“Is she coming to bed or not?” Twilight asked drowsily, her half-closed eyes drifting aimlessly around the bedroom, unable to focus on any one thing in particular. It was just about dark out, the sun having just dipped below the horizon, casting the world outside the library in shades of rapidly darkening pinks and purples. Twilight sat alone in her bed, waiting patiently for Rainbow Dash to come up. Given all that had been revealed earlier, the pegasus was insistent on being there for Twilight at all times.
Which made it somewhat odd that, just before Twilight had come up, Rainbow had insisted on staying downstairs to “take care of one or two small chores,” and while Twilight had not questioned it, there were just three small problems with that line of reasoning.
“Problem one: Rainbow Dash hates doing chores,” Twilight thought to herself, her snout wrinkling. “Problem two: There are no chores around the Library that need doing. We handled all of those earlier. Problem three: Rainbow Dash said she wasn’t going to leave me alone if she could help it, but she’s left me here for the last five- no, ten- minutes. And seeing as there are no chores left to do…”
It didn’t make any sense until Twilight read between the lines. Clearly, Rainbow was up to something that she didn’t want Twilight to know about. On most occasions, that amounted to fun surprises or gifts, but there had been the one or two occasions where Twilight caught Rainbow eating more sweets than her diet really allowed for—usually as a response to stress, but the point remains.
“Or perhaps she’s just afraid to share a bed with you, now,” Midnight suddenly piped up. “Seeing as she somehow managed to piece together my presence.”
Twilight went rigid, her mind flickering back to her vision from earlier, and the harrowing moment she had found Rainbow’s goodbye letter…
Twilight quickly shook her head. “No! You’re wrong! You heard what Rainbow Dash said earlier! She isn’t going to leave me alone with you!”
“That won’t stop her from being afraid,” Midnight snipped. “She’ll put on a brave face like she always does, but deep down, you and I both know she’s terrified of what she has discovered.”
Twilight grit her teeth behind her lips, then took a long, deep breath to calm herself down. “I’m not listening to this.”
“Then you’re an even bigger coward than she is,” Midnight spat caustically before Twilight felt her receding into the depths of her mind. Twilight let off a heavy sigh of relief once she was confident her malevolent shade had gone silent.
The silence that followed was mercifully short-lived. Twilight didn’t have a chance to even begin doubting her own conviction when the door to the room gently swung open and Rainbow stepped in.
“Hey. Sorry for the wait,” Rainbow said casually as she nudged the door shut behind her.
Twilight instantly perked up, her pensive expression morphing into one of relief. “There you are. What kept you?” she asked.
“I told you. Chores,” Rainbow replied with a noncommittal shrug before lightly hopping up onto the bed. She pulled her hairband off and shook her mane about, sending the long hairs cascading wildly down her back and over her shoulders.
Twilight’s face flattened into a deadpan. “Of course…”
“What, don’t believe me?” Rainbow asked with a snicker.
Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes. “I just know you, Rainbow.”
“Then you know it isn’t a problem,” she nudged Twilight in the ribs with her elbow.
Twilight raised an eyebrow, staring directly into Rainbow’s soul. The pegasus’ cocky grin became strained, and she leaned back with a small, nervous little chortle.
“Uh… eheh, so… sleep?” Rainbow finally suggested, picking at the blankets with her hoof.
Twilight continued to eye Rainbow for a few more seconds before finally giving off a defeated sigh. She was too tired for this. “Yes. Please. Sleep. I need sleep,” she muttered. The promise of rest was already lulling her into a state of total shut-down. She slumped limply down onto the bed, her face plowing gracelessly into the pillow with a muted pomf.
Rainbow snorted at the display. She didn’t say anything, though. Twilight felt her moving around until Rainbow’s hooves coiled gently around her from the side, and the warm blankets fell over them both. Twilight’s exhausted body began to relax when she felt Rainbow nuzzling into the back of her head.
“G’night, Twi. I got ya.”
Twilight managed a tiny smile at that and embraced Rainbow’s hooves with her own. “Thank you, Rainbow… goodnight.”
That was the last thing she said before the world faded away, and she stepped into the dream realm.
Twilight’s slumber was mercifully peaceful. Rainbow’s presence and vow of continued support and affection in spite of her knowledge of Midnight did wonders to ease the alicorn’s troubled thoughts. No nightmares came to torture her in the night, affording her pleasant dreams that she would forget come the morning.
