External Affairs

The full moon shone over Canterlot. Thousands of stars filled the sky, not a single cloud disturbing their cold light. The night was serene and picturesque—a true gem amongst late fall nights, despite the unexpected drop in the temperature. Winter was already baring its teeth.

A single pony flew with majestic grace. Thousands of small bright globes filled the sky around her, each shining with a set of moving images. The pony danced around the globes, touching and turning some of them. From time to time, she slowed down to take a closer look at one. These stops often made her giggle. She didn't mind the chilly air—the dreamscape was her domain, after all.

Princess Luna enjoyed quiet nights like this. Most of her subjects had pleasant dreams and a good night's sleep. She hummed a tune softly as she went on with her watch. Equestria was at peace.

A small jolt came from nowhere, running through her body and making her freeze. Somepony was having a bad dream! Luna turned to look for the one in her need. Her eyes scanned over thousands of dream-globes in just mere moments—a daunting task for the unversed, but not for the Princess of the Night.

She saw something in the corner of her eye. "There you are!"

She glided through the sea of dream-globes towards her target. She could finally see the culprit, a distressed globe with a murky, greenish glow.

"Ah, it is you again." Her voice rang with disappointment. "You do not belong here."

The globe hovered towards her. It was shaking. Curiously enough, this one had no images inside that Luna could see.

"You are not my subject, little one. I have no authority over you. Please go home."

She turned and flew, leaving the trespasser behind. She already knew what was going to happen. This was one of those nights. She looked back, only to see the green dream-globe following her.

"Please, stop." Luna frowned. "I don't know who you are or why you are following me. Go away!"

The globe did not seem to listen. It just hovered closer to her. Luna bit down on her lip, a low grunt escaping her chest. Her dark blue aura enveloped the persistent dream-globe. "I am sorry, but I will dispel you again."

A chilly sensation ran down her spine as her spell formed. She knew well that dispelling a dream would make the dreamer wake up terrified, shaken, and miserable. It was a 'last resort' type of spell, and she just hated using it.

She focused her magic. Her eyes glowed up as she pushed the globe inwards, trying to make it implode. It churned under her power, emitting a high-pitched whiny sound. Luna groaned as her magical output peaked. A series of hairline cracks formed on the globe's glassy surface.

In the next moment, she dropped the spell. Her magic exploded into thousands of tiny motes and faded to nothingness without causing any harm. She let out a sad sigh. She could not do it. Not again. "I am sorry. I don't want to break you." She raised her hoof, touching the murky globe. "But I don't want you to suffer, either."

Luna called upon her magic again. This time, she chose a different spell. The globe floated right to the front of her face.

I should not do this, she thought. It can be dangerous, and it is against all moral rules to enter the dream of not one of my subjects.

Not listening to her own concerns, she leaned forward and touched her horn to the globe. With a swirl, her world faded away.

oooOOOooo

Luna stepped into the Meeting Hall of the Canterlot Castle.

That's unexpected, she thought.

She saw three figures at the side of the hall—reformed changelings. Two of them were sitting on a bench. Their features were rough and generic, as if someone had not bothered to construct the details of their character. But the third looked true-to-life. He paced up and down, his head low.

"Thorax?"

The changeling ruler stopped and looked up. He was trembling. Upon recognizing Luna, he turned towards her and bowed.

"Princess Luna!" he said. "I am glad to see you."

Luna walked closer to the changeling. "Thorax, what's going on? Why are you here?"

"I would like to see Celestia. Do you know when she will be back? I've been waiting for her for hours."

Luna shook her head. "I am sorry, Thorax. This is only a dream."

His eyes went wide. "A dream?"

"Yes. It is my duty to protect the ponies of Equestria in their sleep. Your dream called for me, and I've decided to enter." Luna bowed. "I apologize, Thorax. It is unruly for me to enter the dreams of others than my subjects."

