Luna didn't know where she was. Rather, she didn't know where it was supposed to appear to be. When she and her sister fell asleep together, she decided she would try to talk to Elfilis in the dream realm. This plan immediately fell apart. Usually when she starts dream walking, she would separate her mind from her body and would have to look for the small storms around the minds of subjects suffering nightmares. But it still felt like she had to physically move from pony to pony, even if it was just her image of herself she was moving across space. This time, upon falling asleep, she found herself already inside of some pony's dream.

It was an odd dream as well, most pony's dreams were fluid and subject to their own rules. Chaotic, as it were. This dream though, it was almost formless, like the pony was still falling asleep and their dream hadn't quite formed. And Luna had never, ever, been able to enter an unstable dream until this night. There was technically a floor, she could feel it under her, but it wasn't clear so much as it was impossible to see, revealing the void of dream-stuff underneath. The sky was much the same, and the only other thing to see were the clouds. Not fluffy white condensation in the sky, but little concentrations of purple dreams that had clumped together and drifted slowly everywhere she looked.

"What is this?" She had a good idea as to whose dream this was, now she just needed to figure out how she was already here and why it seemed to stay in flux. "Sir Elfilis? Art thou out here?"

ART-OUT-OUTSIDE-LANDSCAPE-HERE-THERE-FIND-ART-OUTSIDE

Lunas ears were pinned against her head, even though it wasn't loud so much as it was all-encompassing. They quickly shot up in surprise when she saw the effect her call had on the the puffs of dream-stuff. They all changed, most of them only taking vague shape, usually rectangular, but others turned into works of art, frames and all. She saw one that represented a dark forest (calm unlike the Everfree), two that presented a scenic view of that town they had been to just recently (Ponyville, she recalled), and about a dozen paintings of herself. All of them were distinguishable, but they were all blurry, like the paint had been allowed to run down the canvas. All except one.

It was that same picture of her, same pose and same room, and it was a masterpiece. Luna could have commissioned the best painter on Equis with the entirety of the kingdoms treasury and she swore nothing they made given a million years would ever come to the level of detail and SOUL this painting had. The texture of her coat, the waves of her mane, the way her eyes shone and the rainbow of lights from the stained glass of the throne room highlighted the tracks of moisture on her cheeks. Her smile, gods how long it had been since she could claimed to have smiled like that. So genuinely, untainted by worry, and tempered by the knowledge that everything was going to be just fine Lulu. I PROMISE.

So enchanted by her own portrait, that she almost didn't notice the star-shaped portal appear under it. She did however notice as the painting started to fall into it.

"No! Wait-" It was impulsive, and silly, and she knew it wasn't real, that it was only a dream. Regardless, she found herself chasing it into the portal. And as it closed, and all of the clouds of dreamstuff returned to their amorphous forms, the dream was once again, empty.

I had just gotten ready for bed. It did take some time, brushing my teeth and using the restroom, taking a shower and toweling off, it was all almost instinctual. Whether it be because of some difference of the faculties given to me or my lingering awkwardness within my own body though, it still felt strange and unnatural. And I had underestimated how long it took to dry fur. I definitely didn't have fur on my original body. It was done though, and all that was left to do was cozy under the covers and fall asleep. Except, then I had to deal with the heat. I liked the feeling of the blanket and the sheets over me, but it was too many layers. I really did try to make it work, but I should have quit much earlier.

By the time I gave up I was already soaked in sweat and my breathing had grown just a little heavier. Nostrils I didn't even know I had until then flared slightly with every inhale. I pulled off the blankets pushed back that unnecessary embarrassment as my poor member smacked my stomach and instead let myself enjoy the relief from having freed it from my own bad decisions. It was miserable, and I found myself wishing for a fan or a cup of ice, something to cool down at least a little bit. I sighed as I saw the portal open above me, put out by the fact that it was still acting on its own, but unwilling to complain for the moment. I closed my eyes as I yawned and put my hand up to catch whatever came out.

My eyes shot back open and all the air left my lungs as a heavy something crushed my chest before rolling off of me and clattering on the floor. I barely got a breath in before I saw Princess Luna what the fuck tumble out the portal and land ass-first on my chest.

"Mother- (gasp), Luna- What!? How did, get off me I can't breath. How did you use my portal and what the fuck did you just throw at me?" I pushed her off by her flank to the opposite side of whatever it was that just tried to kill me before standing up with her and crossing my arms to look down at her. I tried to look at her sternly, but I could tell my expression softened after I got a look at her face. She was gobsmacked, and scared. "Luna? You- (cough cough) Are you okay? What was that just now?"

She didn't answer me though, she started frantically looking all around the room. On the walls, under the bed ("Other side Luna."), until she found her weapon of choice for the night. I walked around the bed to look at whatever it was she was holding from over her shoulder, and what little breath I had got caught in my throat. It was a massive framed photograph of Luna after I had made her my promise. It was a perfect copy of my memory of that moment.

"P-princess, where did-"

"It's real. It's all real. This is real." Luna was muttering to herself. She had been totally unresponsive to almost everything since she showed up and I was officially out of my depth. I let out a sigh and reluctantly turned around and left the room. I needed help. I saw some guards around earlier and hopefully I would be able to track one down and get one to fetch Celestia for me. It took me little time to find him, two seemed to be stationed at most exits to the hall.

"Excuse me? Guard?" He quietly interrupted his vigil to turn and look at me, he didn't quite get it right the first time time. I just rolled my eyes as he cringed and tilted his head up to see who had called for him, his partner was trying not to smirk, I could tell. "Yeah, I need some... pony to go get Celestia. It might be an emergency." Short, concise, got to the point, a perfect request.

