//------------------------------// // The Stars // Story: Dreams In The Mist // by lorettafox //------------------------------// Twilight picked up the Poison Joke bouquet with her magic and stared it over. She would not even dare to bring the bouquet to her horn lest she want a floppy horn once more. She turned it over to see that there was a small card inside. Carefully pulling the tiny card out with her magic, Twilight read it over. To Twilight, I'm sorry for my...chaotic actions the first time we met. Twilight only shrugged as she placed the bouquet in an empty vase and wrote a small message for Spike so he wouldn't dare touch it. Twilight hopped out of bed and looked at the clock. It was late in the afternoon and she needed to eat something soon. Twilight climbed down her staircase to find that Spike was awake now and looked to be preparing dinner. “Oh, they you are Twilight!” Spike smiled. “I thought you would never wake up!” “I had the weirdest dream...” Twilight mumbled out. “You were talking all funny in your sleep. Oh, did you see the bouquet of Poison Joke? I woke up and there it was.” Spike said as he drained some hay fries that he had been making. “Wait...do you know how the flowers got there, Spike?” Twilight asked curiously. “I think I saw something sparkle...and then the flowers were there.” Spike said. “I hope you're hungry because I made homemade hay burgers and hay fries!” Twilight licked her lips at what Spike said. It had been such a long time since they had homemade burgers and fries. Twilight sat at their table and picked up a nearby book that was sitting there. Picking it up with her magic, she read the title of the book. Love and Its Many Joys. Twilight's eyes opened in surprise as she opened the book to its first page. When starting to fall in love with another, its possible for one of the ponies to deny that there is something evolving between the two. Twilight only stared at the first sentence. Had she always had this book in her library? It didn't seem familiar to her and she had practically memorized Golden Oak Library. She looked at the book's author. Unknown. Great. Now she didn't have a clue who wrote this love guide. Twilight wondered why this certain book was sitting on her table in the first place. Stranger and stranger. First the flowers and now the book. Is this connected to something? Twilight simply shook her head. No, it probably was just a weird coincidence. Spike brought out the hay burgers and fries and Twilight took a bite. It tasted delicious. It had been such a long time since she had this. It was too delicious. The night went on by and Twilight was studying to her heart's content, though it was on a particular subject. Could magic still be used even when imprisoned and can one enter dreams while their real body was trapped? Twilight read through various dream books and found not much to her interest, except for the fact that she discovered that Princess Luna could enter dreams. Perhaps she should inquire from the Princess? Maybe later. Twilight also looked through various magic journals, but nothing really popped up. Twilight closed the last book and let out a sigh. There was just nothing in these journals. Why was all of this happening and why now? Why a month before the Summer Sun Celebration? She was going to have to overlook it again like the first time she came to Ponyville. If that wasn't gonna be stressful enough for her, her dreams was also on the fritz for bringing Discord into them! Twilight's ears pressed against her head as she let out a yawn. She glanced up at the time and saw it was ten PM. Time had really flown by her while she was doing all this research. The unicorn closed her last book and headed back up the stairs to get some well deserved sleep. She snuggled down under the blankets and closed her eyes. As if a magic spell were cast over her, Twilight's eyes drooped and sent her off to dreamland. Opening her eyes once more, back in the dream forest, wearing the same white linen dress as before, Twilight only sighed. She really didn't care anymore that she was coming back here. It was an inconvenience, but she had to make do. “There you are!” a voice called out as Twilight produced a bored expression on her face, ears pressed against her head. “I thought you'd never go back to sleep.” “Hi Discord.” Twilight spoke bored. “What do you want now? To tell me that I'm supposed to fall in love with you like Celestia once did? News flash, I'm not Celestia.” “Obviously you're not Sun-butt. You're a Sparkle-Butt, no?” Discord spoke as he clicked his fingers and made Twilight's cutie mark shine and spin of its own accord. Twilight only looked at her cutie mark, and up at Discord, not really caring. “Can you just do me a favor and leave me kindly alone?” she asked. “Why would I do such a thing like that?” he asked as he floated above Twilight's head, lying on his back as his wings flapped. “Because all you have done is make me sleep more and wake up every time in this stupid dream forest!” Twilight growled, walking into the forest to try to get away from Discord. Discord poofed in front of her and picked her up as if she were simply a stuffed animal. Twilight began to kick and buck, trying to get out of the chaos god's grip. “Let me go this instant!” Twilight lit up her horn and teleported out of Discord's arms, only to be poofed back between them. Twilight's ears pressed against her head in annoyance as she tried again, only to be poofed back into place. The more she tried, the more she