//------------------------------// // The Morning After // Story: Getting Back In The Swing Of Things // by avidreader07 //------------------------------// As Luna started making her way to the small dining hall where Celestia would be waiting with breakfast, she suppressed a yawn. Time spent in the dream world didn’t really count as sleep, not even when it was spent in someone’s dreams. She subscribed to Star-Swirl the Bearded’s theory that it was because she was still consciously controlling herself, and so was technically “awake.” But as tiring as it was, it was usually worth it. Helping others with their nightmares was often rewarding, but few nights were as…spiritually refreshing…as last night had been. Even the next three yawns couldn’t quite get rid of the small, contented smile on his face. Nor could the embarrassment that ensued when she remembered her run-in with Cadance overnight, and the fact that she’d be at breakfast with her sister. It was also a smile that Celestia couldn’t miss, even through the yawns that interrupted their exchange of ‘good mornings.’ “You look like you had a good night.” “You could say that.” Luna answered slowly, walking towards her elder sister, intending to give her a quick nuzzle before making her excuses. She tried to control her blush, and simply hoped Cadance wouldn’t show up until after she’d left. Though it was a little odd that she wasn’t here already. Luna wasn’t going to question her luck, however. “Is something wrong, Luna?” “Nothing serious, Sister. I simply spent more time than I perhaps should have dreamwalking, and am uncommonly tired. I planned to simply grab some fruit and retire to my chambers.” “Oh, that is a shame.” Celestia said, sounding like she really meant it. “Cadance already sent word that she wasn’t feeling quite up to breakfast with us this morning, so wouldn’t be down. And I had hoped to have some time to catch up with you, one-on-one.” “Is that so?” Luna asked, trying not to sound too interested in this news. She considered it briefly. She knew Celestia sometimes seemed more cat than pony, with her fondness for playing and pranking. But then again, she shouldn’t have any reason to do so this morning, and a close look at her face convinced Luna that she wasn't telling any sort of half-truths about Cadance. Luna still knew her sister too well to let any sort of deceit slip past her, be it a blunt lie or just the set up of some prank, or the like. Plus, she really did need to talk to her sister about the Discord situation, and maybe one or two other things she might think of. Like a warning for Rarity about Blueblood, for instance. “Very well, Sister. A meal may do me more good before my rest than after it. And I do have something I wish to speak to you about.” she answered, making her decision quickly. She quickly closed the last bit of distance between them to give her sister the intended nuzzle anyway, before turning to go to her seat. Which is why she missed Celestia’s widened eyes as her cloud-like tail wafted a little bit of a certain, unmistakable scent into her sister’s nose. Celestia recovered quickly, however, and mostly managed to mask her own small grin. “So, Luna, what was it you wanted to speak about?” the elder sister asked as the younger settled herself at the other end of the table and picked up her fork in her magic. “Discord.” Luna answered, cutting into her stack of smiley-face pancakes. “Discord?” Celestia replied, shocked. So shocked, in fact, that she dropped her fork. Fortunately, she’d only just picked it up, and there was nothing on it yet. This had been nowhere on her list of possibilities at all. “Whatever brought him to mind?” “You know I sometimes visit Twilight Sparkle and her friends while dreamwalking?” Luna started. “I also know you visit me every night, to check on me.” Celestia said warmly. “I may not need it, strictly speaking, but it is so very nice to feel you there. Words cannot express how happy I am to have you back. If you ever want to stop in for a visit, please feel free. I understand you want to ensure I get enough proper rest, but one night without won’t do any harm.” When Celestia finished, Luna nodded and continued, “Well, last night, an odd thought occurred to me during one of my visits. Rather apropos of nothing, as thoughts occasionally do.” “Go on.” “I was thinking about how magic seems to be tied to alicorn ascension—” “So, if an earth pony were ever to ascend, it might be a party pony, because of their blatant and unique magic. And if an alicorn like that were to succumb to their inner darkness, Discord just might be the result?” Celestia theorized for her. “Oh. You’ve already considered the possibility.” Luna realized. “Not long after you fell, I’ll admit.” Celestia agreed. “After seeing an alicorn fall before my very eyes, the idea of it happening before did occur to me. I had my best historians scour every book and scroll in every library we could reach. If ever there was a party pony alicorn, or indeed, any alicorns at all before the two of us, the records are lost to time.” “Or snow.” Luna added bitterly. “Indeed. I wish I had known Sombra had tied the Crystal Empire’s existence in this world to his own.” Celestia