Oneirophobia

by Catpaw616

Rating: everyone
Tags: Starlight Glimmer, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Alternate Universe, Sad, Princess Luna
Length: 2556

Starlight has nightmares about her past. Fortunately, Luna tries to help her out.

Every night, Starlight Glimmer has nightmares about her former life as a dictator of Our Town, and of the time she time travelled and created disastrous timelines.

It seemed like there was no end.

Deciding that enough was enough, Luna intervenes and tries to console the distraught mare. However, she soon realizes that the damage is more severe than she realized.

A slight AU where she doesn't meet Starlight in The Crystalling.

Special thanks to 6-D Pegasus for seemingly unintentionally coming up with the idea in the FimFiction Discord Server.

If this story needs a T rating please point it out in the comments section.

Published 2023-07-26 03:10:00 UTC
Last updated 2023-07-26 03:10:00 UTC

In The Making

Things were dark and quiet in the dream world. Nothing but endless orbs of dreams scattered around the area.

These orbs gave a happy presence, while the bad ones were nowhere in sight for now.

This was her job.

Princess Luna was floating in the abyss, silently watching as each dream orb gently floated by. She yawned as the hours seemed to slowly pass by each minute, but she didn't mind. She knew very well that the boredom did not last forever. She liked to be alone and surrounded by tranquility whenever she had the chance.

It wasn't long before the tranquility and the silence was interrupted by a scream in the distance. Flapping her wings, she quickly flew to the orb that the scream came from. Without a moment to lose, the magic in her horn glowed a bright light. In a matter of seconds, the Princess was teleported inside the dream.

Princess Luna got a good look at her surroundings before descending from the air. The ground felt sandy beneath her hooves. The mountains were beige; sometimes dark brown. When the Princess peered further, she could notice snow-covered mountains in the distance.

It wasn't until she turned around that she could see two rows of houses, with only one at the end of the row. The houses were brown and plain, with almost nothing that made them stand out from the others. This is the tiniest and most boring village I have ever seen. Princess Luna thought to herself. No wonder she never visited this part of Equestria before.

"Stop!"

Princess Luna quickly turned around. This cry sounded farther and distant, and not in the village like she had assumed. Flapping her wings once more, she dashed toward the source of the cry for help. She searched for various clues until she encountered a hole in the mountain, presumably a cave.

She landed next to the cave's entrance, her back against the rock. She didn't even step foot inside the cave when she started hearing strange noises, along with the sound of someone crying.

"Filth!"

"Filth!"

"Filth!"

That one word kept ringing inside the cave from cold and empty voices. It almost sent chills down Princess Luna's spine.

Princess Luna peeked into the cave to see what she was about to deal with. To her surprise, she didn't see any kind of dangerous monsters in the cave, but ponies looming over something while saying that one word over and over again. It's creepier that way. Princess Luna thought with a shiver.

Through the crowd, Princess Luna could make out another pony. It was a lilac-coated unicorn, and she was cowering in fear. Her eyes were covered by her hooves while her teeth were gritted tightly. Her ears were folded downward in an attempt to block out the noise.

"Please stop..." The shivering pony said in a quiet voice, but it was loud enough for the Princess to hear. "Please..."

Princess Luna's ears perked. She recognized that voice. It was the pony who had cried for help! However, she had no idea who she was. I'll probably recognize her once these ponies are not blocking my view.

"Enough!" She yelled out using her Royal Canterlot Voice.

Using her powers, she slammed her hoof on the ground, causing ripples to shake the ground. The chanting ponies and the terrain turned into mist and vanished into thin air. The only one left standing was her and the lilac-coated unicorn.

Now that the ponies were gone, Princess Luna got a good look at this unicorn. As noted before, her coat was lilac, but her mane was dark purple with an aquamarine-colored streak running down her mane and tail. Her cutie mark was a purple star that would be found in compasses. Above the star were aquamarine streaks, similar to that in her mane. Princess Luna had not recognized this pony before. Her appearance and her voice did not ring any bells.

The unicorn lifted her hoof and slightly opened one of her eyes. Her breathing seemed to be calmer now and she was not shaking anymore. Her ears were now perked with alertness as she saw that the cave and the ponies were gone. Now they were surrounded by the stars, with no other ponies in sight.

Once she saw the unicorn stand up and try to take in her bearings, Princess Luna slowly walked up to her. For now, she wanted to be gentle with her. She had just suffered a nightmare.

