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// All My Nightly Dreams Are Where Thy Grey Eye Glances 
// Story: She's Like The Wind 
// by lupinepoet 
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Spike rolled over in his sleep, clutching his waifu plushie close to his chest. With a grunt, his face scrunched up. His eyes fly open. “Really???” he moaned.

URRRRP!

With a flash of green flame, a letter appeared in the air. “This better be important...” Spike grabbed it and read it through. “Oh my gosh! Twilight! TWILIGHT!” Spike ran down the hall into Twilight's personal library with so much excitement he forgot to put his Rarity slippers on.

Twilight looked up from her desk as she slipped a bookmark into a book. “What is it, Spike?”

“It's Princess Luna! She's coming to Ponyville for a few days. And she wants to stay here so other ponies don't know she's in town.” Spike gave Twilight the letter. It glowed with a purplish light as Twilight lifted it so she could read it.

“Spike! This is amazing!” Twilight looked over the letter again as they walked into the Great Hall. “I never get to spend any time with Princess Luna. I wonder why she doesn't want anyone knowing she's here. But look at this place!! It's not clean enough for a princess!”

The small dragon looked around the immaculate room bathed in the glowing lights hanging from the roots of the original Golden Oak Library. “Twilight, the place is perfect like always. I think you're worrying too much --”

“And what if Princess Luna needs my advice on something?” Twilight gave out a sheepish laugh. “Why would she need my advice? She's a princess! Silly me.”

“You're a princess, too, y'know --”

“Maybe she's coming to give me advice on how to be a better princess! I can't wait to learn from Princess Luna!” Twilight clapped her hooves. “I better get my notebooks ready! Oh, and my history on the Castle of Friendship! Princess Luna might want to see all the changes since she lived here. And my books on ancient magic in case we're fighting monsters.....”

“I'm going back to bed.”

“G'night, Spike!” Twilight bustled through the castle getting everything ready. Spike went back to bed.

***

Princess Luna sat upon her throne, her face full of strength and certainty, her eyes full of wisdom and kindness. “Thank you for your time, princess.” A unicorn gathered a bundle of papers into her pack using the magic from her horn, bowed, and walked out of the throne room. The doors shut behind the unicorn with a firm thud.

“Are there any other petitions or concerns to address?” Princess Luna looked out across the throne room. To each side of the room, several bat-ponies and night guards stood at attention. At Luna's left, a scribe scribbled a few notes.
Nightfang consulted his list. “No, my Princess.”

“Any business from the previous evening we must finish?”

“No, Princess.”

“Then we give our thanks for your service.” She nodded at the guards. “You are excused.” The guards bowed before leaving. “Ensure a copy of the minutes is left with Nightfang, along with any documents that require our signature.” The scribe bowed as well, then left the throne room.

Once they were completely alone, Luna asked quietly, “Have Princess Celestia and my court been notified we will be away on business for the next few days?”

Nightfang stepped forward so Princess Luna could see his face. “They will receive the notice once you depart. By the time most of them see it, you should be in Ponyville.”

“Thank you, Nightfang. We – I would like to be alone for a few moments.”

“As you wish, Princess Luna.” With a bow, Nightfang slipped away in the shadows.

All alone now, Princess Luna closed her eyes and thought back to the first time she remembered seeing Big Macintosh – Twilight's coronation. It was such a large affair, full of bright lights and uplifting music and confetti everywhere. Obviously Princess Celestia planned the whole thing with Princess Cadance as her yes-mare. If it were up to Princess Luna, it would have been a quiet affair in the castle followed by a proclamation to all citizens of Equestria that Twilight was a princess, with all the rights and responsibilities due to her. But no, Tia had to have her pomp and circumstance.

Of course, she had seen the stallion before in his dreams. Part of her work was to look for those who had troubled dreams and help them as she could. Some dreamers needed Princess Luna to step in and help calm them or talk them through a complex or difficult dream. She relished this job more than any other task.

The dreamers who rejected her because she was Nightmare Moon in their eyes pained her. The ones who hurt her the most, though, were the dreamers like Big Macintosh – they needed to conquer their fears on their own. The struggle gave them purpose, gave them the will to keep moving. Now the farm stallion, walking towards the dais with determined stride – until those around him chased him away. Luna opened her mouth to call out, to demand in her Canterlot Voice that the stallion be permitted to approach. After all, he worked day in and out to care for the farm so Applejack could save Equestria countless times. He served as inspiration, friend, and mentor to almost every pony on that stage. Big Macintosh had every right to partake in this moment of glory.

Princess Celestia nudged her imperceptibly. Luna took the hint. The princess of the night said nothing. Big Macintosh walked away.

And now the stallion tossed in his small bed, the same dream playing over and over in his head:

A slightly younger Big Mac walks out of the library with a saddlebag full of books. The world around him is all but swallowed in shadows. Voices call out from the darkness.
“Hey, Hayseed! You can actually read?”
“Oh sure. Didn't you know he's the teacher's pet?”
“At least he's good for something. He can't play hoofball worth a fuck.”
“Whatcha doin', wastin' yer time w' those books, boy? They ain't never gonna help you out.”
“Us Apples have been farm ponies fer generations, and you ain't gonna change it now.”
“Yer just wasting yer time goin' ta college.”
“Nopony reads what ya write anyways.”
The cacophony stops. Granny Smith's voice breaks through the black. “Yer folks had a' accident. Ya better git back here.”
Big Mac replies, “I'm scared, Granny. I can't help m' folks.”
“Nopony can, boy. Now you gots t' run th' farm.
“I can't run th' farm,” Big Mac whimpered to the shadows. “I don't know how...”
“Ya better learn fast, boy. Yer sisters' ain't old enough. We ain't got nopony else.”
“....eeyup...” Big Mac empties out his book bag. The books disappear the moment they hit the ground. 

Princess Luna opened her eyes. “You do understand us, Big Macintosh. We just hope we are doing the right thing.” With a deep breath, Princess Luna stepped into the nearest shadow. Now, covered in a black, hooded cloak, she stood outside the Castle of Friendship. She raised a hoof and tapped at the door.