//------------------------------// // I Dream of Moon Dancer // Story: Another Side of Friendship: Pony Tails // by The Great Twixie //------------------------------// Moon Dancer laid herself out on a grassy hillside underneath the shade of her favorite tree (the tree where Twilight used to spend hours studying under during their time in school.) A musty and slightly torn tome was open at her hooves, her eyes rolling over the slightly smudged text. The book was one that she had retrieved from the restricted section of the Canterlot Library. Moon Dancer had spent countless hours exploring the underground catacombs when she wasn’t at work. Partly to sate her own curious nature, and partly hoping to spend time with Twilight. It was during her latest exploration that she came across this gem: “The Dark Side of the Moon by Wanning Gibbous.” It was a detailed journal about the properties of the moon, theories of where it came from and how it was created, the effects it has on Equestria, and even a few tiny articles on Moon Magic. Moon Dancer had longed to learn Moon Magic ever since she discovered her special connection to the celestial body as a filly when her Cutie Mark appeared. But Moon and Sun Magic were extremely rare – very few are born with the talent, and even fewer actually have the sense to write anything down. Moon Dancer had hoped that she could learn from Princess Luna now that she was a hero of Equestria, but she never had the chance due to Luna’s busy schedule and her own nerves. Hopefully the Grand Galloping Gala will yield some results, but that won’t be for a long while. Moon Dancer flipped the page with her horn and read aloud: “’– theorized that while Sun Magic is intangible by nature, Moon Magic is capable of becoming tangible in the form of dark matter. Based on my own research, Moon Magic can be shaped into solid mass by compressing the negative mana into a single focused point, as opposed to the natural positive mana used by common unicorns.’ Hmm…compressing negative mana. I never would have thought of that. Let’s give it a try.” The bespectacled pony rose to her hooves, taking another look at the text before making her attempt. Moon Dancer took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and focused all the magic in her horn. Rather than using the normal magic she was accustomed to, Moon Dancer tried inverting the energy, which was a lot more difficult than she realized. If she were to describe it, she would say the magic was “heavy." But all her hard work bore fruit as a black-and-blue blob the size of her hoof started to take shape in the air. Moon Dancer opened her eyes partially to get a better look at the shape. The dark matter was unstable, but Moon Dancer felt confident that she could make it work. But while she was in the middle of her attempt, the surrounding area suddenly darkened at an alarming rate. Moon Dancer gasped; her dark matter creation vanished with a quirky pop! As she scanned the area, she realized the sudden darkness had not only fell over the hillside, but stretched all the way to Canterlot and even Princess Luna’s castle. According to Moon Dancer’s watch, it was still one in the afternoon; much too early for Princess Luna to be lowering the sun. There was only one logical explanation for this: “Oh no! I broke the sun!” Moon Dancer cried. “I’m gonna get in so much trouble for this!” …okay, there’s two logical explanations for this. As Moon Dancer walked out from under the tree, she looked to the sky and realized that the sun wasn’t broken, but was being blotted out by a thick cover of black smoke. The bespectacled unicorn had never seen so much smoke, especially not enough to cover the entire sky. Was there a giant fire somewhere nearby? Had the Smokey Mountains finally erupted? Or was this the work of some kind of…anti-Daybreak? Moon Dancer could hear the panicked cries of the ponies in town, no doubt coming to the same realization as her. “This is bad! This is really, really bad!” Moon Dancer panicked. “I need to warn somepony! I need to – “ “Moon Dancer!” The Bespectacled unicorn stopped her fretting and turned as Starlight and Trixie came galloping down the road. “Did you see that huge cloud of smoke?!” “It's kind of hard not to notice,” Moon Dancer retorted. “Trixie and Starlight Glimmer were in town,” Trixie explained frantically, “Once again putting that no-good Charmy in her place when – “ “Hey!” And speak of the pony, Charmy galloped up behind the heroes, much to the annoyance of a certain stagemare. She pointed an accusing hoof at Trixie and shouted, “We haven’t finished our duel yet!” “As much as Trixie would love to pummel you for the fourth day in a row,” Trixie groaned, rolling her eyes, “Trixie has bigger issues to deal with than Charmy.” “Hah! That means you forfeit!” Charmy shouted victoriously. “Let it be forever known that I, Charmy, prestigious practitioner of prestidigitation, have bested the – “ Starlight and Trixie exchanged blank stares before Starlight's horn glowed. Charmy was ripped off the ground with a surprised yelp, then Trixie dragged her favorite trunk out from who knows where underneath. Starlight tossed the gray stagemare into the trunk and the Trixie locked it with chains before Starlight zapped it away. “As Trixie was saying – “ Trixie continued, not even addressing the strangeness that just occurred. But the stagemare was cut off