A/N: Well, here it is. The tenth chapter of this fic. And just like I promised, ten-thousand words. At first, this thing scared me, making me think that I wouldn't finish. But I plowed through, barely finishing it today. During this, I will be experimenting with certain styles so if it sucks, please tell me. Action will be plentiful in here. Now, onto the reviews!
BoltFire: …um, there aren't any.
Me: What?! No reviews? But…I worked so hard on the last two chapters…I even uploaded them in the same week!
BoltFire: Yeah, well there could be a number of reasons why that is.
Me: *Scoffing noise* Yeah, like they don't care about this story.
BoltFire: Damn it, dude! Enough of that demotivating bull-shit! We've already gone over this! If people didn't like it, then this story wouldn't have favorites. We also wouldn't have any followers (Stalkers), no-one would review, and it wouldn't have over a thousand views! So stop with all this depressing shit and get it together.
Me: But why? What's the point? They don't tell me anything.
BoltFire: They most likely don't find anything wrong with the fic. And we aren't very well-known, so that could be a contributing factor to it.
Me: Well…you do have a point…
BoltFire: Of course I have a point! Why wouldn't I? And if you don't stop being mopy, then I'll just have to summon Pinkie here.
Me: You wouldn't...
BoltFire: Pinkie Pie.
Me: I'm warning you, stop this right now!
BoltFire: Pinkie Pie.
Me: No you fool! There's a reason I-
BoltFire: Pinkie-HOLD IT‼
Me: What?! What treachery is this?!
BoltFire: Someone reviewed!
Me: Let's answer, quickly!
In response to Dragonfang20;
Me: Thank you, I will continue to do my best. And yeah, I used to do the same thing when I had a Minecraft account.
BoltFire: You never did have one. You just borrowed someone else's so you could play it during one of your classes.
Me: Shh! They don't know that!
BoltFire: ...they do now.
Me: I'll delete you!
BoltFire: I'll finish what I was saying earlier!
Me: Gasp, you wouldn't da-
BoltFire: Pinkie-OBJECTION!
Me: What now, dammit!?
BoltFire: Another reviewer.
Me: ...
In response to BOTH posts from trolledkmj;
Me: Thank you for the kind words, I was actually thinking of doing a side story about Scootaloo next that had nothing to do with this story-line. And I shall re-flip that table, just so you can flip it again! -,-,- (Weird table is weird)
BoltFire: Don't tell me...
Me: No, not clop. Just a cute story full of feels.
BoltFire: Okay, good. Don't want to be seen as a filly fooler.
Me: Well, there is one last filly you gotta meet.
BoltFire: I'm gonna trust you on that. Now, guess who is good with fillies and colts.
Me: Who? Wait no do-!
BoltFire: Pinkie Pie.
Me: ...
BoltFire: ...
Me: ...phew, she didn't hear that.
'Random Dolphin Noises'
Pinkie: *Glomp from behind* Nick! It's been too long! Oh, hi Bolty!
BoltFire: Hey Pinks. *Looks to me* I don't see what your problem is, she seems fine to me.
Me: Dude, Easter wasn't too long ago and the first day of this month is April 1st. So, here's a little math for you. (Pinkie + (Sugar * x (Amount of candy she got)))^Prank month=?
BoltFire: ...shit.
Me: Yeah, you doomed us all. Now, do the disclaimer before we all die from one too many parties.
Pinkie: *Deep intake of breath* A PARTY?! GREAT IDEA NICK! *Claps hooves together and whistles loudly*
*Earth starts to shake as thousands of ponies come running*
Me: Oh shit! Quickly, do the disclaimer! Do the disclaimer!
BoltFire: Oh fuck! Nick doesn't own My Little pony, anything Lewis Carroll does, or any references to things in this fic. Despite what Pinkie says, Nick doesn't own her, he does own me though. Now, since that's done, STAMPEDE!
Chapter 10: Dreams and Things
*BoltFire*
It's been a while, but I am once again greeted by the darkness. Unlike other times, the Darkness took a while to get to me. I know what you're probably thinking, "Oh, it's dark how can it take a while to get to you?" Well, when I close my eyes I can't see my hooves or anything like that. When the Darkness does come I can see my limbs as I'm floating through a void of black.
...
[?! The hell was that?]
...
[What the- what's going on?]
...
[Huh? Mission?]
*Flash of red* ...
[What are you angry about? And why do you keep saying the same thing over and over?]
*A flash of images. Grotesque, putrid images* ...!
[W-what the hell is this?! Why are you showing me these?!]
*An Image a Dash happily flying through a clear blue sky slowly morphed into her flying frantically away from something. The sky as red as blood and the clouds as black as smoke. Dash herself is covered in cuts, bruises, and blood. One leg flailing uselessly about, broken*
[Please...stop...]
*An image of Fluttershy with animals changing to corpses of said animals surrounding a cowering Fluttershy. Her neck at an unnatural angle and blood running out her eyes, nose, and mouth*
[Enough...]
*Twilight with books rammed down her throat. Applejack nailed to a tree. Pinkie popped like a balloon. Rarity skinned and made into a robe*
[no...]
*Luna with her horn shattered and wings ripped off, slowly being torn apart by ropes*
[No...]
*Derpy rammed inside a mailbox, her head sticking out one end while her ass sticks out the other. Her eyes gouged out and her cutie mark ripped off. Around her neck is a wooden sign held up by barbed-wire, written in blood saying "I just don't know what went wrong..." And evident in every single picture, the mares have all been brutally raped.*
[NOOOO-]
"-OOOO!" I shout as my eyes dart around the room, the phantoms of my dreams still wreaking havoc on my mind. The Darkness still whispering to me, saying familiar things that I cannot understand. Movement on my left stops everything; the whispers, the phantom images, all of it.
Derpy is sleeping peacefully, oblivious to all my shouting and distress. The sunlight filtering in through the window making her look like a radiant angel, compared to the hellish nightmare I endured. She has her hooves wrapped around me and her head resting on my chest. Seeing her like this calmed me down quickly.
