The Sun And The Moon
Nightmares were Luna’s business, as it had been before she became Nightmare Moon.
She’d been slowly getting back into the thick of things over the summer, and with a few months left before Nightmare Night, she could safely say she was once again up to speed on protecting ponies from the monsters that lay in their dreams.
She tried not to be discriminatory in who she helped– as much as she wanted to prioritize foals over adults and Canterlot citizens over the rest of Equestria, she made certain to visit an even number amount of dreams, carefully moving from one pony to the next to make sure everything was in order.
Of course, she didn’t always keep the rule– if she saw somepony who was particularly young or having a particularly bad dream, she would head directly over to them. Likewise, if it was somepony she knew, she would give that pony priority. In this case, the latter was what made her take exception, a sense of familiarity emanating from a nightmare being had by somepony on the train that made its way to Canterlot. She finished up her work in the dream of the pony she was in then and quickly entered into the one that now had her attention.
“Ah, it is Asher, is it not?” she asked as she swooped down to the filly, who was laying on her back staring up at nothing, dead eyed. The entire room was black and empty, a light from nowhere illuminating the filly in the darkness. It was one of the more strange scenes the princess came across.
“Fear not, for I’m here to banish your terrors to dust,” Luna announced confidently, hiding her confusion at the scene. “Show me the way to those who seek you harm.”
“I don’t think you’re gonna find them because they’re all in my head,” the filly said dully, turning over onto her side.
“Well yes, dreams do reside in a pony’s head, but my magic penetrates through your mind to ward off any demons that might seek you harm.”
“That’s not what I mean,” she sighed sadly. “I’m starting to forget what I even look and sound like… what I used to anyway.” She let out a breath, continuing, “Within another few hundred days, I’m gonna forget almost completely. I know what I’m supposed to look like, but I can’t put the picture together in my head correctly.”
“Ah, well, that’s an easy task,” Luna smiled. “Stay still, and I will bring your memories forward for you.” The mare closed her eyes and let her magic work over the filly, completely surrounding her in the transparent blue aura. Before long, she opened her eyes again, and the filly was gone. In her place was the strange bipedal creature she saw in Asher’s dreams before, except now with a much shorter mane that barely made it past one inch.
“Oh my gosh, you’re amazing,” he thanked her happily, now almost towering over her as he ran up to hug her. “I need a mirror though,” he continued. “I don’t wanna forget what I look like again.”
“Of course,” she said, conjuring one up. “Although if you’re ever afraid you’ve forgotten, consider it no trouble to contact me. The same thing can be done in real life, and a projection of yourself can be brought forth for you to view.”
“I assume it’s too much to ask that you’re able to turn me into a human in real life, isn’t it?” She shook her head no, and he continued, “Well, remembering what I look like is good anyway. At least I can be me in my dreams.” He examined himself in the mirror, finishing, “I’m pretty sure this is what I looked like before I came to Equestria. I must be twenty six by now.”
“While I inhabit your dreams,” the alicorn began, “may I ask what you are doing on a train approaching Canterlot?”
“Do you remember the last time I saw you, how you said I should get into politics? Well I’m doing that now… man, I love this body so much!” He turned to the mirror and looked at himself from side to side. Luna didn’t see anything particularly remarkable about it, but apparently the filly-turned-human did, smiling widely at the sight of himself.
“Man, I missed being a human so much,” he said happily. “Being a pony sucks, and being a girl sucks even more.”
“Well that certainly sounds like an interesting experience,” Luna said, a bit taken aback by his words, “but if that’s what you wish for out of your dreams, we are glad to be of service to you.” Before he could reply, she continued, “We do not remember you saying you would become a politician however. In fact, I do believe we specifically advised against it, even though you would be good at such things.”
Asher looked at her confused, opening his mouth to ask a question, but no words coming out for a long moment. “Okay,” he finally said after a while. “Well, I just thought it would be cool to do, and so now I’m doing it. That’s why I’m headed to Canterlot with Golden Crest. We’re gonna talk to a few people in the city and see what we could get in terms of an internship of being somepony’s understudy.”
“Mhm, I see. Well, we do wish you nothing but success. However, we should warn you that the nobility of Canterlot does not take especially well to ponies who are strange or go against the grain of what’s considered traditional.”
