The waves sparkled as they rose with the tide and crashed upon the glittering sandy shores. The distant sea reflected the pristine majesty of the starry cosmos as constellations made themselves known, forming many familiar shapes and images that danced across the sky. Twinken sat serenely within this somnolent scenery, his training coming along well, thanks to the guidance of the Eldress, and then his Mistress, Princess Luna.

She stood nearby, gazing upon her protege with melancholy pride. She'd missed Twinken deeply after he'd isolated himself and cut himself off from the Dream Plane, discontinuing their lessons. More than once she'd reached out to him, but he'd always stayed silent and never answered, which had depressed her. At first, she too had given Twinken his space, understanding that what had happened was so traumatic that he'd needed time. But that time hat stretched out to months, and finally here he was, enjoying this pleasant dream, and she could sense it.

Never had the young dreamwalker felt so at peace.

His mind was his own. His thoughts were his own. though he caught faint echoes of nearby thoughts, they did not truly register in his own, leaving his mind clear and calm, focused towards peace and clarity.

Such relief, it was, to be free of all those doubts and fears and troubled thoughts, the what-ifs, the what-might-have-beens, as Twinken wondered how he ever made it through all that turmoil, even though he understood much of it had actually been self-inflicted. Had he even thought what peace and self-assurance awaited him from proper training and instruction, he would have seized the opportunity quicker than a Sonic Rainboom.

Speaking of, a distant boom of thunder filled the air as ripples of color spread like ribbons overhead, appearing akin to the Aurora Borealis.

Luna smiled, and finally decided to approach her student, taking a seat next to him.

"I'm so sorry, Princess Luna." Luna regarded the colt, not surprised that he was aware of her presence despite not having seen her. Surely he'd sensed her the moment she'd entered this dreamspace.
"All you wanted to do was help me... and I pushed you away."

"Hush now, all is as it should be," Luna said kindly, reaching out with her wing to drape it over Twinken's withers. "You've found the sense of peace and self-confidence you needed to get a handle of your powers. I daresay you have found your way back to the right path."

"...and what path is that, Mistress?" Twinken gazed up at her, looking just a little scared but also curious.

"Why, the path to your destiny, of course," Luna gave a light chuckle, "Though what that destiny may be is not yet certain, I have no doubts that you will make it truly your own, and you will do great things, my dear protege."

Twinken smiled appreciatively at his Mistress's words, when she was suddenly struck with an idea. Standing up, Luna asked, "How would you like to meet a special friend of mine?"

"A friend?" Twinken stood up too, looking a little taken off guard.

"Yes, a friend who helped me a great deal, after my return to the world," Luna nodded before adding solemnly, "After... after I was freed from being Nightmare Moon."

"Oh, that's right! My brother, sister, and all their friends defeated Nightmare Moon and freed you from being her," Twinken remembered, "but then... nopony heard from you until you came to Ponyville for Nightmare Night."

"Hmm, I was... adjusting to being back," Luna nodded, "but let's save that for when we see my friend. Are you ready?"

Luna held out her hoof to him, and Twinken accepted it, when they became engulfed in nocturnal light!

"WHOA!!!!!" Twinken was amazed, as he looked down... and saw all the world, bathed in the gentle glow of moonlight and radiant sparkles of starlight.

He looked at himself and was stunned to see his body transparent yet there were lines and points of light, forming an image while a transparent light enshrouded those points and outlines, forming a more detailed picture, of Twinken himself.

"Am... am I... a constellation?" Twinken couldn't believe what he was seeing. He still felt like himself, yet it seemed he was not of flesh and blood at the moment.

"Indeed you are, my pupil." Twinken looked and was not-quite-surprised to see Luna looking at him... through the Moon! It was almost as if the Moon was a window, and Luna was peering out through it.
"Though, technically, your mind is still dreamwalking, I am using my power to enable you to see the world as I can, whenever I am seeing to the night sky."

"Wow...!" Twinken was so amazed, seeing the cosmos around him and the world beneath him. "To think you can do this every single night! I bet you can see everything from up here, literally!"

"Hahaha, not quite literally, but you're not far from the truth," Luna smiled before looking to the Earth. "But let's hold off on that, it's time I introduced you to my friend. Watch..."

