//------------------------------// // Dream Questions // Story: A Dream at Twilight // by Paradise Oasis //------------------------------// The first year of being a dream beauty went fairly well... especially with Dream Gleamer still watching over my shoulder. The other ponies... they just don't understand me, or what I'm going through. "So, Twilight... how the whole dream business been going?" My mother asked, as she served me a platter of quesadillas. "I know every mare and stallion in the castle tells me they have been sleeping a whole lot easier lately." "Glad to hear it, mom. Wish I could say the same." I grumbled back, trying to enjoy my meal, despite how exhausted I felt. "I'm not sleeping to well though, there are just soooo many ponies I need to provide dreams for!" "Oh dear, that sounds like it keeps you really busy!" My mom replied in a worried tone. "Maybe you could keep a list of your dreamers, to help you organize your job a bit better?" "Mother. there are so many dreamers I take care of, that list would stretch around the world three times." I told her, rolling my eyes. " Besides, you know how much I hate organizing, or making checklists." "Well, I was just trying to helpful, Twilight." She replied defensively. "anyway, if you have so many sleeping ponies to deal with, how do you get all of them in one night?" "The starlight lantern slows time for me, so I can be sure to get everybody." I explain to her, nibbling on my quesadilla between sentences. "Not only that, but the lantern actually bends time for me, so I can go into the dreams of those who will sleep during the following day, when I'm awake, and going about my life." "Ohhhh, got any good stories or gossip from the dreams you've been in?" Mom asks, a grin on her face, as she thought of the potential info I might have picked up during dream walking. "I'm sure you've picked up LOTS of juicy secrets during your dream walks." "Sorry mom, I can't keep what I pick up from dreams." I reply, drinking down my orange juice in one gulp. "The lantern makes me forget anything I learn about a pony in their dreams." 'Awww, that's too bad." She frowned, pouting at my response. "Well, at least you'll be good at keeping a secret." I finish eating my lunch, and trot back towards my room. Why can't they understand how my life has changed in these past few weeks. They still talk and joke with me like nothing has changed, and they never stop asking me questions about how being a Dream Beauty works, or what I have to do to clear up somebody's dreams. Trotting out into the castle hallway, I am soon greeted by Buttons and Paradise, who were waiting for me as I emerged from my mother's castle apartment. "Hey, Twilight!" My Pegasus friend asked, flapping around in front of me. "Buttons is holding a little party in the castle ballroom Friday evening, and we wondered if you wanted to come along?" "Oh, thanks girls, but... I just don't know." I shook my head wearily. "My Dream Beauty training has left me really exhausted, and I got a lot on my mind, recently. I don't really think I'd enjoy it, given the current circumstances." "Hmmm, are you suuuuure, Twilight?" Buttons smirked. "I've heard from a little birdie that Quarterback is going to be there." She raised an eyebrow at me. "You know, the colt you've had a crush on since 2nd grade." "Did you say... Quarterback?" I stopped dead in my tracks, turning back to face my two friends with my mouth hanging open. "Quarterback's going to be there?" "Hmmm, I knew that would get your attention." Paradise Giggled. "So, you think you can make time to come to the party?" "I-I don't know..." I mutter nervously. "If the party starts about seven or so, I'd be cutting it awfully close to when my dream walking is supposed to start." "Oh, come on! Surely an hour or two there couldn't hurt!" Buttons continued. "Come on, Twilight! This is the event you've been waiting for!" It was a hard issue for me, and my two friends knew exactly why. Quarterback was my first crush, the first colt I ever thought was cute. I first noticed him at age seven, when he let me borrow his glue stick in art class, asnd I kind of developed a cute little crush on him. It lasted as the years at school passed, and I never took my eye off of him as the years past. But he became a big football star at school, playing with the other colts on the grid iron, while I remained a shy little filly, too scared to talk to him. But now... now I was a dream beauty in training, somebody important in the castle! Surely, now I could talk to him without any problem. But then... why do I still feel so nervous about it? "Something bothering you, my student?" Dream Gleamer asked me, when we met in the tower that afternoon. "I sense you mind is troubled and your heart is burdened." "I don't know, Gleamer." I took a deep breath, as I prepared to let it all out. "It's just... there's the boy in school I'm really interested in, and my friends have invited me to a party where I could hang out with him, but I don't know if it'll interrupt my dream walking duties." I sigh, lowering my head. "I don't even know if a dream beauty is allowed to have a boyfriend or not." "A boy, huh? Yeah, I figured this was going to come up, sooner or later." My teacher smirked, shaking her graying mane out. "Don't worry Twilight, you're allowed to date colts. And when you get older, you'll be perfectly free to marry a stallion; I had a nice hubby myself, once..." A small frown covered her face, as she shook off a sad memory. "But it will be a burden for you and your significant other, my student. Both of you will have to deal with the burdens of your Dream Beauty responsibilities." Her words don't help my uneasiness, and it continues to bother me into the night. All of my doubts and fears make me ask several questions; could Quarterback even like me back? Would he be willing to put up with all of the problems in my life? Questions fill my mind, and I'm not sure how this burden will affect my life. But I have little time to think about these things very much, as my duties as dream walker begin for the night. My first dream, I'm protecting the dream of a mare who has taken her boyfriend on a picnic in Rainbow Valley, and I find myself constantly zapping nightmares trying to attack them, and ruin the dream. "Darling, do you feel a strong gust of wind?" The mare asked, as she watched the trees in her dream get blown around. "It feels awfully breezy around here..." "The only thing I notice, is the gleam in your eyes, my dear." Her boyfriend smiled, staring lovingly into her eyes. "I hope this dream never ends." As I fought off the shadows trying to attack the oblivious couple from every side, I couldn't help but be touched by the loving affection they displayed for each other. I glanced backward between blasting shadows, watching the unicorn stallion feeding his mare cake, and watching the mare stroke the stallion's mane as he lay beside her after the meal. I had wondered if it was a mistake linking these two lover's dreams together when they started having the same dream, but seeing the way they acted towards one another.... well, it touched my fourteen year old, over-emotional heart. And made me want to experience my own wonderful feelings of romance. "That does it, I'm going to find out if Quarterback is my very special somebody!" I decided, as I left the couple's dream. "And, I'm going to use my powers to find out just how he feels about me!" And once again, I was planning to break the rulers of the dream beauty, for my own selfish desires. Sigh, stupid teenage hormones and angst.