//------------------------------// // Dangers of the Dream // Story: A Dream at Twilight // by Paradise Oasis //------------------------------// "N-no, get away from me!" The Terrified colt cried out, as two ogres closed in picking him up by his front and back legs, and trying to pull him apart. "Grandpa... grandma... help me!" I'm in the dream of another pony, I saw yet another scared colt running through a dark forest, terrified as a pair of towering monsters closed in and captured him. I didn't get why so many kids my age and younger were so scared of monsters, I was young then, and didn't know how dangers our world really was. Anyway, I had to get rid of those nasties, and make this Pegasus's nightmares into sunshine and rainbows. "All right, uglies!" I called out, jumping in front of the two ogres. "Let that kid go, or you're gonna regret it!" "RHARRRRR!" Obviously, the twin brutes didn't agree with me, and pulled harder on the colt, making him scream in terror. Raising my horn, I blasted the buck-toothed green giants out of existence. The little colt dropped to the ground, and looked around nervously. "Gee, thanks for the save there, little girl." He expressed his gratitude, as he pulled himself back to his hooves, and tired to regain his composure. "But I had that whole thing under control." He took a defensive stance. "When I grow up, I'm going to be the greatest guard fort Rainbow dash has ever seen, and there isn't any monster that'll ever scare me!" "Uh-huh, riiiiight." I roll my eyes, my horn glowing again. "Now, let's see what I can do to make this dream a little more pleasant for you..." I thought about the picture of the elderly pony couple I saw by the colt's bed when I came in, and conjured the two up from the Pegasus's subconscious. The colt stared at them in shock, as teared welled up in his eyes. "Grandma? ....Grandpa?" He asked rushing forward to hug them. "I can't believe you're here!" "There we go, another satisfied customer." I said with a smile, trotting out of the dream as the three ponies embraced. "So, Gleaming...how do you think I did this time?" "Heh, not bad, kid." Gleaming replied, clearly in a better mood than before. "You're becoming a real pro at this. It looks like the starlight lantern chose my successor well." "Gee, thanks Dream Gleamer." I reply, smiling smugly. "And I notice you seen a little happier than usual." "Are you kidding me? These past few weeks have been the best sleep I've had in a century!" She smiled at me. "It's so wonderful to be able to dream again!" Her words sting me, as I think about the problem I've been having as Dream Beauty since I started a few weeks ago. As the two of us walk out of the colt's dream, I try to hide the weariness building in my heart... .... "Gee, are you okay, Twilight?" Paradise asked me, waking me up from sleeping with my head on my school desk. "You really don't look so well." Paradise was right, I looked like a train wreck, and felt twice as bad. There were lines and creases under my bloodshot eyes, and I wandered around the castle like a mindless zombie. I only nodded in response to my teacher's questions, and spent more time with my face in my textbook rather than reading it. The ponies around me had taken notice of my lethargic behavior, and they were all seriously worried for my health. "Oh, don't worry about it, Paradise." I mutter, barely lifting my head from my desk. "My training has just left me a little more drained than usual, that's all." "Twilight.... we're all really worried about you." Sweet Stuff whimpered, her timid little voice filled with concern for me. "You're so tired during the day, it's like you're not getting any sleep at all!" "Girls, please... I'm okay, really I am." I tried to reassure them, putting on a weak smile. "I've been sleeping just fine. It's just the fact I'm not dreaming anymore, it's really wearing on me." "Wait, you don't dream anymore?" Paradise put her hooves on my shoulders. "Girl, this new job of yours is really hurting you! Can't you, like, not do it?" I looked up at my friend through bloodstained eyes, considering her words. Why should I have to bear the weight of the world on my shoulders, just so everybody else gets a peaceful night's sleep? But I can't just turn my back on my job, it's simply out of the question. As our teacher came into the classroom, we all turned to listen. "Now class, please settle down." She asked us, adjusting her granny glasses. "open your textbooks to page 175, we'll begin our talk about the legendary harmony bearers, and their amazing adventure facing Queen Chrysalis, and her evil changeling horde..." As she began to lecture, I could only stare ahead blankly. A princess and her friends, going to exotic places and fighting evil... these kinds of adventures were always my favorite types of stories. But I really couldn't enjoy it in my current state; I couldn't picture the dashing princess of friendship and the other elements in my mind, I couldn't imagine them fighting evil and standing up for what's right. It seemed all of my dreams had faded away, or all drained out into the ponies whose dreams I protect. I was even too tired to enjoy the classic stories that always fed my dreams. As the teacher droned on and on, my head slipped down onto my desk. As I fell into slumber, I let myself go, and began to dream of a band of brave pony knights, on a mission to hunt down and slay a dragon. And as I slept, the spectral form of several armored pony warriors began to fill the classroom all around me, surprising my teacher and fellow students. "Forsooth! It is a strange group of young colts and foals!" One of the armored nights exclaimed, as my frightened classmates stared at him. "What would children be doing out in these dangerous woods!" "They must be an enchanted illusion made by the dragon, sent to trick us!" Another knight pulled out his sword. "Let us destroy these illusions, so that we may continue on our quest!" "Aieeeeee! Look, It's ghosts!" Paradise shrieked, as she and all of my other friends screamed in terror. "Everybody, run for your lives!" The foals and our teacher all went running out of the classroom, chased by the spectral dream knights. I was later told it was a scene of chaos; ponies running from their lives, with the 'ghosts' running after them with sword and spear. As the knights of my dreams chased ponies everywhere, Sweet Stuff desperately came over and nudged me. "Twilight, please wake up!" My twinkle-eyed friend pleaded. "Your dreams... they're scaring everybody!" At her prodding, I raised my head. As I opened my eyes, all of the spectral knights instantly vanished. "Huh? Oh, Sweet Stuff." I muttered, waking up, and feeling a little better. "Where did everybody go? I class over already?" ... "YOU STUPID, IGNORANT, SELFISH LITTLE FILLY!" *SMACK!* "YOU...ARE...NOT...ALLOWED...TO...DREAM!" Dream Gleamer screamed at me, hitting me with a powerful slap across the face with her hoof. "A dream beauty can't dream when she's asleep! If you do, horrible things like this can happen!" "It's not fair!" I plead to her, rubbing my left cheek where her front horseshoe had left an imprint. "Why is everybody else allowed to get a pleasant night's sleep, but the dream beauties are forbidden from having their own dreams?" "You cant' have your own dreams, you run the risk of your dreams becoming a reality!" She yelled, her voice starting to decrease in volume, as she wore herself out from shouting. "Because of your link to the starlight lantern, any monster or creature could emerge into the waking world, and attack people!" Her shoulders slumped, and she looked away. "You were lucky your sleep wasn't very deep, and those knights didn't become completely physical. If they had, they could have killed all of your friends and classmates while you were dozing off." "I-I'm sorry." I look at the ground sadly. "No dreams... no hope for the future? No joy? why do we dream beauties have to suffer so?" "It's our lot in life, little Twilight, to suffer so other ponies don't have to." Gleamer put a hoof on my shoulder, her anger dissolving, and a note of sympathy entering her voice. "We sacrifice our own happiness, so other ponies can sleep easy. It's a thankless job, little one. But at least we know our friends and loved ones will sleep easy."