Whilst You Sleep

Cakes. Pastries. Sweets. As far as the eye could see. Had she stepped into the correct door? This was highly reminiscent of a dream Pinkie Pie had the other day, save for the missing balloons and the ten story gingerbread castle ruled by ‘Her Highness Princess Pinkie Pie’. Luna admitted that she certainly had celestial aspirations befitting a princess.

But no, this was not right. Or maybe, it was more fitting than she thought. Celestia had always had a fondness for sweets and snacks just like anypony. It was one of the few civil traits that she shared with her subjects that was unbefitting of a princess. Not only did she have a weakness for sweets, but she was a prankster herself. Luna thought back to their time at the Castle of the Two Princesses, and the pranks they played on each other. The look on Princess Platinum’s face when she fell through the trap door in the throne room. Priceless.

Upon further examination, this was definitely the right place. Luna flew among the clouds of a bright blue sky above the valley below where she finally found who she was looking for. Princess Celestia… and… another pony. A unicorn clothed in regal blue robes adorned with a crown. She recognized this stallion. He was a noble unicorn who had once sacrificed everything to preserve his love for Celestia and her subjects.

There was no mistaking it… This was King Sombra. A Sombra from an alternate universe that Celestia had discovered during her studies with Star Swirl the Bearded. In that universe, every ponies roles had been reversed. In that universe… Luna and Celestia were the villains. And the benevolent King Sombra had fallen in love with the Celestia from a different universe… her universe… her dear sister.

Luna watched them from a cloud high above them. It was like a scene from a dramatic play which was happily sloping into its denouement. The hero and his princess had undergone hardships, fought against their demons those outside and within. They had deserved their happy ending…

There was a sudden shift, and the calm winds suddenly became turbulent. Luna focused on what had happened below, and what was once a green meadow had turned brown, crispy and dead. Celestia was alone… and Sombra was nowhere to be found.

That’s right… his sacrifice… separated them forever.

The world glitched and shifted around in an instance. Luna was suddenly in full regalia standing in the grand hall of the castle. The shift was too sudden, so she was not able to control where she ended up. One look to the right and she saw Celestia walking toward her. She stood at attention, as naturally as she could to make herself seem to be a part of the dream.

She recognized this memory. It was months ago. The delegates from Saddle Arabia presented their heir whom had come of age and was in line to succeed them. Luna looked at Celestia from the corner of her eye and saw something that she had completely missed~ her sister’s eyes fluttered for a moment. How could she have missed that? Thinking back, she had no idea that her sister had been taken by the prince so suddenly.

Another temporal shift~ Luna used her magic to cloak herself this time, allowing her to move freely. Celestia’s dreams had taken her to the garden where she knew Celestia and the prince had met several times. She thought it was purely on royal business~ but for Celestia to court a prince, it actually felt exciting. She had not seen her sister so happy to be interacting with another pony in this way.

“Celestia… you are a princess… I am a mere peon compared to your regality. I’m… afraid we cannot continue like this.”

Oh no…

Not like this. The prince had turned and left, leaving Celestia in the garden all alone. Her eyes welled up with tears-

At this point, Luna could take no more, “Enough!”

The world disappeared, and the dreamscape reappeared in its place. Luna had forced herself out of the dream before she bore witness to her sister’s grief. That pained look on her face was too much for her to bear. To be unattainable… to feel unattainable… to hear that your position automatically makes you too worthy…

Were I there, that thankless stallion would have been banished to the moon. So help me I shall invade his dreams and show him a true NIGHTMARE!!!

But not now… not when she had made such an important discoscovery. Something that she had been so oblivious to all this time. Some sister she had made herself out to be! She could not even tell that her sister was in so much pain. What could she do? How could she make her feel better?

Luna shook the tears from her eyes and focused on a specific flower she had planted in the garden, a “Moon Blossom”. What a gift to present to her sister… something to show her that no matter what happens, she will find love, and she will be loved someday. That even now, she is loved. Luna picked the flower and raced back to her door closing the dreamscape behind her, resolving to make things up to Celestia immediately.

The Moon Blossom would not survive long outside of the dreamscape, but with a special spell, it would last long enough for Celestia to accept it and marvel at its beauty. That would be enough for Luna to feel that she had done something right by her sister.