A Dream at Twilight

by Paradise Oasis

The Dream Begins

several years earlier....

"Twilight? Are you awake yet?" I heard my mom's voice call out, as she stuck her head inside my bedroom door. "Twilight, it's time you get up, you sleepyhead!"

I awoke to my mother's call, the sound of her voice pulling me from my dreamless slumber. My eyes fluttered open, and I stared up at the pink lace canopy that hung above my four-post bed. Climbing out from under the sheets, I levitate the brush up to style my mane, before trotting out to the kitchen for breakfast. Mom already had some pancakes, toast, and syrup made.... and I sat down to eat while mother started cleaning up the dishes.

"Good morning, sweetie." She greeted me, looking over from the sink and smiling. "I hope you slept well last night."

"Yeah, it was all right." I replied with a sigh, levitating the knife and fork. "But I didn't have any dreams I remember, it's all just a big blank."

"Really, that's odd, you slept so soundly last night." Mother replied, while levitating the dishes and scrubbing them with a sponge. "I checked in on you in your room a few times, and you were happily snoozing away."

My mother does not know the half of it. I haven't had any dreams that I've been able to remember for several weeks now, I just haven't told her about that little fact yet. Usually, my dreams are filled with fairy tales and romantic adventures, given all the fairy tales and romantic books I read all the time. But my usual dreams of magic spells, evil dragons, and handsome princes have been totally absent in recent nights.

"I guess I've just been having trouble sleeping recently, that's all." I simply shrugged, sticking my fork into my pancakes. "I guess I've been having more trouble sleeping, lately,"

I try to play it down, but my lack of nightly dreams was very depressing to me. I was your typical twelve-year-old dream valley filly, dreaming of being a princess, and going on fairy tale adventures. I spent all of my free time in the library, reading those fairy stories. And I had expected my grown-up life would be very much like those enchanting tales. My dreams were my favorite place to experience those fantasies, wither it be in daydreaming, or in my nightly slumber. But now those wonderful experiences were gone, and I felt a little sadder and sorrier for it.

"Well, if you are having trouble with your dreams and sleep, you should speak to Dream Gleamer." My mother added, starting to put the dishes away. "She's going to be in the castle today, and she has requested all the fillies of your age from the Dream Valley noble houses to be in attendance in the great hall."

"What? Dream Gleamer's coming here?" I asked in shock, my mother hanging open and a bite of toast falling out onto the floor. "What on earth would Ponyland's reigning Dream Beauty want here in Dream Valley?"

It was such a shock to hear such an esteemed mare would be visiting our castle. Dream Gleamer was the pony who walked into every pony's dreams, giving them a good and pleasant slumber, and driving back the nightmare forces. She had served as Ponyland's dream guardian for the past two centuries, and we equines owed our nightly repose to her noble efforts.

"I don't know why Dream Gleramer is coming, but I'm very pleased you will be present for her visit." My mother replies in a flat tone, as I put my dishes into the sink. "Perhaps she will steer you in the direction of your special talent, so that you can take the place destiny has prepared for you, and bring honor to our family."

"Yes, mother." I reply obediently, bowing my head without question. "If she has wisdom to impart, I shall do my best to heed it."

I know why my mother is worried, and it weighs heavily on my mind, as well. After my father died, mom hoped I would turn out to be a magical prodigy like so many unicorns in our family. But while I had been able to wink (teleport) and levitate objects fairly well, I had not had much success with many other forms of magic. Like nearly all Ponylanders of our age, I was born with my cutie mark on my flank, my special talent and destiny predetermined by the will of goddess B'zekre. But I was unable to determine that destiny, and it was frustrating the guild masters that I was still not ready to apprentice into my field of my choice. To tell you the truth, it has me a little unnerved, as well.

It did not take long to help mom clean up the kitchen, and I am soon making my preparations to attend the royal audience in the great hall. It was with a great deal of nervousness that I trotted my way towards the dream castle throne room, and it isn't long before I run into several other fillies my age, already on their way to the event.

"Hey, Twilight!" A white Pegasus a red mane greeted me, flapping her way through the crowd, and coming to land next to where I stood. "How's it going? Have any idea why we've been called down here?"

