As the memory ended, it took Astral a few moments to blink a few times and get a better grip of his surroundings. He eventually regained his senses and confirmed that he was back in Luna’s dream, the orbs of light noticeably gone now. Said alicorn was still by his side when he turned his head to confirm. Luna was looking at him with the same nervous smile she had on when she had summoned her memories for him to see.
“I…I…” Astral was at a loss for words at the moment. It seemed viewing the memory not only gave him a vivid picture, but also allowed him to feel what the alicorn was thinking and feeling at that moment. Almost as if he was reliving the memory himself. The incredible feat of magic was lost to him, however, as he was still trying to grasp what he had just witnessed. “That was…”
“The day we first met, dear Astral,” Luna finished. “It is a memory that I quite cherish.”
The blue stallion began to contemplate what he had just saw. The memory of that day from his perspective began to spark in his mind. He remembered how jittering he was on that day, how he tried to act professional in front of his princess without making himself look like a fool. He even remembered how near the end he had made that declaration to be by her side and help the alicorn no matter what. If he was being honest with himself, he often cringed at the thought of what he said back then. He truly meant every word of it, but the scribe interpreted it as overzealous brown-nosing that was probably seen a thousand times over with the Canterlot elite when in the presence of the diarchy. However, it seemed as though Luna had taken those words more seriously than he initially realized.
“Luna,” he said calmly. “I never realized that you had those…feelings about yourself to that degree. Were my words that impactful to you?”
The alicorn responded with a nod. Astral swore he saw the faintest of a blush on her cheeks. “You were the first, Astral. Excluding all of those directly involved with my corruption and redemption, you were the first regular pony that viewed me as anything but a monster.”
“Luna, you can’t be serious.” Astral noted. “Your sister, Princess Twilight Sparkle, the rest of the Elements. They believed in you far before you met me. And I’m positive that I wasn’t the only pony who felt that way about you.”
“My sweet scribe,” Luna said with a sad smile. “It was quite apparent that my sister felt immeasurable guilt for what became of me a thousand years ago. And Twilight Sparkle knew deep down that I could be freed from the Nightmare with the magic of friendship. I knew where they stood in regard to me, but I couldn’t say the same for the rest of my subjects. I was uncertain whether their accepting smiles were nothing more than masks to hide the fear of what I once was. It was only when I heard those sincere words for you that I realized that perhaps those smiles were genuine. You made me realize I had supporters, both in the present and the past.”
“The past?” Astral asked in confusion, until he remembered what was discussed in the memory. “Umbra Quill.”
Luna nodded. “Some time later after our initial meeting, I managed to track down the old tome you mentioned in the library. I read through the book, and you were right. Umbra Quill was a scribe that served under me and took great pride in such a position. Her brilliant words on my character, my duties and my impact on the kingdom, it made realize that I was not alone as I thought I was back then.”
The small smile on the alicorn’s face then shifted into a guilty frown. “It also made me realize how selfish I truly was. No matter how much I shift through my memories, I find none that vividly retell Umbra Quill or any other subjects that gave me praises and esteem. No matter how hard I try, it is difficult to remember anything during that time other than jealousy and rage.”
Luna simply hung her head low at that dark thought. “Yet another casualty by the Nightmare that’s changed the course of my life forever, I suppose.”
As he watched his princess staring at the ground dejectedly, Astral realized that he had to say or do something. While he couldn’t begin to imagine it would be like to have only foggy memories of better times, he still knew that didn’t make her weak.
“Luna.” Astral said in a soft voice. The sincerity in his voice was enough to have the alicorn lift head again and look at him. The unicorn felt his heart clench when he saw the tiny pricks of tears in the corners of her eyes. “At the risk of sounding like a broken record, that was in the past. I know it must hurt knowing that you can never fully remember the ones that were at your side a thousand years ago. But now you have so much here in the present time that you can cherish. There’s no shortage of ponies that admire you now, Princess Celestia, Princess Cadence, Princess Twilight and her friends, all of the subjects in Ponyville and Canterlot and…me.”
