*
Soft chords fill the entry hall as the musicians in the ballroom begin playing again. Slowly, cautiously, everything begins to go back to normal. Princess Cadance and Guard Captain Shining Armor politely bow to Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle as they take their leave. They walk past the new arrivals to the Gala, who in turn come up to meet the Princess, though warily. The Elements of Harmony each go their separate ways, leaving Doug, Trixie, and Princess Luna.
Trixie glances up at Princess Luna, whose eyes focus on the amulet around her neck. “Um, let me get that,” Trixie says, almost apologetically, her hoof unclasping the amulet and tucking it into her dress. “Just thought we might need, you know, a little more Great and Powerfulness. Yes?”
Princess Luna’s eyes narrow.
Trixie coughs nervously. “Well, um, I think I might need to go check up on Spike and the foals. See ya!”
A smoke bomb goes off, startling everypony in the room. An azure unicorn races out of the entry hall, barreling past the guard and guests before tripping on her dress and smacking her head into the ground. Trixie picks herself up without a backwards glance, disappearing into the night.
Doug looks up at Luna. She returns a look mixing pensiveness and curiosity. “...So,” he eventually says, “you have any plans?”
Luna snorts, walking off to her tower, a brief flick of her mane enough for Doug to pad along after her. As soon as they turn the first corner, the grand announcing of various ponies fading away, she curtly states, “We watch over the kingdom as our Sister parades herself in front of those nobles, playing the regal Princess.”
“...I take it that’s a no?” Doug cheekily replies, his jovial tone betraying an undercurrent of hostility.
Luna stops in her tracks, cold eyes boring into Doug. “Dost thou think’st to mock us? Insinuate, as everypony else, that we are not as capable as our Sister, or that our responsibilities are for naught?”
Doug pinches a thumb and a finger a fraction of an inch apart. “Barely? A little?” He sighs as Luna’s brow furrows, the two continuing on their journey through the castle. “Not like you are saying, though. I don’t mean to be insulting or anything, just trying to inject a little humor into things.” He sighs, kicking at the marble as the floor turns to stone steps, his hands at his side and wishing he had pockets in which to hide them. The two head into Luna’s tower, beginning a long climb.
Luna turns again to regard Doug, but without the hostility. “Thou admits to it? Thou art braver than we thought, or a foal.”
“Well, honesty is the best policy and all that.” Doug’s fingers trace over the red apples on his gloves; he glances down at the seven cutie marks embroidered on the fabric. “I don’t think hiding who you are is a good policy. If they like the facade you put up, then that just means you have to keep up the charade. Better to make Friends with those who can accept the real you.”
The stone steps climb higher and higher, eventually reaching an ornate door that Luna opens with a flare of blue. The room is cluttered, yet organized. Multiple tables are filled to the brim with books, some open but nearly every one dog-eared or bookmarked. Others contain trinkets, minor magical artifacts, or polished gems. The only open space is threatened by stacks of papers, some blank, and a few bottled inkwells. The Princess-sized bed looks to be carved from rock, and is nearly as hard, with only two cobalt pillows. Opening to the outside are two modest doors that lead to a balcony.
Doug walks to the doors, looking outside. A nearly perfect view of the surrounding countryside, spoiled only by the remainder of Canterlot Castle and the spot where Celestia and Luna raise and lower the sun and moon. He pushes, but it is locked; a brief burst of blue opens the door, allowing the cool night air to waft inside.
“But what if they don’t like the real you?” Luna asks, her voice almost pleading. “What if… what if you are afraid of what they will think of you, of what they might do if they found out?”
Doug blithely shrugs. “I’d say find some new friends.”
Luna is taken aback.
“Obviously, they aren’t particularly loyal if they’re willing to abandon you over nothing. Well, I guess that depends on how bad it is a thing you are admitting to.” Doug looks over at Luna. “We aren’t talking about, say, actual skeletons in the closet, right?”
“No, Celestia has as complete an accounting of our… misdeeds… as is possible.” Luna sighs. “And it was so long ago, any wronged parties have long been put to rest. Other than certain dragons. No, we are talking the more mundane aspects of what one wishes to do, or certain… desires that one might have.”
“Well, okay, that’s if your friends actually didn’t like what you told them. But that would require actually telling them, which gets back to your question of if you are afraid, how do you get the courage to tell them. To which I would say, be optimistic about it; hope for the best and all that.” He fingers the blue balloon. “Although, at the same time, how do you know what you know?” Doug walks back from the balcony, motioning towards the arcane texts on one of the tables. “It’s not like you can read somepony’s mind and know what they think.”
His face briefly falls as Luna looks away, unable to meet his eyes. He deadpans, “You can read pony’s minds.”
“Well, their dreams,” Luna admits, peeking back as Doug sits on the bed. “And one can infer much from somepony’s dreams. Their desires, their fears, their deepest loves. And more.”
