//------------------------------// // Tiny Stars Adventures: Dreams to Nightmares Part 1 // Story: Student of Friendship // by zalla661 //------------------------------// Deep in her sleep Starlight was having a very strange dream. In her dream she had grown accustom to delightful dreams but this time she had the strangest dream up to date. Though she didn't know she was in a dream until she woke up. She was in a dark room wit no light sources around her. Even her magic had no effect as she tried to light her horn with a simple lighting spell. "Hello?" she called out. Hearing nothing but her breathing she circled around the room several times. The room was a simple box room with a single door at the center of one wall. Starlight looked around. There was nothing on the walls but she could tell they were worn out. Despite there being no light source the room was still somehow dimly lit. The walls were covered with grey wall paper that was faded and tearing from age. After taking in her surroundings she cautiously approached the door and reached for the knob. Opening it she entered a long hallway that turned right making an L shape. It was narrow and barely big enough for her to walk down. It had white walls laced with red and a small table with various items such as a blurry photo with a golden frame. To the left of that was a series of papers that were written in a strange language Starlight couldn't read and a quill and inkwell. Seeing nothing else she turned left at the halls end and saw it continued down a short ways with one door to her left that was closed and another directly at the end of the hall. She approached the door to her right and tried to open it but it was locked. She used all her might and couldn't open it which aggravated her. Finally after several attempts she abandoned her foolhardy plan to budge the door and she then continued down the hall to the door at the end. She reached for the knob when she finally realized she was a grown mare again. She looked at herself feeling very odd. Her body was there, she could feel it but it was all blurred and when she tried to look at herself other than her hooves it made her feel out of place. She shook the feeling off and proceeded to open the door. It opened with relative ease revealing a declining staircase that lead to another door. For some reason this area was built with stone, which made her wonder if she had accidentally moved in her sleep to another area of the castle. Then she remembered she was in her room and nowhere in the castle looked like this. It was all crystal but this seemed oddly familiar to her. The building the room, it all seemed to familiar to her and it was driving her nuts. She walked down the stairwell racking her brain to remember what this place was. She knew it but could not for the life of her remember what it was. As she thought she reached the door and opened it to see the same hallway she started in. Somehow her body ended up outside without her knowing and the door slammed shut behind her. "What in the hay?!" she yelped jumping like a cat in fright. She rammed the door trying to open it. Again she tried to reach with her magic but nothing came out. She glared at the door, turned around, and walked away. "Stupid door. Where am I?" she asked walking past the same hall, same desk, same unreadable papers, a letter... "Wait, what's this?" She glanced over back peddling to see a small envelop under the pile of papers she had found earlier. She looked through them with her hoof, having no magic still, and found a small letter which was in a opened envelop. She looked around to see if anypony was around. She pulled the letter out and looked it over. Basic Equestrian in an elaborate style of writing, simple enough as she read it aloud. "To my beloved, Long have I wanted to be with you, my sweet young love in colt guise. Your inner child will lead you to do great things for our nation. You have a heart of pure gold and a spirit more prideful and powerful than the Griffin Kingdoms and Dragon Clans combined. I have watched you grow over the last year and in all that time I took your letters to heart. It has been a difficult journey and I know it has been for you as well. I have heard of your recent victory in your towns electoral. Congratulations! I know you worked hard with your team to earn it. But I digress, I've wanted to tell you something for a long time now. I LOVE YOU. I've loved you for a long time now. Every day we spent together has been the new happiest day of my life. All I want is to be with you so we can live together and have a family. Going to the park to have a picnic, go on dates, even a romantic stroll through the park by a lake sounds lovely. But alas I can't do this. We are too far apart and though I enjoy our time together it would be for the best if we don't see each other for a while. I hope you can understand that I love you and it's because I love you that I feel we must part ways for a time so I can clear my head. Remember I will always be there for you in your dreams and I will be your guardian angel against nightmares. I love you. And I always will. Your lovely dream mare, Princess Luna. Starlight stared at the letter for a good minute before she slowly encased it back into the envelope and sealed it setting it down on the table. She saw it had no address or name written on it. She wondered what it could mean. Suddenly a monarch butterfly fluttered into her view making her gasp as it landed on the edge of her nose. She looked cross-eyed at it and smiled as it fluttered its wings. "My friend! How are you? I've missed you so much!" she said placing her hoof next to the insect and it crawled on her hoof, fluttering its wings. "I know. It's a strange place but what is it? Again the monarch fluttered its wings. "A choice? Yo're not making any sense. What choice?" she asked as it flew away. "He-he wait! Come back! What do I need to do? Where are you going?!" Giving chase she followed the monarch down the hall. As they approached the door it flew open leading down the stairwell again. This time the door at the end flew open on its own allowing her and the monarch a chance to go through, only to end up in the same hall again. Starlight growled as she chased her friend, following him through this never ending spiral. After the thirteenth time she saw her friend fly down the stairwell once more but this time he stopped by the door at the end of the stairs, which remained closed this time, and hoovered in