Princess Luna landed outside Ponyville Hospital and teleported inside. She knew exactly where she was going, but her focus still shifted, slightly jarred by the overwhelming sense of loss that always seemed to fill this area of the hospital. The hallway smelled of alcohol, floor cleaner, sadness, and death—a stark contrast from the cheerful, bright colors and pictures that adorned the walls of the ward. Luna hated this place, and for the briefest of moments, she wished she had stayed on the moon; at least on the moon, foals barely old enough to speak didn’t have to die.
The alicorn sighed and continued down the hallway. Her destination was the fourth room on the right. Even before she opened the door, Luna could hear the sound of agonal breathing, a clear sign of a life’s imminent departure; doctors called it “the death rattle” for a reason. Though Luna had heard the death rattle billions of times by now, the sound still tied her stomach in knots—especially when its source was a pony as young as the one in this room. She knew she didn’t have much time; she needed to get to work.
Sighing heavily, Luna magically opened the door, closed her eyes, and entered the dream realm. Luckily, the foal’s dream was the first one she saw. The little filly was bouncing around a meadow, healthy and happy. She spotted a pink and white butterfly and chased it through a field of fragrant pink peonies, laughing as she rolled among the flowers.
“Sweetie Belle,” Luna called. The filly’s ears perked, and she raised her head at the sound of Luna’s voice.
“Princess Luna, you’re here!” Sweetie squealed. “Wait… I thought you only came into ponies’ nightmares.”
“Usually, I do,” Luna said, swallowing the pony-sized lump in her throat, “but I wanted to give an extra special dream to one of my favorite fillies tonight. Now, how about some ice cream? What’s your favorite flavor?”
“Hmm,” Sweetie said, “I like… cookies and cream.” Grinning, Luna created a giant bowl of cookies and cream ice cream, which Sweetie Belle dove into. After the filly had eaten her way to the bottom of the bowl, Luna cleaned Sweetie off and asked her about her favorite kind of cake.
“Chocolate!” Sweetie squealed, giggling. Luna created a giant chocolate cake with the most delicious frosting Sweetie had ever tasted. As Sweetie finished her cake, Luna lay down in the soft, cool grass and motioned for Sweetie to join her.
“Now,” Luna said, “why don’t you give me a list of things that you have always wanted to do? What is your greatest dream?” Sweetie thought for a second.
“To have my cutie mark, be an alicorn princess, and live in a huge castle with my family and all my friends, like you!” Sweetie said.
“All right,” Luna said with a nod, “then an alicorn you shall be. Stand still, little one.” Sweetie’s mouth dropped open as Luna sent a glittering swirl of magic from her horn. The magic lifted Sweetie upward. After Sweetie had reached the ground, she shook her head, confused.
“Come and stand next to me, Princess Sweetie Belle. This evening, you shall reign alongside me as Co-Princess of the Night!” Sweetie’s eyes widened, and she gasped as she turned her head and noticed her brand new pair of wings.
“There is more. You also get your very own crown and necklace, but first, try out your wings,” Luna encouraged the filly. Sweetie spread her wings and flew in a graceful circle, then landed next to Luna, who conjured a white crown and matching necklace, which both glittered with huge diamonds and were decorated with a pink rose.
“They’re beautiful, Princess Luna, but why is there a rose on the front of my regalia?” Sweetie asked. Luna smiled warmly.
“Why don’t you look over your shoulder and find out for yourself?”
Sweetie gasped as she looked at her flank, where a pink rose, which looked exactly like the one on her crown and necklace, had just appeared. Tears filled the filly’s eyes as she realized that her most fervent wish had come true; she had finally received her cutie mark. She took a step forward, and a pale pink rose grew where she had just stood. Sweetie took another step, and a white rose appeared. Then, the filly spread her wings and took off, leaving a fragrant trail of pink and white roses on the ground beneath her. Soon, Sweetie had created a meadow full of fresh roses. Luna took a deep breath and blinked to conceal her own tears.
“And now, your castle, Princess Sweetie Belle,” Luna proclaimed. With one sweep of her horn, Luna created a magnificent, giant castle in the colors of Sweetie’s mane, complete with a moat and drawbridge. Sweetie flew inside, and Luna followed.
“Well, Princess,” Luna said with a smile, “what is your first royal decree?”
“I decree that Rarity, Scootaloo, and Applebloom shall become princesses, too, and that Applebloom and Scootaloo shall receive their cutie marks!” Sweetie declared. With a nod, Luna conjured Sweetie’s sister and best friends, turned all three ponies into alicorns, and adorned Scootaloo’s and Applebloom’s flanks with their cutie marks—a scooter and an apple blossom. Luna was touched that Sweetie’s final wish had not been for herself, but for the happiness of her sister and friends.
Suddenly, a lapse in the dreamscape told Luna that it was nearly time for her to perform her hardest, most sacred duty for Sweetie Belle. The filly also seemed to know.
“Am I about to go home?” Sweetie asked.
“Yes, little one,” Luna replied softly as she felt the heat of tears behind her eyes. This would never, ever get easier for her, but she also felt honored to play a role in these moments. She quickly conjured the rest of Sweetie’s family and friends. Sweetie ran up to her parents first, oblivious to what was taking place. Luna had just done the impossible; yes, this was a dream, but she had pulled Sweetie’s family and friends from the waking world so that they were actually, physically present and aware of everything that was happening. Their last memories of their daughter, sister, and friend would not consist of a sick foal lying gray and motionless; instead, they would always remember Sweetie Belle this way, as the vivacious, beautiful filly she was before cancer had stolen her from them.
“We love you, Sweetie,” her parents whispered, squeezing the filly tightly.
“Be good, little sister. Watch over us, okay?” Rarity sniffled a bit, pulling Sweetie into a hug.
Suddenly, from the distance, two healthy, strong unicorns approached Sweetie. They looked so young, but Sweetie still instantly knew who they were.
“Grandma! Grandpa!” Sweetie gasped. She and Rarity ran to hug them, but Luna stopped both fillies.
“You will see them again when your time comes, Rarity,” Luna said gently, “but now, I must escort Sweetie Belle to her eternal home.” Gently draping her wing over Sweetie Belle, Luna walked the filly to an ornate pair of gates, which immediately opened up for Sweetie. The filly gave Luna one final little smile, then she turned and ran to her grandparents, who lovingly embraced Sweetie as they welcomed her into the beautiful light beyond the gates. Her parents and sister returned to the land of the living. Luna’s eyes overflowed with tears as the gates closed. A sob ripped through her usually stoic facade, and she bowed her head, momentarily allowing herself to grieve. Luna’s entire body shook with the force of her sobs, and she gasped for air, falling to her knees. She and Sweetie Belle had always been close, as they had bonded over the fact that they both had sisters who made them feel overshadowed. This loss was uniquely painful for the princess of the night.
Luna simultaneously dreaded and relished these heartbreakingly precious moments; parents should never have to outlive their foals, but Luna always did her best to make these transitions, far too many of which she had seen during her long reign, pleasant and easy for the little ones who had reached the end of their all-too-short lives. She had ushered countless foals into the afterlife after they had been starved, neglected, abused, and, more frequently, after they had valiantly fought a long illness, as Sweetie had done. Luna felt a tiny pang of envy as she pondered the fact that her older sister would never know the pain that was such a common occurrence in Luna’s role as guardian of dreams. With a sad sigh for the little life that had just been snuffed out, Luna collected herself and teleported back to the dream realm. The night was still young, and there were many more dreamers in need of guidance and protection from their princess.