Find Her, Stay With Her

After his vision of rapid flashbacks faded to red, and the Shepard Tone dissipated to silence... Kyle found himself in a lounge-style area, but it was filled with holes in the wall and floor that yielded to some sort of fiery abyss. There were also several people in the room with him. All of them looked very angry, and were slowly making their way towards him. They were just regular men and women... but just like people in the real world, they seemed very menacing to an introvert like Kyle.

He realized that he had a pump-action, pistol-grip shotgun in his hands... and he was absolutely certain that he would make good use of it... his emotional turmoil was overbearing. He had shortly reunited with his mother... but has now lost her. And now, Lyra, whom had left him, was now gone for good.

“...I DON'T EVEN FUCKING CARE ANYMORE!” Kyle shouted, tears streaming down his face as he pumped the shotgun.

He opened fire on the people, causing large bursts of blood, organs, and brain matter. Regardless, they seemed unfazed by being shot at. Eventually, he mowed them all down... and the door to the building he was in opened, which revealed that the area he was in consisted of floating buildings with crude bridges composed of objects like cars, furniture, other, smaller buildings, wooden boards, et cetera. The space in the area was a massive vortex of flame.

Kyle made a break out the door, and started running to the next area. Right now... he wanted nothing less than to destroy everything.

“Everything I've ever loved... IT'S GONE!” he shouted. “Dad... Mom... L-Lyra...”

At that moment... a very mangled-looking, chupacabra-like version of himself came running at Kyle, which he immediately shot down as it lunged through the air towards him.

“...I understand now... I am my own worst enemy!” Kyle said.

He made it into the next hovering building, where there were cops who opened fire at the mere sight of him. He continued to put more people down with the shotgun, pumping it with each shot. Surprisingly, it was not running dry. There were even some animals, such as wolves, bears, and cougars that were rushing to attack him, so of course, he blew them away as well.

“Everything is gonna DIE!” Kyle proclaimed. “DO YOU HEAR ME!? THIS is what you people do to me!”

After clearing out some more hostile beings, Kyle happened to spot a revolver on the wall, as well as additional speedloaders of magnum ammunition. He took it without hesitation, since the shotgun had now run out of shells.

“Okay, so I admit it! I'm a brony! Ya hear me!? Ya happy I'm finally comin' out with the truth here!? I said it once, and I'll say it again... I AM A BRONY!” Kyle shouted.

He spotted more twisted clones of himself rushing at him, and opened fire on them with the revolver.

“If anyone has a problem with that...” Kyle said, finishing off his foes. “...then FUCK YOU!”

He made it to the next floating building, trying to get through the S.W.A.T. that had arrived at the scene, and he picked up an assault rifle from one of them. It was miraculous that he was not getting hit by a single bullet. He made it to an elevator, and made it ascend to the area he was going to next. As he was going up, he let himself down with his back to the wall. Sitting on the elevator floor, panting, he was squeezing the rifle out of his intense emotions so hard, his hands were hurting... but he was not focused on the pain...

“...I wanna go home...” Kyle said. “...I just want everything to be good again! I want things to go back to the way they were! Before all this shit went down! No more killing... no more suffering... no more death... no more prejudice...”

The elevator finally arrived, opening out onto yet another comically-crude bridge, and Kyle happened to spot something at the very bright end of the spiraling inferno.

“LYRA!” Kyle called out, recognizing the mare floating at the end of the hellish vortex. “I'm coming! Just hang on!”

In the distance, he could make out his pony companion. It looked like she was laying on some sort of white mat, and he could see that her eyes were closed. She was rolling a bit, so he assumed that she was sleeping, not dead.

Kyle began to rush across the random objects, having to jump at some parts in good faith. He was going all out to get back to her...

He happened to hear some buzzing coming from behind him, and he looked back to see some floating spheres with saw blades on them, coming right for him... and they had the Kroger logo on them.

Kyle took aim with the rifle, and shot them down before they could slice him up like a wooden board.

“DIE, CORPORATE DEATH MACHINES!” Kyle shouted over automatic gunfire. “I DEFY YOU!”

After finishing off the first wave, he continued across the objects... which got fewer the closer to Lyra he made it... but it was still possible to get to her, he could see. It was just going to be a matter of skill and precision.

“I'm almost there, Lyra! I'm coming for you!” He called out.

He continued to be bothered by the floating saw-spheres, and had to stop just to shoot them down. The rifle ran dry... all he had left was the police handgun in the back of his pants... and only a few bullets left. He rushed it long and hard, not even taking time for caution. After he finished the last wave of flying enemies... he discarded his empty weapons and jumped for his pony lover.

“I'm here, Lyra! I've got you!” he said.

It seemed like his jump was in slow motion, and as he approached her... everything faded to white, and fell dead silent...

Kyle opened his eyes to see that he was standing in the middle of a very peaceful-looking void. There were patterns of green and purple light dancing across the sky. The floor on which he stood was sleek and flat, stretching out farther than the eye could see.

For whatever reason, he felt fully rejuvenated immediately, as if nothing happened. He did not even feel upset anymore. But... he was still confused.

“Now what?” he asked aloud.

“...Now is the time for you to evaluate what has happened.” came a very pleasant female voice.

Kyle could swear he heard the voice before...

“Who was that?” he asked, looking around. “Show yourself!”

At that moment, a bright shape began to materialize right in front of him, and the light faded to reveal a dark-blue equine with an outstretch Pegasus wingspan, a long horn, and a majestic, flowing mane and tail. Kyle stared, completely awestruck.

“Princess Luna!” he said, kneeling and bowing his head.

The Princess of the Night smiled at him.

“So, we meet at last, Kyle Schaeffer...” Luna asked.

“How do you know my name...?” Kyle asked.

“My sister has told me much about you.” Luna said.

Kyle suddenly remembered Twilight not having her wings when they retrieved Lyra, which meant they were at a point in time before the MLP: FiM series began when it happened... but it was only a few months ago!

“Wait, Princess...” Kyle began. “...I thought you were still banished to the moon, and... and you were Nightmare Moon, and...”

“Yes, I am aware that the current time must confuse you...” Luna said. “...but I, the ruler of the dream world, am not bound my the mere flow of spacetime.”

“So... this is all a dream?” Kyle asked.

To his relief, the Alicorn nodded.

“And... you can travel through time?” Kyle asked.

Luna nodded. “Yes, and no. I can only go through different time periods in my astral state. I can see the dreams of beings from all time periods, and with enough power... even across dimensions as well. If I am abruptly awoken, I instantly return to my physical body in the present, as ones astral body is always tethered to their physical body by a sort of umbilical cord consistent of life energy, which breaks upon death.” she said.

“Uh-huh...” Kyle acknowledged.

“Now for the real matter...” Luna said. “...that was indeed one of the most intense nightmares I have witnessed. I don't suppose there is anything you are particularly afraid of?”

Kyle sighed. “Well... I've always been worried about what everyone would think of me if they found out that I like ponies.”

Luna pursed her lips. “I have heard about such a thing from my sister and her protege Twilight Sparkle... in your world, it's taboo for any but little human girls to be interest in ponies, correct?”

“Yes.” Kyle answered. “And... I especially worry about how my mother would feel. I think she would worry that I have problems.”

“Tell me...” Luna said. “...if you had a child of your own, and so long as it did not interfere with their relations with you, or their life in general, would you care if they did anything that seemed unusual?”

Kyle pondered for a moment. “Well, everyone has their own personal needs, so... probably not.” he said.

Luna smiled and bowed her head. “So, as long as you carry on with your life like normal, and your mother were to find out, do you believe it would matter?”

“No,” Kyle said. “she wouldn't make a big deal out of it. That's definitely not the kind of person my Mom is.”

“So, now that you know how to face your fear... are you certain that you will be prepared to do so in the event she were to discover your interests?” Luna asked.

Kyle nodded. He would never consciously tell her... but if something concerning it ever came up, and there was no way around it, he would come clean.

“Very good.” Luna said, turning around. “And now I must leave you, Kyle Schaeffer, for you shall imminently awaken.”

Kyle smiled and waved. “Thanks a lot, Princess!” he said.

Luna waved back. “Fare thee well, human!” she said, just before walking away and disappearing.

Kyle woke up, seeing that it was already daylight outside.

“Ah, jeez... what a dream...” he said, sitting up.

He went downstairs to start the day, and found that his mother was already preparing breakfast.

“Good morning, Kyle!” she said upon seeing him.

“Morning, Mom.” Kyle responded.

He was genuinely thankful to see her alive and well... of course, she might find it silly to tell her about the intense dream he had, so he decided to keep it a little secret.

“Thanks for breakfast!” Kyle said, grabbing some steak and eggs she had prepared, and added a bit of parsley as a garnish.

They both sat at the table as they ate. Kyle was glancing up repeatedly at his mother; he just could not get his dream off his mind. Soon enough, Jan noticed.

“Something wrong, honey?” she asked.

“Mom, listen...” Kyle began. “...I haven't been coming off to you as... strange, right?”

“No.” Jan said. “Why?”

Kyle stared at his plate for a moment.

“Just wanted to make sure that you were comfortable living here... until, well... you know...” he said.

“I know it's hard, Kyle...” Jan said. “...but I really feel like I need a new start. I think a new place will mean a better life for me. You've found your place, and I need to find mine.”

They continued eating... up until Kyle had yet another question.

“And, Mom...” Kyle began. “...was I... ever adopted from someone else?”

Jan looked confused. “No! You're my biological son, and your father's as well! What ever gave you the idea that you were adopted?” she asked.

Kyle passed it off with a shrug.

“...Just curious.” he said.

And with that, Kyle officially decided to stop asking suspicious questions, and the two more or less discussed what they would be doing today. Jan was going to go shopping for a dress she would be wearing to a formal wine tasting group. Kyle was going to catch a movie, and go out for some Italian food.

The two left the mansion (Kyle arming the security system before they went out; he gave his mother the code, just in case she arrived back before he did), and while Kyle was driving, he could not help but feel a major sense of relief.

Phew... I may have dodged some bullets back there... he thought. ...both in conversation, and my dream...