agreed. “That is one sealing spell I almost wish would end soon.” And hopefully, they would be able to react quickly enough this time that he wouldn't have a chance to recast the spell that had bound his fate with his empire's. Assuming they were correct in their theory that it would have to be recast. “Will they? The others, I mean. Will they break, or was I the only one meant to ever return?” “Honestly, I do not know, Sister.” Celestia admitted. “Perhaps they will wear out with time, or perhaps, now that the elements have found their destined wielders, the seals will open eventually, allowing their prisoners to be reformed. If I may be frank, I fear Discord’s seal is already weakening.” “Being frank, myself, I am not entirely convinced he was ever fully sealed. Can a being of pure chaos, such as he, ever be truly contained in something as orderly as a piece of stone?” Luna countered. “That makes two of us. I have sometimes wondered, in my rare free moments, if maybe it was he that helped unleash Nightmare Moon. That is exactly the kind of thing he would have seen as funny.” Celestia worried. “Now, Sister, we cannot start seeing Discord’s hand in everything that goes wrong. We would soon be driven completely mad, and that, he would count as more of a victory than anything else.” Luna said, in an attempt to be comforting and strong. There was a long moment of awkward silence, before Celestia responded. “Why, Sister. What a terrible thing to say about our potential big brother.” Neither the joke nor the smile was quite right, but Luna immediately decided that it was close enough and smiled back, before eating a few more bites of her breakfast. “Sister, if our guess as to his origins is correct. A very large if, I readily admit. But if it is, then Discord is no more our brother than Nightmare Moon was your sister.” “Luna.” Celestia said warmly, magically caressing her sister’s face. “Even when you were Nightmare Moon, you were never, for one instant, not still my sister.” “I realize that, Celestia.” Luna accepted, though still a little conflicted on just how much Nightmare Moon was a part of her, versus how much she was a separate identity. “By the way, while we’re on the subject of Nightmare Moon, may I ask a delicate question?” Celestia inquired cautiously. “By all means, Sister.” “Since you were sealed and released at different times of the year, I was wondering if you’ve noticed any changes. To your…cycles?” “My cycles?” Luna repeated, not quite getting it. “Well, it’s just that when you came over here, there was an unmistakable scent stirred by your passing. Specifically, by your tail.” “What!” Luna blurted, glad she’d set everything down when Celestia started asking “delicate questions.” She realized instantly what her elder sister was driving at. “No! My cycles are perfectly normal, thank you! At least…” she continued when she got past her instinctive reaction, and really thought about it. “They do not seem to be kicking in early. I remember well the feelings that precede my heat, and I do not feel any of them now.” “I’m glad to hear that.” Celestia said, trying to hide her evil smirk. After all, if it wasn’t something serious, then it was something that could be poked fun at. “Then I guess a ‘good night’ was a bit of an understatement?” “W-w-what! Sister! It was not like that!” “Hmm. Your lips say no, but your flank is smelling the truth pretty strongly.” Celestia teased, no longer able to hold back her smirk. “It was not that strong!” Luna objected. "A-and what were you doing, smelling my flank?” “Well, how can I help it, when you’re flagging your tail in my face?” “I was not flagging!” Luna practically screamed, her face getting redder as her voice pitched higher. “You were being a pervert. Just like always. No wonder I’ve heard some ponies call you Molestia!” As soon as those words passed her lips, she brought her hooves to cover her mouth, her eyes going wide. She couldn’t believe she’d repeated something from the dream world like that. Celestia, on the other hoof, just adopted a comically exaggerated leer. “Oh, is that nickname going around again?” she asked. “I guess I should start being a little more circumspect about getting some strange in the dream, then.” “Getting some strange?! In the dream?!” Luna all but squealed, finally hitting the octave Celestia was aiming for. Winding her little sister up was really far too easy for her own good. And far too fun to give up. The way her eye twitched was just so cute to see. Celestia knew full-well she was a little twisted, but anyone who lived through Discord’s reign, or lived for over a thousand years, was bound to be not entirely sane by other ponies’ standards. Putting the two together, she was lucky not to be raving loon, in her opinion. “Yes, Sister. You do know what that means, don’t you?” Celestia asked politely. ‘And there go the gritting teeth.’ “No! I. Do. Not. Know! And. I. Do. Not. Care!” her little sister ground out, her face nearly purple from the angry flush. She could take a wild guess, though. Not that she needed to go out too far on a limb, in this case. Having decided that she’d pushed her sister near enough to a stroke or embolism for now, Celestia charged her horn and released a very powerful calming spell over the room. Celestia hadn’t even noticed that Luna had climbed halfway up on the table during the teasing. She noticed now, though, and she shot a quick spell at the plate, so it wouldn’t break when Luna’s limp body fell on it, because there wasn’t quite enough time to pull it away safely. “Okay, okay. Joke’s over.” Celestia said calmly, the first part of their ancient treaty to deescalate the war of humor they’d started within days of meeting each other. She then raised her right hoof and started the second part. “Still sisters forever?” “Still sisters forever.” Luna mumbled, almost incoherently, into the tablecloth. “But why? Why, after all these years, do you still do this to me?” she asked, managing to lift her head enough to look her big sister in the eyes. “Better question.” Celestia countered. This was new, and not a part of the treaty, but she was willing to roll with it. “Why, after all these years, do you still let me?” “I do not know.” Luna admitted weakly. “I…just…cannot…help it.” she managed, before letting her head flop back on the table with a groan. “Well, there’s your answer.” Celestia responded honestly, but with a hint of smugness. Honestly, this was half the reason she had missed her sister so much. She was about the only pony in Equestria who didn’t treat her like some god-empress, whom they dare not even risk offending, lest they be smote where they stood, locked away in some unpleasant place or other for a thousand years or more. The only one she could really be casual with. Not even her students over the years had ever quite been able to look past the teacher and princess titles, to see the actual pony underneath. She, in turn, was the only one Luna could be herself with, dropping the Royal We, and all the formal “Thee’s” and “Thou’s” of court speech that had been antiquated even before she was banished. Another groan came from the other end of the table, then Luna’s left hoof wobbled up, and she started the third part of the treaty. “Hoofbump.” “Hoofbump.” Celestia returned with true warmth and sisterly love. And just like that, the joke was over. Now it would be on to the next. After a rest/grace/planning period, usually lasting a few hours. Normally, they would actually hoofbump, but exceptions were permissible for situations like this. Celestia finished her last two pancakes in a peaceful silence, while the calming spell on Luna wore off, and she got her energy back. Enough to sit up properly in her chair, at least. “So…” Luna finally said, indicating she was back among the living. At least as much as she was going to be, when she was this tired. “So.” Celestia said in response. “Come, Sister. Tell me about your night. If you really weren’t getting some strange, what got you so ready to?” “Do you really do that? Liase with our subjects in their dreams?” Luna wanted to know first. Celestia kept her eyes on her sister’s face as she answered, “That’s just one more thing that has changed with the age, Sister, dear. Nowadays, we are held even higher above our peers than we used to be. If I—or you, now—were to ever take a lover, we would be expected to remain faithful to them until they died. Totally so. And honestly, they would prefer our lover to be male.” “Are you serious?” Luna demanded, disbelieving. And then horrified when Celestia confirmed that she was, in fact, totally serious. “Has filly-fooling been banned, then? Have our little ponies reverted to pre-tribal prejudices?” ‘Of course, that would help explain those dreams from last night. Especially Vinyl Scratch and Octavia.’ Just thinking of the look in those two fillies’ eyes could warm the cockles of someplace other than her heart. ‘Honestly, though I still do not know exactly what a ‘cockle’ is. I just say that because I think it sounds funny.’ True proof that Celestia was not the only sister with a sense of humor. “Not in general, no.” Celestia explains. “Filly-foolers and colt-cuddlers are still openly accepted everywhere. But like I said, because we are “alicorn princesses,” we are supposed to be above such petty things and are held to a higher standard.” “A double-standard, you mean.” Luna gripes. “You remember I always preferred mares, before.” “As did I. As I still do, honestly. As do most ponies, in fact, if only because there are so many more mares than stallions. And yes, it is a double-standard.” Celestia admits. “On the slightly-less-unfair side, any consorts we took, mare or stallion, would be expected to be equally faithful to us.” “I thought you said we couldn’t take a mare for a consort?” “I said our subjects would prefer we not—And honestly, those feelings are mostly only held here in Canterlot, among the highest-ranking nobles. But if we really wanted to, they would support us. If only grudgingly, in some cases.” “That is good to hear. For a minute, I was almost wishing I was back in the moon, if only to wait out this tedious, hypocritical age.” “To be fair, many ponies all across Equestria do at least try to hold themselves to the same standards. At least where fidelity is concerned.” Celestia points out. “Humph. I can see now why you would prefer to…” “Get some strange in the