Admiration and Admission

Chapters

Accountability
Antiquity
Adoration
Appreciation

Accountability

As he slowly fluttered his eyes open and closed, Astral Ink was immediately hit with a wave of grogginess. He could barely even process his surroundings as his brain sluggishly started up again. Since his visual stimulus was near mute, the stallion focused what little consciousness he had on himself. The first thing he noticed was that wasn’t in a lying-down position. A rather strange realization considering that most ponies expected to be lying down on a bed or couch when they first wake up. In this instance, however, the unicorn seemed to be in a slouched over position. He also realized that the side of his face was pressed against a hard surface rather than a soft pillow or comforter. To top it all off, a dull aching sensation was slowly crawling up his bended spine. Though his mind was far from awake, Astral already knew what this all meant.

“Dammit…” he muttered in a hoarse voice. “Again?”

Astral Ink had once again fallen asleep at his desk. It had become a more common occurrence as of late. He always hated how his limbs felt like stone from the prolonged stay in such an uncomfortable position. There were even the slight instances of him accidently drooling on any documents he was working on at the time, forcing him to transcribe whatever he had written on a fresh piece of paper. Shelf Stock may not be the biggest stickler when it came to neatness, but she certainly wouldn’t accept papers that had drool stains on them.

The scribe let out another huff of annoyance and steadied himself into finally waking up. Noticing the lack of a dreadful ringing from his alarm clock, Astral concluded that he had woken himself up before Princess Celestia had a chance to raise the sun. Hopefully, it would give him the chance to limber up again and fix any damage he might have caused to any documents he used for a pillow. With eyes still shut tight, the blue stallion sat up in his chair and stretched out his two hooves in the air. The limbs gave a subtle crack and slowly began to revive from their aching state. However, as his brain finally started to wake up, he noticed something was off. A quick whiff of the air told him that he wasn’t inside his room, or rather not inside a building at all. The soft scent of lavender and lilac wafted through the air, a far cry from the admittedly neutral atmosphere of his own room. His other senses became to arise as he felt a gentle breeze touch his face. Was that…a waterfall he heard in the distance?

Astral finally opened up his eyes to find that not only was he outside, he wasn’t even outside of Canterlot Castle. It was still night and the moon shone beautifully in the air along with hundreds of twinkling stars. As the stallion looked around, he saw that he was now on some sort of island amidst a large, crystal-blue lake. He saw the waterfall he had heard earlier a good distant away from the island he was on now carved into some type of mountain range. Speaking of the island, it was rather bare save for the tree-like flowers that glowed a soft violet from some type of bio-illuminance. The scribe could also see an array of other strange mushrooms and flora well past the borders of the lake.

While this new environment was admittedly beautiful and rather peace, Astral Ink was still on edge as to how exactly he arrived here. He carefully removed himself from his chair and stood in the incredibly soft grass. It was then that he saw that his desk, which was oddly clean of and papers or quills, suddenly just vanish before his eyes along with the chair he was sitting on. His horn began to glow on reflex as he was trying to figure out what was causing these strange occurrences. He didn’t know that many offensive spells aside from the basics, but Astral at least wanted to prepare one just in case something happened. He steadied his breath and began to sort this out logically.

“Okay, okay let’s think this through.” he thought out loud to steady his nerves. “This much too detailed for simple illusion magic, or any other type of magic, for that matter. I’m clearly not in my room anymore and the last thing I remember working on some back reports. So, the most likely scenario is that I fell asleep…and this is some type of dream. It’s certainly the most lucid I’ve been in a dream. But, I don’t recognize any of this. How am I able to dream it up, then?”

“Astute as ever, my faithful scribe.”

That heavenly voice. Astral immediately recognized it as he looked upward to find its source. The unicorn then saw a small twinkle emanating from the moon and watched as it grew brighter and brighter until it exploded in a spectacle of light. After shielding his eyes, Astral’s eyes widened as he saw the Princess of the Night herself, Princess Luna. The alicorn then proceeded to use her majestic wings to fly down and gently land before Astral.

“Good evening to you, Astral Ink.” Luna said with a kind smile. “I welcome you to my personal sanctuary.”

“Sanctuary?” Astral asked. Then, the pieces were finally started to click together in his mind. “So this is a dream! It’s just not mine. Princess, I don’t quite-“

“Luna.” the princess suddenly interrupted. Astral gave her another confused look. “I’ve told you many times before, Astral. There’s no need for such formalities when we are away from the public eye. Please, call me Luna.”

Astral swallowed a small lump in his throat. Calling Luna without her title had been…a rather new experience for him.

Ever since the talk that they had a few months ago, the interactions between the two had not only increased their productivity but also their time together outside of work. The motivation Astral received that night did not die down the day after. The scribe had worked double time to catch up with the work he was behind with and then continued to keep up with the new workload. With all the free time he had not playing catch up, the scribe was surprised when Luna had invited him to spend time with her.

With the alicorn’s duties mostly taking up the evening and all of the night, her day schedule was surprisingly open. It was during this time that Luna would take the opportunity to spend more time with her scribe. The pair didn’t do anything particularly fancy or intricate despite both living in a literal castle. Just simple walks through the garden or teatime between just the two of them. At first, Astral merely thought the princess just wanted to solidify their new defined friendship. However, things took a turn when their casual talks transitioned to more personal matters. Luna began to confide in Astral some of the lower moments in her life; her former jealousy towards her sister, the millennia she spent as Nightmare Moon and even her reasoning for creating the Tantabus. Like any good friend, Astral listened with no judgement and made sure to make every attempt to reassure her that her mistakes were in the past. Thus, Astral was becoming familiar with these personal interactions with his princess. But he never thought that Luna would visit him in the Dream Realm of all places.

“L-Luna, I don’t quite understand why I’m here.” Astral finally asked.

Instead of answering, Luna lit up her horn and summoned two, large sitting pillows by the flower tree. “Come,” she said as she took a seat. “Sit with me.”

Figuring it rude to deny the princess’s request, Astral nodded and walked to the other pillow. He took a seat and immediately noticed how soft and comfortable the cushion was. A far cry from the stiff, wooden chair he had for his desk. The scribe also then realized that his pillow was positioned quite close to Luna; to the point where they were almost side-by-side. Astral wasn’t quite sure what to make of that, so he instead decided to look where Luna was looking. Both ponies looked out into the horizon and Astral once again took in the beautiful features he noted when he arrived here. The twinkling stars and moonlight reflected dazzlingly off the lake, creating a crystal shimmer to the polished body of water. The waterfall in the distance also created a soothing ambiance that seemly caused the tension in the stallion’s muscles to relax.

“This is…a beautiful dream you’ve conjured.” Astral sheepishly said, not sure as to how exactly to compliment the mare.

“Thank you.” Luna replied. “This sanctuary was created by my mindscape as a way for me to seek solace from time to time. I admit, it is very much a preferable alternative to…when I had the Tantabus.”

Astral’s blood chilled a bit at the mention of the alicorn’s dream demon. Before, he had only heard of the creature in passing by her, only as a mere explanation as to her brief sabbatical to Ponyville. It was only after they began their chats that she revealed in detail what it was…and its purpose. The blue unicorn’s heart always seemed like lead and sunk when he thought about how his princess used to torment herself. A nonsensical way of atonement for crimes against Equestia that she, arguably, was even responsible for. However, Astral resisted the urge to immediately reassure the alicorn about what happened. She explained many a time that she accepted her mistake and cemented it as another past mistake to learn from. She was a smart enough pony to not need some one like him to repeat what she already knew about her revitalized character.

“So,” Astral began, trying to change the subject. “what about your duties in the Dream Realm? Are you sure it’s okay for you to be here?”

“Not all nights are the same, Astral.” Luna explained. “The number of nightmares that need my presence fluctuate with every passing day. Some nights are busy, but there are also nights like this that are calm as this lake. And so I rest from my patrol and come her to rejuvenate myself. Of course, if a particular terrible nightmare arises, I can sense it from here and immediately go head its call. Then, of course, there are the special occasions…such as this one.”

Astral couldn’t suppress the blush that lit up on his cheeks. Something about the princess saying that his visit was special felt…nice to him. The stallion then shook his head and refocused his thoughts.

“You’ve still yet to explain why you brought me here, Luna.” he then insisted. “I appreciate the sentiment, I do. But I would not to beat around the bush any longer.”