once again when a strange tingling sensation ran up their spines simultaneously. “Uh-oh, I know that feeling…,” Moon Dancer shivered. “Here we go again,” Starlight groaned. And just like that, the three of them disappeared in flashes of orange light – - and reappeared inside Princess Luna’s throne room seconds later. Starlight wobbled on her hooves, disoriented, while Trixie collapsed on her front. The bespectacled unicorn shook her head free of her own minor dizziness and looked ahead as the magic receded from Sunset Shimmer’s horn. It was unsurprising to see Sunset standing on the right side of Princess Luna’s throne – the regal alicorn sitting tall and imposing upon it – while Twilight stood on her left looking deeply concerned. Tempest, Spike, and Grubber were at the base of the throne, apparently waiting for the remaining trio. “You really need to stop doing that,” Starlight groaned, pointing at Sunset. “Sorry,” Sunset apologized sheepishly. “Just thought it’d be quicker this way.” “Regardless of the method, I am glad you are all here,” said Luna; everypony straightened up the moment the words fell from her lips, almost like instinct. “Equestria is facing a terrible crisis.” “Does it have anything to do with that ominous smoke cloud outside?” asked Tempest, gesturing to the windows. “I’m afraid it has everything to do with it,” said Luna, frowning. “The black smoke has covered the skies of Canterlot and will soon be spreading across all of Equestria.” “If the smoke blocks out the sun for too long, it will have negative side effects on Equestria’s ecosystem,” explained Twilight fearfully. “Ponies will no longer be able to grow crops, which will lead to a lot of starving ponies. Not to mention the depleting oxygen levels if all the flowers and trees die. We could be facing an extinction level event.” “Like the dinosaurs!” Grubber shouted enthusiastically. Tempest smacked him over the head. “Ow!” “Can’t we just get some pegesi to move the clouds?” Starlight suggested. “I’m afraid this smoke is not normal by nature,” said Luna. “The cause is neither a fire nor a malfunction at the Cloudsdale factory. I fear that this smoke is caused by…a dragon.” All eyes instantly turned to Spike. “Hey, don’t look at me!” said Spike, insulted. “What in the name of Star Swirl is a full-grown dragon doing in Equestria?” questioned Moon Dancer. “Sleeping,” Sunset answered simply. “Huh?/What?/Come again?” the Mane 6 muttered while sharing bewildered looks. “According to Shining Armor’s scouts, there is a massive dragon sleeping on Mount Everhoof in the Frozen North,” Sunset explained seriously. “His snoring is what’s causing the black smoke.” “He should really see a doctor about that,” Trixie commented. “That doesn’t sound healthy.” “Well, at least he’s not snoring fire,” Starlight offered optimistically before addressing Luna. “But what do you want us to do about it? You’re not going to tell us that we have to fight a dragon, are you?” “I wouldn’t mind giving it a shot,” said Tempest, grinning. “After taking down an ancient sun goddess, a dragon shouldn’t be that difficult.” “Ooor – we could try a method that doesn’t get us burned alive or eaten,” Twilight chastised Tempest; the scarred mare huffed in annoyance. “I suggest we encourage him to sleep somewhere else. Maybe offer him something as a reward. Dragons like gemstones, right? Maybe we could check the crystal mines – “ “I’m afraid no amount of gemstones will be able to move this dragon,” Luna interjected. “Not if you cannot awaken him from his slumber. That itself is a nearly impossible task.” “How come?” Moon Dancer asked. Luna’s horn glowed with magic, opening a shadowy rift in the air in a similar manner to Daybreaker’s viewing portal. The Mane 6 inched closer to the rift. They reeled back in a mixture of shock and awe as they gazed upon not only the biggest dragon they’d ever seen, but the most massive creature period. When Sunset said the dragon was sleeping on Mount Everhoof, Moon Dancer hadn’t counted on how literal she was. The dragon reclined on the largest mountain in Equestria like it was a mattress, leaning his head on the snowy cap like a pillow. Its claws were easily the size of a small town, folded over his massive round belly, which rose and fell with his snores. His tail was draped over the Yaket Range, swinging dangerously against the peaks. Plumes of black smoke puffed out of his nostrils, lumping together with the dark clouds that slowly spread across the kingdom’s skies. Trixie’s eyes rolled back and the she promptly fainted. And understandable reaction. “Wha – what are we looking at?” Sunset stammered, stunned. “This is Belphegor,” Luna explained severely. “He was once one of the Seven Dragon Lords of the neighboring Dragon Lands until one of their fellow lords betrayed them and established the rule of one Dragon Lord. As you can see, he is quite large.” “Apple Bloom’s brother is large!” Moon Dancer shrieked. “He’s literally the size of a mountain!” “Belphegor is large, but he is also quite lazy – so much so that they’ve nicknamed him ‘The Sloth,’” said Luna. “Belphegor only awakens for one week every one thousand years to feed himself, then he goes back to sleep for another millennium.” “Wow, talk about getting your beauty sleep?” Grubber commented. Tempest whacked him over the head again. “Ow!” “Belphegor usually burrows deep underground before he