//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Luna's Twilight Problem // by FeatherB //------------------------------// With the early hours of the night came the faint pitter-patter of rain. Luna had gone about her duties bleary-eyed and absent minded, and the time had snuck past more quickly than she could have imagined. Her head hung low as she made her way back to her chambers. She had yet to walk the dreams of the ponies in Equestria, finding them when they needed her most. But tonight she did not wish to. After all, how could she help them when nopony was there to comfort her? Certainly, Twilight had not rejected her outright, but Luna had been around long enough to know what her reaction had meant. With a heavy sigh, she nudged her way through the door and into the antechamber. The room had been thoroughly cleaned of any evidence leading to that evening’s coffee scandal. Not a single stain was left on the floor, and the table had been cleaned of all clutter, except for one particular mug; a mug with Starswirl the Bearded displayed prominently on the front. Luna wrapped it in magic and tossed the thing into a cupboard, slamming the door behind it without so much as a second glance. “Thank you Sister, that is exactly the reminder I need right now.” She marched into her room, securing the latch as she went, and flopped back into her bed. I never should have left, she thought glumly. Her eyes turned to the bedside mirror, peering at it over the rumpled covers. Her mane swirled in the dim reflection, resembling a twinkling starscape more than ever. She huffed and rolled upright. Now is not the time for brooding! We have work to do. I must get hold of myself, she thought, and swiftly smacked herself across the cheek. The fiery sting was immediate, and would have been less so if she had remembered to remove her silver shoes. Muttering curses about her own incompetence, she floated all four of them away, but kept her tiara and peytral, as the night was not yet finished. Settling down again, she breathed deeply and tucked her now bare hooves in toward herself. Then, closing her eyes she summoned her magic, feeling the familiar warmth rush down from the tip of her head to the rest of her body. When Luna opened her eyes, a vast, shimmering night sky greeted her. She was suspended in space, but her hooves stood as if on solid ground. On either side of her were doors, lined one after the other until they faded into the distance. She smiled faintly for the first time since she had spoken with Twilight. If anything could get her mind off her own perils, it was helping others with theirs. Starting off slowly, she proceeded along the invisible passage. Doors of every shape and sized moved past her; some made of mahogany or oak, others in shades of green, blue, or pink, with diamond shaped windows cut into the center. Each was unique as the pony that slept and dreamed beyond it. But at that moment none were calling to her. So instead, she stopped by a simple door made of unadorned wood, which hung slightly crooked on its hinges. She won’t mind, Luna thought, and pushed through the door, closing her eyes against the blinding light that burst forth from the other side. She was in a rolling green meadow dotted by daises and dandelions that swayed with the grass around them. The sky was a striking blue and covered only by the occasional cloud. But high among them was a flock of geese being chased by a single grey Pegasus mare, whose mane shimmered like gold under the sun. Luna breathed deeply, drinking in the scent of the wildflowers as she watched the winged creatures fly about. The flock dived, and the mare spiraled after them, honking the entire way. A moment later they swooped overhead, and the Pegasus paused in her pursuit to wave merrily at the princess. Luna chuckled and waved back, almost wishing to join her as the pony went on her way again. But then a voice called to Luna, distant, as if from the back of her mind. It was a cry for help. In seconds she had summoned her magic, enveloping herself in swirling blue light. There was a tugging at her chest like an invisible string, then with a pop everything vanished, and it felt as if she were soaring through the air without use of her wings. But as quickly as she had gone, a new place materialized around her. The sky was darker here, choked by rumbling storm clouds, and the air which was thick with fog. Wilted grass lay beneath Luna’s hooves, and farther out the ghostly forms of enormous ponies seemed to be drifting through the mist. They sang words and other unintelligible jeers, all directed at a figure huddled alone in the center of them. Luna slowly walked toward it, watching as the fog parted before her. Soon, she could hear the whimpers of the colt who was lying there, his forelegs held up over his head to shield himself. Tears had marked his cheeks, and his brown mane and tail were terribly frayed. With a sad smile, Luna extended her right wing and reached down to brush his head. “What’s wrong, little one?” The colt hiccupped in surprise, his bright eyes gazing up at her. “P-princess Luna, you came!” “Of course I did,” she said, helping him up. “Now, why don’t you tell me what’s troubling you.” Still shaking, the colt glanced around, though Luna did not need to as she already knew that the shadowy figures had gone. “They... they were laughing at me,” he explained, spinning in a circle as if to assure himself it really was safe. “Your friends?” Luna asked gently. “Why would they do that?” He stared at the ground, pawing at it with a hoof, and muttered something. Luna wondered if this was how she had looked like to Twilight only a few hours ago. “Little one, you called for my help and that is what I am here for, but I cannot if you do not let me.” He looked up again, new tears shining in his eyes. “They’ll think my new cutie mark is s-stupid.” Luna had expected something as much. Carefully, she circled around him so that his tiny flank was in view. On it was the likeness of a paw-print with a little bandage covering its center. The colt sniffled, and quickly covered the cutie mark with his tail. Luna resisted the urge to giggle, and instead let it turn into a reassuring smile. “You wish to become a veterinarian.” The colt looked at her blankly, his mouth trying to form the word she had just spoken. “An animal doctor,” she amended. He nodded ever so slightly. “That is an admirable goal.” “It is?” he asked, as if it had been the first time somepony had told him that. This time Luna did laugh. “Very much so. You care deeply for other creatures and that is nothing to be embarrassed about. When you are willing to give your heart to something you love, it’s not important what others think. All that matters is...” Luna faltered as she realized the words she had just spoken. No, our situation is not that simple, she assured herself. But then why had she thought of it? “Princess Luna?” She shook her head and looked back at the colt. “My apologies little one. Where was