got poofed back between his arms. “Why isn't this working?!” Twilight yelled. “My magic is still stronger, oh pupil.” Discord spoke as he clicked his unoccupied hand and wore what a typical teacher would. “You have much to learn, my student.” “I am NOT your student! Now, let me go!” Twilight barked again. “Fine, but you'll miss the show.” Discord said as he snapped his fingers again, teleporting them on top of a cloud. “What show?” Twilight questioned as she finally decided to stop kicking and becoming more limp. Discord pulled her out from under his arms and placed her firmly on the cloud. “Well, what show?” Discord didn't say a word as a star flew past the two of them. Twilight's eyes widened as she saw the star zoom by. Another star fell right after that one, and then another after that. Before she knew it, Twilight was sitting on a cloud in the middle of many shooting stars. Twilight loved the stars and loved to map them accordingly. Twilight's eyes glowed as the stars fell past the two of them. She had never seen such stars in her life. This must have been one of the best dreams she had ever had. So many stars zoomed on by her and she was simply amazed. “I've never seen so many stars in my life!” Twilight exclaimed as she watched more of the stars simply fall and zoom by. “You are coming with me.” Discord stated as he picked up the purple unicorn and placed her on his back. Before she could protest, Discord flew off the cloud and right into the star storm. Twilight flinched automatically, fearing that the stars would harm her. But she was proven wrong as a single star fell right through her, no harm at all. “T-This is simply beautiful.” Twilight smiled as she looked at all the beautiful falling stars. “I knew you'd like it, my dear.” Discord smirked as he smiled himself, hiding it from the purple unicorn. Twilight's eyes and ears perked up in surprise. “Wait, you did this?” “Well, I didn't make the stars fall, but I thought I formally apologize to you, Twilight Sparkle, for the way I acted when we first met by letting you see the falling stars.” “I don't understand, you're Discord, lord of chaos! Why in Equestria are you even apologizing to me?!” Twilight asked in disbelief. “Simple. You have that same fire that Celestia has, admittedly. Who am I to treat a mare with such a fire inside of her like that.” Discord said simply. “Its only because I have the same sort of fire that Celestia had?” Twilight said as one eyebrow lowered in confusion. “That, and there is something simply special about you, Twilight Sparkle. I've lived for thousands of years and can see you possess something that even I haven't seen in thousands of years...” “And what is that?” Twilight asked. “That would be telling now, wouldn't it?” Discord laughed, as he literally zipped up his own mouth. Twilight only sighed in annoyance. “Do you accept an apology from this bad chaos maker for making such a bad impression on Twilight Sparkle?” Twilight simply nodded her head. “Fine. I'll forgive you for trying to take over Equestria, but don't think I'm going to be releasing you from stone now!” she warned him. “Of course not!” Discord faked innocently, complete with a halo above his head and an angelic choir. Twilight only rolled her eyes at this innocent display. “You are ridiculous.” Twilight giggled lightly. Maybe he wasn't too bad. After all, no one had ever brought a falling star show to her dreams before, not even Princess Luna. “Why thank you.” Discord laughed as he finally got the unicorn to giggle, even if it was a small one. “Twilight! Twilight! Wake up! You gotta see this!” called the voice of Spike, which awoke Twilight in the regular world. As the unicorn opened her sleeply eyes, the first thing she noticed was falling stars outside of her window. She simply stared at the stars in amazement. Had she just been up there in her dreams? “I can't believe Luna is sending off so many falling stars! Aren't they awesome?” Spike asked excitedly as he watched with Twilight through the window. “They are.” Twilight said as she yawned. As she came down from her yawn, a sight in the falling stars made her eyes open wide. Outside the window, a brief shape of what looked like her cutie mark and the symbol of chaos appeared together, before fading away again. Had that been...? No. Twilight decided. It was just her imagination. The more the stars fell, some of the light came in and shone on something, making it sparkle. Twilight turned her attention to what the shining object could be. On her dresser, next to the vase of Poison Joke, was a bright pink star-shaped gem attached to a golden necklace. Twilight levitated the gem to her, eyes opened wide. Did Discord send this to her? As she looked over it, she noticed a small inscription on the back of the pendent. Such a fire I haven't seen in eons. Hoping that it burns bright through the cosmos. Twilight's face turned red almost instantly. She didn't know that Discord was capable of such kind words, let alone letting her see such a star show. Twilight looked up at the sky, wondering what else was in store for her, and Discord. ~~**~~ Twilight awoke the next day and immediately had Spike pen a letter to Princess Celestia to ask her for books about magic and dreams. Her books were transported almost immediately, and Twilight began to pour herself into them, trying to learn all that she can, trying to find an answer to how Discord could reach her in her own dreams. He was encased in stone, how could he use magic if he couldn't even move?