Chapter 19

Sleep has always been one of my favorite times of the day. You’re in the comfort of your own bed, a nice fluffy pillow under your head, and covered in warm blankets. However, since I’m now under the tutelage of Zecora the zebra for the past few days, I’ve now been reduced to sleeping on the cold muddy ground within Zecora’s hut with Zecora. It would be a massive understatement to say that this is the most uncomfortable experience I’ve had in my life. I had no pillow, no covers, and no mattress that I usually am used to having during my sleep. Zecora, somehow, didn’t seem at all bothered by it and had managed to fall right to sleep. I’m not sure how or why but after forcing my eyes shut for about ten minutes, I somehow managed to fall asleep as well.

I soon found myself floating in a familiar starry void. I looked around for anything else in particular but there was only emptiness.

“Well, at least I’m sleeping…” I said to myself. “I don’t know how Zecora does it.”

Suddenly, the atmosphere became thick, and a chill ran up and down my spine. A sort of shadow loomed over me from behind and I looked back to see three shadowy figures look down at me with piercing gazes.

“Who the hell are you?!” I asked.

“…bug,” one of the figures said in an echoey voice.

My whole frame was completely locked up at the sound of the figure’s voice. It was a voice I had hoped and prayed to forget about for so many years. My breathing became erratic, and my body started shivering all over. The figures became larger and taller as their eyes kept boring holes into my very soul.

“N-No…” I tried to say. “Y-You can’t…h-hurt me anymore! W-We escaped! You have n-no control! No control! NONE!”

“You can’t run from me, BOY!” Another voice called out.

“You a hero? What a joke!”

“GET AWAY FROM ME!” I screamed and tried firing a ki blast, but nothing came out. “S-STAY AWAY! STAY AWAY!” I tried running away but the shadows began overwhelming me.

“You are a bug!”

“How dare you try to speak! Bugs like you should know their place!”

“You are a disgrace!”

“Life is wasted in a mere bug like you!”

“You shall become fodder to the ritual!”

The fear felt soul-crushing as despair filled my soul, and I could hardly breathe. “HELP! HELP ME! SOMEBODY! MOM! MOM, HELP!”

“BEGONE!!”

In a flash of light, the images were dispersed, and a bright glow filled the room before I found myself under a starry sky in a grassy field.

I fell to my knees as I hugged my arms and was hyperventilating. My body felt like it was vibrating I was shivering so much. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I couldn’t think straight which made me dizzy.

“William?”

I heard a faint voice, followed by a gentle touch on my shoulder. I reacted by swatting the hand away and crawling away from whoever touched me.

“Get away! Get away!” I screamed. “Don’t hurt me!”

“William, it’s me! It's Luna!”

I snapped out of my fear-induced trance and looked up to see Luna staring down at me with concern.

“P-Princess Luna?” I said in quivering voice. The lunar princess looked at me like she never expected me to be wallowing in fear. “I-I’m sorry… Let me get up.” I tried to stand up, but my legs betrayed me due them still shaking a little. “Damnit…this is embarrassing.”

“Here, let me help you.” Luna helped me to stand yet still my legs were quivering and she could feel my skin was cold as ice. “What was that you just saw? I’ve never seen nightmares like those.”

I looked away from Luna with a frown. “It’s…trauma. Very deep-seated trauma. From my childhood,” I said. “Those shadows were…people I longed to forget about. It’s honestly been many years since I had a nightmare like that.”

Luna then wrapped a wing around me as I quivered like a frightened child. I felt pathetic appearing like this in front of her yet when she placed her hands on me, I felt safe and warm, and my fears seemed to fade almost instantly.

“What happened? you can tell me,” Luna said with a pleading look, begging me to let her in.

When I tried to speak, the words died in my throat when those voices echoed in my head. I tried to hold in my fear, but the hyperventilating came back, and I was breathing heavily again.

“Won’t…go back…” I mumbled to myself. “Don’t…control me…!”

“William, look at me.” Luna spoke in a warm voice as she held my face, her gaze was like that of a mother looking worried for her child and I couldn't help but sob when I embraced her, and she held me close with her wings wrapping around me.

“Shh it’s alright, you’re safe now,” Luna whispered.

“I was never safe…” I wept. “Me…and my mother. Those monsters…they weren’t human.”

“…your father?” She asked while still holding me.

“And my brother…” My voice turned from fear to anger, and it seemed to change the dreamscape as the grass began to die and storm clouds formed overhead.