Thorax shook his head. "No need to apologize, princess. At least now I know this is a dream," he said while he motioned his hoof around. He took a few steps toward the nearest window, looking at the motionless background of his dream. "I don't think this is the first time I've dreamt this. It's always the same." He sighed. "Your sister never arrives."

Luna blinked in surprise as the pieces of the puzzle in front of her fell into place. Thorax was easy to read by her standards. His nervous quiver and stressed-out posture were a dead giveaway. His slow, deep breaths and frequent sighs carried the unmistakable sign of longing.

Moreover, Luna had already seen this type of dream thousands of times. "Waiting for somepony who never arrives," she muttered to herself.

Was Thorax in love with Celestia? Luna remembered when the changeling ruler had visited Canterlot a few weeks ago, but he and Celestia had seemed distant and professional. Almost suspiciously so, on second thought.

Luna sighed. Resolving bad dreams was her duty, but something like this was beyond her authority. Whatever was going on between her sister and a foreign ruler was for them to address. Unless, of course, the matter would raise concerns for the security of Equestria, but Luna immediately discarded this thought. Thorax was a new ally known to have an outstanding commitment to peace, and she was confident that he could not mislead her in the dreamscape.

Luna took a few steps towards Thorax. She spoke in a quiet, soothing voice. "Have you tried talking with her?"

"Yes. That's why I'm here, waiting."

"I meant in the waking world. You can always just come and visit. You're our ally."

Thorax kept looking through the window, avoiding Luna's eyes. "I— I don't know."

Luna stepped next to the troubled changeling. She placed a hoof on his back. Thorax shuddered when he felt her touch.

"Let me tell you a secret. My sister is quite bad at 'friendship stuff'. If it is only she and her subjects, she is the best princess ever. If it is anyone else, she is lost." Luna closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. "You should not let this pile up inside you. I did the same a thousand years ago, and we all know how that ended. Please, talk with her."

"But I—" Thorax stopped, his voice faltering. He turned his head away from Luna.

She kept her hoof on his back.

Thorax sniffed a few times. After a few shaky breaths, he wiped his eyes, calming himself enough to continue. "What if she doesn't want to see me?"

"Then you can share that feeling with the ones close to you. And, eventually, you will be able to move on." Luna pushed her hoof down on Thorax's back, giving him a supportive squeeze. "I know that you have lots of friends among ponies. You are not alone." Her voice turned serious. "And, you should also think about your subjects. They depend on your integrity."

Thorax held his unfocused gaze for a few moments. A shiver ran through his body, and he let out a long, deep sigh. "You're right," he said. "Thank you."

But, his pained expression remained. He stepped sideways, slipping out from the hoof on his back. "May I?"

Luna nodded and took a few steps back. This was probably the most she could do without interfering too much with her sister's private affairs.

Her horn lit up. "I will leave you be, Thorax." She offered him an encouraging smile. "Take care and sleep well."

"Good night."

Luna yawned as she walked the corridors of the Canterlot Castle. After meeting Thorax, the rest of her night had been uneventful. Her thoughts kept returning to the changeling ruler, making her feel a little low this morning. She disliked when a problem fell outside of her authority, but she hated to see someone suffer.

She glanced at the nearest window. Celestia should have raised the sun already, yet it was still dark outside. Perhaps she had slept in again. This was getting more common lately. Fortunately, Celestia had a little sister who took care of her. And that little sister would not miss an opportunity to rub in her laziness.

Luna grinned in anticipation. She trotted to her sister's bedroom and let herself in. "Rise and shine, Princess Sunnyflank!"

But, Celestia was nowhere to be found. Luna stepped in, only to hear somepony being sick in her sister's private bathroom.

"Sister, are you feeling well?" Luna asked.

The unpleasant sounds stopped. The occupant of the bathroom repeatedly groaned. "I will be ready in a few minutes. Please don't mention anything breakfast-related," Celestia said, her voice frail.

"Very well," Luna said. A moment later an evil grin appeared on her face. "In this case, I will have all the leftover cottage cheese cupcakes."

The only reply Celestia managed to produce was dry heaving.