"It's not ready?"

The stallion shook his head tiredly. His droopy expression was countered only by his willingness to pay attention to his customer. "I'm sorry, sir, but I can't finish it until somepony from the IRS comes to give approval."

He chewed on this information for a moment, just staring at the stallion. "Do you know how long it will take?" Kestral asked.

"They said they'd send someone at nine, but they're notorious for being late."

He took another moment of silence. He really needed that rune, just in case Celestia tried anything, but trying to force it any more than he had was a bad idea. Still, he needed some way to protect himself. If stopping Celestia wasn't an option, then maybe....

....maybe talking to her was.

He convinced Luna to help him, why couldn't he convince Celestia, too?

"Do you have any runes that cause lucid dreaming?" He blurted out, breaking the quiet air. Sure, he became lucid well enough when he saw Luna, but he didn't know if the same could be said if he saw Celestia. Hell, he might not even recognize Celestia at first sight; He's never actually seen her before.

The stallion brightened up, and looked at him with a small smile. "I do, actually." He said. "They've been my most popular ones this past year. I always keep a few in the back."

"However much it is, I'll take it."

The stallion hopped back into his workshop and grabbed a rock. He set it on the counter, along with a parchment, pushing them towards Kestral. He clicked on the register, and looked up at him. "This one's only thirty-eight bits."

He took out the bits required from his satchel, and placed them on the counter, grabbing the rune and paper once he did. "What's this?"

"That's the tax stamp." He said, closing the register again. "Keep it with the rune and the guards won't give you any trouble."

"Alright." Kestral said. "I'll be back this evening for the other rune."

The stallion nodded. "Sure thing. I'll be waiting here."

He turned towards the door, after grabbing his rune and paper, and walked, leaving the stallion alone.

Kestral sighed deeply, placing the items away. He stepped into the open, with slight wind blowing through the few cracks that existed in his mask. He made his way down the street, boots hitting against the ground in a careless fashion, as if he was encumbered.

In truth, he was exhausted from his stealing spree. Maybe not so tired as the stallion who probably stayed up all night chiseling a rock into perfection, but tired nonetheless.

This new dilemma left him at odds, though. He now knew that he was sleeping with risk. Without that rune to protect him, he may as well put a sign in front of Jasmine's house, saying 'here lives Kestral V. Petrovski'. He couldn't do that to them.....

...No, no he couldn't. Until that rune was good to go, he just couldn't sleep there; There was too much risk getting them caught. He owed that to them, at least. But where would he sleep? At the clocktower? No, it would let her know to watch the place. He couldn't have that either; Luna might need to meet him there again one day.

There had to be some place he could sleep.

Actually.... he thought. Crap, I'm an idiot. I can just jump into someone's attic any time!

He shook his head.

Kestral looked around, spotting several buildings around him that he could easily take advantage of. The closest one, who's sign sported the humble name of 'Tattoo Tailor', was as dead as every sparrow Kestral had known. He went down the small alley at it's side, and took off his disguise, once again placing his old clothing back on his body. He looked up, and saw a window two stories up. He planted his hands and feet on the wall, and shifted his gravity. He ran up the wall, pulling out his flatbar as he did, and grasped the sill.

He stuffed the metal bar under the frame, and forced down. The window cracked open, and he entered, taking off his boots. As he closed the window, he glanced around, seeing boxes upon boxes piled around. He scowled at the dark room, searching for a place to hide. The motionless dust gave him both a smile and a cough. The smiled doubled over when he found a large box full of nothing but hay. It was tall, and couldn't have been moved in some time, given the fact it was landlocked by an ocean of boxes surrounding it.

He climbed up, and walked over the wooden features. He stuck one foot down in the hay, then the other. The thin pile flattened under his weight, giving a satisfying sound to fill the void. He leaned up against the side of the box, pushing some of the hay as he did. He found a comfortable position, relatively speaking; His head was still straight up, but the rest of his body was slouched.

He pulled out the rune and tapped it. The rock gave off a soft glow, though it seemed bright in the darkly lit room. Kestral placed it down on his torso, and covered it with his coat.

He took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. The lifeless surroundings eased him into a sense of solitude, and lulled his mind. A few moments later, after adjusting himself once -or twice, perhaps- his perceptions in the waking world faded, and he was met with darkness.

