Prologue: Dirt Dreams
“Why’d you do this to us? How could you do this to me? I-I thought that you’re different… but I can now see you’re truly just a monster.”
“Heh ‘member dis… neber ‘orget. ‘kay!?”
“Time is not convoluted. It is not some unnatural linear progressive mish-mash. It only appears to be that way from an inside observational view. This was going to happen, no matter what you did, ever since way back then. When you slept in that dirt.”
~~~ ~~~ ~~~
I shifted once again in the dirt, trying to get comfortable. It wasn’t the softest, or cleanest, place to sleep, but it would have to do. I suppose that I shouldn’t mind the dirt, a rain storm is scheduled to happen in one day.
If I just stand out, from under a tree, I can clean myself, too. Sure. It would be cold, it isn’t like I have many other alternatives; since I am what many know as homeless, useless, and expendable.
Knowing I couldn’t sleep any longer, I poked my head up. My eyelids still felt heavy, which would make sense as I was only asleep for an hour and a half. I had a strange dream, almost haunting, during the time I slept. I just hoped that it was just that, a dream. It went something like this.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~
“I am late. I am late!”
I rushed past a water fountain, with an Alicorn spilling water out of its mouth, past several royal guards. I checked my pocket watch one more time, my quick paced trot, changed into a full gallop.
“I am far too late.”
I kept up the gallop, going up stairs past another garden. Ahead of me was a large building, which I was told my client would be in, though, nopony told me who the client was. And I was strapped with a full confidentiality agreement, making me unable to tell once I found out.
I reached the giant stone staircase. A voice, alert and full of suspicion, boomed from above. “Halt! Who goes there?” I could see the faint figures of shapely spears pointed down toward me from above.
“Oh Right!” I mumbled quietly, before yelling back. ”Yes… um, I was called here to see a patient.”
I could see the spears withdraw, the authoritative voice boomed again. “Come up!”
“Right,” I mumble.
I rushed up the stairs, taking three steps at a time. “The largest building in Canterlot had to have the most steps,” I mumble. I was chauffeured past the large double doors, through the large hall, which by what I understood was used for the Grand Galloping Gala. Up some more stairs, down a long hall, and up several more sets of stairs and hallways.
Finally I arrived at a grand beautiful door. I took a moment to catch my breath. I knocked on the door. Once, twice, thrice. Nothing. My attention pulled from the door by a rhythmic stepping.
A violet mane, with a lighter violet and rose streak, enters my vision. Soon a purple body, rushes past me. Wings… horn? “Princess Sparkle?” I accidentally call out. She pushes the door open using her magic.
She stopped at the doorway, taking in the sight. Princess Celestia laid, I assume, unconscious on her bed. Princess Luna, and a mare and stallion, who I didn’t know, stand by her. Sparkle glanced at me curiosity stretching over a much more powerful feeling.
The large stallion, looked away from the smaller mare at his side. “Twi, she isn’t doing so good. Did you see the doctor on your way up?” Then noticing my idle presence behind the princess. “Who is that?”
All except Celestia, turned toward me. I squirmed in my hide. “Um… did somepony order a doctor?” I asked nervously, and dully.
Princess Luna rose to action first. “Alas, we have called upon a doctor. Is that you?” I nodded once in reply.
I walk through as much of the doors opening as I could. “Um… Princess Sparkle, could you please move a little?” She blinked at me, confused.
Realization etched across her face. “No, well. Yes, I can move.” She flushed, making her way further into the room. “But it is Twilight, not Sparkle.”
I furrowed an eyebrow. “Oh… sorry.” I made my way to the patient, Celestia. “Could you all clear out... I would like to have full room to work.” I took off and set down a saddlebag, which I was apparently carrying.
I didn’t look away from Celestia, as I dug through my bag. I found what I was looking for, finding the room to now be simply the Princess and I, or whoever is me in this dream. The the door clicked, fully closed.
I turned out to be a Unicorn, since I used my horn’s, freaky, magic to lock the door. Turning to Celestia I got to work. I must have spent an hour working nonstop on her. It was also around this time that something… fucked up, happened.