In one such dream, she was flying high over Equestria. The clouds were parting before her all the way to the horizon, where the sun waited. It was as if the heavenly object had sliced open the sky itself to give the flying mare an unobstructed view of the world below. Twilight could see forests and rivers, mountains and valleys, grasslands and deserts. The geography was utterly alien to her, but it was no less beautiful for it.
More attention-grabbing than the wondrous view beneath her, however, was the view immediately to her left. Rainbow flew close by her side, just far enough away that there would be no risk of their wings clipping into each other. The cocksure pegasus shot Twilight a wide grin. “Pretty awesome view, huh?” she asked knowingly.
Twilight nodded, though her eyes did not once leave Rainbow. “Yeah… Beautiful.”
“I was talkin’ about down there.”
“I wasn’t.”
Rainbow snorted and looked away, a small blush forming on her cheeks. “Heh… smooth-talker.”
Twilight rolled her eyes in amusement at Rainbow’s embarrassment before focusing ahead. As true as it may have been that she could focus on Rainbow for hours on end and not get tired of looking, she could not deny that the world below her was beyond beautiful. She had no idea where they were, still, but to be frank, she didn’t care. She was with Rainbow, and Rainbow wasn’t going anywhere.
She blinked. “Huh… that’s weird. Where’d the sun go?”
Indeed, the sun had completely disappeared from the horizon, plunging the world into darkness. How had she not noticed that? It was like she had blinked and, in that brief instant of darkness where the world ceased to exist, the sun decided to just not come back.
“Huh? Rainbow, are you seeing this?” she asked, turning to her left.
The sun wasn’t the only thing that was missing. Rainbow, too, was absent.
Twilight came to a screeching halt, her eyes flying wide in alarm. She quickly spun in place, calling out, but there was no response. Rainbow had vanished into thin air just as surely as the sun had.
“Rainbow?! Where are you?!” Twilight called again, turning around to face the way they had been headed. Maybe Rainbow had kept moving, or veered off or something?
There was no Rainbow Dash up ahead, either. Instead, to Twilight’s surprise, there was a needle-thin crescent moon where the sun had been prior. It was slowly waxing, bathing the darkened world with pale light.
Just like that, Twilight knew what was going on. She deflated on the spot, overcome by a sense of mild disappointment. “And I was having such a good dream, too…”
The moon waxed full and gave off a gentle pulse of light. A low note, like a large wind chime, reverberated throughout the dream, carried by the pulse. It was a soothing sound, and it chased away what little anxiety Twilight had been feeling a moment prior. Then, as if the moon were a door or magic portal, a silhouette emerged in front of Twilight, framed by the moon’s glow very deliberately.
Princess Luna put on a gentle smile as the glow dulled to normal, allowing Twilight to take her in properly. “Twilight Sparkle. I am glad to see your dreams are not haunted tonight,” she said with a small nod of her head.
Twilight nodded in response before glancing off to one side. “Yeah… I was actually having a really nice dream. I was enjoying myself... You could have waited a few more minutes.”
Luna’s muzzle contorted somewhat, and she looked away. “My apologies, but I am afraid I was compelled to seek you out swiftly. I am given to understand that, last night, your slumber was… remarkably less pleasant.”
Twilight blinked in surprise. She turned to eye Luna suspiciously, a frown adorning her muzzle. “Yeah, it was. And you didn’t show up. How did you know I had a nightmare last night?”
A second passed, and a spark of genuine anger formed in Twilight’s breast as something occurred to her. Her eyes narrowed, and she took a demanding step forward. “In fact, where were you last night?! I could have used some help at the time, you know!”
Luna flinched back, a guilty look on her face. Her ears drooped, and she lowered her head again in apology. “I am sorry. You have been doing well in your slumber for a time, and so I felt it would be safe to leave you to your own devices for the night while I attended my other subjects. Alas, my timing was rather poor. Please forgive me.”
Twilight took a few seconds to process the statement, then heaved a heavy sigh. As much as she wanted to blame Luna, she knew it would be foolish in the extreme to do so. Luna, for all her power and the malleable nature of time within the Dream Realm, still had her limits. She couldn’t be everywhere at once, and Twilight couldn’t expect Luna to put the rest of her subjects off to one side indefinitely. Luna had all of Equestria to look after, after all, and Twilight was not more important than anypony else.
“It’s alright,” she eventually muttered, idly kicking at the clouds beneath her. “I understand… Although you didn’t tell me how you knew I had a nightmare last night.”
Luna stood upright. “My niece brought the situation to my attention ere you two went to sleep,” she said.
