With a gasp, I jerked awake and looked around. My bedroom greeted me, and I sank back against the wall as I got my breathing under control. I glanced aside at the clock and blew a breath out of my nose as I felt my heart sink. It had all been a dream. Again, I had my prize dangled in front of me, only to be snatched away by the cruel hand of reality. And, to make matters worse, I was an hour late for work. Why I had not heard my alarm go off, I’ll never know, but-

”Fyren, can you hear me?”

“WAAHH! FUCKME!!!” I screamed, jumping so hard I fell off the bed, blankets tangled around my feet. I jumped up, only to promptly fall once more to the ground. I finally got my feet untangled and looked around, but saw that I was alone in my room. “What the fuck?!”

”I’ll take that as a ‘yes’. Are you alright?”

“Luna?! Where. . . how. . . ?!”

”The spell snapped you back to your conscious state. I am however hopeful that it worked, as enough of your consciousness has remained here to allow me to speak with you.”

I blinked, rubbing my eyes, and shook my head. “So, wait. . . what, are we telepathically linked, now, or something?”

“In a sense, yes. As a lucid dreamer, a part of your conscious mind will remain here in the Dreamrealms at all times. What this means is that any other lucid dreamers, or Dreamwalkers like myself, can communicate with you, so long as they can form a connection. In this case, I am the one that gifted you with the ability in the first place.”

“Wow.” I muttered, feeling my heart swell once more as I realized that it hadn’t been a dream. I looked once more at my clock and a grin spread across my face. Work could go fuck itself. My Princess needed me, and I’d be damned if I let her down. With that thought making me equal parts determined and giddy, I sat down on the edge of my bed. “Okay. Okay, what do I do now?”

”Lay down, and I will teach you how to enter the Dreamrealms without falling into a natural sleep, first.”

I did as instructed, laying down on my back and making myself comfortable. ”Good. Now, close your eyes and relax. Focus on your breathing, and your breathing only. When it is all you can hear and all you can think of, then picture a place, any place. Somewhere you know well, and feel comfortable in. That will become your corner of the Dreamrealms. Once you have it in your mind, hold it there, and focus on it. Stay focused on it, and it alone, until it becomes real. . . .

I wasn’t sure when her voice started to tune out, or when I stopped hearing her altogether, but once I did become aware, I felt a moment of panic, and my fingers scrabbled around me, seeking purchase. They clenched against the earth, grass tickling my palms, and I opened my eyes, sucking in a breath as I realized that I was sitting under the tree in Ponyville Park. I looked around, realizing that I could not see past a circle about twenty feet in diameter, for beyond that lay a thick, blanket like fog. I assumed this was tied to my own power and memory. The area I could see however, was a nearly perfect reproduction of the little pond and the tree that I and RD would hang out beside on summer days. I could almost feel the sun warming my back as well.

“Well done, Fyren.”

I jumped a bit and spun, finding Luna standing on the opposite side of the clearing, next to the pond. “It’s small, but fairly detailed. This sort of construct is difficult for someone with so little experience, usually.”

“Really? Does that mean I’m a natural, or something?”

She chuckled. “Hardly, it simply means you are receiving a boon due to our connection. Although, if you want to talk about natural. . . . “ With a quirked eyebrow, she ran her eyes over me, and I looked down, realizing I was completely nude. I hastily covered mini-me with both hands, feeling him twitching a bit in response to the Princess’ gaze.

No! Bad dick! Royalty not for you!

At her laughter, I looked up and blushed all the harder. She waved a hoof at me. “Oh, Fyren, you’re fine. Truly. No pony wears clothing all the time, and it’s not considered a taboo. And if you think it’s free now days, a thousand years ago it was even more so. And, you must remember, that sometimes still feels like yesterday, to me.”

I blush harder and smile, nodding. “Well, thanks for that, Princess, but I still feel a bit uncomfortable. Uhh. . . .”

“If you wish to have clothing, then make yourself some.”

“Whut?”

She laughed again and shook her head. “Fyren, you are a lucid dreamer, and this is your Dreamscape. In here, you are fully in control of everything. Anything you can imagine, you can make real.”

I blinked, and looked down at myself. I closed my eyes for a moment, concentrating, and felt soft cloth around my waist. Opening my eyes, I found myself wearing the black kilt that Rarity had made for me, back when I first arrived in Equestria. “Whoa. That is . . . freakin’ AWESOME!”

She chuckled and nodded. “Indeed. And, I encourage you to experiment with these powers. As our quest will take us through the Dreamrealms, they could prove invaluable.”

I nodded, rubbing my chin in thought as she turned, looking into the pond.

“It has been a long time since last I faced an adversary like this, Fyren. He is powerful in his Dreaming, and I wonder if he could have gained this level of mastery on his own. If there is something more going on here, some dark power or cunning plan behind his abilities and his actions, we must find out, no matter the cost. Right now, he threatens Equestria’s best weapon of defense against the darkness, the very Elements of Harmony themselves. If he is trying to harm them, or subvert them, he may mean to do more. Perhaps even to conquer the kingdom! Even if his vision is not so grandiose, he cannot be allowed to persist in his strange, nightmarish escapades. Such an abuse of the powers of the lucid dreamer is the height of dishonour, and must be punished with all due-”

There was a giggle which interrupted her, and she turned around, blinking.

I was sitting on my back on an amazingly comfortable sofa, being fed savory butter rolls and Zingers by Aloe and Lotus, while AJ and RD were cuddling in front of me. Of course, it wasn’t really them, just my imaginary construct of them. I pointed my finger at them, grinning from ear to ear like an idiot (which I was) and uttered a command.

“Now . . . kiss!”

“Fyren.”

I glanced up, and saw Luna staring at me with a blank look on her face, while the constructs in front of me began to make out loudly, their mouths making wet slurping, popping noises. I cleared my throat and glanced around. “Um. . . Right. . . Abuse of power, and all that. . . . stuff. . . “

She sighed, and with a flicker of her horn, banished all of my constructs, leaving me lying in the dirt where the sofa had once sat. Even the flavour of the rolls had gone from my mouth. It was at that moment, thinking about how much effort it had taken me to conjure all of that, here in my own demense within the Dreamrealms, and she, an outsider to it, had simply made it all cease to exist, without a second thought or a drop of sweat, that I realized how scary Luna had the potential to be.

Celestia was a solar goddess. I had no doubt in my mind that she could cook the entire world in the sun’s flame if she so desired. Luna. . . Luna was just as powerful, but hers was a much subtler power. The power of dreams and shadows.

I rose from the ground as she stood before me, face frozen in a mien of displeasure, wings flared out in a threatening, dominating posture. I knelt before her and bowed my head. “My apologies, Your Highness. I swear to you, I will take this seriously from now on. Plenty of time for fun later.”

She stared down at me for a moment, and then nodded, once. Her wings slowly folded back, and then, surprisingly, she smirked softly, shaking her head. “They would make a cute couple, wouldn’t they?” She said, locking eyes with me, and I smiled sheepishly and hung my head.

“Now, back to work. As we are hunting one of your own kind, I will let you take the lead. However, don’t forget who is in charge, Sir Knight.”

At her words, I felt my chest swell. In a flash, I was standing beside her, no longer wearing my kilt, but instead a pair of trousers and a tunic, over which was a surcoat divided between red and blue squares, and emblazoned on the front was an open book, overlaying a pair of crossed swords and a golden annulet, a ring of fidelity. It was basically the cutie mark I had made up for my OC, a long time ago.

I gripped the hilt of a short arming sword on my left hip, over which was slung the small round disk of a buckler and, bowing my head and placing my right hand over my heart, I swore and oath. “As you wish, My Princess.” I said.

I had always wanted to be a knight.

Author's Note

Okay, so, not sure yet, but the next chapter might be a touch late in coming. It’s proving to be longer than my usual, and a bit of a pain to write, although pretty fun at the same time. We’re gonna have a return of some of the story’s typical sense of humour, along with a character who is a fan fave, and one I hope I do justice for you all. I’ll keep you updated, if it looks like the chapter will be late.

Hope you’re all enjoying it, and until next time, ponies! Harmonia Resurgent!