“What do you mean?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Just that you should be careful about how you present yourself,” she told him. “If you say you’re a fully grown stallion when you look like a little filly, it’ll be much more difficult to tie yourself into the circle of ponies that rules Equestria, if that’s what you’re after. Be like they are, if possible.”
“Ugh. Of course they’re gonna be like that. I can’t say I’m surprised though. I wouldn’t want to– well, nothing. I don’t think I’m gonna say what I’m thinking out loud.” He paused, and then asked, “But is this you saying I should or I shouldn’t do this?”
“We’re not suggesting you should go about anything,” Luna clarified. “We’re only offering advice for what you should do if you chose this path for yourself.” It earned a confused, slightly suspicious look from the strange looking creature, and she continued, “I cannot make a decision for you; I can only suggest how to go about your actions if you decide for yourself this is what you wish to do.”
“So you’re not telling me to be a politician?” Asher asked.
“I am not.”
Another weird expression came from him, and Luna wore a confused one back. They stared into each other's eyes for a long moment before Asher finally looked away.
“Okay, if you say so.” Then he asked, “Do you think you could change this dream into something I want? Like, being able to go to my parents house or hanging out in my apartment with friends or something?”
“We surely could, and will,” she announced, lighting up her horn again. “Give us one moment.”
“I believe I had a strange interaction with the filly you’ve taken a dislike to,” Luna said at the table in the dining hall shortly before her sister rose the sun.
“Which filly is that?” Celestia asked carefully as she rubbed her eyes. “I don’t believe there’s a pony in all of Equestria who I feel anything other than love and affection for.”
“It’s the one who sent you into a fit several months ago,” the princess of the night continued, rubbing her own eyes. “Asher? We know you remember her from how often you write to your student about her. Many times your thoughts seem distracted, as though you’re thinking about her.”
Celestia frowned, but didn’t speak immediately. She didn’t dislike Asher, but she couldn’t say she had any fondness for her at all.
“Yes, I do know of her,” the white alicorn replied. “In fact, she’s coming to Canterlot with Twilight as we speak. She should be within the city soon. What about her do you believe is strange? When did you interact with her?”
“It was in her dreams just this night. She said she was looking to enter herself into Canterlot politics soon.” Celestia’s face hardened as her sister continued, “I have no issues with it of course; in fact, I think fondly of Asher, especially after the events of the recent holiday. But we’re letting you know because we know you have a certain disdain for her like you have had for nopony else in recent memory.”
“I hold no disdain for her,” Celestia said quickly, unsure if Luna believed her. “I dislike that her interference has affected plans I have set into motion, but I understand it’s not Asher’s fault.”
“Do you?”
“Yes, I do,” Celestia said forcefully. “I understand she’s not here of her own accord.” She heard the tone in her voice, and closed her eyes to take a breath and relax. She couldn’t let her emotions get out of control. It truly was not Asher’s fault that the things that were happening were playing out. She needed to keep that in mind.
“I have no qualms if she chooses to insert herself into the politics of Canterlot,” Celestia decided firmly. “If that’s her prerogative, I will not stand in her way. However, if she’s expecting to be treated differently from any other pony who approaches my court, she will be mistaken.”
“Sister,” Luna started carefully, “your disdain for her is exceptionally high. If you wish for her to not participate in Equestrian politics, simply be direct in telling her so. She already seeks to avoid confrontation with you. She’ll listen if you tell her to avoid such activities.”
Celestia wanted to. Oh, how she wanted to tell that filly to stay seated and be silent and not utter another word to anypony else. It drove the alicorn up the wall how much she disliked Asher’s interference in her plans, and could say she hated that deity she talked about if it turned out such a creature was real.
However, the princess kept those thoughts to herself, replying, “I have no issues. In fact, I would consider it a good thing. Any of my little ponies who seek to better the world around them shall not be hindered by me.”
“If you say so,” Luna replied, yawning and heading out of the room. “We shall take your word for it, as hard as it is to believe.”
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Oopsy -- telling Celestia that was a mild breach of trust and will hurt Asher.
