Gone Gold
“For the last time, you could be crowned with her.”
“For the last time, nah. I don’t need a big ceremony and all those ponies staring at me would give me the heebie-jeebies. And that’s on top of going into the real world.”
“One of these days, that excuse will no longer be effective.”
“Good thing tomorrow isn’t that day, then.”
“Indeed.”
It was the last full night Moondog and Mom were in the dream realm as Just Moondog and Princess Luna. Dreams were quiet, barring a few last-minute freakouts from the servants who were helping set Twilight’s coronation up, so Mom had taken a few brainstorms out of her night to badger Moondog about her own coronation, as she had for the past several weeks. As if she’d be doing anything different than what she’d been doing her whole life.
Moondog gave Mom a sidelong glance. “Seriously, Twilight’s coronation has been planned without me for moons, despite your best efforts. Now it’s tomorrow, and you still think I could just get slotted in, just like that?”
Mom remained stonefaced. “You are familiar with Twilight, yes? She undoubtedly could figure out a way to get you slotted in, just like that.”
“Eh… probably, yeah.”
“But if you insist that you do not need to participate…” Mom rustled her wings. “Very well. The coronation tomorrow shall be for Twilight and Twilight alone.”
“Thank you.”
“Are you truly willing to be so unrecognized?” Mom asked, her voice tense. “What would you do if you were forgotten?”
“Iunno.” Moondog shrugged. “Keep doing my job? I did it before anypony knew I existed. I’ve never really wanted recognition.”
“Most ponies-”
self.setAppearance(SPECIES.Dragon);
“Irrelevant. Not a pony,” Moondog said, flexing her claws. As a dragon, she was taller than Mom, and took the opportunity to look down on her.
However, Mom, being Mom, returned the look upwards without the least bit of intimidation. “That may be, but…” A sigh. “I simply do not want what happened to me to happen to you. If ponies deny you of-”
“Mom.” Moondog ploofed back down to a pony shape. “Making dreams is what I do, the same way eating and breathing and making friends is what ponies do. It’s just something you can’t stop me doing. You can debate the morality of it all you want, but at the end of the day, I don’t care. My mind is different than yours. I don’t need gratitude. I am a self-actualizing figment of your imagination, thank you.”
She took a step forward and gently laid a hoof on Mom’s. “But thanks for thinking of it, anyway,” she said softly.
“You’re welcome.” Mom wrapped a wing around Moondog. “I simply want what’s best for you.”
“And right now, what’s best for me is you relaxing so you’re well-rested for Twilight’s coronation tomorrow,” said Moondog. She flowed around the wing and made shooing motions at Mom. “Seriously. I’m fine. I got this.”
“I know. But… I, I know.” Mom blinked a few times and rubbed at her eyes. “I shall… see you tomorrow night, then.”
“Yeah. Sleep well.” The dream folded around her and Moondog was gone.
Moondog wasn’t sure what she was going to find in Twilight’s dream, but, well. Big day tomorrow. It could be anything.
“Anything” proved to be the throne room of her castle, a line of placeholder ponies stretching out into the hallway as they took turns getting friendship missions from the Cutie Map. A pair would step up, find where the map was pointing them, and sidle off without another word. Twilight was sitting at her throne, not saying anything, not trying to, just watching ponies come and go. She didn’t look ecstatic or sad, just thoughtful.
Moondog curled into existence perched on the back of Spike’s throne. “Hey.”
Twilight didn’t even need to look up. “Hey, Moondog.”
“Knew I was coming?”
“Anxiety can cause nightmares. You clean up nightmares. I’m getting crowned tomorrow. It’s not that hard of a conclusion.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m fine. I’ve got my friends and the princesses around to help me get ready and that’s helped a lot. Hence the lack of nightmares.” Twilight looked over at Moondog. “You know, you’re going to be a princess, too, but Luna’s the only person you really talk to a lot. Aren’t you stressed?”
“Nah, not really.” Moondog grinned. “I don’t pass laws, so barely anything’s gonna change for me. Mom’s not gonna be around and that’s pretty much it.” She rolled over in the air and stretched. “And if things do change, I’ll figure out how to deal with it. Retired or not, I’ve got Mom’s help and I’ve got your help and I’ve got Aunt Celly’s help.”
“Right,” Twilight said, nodding. She looked off at the line without really seeing it. “Good.”
