Author's Note

For a while, I had considered using another group of ponies other than the main five, but I decided to use the original five in a sequel instead. In this chapter, one of the five ponies from the canon appear.

Dreams of the Two Students

It was ten by the time Sunset and Twilight went to bed. The lavender filly had intended to read until midnight. This night was busier compared to other nights. Luna walked past the doors in the dreamscape, taking note of each cutie mark. A white aura symbolized a peaceful dream. A gray aura served as a warning, while a black aura suggested that somepony had a nightmare.

The first dream after nine was a mare's recurring dream. Some doors that used to be blank now had cutie marks on them. While the three doors had a white aura, the door with the butterflies cutie mark had a gray aura. The other door with the blue diamonds had a black aura.

Luna walked into a filly's dream. At first, the young white unicorn with purple curls finished a design. When the unicorn showed the dress to another unicorn, the mare criticized the design.

"This is just a nightmare," Luna said as the dream ponies vanished, much to the young unicorn's shock. "A warm welcome to you, Rarity."

Rarity sighed with relief. "Princess Luna, I thought it was real. I was about to burst into tears!"

"You are asleep. There seems to be something you're afraid of. What frightens you the most?"

Rarity pointed to her cutie mark, then she stared at the mannequins. "Sometimes I wonder if my fashion sense isn't as good as my favorite fashionistas."

Luna tipped Rarity's chin up. It wasn't too unusual for certain ponies to compare themselves to others. And it seemed even harder if the other pony was put on a figurative pedestal. There was no harm in looking up to role models, but jealousy could enter the picture if one wasn't careful.

"Rarity, you're not the only one who worried about being good enough. I once worried about that in my younger years. Don't try to be somepony else. No two ponies are the same," Luna said.

Rarity inclined her head. "You may be right. Still, the idea of others not appreciating my generosity is what bothers me."

"Can you define generosity?"

"Yes. It means giving to others. In my case, I like to give new designs to those who want one, whether it's for a social event or a play."

Luna nodded. She thought about Rarity using the Element of Generosity in the future, but again, another pony might use it. "Don't let fear hinder you from being generous. May your dream be filled with peace tonight." She left Rarity's dream.

Just before the clock struck twelve, Twilight concealed a forbidden book under her bed. She yawned as she pulled the blanket over her body. The soft sound of raindrops tapping the window lulled her into a deep slumber. As the time dragged on, she gradually became aware of a presence watching over her. Had the dark spell caused the mare to haunt her dreams? A blurry image appeared in her vision, replacing the blackness. A dark field replaced the blur. Other than the moon, no other lights illuminated the field.

It was strange that the moon didn't even gleam. It was as faint as a tiny star. The ground was a black storm cloud, yet it was solid to the touch. The dim expanse made Twilight not want to walk in either direction. Soft hoofsteps approached, causing her to whirl around.

"You look familiar," Twilight said to the mare.

"I'm a more powerful version of you. Instead of Twilight, it's Midnight," the mare replied. "We meet again. Who is that so-called mentor of yours to keep you from the archives? Princess Luna and all her stiff rules... no wonder some ponies want to rebel against her."

"What are you doing here? Aren't you just a result of a certain spell?"

"Result? I'm much more than a simple result. Midnight's a part of you. I'll lurk in the shadows. When you're ready-"

"But I'm smaller than you. How can an adult mare possess a filly?"

Midnight's horn glowed, creating a small crack in the sky. The crack expanded into a small portal. "Why does that matter to you? You are stronger than you believe. Just unleash your dark side. You don't need Luna to mentor you. She thinks she's protecting you from advanced magic, but in reality, she's keeping important knowledge out of reach. If you can't study magic here in Equestria, perhaps you can try it in another universe. You deserve to be the most powerful unicorn... if not more powerful than your so-called mentor."

Twilight watched the portal expand. "I'm still not an alicorn yet."

"Some unicorns can be more powerful than a single alicorn. Speaking of power, I will awaken you. Trust me when I tell you to find the archives."

Twilight stroked her chin. Hadn't Luna told her not to touch the archives? Was there a way to carry the books into the dream world? The dream whirred around her, then fled away into blackness. Her eyes flung open as she observed the surroundings. Images from the dream remained vivid in her mind as she crept toward the door. With a swift peek at Sunset, she turned the knob and nudged the door open. She cast an invisibility spell over herself and activated the silence spell. She didn't want anypony to hear her hoofsteps.