dream.” Celestia finished, totally serious about the phrase this time. “It’s better for everyone that way. They have a wonderful dream, and I get satisfaction and stress relief. And I have no risk of getting with foal, should I bed a stallion.” “Can we alicorns even bear foals? It has never happened to either of us, even with all the years we’ve lived.” “Honestly, I don’t know. Though I suspect Cadance and Shining Armor will be finding out in the next few years. And part of it for us is that we avoided stallions during our heats. Always stuck with mares.” “Accidents happen, even out of season.” Luna pointed out. “That’s why ponies are born all through the year.” “For regular ponies, yes, but it’s rarer for unicorns, because magic has been developed to help with that. And we can use the same magics, but stronger.” Celestia countered. “Plus, our bodies are genuinely different. Maybe something about that inhibits such accidents.” “That is true.” Luna conceded. “Now what were we talking about before all this about…foals?” As immortals—or at the very least, the next best thing—the sisters could very easily go off on wild tangents that ended up somewhere completely different from where they started. They once started talking about Luna’s weaving, and they wound up discussing what fruit made the best preserves. (No offense to Applejack, but they mutually settled on strawberries. Of course, this had been before Luna's banishment, long before the Apple family rose to its current prominence.) “The fourth and best reason to do things my way when it comes to sex.” Celestia said immediately. “Since nopony knows who I’m…” “Getting strange with?” offered Luna, with mock sweetness. “You know me so well.” Celestia teased back with a wink. “The best reason is, since nopony knows who I’m with, nopony gets jealous.” “Sold.” Luna accepted immediately, pointing a hoof at her elder sister. She’d had real trouble with that back in the early days. Especially when she’d tried to start a stable before becoming apprenticed to Star-Swirl. Celestia took this opportunity to look down at the edge of the pancake peeking up over the edge of the table. The one that had been stuck to Luna’s belly this whole time. She passed the giggle off as a reaction to Luna’s sudden capitulation. Or her history. “As to what we were discussing before getting some strange, I asked you to tell me about your dreamwalking last night.” A gong rang, sounding the time. That meant half an hour until the morning court. “I do not think we have time for the whole story, and I am getting more tired, too.” “Alright, just the highlights, then.” “Well, for starters, dreamwalking is not like flying.” “…Huh?” Celestia came up with a second later. “You’re cute when you’re baffled.” Luna commented. “Hey, I’m cute anytime.” the older sister objected playfully. “No, you are gorgeous all the time. But baffled adds cute.” Luna clarified. “Alright but what do dreamwalking and flying have to do with each other?” “Flying, you never forget. You can go a thousand years without flying, and so long as your wings are still in working condition, you can just open them up and get right back to it like it’s only been a thousand seconds. 'Tis the truth. I speak from personal experience.” Luna asserted when she noticed Celestia’s skeptical look. “But dreamwalking, on the other hoof, is not like that at all. It is all cerebral, while flying is muscle memory. And I forgot that lust shines while fear glows.” “Oh dear, Sister.” Celestia snickered. “Who’d you barge in on first?” “…Cadance.” she admitted, feeling her blush rise again. Not helped by the slightly-more-than-just polite chuckle. “With Shining Armor.” “Really? I guess it really must be love.” Celestia chuckles approvingly. “I already know you didn’t join in, so what was next?” “After I got over the shock, and got away from there,” Luna said, with a hint of a scowl, “I touched base with you, to make sure you were okay.” “And like I said earlier, I truly appreciate that you take the time to do that. I know, it’s only a few seconds.” Celestia preempted Luna’s reaction. “But still. Thank you.” What’s left unsaid was that time in the dream realm could be even more wibbly-wobbly than in the real world, and seconds could sometimes be hours, or vice-versa. “From there, I visited Twilight Sparkle. Even though she no longer lives here, she is still very much your student.” Luna said, wanting to reassure her sister of her place in Twilight’s heart. “Although she was dreaming of me teaching her astronomy.” She sounded a little surprised at that, still, but there was a hint of pride in her voice, too. “Well, it is too late for that, unfortunately.” Celestia admitted. “Although…” “Although?” “We could still share her teaching in other subjects.” Celestia teased, choosing her words very carefully. “Like what?” Luna asked cautiously, not missing the importance of her sister’s word choice. “Did you know she hasn’t had her first heat yet?” “She hasn’t?” Luna asked, very surprised. “At her age? Doesn’t that mean that she’s sterile?” “Possibly.” Celestia conceded. “She could just be a late bloomer.” Catching Luna’s skeptical look, she continued, “It wouldn’t be the first time. She was actually