I, or the doctor, grinned eagerly at Celestia. “You seem to be pained, Princess.” The way I pronounced, Princess: could only be described as malicious. “You know,” I continued sardonically. “I could take all your pain away.”
Celestia did not move. Her chest just rose, and fell. Rose, and fell. Over, and over, and over again. A needle, no syringe, was floated out of my saddlebag. It moved closer and closer to Celestia. The only thing saving her, from a possible murder, was a knock on the door and Princess Twilight calling.
“How is she?” The syringe fancied its way back into the bag. I sighed, disappointed. Trotted over to the door, with a hoof I unlocked it.
Opening the door slowly. I found that on the other side the ponies I saw earlier were there, but now there was also a small creature. It looked like a wingless, miniature, dragon, though, this one was walking funny, and had some type of frosting and sprinkles covering the corners of his mouth. I ushered everyone inside.
“She is stable,” I then rubbed my chin, and added. “Or as stable as she can be… for now.”
The dragon creature didn’t seem impressed. “Aw, fooey. I bet you jus’... just samin’ that.” He, or she, was rocking back and forth, as if trying to stay upright.
Princess Twilight, not Sparkle, glared at him, unapproving. “Spike,” she hissed. “How many donuts did you have?” He stretched out his claws, seemingly counting on them. After getting through all of his claws he closed them, then held up seven claws. “What!?”
“Spike, I said you could have three. Do you know what that will do to you? The stomach-ache that you will have?” She seemed to be his mother, or maybe his big sister? This is bizarre. “How did you even get seven? I told Pony Joe to max you at three.”
“I gave him the Stare.” He imitated a, poor, glare; failing to see the strain and tension in the room. “And with ‘hat he hav’ ‘hem t’ meh--”
Poor little dragon(kid?). Didn't even finish his sentence before passing out. Princess Twilight, no. Twilight rolled her eyes, then levitated him onto her back.
Everypony’s attention then shifted to the, mostly sleeping, Princess. “My sister has refused to sleep. How is it you got her to?” Luna spoke, with worry.
I shook my head. “She is sedated. She could wake up at any time.” I started to ruffle through the bag. “It will probably be safe if I administer another dose.” In my, freaky, magic a familiar syringe lifted from the bag.
“You sedated her?!” It was strange to me that Twilight was surprised. It seemed the doctor wasn’t.
He… I nodded. “Yes, she would be in critical failure if not resting. She is in a complete magical burnout.” I sighed, with a mix of annoyance hidden deep within. “Honestly. I am surprised she has survived a week in this condition.” Several confused eyes stared back at me. “What?”
“Was I not supposed to know this started a week ago? It isn’t very hard to figure out. Vitals reveal a lot.” A small smile crossed my face. “Even if you have a different physiology, it won’t make much difference to a true professional.”
The needle sunk slowly through Celestia’s hide. The fluid drained, or flowed, into her, just as, slowly. I then dropped the empty syringe back into the bag, floating the bag back onto my body. Coughed. “Well, I’ve done all I could. I should be going.” A nod from the quiet mare at the side of the large stallion was all I received.
I started making my way to the door, but stopped when a voice called out behind me. “Don’t fo--” The stallion didn’t get to finish, as I seemed to have already known what he was going to say.
“I won’t be telling anypony what I saw.” I continued to the door. “Relax a little… it helps. Celestia will.”
I looked to my far left, then the ceiling, though my head barely moved. And I winked! I winked? A soft smile etched onto my face, I looked back to the door, making my way through it within seconds. I closed the doors behind me. The soft smile changed into a gleeful grin.
It felt different, like the voice earlier it felt malicious. I looked to the sides of the door stopping on a potted plant. The grin faded returning to the stoney, stoic, indifferent, expressionless look. The bag floated off of me, it was dropped behind the plant. Out of sight, but it would be easy to see it by moving a few inches toward it.
I then took down the stairs. Down the multiple halls and other stairs. I reached the atrium, but instead of heading to the front door to leave. I went across to another hall, and… unzipped my neck down to my stomach and even further down?! I was a mare now?!
