To Live Again

Walking to school was heartbreaking. I take the train down to Chicago and usually walk three or four city blocks before reaching my collage Flashpoint. Along my way are so many people who are poor and hungry. They’ve lost so much weight that they look like skin and bone while they jingle their cups. It’s heart breaking to see them suffer.

I was studying to become a game designer while they beg for the pocket change the strangers carry. I always oblige when I have the change. But alas I have only so many coins.

I was walking down the street to my collage. I was looking at my iPhone trying to select a good song. Maybe something from an old game I liked. Maybe ace combat 4 or Black and White 2 would be good. I selected the song and looked back up to find myself in the middle of a street. The street was barren for all but cars. People were shouting to get my attention. I stood there dumbfounded for a moment until I looked to my left at the oncoming lane.

*Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-

I knew what happened to me…I can feel myself without a body. But I was falling into an endless abyss.

Falling

Falling

Screaming

Falling

Sleeping

Becoming delusional and confused.

I could feel the universe not know what to do with me. It was confused as if I wasn’t supposed to happen. I then felt a spark of brilliance come from the unknown entity, as if it found a place for me. Then after what felt to me like eons it threw me away. I disappeared for a moment. Like what it felt like before you were born.

Darkness, unknown, and without form.

Until something caught me.

I was in a body that definitely wasn’t mine. And it was rolling on the ground in pain. I couldn’t say I blame her though. When we fused something weird happened and her nerves fused to my soul and we became one being. I could tell she had control. But then memories flooded in and transferred out. Memories of a Winter-Wrap-Up and Summer Sun Celebration. I knew faces she was familiar with like Applejack and Pinkie Pie. I saw all she cared about.

She. We were on the ground. She had full control over her body and she weakly stood up on four legs. I could feel her body and I started piecing a mental image in my head. She was a lot like a horse which my sister rode but she was smaller and had what I believed were wings. One of her hooves came into view as she tried to stand herself up. This confirmed my suspicions.

She stood up painfully and her body felt like every muscle was cramping up. She pulled herself up with a sink and she looked into the mirror.

A rainbow colored mane and magenta eye’s stared back at us. I realized I was going to be living in this pony for a long time. Might as well get used to it. I myself am an art student so I can appreciate beauty and even find it. I’m sure I can find beauty in her.

“W-who are you?” She said with a cracked voice. Then Darkness took us both.

I knew exactly where I was…in the dream world. Only I had the ability to manipulate it. I turned my attention to my left where the pony I saw in the mirror was lying unconscious next to me in the black void.

I’m an art student…I will create a world for her. She’s my host now. She’s my body and my blood.

She’s also in pain. And I must prove to her that I mean no harm.

I started thinking of the most recent project we were assigned to create. One of our own creation. An entire new world that we have to design and create.

The world’s imagery was fresh in my mind so this would be easy.

I started creating sand below her and trees around her. We were next to a cliff face where a waterfall poured into a small lake and turned into tributaries that ran off in different directions to evenly dissipate the water to the entire forest. The forest itself consisted of Pine trees.

The rainbow pony lying next to me began to stir. I remembered she’s a Pegasus and likes to sleep on clouds. So I produced a small cumulus and lifted her body onto it with means that I still don’t know even to this day.

I made sure she was two feet off the ground while I filled in the detail of the world around us. I could tell this was her mind. I can still feel myself in her body. Once I got every stone and rotting log in our environment become part of the scenery I waited for her to awaken.

“Ugh…What happened?” She looked around. She first took notice of her immediate surrounding such as the small lake and the waterfall which had a small rainbow coming out of it. Then she looked at the partly cloudy sky and took note of the mountain range. But when she got to the trees she regarded them with extreme interest. However when she looked at the sky I noticed her longing stare at the sun. I made a mental note to ask about it later.

Her eyes went past me and I realized I don’t have a physical form. Or a visible one at least. I don’t know whether or not I can go up to her and touch her yet. And I’d rather not right now.

I stared at her for a moment…I realized that there was no reason for me to actually make a world for her to walk around in anyway. It was merely an impulsive thing. Maybe it’s because I want to see someone appreciate my work like any other artist. Or I’m fascinated by something walking around in a world I created.

Whatever the reason, we’re here now and we need to talk. I don’t know about what, but I should be…I am dead and she might know why. Even though I already know how.

I turned my attention back to the pony and I noted she left the cloud to study the ground.

“Is this real?” She said out loud.

With that I figured right now would be a good time to show myself to her in some way. I quickly tried to imagine my body but each time I thought of a form I immediately shot it down because it could scare or confuse her.

I settled on just a little orb of light about the size of Navi. Which is an inch and a half wide and tall with the factor of the light aura. However I didn’t have wings when in this form and my glow was larger and it looked like you’re staring at headlights.

It must have worked because she looked directly at me. Fear was the first thing that placed itself on her face. I immediately let myself disappear in worry that she might bolt off somewhere that I may or may not be able to follow.

Once I was gone she hopped back on the cloud and started to ascend above the tree line.

I reacted quickly by increasing the wind speed to hurricane force above the tree line. The moment she felt it she bolted back to the ground.

