Thomas found himself drifting in a void of sparkling sea blue mist. He was naked and his body free of the restrictions of gravity. He tried waving his arms to propel himself forward, but without anything else to judge his relative position, there was no noticeable effect. A moment later, Thomas felt his body being propelled forward by some unseen force into a cluster of sparkles. His body stopped at the edge of the cluster, which was actually comprised of shiny silver spheres. Now able to control his own movements, he set about to explore his surroundings.

He approached one of the spheres to examine it closer. Images played out across its rounded surface. He recognized the white unicorn as Rarity in what he assumed was the back room of Carousel Boutique where she did most of her designs. She had just put the finishing touches on a blue dress covered in constellations. Suddenly the sphere took on a shade of red as the constellations leapt off the dress and began chasing Rarity around the room, criticizing her for not making them right. Before anything else could happen, the sphere rippled and returned to its former calm silver.

Thomas jumped back at seeing the area around the sphere suddenly change to a familiar shade of indigo. His heart rate calmed as he realized that it was only Luna, also naked and drifting through this strange realm. She held her hand firmly against the sphere and gave him a welcoming smile.

“What the…”

Luna hushed Thomas by placing a finger to his lips and merely beckoned him forward to once again examine the sphere. Rarity was once again working on the dress back in her boutique, but it was different. The constellations had been replaced by more generic stars sparsely scattered around the plain blue fabric. Then Twilight strolled into the room, took one look at the dress, and then embraced Rarity, showering her with praise for doing such a good job while the fashionista wept with joy.

“This is the dream realm,” Thomas said in awe as he looked around the thousands of spheres surrounding them.

“Do you like it?” Luna asked hesitantly.

“It’s beautiful, but why am I here?”

Luna straightened her posture and took a more serious expression. “We are in the dream realm. Not your dreams specifically, as I shall wait until I am invited, but the space between dreams.” She paused to let her words sink in as Thomas resumed gawking at his surroundings with newfound understanding. “I felt we needed to talk and that this would be the best place to do so.”

Thomas nodded awkwardly. Luna had technically exploited a loophole in their agreement, but he didn’t mind. Something about this place, this void of portals into the minds of countless sleeping ponies, was strangely welcoming. But it’s strange too. It’s like… like I’ve been here before, but not ‘here’ here. He tried to think harder on the subject, but each time he felt like he was getting closer, whatever it was seemed to move just outside his reach. Ironically, it was not unlike trying to remember a dream. Deciding that whatever this feeling might be wasn’t immediately relevant, Thomas turned his attention back to Luna. “So, did you just help Rarity with her nightmare?”

“Nay,” Luna again shook her head. “Twas the nightmare of young Twilight Sparkle. She and the others have been most concerned with their friend’s wellbeing with her current workload as well as their displeasure with her creations.” Luna let her words linger as she floated around the sphere. “Dream walking is an art form. Sometimes it is enough to simply explain to the pony the source of their unhappiness, but others it is prudent to take a more subtle approach. Sometimes I take inspiration from a friend,” she smiled suggestively at Thomas. “In this case Twilight and the other Elements of Harmony have come to understand that they are the architects of not only their own unhappiness, but of Rarity’s as well.”

Thomas stared at the dream sphere in fascination as Luna explained the nature of her craft. “So… you’re the one who taught Twilight this lesson? That’s amazing. Although,” he hesitated. “It is going out of order again.”

“So concerned with the order of how things should be. Perhaps my stallion could better find peace by living in ‘what is’ rather than ‘what might have been’.” She smiled. “And I am not so certain that past tense is appropriate in this context,” Luna pointed out. “I sensed that Twilight and her friends were having trouble and did my duty to help. However, our world does hold a number of differences from the one you observed. It could very well be that my counterpart there took actions similar to my own, but I cannot say one way or the other. Regardless of what was or what might have been in an alternate reality, I have helped my citizens and they will learn a lesson that will only strengthen their friendship. That is what is.”

“That’s still pretty incredible.”

Luna gave a sad smile as she looked down at the dream sphere, finally lifting her hand from its surface. “Incredible. Yes. Incredible that I do so much to help the little ponies of Equestria, but I somehow neglect the feelings of those close to me.”

“It’s not all your fault,” Thomas tried reassure. It wasn’t Luna’s fault. It was never the other person’s fault. Thomas knew this for a fact, but he also knew letting others know how he felt would only upset them further. “Like everyone’s been saying, it was just a miscommunication. Those kinds of things happen in any relationship.”

