Stars in the Shadow of Night

by Melody Song

Trusting

Shadowstar stepped forward and onto a sandy beach. He stood up and shook the tiny granules out of his mane and feathers. He looked up and saw Sandbar galloping through the breaking waves at the shore. He was heading straight for Shadowstar.

"Oh, hey dude." Sandbar said, stopping.

"Your dream is about a beach?" Shadowstar asked

"Yeah, my parents take me and my sister here a lot, it's why I got my cutie mark. One time we were watching some sea turtles hatch, and I helped a few to the water." Sandbar explained, brushing his bangs out of his eyes. "I usually have this dream when something's happening in real life that I don't want to think about."

"Makes sense. Your subconscious taking you to a place you feel happy, to distract you from anything bad you may be experiencing." Shadowstar agreed.

"I guess so." Sandbar waded into the water, and Shadowstar followed him. "You're okay with getting wet?"

"It's not real water. Your mind is only creating the illusion of water, because you know what it feels like to walk through it. When we wake up you won't actually have the sand on your hooves or the salt in your mane."

"Actually, my mane always smells like saltwater." Sandbar laughed, as some sea life swam up to them.

"You really do have a way with animals." Shadowstar remarked. "To dream about them and imagine them coming up to you so calmly."

"I formed a bond with the sea life at this beach, so yeah. The sea creatures starting trusting me more after I saved those baby turtles and earned my mark."

"I don't have to ask which one your favorite is." Shadowstar said as Sandbar placed his hoof on a turtle's shell.

"Yeah. I'm okay for now, you should go along to another dream."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah, Gallus looked a little scared."

"I already checked on him, he's doing better now." Shadowstar looked away, using his magic to create a small whirlpool that would become the portal into the next dream. "You know, you're snuggling up against him in the Waking World."

"I-I am?" Sandbar asked, turning red.

"Yeah. As far as I can tell, he doesn't mind. Though you might want to let him know you feel the same way." Shadowstar winked, before diving through the whirpool.

Sandbar turned back to the turtle and sat down by him.

"You think he feels that way about me?" Sandbar asked, and the turtle nuzzled up to him. Sandbar splashed some water onto his shell. "I mean...he is cute." Sandbar blushed just saying it.

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Shadowstar fell into a pile of blankets and pillows, and sat up.

"What...?" Shadowstar murmured

"Oh hi Shadowstar!" Gabby raised her head and bounded towards him.

"Hey Gabby." Shadowstar said, glancing around. "Why dream of this?"

"Griffonstone is always really cold and when you live in a collapsed library you practically freeze at night. It's why we went to Zecora's in the first place, Gallus got sick. But now we're in your castle and it's so warm and cozy!" Gabby burrowed under the blankets and resurfaced with a blanket over her head.

"So you dreamt about being warm because to you it's a luxury."

"Yep!" Gabby lowered her voice. "And Gilda's in here too. She's a lot more cuddly in my dreams."

"Oh?" Shadowstar asked

"Mm-hmm." Gabby hummed. "I wish she was more soft in real life. She's so pretty, she needs to smile."

"Maybe you should tell her, instead of me." Shadowstar suggested.

"You really think she'd listen to me?"

"The only way to find out is to say something." Shadowstar said

"Okay!" Gabby said

"Gabby~" someone called in the distance.

"I assume that's your dream's Gilda?"

"Yep." Gabby blushed slightly and walked away.

Shadowstar made the blankets glow and let them suck him through, into the next dream.

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"Gah! Oh, it's just you Shadowstar." Ocellus let out a sigh of relief when he fell through the top of her dream, extending his wings to land by her.

"Hey Ocellus." Shadowstar greeted, looking around. They were standing in a cave. "What are you dreaming about?"

"I-I'm all alone." Ocellus replied

"I assume your worst fear is being alone?" Shadowstar asked, and she nodded.

"At the Hive I may have been unliked for having a different opinion, but at least I was never alone."

"I get it. When my parents kicked me out of the house I was alone too. I didn't have any friends or anyone to support me."

"Oh." Ocellus looked away. Shadowstar's horn glowed and he made the cave disappear. "Thanks."

"No problem." Shadowstar said, then remembered something. "While I was in Pharynx's dream, he mentioned 'tasting' Zecora."

"Oh, well Changelings can taste and sense all emotions. We can just only eat love."

"You can't eat other emotions?"

"No." Ocellus shook her head.

"Are you okay now?" Shadowstar asked, and Ocellus nodded.

"Yeah, just...can you do this...?" Ocellus leaned up and whispered into his ear.

"Of course."

Shadowstar used his dream weaving to make one last thing before creating a new door. This one had stiff, old ponish style lettering in purple. He waved before leaving. Ocellus smiled and curled up in the meadow of flowers Shadowstar had made for her.

"The only thing that would make me better would be if Smolder were here." Ocellus sighed

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Shadowstar found himself in a blue sky. He flapped his wings and looked down.

"Gilda?" Shadowstar asked

"Hey." Gilda was sitting on a cloud.

"Where are we? It looks like Cloudsdale, but I can't tell specifically."

"Junior Speedsters Flight Camp, seventeen years ago." Gilda replied

"You're dreaming about something from your past?"

"Yeah. I don't wanna talk about it." Gilda huffed

"That's okay. I get that not everyone will want to tell me about their life." Shadowstar said, looking over at her. "Are you okay to stay here? Because I still have one last dream to visit."

"I'm fine. Go."

Shadowstar nodded and made the cloud glow. Gilda took off and landed on another one as Shadowstar flew down into the cloud and entered his last dream.

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"Hey Thorax."

"Shadowstar? Oh, hi."

Shadowstar glanced around and saw Thorax's dream was set in an apple orchard.

"Where are we Thorax?"

"Sandbar's hometown. We passed by it on the way to the Canterlot mountain and walked through the farm's apple orchard. It seemed nice, very peaceful." Thorax explained

"Oh. You know, your brother is dreaming about infiltrating your Hive."

"I can see that." Thorax scuffed his hole-filled leg on the grass. "Fighting has always been Pharynx's thing."

"How are you holding up?"

"Okay. I'm worried about Ember though."

"I'm sure she'll be fine Thorax."

"Yeah, I hope so." Thorax sighed "Are you going to wake us up?"

"You'll wake up of your own accord. But yes. I'm waking up." Shadowstar replied

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Shadowstar raised his head and rubbed his eyes.

"Welcome back, my son."

Luna was sitting off to the side, watching him.

"Mom." Shadowstar sat up and went over to her. Luna draped a wing over him, pulling him against her side.

"What were their dreams like?"

"You...want to know?"

"In all honesty, I have never dreamwalked with others before my return. Perhaps if I had, I wouldn't have become so jealous of my sister. Because I would have had my own personal connection with our subjects." Luna looked downcast, and Shadowstar pressed closer. "But even now, the thought to walk in another creature's dreams has never crossed me. What was it like?"

"Their dreams aren't unlike ponies' dreams. They have their own different personalities, wishes, and hopes. Sandbar's dream was a bit more normal, but that's because it was him revisiting a beach his parents take him to."

"He is a pony. But even the Changelings?"

"Yes. We see them as these mindless creatures that take orders from Chrysalis and only care about feeding on love. But Ocellus, Thorax, and Pharynx all had completely different dreams, and fears."

"Do you...trust them, Shadowstar?"

"Yes, I do." Shadowstar replied

"Then I do too, my son." Luna rested her head by Shadowstar's.

"Really?"

"Of course, I will always trust you."

Author's Note:

Here ya go, as promised! See you next chapter!

~Melody Song