[Just a dream...it was just a dream...]
I lie back down and slowly drift into a dreamless sleep.
+Celestia+
*Sound of someone throwing up in the background*
[Sigh, I knew I shouldn't have had her help me with this...] I walk up to Luna's private restroom and call to her "You alright in there Luna?"
The only response I get is more retching, the flushing of the Royal toilet, and a repeat of the previous actions. Now, I know I shouldn't have gotten Luna to help me, but she is the only one between the two of us who can send herself and images into other pony's dreams. The most I can do is colors and words.
The toilet flushes once more and Luna walks out of the bathroom, looking extremely ill "Sister...never again...will I ever agree to do that to another pony..."
I nod "I wouldn't want you to anyway. But we had to do this, put him on edge. That way he won't get overwhelmed when the time comes."
"Be that as it may, where the hell did you come up with those...oh gods..." she rushes back to the bathroom, barely making it before her lunch made its way back up.
I sigh again, looking out the window towards Ponyville.
[Why now, after all these years from the initial invasion attempt? It just doesn't make sense. And didn't Chrysalis get flung the farthest out of all of them? I got a bad feeling about all this...]
*BoltFire*
I woke up several hours later to pretty much the same sight as last time. Derpy was still curled up against me, but her face was uncomfortably close to mine. Well, it was only uncomfortable for a minute or two, after that, it was kinda soothing. Just the idea of having someone close to you as you sleep, you sharing your warmth with each other, selflessly giving without asking for anything in return...sigh, even with all my friends, I guess I'm alone.
I don't move for fear of waking the angel in front of me. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a digital clock that Double got but never used. It read 9:13.
[Crap, I'm late for work...well, not much I can do about it now...]
Derpy starts to wake up, causing me to panic a little.
[Shit! What do I do?! If I don't do something, she may think I did something and get mad and leave! Oh, I know! I'll pretend I'm asleep! Yes, that'll work!]
I quickly feign sleep as Derpy becomes more aware of her surroundings. I couldn't see her, but I heard her gasp, her warm breath slightly tingling my nose. I felt her quickly move off the bed, the sound of her hooves making their way to the door. Just as they reached that end of the room, however, they stopped, as if she's having an internal debate over something. The sound of hooves continues from there, but instead of going out my door, they make their way back to the bed.
Did she discover my rouse? Is she mad? Is she surprised? Is she-
A pair of soft, warm lips gently presses against my forehead.
...I believe that answered your questions.
[Shut up brain!]
The sound of hooves hurriedly making their way out the room catches my attention. As soon as I hear the front door close, I get up. My hoof lightly brushing the spot where she kissed me.
[Did she...?]
I shake my head and allow a smile to appear, a genuinely happy smile.
I arrive at Applejack's twenty minutes later only to find that none of the trees had any apples on them. I shrug and continue to her house.
A voice from behind causes me to stop and turn. Running towards me are the three little fillies from yesterday.
"Hmm? Oh, it's you three. What's up?"
They tilt their heads in confusion and look up. I face hoof "It means 'what's going on?'"
"Ooooh." They say at the same time. Scootaloo steps forward.
"Well, we're on a quest." Enter Sweetie Belle.
"A crusade!" Applebloom goes between them, arms (legs?) on their heads.
"Fer our cutie-marks!" She loses her balance and they fall to the ground
I chuckle then tilt my head, now taking a turn at being confused "A crusade? For your cutie-marks? What are you, 'cutie mark crusaders'?" They get up and stare at me, before something clicks in their minds.
Their mouths drop open wide as if I figured out the secret of the universe.
Applebloom is the first to recover "That's raght! How'd ya guess, mister? Are ya psychic 'r sometin'?!"
I rub the back of my neck "That's flattering but I wouldn't put it like that. I just decided to put two words that you girls said together and hope for the best. I was actually joking when I said Cutie Mark Crusaders, but that's actually what you call yourselves?"
They respond with a chorus of 'Yup'.
"We even have our own uniforms an' everthin'!" they turn around and show me their...capes. (A/N: ...Dirty filly-foolers, stay away from those three. They are too precious to be corrupted right now! Also, you all should know what their capes look like from the show, so I'm not describing them.)
"Huh, those are pretty good. Did one of you make them?"
Sweetie Belle blushes a little "I did. D-do you really think they're good?"
I smile and nod "Of course I do. I wouldn't say so if I thought otherwise."
She smiles brightly at this, the blush slightly growing.
Before any of us could say anything else, a shout comes from the direction of the barn. We turn and see Applejack and Big Mac running towards us...at top speed. Before we can react, Applejack scoops up Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, while Big Mac picks up Scootaloo. They start running towards town shouting something about Changelings...what the hell is a Changeling anyway?
Rustling behind me grabs my attention. I turn and see a unicorn pony...wait...something's wrong with its horn...yes it, I can't really say what the gender is. Anyway, the horn looks like it has holes in it, not unlike Swiss cheese...I don't really know what Swiss is, but I guess it's a country or something.
More rustling comes from either side of the "pony". Soon, the first is joined by four others, all looking just like the first. It's then that I notice something else about them; they have wings. Yes, wings. I would start to question whether they're Alicorns or not but I see that their wings are more akin to dragonflies instead of birds. Their soulless blue eyes staring at me with intense hatred. Stepping out of their cover, they begin to advance towards me. Allowing me to see that their horns weren't the only things with holes in it. Their legs were also in the same condition. White fangs protruding from their snarling maws, saliva dripping while feral growls emanate from within their throats.
Something about them tells me they're not here to play.
~Luna~
"It's time." I say as I watch Bolt through a portal.
My sister grimly nods behind me "We shall now see if we made the right choice with this one."
I nod, knowing full well that this could completely backfire on us if he ends up joining the other side, runs away, or if he's killed by the first wave. But, something in my gut tells me that I shouldn't worry. My brain says there's a chance he will, my gut tells me there's a high chance he won't, and my heart...my heart prays to my and Celestia's parents that everything will go alright. And that he will be able to walk away from this.