The first thing Kestral noticed was a distinct lack of touch. He didn't even think about it for a good few minutes, though. In spite of it, he didn't feel any need to look down to see if there was any ground. He simply knew it was there, however that made sense.

Perhaps it did make sense. So far, his experience in lucid dreaming was all focused on being with Luna; She took up his attention, asked about him, poked and prodded at him, but now? Now he was alone with his thoughts.

The memory of a cold fall breeze blew over him as he pondered what 'alone' really meant to him these days. His rampant thoughts seemed to manifest in his surroundings; The familiar, yet somehow alien, pressure against his feet took on the same quality he always remembered dirt having: Dry, broke easily, stuck between his toes.

The rest of the world did about the same. Dead leaves littered the ground, with the dying ones still attached to the tall trees around him. The cold wind bit at him again, slower this time, as he went over the idea that trees would break up the wind.

He wasn't even sure how long the surroundings had been like that; Forestry, that was. It was like he simply jumped from his physical form to this mental one. He racked his mind for the memory, but he recalled no such transition. For the moment, it had seemed that his world was always like this. It was always just a forest full of sleeping trees.

His mind yearned for an answer, though. Wasn't the place full of mud, last he was there? And suddenly, the dry powder he walked on turned to a thick paste, and plastered against his skin.

An idea festered in his head. It took life so quickly he wasn't sure he even saw the change. It confirmed what he thought, though; This lucid dream was different. When Luna visited, he became aware of his dreams, but he never seemed to have much control. In this one, with the rune affecting him, he had far more control. Too much control. He wasn't able to filter his thoughts from the dream, making each one have an impact, whether he intended it to or not. He realized that it might end up being just as bad as having no control at all.

If he thought too much about what he was trying to hide too much, it may just reveal it instead. He might try to run from Celestia in the dream instead, but that seemed all the more likely to prompt her to look for him in the waking world instead.

That is, if she even decided to show up that day. He may have just gotten too paranoid over the dream searching threat. He doubted it was the first time he over-prepared, if he did. He doubted it would be the last, though. A waste of time was better than rampant riskiness, after all.

Since the expected Celestia was not there yet, he decided to take his time practicing focus. He stood straight, and cleared his mind as best he could. The image of the forest around him remained in crystal clarity, with every detail as close as he could get it. The bark of the trees appeared just as he liked, and a crisp leaf flew in the soft wind, gracing his skin with the lightest touch.

He held an arm out, and gathered the leaves around him. They swirled around in a whirlwind, then spun directly around his arm the same way. He lessened the leash on his imagination, and released a torrent of leaves straight into the sky. More leaves than were previously present shot up. They poured out into the open sky, doing as he pleased. They scattered and swarmed, filling the clouds with a warm mix of brown and red.

The leaves stopped going up, and with a single motion of his arm, began falling. It was slow, as they normally fall, but the sheer amount was comparable to a mid-winter snowstorm; It was thick, clouding out any hope of vision past a few dozen yards.

It felt natural, somehow. The autumn atmosphere was most certainly beautiful, even if it was just a dream. Maybe that's what made it seem so enjoyable. It was his, and it couldn't be taken away.

Well... perhaps the rune could, some day. But the memory of this experience was going to last a lifetime, he was certain.

He closed his eyes, and counted to three. A wished to change his environment took over, and when he opened his eyes again, it manifested. He stood atop a mountain. It was taller than Canterlot Mountain, taller than Mount Olympus, taller than Everest. He stood atop a jagged edge so high that no mammal could hope to breathe the air and live.

But breathe he did, as he sat down on one flattened spot. He peeled off his familiar coat -by hand, rather than whisking it away with willpower- then did the same with his vest. He was left with his pants, boots, and a black t-shirt. He decided to change the shirt to white, quickly afterward, and his pants and boots to a winter camouflage, thinking it would fit the setting more nicely.

Having not much else to do, Kestral leaned back and relaxed, patiently awaiting Celestia's arrival.

Celestia took her sweet time. Far more time than Kestral expected. Not that he was capable of knowing how fast time was progressing in the real world.

He grew bored, waiting for her. She very well could not be coming at all, or opt to remain hidden, but given how Luna had treated him in his dreams, he expected about the same from Celestia. Perhaps not as the roll of nightmare vanquisher, but most certainly as someone who is willing to speak to him about events.

