• Published 1st Jun 2015
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A Midwinter's Night Lucid Dream - Loyal



Luna is no stranger to ponies dreaming about her... but maybe the lunar princess wants something more than just a passing dalliance.

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Dreamwalker

The night was chill and quiet; the kind of silence that seemed to blanket sound entirely and leave anypony wondering if they had gone deaf or not. Luna stood atop the Canterlot tower, watching the lights of businesses and homes wink out one-by-one. With each new light that found its rest, the noise of the busy day seemed to go with it, leaving in its wake the solemn stillness Luna so loved.

Her night had descended upon Equestria completely, leaving only a stalwart dozen lights or so on in the entirety of Canterlot. Even the castle beneath her hooves had grown still and dark, save a small team of cleaners working at mopping and dusting while the city slept. Indeed, Luna felt alone with the oppressive quiet that seemed to wrap around her, broken only now and then by the gentle breeze playing across her body.

The night was cool, but Luna's passions were hot, and her mind preoccupied with many things. For, in the stillness of these solemn nights was when some ponies awoke to a new sort of purpose; and it was towards those fanciful flights Luna turned her attention. The tower melted away beneath her hooves, replaced instead by a long hallway adorned with many doors. This place was as familiar to her as any, and had been her solace on many nights. Indeed, her duty was to assist dreaming ponies through their darkest nightmares, and show them that in the darkest night, there was still a light to behold. But even still, this dreamscape was every bit as much her home as Equestria was. She began a slow walk down the ephemeral hallway, passing doors to her left and right, never paying any heed to one in particular. Indeed, she was intent on the far end of the hallway, where even the ghostly light of this place seemed to grow more dim, as if out of respect for the dark fantasies held within those particular doors; inside the dreams of sleeping ponies.

She approached a rich mahogany door set with a large brass knocker, but for the Princess of the Night, she needn't announce herself into another pony's dreams. Indeed, doing so might just ruin some of the surprise. Quiet as a shadow, Luna opened the door and slipped into the dream. She caught the updraft as her hooves crossed the threshold, her hallway melting away into a somber skyline populated only by her sacred moon, the stars, and a grassy hill. On that hill sat a pony, alone and contemplative. Their eyes were cast downward, as if deep in thought.

He was a slight unicorn, with a slightly bookish appearance. Luna knew his eyes to be a keen gray in color, but his mane matched his coat in that both were a frosty-blue. To many, he would likely appear as dull and gray as his eyes, but Luna knew that in the moonlight his coat shone like the frost-covered surface of a pond. She circled the pony several times, watching his contemplated head bowed deep in thought.

Luna needn't fear being seen if she truly didn't want to, but she still kept her distance from this pony, and their quiet musing. She wheeled high in the sky, looking down at the scene with a sort of melancholy appreciation for what she knew was going through this pony's mind, and indeed what would transpire in just a few short moments.

"Good evening, Mist Walker." Luna's voice came alongside an apparition of herself, a conjured shade in this dream world.

"Good evening, Princess Luna." The quiet pony rose his head to smile at the copy of Luna, a conjuration of his own imagination. Luna still flew high above the two, one pony very real and very asleep, the other a figment of his imagination populated into this dreamscape by sheer force of will. "You look beautiful as always."

"You flatter me."

"You flatter me." Luna whispered alongside her shade, watching as the apparition of herself blushed and covered her coy smile with a hoof. How many times had she watched this scene? How well did she know the lines, the progression of conversation in this pony's mind? How many times had she seen this play out?

Too few, if she were being honest with herself.

"Flattery is not my intent, though the product is not unwelcome." The pony named Mist Walker rose to all four of his hooves, smiling warmly at the phantom Luna. "You're so gorgeous when you blush like that... would that I could make you my own, Princess, to behold that blush a million times before I die."

"Oh, Mist, please do go on." The apparition cooed.

"Oh Mist..." Luna swallowed, watching the slight unicorn approach her conjured visage. He rose a gentle hoof to her cheek, cupping her face tenderly. Slowly, the two leaned in, cementing their union with a tender kiss. Luna felt her heart throb in her chest, a twang of longing finding its way into her breast. The kiss stretched on, accentuated by the tender motion of their lips moving against one another, never opening more than to permit just the faintest brush of a tongue to the other's lip.

