I take a look around, noticing the giant black letters on the blank white horizon that is my surroundings. Some are in italics, others bold, some larger, some smaller. All of the words have one thing in common: They are in twelve-point Times New Roman font, which to the regular pony eye would appear somewhat small, but to me, appeared quite large. I decide to get moving, for it isn't very long that I can remain in the pages of a book. As I walk, I watch the words go by, taking in all of them and everything they have to say. So far, I've been able to gain valuable information on dreams, why they occur, and where they happen. From what I've learned so far, a dream is a series of images fabricated by the mind during the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) stage of sleep, during which the brain's activity resembles that of being awake. The average pony will have anywhere between three to five dreams per night, most of which are not remembered upon waking. The meaning of a dream a pony will remember is a greatly debated topic, though most agree that it is the Foaldian theory of dreams that accurately represents a dream as insight into hidden desires and emotions.
The predicament I find myself in is the emotions: What emotion could spark a nightmare like the one I had? Fear? Anxiety? I must search for answers. I continue to trot down the spaces between the lines, taking in what the giant words and letters have to say. According to this, the dreams that are most remembered happen during the one to two hours of rapid eye movement sleep, while thoughtful dreams occur in slow-wave sleep. These types of dreams are driven by the hippocampus, a part of the pony brain that stimulates memory and long-term memory consolidation. However, this is not the information I seek. I need to know what could have sparked my dream. I take a glance around and suddenly, there is a flash of magenta and I find myself on all four hooves surrounded by my books, the one I was in laying open faced in front of me. The spell had timed out.
Tartarus!
With a groan of frustration, I begin to cast the spell once more, ignoring Luna's call to dinner. Was it that time already? Sorry, Lulu, but I have to research this. With some effort and another violet flash, I find myself once more in the book. But this time, I feel about ready to collapse. I quickly cast a re-energizing spell and prod on in my quest for answers. These energy types of spells are a very good substitute for caffeine, something which I drink far too much of. The book is slowly showing me more of what I need to see, more of what causes dreams. Time becomes an illusion as I am lost in my books. From what I can now observe, it seems emotions can be a leading cause, but it is argued that desire and memory can cause dreams as well. In my eyes, I attest my frightening dream to be a manifestation of emotion, but which emotion I cannot tell.
There is suddenly a flash of blue from behind me, and I turn to see Luna, also inside the book. There's a concerned look on her face, and slowly it dawns on me that she must be worried about me. "Lulu," I say calmly. "I know what you're thinking."
"Twilight, you have been at this since you got up. You look exhausted." She steps closer to me, and I feel her hoof on my cheek. It is soft and warm, and very reassuring. I look up and into her cerulean eyes, blinking a few times to stop her image from wavering. "You need rest, my love."
I step back. "No I don't. I need to get this done, Luna. I can't have that nightmare again tonight." I try to keep walking, but she grabs me gently yet forcefully with a hoof.
"Twily, listen to me, please. I cannot bear to see you pushing yourself any further. You haven't eaten anything all day, there are bags under your eyes, and it's getting late."
She brings my face up to meet hers with a hoof. It is then that I realize that I am shaking from sheer exhaustion. Her face is wavering, I'm seeing double, but I have to keep going. I need to know what causes my dreams so that I can stop them. Yet, a part of me says that I should listen to her. I do feel tired. With a yawn, I stumble forwards. "Mhmm... a-alright. You're right, Luna."
She smiles and levitates me in a magic field onto her back between her wings, telling me to hold on. In a flash, we are out of the book and back in the bedchambers which we share. Luna then levitates me back onto my hooves, and I stumble to the bathroom to take care of necessities before bed. Once that is finished, I slowly walk back out into the expansive room to see Luna standing on the balcony, silhouetted by the moonlight. I passively notice the time on a clock as 0400. So she was right. It was late.
Slowly, I make my way back to the bed and try to climb in, only to slip down the side and land on my belly with a thud. I don't care, I'm just tired. So I begin to close my eyes. Soon after, I hear Luna giggle, and the next thing I know I'm in the bed, in Luna's embrace much like this morning. Except this time, she's stroking my mane and... singing? Yes, she is singing a lullaby, very softly.
I see friends shaking hooves saying, 'How do you do?'
They're really saying 'I... I love you...'
It's so beautiful, lulling me into shadows beyond shadows as finally, I am able to get a good rest...
Author's Note
Will Twilight ever find out what's causing her repetitive dreams? We'll see!