Twinken did so and was amazed as the world seemed to turn ever so slightly before their gazes seemed to zoom in, allowing them to look closer without actually getting closer, and before long, Twinken saw what Luna was looking for.

There, in a country far, far away from Equestria, in a woodland valley, built upon a fine meadow, with a pond nearby, was a big blue house. Twinken was confused at first, but then Luna pointed to a balcony on the big blue house, and ambling out was a large brown bear, who gave off a kind and friendly vibe to Twinken, and then he heard the bear spoke.

"Ah! There you are! Hello, Luna," the bear welcomed kindly, gazing up at the Moon, and Luna as well.

"Hello, Bear, and how were things today in the Big Blue House?" Luna responded with a warmth in her smile that Twinken rarely saw her give to just anyone.

"Oh, the whole house was jumpin'!" said the bear simply called Bear, sounding enthusiastic.

"Really?" Luna gave a funny look to Bear, who mm'hmm'd, before saying, "I had no idea that the Big Blue House could jump!"

"Heheheh, well, the house didn't actually jump, but everyone inside did! We spent the whole day dancing!" explained Bear while doing a small jig.

"Oh! Dancing! That's one of my most favorite things in all the world, please tell me more," bade Luna with a smile on her face.

"Well, Ojo danced 'the Flamingo' with her good friend, Koda," Bear started, "and Koda's big brother Kenai even got swept up in all the fun!"

"Oh-ho my! So Ojo made up her own dance?" Luna asked, sounding warm and joyous by what she heard "And Kenai, he danced too? I would love to have seen that!"

"She did and he did, it's true!" Bear nodded, "And Treelo really jammed with his friend, Zoboomafoo!"

"Well, the right music can really make you move," Luna noted.

"That's right, Luna," Bear nodded, "And Tutter? He felt he couldn't dance, but the Otters gave him a lesson and he did just fine."

"Hmm, and if I know my Bear, you must have been breaking some fine moves yourself," Luna teased, and Twinken was amazed at how happy Luna was, talking to Bear. He'd seen her talk with plenty of friends and loved ones, but Bear was obviously special.

"Heheh, well, Luna i did get that feeling again..." Bear said with a particular inflection.

"Not the scritches!"

"Yeah, the Bear Cha-Cha-Cha!" The two of them laughed, the kind of laugh shared between good friends sharing good memories, and Twinken barely concealed his own chuckles, and feeling elated at how happy Luna was talking to her friend.

Sighing after catching his breath from all the laughter, Bear wondered aloud, "You know, I don't know why it's so much fun to dance with all my friends."

"Oh, but Bear! There's nothing quite so fun or special as dancing with your friends," Luna pointed out.

"Really?" Bear was surprised.

"But of course!" Luna nodded while giving the night sky a look, "For a long time, my sister and I have danced around the Earth as we brought Day and Night to all who call our fair planet home."

"Wow! I've never thought of it like that," Bear said in realization, "Though... forgive me for changing the subject, Luna, but I can't help but noticed you didn't come alone."

"Oh my goodness, how rude of me," Luna chuckled, sounding a tad embarrassed before regarding Twinken, "Bear, I would like for you to meet Twinken, my young student."

"Oh! Twinken! It's so nice to finally meet you, Luna's told me a lot about you," Bear said kindly, his eyes lighting up at the sight of the starry colt.

"Uh- Hi, um, Mister Bear?" Twinken was a tad shy, but having seen the exchange between his mistress and her friend had alleviated those feelings fairly well. "I... heh, don't take this the wrong way, but... Princess Luna has never even mentioned you."

"Oh, that's not surprising, and it's just Bear," Bear said kindly, "I guess you could say that Luna and I share a very special friendship."

"How did you two meet?" Twinken was genuinely curious.

"Well, Twinken, back when I had returned to Equestria after being freed from the evil that had controlled me for so long," Luna started, "I was... well, I needed time to adjust to my surroundings. It's why I fell out of the public eye and kept to myself for some time before I came to Ponyville on that particular Nightmare Night. I had been filled with guilt and doubt and regret, over all the things I had done as Nightmare Moon, and I took some time to... find myself, I suppose you could say. I spent much of that time with my lunar ponies, and they helped me regain familiarity with my powers, including my dreamwalking and overseeing the night."

