> Waking Dream > by Mari Lwyd > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Just a Pip dream. > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was another one of those dreams. Atop the star blanket knoll, Luna’s eyes filled his vision. He could feel the warmth of her breath wash across his muzzle. Though, what he meant by “those dreams” had changed over the years.  Pip had dreamt of Luna ever since he met her over a decade ago. In the early years, he would only dream of her occasionally. They would explore forgotten ruins, or sail to fantastic lands. At first, he had imagined that it really was Princess Luna visiting his dreams, but the ridiculousness of that soon dawned on him. Still... deep in his heart, he nursed a belief that she really had come to help him once. That dream had come when he needed it the most, and left him with a nagging doubt if it had even been a dream at all. It had, of course, been a dream, but the excitable little colt still within him wanted to believe, just maybe it had really been her. Then the dreams became more frequent. As he grew up the adventures continued, but the Luna within his dreams became less a teacher and more a friend. Years passed and something else changed. He had always known Luna was a mare, but that had never meant anything. Till one day he realized something had changed. He knew that she was a mare and that he was a colt. He knew that this difference led somewhere he’d never been. But she was just a figment of his own imagination, a self-conjured voice to help him understand his inner thoughts. Years passed again with this knowledge. The Luna of his dreams became a near nightly companion. There were still dreams of distant lands and ancient temples, but also calm forests and quiet conversations beneath the stars. The Luna of his dreams tilted her head. It was a motion that invited him to mirror it and lean closer. His lips tingled at the nearness, but then she pulled away.  “Pip,” she paused with a nervous, half-questioning expression. “Our first kiss, I’d like it to be on the other side. Is that alright?” Pip nodded. He didn’t know what “other side” meant, but he didn’t care. His dream swallowed him up in inky black. He found himself laying down now, enveloped in warm softness. Velvet lips touched his own in the absolute darkness, and Luna’s smell filled his dream. They kissed. Careful at first, but the touch soon turned playful and explorative, the kisses desperate. Hooves began to wander as passion embolden them both. Caresses became greedy clutching as each body tried to know the other one completely. Taking a deep breath Luna pulled away into the darkness. He couldn’t see her, but Pip knew she was just within reach. “Apologies,” Luna said within the dream’s darkness. “I did not mean to push you that far.” Pip reached into the void of the dream until he felt Luna’s warmth. He pulled her back into a kiss, then allowed himself to be toppled over into a twining embrace. Dim morning light and the blare of his alarm clock broke the sweet nothingness of Pip’s sleep. He blindly smashed the off button, sending something to the floor in the process. He dug the sleep from his eyes and smiled as memories of last night’s dream began to trickle back. Something cold and wet on the sheets spoiled the moment.  Pip flipped back the sheets and grimaced at the carnage. A wet dream. Perhaps more than one. He still smiled, he couldn’t bring himself to complain about having to do laundry. It was far too pleasant of a memory. He flipped the covers onto the floor then began to peel off the fitted sheet. Pip wrinkled his muzzle as he pulled. The sheets stank... Or rather smelled very intensely. Some little urge in the back of his mind begged him to breathe it in.  Pip cleared his nose with a nicker. He had to get this smell off him. He’d have to write in his dream journal later if he wanted to get the shop open in time.   / / / Luna pranced into the kitchen. “Good morning,” she sang, before giving Celestia a playful bump. “What’s on the breakfast menu today?” Celestia studied her sister with a critical eye. Her coat was still damp from a recent shower. That usually meant she’d had a hard night, but here Luna was in quite possibly the best mood she’d seen her in months.  “Oats and fruit in yogurt, waffles with jam, croissant, and eggs cooked to order,” Celestia answered. “Want some? There’s plenty.” Luna’s magic plucked up an errant blueberry and flung it into her mouth. “I must pass this morning.” she said with a smile and bright eyes. “I promised to have breakfast with a handsome young stallion.” A teasing grin crept across Celestia’s face. “Did you get covered last night?” Luna’s muzzle wrinkled. “Sister, don’t make it sound cheap. T’was was a tender moment.” “Oh,” Celestia blinked. Her sister was dead serious. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend.” Then she blinked again as a hundred little moments over the last year or two came into focus. Luna had been dating some pony in secret. And at the very least, her sister was heart deep into a powerful crush. “Well,” Celestia searched for something to say. “I wish you two the best, and I look forward to meeting him.” Luna downed the cup of coffee Celestia had been sipping from, then gave her a toothy grin. “I will introduce you soon enough, I hope. First though, I need to set a few things right,” she said before trotting out of the room. / / / Laundry in the wash and fresh out of the shower, Pip checked the clock on his night stand as he toweled his mane. Something caught his attention. A crisp sheet of folded paper lay on the floor. He paused in confusion. Slowly, he moved close enough to open it.  The examination revealed delicate writing in indigo ink. “Sorry about leaving without saying anything. I needed a shower, but did not wish to wake you. I will return with breakfast shortly. Yours, Luna” Pip’s heart froze, his ears rang. He looked to the now stripped bed. Had he... Had Luna actually... All this time? No... Definitely not. It was just a dream. A foal-hood fantasy turned into a coping mechanism after his mother’s death. His legs shook. He sat to keep from falling over. He looked again to the bed. More memories of last night began to flood into his awareness.  Downstairs, the bell rang. There was a customer, or a former princess waiting outside. A princess he’d just given his virginity to. He shook his head. That was silly. It was just a dream.  The bell rang again. Pip moved by habit alone. His mind a thousand leagues away, he descended the stairs and turned the store’s lights on. By the register he glanced at the picture of his Mum, the last picture they’d taken together. An old wound threatened to open in his heart. He needed to talk to her, but that was something lost to him.  Pip steeled himself and walked towards the door. He chose to find comfort in routine, and slipped into his practiced facade of shopkeeper. “Welcome to Darjiling’s tea, books, and games,” the oft recited phrase left his lips without thought as he opened the door. “Everything alright, Dear?” Rarity asked. “Just a restless night.” Pip answered, holding the door for her to enter. Taking a breath Pip put on his shopkeeper’s smile. “Here for your usual? I got in a new chi blend last week. I think you’d like it. It has that cracked pepper sent you like.” Rarity’s ears perked. “Oh, sounds wonderful. I’ll take the usual and enough of the chi for a few pots.” Pip welcomed the distraction of routine. “Manesone’s new book, Hoof Full of Charms, comes out in two weeks, want to reserve a copy?” he asked, sitting tins of loose tea on the counter. A crooked smile played across Rarity. “Yes, please,” she said, placing some bits on the counter before looking to the books displayed near the register. “When is your next book due out?” “Hm?” Pip looked up from bagging her order. “Oh, I think the editor said about three months.” “You know Dash swares you’re going to be the next A.K. Yearling” An honest chuckle escaped Pip. “She only says that because Quick Step is my take on her as an earthpony.” The door’s bell rang as Pip passed Rarity her bag. ““Welcome to Darjiling’s tea, books, and games,” the practiced greeting rolled unbidden from his tongue. Looking up, he found Luna standing in his store with a drink holder and a to-go box from some restaurant he’d never heard of. The coffee smelled really good. It occurred to Pip that the store had gotten very quiet. “H- Hi,” Pip forced out. > Breakfast Confessions. > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Some form of squeak escaped Rarity. “I, think I’ll be heading home now. I’ll let you know what I think of the chi.” There was a flash of Rarity’s soft-blue magic and then she was gone. Luna made an expression between surprise and curiosity. “I did not know she had learned that spell.” Pip also stared at the empty space. “I think she just now found the motivation.” Luna wilted. “I got you a mushroom and cheese omelette with hash browns: extra crispy,” Luna offered the box with a sheepish grin. The dejected look stabbed at Pip’s heart. She’d brought him his favorite breakfast, probably from some place in Canterlot, and here he was making her feel bad. Absently, he cleared space on the counter for the two of them to eat. It