"Princess," Mist panted, pulling away from the kiss with a furious blush of his own. "We shouldn't."

"Oh, but why not?" The conjured image of Luna's face took a half-lidded, lusty look, boring straight into Mist's heart of hearts. He was torturing himself with the apparition, and Luna herself bore witness to it all, hovering far above the pair. "It'd be so good to let loose for the night, would it not? Come now, Mist... Open yourself to me."

"I-I can't." Mist choked, turning away from Luna. As he did so, the apparition shattered, as if it were a pane of glass. The fragments spiraled into the night, dissolving away until nothing but shimmering pinpricks of light remained, wheeling off into the dark sky to join their brethren adorning the inky blackness with winking, muted beauty. Mist hung his head once more, and again Luna found herself looking at a lone pony, left with his thoughts and nothing more.

Wordlessly, Luna turned to the mahogany door and opened it. Behind her, the dreamscape dissolved away, leaving nothing in its wake but blackness. She found herself in the hallway once more, and behind her, the door vanished into nothingness.

It did when ponies woke up. And ponies like Mist Walker had places to be, things to do. With a heavy sigh, Luna turned towards the brighter end of the hallway, making her way solemnly out of the dreamscape and back into reality. Her hooves landed on worn tile and a slight breeze wafted over her coat once more. As if on cue, a soft knock turned her attention away from the magisterial night and the slumbering city back into the room behind her.

"Enter." She said curtly, smiling as Mist Walker quietly slipped into her private chambers.

"Good evening, Princess Luna."

"A good evening to you as well, Mist. As always, you're here early." She smiled at the unicorn, taking note of his slightly-frumpy mane and the bags beneath his eyes. The dreamscape was a strange thing, though she was certain less than an hour had passed since she bore witness to Mist Walker's private dream. He must have woken up and came straight to her quarters. Her smile remained, but behind it were tortured thoughts.

"I make a habit of being punctual." Mist dipped into a low bow, righting himself to look at Luna fully. "Shall we get started on this evening's agenda?"

"With pleasure." Luna nodded, gesturing towards the door he had just entered through. Together, the two of them left her private chambers, descending out of the tower and into the castle proper. Their descent was not silent, as Mist Walker began speaking before they had made the first landing down.

"The Night Court has been suspended, as you well know, while the Equinox goes through. Your council of mages will be awaiting your arrival at midnight, to assist in painting the constellations properly. Following that, you've requested a lemongrass crumb bake for lunch, and will be served in the castle gardens. Your students are scheduled for a lecture at two in the morning, followed by your nightly flight, dreamwalking from five to six, at which point Princess Celestia will meet you in the Royal Dining Hall for breakfast."

"An easy night, then." Luna smiled as Mist painted that evening's activities handily, ticking off each activity on a mental checklist that Luna knew to be accurate to a tee.

"As easy as any we've had." Mist cast a quick glance up to her, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips as they reached the first expansive hallway in the castle proper. "Would you like me to escort you to your first appointment?"

"No, thank you, Mist. I believe I'll take a stroll in the garden before I meet with the council for the Equinox... You're welcome to handle your business."

"As you wish, your highness." Mist bowed his head low and turned on his hoof, making for a servant's entrance off of the main hallway. He wasn't aware of it, but Luna watched him go with a melancholy smile on her lips.

"Oh Mist." She sighed, watching his tail disappear into the shadowy recess of the servant's corridors. "Some night, you'll find your courage. Will that night be tonight?" She stood still, watching that shadowy alcove for a moment longer.

"... Perhaps not."

----------

Dawn tugged at the horizon, and both princesses looked out of the dining hall at the faint amber glow slowly threatening the purple pre-dawn sky.

"Does he know?"

"I haven't told him." Luna sighed, feeling the guilt she knew would come with this discussion.

"And will you ever? It's been six days now. Sequentially, mind you. Forgive my brashness, but I've known you to jump on anypony who'd dream of you for more than an hour any given night."

"Ooh, that was low." Luna cast a playful glare at Celestia, a coy smile curling her lips. "True, in the past I'd have sated whatever passions lie in that pony's mind the first night..." She closed her eyes and inhaled slowly. "But for whatever reason, I find myself unable to approach him. At least, in that manner..."