Moondog settled back down. “Are you stressed? Even with your friends helping, this is a pretty big change for you.”
“Wellll…” Twilight wove her head back and forth. “A little, not really, but I feel like I should be, and that’s stressing me out. You know? Like I’m only confident because I have no idea what’s coming.”
“You’ll do fine. You’ve been actively studying this for moons, and that doesn’t count you learning about it passively ever since… you arrived in Ponyville, I guess.”
“I know, that’s what everyone’s saying, but you’ve met me, right?”
“True.”
“I…” Twilight flicked her ear and looked away. “Honestly, I don’t think there’s anything you can do for me except just get tonight over with.” A guilty giggle. “At least then, I won’t be waiting as long.”
“I can do that. Close your eyes and relax.” Moondog lightly flicked Twilight between the eyes with a feather.
dreamer.allowLucidity(FALSE);
And time and lucidity both immediately slipped away from Twilight. Moondog propped up the dream with some bookshelves before leaving. Just because Twilight wouldn’t remember this part of the dream when she woke up wasn’t an excuse to be sloppy about it.
In the hallways of Canterlot Castle, Spike’s idealized (or at least current) form of his dream self was as much of a hunk as one could imagine a biped to be: big muscles, strong wings, thick tail, sharp chin. Either he didn’t plan on slouching off while growing up or he just thought of himself as on top of the world at the moment. Either way worked. There was only one issue.
“Did you skip leg day?” Moondog asked.
Spike yelped, jumped twenty feet into the air, and grabbed onto a chandelier.
self.setGravity(-1.00);
Sighing, Moondog walked up the wall and took a seat on the ceiling, right next to Spike. “Well?”
“Don’t do that!” yelled Spike. He dropped back to the floor.
“You’re right.” Moondog dripped down next to him. “Exploiting lucidity is a cheap shot. But did you? Your legs are so small.”
“You tell me, dreams are your thing.”
“Hmm.” Moondog stared at the ceiling and tapped her chin. “…Yeah, you did. You totally skipped leg day.”
Rolling his eyes, Spike said, “So why else are you here?” He glanced at his arm and flexed it.
“I thought you might be worried over, y’know, having your world and your life totally, utterly upended from top to bottom.”
“Why would I be?” Spike asked. “This is, like, the fourth time it’s happened in five years.” He grinned. “I’ve got a system by now. Twilight would be proud. That’s not even mentioning the other assistants she’ll have to help me with my work. Besides…” He rubbed his hands together as the grin became a smirk. “I’ve seen Twilight be Twilight for over a decade, but nopony at the castle has. I can’t wait to see them react to her!” Apparently involuntarily, he cackled.
And apparently that’d be a new source of nightmares for the castle staff for another moon or so. Moondog filed that information away. “But you’re fine, right? No stress?”
“A little, not really.” Spike shrugged. “If you live with Twilight for a while, you get used to stress. Yeah, I’m fine. We’ve got a checklist and help from our friends; the world could end and we’d get it sorted out in half an hour. Just like all the other times it’s happened.”
“Probably.” Moondog rolled her wings up. “So, as the guy who has it all together, you want anything? I…” She shuffled from hoof to hoof. “…kinda wanna feel needed tonight. Twilight was doing just fine, but all she wanted was practicality.” Shudder.
“Hmm.” Spike nibbled on a claw. “I don’t know. I guess… maybe I want a chance to be a prince for a little while?” It sounded like he was just throwing the idea out, since he’d been put on the spot.
“I’ve got a better idea.”
destroy(castle); settleDreamSetting(dragonlands);
The castle disintegrated around them, revealing an ashen wasteland beneath a smoke-choked sky. Dragons the size of buildings circled above them, throwing plumes of multicolored flame into the clouds. And Moondog thrust the Bloodstone Scepter into Spike’s claws.
“Dragon Lord Spike!” Ember — perhaps a few inches shorter than usual — swooped down from the crowd and landed in front of Spike. Bowing obsequiously, she said, “The hordes of the dragon hosts await your command.”
Spike stared at Ember, blinked. “Weh-heh?” He looked at the Scepter. “Weh-heh.”
After giving the dragons’ fangs another inch in length, Moondog asked, “So? You good?”
“Yeah,” Spike said quietly, nodding. His fingers tightened around the Scepter. “I good.”
“Good. Be seeing you.”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
And as Moondog left the dream, Spike began to giggle.