slow to learn to control her magic.” “Twilight Sparkle?” Luna objected, disbelieving. “She had so much magic, she had trouble controlling it properly, and not overpowering every spell she cast. At her test to join my school for gifted unicorns, she hatched Spike’s egg.” “I remember you telling me that.” “That took quite a lot on its own. And then her magic went out of control when it happened. She also turned her parents into potted plants. Both of them, with the same spell. And she did several other things I had to undo afterwards.” Celestia told Luna, for the first time. “Besides which, you know that great magical talent can sometimes interfere with some aspects of physical development. We, for instance, didn’t experience heat at all until we ascended.” “Yes, that was fun.” Luna grumbles sarcastically, remembering her first heat. “And there is one other possibility. One I greatly hope is not the case. But when she was younger, Twilight Sparkle was focused on her studies to the exclusion of all else, and she learned a great many spells on her own.” “You don’t mean you think she has been magically suppressing her heat?” Luna demanded. “That is incredibly dangerous.” “I know, Sister. There is a spell for it in the library here, which I keep for emergency medical purposes. But that is clearly listed at the top of the scroll, along with the exact circumstances under which it is to be used, and the dangers related to it. Described in graphic detail, to deter frivolous use.” Celestia explained. “Twilight is normally so careful with such things, that I find it hard to believe she would use it, though. It is just one of those niggling worries that I have trouble banishing for good.” After a quick shake of her head, Celestia continued, “But that wasn’t where I was planning for this conversation to go.” “Yes, you were not particularly subtle about your suggestion that we share a bed with her.” “That wasn’t what I meant, actually. You know I believe she is fated to ascend like us. I thought we could teach her about her new body, when that day comes. Perhaps you could teach her about grooming her wings.” “I had thought you would want that for yourself, Sister, and I would not begrudge you that.” Luna admitted easily, heating again as she remembered when Celestia had given her “grooming lessons.” “Or are you allowing me this because you had Cadance to yourself, in my absence?” “Cadance was born a pegasus. I never got to give her grooming lessons.” Celestia explained, before smirking slightly. “I did, however, spend a few nights teaching Shining Armor everything he now knows on the subject.” “Of course you did.” “Not like that.” Celestia replied. “I had heard from both of them separately about how they cared for each other, and had known for quite some time, even before that. So I gave him the lessons to help them get together. I was hardly going to take advantage of him under those conditions. I don’t mind waiting a few years for the flames of their new love to settle down a bit.” Luna nodded, agreeing that if their long lives had taught them anything, it was patience. “And while I would enjoy being the one to introduce Twilight to such pleasures, I would certainly not begrudge you.” “We could always take one wing each.” Luna suggested, half-jokingly. “I don’t think that would be wise, at least not the first time. Between the two of us, we would almost certainly break the poor young mare.” Celestia smirked. “But enough about the future for the moment. Did you stay long enough to give your would-be student her requested lesson?” “No, I am ashamed to say I did not.” “Whyever not?” “Shining Armor showed up, along with Cadance.” Luna said, slightly embarrassed over her reaction. “And after what you had seen earlier, it was awkward.” “More than you probably realize. Have you ever seen the way Cadance and Twilight Sparkle greet each other?” “Yes, but what…Oh, yes.” Celestia is a second slow on the uptake, before realizing exactly how that might have looked to somepony who’d just witnessed the newest princess’ lust. “So I fled, and it was only after I entered the dream realm that I realized it was not what I had thought.” Luna admitted, pretending she didn’t hear the quiet chuckle from the other end of the table. “Then I spent some time watching Rarity at the Grand Galloping Gala with Blueblood.” “I could think of worse matches.” Celestia mused. “I’ll have to remember to tell him to tone his behavior down if she tries to make that dream real.” Luna kept her own counsel on that topic, but she did decide to try and give the white unicorn a warning some night. Of course, the trouble with that plan was that not all dreams were remembered upon awakening. Not even the ones visited by dreamwalkers. Not even when said dreamwalker was the Princess of the Night, herself. “After Rarity, I spent some time enjoying a relaxing tea party with Fluttershy and some of her animals. I was surprised by just how much she knows about textiles. Mostly sewing, but she knows a fair bit about weaving, too.” Luna purposely skipped over her visit to Dash’s dream, so that not mentioning Pinkie’s wouldn't stand out so much. “I’m glad to hear you still have an interest in your old