slumbers,” Luna continued. “But this time, he has chosen to remain above ground. He must be awakened and convinced to seek an alternative place of sleep, before the entire kingdom chokes on his smoke.” “But how’re we supposed to wake up something that huge?” questioned Starlight. “Maybe we could get a pair of giant nose plugs,” Trixie suggested, earned a lot of exasperated stares. “Trixie don’t see anypony else coming up with ideas!” “Physically waking Belphegor from his sleep is an impossible task,” explained Luna. “But there is another way. If we cannot wake him in the material world, then we shall have to do so in the dream world.” “The dream world?” Moon Dancer repeated curiously. “Dreams are the gateways to the mind,” said Luna. “If we can enter Belphegor’s subconscious and plant a subliminal suggestion for him to sleep elsewhere, it should take effect in the real world.” “That’s perfect!” Sunset cheered. “Princess Luna can go into Belphegor’s dreams and – “ “I’m afraid I cannot,” said Luna seriously. “WHAT?!” the Mane 6 cried in unison. “Why not?!” yelled Twilight. She visibly flinched when the princess turned her gaze on the lavender unicorn and giggled nervously while rubbing her hoof. “Er, not that I’m questioning your judgment, your majesty.” “With the current crisis looming over Equestria,” said Luna, “I must remain in the physical world to provide comfort and guidance to the pony’s in distress. Shining Armor and the royal guards are trying to quell the chaos in Canterlot, but knowing that their princess is with them should ease their concerns. If only a little.” “Then who’s going to go into Belphegor’s dreams?” asked Moon Dancer. “Why, you are, Moon Dancer,” Luna stated plaining with a pointed hoof. “ME?!” Moon Dancer squealed, leaning back with a dumbfounded look. “Sunset Shimmer told me that you have an affinity for Moon Magic,” Luna explained, gesturing to her student. “I also witnessed you perform the Midnight Shroud in Ponyville during Daybreaker’s attack.” “Well, I – “ “Oh yeah, that’s right!” Sunset shouted in an “A-ha” moment. “The Dream Walking spell is Moon Magic. Moon Dancer can go into the dream world because she’s a Moon Magic user! It’s literally in her name!” “But – I’ve never – “ “So while Moon Dancer takes care of that enormous, mountain-sized dragon,” said Tempest coolly, “the rest of us will be on damage control.” “Can you just – “ “Ponyville is just a little way south of Canterlot,” Starlight pointed out. “It’ll be less than an hour until the smoke reaches them. We should send somepony ahead to warn them what’s coming.” “Trixie could get there faster in her wagon,” Trixie announced proudly. “Trixie’s figured out how to repeat the same route as our last trip, so it should be much faster – “ “WILL EVERYPONY LISTEN TO ME!” Moon Dancer screamed aggravatedly. The throne room fell into a stunned silence, everypony taken aback by the bespectacled mare’s outburst. After taking a moment to collect herself, Moon Dancer said, “I’m trying to tell you that I’ve never entered the dream world before. I don’t even know if I can.” “You were able to perform the Midnight Shroud – and without a teacher, I might add,” Luna pointed out. “That is a highly advanced spell. By comparison, the Dream Walking spell is much easier.” “But I don’t even know how to get into the dream world,” said Moon Dancer uncertainly. “I’ve never came across it in any books. How do I know if – “ Luna silenced the spiraling mare with a raised hoof. The midnight alicorn offered a gentle smile and ran a hoof across Moon Dancer’s mane, which surprisingly made her feel a little better. Maybe she has some kind of princess magic that makes ponies feel calm around her, Moon Dancer thought. “I understand that you feel troubled, Moon Dancer,” Luna spoke in a soothing voice. “But your friends and I have the utmost faith that you will succeed. I wouldn’t assign you this task if I didn’t think you were up to it. As for the Dream Walking spell, you realize that you are speaking to the princess of dreams, do you not? I shall guide you into the Realm of Sleep.” “You will?” Moon Dancer gasped excitedly. She couldn’t believe it; a lesson on Moon Magic from the princess! If this were under better circumstances, Moon dancer would be – for lack of a better term – over the moon. “Easy, my little pony,” Luna chuckled, sitting down on her flank. “I can guide you into the dream world, but you will be on your own from there. As it is the day time, and we are in the middle of a crisis, there will be fewer dreams you may enter, but you will still need to be careful. Now, sit down and close your eyes.” Moon Dancer nodded excitedly, plopping down on her flank and shutting her eyes tight. “Listen to the sound of my voice,” Luna spoke in a calm, level tone. “Now – picture the dreamscape in your mind. It can take the form of anything you wish, but for the sake of time, let’s borrow from my vision. Imagine an endless ocean of stars surrounding you. Imagine yourself floating through the galaxy, untethered by the physical plane. Do you have it in your head?” “I think so…,” said Moon Dancer slowly. “Good. Now you must envision the gateways to everypony’s dreams. I like to use doors as a visual aid – each one distinctive to the owners of those dreams. For example, Sunset Shimmer is a bright array of sunny color, like oranges and yellows – “ “And Twilight is purple with lots of