The alicorn finally stopped gazing at the horizon and turned her head to look at the scribe. Astral then saw that her face had shifted from a pleasurable one to a look of concern. A look that greatly reminded Astral of the talk they had all those months prior.

“How have you been sleeping, Astral?” she simply asked.

The unicorn was a bit caught off guard from the question. Although, now that he thought about it, perhaps a pony that was famously associated with night and dream asking about his sleep schedule wasn’t so absurd.

“Sleep?” the stallion parroted. “I…I suppose that it’s been fine. I haven’t done an all-nighter ever since a few months ago. And hey, I’m in a dream right now, so that should say something, right? Hehe…”

The alicorn did not seemed convinced by his attempt to lightly joke about the subject. “Yes. Although, most ponies tend to dream while slumbering in their beds. Not slumped over their desks, as you were.”

Astral mentally cursed himself. Of course Luna would have saw how he was positioned when he first entered the dream. Just then, a spark in his memory ignited in his head, causing him to remember how exactly he got into that position in the first place. He subtly gritted his teeth.

“Oh, that.” he said trying to play it off casually. “No need to concern yourself with that, Luna. Probably just wanted to rest my eyes for a few minutes only end up falling asleep. Happens rarely, I assure you.”

The scribe’s painted smile did nothing to wane the skepticism on Luna’s face. “Dear Astral,” she said after softening her expression. “Though we have already had a similar talk about the communication between us a few moons ago, I understand that it can be difficult to talk such personal matters to another pony immediately. Although, when I began opening up about my past during our visit, I found the experience relieving. Knowing that I was confiding with one I trust. So, I ask you to not shut me out and tell me what ails you.”

Astral began to feel a sense of déjà vu again as Luna pleaded him to confess. Although, he wasn’t in shock and awe that the alicorn held such concern for him. He was now more accepting of the fact that the Princess of the Night wanted to attend to the pleads of her scribe, or rather, her friend if she could. She had opened up to him so much in recent time, Astral figure he owed her that much.

“I…might have put a sleep charm on myself so that I could get to sleep.” Astral begrudgingly explained. “It puts the caster asleep about an hour after it’s casted. I then thought I could squeeze out another form or two before it took effect, but…you saw the results of that.”

“And pray tell, how often have you used this spell?” Luna then asked slowly.

Astral couldn’t bear to even look into his princess’s eyes when he answered her. “…Every night.”

“Astral…” The obvious disappointment laced in the alicorn’s voice hurt the stallion more than he would care to admit. “That is not exactly a way to go on. Having to bewitch yourself in order to gain any semblance of sleep.”

“I know!” Astral said before the princess could scold him further. “I know, but I can’t see any other alternative. Whenever I don’t use the spell, I end up having a terrible night’s sleep. Whether it’s because my mind is still buzzing from the previous day’s work or because of what I have to do tomorrow, but it happens nonetheless. And then my productivity for the rest of the next day is shot.”

The stallion lowered his head in shame as Luna gave an audible hum. “Well, this certainly cannot continue. I believe it’s time to look into other healthier methods to get you some rest. That amount of charms to the mind can lead to nasty side effects in the long run.”

Astral sighed heavily. “Luna with all due respects, that won’t be necessary.”

“I might have to contact the castle doctor to see if a change in diet or exercise may be needed.” Luna continued to talk with herself.

“Luna…” Astral tried to insist but was continued to be unheard.

“Though of course, this could be a mental issue rather than a physical one. Perhaps we should check with the royal therapist and see if he has any openings for a session or two. From what I understand, it usually takes a week or more to schedule an appointment. Although, I’m sure that I could pull a few strings to-“

“LUNA!”

The air halted to a silence after the unicorn’s sudden outburst. Astral was even himself surprised at his own daring. No sane pony would even think of interrupting one of the princesses so rudely, and yet, he did with ease. That awestruck feeling was short-lived, however, as he looked up to the alicorn and saw signs of shock and hurt in her expression. This wasn’t what he wanted. He was touched that she would go as far as take advantages of her royal privileges to help him. But there was something bothering him, something that had been bothering him for a while now. Astral never really knew when the right time would be to bring it up with the princess, but he supposed that now could be that time. Rip the bandage off, to say.

“Luna,” he said more gently. “I need to ask you: why are you going through so much trouble for me? I know you wanted to connect more these past few months, but why with me?”

The alicorn looked as though she was struggling not to look heartbroken. “Are you…bothered by these concerns I show for you, Astral?”

He loved it. By Faust, he loved it. In all honesty, Astral never felt happier these past few months than during his entire career at Canterlot Castle. His day always seemed to brighten up when Luna invited him to a walk in the gardens or a quiet teatime alone. His ears always tingled a bit when he heard her voice stripped from any royal resonance or authority; just her normal soft tone. It also made the stallion feel warm inside when the princess did show concern or valued his opinion on a certain matter. He felt happy. He felt appreciated. He felt…something else that he tried not to entertain, lest he be set up for disappointment.

“It’s not that I’m bothered by it, Luna.” Astral quickly explained before relaxing again. “It’s just…I’m a bit confused about all of the attention you’ve been giving me.”

Luna tilted her head a bit to show the confusion at what the stallion meant. Astral sighed at tried to think how to word this. “I remember during our discussion a few months that you wanted to show appreciation and offer friendship to the ponies around you. And I truly believe that you’re noble in that matter, but what about the other ponies serving you? The maids that serve you, the cooks that make your meals. Commander Murk Rider can be a bit cantankerous, but even he doesn’t slouch in serving you by leading your guard. I guess what I’m trying to get at is…why I am so special when other ponies work just as hard or even harder than me to see you happy?”

This time it was the alicorn’s turn to look to the ground, and Astral couldn’t have felt worse about it. Why couldn’t he just for once suppress his inquisitive nature and just accept that the princess wanted to be nice to him? Here she was, offering her thoughts and aid to him, in her most private sanctuary no less, and all he could think was why. The scribe began to realize that friendship was more complicated than he originally thought. No wonder the topic needed a princess of its own.

As Astral looked to the Princess of the Night, trying to think of some way to make this up to her, he noticed something peculiar in her expression. There was the expected disappointment and suppressed sadness, but there was definitely something else. Fear? Uncertainty? Whatever it was, it seemed not directed at him, but rather at herself.

“Hmm, I am terribly sorry, Astral.” she finally said, still looking to the ground now with a sad smile. “This wasn’t exactly how I planned tonight would proceed. Though the fault is mine, not yours. I still sometimes struggle with how I use my words with others. Especially when…other thoughts cloud my mind.”

The scribe wasn’t exactly sure what the princess meant when she spoke about how this night would proceed, but that didn’t matter at the moment. Right now, comforting words were what was needed for her now. “No everypony knows what to say all the time, not everypony has to know. It’s the experiences that we share that leave the biggest impact. Something my grandmother told me before she passed.”

The old familial wisdom seemed to have worked in lifting the alicorn’s spirits, as she finally lifted her head again to look into the stallion’s eyes. Then, Astral noticed her eyes slightly widen as if she was struck by a sudden epiphany and her smile grew.

“Astral,” she said with a bit more conviction in her voice. “I believe I may have a way to explain my reasonings though a demonstration of sorts.”

Luna closed her eyes and put on an expression of concentration. Her horn was engulfed in a blue aura, signaling to the stallion that she was in the process of casting a spell. Before Astral could ask her what she was casting, he noticed a growing glow from above. The giant flower that the pair were sitting under began to illuminate a brilliant purple. Astral peered up and noticed that the large stamens of the plant began to produce small, white orbs that then gently floated downward.

As the cluster of orbs made themselves level with the two ponies, Astral noticed one of the them was relatively close to him and stared at it. All the sudden, the stallion peered closer at the orb back to notice something peculiar. Within the ball of light appeared to be a mirage of…two figures. The blobs slowly morphed into something more vivid. It looked like two fillies playing in a field of flowers. One was white with a luxurious pink mane, while the other appeared much smaller with a dark blue coat and a shorter light blue mane. The latter seemed awfully familiar to the scribe. However, the most peculiar aspect was that both of these fillies appeared to be alicorns.

“Princess,” Astral breathed as he removed his gaze from the orb he was looking at looked at the others. The other orbs floating around them also appeared to have splotches shifting in them. “What are these things.”

“These…would be my memories, dear Astral. Or at least the ones that have the greatest impact.” the Princess of the Night answered.