Alive.
*BoltFire*
I'm surrounded by the black, insect like ponies, slowly stalking and circling me like a hungry jungle cat. I step into a defensive stance and wait for one of them to make the first move, the "Changelings" apparently having the same idea.
We stay like that for a minute before one of them gets impatient. With a feral shout, the one on my left launches itself at me. I duck under its wild charge and punch it in the gut, sending it flying into one of its buddies. They get tangled up together on the ground.
Another two charge and try to take me down from behind. I lift my back legs up and buck them both in the face. I hear two wet crunches followed by dual whimpers and thuds. Looking back shows them both lying in the dirt, unconscious or otherwise, with green blood flowing from their foreheads and noses.
[Damn! Did I do that?! Guess apple bucking's good for leg strength.]
Sudden pain brings me out of my thoughts, the force of the blow knocking me a few feet forward. The last Changeling standing had taken a cheap shot while I was distracted! I put a hoof to the spot on my head where it hit; pulling away shows red on my hoof.
"Tch, bastard!" I then open my wings out of instinct, waiting for the Changling to make the next move.
The Changling growls before launching itself at me. Time seems to slow down as the adrenaline pumping through my veins increases, causing all that happens next to go in slow-motion. I give my wings one powerful flap, launching myself into the air. I put a little too much power into it which causes me to do a back flip. As I was flipping, however, I felt one of my back hooves collide with the thing's chin, launching it back in a flip of its own. It lands five feet away and doesn't get up.
By now, the first two untangled themselves and came charging blindly at me, not noticing their buddies on the ground. I'm still in my flip, so I wouldn't have a chance to get out of the way. Without thinking, I reach out and grab both by their horns, twisting my body as I do. Two cracks ring out as I finish twisting around. I land and jump backwards, only to see the two lying in the dirt, blood coming out their eyes and their necks at odd angles.
My eyes dart around, looking for any others wanting to attack me.
No sign of life is anywhere near me.
My breathing slows and my adrenaline drops back to normal, causing the fatigue and pain to catch up with me. I fall onto my side, with the last thing I see being my friends, with Derpy in the front, rushing towards me, worry and fear plastered on all their faces.
~Luna~
I'm standing there in front of the viewing portal with my jaw happily united with the floor. I believe my sister is in the same way, but I can't turn away to verify. I'm too shocked at what we both saw.
Celestia speaks up after a minute "Oh...my...me..."
I nod, not finding my voice.
"Did he...but that's...how can..."
She continues babbling while I say nothing.
I suddenly feel a shiver run down my spine, a very familiar shiver. A shiver that can only be caused by one thing and one thing alone, 'Tia smiling.
I slowly turn my head around, hoping I was wrong and it was just my imagination. In a sense, I was wrong. She wasn't smiling, no, that would be possible by everything. She was having a 'Pinkie smile', one that looked like your face would rip apart at any moment.
I slowly and calmly back away from my sister, getting creeped out more the longer I look at her "'Tia...? Are you alright...?"
She tilts her head to the side, that same insane grin on her face "Of course I am, Luna. Why wouldn't I be?"
My ears tilt back slightly and my heart starts beating a little faster "I...don't know...but...is he what you thought he would be...?"
She shakes her head, looking more crazed with that smile still in place "Oh no. He did not meet expectations…"
I gulp out of fear.
Suddenly, her expression changes completely. No longer does she have a creepy smile, but a normal one. The happiness even reaches her eyes "No, he exceeded them! He's better than I thought! Oh Luna, we chose a great one! No wonder you fell for him."
*Insert sound of tea-kettle here*
"'Tia, what the hell?!"
She shrugs "Hey, I'm just saiyan."
I face hoof...hard, hurting my already throbbing skull "Ugh...no references...please...I need an aspirin..."
*BoltFire*
*FFVIII Victory fan-fare in background*
Welp, Darkness...already had enough of it for one day. The scenes from earlier haven't faded much from my mind, but at least I'm not forced to look at them. And what the hell is with the music in the background? Kinda catchy, actually. Let's see...dark all around me, can't see my limbs, time to test if this is a dream. I think of a small white scoreboard and it appears, writing already on it.
"The hell is this?"
The title of it reads '# of times passed-out/fainted'.
...Damn it.
I turn the thing around, not wanting to see what was written on it. When I turned it, however, there's writing on the other-side, too. This side being much more interesting, albeit confusing.
[S.P.E.C.I.A.L.?]
The title at first confused me, but then I saw something running down the side.
Strength - 5
Perception - 5
Endurance - 5
Charisma - 5
Intelligence - 5
Agility - 5
Luck - 5
Across the bottom it reads 'Available points - 5'
"…what the hell is this?"
Suddenly, the numbers start to glow and pulse. I cover my eyes as they get unbearably bright. I sensed them flash one last time before going dim. Cautiously taking my leg away from my face, I peer back at the weird dream board. To my astonishment, the numbers changed.
It now read like this:
Strength - 6
Perception - 5
Endurance - 6
Charisma - 5
Intelligence - 5
Agility - 8
Luck - ...?
Available Points - $ %#^!
I tilt my head, completely and utterly confused. I try to figure out what it is for a couple minutes when I hear voices.
"Hmm? They sound familiar...oh yeah, I passed out. I might be in the hospital...again."
The sign suddenly flips and shows me the total amount.
"Oh for fuck's sa-"
I'm ripped out of the dream before I could finish.
Voices start to become more clear, allowing me to figure out who they belong to and their attitude.
"C'mon, Bolt! Stay with us! Who else will race me once you're gone?!"
[Sigh...once again time to do a mental checklist. First up, Rainbow Dash.]
"Yeh, an' who's gonna help 'round the farm?"
[Applejack]
"Who's going to laugh at my jokes and come to my parties?"
[...Pinkie? Why do you sound so sad? Actually, why do all of you sound so sad?]
"Please, Bolt. Don't leave us..."