Midnight's voice whispered into Twilight's ear. "Go to the dark hallway. Do not alert anypony of your presence. If that happens, however, just confront your mentor."

"I still have a test on Monday, though," Twilight murmured.

"This kind of knowledge will help you pass the test."

"Maybe." Twilight found herself in the dark hallway. It was the same hallway that she explored several days ago. As usual, no lunar guards patrolled the area. A guard stood outside the hallway. As she approached the door to the archives, she saw that it was secured. How overprotective and strict could her mentor be? At least she learned the teleportation spell. She summoned her magic and teleported into the archives.

A sense of pride bloomed in Twilight's heart. She had just outsmarted a certain alicorn. As much as she wanted to boast about it in the morning, she couldn't let Luna know of this. If she fell asleep while reading one of the forbidden books, how would she avoid detection? Either Sunset or Luna would ask about where she had been. She yanked a book from the bottom shelf, then chose five other books.

It was strange to dream about a test that was impossible to pass. Yet there were some that were difficult. The dream had repeated itself tonight for Sunset. She tried to make out the incomprehensible squiggles on the chalkboard. They were distorted versions of actual letters. Miss Storybook was the opposite of her usual self. Any answer she tried to offer was rejected for another that didn't make any sense.

"I don't understand this," Sunset said. However, the teacher didn't budge.

Miss Storybook scribbled more words on the chalkboard. For a strange reason, the other unicorns around Sunset seemed to understand the words. "This isn't the right answer. If you fail the test, you may as well be dismissed. I can't handle lazy students. Nopony can... unless the teacher in question is just as lazy."

Sunset stole a glance at Minuette, but the blue unicorn concealed several pieces of paper. "I'm not trying to cheat. What is she talking about?"

Minuette didn't look up. "Let me focus."

Sunset had heard horror stories of changelings. What if everypony had been replaced by changelings? The thought made her shudder. She expected the unicorns to hiss at her. The fact that nopony hissed was odd enough. Sometimes changelings hissed at others to intimidate them. She looked to the right, but received the same words from both Moondancer and Lemon Hearts. Twinkleshine didn't utter a single word.

The classroom dimmed. Miss Storybook pounded Sunset's desk. "Don't gawk at their papers or I'll send you to the principal's office!"

Sunset jumped. "Sorry."

"If you want to avoid another punishment, just write a fifteen-paragraph essay."

"What?"

"You heard me."

As if on cue, every unicorn, especially Miss Storybook, vanished into thin air. The morning transformed into night. Before Sunset could wonder what just happened, a familiar alicorn emerged from the moon. Princess Luna stood in front of the window. Because of her mentor's intervention, she realized the scene was just a nightmare. It had felt so real moments ago. The moon princess wore a benevolent grin.

"My dear student, you have no reason to fear the upcoming test," Luna said.

"Thanks, Luna. By the way, Miss Storybook isn't that cruel in real life," Sunset replied.

"It took a while for me to enter your dream. This night has been busy. Everypony is afraid of something. What scares you about the test?"

"I don't want to fail. The teleportation spell is still hard for me to cast. If I don't get a perfect score, will you think less of me?"

Luna shook her head. "I won't feel disappointed. The score doesn't have to be perfect, but at least it shows that you have tried your best. In the end, you'll still be my protege."

Sunset shrugged. "Is it possible to learn a certain spell while dreaming?"

"Yes. Anything's possible in the dream realm."

Sunset sighed. "Here goes." Her horn glowed as she shut her eyes. The aura enveloped her. Unlike the waking world, the spell seemed to work. When she opened her eyes, she was in a hallway of doors. So it was as possible to teleport in the dream world as in the real one. She saw a cutie mark on each door. Only Luna had the power to enter dreams. How was this possible?

Luna landed in front of Sunset. "Whenever you look into each door, you see a pony's dream. I've been the guardian of dreams ever since I ascended to the throne. Even the worst nightmares do not surprise or shock me at all."

"I guess you're the only one who's fearless, much like a warrior princess would be," Sunset said.

"When the kingdom was young, my sister and I had to stop various threats. We did become scared sometimes, but fear never stopped us from defending Equestria. If we hadn't stopped them, you wouldn't be here right now. After I banished Daybreaker, Equestria has seen centuries of peace."

Sunset's eyes widened. When she grew up, she wanted to become as strong and courageous as Luna. Maybe someday, she could rise the sun and moon by herself, too. What would Twilight do, though, if only one of them became a princess?