//------------------------------//
// Smoke Screen 
// Story: Journal of the Stars 
// by Et-Luna-Et-Stellis 
//------------------------------//

Luna trotted slowly from her sisters room. This didn't make sense. 
She had been in the dream realm, focusing on trying to see what the colts and fillies of Canterlot were dreaming. Instead of the normal portals holding images of the dreams in question, she had received just one- her sisters, which had more death and gore held in it's depths than Luna had seen since before she turned into Night Mare Moon. Why weren't the others accessible? 
But it didn't matter. The night was almost over, and before then, she had to help those who else needed it. Holding her breath, she twisted on the spot and walked forward, eyes closed. Before she even opened them, she knew it had worked. The air had become free and pure, and contained none of the metallic taint she had come to associate with the outdoors of the castle. She was in the dream realm. 
It was utterly enormous- or was it pitifully small?- and contained things of more importance than her own existence. It was dark blue and went on forever, its depths glittering mysteriously, enticingly. And so she called forth the dreams of her subjects, eyes closed and head tilted back. And this time it worked. The portals were there, each containing a different image- some a happy land of tea parties and ice cream, others, more dark and foreboding. 
She surveyed the portals which seemed to stretch on forever; they went in no orderly line but all over the place. She began to jump, looking left and right, searching for a dream that was going out of place, turning into a nightmare. 
She found what she was looking for before long.
It was a mares dream. This was unusual, as the ponies who mostly had nightmares were young colts and fillies. Having a fully grown mare with a nightmare was almost problematic. Unlike foals, they couldn't always dismiss Luna as just a Princess. Adults would question and investigate, which was uncomfortable at the least. And some adults did the unadvised and tried to woo her. That was very annoying indeed. 
Shaking her head, Luna leaped towards the door, and assumed her usual position of viewing- behind the moon. Still frowning slightly, she watched the scene unfold below her. 
It was horrifying at the least.
The mare was in a laboratory, lying on a hard metal table. Her hooves were stripped down to almost the bone and drenched in blood. It was evident that it wasn't the first time she was having the dream. She lay unmoving- not screaming for help, not yelling in agony. She had already accepted fate and was waiting for what was to come. The mare's blue eyes were dilated in terror, yet she was silent. Her cream coat was matted with congealed blood and a mixture of wires and tags. 
A shadow approached her, holding a series of medical instruments on a tray. The shadow formed into another mare, white coat and pink mane- Luna recognized her. She used to have dreams of operations going wrong and of failing her task- healing ponies. Nurse Redheart had a gleam in her blue eyes that was never there in reality- a mad gleam, a gleam that suggested recklessness. 
As the pony laid the tray on the floor, vanishing once more to the shadows, Luna realized who the mare was- Bon Bon. She was closely tied in with Lyra Heartstrings' dreams, and Luna knew Lyra quite well- many nightmares, when she was both young and older. And the problem hit Luna- Bon Bon was nosocomiphobic. She had an excessive fear of hospitals. Judging by the nature of the phobia in question, Luna figured it would be unwise to show herself this time- she might mistake her for a medic and panic, making her wake up and ultimately making her have the same nightmare again. 
Dreams were complicated. And although Luna admired how the pony mind was capable of producing them she still valued simplicity in this matter. It was best for the form of help to come in a different package. 
Igniting her horn, Luna concentrated on the one pony Bon Bon could trust in this situation. Lyra Heartstrings was taken from her dream of performing on the Lyre faster than she could protest. Luna smiled humorously; maybe this was how Discord felt, controlling all the ponies like puppets when he was on the throne. Lyra arrived beside Luna in a matter of heart beats. She looked rather dazed, but not surprised enough to wake up. 
"Go help your friend; you came here of your own accord. You shall not remember this. The shadow can be dispelled by laughter." Luna smiled as Lyra trotted obediently to Bon Bon, untying the straps holding her down. She loved working behind the scenes- she was no longer the pony she used to be. She turned, about to leave the dream, when the foul odor of a nightmare distinctly radiated from the room she had been observing. The shadow had returned. Nurse Redheart was angry, and was brandishing a gigantic pair of medical scissors. 
Lyra looked like she might suffocate under laughter; she had her hoof stuck in her mouth to prevent the giggles from escaping. Bon Bon thought one look at her and burst out laughing. Luna smiled; now, surely, the figure of the Nurse would disappear? She wasn't disappointed- the figure melted to the floor and both mares were giggling despite themselves. Now the dream would end and both mares would wake up. Once more, she turned to leave. 