Twilight probably wouldn’t care and Mom hadn’t said anything, but Moondog knew it’d be polite to attend Twilight’s coronation. It’d have a huge crowd, larger even than the Grand Galloping Gala, but there was absolutely nothing saying that she had to interact with the crowd. They didn’t even need to know she was there. And so, as the sun set, Moondog plonked herself down invisibly on one of the towers near the courtyard to watch.
And immediately knew she should’ve waited before leaving dreams. Why did events like this have to take so long? What was wrong with Mom and Aunt Celly plonking a crown on Twilight’s head and going, “That’s that. Later!” in a private ceremony and the space of a few seconds? What was with all this pomp and circumstance? Moondog could only imagine what it would be like if she had to go through a similar ordeal every time she entered somepony’s dream.
But, finally, Aunt Celly was giving a speech. Inevitability of change, accepting it, new era, yadda yadda. Moondog tensed up as Twilight walked out onto the balcony.
And promptly tripped over her dress.
As was usual for events around Twilight, things didn’t get better from there. Moondog couldn’t see much from her vantage point, but as best she could figure out, Twilight got swarmed by bugs and birds (somehow), the Wonderbolts flew headlong into a rain of fireworks, and the combination of scuffles meant Twilight had to jump from the balcony to catch the crown after Mom and Aunt Celly lost their grip on it. She attempted to regain some regality by gracefully returning to the balcony, but it was hard to look regal when your crown was on backwards and upside-down.
Moondog couldn’t help cringing. Yeesh. What a way to start a new age in Equestrian history. Yeah, she’d be needed tonight.
Spitfire haphazardly landed on the tower, her name a bit more literal than usual thanks to the sparks that had landed her uniform. Unaware of the still-invisible Moondog, she swatted at her smoldering tail, muttering, “Well, that could’ve gone better.”
“I’ll say,” said Moondog.
Spitfire squawked in surprise and fell from the tower.
In spite of being even more of a walking disaster area than usual on the most important day of her life, Twilight was calm that night. Moondog was sure Twilight’s dreams would be terrible, only to bop into her mindscape to find her resting in her new bedroom in Canterlot. No gigantic spiders descending on strands of symbolism from the ceiling or flames of anxiety to be seen. Everything was the proper size, even. Dreaming about resting. Ponies.
It was, in fact, so peaceful that Moondog was about to just leave her be when Twilight rolled over on the bed and noticed her. She quickly sat up straight. “Moondog! Is something wrong?”
“Well…” Moondog batted at one of her ears. “I was thinking your dreams might be, but I guess not. I mean, your coronation was pretty awful, wasn’t it?”
But Twilight just laughed. “Nah, it was great! I messed up royally — literally! — and the world didn’t end. I couldn’t have asked for a better beginning to my reign. It can only get better from here, right?”
“Dangit, you just tempted fate.”
“Sorry. Thanks for stopping by, but I’m fine. This bed-” Twilight patted the bed beneath her “-is so unbelievably comfy. The real one, I mean.”
“There’s more than a comfy bed to a good night’s rest, but…” Moondog looked around. Even the colors were right. “I don’t think you have a problem with that right now.”
“Heh. No.” Twilight kicked the sheets off and spread herself out, all six limbs splayed wide. “No, today was nice, and believe it or not, I don’t think I’m stressed. So, yeah, sleeping well is easy. Sorry you weren’t needed.”
“No, that’s, that’s fine.” And it was. Moondog liked being useful, but she had no problem with ponies sleeping well without her. Although… “You know, even if you’re not stressed now, you probably will be for the next few weeks. Want me to make you my top priority for a while?”
“Oh, no,” Twilight said quickly, scrambling into a sitting position. “I couldn’t slow you down like-”
Moondog snorted. “Twilight, there are a lot of ponies in Equestria. Sticking you at the front of the queue when you fall asleep ain’t gonna make a whole lot of difference.”
“But I know enough dream magic myself,” continued Twilight, “that-”
dreamer.setVolume(0);
“-I could handle it-” Twilight blinked at her sudden silence, then glared at Moondog.
dreamer.setVolume(100);
“Twilight. Her Royal Highness Sparkle. Little Miss Element of Magic. The Pony Formerly Known as Princess-to-Be.” Moondog chuckled. “You really need to keep delegation in mind. Dreams are my thing. Let me help you. If you’re stressing out enough that you need to use dream magic for a good night’s sleep, you’re probably stressing out enough to make dream magic harder to use. And… let’s be real, you’re never gonna top my skills. I can make you a better dream faster than you ever could.”