[T-twilight?! Alright, what the hell is going on? Why is there a pressure on my chest and-]
"Who's going to pose for my new all-stallion clothing line?"
[...I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that, Rarity.]
"Stop playing around and get the hell up! Without your income, I could lose my house!"
[...ok, didn't expect Double to be here...and all of those reasons sound slightly selfish...well, except for Twi's, that just sounded desperate.]
A small voice finally makes itself known "Um, girls...He's going to be fine."
The other mares just go off saying how I'm going to leave them and all that, causing Fluttershy to actually raise her voice...wait, that didn't sound significant enough. Let's try that again.
SHE ACTUALLY RAISED HER VOICE!
Better.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!"
The room got deathly quiet. Damn, didn't know Shy had it in her.
"He's not dying! He just has a cut on his head from one of those Changelings hitting him! It isn't deep enough to be life threatening. If anything, he's just going to be sore when he wakes!"
Damn right, Fluttershy! ...Where the hell did that come from?
I open my eyes to see an annoyingly familiar sight. The only annoying part being that this keeps happening.
My friends are surrounding my bed with looks of worry and small, dim lights of hope in their eyes. Well, except for Fluttershy seeing as she knew more about injuries than all of them combined.
They're all arguing with each other, and Pinkie's hair is completely straight...kinda freaky when you know her. Again, I feel a slight amount of pressure to my left. I turn my head, the others not even realizing I'm awake yet, and see another familiar sight.
Derpy is lying next to me with her forelegs around my chest and her head on my shoulder, tears soaking my fur and the bed sheet.
Two questions came from this. One, why was she crying on my shoulder? And two, why is she in my bed? I sigh, which grabs the attention of someone in the room.
"Oh! He's awake!"
Oh, there's Thunderlane. He was hiding to my right...wait...is he...oh Celestia! Get him out of the bed!
I fly out of the bed faster than a cat away from water...which is fast. (A/N: What? They don't like water; I have the scars to prove it.)
I don't exactly know how I did it, but I got past everyone without being noticed. They shift their heads left and right, Dash saying what they all were probably thinking "Where the hay did he go?"
They continue to search for me, yet they didn't check the most obvious place, up. No-one present even thought of looking in that direction, hell, they even checked under the bed!
[Seriously? You know what? Fuck this charade, Thunderlane is off my bed.]
I climb down from whatever thing I was on and lie back down in my bed, the others still not noticing me.
Oh my, they failed a notice check...hard.
[Gah! What the hell?! Who said that?!]
Wha?! You can hear me?!
[No, I'm just talking to an imaginary being that just happens to be saying the same things as you.]
You know, I could feel your eyes roll from that comment.
[Sarcasm aside, why are you in my head?]
Well, I was just seeing how my student was doing, but somepony had to insist I get in your head to do it. Also, nice job with the Changelings, I didn't think you'd survive.
{See! I told you 'Tia! But did you listen to me? No, you just had to be against me on this just like with everything else!}
That sounded an awful lot like Luna...
Hey, we embody two opposite things; I'm just playing along to that.
{Still, I won the bet. You shall now bow before me and call me master!}
0_0 Just the way she said that...
...Um, Luna? You do know Bolt's on the other end of the line, right? He can hear everything, for some odd reason...
{...}
The sheer level of embarrassment is palpable, even from here...
[...She ran, didn't she...]
Yup, anyway, when you feel well enough to move, I would like you, Twilight Sparkle, and the rest of the girls to come to Canterlot. There is something we need to discuss, seeing as how you all are involved in it.
[Haa...doesn't seem like I have a choice, what with Royalty inviting and all.]
Well, you do have a choice. It's just that it is imperative that you come; Ponyville won't be safe otherwise...So that technically means you only have a choice if you're a heartless bastard, and I don't believe you are; So, we shall see you soon.
[Hold on! I still have-]
BOOOP-BOOOP-BOOOP-BOOOP *The number you have dialed is currently unavailable. Either hang up, or leave a message after the tone.*
[What the-]
*BEEEP*
[Um...this is a little weird...why is there a phone in my head?]
I shake myself and remember the familiar weight on my chest. Looking down shows Derpy in her previous position, fast asleep.
[...What am I, your personal pillow? Though...I don't really mind...]
A gasp pulls my attention from the sleeping angel in my arms. I turn my crimson eyes towards the source. All my friends were bowing with their heads towards the door. I turn my own towards the doorway and see Luna...except she's white. She has the same mane style, yet this one has pink, light blue, light green and light purple instead of the night sky. Her regalia are gold instead of silver, her cutie mark depicts a sun instead of the moon, and she has a motherly air about her, as opposed to Luna's teenage-like demeanor. Based on my conversations with Luna, this is her big sister, 'Tia...I mean Celestia.
She puts on a soft smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes. They seem to be either saddened or agitated. Probably from having to go through this every day "Arise, my little ponies. You do not have to bow before me whenever I make an appearance."
Twilight lifts her head "But Princess, then it wouldn't be respectful!"
Celestia looks like she's about to say something, but a voice cuts her off. Actually, it was me. Ah, random flashes of being a dick "Sorry Princess, but what are you doing here? I thought you said we'd see each other later."
She shakes her head and almost replies, however Twilight butts in "Bolt! Show some respect, this is Princess Celestia! She is the co-ruler of ALL of Equestria!"
I nod "Yeah, and she's also the mare you just interrupted. All I did was ask a question."
Twilight opens her mouth to retort, but stops and thinks. She chuckles and rubs the back of her neck as a sheepish grin, accompanied by a blush, graces her features.
[Ha-ha! Ah, it feels good to win conversations like this. Maybe I should keep track of times I won against anyone...hmm, this competitiveness is unusual. Oh well, Score-Board!]
Twilight - 1/0
Dash - 0/0
Fluttershy - 0/0
AJ - 0/0
Rarity - 0/0
Pinkie - 0/0
[Heh, Hell yeah.]