The air burned with a melted-plastic-like taint- the scent Luna had grown accustomed to in all nightmares. The shadow was growing again. 
And another thing happened at the same time.
The walls and ceiling began to push forward, the laboratory turning to a blank metal room. The shadow was now changing, growing bigger and bulky. Muscles rippled and tightened on the Nurse, her demeanor now considerably less pony like. It grew until it almost filled the room it was in, filling it with the musky smell of serpent. Luna hated snakes. Her fear was second only to-  the thing streched, bulbous wings erupting from it's hide, scales coating it's body, the four limbs lengthened and split into jagged claws, the thing's tail grew longer and turned a cold shade of grey. What in Tartarus was this thing? 
The thing was huge, filling up most of the room available in the black space, it towered above the ponies. Utterly terrified, both were hugging each other for support. Lyra's pupils were dilated to mere pinpricks as her claustrophobia kicked in. Bon Bon was looking up in awe and horror. The records of the thing it most resembled were destroyed before Luna could walk. 
They mustn't wake up. They mustn't. It was Bon Bon's dream, if she woke up now, the dream would disappear and both Luna and this thing would return to the dream realm. The thing might ravage into others dreams, causing the biggest nightmares since before the plague was cured. 
And the only way to keep Bon Bon from waking up was to go in the dream herself. And hope that the number of first person shooters including herself and her sister played by Bon Bon will disguise her. 
Luna jumped through the viewing screen that was the moon, landing lightly on her hooves. The thing only had to glance at Luna for her jaw to drop. This couldn't be an ordinary nightmare. It's eyes bored into hers, searching for a weakness, for an impulse to fight, but none came. Luna stared, eyes open wide, at the thing. 
Lyra looked heartily confused and scared; with a barely audible "puff" she disappeared. The room suddenly expanded again. Bon Bon stared at Luna in shock. 
Luna needed to act fast; this thing looked reptillian, with a long tail for balance and webbed claws. This meant it was suited to water. And what was the opposite of water? 
Luna let loose a blazing inferno of fire at the creature, aiming for it's eyes and face; the blast hit and the creature was knocked over by it's power. And as if coming from a great distance, Luna heard a series of pings: a green bar was hovering above the creature, and with every ping the bar turned steadily more orange. The pings stopped; the bar was now half of it's original size and a deep violent shade of orange. It was like a fighting game. Luna glanced above her to see a full green bar. She turned around to see Bon Bon looking expectant. Too many video games, Luna thought wryly. 
The creature was back on it's feet; it now looked mad. One of it's eyes was reduced to a puffy black slit. The other was narrowed in fury. Judging by it's body language, it was going to charge. 
The floor was covered in tiles; they were flat and hard, with little grip available. If this creature was indeed water-dwelling, it would have difficulty on land and wouldn't be able to grip much with it's claws. Luna thought frantically; what would you do in a street style fighter? Trip the opponent, whispered a voice in her head. 
Even as she came to the conclusion, she knew it was no good. The creature was too close. Yet... there was something she could do. 
The creature charged and as it did so, Luna created a wall of fire in front of her and Bon Bon; the creature saw its mistake too late- even as it's claws skidded across the tiles scrabbling for purchase it was engulfed in fire, head, stomach, thrashing limbs and all. The pings were now so fast it was almost impossible to distinguish them from one another; The bar above the things head was now a deep shade of red bordering on black. It was almost empty. 
Burnt and hissing in pain, the thing looked upon Luna's eyes; they were sorrowful, and, surprisingly, wet with unshed tears. The sight captivated her, entranced her; they were so alike, and yet so different, and for a moment like he was looking at her directly. And before she could do anything, it lashed out.
It didn't cause her any pain, but she cried out nevertheless; a hank of her mane fell, the cut straight as if done by scissors. She danced back, out of reach, but she knew it was no good; the bar above her head dropped down to a light shade of black. 
If the thing could smile, it would have.
She had to destroy it. The thought rang out throw her head even as she swayed. She had to kill the thing. Harnessing what was left of her energy, she flung a last sphere of flame at the creature. It's bar went completely empty; as did Luna's. 
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She felt herself thud unto the wooden frame of the bed. She breathed deeply; the air smelled slightly of cookies. It was time to lower the moon. 
Walking to the balcony of her room, she removed the stars and moon from the sky. The heavens paled as dawn spread throughout the land. Without waiting to see the sun, Luna closed the door to the balcony and drew the curtains of dark blue cotton. 
Without any hesitation she dropped unto the bed again and begin to sob; the creature had reminded her of the reason never wanted to be a Princess. 

The reason she never took students.