“…! …Yeah,” acknowledged Twilight. “But… Look at the history of Equestria for the past five years. I’ve had a part in just about every big thing that’s happened! I’ve been doing things myself for so long, then I’m princess of Equestria and suddenly I lose some responsibilities?”
“Duh. The princesses passed the bit to you, but now you’re the princess, so you get to do the passing.”
“I know. It’s just… weird.” Twilight folded and unfolded her wings. “You know what, yeah. Stick me at the top of your list. Just so I spend my first moon leading Equestria well-rested. But, but only for a few weeks, and don’t go overboard!”
“I can go overboard in the time it takes you to blink, but will do.” Moondog saluted with a wing.
Twilight didn’t seem to notice; she’d started rambling. “Because it’s not for me for me, it’s so I can do what’s right for Equestria. I’ve got laws to write and ponies to handle and THERE’S A LOT OF STUFF TO DO and doing it all on four hours of sleep because of a nightmare is kind of a bad thing but you’ve still got your own dreams to make and just because it’s not as important as what I-”
She stiffened when she realized what she was saying. She turned to Moondog, mouth open.
“Apology accepted,” Moondog said. “Because honestly…” She flashed a lopsided grin. “You are more important. Way more. You govern Equestria, make decisions that’ll shape ponies’ lives. Probably other creatures’ lives, too, in the future. Me? I just make sure they sleep good.” Shrug. “Let’s call a spade a spade.”
“Thanks,” said Twilight, nodding stiffly. “But. Um. Tell me if you feel… wronged, okay? I know you’re not very public, but if you think you’re being left out or forgotten… I just want to head that off before anything worse happens. No Nightmare Moon repeats.”
“Sure, but I already went over this with Mom, and I don’t think that’s gonna happen. I was built to work behind the scenes. If I wanted to, don’t you think-”
settleDreamSetting(canterlot);
“-I would’ve been right next to you today?” she said as the pair stood on the coronation balcony, the crowd cheering below them. “No, I’m happy being ignored, believe it or not.” She flicked an invisible switch and the crowd vanished. “Don’t like crowds or attention from more than three people at once.”
“And four years ago, I was a different species,” said Twilight dryly. “Just because you’re fine staying out of the spotlight now doesn’t mean you still will be in a year. Or a decade, or… however long you’re princess. Which is gonna be a while. For both of us.” A pause. “If everything goes the way I think it will, fat chance, while I’m leading Equestria, you’ll only be working in dreams, and there’s a very real possibility ponies won’t think much of you.”
“Oh, come on! Only if you look at it in a boring way,” protested Moondog. “You’ll be a trailblazer, always in the public eye. Then there’s me, always behind the scenes, barely ever making a public appearance, but able to influence anyone. I’ll be this folkloric figure no one really knows what to think of, a spirit you invoke for a good night’s sleep. And from there, my story will grow. Long in the future, you’ll be famous. But me?” Moondog vanished. Half a second later, the stars that spanned the sky above twisted into an equine shape and grinned at Twilight. “I’ll be mythic,” the constellation rumbled.
Twilight rustled her wings. “Well… if that’s what you want… You can be legendary and I’ll be influential and it’ll all balance out.”
“Perfect.” Moondog stepped back onto the balcony, shrinking down to her usual form. “But, seriously, do you want me for anything right now?”
“Not tonight,” Twilight said, shaking her head. “I’m fine. But thanks for the offer. I might need it more in a week, when this all really hits me.” She shivered and said quietly, “I really hope I can do this.”
“I know you will.” Moondog saluted as she began misting up. “Knock ’em dead, Princess.”
“So, Spike? You stressed at having nothing to do yet?”
“Totally. So stressed that I need a mountain of gems with rivers of chocolate syrup to calm down.”
“Literal?”
“You know it!”
“Why can’t more people be like you?”
Moondog manifested next to Mom in the dreamscape and gave her a look-over. “You’re still wearing your regalia,” she pointed out. “But just for dreams, right?”
“Yes,” said Mom. “I am unadorned in the physical realm, as I am no longer a princess there, while I still have power here.”
