//------------------------------//
// 48 - In Your Dreams 
// Story: Putting on a Silver Robe and Wizard Hat 
// by David Silver 
//------------------------------//

Silver was dreaming. Of this there was little doubt. Every time he went to sleep, he became aware of it. Just allowing a dream to happen had become impossible, as he always knew it for what it was. He was lord and god over his dreams, nudging things around and making them be what he wanted. Curiosity could not be contained in such a small space, even as infinite as it was, for long.

He imagined a door, and there was a door, and he pushed it open. Outside he could see the hallway full of doors that was the dreamworld, but he was still asleep, and that was still a dream, and he was no lunar pony. He hadn't even the faintest 'right' to be there without Luna, but there it was.

There wasn't any law against it, or even a request. Just looking wouldn't hurt anyone. He stepped from his dream into the shared space between dreams.

"Stop right there, demon!"Luna appeared, looming and angry, only to deflate almost instantly. "Silver Lining? What are you doing here?"

Silver smiled up at Luna. "Hello, my princess of the night."

Luna frowned. "Why do you greet me in such a familiar way? And why are you here? Answer me." She leaned close. "Your eyes are sharp and aware and I have not roused you from the mists of slumber."

These were all true. Silver nodded as he lifted a hoof. "The dreams you gave me ended with a final gift. I always know when I'm dreaming."

"Always?" Luna frowned slightly. "Even one such as I require some true slumber. How do you rest?"

Silver shrugged. "I dream of sleeping."

Luna put a hoof over her face. "Of course. You should not be here. This is--"

"The dream world." He thought of Night Watch and a door drew near. The fact that it worked was enough to get his hooves clopping with joy. "I was here many times during my dream, and it works exactly the same. I thought you said it was all lies?"

Luna made a sudden wave of a wing, and Silver knew nothing but suddenly sitting up in bed with a cold sweat. Luna had banished him from the dream world. "Why?"

"Mmm?" Night sat up beside him. "You look terrible." She rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Need a drink of water?"

He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "I should be asking that, besides, I can reach it from here."

"Since you're offering, I'll take one."

Silver grabbed two glasses in his magic and soon had them over, full of water and ready for two thirsty ponies. "Night, I know your time with Luna was private..."

Night began to blush brightly. "Quite."

"I don't care. If you two had a great time, that's fine. I'm not jealous of you." He smiled. "Rather, I'm not jealous for you. About my dream..."

Night turned to him. "Are you ready to fill me in? If you keep me waiting much longer, I'm going to have to resort to desperate measures."

Silver nuzzled into her neck gently. "I didn't mean to keep secrets. It's hard to explain, but I think I said it best the first time. I feel like I have a lifetime crammed in here. How do I even break it down?"

"From the start?"

"Easily said." He stuck out his tongue. "Alright, so... I dreamed I woke up, not with you two asleep, but you two ready to induct me into the lunar pony club."

She raised a brow. "I don't think it works that way..."

Silver rolled a hoof. "But it did, and I became a lunar unicorn, and everything kind of hinges on that. I became a mare, then a princess, then a prince, to die and be a princess again. It was all one big tumultuous mess with a lot of things I'm leaving out, but some of it was true. Some of it, at least, was true. There was one thing that was constant, too."

"Which was?"

Silver bumped noses with Night. "You. You never abandoned me, even when things got insane, even when I was dead. You refused to give up."

She blushed gently. "That just shows your faith in me... Thank you."

He smiled and stood up on the bed. "I visited the dream world plenty of times while I was in there, so, tonight, I did it again. Luna was there."

Night frowned. "How do you know it wasn't a dream?"

Silver shrugged. "I'm pretty sure when I'm asleep or not. Luna was surprised to see me hanging out between dreams, and she banished me back to waking, which is when you woke up. Sorry about that."

Night waved it off. "It sounds like it could have been a dream. How can you be so sure, Silver?"

Silver settled back down and snuggled up to her. "Let's try to get some real sleep. I'm sorry for bothering you."

Night nipped him with sharp fangs. "I think not. Why were you so unafraid of that colt cuddler the other day? Hay, I almost thought you were being... Were you trying to make a move on him?"

Silver squeaked at the bite, rubbing where she had scored that nip. "No! No, I was just trying to make him happy and to take his mind off his abuse."

Night rolled a hoof. "What happened to being terrified of the mere idea? I remember Rough Tumble."

"Sure sure." Silver slipped from the bed, sleep clearly off the list of possibilities. "That was before the dream. Being... It doesn't really scare me anymore. A pony is a pony."

Night shook her head slowly. "I thought we were fixing your depression, and you're saying you've found some kind of... I'm not even sure."

Silver shrugged back at her. "If  I knew what to call it, I'd share that with you, but I don't." He reared up, putting his hooves on the edge of the bed. "Does it bother you? Am I not the pony you wanted to be with?"

Night flipped her ears back. "Don't even say something like that! No. You're..." She reached over and ran a hoof slowly over Silver's cheek. "You changed, but I think in a good way. I think I need to get to know this new, improved, Silver." She smiled, teeth on display. "Will you introduce me to him?"

Silver hopped up carefully onto the bed and grabbed her in a hug. "It would be my pleasure, beloved first wife."

"About that..." Night tilted her head. "You only have one, which means I'm not technically first wife, and we're not even a herd. We're just a nice, boring, married couple." She glanced away and back. "Does that bother you? Could you settle with just me?"

Silver sat up. "In my dream, Fast came back, after the hive was settled. She missed us terribly. We really should visit her at least."

"Sure, but..." Night set a hoof on Silver's shoulder. "I need an answer."

Would he be happy with Night alone? "Of course I would. I could grow old and wrinkly if I had you there getting wrinkly with me." He stuck out his tongue a little. "Are we making this official? Do we have to do paperwork?"

Night suddenly pulled back. "No! No, I mean. We... No, it's fine." She let out a slow breath. "I'm the one being silly about this. Did... Did you like being lunar?" She flicked an ear. "Did having great big fangs bother you?"

Silver grinned, but couldn't match her toothy expression. "I miss them sometimes. The best part was being that much closer to you." He wrapped his forelegs about her and gently drew her closer. "But we're together, both lunar or not. You are the light of my life, my little moon, shining at me from behind those big cute glasses of yours."

She giggled at his romantic overtures and soon had him  rolled over, her body pinning him down as she nibbled at his chest. "How many ponies did you get to know in that dream of yours? You still want me above them all?"

Silver put his hooves on the sides of her barrel, supporting her as he gazed up into her eyes. "Even when I was buried, you were the first wife. I never want that to change. You're the most important person in my life, and if I ever give the impression otherwise, I give you full permission to drag me off and slap me until I remember that." He smiled brightly. "Which won't be tonight, dearest mare. Tonight, I feel like playing with a pregnant and wonderfully enchanting mare that's holding me down..."

They expressed their love for one another, and fell asleep together peacefully.