stars,” said Moon Dancer, smiling. “Exactly,” Luna nodded. “Once you’ve established your dreamscape, your soul will be able to enter the Realm of Sleep once you fall under a deep state of unconsciousness.” “How do I do that?” Moon Dancer asked. “Typically, you just fall asleep,” answered Luna. “I don’t know how anypony can fall asleep at a time like this,” said Moon Dancer, frowning. “In time and with practice, you’ll learn to how to fall into a deep slumber on command,” Luna reassured her. “But for the time being, we will have to resort to…alternative measures to push you into the Realm of Sleep.” Moon Dancer opened her mouth to ask what she meant by “alternative measures,” but Luna was already a step ahead. The midnight alicorn illuminated her horn, materializing a long object in the air before smacking it across the back of Moon Dancer’s skull. The bespectacled unicorn collapsed facedown on the floor, and then started snoring loudly a few seconds later. Luna looked proud of herself as she dismissed the blunt instrument, but everypony else was staring at their ruler with wide eyes and dropped jaws. “Did you just hit her over the head with a baseball bat!” Sunset screeched, flabbergasted. “It worked, didn’t it?” said Luna with a shrug. Moon Dancer’s eyes flew open with a startled gasp. The first thing she realized was that she couldn’t feel the ground beneath her hooves. She kicked and flailed in a brief moment of panic, but quickly settled down because the second thing she realized was that she was floating. An endless sea of black-and-blues swirled around her, littered with flickering stars and swirling nebulas. It was like the entire universe was laid out before her. “This must be the Realm of Sleep that Princess Luna was talking about,” Moon Dancer murmured in awe. “But where are the – “ The instant she thought about them, two long rows of doors flew out of the distance and came to a screeching halt on either side. The bespectacled unicorn readjusted her glasses and looked around. Just as the princess had described, each door had its own unique design that made it stand out from the rest. One door was painted to look like the beach, another was covered in springs and rotating gears, and one was just a bowl of oranges. As she stared down the lengthy rows, Moon Dancer suspected there might be a few dozen doors; nothing compared to the thousands that Luna dealt with nightly, but it was still a lot. "Okay, one of these doors has to belong to Belphegor,” Moon Dancer muttered to herself. “But how’ll I know which one it is. Ugh, I should’ve asked Princess Luna how to find him before I came here…. How did I get here again? Ah, it’s probably nothing important.” Moon Dancer kicked her hooves like she was wading through a pool, gliding smoothly between the rows. She scrutinized the doors as the floated by. There were a few interesting designs like door made out of cotton candy and confetti and another that seemed liked a self-portrait of a rainbow-maned mare in a Wonderbolt’s uniform, but nothing to indicate which one was Belphegor’s dreams. “It’ll be nightfall before I figure out which one is his,” Moon Dancer grumbled to herself. “Then I’ll have thousands to go through…. Hmm, maybe I should just start checking doors at random. Couldn’t hurt, right?” Moon Dancer stopped in front of a plain-looking door with bubbles marking the surface. Not something that suited a titanic dragon, but she had to start somewhere. The bespectacled unicorn turned the knob with her horn and pushed it open. She leaned her head through the frame and – She was back in Canterlot, but it was nothing like the one she knew in the material world. The whole town was washed is muted colors; the sun was blotted out by dark storm clouds. The ponies hanged their heads as they trudged along the roads, trapped in a silent depression. Even more alarming was the royal guards stationed on the street, standing like imposing statues that made the ponies quiver in fear if they so much as looked their way. Another things Moon Dancer picked up on was that the banners of the royal sisters that usually adorned Canterlot were missing and replaced with a strange flag with bubbles on it. “Holy Luna,” Moon Dancer muttered quietly. “What kind of dream is this…?” The sounds of trumpets suddenly filled the air. Everypony jumped and quickly shuffled on either side of the road, forming up in tight lines, all of them trembling in fear. The trumpets were getting louder. Something was coming down the street. Moon Dancer narrowed her eyes in concentration until the object came into view and let out a shocked gasp. A gigantic cart was being pulled down the street, but it had no wheels, making the march extra difficult for the ones pulling it. And the ones pulling the cart were none of there than then Mane 6 with Princess Luna at the head of the pack. They were all bound by chains on their hooves and magic suppression rings on their horns; Luna’s wings were clamped to her side. Her friends’ dream counterparts looked like they were going to collapse at any moment, but too afraid to stop. And who was it that everypony feared? Honestly, Moon Dancer had no idea. They were a pegesus and they were cross-eyed with a dopey smile like they had no idea where they were. Who – “All hail Empress Derpy!” the royal guards shouted with their hooves raised in a salute. “All hail Empress Derpy!” the crowd