//------------------------------//
// The Dream 
// Story: Breaking Stone 
// by KidatHeart5 
//------------------------------//

	Soon after finding the book, Teardrop decided to call her mother. She went up to her tower bedroom and said into the mirror on her wall, “Princess Rose. Requesting Princess Rose. This is Teardrop. Please answer.”
A few moments later, an image of Princess Rose appeared. She smirked and remarked, “I know who you are, sweetheart. You don’t have to go into specifics.” Teardrop smiled and shrugged, “Aw, Mom. Where’s the fun in that?” Her mother chuckled and then asked, “So what do you need, honey?”
Teardrop took the book out and responded, “There’s a legend in here that I’ve heard before, but this seems to add something else to the story. It says that soon after Nightmare Moon was banished, Clover the Clever cast a spell on Discord’s statue. Since she believed that Luna could turn good again, she thought the same could be said about Discord.” Rose asked, “But didn’t he thrust Equestria in perpetual chaos?” Teardrop chuckled, “Only you would use the word ‘perpetual’, Mom.” Her mom shrugged, “That’s how I roll.”
“So, anyway,” Teardrop continued, “I thought that since Princess Luna had returned, maybe Clover’s prophecy will come true.” “You think that Discord could be redeemed should he be released?” Rose asked. Her daughter pointed out, “Clover said that only true love’s kiss would break him out of stone.” Rose slit her eyes wistfully and said, “I sense that there’s more to it, isn’t there?” Teardrop sighed, “All right, you got me, Mom. I’m hoping that I could find someone to kiss Discord and maybe get my cutie mark.” 
Rose said, “Well, news flash: Cadance is already the Princess of Love. I know you’re capable of so much more.” Teardrop sighed agitatedly, “But I’ve been waiting for so long! When is my time going to come? I’ve been in Canterlot for almost a century and Twilight had been here for less than a decade! Twilight’s the Princess of Friendship and she has her own castle! Am I ever going to amount to anything?” 
Tears sprung to her eyes and she turned away from the mirror. Rose consoled her, “You’ve gained enough experience over the years to become a wise counsel to many ponies, including Twilight.” Teardrop faced her mom again with tears running down her cheeks and choked, “Then I should’ve gotten a cutie mark by now. Look at me. I’m a blank flank…and always will be.” 
She wiped her tears away and began to sing, “It isn’t that I’m ungrateful for all the things that I’ve earned…for all the journeys I have taken, all the lessons that I have learned…But I wonder where I’m going now, what my role is meant to be…I don’t know how to travel to a future that I can’t see. I have my wings, I have my horn. I’m a princess, this is true…But it’s still unclear to me just what I am meant to do.
“I want to have a purpose, want to do all that I can. I want to make a contribution. I want to be part of the plan.” 
Rose comforted her by singing, “Your destiny’s uncertain, and that’s sometimes hard to take, but it will become much clearer with every new choice you make. Patience is never easy…I understand wanting more. I know how hard it is to wait to spread your wings and soar. But you stand here for a reason. You’re gifted and you are strong. You’re my daughter and you’re here because you belong.
“Know that your time is coming soon. As the sun rises, so does the moon. As love finds a place in every heart, you are a princess. You’ll play your part. I understand you wanting more…A chance to shine, a chance to soar…Soon will come the day it turns around!”
“Know that your time is coming soon. As the sun rises, so does the moon. As love finds a place in every heart, you are a princess. You’ll play your part. You are a princess. You’ll play your part.”
Teardrop sniffled and smiled, “Thanks, Mom. You know just what to do when I hurt.” Rose said, “And I know you’ll help Discord when the time comes.” Just then, a cry shouted out, “PRINCESS TEARDROP!” Teardrop gasped, “Oh, no! I’m late for another lesson! I’ll call you back soon, okay?” 
Rose said, “All right. Love you, honey.” Teardrop laid her head against the mirror and said, “I love you too, Mom.” Just before the image dissolved, Rose reminded Teardrop, “Remember, your time will come soon.” As Teardrop walked out of her chamber, she lowered her head and thought about her destiny.

