//------------------------------// // Maybe I'm Dreaming // Story: A Trip to Remember // by Gallifrey //------------------------------// A Trip to Remember by Gallifrey Chapter Ten Maybe I'm Dreaming A beautiful waxing half Moon shone down over Ponyville that warm summer’s evening, the beams of soft light bleaching the colour out of everything it touched, painting the night in silver shadows. On top of a hill, on a picnic blanket, sat Twilight Sparkle and Lyra Heartstrings, as they often did on warm, clear nights. The studious mare with her eye jammed in a telescope as she took down notes, the turquoise unicorn with her lyre, strumming it gently and singing a slow, sad song, gazing thoughtfully up at the Moon. “Moonlight soft, sparkle sound, In the sky, stars around, Silver dreams, lost and found, To the Earth, I am bound. Give me wings my friend, Set me free tonight, I’ll fly with you, And I will soar with delight, Through the stratosphere, Into the unknown, With you beside me, I am never alone. I can finally see, That you’re right there beside me, I am not my own, For I have been made new, Please don’t let me go, I desperately need you, Right here beside me. Show me everything, Take me to the Sun, Dance with me, And we’ll be as one, Run upon the lanes, Of the starry skies, Look at me, We’ll never die. I am not my own, For I have been made new, Please don’t let me go, I desperately need you, You’re right here beside me.” She finished with a flourish on her lyre. Twilight had paused in her stargazing to listen to Lyra’s sweet melodies. “Lyra, that was beautiful!” The unicorn looked embarrassed but pleased all the same at the praise. “Thank you Twilight, though it wasn’t that good really.” “Yes it was! Did you just make it up then?” “Um, yes, except for the chorus part.” “What are you going to call it?” asked Twilight, looking back in her telescope and adjusting its position. “Um…” Lyra looked up and saw a shooting star streak across the sky. “Meteor Shower,” she said. “Very fitting,” said Twilight, “eighteen hours, thirty seven minutes right ascension, thirty eight and a half degrees declination,” she muttered, scribbling down the numbers. “Would you like some tea Twilight?” asked Lyra as she poured herself a cup from a flask. “Yes please,” said Twilight, spinning her instrument around to look at a point of light low in the eastern sky. “Ooh, Lyra, look at this!” “What is it?” she asked curiously. “One of your favourites,” said Twilight, moving aside and taking her tea. “Saturn!” squealed Lyra happily, “The rings are so pretty! And I can see some of the moons too- is this a new telescope, Twilight?” “Why yes it is,” said Twilight proudly, “do you like it?” “I love it!” said Lyra as she clumsily looked around at other things. She admired a swirling galaxy and its sparkling lanes of stars. Twilight watched her. Lyra was always so enthusiastic about the night sky, which was why she was there after all. Twilight was pleased that the unicorn was eager to learn: none of her other friends were as interested in the night sky as she was, and was happy to share her knowledge with somepony who had a genuine fascination with it. When the evening started to become colder, Twilight and Lyra bade each other goodnight. Twilight returned to the library, shivering slightly. She put away her telescope under her bed neatly and climbed into it, and was pleasantly surprised to find a hot water bottle inside the sheets that Spike had placed there not long before. Twilight was touched at the gesture and smiled as she closed her eyes and was swept into the world of dreams. ----------- Princess Luna was sitting upon the throne, resting her head on her left hoof, a chess board on her lap, as she mechanically moved various pieces around. “Checkmate, Mr King, we win again.” She sighed, Night Court was as dull as it ever was, she pushed her hooves into her face and rubbed her eyes. “So bored! What to do, what to do?” She thought to herself for a little while, until an idea struck her. “I could always watch somepony’s dream,” she said slowly, and she knew whose dreams she felt like seeing. She made herself comfortable on the throne and started concentrating. --------------- Twilight opened her eyes. She was in the circular entrance hall of the biggest library she’d ever seen in her life. A great glass dome was above her; she looked up to see the Moon shining through it. She was spoilt for choice for where to go: there were archways around her, each leading to countless books and texts. She walked to what she supposed was a reception desk, though there was nopony there. On the desk was a scrap of paper, Twilight picked it up and read it. Stay out of the shadows. She turned it over, wondering if there was any more. It was blank. With the somewhat ominous words in her mind, she walked through an archway to the fiction section of the library. She looked around her. Shelves of books towered over her and stretched into the distance in every direction. She squeed slightly at all the reading material around her, and ran to a shelf and picked out the first book she saw. The Tail of Draig. She had a look in its pages, thought it rather mediocre, and set it back on the shelf. She