repeated fearfully. Moon Dancer raised a single brow as the pegesus – Derpy – toppled sideways on her cart and stayed there. After a few seconds, she pulled back her head – - and slammed the door shut. “Well, that was weird – and terrifying,” Moon Dancer commented. “It was weirifying…. All right, moving on.” She floated down the row and stopped at a plain-looking blue door on her left. “Let’s see if I have any better luck here.” Moon Dancer opened the door with her horn and leaned her head inside – - wincing from the contrasting brightness compared to the last dream. She blinked the daze clear from her vision and scanned the area. She appeared to be floating over the courtyard of some…grandiose building that reminded Moon Dancer of a castle. There was also a statue of some pony with really long legs; the rear set was bending in the wrong direction. Weird…. A nearby sign said she was in some place called “Canterlot High.” Okay, so she was in Canterlot again, but what did the “High” part mean? It didn’t look like the place was elevated anywhere above ground level. But the strangest part? All of the tall creatures that were walking around on two legs, their coats oddly…fleshy and unnatural. They garbed themselves in all sorts of colorful and outrageous clothing you wouldn’t normally see in Equestria. And a lot of them were staring into these weird boxes in their hooves like they were being mind controlled or something. A small group of these two-legged creatures gathered in a group a few feet away from Moon Dancer. For some reason, they seemed very familiar…. “Did anyone do their assignment for Mr. Cranky Doodle’s class?” “Wait, we had homework?” “You would know if you actually came to class, Tempest.” “I don’t blame her. I always black out when he starts talking.” “The Great and Powerful Trixie…really hopes Starlight Glimmer will let Trixie copy her homework.” “Um, is anyone going to point out the floating pony head staring at us?” The bipedal creatures stared at Moon Dancer. Moon Dancer stared back. They kept staring. Moon Dancer slowly pulled her head back – - and closed the door quietly. “Okay, never going through that door again,” Moon Dancer muttered to herself. The bespectacled unicorn glided further along the rows of doors until she came to a stop at a sapphire-blue door with an hourglass that kept flipped regularly, shifting the sand continuously. “This one reminds me of Minutte,” said Moon Dancer. “Figures she’d be sleeping while the world is ending. Hmm, though I kinda wonder what she dreams about." Drawn in by her curiously, Moon Dancer opened the door with her horn and leaned across the threshold – - and blinked dimwittedly. Everywhere she looked, there was nothing but empty white space as far as the eye could see. The only thing among this desolate wasteland was Minutte…riding a mechanical pony with a dopey smile… …that’s it. That’s the whole dream. “…This is the best you could do?” Moon Dancer asked her friend with an unimpressed stare. “Really?” “Eeyup,” answered Minuette, unsurprised by Moon Dancer’s odd appearance. The bespectacled unicorn shook her head and pulled back – - clicking the door shut behind her before gliding away to the next one. “That was more disappointing than weird,” Moon Dancer sighed exasperatedly, scanning left and right. “Ugh, why are there so many ponies asleep at a time like this? I’m never going to find the right dream at this rate. I wish there was somepony who could give me directions – “ “Hello? Is somepony out there?” Moon Dancer tried to dig her hooves to a stop before realizing there was no ground to stand on and ended flipping herself over. She swiftly straightening herself out, following the direction of the voice to a plain-white door with a yellow sun splashed on the face. Moon Dancer looked around anxiously, then approached the door and knocked twice. “Hello?” Moon Dancer hesitantly. “Luna, is that you?” the voice called from the other side. “You sound different. Do you have a cold?” “Um, it’s not Luna,” said Moon Dancer. Why was she talking to a strange voice in the Realm of Sleep? “My name’s Moon Dancer.” “Somepony else can enter the dreaming world?” the voice sounded surprised. “I hope your not planning to do anything mischievous. The Realm of Sleep is Princess Luna’s domain, and she will not take kindly to intruders.” “Princess Luna is the one who sent me,” said Moon Dancer defensively. “Luna sent somepony else into the dream world?” the voice sounded shocked, then turned anxious. “She would never take such a risk unless something grave has occurred. Tell me, Moon Dancer, is she all right?” “I think so,” Moon Dancer answered uncertainly. “There’s a huge crisis going on in the real world. A giant dragon named Belphegor is sleeping and his snoring is creating a dark cloud that’s covering Equestria. Princess Luna’s is busy try to keep everypony safe, so she sent me in here to wake him up.” “Belphegor? The Sloth?” said the voice, concerned. “He normally sleeps underground during his thousand-year hibernation.” “Well, not this time,” said Moon Dancer. "He's sleeping on Mount Everhoof and nopony knows how to move him. Princess Luna thinks that if I can plant some kind of...suggestion in his dream, then he'll leave. But I've never been to the Realm of Sleep before and I have no idea which dream is Belphegor's." “I see. This is troubling news.” The voice hummed. “All