Teardrop lied on the ground, helpless and in pain. Her heart had literally become stone and every heartbeat crippled her. Just then, she heard an unfamiliar voice call out, “Teardrop? Teardrop!” As the voice called her name, she felt the stone crumble away and make way for a heart that was bright and light. 
She stood up and looked for the being the mystery voice belonged to. She called out, “Hello? Are you there? Answer me!” She turned in every direction, but did not see who was calling for her.
Suddenly, Teardrop heard a scream. She ran towards it and saw the kingdom of Palorania, her home, being blanketed by a shadow. She saw her mom hovering in mid-air and trying to fend for herself. In one swift move, the shadow enshrouded her and her mom cried, “NOOOOO!” “MOM!” Teardrop cried when she tried to fly. However, she was brought back to the ground by a heavy force. She looked back and saw that she was turning to stone. 
She was defenseless, and just before the stone entirely encased her, she shouted, “HEEEEELP!!”
Teardrop woke up with a start. She was relieved to realize that it was just a dream. However, she was terrified by what occurred during her nightmare. Before she knew it, a constricting jolt ran through her body. She was having another of her MOB attacks. It was a disorder inherited from her mother and could affect or be affected by her mind and emotional state. Often, she would have a tightening sensation or a mind glitch, but severely, she would have a lapse or a seizure. 
There were some cases in which Teardrop had to miss her lessons, but she wasn’t sure if this time would apply. She had to calm down and rest until morning. But as soon as she was relaxed, fear was replaced by sorrow. She thought, Maybe I don’t have a destiny because of my disorder. Her heart grew heavy as she slipped back to sleep.

Teardrop tried to get up, but a heavy sensation paralyzed her. She knew it was one of those days. She had to summon up every bit of her strength to use her magic to write an excuse note and send it through the mail slot on her door. She hated being paralyzed like this and hoped that she would be all right the next day like many of the times this happened. However, this would continue on and off for the next week or two.
During those several days, she kept having that same nightmare every night. Sometimes, it left her exhausted but well and other times, it left her weak and hurting. Even though the doctor ruled out any serious causes, Teardrop knew something else was going on. On Celestia’s wishes, she stayed confined in her room until she was all right. Everypony, including the royal sisters, were getting worried about her by the end of the week.
As usual, Celestia raised the sun, but then she heard singing below. 
“Something’s wrong with her. Something’s wrong with her. Don’t know if things are going to be as they were.”
“She’s all alone up there, locked away inside.”
“Never says a word.”
“Hope she hasn’t died.”
“Something’s wrong with her. Something’s wrong with her.”
Celestia looked at Teardrop’s bedroom window in concern. She saw the young princess’s silhouette pacing back and forth. Celestia was glad Teardrop was all right, but she wondered what was going on in the mare’s head. Meanwhile, Teardrop walked around the room, contemplating about what was going on in the last week or so. She knew the dream had to be the cause of it, but she didn’t know why.
She started to sing, “The nightmare is buzzing in my skull. Will it let me be? I cannot tell. There’re so many things I cannot grasp. When I think I’ve got it, then at last…through my very own hooves it does slip…like a snowflake in a fiery grip! 
“Something here I’m not quite getting. Though I try, I keep forgetting…like a memory long since past. Here in an instant, gone in a flash! What does it mean? What does it mean?!
“In this nightmare in my head, a meaning’s waiting to be read. The random symbols confuse me so. Confound it all, I love it though. Simple subjects, nothing more, but something’s hidden through a door, though I do not have the key. Something’s here I cannot see! What does it mean? What does it mean?! 
“What does it mean? Hmmm…
“I’ve read these many books so many times. I know the stories and I know the rhymes. I know the incantations all by heart. My skull’s so full it’s tearing me apart! As often as I read them, something’s wrong…So hard to put my very own hoof on…”
Then she looked up to see a statuette of a pony standing on two legs and singing. An epiphany slowly started to creep into her head as she held the statuette in her hoof. She resumed singing, “Or, perhaps, it’s really not as deep as I’ve been led to think. Am I trying much too hard?” Suddenly, she pictured Discord’s statue in place of the singing pony.
In realization, she sang in excitement, “Of course, I’ve been too close to see the answer’s right in front of me! Right in front of me! It’s simple, really, very clear like music drifting in the air…Invisible, but everywhere! Just because I cannot see it doesn’t mean I can’t believe it!
“You know, I think this prophecy is not as tricky as it seems. If Luna could turn back to good, then Discord might be redeemed, too! Who better to do that but me? I’ll be the one to set him free…and there’s no reason I should think I couldn’t fix all of those kinks. I bet I could improve him, too, and that’s exactly what I’ll do!”
She charged out of her bedroom excitedly and shouted, “I must see the princess!”