//------------------------------//
// Chapter 30 
// Story: Looking Glass 
// by Hiver 
//------------------------------//

The dream realm stretched out in every direction but I just relaxed, tightening my wings slightly around myself as I hung from my tail from a piece of stardust.

I could just as easily have bundled up a bit to make it soft and squishy to lay on, but this really was relaxing.

"I spoke with my sister," a voice said, drifting in from in front of me.

Opening my eyes, I looked at Princess Luna, "Princess Luna," I said in greeting, "Good evening."

"Good evening, Prince Page," she greeted me in turn with a nod, "I spoke with my sister," she repeated.

"So you know that peace has been restored," I said, "Harmony once more in Equestria."

As long as you don't look too deeply beneath the surface anyway.

"You trust Chrysalis so hold to her word?" Luna asked, one eyebrow raising, "We thought you were saner than this."

I smiled faintly, "No, I trust Chrysalis to do whatever is best for Chrysalis. Free defense against opponents, free food security, free travel... a deal that's hard to give up. I have no doubt she'd break it in a second if there was a better deal to be found, but who could give that?"

Luna looked thoughtful, "Perhaps the Griffons..."

"No," I said and shook my head, "Not in their character. A griffin will stab you in the back, sure, but if they do, it's while you're facing them and armed."

Luna looked puzzled for a second before she smiled, looking almost like My Sky for a split second, "That is a very good description."

"Thank you," I said and sighed, "The point is that as long as the deal is better than whatever the cuddlebugs can find elsewhere, they will stick to it."

Luna frowned slightly.

"Don't get me wrong," I said and sighed, "She's still Chrysalis. She will plan and plot and push you. She may threaten and manipulate. She'll keep you on your hooves," I said with a small smile, "But she'll stick to the deal."

Luna regarded me for several seconds, "...You admire her."

I grinned briefly, "I'm not sure I'd go that far. But she is one of the brightest people I know. Underhooved and manipulative yes, but in raw bright intelligence? I'm not sure if she or your sister is the smartest in Equestria."

That earned me a raised eyebrow, "My self or Princess Twilight is not in the running?"

I smiled slightly at her, "Not the same thing. Intelligence is one thing, brightness is another. Nopony I know beats Midnight or Sparks in intelligence, given time they'll outthink anypony. But being realistic, they don't have that... snap."

"Snap?"

"The ability to change their plans in a split second," I said and held my wings a bit tighter around myself, "Look at Chrysalis. Her plan was to capture everypony important as hostages and take what she needed. Things changed and instead of trying to keep things on plan like somepony like Midnight would have, she twisted and let it change her plans to something completely different."

Luna scraped a hoof against the floor with a thoughtful look on her face, "That does sound like my sister," she admitted.

I nodded and sighed, "One of the reasons I suspect your and my wife's rebellion didn't succeed that long ago. You're a smart pony, as smart as your sister."

Luna frowned slightly, "But I can't do that..." she said quietly.

I smiled, "Wrong. You definitely can, I saw it in my wife. But you're also too damn stubborn to take advantage of it a lot of the time."

That drew a smile from her and she sighed, "A fair point."

"Not a lot of ponies have that," I said and held my wings around myself.

"Do you?"

I grinned, "Me? No."

As demonstrated by me always ending up doing what Celestia wants me to. Somehow. It has to be trickery of some sort. Not that she's really pretty, has really nice wings and were difficult to say no to.

Luna watched me for a second before glancing up at my tail, "That can not be comfortable."

"Oh, it most definitely is," I argued, "Nightvision, hearing, silent flight... the real pro of being a batpony is the ability to sleep like this."

Luna looked slightly dubious, one eyebrow raised before she shook her head, "You really think this treaty will succeed?"

I sighed and looked at her, "...I don't know..." I admitted, "I know it can work. It has at home. But I also know it has been a lot of hard work on all sides to make sure it does. It's going to be difficult. There will be moments you want to throw them all out. But it's worth it."

Luna looked down, thoughtful before she nodded, "Very well. we shall try."

"Do or do not. There is no try."

Luna frowned in thought as she looked at me again, "That makes very little sense."

"Try is something you do when you expect to fail."