Celestia has a small grin on her face, which slightly unnerved me. There's just something about that smile that...sends shivers and tingles down my spine...anyway, she's talking "As I was saying, I said you'd come to Canterlot when you are feeling well enough to move. Seeing as you jumped halfway across the room to get out of a rather...strange situation. I figured you'd be alright."
[How did she...oh yeah...she probably saw it through my eyes.]
I nod "Ok, but why are you here in Ponyville? I thought you wanted to meet in Canterlot?"
Her eyes light up as she smiles this time "Whoever said we were in Ponyville?"
This threw me and the girls off "Huh?"
She tilts her head towards the window "Take a look."
The girls and I run towards the window...well, they did, I had to set Derpy down. How anyone can sleep through all this, I will never know.
Once I got up to the window, I copied the face of all the mares with me. That is as follows: jaw down, eyes wide, and brain trying to comprehend...Well, Pinkie was alright, but everyone else wasn't. Actually, only Derpy, Twilight, Fluttershy, Dash, AJ, Pinkie, and Rarity are with me. I'm glad Thunderlane is gone, but Double is probably pissed at our sudden disappearance.
Twilight turns to Celestia "But...how...when..."
Celestia chuckles "It happened when you all were searching for him." She points a hoof in my direction "One question though, did any of you think to look up?"
Dash answers (Isn't that a Tumblr account?) "Why the hay would we look up?"
I cough to get everyone's attention. When I have it I unfurl and gesture to my wings.
"Oh."
Celestia coughs this time and we all turn to her "Now, the reason why I have summoned you all here..."
[Literally...]
Shush, just listen.
[Sigh, fine mom.]
She ignores my sarcastic comment "Is because of a growing threat that I, as well as others, believed to be truly gone."
Twilight tilts her head "If it's so important, why are we talking about it in a hospital room?"
[Wait...don't tell me...you teleported us again...didn't you?]
Tee-hee, yes. Let's wait and see how long it takes her to figure it out.
[...you're bored, aren't you.]
Ding Ding Ding~! We have a winner!
Celestia turns her attention to the ceiling "Well, why aren't we talking about it in the throne room?"
Twilight trips up a bit...we were walking this entire time? And what's with the sweat-drop on Twi's head? Oh well "I...don't understand."
Celestia looks at Twilight "Well, something as important as this should be told in the throne room, shouldn't it? Yet you are asking unrelated questions, dear Twilight."
"What are you..." she finally notices her surroundings.
*Back at Ponyville hospital*
Thunderlane is looking everywhere for us, while Double is reading some music magazine.
She flips through a couple pages before seeing an interesting article "Huh, Octavia is pairing up with DJ P0N3 for a special concert next Friday...Lyra Heartstrings convicted of murder...of a symphony? Tch, total shit...she wouldn't harm a fly, much less that crap. It wasn't even a good piece to begin with. I wonder how cousin Vinnie's doing..."
Meanwhile, Thunderlane is still freaking out.
"Oh no oh no oh no oh no! Where are they?! Where could they have gone?! Are they-?"
CLONG~
Thud
"Sigh, idiot. Making all that noise for nothing." She turns her attention to the thing Thunderlane ran into; her spoon...her giant spoon. (Don't ask. My friend has an entire spoon collection that she can use better than knives. They are both weapons and tools of punishment…Beware.) "You even put a dent in Enrique." She gets up and looms over the crumpled form of Thunderlane "Guess I have to make you into a mare the old fashioned way, don't worry, the jewels shall be safe. I'll keep 'em fresh... in a jar on my night stand."
Smack!
Her ears perk up as she stops and listens "The hell was that? It almost sounds like someone face-hoofed, but...it would have to have been hard to hear it in here..." She turns to her magazine, catching sight of something that makes her get excited and, fortunately for him, causes her to forget about Thunderlane "Ooh! A sale is going on at Flow's?! Buy one get two free any record and/or CD?!"
That day, no one knew what really caused them to be flung into the wall closest to them. One minute their sitting or standing, talking to someone, the next their face first in the wall, getting to know the studs and insulation. Also, Flow's suffered a shortage of just about all their merchandise. They did, however, make a substantial amount of bits in a scant four hours, a record in all of Equestrian history.
*Back to us*
We all cringed the moment Twilight's hoof connected with her face. I mean really, how hard did she hit?! I think she caused herself a concussion...
Luna walks in at that point "What was that noise?"
I turn to her and remember what she said over the link, causing a small blush to form "Well...Twilight face-hoofed...hard."
Her eyes become full of concern "Is she alright? I was asleep when I heard it. I must say, I think I felt it too..."
I nod and gesture to Twilight "We all did, were just waiting to see if she's fine or not."
At this point, Twi groans.
Celestia cocks her head to the side "Why did you hit yourself, my most faithful student? Are there some depression problems that I need to be aware of?"
Celestia...you would make a great actress.
Meh, comes with the crown.
{I heard that 'Tia!}
Gah! I thought this was a secure line! Abort, ABORT!
{What the...?}
*Your call has been disconnected. Please hang up the phone and try again later. Thank you.*
[...sigh.]
{Indeed...}
Celestia clears her throat "Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, the threat. Now, as you all know, if you remember where you found BoltFire here, the Changelings are back."
Gasps here! Get yer Gasps here! Free of charge! What? ALL of you have Gasps to give?! Well then.
Celestia sends me an unamused glare before continuing "And as such, we believe they have obtained a new queen, seeing as how Chrysalis was blasted farther than all of them combined."
Twilight groans again "Ugh, I need a bucking aspirin..."
{Don't we all...}
Oh shush, Luna.
Luna hands (Again, hoofs) Twilight some pills and a glass of water, which she graciously accepted "So *Swallows pills and water* where were they last seen?"
Celestia taps her chin "Well, from all the reports we've been getting, the last Changeling was sighted at Sweet Apple Acres. The last living Changeling sighted was a week ago in the Everfree forest."
...Ba-dum
...Why can I hear my heart beating? Well, the room dropped a couple degrees into frozen nipple territory and became quieter than a mute singing 'Cats in the Cradle' by Harry Chapin...who the hell is that anyway? And what's up with that analogy?