hobbies, and that you’ve found someone to share them with.” “Yes, as am I. Of course, I had to disguise myself in my old unicorn body, so as not to frighten the mare, but it is no sacrifice. And quite interesting, in fact, to spend some time in my original shape. You might wish to consider trying it yourself sometime, Sister. If you haven’t already. She seemed not to realize the truth of my identity, so I may repeat the experience.” This time, it was Celestia who kept her counsel. She knew better than to underestimate the meek mare, and strongly suspected she’d figured out the true identity of her guest at some point or other during the dream. She then listened in mild surprise as Luna told her about the four-way shared dream of the Apple family. She did wish she could have been there to witness some of the decades worth of family reunions. Especially when hearing about little Applejack. As soon as she’d seen Twilight Sparkle’s cutie mark, Celestia had realized she was likely destined to wield the Element of Magic, and she’d started looking for ponies who would wield the other elements. While she’d not ignored the possibilities of them going to older ponies, she had focused her attention on those close to her new student’s age. That particular incident sounded like it was from before she started looking, though. Then Celestia commiserated with her sister as she sat through the story of the nightmare memory that followed. She’d known some of the details before this, but now she was hearing the whole story, and straight from those involved. “After all that, Sister, how did you come to breakfast with a smile on your face and the scent of heat on your flanks?” “Oh, there were two other dreams I visited between the reunion and the memory. That’s how I got so heated. But as for the smile…well, even as old and powerful as we are, we’re still fillies at heart, right?” “Of course, but what does that have to do with anything?” “What does any filly enjoy more than a fairy-tail with a happy ending?” “And what does that mean?” Celestia asked. So, Luna told her about Spike fancying himself as a minotaur-like knight, rescuing Rarity from diamond dogs. “I do need to keep an eye on those creatures, to make sure they don’t cause undue trouble.” “I thought we were at peace with them. Or has that changed, too?” “Not officially, but our peace with them has always been an uneasy one, ever since we refused to assist them with their defense against dragon aggressions. They are the reason the mines beneath us were abandoned for a time. After your banishment, I threw myself into the work of governance, to help dull the pain. After I kicked them out of the mines, there was a new golden age. Unfortunately, by the time I was ready to focus on more than just the next immediate need, the populous had moved past the ‘thankful-to-be-alive’ and the ‘we’re-rich’ stages, and they had moved into the ‘can’t-make-a-decision-for-themselves’ stage. And the rise of the bureaucratic age meant other, equally important things had to be put off until time could be wheedled out to deal with them.” Celestia complained, showing a degree of bitterness that would surprise just about anypony who heard it. Except her sister, who’d seen this side before. “Like Discord’s chimerae?” Luna asked, remembering Sweetie Drops’ dream, and the questions she had about that. And now that Luna was reminded of the details, she remembered that the gem mines hadn’t been played out after all. The diamond dogs had simply moved in, driving the miners out. “Yes, those. Unfortunately, he had managed to create more than we realized, scattered further than we imagined. And they’d started breeding before his defeat.” Celestia said. “By the time I realized the full extent of the problem, it was too late to solve conclusively, and we had to resort to dealing with them as they crop up. So the royal guards and other groups have been mobilized as needed to defend this land.” “One of those ‘other groups’ wouldn’t happen to have included an ivory-coated earth pony, with a multi-colored mane, named Sweetie Drops, by chance?” Luna asked. Celestia paused for a moment, before slightly arching one brow and she slowly, deliberately answered, “No. I can’t say that I’ve ever hired anypony matching that description.” Luna took that to mean Sweetie Drops was retired, or otherwise no longer an active member of whatever group her sister had involved her in. If she’d still been active, Celestia’s answer would have been more ambiguous. Which meant Bon Bon was a new identity for her retirement. Either way, Luna resolved to keep a closer eye on the mare’s dreams, to keep watch for any negative effects from her time in service. “Well, I met a pony with wrapped candies for a cutie mark last night, who dreamt of fighting a bugbear, and rescuing her marefriend.” Luna explained. “Or at least, she would like to have Lyra as a marefriend. It’s sometimes hard to tell, you know. And she seems to have a weird thing for public benches.” she couldn’t help adding. “They are together. And Lyra is the one with the thing for benches.” Celestia explained. “At least, according to the letters from my student.” Just then, the gong rang again. Ten minutes until