The unicorn's eyes slightly narrowed when she saw her. Princess Luna couldn't tell whether it was out of suspicion or fear, but the way she spoke sounded more like the latter.

"W-What is this place?" The unicorn's voice slightly quivered. She took a slight step back to distance herself from the alicorn.

"This is a safe place." Princess Luna told her assuredly. She seemed to have an idea who she even was if she was, somehow. Either that or she is afraid of me. Luna thought. She repressed her sigh. And I thought everyone forgave me.

"A... safe place." The unicorn repeated hesitatingly. She looked around the area again. She let out a startled yelp when she looked down to see her hooves standing on nothing except tiny stars.

Princess Luna tilted her head. She had no idea why this pony was so scared. Usually, the ponies she saved weren't that squeamish. "Are you alright? You seem a bit... jumpy."

The unicorn looked up and nodded slightly. "Yeah, I think so." She said in an unconvincing way.

"Mind if you would tell me your name? I don't think I recognize you." Princess Luna asked kindly.

The unicorn looked stunned. Princess Luna narrowed her gaze at her. It's as if she expects me to know her, but I never visited her dreams... She started to wonder.

"Starlight." The unicorn finally answered after an uncomfortable moment of silence. "Starlight Glimmer."

Princess Luna grunted in response while she studied her. Starlight Glimmer. I've heard of her before.... but where?

Princess Luna could tell that Starlight was starting to get uncomfortable with her stare. She straightened herself. She was the savior of dreams. She should console ponies and guide them to safety and happiness. Not weird them out or make them uncomfortable. I'll ask her myself instead of thinking the answers.

"Would you mind telling me about yourself, Starlight? This is my first time entering your dream, and you seem like an interesting unicorn to talk to." Princess Luna asked her softly.

Starlight pawed her hooves nervously at that response. She looked down in shame. "No wonder that you never appeared in my dreams. My crimes were simply too great." She mumbled seemingly to herself, but Princess Luna had heard it.

What does she mean by "crimes"? This unicorn gets more mysterious by the second.

Noticing her stunned silence, Starlight reassuringly waved one of her hooves. "Oh, but I'm fine now. I've repented for my actions and I'm slowly getting better."

But from the awkward smile the unicorn made, she could tell that she didn't fully believe her own words.

"Starlight, is there something you're not telling me?" Princess Luna suddenly asked her. When Starlight gave her a nervous look, Princess Luna added, "Listen, I'm not going to chide you or anything. I promise."

Starlight held her gaze. Luna could tell that the unicorn's fear was ebbing away, and it was replaced with something else.

"I... I did horrible things." Starlight's voice was starting to quiver, but she cleared her throat before speaking again, "And I want to forget them as much as possible." Her voice was firmer that time.

Princess Luna was curious to ask what kind of awful things she did, but she kept that to herself. So instead, she asked, "And you've recently reformed?"

"Since last week." She answered with a sharp nod of her head. "And I have been doing my best to change since then." She looked down at the ground in shame and she closed her eyes and dropped her ears.

Princess Luna could easily relate to this young unicorn. She, too, knows how it feels to be recently reformed and try her hardest to change. She now wanted to sympathize with her, knowing that she wasn't alone in this process of healing.

"And have you learned from your past?" The princess smiled as she asked the question.

When Starlight looked at her again, Princess Luna was almost startled by the anger and hurt in her eyes. "I'm trying. But how can I do that when my dreams are nothing but constant reminders of what I did?" She said coldly. The fear and nervousness she had before were long gone.

That nightmare I just stopped is probably one of them. Princess Luna guessed.

"It's been happening for four days." Starlight continued. The fire in her eyes and the coldness in her voice were unwavering. "And I'm too weak to stop it."

Princess Luna was now shaking her head in disagreement. "You're not weak, Starlight." Because the fire in you seems to be enough to scorch through anything Princess Luna thought jokingly, but she decided to not say it aloud.

"What makes you say that?"

This was part of her past that the Princess dreaded the most, but she might as well explain it. If it would help this distraught unicorn. "Well, I don't know if you know about this, but I once punished myself by letting my dark past haunt my dreams." Princess Luna admitted with a sigh.

The rage in Starlight's eyes blinked away and it was replaced with concern. "Oh my. Princess, I'm so sorry to hear that."