was both unimaginable and rote that she knew how he liked his hash browns. But then he knew she liked them crispy as well. Both his mother and Celestia had a tendency to overcook things. “I... How long?” Pip was met with a genuine look of confusion from Luna. “How long?” she asked, setting out their meal. “I thought it was just a dream.” Luna gave him one of her impish grins that he loved so much. “This morning was quite real.” He took a bit of his omelette, then tried the coffee. They were every bit as good as they smelled. “No Luna, I thought it was all a dream.” He looked at the mare sitting across from him. The life drained from Luna’s eyes. “Oh.” She sat her fork down. “I’m sorry. I’ll leave.” “No.” The word left Pip as a declaration and a plea. A hoof lunged forward on its own and caught the edge of her wing. “Please don’t.” His voice faded to a cracked whisper. “Luna, my first stories were about chivalric romance for a reason.” A shy grin began to spread across Pip’s muzzle. “I’ve had a crush on you since about five minutes after I hit puberty. I’m just confused, maybe a little hurt. Why just dreams? You could have walked in here any time. Why now?.” Luna sat back down. She poked at her meal, but didn’t eat. “At first, you were just a colt who had fun dreams. I thought of you as something like a favorite nephew I like playing with. Then I realized you were natural lucid dreamer, and a talented one too. Enough that I fancied making you into something like my apprentice.” Pip’s ears perked at Luna’s words. “You think I could dreamwalk?” Luna gave him a sage nod. “You could, but by the time I was going to teach you to enter the space between dreams, Celestia and I retired. I couldn’t really offer you a job and I had more time to spend in the dreaming myself, so I didn’t see a reason to complicate your life.” “Is that when you started encouraging me to write?” Pip asked “Indeed. Your creative sense is strong. It would be a loss for you to now follow it.” Luna ate a bit of omelette. It reminded Pip that he was hungry, and took a few bites as well. “I Intended to recommend you to some art school, but then your mother’s accident happened. After we spent the night talking on the roof of Canterlot spire, I knew you weren’t ready to let go of your mother’s store.”  Luna looked around the little shop as an excuse to gather her thoughts. She smiled. It was a delightfully quaint place.     A strangled sound snapped her attention back to Pip. “That was real!?” the question begged for validation. “I really spent the night crying on you, on a roof, in Canterlot?” “Of course,” Luna said with a confused pout. “I told you that at the time.”  A manic energy twisted Pips face into something like glee. “I’m not insane, you really teleported us up there?” Luna nodded. Pip’s expression twitched. “Huh...” A bemused grin replaced the mania. When their eyes met Luna found an honest smile. “Well, if I never said it, thank you for that.” The smile soothed Luna’s heart. “After that, I visited your dreams a lot more. I thought you knew it was me, but wanted us to keep the same relationship. I convinced myself that you were the one afraid of what would happen if I became part of your waking life.” Luna rested her hooves on the counter. “Then one day I realized I was spending time with a stallion. A handsome young stallion that I very much wanted to spend more time with, but the fear of losing what I had only grew worse. So instead, I waited for you to make the first move. Maybe I knew all along you didn’t know and I feared change.” A silence hung as Pip pondered his coffee. “I could have asked Spike to send you a letter, but I never did. If I’d gotten back some polite version of, I don’t know you,” it would have destroyed me.” Pip rested a hoof on the counter, then reached out to hers. “I know you very well.” Luna pressed her hoof into his. “I like this,” Pip said. “We should spend more time together in real life. Luna made a crooked grin. “Agreed.”  With hooves pressed together a comfortable silence settled over them as they ate.  Luna stretched, then made a defeated sigh. “Sadly, I must return to Canterlot shortly.” “Are you working tonight?” Pip asked.  “Only till Pearl Diver comes in. She runs the place better than me anyway.” A blush crept over Pip. “Would you want to spend the night.” He gave the slightest nod towards his bedroom above them. Luna leaned forward to answer him with a kiss.  “Um...” A timid voice drawled from behind her, they had both been oblivious to the door chimes. “Should I come back later?” Fluttershy asked. / / /  Luna awoke on a pile of silk pillows. A grand, Saddle-Arabian style tent sheltered her on three sides, framing a sliver moon over rippling dunes that stretched to infinity.  