<Luna was looking into my eyes, having called me into her quarters earlier than usual. Figuring that she was going to start my lesson quicker, I had brought my quills, parchment, and telescope. But something was wrong. She had told me to leave my supplies in the hallway, insisting I wouldn't need them tonight. Now I sat before her, nervous under her scrutinizing gaze. Something felt off, which increased when Luna opened her mouth only to sigh and cover her face with her hoof. When she finally removed her hoof, she spoke evenly, but each word felt like a hammer blow. She told me that I was banished from her class. I wasn't smart enough, in her opinion, spending far too much time on a specific subject. I felt my heart ripping apart at her listing my disappointments and failures to her. I hung my head low, and eventually her voice ended its tirade. Looking up, I noticed first that Luna was gone, as in her place was a vague shadow. I could hear a hissing cackle issuing from the upper part of the shadow, which was slowly slithering towards me. Out of fear, I backed away, but ran against the chair. The moving darkness in front of me had me paralyzed with terror, and I could hear as it slid across Luna's desk. It paused and rose above me, and I could feel a chilling aura seeping into my body. With one last sinister cackle, it drove itself into me. I screamed in soul wrenching anguish as the darkness enveloped my mind and heart, splitting me apart. When I came to, I was looking through my eyes, but from a distinct second person view. I watched as the dark force possessing my body ripped my family apart, torturing my brother and making him scream in agony. I could feel the joy in its heart as it went in for the finish, ignoring my scream of anguish.>
I woke up with my heart in my throat. Looking around my darkened room, I began to calm down, but I knew I would need something to kill my dreams. Looking to my bedstand, I reached a hoof over and tapped my bell, ringing for some attention. Almost immediately my door opened, and in walked the object of my affections, but also the first source of my nightmare, Princess Luna. She had a disapproving expression on her face, causing me to visibly flinch in recollection. Noticing my body's reaction, her lips pursed together as she stood by my side. Asking me what I needed, I requested sleep aids, preferably a heavy enough dose to kill any dreams I might have. She procured them almost immediately, as if she knew what I would ask for, but before hoofing them over, she hesitated.
"Novalis, I saw your dream."
I sighed, knowing that she likely saw the entire night terror. I looked up, expecting a questioning glare, but saw the same disapproving stare from before, making me cringe into my bed. She exhaled a deep breath, her features slackening slightly, conforming to a more sympathetic expression. She hoofed me my requested pills, and as I was about to pop the red and black capsules, I felt her weight sink into the bed next to me. Her soft blue wing wrapped around me, comforting me as the pill began to take effect. I fell into a dark and dreamless sleep.
<YOU WON'T BE DREAMLESS RIGHT NOW. I WILL LULL YOU INTO A PEACEFUL SLUMBER, USING MY DREAM MANIPULATION ABILITIES. IN THE MEANTIME, I WANT YOUR PERMISSION TO VIEW YOUR MEMORIES.>
I tossed in my sleep, fitfully refusing that request. I couldn't have her poking in my head right now, even if that dream scared the buck out of me. I tried to communicate that this was a matter I would prefer to solve myself, and was relieved when she reluctantly withdrew from me. I breathed a mental and relieved sigh as I slipped into the black void of dreamless unconsciousness.
I awoke the next evening with a new warmth that was both familiar and unfamiliar. Looking around, I saw a blue blanket over my vision. Pulling it down with my hooves, I peeked my head out at my room. Tonight I should be out of the hospital and back into my lessons with- OH HOLY MOTHER OF CELESTIA WHAT IS PRINCESS LUNA DOINGSLEEPINGNEXTTOME?!
After settling down from my near heart attack, I looked down at the blanket in my hooves, which turned out to be one of her wings. It seemed like the position of it might be uncomfortable, but in order to straighten it out better I would need to duck back under it. Sighing at my predicament, I burrowed back under the feathery appendage, savoring the closeness, even though I knew that I was taking advantage of the situation. The warmth of her body, the soft rise and fall of her ribs as she breathed softly, the sweet scent of jasmine wafting from her fur; I was in my own paradise underneath her wing.
Eventually I felt a change in her, muscles that were lax before were tensing up, and her breathing was becoming stronger. Eventually she raised her wings as she stretched and yawned cutely. She blinked her eyes and looked around her until she saw me, at which she let out a small yelp, reflexively smacking me with a hoof and sending me flying. I hit the wall on the other side of the room, making the TV shake from the impact. With my head spinning, I could only vaguely make out some yelling about ruffians in the Royal Bed, which soon turned into apologetic cries when she calmed down a bit.
Luna lifted me up and set me gently on the bed. She fussed over me, especially the knot on my forehead. I laid back, unwilling in my dizzy state to try to fight off the ministrations of a princess, and I eventually fell into a trance as her sweet jasmine aroma wafted over and into me. Soon she had lessened the pain in my throbbing skull. I opened my eyes and gave a grateful smile, which helped soften the look of concern on her face.