I look at all the stunned faces of my friends, wishing I was smaller. AJ gets over her shock first "What do ya mean by last livin'? What about all the one's back at mah farm? You tellin' me all them...are..."
Celestia nods "Yes, those five at your farm are all dead."
Rarity makes a weird noise, pulls a couch out of nowhere and faints on it in an overly dramatic pose. Dash finds her voice next "B-but...what killed them...?"
Celestia raises an eyebrow "What do you mean? Surely you would have guessed by now."
Dash just stares at Celestia, trying to form some type of response. She then looks from me to Celestia and back again. She points a hoof at me and gives Celestia a questioning look. A nod is her answer.
Dash looks pretty shaken up by this, but Celestia only takes note of it before continuing "Now, you six are here for when the invasion comes, if it does. You will use your elements of harmony against the Changelings and send them back to wherever they came from."
Fluttershy speaks up...huh, you'd think she'd be shaken up over the fact that someone she knows killed something. Well she does take care of a wide variety of animals, so a carnivore could be one of them "What about Bolt? And why is Derpy here?"
"Well, I was only meaning for you seven to be here. However, Miss Hooves here was using Bolt as a pillow. Since she was in contact with him, she came along."
[Why am I used as a pillow? Well, Derpy's only done that three times. Angel doesn't count because he was trying to get me away from Fluttershy, I think...]
"And as for BoltFire, he's here to train."
[Wait, what?]
You heard me. Train. As in learn how to fight.
[Why?]
Because I said so. You start in the morning.
[Ugh, fine mom.]
Well, I'll let you get some rest then. Love you, son. See you in the morning!
[...Troll.]
{Don't let her get to you, she's always like that.}
Celestia then bids us all a goodnight, much to the confusion of the mares. This entire time, they didn't notice a couple hours had gone by.
I yawn, which causes them to turn to me "Well, I don't know about you girls, but I'm going to follow Derpy's example and get some sleep, cause apparently I'm being trained for something tomorrow..."
As if my yawn was a highly contagious illness, all the mares yawn as well. (Damn it! Even I yawned when typing this! *Classmates yawn* …Success.)
Anyway, the girls bid me a good night and went to their rooms; apparently they've been here so many times, they get their own special rooms.
I walk back to the bed to see Derpy sound asleep "...she's still asleep? I thought she would've woken up by now..."
I yawn once more before climbing into the bed with my back to the sleeping angel, thoughts racing through my head as I try to make sense of all that happened today.
[Those images...that word...the sudden flare of anger...those Changelings...why...? Why does it seem...like those are all connected...?]
I turn my head to look at Derpy's sleeping form.
[...Why was she crying on my shoulder when I got hurt...? I know I'm her friend, but shouldn't she have just been worried like the others, instead of being so sad...?]
A sudden ping of anger comes when I remember that scene.
[Also, why the hell was Thunderlane in my bed!?]
I calm down as I listen to the mare beside me breath slowly and peacefully. Confusion enters my brain again.
[And...Why do I feel so calm about sharing a bed with Derpy...? Sigh, too many questions, not enough answers...]
I lay my head back down and try to get some sleep; I apparently have a hard day tomorrow.
I had normal dreams tonight. No darkness, no grotesque images, no random colors, just...dreams. Just my mind occupying itself with random scenarios of things not very relevant to my life or events currently happening. It's only until I notice a clock counting down do things begin to get weird.
I'm running through what looks like Ponyville, yet not Ponyville. It's kinda hard to explain, but it only looked like Ponyville, it didn't feel like it. Well, normally in dreams when you realize it's a dream, you wake up. For me, it only made things weirder. Colors started to swap places, apples and pumpkins turned into pony heads, wood turned to sponge, things like that. There was even pony heads with spider legs crawling around, a pile of bones being carried off by them. (Ah, sweet references. I take no credit for them, but guess them all and win a prize!)
"Uh...ok..."
Suddenly, voices come from everywhere and nowhere at once.
"You're thinking about something, my dear, and that makes you forget to talk. I can't tell you just now what the moral of that is, but I shall remember it in a bit."
"Perhaps it hasn't one,"
"Tut, tut, child! Everything's got a moral, if only you can find it."
[Huh?]
The landscape around me changes from a distorted Ponyville to a forest with giant trees and mushrooms.
[...ooooooookkkkkkkaaaaaayyyyy...? What the hell did I eat before I went to sleep?]
A griffin suddenly appears, sitting on top of a mushroom and talking to the air "That's the reason they're called lessons, because they lessen from day to day."
I look down and see I'm standing on a path. Looking back at the griffon shows it to be nowhere in sight.
[...strange...]
I walk down the path and come across a clearing. In the middle of it is a long table with tea cups and finery. Three voices come from the table, conversing as if normal, yet no one can be seen.
"Take some more tea."
"I've had nothing yet, so I can't take more."
"You mean you can't take less, it's very easy to take more than nothing."
"Nobody asked your opinion."
[I think...I hit my head harder than I thought...]
I look down the way I came, only to see darkness.
[Guess I can only move forward...]
I continue on the path, but not before noticing the tea party thing fade away. I soon arrive to a fork in the road.
[Hmm...Which way should I take...]
"Which way you ought to go depends on where you want to get to..."
I jump in shock and take a few steps back...only to feel nothing on my left hoof. I look back and see that the darkened area isn't just a darkening effect...it's like nothing existed there.
I turn my head back and look to the source of the noise; a lone tree in-between the two paths. Seeing as this was a dream, I decided to reply "I don't know where they lead, so I don't know which I should take."
A row of teeth appear in the form of a grin, followed by two yellow eyes and a nose. Then a body phased in standing on top of a head. The thing turned out to be a purple cat.
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go."
"But I want to wake up."
"Oh, you're sure to do that...if you only walk long enough."
The cat then fades away into nothing, as if it wasn't even there to begin with.
[I think...I'm going crazy...]
"If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there..."
[...yup, definitely going crazy.]
The scene around me changes to the inside of what looks like a castle.
