To Dream as an Immortal

A dragon darts through the sky, attacking cloud after cloud. He shreds through them, or dissipates them with flame. The blasts of fire resound for miles around. He fights frantically, without concern for rest or the alleviation of his starvation. As the second day of desperate fighting nears an end, he succumbs to exhaustion and falls to the earth. A few desperate flaps slow his decent and he hits the ground with a mighty thud.

My sister and I come out from hiding behind a rock to continue our journey past the dragon. His chest rises and falls with his still living breath. I can see how emacieted he is, it must have been centuries since he has last eaten. He has long since gone mad, forsaken his own well being to endlessly combat clouds, of all things.

I cannot imagine what could have happened to him, but take note to be wary of anything that could harm me in the same way. Dragons were unassailable creatures, with unmatchable ferocity combined with a daunting intellect. Dragons, as noble, wise, ancient, and strong willed as they are, for one to go mad is unheard of. We leave him far behind us in our journey, but towards what, we can't imagine.

My earth pony sense of danger still burns within me, but I cannot tell exactly what I should be afraid of. My sister has decided that I should take the lead, since I defied her. She wants to see me afraid, to endure punishment, but I know she is fearful as well. I try to hide my fear from her, but can she see the shortness of my breath or the hesitation in my gait? Every instinct tells me to flee, but in these snowy plains, I cannot discern any source of danger. I head endlessly towards where my senses tell me there are ponies.

The desert of permafrost gives way to living earth buried under a temporary blanket of snow. My hooves crush through the snow, and memories return of walking such terrain countless times before. The ice around the inside of my nose thaws and the scent of the frozen crisp air brings back memories of foraging for food. I look towards Celestia and see she has tears running down her face. I know what memory still harms her. The warmth loosens my joints and I feel like a chick breaking free from his shell. There is shrubbery in the distance I could eat, but I would not feel comfortable eating from this world.

I halt when I see a creature moving through the falling snow. It looks like a small rabbit, but there is no telling what danger such a creature poses in this new world. Was it also waiting to transform into a demon? I don't move as it forages for food, then hops out of sight. I give the signal and we make a break of it in the direction of the ponies.

There was no way that was an ordinary rabbit. This world is too full of danger for such a gentle creature to survive.

We near the source of the concentration of ponies, and I see the source is the territory of a unicorn. I can feel the charge of magic in the air. Tall wheat braves the cold climate inside the unicorn's territory. We would approach the border, to at least see inside more closely.

I approach through the open, and the ground beneath me suddenly gives way. I scramble to not fall into the deep hole. Fortunately, Celestia's jaws clamp down on my and tail, and she holds me back. I see at the bottom sharpened sticks eagerly awaiting to impale me. The trap, with a hole that large and deep, was capable of killing creatures much larger than myself.

I lead us closer to the unicorn's verdant territory, careful of each step. In the focused light of the sun, I can make out a pony. Judging from his size, he's probably just finished adolescence, slightly smaller than a full grown pony. He turns to me and I see the face of a fully grown and weathered stallion. His growth had been stunted. What malady afflicts him? What harm do the ponies endure under a unicorn? Our eyes lock and I see his widen in terror. He flees and I do the same. I follow our hoofprints, but I don't know how we'll proceed with the ponies.

I look upon my sister, and I understand the reasons for the pony's fear. We don't look like healthy ponies either, but starved and near dead. A pony desperate for nourishment could be dangerous, or the result of an affliction of the mind. We could have even been mistaken for wraiths or creatures beyond death.

My sister blocks me from retreating further. She leads us back to the unicorn's territory. We are to act as natural ponies, while on the border between the unicorn's land and our winter world. She digs into the snow, and we eat dead grass.

It was a dance we have performed a thousand times before, the act of simply becoming familiar to the members of another herd before they welcome us. They can chase us off or learn to accept our company. How much depends on us joining this herd, and would we be safe with them?

Eventually I spot a second pony. He's cutting and collecting the wheat at the edge of the unicorn's land. When he sees us, he quickly runs off, without even taking a closer look at us.

More ponies return and gather at the the border, but my sister doesn't have us retreat. We keep a safe distance, ready to run if it comes to that. One pony begins spinning a cord with his hoof.

An object flies from the cord, and I instantly understand my foolishness. I give the signal to run, and we make a break for it. Another stone strikes me from behind, and with no fat or muscle, it hits straight to the bone. I try to run, but I can't keep pace with Celestia. Further stones are falling all around us. Celestia slows and glances back at me, and a stone hits her in the leg. She collapses. I limp forward as the other ponies gain on us.

I stand over my sister as they surround us, these ponies who act as predators. They all have sharp antlers strapped to their heads and each pony carries a spear. I pin my ears back and bare my teeth. I have nothing to lose and my sister to protect. I screech and charge at the edge of the encircling ponies. I'll take them all on. I can pretend to be predator, too.

I rear, ready to bring my hooves down on the pony's faux antlers, and the pony brings his spear into my underside. I feel it tear inside me and throw me onto the ground. I lay in pain and defeat. I have trouble breathing and the worlds begins to fade. All I can think of is my sister.

The ponies are thrown away from me by a mysterious force and I begin to levitate off the ground. I see my sister floating beside me as I lose consciousness.

I wake on soft straw, but can feel that I'm restrained. It's warm. I feel warm. I can also smell fire. I awake with a start and struggle against my restraints. I hear a mare's voice call out the draconic words "Star Swirl!".