Moondog abstained from pointing out that she’d always have power here, by virtue of her magic. Instead, she said, “You could stay here, you know. Just- have no power in the real world and stay on with dreams, even if you’re my majordomo instead of vice versa. I mean…” She flared her wings and swooped in front of Mom. “You weren’t really around that much before deciding you wanted to abdicate. You’re sure you want to give all of this up?”
“I would… be of less help than you think,” Mom said sheepishly, rustling her wings. “Equestria now is far larger than the Equestria I once ruled: approximately threefold in land, and well beyond thirtyfold in population. And while five years would be plenty of time for most ponies to adjust, my age makes me… rather entrenched in my ways. I had a great deal of help, but the stress from constantly having to jar myself from my own rut was overwhelming. If I remained princess, I would almost certainly burn out within a decade.”
“So you’re retiring because you’re a tired old coot?” Moondog asked, tilting her head.
Mom chuckled. “Indeed. Why do you think I built something to assist at what I am best at?”
“Hmm.” Moondog folded her wings and landed. “Do you think I’ll ever be like that?”
“Perhaps, perhaps not,” Mom said. “I built you to be malleable to begin with, to adjust quickly to different dreams. Whether that results in you being more open to change in general…” She sighed and shook her head. “I cannot say.”
Personally, Moondog didn’t think she’d ever become an automaton of habit, but she hadn’t been alive long enough to have much experience with this sort of thing, so she just shrugged. “Well, either way, feel free to come along dream-sculpting and-slash-or nightmare-punching any time you want if you get bored.”
“Thank you. I shall undoubtedly miss these nights once in a while.”
After a moment, Moondog smacked her lips. “So, uh… Now what? Do we-”
Mom immediately stepped back and spread her wings wide. “Moondog of Equestria,” she said solemnly, “step forward.”
Moondog opened her mouth to ask why, but immediately snapped it shut again. Swallowing, her wings trembling, she took a shaky step forward.
“Long have I guarded Equestria’s dreams,” intoned Mom, “kept watch over ponies’ nightly flights of fancy. But my time is passing and dreams need protecting. I have seen you take up my reins little by little and I know you will be a worthy successor. By the power vested in me, I pass my title on to you, Princess Moondog of Equestria, Guardian of Dreams.” She laid a hoof on Moondog’s shoulder. “May all sleep soundly and may nightmares flee beneath your watch.”
Funny how words could hold so much weight. Very little had changed, practically speaking, but Moondog suddenly felt… central. She was the princess, she was Equestria’s foremost dreamwalker, she was the sole watchmare of the night. From just a few sentences, she was one of the two most important people in Equestria. It was a lot of emotional weight on her shoulders.
Of course, that wasn’t a problem. She’d been built to handle emotional weight, on her shoulders or otherwise. She raised her head. “I’ve been doing this my whole life. Making good dreams is the entire reason I exist. I couldn’t let you down even if I wanted to.” Not the greatest of pronouncements, but it seemed good enough.
Smiling, Mom nodded. “Very good. Now, can I convince you to wear this?” She pulled off her crown and held it out.
Mom’s crown. The crown of the Princess of the Night. One of the main icons of the Diarchy. It didn’t mean anything, on a legal level, but the power of that crown was far more than just legal. It was like a lighthouse: a guiding beacon in times of trouble. Ponies saw that crown and were reassured, or terrified, or awestruck, even if Mom was doing nothing more than waiting in line for donuts. Mom passing it over meant nothing and everything. Once Moondog took it, she’d be Princess, not Mom. Ponies would be looking to her, waiting on her, waiting for her. They’d declare allegiance to her, work for her, and more. All because a little piece of metal — one that technically wasn’t even real, in this case. Ponies were weird.
It was a big responsibility, one Moondog had been waiting on for ages. Weighty. Consequential. Centuries of tradition (pre-Nightmare Moon tradition, at least) overturned. Countless nightlives depending on her for a good night’s sleep. The world would change once she took that crown.
“No,” Moondog said eventually. “You can’t. It’s yours.”
Mom stiffened. “Moondog,” she began, her voice tense.
“I’m gonna wear my own crown.” Moondog plucked the crown from Mom’s hooves and ran her magic across it. The black twisted, deepened, rippled. When she held it up again, sourceless light reflected off it, creating nebulaic glints. Or perhaps miniature nebulas shown out of them. It was hard to tell. Corners had been softened and the central peak wasn’t quite so tall.