walked deeper into the city of books, her hoofsteps muffled by the oppressive presence of the books and the sound died quickly. She picked up another book, and in doing so, unknowingly stepped a hoof into a shadow. Everything around her started to dissolve, until she was surrounded by black. Then new surroundings materialised. She was outside, that much she could tell by the blurry distinction of green beneath her and blue above. Then the scene snapped suddenly into vivid clarity. Twilight shifted in her sleep. She was standing in a field of lush green grass on a sunny day. She felt a light touch on her shoulder and she started in surprise. “Hello Twilight Sparkle,” said a certain blue alicorn to her. Her mane and tail were in their day form of long blue hair. “Hey Luna,” said Twilight, “how are you?” “We are good Twilight, thank you,” she said as Twilight flopped herself on the grass and started rolling around in it. Luna giggled on the throne, Twilight in her dreams was always a lot less reserved than awake Twilight, which gave her a very sneaky idea indeed. “We said we would visit you soon, so here I am. Are we correct in assuming this trip is still happening?” said Luna, sitting down beside Twilight. “Trip?” said Twilight vaguely. “You remember? That trip you said we were to go on?” “Um, oh yes! Applejack and Rainbow Dash are coming too,” she said as the ghostly forms of her two friends gambolled past them and off into the distance. “Do you know where and when we are going?” asked Luna. “Rainbow Dash said something about camping,” said Twilight, a little more lucidly. “And Applejack has gone camping many times, I’m sure she knows some great spots, and in three days from Applejack’s house I guess.” “Ah, very good, how are those girls?” “They’re good, Rainbow’s wing is starting to heal and—” she suddenly remembered Rainbow’s visit from earlier. “Princess, can you keep a secret?” “Twilight, what do you take me for? Of course I can!” “I think that Rainbow has a crush on Applejack!” “Because nopony saw that coming,” said Luna playfully, “you only have to be around them for five minutes to see that.” “Oh, well, um…” “How do you feel about this Twilight?” asked Luna, innocently enough. “I guess… I feel odd about it, it makes me feel lonely, jealous even.” Luna nodded understandingly. “Quite a natural reaction,” she said. “How do you know?” asked Twilight curiously. “I am very old Twilight, I have had my fair share of experience in these matters, though not usually good ones: stallions have always tended to flee from me for some reason.” “Oh, you must get very lonely sometimes Princess.” “You have no idea, Twilight Sparkle, to be alone for thousands of years, to watch the world pass by full of laughter and love, and watch your sister be showered affection from every direction, and I stand as an outsider upon it all as the wheel of time lengthens your isolation until your life becomes a nightmare, The Nightmare in fact…” Luna’s eyes sparkled with tears. “So that’s part of the reason—” “Yes Twilight, although that’s long behind me, I have matured since then, and not let my jealousy get the best of me.” Luna then hugged Twilight and Twilight felt a few tears dampen the back of her mane, she hugged her back tightly, inhaling the sweet scent of her favourite flower, stardragon in her mane. Luna broke the hug and Twilight looked up to her and met her gaze. Twilight had never really appreciated just how beautiful the Princess’ eyes were, and her coat, so dark and shiny. “Princess—” Luna held up a hoof to Twilight’s mouth. The purple mare had always held a very special place in her heart. She had freed her from the Nightmare, and stood by her side when all others fled. She was her best friend outside of family. She looked down at the beautiful young unicorn with a warm smile, her eyes half lidded as she leaned slowly to Twilight. Twilight’s heart started racing as she realised what the Princess was doing, their mouths were inches from each other, Twilight could feel Luna’s warm, breath on her muzzle… Twilight awoke with a start as Spike burst into the room. -------------- Luna groaned in frustration when she felt her mental link to Twilight be severed so unpleasantly. “I was so close to my first kiss in over three thousand years!” Then she realised that dreams were not real and chuckled to herself. “Back to the chess I guess.” ------------------ “Spike!” Twilight yelled. “Um, sorry Twilight, I just had a bad dream is all and wondered if I could stay with you tonight?” said Spike, nervously twisting his tail in his claws. Twilight’s expression softened as she looked at the scared dragon. “Sure.” She scooted over to allow him to clamber in. “Thanks Twilight.” “No problem Spike,” said Twilight, moving closer and laying a protective hoof over him. The dragon smiled as he fell asleep, no longer afraid. Twilight meanwhile stayed awake, thinking over her dream. She felt embarrassed about what had almost transpired. Dreams aren’t real Twilight, she reminded herself. Though that doesn’t make them meaningless. Even if I do have my eyes on that certain handsome stallion instead of Luna. With confused thoughts she closed her eyes and went back to sleep.