She became aware that Pip was laying against her. “It’s beautiful.” “Uh? I thought you made this?” Luna snuggled into Pip’s embrace. “No, I think I wandered over here by accident. Luna scratched at her chin. “It’s probably because we’re sleeping in the same bed. Our auras are touching.” Pip poked at Luna’s shoulder. “You're you, right.?”  Luna swatted him with a pillow. “I am.” Ignoring the blow, Pip snuggled closer. “Good. Can we go back to sleep? I had enough adventure for a bit.” A yawn crept out of Luna. “Indeed.” > The Second Morning. > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dim morning light and the blare of his alarm clock broke the sweet nothingness of Pip’s sleep. The scent of sandalwood and jasmine on his pillow made him smile. Luna had let herself in after he’d gone to bed, but she’d still come over and snuggled in anyway. A mischief grin spread across his lips. He rolled over to face Luna, but only found a few stray indigo hairs. Disappointment tugged at him, but then the gurgling sound of his coffee maker told him she was still here. Pip rolled onto his hooves. A full bladder and the magic of morning had him in no condition for polite company, and he was going to have to walk by Luna to get to his bathroom. Though he’d just considered starting something just moments ago, the idea of strolling around full mast in front of Luna threatened to cure the problem by itself.  Unfortunately, it didn’t. / / / Luna pointedly didn’t notice Pip’s dash to the bathroom. Or at least kept her muzzle in her coffee. Her tail was very much aware of the colt, but Luna forced the reflex down before Pip noticed it. She hoped so at least. She didn’t want him to think she was a mare that only saw stallions for their flesh.  Soon enough Pip trotted back into the room. “Sleep well?” he asked before kissing her just behind the ear. The faint scent of mint told her he’d brushed his teeth. Luna had pondered leaving her brush on his counter, but decided against it. She was sure Pearl had warned her against just such a thing. She met his lips with her own. “I did.”  Pip smiled. “Me too.” He poured himself some coffee then opened a door to a room that looked something like an office. “I need to write in my dream journal. Want to get breakfast after that? Sugar-cube Corner is going to be slammed, but we could go to Tender Tufts. They have great breakfast salads. Or we could try Sugar Belle’s. Their crepes look good, but I’ve never tried them.”   “You have a dream journal?” Luna turned her head in eager curiosity. He gave her a wild grin, then motioned her to follow. Inside the room she found a wall of bookshelves that would make Twilight proud, and a writer’s desk that reminded her of Celestia”s organized chaos. “I have one for every year since I was eight.” He hoofed her a journal, then sat down to write in one already on his desk.  Luna opened to a random page. It was a dream where she and Pip had explored an ancient griffon castle from before their government collapsed. She smiled. “I remember this.” She flipped a few more pages, then stole a glance at what he was currently writing.  Her eyes however fell on the lines of the night before. The poetic prose painted their carnal encounter as a fever dream of ecstasy. The winding elaborations of what she and the colt had done in tangled sheets sent her ears ringing. Luna half nickered half coughed to clear her mind.  / / / Behind him Luna made a strange sound. He looked over his shoulder to find her with ears forward and tail thrashing. “You okay?” he asked. Her usual tranquility returned in a blink. “I was... just thinking we could go through these together one day. It would be fun. But I am getting rather hungry.” She smiled. Pip’s eyes lit up. “Oh! That would be fun. I could finally figure out which ones were really you.” He scribbled a few more lines then bounced to his hooves. “Now let’s go eat.” Luna nodded and let Pip lead the way. > Night Out. > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Still holding a bar apron in her leathery wing, Pearl Diver stared at Luna. “So you left your new coltfriend in Ponyville after breakfast, to come clean out the freezer? Did you at least have some sex before you left?” “He needed to get his shop open, and there was some event he was hosting as well. I didn’t want to merely be under hoof.” Luna hoofed through a stack of invoices in an attempt to avoid eye contact. “And no, I did not pester him for sex. A good mare waits at least three days between bothering her stallion.” Pearl made a strained face. “I think I heard my grandmother say that once. Luna, plenty of colts like sex too.” She rolled her eyes. “I mean, don't be a creep, of course, but ask him what he wants. He’ll probably surprise you. No pony keeps track of pedigree anymore. Mares don’t shunned colts for, trying to give away the blood line, just because he covers a few mares before he finds a herd.”  