Twilight’s muscles tensed in surprise. “W-what?”
Luna walked slowly forward and turned to stand by Twilight’s side. In the air in front of them, a scroll of parchment appeared and unraveled, revealing what was unmistakably Rainbow’s sloppy hoofwriting. “She had Spike send me a letter detailing the day’s events and her own deductions. She is aware of Midnight’s presence.”
Twilight sighed and looked down. So that was what Rainbow had meant by “chores.” She’d been telling Luna about it without Twilight knowing. Probably because she knew Twilight would try to stop her if she knew. An impulse Midnight would have enforced, no doubt, in an attempt to keep her from getting the help she needed.
“What did she tell you, exactly?” Twilight asked in a weak murmur.
The scroll disappeared like dust in a gust of wind. “That you had a nightmare spurred on by Midnight of attempting to harm my sister and I. She mentioned how you had been exhausted and even more aggressive than usual during your work at Sweet Apple Acres. She mentioned your outburst and summarized the process by which she deduced Midnight’s presence in your mind. In all honesty, she was rather more thorough than I am used to. Her letter was several pages long.”
Twilight snorted. “Heh. That explains what took her so long…”
Luna hummed, though she did not ask for Twilight to elaborate. She began to walk, the clouds around them swirling together to create a surface under her hooves. She looked back at Twilight and beckoned with a subtle jerk of her head. “Walk with me.”
Twilight hesitated, eyeing how the clouds were forming under Luna’s hooves. She eyed her own for a second, took a deep breath, and stepped forward. To her relief, more clouds moved under her, allowing her to walk unimpeded. She quickly caught up to Luna, and the two of them walked side-by-side over the endless landscape below.
They were in silence for almost a full minute, affording Twilight an opportunity to get her thoughts in order. Eventually, Luna glanced down at her without breaking her stride. “Before we begin our work tonight in earnest, there is a request I am to convey to you.”
Twilight glanced up at Luna, confused. “What do you mean?”
Luna pursed her lips in thought, looking directly ahead. “...As you know, I have long tended to Rainbow’s dreams to provide therapy for her. She has come far, but she still requires my intervention on a regular basis. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a difficult beast to overcome, especially for one as emotionally driven as her.”
Twilight nodded along. “She definitely wears her heart on her sleeve.”
“For better or worse, yes,” Luna added solemnly. There was a momentary pause before she continued. “As it is, in light of what she has discovered, Rainbow has requested your permission to join you in your dreams on those nights I speak to you.”
Twilight came to a sudden stop, her eyes widening. “W-what?" She asked. She was about to ask if such a thing was even possible when a distant memory tickled at the edges of her mind. A memory of the first time Luna entered her dreams, of a frozen cave on a mountainside, and of Rainbow Dash when she was at her absolute lowest. A big grin began to form on Twilight's face. She had been summoned into Rainbow's dream back then, and now Rainbow wanted to return the favor. How could she refuse?
“Well, she certainly doesn’t need my permission! Bring her in!” she stated emphatically.
To Twilight’s surprise, however, Luna shook her head. “Hold, Twilight. I would have you understand the full weight of what it is Rainbow is asking of you before you grant her permission to enter.”
Twilight’s smile faded. She tilted her head. “Huh? Why? Is this dangerous?” she asked.
“No, it is not dangerous. If it were, I would never create shared dreams for my subjects unless in emergencies,” Luna replied. “No, instead the gravity of her request comes from what it is she wishes to aid you with, and what that will entail.”
“W-what do you mean?”
Luna turned and nodded down at the world below. Twilight followed her gaze, and to her surprise, she saw that the landscape had visibly changed. Many of the alterations were subtle, but now that she was really paying attention, it was shifting constantly beneath them.
“While it is true that I often create shared dreams,” Luna began. “It is done with the express intent of aiding multiple ponies at once. The discussion is sharp and focused, and I am very cautious with which minds I connect. But for you, and indeed for my niece, I have committed myself to provide psychiatric aid for the long-term. Between Rainbow’s various scars and your struggles with Midnight, I must often pry at deeply personal and, especially, secretive matters. I can guarantee you that there are things I know about my niece that you have no idea about.”
Twilight focused back on Luna, quirking a brow. That had her attention. “Things I don’t know about her? Like what?” she asked.
Again, Luna shook her head. “Such things are not for me to discuss—not without her expressly given permission. The privacy of my subject’s deepest thoughts is one I am forced to breach every night to defend their mental wellbeing from nightmares, and it is one of my most important rules to not violate said privacy further by sharing what I find with anypony unless I have been granted leave to do so by the dreamer. Save for emergencies, there are no exceptions.”
