I fold my wings as my hooves touch upon the rippling translucent floor. Gazing out at the magnificent plane, at the endless blue expanse, and the thousands of effervescent stars in the distance, I realize how much I missed this place. It has many names, but I prefer to call this realm "The Dreamscape."
I examine the many glowing orbs surrounding me. Each orb is a representation of sleeping pony's dreams. As Princess of the Night, I’m tasked with traversing this realm, protecting the fantasies of Equestria’s slumbering citizens. My only wish is to prevent nightmares that may do them harm.
As I keep guard, I marvel at each orbs’ brightness. There isn't a nightmare in sight, and I begin to fear that everything truly is the same as it was a millennium ago. I sigh wearily, “Are we still not needed here?”
I shake my head, warding off such thoughts. “Perhaps our sister protected this place in our stead.” Though, even if I force myself to think that, the negative feeling remains.
I do not wish to have such feelings. Deciding there's nothing for me here, I prepare to leave. However, just as my horn alights, I notice a small orb in the distance expelling a blackish-purple aura—a common sign of a nightmare.
I prepare to enter… but I hesitate as I begin to doubt myself. “Am I out of practice? What if I fail?”
I quickly shut them out by hopping into the orb and letting it take me inside. I find myself at the edge of a massive crowd gathered in a royal stadium. The cheers are nearly deafening as they await whomever they've come to see. First thing’s first: my disguise. I quickly scan the numerous pegasi above; nopony would notice a new one.
Long ago, I found that most ponies disliked having their dreams entered; an invasion of privacy, some claimed. This hurt me, as I was only trying to help. I resolved to change my appearance in dreams so they wouldn’t feel intruded upon.
The crowd grows taller as I find myself unable look above their heads anymore. Moving a limp strand of mane from my vision, I rise into the air. Once at a reasonable height, I glance down at the roaring crowd, wondering for whom they are gathered.
“Are you ponies ready?!”
Suddenly, the volume of the crowd triples, and I hastily flatten my ears with a grimace. If not for my frequent use of the Royal Canterlot Voice, I would certainly be deaf by now. How can these ponies stand their own noise?
An explosion of smoke covers the stage and, through the vapor, various glowing images appear. A grand opening I assume. Impressive likenesses of ponies and other creatures dance onstage. I’m more impressed when the images begin moving around as though they were telling a story. I open my ears as the chaotic din of the crowd begins chanting a particular name:
“Trixie! Trixie! Trixie!”
Before I can wonder who this "Trixie" is, three spells shoot into the air and explode to spell out "Trixie, The Great and Powerful!"
The voice echos out from nowhere once more. “Be grateful! For you are about to witness magical feats surpassing the alicorns themselves. Magic that I, Trrrrrrixie, shall now reveal.”
I frown. Skills surpassing those of my sister and I? Forgive me for withholding my enthusiasm.
Another plume of smoke, and a single unicorn mare appears on stage. Her coat is of brilliant azure blue, her mane pale blue. She wears a dark purple hat and cape covered in stars. Oddly, she has no cutie mark.
It’s clear to me that this “Trixie” is the dreamer. I am confused, though, and I take a moment to examine the roaring crowd. “This clearly appeared as a nightmare from the Dreamscape, but we do not see any signs of a nightmare whilst inside.”
“This is nothing!” she proclaims, dismissing the spells. “The Great and Powerful Trixie will now perform acts that will engrave themselves upon your very souls!”
I suppose I should stay and watch. The nightmare will certainly reveal itself in due time. Admittedly, I would also like to see these soul-mesmerizing feats of magic.
~~~
“Trixie! Trixie! Trixie!” the crowd roars.
In the end, I find myself clapping my hooves alongside the crowd. While none of her tricks were worth the exaggeration, I was certainly not disappointed by her prestidigitation; her illusion conjuration was very impressive. Of course, this is still a dream, thus some of her feats were purely fantasy, such as summoning a live Celestial Ursa and vanquishing it. Though I can sense that was the extent of the fantasy. She may very well be this capable.