I?” “You were telling me about what really matters,” he said, his eyes wide and hopeful. The image of Twilight’s own astonishment flickered through Luna’s mind. “Right, well... make sure you eat your vegetables,” she said, already trotting back the way she had come. “Wait, I don’t get it!” the colt cried after her. “All I eat are vegi-tables, a-and oats!” But she did not turn back. The mist had already swallowed her up, billowing under her hooves as she rose with her wings to the edge of the dream. I must go speak with her again, was all she could think of. Leaving the colt’s nightmare was like slipping through a thin sheet of cool water. The air rippled around her, and suddenly she was standing in the ethereal hall of doors again. She galloped along them, willing for the one she wanted to spring into existence and ignored the rest. Surely she must be asleep by now, Luna thought. And sure enough, no longer than the thought had left her mind did the familiar purple door fade into view. Huzzah! Luna grinned triumphantly. We will tell her that it does not matter if she returns our feelings or not. We will not lose heart, and our affection will remain thus whether as friends or... or more. It is not foalish to care for somepony as we do. It is only in how we choose to show it. Yet still she hesitated. She had never entered Twilight’s dreams without her permission before. Would she think of her as obsessive if she were to suddenly appear so quickly after their previous conversation? Most likely, but it had to be done. Luna puffed out her chest and moved regally onward. The door swung in before her and she strode into a dimly lit room. The place was immediately familiar, or at least had traces of the familiar. Books lined the walls, resting on shelves carved into the wooden exterior. But while the walls and floor were made of wood, it was more like they were the wood; naturally twisting and folding in places, or showing deep grooves in others. Tables rose from the floor on root-like legs, supporting tops like tree stumps, and all around the room tiny orbs of light drifted and danced. But they were not the only source of light. A warm, crackling fireplace rested on the far side of the room, alive but not spreading to the wood around it, as it could only do in a dream. And lying on a thick patterned rug in front of the fire, was the outline of a pony. Luna’s breath quickened. She desperately wanted to rush over and explain everything to Twilight, but something stopped her. It wasn’t that she appeared to be asleep, but something else, something off. She crept closer, and as she did there was another form distinguishable from the first, nearer the fire than Twilight, and with their forelegs intertwined with hers. Luna’s heart nearly leapt out her throat. A swell of unexplainable warmth spread from her chest to the tips of her hooves and nose, forcing the corners of her mouth to turn up as far as they would reach. She was staring at a younger version of herself. The form in which she had first met Twilight; small and short-maned. And that’s when Luna realized what had been off about the purple Unicorn. It was in fact, that she was indeed a Unicorn. There were no wings folded at her sides, only the horn on her head, which was tilted toward the younger Luna so that it rested against hers. For a moment Luna could do nothing but stand there, with her mouth slightly agape just as Twilight’s had been before. A million thoughts were rushing through her mind, all of which spun just out of reach. But she knew it made one thing absolutely clear, whether Twilight realized it yet or not. Unable to hold in her excitement any longer, Luna spun about and raced out of the room. Only as the door was closing did she allow herself to look back and savor one last glimpse of the scene. As the door shut completely the magic around Luna began to slide away, and much like rising out of a deep lake, she awoke. Her eyes snapped open and her head shot upright, a cry of triumph on her lips. “Sister!” Luna scrambled from her bed, stumbling over her piles of various items on the floor in her haste to leave. She slammed into the locked door and fell back on her rump, but despite the pain, she simply laughed. “Sister!” she called again, unlatching the door and striding into the antechamber, where she immediately veered toward Celestia’s room. Her door was unlocked, and Luna exploded through it with a loud bang. “Sister, I’ve done it!” A drawn out groan came from the mess of covers half on the bed and half on the floor. But unlike Luna’s, the chambers of the sun princess were clear of debris, and Luna crossed over to her sister with ease. “Sister!” she shouted, prodding one of Celestia’s dangling legs with her hoof. “Awaken from thy slumber, today is to be one of great celebration! We must make haste!” Celestia sluggishly untangled herself from the covers, rolling on her legs to face Luna with leering, bloodshot eyes. “What in Equestria are you talking about,” she grumbled, her horn flaring gold for an instant. “Your birthday isn’t for another month yet.” “You are most correct, but ‘tis not what we speak of,” Luna said gleefully. “She hath agreed, Sister! Your advice was well given and we are eternally grateful!” “Who agreed to what?” Celestia moaned, carefully climbing off the bed to stand on unsteady hooves. “And why are you speaking like that?” “Twilight, of course!” Luna exclaimed, and galloped back into the antechamber. Early sunlight was spilling into the room from the balcony, a testament to her Sister’s experience with rude awakenings. Without further prompting, Luna dashed outside to greet the day. “Good morning, Equestria!” she shouted, her voice carrying out over the cityscape. Down among the polished white building she could already see ponies running about in the early morning shadows, and she was certain a few yelled back to her. It was odd though, for them to be up so swiftly at the dawn. Perhaps it had something to do with the many colored dots which seemed to be chasing them. Luna turned back and entered the castle just as Celestia was emerging from her room, her mane already properly groomed. “Sister, there is a parasprite infestation in the city,” she told her cheerfully. Celestia paused in her tracks, staring at Luna with half-lidded eyes. When the moon princess said nothing she sighed and continued toward the door to the hall. “I’ll fetch Twilight.” Luna beamed. “And I shall make the coffee, without salad dressing,” she said, opening the cupboards with her magic. As Celestia left the room, Luna began to hum a little tune. The mug of Starswirl the Bearded landed gently on the table, followed by a plain one for her sister. The coffee machine was filled with fresh water, and the coffee pot was placed under it, clean for the first in a long time. Luna’s spirits could not be dampened, regardless if Canterlot was in chaos, or how her sister was completely unenthused. The day was the start of something new and wonderful, she was sure of it.