“It is still my failing, not only as a Princess, but as a lover.” Luna reached out and took Thomas’ hands in her own. “Dearest Thomas, I fear that I have been acting as a love struck filly too caught up in passion to consider the ramifications.” The alicorn took a deep breath to calm herself. “I am an alicorn, a creature of powerful magic and powerful emotions. I have lived in this world for six thousand years and have seen wonders and horrors beyond what most can even imagine. Such a long life is both a blessing and a curse. I have had the pleasure of knowing and loving so many wonderful ponies, but I have also suffered the tragedy of their inevitable passing.”

Thomas felt Luna’s grip on his fingers tighten. He returned the gesture in what he hoped was a comforting act.

“But as they say, time heals all wounds. One relationship ends and another begins, but the new lover does not replace the old. I remember them all as if it were only yesterday: their quirks, their jokes, failings and passions, joys and sorrows, and all things that make life worth living. Ponies have always copulated in herd, but Alicorns in particular have a powerful lust that cannot be satisfied by so few, let alone a single lover.” She swallowed. “Please do not take it as an indictment of your performance, which has been truly wonderful, but it is simply the nature of ponies to herd in sizable groups. I hope you understand, as I would never wish to do anything that might hurt you.”

Thomas knew. On an intellectual level, he knew, but emotionally there were still doubts. Worse, he was certain that even if Luna proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that she cared for him, those doubts would remain. However, this lead to the human remembering something he’d heard a long time ago. ”You are the architect of your own misery.” The statement had always given him a sense of empowerment. Bad things happen, but I’m the one who decides how I react to them. And he began to smile. I’ll always have those doubts, but I don’t have to listen to them. Of course he couldn’t simply ignore them. It was never that easy. However, looking up into Luna’s beautiful eyes, knowing there was someone out there who genuinely cared for him, committing himself to ignoring those bad feelings might not be so hard.

Thomas inhaled the airless void deeply, and then exhaled. “I think so,” he said simply.

Luna smiled appreciatively before continuing. “But more than that, my lovers serve to keep me grounded. The same with my sister. As old as we are, it is easy to lose perspective and only focus on the big picture. As I said earlier, in the old days we really did refer to you as consorts instead of concubines, for you served as emotional companions for my sister and I, giving us shoulders to lean on while we carried the weight of the kingdom upon our backs.

“I still remember my very first herd, my real first herd as well.” Luna laughed. “Circus Show, Bronze Aura, Mint Sprinkles, and Snow Treats. Circus Show loved to play pranks and was always laughing. Bronze Aura was a former guard and always so serious, but he was a stallion I could always rely on. Mint Sprinkles loved to do experimental baking and often guilted the rest of us into being her test subjects. And Show Treats, well… she was in love with love and made sure we were all properly romanced.”

Thomas nodded along in silence as Luna reminisced, pouring her heart out in such a way he figured she hadn’t done in at least a thousand years.

“We were so happy together, especially when we learned that Mint Sprinkles became pregnant with Bronze Aura’s foal. I remember Circus Show couldn’t stop herself from fawning over Mint’s pregnant belly. Unfortunately, the aristocracy was not so happy at the prospect a commoner giving birth to the next heir to the throne. When the first assassination attempt had been foiled,” she struggled, “we knew something had to be done. And as I said, this lead to the establishment of the royal harem system and the degradation of those we loved most by referring to them as concubines.”

The pair was silent a moment as Thomas processed Luna’s words. “I always knew I wasn’t your first, but I guess I never really took the time to really think about it like that.” Luna said nothing. “I guess you weren’t the only one acting like a foal and getting caught up in the passion of the moment.” He laughed uncomfortably. “You’re the first girl, or rather mare, that I ever really loved.”

Luna nodded and nuzzled the top of his head. “While under the curse of Nightmare Moon, I was unable to feel anything but anger. Once freed, it took so long for me to properly process feelings again. In fact, it wasn’t until your arrival that I had finally remembered how much I was longing for companionship.” Luna pulled Thomas into her embrace. “I still cannot thank you enough for accepting me as you did.”

