up at Luna.

"Great idea!" Aversion said. "I'll be sure to check up on the castle on a nightly basis, even if to see you for a brief moment before I have to go to sleep for work the next day."

"Fair enough. What time do you usually make it home?" Luna asked.

"Typically, shortly after eight." Aversion responded.

"Alright," Luna said. "I'm sure I'll be able to squeeze in a few moments to see you if I have something important the following day... but if I do not have anything important the next day, I'll be able to spend more time with you!"

"Awesome!" Aversion said.

"Also, feel free to use the castle as your residence, if you wish... my little prince." Luna said, rubbing his nose with the tip of her hoof.

"Heh heh." Aversion chuckled. "Stop it, Lulu."

Luna subtly gasped and smiled upon hearing what he called her. Aversion blushed as his eyes fell.

"...I hope it's okay I call you that." Aversion said.

"Absolutely!" Luna said. "If anything... I prefer you call me that!"

Despite Aversion now feeling quite good about himself... there was something still eating at him since the incident.

"So... what happened that one day when Celestia caught us drunk?" he asked

"...It was my nephew, Prince Blueblood." Luna said, regretfully. "He tipped off my sister to our fun... and she punished me for it."

Aversion's eyes went wide. "Wait... for real!? He squealed to your sister about me!?"

"I'm afraid so..." Luna said.

The stallion became overwhelmed with rage upon hearing this. "Well, why don't you just let me deal with him, Lulu? Clearly, I'm the one he has a problem with."

"No!" Luna interjected. "You mustn't try to 'deal with' anypony of royal status! It'll only make things worse!"

"Then what should we do about this?" Aversion asked.

Luna pondered for a moment.

"...Perhaps it is best we simply meet in secret for the time being." Luna said. "In the meantime, I'll have to feign contempt against 'Tia so she won't suspect anything from my sudden change of disposition."

"I see. I understand." Aversion said. "But, anyway, thanks for letting me have the castle!"

"Of course, Avey! I'll be sure to set up the other door on my way back to Canterlot Castle. We just need to ensure neither 'Tia nor Blueblood know that you're staying there! Don't even tell anypony in Ponyville about it!" Luna cautioned.

"My maw is sealed!" Aversion said.

"Well, 'tis time I went back. Farewell for now, my dear Avey..." Luna said.

With that, the alicorn gave her subject one final hug, and when the two separated... she planted a quick kiss on his cheek. This caught Aversion off-guard... while it was something he had been hopeful for, he was not expecting it to come so soon. A flush filled his face as a single hoof fluttered up to the spot where the Princess touched her lips to.

With a last, warm smile, Luna spread her wings and took to the skies, levitating the other portal door with her. Aversion watched her fly toward Everfree Forest until she was too small to be seen anymore. This left him with the other portal door. He tipped it onto his back and hauled it into his house, where he carefully set it up in the near-empty closet in his bedroom. He put an old, torn bedsheet over it to cover it up. He did not get any visitors... but it was better to be safe than sorry.

The Mane Six, Starlight, and Spike all arrived in Canterlot, and were granted permission to enter the Great Hall of the castle, where Princess Celestia was waiting for them.

"Princess Celestia!" Twilight said.

"Ah, Twilight!" Celestia responded. "I see you've arrived."

"So, is Luna doing alright?" Starlight asked.

The ruler of Equestria pursed her lips as her gaze fell to the floor.

"...She's been doing nothing but giving me the silent treatment." Celestia said. "Honestly, that's the kind of behavior I'd expect out of a little filly, not a grown mare... let alone one who's immortal and has lived for thousands of years like me."

"So, like... what went down that got her so down-in-the-dumps?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Well... I really don't want to throw out names, but..." Celestia trailed off.

"Ooh! Is it a guessing-game?" Pinkie asked.

Celestia sighed. "No, nothing like that. It's a matter that... entails a stallion from Ponyville..."

"A stallion?" Twilight asked. "What was she doing?"

"It seems that the two had gotten themselves drunk on some fine wine we had been saving for the upcoming Gala... and of course, Luna was drunk when she tried to explain what happened, so questioning her got nowhere at first. We returned the stallion to his home in Ponyville after issuing a warrant to the Royal Guard to enter his property to do so."

"Well, if anything, ah reckon she was prob'ly broodin' and just wanted to spend time with some'ne." Applejack said.

"I would understand that... but what I don't quite comprehend is why she would select... a stallion as her first choice..." Rarity added.

It was only after the fashionista unicorn said this that everypony fell silent... and pieced together what might've been going on...

"Wait..." Starlight pondered. "...a stallion... and Luna's very introverted... so that means..."

"Oh, hoh hoh hoooooh...!" Rainbow Dash laughed. "...Luna's got it bad!"

"Um..." Fluttershy uttered. "...she's got what bad?"

"Got lovestruck bad!" Dash responded.

"Well..." Celestia spoke up. "...I know my sister quite well, and I know that she wouldn't do something like this off the bat. She'd be quite selective over any stallion, and wouldn't start a formal relationship with any who she felt was unworthy."

"But, do you think we should try to figure out what she was up to, Princess?" Twilight asked.

"Like I said... Lulu won't budge. She's not going to lower that shield anytime soon, I imagine." Celestia responded.

"True..." Twilight said. "...but, what if we did a bit of investigating to find out exactly who this stallion is?"

Everypony thought about this for a moment.

"...I suppose it would be the best course of action, just to know why Lulu wanted him to visit in the first place." Celestia said.