"Hey, Paradise." I greet my childhood friend, as we both trot into the great hall together. "We have a visit from Ponyland's Dream Beauty, all though I have no idea why she's here."

"Dream Gleamer?! Like, that's so awesome!" Paradise squealed. "Maybe we can get her to send us both a really cool dream, like going on a date with two of the colts from the band Mareneudo!"

"Ohhh, that'd be totally rad!" I giggled back. "But I get the one with the dark curly locks!"

As is the custom for Dream Valley's esteemed guests, a banquet was held in Dream Gleaner's honor. Every possible type of delicacy, from every Ponyland kingdom, was present at the banquet tables. I myself, had several of those wonderful Maretonian quesadillas (I love those things- sooo cheesy!) Anyway, it was while I was nibbling away on my yummy snack, when I heard two pairs of hooves come trotting up behind me.

"Twilight Shine? Of house Twilight?" A voice asks, in an almost sad tone. "Daughter of Twilight Glimmer? Most direct descendant of Twilight Sparkle?"

I spin around, to find a pink earth pony with a pink faded mane. Her whole body glittered with an ethereal glow, and she carried an air of maturity I had never seen in a pony before. I was speechless as I stood before her, but even if I could have talked, I wouldn't have been able to utter a word to this magnificent mare.

"D-Dream Gleamer?" I finally utter, after several minutes of staring in silence. I immediately bowed low before the Dream Beauty, trying my best to hide my awe, and failing miserably. "Lady Gleamer, what can I do for you?"

"You are a bright eyed filly, so carefree and happy." She replies, an almost sad and weary tone in her voice. "Your romantic dreams are so full of color and light. I pray when the lantern makes it's decision, it passes over you... and this terrible, terrible burden shall not be yours to bear."

"Burden, my lady?" I asked in confusion. "What are you talking about? I don't understand...."

"The burden of sacrificing your own dreams, for other pony's happiness." She replied, droning on and on with a tiredness in her voice. "It has always been the Dream Beauty's burden, to sacrifice her own Dreams and happiness so others may enbjoy their dreams." She looked down at me, with eyes more tired than any I had ever seen in a pony before. "For far too long have I borne this burden, and I must now pass it to another. I am too weary to continue, too tired from fighting the Nightmares for so very long."

"You're talking about... being a Dream Beauty." I replied, a cold feeling of dread rising in my chest. "That's why you've come here, to name one of us your successor."

She nodded wearily. "I do not know how so many mares managed to carry it for so long... Princess Luna was the longest, holding the position for two thousand years, before passing it onto Songrider. But Luna was an alicorn, so the burden was not as hard for her." The old mare, though she still appeared young and beautiful, wobbled a bit on her legs from exhaustion. "It pains me to thrust this waking nightmare upon one of you, but this responsibility must go to another."

The exhausted Dream Beauty wanders away, still muttering to herself, while my eyes turn to the starlight lantern, resting on the central table. It's eerie internal glow... it's almost like the thing is calling to me, whispering in the back of my mind. As I gaze deeply into it's multicolored surface, I become aware of many things. I already know who Star Gleamer is going to proclaim as her apprentice and eventual successor tonight, and what my previously hidden destiny actually is.

There was a reason Gleamer was drawn to speak with me, even she knew on some level the lantern would choose me. It was because I value dreams and wishes so much that I was chosen for this task; because the lantern knew I would be willing to sacrifice my own happiness to protect and ensure the dreams of others.

"Hey Twilight, why you look so down, girl?" Paradise asked me, eating a slice of cake. "We rarely get invited to a party just for fillies our age, why don't you just sit back and enjoy it?"

Sadly, I really wasn't able to enjoy the rest of the party that evening.

That night, Dream Gleamer gave me a wonderful dream about fairy tale princesses, and fighting a giant to bring a kingdom it's happily ever after. To this day, it's been the last dream I've ever had. And all of my nights of slumber in the decades since that party, have been filled with nothing but terrible, terrible nightmares.

Such began my career as Ponyland's current Dream Beauty.

Comments

[Watercolor the Pegasus]

Don't make me cry, gosh dangit