Goddess of the Moon

by Duke of Canterlot

Dreams Realized and Broken

Apple Bloom sighed, “Ah guess Sweetie Belle is real mad at me.”

“Jealousy is dangerous”, said Luna, “I think the best thing that we can do is to not let it consume our entire being. As you know, it caused problems with me and ‘Tia.”

“Ah agree”, said Apple Bloom with a quick nod, “but how can ah make things better with Sweetie?”

“It seems like she is afraid that she will lose her coltfriend to you.”

“Ah don’t want to be with him – especially if it is going to hurt one of my best friends. Ah thought ah made it clear in Sweetie’s life. What was ah supposed to do? Tell Sweetie as soon as Button made an impromptu visit at my house?”

“That might have been a good idea actually.”

“But she might have gotten mad.”

“I don’t think that Sweetie fully trusts you because of what happened last year. I had trouble thinking my sister would have my best interests at heart and I lashed out. You have to show Sweetie Belle that she can trust you without a doubt. Also that nothing has changed just because you’re an alicorn princess.”

“Ah would be glad to have that talk with her – if she will let me.”

“You know Sweetie better than I do. What do you think?”

“She can hold a grudge like no other. Ah am so scared that ah am going to lose her. And ah feel like there is nothing ah can do for Button to lose interest in me if that is a problem.”

“Patience is a virtue here”, said Luna, “I have been alive for so long- and I have seen friendships go up and down. Hopefully this isn’t the case, but if Sweetie wants space – you should give it to her.”

“What would that accomplish?”

“Since she is such a close friend, I think Sweetie will see how much she misses you – a few months of distance will make Sweetie think differently. That is my prediction.”

“Ah still wanna try to see if ah can patch things up now.”

“Of course. That is the most optimal result! But don’t be despondent if she stubbornly refuses to do so. Like me, Sweetie Belle is a Scorpio – so we feel things rather intensely.”

“Ah don’t have to believe in astrology to be Goddess of the Moon, do I?”

“Certainly not”, responded Luna with a chuckle, “otherwise I would have made it part of the lessons.”

“Thank goodness for that. But yeah ah know that’s true about Sweetie. Ah know how to be careful with her when she’s upset.”

“Good luck, Princess Apple Bloom. Overall, how did you enjoy dreamwalking?”

“It was really cool. Ah feel like it is something ah can be really good at if ah’m not the target of a pony’s frustrations.”

“I found this to be the most rewarding part of my job – helping those in need, particularly those who are harboring feelings in the subconscious – trying to hold back.”

“Ah love that. Me and my friends spent so many years trying to help others find their purposes in life – this is another way to do that.”

“Exactly”, said Luna with a smile, “you will be helping more than ponies who don’t know their cutie marks. As you well know, there is more to a pony’s destiny than their cutie mark. There is one more dream I think we should visit tonight.”

“Whose dream?”

“I know I am putting myself at the risk of sounding like a conspiracy theorist – but there is a pony who I do not trust much.”

“Starlight Glimmer?”

“That is correct”, said Luna, “I do not have much proof she is truly planning anything nefarious. But her dreams are well.. you will see. We need a quick window though. Starlight only sleeps four hours a night at most – so we should go now.”

Luna and Apple Bloom made their way to Starlight Glimmer’s dream.

---

The first thing Apple Bloom noticed is that the sky was dark – there wasn’t a moon to light up the sky. It looked like Canterlot but nowhere as lively as it once was.

Apple Bloom then heard marching. She saw lines of ponies marching in unison. Apple Bloom noticed that not a single pony in the battalion had a cutie mark except for the unicorn leading the battalion. It wasn’t Starlight but another unicorn – Trixie Lulamoon.

Trixie shouted on the top of her lungs, “ALL HAIL QUEEN STARLIGHT GLIMMER!!”

The crowd behind her repeated what she said with equal loudness and enthusiasm.

