Shimmering Night

by PinkiePieFox

Chapter 4 - Lunar Distress

“ENOUGH!” A booming voice called out within the dream of the filly known as Apple Bloom. A rushing wind filled the area as the Princess of the Night began her descent. As she swooped down, the nightmare near the filly faded away leaving Apple Bloom sitting alone within the orchards.

Apple Bloom looked over at Luna her face smeared with Apple Butter, a mostly full jar still in her hooves. The little yellow earth pony smiled wide at Luna as she landed and trotted towards her.

Luna stopped near the filly before speaking “Fear not little one, the Princess of the Night will.”

“Um, Princess?” the filly looked up at Luna a little confused.

Luna paused, looking down at the filly which had sauce smeared across her face. “Yes little one?” she spoke out calmly.

“Ah thought you were already here, we were sitting here talking just a moment ago; and then ya up an’ vanished only to come out of the moon.” The filly stated simply as she licked her lips.

Luna just stood firmly, looking quite perplexed. “I- We were not here my little pony. We had only just arrived.”

“Hmmm.” Apple Bloom looked at the Princess, a hoof tapping her chin. “Now that I look at ya, you do look different. Less glowly…” said Apple Bloom

“Less, Glowly?” Luna seemed taken aback. This filly was visited by somepony within her dreams? That was not her? Is such a thing possible? Luna thought to herself of who it might be. “Sister.” she whispered to herself.

“Eeyep!”, the filly chortled only hearing Luna’s replay of “Less, glowy”, “Kin’a white an’ well... Glowy.” The filly nodded resolutely.

“Hmm.” Taking in the sight before her and making a mental note to have a talk with her sister. Luna lowered herself to her haunches and shuffled closer to the filly, “What are you eating?” Luna asked softly.

Apple Bloom’s ears perked up as she turned her head towards Princess Luna, peeking out from behind a jar she had her muzzle buried deep within, using her tongue to get at its contents. She spoke but it came out in a series of inaudible mumbles from within the jar.

Luna smiled holding back a giggle. “Perhaps without the jar?” she said softly. Apple Bloom blushed and, lowering her head, she pulled the jar from her face.

“Ah-Ah said ah’m eaten Apple Butter.” The filly paused and picked up another jar, “Would ya like some Princess?” she asked as she held it out towards the Night Goddess.

Luna took the jar within her magical aura bringing it to herself as the filly went back to eating from her own jar. “Pray tell.” Luna spoke up. “Why are thou eating apple butter, in the middle of the nigh- a bad dream?” The Princess still had trouble saying the word Nightmare aloud, it brought up both horrifying and sad memories for her; but she pressed onwards waving a hoof around at the dark and shadow filled dream that lay all around them.

Apple Bloom looked at Luna and got ready to speak, but paused removing the jar from her muzzle and licking her lips before speaking. “Well, this glowing pony showed up, and they helped me beat my evil apple sister.” she paused. “It was my sister but she was made of evil apples.” Apple Bloom waved her hoof at Luna as if to make her point.

“I see.” Luna nodded while taking the jar and opening it, using her magic to fish out some of its contents. Though it did nothing for the body, it was mentally pleasing all the same. “So what happened next?”

“Okay. Well, the evil apple monster sister of mine was chasing me aroun’ and then I bumped into the glowing pony. An’ the glowing pony helped me beat my monster sister; which turned into Apple Butter!” Apple Bloom said cheerfully as she licked her hooves.

Luna did a double take looking back down at the jar that had once been a living nightmare. She almost looked horrified that the filly was eating the thing she feared most. And to greater extent she had just eat some of it too!

“Oh and we sat here and talked, an’ I told it all about how I didn’t start my chores and that my sister didn’t love me.” The filly frowned. “But Glowin’ Pony told me that there was no way my sister didn’t love me and that if I worked really hard on my chores she was sure that she would be proud of me.” she grinned at Luna.

“Interesting…” Luna spoke aloud while at the same time thinking to herself. Well, my sister did well in helping the filly but she should have told me first before entering into the dreamscape. It is like entering into someone else’s work space and moving all of their files around. Luna looked back to the little filly and gave a soft smile before speaking in a soothing voice. “Thank you Apple Bloom.” She patted the filly on the head with her hoof before sliding it down the side of her face. “But I’m afraid it’s time to go, for it is morning now and it is time for all good little fillies to wake up and go to school.”

Apple Bloom whined loudly as she pouted up at Luna; smears of apple butter on her cheeks and face. Luna giggled at this as she stood, “Well, maybe a little longer.” Apple Bloom smiled at this as Luna leaped into the air and soon swirled around and vanished into the moon.

---

*Later that Morning*

Luna stepped out of her room from across the hall straight across to a large white door with the symbol of a sun emblazoned upon its surface, not paying mind to the guards in the slightest. She reaches up a hoof and raps three times upon its surface.

“Who is it?” Came a smooth, calm song voice from the other side.

“Ti’s us sister! Open thy door, we wish to speak with thee. Now!” Luna all but screamed with anger in her voice.

The same voice came forth from the room, though poorly disguised to sound foreign. “Oh, no. Celestia no here. Only maid, for wishy, washy. No speak.”

“We did not say Celestia!” Luna Deadpanned.

“Ooh.” chimed the same voice.

Luna beat her hoof forcefully upon the surface of the door causing the door to groan in resistance.