The Princess of the Night took in the words her scribe was telling her and her frown lifted to a smile once again. She then suddenly shifted her pillow even closer and lifted one of her hooves up to his chin. Given their small height difference, Astral had to strain his neck upward so that he could make proper eye contact. But it was all worth it to see those beautiful blue eyes that always seemed to brighten his day.
“Dear Astral,” Luna said lovingly. “My greatest wish was that we had solidified our friendship sooner so that we could have experienced many more moons of these moments together. I feel as though I can pour my soul and burdens onto you and know that you’ll be there to listen. I cherish you very much, Astral Ink. I could not have asked for a…better friend.”
Friend. Hearing that from Princess Luna of all ponies should have elated the blue unicorn beyond reasoning. Which was still true, if he was being honest. The fact that he shared a bond with the Princess of the Night in which he could help her when she was feeling her lowest gave the scribe a sense of honor and pride that he would change for anything. He knew it was special. He knew that it was something that only a fool would either throw away or demand more.
And yet…he still felt foolish enough to want more than friendship.
“L-Luna,” Astral mumbled before regaining his voice. “You’ve been…very honest with me tonight. And you’ve opened up a lot of your heart to me these past few moons. Therefore, I feel as though I need to be honest with you. About something that’s been on my mind as of late.”
The alicorn smiled kindly to her scribe as she continued to caress his cheek. “Please feel free to speak you mind, Astral.”
The stallion swallowed the lump in his throat and continued to stare into the mare’s eyes. His heart was racing so fast that he was sure that Luna could feel his pulse from where she was touching him with her tender hoof. Internally, Astral figured that now was the best time to throw this out in the open. Hopefully, their relationship would still be able to be salvaged and he could continue being at the side of the beautiful mare.
“Luna, when you came to me and helped me when I was at my lowest, it made me feel quite special. That such an amazing and kind pony would consider somepony like me to be your trusted friend. Then we started spending more time together with the walks and talks. It was during that time I was truly able to take in everything that makes you so radiant from a personal rather than professional lens. Your intelligence, your kindness, your laughter and even…your beauty. But even before that, before our talk, I had developed…complicated feelings for you.”
Astral felt the weight drop hard in his stomach when he saw the mare’s smile lower a bit after that last confession. The unicorn desperately wanted to try and snatch the words back and continue their friendship as it had before now. However, his resolve ended up winning the battle with his doubt and decided to continue. No turning back now.
“As my service to you went on, my admiration to you shifted. My respect and dedication to you was no longer sourced from your royal title, rather it came from just your character. Maybe it was natural, to grow so fond to a pony you work so close to for such a long time? And in that time, I was able to learn so much about you and saw you overcame your inner demons to become such an incredible pony. I admit that there were times that I saw you less as a princess or my boss and more like a mare. A mare that I developed…feelings for. A mare that I would happily spend the rest of my life with.”
Astral found himself closing his eyes and slightly lowering his head. Both to avoid seeing how the princess would react to such a confession and in following a sense of defeat looming over him.
“Of course, sense eventually took over and I realized that such a relationship was impossible. Seeing how it would be improper on a professional level and that…well, a mundane pony such as the likes of me could never hope to achieve such an intimate bond with a princess such as yourself. Though I suppose our recent time together has mustered up these feelings to the surface once again. All that being said, you need not worry, your Highness. For I am more than content to continue on with you in fri-“
Astral Ink didn’t get the chance to finish that thought, as he suddenly felt his senses going into overload.
His eyes shot wide open as he felt a gentle pressure on his lips. He instantly recognized that Luna’s face was close, very close to his own. The lavender scent that must have been her shampoo was now overwhelming the stallion’s sense of smell, causing him to get slightly hazy. The next thing he noticed was that the alicorn’s eyes were closed in a dreamy-like state. Though the unicorn made these observations in less than a few seconds, his mind made it seem like centuries as he began to process what was happening. All the evidence pointed to one conclusion that Astral was still having a hard time coming to terms with.