"Hmm." Celestia hummed into her coffee cup, peering at Luna intently over the rim. Behind those eyes, Luna saw a brilliant mind at work, trying its hardest to make perfect sense of the situation. She knew Celestia to be a slow, reasonable pony. Not that she wasn't unintelligent. The opposite, in fact. Celestia weighed each of her words carefully, analyzing every possible outcome and reaction before the words ever left her mouth. Patiently, Luna waited for Celestia to say what was on that brilliant mind of hers.

"And what, pray tell, is giving you this feeling of trepidation? I know you've been back for less than a year now, but what is keeping you from acting as you have in the past? Surely it's not hubris; we've already established the genesis of your Nightmare. If it were indulging in the lusty passions of your underlings, we'd have clashed long before the Elements of Harmony were ever forged." Celestia's slow and measured speech was thick with concern, but the truth of her words cut to the heart of Luna's doubt. She almost winced with how succinctly her sister debunked her flimsy excuse for not indulging Mist. She grimaced at her sister and cast her gaze downward.

"I can't say for certain. True, I would blame old habit for my hesitation, but you and I both know that's no excuse... I don't know, Celestia, but it's causing me no small amount of distress. Not to mention him; he's hardly sleeping at all of late."

"Could it be that he feels guilty?"

"That's certainly plausible." Luna groaned, praying to the stars that wasn't the case. She'd had enough of ponies groveling and thinking themselves unworthy of the dirt on her hooves. Mist had stood head and shoulders above the simpering masses during the interview process. If anypony would be one to treat her as she was - a pony - it'd have been him. Knowing that, guilt wasn't a plausible excuse for Luna's crushing aide. What, then, was giving him pause? Or herself, for that matter? A dark frown crossed Luna's lips as she stared intently at the crumb-riddled plate before her, the last evidence of their breakfast.

"You already know what I'm going to say, Luna."

"That I should just get it over with." Luna grimaced. "Invite him to my quarters for the morning, sate his wild lusts, and put the whole affair behind us."

"Hmm." Celestia's soft hum came with a faint chuckle from the solar princess, hidden deftly behind her tea cup. "Well, you're not wrong. Does that not sound wonderful? Wouldn't you want to give him what he wants; indeed, what you want as well, and then move on?"

"Well..." Luna felt an indignant anger rise up in her, the cloud of rage slowly filling her vision. "Well maybe I don't want just one night?"

"Aah, and here we are." Celestia set her tea aside, sitting a little more straight as she leveled her gaze at Luna. "The heart of the matter."

"So we are." Luna growled, ashamed that she had been called out, but rather thankful that Celestia was done teasing her. "I don't want any more brief flings; these one-night dalliances that fade away as the morning mist does before your sun. Maybe I want something with more permanence?"

"Do you?" Celestia lofted an eyebrow at her, that coy smile still tugging at her lips, still taunting Luna with her sister's smug worldly knowledge. 'If I hadn't spent a thousand years on the moon, maybe I could be as smug as her.' Luna grimaced at the bitter thought. "Take it from me, little sister," Celestia slowly stood from her cushion and padded around the table to her, laying a tender hoof on Luna's side. "Permanence is all we're about. Tread cautiously, if you're seeking more than one night of passion with Mist Walker." She slid away, walking quietly towards the nearest hallway, and the exit into the rest of the castle where she would once again become Princess Celestia; indomitable co-ruler of Equestria... and stop being Luna's bigger sister. At least until the next breakfast.

"But," Celestia paused at the door, on the cusp of family and responsibility. Luna met her gaze once more, listening intently as her sister spoke once more. "For both your sakes... do decide promptly?"

With that, Celestia was gone, out into the castle to handle her constituency for the day. In her absence, Luna felt conflicted.

'Passion or Romance...?

'Can I not have both?'

----------

This night was even more chill than the last, but Luna didn't mind. Alongside permanence came a sort of hardiness that allowed her the comfort of maintaining homeostasis in extreme climates. Where other ponies would be shivering uncontrollably in the late-December chill, Luna felt delightfully cool. Once more, the lights winked out in her beloved city, steadily chasing the day into its bed, and ushering in the solemn quiet.

