A Few Moments with Twilight

by Haliton

A Dream at Twilight

I knew this place well.

I found myself in a spring, the steamy mist blurring whatever world there was outside. The warm water caressed my body, yet touched every nerve before silencing it. It was warm, not unbearable, but enough to break a man so that he can be rebuilt. Up above beyond the mist was a few hints of daylight, slowly inching their way across a a night sky to become its equal.

The spring urged me to relax. I obeyed and leaned back into smooth stones. Some of the mist parted, revealing a small walled garden and a house at the end of a short stone trail. A house more familiar, almost like back home. By the sides of the path leading there lay lovingly-tended bonsai to welcome you from the house or the spring. All that mattered at the time, though, was where I was. I wanted to melt into the waters.

Ding.

A bell. Why was the front bell ringing? Nobody should be here but me, this was my space and mine only.

Ding.

Whoever it was wasn't leaving. This hadn't happened before. My body cried for the spring's embrace as I lifted myself out into the cold air, but putting on a nearby robe made it just warm and cool enough in all the right places. I had to go into the house and get to the front door before I could send them away. It was a place I knew well enough to reach wherever I wanted in the time it took to blink.

Ding.

"Stop that." I barked to the door. Whoever was behind it at least understood I was arriving.

My intruder's identity stopped the next words about to escape my mouth. Hair that looked like it was drawn from the sea in the night sky. A deep night-blue body that ended in an image of a crescent moon, set upon a black splotch. Birdlike wings folded to the sides and a long horn set on the head.

"Good evening. May I come in?"

I'd only seen Princess Luna once before, but she was much different from the last time. She came without any grand entrance or entourage or an amplified voice. It was as if she really did walk up here and ring the doorbell like anyone else.

"This is new. No one's ever come here before. It's forbidden."

"Could I ask for an exception? You're free to refuse, I am now just a guest."

"It couldn't hurt, I suppose. Don't go in too deep, we can chat nearby."

I took the night princess into a spacious living room. A fire from behind shooed the cold air away. Not enough that it became hot, but the room found that perfect balance.

"Make yourself comfortable." I pointed her to a sofa while I leaned back on my own couch. "Anything to drink? There's tea, or beer. That's what I feel like having now, at least."

"You have quite the imagination." The night princess smiled. "I'll have whatever you take. That way I'll actually get to taste it."

"That's fine." Instinctively, I knew where to reach for a perfectly chilled bottle. Just somewhere I wasn't looking. There were two glasses on the table when I looked back, chilled as well to preserved taste."

"I used to have these to celebrate good days. They were only made in... in a distant land, and when I bought the last batch they told me they'd stopped bringing them in. The last one I opened, I shared with my friends. Left me with almost nothing, but I already had the memories of drinking something so divine. Figured I might as well give the experience to them. Anyway... enjoy, Princess."

She lifted the glass off my hand with that horn magic of hers. She sniffed, then took a sip. She held her eyes closed to examine the taste.

"Hmm... overwhelms the senses as it goes in, but when it fades it leaves you refreshed and wanting more. Thank you for sharing this with me. Although... if you finished your last bottle already, then what's this?" The night princess ended her sentence with a smirk.

"I'm sure you know the answer. I'm trying not to think about it." I distracted myself with a sip of my own. It was exactly as she described.

"You needn't be concerned. While I'm here, I can keep your dream stable, so long as you don't wish to wake up."

I already knew just where I was, of course. This one living room was far bigger than the whole house was on the outside. Besides, I had never been in a place like this before. Bits of it were pieced together from places I liked enough to remember and associate with peaceful times. With Princess Luna's assurance, I managed to gain some more clarity and clear the dark corners of my vision.

"That's reassuring. I don't often get to do this. So what brings you here to visit me? That is, if you're even Princess Luna, and not a stray bit of my imagination."

"You ask good questions." She laughed. "What if I told you something you couldn't know on your own? Tomorrow, go look in the bushes near Ponyville's library. You'll find a purple maneclip, one very dearly missed by Twilight Sparkle. If you return it to her, she would be very grateful."

"Very helpful, I hope I'll remember that. I suppose I can accept that you really are Princess Luna appearing in my mind. I think I saw a book describing that power of yours. I supposed there's not much I can do to stop a living goddess."

A shadow began to creep about the room. It stayed far from me, but slowly crept towards Luna, who looked at it with an expression of mild interest.

"Oh, it's not like that. I can't see everything. Only what you're dreaming about, which could be either real or a complete fantasy, and when I'm here talking to you, I can't force secrets out." Her horn glowed a faint blue tinge, and the shadow stopped in its tracks. She looked at me reassuringly, and the shadow slid back into a storeroom somewhere until it was needed again.

"So, how has life in Ponyville been for you? I am sorry I couldn't join your meeting with my sister the other day, my duties limit the times I am available."

"That's fine, your Highness. It... well, it's hard to say."