The sound of a sigh comes from within the solar princess’s room as the handle glowed with golden magic and opened allowing Luna entry. Luna marched into the room in a huff stopping before her sister who was now lying upon her bed, looking at her sister with a mischievous smile.

“Thou hath explaining to do sister!” Luna said in a grumpy voice and with a stern face that only caused Celestia to giggle.

“I promise Lulu your teeth will turn back to their normal pearly white within a day or two.”

“Enough! Thou said thou wou-” Luna paused.”What hast thou done to our toothpaste?” Luna’s face a look of concern that quickly shifted back to rage, if looks could kill; we might be down on one solar deity. “No! We will not be distracted! You said the Dreamscape was mine because you wished not to deal with it. And we agreed that it was best that I used it considering ponies prominently sleep during the waning hours.”

At this Celestia looked perplexed to say the least. “Yes sister, why are you mad? Do you not want to help our ponies with their dreams?” Celestia asked concern in her voice.

“NO! I mean, yes. I mean.” Luna sighed looking a little deflated. “Sister, we only wish that you would tell us if you were going to enter into the dreamscape to help others.” Luna had her head bowed down feeling slightly ashamed of the way she had acted.

Celestia looked at her sister for a moment watching her reaction before speaking in a more serious tone. “Luna, I have not been inside the dreamscape since your return.” Celestia looked at Luna with a frown.

Luna looked up at her. “B-But we were told by a filly within a nightmare that a glowing, Alicorn figure came in and saved her from the nightmare.” Luna looked utterly deflated now as she crossed the room and collapsed down upon Celestia’s bed picking up a pillow within her magic and forcing it over her head. There was a ripping sound as her horn pierced through it causing Celestia to cringe. That had been her favourite pillow. Then came the muffled screams and sobbing.

Celestia let out a long sigh fluttering out a long feathery wing and draping it over the back of her sister pulling her in closer to her side.

After a bit Luna calmed down but whines could still be heard through the now dead pillow upon her head, fluffy feathers sticking out from around Luna’s horn as she sniffles; shifting slightly. “Why is all of this happening to me?” She said with a sad whine. “First the stars do not listen to us. And now, now some pony is even stealing my dream jo-o-o-b…”

A flood of new tears flowed from her eyes as she tucked herself closer to her sister. Celestia nuzzled her softly on the neck trying to calm her sister down. She knew perfectly well that if somepony had abruptly stolen complete control over her sun that she too would be quite livid.

“Luna, look at me.” Celestia spoke to her causing Luna to look towards her sister, her eyes bloodshot from crying so hard and for so long. It was later in the morning and Celestia would have to move some of her prior arrangements around but for her sister she would do anything.

Celestia let out a soft sigh. “You can get through this. Be strong as I know you are.” Celestia smiled at her sister. “We will figure this out. I already have ponies looking into the star matter; and I’m sure they would be more than happy to also look into the dream matter as well.” Celestia placed her hoof over Luna’s muzzle before she could retort. “They will not enter into the Dreamscape; they will however keep you under surveillance and also use scrying magic to -”

Celestia stopped speaking and looking up as a flow of wispy smoke floated into her bedroom from the window. It flowed around twisted inwards on itself before letting out a loud pop and turning into a scroll which Celestia took a hold of in her own magic. She looked back to her sister.

Luna nodded to her sister understanding that Scrolls from Twilight Sparkle could be important.

Celestia smiled and nuzzled her sister. “It will take just a moment.” She says as she unrolls the scroll and scans over it with her eyes.

Dear Princess Celestia.

Today at approximately 0500 hours a very powerful energy surge was picked up from somewhere in Ponyville. My equipment has been fried and thus I could not pinpoint the precise location.

I’m not quite sure what made the surge as there does not appear to be any damage to the town or the surrounding area. What I have learned though is that this has been going on for months now, almost every night since I have come to Ponyville. I have checked back over my older readings while I was doing other experiments. Some of the experiments that I have done have had odd readings that I never understood before. But now I completely understand what happened.

From my readings it would appear that several high level unicorns have been performing some sort of spell every night for the past few years. With your permission I’d like to start an investigation into what could be happening in Ponyville.

Sincerely, Princess Twilight Sparkle

“What does it say?” Luna asked with a sniffle as Celestia rolled up the letter.

“Twilight says that there could be a group of Unicorns doing this. She wants to perform a full investigation in Ponyville to be sure.” Celestia smiled at her little sister. “Luna, there is nothing to worry about. We will get to the bottom of this and find who is behind all of this.”

Luna laid her head down on the holy pillow as her eyes droop slightly. ”We” she yawns. “Hope so sis…” She trailed off and started snoring as the moon goddess finally slipped off to sleep. Worn from fatigue and stress along with being up far longer than she should have at this point Luna flowed into a near dreamless slumber.

Celestia used her magic to pull the covers up over her sister as she gently slipped out of the bed, allowing her sister to sleep here tonight. She paused at the door turning back to the bed, lamenting the loss of her most favourite sleeping companion and speaking under her breath. “I will miss you squishy.” as she backed out of the room slowly shutting the door.

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Author's Note:

This took a while but I finely found someone that could help me edit the chapter... Thank you Sollace!

Comments

[PinkiePieFox]

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I hope that you have enjoyed the story thus far. The next chapter is in editing as we speak. Its about 3/4ths of the way edited.

So the next chapter mite be done very soon and up for reads...