Epilogue
Scootaloo crept along the wooden hallway, looking left and right as she passed each door. This was trespassing for sure, but she just had to know.
Here. There was no plaque, but she knew it had to be the right one. With one last glance to make sure she was alone, the young pegasus gripped the door's handle between her teeth and pulled backward to swing it open. She was so eager to see the other side that she barreled straight into Princess Luna and ended up on her rump.
“This one does not smell like Apples.” Luna didn't look like she was in a good mood.
“Oh, uh, hey there, Princess Luna.” Scootaloo nervously scratched at the back of her neck while she tried to figure out what to say. “I guess I got a little bit lost.” Seriously? That was the best she could come up with?
Princess Luna stepped through the door and shut it behind herself. Scootaloo couldn't quite help trying to steal a glance as it closed.
“You got a little bit lost and ended up at the doorway to Rainbow Dash's mind? No, I don't think so.”
Well, the truth had worked out alright last time. Maybe if she was lucky, the princess would let her off with a lecture on responsibility or something. “I just wanted to look. I mean, it's Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo gestured emphatically toward the door. “Her dreams have got to be awesome. I wasn't going to mess with anything, I swear.” It sounded pretty lame out loud.
Princes Luna surprised her by sitting down, right there in the hallway. The alicorn looked exhausted, which was weird considering where they were. She didn't say anything, which made Scootaloo feel even worse.
“Are you gonna to tell her?”
The princess seemed to consider the question for a second. “No, I will not.” Another awkward moment passed. “Ponies’ dreams are private things, Scootaloo. Places where their imaginations can relax or run wild, where their subconscious minds craft fantastic worlds and surreal nightmares.”
Scootaloo relaxed; looked like it was going to be a lecture after all. She suppressed an eye roll – that kind of thing usually didn’t go over very well. It’s not like Princess Luna didn’t go snooping around whenever she wanted, anyway. This was probably one of those ‘do as I say, not as I do’ kind of things.
“Once you notice the doorways between dream realms, you can never stop seeing them. Worse, there are things that will start to notice you.” Luna frowned. She wasn’t really looking at Scootaloo any more, which was kind of unnerving.
“The Dreamsnatcher is real; she is not some figment of our imaginations that can only hurt us if we let her. Such creatures find it easy to move around when doorways are left open.” Her eyes snapped to Scootaloo. “There have been a lot of those lately.”
The accusation made Scootaloo feel a little bit sick to her stomach. “But you’re always there to protect us. That’s your job, isn’t it? Besides, we completely crushed that mirror monster. Everything worked out fine. It did work out fine, right?”
Luna’s lecture face melted into careful consideration. “It is my job, yes. But there are many ponies, and I can not be in all dreams at all times.” She stood back up into that posture she always used to make formal pronouncements.
“You did perform admirably against the Dreamsnatcher. All three of you, in fact. Very few ponies have an aptitude for lucid dreaming, and even fewer can find the paths between dreams without a guide.” Luna narrowed her eyes and pulled her mouth into a thin line. “It would be irresponsible of me to let you wander those paths without protection or instruction.” The princess turned to walk away; apparently the lecture was over. “And it would be equally irresponsible of me to ignore that aptitude. Go back to your own dream and rest well. Be back here tomorrow night for your first lesson.”
Scootaloo’s ears drooped. “Yes princess.” She knitted her eyebrows as her brain processed the sentence fully. “Wait, what?” She had been expecting the princess to forbid her from exploring these worlds, to somehow prevent her from going where she wasn’t allowed. Wouldn’t that have been the easier solution? And more importantly… “What about Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle?”
Luna paused her retreat for just a moment and gave a resigned sigh. “Yes, I believe you should bring them along as well.” A plain grey door at the end of the corridor creaked open to admit her, and closed quickly as she passed.
Another minute passed in the silent hallway as Scootaloo turned the conversation over in her mind. Then, with one last wistful glance at her big sister’s door, she crept quietly back toward her own.
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Best story I've ever read that was written by a picturesque valley brook.
6309397
Why thank you! I think.
Now I can never change my avatar, or your comment will make no sense.
This was very well done. I look forward to seeing what else you write.
Heya, Partial Sleeper!
This is your first story on the site? Well, then! It's truly excellent, and I am very glad you're here!
I am an avowed Luna fan, and this little tale captured her well. Thank you for crafting and sharing it, and I look forward to more.
Light and laughter,
SongCoyote
I reviewed this story!
My review can be found here.
I look forward to seeing more from you in the future.
Thanks for the feedback, all! I appreciate the encouragement.
6312108
Thank you for the detailed review. I'll work on my dialogue - I recognize that I have some trouble ensuring that the characters remain distinct through their speech (internal and external). Also, I find it really difficult to know what to spell out and what to leave up to the reader to figure out. Hopefully some practice will iron that out a bit.
This story was tremendous. Crisp, believable dialog, likeable characters true to form, a fascinating story well-written and smoothly resolved, and no tired cliches or easy ways out. I loved it.
There aren't too many writers on this site who I would say this to, but please keep writing. I really, really want to read anything else you put out.
6314178
Thanks, I appreciate the compliments! Hopefully I can live up to those expectations.
6315927
Thanks for the corrections - both should be fixed (as well as Luna rising to her "feet" in chapter two).
You have the same problem as me: rushed pacing. Try and slow things down a tad from now on. Other than that, nice job.
...More.
MOREMOREMOREMOREMOOOOORE! SEEEQUEEEEL!!!!!
...Please?
Sequel, sequel. Awesome story, I could really see Scootaloo mastering this and being a dream warrior being her special talent. Forget flying or becoming a Wonderbolt, nothing can beat being awesome where reality is just a suggestion. That and she can save ponies from monsters here just like Dash does in the real world.