//------------------------------// // Dreams // Story: The Virtues of Vice // by RoyalPonySisters //------------------------------// “Well, somepony certainly has a high opinion of herself,” a familiar voice said. Celestia turned around to see Princess Luna, dressed in her proper regalia and not armor, standing in front of her. “I mean, not a single pony in Canterlot has something bad to say about you? I know I said you were perfect, but come on! Have you ever even spoken to the nobility?” Celestia looked around in confusion. She was no longer in Canterlot. Instead, she sat in huge field filled with yellowing grass, and surrounded by tall trees with red autumn leaves. It was no longer mid-afternoon, it was dusk. With a start, she looked down at herself to see that she was... herself. Her true form. Her spell had worn off. When had that happened? “Luna, what...?” she asked blankly. What in Equestria is going on? Luna smirked at her impishly. “You did say I could enter your mind.” Slowly, realization began to dawn on her. “Oh... so this is- none of this is real?” “Took you long enough,” Luna grinned, but stopped when she saw her sister’s face of abject... lostness. Her coldness fading momentarily, Luna spoke softly. “Celestia, it will be alright... it was just a bad dream...” she soothed. Celestia sniffled, feeling comforted yet completely overwhelmed. She could feel tears falling from her eyes onto her white hide and matting it. She sat there silently, her sister by her side, for a second that lasted for eternity. “Celestia,” Luna broke the silence. “It has been a long time since I have entered your psyche. It is... always interesting.” Celestia turned to her. “Am I perfect?” Luna gazed at her with interest. “My dear Sister, I must admit I did not expect that comment of mine to affect you so strongly. My criticism must be something that was already bothering you... certainly you seem to be unhappy with the status quo based on your nightmare- although it was not what I expected.” Celestia turned to her curiously. “Not what you expected- Luna, what did you expect my nightmare to be?” Luna looked away. “It is of no matter, Celestia. Forget I said anything. It would be wrong of me to assume I know the inner fears of anypony, even my own sister.” “Luna,” Celestia said firmly. “You are already in my subconscious, with access to my every thought. You can at least reveal to me what you are thinking now.” “Alright, fine,” Luna said, still staring at the ground. “I, well, I just assumed, I thought that your nightmare would be- would be banishing me. It is predictable and much more- well-” “Selfless?” Celestia asked. She smiled wanly. “That I could have no pain compared to the regret over what I did to you. Yes, I suppose that for a perfect pony that would be true.” Luna nodded mutely. “Although, I have had that nightmare a lot, if it makes you feel better,” she admitted. “It most certainly does not!” Luna said indignantly. “But Sister, this is your dream, so let us return to exploring your own thoughts and feelings.” “Alright, so how do we...?” Celestia looked around in confusion. Luna smiled. “Celestia, this is your dreamscape, so you decide what is there. Where would you like to go?” “I guess we could return to Canterlot?” Celestia said. “Excellent,” Luna said, and held out her foreleg, gesturing to their back. Celestia turned, and sure enough, there were the golden spires and marble buildings of the capital. She would’ve sworn it had not been there a second ago. “Luna, how-“ she shook her head and stopped. There was no point in trying to make sense of it. It simply was. Together, they trotted towards the city, and they arrived far faster then she would’ve thought possible, considering how distant they had been before. They trotted into the city, and everypony ignored them. They were able to stride through with no disruptions, no over-the-top displays of patriotism and loyalty, which was a rather unique experience for Celestia, but one she found quite relaxing, especially considering the circumstances under which she fled the city. This did not go unnoticed by Luna. “I suppose you must be feeling calmer, if there are no ponies swarming you on the streets.” “Astute as always, Sister,” Celestia responded. Privately, she was relieved she had at least taken note of this herself rather than being caught off guard when Luna pointed it out. The dream world was so disorienting to her, but perhaps she was acclimating. “Curious,” Luna said. “For the sister I knew- she always enjoyed fanfare in the streets.” Oh, not this again. Celestia was reminded of why she had not been excited at the prospect of having her sister probe her mind. Before it had been alright, even cathartic- especially when Luna had seemed to admit that Celestia was not a flawless ‘ghost’- she