Luna was still in thought for a moment. “I have avoided romance since my return. I suppose I have more to learn.” “At least you didn’t try to win him with a dowry of pasture.” Indigo magic quietly nudged a real estate brochure into the trash. Pearl patted her on the shoulder before throwing on her bar apron. “You were just trying to show you care. I wouldn’t worry about it, but talk to him.” She smiled and pushed open the door to the bar. “Have fun with those invoices. I have drinks to serve.” / / / Pip wasn’t a stranger to Canterlot. After he’d become old enough to drink, there had been several tours of Canterlot’s drinking establishments. That said, it had been at least a year since he’d been here. And though he’d seen the inside of more than a few bars, there was one in particular he’d avoided.  Mahina’s, a small tiki bar attached to the Sunrise bed and breakfast. The intricately carved teak wood door had once been his own personal Cerberus. He paused a moment to admire the hoof-made door, then pushed it open. It was a smaller bar than he’d imagined. No bigger than Berry’s place back in Ponyville, Though, quite a bit more effort had been put into the decoration. Every little bit of the place was a reference to, or artifact from the South Luna Sea. A dozen or so customers were scattered around the place. Mostly ponies, though he spotted a hippogriff, and at least two changelings. They were nearly all mares as well. A few were already appraising him, reminding Pip of why he stopped going to Canterlot. Behind the bar an unreasonably attractive bat pony mare flicked a bar napkin towards him with her wing, only to hammer it to the bar top mid-flight with a glass of ice water. / / / Pearl watched a colt wander into the bar. He was lanky but toned, bright eyed with a cute smile and a rare pinto coat. The kind of colt mares did dumb shit to get the attention of. She could spot a few mares in the bar already judging their odds. A flick of her wing and a touch of magic sent a bar napkin sailing into the air, years of experience let her land it just where she intended to sit down a glass of water. “Food’s half off for another hour. I recommend trying our pineapple fried rice.” The colt sat at the bar, his eyes briefly flickering across her. Oh, maybe she could do some dumb shit and get a bit more of his attention.  He looked around the bar for a moment, searching for something or someone, then hoofed over his ID. “I’ll take a hurricane,” he said with a faint but charming Trottingham accent. Pearl glanced at the ID then started pulling out bottles by wing as her hooves readied the glass, ice, and syrups. It was the same show she put on for the last dozen mares that’d ordered, but she couldn’t help but smile at the attention he was giving her wings.  “You’re from Aotearoa,” the colt more stated than asked. ”It’s called moko, right?” he motioned towards her wings.  She gave him a smile. Fanning her wings she let the light play off the intricate pattern of ink on them. “Now how do you know about moko and the long white cloud?” she asked with a coy smile, sliding him his drink. He took a sip, then scratched at his neck in thought. “I uh, read a lot, and my marefriend and I have sorta talked about going there.” Whale fuck. Makes the ocean salty. He had a marefirend. There went her chances of an after shift shafting. Pearl accepted her defeat gracefully. “You meeting her here?” she asked.  Before he could answer Luna poked her head through the office door behind her. “Pip!,” she cheered, then stepped into the bar area. She gave him a peck of a kiss. “Pearl, this is Pip. Pip, this is Pearl. She’s the one that actually runs this place.” Ah, so this was the stallion Luna had been sneaking around with yesterday. Pearl nodded at the compliment. “I wouldn’t say I run the place. I was just the one brave enough to tell her a comedy club named, Fool Moon, was a bad idea.” Pip gave Luna a questioning look. “A comedy club?” Luna shrugged. “It could have worked.” “Yeah, yeah.” Pearl fanned a wing to chase Luna out from behind the bar. “You two go sit at table five. I’ll bring out drinks and grub. You’re off the clock for the rest of the night.” / / / Picking up his drink, Pip snickered at the scene.  “I didn’t think you’d actually come all the way to Canterlot.” Luna said, leading them to a table, but still looking back to where Pearl had been. “It’s barely an hour train ride. Besides, I said I would if nothing came up,” Pip stuffed his saddle bag under the table as he let Luna seat him.“ and the store is closed tomorrow, so it’s no big deal if I’m late getting back.” Luna gave him an earnest smile as she sat across from him. “Well I’m glad you did.” She paused for a moment. “Would you want to spend the night?”  Pip grinned wide. “I was hoping you’d ask,” he said, tapping his bag under the table. “I packed for a sleepover.” A gloom he hadn’t noticed lifted from Luna. He leaned forward and exchanged a quick kiss. “Here ya go love birds,” Pearl said, depositing a whole coconut filled to the brim with sunset-colored booze and two straws. “Food will be up in just a minute. You eat seafood?” she asked him. “Mollusks and crustaceans, but not fish,” he answered. “Not a fan of fish?” Luna asked once Pearl had left, then took a sip from the drink. Pip shook his head and feigned a shiver. “I can’t deal with finding a bone in my food.” He took a sip of his own drink, then decided to try what was in the coconut.  “Careful, it’s strong,” Luna warned.  True enough the drink was stout, but still tasty. That said, he was going to stick mostly to his hurricane. “How’d the event go?” Pip perked at the question. “It was a good one! Sold a bunch of boosters. Big Mac ended up winning with his Cadence Crystal Empire army. The pink tsunami is just hard to deal with, and their magic is second to Twilight’s Libraropolis.” Luna blinked. “Pardon?” Pip suppressed a laugh. “It’s a war strategy game. Kinda like the ones generals used to play.” “Oh! The griffons called it...” Luna searched her memory. “Kriegsspiel, I believe. Yes, I used it to hone my own tactics. Though, that was before.” Pip gave her a reassuring smile. He’d learned long ago that was the best medicine for Luna’s moments of melancholy. “It’s like Kriegsspiel,” he said, returning to the topic. “but the rules are more complex. And it’s set in a fictional timeline of Equestria. For example, Princess Twilight rules all the libraries, so her army is almost entirely magic.” “Didn’t she try that once?” Luna asked with far too much seriousness. “Not that I heard, but you need to ask Sweetie Belle about that time with Twilight’s doll. The way she tells it is hilarious.” “Grindz!” Pearl slid a massive wooden dish onto the table. A mound of fried rice smelled wonderful and the ring of grilled shrimp was equally tempting. “Eat up,” she said before returning to the bar. / / / Pip had learned something new: a tipsy Luna was an affectionate Luna. “Mmm... You’re cute.” Luna sent a shiver down his spine with a nibbling kiss to his ear. Pearl lifted the sprayer from the dish sink. “Need me to hose her down?” she asked Pip.   He leaned against Luna and was rewarded with a protective wing being thrown over him. “No, but I think we’ll head back to her place.” Pearl gave Luna a crooked grin. “You two have a good night.” Pip leaned his head against Luna’s neck and let her guide him through the kitchen and then into the cool night of early spring. Luna’s serious expression made him smile as she made a wide path around a group of rowdy young mares on a bar crawl. The warm wing over him held him firm against her side, chasing away even the idea of getting a chill. He wondered if she could feel his heart beating. It was a short walk unfortunately. Luna’s magic opened a door to the Sunrise Bed and Breakfast then led him through the old estate turned hotel.  “Seems my sister went to bed already,” Luna mused. It occurred to him they’’d come to the estate’s old gate house; now converted into Luna and Celestia’s private apartment. They meandered towards a hallway, then Luna paused to release him from her wing’s embrace. “Here we are,” she said, opening the door to what was clearly her bedroom.  He noticed she was waiting for him to either enter or ask for a private place to sleep, not making the least implications of what she hoped he’d do.  Pip stepped into her room and put his bag on the nearest table.  “There’s a bathroom over there.” Luna pointed to the other side of the room. "Make yourself at home."  