“Augh, We must stop staying up so late playing games with our guards.” Luna groaned to herself as she sauntered across her room. It was noon, well past the alicorn’s usual ‘bed time’. She’d discovered a game she found the common ponies playing around Canterlot. It consisted of drawing two parallel lines horizontally, and then two more parallel lines vertically.
“Those Lunar Stallions have gotten quite adept at beating us at our own game.” The night princess stated, almost impressed, as she shut the curtains to block the accursed sun. “I can’t believe a game consisting of circles and X’s would be so, enthralling.” Luna said to herself as she struggled to find the right word.
She began to climb into bed, while using her magic to float her royal jewelry over to an appropriately sized mannequin. She would have to be up in roughly 7 hours to begin her royal duties.
Much less time than We normally get. Wish it didn’t take so long to eat “breakfast” when We wake in the evening. The dark alicorn complained to herself. After finally getting into her favorite sleeping position, Luna quickly fell into a deep slumber, where a very detailed dream awaited her.
Luna found herself floating in a white abyss, though her wings were still clung to her sides. She slowly settled on the “floor” and shyly looked around. There was endless white everywhere she looked. No landmarks, no ponies, not even a sky, just the warm white wherever she looked.
“Is anypony there? Where am I?” Luna demanded, her voice quickly fading into nothing in the empty air. Her ears laid back, the eerie feel of this place beginning to slowly push her into panic mode.
“Hello, Luna.” A voice greeted her from all around.
Luna paused: she knew this voice; it was so familiar to her. She furrowed her brow as her downcast eyes darted back and forth.
“You…” The alicorn said upon realizing the owner of the mysterious voice.
“Yes, me.” The voice answered her. “Do you know why I am here, Princess Luna?”
“Yes, We do.” Luna replied, her tone flat and short. “And stop calling Us princess, you know We loathe that title during in-formal discussions.”
“Oh, you’re no fun.” The voice said with a cheery tone as it began willing itself to take form. “Well, how do I look now? Wait, don’t answer that: this is your dream after all; I’ll just look however you picture me anyways.”
A wondrous sight occurred before the dreaming alicorn. The blinding white of the dream began to subdue, leaving a spotlight shining off in the distance. Luna could see the air begin to wave back and forth in the light as if it were a mirage. A swath of colors began flowing into the mirage from up above, like ribbons flowing through a stream. It was a beautiful sight, with even more beautiful results. They all slowly came together into a seamless, perfect pony that the princess of the night knew all too well.
Luna slowly got down into charging stance, tilting her horn towards the form that was before her. She tapped one hoof and suddenly took off in a sprint. When she was within a few feet, the alicorn’s expression suddenly changed. She threw her forearms open and embraced her imaginary lover as they both tumbled to the ground.
“You are my reason for sleeping,” Luna started, peering into the mare’s eyes. “It is only here that We can have you all to ourselves.” Her tone turning mischievous as one side of her mouth curved upwards.
“Hehe, I missed you too Luna.” The mare underneath her giggled, looking up towards the dark alicorn that held her.
“Shall we get started then? We don’t have long until We wake.” The princess was eager, and ready for nightly sessions of imagined intimacy with the mare she longed for.
“Ok, but only ‘cause I can’t say no to that pretty face of yours.” Luna beamed at the comment.
Luna slowly closed her eyes as she brought her muzzle down to meet her lover’s. This was how every night started, just her and-
LUNA!!!
A voice boomed all around the couple.
The moon goddess vaulted out of bed, ready to strike her hoof on those who would interrupt her dreams. She spied nopony in her bedchambers. Confused, she thought back to the voice that stopped what she was about to do with-
Wait. That was Tia’s voice! Luna’s eyes instantly expanded upon her epiphany. She stormed out of her room without bothering to adorn her regalia, shoes and tiara. This was too important. She quickly summoned up a locating spell to find her distressed sister.
Please be ok…
A few minutes earlier.
“…and that brings us to a close on the tax revisions for today.”
Celestia visibly winced at the final word of the politician before her. This week was scheduled for her to go over all the tax laws that fell upon Equestria. To say the white alicorn of the sun was bored, would be putting it as mildly as an Appleloosan’s dancing skills. She dreaded this particular week every year.
“Very well then, court is adjourned for the-“ She stopped, something in her skull pounded against her horn. Celestia brought a hoof up to her aching head as she gritted her teeth at the pressure. It was like a pressurized beverage was inside her head, being violently shaken.
“My princess, are you all right?” One of the pair of guards positioned behind her throne inquired as he approached the pained alicorn. “Do you want us to fetch the royal doctors?“
“No, I am quite alright.” Celestia recovered as she addressed her guards. She turned to the ponies below her on the throne room’s marble floor; they looked confused as their princess was just reeling from pain. “My apologies everypony, I do not know what came over me. You are all excused until tomorrow.” The ponies all filed out of the castle a minute later, seeming to have forgotten the princess’s unusual behavior.
Celestia finally relaxed in her throne. There was a very slight ache that still remained.
What’s going on? What’s happening to me? Surely I haven’t exhausted my magical reservoirs sitting here?
The alicorn brought a perfectly dressed hoof up to her chin, thinking deeply.
Perhaps it is some sort of illness? Oh please don’t let me be getting sic-
Celestia's pain returned, this time it was different. Whereas before it felt like her head would explode, this time around it felt like it would implode. She buried her head in her hooves at the sudden spike of pain. Her body began to tremble from the unusual ailment.
Suddenly, her horn let loose its golden aura and she was lifted off of her throne, only to land at the bottom of the small flight of steps. The guards in the room rushed over to their princess as fast as their hooves and wings would carry them, their faces wracked with fear and worry. Before they could get there, Celestia’s horn shone again, this time it was almost blinding in its magical release.
Her head waived back and forth in the air of its own accord. A new wave of unpleasantness overcame the sun goddess. It felt like her horn was being pushed into her skull, trying to turn itself inside-out.
Just as before, her horn picked her up slightly off the ground as she was led horn-first out of the throne room. Celestia desperately put her legs in front of her, but all she managed to do was catch a rug and knock over a decorative vase. It was leading her through a corridor adjacent to the room she just left.
She could feel her consciousness fading, the pain from her rogue horn too much for the alicorn to bear. In the final moments before darkness took her, she lashed a magical tendril in the rough direction of her lunar counterpart. Calling her sister for help, in a way they both reserved for only extreme emergencies.
She reluctantly closed her eyes, suddenly very afraid of what might be seen when they reopen.