“You know, this is easier to argue without magic gumming things up.” Doug sighs as he gets up, pacing to the tables. One of the papers catches his eye. “Hold up,” he says, scanning through the intelligence report. “Who is the Storm King, and where is Panthera? I’ve never heard of that.”
“The Council of Creature’s enforcer. Abyssinia - whose capital is Panthera, far to the south - defied our demands one time too many.” Luna motions to several of the other articles. “Mostly slavery, if that can be believed. We tried to stamp out the abominable practice back in our day, but the allure proves too great time and time again. After he subdues their leadership, we may bring peaceful coexistence again to their land.”
“Huh.” Doug looks around a few of the other items, noticing a brown, twine bound book sitting next to a pair of alicorn statues. He drops the papers back down, then walks to the bed, splaying his arms to the side as he lays down. The mattress - if it could be called that - rocks up and down exactly zero times. “So, have you put the knowledge you gained of a pony to the test, and seen if you can predict their reactions based on that?”
Luna nibbles on her lip for a few seconds. “Hmm, how about this.” Luna scribbles something on a piece of paper, her blue aura folding it in half. She looks over at Doug; he is back to laying on the bed, hands locked behind his head and propping him up.
“Art thou not interested in our Sister? Or has She not made her intentions for thou clear enough?” Luna pauses at Doug’s long sigh, head laying back. His hands shift to cover his face, closing his eyes. She continues, “Many ponies would consider it a great honor to be chosen as Consort. Such a great honor, in fact, that She fears inevitable in-fighting regardless of whom She chooses.”
“Maybe that’s the problem,” Doug replies, hands coming away so he can stare at the ceiling. His eyes trace over the intricate mosaic above, thousands of tiny flecks of gold in the deep blue sky. “I don’t think that I put as high an honor on it that I should. Every time I meet with Celestia it’s as an old friend, and not the respect and adoration she deserves. I’m afraid I’m going to ruin her image or something, that ponies will think less of her because they see me as different, or us bantering back and forth, or any of a hundred other things they expect from me. That I have no hope of doing, or coming close to achieving.”
Luna snorts. “Thou realizes that is precisely why she is intrigued and infatuated by you, yes? Because, while the Yaks and Dragons may not treat her with the utmost respect and the Griffons actively challenge her, you treat her as you would anypony else. Based on the pony who lays beneath, heedless of her station!”
“I guess it all started our first meeting, when I spoke my mind to her. She seemed taken aback that I, a lowly subject, would do such a thing.” Doug shrugs as he sits up from the bed. “And she has been welcomed back just about every year since, to observe. Sometimes, more than others, she wants to join in. It’s just…” Doug raises his hands, palms up, unsure of how to continue.
“Her most common dream, when she dares sleep during the night, is of spending time with your herd. And not of a time where you are rutting her instead of Applejack, though that occurs, but of the intimacy and bonding between you. Pressing cake against Pinkie Pie's flank is a particularly poignant memory. And yet, she seeks more than physical intimacy, or the fulfillment that comes with a foal. Dost thou know, thou art one of a precious few willing to confront and disagree with her?”
“I guess.” Doug meets Luna’s eyes. “Do you find yourself in that last category?”
Luna considers for a few long seconds. “We… we used to. We were close, as close as any two ponies could be. Lovers in all but deed, we held no secrets from another. The Breaker of Day had an outlet, a release valve, with ourselves as confidante. But with every passing day, ponies began to adore her more and more. We... I began holding back, afraid. My Nightmare was only cast into deeper shadows the brighter she stood.”
Doug slowly nods. “And when you fought her…”
“Sol Invictus stood triumphant, again. The name is no misnomer. But she was broken inside, her heart wounded. Never before, and to my knowledge never since, has she been hurt so.” Luna’s eyes, cold and piercing, turn to Doug. “We would do everything in our power to make sure it never happens again.”
“Well, that puts me in quite the pickle, yes?” Doug gets up, pacing back and forth. “What am I supposed to do? Just, give her what she wants, heedless of the costs and problems it makes for me and my herd? She kissed me, in front of everypony, to try to get me to finally capitulate!”
“We heard thou did not resist,” Luna says with a sly smirk. “Art thou telling us this isn’t your desire?”
“No, it’s just... complicated.” Doug sits down on the floor, since there are no chairs at any of the tables.
Luna opens the paper she had written in, passing it to Doug.
He reads aloud, “Overanalyze and try to make everypony happy.” He sighs, looking up at Luna. “I guess I do that, huh.”
“Sometimes, all we can do is ask what will make ourselves happy. And the others will have to deal with the consequences.” Luna coolly regards Doug. “Do you think you could tell me ‘no’, just like you tell Celestia?”
“Perhaps.” Doug pauses as Luna strides forward, radiating confidence, a mare in her prime. Her mane billows behind her, her horn lighting only long enough to shut the balcony door. “Maybe.”
Luna bends down slightly, just enough to match his eyes with hers, stopping inches from him. Then her muzzle pushes forward, meeting his in a kiss.