Later that evening…

The Canterlot clock tower tolled twelve times, signaling the arrival of midnight in the capital.
Princess Celestia had tucked Luna into bed, kissed her good-night, and was alone in her bedchamber. Now, she was at war, engaging in her nightly battle with her greatest foe, an enemy more powerful than Nightmare Moon and more chaotic than Discord: Lord Insomnia of Dreamland.

As she tossed and turned in her bed, she suddenly had an idea. Using her magic to cast a spell, two spherical bubbles appeared in the air above her head. Her horn glowed once more, and the bubbles began to act as viewing windows into the world around her.

Luna’s not the only one who knows a thing or two about dreams, she thought to herself as images began to appear. Inside each bubble, Celestia could see a single pony, hopelessly ensnared by what appeared to be a powerful nightmare.

The pony to her right appeared to be sleepwalking, and at times sleep-running, as if she were trying to elude an invisible pursuer or chase down her phantom prey. Celestia couldn’t tell which, but giggled at her antics nonetheless.

The pony to her left was talking in her sleep, mumbling about all kinds of topics, ranging from the routine to the risqué. She couldn’t resist blushing at some of the racier thoughts that escaped the somniloquist’s lips, especially the ones involving a certain purple unicorn behind closed doors. Closed, locked, bolted, and sealed with a double-decker force field.

Oh, you filthy little filly, she thought deviously to herself. Your fantasies are…exciting…but they pale in comparison to mine…

“Past and present, old and new, Alpha and Omega. You two are so diverse, yet so similar. Worlds apart, but almost identical. Just like myself and Luna, your areas of expertise are radically different, but have one critical connection…”

Her horn began to glow as she created a third blank bubble and pressed a bubble into either side of it, connecting them into a chain. Suddenly, everything just…stopped. One pony stopped rambling, the other stopped running, and both were at peace. They were now unknowingly dreaming the same dream, which Celestia could now see inside the center bubble.

Two young ponies were snuggled together before a warm fireplace on a cold winter’s night, each sipping a cup of hot chocolate and reading one of their favorite books.
“The snow is really coming down, big sister!” the little one said fearfully, “Where’s Mama? I hope she’s alright! If she got lost in the snow, they wouldn’t find her until spring. What happens then, huh?” She shivered at the thought.

“It’s alright, little sister.” the elder one reassured, “You’re thinking irrational thoughts again.” She wrapped a wing around her trembling sibling and released a massive yawn. “Mama’s a tough mare. She’ll be back soon. I promise.” She planted a firm, sisterly good-night kiss on the unicorn’s cheek. “Let’s try to get some sleep.”

Back in reality, the Sun Princess rested her head on her pillows and admired her hoofwork, silently thanking Twilight Sparkle for her brilliant idea. She’d taken her student’s advice and galloped away with it…just in a radical new direction. She watched patiently, waiting until contented smiles formed on the faces of the two sleeping ponies, then started smiling along with them. The inception was complete, but she quickly grew tired of watching her little mind-game unfold inside their heads. It felt…too simple…too boring…too manestream.

Suddenly, the bubbles popped without warning and she had an epiphany.

Why watch a performance when you can play the leading mare’s role?

She impaled Lord Insomnia through the heart with her horn. He was dead before he hit the stone castle floor, but she knew he’d be back again tomorrow. She’d be ready. With a running start, she leapt off the edge of reality and plunged headfirst into Dreamland, closing her wings to gain momentum.

Back in the dream world, the sisters heard a loud noise behind them and turned to see that the front door had flown open. They shivered madly as a sharp blast of chilly winter air rushed in, but suddenly…

“Mama!” they cheered gleefully as a very familiar face entered, kicking the door shut with her hind leg and shaking snowflakes out of her multicolored mane.

“Hi, girls.” the mare greeted, nuzzling them affectionately, “Mama’s home.”

The three returned to the fireplace and snuggled together before it, basking in its glow and its warmth, where the two younglings fell asleep almost instantaneously. As they slept, she softly whispered something to the fillies, knowing full well they were words only she could hear.

“Impact Hammer…Twilight Sparkle…my daughters…my darlings…my Princesses…”

She gingerly draped her majestic white wings over their tiny bodies, pulling them closer to her and shielding them from the cold like a living blanket. She couldn’t help noticing how soft their coats felt tonight…almost plush…

Back in Canterlot Castle, Princess Celestia she rolled over in her bed, closed her eyes, and did something she hadn’t done in centuries: drifted off to sleep without a care in Equestria, but not before whispering two final words.

“Sweet dreams…”