right, I will help you find him.” “You will?” said Moon Dancer, surprised. “But I’m going to need you to open this door,” said the voice. “I don’t have the power to wander the Realm of Sleep freely. You will need to open the gateway that will let me cross over.” Moon Dancer took a moment to think about it, rubbing her chin. It probably wasn’t a good idea to let a stranger out of their dreams, especially when they were conscious of the Realm of Sleep. But on the other hoof, sitting on her flank wasn’t helping anypony, especially when she was on a time limit. After another moment of thinking, Moon Dancer came to a decision. She turned the knob with her horn and pushed the door open. The bespectacled unicorn raised her hoof to shield her eyes from the glaring light that spilled through the doorway. The brightness faded after a moment and Moon Dancer tried to blink the spots out of her eyes. She looked ahead and found herself staring at someone’s chest. She tilted her head back, letting out a shocked gasp as she stared into the smiling face of – “Princess Celestia!” shouted Moon Dancer. “Oh, I remember you,” said Celestia, pointing at Moon Dancer with interest. “Yes, yes, you were one of the ponies who defeated me with the Elements of Harmony when I was…well….” “A deranged psychopath bent on burning Equestria to the ground?” Moon Dancer offered. “I was going to say 'irrational', but yours works, too,” said Celestia. “So you can use Moon Magic like my sister, is that right? I should have suspected as much when you cast the spell over Ponyville. Er…how long has it been since then, if you don’t mind me asking? I know I've been unconscious for quite a while....” “You’ve been asleep for almost three weeks,” answered Moon Dancer. “Princess Luna’s been visiting you every sunrise and sunset since, waiting for you to wake up.” “She was always sweet as sugar underneath that gloomy exterior,” Celestia muttered to herself with a soft smile. She then stretched her wings, lowering her head while gesturing Moon Dancer to climb on. “As much as I would love to hear more about my sister, we have a dragon that needs waking. Get on.” Moon Dancer hesitated. Would she be executed for riding on one of the crowned princesses? Well, this was technically the dream world, so it’s not like anypony would ever find out…. Unless Celestia woke up and told them. Does Moon Magic have a memory erasing spell or – “Moon Dancer!” Celestia shouted impatiently. “Sorry! Sorry!” Moon Dancer apologized. The smaller unicorn climbed over the princess and seated herself on Celestia’s back. Once Moon Dancer was secure, Celestia galloped forward like she was running across solid ground before lifting her hooves and extending her wings to their full length. They were flying through rows of doors so fast that everything looked like a blur of color. Moon Dancer braced all four hooves against Celestia’s back, terrified that she might fall off. She couldn’t understand how they would be able to find Belphegor’s door when they were flying so fast. Which actually brought up another curious thought…. “How do you know what Belphegor’s dreams look like?” asked Moon Dancer. “It was over a thousand year ago,” Celestia explained, “back when there were still seven Dragon Lords, and before I had changed into Daybreaker. Ponies and dragons were constantly getting into territorial disputes about who gets what land and what they can do with it. So Luna and I met with the Dragon Lords to finally establish borders between our two lands. Unfortunately, Belphegor was still sleeping when the time came and no creature could rouse him. So Luna and I volunteered to enter his dreams and force him to awaken.” “Did it work?” asked Moon Dancer. “Oh, it certainly did,” Celestia giggled. “He put up a fight, but in the Realm of Sleep, Luna can be very frightening when she needs to be. A real Nightmare.” “Sooo…any advice on how I’m supposed to wake him up?” Moon Dancer asked nervously. “This is the Realm of Sleep, and you are the dream walker,” said Celestia sagely. “In this world, you are the one who holds all the power. Whatever obstacles may come your way, you need only to trust in your strength.” “My...strength?” Moon Dancer repeated uncertainly. “But I don’t have any strengths. I mean, Twilight, Starlight, and Sunset have powerful magic. Tempest is the best fighter of, like, all time. Even Trixie has her own talents.” “And you do as well,” said Celestia with a tone of confidence. “Otherwise, Luna would never have trusted you for this mission.” “Princess Luna said the same thing…,” Moon Dancer muttered. “She is very wise,” Celestia smiled. “You’re stronger than you know, Moon Dancer. You just need to reach deep inside yourself…. Ah! Here we are!” Celestia rested her hooves on the nonexistent ground, folded her wings, and lowered her head for Moon Dancer to get off. They had stopped in front of a dark-brown door with a painting of…a sloth. “Wow, he takes this sloth thing very literal,” Moon Dancer commented. “Yes, yes, he does,” Celestia agreed. “You’re on your own from here. Just remember what I said: trust your strength and reach deep inside.” “Trust my strength, reach deep inside,” Moon Dancer repeated, psyching herself up. “Okay, entering the dream of a terrifying, mountain-sized, teeth-gnashing, sharp-scale having, horn-wearing, smoke-snoring, could-eat-a-pony-in-one-bite, former Dragon Lord and