> Dreaming under Luna's moon. > by ParadoxPony > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > The Night > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Celestia's sun lowered gracefully to make way for night once more casting shadows among the inheritance of equestria. Luna closed her eyes. "wish me luck my dear sister." She knew her older sister could not hear her but it still felt good of Luna to talk to her. After Twilight freed her from her hate with the elements of harmony, raising the moon seemed more of a painful reminder then a privilege. Luna took a deep breath and stepped out onto a gold trim balcony and began her spell. Sweat aroused from her brow and her knees began to fail her, but surely, when Luna opened her eyes, the moon was far overhead. This made her stop and wonder about the countless time her dear sister had to bring young Luna's prison to come about the skies. "I surely shall not dwell on my past errors! Thy sister hath not want me to suffer regret then and i shalt not do so now!" "I'm happy for you Luna." Luna hadn't notice her sister walk in, but before she could answer her, she left the room. No doubt to finish up on her royal duties and then turn in for the night...Night, why does it have to be so dark, Luna thought. She lay upon her bed and once more closed her eyes to start a spell, but not to raise a moo, but to start a dream spell and therefor allowing her to gaze into the dreams of her subjects....It started at her hind hooves and then moved upward, creating a numbness Luna was well familiar with. It worked it's way up her torso and onto her neck and from there to her head until every part of her equine body went limp. Tingling. Tingling all over. Luna giggled. Giggled! She could move again! The spell had worked. This isn't something to be surprised at but then again she was a thousand years out of practice! Okay, so she can move, but can she see? Luna was a little afraid to find out. She remembered the first time she did the spell as a younger filly. She opened her eyes too early and had a terrible headache. Celestia had to use a healing spell to get her out of the trance. Luna took a deep breath. "Hi-ah princess!" Luna opened one and and then the other to be greeted by a familiar face. Gray coat, check! Yellow mane, check! And wall eyes! Check! "Ah! Derpy! My dear friend! Is there to be and adventure taking place tonight in this realm?" Luna enjoyed this particular mare's dreams the most, they were full of fun and adventure and besides, Derpy had been most understanding about the whole, nightmare moon thing. "Sure is princess!" Luna smiled. Derpy was always so cheerful and easy to talk to. Though sometimes she didn't make the most sense in a conversation, continuing on about some brown stallion in a box or something, and then she insisted on the reality of...Hands, something Luna once heard Lyra speak of. The night went on and Luna was forced to part with Derpy and check on her other subjects. Other than riding a nightmare from a young orange mare, the night was quite calm and peaceful. Until a familiar voice graced her ear. A stallion. Luna stopped to listen... " I'll be in in a moment." Luna came in closer to get a better look, making herself visible to anypony that may be in the area. Luna spoke in a hushed whisper. "oh my stars!" > Stallions... > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The room around her seemed to be in shades of pink and gray. There was a door to her left, obviously a closet or personal privy, and a door to her right witch looked to be the entrance. small groups of candles graced light across the room in a romantic glow one can only find in a dream. A soft breeze flowed through the room like music and, for one wonderful moment, Luna almost felt relaxed. HOOFSTEPS! It was too late for Luna to leave! Luna instantly wished she had never came here in the first place! She froze. What looked to be a stallion emerged from the the doorway to her right. He was wearing a black cloak and Luna could not see his face and, due to the low lighting, couldn't see the color of his cote or mane. "There you are my dear," Luna neither responded nor moved. "You look no different then when I saw you last!" The door behind her swung open and Luna gladly broke her gaze with the stallion to turn and look... A rush of heat came onto Luna's face as she watched a dream version of....well... HER step into the room. She was wearing her mane up in a way Luna hadn't since she was just a filly, and this other mare was wearing an outfit not to royal standards. The stallion quickly figured out what was happening and took a step back, blushing furiously under his black cloak. Luna felt obligated to say something since she HAD invaded on HIS personal...Whatever this was, but before she had a chance, the room swiftly vanished to dust, and with it, the stallion. Luna quickly closed her eyes, traces of memory drifting into mind. "Luna...Luna?...LUNA!?" Luna shook her head and gazed up upon Celestia's