“We have only been here for a minute and ah hate it”, said Apple Bloom.

“Me too. Equestria cannot turn into this.”

“So you think Starlight is really planning this or is she just having dreams from her past?”

“That’s the part I haven’t quite figured out yet. Anytime I try to interact with Starlight directly in her dream, she wakes up. So I think there are things she doesn’t want me to know.”

“Ah guess tonight isn’t going to be that night.”

“I don’t think so”, said Luna with a sigh, “but she reminds me so much of Nova – I don’t trust her.”

“Ah can get her fired from the School of Friendship.”

“Over a dream? Twilight would never believe you.”

“Ah will hate myself if ah don’t try.”

“You’re a brave mare”, said Luna, “let us go.”

They transported back to Canterlot Castle.

“So did you get the gist of how to transport into a dream? Once you go through your coronation, you will be doing these on your own with occasional visits from me.”

“Ah do – but won’t a lot of ponies be surprised to see me instead of you?”

“After your coronation, every pony will know who you are.”

“When’s that gonna be exactly?”

“Whenever you’re ready.”

“Oh wow..ah wasn’t expecting that. Maybe we can do it next week?”

“That can certainly be arranged, Princess Apple Bloom, should be enough time for the preparations to be adequate.”

“Ah don’t care much about the fine details. Ah am just happy to be where ah am now.”

“My replacement only deserves the best of coronations. You will see.”

“Okie dokie lokie!”

---

Apple Bloom woke up and saw that it was already noon. She figured that she would be sleeping in the mornings going forward. She knew the one thing that she needed to get resolved now – forgiveness from Sweetie Belle.

Apple Bloom flew as fast as she could with Ponyville. She could have sworn that she saw Starlight Glimmer hiding in a cloud on her way but Apple Bloom must have been imagining it after last night’s dream.

She arrived at Sweetie Belle’s house – hoping that her friend was home.

“Hey Sweetie”, said Apple Bloom, “we should talk.”

She heard a, “Button, go back to your game. I need to talk to the alicorn alone.” Sweetie Belle.

The door opened and she saw Sweetie Belle who didn’t look so thrilled.

“What brings you here to speak with lowly me?”

“Don’t be like that, Sweetie Belle. Ah only want to help and still be friends.”

“Your selfish stunt last year has my coltfriend all crazy about you.”

“Ah apologized for that a hundred times and it’s not like he broke up with you or anything like that. You two are going to Ponyville State together and ah will be away at Canterlot. If you’re worried about Button Mash going leaps and bounds to be with me, that’s ridiculous. You saw ah punched dream Button into nothingness.”

“Button sees me as a second choice – a consolation prize. He really wants you. He just accepts me because he doesn’t think he can have you.”

“C’mon. That’s craziness. Ah am sure there are plenty of colts out there who wanna be with an alicorn princess but they can’t – not every pony can. So they settle for reality instead.”

“That’s your problem. You think you’re so much better than the rest of us now. But you know what, you’re still the same earth pony hick that you’ve always been.”

Apple Bloom was getting fed up.

“You know what – maybe ah am better than you, Sweetie Belle! That’s why Button hooked up with me when ah still was just an earth pony hick. You’re a snob and it eats you inside that ah am now an alicorn. Even though without my alicorn powers, my IQ is still at least 50 points higher than yours and ah am way prettier and more athletic than you. Grow up! Ah have helped you so much and you know it!”

“I think I’m fine without you”, snarled Sweetie Belle, “good luck as Goddess of the Moon or whatever.” Sweetie Belle slammed the door on Apple Bloom’s face.

Apple Bloom sighed. She had probably ruined things with Sweetie Belle forever. She just was so mad at what Sweetie said – but Apple Bloom wondered, did she always subconsciously see Sweetie Belle as being inferior. Apple Bloom flew away.

Author's Note:

Last chapter coming up soon - probably before Thanksgiving!