I flopped down the fake body onto the floor. I seemed to be wearing a cloak. After putting the hood on, I gently walked to the front door, and waited. After several minutes the door opened to reveal several guards, looking alert, and somepony wearing a doctors coat.
One of the guards looked right at me, but for whatever reason he didn’t see me. As they, hastily, made their way in; I slowly made my way out. I slipped past the guards to, again, take the stairs to the grass. I continued my way through the grass until I made it to some railing overlooking a lower level. I swiftly grappled over, soaring the fifteen or so feet to the level below.
With a quiet thud I landed on the lower level’s grass. “That was easier than I thought.” She… I made my way through the grass to the walkway, still under the hood. “And here I thought they would have noticed the quick answer of a doctor.” From the walkway I found some stairs. “Or they were too desperate?”
~~~ ~~~ ~~~
That was how the dream ended. I really hope that it was a dream. Well, if it wasn’t a dream, then I know it couldn’t have been me. Since I am a stallion. And that was a mare. I mean, it couldn’t have been me.
From my comfy dirt bed I look up toward where the heavenly body should be located at this time. I see only the shadow, but when I blink I see only red. I must be far more tired than I thought, since seeing things counts as being tired. Right?
I lay down once more, curling up to decrease my thermal radiation burn-off. That is one of the problems of sleeping outside. The problem is just about as bad as outside pudding coagulation on a hot summer day. Heedless to say, it is cold. Very cold.
Most nights I am lucky. This night I wasn’t. Occasionally I get to sleep with the different fauna that litter the forest, though I never go in. The Nev-tor… er what was the forest's name? I rub my chin with a hoof deep in wonder. “Nev… Ev… Ever… free?” I raise my hoof triumphantly. “Everfree Forest.”
I suppose I could always go for a walk… it isn’t like I will see anything... uncouth? yes, sure. I rose slowly and carefully, if it wasn’t my body, then I would even say the action was meticulous. But, since it is my body. I dare not say it, or rather think it… more than I already have.
“Which way should I go?” I look to my left, then swing my head over to the right. My focus, reluctantly, shifts to my front, or what is in front of me. “No. I can’t go that way; they always treat me poorly… well most of them, but it isn’t worth it.” I could hear a pony in my head, my one and only companion.
The little pony in my head argued. “Just because you get treated poorly by some does not mean you can avoid the place like the plague.” I shook my head in refusal. “You need to go there, that is where all the edible food is, besides it is not that bad.”
I closed my eyes tightly. “It is. You don’t know, since you’ve never been treated like that.” I opened my eyes in a flash, pointed a hoof up. “How could you possibly know what I’ve gone through?” I shook my head lowering my hoof. “No, you’re my instability, my insanity… my… my pain.”
“I am not, and you know better.” It countered softly, easily. “Now. How about you get your flank to town? Er, the village? No, I guess it is a town.” Then the pony went silent to, what I assume, ponder. After several long moments of silence it concluded. “Strange place that Ponyville.”
I twitched my right eye in annoyance. “Why should I go there? I don’t have any money. I don’t know anypony, and I could just stay here and sleep.” I look around; as if trying to find the little pony in my head. “You don’t know what it is like to be treated like an outcast, to be forced a recluse; to be arrested because of suspicious activity, to find that no matter where you look no pony will help you.” I screamed at the air, tears dripping slowly down my face as memories flashed through my mind.
The pony inside my head was quite for the longest of time. When it final spoke it was soft and slow, quiet and full of sorrow. “I have seen far… far more than you could imagine. I have been treated in ways you could not even dream.” The pony stopped as if collecting its strength to continue. “I have been kicked, beaten, shot, stabbed, raped, insulted, broken, cut, and so… so much more. All while I was down… and more… so much more while I stood.”
“I have protected my friends from horrors that others buckled at, and ran.” The voice paused momentarily. “I have survived and endured. I have committed crimes that I wish I could take back. I have lived while everyone, everypony died around me.” I heard a few sniffling noises. “No. I do not know what it is like to be you, because I can remember hope. Hope that tomorrow can be a better day, you just have to work to make it that way.”