"So then, how did you meet Bear?" pressed Twinken.

"Well, one night, I was casting my gaze upon the world through the night sky, and... somehow my eye fell upon this beautiful Big Blue House," Luna explained, "and it was here, on this balcony, where I first saw Bear. How peacefully he looked as he gazed upon the stars and enjoyed my moonlight."

"Mm, it's true," Bear spoke up, "After a long day in the Big Blue House, I love to come up here to my balcony, and look out at the stars. And it was a good thing I made it a habit, because that's how i made such a very special friend in Luna."

"Although I confess I did give him a bit of a scare when I spoke to Bear through the Moon for the first time," Luna giggled, Bear did as well though more sheepishly. But then Luna looked serious, "I wasn't quite sure as to why, but somehow I felt drawn to Bear. Somehow, I felt I'd found a kindred spirit, someone I could open up to who wasn't a friend, family member, or even a servant or subject. I didn't realize it up until then, but I was looking for a friend removed from... everything else about me and my grim past, and would not have an opinion of me already."

"Well, I'm glad you did reach out to me, Luna," Bear said warmly, "Although I love my friends too, I can't quite be as open with them as I can with you, and it's... easier to share my thoughts and feelings with you and you always have a way that helps me to understand things a little better."

"As you do for me as well, Bear," Luna responded gratefully before looking to Twinken, "Bear helped me a great deal, finding peace with myself, helping me to overcome my negative feelings. Thanks to his guidance, I began to... come out of my shell, as it were, and start finding motivation to become the princess I needed to be, not the one i thought I should be."

"Wow... the two of you have such a special friendship," Twinken smiled at them warmly, before looking downcast, "I... I hope it's not too late for my own."

"If you don't mind me saying, Twinken," Bear interjected, "Luna... shared with me some of what happened with you. She was very worried about you, and felt responsible for it."

"But- I lost control of my powers, that wasn't-" Twinken protested, only for Bear to raise his paw, prompting the colt to be quiet.

"I mean to say, that Luna told me that she felt she'd pushed you too hard too quickly, Twinken," Bear clarified, "and perhaps if she'd taken your lessons more slowly and steadily, then things might have turned out better."

Twinken looked to Luna, seeing she herself was looking ashamed, and immediately Twinken felt bad. He'd wallowed in his own self-pity, felt bad for worrying his family and friends. But never had he really considered how Luna had felt about what happened.

"Mistress, I... I'm so sorry," Twinken felt awful.

"What's done is done," Luna said kindly, "and what matters is, you've found your way and become better for it. It might have taken some time, and that brother of yours apparently had to kick your plot into gear..."

Twinken smiled sheepishly while Bear stifled a chuckle.

"...but here we are now, enjoying this beautiful night in the company of good friends."

"Yes, and without friendship the world would be a dark and lonely place," Bear agreed.

"That is true," Twinken nodded. "And I'm glad the two of you became such good friends, Luna and Bear."

"Well, now it's the three of us," Bear pointed out, "and I hope to one day meet the both of you in person."

"As do I, Bear," Luna smiled before looking a tad pressed for time, "Well, I'd better return the night sky to the way it should be, the world needs my light!"

"Well, Luna, Twinken?" They regarded Bear, as he hopefully asked, "Would the two of you mind joining me in the Goodby Song, before you go?"

"I'd love to, Bear," Luna said kindly.
"Count me in too!" Twinken smiled, and Bear began.

"Bye now!" Bear called while waving as Luna and Twinken returned to the night sky, and then immediately, the scene around them changed color, like all colors became negative a moment before it all faded...

...and Twinken found himself back on that pristine beach beneath the restful cosmos he'd been mediating beneath earlier, with Luna regarding him proudly.

"Thank you," Twinken said warmly.

"No, thank you," Luna replied.

"For what?"

"For... making me feel so happy and proud to be your teacher," Luna smiled before she came over and gave Twinken a fond kiss on the brow before she faded away, returning to the waking world.

Twinken found himself a little confused but also amazed and happy by these recent experiences... before he shrugged and smiled, and then returned to his meditation.

Next Chapter: 427. Hunted from the Past - Part 1 Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 58 Minutes