[...This looks familiar...]
"Well, it should. You are sleeping here at the moment."
I jump at least ten feet into the air. Laughter below catches my attention. I look down and see a familiar face.
"...Luna?"
'Luna' gets over her laughing fit and nods while looking up at me "Yes, it's me. Now come down, I want to talk to you."
[Should I? Things might turn weird, seeing as this is a dream.]
Luna sighs "Yes this is a dream but no, things won't get weird...well, at least not as weird as it already has."
I stare at her from my floating position "You mean you know about all that random stuff earlier?"
She rolls her eyes "Yes, I do. I am the princess of the night; therefore, all that happens during the night is under my jurisdiction. Which includes dreams and...social gatherings." She says that last part with a slight blush.
I tilt my head but don't voice my question. Instead, I shrug and land next to her "So, what did you want to talk about?"
Her blush goes away as she focuses on me "Well, we didn't get to talk today and I couldn't sleep. So, I decided to hop into your dream and find you so we could chat. I must say, I thought I accidently jumped into Pinkie's dream for a moment there."
I nod, then look around. The castle walls slowly morphing into a room with a couch and a couple easy-chairs; a table and two chairs set in front of a window off to the right showing a beautiful full moon. On the table is a lit candle and plates set at both spots.
I tilt my head "Strange..." I then head over to a chair and sit down.
Luna takes a little longer "Y-yeah..." She lays down on the couch and looks at me expectantly.
At first I don't know what she wants, but then I realize she probably wants me to start the conversation "So...anything interesting happen at the castle recently?" [Wow, weak start up...]
Luna giggles a little "Yes that is a weak first sentence, but besides you dropping by with the mane six, no nothing interesting has happened."
My eyes widen a little but then I realize that we're in my dream, which is basically in my head. So thinking something up is basically like saying it 'out loud' "Ah, sounds boring."
She sighs "Yes, it can get that way most of the time. However, it's not as boring when you have something to look forward to, although it makes it seem to take longer to get to that point and only a short amount of time to enjoy it."
I nod in agreement "Yeah, things tend to be that way. It seems too unfair that the things we enjoy seem to be shorter than those that we are bored by."
She nods "I agree, although it does give me something to look forward to in the future when we can't finish our talks..." She then realizes what she said, but too late.
I look at her and raise an eyebrow "So...you enjoy our talks that much?"
She shifts her eyes left and right, probably trying to find an escape route or a topic to switch to. She gives up with a sigh "...yes?"
I couldn't help but crack a grin "Good, cause I do too! It's been far too long from our last, wouldn't you agree?"
She seems surprised by what I said, her surprise turning into mock anger. Although that smirk didn't really help sell it. She painfully nudges me shoulder "Jerk."
I laugh while rubbing my shoulder, her laughter joining mine a second later.
We laugh for a good minute before calming down. By then, I realize a question that's been plaguing me since we got here "So, why is there a candle lit dinner next to a beautiful view of the full moon?"
She blushes almost immediately and turns slightly away "Umm...you tell me. This is your dream after all..."
I shake my head "But being the princess of the night would allow you to change dreams however you wish, wouldn't it?"
She flinches, gotcha!
I continue, not letting my momentum falter "Besides, I'd have to envision wherever I wanted for a dream when I'm aware of the dream. However, I didn't change the castle scene; heck, I don't even know where this place is to begin with."
She looks me in the eyes, as if to say 'are you sure of that theory?'. My gaze doesn't waver, causing her to sigh in defeat "Yes...I made this setting. Although I didn't mean for the dinner. I just wanted a comfortable setting for us. To talk, not date or anything."
An eyebrow of mine arches as if on its own "I never said anything about a date."
Her cheeks redden "Er...well...you know what I mean!"
I chuckle a little "Yeah, I know." a small smile forms on my face "I really appreciate it, though. A castle corridor isn't the most relaxing of places to talk."
A light blush forms across her muzzle "I-it was nothing."
We drop into an awkward silence, neither of us having anything to talk about. Well, at least until Luna pipes up with a random question "So...has any mare caught your eye?"
If I was drinking anything, I would probably look like a fountain right now. A blush immediately making itself known "Um...what?"
Luna blushes as well "You...don't have to say if you don't want...I'm just curious."
My blush dies down a bit, but doesn't go away completely "Well...I haven't really thought about it...There are some mares that I consider more than friends...well, really good friends...but no one that I'm smitten with."
Her ears droop a bit "Oh...do you mind...if I ask who those mares are...?"
My blush becomes a little brighter "Um...sure...Um...well, there's Twilight. But I see her as an older sister more than anything. There's Derpy, I don't know what I feel with her right now...Fluttershy, although I haven't had much time to hang out with her...Rainbow Dash seems more like a friendly rival sometimes...and then there's you..."
She blinks a couple times "M-me...?"
I nod "Yeah, I see you as one of my closest friends. If something were to happen to you, or any of my friends for that matter, I don't know how I'd ever live on."
She's silent for a minute, absorbing all the information that I released. After that minute, she starts to say something, only for a pulsing to cut her off.
I look around "The hell was that?"
She sighs, looking slightly saddened "That's just something that says you will be waking up soon. It's there to tell me when I should exit a dream; least I suffer some pretty horrible repercussions."
I frown a little "Oh, well I don't want to be the cause of that for you. It's been nice talking to you, Luna. See you soon."
She nods and pulls me in a tight hug, which I returned after the shock went away "It was nice talking to you too. Same thing tomorrow or would you want to talk in person?"
"As cool as it is to talk to a friend in your own dreams, I would much rather talk face to face."
She nods, then closes her eyes and glows a dark blue. She then disappears in a flash and dark blue particles are all that remain in her place. I then feel a tugging of my subconscious, guessing that I was waking up.
I wake up slower than I normally do; the sun shining through the window coxing me to wake faster. I blink a couple times and listen to the birds chirping outside. I yawn and begin to stretch, only to feel something holding me tight. I focus my eyes forward and see the cause of the resistance. Derpy has her forelegs around me, as usual; however, we are facing each other with her pressing me to her chest and our noses barely touching.