She set her crown on her head. “See?” she said innocently. “Mine. Not yours.”
Mom snorted in amusement. “Thank you for at least conceding to that.”
regalia.spruceUp();
“It doesn’t involve ponies staring at me.” Moondog waved a wing through Mom’s shape and her shoes and peytral dissolved into smoke. “I can live with some stupid traditions.” She pulled the smoke toward her, molded it, congealed it. “Besides, it’s pretty nifty.” It reformed on her body as a set of shoes and peytral much like Mom’s had been, only now with the deep-space stylings of the crown.
“So?” Moondog posed majestically, one hoof off the ground, her mane sweeping out dramatically behind her, her regalia glinting of their own accord. “How do I look?” She grinned.
“You… look…” Mom blinked, sniffed, rubbed her muzzle. Smiling, she gave small, quick little nods. “You look good,” she said quietly.
And then she started crying.
--Error; ThoughtBufferOverflowException eMoondog froze, staring as tears rolled down Mom’s cheeks. “Um. Mom?” Her ears twitched. She’d never had a reaction like this before. “Are… Are you okay?”
“This is-” Mom wiped down her nose and smiled, even though her eyes were still red and puffy. “This is one of the happiest days of my life and that makes me miserable and I blame you for both!”
“Bduh.” Ponies. “Um…” Moondog’s wings twitched half-open. “What, what, what can I-”
Gasping and rubbing at her eyes, Mom waved her down. “I remember when- when you were nothing. I can still recall the very first spell I wove in your construction. And now… look at you. I find it hard to believe you have grown so. I- I genuinely considered dismantling you when you first spoke to me.”
“I know.”
“No, it’s- I very nearly killed you simply because I was scared.”
“I know.” Moondog grabbed Mom around the neck and hugged her tightly. “But you didn’t.”
Mom squeezed even more tightly, wrapping her wings around them, holding back her tears in small gasps. “It is not something that I can easily forget. I-” Her voice abruptly grew quieter. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” Moondog lightly pushed Mom away just enough so they could look at each other. “Freaking out over an automaton escaping your control? After what happened the last time, throwing me out and starting over would’ve been totally understandable.”
“But…” Sniff. “I…”
“And I forgive you anyways.” Moondog reinitiated the hug. “You didn’t act on it, not even to limit me at all.”
“I know. It is simply… I have seen you do so much. To imagine dreams were all you were made for.”
“I had a good teacher.”
“No. Do not downplay your own skills. You have- You have done much that I never taught you. You have woken ponies from comas, taught them dream magic, mastered taste, fooled cultists, and so much more. All without my prompting. All before the age of three.”
Mom pulled the hug apart, smiling warmly, her eyes filled with pride. “I know, for the moment, you are merely thought of as my heir and put yourself below me in skill without much thought. But the day will come, even if it takes centuries, when you will step from my shadow and come into your own. And I cannot wait to see it, for it will be beyond anything I can imagine.”
Moondog knew the trust Mom had in her. She knew the value Mom placed on her — in both companionship and occupational assistance. She knew the gratitude Mom had for her. Absolutely none of this was a surprise.
And she still felt a knot in her chest. Not even in dreams had she ever felt anything quite this… raw before. It was… She already knew all this, so why was saying it again, in this way, affecting her so much? She couldn’t just brush it off confidently, like she had so many times before. Not that she wanted to. Somehow, said like this, this feeling was important. She was going to keep it close.
Understanding finally overtook knowledge: she was Mom’s heir, not just the one who happened to be second-best in the nation at oneiroturgy (even though she was). Moondog had never questioned just what becoming Princess of Dreams meant and always assumed that of course she’d get it, who else was there? But Mom wasn’t saying she’d keep an eye on Moondog, or that she’d hang around as an advisor, or anything like that. Of course, she’d always be available to help; that was something friends and family did. But she didn’t think Moondog needed that help — for the moment, at least. She truly, utterly trusted Moondog.
Trust was everything in dreams. Ponies trusted that their rulers would only look at what they were supposed to and nothing more. Moondog trusted that Mom wouldn’t turn her off for whatever reason. And now, Mom trusted that Moondog could handle the dream realm on her own. The feeling that inspired was…
Moondog didn’t know. But that didn’t matter. Its existence was enough.
A declaration like that needed a response. Moondog opened her mouth to answer.