I sat down, and waited about two hours. But no matter how long I waited I didn’t hear that little pony of mine. “I’m sorry,” was all I could say right now. I waited a few minutes more. Finally tired of waiting, I stood and started walking, wordlessly, in the direction of Conyville… Ponyville.
--- --- ---
A few hours wander around town and I found that nothing has changed, though, there were boarded up windows. Other than that the few ponies I did see all seemed to be in a rush, not paying me any heed. The few that did notice me wore fake smiles attempting to be friendly. After a while I had managed to find my way into a park and found a stranger reading a book on the bench.
This pony is very strange looking he, she? it has on a hat, scarf and stripes. It wasn’t a Zebra, I recall what Zebras look like and this pony didn’t look like one. The hat looks like something a papercolt would wear. The scarf must be very long; as it was wrapped around this pony’s neck many times, I can’t tell how many times. The scarf is also a solid vivid violet. Adorning the entirety of this pony’s body lay candy red stripes, while his/her? mane is several shades of blue; Sky, Arctic and one other shade of blue.
The pony is sitting on the far right side of the bench. My legs felt all achy, so I sat on the far left side, though, with the bench not being very big there was about six and a half noses between us, just barely enough room for a child.
I must have stared at the striped black coated pegasus for an hour. It wasn’t until the pegasus yawned that… they looked up from their book. They took in their surroundings until they spotted me. It caused them to practically fly up to the clouds, though, it looked like they forced themselves to not fly up.
In a slow, calculating tone the pegasus spoke to me. “May I… help you?” The Pegasus cocked their head to the side, with a quizzing expression.
Realizing that I have been staring at this pony nonstop, I blinked a few times, then shook my head. “No. Sorry,” they raised an eyebrow.
“I will say. Having those strange dreams, not to mention the one you will have after you go to sleep later.” A kind smile etched across their muzzle, continuing in their slow, calculating tone. “Sorry for bothering you,” they apologized slowly. Once they finished apologizing they returned to their book.
“W-what? How did? How could? What do?” My mind was racing trying to come to a conclusion about what this pony told me. “How did you… know about the strange dreams?” I had been looking down at the ground, but when I returned my gaze to the striped Pegasus they were fast asleep; or one hell of an actor faking it.
I looked at their flank to find a cutie mark bearing three books. There were two in the back, while the last one was opened, blank, and up front. It wasn’t the weirdest cutie mark I have seen, but compared to my blank flank this pony’s was much better.
I sighed. Stood and trotted back in the direction of my dirt bed. Mind still racing about the Striped Pegasus. There has to be a reason why they know all of that. If I see that pony again I will ask.
--- --- ---
My eyes, heavy, droop to the ground. My legs trudged along with me. I am close to my normal area of sleep. It may be dirt, but it is the best dirt I have found… well most comfortable. As soon as I reach my bed I collapse. I felt tired, so I closed my eyes if only for a moment.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~
“Twilight…” My voice was raspy, weak and pained. I opened my eyes to find myself on a very comfortable round queen sized bed. “Twilight…” I call out weakly again. Around me four ponies and a baby dragon stood around talking with each other, except the dragon snoozing on the purple Alicorn.
“Twilight…” This time my raspy voice carried enough volume for them to hear. My vision was blurred, my breathing weak and slow.
A purple figure moved closer, a small snoozing coming from her back. “Yes?” Her voice filled with concern. Her hoof reached out, but a shake of somepony’s head told her not too. Her hoof dropped back to the ground hesitantly.
I coughed. Not the light ‘haugh’ type, but the lose a lung one. “Twilight… there is something… I must---” I broke into another spasm of coughing. “--tell you… it will decide… Equestria’s…. Fate.”
“What is it?” Twilight’s voice was shaky and filled with concern, yet it wasn’t hard to hear sadness.
I had another spasm of painful coughing. I heard another concerned voice ask. “Can’t you do anything?” Somepony sighed.
“No. I wish I could, but whatever she was administered is killing her.” This voice was unfamiliar and far more… under control, professional. “It is hard to think an Assassin could get into here.”