“Yes!” gushes Trixie. “The Great and Powerful Trixie accepts your praise but, unfortunately, must now take her leave. But fear not, my enthusiastic little admirers, the Sapphire Mage will return tomorrow. Be grateful.” I can see her smirk, even from up here. “And to all the unicorns in the crowd, keep practicing. Maybe someday you’ll reach this level.”
One more explosion, and Trixie disappears. The roaring noise dims, and I look down to see the crowd and stadium dissipating.
Eventually, the dream goes dark, becoming a blank expanse. “This may be the nightmare,” I whisper, scanning the ground for Trixie.
Catching her slowly walking away, I carefully follow her while staying high and out of sight. I do not know why, but I have a bad feeling.
A light shines from above, and I look up and see the moon—that glorious glowing silver orb—hanging high amidst a starry sky. I smile; it’s certainly a beautiful sight. While I would love to observe it further, I’m here for a reason.
Looking down, I see that the ground has become a large, grassy field. Further on, the field ends in a large cliff ledge, hanging over a rocky river. Trixie, cap and cape discarded, appears to be trotting towards it.
I know these kinds of dreams well enough to deduce what happens next. I soar forward to intercept her; she's stopped far too close to the edge and holds her head high, refusing to acknowledging the waters below. Is she preparing herself? No matter, I can’t—
“Oof!” I slam into something. An invisible barrier? I try pushing, but to no avail. Descending, I close my eyes in concentration. Normal methods are useless. I must attempt to assert my will through dream magic.
“Aggghhh!”
Opening my eyes, I’m shocked to see a large crack, presumably in the barrier. The mare at the edge is hunched over, clasping her head and screaming in what is clearly gripping agony. Looking back at the crack, I quickly cease forcing my will through the barrier. The crack disappears, and the mare’s cries weaken. She stands up, pain forgotten, and glances back at the sky.
I can’t help but resume panicking. I can’t get past. I can’t stop her. She’s going to jump and I can’t help her. She’s… sitting. She’s sitting on the ledge… and crying.
“Hast thou changed thy mind?” I mutter.
I try trotting forward again, but the wall remains. I attempt to call to her, but a hoof wrenches my shoulder, spinning me around to face the same mare, now wearing her hat and cape.
“Who are you and why are you still here?" she demands. "Are you that desperate to be near The Great and Powerful Trixie’s greatness?”
Confused, I glance backward, only to find that we’re back in the grand stadium from before. The other mare is gone. Sudden realization shocks me. I know what I must do. Although I cannot stand her insolence, I must stay anonymous. “We— My name is Starstruck. I saw a crying mare and I wanted to help,” I reply.
Her eye twitches slightly, but she recovers. “Hmm, perhaps The Great and Powerful Trixie’s magic is still lingering. You are clearly seeing things.” She pushes past me. “No autographs today. Leave.”
This isn’t working… perhaps a different method. “I really enjoyed your show. Can you accomplish these feats in waking?”
She immediately turns, looking offended. “Are you doubting The Great and Powerful Trixie’s power? Of course she can perform this magic. Anywhere, anytime,” she smirks.
I smile honestly. “I believe you.”
“You’re just another nei— Wait, what? You… believe me?”
I nod. “Certainly. I can feel the magical potential within you.”
She smirks, tilting her head up smugly. “Of course you do. It’s as plain as day.”
“So, why must you embellish yourself?”
She eyes me confusedly. “Explain.”
“You can be a great unicorn, but thou needest not brag about impossible feats to show it. That only raises suspicion and doubt. Ponies love what you can do, not your false accomplishments.”
The mare goes silent. Eyes narrowed, she growls, “Trixie wishes others thought the same.”
A sudden flash of intense light bursts from nowhere, forcing me to cover my eyes. “What is happening?”
Finally, the light recedes, and I open my eyes to see a far different setting than before. I’m standing at the far back of a regular indoor stage chamber. The attending crowd is also vastly fewer in numbers.
However, there is a far larger contrast here.
“Cretins! Are you not entertained?!” screams Trixie, raging on stage. Her unamplified voice struggles to be heard above the heckling. “Is this not enough for you?! What more do you want from me?!”