--Error; ThoughtBufferOverflowException e
self.say(something);All that managed to find its way out was, “Th-thanks, Mom. I…” She tried to wipe her eyes dry. “I’d s-say I’ll make you proud, but you’re just gonna say something like, ‘you already do’, aren’t you?”
“Do not make me proud. Make yourself proud. And yes.”
“Better let me get to it, then.”
With one last smile, Mom said, “Indeed. Farewell.”
Moondog gave Mom a nuzzle. “Love you, Mom.”
Mom returned the favor. “I love you, too.”
The two stepped apart; Moondog grinned and flared her wings. “Have fun going to seed, peasant!” she boomed.
“Believe me, Your Worshipfulness, I shall!” Mom bowed, vanishing in a cloud of sparks.
And Moondog was all alone in the dream realm.
Except, of course, she wasn’t. She closed her eyes and cast out her senses. All around her, as far as one could imagine, were ponies, ponies from all corners of Equestria. Some were sleeping soundly. Some were having dreams of ecstasy. And some were having nightmares. For some, those nightmares came from stress or a bad hunk of cheese. For others, those nightmares came from creatures like nocnice or worse.
All the ponies in Equestria. This was her dominion. They were her responsibility and, so long as they slept, hers alone. Their hopes, their fears, their wishes, their hates, all of it roiled around her, and she needed to get it sorted. Turn terror into something to be laughed at, break stress and anxiety to tiny little pieces, bring good memories to the forefront, maybe spark a bolt of inspiration here and there. And from now on, she’d be following her own prerogative, not Mom’s. All of this. Hers.
There was a lot of work to be done.
Good thing she’d literally been born ready.
self.ascend();
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My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
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Aw, that was lovely! Great chapter.
May they rule be long and prosprerus.
Honestly? I'm kinda torn.
On one hand, I'm always eager to see what Moondog will get up to.
On the other hand... self.ascend()?
Given how well you've been using that gimmick for the entire story, this would be such a good ending touch.
Beautiful! I love it!
All hail Moondog, Princess of Dreams, Oneiromancer Supreme, Heir to the Moon, and henceforth the True Lady of the Night. Long may she reign and ease the sleep of all who are fortunate to rest under her care.
This was, a damn solid chapter.
And since Luna's actually a good programmer, the newest princess isn't going to need a day one patch!
10852674
I know, right? I was genuinely surprised when I came back to the chapter index to find the story wasn't marked as complete.
I sense an epilogue.
This was very good, a lovely mix of silly and serious. I can tell that just about all characters in the story have progressed in their own ways.
Nice.:D
I feel like this is a sendoff/farewell to this wonderful series. This was wonderful and I enjoyed all of it
self.BlubberingMessException(e)
setstory.ultra_favorites=true
setstory.rating=95%
I kind of agree with 10852674. Even though I love seeing Moondog chapters and would hate for this to really end, this would make for such a nice ending. But it also leaves an opening for an epilogue. I could see Twilight and Moondog conversing in the dream realm over the day's/night's events so each of the other are kept in the loop and can potentially make adjustments where necessary (Twilight informs Moondog that certain ponies may need attention in upcoming dreams, while Moondog lets Twilight know if there are any universal nightmares over things she could potentially help with via some legal decree or just an appearance somewhere).
Whatever the case may be, this was an awesome chapter. You and Moondog never disappoint. Though I have to say, I would LOVE to see some art of an ascended Princess of Dreams.
10852819
I actually checked if it was marked complete!
I'm happy it isn't , but I do believe if it WAS marked as completed now, nobody would complain!
I thought Moondog was an alicorn from the get-go, no?
This was an amazing chapter, and it was wonderful seeing Moondog deal with the emotional side of what she already knew. As it's been said, it's one thing to know in the head, another to know in the heart.
And like many here, I am torn. I definitely would love to see more of this story, and of Moondog. On the other hand, were you to end the story on that last line of could, it would be an absolutely flawless ending.
Either way, very well done.
Well, that was a sweet way to send things off. Assuming that was a send-off.
So... is this the end? This feels like it's an end.
I don't want to see this series go.
10853285
Nah, there's still the time-skip. There'll be at least one more chapter left before the true end.
I like this
10853162
Technically, Moondog was never actually a pony, she just takes that form to make others more comfortable.
Certificate signing request accepted. Authority store transferred and installed. Trust chain verified and secured. Welcome, Princess Moondog!