Suddenly, the two alicorn fillies he saw made much more sense. That must have been Luna and her sister’s childhood over millennia ago. The unicorn then glanced around him and saw other small instances of other memories, some of which included Princess Twilight Sparkle as well. “I…I wasn’t aware that you had the power to gaze into the memories of others.” Astral said in awe.

“Normally I don’t, not while I dream-walk in the minds of others, that is.” Luna corrected. “However, in the realms of my mind, this can be easily accomplished.”

While this was incredibly impressive to the unicorn, he still felt the pang of uncertainty that resided in his stomach. “Luna,” Astral said with confusion. “I don’t quite understand what the purpose of this is.”

The alicorn merely smiled at the unsure stallion and used her magic to grab one of the orbs. She then pulled in before the pair and looked to him again.

“My dear Astral,” she said in a soothing voice. “if you’ll entertain me, I would like to view one of my memories with you. I am sure you will find the answer to your inquiry within.”

Initially, Astral raised one of his eyebrows in skepticism over the alicorn’s claim. However, he realized he didn’t exactly have anything to lose by looking and the mare had so politely asked him to do so. So he, along with the mare, looked into the orb before them and watched as the blobs take shape. As Astral focused further, sights and sounds began to form in his mind more clearly. Even more than that, internal thoughts that weren’t exactly his own began to swirl in his mind.

Antiquity

“Sister, this is merely unnecessary!”

Two ponies strolled down the esteemed halls of Canterlot Castle as they discussed amongst one another. One was a tall alabaster alicorn that had a literal flowing mane of multicolored hair. She had a gentle smile similar to one of a caring mother trying to settle down her rambunctious foals. To her side was a smaller alicorn mare with light navy coat and light blue mane. As apposed to her sister, this one had an expression that seemed to be a strange mix of determined and pouty.

“Luna, I am only trying to help you.” Princess Celestia calmly explained to her younger sister. “As much as I’m eternally grateful that you have returned to me, I still think that you’ll need some help adjusting to things before you can continue on with your royal duties.”

This did little to quell the smaller mare’s protests. “Yet we do want not a scribe to assist us with our offices. We fared fair enough by our own a thousand years since! Doth thou forsooth doubt our abilities now that we be in this…state?”

The two alicorn stopped in front of one of the grand doors that graced the castle and Celestia turned to her sister with a comforting look. “Luna, the last thing I would ever want is to make you feel uncomfortable while to work to recover your true form. Especially since…I am partially responsible for putting you in such a place.”

The smaller alicorn’s expression softened as she heard her sister’s voice shift into a more mournful tone.

“That being said,” Celestia continued with more of her usual optimism. “Things have certainly…changed since the last thousand years you were in rule with me. I mean no offense, but I fear that your diction might be lost on some of our subjects. Therefore, I feel a scribe assigned to you will not only help in the transcriptions of court, but hopefully he’ll be of help in assisting you in adjusting with current times.”

Self-consciousness of her dialect aside, the smaller princess cocked her head. “We are still not sure about this aide thou speak of. What would he is still afeard of….what we were before?”

“Luna,” Celestia assured her sister. “I scouted this pony myself. I am sure that he will have no misgivings or fears about you. Now, how about we finally go meet him?”

With that, Princess Celestia magicked open the door and the two princesses walked into the foyer where there were three ponies. Two of which, Luna instantly recognized as some of Celestia’s royal guard, donned in their golden armor. In between them was a pony that she didn’t recognize. A male unicorn with a steel-blue coat and a somewhat messy white mane that looked as though it had been quickly combed in a much neater fashion. His cutie mark appeared to be a purple spiral galaxy with a brown quill being dipped right into the center. The stallion looked rather nervous; his icy-blue eyes scanning the wall through the glasses perched on his snout.

When the unicorn noticed the two princesses enter the room, he swiftly straightened out his posture, only to then go into a bow. The guards, meanwhile, continued to hold their stoic expressions as they stood at attention.

“You may take your leave.” Celestia addressed the guards. The stallions each gave a brief nodded before exiting the room, leaving the blue stallion alone with the two diarchs. “Please rise, my little pony,” she then said to the bowing unicorn, who immediately followed her orders. “Now, would you be so kind as to introduce yourself to my sister here?”

The stallion’s eyes quickly shifted from Celestia to Luna, who had remained silent. She watched as he carefully stepped over before her while trying to keep his composure. “Salutations to you, Princess Luna!” he began in an overly formal voice. “M-My name is Astral Ink, and I will be your Royal Scribe this day forth! I hope to…er, I mean, I plan to assist you to my greatest ability so that you may serve Equestria to the highest extend!”

Luna only looked back at the stallion as he tried to put on a more confident expression, only for it to look like a very worried smile. It was very apparent that he was on edge, as to why Luna could only speculate.

“Ch-CHARMED.” Luna bellowed out in response. She had intended to use her Royal Canterlot Voice now that she was in the presence of a subject. However, it seemed that her current body lacked the vocal cords necessary for such a feat. Instead, her voice provided a shaky mix of loud and squeaky.

“Please forgive my sister,” Celestia then followed. “It was typical for us to use to use the Royal Canterlot Voice to address the public a millennia ago. Although it seems that she needs to time to…adjust back to her original form before she can perform such an announcement.”

That latter statement Celestia gave while giving a subtle sideways glance to the smaller alicorn. Almost as if it was indirect plea for her to take it easy for the moment. Luna gave a silent pout to her sister, but eventually resumed back to a neutral expression once again.

“Oh, it’s no problem, Highnes- uh, Highnesses.” Astral quickly said. “I’m well aware of some of the royal customs from back in the day. Did some reading on the subject, if you don’t mind me saying. Fascinating methods when compared to some of today’s practices. N-Not that there’s a problem with that, I mean!”

The blue alicorn watched as the pony stumbled with his words, not quite sure what to make of it. She then shifted an inquisitive look to her sister, non-verbally asking her about the pony she “scouted” herself.

“Astral is fresh out of Canterlot University,” the alabaster pony explained. “so he might be a bit wet behind the ears. However, he graduated with top marks in political science and professional writing. I was especially impressed with his transcriptional ability and record keeping.”

The unicorn beamed at the alicorn’s praise. “Thank you, Princess! I was hoping to gain some employments in the courts, but…I never expected that I would acquire such a prestigious position!”

Luna only continued to stare at the stallion. When her sister informed her that she would be receiving an aide to assist her readjustment in society, she expected somepony a bit more seasoned. Not that she was completely ecstatic for some older and most likely condescending pony giving her constant lectures as to what and what not to do. However, she still wasn’t expecting this. The way the unicorn acted so nervously around her made the alicorn feel uncomfortable.

“Princess Celestia.” a royal guard announced as he entered the room with the other ponies. “A few nobles are requesting an audience with you in the throne room.”

The Princess of the Sun gave the guard a nod and turned to the other two ponies. “I’m afraid duty calls. Astral, your luggage and belongings have already been moved to your quarters. You may speak with my personal aide, Raven Inkwell, to assist you in learning the daily schedule of the castle. But for now, why don’t you and Luna go ahead and explore the castle and get to know one another.”

Right before she left, Celestia leaned down a bit to give her sister an affectionate nuzzle. “I promise that it will all be fine. Just be yourself.” she whispered in her ear before raising her head again. “Farwell to you both!”

At that final announcement, Princess Celestia and her guard exited the foyer. Leaving the alicorn and unicorn alone in the room. Luna thought about what her sister whispered to her before she left. What did she mean by being herself?

The alicorn’s gaze then shifted over to her newly appointed scribe. He still remained upright, as if to maintain a sense of proper presentation, however the same couldn’t be said about his face. The nervous smile he held relaxed a bit when Celestia left, but he still looked as though he was on edge about something. His eyes shifted to the ground a few times only to then return back to the alicorn.

“So, ummm…” he shakily said only to then trail off into silence. It seemed as though he was at a loss of words. This certainly added to the growing awkwardness that was in the atmosphere. Luna gave a small huff of frustration at this. She certainly had her suspicions about the cause of this stallion’s anxious mannerisms, though it now seemed that it was up to her to confirm them.

“Subject!” she finally broke the silence. Though she couldn’t yet use the Royal Canterlot Voice, she could at least give some authority in her voice. “Ere we begin to get acquainted with one another, we hast a few questions regarding thy current portance in our presence!”

“O-Oh!” the blue stallion quickly said. “My behavior?! I’m terribly sorry, did I offend you in some way, your Highness?”