In that time of boredom, he grew less idle, occupying his mind with the wonders of shaping his dreams. He summoned a mountain, far smaller than the one previously, then broke a chunk off, thrusting it into the sky. He flattened it, carved it out, and kept adding details to it. At first, he thought a castle, but shoved it off in favor of having a small cabin at one end. Then a large pond, the size of an Olympic swimming pool. The water overflowed at one end, creating a waterfall. Grass grew all over, and he set a campfire at one edge of the floating island.

He sat on a tree stump, next to the campfire. The top was sanded off into a smooth surface. It was just about then, while he was wondering what to do next, that he heard a flutter in the wind. The fluttering beat harder, making him wonder where it was coming from. Soon enough, the seemingly omnipresent sounds ceases, and the sound of someone landing came from behind him.

“I guess I'm not alone anymore, am I?” He said. He hadn't meant to speak aloud, in truth, but the compulsive thought weaved its way out nonetheless. He turned around to behold a pale horse.....

Pony. It was a pale pony. She looked strikingly similar to Luna, having both wings and a horn, along with the golden jewelry that complimented her figure. Instead of starry hair, she had a glittery three-colored mane. For a fraction of a second, she held a frown, but then looked about the place, switching to a more neutral expression.

Perhaps she expected something different?

“Kestral Petrovski?” She asked.

He gave a two-finger salute, and patted a stump next to him. “The one and only.” He paused. “I suppose you're this 'Celestia' I keep hearing about?”

She looked him over, and he felt her judging eyes take in every detail. “I am.” She stated.

She slowly moved towards the seat that he gestured to, but chose to remain standing, rather than sit. She continued to look around, though, taking in the imagery he built.

“Like it?” He asked, swinging an arm towards the farmland below, surrounding the fractured mountain directly beneath them.

She swept her eyes are for a moment longer before settling them on him. She pursed her lips, probably still calculating where she wants to steer the conversation.

“If you were trying to mimic the architecture from the unicorn-pegasus treaty era, you ought to add more clouds. Perhaps a rainbow in the distance, to add a bit of color.”

Kestral made a sour face, and waved it off. “Aah. Everybody's a critic.” He paused, shifting his legs. The stump grew a backside at his will, allowing him to lean back, which he did. “Really, though, what brings you here?”

“You do.” She said.

“Ho, hum.” He said, feigning boredom. “So, what do you need from a petty thief?”

She raised an eyebrow. “I would like some answers.” She said.

“Don't we all?” He asked. After a few seconds of watching her unamused face, he rolled his eyes. “Fine. You can ask questions, but only If I can ask my own in return.”

She stood rigid, looking over him for any hidden intent, probably. “Very well.” She said. “How long have you known Discord?”

“Only since he brought me here, so less than a few weeks.” He said.

“And do you consider yourself a follower?” She asked.

“A what?” Kestral looked her up and down, trying to grasp what she meant.

“A follower.” She repeated. “Do you follow his every word to the letter and without question?”

“No.” He said. “I question them frequently, actually. I also look at them as strong suggestions rather than orders.”

“So you take into account the consequences of your actions?”

“I do.”

“And yet you're still willing to steal tens of thousands of bits anyways?”

“I am.”

She pursed her lips, her eyes edging closer to the same look an executioner might give to a murderer, which may not be too far off. “So you feel no guilt over the general thievery?”

“In retrospect, no. I'm surprised anyone even cares that I steal at this point.”

“You're surprised that my ponies loathe your criminality?”

“I'm surprised that anyone has the capacity to bitch or moan about money right after I saved their life.”

“I wouldn't be surprised, considering they feel weeks of effort was taken from under them when you steal from them.”

“So they'd rather dissolve until death?”

“It's not about the threat.” She said, searing into him with her eyes. “It's about not ever receiving the choice.”

“And what about the changelings?” He asked. “The ones that are capturing ponies, I mean. What choice are they giving your citizens?”

Celestia stared on.

“Not much of one at all, right?” He went on. “Either float in ectoplasm until death, or just die immediately. Oh, yeah, what a great choice to have.” He finished with a slow, sarcastic clap.

She narrowed her eyes at him even further, but then, something changed. Her scrunched up face, full of emotion, suddenly dropped into a neutral expression. Slowly, she took a seat, and met Kestral's eyes.