Twilight took a second to process this information. What Luna was describing right now was not unlike the rule of doctor-patient-confidentiality that doctors were required to adhere to. Thinking that Twilight had to wonder if Luna had pioneered that particular rule. She shook her head to dismiss the question. She could look into that another time.
“I think I understand. And since we’re dealing with my issues, you want me to be sure that I am comfortable with Rainbow being there to hear it, right?”
Luna nodded. “Yes. Already, during our time together, we have spoken deeply of many things that I doubt Rainbow fully grasps about you. And so, anything you would wish to hide from her may have to be laid bare. I want you to be absolutely sure that nothing we discuss here with Rainbow present will cross over any boundaries you two have set in your relationship. I would hate to jeopardize it when I know that she is such a source of stability and comfort for you.”
Twilight blinked and fell silent. She racked her mind, trying to think of anything she didn’t want Rainbow to know. Most of what she came up with immediately were just old things from her foalhood, either when they were apart or before they even met. Silly things that Rainbow could use to embarrass her if she made the mistake of sharing it.
However, that wasn’t really relevant to this, was it? Twilight’s brow furrowed. “...Truth be told, Princess, I don’t know if there is anything I want to hide from Rainbow… If there is, I don’t know if that’s me wanting to hide it, or Midnight.”
She lifted her head to meet Luna’s gaze, her expression hardening. “But right now, that doesn’t matter. Rainbow did so much for me while I had amnesia, and even now she’s helping me at every single turn. Even when she found out about Midnight, she didn’t flinch in deciding to offer whatever help she could. I’m not about to turn her down now. Whatever I have to hide…”
She took a deep breath and put on a small smile. “...Well, maybe she can help me work through that, too. So send her in, Luna. Whatever happens in here, I trust her with my life.”
Luna pondered Twilight’s words for a few seconds, before offering up a slow, understanding nod. “Very well. So long as you have given your consent…” She said before closing her eyes and lighting up her horn. Twilight watched, her breath held. She wasn’t sure how exactly Rainbow was going to appear. Maybe her entrance into her dreams would be just as strange and varied as Luna’s? The alicorn did seem to have a flair for the dramatic when it came to her appearances.
Her more artistic side showing, no doubt.
A moment later, there was a flicker of light, and a door appeared in the air next to Luna. It was plain white in color, with a cyan frame and Rainbow’s cutie mark stenciled in at eye level. The door shimmered faintly, humming quietly with magical energy.
Twilight blinked. This wasn’t quite what she had been expecting, but she wasn’t about to complain.
A moment later, there was a subtle click as the knob turned, and the door swung open with a barely audible creak. Sure enough, there was Rainbow, poking her head into Twilight’s dream with a pensive look in her eye. She caught sight of Luna, first.
“So… this it? Did it work? Did she say yes?” she asked after a moment.
Luna nodded. “That she did, my niece. Enter.”
Twilight couldn’t help but smile as Rainbow stepped fully into her dream. It was odd. She could actually feel the new presence in her mind. It was difficult for her to find the words to describe it. The best way she could think of was a subtle tightening of her skin, especially in her head, as if the contents they contained just grew slightly, stretching out her physical form to accommodate Rainbow’s presence.
Twilight took a step forward, her lips curling into a wide smile. “Rainbow!” she greeted, drawing the pegasus’ attention.
Without a moment of hesitation, Rainbow kicked away from the door and enveloped Twilight in a very warm hug, her wings wrapping around her to block out the rest of the world. Twilight let out a grunt from the forceful impact, then laughed at Rainbow’s enthusiasm. She curled her hooves around Rainbow’s body to return the hug, offering her girlfriend an affectionate nuzzle.
“Thank you,” Rainbow suddenly whispered, taking Twilight by surprise.
She opened her eyes, having closed them on impact, and leaned back in confusion. “For what? You’re the one helping me.”
Rainbow took a deep breath before focusing on Twilight’s eyes, a gentle smile on her face. “For trusting me with this.”
Twilight inhaled softly, and she was faintly aware of Rainbow’s scent. It became intense and vivid once she focused on it, and she had to resist the urge to cringe. She smelled like she was covered in a post-workout layer of sweat and had gone for potatoes and gravy after. Not exactly a pleasant aroma... though not unpleasant either.
She leaned in and rubbed the tip of her nose against Rainbow’s. “Of course. I’d trust you with anything.”
