//------------------------------// // Dreams of Flame // Story: A Good Day to Burn // by JediMoonstar //------------------------------// "Goodnight dear sister." Luna's voice rang out from the hall, Her flowing mane sparkled like the midnight sky, As she slowly trotted down the hall to oversee her night. Celestia took off her sandals breastplate and crown And placed them in the tall sun decorated cabinet. She whipped her flowing mane around enjoying the lovely sensation of her mane without her crown that she must wear day after day. Yawning she stepped over to her bed grateful for a good night's rest, but she laid awake for some time her mind still troubled by the events of last month, When she and many other ponies had been kidnapped by changeling's, How did Chrysalis manage to get past all of our guard's? she wondered to herself Have I been to causal with protecting my little ponies? After about an hour of these thoughts she finally gave way to the sleep that she needed, or so she thought. She awoke in her dream to a beautiful sunset the clouds as red as blood trickling over the sky in deep pools of colors Celestia didn't have a problem with the color or how it seemed like that thick red substance because sometimes when you are proud of something you made or did you will do almost anything to be recognised for what you created, The simple drawing to the longest novel, Someone put effort into creating that, For sometimes someone can feel unappreciated and depression can take over. Celestia old as she knows this truth, Although she was ignorant of another truth possibly more terrible than the first that could be her undoing. As she was watching the sunset a voice said behind her "It's beautiful Celestia I suppose I should thank you for it." Celestia whipped around to see a mare about her size which was surprising you wouldn't find very many other ponies as tall or taller than her, But the surprise soon faded deciding not to question her dreams. The mare was black as charcoal her mane flowing as Celestia's but looked like fire her eyes seemed to glow yellow Celestia Could hardly see her pupils through the eerie glow. But the thing that most surprised her was that the black mare was an Alicorn! "Who are you?" Celestia questioned unsure what to do. "Well I believe I have a name, Just call me Flare, I believe you are the one that made all of this?" Flare said gesturing to the blood sunset "As I had said before it is beautiful, You control something that could destroy the world as you know it but instead you make this beautiful day that all your ponies have always adored your sunsets and sunrises I admire you for that, You are the most beautiful mare in all of Equestria!" "Thank you Flare, Why are you here?" Celestia asked while looking at the sky which she was fascinated with as the sun disappeared the sun rose in the east there was no night at all just the blood sky and haze. She looked down hoping to see somepony but there was nothing, Nothing but fire, Fire as far as the eyes could see and where there wasn't fire ash coals and embers took its place. "I'm here to speak to you, You see I have a similar cutie mark." glancing back at her sun cutie mark but it was red and lava orange instead of yellow and tanned orange, Glancing back at her prey she had waited many years for this day 'Unlike that Nightmare.' she thought 'To think that she accepted this, But no matter it's my turn now! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ At this moment in the real world, A certain Blue princess was casting her spell to scan for nightmares in the many minds of sleeping ponies and other creatures, There had been less and fewer nightmares as Luna had guided more and more ponies to conquer their fears, After all, she owed it to them. "You do remember it was my idea, to begin with, don't you Luna, To make them like you more." her shadow seemed to say jumping from the ground, "Oh that was so long ago, Just after we defeated Sombra correct?" "Why must you always reopen old wounds of the past? I know you had feelings for his shadow," she said walking to the balcony without looking at the blurred shadow behind her. "How many times must I tell you his name was Shadow, Dark Shadow to be exact!" it stopped speaking embarrassed at its outburst. Luna chuckled "You really are me aren't you," she said as she gazed down at Canterlot "I'm peaceful now that I've accepted you and the Tantabus, But the Tantabus didn't have any mind of its own it just did what I feared most." "But the night is so much better than the day though, Couldn't we make it last a little longer?" the shadow said in a teasing tone of voice "What don't tell me you're still not used to me? We've been together since you ascended to an alicorn!" "Nightmare you remember what we did that night, The night we killed him." Luna sighed quietly Nightmare knew exactly what she meant the day when a poor griffin had pushed too hard. "It wasn't that bad we didn't have the treaty then, So maybe he lost a couple of limbs-" she was quickly interrupted though as Luna snapped around staring her down. "Limbs? LIMBS? there was blood all over the town on us on the street we could not control our anger, It is not something to talk about like that!" her eyes were as dark as the Everfree "You and I became one a week after that, But nothing will ever erase the terror in his eyes from my memory nothing!" silence hung in the air for a moment as Nightmare tried to find something to say, "Okay okay I get the point we deserved the banishment, Calm down." she said quickly "Let's just scan for nightmares." she finished slipping under Luna and merging with her shadow again. Luna turned toward the balcony again, Her mind clouded over with sadness and cast the spell again. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Back in Celestia's dream, Flare was speaking to Celestia "How do you always keep your cool even in the darkest times? It's inspiring." the sun seemed to be at it's highest peak in the sky. "It is trying at times, I can tell you that!" Celestia chuckled, She somehow felt sleepy in her dream but she dismissed the thought thinking it was nothing instead focusing on the sun again 'It's so beautiful would this be the world without the night?' "I hope to see you again sometime Celestia you are truly a role model," Flare said as the dream came to an end. Celestia opened her eye's to her room it was almost time to raise the sun she got up and put her crown a little more willing that day. Pride is spiritual cancer: it eats up the very possibility of love, or contentment, or even common sense. C. S. Lewis~