“Why do you do it?”

He looks through her for a moment, confused by the question.

“What?”

“The moment a 'human' was even mentioned I was almost certain that Discord was to blame. He may have brought you here, but he's not capable of maintaining any sort of mind control in his current state. He had to have convinced you to commit to his 'suggestions', as you put it. So I'll ask again: Why do you do it?”

It was Kestral's turn to remain silent. He turned his sight from her, and put it on the distant landscape. Why does he do it? Was it to keep people from harm? No, it couldn't be that. At least, not anymore. If it was truly was about keeping people from being hurt at all, he wouldn't have stuck syringes in ponies' necks during his visit. No, he remembered why he did it; it was to get money, so he could make saving lives easier.

That's right; he remembered, now, why he does it. It was a promise, from Discord, that there were lives to save. Discord told Kestral about what would happen if he didn't help. No, he didn't tell him, he showed him. He proved to Kestral that the moment he walked on this world, that his actions had consequences, and it's others that suffer from his choices.

Was he selfish in his endeavor? Absolutely. He took money as it presented itself, sometimes without even thinking about who it would affect. But was it really greed? A lust for gold? No. It couldn't be. So much of the money went towards helping someone, somehow: The spells, the weapons, Luna's property.....

Well.... perhaps he'd stolen more than necessary. He wasn't entirely sure, as some things he had grown to depend on. But...

No. No, the money doesn't matter. The money is just another tool, something to be taken and used. It's the lives that mattered.

Kestral adjusted himself, looking at her straight in the eye, with his back straight and feet on the ground. “I do it to save lives, Celestia.”

He said the words as naturally as he could. They didn't sound forced, or like he didn't believe himself. He didn't hold any venom in them, either. There was no contempt in his voice, just pure fact.

Her face softened slightly, if only for a moment. “I was told, once, that the road to hell is painted with good intentions.”

He turned back towards the distance. “I wonder which one of us is going, then.” He paused, then snapped back to her. “Wait, how do you know what hell is? I thought people here only knew of Tartarus?”

“They do.” She said. “You aren't the first human to speak to me, though.”

“Right, the one....” Kestral caught himself. “The one that came before?” He paused. “I heard you're the only one who really knows what happened to him.”

“Me and anypony who's bothered to ask me instead of instantly buying into the fiction that goes about.”

He raised an eyebrow at her. “Riiiiiiiiight.” He looked at her quizzically. “So, do you mind telling me the tale? I haven't actually found an iota of information about it so far.”

For a moment, Celestia didn't move nor speak. Her eyes skimmed the horizon, settling above the mountains. Her ears stood tall, almost unnaturally, like she was scouring the wind for information. She stared on in the distance, as if the low sun in the sky would give her an answer.

“Another time, perhaps.” She flicked her eyes to Kestral. “I do not believe now is an appropriate time.”

“And what would be an appropriate time?”

“When I'm not in the middle of court, for one.” She said. “You must understand how difficult it is to split concentration like this.”

“I suppose it would be.” He said. “If that's the case, you have more important matters to tend to than talk with me.”

She gave a long pause, judging him with careful eyes. “I suppose I do.” She gave a sigh. “I wished to convince you otherwise of your involvement in this, but I see you're in no mood to change your mind. I only hope you know the consequences of your actions.”

Before Kestral had a chance to say another thing, Celestia disappeared. There was no flash, no dark mist, just a sudden absence.

Silence enveloped his world. Even the breeze of false air seemed to kill off any characteristic it once had. Everything else more or less went on as usual, just without the emotion he had once carved into it. The vibrance of the world crumbled, leaving a hallow shell of his creation. He leaned back, pondering what to do next.

There was the chance that she really did just want to talk, but on the other hand, she may have only been buying time. There wasn't a certainty in either direction. Luna didn't, why would she? Then again, Celestia wasn't Luna, and even Luna admitted that Celestia was firmly against him. Perhaps he should have asked the time before she left.

“Well, sleep can wait, I guess.” He said to himself. “Wouldn't want to keep anyone waiting.”

Kestral willed a familiar tool into existence, and looked down. His gaze met a small, chrome pistol. He lifted the tool, pointing it towards himself. He bit down on the barrel, tasting the metal on his tongue...

….and pulled the trigger.