…He found a small nook that was just his size and tucked himself away. He made sure to keep a listen for small hoof movements on the carpeted floor as he prepared himself for the night's slumber. Hearing nothing but the small rattle of the windows as the breeze played with them from the outside, he curled up and let darkness and the quiet overtake him.
As he slept, he dreamt of his parents. He remembered with great fondness how much they had loved him, and how much they had cared for him. He remembered the cold winters when he and his father would play in their front yard, building snow ponies and snow forts and pretending to be kings of the winter wonderland. He also remembered his mother's fresh and warm apple fritters, which were as sweet as honey to the tongue.
He had not had such a warm and wonderful night's rest since he became orphaned all those years ago. He was used to spending the cold nights alone on street corners or in boxes that ponies threw away in the back alleys of Canterlot. A lot of this was the result of his hatred of unicorns, for whenever one of them offered to shelter him for the night, he would turn them down with a disgusted look in his eye. The scars of his parents' tragic passing ran deep, and he made sure to let every unicorn he met know about it.
But as he slept and dreamed this wonderful dream, something happened. Suddenly, the dream flashed white and the memories of his parents swept away as if on the open sea. He found himself floating amongst the stars with nothing but the moon hovering above his head. Then the moon flashed, and Princess Luna herself came out of it.
Maddock knew of the importance of the pony which now stood before him, so he bowed in respect. Luna smiled and raised his head with a hoof. "Dear Maddock," she said softly and then added with a wry grin, "we know you're here." Maddock gasped. "But, wait," he said, "how? I mean, I made sure to check for guards and everything."
Once again, Luna smiled. "Yes, but you cannot check for royalty wandering the halls of their castle while you sleep. Remember, I guard the night and the dreams of ponies, which means I'm awake at this time." Maddock blushed. So Luna had found him while he was sleeping. "OK, you caught me," he said, "so, what? Are you gonna wake me up and throw me out?"
Luna shook her head. "Quite the opposite. I'm glad you're here, Maddock," she said, "for I have something to show you." With that, she led the now confused pony up a trail of stars and into what seemed to be an endless void. When they came out of the darkness, they were standing in front of a certain hotel in Canterlot.
Luna noticed that Maddock had a concerned look on his face. She smiled to herself, because that was exactly what she needed to see. "You know this hotel?" She asked, already knowing the answer. "Yes…yes, I do," Maddock said sheepishly, then added with disgust "this unicorn, she offered to put me up for the night. But I can't accept a favor from a unicorn. Not after what they did to my family!"
"Perhaps you do not understand what such thinking has done to you," Luna said. Then she rapidly began to run through all of the times when he had refused a unicorn's kind offer to assist him. They had ranged from hotel owners to restaurant chefs offering him a free meal to unicorns offering to hire him. One by one, he had turned them all down.
Maddock looked distraught. "You see, Maddock," Luna said, "your ignorance is only hurting yourself. You have missed chances to make friends and to help, not only yourself, but the ponies around you. Do not let the tragedies of the past guide your thinking in the present." With that, Luna returned to the moon and in a flash, she was gone.
Back in the palace, Maddock awoke with a start. His face was covered in sweat. He knew he had to find Princess Luna. He had to know what the dream meant. Immediately, he began to run through the dark halls of the palace. He didn't care who saw him, he knew he had to get to the princess.
He ran by a couple of guard ponies. "Stop! Halt!" They shouted and began running after him. He thought he saw the back end of a flowing tail going around one of the corners, so he turned it and skidded to a halt as he almost ran into Luna. The princess, now aware of his presence, turned and gave him a bit of a neutral look. She didn't look particularly happy to see him, but she didn't look angry either.
The guards turned and skidded to a halt as well, bowing low before Luna before standing at full attention. "It's OK," the princess said, "I know of the intrusion. You may return to your post." The guards bowed once again and returned to their duties. Maddock, on the other hand (or hoof, as they say in Equestria), couldn't stop looking at Luna. Her flowing mane glistened in the moonlight that dissolved and rejoined itself through the glass behind her. She looked so quietly majestic in that moment.
Then, she smiled at Maddock. "That dream was sent to you for a reason," she said softly, "come." She beckoned at him with a hoof and he followed her. They went through a pair of double doors and out to a balcony that overlooked the sleeping city. Here, she stopped and turned towards him. "I have notified Celestia of your intrusion," she said, "at first, she was angry. But then I told her that I had been observing you as of late and we believe we have come up with a suitable punishment for somepony like you…"