As if on instinct, Luna found herself in the hallway once more, walking woodenly towards the dim portion of her dreamscape, and the familiar mahogany door with the brass knocker. Mist Walker sat forlornly on his hilltop, eyes on his hooves as per usual. Luna hovered above him, watching as her apparition appeared once more. It was a welcome scene by now, harkening to a part of her heart that Luna hadn't felt quite yet. Even in her thousands of years of life, this sensation was as alien to her as any blushing maiden.

Without even thinking about it, Luna swooped out of the night sky, alighting soundlessly behind the shade of herself. Slowly, she stepped forward, passing through the apparition until she stood in its place, playing the part of Mist Walker's own subconscious. She had done this countless times in the past, taking place of nightmares and visages to soothe troubled sleepers. But this night in particular, Luna had a different motive. "Good evening, Mist Walker." She spoke with the same tone and inflection as any other night. Mist raised his head and smiled at her, a warm thing reserved only for these intimate dreams. She had seen that smile only here, and never out there in the real world.

It was her smile, reserved for the two of them, and them alone.

Her dream smile.

"Good evening, Princess Luna. You look beautiful as always."

"You flatter me." Luna felt the same blush color her cheeks, the same throb in her chest as she did the past six nights watching this scene unfold before her. But this time, she was a part of it. Not the apparition of herself, conjured by Mist, but her. As true and real as anything could be in this dream land she called home.

"Flattery is not my intent, though the product is not unwelcome. You're so gorgeous when you blush like that... would that I could make you my own, Princess, to behold that blush a million times before I die."

Luna listened to the words coming from her aide, a pony she had known for close to a full year by now. Mist Walker had been her secretary and errand pony since her return, after a rigorous selection process. Celestia had offered the field herself, and Luna interviewed them all. Mist had stood head and shoulders above his peers, offering a brazen amount of humility in front of the pony that had once threatened Equestria with never-ending night time. She had admired him for that, not to mention his skills were quite admirable. She hadn't missed an appointment or rendezvous yet, thanks largely in part to his miraculous scheduling and punctuality.

In a way, he was every bit as much her friend as Twilight Sparkle was. In many other ways, he could be so much more...

"Then make me yours, Mist."

Luna broke from the traditional dialogue, barreling straight past the familiarities, past the kissing, straight to her heart of hearts. She stood on all four hooves before him, the knot in her chest threatening to squeeze her breath from her lungs. Her break from tradition was not unnoticed, and Mist Walker blinked in shock at her.

"What?"

"If you're so desperate to make me yours, then do it." She choked, feeling the heat of tears build up in her eyes. The dreamscape around them quivered. "Stop dreaming; fantasizing about me. Tell me what you feel." The night sky was wiped clean in an instant, only the moon hanging above them. "Talk to me about your feelings, Mist." Luna pleaded. Two tears slid down her face, impacting the grass beneath her hooves, even as it began to pitch wildly; as if in a furious windstorm.

"Tell me you love me."

The dream shattered around them, and Luna was once again in the hallway. The mahogany door was gone, replaced by a blank stretch of dreamscape. Luna sniffed, looking forlornly at that empty portion of wall.

"I'll see you in an hour, Mist."

----------

At the soft knock, Luna let loose a breath she didn't know she had been holding.

"Enter."

He was early. And not by his typical, punctual standards... but by almost a half an hour. She wasn't even expecting him quite that soon. Still, she smiled as Mist slipped into her quarters, looking as haggard and tired as she had ever seen him. While she knew the reason for his disheveled appearance, it still anguished her that he looked exhausted.

"Good evening, Princess." Mist bowed low, hiding his red-rimmed eyes behind a hastily-brushed mane.

"Good evening yourself, Mist. Pardon me for saying, but you look a touch out-of-sorts. Is everything okay?"

Mist gave pause, looking up to Luna with a conflicted look. For half a moment, she panicked. 'Does he know? Could he possibly suspect that I'm the one behind his most recent dream?' After a pregnant pause, Mist spoke.

"I just haven't been sleeping well, milady. I'm sorry, if you'd like I can take a moment to freshen up and be more presentable."