You know, for a moment we thought they were going to slowly become upset at the dreamer's apparent lack of need for assistance, but Moondog just isn't petty like that.
The Luna-Moondog interaction here was just beautiful. *sniffle* I’m not crying. I’m not!
This feels like a “the end,” but it’s apparently not and that’s wonderful but scary because how are you going to top this moment?
Dang. This was an amazing story, but I feel like the only way we'll get more Moondog is as a side character in a whole new story. This one was amazing though. Thank you.
Holy crap the feels. This story series is straight up genius and I feel privileged to be able to ride along. Will there be an epilogue or is this the final chapter? I noticed it's still marked Incomplete. Either way this was a great ending.
What a powerful chapter. I had to double check after reading to see if the story was marked Complete. And such elation there was to see there was even more to come.
Exquisite work and a brilliant capstone to this part of Moondog's life. Luna's maternal pride was beautiful to see, and her reason for abdicating so soon after returning from the moon is entirely reasonable. Thank you for an incredible saga thus far. Here's looking forward to future tales, here and elsewhere.
I, for one, rejoice kver our new glorious dream lady.
I also am one of the many who went back to see whether the story was marked Complete and was happy to see that it wasn't. This chapter was an excellent "finale" to parallel the show's finale. The good news for all of us is that stories here get to continue on past the end of the show.
Hey, I just had a thought: has Moondog actually had to directly deal with any NOPE by now? If not, will the first direct encounter have to be done solo since Luna is retiring, or is that something Moondog will request Luna’s assistance for?
Wow.
An excellent chapter, and emotionally so powerful. I'm sniffling.
That's more a direct reference to the length of an episode, or a reference to the CMC (don't remember which one) making the same reference in Slice of Life? I wonder
i.pinimg.com/originals/7e/3a/de/7e3ade1cd79f2065435d995af0de0a5a.png
... I want a fanart. Now.
self.clap();
Well...
That took a while.
That entire fic had one main idea in it's core so far, and now it's reached.
And honestly, all the previous chapters don't really have much influence on this at all. Aside from, probably, serving as a background to back up their confidence in Moondog's skills.
But whatever.
I guess, it was entertaining.
Partially, because jokes, partially because Moondog's personality, the rest is novelty of unique character.
I honestly do not remember the first chapters of this.
I was pretty sure it's was the ending, but apparently, not.
Would have liked a bit more use of unique possibilities given by the character, instead of "feelings". Fic touched "something" in the beginning with coma healing and taking with the tree. Giving lessons with illusion magic. That was fun.
But otherwise it's mostly uses uniqueness of a character to act like a normal being, while keeping repeating into everyone's face that it is not normal. Despite telling everyone that it doesn't feel and think like others do, you actually still deliberately show that it is, in fact just like everyone else, despite the differences in form of existence.
I guess, i got a bit bored. But i liked it anyway.
Moon dog in G5 “ oh come inn!”
Wow, that has been a while…
... Simply beautiful. I've been following this series for a Fair bit of time, and I can safely say that it's one of my personal favorites. Thank you so much for writing it. While I want to see more, I don't think I could be mad if it ended here. Well done for this one.
I'm curious to see this is still listed as incomplete. That chapter was amazing and seemed to be a conclusion, but then again it is a new beginning so I guess it's appropriate. This has been a great series, and if there is more that's just great. But if that's all, it's been a fun ride.
What an excellent chapter it was. And it feels like the story is coming to a close as well. If the next chapter is the final one, then I would like to say that I have enjoyed reading and following the story for over two years, and I'm eager to see how it'll all end.
10905803
Same.
This story has been an amazing journey and it'll be sad to see it coming to a close. But at the same time, it'll be one of our favorite stories to reread.
While this story is still marked Incomplete, I can sense that it's coming to a close. This was a wonderful chapter leading to the end, acknowledging how much Moondog has done, all the ways we've seen her help others in ways that weren't expected of her.
I have greatly enjoyed this story, and Moondog as a character in general. If it really is close to coming to a close, it'll be a shame that there will soon be no more chapters to read...but this was still a story well-worth reading and enjoying.
I love this chapter.
This is one of those stories where the joy of reading again is strong.
Well, now that we entered a new era, is it better to rearrange the chapters? Personally I think move every chapter after "Gone Gold" to a sequel might be a better idea.