“Even a science project?”
“...Anything that matters.”
“And science doesn’t?”
Twilight leaned back, pouting. “Watch it, buster. The door is right there, and I can still revoke your visiting rights if I want!”
Rainbow snickered merrily at the hollow threat. She smacked Twilight on the shoulder and rose back to her full height. “Heh. Sure you can, but we both know you won’t,” she taunted with a wink. “You love it just a little too much.”
Twilight sighed in exasperation and rolled her eyes. Then, with a stray thought, she summoned a toy hammer made of the same material as a rubber ducky, and thwonked Rainbow on the head with it. There was a comical squeak, and an indignant, startled squawk from one very startled pegasus, followed shortly by the stifled, amused giggling of Princess Luna.
Once the idle banter drew to a close (which took far longer than anypony really desired), the trio set off at a slow trot across the infinite sky. Luna was silent for a time, allowing Twilight and Rainbow to chat about whatever they so wished. And they talked animatedly. Not about anything in particular—just an aimless, meandering conversation, one that put Twilight’s heart at ease.
“Man, I still cannot get over how weird this feels,” Rainbow suddenly piped up after what felt like about half an hour, hopping up and down on the clouds.
Twilight tilted her head. “What do you mean?”
“You dream. It’s so different from mine,” Rainbow elaborated, gesturing vaguely. “But, like, I dunno how to describe it. I just kinda feel… uh…?”
“Out of place?” Luna volunteered with a knowing look in her eye.
Rainbow jumped up, smacking her hooves together for emphasis. “Yeah, sure, we’ll go with that!”
Luna smirked. “To be fair, that is because you are. You have stepped into Twilight’s dream. It is natural to feel out of place at first.”
“So, kind of like how you wouldn’t feel at home the first time you visit a new friend’s house, you aren’t used to how my dream feels,” Twilight explained, figuring it was a close enough analogy.
“I guess,” Rainbow acknowledged, touching back down and falling into step beside Twilight.
Luna smiled softly at the two, then cleared her throat, drawing Twilight away from whatever comment she was about to make next. Once Luna had their attention, she spoke. “Now, then. As pleasant as this discussion has been, we have yet a purpose to fulfill here. Namely, addressing your recent struggles, Twilight Sparkle.”
And just like that, Twilight’s good mood evaporated into dust. She looked away, her ears falling flat against her head. “Oh… right.”
Rainbow placed a hoof on her back and gave her an encouraging nod. Twilight smiled at her, grateful, before focusing on Luna.
The princess slowed her pace slightly. “I know of the general string of events, but there is much that I do not know. I want you to fully recount the day’s events to me, Twilight, as honestly and as truthfully as you can.”
Twilight swallowed heavily. “Okay… uh… well…”
It took her a minute to really get going. She began with several false starts, and when she did find her train of thought, it came slowly, and in short fits. But with gentle urging from Rainbow, and Luna’s patient demeanor, Twilight was eventually able to properly recount the events of the day, beginning with her horrible nightmare.
She told Luna about how she had dreamt of attempting to break into Canterlot, and then of trying to strangle Celestia. She talked about her exhaustion, and how it had plagued her over the course of the day. She spoke of Midnight’s periodic jabs and snarky remarks, and of the growing frustration these led to. She recalled, with a grimace and some small guilt, how she had panicked in front of Applejack when she realized that Midnight was blocking her ability to speak of her. She described her breakdown by the edge of the Everfree Forest, and the terrible vision Midnight had forced her to endure.
She began to taper off once she discussed how Rainbow had deduced the truth, figuring that this was information everypony present already knew, and would not benefit any from her recounting of events.
Everypony fell silent once her tale came to a close. Rainbow looked strained from all she had heard, and Twilight had to wonder if the pegasus was blaming herself for not doing more to help, or for not even noticing just how bad Twilight really was. Luna, meanwhile, was as unreadable as ever as she mulled the information over.
“I see…” Luna eventually said quietly. She offered an apologetic bow of her head. “Once again, Twilight Sparkle, I must apologize for not coming to your aid last night.”
“It’s fine,” Twilight waved her off. “You have a lot of ponies to take care of, and you can’t get to everypony in a night. You can’t neglect the rest of Equestria because of me.”
Luna lifted her head. “I thank you for the kind words. But let us get to the crux of the matter. Tell me, do you have any ideas as to what caused this nightmare of yours? Seeing as the stress of the last twenty-four hours was spurred on by that dream, it would be useful to understand from where it sprung.”