“And…my uncle!” My rage grew and grew as my fear vanished and thunder began crackling in the sky. Luna was forced to back off from the wind as a massive wave of ki burst forth from my body, covering me like a white flame.

“THEY ROBBED ME OF MY INNOCENCE! THEY TORE A HOLE IN MY HEART THAT WILL NEVER BE FILLED!” I screamed as the aura around me flickered violently. “I HATE THEM! I HATE THEM I HATE THEM I HATE THEM! I HATE THEM ALL!”

Even as the storms raged around me, Luna did not cower in fear or demand that I stop. Instead, she placed her hands on my shoulder and looked at me with sadness.

“I understand your rage, William, but it does not define you, your past does not define you. You are who you chose to be,” Luna tried to say.

“How can you understand my pain?!” I yelled back.

“Because I too once hated my own sister,” Luna confessed.

“WE ARE NOT THE SAME, LUNA!” I bellowed, shoving her away. “MY OWN BROTHER KILLED SOMEONE PRECIOUS TO ME!”

“Tell me so I can help!” Luna shouted over the raging storms even as the lightning struck around her.

“NOBODY CAN HELP ME!” I screamed as the ground started to shake.

“Sister!” Luna called out as her horn glowed. “Sister! I need you!”

As the storm grew with intensity, Celestia came rushing through a portal to see Luna struggling to stand against the winds as my rage grew out of control to the point where the earth cracked beneath us and turned into a molten wasteland.

“Luna, what’s wrong?!” Celestia asked while shielding her sister.

“William’s rage! It’s taking him over! if we don’t stop him soon, he could be lost to us!” Luna warned.

“I’LL KILL THEM!” I seethed with hatred. “I’LL FIND A WAY BACK WITH THESE POWERS AND BLAST THEM ALL TO FUCKING PIECES!”

“William, please listen to me!” Celestia called out before being forced to use her magic to trap me in a bubble. “Vengeance is not the way, no matter how angry you feel. I promise that even if you take your revenge, you will feel empty!”

“THEN WHAT ELSE DO I HAVE IN THIS WORLD?!” I yelled at her. “MY LIFE IS BACK ON EARTH WITH MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS! I HAVE NO ONE AND NOTHING!”

“YOU HAVE US!!” Celestia yelled back in an equal tone that seemed to almost instantly snap me out of it. “You have your friends! We have looked after you, we were there for you when you were hurt! you are not alone…not anymore.”

I stared into Celestia’s and Luna’s eyes and the storm raged around me. Their words struck something in me that managed to calm my nerves little by little. As I slowly started to calm down, the storm around me began to subside. Celestia and Luna took the opportunity to slowly approach me as my anger and frustration turned into shame and embarrassment.

“I’m so pathetic…” I spoke in a defeated tone.

”It’s alright to be angry,” Luna said as they hugged me.

“But you don't have to keep those emotions to yourself, let us help you heal.” Celestia smiled and brought my head to rest on her chest like she was a mother.

I stayed like this for an untold amount of time as Celestia caressed my head. The storm had completely passed, and the starry sky came back above us.

“Are you okay now, William?” Luna asked.

“Yeah, I’ll be okay…” I sighed. “Can’t remember the last time I had a panic attack like that. I almost forgot what it felt like.”

I was silent for a moment before looking up at the stars. “Twenty years…”

“Hm?” Celestia looked down and saw I was clenching my fists in anger.

“I haven’t thought about those thugs in twenty long years…” I stated.

I stood up from Celestia’s hug and tried recounting my methods to calm my nerves.

“When I was five years old, something happened to my mother and I with my biological father, brother, and uncle,” I spoke softly. “It shook me to my very core, and warped my mind for several years as I grew up. It wasn’t until my mother met my stepfather and sister did I manage to be brought back from the brink.”

“If this memory brings you pain then speak no more of it,” Luna said after seeing storm clouds form overhead again. “Come to me when you feel like talking.”

“Only YOU sister?” Celestia quirked a brow at Luna.

“Oh, come now Celestia, you know what I meant,” Luna brushed it off.

“I wouldn’t want to burden either of you,” I said, shaking my head. “But it is refreshing to be able to dream about some familiar faces.”

“Dream?” Luna spoke. “We are no illusion, William, we are very real.”

I cocked my head at her remark with a perked brow. “I beg your pardon?”

“I guess you didn’t know but my sister has the power to see one’s dreams in order to help deal with their nightmares. She summoned me because well…” Celestia trailed off.

“You were more than even I could handle, dear William,” Luna confessed while demonstrating her power to me as she made the grass beneath us bloom into a field of flowers with a single touch. “In the dream realm, one is not bound to the limits of the waking world. It can be a place of great joy but also…a place of great fear.”

“You can control dreams?” I asked.

“More like I watch over them so those who sleep may slumber soundly, but yes, I do,” Luna nodded.

“That’s…pretty damn cool!” I spoke enthusiastically. “No wonder everyone always looks like they had a good night’s sleep. And why I haven’t had a nightmare since I got here.”

“Indeed, but for those whose nightmares are too strong, I help them confront their fears,” Luna explained.

“While this has been a lovely chat, I must return to my dream. I do have meetings in the morning,” Celestia hinted to her sister as another portal was summoned.

“Fare thee well sister, have fun on Cake Island,” Luna teased.

“LUNA?!” Celestia yelped.

“Oops! That was supposed to remain secret!” Luna teased.

I laughed a little as Celestia left in a huff and it was just me and Luna.

“I’m really sorry you had to see my ugly side, princess,” I said in a guilty tone. “I thought I had buried that part of me deep within my subconscious years ago.”

“Perhaps it’s time to learn to control your dreams,” Luna said while letting a butterfly land on her finger.

“I can do that?” I wondered.

“Of course, dear William. As I said, one is not limited in dreams. In this realm, every thought, every imagination becomes real, and I have seen many extraordinary and somewhat strange dreams in my time,” Luna explained to me.

I contemplated her words and looked around us. If what she said was true, then I could make the landscape around us into anything I so desire it to be. I thought about what else this world could be used for, until I had an interesting idea.

“Princess, would you say this world could also have an effect on me in the physical world?” I asked.

“How do you mean?” Luna asked.

“Well, I’ve recently become the apprentice of Zecora the zebra.” Luna nodded as if knowing who Zecora was. “She said she’d help train me to fight properly and how to survive in a wild environment. So, my question is, is it possible to train myself in the dream realm as well?”

“Hmm…there was a theory that said it was possible,” Luna said while pondering my question.

“Really?” I asked.

“When I first was learning how to govern the dream realm, ponies would often dream about their special talents,” Luna said. “In theory, whatever they learned while dreaming, they were able to replicate in the physical world.”

“So, if I were to say practice to improve my martial arts skill or strengthen my ki center, could it have the same effect on me in real life?” I asked.

“I suppose it’s possible. Only one way to find out,” Luna said.

“How?” I wondered.

“Simple. I shall be your guide in the dream realm,” Luna proclaimed.

I had to do a double take at Luna after processing what she offered to me. It soon dawned on me that I just got offered to be Princess Luna’s dream apprentice.

“You wanna teach me?” I asked dumbly. “But…why? What about your duties?”

“I’ve already finished them, you were actually my last stop,” Luna smiled as she stood up and fixed her dress. “Now, I suppose we can train in this field, but I think a more practical setting is needed. wouldn’t you agree?” She asked me with a smile. “I want you to picture a place in your mind, a place where you can focus your abilities.”

I looked around me at the endless plain of grass and starry sky. I crossed my arms and thought about how else I could make the landscape in order to train properly in the dream realm. It had to be something I was familiar with; something I had always wondered what it would be like if it were real.

“…that’s it!” I said to myself after coming up with the perfect setting.

I focused my mind and the landscape around us began to morph and change. The starry sky was replaced with a bright and sunny day, the grassy plains were replaced with a stage-like arena with stone plates, and large stadium-like bleachers surrounded us. A building also rose up by us along with some rows of flags, and a gong appeared by the entrance. When I was done with my preparation, I couldn’t help but grin excitedly as Luna and I stood in the middle of the ring of the World Martial Arts Tournament ring from my favorite tv show, Dragon Ball Z.

“Woah…” I said as I looked around. “I can’t believe I’m here! It’s so much bigger than I thought it looked in the show!”

“Hmm, quite the arena. Are you a competitive fighter?” Luna asked as I continued to geek out at my childhood fantasy.

“Oh, uhh, no. I actually saw this from a TV show I really loved as a kid.” I began to feel embarrassed after revealing something so personal, but the princess didn’t seem to mind.

“No need to fear, young William, we are all children at heart but um…” Luna trailed off.

“Something wrong?” I wondered.

“Do cheerleaders really dress like that in your world?” She pointed to the line of babes in smoking hot bikinis waving pom poms.

“Crap!” I focused as hard as I could to make the women disappear as I felt a hot wash of embarrassment. “Um…please ignore that.”

“No worries, ‘'ve seen far more scandalous dreams in the minds of young colts…some of which involve me and my sister doing all sorts of-”

“AHH! Can we get back to the training please?” I pleaded, unable to hide my embarrassed blush.

“Oh, yes. My apologies,” Luna said sheepishly.

I had to take a deep breath and force myself to forget what she just said.

“Now then, William, let us start with a simple test of your skills,” Luna said.

“Okay, how?” I asked.

“Show me what you can do. Pretend you are practicing on your own,” Luna said as she stepped away to give me space.

I shrugged at her request but nodded anyway. I took off my jacket and tossed it aside before taking a stance. I started out with skipping in place and delivering a series of punches in the air. I showed her inverted punches, hook punches, blocking punches, followed by two-handed punch techniques like parallel punches, scissors punches, and mountain punches. I then switched up my style by using some palm strikes, and four-knuckle punches and a few spear hand techniques that Ivan once showed me. I kept punching the air, showing off all the punching techniques I knew, before switching to kicking techniques. I jumped in the air and delivered a crescent kick, followed by a roundhouse kick and tornado kick. My kicks were smooth and sharp as I recalled everything I could that Ivan taught me. All the while, Luna was patiently watching me as if she was analyzing my fighting styles.

“Hmm, very good. you had an excellent teacher,” Luna complimented.

“One of the best,” I said as she complimented my sensei.

“Now let us see how you fare against magic, I will be your opponent,” Luna said.

“Say wha?” I said, stopping mid kick.

“None of our battle mages are fit enough to be an opponent for you. Therefore, I will take it upon myself to instruct you.” Luna then began to form an orb of magic in her hands before making it zip around in all directions with a speed faster than my eyes could keep up with. “Let us test your battlefield awareness.”

I was about to say something when the orb suddenly wizzed right at me and I quickly leaned back to dodge it. The orb swung back around and I jumped out of the way just in time before it came back around. Luna used her finger to make the orb try to hit me and I was jumping and ducking all over the ring.

“Yipe! Luna! Too fast!” I yelped as the orb brushed against my arm. The orb slightly singed my skin as it flew past me.

“Focus!” Luna shouted before turning her hand upwards and sent the orb flying into the sun to blind me. “Do not rely on your eyes alone!”

POW!

Before I knew what happened a second orb hit me from behind just as the first one came smashing me down into the arena. It felt like getting hit by two cars going full speed on the highway.

“GUH!” I wheezed and fell to my knees. Luna sighed and shook her head as she approached me with her orbs as I tried catching my breath. “You didn’t…mention…a second one!”

“Do you expect your opponents to fight fair?” Luna asked while allowing me to recover. “You must learn to rely on all your senses and anticipate your opponent’s next move. Your battle on the train shows you are not adept at fighting more than one opponent in close combat.”

“I was fighting against armed thugs!” I tried to say.

“But you still have those strange abilities,” Luna countered. “Tell me more about this power of yours. Perhaps if I know more about it, we can work on strengthening your power.”

“You wanna know more about ki?” I asked and she nodded. I pondered how I could explain this, considering I only knew very little about it since Ivan wouldn’t really delve on the subject. I then thought of another idea that might work with my explanation. If I have ki, then perhaps I can explain it in Dragon Ball terms?

“Well, princess, Ki is also known as latent energy or fighting power, which directly translates as life force.” I explained. “This force is a tangible energy inside every living being, with its major focus being in the center of the body. By drawing it out, an individual is able to manipulate it and use it outside the body. Ki can be used for many different techniques. Because there are physical limits to the strength of the body itself, it is necessary to increase one’s ki to overcome this barrier and become stronger.”

“And can you use this power in other ways?” Luna asked while making the orbs spin nervously around us.

“Well, I could use it to sense danger but I haven’t gotten that far yet,” I said.

“No time like the present then,” Luna smirked before making the orbs take off in opposite directions.

“Ack!” I ducked out of the way again and decided to retaliate. I summoned my own orbs of ki and fired them at Luna while dodging the magic orbs.

“Attempting to eliminate the threat at its source, very good.” She complimented while flying just out of reach as our duel continued. “If you can tag me, I’ll consider you the winner.” She said before increasing the speed of her attacks and forcing me to give chase as we zipped around the arena.

Having more experience in flying, Luna outmaneuvered every attempt I made to try and tag her and the various spins and flips were starting to make me sick and now I knew how fighter pilots felt after their first day of flight training.

Come on, Saber, get it together! I thought and powered up.

A white flame-like aura surrounded me, and I picked up my speed after Luna. She smiled teasingly at me as she flew away and I reached out for her. I panted and wheezed and I started to feel dizzy due to the constant flying. Which was strange since this was all supposed to be a dream yet it felt real. My vision started to get blurry, and I was forced to slow down until I brought myself to a stop. Sweat dripped down my face as I descended back down to the ring. When I landed, I stumbled back a little but caught myself as I leaned on my knees to try and catch my breath.

“Shit…that sucked,” I wheezed as Luna landed gracefully next to me. “I couldn’t even…catch up…to you!”

“But you came close. A fine effort.” Luna smiled while looking down on me and again I felt like I was being praised by my own mother. “Let’s call it a day for now. You still need rest after what you've been through and I will have no arguments.”

“Yes, princess,” I sighed.

“And don’t worry, you won’t be sweaty in the waking world but you will still feel the effects of the training so be prepared,” She advised while summoning a portal back to her dream. “And William?”

“Yes?” I perked up.

“Do try to keep the bikini models to a minimum?” Luna teased.

“That was an accident! I swear!” I yelped. “I’m innocent, I tell ya!”

Unconvinced of my argument, Luna turned the dreamscape back to the green field which made me land flat on my ass. I think she was punishing me.

“Rest up, you’ll need your strength,” Luna said before departing and left me to gaze at the stars above with a gentle breeze to help me relax.

I laid there for several minutes as I gazed up at the stars. So much has happened these past couple of days and I didn’t know where to start. I now had two teachers willing to help train me, and one of them is one of the freaking princesses of Equestria. If anyone told me that these series of events would happen to me, I’d’ve never believed them. It’s almost like some unknown force was trying to move my training along, and I had to get stronger as soon as possible. As I continued to gaze up at the stars, I felt my eyes grow heavy until they closed completely. My consciousness started to fade away until darkness overtook me.

The morning sun’s lights pierced through the branches of the hut, making me wince. As my body started to react and wake up with me, I felt something laying on my arm. It felt heavy but soft at the same time. More so, there was something soft pressing against my back and I could feel someone breathing on my neck. The hairs on my neck stood straight up when I heard a subtle moan, indicating someone was pressing against me. I slowly turned my head to be met with Zecora with her arms wrapped around me as she slept and cuddled me. My eyes went wide and my mouth was dry and at a loss for words.

“Mmm…” Zecora murred as she snuggled against me. To make things more difficult, her boobs were against my arm. They were soft, supple and furthermore one of them was on the verge of slipping out of her top.

“Ok, don’t panic,” I said to myself and laid as still as possible.

Just as I said that, Zecora shifted a little and opened her eyes and met with mine.

“Um…m-morning, B-Bwana,” I managed to say.

“Oh my, did I end up in your bed by accident?” Zecora asked just as her top slid further ways down and I could see a bit of her nips showing.

“It’s…um…no trouble!” I shrieked and began shaking like crazy.

“Whatever is the matter, my pupil?” Zecora asked.

“B-Bwana! Top! Slipping! Fix! Now!” I blurted, trying to keep in a bloody nose.

Zecora tilted her head and sat up, only for her top to completely slip off and her bare breasts bounced free. Her dark gray nipples seemed to wink at me as I could no longer hold it.

SPLURT!

“AH! WILLIAM!” Zecora freaked out the moment my nose erupted like a fountain and I found myself laying in a pool of blood. One could swear I was murdered if they saw me but thankfully my Bwana had some medicine to help ease my blood pressure and get me back on my feet.

“I’m so sorry…” Zecora apologized as we sat down for breakfast.

I groaned as she fixed her top and continued to apologize to me.

“I don’t know what’s gonna be the end of me first…” I said to myself as Bwana tended to my nose. “The training, or the overstimulation…”

Author's Note

His inner demons continue to haunt him but perhaps this experience will help clear his addled mind.

Hope you enjoyed!

~WurkyWilk has left the building…