"I will need to know the nature of the emergency before I can request her presence." Damn it.

"It's her sister? Princess Luna? She'll want to be here for this I'm sure."

"I'm sorry but that isn't enough for me to go off of-" Calm is gone.

"Shut the fuck up. I know who you are now, I could spot you out of a crowd of white and gold because I can literally sense your very being. Day will come, Princess Celestia will be meeting me for breakfast alongside the six heroes of the fucking world, and I can promise you that after I tell her information that should have gotten to her thirty seconds ago, that the next thing I'll be telling the immortal diarch that moves a giant ball of fire Every, Single, Day, is which guard it was that gave so few shits that he just let something happen to the sister that she spent one thousand years yearning for the return for. So go get her. NOW."

I don't think he could have left faster if he tried. That did mean I was left awkwardly standing in the hall with his partner and my cock out, but progress had been made. Now I just needed to wait. Just needed patience.

"... You couldn't really sense who he was could you?"

"Oh no, not even if my life depended on it."

...

"You look good by the way." I was going to ignore the fact that she was not looking me in the eyes as she said that.

"Yeah thanks, whatever."

...

"... hehe, you made him tinkle."

"Don't be gross, I did not- Oh damn it."

It might of been thirty minutes later, tops, when the guard finally arrived with an irritated Princess Celestia dragging her hooves with her head closer to the ground than what was probably considered 'appropriate' for royalty. Wasn't a total waste of time though. I made a friend, her name is Frontline, and I think she is an irredeemable flirt with everyone. Which, was unfortunate, because that meant I was still 'bothered' when Celestia showed up.

"Elifilis, why...? Why are you and the guard you threatened the career of in such sorry states? If it had just been him I would assume it natural but since you are the same, and nothing seems to be natural while you're around, I can only assume-"

"Okay, one, you are stepping in the reason why he's showing, two-"

"Oh, what? Why wouldn't you warn me-?"

"-I'm showing because your guard is shameless, and three-"

"No, no, nevermind, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked, oh mercy-."

"-if you'd stop thinking about my junk for a second? Thank you. Three, your sister is in my room muttering about how 'Everything is real,' after attacking me with a painting of herself and crushing my lungs with her own junk. Damn it, now I'm thinking about-"

"Why didn't you start with that!" And she was gone. "Luna! I'm coming!"

...

"For the record? Frontline? That entire interaction was your fault."

"Oh no, I'm so sorry, is there any way I can make it up to you?"

"You can clean up after your friend."

...

"I... I don't think I'm into that."

"You aren't supposed to be, I was serious."

"Boo, you're no fun."

"Girl, I will-"

Celestia wouldn't admit to anyone that she almost collapsed in relief at the sight of her sister walking out of the guest room as she turned the corner. Luna would happily tell anyone who asked that, yes, that damaged brickwork was caused by her sister hip-checking it as she slipped on her regalia.

"Luna! Is everything okay? I thought you must have gotten up to watch the stars when I woke up but then Elfilis said-"

"Wait! Hold, just so we are clear, thou woke up and I was not in my bed anymore?"

"I- Yes? Luna what is going on?" She watched as her sister pursed her lips in concentration, trying to find the right words for what had happened.

"... After you fell asleep I decided to try to converse with Elfilis through his dreams. Only, instead of starting the dream walk in my chambers and having to walk to him, as I would normally do, I found myself inside of his dream the moment my head hit the pillow. I knew it was his, and I thought to find him, ask him if he knew anything. So I called out to him, 'Art thou out here,' and his dream just, took off." Celestia could see the wonder shine in her eyes, the same wonder that used to be there when she talked about her discovery of dream-walking so long ago.

"It took the words I spoke to it, it created Art." It was at that point that Luna levitated a framed picture out from the room and showed it to her sister.

''Luna, its beautiful, but are you saying that..." Celestia was breathless. She heard the story of Fecto, but the power to move celestial bodies was dwarfed by this discovery.

"Yes. A portal opened up in his dream to take this, and I had followed it without thinking. It was disorienting, but I quickly felt it, the lack of a dream. I jumped from his mind into the material world, and the same holds true for this portrait. Its me, from my conversation with Elfilis, straight from his recollection of it. I, Celestia, sister, he doesn't know how to use his powers, we have to help him! His potential is incredible! If he had been here a thousand years ago, we... We never would have needed to grow up so fast..." Celestia's heart tore. "He can lift the sun and moon, he can stop famine, he..."

"Luna, I... I don't know what to say."

"Say yes! Don't you see! There is so much we could learn from him, and him us! If we could teach him control, with his help we would be able to prevent anypony else from going through what we went through."

"Sister, it's okay. I know what you are afraid of. I won't try to take him away from you. He is a good friend to you, I can tell, and he is not Sombra." Luna choked at the name. "He may be powerful, but he has been understanding while Sombra had always been too quick to hurt others. That was why I banished him, not because of his power. Sir Elfilis may stay."

"Thank you Tia, truly."

"With all that being said-"

"What-"

"Shh, let me finish. We cannot force him to become a guardian of our subjects. That would make us no better than Starswirl." Celestia was happy to see Luna care so much about something, but this was something she would not bend on, sister or not.

"... You are right. I shouldn't have argued for that." Luna was clearly upset with herself, but she needed to understand this point, as much as Celestia would rather let her sister have what she wants for once.

"... So, thanks for not banishing me. Can I have my room back? I would like to try to fall asleep before morning if it's all the same to you."

Author's Note

Apparently the last chapter was just the first drop of the angst coaster. I'll be keeping it lighter for a bit after this. Don't want to over saturate the narrative with hastily made lore drops and emotions.

I should totally write a full angst piece at some point though.