“Are you sure that this is the right night?”

“I am certain. My sister has always maintained that it was a dream this very eve which convinced her that ascension was possible.”

“But it has been six hours and nothing has happened! No great inspiration! No visions of Star Swirl the Bearded!”

Luna tilted her head. “My sister has never said that Star Swirl served as inspiration for her ascension.”

“That’s not the point!” Twilight waved her hoof over the sunlit hill, gesturing towards the white unicorn who sat calmly sipping tea on a blanket in the valley on the other side. “She’s just sitting there drinking tea, like she has been for the last hour!”

Luna frowned. “’Tis true that her dreams have been most unenlightening, but Celestia’s dreams seldom were much like those of ordinary ponies.”

Twilight sighed, crouching lower on the hill. “I just wanted to see what inspired her,” she muttered miserably into the grass. “You don’t think she lied about it, do you?”

“I… do not believe so. I remember her waking one morn and claiming she had a most curious dream. Indeed, ‘twas to understand her dream that I spent so much time seeking the answer to how one might observe them myself.”

“Well, I don’t think anything in this dream is weird! It’s boring! And time spells only work once per pony. If this isn’t the right dream, we’re never going to find out.” Twilight hung her head. “Are you sure that Princess Celestia didn’t say anything more about her dream?”

“I know as much as you; she said that one morn, she simply knew that she must become an alicorn, and that it was within her grasp if she but discovered a new source of magic. ‘Twas the magic of light that she discovered, the ability to bend it to show her what she willed, just as I discovered the magic of dreams and you, of friendship.” Luna shook her head. “But she knew not why it was of such import that she succeed, only that she must for the good of all ponykind.”

“Yeah, she told me that as well.” Twilight sighed, ruffling her mane with her hoof. “I just… are you sure you haven’t seen anything strange since we got here? I’d hate to think we came up with a spell to view thousand year-old dreams for nothing.”

“I must admit that the dream with the carnivorous cake was most entertaining, but I do not believe that it is what lead my sister to the secret to eternal life.” Luna paused. “Though I must admit, my sister’s understanding of pastries vastly outstrips mine own.”

“Ugh.” Twilight rubbed her face. “Well, if that was it, we’re probably never going to understand it.”

Luna raised her hoof. “Hold, Twilight. She is doing something.”

Twilight crept forward to peer over the hill once more, narrowing her eyes. “She’s writing. Can you make out what it is?”

“Nay, not from this distance.”

The white unicorn paused, then set down her quill and ink beside her before lifting her teacup to her lips once more.

“That’s it?” Twilight asked, staring. “It should be longer!”

“It may be irrelevant. We have some time yet before she wakes.”

Twilight shook her head. “I’m taking a look.”

Her horn ignited, the small scrap of paper slowly gliding way from Celestia as if caught on a current of wind, only to rapidly zip up the to where Luna and Twilight sat. Twilight quickly pulled the page down beside the hillside, holding the paper less than an inch from the tip of her snout as her eyes quickly flashed across the fresh ink.

“What does it say?” Luna whispered.

Twilight’s eyes widened in shock, the paper dissolving into mist in front of her as her spell collapsed in on itself, the dream shattering, leaving the two ponies lying on Luna’s grand mattress where they had been sleeping.

Luna slowly lifted her head from her pillow. “I did not know my sister knew to ward her dreams back then.”

“It wasn’t a dream ward,” Twilight said, trembling as she rose to her hooves. “It was ordinary writing.”

Luna blinked. “Are you saying mere words broke your spell? What dire warning could do such a thing?”

Twilight looked Luna straight in the eye as she spoke.

“I can hear you.”