Through an arched door Pip could see a soaking tub and a generously sized walk-in shower. "A shower sounds nice." “If you want, I’ll wash your back,” Luna offered. Pip could feel the effort that question had taken her. He gave her mane a playful nip that sent her half-flagged tail straight up. “Only if I get to return the favor.” > Conversations > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Celestia paused. There was a colt with a coat of polished chestnut and alabaster in her kitchen. Not that she hadn’t expected to meet her sister's new coltfriend this morning. The need for a sound-proofing spell last night and again about an hour ago had plainly announced his presence. She’d just expected to meet him later in the morning when they both wandered out of her room. “Good morning,” Pip said in a sing-song tone as he turned to face her. “Coffee?” he offered the pot he’d just brewed. About then he figured out she wasn’t Luna. “Um..” He almost bowed. “Sorry, I thought you were Luna.” He straightened his posture while trying not to look embarrassed. She stared at the colt again. Had they met before? While Celestia was happy that the average pony had stopped using the princess title with her, she still wasn’t quite used to total strangers offering her coffee from her own kitchen with such earnest friendliness.  “Good morning. You must be Pip.” Celestia looked into the great room to see if Luna was also up, but found that they were alone. “And I would like some coffee, please,” she said, her magic pulling a mug from its hook and sitting it on the counter. “Where’s Luna?” Pip filled the coffee cup. “She went back to sleep.” A snort of a laugh escaped Celestia. “Sorry.” She waved a hoof apologetic as she gathered herself. “It’s just been a long time since Luna’s had a special somepony. I had forgotten some of her habits.”  “Oh?” Pip poured her some coffee. Celestia let herself grin at the memory. “I think she’s the source of the old joke about mares falling asleep after sex,” she said, her magic beginning to gather pans and ingredients for her morning routine of breakfast. Her grin deepened as she shook her head. “Bramble used to tease her about it all the time.” Pip took a few steps towards the great room to escape the flurry of floating domestic goods. He watched her begin to cook, looking half lost in thought.  “Do you always cook this much breakfast?” he asked after a while. “Cooking and hosting the breakfast is my only real job.” She flipped a line of pancakes. “Penny, Springwood, and Belle run the place. I’m just the mascot.” Now Pip laughed. “Breakfast with Princess Celestia? My Mum would have dragged me up here for that.” Celestia looked over at the young stallion. He was smiling, but his eyes were sad. A memory trickled back. There had been a freak accident in Ponyville back when she was still helping Twilight transition to the throne. Ah, that poor foal. She remembered him now. He had certainly grown up handsome. “Would you mind scrambling some eggs?” she asked, offering him a whisk. / / / Luna strolled alongside Pip. She smiled and intentionally brushed against him. He returned the playful bump. “You’re in a good mood.” “It’s been a delightful day.”  Pip nodded in agreement. “The private castle tour was fun,” he said half laughing to himself. “We should probably warn them before-hoof next time. I don’t think they were prepared to find a former princess wandering the halls.”  “But that would spoil half the fun.” She gave him a kiss, then watched an airship drift over the busy Canterlot street. “We should go somewhere.”  Pip’s ears perked up. “Sure! where you want to go.”  “Dragon lands, Griffonstone, Changeling kingdom. I think you’d get along with King Thorx.” She watched the airship begin to shrink into the evening sky. “The Crystal Empire at least. I should really visit my niece more.” “Oh,” Pip chuckled. “I thought you meant today.” He stared into the distance for a moment as they walked. “I could close the shop for a long weekend. Let’s go see the Crystal empire. Just give me two weeks' heads up, so I can let my customers know.” Luna grinned. It was the most domestic adventure one could come up with, but she was already excited about it. “I shall make the arrangements.” As Luna began making a mental checklist, they stopped to allow a large family of seven mares, three stallions, and six foals of varying age to cross in front of them.  “That may be the biggest herd I’ve ever seen,” Pip said under his breath after they passed. “That was about average, at one time.” Pip made something of a grimace and glanced back at the family. “Too many for you?” “I just couldn’t imagine.” Pip shook his head.  “Just two or three mares with one stallion, or none, is the norm these days, is it not?” “Yeah, it’s pretty rare to see more than one stallion in a family, and lots of mares just use a stud.” He gave her a sheepish grin. “I always thought I’d end up with two, maybe three mares.” Luna matched his shy smile. Part of her felt it was far too soon to be talking about herds. Part of her understood what Pip was hinting at. They already knew they liked each other as friends and lovers, but did they want to become part of one family. And herding preferences were at the core of that. “Not that I have been in a great many herds,” Luna said as they strolled to nowhere in particular. “but I found two or three mares with one stallion to be very cozy.” “I want a family small enough that we can all sleep on the same bed sometimes.” A crooked smile stretched across his muzzle. “I am kinda jealous of Mr. Cake. They’re monogamists.” Melancholy tinted Pip’s smile. “But then, if I’d had a herd mom.” He shrugged. She could almost feel him letting a thousand what-ifs fall to the ground. “I have kept my own company long enough. One intimate voice is all I need. If we find a third voice to add to our own, then we shall discuss that then.” Pip looked at her with thinly concealed worry. “You and Celestia don’t...” there was a distinctive implication made. Luna snortled. “No, no.” She waved a hoof. “Well... Once. But no, we do not make a habit of herding together. Though,” She studied him with a playful smile. “She likes her stallions leggy, and you’re well read. I bet she’d be interested, if you wanted.” Pip’s pale coat did little to hide the various shades of red and purple he was turning.  “I’m not leggy,” he pouted. Luna cast her eyes back to the colt’s lithe flank. “Okay, fine. I’m leggy.” They walked in silence for a moment before Luna glanced back to Pip. “I’m sorry. I was trying to jest.” Pip sighed. “I mean, I’m super flattered, but right now I want to be selfish.” “Pip,” Luna stopped to look the young stallion in the eyes. “I’m flattered.” She kissed him on the nose. “and I don’t need more intimate attention than you give me.” Pip smiled, and Luna’s heart skipped. “There’s a Kirin place with good specials at the end of the road, what to stop in before I have to go back to Ponyville?” Luna nodded and started walking again. “You’re more than welcome to spend the night again.” “I absolutely have to get some writing done.” Pip sighed. “My agent is going to chase me with a crop if I miss this deadline.” “Fear not!” Luna draped a possessive wing over Pip as they walked. “I’m the only one allowed to chase you with a crop, and I’ll chase off any mare that tries.” Pip face hoofed. / / / “I don’t know, Luna.” Pip winced back from the alicorne. “I’ll just take the train. It’s kinda relaxing, really.” “I have teleported you hundreds of times. Why are you scared of it now?” Pip shook his head. “In dreams, sure. But not in real life.” Luna huffed. “I teleported you from Ponyville to Canterlot spire, then back into your own bed once. Dropping you off at your door is quite a bit easier.” “Wait, what?” Luna tilted her head. “Did I not confess to this the other day?” “Well...” Pip thought back. He remembered simply waking up on the roof then later being back in his bed after nodding off in Luna’s lap. “I guess I thought you flew me.” “You needed sleep, that was faster.” “Okay, well.” Pip said, stealing his nerves. He trusted Luna, but he had no idea what to expect. He’d slept through it once, though. So, it couldn’t be that bad. Pip stood straight. “I’ll see you in a few days?” he said hopefully. Luna nodded with a smile. “I’ll be looking forward to it.” Pip beamed. “Feel free to sneak in my dreams.” He gave her a kiss. Since nopony was around, he leaned into it and let the embrace linger.  After a moment they pulled apart.  He felt a wave of energy snap towards him. As the world began to fill with magic, he met Luna’s eyes, and a thought crossed his mind. If he was going to say it today, now was literally the last moment. “I love you.” The world blinked white and Pip found himself in front of his shop. / / / A flash of light snapped Featherweight’s attention towards his friend’s shop. Looking down from the cloud he was pushing, he saw Pip standing in front of his shop, then a second flash of light. Of all ponies, former-princess Luna had teleported smack in front of Pip. She said something, then they kissed. Well, saying they kissed wasn’t exactly correct. More like they started making out. In the street. He was about to go hose them down with a cloud before indecency laws were brought up, but the two pulled apart before he could redirect the cloud. There was a conversation, something about Luna leaving Pip so he could write. Pip mentions making coffee, and that he could put it off another hour or two. Then the two clambered into Pip’s place giggling. “Huh...” Featherweight scratched his chin. “Spoon and Diamond are going to get a kick out of this.”