I coughed once again. This time it felt wet and warm. “The North… evil will awaken--” I rasped, my coughing was getting worse. “--you must... find it.” Another spasming cough session later. “Equestria… will… fall.” I found I was having trouble breathing, or rather the giant’s body I belonged to right now did.
“Alright, but hang on. You can get through this.” Twilight’s voice was filled with uncertainty.
I felt my heart stop, yet after a few seconds another soft thump told me it was still functioning. “No… I will die… soon.” I coughed once again. “Fi--” I gasped for air. “Find… the--” cough “--seal… don’t… let… it--” I unleashed a spasm of coughing, and felt my heart stop once again. I closed my heavy, pained eyes. “--... ope.”
~~~ ~~~ ~~~
I slowly stirred awake. “What. The. Buck.” How did that striped Pegasus know that I was going to dream, or that I had already dreamed? The more I think about it; the more I find wrong with that pony.
It seemed that the autumn sun finally came up; the warm glow told me that… well that, and the bright light. I didn’t have my eyes opened, but I could see the light over my lids. It was a refreshing warmth, yet it barely counter-acted the cool breeze in the air.
A rumble made me open my eyes. After looking around, and hearing it again. I found it was my stomach growling… it must be empty. Time to go look for food. Should I go for scraps, or attempt the forest?
Deciding on scraps I trotted my way to town, only after stretching my achy legs. It doesn’t take long to arrive. After all, sleeping on the edge of a forest, which rest at the edge of town; makes for some easy travel.
I liked this town, it was quiet, though, a lot of the ponies here are rude and inconsiderate. I heard that a short while before I arrived here that, this was a nice and happy place. Still is, in its own sense, but a little more… gothic, in a sense. The place has become more and more archaic as the days pass.
I fall on my face, tripping over something. When I look to see what it is; two eyes are staring back at me. They were filled with sadness and regret, but they weren’t pony eyes they were… bear eyes?
Lying curled on the ground, scared, was this small, tiny, little bear. I reached out a hoof to it. But she shrank down toward the ground away from my hoof. “It’s okay. I won’t hurt you.” She shrank further toward the ground. “Are you hungry?”
The baby bear’s head raised attentively. I smiled. “If you come with me, then we can get something to feed ourselves.” I laid down on the ground next to the bear. “How about you climb on and we can go into town?”
The bear hesitated, then, after a short while slowly climbed onto my back. I smiled at her, when she got on. I stood up as carefully as I could making sure the little one on my back didn’t fall. Once standing I continued on toward town.
“I need to call you something, it wouldn’t feel right to just call you bear.” I told my passenger. “How about Gawdlle?” I felt a shaking coming from my back, as if a disagreement was being made. “No? Alright, how about Whisper?”
I then felt something wet run up the back of my neck. I looked, as best I could, to see that a tongue had just ran along my neck. I guess Whisper likes the name. That… or she is gauging how tasty I would be. I will have to wait and see.
--- --- ---
I rummaged through a trash can, while Whisper stood watch. Inside I found trash, plain and simple. Some hay, I’ll be taking that. Now that I think about it… what do bears eat? Perhaps berries, and meat. If so, I’ll have to feed her when we get back to the forest.
I set the hay down next to me, before continuing my rummaging. Moldy piece of bread, as hungry as I am, I still have some standards. Several flowers, daisey, some sort of purple headed one and a daffodil. I lift out all of the flowers, I can’t eat the daffodil, but maybe my little friend will. I set the flowers down next to the--
Gone?! All that hay gone. That was when I heard some chewing, I turned to find Whisper downing the last of the hay. “Okay… Do you like daffodils, Whisper?” She cocked her head, obviously confused. I set the daffodil on the ground between us. “This one here.”
After smelling it she turns her head. “I guess not.” I put the lid back on the trash can, then look around for another. Across the street.
I start making my way across, turning to see if Whisper was following. She wasn’t. I called out to her. “Whisper. Whisper!”
Trotting back I could see her heading around a nearby corner. I followed her, to find something unexpected greeting me a ways away.