had even called her Sister- but now they were treading on the same ground as their original conversation, all while Celestia lacked the critical advantage of having private thoughts. She needed to do something, anything, to change the topic. Feeling slightly daring, she willed herself and Luna to the Castle. To her pride and surprise, she looked up to find they were indeed inside, standing by the first of the stained glass windows. Luna glanced at her with newfound respect. “Impressive, Sister,” she said. “Perhaps you are beginning to understand the dream realm?” “I hope so, Sister,” Celestia said. “Otherwise, but for your directions, I would be as lost as a foal in the woods.” Luna nodded, but she was looking at a closet at the beginning of the hall. She opened it, and both of them could see it was empty. She closed it, disappointed. “I had hoped it might still be there...” she muttered. “Luna, were you looking for something?” Celestia inquired politely. “In a sense.” Luna answered. She stared at Celestia with newfound interest. “Sister, do you remember Shooting Star?” “Who?” Celestia asked. The name sounded vaguely familiar, perhaps she was some noblepony or other. Their names all bled together over the centuries. “Does she live in Canterlot?” Luna rolled her eyes. “Shooting Star is a he, Sister. And he did indeed live in Canterlot- nearly eleven hundred years ago.” Something activated in the recesses of Celestia’s memories- “Oh, wait, was he-“ “That stuck-up Unicorn you used to like? Yes!” Luna interrupted. Celestia laughed. “I haven’t thought about him in eons. I’m surprised you remember him. Really, Luna, why would you bring him up?” “You used to keep a painting of him stashed in your quarters, but when I was in your psyche, I was sometimes able to find it in other closets. I had hoped he might be there- or, more likely, one of your more recent loves.” She paused. “How long has it been since you took a lover?” Celestia kept staring straight ahead. “More than three centuries.” “Celestia...” Mercifully, Luna did not pursue the topic. Instead, she turned to the stained glass windows and said, “Shall we continue, Sister?” Celestia nodded. “We shall.” They trotted into the hallway, and stared at the magnificent vistas. Sunlight streamed in through the stained glass, creating beautiful effect on the floor. They looked at them all; Twilight Sparkle’s defeat of Nightmare Moon, the sisters’ win over Discord, Celestia’s victory over Nightmare Moon... victory. She had always hated that one. It celebrated what she knew was rightfully a tragedy, even if it had taken her little ponies a thousand years to realize that. “You are upset, Sister?” Luna asked. “Well... of course,” she responded, wondering how Luna had known. She was very good at hiding her inner grief from her face. Luna recognized her confusion. “Look around, Celestia.” She obeyed, and to her surprise, it was no longer bright out. The hall had darkened considerably, and there was a chill in the air. “The dreamscape atmosphere reflects your emotions. If you become upset, it will show,” Luna explained. “But there are other ways that your psyche reveals itself. Look.” She stretched her hoof out to the part of the glass where Celestia was pictured, and Celestia could see a single tear dripping from the eye of her glass counterpart. The window, rather than being headlined as Celestia Banishes Nightmare Moon, now read, Princess Luna’s Exile. Celestia breathed sharply. “I don’t remember it being like that.” “It... is not. Not in the real world.” Luna said. “This is how your mind sees it.” She gazed up at her sister, her eyes watering. “Celestia...” “Hush,” her sister said, and placed her wing over her, pulling Luna in for a hug. She looked at the younger Alicorn seriously. “It wasn’t a victory. I- I missed you every day. Every day. I waited so long for you to return and then- and then- you don’t even want to be with me. You said you wanted to enter my dreams to find me- the ‘real me’- and I allowed you. Have you found me?” Luna cuddled up next to her. “I think so.” “Good,” Celestia said. “Then perhaps, it is time to leave this place?” “Wait, not yet!” Luna cried. “I just feel- like there is still more to see- that we are not yet finished.” Her words gave Celestia a bad feeling. She felt as if they were standing at the edge of a cliff now. The view was beautiful. But if they stepped out further, only danger lay ahead. Best to be careful. “Come, let us go downstairs.” Luna proclaimed, galloping out of the hallway to a stairwell that had appeared. “Let us head deeper.” Don’t do it. “I- I’m coming, Sister.” Celestia called. She didn’t know what awaited them, but she felt a sense of dread come over her. Nothing good would come of this, of that she was certain. They were stepping into the ravine.