When Twilight’s eyes opened, her room was still dark. Slowly, she raised herself from the bed, pushing aside the blankets. She noticed Luna seated on a pillow opposite the bed, her head held high but her eyes shut; Spike was sprawled on a nearby cushion. As Twilight shuffled some more, Luna’s eyes snapped open. She then smiled deeply.

“I knew you could do it.”

“He’s gone,” Twilight said quietly. She gripped the blankets tightly. “For good, I think.”

“If I may be so bold to ask how?”

“Into my subconscious,” Twilight murmured. “That’s what he said—something about a maze and being lost forever. I didn’t think about it; I just had to act.” She squinted as she tried to recall the hazy memories. Luna’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Ah, yes, quite brilliant. The subconscious lacks all active thought; it is the deconstruction of the mind and, thus, the most dangerous place for a dreamer to wander. Even I would never deign to roam such places. Without coherent dreams to feed off, he will starve and eventually be subsumed into nothingness.” Twilight grimaced at the morbid thought.

“That sounds horrible.”

“Do not waste your pity on him, Twilight. Such a creature feels only for the misery and pain he causes others. He would have caused untold damage to Equestria if you had not stopped him.” Luna sighed happily, like a great weight lifted from her. She stood and studied Twilight. “You continue to exceed all my expectations.”

Twilight moved to speak more but was thwarted by the onset rush of light-headedness. She felt herself lurch forward, only to find herself caught in strong hooves just before she crashed against the bedsheets. Luna had moved with impressive speed to aid her friend. The sudden noise and commotion stirred Spike from his slumber. He shot up from his sleeping place, wide-eyed and sprinted towards the now limp Twilight.

“Twilight!” he gasped and stopped just before the bed. He clambered atop it and gripped Twilight’s hoof. Spike looked at Luna. “What happened? Is she okay? Did she defeat Baku? She’s not a zombie, is she?” Spike continued to babble until Luna motioned for him to stop.

“She is well and victorious, Spike, just exhausted,” Luna explained. “The dreamscape is not akin to reality, but its exertions are very real. To put it in modern terms, Twilight has gone twelve rounds.” Luna continued to hold Twilight close as the mare feebly wavered in and out of consciousness; the strength of her limbs had abandoned her.

“I just need a moment,” she whispered.

“You need rest,” Luna said. “Proper rest.” Before Twilight could protest any more, Luna whispered something in her ear. The effect was sudden, and Twilight's head dropped, and her eyes closed. Spike looked on bewildered. Luna shot him a wry smile. “A sleeping spell, just something to give her a few more hours rest.” The soft intake and exhale of Twilight’s breath could soon be heard. Luna gently guided her head back against her pillow. She pulled up the sheets, tucking the younger mare in.

“She’s going to be okay?”

“Yes,” Luna answered. “She has done marvellously. I shall make a dream weaver of her yet. But that is for another day’s labour. For now, she deserves the fruits of her victory. A day off would be an ample reward for an overly vexed princess.”

“But the sun needs to be raised? And what about court?”

“I will write to my sister.” Luna raised herself from the bed. She stretched her legs and shook her wings. “She shall raise the sun.” She let forth a hearty laugh. “We are still of some use to the realm. We are retired, not dead. As for the nobles, I am sure a clever young dragon can whip up some excuse to ensure her schedule is clear.” Luna motioned for Spike to follow her. The young drake smiled a toothy grin. He hopped down off the bed and scrambled towards the door.

“You’ve got it, Luna!” he chirped happily.

“Come, let us leave her be. There is much work to be done.”

As Luna exited, she could only look down on her sister’s former charge and watched in contentment as a small smile formed upon Twilight’s lips; the mare did not stir, and all signs of worry, exertion and struggle were absent. Instead, she almost seemed to shine with newfound ease. Luna sighed happily and closed the door, leaving the Princess to her well-deserved rest for the first time in what seemed like an age, and no nightmares troubled the newer princess for many nights after.

Author's Note

Well, there it is. Funnily enough, the original draft was significantly longer, at about 25k words. I cut it down because I felt the story was going to drag. I hope the result hasn't been too harsh on the pacing. I hope people enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.