The response peaked Luna’s intrigue. “Thou understand us? Except for our sister, most other ponies are left confused by our divers manner of speaking.”

The stallion chippered up bit. “Oh that, it’s not that big of a deal, really. I took a history course back in university that focused on the period before your…let’s just say sabbatical. During which, I picked up some old Ponish so that I could understand the material better. So, I should be more than capable in helping you adjust your speaking mannerisms to more current times. N-Not that there’s any wrong with your current diction, I mean! Just to…help other ponies understand what you’re saying! Hehe…”

Once again, the alicorn inwardly cringed when the stallion started to act nervous. She should have expected this, really. It certainly wasn’t the first time that she noticed a pony’s mannerisms suddenly shift when she was in their presence. Sure, the subjects warmly welcomed her back when see was freed and gave her praises. But that was only when her sister was also present as well. Alone, Luna only seemed to give off an eerie atmosphere to her when ponies were in her sole presence. No doubt caused by a thousand years of story and legend about her corruption and ultimate banishment. It reminded her that she was in a different time; how she was no longer seen as just the sister of Princess Celestia.

“Well, aside from that matter, we feel the want to discuss something most meet if this partnership is to be successful.” the alicorn explained.

“Anything, your Highness!” Astral dutifully responded.

Luna took a sharp breath and finally let out her thoughts. “As thou are no doubt aknown, we were once the entity known as Nightmare Moon that was bent on shrouding the land in darkness. 'Twere only with the Elements of Harmony that was freed from such a beshrew and appear as thou see us now.”

Astral nodded as he followed along. “Yes, I remember reading it in the newspaper, but Princess Celestia also gave me a brief summary when selecting me for this position.”

“Most well then.” Luna nodded while keeping a serious tone. “Withal the knowledge of our former alias known, we desire to remind thou that we no longer hast such dreams of conquest.”

The stallion tilted his head in confusion. “I’m…not sure I follow, your Majesty.”

“We are not Nightmare Moon!” Luna answered with a rough edge in her voice, only for it to trail off into a more somber tone. “Argal, we would appreciate it if thou would forbear being so anxious around us. We warrant that we shall not cause harm thee or thou loved ones. Thou want not hast to fear us.”

“Fear you?!” Astral incredulously asked. “Princess, I’m not afraid of you, not in the very least.”

For a moment, Luna could only stare back at the stallion after what she heard. “T-Thee lack to lie to us to spare our feelings. We understand what a monster we were and-“

“I am not lying to you, Princess Luna.” Astral interrupted. This time, Luna could hear the genuine tone in the unicorn’s voice. “Even putting aside the assurances Princess Celestia told me, I know you’re not Nightmare Moon. You certainly don’t look or even sound like the monster from the scary stories I heard of when I was a colt. You’re not…making me feel threatened.”

The alicorn was taken aback at the unicorn’s honest proclamation. However, that didn’t stop her from still being lost. “Then, what is the reason for thy skittish attitude that been performed from the start of our meeting?”

The pony quickly realized what she meant and dipped his head a bit. “Oh…that. The truth is I am nervous in your presence. I was caught completely off guard when Princess Celestia herself offered this position to me. I really thought that after dusting off some of my knowledge on history prior to a thousand years ago, I would be more mentally prepared for this. But the truth is, I’m still quite anxious that I can serve the likes of you. I never knew if could ever live up to somepony like Umbra Quill.”

Luna looked perplexed at the mention of the unfamiliar name. “Pardon?”

“Umbra Quill.” Astral explained. “Your previous scribe, before your banishment. She ended up writing a memoir of her experiences serving under you that she later published. They stopped making copies a few decades ago, but I eventually found a copy after some deep digging at the library. She thought quite highly of you.”

Her previous scribe? Luna had no recollections of having such an aide back a millennia ago. She quickly thought back to the memories that she had before her corruption. She remembered the old castle, her task with raising the moon every night. Then there was her sister with her royal duties. Duties that…seemed to have gained much more attention and admiration than her own. Previous feelings of growing resentment and jealousy then rushed back to the alicorn, feelings that made feel sick at the current moment. Then finally, there the pivotal moment when she raised the moon over the sun and allowed the darkness to encroach over her very soul. The rest was just…Nightmare Moon for a long time.

That was all Luna could recall. She couldn’t remember anypony like this supposed Umbra Quill that not only served under her, but also held her in high regard. All of that kind of praise and attention went to her sister…right? As Luna began to really think on it, was it truly correct to say that there was literally no pony that had such respect for her and her duties. Was it possible that…in her blind rage and jealousy…she forgot about those ponies? Or rather, forgot to care?

“Princess Luna?” The blue alicorn was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Astral address her. The stallion was looking up to her with attentive eyes. For the first time, Luna noticed that his gaze was not one of judgement or anxiety. He was just looking at her normally, like that she wasn’t once a monster.

“We…we apologize.” Luna eventually said. “Darkness hath surrounded us for quite a long time that….the memories of ere are tangled within our mind. We are afeard that we not remember this Umbra Quill.”

“Oh, I see.” Astral said in a hushed tone. “I didn’t mean to bring up such a touchy subject for you.”

Before the alicorn reassure the stallion of any fault, he spoke up again. “B-But that’s fine! I’m positive you’ll eventually remember, one step at a time. But for the time being, I’ll still do my best to serve you! And, you know,…hopefully I’ll leave a more lasting impression on you. A princess like you deserves as much, after all.

While the alicorn was very much touched such a sentiment, the lingering insecurities that had lead to her previous banishment began to creep into her heart again. “Thy words are sweet, yet we implore thou to forbear with the exaggerations of our character. 'Twere our hubris and jealousy for our sister that marshal't us on a dark path. Were it not for Celestia and then later her student we would hast ensured that the travelling lamp would ne'r rise again. Such praises to us are unnecessary.”

“That’s not true!” Astral suddenly insisted. He quickly realized his outburst and evened out his voice. “I’m mean, you shouldn’t think like that. Princess Celestia may be amazing in her own ways, but you’re still a princess too. You still deserve as much appreciation and respect as she does. Maybe there weren’t that many ponies back then who understood that and maybe…you got jealous and bitter about it. But that was the past! With time, I know ponies will realize your importance in no time.”

The unicorn then hardened his resolve and gave his princess a determined look. “Princess Celestia didn’t force this position on me. She offered it and I accepted. I accepted it because I knew it would be an honor to serve somepony as regal as you. I want to hold that same amount of pride that Umbra Quill had when writing her book. So I’m here to serve you, my princess. Not out of fear, but for the hope that my service can assist you in leading Equestia to a bright future.”

Luna’s heart clenched a little at the stallion’s declaration of dedication to her. Here he was, treating her like a mare that deserved the upmost respect for somepony of her title, and all she could do was wonder how many ponies that were like him way back when. How many dedicated ponies did she ignore all because their attention wasn’t enough for her?

“…Scribe Astral Ink.” she eventually said, trying to keep the authority in her voice. “We…We are most thankful for thy dedication to thy place upon our side. Our only hope is for thou to subside any anxiety to our presence. Thou hast already made a good first impression and we appreciate the aid that thou shall grant us in the future.”

Luna felt great relief when she saw the stallion relax his posture a tad and put on a genuine smile. “That sounds…acceptable, Princess Luna. I promise that I will do everything in my abilities to make sure that you transition well in both the castle and current times.”

With that, the royal pony gave a courteous nod and walked to the door. “We suggest we now hie ahead and familiarize thou to the layout of the castle as our sister quoth. Be warned though, we are still getting wont it as well, with it being divers from the former castle we once resided in a thousand years since.”

“Yes, your Highness!” Astral dutifully said as he quickly trotted to the alicorn’s side, just like how any proper royal aid would. Luna had a hard time suppressing a smile when she saw him open up the door for her. It was nice to know that chivalry hadn’t died since the last time she was in Equestria.

Thus, the partnership between the alicorn princess and her scribe official began.

Adoration

As the memory ended, it took Astral a few moments to blink a few times and get a better grip of his surroundings. He eventually regained his senses and confirmed that he was back in Luna’s dream, the orbs of light noticeably gone now. Said alicorn was still by his side when he turned his head to confirm. Luna was looking at him with the same nervous smile she had on when she had summoned her memories for him to see.

“I…I…” Astral was at a loss for words at the moment. It seemed viewing the memory not only gave him a vivid picture, but also allowed him to feel what the alicorn was thinking and feeling at that moment. Almost as if he was reliving the memory himself. The incredible feat of magic was lost to him, however, as he was still trying to grasp what he had just witnessed. “That was…”

“The day we first met, dear Astral,” Luna finished. “It is a memory that I quite cherish.”