Asher going before Celestia's court would be like going into a court where you had totaled the judges car 10 years ago and had a rather nasty breakup with his daughter but he refuses to recuse himself.
- Celestia
It feels like Celestia has a deeper issue other than her lying of being neutral or positive about Asher. It is either an experience problem, or she had this main character syndrome complex for a while now
Have we been told what "plans" Asher in getting in the way of? The Apple's loosing their farm? The poor getting poorer, while the rich get richer?
11431102
The Elements were supposed to be bound to Twilight Sparkle + friends and Asher messed it up by getting sick and thus making Applejack sick and thus landing Rainbow Dash in the hospital because no one was there to hold her back from attacking Nightmare Moon.
I suggest Asher should explain to Twilight about her sexual orientation like one explains when being called by a nickname.
I think Asher should ask Celestia if the state of disrepair of the Apple farm, in Celestia's official royal opinion, was acceptable
There is no reason why the two can't work together. Celestial builds the wall and Asher fills in the cracks,
I think the main problem (beyond getting sick) is that Asher is aware of his surroundings. Celestia has been in charge for a long time and most ponies accept her word as fact. They also seem to have trouble putting 2 and 2 together; some have a problem of noticing that there are two 2s to add.
Here is this pony that thinks, that questions, that notices. Intellectually Asher is (probably) Celestia's peer. Which isn't the same as education.
True he has the age of a ten year old in Equestria but it's the mileage not the year. If Applejack and Filthy Rich are any indication it is quite natural for them to be stagnant for years (theirs not ours). What I might call 'long term plans' they might see as short sighted and almost impulsive.
11431283
I hate this. I so hate this. That the writer insists on portraying ponies as being thick as a brick, and this pointless time dilation thrown in.
11431802
Is it a little exaggerated? Yes.
Do I feel that trait is undeserved? Hell no. They are regularly that thick in show; it gets to these levels when the ideot ball is inhaled because 'current' author. Then episode finishes and they might get brain back for the next one.
I do hate the 'thousand days equals one year' thing. It's usually so pointless and often forgotten by the author; obviously that's not happening here. Though by embracing it we come to yet a new line of thinking in that a pony could live about two hundred years on earth. Over three hundred for those trying to outlive our record holder. Which brings up the 'elf problem'.
See elves, assuming not outright timeless, tend to live the better part of a millenia. Humanity is often preoccupied with 'out running' death by doing as much as we can with our time. Do you know how much stress that entails? Imagine it utterly gone or lessened by the knowledge that you can put it off for 'next decade'. We procrastinate so much on things that could be done in minutes, hours or even days how much more will we do when waiting months wouldn't feel like a waste? Asher shouldn't have his mindset change in the near future (though the time skip seems like enough if the art is anything to go by) but there will come a time (in like, a century) where he will simply slow down.
As much as I feel it's needless I do like that the author is doing something with it.
Can Luna show Twilight what Asher used to look like so Twilight will have some factual basis for Asher's maleness? Or turn her into a stallion?
The Celestia of this universe is full of sh!t. She hates Asher, but she is too self-righteousness to admit it to herself.
Im excited for the time jump. Asher needs some damn footing to stand on and being a small little filly ain’t helping
If Celestia's plan is really so fragile that one child can accidentally topple it by simply existing, then maybe she should reevaluate her plan. Especially if it is so important for the future of the country.
It just seems irresponsible for a national leader to make such a shoddy plan with such high stakes.
This story reminds me of a few ppl I now and idk about a lot of it religion wise the other parts is fine but the story is very interesting in a hole
I was re-reading "Trust Once Lost" and I noticed something really odd -- in both that story and this one years are 1000 days long.
11444991
I cannot remember if I took the idea from Greenhorne or if they took it from me, but I think we both took it from how MLaaBQ played with years.
11445246
Well, if someone my age were to go to such an Equestria, they'd be 19.67 years old which is a lot better than nearly 54. I am surprised I missed MLaaBQ, with how many stories I have read on the site, especially considering that I have been reading his Harry Potter crossover serially. Nice surprise that I missed such a fic -- won't be unread for long.
That the image can be externalized would go a helluva long way. Why has nopony thought of doing that before? No pony could make that shirt up!