"Oh, no need to be so formal. This is your mind, after all."

"Of course. Anyway, Princess, it's not as bad as it could be. All things considered, actually, things are going about as well as they could. Still..."

"You were offered a room in the palace, weren't you? You would have been waited on hand and hoof. I heard you rejected that. Why would that be?"

"That would have been nice. For a while, at least. That night I had... I had a very good talk with Twilight."

"Oh, my! What kind of good talk?" She looked very. very interested, the way her head was leaning in.

"I don't get to talk about it often. It was about what our dreams were. Turns out Twilight shares a lot more with me than I thought."

"Of course! The two of you have gotten along very well. I am happy to see you've made a good friend in her. But why would that make you want to leave the castle?"

"Earlier than day, Princess Celestia told me that it would be very long until I could get home. Very long. I... I had to accept that. I knew I couldn't be happy if I just sat around waiting for something to happen. So when I spoke with Twilight, I figured it'd be... meaningful to do something with her.

The room lit up a little. My couch grew softer and took on a silky texture. The same happened to Luna's seat. She fidgeted around to accommodate the new extra comfort. A new warmth overtook the air.

"This is a very happy thought for you, isn't it?" Luna had finally found her position, curled up on her sofa. There was even a blanket hanging nearby. "I can feel it very clearly."

"It is. Well, of course. It's good knowing that someone shares ideals and dreams you hold dear. If I can't work towards my own, I can at least help Twilight make hers come true. I can live a little through her. Vicariously."

"I see, I see..." Princess Luna sipped some more of her drink. It had changed to a steaming mug of hot chocolate. So did mine, to fit the mood. Sweet, warm and fulfilling. "Like I said, you've grown close."

"We have. I'm happy for that."

"Happy enough to leave things as they are?"

"Well, of course I'd like things to get better. What are you asking?"

"Well, from what I've seen... Don't worry about it so much. Follow your heart. I think you have a good one."

The couches suddenly grew stiff. The warm fire faded, and our drinks froze in their mugs.

"Just what have you seen, Princess?"

She put a hoof to her mouth, holding back a giggle.

"Today wasn't the only time I came to visit you! The first time was when you stayed in the palace. It was very difficult learning to enter your mind before, so I had you sleep in a room I prepared myself. That's also how I learned what to have the kitchens prepare for you."

"That's right. Ponies don't usually eat salmon, do they? That was delicious."

"I'll be sure to tell that to our kitchen staff. Anyway, I did want to come have a chat with you after that, but every night you were... busy. I didn't want to interrupt."

Veins of ice were creeping into the room. The windows were already blocked by a fine frozen layer. Luna looked around at the freezing legs of her couch and laughed.

"Come now, there's no need to be afraid! Everyone dreams, and they have no control over what they do dream of. It would be especially hypocritical of me to judge somepony just because of that. I must admit... you don't look like it, but you can be absolutely adorable."

The icy, frozen veins, not sure quite what to think, retreated back through the windows and outside. Luna's horn glowed, and the out-of-sight fireplace was relit. Our drinks managed to get warm again and the couch unfroze, letting our weights sink back into the cushions.

"Supposed there'd be a problem if it wasn't a just dream, huh?" Somehow my drink had gotten cold the moment it parted the mug. It left a chilling trail in my throat on the way down.

"Well... that's up to Twilight Sparkle, isn't it? Or 'Twi', or 'Wiley', or –mmmph!"

A strip of masking tape had helpfully held Luna's mouth shut. It was simple for her to pull it off and resume laughing hysterically.

"Ahahahaha! I do apologize, I didn't mean to peek into that, but it kept coming up... "

I could only sigh and distract myself with another few gulps. It had turned to water, or something like it. It didn't have a taste.

"Oh, you don't have to look like that! We were all young once. Even my sister and myself." Luna worked her magic again to warm our room. This time she drew teacups from behind her couch, bringing with them a faint aroma.

"Let me share some of my thoughts with you. Tea made from a herb that blooms at night." She floated her mug over the table between us for me to snatch out of the air, after placing my previous drink out of sight. "The scent of the flower draws moths. When they drink its nectar, it stimulates their mind so they remember where it is. If it's found other flowers like it before, it also helps them remember so they go around and spread its pollen. I drink it to help me recall memories I value. Of course, this isn't the real thing, but I'm sure you'll appreciate the taste."

The liquid in the cup was a faint blue. It was sweet at first, but as it went down the tongue there was a hint of bitterness. It only made the next sensation sweeter, like a reward for enduring.

"To be young again... I remember the first time a stallion truly caught my eye. I spent so many sleepless days wondering just what was happening to me..."

The drink in my hands grew warmer. She took another sip of her own.

"I wondered if he thought the same way about me as I did for him. One night, we found ourselves together out in a field. We were watching the night sky... under the moon and the stars, I decided to tell him just what I thought."

"And...?" It was nice of her to put the pressure off me.