The blue stallion began to contemplate what he had just saw. The memory of that day from his perspective began to spark in his mind. He remembered how jittering he was on that day, how he tried to act professional in front of his princess without making himself look like a fool. He even remembered how near the end he had made that declaration to be by her side and help the alicorn no matter what. If he was being honest with himself, he often cringed at the thought of what he said back then. He truly meant every word of it, but the scribe interpreted it as overzealous brown-nosing that was probably seen a thousand times over with the Canterlot elite when in the presence of the diarchy. However, it seemed as though Luna had taken those words more seriously than he initially realized.

“Luna,” he said calmly. “I never realized that you had those…feelings about yourself to that degree. Were my words that impactful to you?”

The alicorn responded with a nod. Astral swore he saw the faintest of a blush on her cheeks. “You were the first, Astral. Excluding all of those directly involved with my corruption and redemption, you were the first regular pony that viewed me as anything but a monster.”

“Luna, you can’t be serious.” Astral noted. “Your sister, Princess Twilight Sparkle, the rest of the Elements. They believed in you far before you met me. And I’m positive that I wasn’t the only pony who felt that way about you.”

“My sweet scribe,” Luna said with a sad smile. “It was quite apparent that my sister felt immeasurable guilt for what became of me a thousand years ago. And Twilight Sparkle knew deep down that I could be freed from the Nightmare with the magic of friendship. I knew where they stood in regard to me, but I couldn’t say the same for the rest of my subjects. I was uncertain whether their accepting smiles were nothing more than masks to hide the fear of what I once was. It was only when I heard those sincere words for you that I realized that perhaps those smiles were genuine. You made me realize I had supporters, both in the present and the past.”

“The past?” Astral asked in confusion, until he remembered what was discussed in the memory. “Umbra Quill.”

Luna nodded. “Some time later after our initial meeting, I managed to track down the old tome you mentioned in the library. I read through the book, and you were right. Umbra Quill was a scribe that served under me and took great pride in such a position. Her brilliant words on my character, my duties and my impact on the kingdom, it made realize that I was not alone as I thought I was back then.”

The small smile on the alicorn’s face then shifted into a guilty frown. “It also made me realize how selfish I truly was. No matter how much I shift through my memories, I find none that vividly retell Umbra Quill or any other subjects that gave me praises and esteem. No matter how hard I try, it is difficult to remember anything during that time other than jealousy and rage.”

Luna simply hung her head low at that dark thought. “Yet another casualty by the Nightmare that’s changed the course of my life forever, I suppose.”

As he watched his princess staring at the ground dejectedly, Astral realized that he had to say or do something. While he couldn’t begin to imagine it would be like to have only foggy memories of better times, he still knew that didn’t make her weak.

“Luna.” Astral said in a soft voice. The sincerity in his voice was enough to have the alicorn lift head again and look at him. The unicorn felt his heart clench when he saw the tiny pricks of tears in the corners of her eyes. “At the risk of sounding like a broken record, that was in the past. I know it must hurt knowing that you can never fully remember the ones that were at your side a thousand years ago. But now you have so much here in the present time that you can cherish. There’s no shortage of ponies that admire you now, Princess Celestia, Princess Cadence, Princess Twilight and her friends, all of the subjects in Ponyville and Canterlot and…me.”

The Princess of the Night took in the words her scribe was telling her and her frown lifted to a smile once again. She then suddenly shifted her pillow even closer and lifted one of her hooves up to his chin. Given their small height difference, Astral had to strain his neck upward so that he could make proper eye contact. But it was all worth it to see those beautiful blue eyes that always seemed to brighten his day.

“Dear Astral,” Luna said lovingly. “My greatest wish was that we had solidified our friendship sooner so that we could have experienced many more moons of these moments together. I feel as though I can pour my soul and burdens onto you and know that you’ll be there to listen. I cherish you very much, Astral Ink. I could not have asked for a…better friend.”

Friend. Hearing that from Princess Luna of all ponies should have elated the blue unicorn beyond reasoning. Which was still true, if he was being honest. The fact that he shared a bond with the Princess of the Night in which he could help her when she was feeling her lowest gave the scribe a sense of honor and pride that he would change for anything. He knew it was special. He knew that it was something that only a fool would either throw away or demand more.

And yet…he still felt foolish enough to want more than friendship.

“L-Luna,” Astral mumbled before regaining his voice. “You’ve been…very honest with me tonight. And you’ve opened up a lot of your heart to me these past few moons. Therefore, I feel as though I need to be honest with you. About something that’s been on my mind as of late.”

The alicorn smiled kindly to her scribe as she continued to caress his cheek. “Please feel free to speak you mind, Astral.”

The stallion swallowed the lump in his throat and continued to stare into the mare’s eyes. His heart was racing so fast that he was sure that Luna could feel his pulse from where she was touching him with her tender hoof. Internally, Astral figured that now was the best time to throw this out in the open. Hopefully, their relationship would still be able to be salvaged and he could continue being at the side of the beautiful mare.

“Luna, when you came to me and helped me when I was at my lowest, it made me feel quite special. That such an amazing and kind pony would consider somepony like me to be your trusted friend. Then we started spending more time together with the walks and talks. It was during that time I was truly able to take in everything that makes you so radiant from a personal rather than professional lens. Your intelligence, your kindness, your laughter and even…your beauty. But even before that, before our talk, I had developed…complicated feelings for you.”

Astral felt the weight drop hard in his stomach when he saw the mare’s smile lower a bit after that last confession. The unicorn desperately wanted to try and snatch the words back and continue their friendship as it had before now. However, his resolve ended up winning the battle with his doubt and decided to continue. No turning back now.

“As my service to you went on, my admiration to you shifted. My respect and dedication to you was no longer sourced from your royal title, rather it came from just your character. Maybe it was natural, to grow so fond to a pony you work so close to for such a long time? And in that time, I was able to learn so much about you and saw you overcame your inner demons to become such an incredible pony. I admit that there were times that I saw you less as a princess or my boss and more like a mare. A mare that I developed…feelings for. A mare that I would happily spend the rest of my life with.”

Astral found himself closing his eyes and slightly lowering his head. Both to avoid seeing how the princess would react to such a confession and in following a sense of defeat looming over him.

“Of course, sense eventually took over and I realized that such a relationship was impossible. Seeing how it would be improper on a professional level and that…well, a mundane pony such as the likes of me could never hope to achieve such an intimate bond with a princess such as yourself. Though I suppose our recent time together has mustered up these feelings to the surface once again. All that being said, you need not worry, your Highness. For I am more than content to continue on with you in fri-“

Astral Ink didn’t get the chance to finish that thought, as he suddenly felt his senses going into overload.

His eyes shot wide open as he felt a gentle pressure on his lips. He instantly recognized that Luna’s face was close, very close to his own. The lavender scent that must have been her shampoo was now overwhelming the stallion’s sense of smell, causing him to get slightly hazy. The next thing he noticed was that the alicorn’s eyes were closed in a dreamy-like state. Though the unicorn made these observations in less than a few seconds, his mind made it seem like centuries as he began to process what was happening. All the evidence pointed to one conclusion that Astral was still having a hard time coming to terms with.

Luna had decided to kiss him. The scribe was now kissing his princess.

The logical side of his brain insisted that he pull away from the alicorn under some sense that this was highly inappropriate. However, another side, be it his heart or some idiotic wish fulfillment-seeking portion of his mind urged him on to simply close his eyes and return the intimate gesture. The kiss was nothing too over the top, however it still carried an intimacy that caused sparks to fly in the scribe’s brain. Luna’s lips were soft and had a subtle sweet flavor to them. Astral was unsure as to whether this had to do with a certain lip gloss or if this was another effect of the dream-like environment. The stallion cared little about that though, the only thing that mattered to him right now was this moment. The moment that he had secretly dreamed about for all these moons.

Eventually, the heavenly kiss ended as Luna pulled back. The two ponies were left to just stare at one another after what had just occurred. Astral watched on awestruck as he continued to look into his princess’s eyes. The alicorn had a soft smile on her face, though it seemed to have traits of relief rather than just contentment. She was also quite flustered, given how rosy her cheeks were. The scribe’s mind was buzzing with questions as to what had just happened.