"Well, it's true. But then six ponies healed me from my past. Thanks to them and their advice, I can dream peacefully for the first time in several years." Princess Luna put her hoof on Starlight's shoulder before speaking again. "Starlight, whatever you did in the past, you can't let it affect you. Not in your dreams, anyway."

"But how?" Starlight stood up and around, facing the endless stars ahead. "How can I move forward like you did? I did horrible things. Things that I won't forgive myself for a long time, probably." She turned to face the Princess again. "How do you know I won't just let myself submit to these nightmares as I did just now?"

"It takes courage." Princess Luna persuaded her again.

"Courage." Starlight echoed. "You think I have courage?"

The Princess nodded. "But my words are nothing but hot air. Only you can make a difference. And if you are still struggling with your nightmares, I am always here to stop them for you. Until you're ready."

Starlight parted her mouth to say something, but she closed it. She was silent for a moment before nodding her head in acceptance. "I'll try."

"That's all that matters." Princess Luna nodded back.

Knowing that their meeting was over, Princess Luna closed her eyes again, and with her magic, she was back in the dream world. The abyss was filled with innocent dream orbs once again.

I hope Starlight takes my advice. Princess Luna prayed.

Seeing that there was nothing more she could do for the unicorn, she went back to observing the dream orbs like nothing had happened.

Princess Luna was back into the abyss after sleeping through the day.

The first thought that came into her mind was Starlight and her progress. The unicorn had been in her mind, hoping for nothing but peace and tranquility for her.

Princess Luna was now searching for her dream. It took a few tries, but she finally found her dream. Although a pang was in her heart when she recognized the same, boring landscape she had briefly explored earlier. Another nightmare.

With her magic, she was transported inside the dream. Unlike last time, the sky was now filled with stars, the moon was high and bright. Princess Luna spotted a similar cave and could hear similar voices. The voices of the ponies from last time.

She gently flew down to the ground and like before, she put her back against the outside cave wall, straining her ear to hear voices. After hearing nothing, she peeked at the entrance.

She saw Starlight standing face to face against the ponies from earlier.

The ponies began to jeer at her.

"Filthy pony!" One pony mocked her.

"A cutie mark on your flank is nothing but a weakness!" Another said bitterly.

Princess Luna could see that Starlight was ready to back down and cower to their demands, but to Luna's surprise, she straightened herself and gave the ponies a bitter look with her ears pointed backward.

"That won't work on me anymore." She said to them with the rawest venom Luna hadn't heard from anyone in a while.

The ponies were stunned. They certainly didn't expect that. They're not the only ones.

But that didn't last long. One pony pointed a hoof at her. "She thinks she can overcome her past! Foolish thinking!"

Starlight's eyes narrowed dangerously. She then took a deep breath to calm herself. Luna could tell that took effort.

"The foolish one is you if you think you're at a safe distance." She said, cooly. She lit up her horn. Its aura was turning brighter and brighter while Starlight continued to speak. "I may not forget my actions, but I won't let you torture me in my sleep for weeks to come. If you know what's good for you, you better run away. Now."

She took a threatening step forward. She didn't move much, but it was enough to make the ponies run out of the cave. They ran over the hill and they weren't seen again.

Starlight walked out of the cave. Her magic diminished as she took more calming breaths.

"I did good, didn't I?" She asked the Princess, not looking at her.

Princess Luna's mouth gaped in astonishment. Had she known she was there the entire time?

She straightened herself as a smile formed on her face. "You did. You confronted your nightmares well. Do you think you can keep it up?"

"I'll try. It won't be easy, that's for sure. But I will try." Starlight told her confidently, and then she slightly lowered her head out of humbleness. "Do you think this is the first step towards my path to self-forgiveness?"

Princess Luna nodded reassuringly. "The process is long, and it will take time. But as a reformed villain myself, tiny changes can lead to brighter futures. I hope you understand that well, young Starlight."

The unicorn dipped her head gratefully. "You and I know that better than anyone. Don't we?"

The Princess smiled and she chuckled. "Indeed, my little pony."

She ascended to the sky, preparing to leave. Before making her exit, she looked back at Starlight with a warm smile. "I hope that this is the last of your nightmares for a long time, Starlight Glimmer. I wish you well on your path to forgiveness."

Starlight smiled warmly back.

With no more words needed to be said, Princess Luna vanished into the moon.

Author's Note

This story took forever to write (especially the beginning) but I finally did it.

I hope you enjoyed the story. Have a good one, y'all.