“What… is this?” I wonder. Why has the crowd turned against her? Angrily, Trixie slams the ground and a large plume of smoke explodes. She is gone. The stage is gone. The crowd is gone. Like the previous scene, a grassy expanse takes its place. From my position, I watch Trixie approach the cliff.
She sits, and I hesitantly take a few steps forward. There is no barrier this time, so I trot ever closer to her.
“Agh!” I grunt. A powerful blast of telekinesis shoves me backwards.
“What do you want?!”
I find myself back onstage. Where the crying mare was, now stands an angry version of her, wearing no hat over her brightly lit horn. “Did you follow Trixie just to criticize her show?!”
“‘Tis untrue,” I reply. “W—I liked your show.”
She snorts angrily and relaxes her magic. “Trixie doubts it. Clearly nopony did.” She begins trotting around angrilly. “They always want more. Better tricks, longer shows. Nopony’s ever satisfied!”
Now I see. “Is this why you make up these exaggerated fictional exploits?”
She turns to glare at me. “Of course! If Trixie doesn't, then nopony will ever notice me! They'll always compare Trixie to others and nopony will ever see past the name Lulamoon! Nopony will ever know how great and powerful Trixie can be!” she screams, stomping furiously. “I AM A GREAT MAGE!”
Tired of her yelling, I push my muzzle to hers and glare into her eyes. “If you truly believe yourself so great and powerful, why worry about their opinions?!”
“Because they matter!”
“Nay! Why do they matter to thee!?”
“BECAUSE I WANT TO BE WORTH SOMETHING!” She’s huffing now. “I want… I want somepony to think I’m worth something to them.”
“You are always worth something. Whether to friends or family, thou will always have worth.”
Trixie’s head falls again, and she whimpers, “Then what’s the worth of somepony with neither?”
I cover my eyes in anticipation of another blinding light. However, the opposite occurs. I uncover my eyes, yet I still cannot see. Darkness has consumed the dream, and I begin to worry.
I blink and a new scene appears. I'm standing in what seems to be a rural area. Wait… I recognize the thatch roof housing. Am I in Ponyville?
“Get off the stage!”
“You suck!”
Turning towards the sounds of displeasure, I notice a small crowd gathered around what seems to be a small wooden stage in the distance. The crowd's heckles and jests are far worse than yesterday. I can see why
“I… I can still…” On the stage stands a frightened unicorn, nervously manipulating a small length of rope. It’s certainly a far cry from the magicks of the first night. Seconds later, she gives up, releasing her spell. The crowd and stage fade away. This time, Trixie appears within the grassy expanse, already seated at the cliff face.
I cautiously approach her, wary of another attack, and gently place my hoof on her shoulder. To my shock, a teary-eyed, markless foal turns around, and I find myself back upon the wooden stage.
The foal looks up at me, terrified, and backs away. “W-who are you?”
“It is I, Starstruck. Do you not remember?” I ask. She shakes her head. “Is that so…?” I wonder why she does not recognize me. “I enjoyed your show,” I say nervously.
Her head falls as she whimpers, “W-why would you lie? The show was terrible.”
I lean down to her level. “Why would you say that?”
“Because it’s true. Trixie is a terrible unicorn… I’ll never be great like the rest of my family.”
I give her a small smile. “Everypony can be great if they try. You are no exception.”
She looks up at me sadly. “If… if anypony can be great, then even if I were, Trixie still wouldn't be good enough.”
“You misunderstand. Everypony can be great, but only if they try. Only the ones with conviction become great. Why believe otherwise?”
She sniffs and hesitates. “Everypony in the Lulamoon family is an amazing unicorn magician that everypony knows. Compared to them… I—”
“Thou art great!” I assert. “I’ve seen what you can do when you have confidence. You have the potential. You simply need to reach for it.”
There it was, a smile from the sad filly. “Thank you.”
The dream repeats itself once more. Except this time, the light is soft, and as it fades. I realize that there are no crowds, no stadiums, no stages. It’s just the grass, the brilliant moon, and a mare on the edge.
Have I finally made it to the truth?
Deciding to forgo disguises, I carefully make my way towards her. However, by the time I’m standing directly behind her, I hesitate.