"He thought the same way. I'll always remember the sky we saw when I heard him say those words. I think... I think that's where I learned to love the night."

She sighed. Her couch was no more, replaced by a patch of grass. She lay on her back, staring up into a large hole in the ceiling. Pale white light shone on her, but left a shadow to her side.

"That's very sweet, Princess. I can't imagine anyone turning you down."

"Oh, you, save your words for someone who matters," she laughed. She laughed less like a royal, and more like a doting aunt. "We went through many things together. I changed, in many ways." Her horn flashed and her wings fluttered, slightly. "With every new chapter of my life, I could depend on him to keep me at peace. He always told me how beautiful my work was when I needed kindness, or a moment of comfort on daybreak."

"Sounds like a wonderful partner. He's very lucky to have met you to love. Can I meet him sometime?"

The light on Luna flickered and dimmed. The grass she lay on stopped their dance and grew still.

"I had to leave him behind a long time ago. I am very different from most ponies, aren't I?"

It took me a while to understand. I had to recall one of Twilight's many eager lectures. Princess Luna, as Nightmare Moon was banished for a millennium. It was Princess Celestia who executed the sentence, the same Princess Celestia who I had met recently. The depictions of her from old texts described her about the same as she appeared to me. And of course, they were living gods. Which meant...

"I–I see. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made you bring that up."

"Don't worry about it." Princess Luna stood up. Her horn glowed a deep purple, and the grass patch faded away. "I've come to accept it. I have to, just like you."

She repaired the hole she bore in the ceiling while I downed the rest of her tea. The bitter tinge was far more overpowering than before, but the sweet flow that came after lovingly melted into my mouth.

"Would you still have done it if you knew it would end that way , Princess? Just curious. You don't have to answer."

She looked down, her eyes expressionless, before turning away.

" I... I don't know. It's not a question I can answer, I'm afraid. All I know now is that I've made plenty of good memories, and that I'll treasure them as long as I live. Even if it only felt like a few moments... that's the brighter side I should see. I found something else to comfort me, just like you."

Princess Luna rose and turned to me, finding a reassuring smile to show.

"Thank you for being a wonderful host. I hope you'll entertain me the same way again." She bowed her head, then began walking to the door. She left an empty trail behind her, wiping away whatever her image touched to leave a grey void.

"You won't stay longer? You're very welcome either way, Princess. What happens when you leave, though?"

"Whatever you like. Most go back to nothing before having another dream, but I can't recommend that for you. You have something important to wake up for, don't you?"

She opened the door to a similar void, slowly enveloping my vision. She was the only thing not melting into it as she spread her wings and hovered in its midst.

"I suppose I do. I had a lovely time. When will I see you again?"

"Whenever it's convenient for us both. Isn't that enough questions? Now, you have a very good morning."

---

I began to feel the cloth of my bed taking shape just before the alarm started to ring. My eyes opened without any of the usual protest, and my body stood up to shut it off and begin the day.

My room lay in a mess. Last night's work lasted until sometime in the wee hours of the morning. Different clothes tried on and rejected lay abandoned on the floor. Old lifestyle magazine clippings whose models I tried to imitate, being thankful I was the only one to see the resulting mess every time. Some books on the bedside, whose clever lines I tried to memorise in a single night to reuse when appropriate. I would have looked really cool, too.

Still, somehow I woke up rested. Something must have blessed the four or so hours of sleep I ended up forced into. There couldn't have been a better day for it.

Author's Note:

NOT DEAD I SWEAR

Sorry for being away from this so long. Real life always comes for you. Also, I went back and redid many of the old chapters, reading them was a pain. As always, I'd love comments.

Comments

[Haliton]

6450206
That's sort of the feel I'm going for. Glad to hear it.

[Keradon]

NOT DEAD I SWEAR

And do you feel...happy? Should we place you on the cart?

[MuzaWaza]

I thought he was going to wake up with a 'morning wood' when Luna said that.

[Die Pie WiM]

I had to go back and reread your old chapters just to figure out what was going on in this story, honestly that wasn't a bad experience. After rereading I enjoyed it just the same as the first time. Over all, I'm so glad I never took this off my read list, the new chapter was small pretty good, I like the fact that Luna wasn't completely "formal" and she was very causal as she conversed. I'm pretty excited to see this story updated and I'm eagerly waiting to see another update. Awesome job and welcome back!

[Lupus]

Woo, not dead! Drinks all around!

[fluffy155]

I read this whole story in one go, and it's really incredible the degree of improvement in writing style and quality from the first chapter to the most recent. Even in revised form the first few were difficult to get through, but the last couple read very well. And the story itself is enjoyable too of course.

[Haliton]

6463753
Thanks a lot! Looks like my time paid off well. Now to spend another few years editing the older chapters, hah

[Kadigan]

NOT DEAD I SWEAR

LIES AND SLANDER. ;]