Luna sat in her dark room, quietly inspecting the fruits of her late nights investigation. And the harder she poured over the various readouts and reports, the more she realized they wouldn't improve any by simply rereading them over and over. She let the sheets fall to her desk and put out a mighty exhale as she looked up at the light of the moon glimmering down into her starfilled mane. A knock at the door snapped her out of her silent brooding as he sister pushed open the ornately trimmed door that led to the hall containing all the royal bed-chambers.

“Oh, sister! Im glad to see you have the strength to move again.” She mumbled with a sigh of relief. The past few nights had been hectic in the castle, as one would expect when the high ruler of Equestria and godess of the sun takes ill and can hardly manage the kingdom that so frantically needed her. Luna pulled a small mask over her muzzle, the straps wrapping around her ears snugly. Celestia smiled and nodded as though giving a silent apology.

“Dearest Luna, i assure you I've only contracted a bit of a cold.” Celestia spoke hoarsely, but the reassuring tone apparent all the same. She trotted shakily in and found her way to a small gathering of plush purple-black pillows where she, a bit unstabily, planted herself into a seated position. “Besides, surely all this talk of Gryp-.”

Luna jumped in with the slightest hint of a squeak to her voice. “Speak not its name good sister! Some ponies say that its mere mention can increase its lethality!” Her eyes shrank and she shook fearfully, an uncommon thing to see the princess of the night do. She looked away and shook the feeling of dread from her, her hooves shifting as she did. “I’m sorry ... I over-reacted .” She said in a hushed tone. “I’m just so worried Sister, the reports coming in from around Equestria keep getting worse. And if you were to have contracted ... IT then ... i don't think i could handle all of this on my own.” She rolled this out on a rocky voice. However Celestia only smiled.

“I’m truly in good hands as long as you’re around to help take some strain off, fret not sister. Soon I’ll make a recovery and we can g-” But Celestia never got the chance to finish, just then her body was racked by a shudder and heaving coughs. Her wings extended instinctively to the pane and her manes normal flowing pattern slowed nearly to a halt. Luna was by her side instantly, helping her down to her side, and calling loudly for the guards. After a moment they arrived, trailed by a medical team lead by Nurse Readheart.

“Im Sorry princess, ill have to insist you leave the room! Take your sisters room, she’ll be immobile for some time now.” She barked almost bordering on inordinately, like it had been Luna's fault that Celestia had chosen now to start coughing. Luna rose and backed away from her writhing sister in shock, noticing just as she past the threshold the trickle of red running down her sisters muzzle.

Luna, quite in a daze, wandered the halls of the castle. Her mind flying seven different directions. Her duties as a princess the only thing she could think to escape to. Get it together Luna. Thought the strong willed mare as she went to the balcony of the castle, looking out at the small plumes of smoke from the chimneys. Let the dreams of those whom are troubles be open to me. Her thoughts were rhythmic as the waves of the ocean, casting her incorporeal form into the night sky, across the many seas of overlapping dreams being sent out by her subjects below. But one set caught her attention, it was moving just below the small cloud of smoke cast out by the trains chimney. She cut down and entered the First of them, a scene of brilliance around her as the happy ponies of Canterlot, all in expensive jewel encrusted dresses flocked around the halls of the Grand Galloping Gala.

“Oh darling,” Giggled a high pitched voice from the center of the crowd. “Surely the princess of the night would look FANTASTIC in a dress from my boutique!” Rarity trotted over with an air of authority about her. “Perhaps you would be so kind as to head back to your room to change into one? Ive sent one up free of charge of course!” Luna, quite taken aback, actually listened to this ‘order’ and moved up the grand staircase of the Canterlot castle and out of this dream, into the next. Gritting her teeth as she heard a haughty voice calling. “She looked a disaster!”

As she cleared the dream stairs out of Rarity’s refined dream she felt suddenly quite light on her feet, suddenly walking along some uncharted weather pattern. “Hey, Princess!” Called a slightly gritty voice from among the clouds. On closer inspection Rainbow Dash was flying along the course of this cloud tower, easier seen now to be a hurricane. “Id be careful around here, Things could get real interesting real quick!” With that shouted message Rainbow lowered her goggles and shot downward, through the pony-made funnel cloud, popping out the opposite end and creating a sonic rainboom. Casting the Mysterious rainbow coloring into the surrounding rain-clouds causing it to ... rain ... rainbows. Luna couldnt be asked to tally in this strange place. She moved on as crowds of faceless pony fans gathered to cheer on the small blue pony.

The cheering died out and was replaced quickly by laughter, all of it familiar. She turned to see the candy coated walls of Sugarcube Corner, and heard the familiar voice of Pinkie Pie say to her audience. “It just depends on the SOCK market! Get it?!” She snorted and rolled back in her own punny laughter. Luna rolled her eyes and groaned, and was ready to move on till she noticed Twilight among the crowd. Strange because dream incarnations were faceless to her interloping. She guessed that Celestias pupil was studious enough she may have learned the art of dream walking. He caught the little purple ponies attention and inclined her head, motioning her towards the familiar shores of her own dream.

When Luna entered the small Library of Ponyville she turned and addressed the small and flushing purple pony with a grave voice. “Twilight Sparkle, I am sorry to have to interrupt your dreams for things such as this ... but i have grave news indeed."

Author's Note

Just as a fun fact, it took me about two years to overcome the writers block on this Fic, as such you'll likely notice two things. Im a bit rusty on the writing edge right now and two my writing style has changed a bit. HOWEVER, im back on track now, and ill be writing at least a chapter a day!