Twilight hesitated. “What caused it…?” she echoed quietly, lowering her eyes. Hadn’t it been caused by Midnight trying to dig under her skin and get a response? Most of her nightmares of late featured the dark entity in some capacity, so it only made sense that she would be the logical culprit.
It only took Twilight a moment to cast that notion aside, however. As convenient a scapegoat Midnight was to blame for all of Twilight’s problems, in this case, she merely capitalized on an already existing one.
Suddenly, they were in the loft in the Golden Oaks Library. It was daytime outside, allowing warm streams of golden sunlight to bathe the room in comforting warmth. It was utterly silent beyond the window, though, and Twilight wasn’t even sure if there was anything past the glass right now.
“Woah… we’re back in the library,” Rainbow stated the obvious in surprise. “What are we doing here?”
Luna said nothing. She watched Twilight patiently, but expectantly. Twilight took a moment to take another deep breath, not happy with what she now had to discuss. She turned to her desk, hoping that maybe it wouldn’t be there. To her dismay, it was. A rolled-up sheet of parchment. She took it in her magic and gently floated it over to Luna. “...Here. Read this.”
Luna eyed the scroll questioningly before taking it and unrolling it. While her eyes scanned the page, Twilight turned to Rainbow. The pegasus had a sympathetic look on her face, her ears lowered and her eyes strained.
“You okay?” Rainbow whispered, sidestepping until her side was pressing against Twilight.
Twilight offered a stiff nod. “Yeah… Thank you.”
A few moments passed before Luna lowered the parchment. Her expression had changed. Gone was the unreadable look, replaced instead with one of morbid, sympathetic understanding. “...I see. A well-intentioned letter from your family, informing you of their coming visit, reminded you of the punishment I inflicted upon you, causing you distress that was then amplified by Midnight…”
Twilight looked away. She felt Rainbow pressing closer against her, the pegasus’ wing draping over her back. She took in a deep breath and leaned into Rainbow’s embrace, once again grateful for the comfort.
Luna was silent. There was a storm behind her eyes, as if she were being torn in half by equally great forces. Then, to Twilight’s surprise, Luna let the breath out in a long, tired sigh. She sagged in place as if she were suddenly exhausted, and her head lowered to hide her face behind her drifting mane.
“...I’m sorry.”
Twilight leaned back slightly in surprise. Her mind flatlined. She opened her mouth to say something, though she rightly did not know what. However, before the words could escape, Rainbow broke away from her side and approached Luna.
“I know that look,” Rainbow said in a gentle voice, drawing Luna’s attention back to her. She closed the gap and placed a comforting hoof against her aunt’s foreleg. “You okay?”
Twilight’s gaze darted back and forth between the two of them. Rainbow and Luna shared a very close bond, she knew that, but she had never been fully privy to the finer details. And right now, she felt that there was far more gravity to what she was looking at than she presently understood.
Luna looked down at Rainbow for a few more seconds before the storm behind her eyes faded, and a tiny smile spread across her face. She offered her niece an affectionate nuzzle. “Yes. I will be fine,” she answered, her voice returning to its usual serene self. She withdrew from Rainbow a moment later and returned her attention to Twilight.
“What do I do?” Twilight asked, glancing back towards the desk with her ears falling flat. “I don’t want to run the risk of breaking down like this every time my parents send me a letter- or anytime something reminds me of Canterlot…”
Luna looked off to one side, her own ears drooping. “...I shall give that matter some thought,” she said after a moment. Twilight, surprised by that statement, turned back to the alicorn with a tilt of her head. Luna pressed on before she could question it. “For now, however, let us turn our attention to a matter we are better equipped to solve tonight.”
The dream around them trembled and warped, the environment dissolving like ink in a glass of water. Twilight spun in place, awestruck at the flowing shapes and blending colors. She heard a pleased exclamation from Rainbow, indicating she was enjoying the show as well. For several seconds the matter flowed around them before taking on a new shape and solidifying.
A mild breeze sent Twilight’s mane and tail drifting as she found herself now standing in the middle of Sweet Apple Acres. She felt a small twinge of anxiety, recalling how she had broken down here earlier. A crow called off in the distance, as if in response.
Luna nodded in satisfaction at their new surroundings. She turned back to Twilight, giving her a small, encouraging smile. “Namely, that of your fear of Midnight being discovered.”