place beside it. "Huff, huh, why did you stop?" she panted flopping on the floor with a thud. "What's here?" The butterfly landed on her nose and didn't move. She looked at him until he flew to the door and landed on the handle. He then fluttered his wings once, then twice, the thrice. Starlight stared at her tiny friend with a look of disbelief. "Power or love? What kind of choice is that?" she asked looking at the door which had the number 13 on it. She then got up and dusted herself off. She leaned forward to open the door when the butterfly fluttered again flying around her head flying fast. This startled the unicorn stopping her just an inch from the knob. She looked at him intently as he flew and landed in her head. She looked at the door for a long time not moving, her hoof rested on the knob. "So I have to make a choice between truth or love?" she asked making the him flutter. "Heh, that's easy!" The monarch fluttered again making her hesitate for a moment. "Of course. It'd be too easy wouldn't it?" she asked sarcastically. Quickly she opened the door and entered a large dark room. Inside she could see nothing but darkness. She looked around and listened for anything. "HELLO?!?" She called out then perked her ear. Nothing. She walked around trying to make sense of what was going on. Nothing made sense. Where was she and what was happening? She wondered what the choice was she had to make and whether it was going to be as simple as choosing A or B. Suddenly a bright light appeared focusing on a small lump covered by a white sheet. She looked over at it as it squirmed as if somepony was struggling under. She cautiously moved closer, the cloth moving as she reached for it and pulled the sheet off. She gasped to see Button Mash tied in chains and gaged struggling against his restrains. "Button!" She screamed falling to his side. "Hold on Button I'll get you out!" She tried to pull the gag out but it didn't work. She tried to pull the chain off but found it impossible to free the terrified colt. She looked around and saw a small light maybe ten yards away. She saw it and her friend the monarch fluttered over head fluttering his wings. Starlight listened and heard what was said. She glanced down at the light and then to Button. Just then the colt began to sink into the floor. His panic written all over his face. He tried reaching out to Star who cried his name and grabbed hold of him. "Don't worry Button! I'll save you!" she cried, as tears ran down her face. He struggled again. He looked up pleadingly for her to save him tears flowed down his cheeks as she tried her best to pull him from the darkness. Just then her friend flew to her side and fluttered his wings twice, very calmly. Starlight in her struggle found it hard to respond to him, but was not pleased with what he had to say. "NO! I can't! I ca't tell him the truth!" she pulled him harder. The colt was now half buried in the floor as he seemed to lose the will to fight. Instead he simply looked up at the unicorn mare who tried with all her might to save him. The monarch watched until he was three quarters down. *Flutter* *Flutter* This angered Starlight even more. "I won't tell him! I can't!" The butterfly fluttered again. "Because, Because... If I did I'd have to tell him goodbye." she sobbed loosening her grip and wrapped her arms around him kissing his nose several times. "I *hic* I... I don't want to lose him like I lost Suneburst! I won't lose him! I can't! He means the world to me!" *Flutter* *Flutter* 'NO! I WON'T I LOVE HIM!" ......*Flutter* "UP YOURS! I'M NOT LETTING HIM GO! BUTTON I LOVE YOU!" She rubbed his cheek then gently planted a kiss on his lips over his gag. She then pulled once more trying to free him when suddenly the floor reached out and engulfed him in his entirety. The last she saw of him was the pained scared expression on his face as the floor devoured him like a shark would eat a fish whole. It took less than a second and he was gone. Just like that. In her shock she could only stare at the floor. She rubbed the spot the colt was in trying to find some trace of him. Of course there was nothing, but she couldn't accept that. It wasn't right. How could this happened to such a sweet colt? "He didn't deserve this." she growled bashing her hoof into the floor. "HE DIDN'T DESERVE THIS!!! WHY?! WHY COULDN'T I SAVE HIM!?" She glared at her friend, her sadness replaced with unbridled rage. She stomped towards the floating butterfly and came an inch from him breathing heavily like a mad bull ready to strike. The monarch remained in place seemingly unfazed by her angered expression and body language. "Why did you help me?! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME WHAT I COULD HAVE DONE?! WHY DID YOU SIT THERE AS I TRIED TO SAVE HIM?! WHAT KIND OF FRIEND ARE YOU!?!" She yelled at him throwing her arms around like a madmare. "Why couldn't I save him? Was my love not strong enough?... Am I too weak?" she slumped on the ground and began to sob loudly until she finally broke. Her silent sobs turned into full blown wails as she called out for the colt, wrapping her arms around her chest. She thought about him and the time they spent together. Slowly she sank into the floor. Her wailing continued and she didn't notice or care that she sank deeper into her despair. All she knew was he was gone and there was nothing she could have done to save him. Finally after two whole minutes she was engulfed by the floor and the monarch flapped his wings as a bright light appeared from behind him forming a light blue portal. From it emerged a dark blue pony clad in armor with a sword at her side. Her etheral mane flowed calmly like a flag in a gentle wind. She walked over to the spot where Starlight laid upon tapping it once with her armor clad hoof. She frowned at the spot and lit up her horn as a light blue arua surrounded it. "Begone nightmares of despair and deception!" she commanded as dispelled all around her. Starlight's body appeared before the armored mare at her hooves. Still laying in the pathetic lump she was when she had been consumed by the darkness. Gently the mare sat beside the now sleeping unicorn and rested the pink ponies head o her shoulder. Getting comfortable the mare waited for the pony beside her to awaken as the monarch landed on her nose making her giggle. "Hello again my old friend." she said to him rubbing his tiny head. "Thank you for informing me of this nightmare. Starlight and I will have much to discuss."