"No, no!" Luna surged forth, catching herself just short of wrapping him in a protective hug. She restrained herself, setting a hoof gently on his shoulder. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to sound condescending or rude... just concerned. You can imagine why."

"I'm... sorry...?" Mist stuttered, glancing furtively at her hoof before meeting Luna's intent gaze. "I don't follow."

"Come now, Mist." Luna teased. "Princess of the Night? Dreamwalker?"

"Right." Mist's jaw seemed to be set in stone, but behind his brilliant grey eyes, Luna could see a fire lit; be it from panic or desire, she couldn't quite tell. "You haven't been..."

"No, no not at all." Luna brushed him off, falling into a practiced speech she had rehearsed a million times in her head. "I make it a point of professionalism to avoid peering into my immediate underlings' dreams. That'd make for an awfully awkward work environment, would it not?" Her answer seemed to disarm him, so she pressed the advantage. "But I do find myself concerned. If you're not sleeping well, the problem very well may be in your dreams. I presume you are having dreams, correct?"

Mist was on the brink, she could tell. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, all the while never breaking her intent look. After what felt like an eternity, he spoke.

"I am, but forgive me for saying Princess, it's rather personal."

"Aah," Luna sat back, a teasing grin on her lips. To Mist, she prayed it came off as 'mischevious,' and not 'knowing.' "Trouble with the mares?"

"You... could say that." Mist narrowed his eyes at her, though she could tell he stiffened at her response.

"Is it somepony I know? Perhaps I could act as a liaison. After all, it wouldn't do to have my assistant not sleeping well." Luna flipped her mane over her neck. "That'd reflect poorly on my work ethic."

"I... Well," Mist rolled his neck, seemingly searching for the right words to say. "You could say you know her... Thought I doubt liaising would be a viable option."

'Oh this is too much fun.' Luna couldn't help the giddy grin spreading across her lips. 'He doesn't suspect I know, but he doesn't want to tell me. Believe you me, Mist Walker, I will have you spilling your heart by the end of this night.'

"Well, if you won't have me talk with her, then perhaps I can help you speak to her. Come," She tapped a hoof smartly on the tile floor beneath them. "Treat me as if I were the mare in your dreams. We can practice."

"I-" Mist froze, blinking at her with wide eyes. "Princess, I'm sorry, but this strikes me as-"

"Nonsense, Mist. You're early, so humor me before we get around to our schedule. You're my aide, after all, and I care that you're well-rested enough to perform your duties properly." She tapped the tile once more, smiling invitingly. "I'll play the part of this mare in your dreams, and you can tell me what's on your heart. I promise," She laid a hoof over her heart, though it didn't diminish her coy grin in the slightest. "No judgments. I'm here to help."

"I..." Mist Walker stood with his mouth agape, looking intently up at Luna. She could tell, behind those gray eyes, Mist Walker was waging a war within himself. He was so close to confessing! Even if she were acting the part of herself, she could always take his confession to heart. That, if nothing else, would whet her passion. And perhaps help the two bridge the gap between themselves. Luna feared to admit that she knew of his dreams, and indeed had been the cause of the most recent one's wayward ending. Yet still, she wanted... no, she needed to hear those words. Not in some starry-sky dreamscape, with her playing the imposter to another pony's psyche in the most intimate of ways. Not in her domain of sleep, where she ushered the ponies of Equestria through their dark nightmares and into another blissful day, thankful for the restful night they'd received at her hooves.

Face-to-face, real flesh and blood. No dirty tricks, no dreamwalking, no under-hoofed plots to get a pony to confess his undying love for her, and finally, at long last, step into the warm light of true love she so desperately desired.

"Ahem. We had better get started, your highness. We have a busy night."

Mist Walker turned to her door, indicating that she follow with a gentle nod of his head.

Luna sighed and stood from her spot, following him out of her quarters and into the stairwell.

"You're scheduled to liaison with the griffin dignitary at ten, followed by tea with the captain of the Night Guard at eleven; he has a new proposal for armor design that he wanted to submit for your approval..." She let Mist Walker's voice drone out, following him down and out of the tower into the castle with a faint smile on her face.

'One of these nights, Mist... You'll realize I'm not just a dream.'