“I…I…what…?” Astral stuttered, feeling the heat of the blush spreading across his face.

“My darling Astral,” Luna said in a tone that only made the stallion’s heart race faster. “I have an admission to make. The truth is that…I have not been as honest tonight as you initially said. Your presence has had a much large effect on me than I first let on.”

She gently cupped the scribe’s cheek. “Since the day wet met, you were at my side. There to make sure that my transition to the castle would be as smooth as possible. And even after I had fully situated myself, you stayed. I am not afraid to admit that you shouldered a considerable amount of royal burdens so that I could extend my ruling to the highest caliber. Since then…a feeling that hadn’t experienced in a very long time started to form overtime whenever you appeared in my mind. I believe you put it best when you mentioned ponies working together for such a long period to develop such thoughts?”

“Luna…” Astral muttered as he felt his hoof raise up on its own to meet with her hoof on his cheek.

“I kept these thoughts in check for a long time.” Luna continued. “That was until a few moons ago when we had that discussion. Seeing you suffer so much just for my sake; I knew that I could no longer just stand back anymore. I meant every word of what I said to you back then, Astral. And my heart fluttered a bit when our friendship continued to grow up until the present. Though I was happy with the time we spent together,…it still felt empty to me. I knew there were still a few scant feelings that were still bottled up in myself that demanded to let loose. However, I was still afraid. Afraid that revealing these thoughts would make you feel uncomfortable or scare you away.”

Luna removed her hoof from his cheek. Astral could see tiny tears prick at the ends of her eyes. “I thought I would never have the courage to take such a high gamble, until just now. When you opened your heart to me and reveal such personal thoughts, they nearly mirrored my own. It was then I realized that if you had the bravery to honestly declare your feelings in front of a princess of Equestria, then I should be able to do the same to the stallion that stole my heart. My only hope is that you are not disappointed in me for taking such a direct method before explaining myself.”

“No!” Astral was surprised at how he automatically responded just now. The princess was just as taken aback by the sudden exclamation. “No, I…how could I ever be disappointed, Luna! The most beautiful, amazing pony I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet just told me she has the same feelings I’ve had for Faust knows how long! It’s…It’s…” The stallion couldn’t help but break into a soft chuckle. “I’m a bit overwhelmed with joy right now, if I’m being honest. Although, I’m not exaggerating when I say that this is literally a dream come true for me.”

The quivering smile on Luna’s face spread wider as a few rogue tears finally escaped from the confines of her eyes. “Oh, Astral!”

Two, deep blue hooves then suddenly wrapped around the stallion and pulled him in close to the alicorn’s body. The slight difference in height meant that Astral had his head nuzzled near the bottom crook of her neck while Luna took the opportunity to gently lay her head on the stallion’s white mane. Astral took in all the senses bombarding his body; the calming scent of lavender, how soft Luna’s fur was, the comforting warmth emanating from the body contact. After the initial shock of it, the unicorn carefully wrapped his hooves around the alicorn’s upright barrel to return the hug.

The two ponies continued to hold each other like that for a good period of time. Neither said anything, leaving the ambient sound of the distant waterfall to fill the air. Astral himself was still feeling a strange mix of emotions at the moment. A great sense of relief that the princess didn’t scold or condemn him for revealing his true feelings. Disbelief that things could have worked so well as they did. The heartwarming feeling that right now he was hugging his special somepony.

Astral suddenly felt Luna pull away from him. He was already missing the warm sensation of embracing the alicorn as he looked to her. The scribe instantly recognized the smile that was donned on her muzzle. Already, he could practically see the gears turning in her head as she was developing a plan.

“Astral,” she began to say in a contemplating tone. “I believe I may have a solution to your need for sleep without the aid of a sleep charm.” The unicorn was initially perplexed at the change in subject. He had almost forgotten about their initial argument after everything that had happened.

Nevertheless, the princess continued on. “When I wake you from this dream, I have a request to make of you. Make your way to my chambers and there you will find me resting in my bed, like always.” She then lowered her head a tad so that she was eyelevel with his own. “When you arrive, why don’t you climb in under the covers with me.”

“W-What?!” The scribe was taken aback at the mare’s request. The hot blush on his face was no doubt apparent to the smiling alicorn. “Luna, you can’t be serious!”

“Indeed, I am,” the alicorn calmly responded, the smirk not leaving her face. “In my many surveillances of ponies’ dream, I often find that the one that achieve the deepest slumber are those snuggled to a partner. I merely figured that we could attempt such a reenactment ourselves.”

While he certainly didn’t doubt that Luna was speaking the truth, Astral was still finding it hard to believe that she would suggest such a thing. “Luna, it’s not that I wouldn’t…enjoy such a prospect. But wouldn’t that seem a bit inappropriate between the two of us?”

“On a normal occasion, perhaps.” she answered. “I highly doubt that sharing a bed with your work superior would be hardly professional. However, since it is now quite evident that we share feelings for one another, sleeping together as sweethearts would not be out of the ordinary.”

“Luna.” Astral said with reservation. Despite only expressing her true feelings a few moments ago, the unicorn was still in disbelief at how much the alicorn truly cared about him. “We don’t have to rush into something so intimate for the sake of my comfort.”

“Astral,” Luna said as she put a hoof to his cheek again. “For countless moons now, you’ve done nothing but help me. Save for a scant few times, I’ve barely been able to return the favor. Please allow me to offer you this aid now. Besides, it not as if this isn’t a prospecting opportunity for myself. Granted, I will still have to attend to my nightly duties here in the Dream Realm. However, having somepony to hold in the physical world will be most enjoyable.”

Doubt still lingered in Astral’s mind at the proposition. He was certain that any other stallion would instantly jump at the prospect of sharing the same bed with one of the most beautiful mares in Equestria. However, he didn’t want to misuse the trust he had carefully built over the years with his princess.

Before anymore lingering doubts could fester in his head, Luna leaned in and gave the stallion another kiss. This one was much shorter than the last one, with her only giving him a quick peck on the lips, but it still managed to take the unicorn’s breath away, nonetheless. Astral gazed up at the reassuring smile that Luna was giving him, making him feel a bit better.

“Seek me out in the waking world, dear Astral.” she said soothingly to the stallion. Just then, Astral then began to notice that the moon behind her was much brighter than he remembered it being. Before he could ask Luna what was going on, her wings suddenly extended and gave a few mighty flaps to lift herself into the air. Astral had to admit, he was rather awestruck at how angelic the alicorn appeared with the ever-brightening moon shining behind her.

“Until we see each other again, my sweet scribe.” Luna said as she ascended higher. “If doubt still lingers within you, remember my words to you and follow your heart.”

In that instant, the light shining from the moon illuminated in a bright flash that forced the stallion to shield his eyes.

Author's Note

The lovely comic available in this chapter was provided by the ever lovely Little Tigress!

She did a fantastic job with the kiss scene and I would highly recommend checking out her other work! :twilightsheepish:

Appreciation

Astral Ink’s eyes shot open as his head whipped up from its resting position on the desk. The stallion shook his head a couple of times to ward away any remnants of sleep in his mind. After blinking a couple times, he quickly looked around to confirm that he was in fact in his room. The candle on his desk had longed burnt out, leaving his quarters to be barely illuminated by the moonlight filtering through the window. Astral then casted a simple light spell to better confirm that everything as what it was. Seeing that everything was in order, the unicorn slumped by into his chair and sighed. He looked down at his desk and felt thankful that he didn’t spill the nearby pot of ink onto any of the documents he was working on before he fell asleep.

At the thought of sleep, Astral instantly remembered everything that had happened in his dream. His rendezvous with Princess Luna, the alicorn sharing the memory of their first meeting,…the kiss. He unconsciously moved his hoof to his face to gently touch his lips. Despite it being in the Dream Realm, the kiss with the alicorn felt real to him. He also then remembered the proposition she had offered him about sharing a bed to help with an alternative to achieving sleep without needing to charm himself.

Astral swallowed a lump in his throat at the memory of how relaxed Luna was about it. Even if they did now consider themselves special someponies, the gentlecolt within him thought rather fast to take such step so soon. Then again, another more hopeful side of him called out that technically the two had already known each other for years, so it wasn’t as if he was bedding with a complete stranger.

