Princess Celestia was no stranger to lucid dreaming. She had long since mastered the art of regaining her self-awareness, in the dream world--something that she's long-since declared completely worth the effort, of a few years of trial-and-error. Pleasantries galore, every time her head met a pillow, knowing that for an indefinite amount of time, she would experience a change from the mundane life of a ruler. In the dream world, she could be anything--which, understandably, was invaluable to a pony such as herself.
Although, in her centuries' worth of dreams, this was new. This was definitely new. This simple black-maned, white-pelted pony in front of her, stuck out from most any other ponies she's dreamed of.
She stared at him. Considering the fact that a mere figment of her mind would manage to be able to uphold such a civil conversation for so long, this particular pony in her dream was undoubtedly the most interesting, thus far. The only one to ever be able to have personality, and reach out to her. Princess Celestia thought nothing of it, sitting down, at a coffee table to discuss whatever they might talk about. She was impressed, to say the least, at the ease in which he so smoothly glided from one topic to another. From magic, to history, to philosophy, and the beyond. She was delighted--such a bright mind was so hard to come across, in the waking world, and even if she were to merely 'wish' for someone to talk to, in her lucid dreams, he or she always came out choppy, for some reason. But both his casual tone, and the way he seemed genuinely happy to talk with her, was something she found only in fellow princesses--or on occasion, an exceptionally cheeky pony.
But she rose, in the midst of a debate between either celery goes good with ranch or not, for it was time to wake. Raising the sun was her duty, after all, regardless of how sweet a dream might be, her subjects came first. She nodded to the pony, who had looked at her curiously when she cut the conversation short.
"Duty calls?" He asked, looking down to fiddle with a twig, looking incredibly depressed, as opposed to his lighthearted smile a few moments ago.
"Indeed." Celestia replied, turning to begin feeling the beckon from the waking world, pulling her towards it...But it was curiously stopped, when the pony once again spoke.
"I'll disappear when you wake up, won't I?"
Celestia hesitated. "Pardon?"
"You're dreaming. I'm in the dream. I'm a phantom, created by the dream. So...I'm rather scared of what happens, to me when you wake up."
Celestia furrowed her brow. "You're self-aware?"
"Yes. And, I realize you probably think that I'm just sprouting nonsense, but please. Don't make me disappear." He took a step forward. "The entire conversation, I knew you'd leave. I tried to keep you here, as long as I could, and..."
"I must--"
"I know, I know, no-one can stay asleep forever." He interrupted, "and I know that I'm being selfish, but, just please. For a few more minutes." He bowed his head.
"...I cannot." Celestia continued, even though she noticed the visible stiffen the pony made, "but perhaps I know someone who might be able to help."
The pony looked up in confusion, as Celestia raised her horn. A few spirals of light twisted around her horn, before they connected, shooting a star into the sky. It traveled a few hundred meters, before a portal opened up, which it was swallowed by.
The two waited, in silence, before a similar portal opened at their side. Out stepped a new figure, one most everyone in Equestria would recognize, Princess of the Night, Luna. She looked at Celestia with a nod, before turning to look at the other.
"A phantom, that's aware of his place in this illusion. That is what you are, yes?" She asked, after a few minutes of observing him.
He hesitated. "...Yes. Who are you?" He asked tentatively.
The navy alicorn studied him. "Someone who can help you. Will you accept my assistance?"
The phantom gulped, and bowed. "Yes, please," he murmured.
Luna nodded. "Sister, you may leave now--he will accompany me, for the remainder of the night."
The taller alicorn nodded, closing her eyes. The phantom flinched, as the world seemed to melt before his eyes, as if a plug had been pulled, leaving everything else to wash down a drain. Yet, he didn't go with the rest of the world, leaving him and Princess Luna standing in an infinitely long corridor. Doors, of every variation, were stacked up on either side, and as the phantom observed, began to disappear, one by one.
The phantom wondered what to say, as the two sat in silence, watching the doors. He broke the ice, "so, are those other dreams--?"
"Yes."
"And they're ending--?"
"Yes."
He frowned, feeling annoyed, but decided against asking her to refrain from interrupting him. He decided to ask a simple, but impactful question, "what's gonna happen to me?"
"You will stay here."
He blinked, and looked around. "Well...I don't think that solves my problem. Who's dream is this?"
"No-one's." She replied simply, her horn glowing, to engulf a door in a blue aura for just a moment. "This is...A connection, between every dream in Equestria."
"What, like the source? An outlet?" He blinked, catching on fast. "That every dream is plugged into? And all those doors are other dreams?"
"You talk too much."
"You talk too little."
Luna didn't reply, turning her head back towards the corridor.
He pouted. "Well, honestly, I'm going to get bored real fast here. There's not even a flower to look at. Imagine that."
"You'd do well, to hold your tongue." She said, turning to glare at him from the corner of her eye. "I will tend to you, as soon as my duties here are finished."
"'Tend' to me? Oh goodie, and here I was thinking--..." He broke off, swallowing the rest of his sentence, when he received yet another piercing glare.
Luna turned back, satisfied, and watched the corridor in silence. The phantom decided not to break it.
~~~
The doors were locked, and didn't rattle upon being knocked on. A few ponies--sleeping in, likely--were still in the dream-realm, so Luna simply sealed them with an additional spell. After double-checking every door, she looked over at the phantom. "...Now, what to do with you..." She mused, to herself, "mercy seems like a likely option...But I would rather him not have the potential to damage the dream-realm..."
He cleared his throat. "S'cuse me, but I wouldn't know the first thing about causing damage to a dream. Well, unless pinching myself works."
She studied his expression. "Are you malicious?"
"Well, I like to think my sass is deadly."
"Do you house any abilities?"
"I can change my form, provided the dreamer allows me, but don't worry about that, I like plain old pony me."
"And if given the chance, would you try to transcend into the waking world?"
"And potentially have reality reject my very existence? No thanks, I prefer to not take chances."
Luna closed her eyes. "...Then you may stay here."
He blinked in return. "Here? In this realm? Well, it's better then poofing unexpectedly..."
Luna shook her head. "You misunderstand. From here on, you may traverse dreams as you please. My only rules are that you are not to cause nightmares, nor are you to influence dreamers. Is that clear?"
"Crystal."
"I must return to the waking world myself. And one more thing...If you are to traverse this corridor, for quite some time, you will come across a different door. Bigger, and more elaborate then the others...Never. Open it."
He saluted lazily. "Wouldn't dream of it. Hehe. See what I did there?"
For the first time since he met her, Luna made a grim smile. "That I did...And to answer your first question, you may address me as Princess Luna." She nodded to him, "what is your name, in return?"
He blinked, and stroked his chin. "Dunno," he replied, after a moment. "I'll get back to you on that."
She nodded once more, turning to spread her wings. "Then until next time, phantom." She said, beginning to fly directly up, out from the hallway, and out from the dream-realm.
He watched her leave. "...Phantom...I like the sound of that." He muttered to himself, laying down to ponder himself.