face. "Anything... interesting to report sister?" Celestia chided. Luna noticed that even outside of the dream she was still bright red and, thanks to her sisters surprise visit, completely caught off guard. "I...Um...' Luna started "You don't need to explain my sister. I just came in to ask that you lower the moon." Luna gave a relieving sigh, but mostly out of sadness. Those were the very words Celestia had asked her the night she refused to lower it. Celestia could see Luna's discomfort. "Are you alright Luna?" "I am fine now Tia." Celestia smiled and began to leave the room. Luna looked from the balcony to her sister. "Would you...Would you do it with me, um, please? I mean, I'm a bit out of practice." Celestia smiled. "I'd be glad to my sister." > Who exactly? > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Luna awoke to a knock at her door. "Dinner your majesty." Luna forced herself out of bed and exited the room. She would have to raise the moon again once dinner was over with. Being princess of the night she usually slept during the day and spent her nights in the dreams of her loyal subjects. She reluctantly marched down the stairwell and into the royal dinning room. Luna never liked the dinning room, a long table and everypony had to speak loudly just to talk to each other. A most appropriate place to use the traditional Canterlot voice. "Did you sleep well dear Luna?" Luna ignored her and only poked at her food with a levitated fork. "Luna?" She continued to poke at her food, refusing to look up at Celestia. The older alicorn stared at her and put a hoof on te table, a trick her father had taught her when handling uncooperative diplomats. Luna sighed. "Tis nothing my sister..." "And yet you poke at your food like a filly? Please Luna, i ignored your feelings once a thousand years ago and i shall not do it again!" "Tia? Have you ever...seen something that was meant to be a secret?" "I do suppose I have." "And, that secret has to do with you?" "I do believe so, yes." "And you're not too sure what to do about it? what did you do?" Celestia went quiet for a moment and the whole room turned cold in an instant. "Luna, I'm not too sure where you are going with this, but I think you should do what ever feels right." A typical older sister answer!Luna thought. "Um...Thanks sis." And Luna finished the rest of her meal in silence. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "You can do this Luna" She told herself. Luna took a deep breath and began to raise the moon. That night, Luna saw no trace of he strange stallion or, luckily for her, any more "dream Lunas." "Who could it be! Such naughty thoughts about...about me...I must know!" The following day, Luna searched the castle for evidence. The only difference in the mid day sun was the fact that everypony seemed to carry a whisper on their tong. It was at least 6:30 when Luna reached ponyville. She hadn't told anypony about it so one can imagine the surprise on the ponies' faces. "P-Princess Luna! Y-Your majestic majesty! I didn't know you were to be paying us a visit! I-I-I..." Luna cut her off, "Relax fare mare! For I have come on a personal mater! May you direct me to the Apple family farm?" The pony did as she was asked and Luna soon found applejack, the element of honesty! > Never to be. > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Your majesty! What a surprise! I didn't know ya'll was coming!" "Yes, and I am sorry for this rude interruption, but i need some information." Luna leaned in to match AppleJack's height, then glanced left, then right. After seeing nopony in sight, Luna whispered her problem to the orange mare, her muzzle, just inches away from Aj's ear, making the mare a little uncomfortable. "Well... Your majesty, I kinda promised I wouldn't tell anypony....But...." "Yes!?" Luna urged. "Well," Aj dragged on, " I have heard a few things...Shucks princess, I just can't! taint right uh me to betray a secret like that. I'm real sorry." Luna felt defeated, but tried to hide her feeling behind a lopsided smile.Aj bowed low to the ground and went back to her apple bucking. Luna dropped the smile and went off to find her next victim, i mean subject who could share their knowledge with a princess. And I know just the pony. Luna thought. twelve past noon, no time to wait around! Luna rushed down streets and through allies until coming upon a colorfully decorated building with the words "Carousel Boutique" written in swerve letters carved into the door. Luna smiled and walked in, a little bell hung at the top of the doorway making a ringing noise when she stepped in. "Hello and welcome to the Carousel Boutique where......OH MY STARS! Princess Luna! It is an honor!" Luna effused to smile, making it plain to Rarity this was strictly business. "Rarity, I am told that you know things in the area of gossip?" "Well, yes...But I'm sure I haven't told any thing that...I don't know that much! I..." Rarity acted more and more flustered with every word she spoke. "Am