Chapter 34: Dream Princess

                                    

                                          
It was a strange scene...
                          
Alex sat on a metal bench, surrounded by the girls: Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Starlight, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Twilight. They were all in a locker room, the girls going about their business grabbing things from their respective lockers, not paying him any mind.
                          
Alex for his part didn't look at them too much, considering some of them were changing. He said nothing, simply wringing his hands. It was awkward for him to be in his position, even if they seemed to not care at all.
                          
Then the scene changed, and Alex found himself lying on his back, staring up at a plain white ceiling. He sat up a bit, and looked around. All of the girls were now lying on the floor wrapped up in sleeping bags. Rainbow Dash was to his nearest right, and the others were more scattered around.
                          
All of them looked at rest, peaceful and quiet. He didn't want to disturb them, so he laid back again and closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep as well. However, a strange blue light began to bother his eyes, and he opened them again.
                          
Suddenly, he felt his whole body tense up, and he suddenly couldn't move. He grunted weakly, trying to move his body and trying to call for help, but it was as if his voice had stopped working. A sheet was brought over his face, and all he could see was darkness...
                          
Then, he heard another voice, a voice that he had never heard before. It was speaking to him soothingly, comforting him:
                          
"There there now. It's alright. You're okay now." She said to him.
                          
As the voice spoke to him, he felt his body being lifted into the air. The sheet was removed from his face, and he felt his body begin to relax. Then he heard a gasp, and his body was set down again. He sat up, and found the source of the voice speaking to him...
                          
It was a pony, much taller than any he had seen before. She was dark blue with pretty blue eyes. Her hair flowed and shined like the night sky. She wore a necklace with the symbol of a crescent moon on it, and a tiara atop her head. She had wings and a horn as well.
                          
She was clearly very different from other ponies...
                          
"Who are you?" Alex asked, standing up.
                          
"What are you?" She asked in return. Alex raised an eyebrow and looked down at himself, realizing that he was human; of course she wouldn't recognize that.
                          
"I'm a human. I don't recognize you." He said.
                          
"My name is Princess Luna. And you are?" She asked.
                          
"My name is Alex. It's nice to meet you, princess." Alex said politely. She nodded.
                          
"Likewise, although under strange circumstances. I apologize for that."
                          
"It's alright. So, I must be dreaming right now, right?" Alex asked. Luna nodded.
                          
"Yes. I was summoned here because you were having a night terror of some sort." She explained.
                          
"Oh, the sleep paralysis. I get that sometimes, usually when I'm under a lot of pressure or stress, or I just have a lot on my mind." He said.
                          
"I see. This is...odd. I've never entered the dream world of a 'human' before. Where are you right now?" She asked.
                          
"Umm...right now right now? Like, physically?"
                          
"Yes."
                          
"I'm in Twilight's castle." He answered.
                          
"You're in Equestria?" Luna asked in shock. Alex nodded.
                          
"Yeah. It's a long story. I do know Twilight and her friends though. I believe she might have mentioned you before. Your sister's name is Celestia, right? You live in Canterlot?" Alex tried to recall. She nodded.
                          
"Yes. I see you're familiar with our land then. And what land are you from?" She asked curiously.
                          
"Oh, I'm not from any land on this world. I'm from the planet Earth." Alex explained, seeing no reason to lie to a princess in his dreams.
                          
"The planet...Earth," Luna repeated slowly. "I'd heard nothing of this. How did you get here? And how do you know Twilight and her friends?" Luna questioned him.
                          
"It's a long story. Something about a portal? To be honest, I don't really know a whole lot about what happened before I met them, just that they brought me here to experience what their world is like, and so I visit every once in awhile." Alex explained further.
                          
"I see. And how are you liking Equestria?"
                          
"It's nice. Very pretty. All these ponies are ridiculously friendly, but that's a good thing. No mean streets around here." He commented with a chuckle. Luna smiled a bit.
                          
"Well, that's good to hear. We Equestrians are very welcoming to all sorts of new faces. Although, I must say, given how different your...physical stature is in comparison to ours, I'm sure that must've taken some time."
                          
"Actually, no, I look like a stallion just like you do. I don't know if that's Twilight's doing, it probably is now that I think about it, but I come out looking like a pony just like every other pony, with some musical notes on my butt." Alex said.
                          
"Ah, I see. That makes a lot more sense then."
                          
"Oh...it just occurred to me, are you real?" He asked, feeling like an idiot for asking such a weird question.
                          
"Yes. I am real." Luna answered with a bit of a humorous chuckle.
                          
"Ohh okay. Do you have, like, some special power that allows you to enter other people's dreams?" Alex asked a follow-up question.
                          
"That's one way to summarize it, yes. My duty as a princess, one of them rather, is to ensure that all in Equestria get a good night's sleep, expelling nightmares and reassuring those who are being kept restless by their own anxieties and fears." Luna explained.
                          
"Wow, that's a very psychological role. But I can appreciate that, it shows a lot of care and compassion." Alex said.
                          
"Yes, that is the goal. Do you have that sort of thing where you're from?" Luna asked. Alex laughed.
                          
"Haha, no! I can barely find someone to care when I'm awake, let alone 'expel nightmares' or 'reassure fears and anxieties'." He said, still chuckling. Luna, however, did not look amused.
                          
"I see... So, where have you visited in Equestria thus far?" She asked curiously.
                          
"Ponyville mostly, but I also went to Cloudsdale and Manehattan. There's very interesting settings here, and all sorts of colorful characters, literally." Alex answered with a chuckle.
                          
"That's for certain." Luna nodded with a smile.
                          
"Mhmm. So, since you basically have the night shift, I assume your sister does the day shift? What does she do?" Alex asked curiously.
                          
"She raises the sun as I raise the moon, as you probably know. She handles the public events more often, outreach events and other things of the latter." Luna summarized simply, waving her hoof in a circle as she described her sister's roles.
                          
"Oh okay. Cool," He nodded. "I guess it makes sense then why you two are in charge. Every time I hear either of your names it's followed by compliments and praise."
                          
"Well, that's always the desired goal. Equestria is a friendly place for all creatures, ponies or otherwise. However, we've never had a visitor from somewhere as far off as you." Luna pointed out.
                          
"I would imagine not. You don't gotta worry though, I just wanna see the sights is all; like a tourist." Alex said with a small nod.
                          
"Of course. Well, it was nice meeting you, Alex. Take care in Equestria now."
                          
"I will, princess, thank you. It was nice meeting you too." Alex said, giving her a small wave.
                          
"Goodbye now."
                          
"Bye." Alex waved.
                          
A door appeared behind Luna; a door that Alex recognized as having seen before. She opened it and stepped out into what appeared to be a starry sky behind her. Luna nodded to him once more before closing the door, and it disappeared shortly thereafter.
                          
And then he woke up...