Twilight’s anxiety increased. She instinctively took a step back, looking off to one side. “Wha… I…”
“You said it yourself,” Rainbow pointed out gently. “Midnight showed you that big vision of you telling all of us about Midnight and us getting scared of you. And earlier, when we were talking, you were still really reluctant to tell our friends. You even tried to make sure I didn’t figure it out.”
Twilight looked away, idly rubbing at her shoulder. “I… I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Luna said gently, drawing a glance from Twilight. The lunar alicorn’s smile was still there, coaxing Twilight into letting her worries go. “The fear you are experiencing is only natural. We are all afraid of rejection from the ones we love. I know the feeling very intimately.”
“Ditto,” Rainbow agreed, her brow furrowing. “That kinda fear kinda enveloped me for a while, there.”
Twilight winced but did not comment.
“That being said,” Luna went on, drawing Twilight’s attention back to her. “This state of affairs can’t go on like this. I would strongly encourage you to tell your friends sooner rather than later.”
Twilight’s heart skipped a beat. Images flashed through her mind of Fluttershy cowering away from her, of Rarity wincing and nudging Sweetie Belle behind her, of Applejack backing away with fear in her eyes. Twilight screwed her eyes shut and shook her head to chase away the morbid scenarios.
“But… I can’t,” she mumbled, rubbing at her shoulder again. “Even if I wanted to, Midnight won’t let me.”
Luna raised an eyebrow. “You don’t want to tell your friends, you say?” she asked.
Twilight hesitated, then nodded. “I don’t. I don’t want my friends to treat me like glass, or like there’s something wrong with me. That just makes it feel worse. I don’t want to make them worry about me any more than they already are. I’ve put them all through more than enough lately. Between my amnesia, my Fall, and now my temper… I just...”
She heaved a heavy sigh as the full weight of what she really wanted came crashing down on her shoulders. She fell to her haunches, lowering her head to stare down at the packed dirt beneath her. “...I just want everything to go back to normal.”
The silence that followed was almost suffocating. Twilight could hear Rainbow and Luna shifting around in front of her, but she didn’t bother looking. It took the feeling of Rainbow’s wing on her back giving her a squeeze to draw her out of her inner ruminations. She looked up to see an understanding look on the pegasus’ face.
“I know the feeling, Twi… but, to be blunt, everypony already knows something’s wrong with you,” she stated matter-of-factly. “It’d be pretty impressive to not notice. And trust me when I say that the longer they go without knowing what, the worse it’s gonna get for them. They don’t know what’s going on, yet.”
“And that will scare them,” Luna cut in gently as she approached. She knelt down in front of Twilight, her ears lowering slightly. “That which your friends do not understand, do not know, will frighten them far more than anything you tell them ever could.”
“Right. But if they all know about Midnight, then guess what?” Rainbow continued, nudging Twilight in the ribs. “They’ll be prepared. They’ll actually get what’s wrong. I said that already, remember?”
“R-right, but,” Twilight looked away, her ears drooping. “I just… I dunno. What if it doesn’t go well? What if you’re wrong?”
“I’m not. Not this time,” Rainbow assured her with another affectionate squeeze. “And besides… hiding something like this from our friends is the same kind of mistake I made when I hid the fact that you died from you.”
Twilight’s eyes flew wide open in shock at that. She quickly spun to face Rainbow, seeing a pang of lingering guilt in her eyes. “W-what?! Rainbow, no, this and that are nothing alike!” she protested. “You were hiding information about me from me. Everypony else already knew! This is me keeping something about me to myself!”
“The circumstances do not matter,” Luna pointed out. “The general principle is the same. You are withholding vital information from the ponies around you, and if it should come to light in an undesirable manner…”
Twilight’s eyes flew wide at the implication. She found herself increasingly grateful that Midnight didn’t seem to be capable of making any of her snide remarks in the Dream Realm, at least while Luna was around.
“I’ll tell them if you don’t,” Rainbow repeated what she had said before in a low whisper. She nuzzled gently into Twilight’s side, imparting whatever strength she could. “But let’s be real. It’d be much better coming from you.”
“But… but I can’t,” Twilight stressed. “Midnight is stopping me.”
“She was stopping you,” Luna corrected. “While you were unaware of her influence. But you must recall that all of Midnight’s power comes from you. She is the manifestation of the darkest parts of your mind. And the power she has most likely been using to hold your tongue is your own fear, amplified by her presence. And so, just like with any other fear, if you can learn to overcome it, it will no longer hold any sway over you.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be right there with ya, watching your back and cheering you on,” Rainbow added with an assuring smile.