court. And then Luna yawned again, wide enough for her jaw to crack. “We should head for the throne room. I can tell you the rest on the way.” she said, as she left her seat. “Luna, stop.” Celestia said, before Luna could open the door. “What is it, Sister?” “You need to clean up before you leave the room.” A small smile was starting to form on her lips. “What?” “Food is supposed to go in your belly, not on it.” Celestia snickered, trotting up to her sister. “What?” Luna asked again, this time looking down at herself. Looking back between her hooves, she could see the pancake sticking to her belly. She closed her eyes and sighed heavily. “How long has that been there?” “Since you collapsed on the table, just before I declared the joke to be over.” Celestia said, thus essentially grandfathering it in as part of the last skirmish in their joke-war. It excused her for not saying something sooner. Technically. “And how long were you going to wait before telling me?” Luna wanted to know, face-hooving gently. “Until you noticed it yourself. Or went to leave the room.” Luna sighed again, before getting an idea. She laid down and rolled onto her back before looking up at her sister with sultry eyes. “Clean me up, please?” she teased. “Gladly, if only we had the time.” Celestia rolled her eyes, before teleporting all the foodstuffs out of her sister’s fur, to just above a nearby garbage can. They were hardly strangers to sisterly intimacy. Being as long-lived as they were, they had long since come to accept that they could be there for each other in ways that no other pony could be. Except maybe Cadance, now. And possibly Twilight Sparkle, if things went to plan there. “By the way, it wasn’t Lyra and…Bon Bon that were responsible for the scent on my flanks.” Luna said, getting to her hooves. “That was thanks to a shared dream by Vinyl Scratch and Octavia. If you think you get strange in the dream, you should see what those two get up to.” It took Celestia a second or two to realize who Luna was talking about. Until she remembered that Vinyl Scratch mostly went by her stage name of DJ-PON3. Which meant that Octavia was almost certainly Octavia Melody, the cellist in the string quartet that was frequently booked for royal events. Then it hit her what else Luna had said. “Really? Do tell.” she said as the two alicorns made their way through the halls. “I don’t think I will, now.” Luna teases quietly. “Come on, I want to know how you got in that state.” Celestia whispers in her sister’s ear. “Now you can spend all day in that same state, just imagining what those two did to get me into it.” “Well played, Luna. Well played.” Celestia gave in. They were, technically, still in the grace period, but she accepted it as a suitable punishment for her technicality with the pancake. She gave her little sister a nuzzle and a “sweet dreams” before they went their separate ways. Luna was glad to see the door to her chambers, because she was more tired than she’d been since her return. She was more than a little surprised to find Cadance waiting for her, though. “Good morning, Auntie.” she said, without looking at her. “Good morning, Mi Amore Cadenza.” Luna said uncomfortably, closing the door. That discomfort causing her to be more formal than she really meant to. More than she should be. “Come now, Auntie Luna. After last night, surely you can be more informal than that.” Cadance scolded mildly. “Last night?” Luna questioned, whinnying softly. Her mind, which had been winding down in preparation for sleep, was back at full instantly. The pink face and purple eyes turned to meet Luna’s dark blue ones. “Luna, I’ve been an alicorn for years, now. Celestia started teaching me to dreamwalk as soon as I ascended. I knew the instant you entered my dream.” “We are sorry, Cadance. It was an accident.” “An accident?” “We are out of practice with dreamwalking, and We…I forgot the difference between fear and lust. So when W…I saw your dream shining brightly, I charged in without thinking.” Luna said slowly, trying to drop the Royal We, and be more informal. However awkward the conversation, this was her niece she was talking to. True, there was no more blood relation there than there was between herself and Celestia, but that mattered just as little. “Hmm.” Cadance nodded. “Well, I must admit, I’m not nearly as practiced as I could be, and I still have trouble telling the two apart, myself.” “It took Celestia a few years to learn, herself.” Luna confided. “What about you?” “A few months. But I practiced a lot more, and I think being Princess of the Night gave me a natural advantage.” Luna qualified. “Well, I don’t practice much.” Cadance admitted. “Honestly, when you first showed up, I wondered if you were planning to join in.” she said suddenly, making Luna splutter, nickering for second or two. “Join in?” she finally managed to get out. “Yes. Celestia told me about how she uses dreamwalking to satisfy certain needs without all the political complications.” “Yes, she told me about that at breakfast.” “At breakfast? This morning?” Cadance asked, surprised and confused. “Yes?” Luna replied, equally confused. “I’m sorry. I thought it was something you did, too.” “No. Before…” Luna