May I come in? (Patreon)

That evening while Applebloom and Stone Mane recovered from their ill-chosen sampling of Granny Smith's finest Link neither of the foals had anything resembling REM sleep. But elsewhere in my Equestria dreamscape another pony had an unexpected guest arrive in their dream.

     Princess Luna opened her dream eye to find herself lying on a dream equivalent of her real bed. It was late in the evening and the light of her moon spilled across the floor of her private chambers. It was peaceful and quiet with the chamber being neither too cool or too warm. Perfect for sleeping or dreaming.

     The Prussian Blue alicorn smiled and stretched out on satin sheets and nuzzled her head into a big fluffy pillow. She closed her deep emerald green eyes and was starting drift off again when there was a series sharp knocks at the doors to her chambers. Then a few seconds later another series knocks occurred. Curious the mare rolled off the bed and went to investigate.

     Slowly the princess opened the ornate double doors. Standing in front of her was Applebloom. Actually she instinctively knew that this was a version of her student that her subconscious had created. Still out of habit she addressed the construct of the filly as if she really was her.

     "Good evening Applebloom. You're out late tonight. Why are you here and why did my guards not alert me of your arrival?"

     "Good evening yer Highness!" The filly then glanced up and down the hall. Then she looked back at the mare and shrugged while smiling. "Maybe yer guards didn't alert ya becuz there ain't no guards ta do it? Yer the first pony I've met tanight. Which is good becuz I wanted see ya."

     Curious and confused the mare stepped out into palace hallway and looked up and down it. The palace hallway lights were lit although dimmer than usual. However absent was the usual traffic of the night staff, or the 2 guards usually positioned on either side of the chamber doors. True her night staff was still being filled out and was much smaller than her sister, but even in her dreams she'd encounter ponies wandering the nighttime halls of her dreams. Instead she found her dream version of the palace vacant, with the exception of Applebloom and her, and oddly quiet and still.

     Through all of this Applebloom stood silently and watched her. Finally Luna returned her attention to the filly. "Well Little Bloom what brings you here this evening?"

     The buttercream yellow filly smiled knowingly and bowed before replying. "Well yer Highness. I just wanna ta drop by and see how yer doin, but it seemed kinda rude ta barge inta somepony's place. Ya should always git permission ta enter somepony's home. Its just the ways things are." The filly nodded her head toward the open doors and then gave the alicorn a knowing smile again. "So. May I come on in yer Highness?"

     Luna stared at the filly for several seconds and blinked before realizing that an answer was expected of her. She shook her head as if clearing cobwebs from her mind. "Oh! Yes! Of course! Forgive my rudeness Applebloom. Please come in."

     "Thank ya very much yer Highness!" The filly then happily trotted into the princess's private chambers. She came to a stop in the middle of the main chamber and looked around at the decor. After a second she whistled softly.

     " Oowee! Well now! Ya got yerself a really nice place here yer Highness! The filly started slowly meandering around the room as the alicorn followed silently behind her. When the filly noticed the painting of the Griffin's Claw she'd given Luna the filly started prancing in place. With glee in her eyes she looked back the mare.

     "My painting! The painting I gave ya! Ya hung it up in yer room! Ah shucks! That was mighty kind of ya ta do that!" Link

     Luna slowly walked over to her bed and laid down on it facing the painting. She looked at it and then at the filly and smiled. "Well it was a gift, so it seems only proper that I display it here."

     Much to Luna's surprise the filly trotted over and leaped up on the bed herself. Normally this would be considered very inappropriate without permission, but Luna found herself unwilling to correct the earth pony. Applebloom playfully bounced over and nonchalantly crawled under the alicorn's left wing. Luna was startled to find the filly's body surprisingly cold to the touch.

     "Little Bloom! Your positively freezing!" Instinctively she tightened her wing and pulled the filly close to the barrel of her chest. "You'll catch a terrible cold this way!"

    The filly snuggled into the mare's deep blue coat. For several seconds the filly was silent. Finally she spoke. "Princess Luna. I wanna thank ya fer letting me be part of yer life. It's really important ta me."

     The mare looked down at the filly. "And I'm honored to have the opportunity to meet a pony as amazing as you Applebloom."

     The filly looked up into the princess's eyes. To Luna the filly's caramel brown eyes appeared to glow slightly. With that knowing smile the earth pony gazed at her. "Yer welcome!" Then she lowered her head and once again snuggled against the mare and appeared to doze off to sleep.

     Luna looked at her for a moment before lifting her gaze back to the room. Her eyes settled on the painting of the Griffin's Claw. She wasn't certain, but the painting seemed to be a little bit larger than she remembered. She'd examine it later, but at the moment she felt herself slowly descending into the deeper sleep. She lowered her head onto a pillow and closed her dream eye again. Darkness quickly took her.

To be continued.