saving Equestria from a thousand years of darkness. No pressure.” The bespectacled unicorn reached out for the handle with her horn, turning it, and opened the door slowly. She took one more deep cleansing breath, straightening her posture, and marched through the threshold with purpose – The sound of the lapping waves echoed her ears; the smell of salt air filled her nostrils. Moon Dancer blinked away the brightness of the sunny skies and came to realize that she was standing on the shores of a beautiful beach. The ocean sparkled underneath the sun like a sapphire, palm trees swaying in the calm breeze. If she had to guess, Moon Dancer would say she was somewhere in the Fillippines. “Huh, this dream’s a lot nicer than what I was expecting,” Moon Dancer commented. “Now where is that dragon – “ She didn’t have to search far. Just a few short yards away, the dragon Belphegor was gently swaying in a hammock between two palm trees. Thankfully, he was pony-sized instead of his real-world size. Moon Dancer didn’t know if it was because it was what Belphegor wanted, or because of her appearance in his dream. The bespectacled unicorn crossed the shore and walked up cautiously to Belphegor’s side, dumbfounded when she heard his loud snores. “He sleeps even in his dreams,” muttered Moon Dancer. “Princess Luna was right: he is lazy.” Well, at least at this size he wasn’t so scary, Moon Dancer thought. She cleared her throat importantly and poked at his pudgy belly, calling his name: “Belphegor? Excuse me, Mr. Belphegor?” At first, the former Dragon Lord ignored her attempts to rouse him, scratching his belly where Moon Dancer poked him like she was an annoying mosquito. Groaning in annoyance, Moon Dancer poked him harder. “Hey, lazy butt, wake up!” Moon Dancer shouted impatiently. “This is a dream for Luna’s sake! How can you even be sleeping?!” That did it. Belphegor grumbled as his eyes cracked open, practically shooting daggers from her slitted crimson eyes. “Oh, good, you’re awake. My name is Moon Dancer, and I – “ The lazy dragon breathed hard through his nostrils, exhaling a cloud of smoke in Moon Dancer’s face. The dream walking pony went stiff; her glasses were fogged up with soot. Moon Dancer calmly removed them, wiping the soot off her lenses, and put them back on. “Okay, rude,” said Moon Dancer. “As I was saying, I am here – in your dream, specifically – at the request of Equestria’s ruler, Princess Luna. The princess would like you to wake up and find another spot for your thousand-year hibernation. Preferably underground.” Belphegor rumbled, crossing his arms. “It’s just that you’ve been snoring a lot, and every time you do, you send out a huge cloud of black smoke that blocks out the sun.” Belphegor breathed smoke in Moon Dancer’s face again. She paused to clean her glasses once more. “Look, Equestria can’t survive a thousand years in a dark haze. Ponies will die without sunlight. You understand, right?” Belphegor gave Moon Dancer an unimpressed stare before turning away on his side. But not before giving the unicorn a flick of his tail, tossing her back into the sand. Moon Dancer sat up, shaking the sand out of her mane, and glared at the dragon’s scaly backside. “Okay, let’s try that again,” Moon Dancer grumbled. She marched back up to the lazing dragon. “Okay, I think we might’ve gotten off on the wrong hoof…or claw; whatever metaphor you want to use. I just think that you should consider how your actions are affecting others. I mean, you don’t see ponies coming over to the Dragon Lands and….” She put a hoof to her chin, pondering. “Come to think of it, what does the Dragon Lands have? Lava? Rocks? Unlimited parking?” Belphegor snorted and flicked his tail again, sending Moon Dancer flying into the ocean. The bespectacled unicorn walked back onto the shore moments later with a deep frown and an octopus wrapped around her face. She used her magic to pry the cephalopod from her muzzle, leaving a noticeable spotted pattern on her coat, and threw it over her shoulder. “All right, no more Miss Nice Pony!” Moon Dancer snapped, stomping back to Belphegor’s side. “Listen here, Belphegor! I am demanding that you get off your scaly rump and get off our mountain this instant! …Please.” Belphegor flipped around facing Moon Dancer, giving the unicorn a featureless stare, and then, to Moon Dancer’s amazement, sat up in his hammock. “Oh, thank goodness,” Moon Dancer sighed in relief. “I’m sorry I had to get tough with you there. I just – “ Moon Dancer went cross-eyed as Belphegor suddenly reached out and grabbed her glasses, removing them from her face. In the real world, Moon Dancer’s vision would have blurred so badly that everything would look like a mixed blob of colors. But in the Realm of Sleep, it seemed that Moon Dancer’s eyes were perfect. A convenient side effect, undoubtedly. But that didn’t make it any better when Belphegor snapped Moon Dancer’s glasses in two and dropped them in the sand. Moon Dancer picked up the pieces of the broken spectacles with trembling hooves. They might not have been real, but the effect certainly felt real enough. Her mind flashed back to her younger days when she first started wearing them. The other colts and fillies who used to pick on her, teased her, and played mean pranks. The times before her friends like Minuette, Twinkleshine, and Lemon Hearts came to her rescue. Moon Dancer