Slowly, the unicorn got out of his chair and walked over to his bedside table and checked his alarm clock. It read that it was 12:30 at night, meaning that the stallion had been asleep for three hours based on what he remembered last before he clonked out. Astral swore that more time had passed in the dream when he was talking to Luna and viewing her memory, but he knew that time was rather finicky in the Dream Realm. The princess once told him that keeping track of time in a dream was like counting the grains of sand packed in a small bottle: technically feasible with enough effort, but ultimately a pointless endeavor. Nevertheless, the current time meant that Astral could in fact walk to Luna’s chambers and enjoy a blissful night’s sleep before having to wake up again.

Astral’s head then drifted over to his own bed. At that moment, it looked cold, uninviting and rather lonely looking. Now that he thought about it, the stallion had lived somewhat of a solitary life up to this point. It wasn’t that he was total misfit growing up, rather he merely found more contentment in spending time with an introverted lifestyle rather than spending it with other ponies. He didn’t think himself superior to others, nor did he envy the ponies that seemingly had whole entourages of friends back in school. Despite the isolation, Astral felt like he had an enjoyable life with little regrets.

Although now, he was starting to have a few doubts. For the past few moons, him and Luna had spent more time together then he had with any other ponies outside of his direct family or within a professional atmosphere. The pair weren’t spending time with each other out of obligation or commitment, rather they were together because they simply wanted to. Spending that time with her only expedited the feelings he had for her that had built up slowly within his heart. And now, after Luna had so lovingly demonstrated just how important the stallion was to her. It made Astral wonder if there really was something that he was missing out on all the years by not forming such a bond with another pony.

The way he saw it, Astral had two options. He could either climb into bed now and face another night of nonconstant sleep, further accelerating his isolation. Or…he could take the plunge and make his way to Luna’s chambers to consummate the shared feelings that they both admitted to one another. The latter of said options could undoubtedly change the course of both their working and personal relationship that could either be for the better or for the worse. Despite that risk, the latter option was also the most appealing one for the scribe. With a deep breath, Astral went ahead and switched off the alarm on his clock. He wasn’t going to be needing it for where he was going.

Silently, the stallion opened the door to his quarters and slipped out into the hallway. While the occasional chandelier was still lit, the exceedingly tall windows allowed for more moonlight to bath the corridors in a soft glow that allowed the castle to be still visible. Noting that he wouldn’t have to worry about fumbling in the dark, Astral made his way to the tower that Luna’s chamber resided in. He knew the path by heart by now, so he knew that it would be a mere ten-minute walk before he reached his destination.

Canterlot Castle had a different feel to it at the dead of night. There wasn’t that big of an eerie feel to it, granted, but it was certainly less busy than it was during the day or early evening. The hustle and bustle of dozens of staff, guards and other bureaucrats that hurried down the halls to get to their destinations was absent as the echoing sound of Astral’s hooves hitting the polished floor. It wasn’t completely abandoned, however, as there were a few guards, mostly the night platoon, patrolling the hallways for any potential intruders. Being a long-time resident of the castle, though, made sure that there was little suspicion about the scribe’s presence. There were a few curious glances as to why a pony not normally active at this time of night was out and about. However, it was nothing that a courteous nod couldn’t dismiss such attention.

Eventually, the stallion arrived at the tower and made his way up the spiraling staircase to make it to his destination. When he reached the top, slightly out of breath, Astral was finally behold to the grand double doors that were the portal to the residence of the Princess of the Night. At the front of those doors, however, were two faces that Astral instantly recognized. Vesp Azure and Noctis Wings, the two personal guards of Princess Luna. Hoof-picked by Commander Murk Rider himself from the Lunar guard. The two thestrals were donned in their traditional armor and standing at attention. Well, mostly at attention. Astral new from experienced that despite being some of the best of the Guard, they were slightly less disciplined when compared to the standard guard.

“Well, look at what we’ave here, Vesp!” the thestral on the left announced, his accent thick as was standard for most thestrals hailing from the Northern Mountains. “Looks like good’ole Night Raven decided to pay us a wee visit in the dead o’night!”

The one on the right with blue eyes held back a small chuckle. “Doubt he’s here tae see us, Noctis. This lad never seems tae enjoy our refined sense of comradery! Ha!”

Astral let out a small huff of frustration. Being essentially the personal aide to Luna also meant that it was quite often that he crossed paths with her personal guard, their superior included. This gave plenty of opportunities for the two thestrals to poke fun at the stallion with teasing that range from ignorable to borderline annoying. One especially being the nickname “Night Raven” they gave him, a jab at how he was just the nighttime equivalent of Raven inkwell.

“Well, out with it, now! What’s a prissy scribe such as yerself doing up here, eh?” Vesp questioned in a sterner fashion. “Hope ye weren’t planning on havin’ yer way with our fair princess, else we just might have to castrate ya here and now.”

This caught Astral off his guard. Throughout all of the revelations and romantic thoughts tonight, he had completely forgot that he would have to deal with Vesp and Noctis before even thinking about entering Luna’s chambers. What exactly would he even say? Despite their antics, the two guards were extremely loyal to Luna. So he doubted he could just say that Luna herself invited him to sleep in her bed and they would accepted it at face value. Not to mention he would have to explain the sudden swirl of feelings they both had that the scribe considered highly private.

“Um…well, gentlecolts. I was merely…er, that is…” Astral struggled to word. He suddenly became aware that the nerves were getting to him, causing his legs to get a bit shaky. The stallion swallowed a lump in his throat as he mentally pathed out what he could say to get out of this mess.

Before Astral could get another word in-wise, both Vesp and Noctis broke their composure and started to laugh. The stallion was rather thankful that Luna’s room had a one-way sound cancellation spell so that the alicorn would be disturbed.

“Oh shit! Are ya seein’ this, Noctis?!” Vesp wheezed in-between laughs. “The lad looks like he might just wee himself!”

The yellow-eyed thestral merely laughed in response. “I’m tellin’ ya, mate, he never gets old to fuck around with!” Eventually, the two guards finally got control of their laughter and retained their casual attitude. “Alright, alright! We had our fun there, Nighty. Ye can head on through now.”

“Wait, what?” Astral said in astonishment. First they questioned him, then they ridiculed him and now they were letting him through?

“Yeah, go on then.” the blue-eyed thestral reiterated. “Princess told us to keep an eye out for ye one of these nights and informed us to let ye inside if ye bothered to show up. Me and Noctis were betting on when ye finally move ye arse up here one of these nights.”

Now the stallion was even more perplexed. Was Luna…expecting him to come up to her room late at night? Did she…plan for this? Astral figured that the next best pony to ask other than her was her guard. “Why did Princess Luna tell you to expect me this late at night?”

“Don’t rightly know, really.” Noctis replied. “When we asked her, she told us that it was a for a personal matter between the two of ye. We certainly have our…theories. But we know than to blabber on about the Princess’s nightly rendezvouses to any ol’soul.”

“Besides, we figured ye had enough sense in that noggin of yers to know that if yer tried anything not to the Princess’s likin’, we’d be in there to stick yer head up on a pike.” Vesp added. “So, go on now! Princess’s awaiting for yer scawny keester, best not to keep her waiting!”

As the two thestrals parted to each side of the hall, Astral was left in a bit of shock. Normally, Vesp and Noctis weren’t usually this easy on him. Even under the direct orders of Princess Luna, the pair usually took pride in their playful teasing of the stallion. This time, the teasing had only lasted for a brief moment before they stopped giving him a hard time. That left the unicorn a bit suspicious. No doubt, the two would pester him later with questions, jabs and an unholy amount of innuendoes over tonight. However, Astral decided to just count his good blessings and accept their kindness.

“I…thank you, gentlecolts. I bid you two a good evening.” he respectfully replied before making his way to the doors. As he grabbed hold of one of the knobs with his magic and gently cracked the portal open, Astral heard the guards muttering to each other.

“Looks like ye owe me the next round at the tavern, mate.”

“Aye, shove it up yer shit hole, ye bastard.”

Astral entered the boudoir and silently closed the door behind him. The room of the Princess of the Night was a bit less ornamental than one would expect from royalty. The elegant mixture of dark blues that made up the walls gave a nocturnal sense of atmosphere appropriate for the alicorn. Aside from that, though, simple furniture ranging from a bureau, a grand desk, a sizable couch next to the fireplace and a table with some chair made up the rest of the room. Luna once told the scribe that she wasn’t a big fan of over extravagance.