may be okay talking to her sister about her banishment, but she was the only one. “Before, the two of us could be open about such things. Take a lover as we pleased, without worrying about the…political complications.” “Oh, I see. Oh well. If you ever do decide you want to join in, you may.” “What?” Luna exclaimed. “I know Celestia wishes to. I’ve seen her dream about it.” “You have?” Luna asked. “She let you?” “Not exactly.” “If you saw her dream, she certainly knew you were looking.” “I’m not sure. I’m still new enough that I still see the dream realm as a corridor. But when the dream is about love, the door is clear, like glass. Or particularly fine crystal. I didn’t enter, but I saw the four of us all together once.” Cadance explained, matter-of-factly. “All four of us?” “Yes, you and Shining Armor were there, too.” Cadance confirms. “But Celestia had already told me how you two often turned to each other for comfort, when a beloved mortal passed, or during your heats. I’d accepted that before, and I’d realized that she somewhat expected the same to happen between her and I eventually, especially if you hadn’t been saved.” “Really?” asked Luna, stunned. “Also, if you’re uncomfortable with my being there, for whatever reason, feel free to join Shining Armor in his dreams. Fair warning, though…you should be careful when you enter his dreams, and try not to take it personally.” “Take it personally?” Luna couldn’t quite accept everything she was hearing, so she latched onto the last bit. “Shining Armor…he still respects you as a princess, but…He didn’t take it too well when he heard about his guards failing so…completely…against Nightmare Moon, when she showed up.” Cadance explained, trying to be delicate about it. “Or when he heard his little sister had to do their job of stopping her. He’s a little bit overprotective, I hope you understand.” “I can understand sibling overprotectiveness.” Luna agreed. “Yes, after hearing all the details, he felt like a failure twice-over.” Cadance kept explaining, before coming to the point. “So, he sometimes has dreams about fighting Nightmare Moon off, himself. Again, it doesn’t reflect his feelings for you. For Princess Luna.” “I can understand that.” Luna conceded. “But I am having some trouble accepting that you are so willing to share him in the dream.” “He is a very desirable stallion. I have seen other mares looking at us enviously. And as the Princess of Love, I know perfectly well whether they were looking at me or him.” Cadance explained. “I don’t begrudge them looking. Nor do I begrudge Shining Armor the freedom of his dreams. Celestia knows this already. I’m sure she’s had her fun with him, while she was teaching him how to groom my wings so skillfully.” “She told me she had not.” Luna reassured her. “Yes, she told me the same, but I’m not sure it wasn’t just to spare my feelings.” “It was not.” Luna said firmly. “I’ve known my sister for centuries. I know when she’s telling a lie. Though I may not always know why she is telling it, I do at least know when.” “Oh. I’m glad to hear that.” Cadance murmured, getting up. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve kept you from your rest long enough. I’ll see you this evening?” “Yes, I’ll see you then.” Luna agreed, giving the leaner alicorn a quick nuzzle as they passed. “Oh, Aunt Luna, one more, quick thing?” Cadance said, waiting before the door. “Yes?” “I just want to clear up things in advance. Like I said, I don’t begrudge the looking, but if you do more than that with Shining Armor in the waking world, aunt or no, princess or no, I will find a suitor even worse than Blueblood, and make him fall head over hooves for you.” Cadance declared, dead serious, even wearing a slight glare. One that suddenly changed into a loving smile. “Sweet dreams.” she added, before leaving the room. Luna stared at the door for a second, stunned by the lightning-swift mood swing, but then she turned back towards her bedchamber. Until she noticed a piece of paper on a table. She hadn’t left it there, so she picked it up to look at it. It was a letter from Twilight Sparkle. What was it doing here? Flipping it over, she found a note from Celestia. It was a hastily scribbled note to Cadance, telling her that Luna had told her why she wasn’t feeling up to joining them for breakfast. It said that Celestia figured that she was waiting in Luna’s room, waiting to speak to her privately, and saying she’d be there any minute. It also suggested that Cadance be blunt about whatever she had to say, because Luna might just be too tired to understand what she meant, if she tried to be too roundabout. ‘Ooh, I cannot believe she said that.’ Luna thought, heading for her bed once again. ‘I will get her for that.’ She paused suddenly, an evil grin growing on her face. ‘And I know just how. I will visit her in the dream tonight, and tickle her until she cries. Then, while she is distracted, I will take her out of her dream and throw her into Pinkie Pie's. That will get her. Or maybe, instead of tickling her, I will get her good and wound up, instead.’ So, with dreams of revenge dancing behind her wicked smile, Luna curled up on her bed and drifted off to sleep.