sniffled. Belphegor chuckled nastily and leaned back in his hammock. The unicorn fought back the tears building in her eyes and leered at Belphegor with a stare that could rival Daybreaker’s sun. “How dare you…,” Moon Dancer breathed, then she screamed. “How dare you?!” Moon Dancer stomped her hooves and the entire dream world quaked so hard, it made Belphegor flip out of his hammock. The lazy dragon fumbled onto his elbows, tilting his head back with his jaw dropping to the ground. Moon Dancer wasn’t conscious of what she did, but the once meek unicorn grew to the size of the real-world Belphegor, able to cast a gigantic shadow over the dream world just by standing. Her coat turned as black as shadows, a purple mist drifting down her hooves and gliding across the beach, covering every surface. Her mane morphed into a sea of stars just like Luna’s, but with swirling nebulas and exploding supernovas like she had the entire universe on her head. Her eyes became two glowing white light that stared down at Belphegor like a god gazing upon an insect. Belphegor whimpered pathetically, covering his head with his arms like it would do anything. The Nightmare Moon Dancer reeled back her head…then let out a bellowing roar equivalent to a hundred dragons. Belphegor’s dream world shattered like glass, leaving the godly pony and dragon in an endless void of darkness. “Listen here, Belphegor!” Nightmare Moon Dancer howled, her voice reverberating like a thousand voices screaming at once. “I have tried to be patient with you, but my patience has run out! You think that just because your bigger than everypony else that you can just bully them however you want?! Do you?!” “N – No…” Belphegor let out a tiny squeak. “No, you don’t!” Nightmare Moon Dancer roared; Belphegor yelped in fear. “You may be a former Dragon Lord, but you do not get to push around anypony while I’m around! So here’s what’s going to happen!” Belphegor tried to run away as Nightmare Moon Dancer stretched out her hoof, but there was no place he could go that she couldn’t reach. She lifted the whimpering dragon to her eye level, piercing him with her stare. “You are going to wake up, and you are going to find someplace else to sleep!” said Nightmare Moon Dancer. “Am I clear?!” “Um…um…” “AM – I – CLEAR?!” “Yes, ma’am!” Belphegor cried. “THEN – WAKE – UP!!!!” Nightmare Moon Dancer screamed with the force of a hurricane. Belphegor legitimately started crying before he vanished in a puff of smoke – Everypony in Canterlot was huddled up in the princess’s courtyard; some yelling frantically, others asking questions, and few crying like it was the end of the world. (Which was not too far off the mark.) The royal guards had done their best to corral the ponies with the help of the Mane 5 and the Wonderbolts, but ponies were starting to grow more restless the longer they went without answers. After a while, Luna appeared at the tower balcony alongside Sunset Shimmer, calling everyponies attention to herself. “Ponies of Canterlot, I urge you to remain calm!” Luna yelled. “There is nothing for you to fear!” “What’s going on, princess?!” “Are we in danger?!” “Can I go to the bathroom?!” “Please, everypony, settle down!” Luna shouted urgently. “I assure you, measures are being taken as we speak! We ask that you remain patient – “ “Look! Up in the sky!” Somepony cried. All heads tilted to back to the black clouds, which steadily faded away until they could see the sun smiling down on them in the clear blue skies. The once panicking ponies shouted with joy, bouncing and dancing in place. While the ponies celebrated below, Luna turned her head in the direction of Mount Everhoof. Off in the distance, she could see the massive form of Belphegor flying east toward the Dragon Lands in quite a hurry. And unless she was mistaken, she could swear he was crying. The princess felt somepony nudging her flank and turned to the other side, looking down at Sunset’s smug face. “You were lying about needing to stay in the real world,” Sunset said like she was stating fact. “You were just testing Moon Dancer, weren’t you?” “I wanted to see if she had potential,” Luna admitted. “And she exceeded my expectations.” “Does that mean you’re looking for another student?” asked Sunset interestingly. “…Possibly,” said Luna with a cryptic smile. Celestia waited patiently in the nexus between dreams until Belphegor’s dream door eroded away like sand being washed from the shore. Moon Dancer appeared from behind it, back to her natural state and readjusting her fixed glasses. Celestia smiled. “It looks like you succeeded,” said sunny alicorn. “Well done, Moon Dancer.” “I just did what you said: reached deep down and found my strength,” said Moon Dancer, grinning proudly. “Thanks for your help, Princess Celestia.” “Oh, I didn’t do much,” said Celestia modestly. “All I did was point you in the right direction. Everything else you did on your own.” “Well, I still appreciate it,” said Moon Dancer gratefully. “I hope you wake up soon. Princess Luna misses you.” “And I miss her as well,” said Celestia, staring off into space nostalgically. “I don’t know when I will awaken, but when I do, I hope I can meet you and the other ponies in the real world.” “Me, too,” Moon Dancer nodded…then she scratched her head awkwardly. “Er, speaking of the real world…any idea how I get out of here?” Celestia shrugged her shoulders cluelessly.