Luna had decided to kiss him. The scribe was now kissing his princess.
The logical side of his brain insisted that he pull away from the alicorn under some sense that this was highly inappropriate. However, another side, be it his heart or some idiotic wish fulfillment-seeking portion of his mind urged him on to simply close his eyes and return the intimate gesture. The kiss was nothing too over the top, however it still carried an intimacy that caused sparks to fly in the scribe’s brain. Luna’s lips were soft and had a subtle sweet flavor to them. Astral was unsure as to whether this had to do with a certain lip gloss or if this was another effect of the dream-like environment. The stallion cared little about that though, the only thing that mattered to him right now was this moment. The moment that he had secretly dreamed about for all these moons.
Eventually, the heavenly kiss ended as Luna pulled back. The two ponies were left to just stare at one another after what had just occurred. Astral watched on awestruck as he continued to look into his princess’s eyes. The alicorn had a soft smile on her face, though it seemed to have traits of relief rather than just contentment. She was also quite flustered, given how rosy her cheeks were. The scribe’s mind was buzzing with questions as to what had just happened.
“I…I…what…?” Astral stuttered, feeling the heat of the blush spreading across his face.
“My darling Astral,” Luna said in a tone that only made the stallion’s heart race faster. “I have an admission to make. The truth is that…I have not been as honest tonight as you initially said. Your presence has had a much large effect on me than I first let on.”
She gently cupped the scribe’s cheek. “Since the day wet met, you were at my side. There to make sure that my transition to the castle would be as smooth as possible. And even after I had fully situated myself, you stayed. I am not afraid to admit that you shouldered a considerable amount of royal burdens so that I could extend my ruling to the highest caliber. Since then…a feeling that hadn’t experienced in a very long time started to form overtime whenever you appeared in my mind. I believe you put it best when you mentioned ponies working together for such a long period to develop such thoughts?”
“Luna…” Astral muttered as he felt his hoof raise up on its own to meet with her hoof on his cheek.
“I kept these thoughts in check for a long time.” Luna continued. “That was until a few moons ago when we had that discussion. Seeing you suffer so much just for my sake; I knew that I could no longer just stand back anymore. I meant every word of what I said to you back then, Astral. And my heart fluttered a bit when our friendship continued to grow up until the present. Though I was happy with the time we spent together,…it still felt empty to me. I knew there were still a few scant feelings that were still bottled up in myself that demanded to let loose. However, I was still afraid. Afraid that revealing these thoughts would make you feel uncomfortable or scare you away.”
Luna removed her hoof from his cheek. Astral could see tiny tears prick at the ends of her eyes. “I thought I would never have the courage to take such a high gamble, until just now. When you opened your heart to me and reveal such personal thoughts, they nearly mirrored my own. It was then I realized that if you had the bravery to honestly declare your feelings in front of a princess of Equestria, then I should be able to do the same to the stallion that stole my heart. My only hope is that you are not disappointed in me for taking such a direct method before explaining myself.”
“No!” Astral was surprised at how he automatically responded just now. The princess was just as taken aback by the sudden exclamation. “No, I…how could I ever be disappointed, Luna! The most beautiful, amazing pony I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet just told me she has the same feelings I’ve had for Faust knows how long! It’s…It’s…” The stallion couldn’t help but break into a soft chuckle. “I’m a bit overwhelmed with joy right now, if I’m being honest. Although, I’m not exaggerating when I say that this is literally a dream come true for me.”
The quivering smile on Luna’s face spread wider as a few rogue tears finally escaped from the confines of her eyes. “Oh, Astral!”
Two, deep blue hooves then suddenly wrapped around the stallion and pulled him in close to the alicorn’s body. The slight difference in height meant that Astral had his head nuzzled near the bottom crook of her neck while Luna took the opportunity to gently lay her head on the stallion’s white mane. Astral took in all the senses bombarding his body; the calming scent of lavender, how soft Luna’s fur was, the comforting warmth emanating from the body contact. After the initial shock of it, the unicorn carefully wrapped his hooves around the alicorn’s upright barrel to return the hug.