I was interrupted in my appreciation of her presence by Dr. Needlepoint's entrance. He busied himself with needles, drawing a bit of blood to be fed into a device on his back, which spat out papers after a few moments. Reading the output data from this strange contraption, he determined that I was fit and sound to leave the hospital, although he dodged all the questions about the strange machine on his back. I shared a joyous look with Princess Luna before catching myself and reserving my emotions. After signing myself out of their health center, Princess Luna and I parted ways. I began to head home as she rushed back to the castle to catch up on some of her late work.
The path to my home was peaceful this morning, so my walk was enjoyed with relative silence, except for the occasional chirping bird or buzzing insect. I breathed deeply of the refreshing country air, taking in the scents of flowers and grass, which helped my mind relax. I allowed my eyes to roam the familiar countryside, although this late at night I couldn't make out much detail. If the moon was brighter, it would help clear the deep shadows hanging underneath the tree branches. Sighing, I continued down the path, occasionally catching glimpses of the stars above.
Eventually I made my way to my front doorstep, standing outside my home for the first time in almost four days. Opening the door, I called out to my parents, and received a shocked cry from the kitchen. Making my way through the living room, I shed my suit, hanging it on the rack next to our laundry room. I looked around the room, contentedly basking in the comfort of my familiar home. The comfortably used cotton covered sofa was facing the small TV set we used sometimes. My father's recliner was empty right now, so either he was out in the shed he used for wooden projects, or disastrously helping with dinner. I really hoped he was working on a bird house. Walking down the hallway I poked my head into my brother's room, where he was lounging with some music. As usual, his room was an absolute disaster, all I could really see were junk wrappers and his magenta bed. Giving a disappointed sigh, I continued into the kitchen, where my mother was cooking up some delicious smelling spaghetti.
I walked up to my mom and planted my forehooves around her neck in a hug. She turned and returned the loving gesture, before shooing me out of her kitchen. Even when she might be concerned about me, if I looked OK, I wasn't allowed in her kitchen while she cooked. As I was walking back to the living room, I heard a knocking on the front door. Wondering who in Celestia's name would show up at this time of night, I made my way to the door and opened it, only to find a very regal looking Princess Luna standing before me. Biting back a yelp of shock, I admitted her entrance to my abode.
Wiping her hooves on a hooftowel, my mother came into the living room to greet our guest, although upon seeing who it was, she fainted. I managed to catch her before she hit the ground, but it took a little while for her to come to. By the time she woke up from her place on the couch, my father had already come back into the house, and instantly set about setting a perfect table for Royalty. Princess Luna had tried to insist that there was no need, but good old dad was having none of it. After everything was set up, and my mom was awake, I fetched my brother from his room for dinner.
Finally, with the whole family sitting at the dinner table, we tried to eat in peace, but HER mere presence made that awkward. My dad decided to lessen the tension by introducing the rest of the family personally to the princess. Starting with himself, he began to talk about what he did. All attention was focused on the dark grey pony with the black mane and tail. I couldn't help but lose interest as I decided to study his crescent.
His name was Nutcracker. He found a talent for working with wooden toys when he repaired his own toys as a child. He got into a toy business around the time he got out of high school, when he showed his skills and earned his Cutie Mark. Unsurprisingly, his Mark was fit to his name. It was when he delivered a shipment of wooden toys to my mother that he found his love. When he went into describing his first look at his future wife, my mother was seen visibly blushing. He said that her bright blue coat with her powder blue mane and tail streaked with black and silver was the singular most stunning thing he had seen. He had taken a long time to ask her out though, as being an earth pony, he thought that the unicorn mare of his dreams might ignore his unmagical self. It took him two years to propose to Doll House, but he never had a regret for it. My mother decided to add to the story, saying that even without magic, he was worth the world to her.
The sappy romance of my parents made me and my brother gag, but Luna seemed strangely interested. Eventually the princess turned her attentions to my brother. He sighed as he began to relay his own short life experiences. His talent was rather strange. He was a unicorn with powerful illusion magics. His flank hardly ever showed his Mark, but with Princess Luna's insistence he released the magics that concealed it. His flank was adorned with a picture of a mirror, which puzzled Luna. He showed the reason for it as he began to perfectly copy the princess' appearance. After holding that image long enough for Luna to study him, he released it with a bored yawn. Red Haze wasn't sure what he wanted to do in his life, although we had suggested a guard position. Haze was a lazy pony though, he had no motivation.
After the introductions were done, we began digging into our dinner. Eventually Luna began to tell them what had happened to me, so I focused on eating. As usual, the spaghetti was delicious. My mother's blend of paprika and oregano full leaves helped give it a rich flavor, while the light cheese sprinkled over top gave it a chunky texture. The noodles were made with egg instead of wheat, to add a different take on the dish. As I chewed my supper, a thought occurred to me, making me ask Luna when my next lesson would be. She informed me that she expected me back tomorrow night, and to be prepared to catch up on lost work. Ouch, she could be a cruel taskmistress...