Then I feel it, three hooves nudging me from behind, forcing me forward. Before I can look back, the mare before me looks up at me, finally aware of my presence.
She lacks her hat and cloak, and looks at me with soft eyes; different eyes. I see no pride, rage, or fear, but something else altogether.
I find myself at a loss for words. I simply ask, “May we sit with thee, Trixie?”
She says nothing, simply returning her gaze to the sky. I take the silence as permission, and make myself comfortable on the grass. I realize now, she has been gazing at the stars above, not the waters below.
“Beatrix,” she mutters. “That’s my real name.”
Her real name. Not the act this time. “Why are we sitting here?” I ask.
“I like it,” she answers softly. It was neither boast, nor scream, nor whimper—simply a statement. I find this pony to be... different from her other versions, somehow.
“We do too. It is our favorite scenery. Is it yours as well?” She nods silently. “We are curious. Thou can see the real stars better in waking. Why dream of them?”
“I would rather be asleep… Things don’t seem as bad while you’re asleep.”
I shake my head, not believing what I’m about to say. “That sort of thinking is wrong. Thou must be awake to progress in life…" She does not respond. My gaze soon falls to her cutie mark, and I realize that I can see it for the first time. It was a wand, spreading glittering dust that took the shape of a crescent moon. I like it.
“Tell us, Beatrix, why dost thou bury this part of thyself so deep?”
She glances over at me, then down at her hooves. “I… I’m just not good enough. No matter what I do. It’s only when I act proud and the crowd likes me that I feel like I’m decent.”
“Thou must lack self-confidence. Why?” She shrugs, and I think back to her other selves. “Dost thou think that ponies will always expect more of thee?” She nods. “Why not seek reassurance from friends and family?”
She shakes her head sadly. “I don’t have any friends. Even if I did, I wouldn’t after what happened in Ponyville a few days ago. And my family's only good at telling me what I can’t do.”
Of course; the incident with the Celestial Ursa. “What happened is not thy fault. If anything, it is ours.” Some of my Nightmare Spawn still roam outside of Tartarus—something I will rectify.
"No, it's mine. If I hadn't bragged, they wouldn’t have gone to get the ursa. If I had just shut up and done my magic, it wouldn’t have happened. If I was a better unicorn...” her head falls lower and tears began forming in her eyes, “I wouldn’t be so alone…”
Giving in to an urge, I wrap a wing around her and pull her close. “Thou art not alone. We, too, have done regrettable things that have left us ostracized. We know how it feels. The only thing one can ever do is to move forward.”
She begins trembling. “Where? I have nowhere to go, my home is destroyed, I can’t face my family anymore, and I… I...” A few stray teardrops fall to the the ground in front of her.
I gently use a hoof to lead her eyes to mine. “Then thou can move towards us. We can show thee how to use the power deep within, without relying on fictional exploits and fake courage. We can teach thee.”
Trixie stares up at me with wide, watery eyes. “B-but w-what would a princess want with somepony like me?”
“As we said, we are aware of thy potential within. The potential to be great and powerful. Also, we want thee to know thou art not alone, Beatrix Lulamoon. Thou can be our student… and we can be thy friend.”
Trixie sniffs, wipes her eyes and returns a bright smile. “Please, call me 'Trixie', Princess.”
I return her smile. “Then please, call us ‘Luna,' Trixie.”
She leans into my hug as we sit there under the stars. I feel a new bond forming between us, and I realize that I am still needed in the Dreamscape. If I wasn't, I’d never have found my first student… nay, my first friend.
Author's Note
Thank you all for reading this wonderful piece. I never thought I'd ever write a proper one shot. Gotta tell you though... I hated every second of it. I really hope I win this contest. Don't get me wrong, I loved writing this story, I hated the 3k word limit.
EDIT: The voting has started, way to vote is this: Go to this blog post and comment Entry 66 as that is my fics number. But please feel free to enjoy the bounty of other stories there afterwards. They made it that far so they all must be great as well.
Please, 
if you love this story or want me to win, tell me if you see any typos or things I can improve upon.