I told incorrectly then?" Luna questioned. Rarity looked down. "No...Your majesty..." Luna's eyes brightened and picked Rarity up, giving her quite a shock, and squeezing the wight unicorn tightly against her body. "This is good news to us!" She spoke in the "Royal voice." "It is?" Rarity asked. "Yes," replied Luna, putting the dizzy mare down,"perhaps you can give me the proper information i need" "I do hope so. Please, come into the parlor!" Rarity led her guest into a magnificent looking room that almost exceeded the beauty of a Canterlot pent house with it's colors and elegant furniture. "It's not must but i do what i can!" Rarity laughed nervously. "You have done well for such a young filly." Luna said, "But I do wish to be on my way as soon as possible." Rarity blinked back into reality apart from being a aw that the princess of the night was in HER Boutique. "OH! Of course you do! You probably have to get back to that nice stallion!" This was it! "Stallion?" Luna asked, as if having no knowledge of it, but she was eager and her voice sounded a little more forced then she had intended. "Um...Yes....You two ARE still together...aren't you?" "I should say not!" Luna protested. "Oh....well i'm sorry to hear that...What happened?" Luna answered too quickly, "NOTHING HAPPENED!" Rarity tilted her head and gave the princess an odd look. Raising one hoof to her chest and taking a deep breath, Luna tried to relax and let the air out slowly. "Doth you truly think I hath gone to find a special somepony?" Luna stated more calmly. "Oh, it's not just ME darling, the whole town know about you too, but the odd thing is, he always denies it!" Luna winced. "He?" "Oh yes! We found out your little secret in the latest 'Gabby Gums' column! The whole TOWN's talking about you and your somepony." "But I don't HAVE a special somepony!" A lump started to form at the back of Luna's throat and she became increasingly uncomfortable. > FINALLY!!!! > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "But darling! It's all right here!" Rarity levitated a newspaper off the coffee table and onto Luna's lap. Luna read: After interviewing the local ponies of our very own ponyville, a new story unfolds that will knock the hay right out of your mouth! I have come across a few wild stories in my day but this one takes the cake! I have information from a very reliable source whose name he would like to keep as "anonymous" has told us here at the new that our very own princess of the night, princess Luna, has found herself a special somepony! He himself would also like to remain anonymous at this time in their relationship.He states "When the public is read for us, we will share our love! As for know, i will remain in the shadows. Who is the strange stallion from the blue? If you have any info on him or princess Luna at this time, please take the time to call the number below! Signing of, ponyville! ~Gabby Gums. Luna sat still for a moment, processing what she had just read. Rarity sat uncomfortably on the couch across from her, shifting her weight between hooves. "Um...princess, heh, I'm just going to go to the other room now...over there...to get some...tea." Rarity left the room in a hurry leaving Luna to sit alone in the quiet. Luna didn't like to be alone. It reminded her of the thousand year "vacation" when she was on the moon. Taking in a deep breath, Luna let it out in a long, stress relieving sigh. Then froze...IT ALL MADE SENSE! Rarity entered the room with a tray in her mouth, on it a variety of dainty sandwiches and tiny cookies and even tinier tea cups. "Prwincesh? Wherrr did she gow?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The wind tore at Luna's wings and she had to close her eyes due to he pain. She was flying. Flying faster than ever before. Flying toward Canterlot! Luna tip-toed across the hall toward her room, being the rush she was in, the princess had to lower the moon on her flight back to Canterlot so everypony was asleep and the castle grew quieter by the minute. As Luna turned a corner, she found herself facing her bedroom door and on either side of it rested a sleeping guard, leaning on his spear. Luna rolled her eyes, but allowed them to sleep anyway. She looked down, and, dancing along the tile floor beneath her hooves, was a redish tinted light. It shown under her door like the sun. Luna knew EXACTLY who was sneaking around in her room, but before she could open the door, the light disappeared from sight and she could hear her balcony doors opening. Luna sped into the room, forcing the door to slam against the walls beyond just in time to see a caped figure sped his wings and disappear off the balcony. Luna extended a hoof as if to stop him, but it was too late. She once more stared down at he floor and gave a long heartbroken sigh. She crawled under the covers of her bed and closed her eyes. "OUCH!" Luna jumed up and stared down at where she had lay, in her place of rest, lay a note, but more importantly, a chrystal. THE END!