Twilight leaned into Rainbow’s side. Was it really that simple? It was probably a lot harder than they were making it sound; that was usually how these things went. She took in a slow deep breath and closed her eyes, allowing her thoughts to wander unimpeded.
How comparable was her situation to Rainbow hiding her death from her? She went over it in her mind. Midnight had commented on it before, she remembered, drawing that very same parallel, but at the time, Twilight had shot it down and dismissed it. Had she been wrong to do so? Had Midnight been in the right that time? It was a disgusting notion to even toy with, but she had to. Midnight had been right once or twice before, after all.
And the more she thought about it, the more she began to relax. Luna and Rainbow were right. The longer she kept Midnight’s existence to herself, the more likely it would be that her friends would actually become afraid of her. She had to deal with this, and she had to deal with it immediately.
The thought still sent a spear of dread through her heart, but a quick squeeze from Rainbow allowed her to fight down the feeling and focus. “I can do this… I can do this,” she told herself in her mind over and over again.
Finally, she felt calm and sure of herself. Or as sure as could be expected, at least. She opened her eyes, meeting Luna’s gaze. “Alright… I’ll try.”
Luna’s eyes lit up, and she gave a warm smile and nod. “I am glad to hear it, Twilight Sparkle. Know that I will be cheering for you from afar.”
“We can get all our friends gathered together in the morning,” Rainbow suggested with a small nod. “And we can deal with it then.”
Twilight nodded along. She still felt worried, but with Rainbow at her side, and with the epiphany she had finally allowed herself to come to, she felt sure of herself for the moment. After another moment, a different dread began to creep up her spine, and she focused back on Luna again. “Um… what if I have another nightmare tonight?” she asked meekly. “Midnight might try to sabotage things…”
Luna frowned. “...I will keep an eye on your dreams wherever I am in the Dream Realm. If you should need me, I will not fail to aid you this night, of that you have my word.”
“Ah, just leave it to me,” Rainbow said in a cocky tone. She stood up and puffed out her chest in a display of bravado. “I’ve tangoed with the Tantabus before! I can handle any spooky nightmares Twilight’s mind might conjure up!”
Twilight tilted her head. “Tantabus?”
“Oh, uh...” Rainbow suddenly looked to be very self-conscious. She cast an anxious glance over at Luna, but the alicorn merely smiled and shook her head.
“You may tell her. You have my permission.”
Rainbow visibly relaxed at that and nodded.
Satisfied, Luna rose back to her full height. “Now, then, I believe we have addressed the most pressing matters for now. I must leave to tend to the rest of my subjects.”
“Oh… alright,” Twilight said, her ears drooping.
“Is something still the matter?”
Twilight hesitated, fidgeting in place. “I just… um… will this shared dream stay together after you leave?” she eventually asked.
Rainbow tilted her head. “What? You wanna hang out in here for a while or something?”
Twilight nodded. “Mhmm. My dreams are the only place where I really feel like myself these days. Midnight doesn’t usually bother me on a night when Luna visits me, so… I just…
She looked away to hide her blush. “I want a chance to savor this with you.”
“Oh. Uh, okay, sure, if it’ll work, I’m down for that,” Rainbow agreed, turning back to Luna hopefully.
Luna blinked before a knowing smile came across her face. She gave a slow nod. “So long as you two remain asleep, and neither of you loses your lucidity, then yes, Rainbow should remain for as long as you permit her to.”
Rainbow jumped into the air with a victorious cheer. “Aw, yeah! Awesome dream adventures, coming right up!” she whooped.
Luna snickered in amusement and turned her back to Twilight. “Heh. I shall leave you to it. Have fun.”
There was a flash of light, and with that, Luna disappeared. The orchard around them dissolved, soon replaced once more with a midnight cloudscape hovering high above Equestria. Twilight took a deep breath and smiled as Rainbow came to a landing by her side.
“Whew! Just us, now,” she said before eagerly elbowing Twilight in the ribs. “So, what’s your plan? Want us to fight some epic monster, or pull off cool stunts? Oh! What about you pulling off a sonic rainboom?! It’s a dream, you can do that!”
Twilight rolled her eyes at Rainbow’s excitement before turning to face her with slow, deliberate movements. “Actually, before anything else…” she said softly. Rainbow’s excitement was replaced with curiosity.
“Uh… huh?”
Without a word, Twilight threw herself against Rainbow, mashing their lips together. Whatever adventures they were going to entertain themselves with tonight could wait. For now, she was going to take this opportunity to just enjoy Rainbow’s company to the fullest.