The two ponies continued to hold each other like that for a good period of time. Neither said anything, leaving the ambient sound of the distant waterfall to fill the air. Astral himself was still feeling a strange mix of emotions at the moment. A great sense of relief that the princess didn’t scold or condemn him for revealing his true feelings. Disbelief that things could have worked so well as they did. The heartwarming feeling that right now he was hugging his special somepony.
Astral suddenly felt Luna pull away from him. He was already missing the warm sensation of embracing the alicorn as he looked to her. The scribe instantly recognized the smile that was donned on her muzzle. Already, he could practically see the gears turning in her head as she was developing a plan.
“Astral,” she began to say in a contemplating tone. “I believe I may have a solution to your need for sleep without the aid of a sleep charm.” The unicorn was initially perplexed at the change in subject. He had almost forgotten about their initial argument after everything that had happened.
Nevertheless, the princess continued on. “When I wake you from this dream, I have a request to make of you. Make your way to my chambers and there you will find me resting in my bed, like always.” She then lowered her head a tad so that she was eyelevel with his own. “When you arrive, why don’t you climb in under the covers with me.”
“W-What?!” The scribe was taken aback at the mare’s request. The hot blush on his face was no doubt apparent to the smiling alicorn. “Luna, you can’t be serious!”
“Indeed, I am,” the alicorn calmly responded, the smirk not leaving her face. “In my many surveillances of ponies’ dream, I often find that the one that achieve the deepest slumber are those snuggled to a partner. I merely figured that we could attempt such a reenactment ourselves.”
While he certainly didn’t doubt that Luna was speaking the truth, Astral was still finding it hard to believe that she would suggest such a thing. “Luna, it’s not that I wouldn’t…enjoy such a prospect. But wouldn’t that seem a bit inappropriate between the two of us?”
“On a normal occasion, perhaps.” she answered. “I highly doubt that sharing a bed with your work superior would be hardly professional. However, since it is now quite evident that we share feelings for one another, sleeping together as sweethearts would not be out of the ordinary.”
“Luna.” Astral said with reservation. Despite only expressing her true feelings a few moments ago, the unicorn was still in disbelief at how much the alicorn truly cared about him. “We don’t have to rush into something so intimate for the sake of my comfort.”
“Astral,” Luna said as she put a hoof to his cheek again. “For countless moons now, you’ve done nothing but help me. Save for a scant few times, I’ve barely been able to return the favor. Please allow me to offer you this aid now. Besides, it not as if this isn’t a prospecting opportunity for myself. Granted, I will still have to attend to my nightly duties here in the Dream Realm. However, having somepony to hold in the physical world will be most enjoyable.”
Doubt still lingered in Astral’s mind at the proposition. He was certain that any other stallion would instantly jump at the prospect of sharing the same bed with one of the most beautiful mares in Equestria. However, he didn’t want to misuse the trust he had carefully built over the years with his princess.
Before anymore lingering doubts could fester in his head, Luna leaned in and gave the stallion another kiss. This one was much shorter than the last one, with her only giving him a quick peck on the lips, but it still managed to take the unicorn’s breath away, nonetheless. Astral gazed up at the reassuring smile that Luna was giving him, making him feel a bit better.
“Seek me out in the waking world, dear Astral.” she said soothingly to the stallion. Just then, Astral then began to notice that the moon behind her was much brighter than he remembered it being. Before he could ask Luna what was going on, her wings suddenly extended and gave a few mighty flaps to lift herself into the air. Astral had to admit, he was rather awestruck at how angelic the alicorn appeared with the ever-brightening moon shining behind her.
“Until we see each other again, my sweet scribe.” Luna said as she ascended higher. “If doubt still lingers within you, remember my words to you and follow your heart.”
In that instant, the light shining from the moon illuminated in a bright flash that forced the stallion to shield his eyes.