However, what really caught the stallion’s attention was the large bed nestled at the other side of the room. The imposing frame was carved into the shape of a crescent moon with the queen-sized mattress tucked cozily right in the center. The small lantern that hung off the top tip of the crescent that the alicorn used as a reading light was shut off as the pony-shaped lump under the covers had no need of it at the moment. Astral instantly recognized the lump in the bed and carefully made his was closer.

As he approached the side of the bed, Astral felt his breath leave his body. There Princess Luna, the real Princess Luna, was sound asleep in her bed. Her ethereal mane continued to undulate while she slept, though he noticed that it seemed to move slower than usual. Her crown and other royal regalia were absent from her body and instead were placed on the nearby stand. That, however, mattered little to the stallion as it gave him the chance to truly appreciate the beautiful features that were presence even while the mare was sleeping. Moving mane aside, Luna looked like any other pretty mare fast asleep.

And you’ve been staring her while she sleeping…like a creep. Astral thought as he chastised himself. Then again, he wasn’t exactly sure as to what to do next. Was he supposed to shake her awake? Tartarus, he really should have asked for more details before Luna had woken him up.

Just then, Astral saw Luna shift a bit in her sleep. The alicorn had rolled onto her side and snuggled deeper into the sheets. When she had settled down again, there was some extra space next to her on the bed. The perfect amount of space for a pony to get in the bed with her.

She had to be awake. There was no way in Astral’s logical thought process that the princess would just fortuitously move around in her sleep to leave room for somepony to slip into bed just as he had arrived. This had to be an invitation from the alicorn. But what if it was just a coincidence? Would Luna be taken aback or even angered if had decided to get in the bed without waking her before? The stallion found himself at a crossroad that he was sure what was the right path to choose. The final words that Luna told him before the end of the dream then rang in his head.

“Follow my heart…” Astral muttered under his breath. If Luna truly meant every love-filled word that she said to him, if she truly wished for his best health and comfort just as much as he wished for hers, then Astral finally felt enough confidence to gently lift the covers with his magic and climbed into the bed.

The mattress was very soft, definitely fit for a princess. He had never had the luxury of getting to sleep on one of those mattresses made of clouds, but he had to imagine that this had to be similar. Next, he noticed how comfortably warm it was under the covers. Though, this was probably not from the sheets themselves and more due to the fact that two ponies were sharing the same bed. Speaking of which, Astral then finally noticed that him and Luna were very close to one another. The stallion considered scooching back a little towards the edge, but something in the back of his mind was stopping him from doing so.

Astral turned to his side and saw that Luna was still facing away from him. Her waving mane slightly tickled his nose; however, it didn’t feel as annoying or unpleasant as he thought it would. He felt the urge to gently extend his forelegs to wrap around the mare’s barrel, but he managed to suppress such an urge. He figured it a bit inappropriate to make such physical contact while she was asleep. Instead, the scribe settled into the covers and slowly closed his eyes. Before he could even attempt to obtain any sleep, though, something jolted him awake.

“How bold of you, my faithful scribe.’ a sleepy voice suddenly said. Astral watched on in shock as he saw Luna turn her body so that she was facing him. Though sleepiness was still present in her eyes, the soft smile that she had on seemed to enhance her already radiant beauty. “Climbing into the bed with a sleeping mare in the middle of the night? Wherever did you acquire such a risky idea?”

Panic should have filled Astral to very core at the mare’s insinuating question. However, the casual smile the alicorn had along with the dreamy-like state of her eyes told him that this was likely just some light teasing. After reassuring himself that he wouldn’t be spending the rest of his life in a dungeon, Astral thought about how to best respond to Luna’s prodding.

“I…suppose I listened to your advice and followed my heart.” Astral answered. He could see by the small glint in the mare’s eye that she greatly appreciated the newfound confidence he was projecting. Wanting to see if he could impress her further, Astral continued. “And now…it’s telling me to do this.”

The stallion then quickly pulled the alicorn closer and press his lips to hers. Luna did nothing to pull away from the kiss and gladly embraced it. The kiss was just as magical as it was in the dream, only now Astral felt that this time is was better. This kiss was real; a kiss between two ponies with feelings for one another that was in waking reality. The stallion could now fully confirm in his heart that his princess cared for him. Not just as a boss, not just a friend, but something far greater.

As the two finally pulled back, the gleam in Luna’s eyes had evolved into full-on sparkles. Astral then decided to strike again while the iron was hot. “Luna…we’ve known each other for quite a while. And even though we’ve only recently become…an idea you could say, I feel no hesitation in my heart to tell you that I love you.”

“My thoughts exactly, Astral.” Luna conferred as she pulled the stallion into a soft embrace. The stallion couldn’t help but nuzzle further in the alicorn’s neck. Luna continued to softly speak to him as she gently stroked his back with her hoof. “It is through your company that drives me to continue my best to serve our kingdom. Knowing that you are now closer to my heart brings me joy that you could never imagine. I look forward to what the future brings us.”

While Astral was greatly enjoying being in the embrace of the alicorn, the mention of the future caused him to frown. “Do…Do you think it would be wise to keep this secret…for now, at least?”

The alicorn hummed in agreement. “Doubtful that the nobles will take a relationship between a public servant and a princess. Fret not though, Astral. I need not the public opinion to know that my heart is in the right hooves.”

Though the princess’s reassurances were helpful, the scribe still contained doubt and worry. “I have a feeling that Vesp and Noctis may know about this.”

“To be expected, of course,” Luna replied. “however, their loyalty to me knows no bounds. They know how to keep a secret. So long as you can tolerate their endless teasing on the subject.”

A small huff of annoyance aside, Astral knew that she was right again. The worries in his mind were about to be put to rest only to then be reignited immediately when he remembered one more scary thought. “What about…what about Princess Celestia?”

Luna said nothing for a while, content to continuing to stroke the stallion’s back. Eventually, she gave what sounded like a tired sigh. “My sister has long since accepted that I am my own mare and that I can make my own decisions. I’m confident that she’ll accept you so long as it means the benefit of my happiness. That being said, I don’t feel it necessary to tell her right away. And under the miniscule chance that she doesn’t accept our love…I suppose she’ll have to send me to the moon again.”

Astral could tell by the disheartening tone of the alicorn that she was saddened by the latter thought. As highly unlikely as it was that her sister would disapprove of them being together, the stallion knew all too well that the most unlikely possibility left the most wear-and-tear on the mind. Astral thought hard and decided to try and cheer the alicorn from her melancholy.

“Do you think she would also banish me with you?” Astral asked in a hopeful voice.

The unicorn felt immense satisfaction when he heard the alicorn softly laugh. “Are you quite sure about that? A thousand years is an awful long time to spend with just one pony.”

“A thousand years with you sounds less like a punishment and more like a dream come true.” the stallion replied back. The Princess of the Night tightened her embrace around her scribe.

“You truly are the one for me, my beloved.” Luna said, happiness brimming from her voice.

Just then, Astral let out a tired yawn and felt his eyelids grow heavy. A surprising occurrence to the stallion since it must have been only a couple minutes since the two ponies have been talking. Perhaps Luna was correct in the theory that contact with another pony helped with achieving sleep. Astral figured that he would worry about the logistics for now and simply nuzzle deeper in the embrace.

“Get some rest, my sweet scribe.” the alicorn soothed her bedmate. “I must return to the Dream Realm myself, however I have a feeling that your company here will make my duties a more pleasurable experience.”

“Luna, this…” Astral said before another yawn interrupted him. “This means…a lot to me. Thank you.”

For the first time in months, sleep finally crept upon the unicorn with ease without the assistance of a spell or charm. More than that though, a comforting sense of joy washed over him as he realized how fortunate he was right now. For years, his feelings for one of the princesses of Equestria steadily grew into something he felt was unachievable for such a common pony like himself. However, here he was now, cuddled up with said princess who had mirrored his feelings for almost as long as his own. He thought back to when the two of them had started their friendship in earnest and here they were about to begin a romantic relationship. No doubt, there would be hard times as with any relationship, but Astral was mostly looking forward to all of the good times him and the alicorn would eventually share. Secret for now, but hopefully there will be a day where him and his marefriend can announce their love to the whole of the kingdom.

Just as the stallion closed his eyes to enjoy the sweet relief of slumber, he heard Luna whisper one more thing to him.

“Sleep well, my beloved Astral. May your dreams be sweet. And…thank you for making mine come true.”

Author's Note

Thank you all who have left a comment and vote for this story.

It took a lot longer to finish, but I'm ultimately very satisfied with how well it turned out.

I hope you all have a Happy Holidays! :twilightsmile: