Luna's Stolen Dream

Chapters

Chapter 1: Seeing Double
Chapter 2: Bad Mane Day
Chapter 3: Coffee Break

Chapter 1: Seeing Double

Luna yawned and stretched. It has been hours since the sun went down. Her bedroom was illuminated only by the flickering light of a small candle beside her bed and the moon's light. The fresh air coming in from the outside through wide-open windows did little to help her weariness.

'There goes another day of humoring a handful of ponies and having to listen to their petty squabbles...'

While her sister usually handled these on her own, there were times when Luna was also expected to shoulder at least a portion of her burden. It was only fair.

Fighting another yawn, she blew off the candle, making the room darker still. For a moment, she just stood there, enjoying the soothing summer air and gentle light of the moon that snuck in through the large windows—her moon.

After a while, the silence of the night was interrupted by a faint clanking of metal. Lazily, Luna leaned out of the window and saw a few small golden specs crossing the atrium below.

'Change of guard,' she thought. She couldn't make out any details from the distance – not that she particularly cared about what the guards were doing. She pulled herself away from the window and at last collapsed – rather ungracefully – into her soft bed.

'The work is not finished, though,' Luna reminded herself, and a soft grunt escaped her muzzle. A part of her wished she could skip her dreamtrotting tonight. Nopony would know, and surely nothing bad would happen if she just allowed herself peaceful sleep tonight. Just this one night. Luna shook her head and pushed that idea out of her mind. Tired or not, she had her duties.

She sighed and tossed about a little, trying to find a comfortable position on the bed. Once she was satisfied, she focused on her magic. The dreamtrotting spell came to her as if on its own. She's cast it so many times that it took practically no effort anymore. Luna relaxed her mind and allowed it to slip away into the dreamscape.

The sensation was always the same—a strange combination of weightlessness followed by a gentle pull into nothingness. While it wasn't a physical sensation, she remembered that once, she compared it to being pulled through a jar of pitch-black honey by an invisible string. It was not a great metaphor, maybe, but about as close as she could get to describing it.

Soon, the pulling stopped, and the dreamscape sprung into existence for her. Over the years, Luna has mastered navigating the twisting branches of the dreams that stretched all around her. As she walked, her mind was assaulted by scraps of dreams that pulled it in every direction. Some dreams were almost like little flies and scattered as she approached them. Others were more bothersome, requiring a more-or-less gentle magical push to get them to leave her alone. The dreams she was the most interested in usually paid her no attention.

The dreamers that were too occupied with their fantasies, good and especially bad – those were the ponies she was interested in. Their dreams were easy to spot for somepony with her experience. Murky and lethargic, too occupied with themselves to do much else.

A young colt whose friend moved to a different town

His dream was without a spec of color. Hardly defined, it hovered at her eye level as she approached it. There wasn't much Luna could do for the colt. His dream was ill-defined and constantly shifting - filled with empty swings, abandoned toys, and echoes of laughter. She whispered a few kind words for it and was pleased that a bit of color crept in. She dared not to enter the fragile dream and wake the dreamer, but she stayed and talked to it a little.

An old mare whose birthday nopony remembered

The inside of her dream was pleasant. A little house with balloons, cakes, and soft music. The table was set for at least a dozen, but besides the mare, only Luna was there. She took time to talk to her and ask her how she was doing. It seemed to have cheered the pony.

A wannabe theater actor nervous before his first big performance

He stood on a gigantic stage, on the verge of tears, stuttering out his lines. His audience was composed solely of empty chairs, which still booed him every few seconds.

A young stallion who planned to propose to his special somepony

His marefriend couldn't remember his name and her father kept shouting 'Over my dead body!' every time he tried to speak.

…

Luna took the time. Experience taught her that no matter how much she tried, she would not be able to help all the dreamers who needed her. Not even most. The best she could hope for was to help a few ponies at least a little every night. With each dreamer, she took her time. She talked and listened to them, occasionally employing a little of her magic to try and calm their dreams.

It was slow work, but time in the dreamscape passed at its own pace. Sometimes, her night would drag on seemingly without end. Other times, it'd pass by so quickly that she hardly got to do anything. Even with all her experience, she didn't understand how exactly it worked—tonight, though, appeared to be one of the longer nights.

Soon, she lost count of just how many dreams she had visited. Maybe it was a dozen – probably even more. She glanced around her, trying to find another dream to help, when she noticed something peculiar in the distance. For the briefest of moments, she could swear that she had seen her own reflection staring back at her from within one of the dreams.

Intrigued, Luna went after the dream without thinking. It didn't take her long to find it again. It floated around lazily and calmly. As she approached it, the dream perked up a little. It twirled in front of her and then returned back to its peaceful state. It didn't seem troubled in the least. Still, Luna could not resist a small peak inside.

The sight that opened to her was a familiar one. It was the grand throne room of the palace. Everything was exactly the same. Well, not exactly. Like most dreamers, this one also struggled to recreate the finer details. The polished stone floor was a little too monotonous, the thrones a little too big and blocky, colors not quite right... But that was hardly unexpected. It was the dreamer's imperfect memories of the room that created the dream in the first place. What Luna was more interested in was what was happening in front of her.

Two ponies were sitting at the foot of one of the gigantic stained glass windows. One of them was her, or at least her as the dreamer's mind imagined her. In the dream, Luna was very much like her, except maybe a little shorter. Sitting next to her was another pony. Luna couldn't see his face, but she could tell it was a gray pegasus stallion. He and her dream-self were sitting side to side, looking at the glass and talking.

Luna decided to get closer. She knew she didn't have to be worried; as long as she did not wish to be seen, the dreamer would have no idea she was there. As she made her way closer to the pair of ponies, their voices became clearer.

"… it wasn't so bad. I hardly remember any of it. Bits and pieces only for the most part."

"Still a thousand years… I can imagine it wasn't easy coming back after such a long time."

It was then that Luna realized what the stained glass the pair was looking at depicted. It was her, or rather, Nightmare Moon's, exile to the moon and subsequent return. In the top panel, her corrupted form stood tall and regal, with the moon shining behind her. At the bottom, its mouth was twisted in a snarl. The scattered pieces of colored glass around Nightmare Moon's body gave the impression that she was disintegrating.

"Of course, it wasn't. I was most afraid that I would be shunned still for my past deeds. It wasn't so, however. For that, I am still grateful."

Luna finally reached the duo and managed to get a close look at them. The gray pegasus had a white mane and amber-colored eyes, with his cutie mark resembling a coat of arms—not uncommon in Canterlot. Something about the pony seemed familiar, however. She could have sworn she'd seen him somewhere, but she couldn't remember. His near-perfect recreation of her form, however, left little doubt that she was not wrong. Surely, the two of them must've met in the past.

Even from up close, her dream self was an almost perfect copy of her. Dream Luna appeared relaxed. She had a gentle smile on her face and a soft look in her eyes. Overall, sheseemed somewhat less stern than her real self.

"Sometimes I just think I could – I should - do more," dream Luna added after a moment, earning herself a look from both the dreamer and the real Luna.

With a hint of uneasiness, Luna realized that this version of her was maybe a little too similar to herself.

"You help ponies all the time, Luna. You shouldn't be so hard on yourself," the dreamer spoke calmly and flashed his Luna a warm smile. He outstretched his wing and gently stroked her back, barely touching her in the process.

"If you were to ask a random pony to tell you one thing about Princess Luna, how many would not mention Nightmare Moon?"

"Why ask a random pony? Your friends wouldn't think of Nightmare Moon, Princess Celestia wouldn't, I certainly wouldn't. Isn't that enough?"

Luna intently watched her dream self smile after hearing the reply and return the dreamer's gesture. For a while, the two ponies sat there together, their outstretched wings touching each other ever so slightly.

"I suppose that is a pretty good start," dream Luna said finally.

"I am inclined to agree."

Dream Luna shuffled close to the dreamer and leaned into him, wrapping one of her wings around his seated form. The duo sat there, bathed in the colorful light passing through the stained glass. "Do you mind if we just… sit here for a while?"

"Not in the slightest," the dreamer replied without hesitation.

Luna watched the scene unfold in front of her with an uncomfortable knot forming in her stomach. As the two ponies in front of her sat in a silent embrace, she felt like an unwelcome and unwanted intruder. Which, if Luna was being honest with herself, she was. Despite the rational portion of her mind screaming at her to leave, she couldn't make herself do it. Her eyes were glued to the ponies in front of her. They seemed so calm, so happy. She seemed so happy.

That night, the choice to leave was made for her. The dream suddenly dissolved around her, and she wasn't quick enough to escape. As the dreamer awoke, so did she. She was alone once more in her bedroom. That tight knot still in her stomach…

Despite the events of the previous night, Luna found herself feeling surprisingly well-rested. She couldn't even remember how long it's been since she'd visited a pleasant dream. It was easy to forget just how refreshing a dream could be. And yet, was there a reason to think that it was indeed a pleasant dream? Maybe for the dreamer, but for her… She wasn't sure how to feel. After all those years, she was used to seeing strange things in ponies' dreams, but it was rare to see herself in them.

"Which ones do you prefer, Princess Luna? Red or purple?" A small pink mare showed two bouquets of roses in front of her face. She hardly cared about their color one way or the other but paused anyway for a moment as if to think.

"They are both nice. But I like the purple ones a little better."

Mare smiled happily and ran off... only to be replaced by a serious-looking stallion levitating four different cutlery sets on a silver tray.

"Excuse me, Princess Luna, but could you please tell me which is more to your liking? You see this set-"

The stallion proceeded to go on and on about the differences in styling and sizes – delivering a rather deep analysis of the intricacies of cutlery. Luna did her best to appear attentive; she cared about the cutlery about as much as she did about the bouquets. And she cared about those as much as she cared for the entire masquerade gala.

Still, she promised her sister that she would help with preparations, so help she did.

"-whereas this set is a little cheaper, but its décor is not quite up to par with the other three. For the savings, we could, however, afford to add at least fifteen more-"

"Yes, that sounds like the right thing to do. Please use these," Luna quickly interjected once she realized that the lecture was shaping up to be a rather long one. The stallion shot her a rather nasty glare but relented and, with a slight bow, trotted away. Luna was allowed a brief respite. She still didn't even understand why they had to prepare it so much in advance. The night of the masquerade was still almost a month away.

Another pony approached her. "Begging your pardon, Princess Luna."

And in such a manner, she spent her whole morning and a significant portion of the afternoon. She managed to steal an hour just for herself around noon, but there always seemed to be more and more duties lurking behind every corner.

Finally, at eight in the evening, as every day, trumpets were sounded, interrupting the otherwise busy hallways of the palace and signaling that the doors would soon shut for the night. One after another, ponies began to disperse. It wasn't long after the trumpets that Luna found herself wondering about the near-empty halls of the palace. On her way to the kitchens, she met nopony save for a few guards who stood at attention as she walked past them.

She hoped that she would get a chance to talk to her sister at least, but she was disappointed when, upon arrival, she received a note stating that Celestia was still caught in some negotiations. She ate her dinner alone. Once or twice, the servant mares in the kitchens came to check up on her and ask if she needed anything. Luna just politely brushed them off and finished her meal in silence.

Before nine, she was already back in her room. Days in the summer were long, but soon, it would be the time for her to raise her moon. Luna stepped outside on a spacious balcony and waited. From where she stood, she had a view of the whole Canterlot. Its white buildings gleamed in the last rays of the fading sun like pearls. Suddenly, she wished that she had more time to visit the city itself. It was rare that she had a chance to leave the palace. Or rather, it wasn't often that she chose to do so…

As the last rays of the sun disappeared behind the horizon, Luna gathered her magic. Her horn lit up, and through it, she felt the mass of the moon - hiding just behind the horizon. Luna let her magic envelop it. It spread across every crater and embraced every valley and ridge that marred the surface of the moon. Slowly and carefully, as if handling a newborn chick, Luna willed the moon to rise, and at her command, it did. She always enjoyed seeing the first rays of silver light dispel the darkness left behind by the fading sun. Little by little, she raised her moon higher and higher still until it was finally hovering at the very top of the night sky.

Luna released her hold, and the magic faded. For a few more minutes after the act, she stood silently, observing the changed landscape. Everything suddenly appeared calmer and softer. The white buildings in the distance were now illuminated by the combination of moonlight and flickering gas streetlamps. In every other window, a new light would sprang up to dispel the darkness.

While the sight was pretty, Luna eventually grew weary of it and retreated back to the confines of her bedroom. After brief contemplation, she took off her royal ornaments and decided to call it a night early today. This night, at least, she was not as tired as yesterday, and her duty did not weigh so heavy on her as it did the night before. She cast the spell and let her mind slip back into the land of dreams.

She was rather early and, as such, found the dreamland sparsely populated –primarily by dreams of young colts and fillies. It didn't bother her in the least. After a brief search, she found a dreamer in need of assistance. Luna got to work.

As the night progressed, the dreamland became more and more crowded. Luna found that the number of dreams was the only way to judge the passage of time. However, it was far from being a reliable and accurate method. Sometime around the middle of the night, as she was looking for another dreamer to help, she noticed a familiar sight in the distance.

It surprised even her how easily she was able to recognize it, but there was no doubt in her mind that floating not too far from her was the dreamer from yesterday. There was no way for Luna to tell if she was again in his dreams – she would have to get closer. Before she could do so, Luna stopped herself.

'You have work to do here. Spying on ponies is not it!' she mentally scolded herself and turned away.

She would visit a few more dreams and help a handful of bothered dreamers, but every time she returned from a dream, her gaze returned back to the dreamer from yesterday. Try as she might, she found herself drawn to it. The sensation was difficult to resist.

After some more time, the dreams started dispersing, and Luna thought it would surely be day again soon. But the dream she was the most interested in was still there. Luna lost the fight with her inner voice and quickly approached the dream. As she did so, the dream also lazily glided towards her as if greeting her.

Even at a quick glance, she could recognize her form in the dream. Slowly, she slid in, careful not to disturb the dreamer.

The setting of the dream was different this time. Instead of the palace, Luna now saw the dreamer and her other self lying close to the edge of a large puffy cloud. Behind them was a pegasus mansion fashioned out of formed cloud mass – the same cloud on which the two ponies were lying. Luna made sure they couldn't see her and got closer to listen to the duo's conversation.

"-maybe next time, we can take a look into town if you want. It's not too big, but it is rather charming," the gray pegasus offered. Dream Luna nodded with a smile.

"Why not? What was it called again?"

"Little Prancing."

Luna leaned over the edge of the cloud to see what the ponies were talking about.

A long way down below the cloud mansion, she saw a little town. It was tucked in a deep valley, surrounded by forested hills on both sides. A small winding river flowed through its middle, but the dreamer's mind was not focused enough to maintain many details.

"Little Prancing," the dream Luna repeated. "Sounds... cheerful."

"It is a nice town. A little quiet, especially when compared to Canterlot."

"You grew up there?"

"Not really; I spent two summers there when I was a colt. My parents were away, so I was staying here with relatives. I wished I had a house like they did one day," the dreamer laughed and nodded toward the mansion behind them. "Our Canterlot house felt a bit cramped after sleeping here a few times."

So he was from Canterlot, Luna noted. And those amber eyes… Luna was certain she had seen those eyes before somewhere.

"Hmm… You know what I am thinking, Winter?" dream Luna asked suddenly with a mischievous smile.

'Winter,' Luna thought. Now she had the dreamer's name. She tried to think but couldn't remember knowing any pony by that name.

"Probably not, considering that smirk," Winter replied.

Dream Luna looked down over the edge of the cloud and back at Winter. Her smile broadened. Then, without another word, she stood up, spread her wings, and casually stepped over the cloud's edge. Winter sprang to his hooves and followed after her. Luna was left alone; after brief contemplation, she decided to follow.

Flying in the dream was not as exciting as it was in reality. One could not feel the wind rushing by her wings nor the straining of muscles when pulling up from a dive. Not to mention that strictly speaking, she didn't even have to move a single muscle to fly – with no gravity, it was only one's imagination that kept the body in the air. Luna didn't bother to flap her wings. She willed it, and her body floated through the air as she went after the dreamer and her dream self.

The two ponies were moving quickly. Twisting and turning in the air, they got within touching distance of one another. Luna led Winter through a progressively more and more aggressive series of turns and pirouettes, but the white pegasus managed to stay right behind her tail. Then, after an aggressive nosedive, Winter seized his chance and overtook Luna. It was now his turn to lead, and the chase continued.

As the duo passed by her, Luna noticed the expression of carefree joy on the face of her dream copy. Suddenly she yearned that their places were reversed and it was her souring through the air chasing Winter. She floated there, watching the dream unfold and wondered when was the last time she had the time to fly over Canterlot.

The dream was nearing its end now. Luna felt the dream starting to disintegrate as Winter began to wake up. Her dream-self would not get to finish her chase. As the last cloud disintegrated into black nothingness, Luna retreated from the dream.

Chapter 2: Bad Mane Day

"My little sister, up early and eating her breakfast?! Now I've truly seen in all!"

Luna raised her head from the fruit-filled plate in front of her. "Good morning to you as well, sister," she greeted Celestia with a small smile.

"Good morning, Luna. I didn't expect to see you here. Not that I am complaining. It's been some time since we've had a chance to steal a few moments for ourselves," Celestia beamed at her in her usual enthusiastic tone. Walking with her typical grace, she pulled up a chair and joined Luna at the table.

"Indeed," Luna simply stated. She wasn't least bit surprised to see her sister start filling her plate with sweet pastry, waffles, and pancakes. "Although, at least yesterday, the fault was not mine. It's a shame you couldn't join me for dinner."

Luna was surprised to hear that her tone remark came out with a hint of accusation behind it. It wasn't like she blamed her sister for being busy, was it? For a split second, the smile on Celestia's face faltered a little, but she quickly recovered.

“Yes, I am sorry Luna. Our little ponies seem to find new issues to squabble over each day."

"No need to apologize. You were just conducting your duties."

An uncomfortable silence set it. The princesses continued eating their breakfast, neither of them sure how to continue their conversation.

"I was thinking about going flying today in the afternoon. Would you like to join me?" Luna asked suddenly, surprising even herself. Her sister seemed caught a little off guard by the proposal.

"Flying where?"

"Nowhere in particular. I merely thought we could stretch our wings a little."

"Why not. I think that's a wonderful idea, Luna," Celestia replied after a moment of thought, in a tone that Luna could only describe as 'motherly.' She noticed that her sister often used it when talking to the other ponies. Luna didn't particularly like it when it was directed at her, although she couldn't really put into words why.

"Then it is settled! We can meet in the throne room after the evening trumpets are sounded."

"Let's just hope nothing comes up today. Yesterday, I went to bed well past midnight… By the way, how are the preparations for the masquerade coming along?"

"Well enough I suppose," Luna shrugged: "The décor is picked, or at least I sincerely hope it is, now we just need music... and costumes for the servers and fireworks and food…"

"...and a million other things," Celestia laughed: "Trust me, I know how it goes. But I think you'll enjoy it once the night comes. It's been a while since we've hosted a masquerade."

"You sound rather excited."

Celestia happily beamed at Luna: "I am! I prepared a special costume, and I just can't wait to see how ponies react to it!"

Luna's attention was sparked. "Special costume? Rarity's latest creation, I presume?"

A sly smile crept to Celestia's face: "Not this time. Actually, I made it myself!"

"You? Sewing?" Luna laughed: "Should I be worried?"

"Har har, just wait, and you'll see! I think I outdid myself," her sister replied playfully, feigning being insulted. "What about your costume?"

"Still plenty of time for that. I'll just visit Rarity and ask her to make one for me. I am not feeling as crafty as you, dear sister."

"Suit yourself. Just don't wait until the last moment, else I'll also have to make a costume for you," Celestia winked at her. She then proceeded to devour a plate full of pancakes. Luna silently watched the massacre unfold before her. No pancake survived.

On the eve of the day, Luna was quite pleased with how her day went. A relatively rare occurrence. She leaned back in the warm bath and relaxed as the warm, bubbly water soaked her coat and feathers. Maybe it was flying with her sister, or perhaps she was just finally getting used to the never-ending stream of royal duties. In any case, her day passed by fairly quickly, and to Luna's pleasant surprise, when she got to the throne room after the trumpets rang, her sister was already there waiting for her.

The princess twisted her body in the bathtub and adjusted her wings. Long time of little activity took its toll on her, after only a few hours of flying today her wings were sore. It was the pleasant kind of soreness however. She would have to find time to do it more often.

Luna closed her eyes. For minutes, she remained motionless, her thoughts occupied with nothing. She just lay there, resting. It wasn't until the water began to feel cooler that Luna moved again.

'Time to go to bed,' she thought, suppressing a yawn.

The water dripped from her coat all over the smooth marble floor of her bathroom, but she cared little about it. No doubt the maids would clean it up in the morning. It took Luna but a few moments to dry herself, and she quickly trotted over to her bed. Once wrapped under her soft duvet, she allowed herself five more minutes of comfort before she got to work in the dreamland.

'I wonder if I'll see him again tonight,' a random thought crept into her mind as she lay there. Her two visits into Winter's dreams, albeit brief, were a pleasant change of pace compared to her usual work in the dreamland. Unlike the troubled dreams and nightmares of ponies, Winter's were soothing and pleasant - indeed, dreams born from a focused and content mind. He didn't need her counsel or a shoulder to cry on; he didn't even need her to speak. She could just sit and observe.

'It is not like I am doing anything wrong!' Luna reasoned with herself: 'I am already in his dreams before I even step in. Surely he wouldn't object if he knew.'

'Surely he would!' another part of her argued. 'You are not the same Luna as the one in his dreams. He would be terribly embarrassed if he knew you were there!'

Deep down, Luna knew what the proper thing to do was. She had no right to invade the privacy of a pony she barely even knew by name. And yet… the temptation was there and surprisingly hard to resist. As strange as it sounded, even to her, a part of her felt flattered at the realization that thoughts of her occupied somepony's mind.

Realizing that she was on the verge of falling asleep, Luna snapped her weary eyes open. As she prepared the spell, she decided she would decide what to do about Winter's dream when the moment came. If it even came – for he might not dream of her again soon.

That thought proved to be prophetic.

Luna's night went on as it always did. Gliding from dream to dream, at first not even allowing herself to look around too much lest she'd be distracted if Winter's dream was there again. As a few hours went by, Luna allowed herself to pause every now and look around. If somepony were to watch her, they would hardly notice the first few of her fleeting glances into the distance. In any case, she didn't find what she was looking for.

While her day passed swiftly, it appeared to Luna that today's night would never end. The troubled dreamers were many and utter silence of the dreamland in-between visits provided little respite. Her pauses between entering the dreams became longer and longer. Many times, she caught herself aimlessly drifting between the dreams, trying to spot the one she was actually looking for. It was a hopeless search. Between the many thousands of dreams, even if it was there, she would need either a great deal of time or a great deal of luck to find it.

Either the dream was hidden in the corner of the dreamland she didn't think to explore… or Winter was not dreaming tonight. She couldn't help but feel disappointed. Begrudgingly, Luna returned to her duties and pushed the thoughts of Winter's dream out of her mind. The night dragged on.

Finally, after what felt like eternity the day arrived, dreams faded and Luna begrudgingly opened her eyes. She was tired. Her wings that felt a little sore yesterday seemed to have been transformed into solid lead during the night. Luna dragged herself in front of a mirror and inspected her reflection. Bloodshot eyes, droopy wings, grumpy expression… her good old morning self was back in full force.

With her eyes half-closed, she shambled over to the bathroom to splash some water over her face. As one would expect, or rather should expect, the splashed water from yesterday was still on the floor, and it proved too slippery for tired Luna. Her hooves slipped, and with all the grace of a newborn calf, she collapsed on a heap, her flank receiving a not-so-gentle kiss from the hard marble floor. If anypony was within earshot, they would have assumed that a sack of potatoes had just been tossed into her bathroom.

An incoherent stream of groans and half-curses escaped Luna's mouth as she slowly collected herself and got back on her hooves. Now, she was both tired and annoyed. Truly the perfect way to start a new day!

The cool water did little to ease her irritation. When she stomped out of the bathroom, her frustration reached new levels when she noticed the clock on her nightstand. Half past nine. Half past nine?! How was it that late already? Just yesterday, she promised Celestia that she would partake in the jury for a proposed architecture contest. Already, she was running late by almost an hour!

She stormed out of her bedroom and, in a walk so swift it could almost be called a trot, crossed the long hall that connected her room to the main wing of the palace. Out of the corner of her eye, she registered a flash of golden armor to her side, but she paid the guard no attention.

"Good morning, Princess Luna."

The guard's greeting was only acknowledged by an incoherent grunt from Luna, whose mind was too preoccupied to pay him much attention. She made a few more quick steps before her legs stopped, seemingly of their own volition.

'That voice…'

Her head snapped back in one quick, jerky motion, startling the poor guard whose eyes widened at the sight of a frozen princess.

'It is him,' Luna realized. Even though the elegant golden armor hid most of his body from sight, if she still had doubts after hearing his voice, one look at him dispersed them all. His amber eyes and snow-white mane appeared exactly as they did in the dream.

"Princess Luna? Are you okay?" Winter asked tentatively after overcoming the surprise. Suddenly, Luna realized that she was just staring at him without saying a word. She quickly tried to gather her composure and appear relaxed, but it certainly didn't feel to her like it worked.

"Yes, certainly! We- that is - I mean – we are perfectly fine. Good morning to you as well," she quickly stammered out. Cringing a little as she was reminded that the royal 'we' still had a nasty tendency of sneaking its way into her speech when she was nervous.

Judging by the concerned look on his face, Winter seemed unconvinced, which wasn't hard to understand. Despite her best efforts, Luna remained very obviously stiff and flustered.

"Ehm, yes… very well then," Winter said finally.

The awkwardness refused to dissipate between the two ponies. Luna kept staring at Winter without a word, without even knowing why. For some reason, in that very moment, the fact that she was seeing him while awake refused to be processed by her mind.

With concern growing on Winter's face, he made a small step forward: "Are you sure everything is alright, princess? You look as if you've just seen a ghost," Winter added, his mouth twisting into a small, nervous smile as he said the last words.

In that instant, whatever fog it was that fell on Luna's mind finally lifted. This time, it was her turn to smile nervously: "W- I am sorry. It is just that you said 'good morning,' and I didn't say anything, and then I realized it was rather rude of me, so I turned to say something, and then I forgot what I was going to say, and you asked…" she stopped herself when she realized that she was rambling. Why was she rambling? She never rambled. At least now, the look of concern on Winters's face was replaced with an amused smirk that he was trying - and failing - to hide. Luna took a deep breath.

"Let us start again," she said finally in a defeated tone. That earned her a proper hearty laugh from Winter, and for a split second, he looked at her exactly the way he was looking at Luna in his dream. It was a strange sensation to Luna… but not an unpleasant one.

"All the way from the start?" he asked, the smile still on his face.

"Yes, please."

"Very well," he paused for a moment and, in an exaggerated movement, straightened himself to stand at attention.

"Good morning, Princess Luna."

"Good morning to you as well," Luna carefully replied in as formal a tone as she could muster.

Winter smiled, and his posture relaxed a little again. "I think that went rather well," he stated.

"Yes, I'd be inclined to agree."

Luna opened her mouth to say something more but then briefly closed it as she suddenly remembered why she was in a hurry in the first place.

"We—I mean, I need to go! I am already running late!" she said, turning on her hoof to leave.

"Of course, Princess Luna, have a pleasant day."

Luna paused mid-step and looked back: "You too…"

'...Winter,' she almost added but caught herself just in time. She couldn't remember ever actually talking to him before. It would have seemed odd if she knew his name.

"Winter Dust," the armor-clad pony finished for her, interpreting her sudden pause as an invitation to introduce himself. Luna was grateful for that; at least now she wouldn't have to watch her tongue around him if they met again.

Instead of saying anything more, Luna, not trusting her mouth anymore this morning, just nodded and gave Winter a quick smile. Then, she was off at a pace that hardly could be called anything other than a trot.

Winter waited until she was gone from sight and then turned his gaze to a polished vase that stood not too far from him. He carefully inspected his reflection, looking for anything that might seem off. As far as he could tell, though, everything seemed in order. His uniform was polished and gleaming, helmet snugly fitted on his head, mane carefully tucked under the armor. Nothing on his face, nothing stuck between his teeth… Really, the only thing slightly out of the ordinary was the noticeable dark circles under his eyes – the consequence of the night shift that would hopefully end any minute now. Even after a thorough scrutiny of his reflection, he could see nothing that would explain the reaction he received from Princess Luna.

Winter averted his gaze from the polished metal, none the wiser. At the very least though, the conversation with Princess Luna, despite how brief it was, presented a small highlight of his otherwise painstakingly boring day of service. It wasn't rare for him to catch a glimpse of her, his assignments often had him stand guard over the hallways of the palace, but their interaction was usually limited to a brief exchange of greetings as she walked past his post. While Princess Celestia was known to sometimes engage in idle chatter with her guards and knew most of them by name, Luna, on the other hoof, was known as being a little... aloof.

The gray pegasus tried to put the whole matter out of his mind. Truth be told, the princess was probably on his mind a little too much the past couple of days. The previous two days, he was assigned duty in the library and, as a result, spent almost eight hours each day staring at Luna's portrait that just happened to be hung right in front of his station. Her visage was practically burned into his brain after that.

Suddenly, Winter's heart skipped a beat as he remembered his two recent vivid dreams in which the princess played a prominent role.

'Could it be that she knew?'

Luna's close connection to the world of dreams was well known. Maybe she knew or somehow found out… but it's not like it was Winter's fault. He could hardly be blamed for what his idle mind did while he slept. If that were the case, though, it would perfectly explain her behavior. She was nervous and awkward because she didn't know how to act around him.

Winter was positively horrified at the prospect. The dreams themselves were a little hazy in his memory. As far as he could remember, though, they were pretty harmless. Sure, the way he spoke to Luna in them was far from formal, but it certainly wasn't disrespectful, was it? Should he anyway apologize the next time he sees her? But that would be colossally embarrassing in case he was wrong in his assumptions.

His shift was refusing to end. Winter was expecting that any minute now he should hear the sound of his replacements armored hoovesteps around the corner, but he was left lone only with his troubled thoughts. As time went on and the picture of nervous Luna faded from his mind he managed to calm down again.

'There is no need to jump to concussions. She most likely doesn't know,' he tried to persuade himself: 'I don't know her at all, so how should I know how she acts normally. And in any case, even if she did know, I shouldn't have to apologize for my dreams!'

Winter managed to get a grip on himself again. He would just forget about the whole thing, and that was it. It was, anyway, rather unlikely he would dream of Luna ever again. Surely.

At last, Winter heard the sound of the hoofsteps he was waiting for. Soon after, a pony emerged clad in the armor just like his. Even from a distance, he could recognize that Sundance was coming in to replace him. The earth pony mare was one of his best friends among the guard, and as she approached, Winter winked at her while maintaining the official 'at attention' stance.

Sundance stopped directly in front of him and loudly announced: "Change of guard!"

"Change of guard!" Winter repeated right after, and the corner of his mouth twitched when he saw her return the wink. While nopony else was in the hallway, the two guards maintained the protocol to the letter. Sundance changed spots with Winter, after which both ponies saluted each other.

"Change of guard!"

They repeated once more. With that, the exchange was over. Winter turned sharply to the right and, in a marching step, left Sundane alone.

The guard's barracks were not too far, a mere two floors below him, but it still took Winter about ten minutes of slow and steady marching to get there. It was only when his last hoof crossed the door to the barracks that he finally allowed himself to relax. Already, the rest of the night shift guard was in. Winter exchanged a few words with his colleagues, but none of them were in much of a mood for talking. Most guards, Winter included, were all too ready to go home and get some sleep. Back at home, his comfortable bed was already waiting for him.

"Princess Luna," the hushed whisper was not enough to rouse the princess.

Luna's eyes were open, albeit barely, and seemingly fixated on the construction plan laid out on the desk in front of her. To the ponies assembled around the large desk, she appeared to be engaged in deep thought. The reality was a little less flattering as the princess was barely awake after endless rounds of discussions and evaluations of the proposed construction project.

"Princess Luna," the voice was now a little louder, a little more pressing. Luna shook off the slumber and slowly raised her eyes. She found that about a dozen ponies were staring right at her, evidently expecting an answer to a question Luna hadn't even registered.

"What is the matter?" she asked, turning to the pony who spoke her name.

If the chief architect Hazelbloom was annoyed by her lack of attentiveness, he didn't show it in the slightest. "There is an ongoing debate about the proposal to extend the aqueduct a little further towards the small community in Stablia. If the town continues to grow at the current rate, their local supply of water will not be sufficient in a few years," the older stallion explained calmly while pointing out the proposed extension on the map laid out in front of him.

Luna understood what he meant and try to shake her mind awake to form a coherent reply. With the eyes of the ponies still on her she finally stated: "Would its capacity still be sufficient if we were to narrow the aqueduct from here to Stablia?"

Hazebloom was silent for a moment, thinking over her proposal. Luna hoped that it was at least a little reasonable. As part of her studies in preparation for royal duties, she also briefly studied architecture, but those days were a long time ago.

"I think it's well worth consideration. It would reduce the cost of construction, and I believe it would still be enough for the town. Thank you, Princess Luna."

Hearing the Hazelbloom's words, the rest of the gathering nodded approvingly as well. It seemed that for the time being, Luna's reputation as a knowledgeable ruler remained unscathed.

Hazlebloom continued to elaborate on the proposal for a little longer, but despite her best efforts, Luna again lost track of the debate. Try as she might, Luna just couldn't shake off her tiredness. The heavy air in the study where the meeting was taking place and Hazlebloom's calm, monotone voice did little to help.

"-so the soil here will need to be reinforced before the foundation can be built, but I think that-"

In the sudden silence, Luna perked up, unsure if she had missed another question that was directed at her. Fortunately for her, Hazlebloom just paused to adjust his glasses. In the process, his eyes fell on a large winding clock in the corner of the room.

"I must apologize; it appears you let me ramble on for far too long. We were supposed to have a recess forty minutes ago! I propose we can continue in one hour from now after everypony has had some time to refresh."

The earth pony's proposal was met with no opposition, and ponies quickly started dispersing out of the crowded study room. It didn't take long until Hazlebloom and Luna were the ones left. The old stallion looked at her calmly.

"Princess Luna, I couldn't help but notice a certain lack of enthusiasm for the topic at hoof from your side," he noted with a hint of a smile in his brown eyes.

Luna sighed and slowly got up from the pillow she was seated on: "I am sorry, my mind has been... elsewhere," she replied, not bothering to hide the tiredness in her tone around the old stallion. "I'll do my best to be more attentive."

"No need to apologize. It is only that at one point I had to poke you as I feared you were about to use our geographical survey as a rather uncomfortable pillow," Hazlebloom laughed a little but quickly grew a little more serious when he noticed Luna's expression. "That is… what I am trying to suggest is that you should use the recess and rest a little. A little nap in the afternoon does wonders for me."

"I'll consider it," Luna replied dryly and, without more words, left the study. The hallway outside was deserted. After a moment of hesitation, Luna decided that, indeed, a short nap might not be a bad idea. She'd have to cross the whole palace to get to her room, so instead, she decided to make use of her sister's 'rumination balcony,' as Celestia insisted on calling it.

The 'rumination balcony' was, in fact, a rather large niche in the palace's library that was at some point occupied by what must have been a large statue. The statue was gone now, and the niche was shielded from view by thick red curtains. Luna had no idea how her sister found it, but somehow Celestia managed to drag a spacious mattress and a large assortment of pillows there. The niche's location right under the library's tall ceiling meant that when the drapes were pulled over it, it was practically impossible to see it from the ground. It was the perfect hiding place.

Luna was hardly surprised to find the palace's library abandoned. It only ever seemed to be used when Twilight was visiting. The fact that its dusty shelves were filled almost exclusively with dusty tomes that dealt with obscure branches of magic probably had something to do with that.

Luna's wings cried in protest as she stretched them to their full width; they didn't have to work too hard, however. With only two quick wing beats, she catapulted herself right to the niche and quickly slipped in. The heavy curtain closed behind her, cutting off the outside light. As Luna sat on the soft mattress, her horn lit up to provide the little light she needed to find a small alarm clock Celestia kept up here. Should any pony wander into the library, the thick curtain should be enough to muffle its sound when it goes off.

With the alarm set and Luna comfortable, she relaxed and almost instantly fell asleep.

Chapter 3: Coffee Break

Winter Dust trudged alone through the hazy streets of what he assumed was Canterlot. As his sleeping mind struggled to make sense of the dream world, he would occasionally recognize a building or a place. Still, the moments of clarity were few and far between. Winter didn’t know what he was doing or where he was walking - not that he particularly cared. Come the morning, all of this would anyway turn into an unremarkable and promptly forgotten dream.

Suddenly, Winter’s aimless mind was invaded by a stray thought.

‘Wasn’t it day just a moment ago?’

The fog that was enveloping his mind suddenly lifted. He looked around and realized that the sun had set. Strangely enough, in the dim light of the moon, the streets of Canterlot finally took on their true form. Winter realized he was in one of the narrow alleys near the main square. There was nopony around him and nothing to do, so he decided he might as well keep walking.

Luna observed the large fountain in front of her with little interest. She was an experienced dreamer and could shape the world around her as she pleased with a simple thought. As of now, Luna was using those godlike powers to mess with the water in the fountain. She could make it stop dead in its tracks, spin around in circles, boil, and freeze at the same time. Watching the rules of physics break at her whim was mildly amusing but still far from engaging.

Her little nap was taking far longer than she thought it would. Once again, the dream world was proving to her that it played by its own rules. Luna could not tell how long she’d already been standing here, but it was starting to get dull.

“Ahh, you again! Good evening, Princess Luna.”

The sudden voice behind her nearly made her wake up. The dream wavered a little, but Luna quickly wrestled back control of it. Standing just to her left with a mildly confused expression on his face was Winter Dust. Luna’s first instinct was to assume that he was just a figment of her imagination. A prank that her subconscious mind played on her. But as she inspected him closer, she just knew it couldn’t be the case. Looking into his eyes, Luna didn’t see any of that unmistakable hollowness that all creatures born from a dream shared. It really was Winter standing in front of her.

“You know, I am starting to get the feeling that you are following me around,” Winter said jokingly as Luna struggled to regain her composure.

“We-I... Certainly not!” she exclaimed a little too quickly, earning herself a hearty laugh from Winter. Right as she said it, she realized it was a lie. There was no way he should be in her dream. There was no way he could be in her dream. Which left only one option left... Somehow, she was in his dream. Again!

“Well, what are you doing here then?”

Judging by his smile, Luna thought he was teasing her, but she couldn’t be sure. Her intangible heart was beating like a drum in her intangible chest as she tried to come up with a reply. What would dream Luna say?

“I don’t know, you tell me. After all, it’s your dream, not mine,” Luna said finally, with what she hoped was a natural-looking smile. Technically, that wasn’t even a lie… Technically.

“Touché.”

Luna relaxed a little. She could play along for now and later figure out what was going on. The two of them silently stared at each other. Luna could practically see the gears spinning in Winter’s head as his mind was trying to cope with her intrusion. After a moment, Winter shrugged and looked around, seemingly content with her presence.

“Care to go for a walk? It doesn’t look like there’s much to do here.”

“Of course.”

Luna nervously joined Winter’s side. He was leading her away from the square and into the maze of crooked streets that surrounded it. Beside the sound of their hooves on the hard cobblestone road, the entire city was dead quiet.

“You know, when I saw you in the morning, I couldn’t help but notice that you seemed somewhat... tense,” Winter said suddenly.

“I didn’t sleep very well. And I had an... accident in the morning,” the sentence came out before Luna could think twice about it.

“An accident?”

“I- I slipped and fell... in the bathroom,” Luna admitted reluctantly.

The corners of Winter’s mouth twitched as he desperately tried to hold back a laugh: “Slipped? Well, happens to the best of us I guess.”

“Poking fun at a princess is not very gallant of you,” Luna jabbed back, feigning hurt.

“Poking fun? Oh, I would never, Your Highness! I am merely shaken to my core that the floor would dare to betray you like this!”

Luna snickered, not so much at the joke but at Winter desperately struggling to hold back a laugh. She found it odd how quickly she was getting comfortable in her new role of impersonator. Although, the fact that she was impersonating herself most likely helped.

“If you are done now, care to tell me where we are going?” Luna asked, ready to abandon the memory of her morning shenanigans.

“Hmm, good question. Still considering our options.” He came to an abrupt stop as they reached an intersection. Winter thought for a moment, then he looked at Luna. “How about this... Do you like coffee?”

“Pff,” Luna let out in a very unprincessly manner. “Like doesn’t fully convey the emotion.”

Winter smiled in reply.

“You know, somehow I had a feeling you’d say that. You must really be the mare of my dreams. And, lucky for you, I know the best coffee shop in Canterlot. They have these special frou-frou kinds of coffees that are just - well, you’ll see.”

“Sounds rather nice,” Luna stated simply, doing her best to ignore the casual flirt.

“After that, you can tell me if it beats the coffee they have in the palace. At least the stuff they give us tastes like colored water.”

As the duo walked the empty streets, the topic of debate kept shifting from one topic to another. Luna learned that Winter had only been serving in the palace for a couple of months now. On the other hoof, Winter was amused when Luna complained about there being over thirty different types of curtains she had to asses with her ‘royal attention to detail.’

With both sides enjoying each other’s company, the conversation flowed naturally despite the topics being mundane.

“… and that little sweetness brings out the flavor, which makes the taste that much better!” Luna enthusiastically finished her argument.

Winter nodded, seemingly deep in thought. After a moment he stated: “I respectuflly disagree and officialy request that you keep pineapple and pizza apart while in my vicinity.”

Luna opened her mouth to oppose him, but Winter cut her off with a raised wing before she could defend her culinary preferences: “And with that argument-winning statement out, I’d like to inform you that we... have arrived!” Winter winked at her when he noticed her annoyed pout and theatrically pointed to his right.

When Luna looked up, she saw that Winter had led them to a small, unassuming coffee shop tucked in one of the smaller side alleys. It was squeezed between two larger buildings, and its facade gave the impression that it had been there for ages. As Winter nudged the door open with his hoof, the hinge let out a gentle squeal as if it hadn’t been oiled in years.

“The best in Canterlot? Are you sure?”

“Completely sure. After you, Princess.”

Tentatively, Luna stepped through the door. The shop consisted of a single large room, dominated by a long counter that stood in its center. Scattered along the walls at irregular intervals were small booths – each fitted with four well-worn but comfortable-looking pillows around a low table. The warm colors and dim lighting gave the place a very cozy, welcoming feeling. Save for a single pony behind the counter, there was nopony else but them.

“First impressions?”

“It looks – rather nice,” Luna tentatively admitted. “I am still unsure about it being ‘the best, ‘though.”

“Let’s order something then!”

Winter trotted over to the counter. Luna noted with some amusement that many of the items listed on the menu were scrambled and utterly unreadable as Winter’s memory struggled to piece together the finer details. He seemed unbothered by it, though, as he studied the selection, which made Luna chuckle a little as she observed him. Meanwhile, the barista watched them both with a completely blank expression.

After a bit of thinking, Winter decided to order something called ‘Morning Special with Extra Cinnamon.’ Without being able to read most of the menu anyway, Luna chose the same. Soon, the two of them were sitting cozily in a booth next to the window.

“So this is it?” asked Luna as she slowly rotated the cup of coffee with her magic. It looked just like any regular cup of coffee. At least, at first glance, it didn’t seem like anything special.

“This is it,” Winter nodded and took a big gulp from his own cup. He seemed pleased and looked at Luna with an encouraging smile.

Feeling a little guilty, Luna smiled back and slowly brought the cup to her lips. As she took a sip, she wasn’t least bit surprised that the liquid tasted like nothing in her mouth. It was just another peculiarity of the dream word. Smells and tastes were only perceivable to whoever conceived the dream. Still, she didn’t want to disappoint Winter, so she put on her best smile.

“Mhh, yes. This coffee really is just splendid!”

A great actress, Luna was not. As soon as those words left her mouth, she realized how forced they sounded.

Winter’s smile faltered a little, but he quickly recovered. He leaned in a little closer to her and, with a sleazy smile, asked: “Reeeeally?”

“Yes, the best one I’ve ever had,” Luna said awkwardly, taking a long sip of the tasteless liquid. Winter now seemed on the verge of laughter.

“How would you describe it?”

“Pff, it’s like…The cinnamon and the coffee go so well together!”

Winter just playfully shook his head. “Has anypony ever told you that you are a horrible liar?”

“Tia has. Once or twice,” Luna admitted sheepishly. “I am sorry. I just didn’t want to disappoint you.”

“Don’t worry about it, Princess. You can be straight with me. I am a big colt. I can take it.”

Luna smiled a little. Winter continued slowly sipping his coffee while staring out the window at the abandoned street.

“For a dream, it all looks so real,” Winter stated all of a sudden and turned his attention back to Luna. “It really feels like I am sitting here with you, just... drinking coffee. And I don’t even know why. I barely know you, and yet, here you are.”

“Maybe you would just like to know me better?” Luna said, surprising even herself. Winter smiled at her with that charming smile she was all too quickly getting used to.

“Maybe. But if that’s the case, I am worried that I’ll be left disappointed.”

Luna opened her mouth to ask why, but before she could utter a word, the dream world abruptly shattered around her. The experience was like looking into a broken mirror. The dream splintered into shards that floated away from her in a kaleidoscope of odd colors and shapes. Winter was the last one to fade away; judging by his calm look, he was completely unaware of what was happening.

And then it was just Luna in a pitch-black darkness.

For a panicked moment the Princess desperately thrashed around as she struggled to figure out what was going on. If only that annoying ringing that pierced her ears would stop, then she could actually focus on escaping this limbo. Then, as if her brain had finally turned on, she realized what was going on. Her struggles ceased, and her hoof slammed the alarm clock with a lot more force than necessary—finally silencing it. She was awake in the hidden alcove and buried under a pile of pillows. Her nap time was over.

For a few more minutes, she just lay there, wondering what was now happening in Winter’s dream. Did he see her disappear and wake up himself, or did his mind simply replace her with dream Luna right away? She didn’t like how uncomfortable that latter thought made her feel.

His night shift was about to start soon, and Winter Dust was just finishing donning his armor. He carefully adjusted the shiny metal plates to make them rest comfortably against his backside. Tonight, Winter Dust was feeling an unusual sense of unease. He still didn’t know where he’d be stationed tonight, and while a part of him was excited that it might be in front of her bedchamber, the other was nervous for the very same reason. Luna has made her way into his dreams three nights in a row now. It was getting serious, but Winter wasn’t ready to think about the implications of it just yet.

“What’s going on, Snow? You’re taking your sweet time tonight. Don’t tell me you’re tired.”

Winter groaned when he heard Sundance use the nickname she made up for him. “You know I wish you’d stop calling me that.”

Sundance wasn’t least bit phased by his remark. If anything, her grin widened even further as she playfully poked his side. “Uff, someone got out of bed on the wrong side today. And just for the record, I am not going to stop - you know why?”

“Enlighten me.”

“Because I know you love it, Snow,” Sundance said sleazily, putting as much emphasis on the word Snow as she could.

Winter rolled his eyes at her, but nonetheless, Sundance’s remark managed to get a small smile out of him. The mare’s perpetually good mood was infectious. With some effort, Winter finally managed to get the last stubborn clasp to latch, and with that, his preparations were ready.

“Where do you think you’ll be tonight?” Sundance asked as they waited for their commander.

“Doesn’t make much difference, does it? Although, last time I got to speak to Princess Luna a little, so that was kind of nice,” Winter realized he made a mistake the moment he saw the mischievous look on Sundance’s face.

“Going straight for the top, are we? Somepony is ambitions!”

“…”

“What did you and Princess talk about?”

“Nothing. Just forget I said anything.”

Sundance obviously wasn’t halfway done picking at him, but Winter was saved by the arrival of their commander. Besides him and Sundance, there were six other guards in the barracks, and they all stood at attention the moment their commander walked in. They quickly formed two rows in front of him, with Sundance and Winter ending up in the very back, right next to each other. The commander went through a list assigning each guard their duties for the night. When he got to Winter, the pegasus felt a bit of the nervosity creep back.

“Winter Dust, east wing, Celestia’s hall!”

Winter released a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Suddenly, he was feeling a strange mix of relief and disappointment.

“Yesterday Luna, today Celestia? At this rate, we’ll soon be calling you Your Highness, Snow,” Sundance whispered playfully into his ear when the commander’s attention was elsewhere.

Annoyed, Winter bumped into her with his flank. Their armor rattled as it collided, a sound made all the more pronounced in the otherwise silent barracks.

The commander’s eyes were on Winter in an instant.

“Any questions, Winter Dust?”

No, sir. Sorry, sir. It was just - a cramp,” Winter blurred out without thinking. Next to him, he could practically feel Sundance shake with barely suppressed laughter, but with the commander’s eyes on him, Winter didn’t dare to look.

After a few tense seconds, the commander shook his head in disapproval and continued going through the list.

“Sundance, west wing, Luna’s hall!”

“I’ll say hello to the Princess for you.”

Winter snuck a glance at Sundance, but the mare just playfully winked at him and averted her gaze. Since it was her, Winter really couldn’t tell if that was supposed to be a joke or not. He didn’t get a chance to ask, though, as they were soon dismissed, and their posts took them in the opposite direction. He just hoped Sundance wouldn’t do anything to embarrass him…

Luna was standing on her balcony, absentmindedly staring at the city spreading out below her. The moon was already up, but the night was still young and she wasn’t feeling like going to bed just yet. How long has it now been since she returned? A few years, perhaps. Looking back, she realized just how much each day blended into another. She’d wake up, perform her duties in the palace, and then retire to her chambers. It was almost like being a prisoner, except there was nothing holding her here. She could leave at any time, and nopony would say anything. If anything, her sister would often encourage her to take a break, go out, and explore Equestria. And yet… she never did. And now she wondered why.

With cat-like grace, she jumped on the thick stone-carved railing and took a look at the atrium below. She felt a sudden urge to take flight and get as far away from the palace as she could. And she did just that.

Luna leaped into the air and immediately felt a rush of excitement as the cool air brushed against her wings. With a few wing beats, she propelled herself high above the clouds, only to pull the wings against her sides and allow herself to plummet towards the ground below. At the last moment, just as the rooftops of the city came dangerously close, she outstretched her wings and allowed the air currents to carry her back up. Luna repeated the maneuver a couple of times, and slowly but surely, she felt the knot in her stomach untie itself. After a while, her head was completely clear of all worries.

When her wings began to grow tired, she rose once more above the clouds and gracefully landed on one of the smaller clouds just above the city center. Luna didn’t resist as the soft cloud completely enveloped her body. For a moment, she just lay there. Relaxed and far away from her responsibilities, she began to toy with the idea of staying the night there. Come the morning, she would then just return to the palace, and nopony would be any wiser.

Luna could feel the wind pick up and carry the cloud further away from the palace. Eventually she grew bored of staring at the sky and instead she cleared a small hole in the cloud. Through it she observed the city streets and the ponies as they passed below her.

It wouldn’t take long however for her worries to catch up to her. As the streets below her began to empty out, the city reminded her more and more of what she saw in Winter’s dream. She still couldn’t think of why her idle mind sought even out his dream earlier. And yet, it was the only noteworthy thing that happened to her today. The only spark of excitement in the otherwise dull sea of endless audiences and mindless chores.

Luna didn’t even understand why it felt so special. She and Winter Dust did little more than talk about noting noteworthy in particular. Yet, she could recall everything they discussed. Every little joke, every time he teased her… She observed the streets below for a little while longer, but she couldn’t recapture that same sense of peace she felt before.

Then, all of a sudden, something caught her eye. The streets below were almost empty now, but here and there, a stray flicker of a lamp allowed her to make out some of the details. Luna squinted her eyes and realized that the narrow alley below her looked oddly familiar. Without thinking about it too much, she pushed her body through the hole she made and quickly descended just above street level. As she hovered above the rooftops, she realized that she’d been here earlier today. At least in a way...

Unclouded by Winter’s imperfect memory, the alley seemed a lot more vibrant, with fliers covering the storefronts and potted plants scattered around many of the windows. Luna’s gaze was drawn to a small coffee shop squeezed between two taller buildings. Somewhat hesitantly, Luna descended even lower to get a better look at it. Almost right away, her nose was greeted by a sweet smell that drew her even closer.

Without even realizing it, she made it all the way to the front door. There was still a dim light coming through the storefront windows. Luna reached for the door but froze just before her hoof could reach it.

‘What am I doing?’

She shook her head and turned away from the door, ready to fly away. But she couldn’t do that either. Luna felt stuck. The streets around her were reassuringly empty, and the coffee shop stood right there behind her. She might not get another chance to see what it’s really like. At least now, without herds of ponies watching her every move. She turned around again and faced the door.

“It’s probably closed anyway,” she muttered silently to herself, finding some reassurance in her own voice. Her hoof landed on the door and pulled it open. To Luna’s surprise, the door swung open at the lightest touch. It did so with the same high-pitched screech as in Winter’s dream. Tentatively, she took a few steps inside, noting how familiar it seemed. Looking around, she felt a sense of déjà vu wash over her. The short booths, large counter in the center of the room, even the wallpaper that was peeling off in multiple places…

“I am sorry, we are closed for the night.”

Luna was snapped back into reality by a tired-sounding stallion who had just popped his head from around the counter. Before she could say anything, though, the pony’s eyes went wide as they landed on her. His reaction couldn’t have been much different if she were a ghost.

“I- I am sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude. I will take my-” the stallion didn’t let her finish.

“Nonono,I am sorry Princess Luna. I just – I didn’t – if I knew it was you... Please, do come in!” With the stallion’s initial surprise gone, he was now positively beaming with excitement. His eyes never left her, even as he hurriedly made his way behind the counter.

“Thank you. You are too kind.”

“It is nothing! Absolutely no problem whatsoever! Princess Luna in my coffee shop?! Nopony is going to believe me!”

Luna awkwardly smiled at him, unsure what to say. The barista didn’t seem to mind. As Luna studied the menu, he stared at her, seemingly ready to pounce into action the moment she ordered. Even though she could now read through the menu, most of the selections didn’t mean anything to Luna anyway. Besides, she already knew what she wanted to order.

“I- heard that your morning special is delicious,” Luna asked, the compliment seemingly making the barista grow a little taller.

“And don’t know who told you that, but they were absolutely correct. One morning special coming right up! On the house, naturally!”

Luna opened her mouth to protest but quickly realized that she didn’t have any bits on her. With a pang of quilt, she just nodded, uttering a quick ‘thank you’.

It wasn’t long until she was presented with a steaming cup of coffee. The stallion stared at her for a moment, his eyes full of eagerness as if he expected her to gulp down the coffee right there and there.

“I will take it over there – if you don’t mind,” Luna said, pointing towards one of the booths.

“Of course, of course, Princess Luna. Sit down wherever you want, stay as long as you wish! I’ll – I’ll just be doing some cleanup in the back. If you need anything at all, just let me know.” With the smile never leaving his face, the stallion backed away from her and, with a half-nod half-bow, disappeared somewhere behind the counter.

With the barista out of sight, Luna carefully levitated the steaming cup towards the booth. Without even thinking about it, she picked the same one she and Winter had used before. With the coffee in front of her, Luna took a few moments to enjoy the view of the street outside. After a moment, she turned her attention back to the coffee and, with a deep breath, took in its aroma. It smelled wonderful.

She took a quick sip and slowly put the cup back down.

For a little while, she just sat there, staring at the coffee. Then she leaned back and took another look out of the window. After thinking about it for a bit, she took another sip. It seemed Winter was right after all. This was the best coffee in Canterlot.

Despite that, Luna couldn’t shake off the feeling that it would taste even better if she had somepony to enjoy it with...

Author's Note

Let me know if the pacing isn't too slow. I want to take my time and have the story feel cozy, but I don't want it to turn into a snoozefest.