“You accepted me too,” Thomas assured as he did his best to wrap his arms around his Princess. The next part was much more difficult. “I’d… I’ve always been so alone. My awkwardness always made it so that I’d inevitably say the wrong thing, so I figured it’d just be easiest to say nothing at all,” he admitted, remarking on how easy the words were flowing and congratulating himself for saying this much. “I always thought I wasn’t good enough and that everyone would be better off if they simply didn’t know me. Then I meet someone as amazing as you and suddenly those old feelings don’t seem to matter so much. I want to talk to you for the rest of my life.”

“But those feelings still matter,” Luna said bluntly. “Your feelings will always matter, at least to me. Of this, you have my word.”

“So… you definitely still plan on expanding the harem?”

Luna did not answer right away. “Yes.”

…

“If that’s what you want…” he smiled, “I think I can bring myself to sleep with some sexy mares, but only for you,” he half joked.

Luna smiled, but pulled away from Thomas so that they could look each other in the eye, but kept him firmly in her grasp as she gave him a warm smile. “You are so wonderful, dearest Thomas. This practice goes against your cultural beliefs, but you are still willing to do it if it means my happiness.”

“It’s actually not that strong a belief,” Thomas admitted. To be frank, I’d probably have a harder time farting in public. Of all the things the fanon came up with, thank god that one doesn’t apply here, though I’d best not jinx it. “At least not for me. That’s kind of every guy’s fantasy, but it just never happens without all kinds of bad complications.”

“It’s complicated here too,” Luna added. “That is simply the nature of relationships, platonic or otherwise. You have to worry about making sure your herd is happy and well loved, being there for them and letting them be there for you. I think it’s safe to say that that’s a good kind of complication, wouldn’t you?”

“My herd?” Thomas repeated. “I…”

“It will be your choice, dearest Thomas,” Luna said, calming his worries with a quick kiss to the forehead. “You are free to give your love to whomever you see fit, so long as you save some for me.”

“No problems on the latter,” Thomas smiled, but it quickly faded. “But, who would even want me? I mean, besides social climbers just trying to use me to-”

Luna silenced him with a hush as she pressed her finger to his lips. “Now, none of that,” she said sternly. “You are my precious little human. And, when you are ready, you will find somepony who loves you for you, just as I do. You’ll have a herd of your own outside the harem. And when that day comes, I expect you to introduce us.” She added with a wink. “Are we clear?”

Thomas leaned in and bit playfully at Luna’s nose. “Crystal.”

Luna beamed and hugged Thomas all the tighter. “I must be the luckiest alicorn in the world to have one such as you.”

“I guess that makes me the luckiest human, though only because there’s no competition.” The pair shared a brief laugh at the little joke.

“I know this is hard for you, so I’m willing to be patient for as long as it takes,” Luna consoled as she brought Thomas back against her chest. “And when the interviews begin, I assure you that your opinion will matter as much as my own. You are the first of my herd. If the new pony cannot make you happy, then they cannot make me happy.”

“Thank you, Luna,” Thomas sighed contentedly as he rubbed his face into Luna’s fur. “Love you.”

“Love you too.”

“However, there is one more thing I wish to assure you of,” Luna added.

“And that is?”

“The new concubines. You can bet your flank they’ll be the sexiest ponies in the kingdom. I would settle for nothing less.”

The human and his alicorn remained in each other’s arms, both in the dream world and the physical world. There was no need or any other words or actions. For the time being, the two were content to simply have each other’s company. There were still questions, but could wait for another time.

Luna inviting Thomas to the dream realm rather than entering his dreams directly was cheating a bit, but I think it was worth it. A lot more was said and I imagine it’ll all be for the better in the long run.

This was actually written to be set like 30 chapters ago, but the situation at the time was way too dark and uncomfortable, so I put this off to the side for later. The bit with Rarity kind of feels off, but I feel it serves to further reinforce that Thomas’ foresight is not as absolute as he’d expected as well as distance this Equestria from the main one.

It’s actually kind of incredible, at least for me, how much of all this is just free writing followed by heavy chapter shuffling. This story has been an experience for me and, hopefully, is providing some much needed practice to refine my craft. For now I still consider one of my biggest obstacles to be the pacing. I want to get this story to a point where things are stable enough where days or weeks can go by between chapters and it still feels natural, like I’ve seen in pretty much all other stories out there. It might be the fact that all the characters are, in a way, obligated to be together and abide to a strict schedule that is causing the problem, but I don’t really know how to get away from that, especially since I’ve already planned out for the next few days to be pretty eventful, what with Talon joining up and all.

This is going to be one hell of a ride for me, and I’m grateful to have you guys along.