From our proximity, I can see the minute muscle movements in her face. The slight flutter of her eyelids, the twitching of her lips forming a smile, the slow intake of breath. Her mane slightly covering her eyes only adds to the beauty of the scene.
My face heats up quickly as I try to find a way out of this. One part of me says to get out as fast as I can, while another says to just let this draw out. Seeing as I don't like being an ass to friends or...ruin cute moments...I decide to enjoy the warmth.
[You know...I never noticed before, but she looks really cute when she sleeps. Well, I did say she looked like an angel once...but...] I slowly close my eyes as I listen to her slow, steady breath; some of which lightly brushing against my cheek [The way she's holding onto me...heh, it's like I'm her stuffed animal or something...plus...she's so warm...I want this to last, although I know I have to get up for the day Celestia has planned for me.]
I slowly open my eyes...at the same time she does. Our eyes lock and our faces light up as we stare at each other, neither of us finding our voices. Both her eyes are focused on mine, fear dancing around in her beautiful golden eyes.
After what seems like hours, she starts to move her hooves off of me. I move my hooves to her, which causes her to flinch. I quickly wrap them around her, close my eyes, and hold her tight; causing her to squirm a bit but then settling down. As I hold her, I can feel her heart beating. For a second, it felt like it skipped a beat before pumping fast. Now, it's dropped a bit back towards normal, but still faster than normal.
I slowly open my eyes to see she's still staring at me, her blush as strong as ever. Without warning, she closes the small distance between us and presses her lips firmly against mine.
My face burns with the force of a thousand suns...ok, my face only got really red. Anyway, I can't believe what's happening; Derpy is kissing me! Well, she did kiss me at the welcome party, but I just thought that was to say thanks for the kind words. I don't know why, but as she's kissing me I feel...a part of me start to fill up. Like I was empty before and she's restoring a portion of me.
I close my eyes and press into the kiss, relishing the feeling of her lips against mine. She emits a cute squeak of surprise when I press into her soft lips. I soon feel a new sensation on my lips; it seems her tongue is requesting entry.
I oblige and open my mouth, not breaking the kiss as our tongues go to greet one another. With her tongue comes the taste of blueberry muffins, followed by a slow moan. Our tongues begin their dance for dominance as soon as they touch for the first time.
*BANG*
The door suddenly flies open and we jerk apart from each other, still in each other's embrace but looking at the door that almost flew off its hinges. Standing in the doorway is a white unicorn stallion with three different shades of blue for his mane; his cutie mark is a shield with a purple star in the middle with three stars above it. He also appears to have just kicked in the door.
"Alright, maggot! Time to wake...up." He turns around and sees the situation I'm in. "...I ruined a tender moment...huh?"
Derpy and I just nod.
He sighs and rubs his forehead "You have ten minutes." He then closes the door, leaving both of us with bright red blushes.
Derpy speaks up "I...uh...think we should get ready for the day."
I nod and head towards the bathroom, turning on the shower and jumping in.
[Looks like today's training is starting earlier than expected...and...that kiss from Derpy felt good. I wonder if maybe...after training...] I blink at what I just thought [I think...I love Derpy...]
A/N: So how did y'all like it?
BoltFire: What. The. Fuck.
Me: It had to be done.
BoltFire: But...that beginning...
Me: Like I said, it had to be done. Although it's going to haunt me from just thinking about those images, let alone writing them down.
Luna: Nick, have you been taking your medication?
Me: Why would I? I prefer real happiness over happiness obtained through use of drugs and narcotics. Those never really last. And besides, if I did take my pills, then we wouldn't have all these lovely images. I also wouldn't be having a chaotically creative overflow right now.
Celestia: ...Discord? Is that you?
Me: Uh, no. He comes later. Besides, I'm not as bad as Dissy. I'm much worse.
BoltFire: ...welp, we're fucked. Royally, I might add.
Pinkie: Nick...
BoltFire: Quick question though, why was Pinkie's death in the dream like that? It just seems too...random.
Me: She's a random pony, she gets a random death. And I'm tired of this story being borderline G-rated. It's about damn time I make things go-
*SMACK!*
Derpy: Stop! Just stop!
*Silence spread throughout*
Derpy: What is wrong with you?! We are concerned about you, and you treat us like this?! Sure some of us are only concerned because you write for this universe, but others are genuinely concerned about you, not just what you can do!
Me: What, can't a guy like me have a fucking life?!
Derpy: Yes but you don't have to be such a fucking dick about it!
BoltFire: Hey, be nice to her!
Derpy/Me: Stay out of this, Bolt!
Pinkie: Well that wasn't very nice!
Derpy/Me: You too, Pinkie! We can have a party later!
Pinkie: Yay, Pinkie is pleased!
Derpy: ...did she just reference...?
Me: Sigh...yes...yes she did. Speaking of that, I listened to a rock remix of 'Tubby Wubby Pony Waifu' and your perfect math class, Derpy...Now I want to bring in those three pegasi that keep harassing you, Dash, and Flutters and make their lives a living hell...Welp, there's always next chapter.
Luna: Huh...why did you use the point system for Fallout?
Me: Because I am Author, therefore I am God...at least I am here.
Angel: *Annoying douche-bag rabbit chatter roughly translated to "You took that from Angel Beats!"*
*Bolt, Dark, Shadow, and I punt him back into the story*
Me: Holy Shit! Where the hell did you guys go!
Shadow: Well, I've been waiting for-fucking-ever for you to continue writing my story...
Dark-Wings: And I've been stuck in a self-induced coma for the past few weeks.
Me: Good for you. Now Readers, have a good weekend!
Last minute disclaimers: I do not own any of the following: My Little Pony Friendship is magic, Alice in Wonder Land, any of the 'Rainbow Dash presents' series, or Derpy's perfect math class. Those belong to their respective owners. I do own BoltFire and any OC that isn't any of the following:
Double Pump - A friend's OC