I went to a game design school. I live, breathe, and eat games. I know how to teach a player simple mechanics. Reviewing some of my knowledge of game mechanics and player development I came to the conclusion that I need to show Rainbow Dash that the light does not harm you.

The best way I could think of doing something like that is having a living creature pass by closely to the light. But then again she already saw my attempted form and if I expose myself again she might…well I don’t know but I can tell she won’t react positively.

So what if I’m the one who approaches the light? What if I turn myself into whatever she is, only male. YES! I’m going to need an avatar to project myself anyway.

I got to work on what I think is cool. Black coat is too much but it is my thing. Grey is more natural and isn’t as intimidating. Should I have a beard? No. glasses? No. Old? Keep my age or close to hers. No something different. Maybe I need a new name and new face.

Ok I got it. I may be stealing form skyrim but my name will be Greymane. I will have a grey coat with a lighter grey mane. My eyes light blue.

I got to work by setting up the scenario. Luckily I have a path going from the clearing with the lake out into the forest. I can appear from the forest and have a light pass by me. Or better yet I can show Rainbow that I control the world by touching the light and holding it in my hoof.

I quickly scanned Rainbow’s body for simple anatomy of a ponies legs. I couldn’t get the image perfect. Then I remembered the tail and decided it should look like my mane. Just like how Dash’s is the same.

She did exactly what I hoped for…a little too soon. She started heading down the path. I decided I’d be best if she comes to me rather than me to her so I don’t seem as intimidating.

Though I don’t know why I’m trying to introduce myself like this. Shouldn’t she know who I am? Whatever I’ll go along with it anyway.

I went around the path and I made the path get narrower and narrower until it was only a meter wide. She couldn’t see this change because it was a curved road and the trees would obscure these changes. I then made it end in a clearing.

I took note of Rainbow’s position in the world. She was heading down the path faster than expected. I worked quickly on appearing in the clearing. Then I thought it over again. She was afraid of the sudden light. What would keep her from running away from it again? Me? No don’t think so. Quickly scrapping the light idea I awaited her.

It took her a while but she eventually made it to the clearing where we watched each other for a moment. She gave me a blank look, then she looked confused.

“Who are you?” She asked.

“How about we introduce each other.” I said impulsively.

“Umm no.”

“Ok I’ll start. You’re Rainbow Dash. I don’t know much more but what I remember from what you and your friends say you’re fast.”

“Fine I’ll play your little game. Your name is Cory. But you’re also very insecure like my friend Fluttershy.” She smirked. “That is until you met…” She half closed her eyes suggestively. “Her.” Then the rest of the memory hit her. “Oh…sorry dude.”

“Nah it’s ok. Anyway you know why I’m here right?”

“…No?”

“Oh ok. Well I’m dead and it appears I’m stuck in you or something.”

“Yea I remember you got hit by something…heavy and with bright white eyes.”

“Well it’s a machine.”

“Yea it almost looked like something the Flim Flam brothers made. Only smaller and a little faster.”

“Hold on a minute. I can only remember faces and names…kinda. How are you able to remember details about me?”

“I dunno. I know things that are important. Or at least all the things I remember are the important stuff. Like you’re not a pony. Can you show me what you look like in your world?” She asked while tilting her head.

Well ok I don’t need to play it safe.

“Sure.” I formed my body back into my human form. I put a tux on me and I had curly black hair. Brown eyes. And just a bit over weight. Not too much though. I stood taller than Rainbow to the point where she had to crane her neck to look me in the eye.

“Cool.” She looked at me with wonderment. “So what is this place?” She said while looking around again.

“White Dawn. It’s a planet straight out of my imagination. Like it?”

She didn’t say anything but looked back up at the sun. Staring at it. “I forgot what the sun looked like.”

I quickly put together a theory. “Were you imprisoned?”

“No. But that sounds better than what actually happened.”

I kneeled down next to her and tried to meet her at eye level. I was still a foot taller than her. “Tell me.”

“Nightmare moon. She was imprisoned in the sun for one thousand years. I and my friends did what we could to stop her…but we.” Tears started to swell in her eyes. “We. WE FAILED! She made one of the elements disappear while we were using them and. And.” Her voice died out and she looked at the ground sadly.

I took my finger and raised her chin so she would look into my eyes. I smiled softly. “I think I know why I’m here now.”

“W-why?” She said tears streaming down her face.

“I’m here to save the sun.” I whispered to her for dramatic effect.

She stared at me wide eyed. “Y-you think you can do it?”

“Yea why not!”

“B-but you’re up against Nightmare Moon! Somepony the elements of harmony didn’t even have the power to stop!”

“Well actually they were forced to stop when one of them disappeared. Do you know where they are now?”

“Nightmare Moon keeps them behind her throne at Canterlot so we can’t get to them…She banished us to Ponyville so we couldn’t go to Canterlot and try to get them. If we try we will be executed for treachery.”

“Hmm. Well better die for a cause than live in oppression.” I said with a smile. She must have thought I wasn’t being sensitive about the situation…not that I was. I’ve already died so there is no reason for me to care what happens to them. However I’d like to think myself a would be hero.

She glared at me as if I just killed her mother. “WHAT! YOU THINK THIS IS A JO-” I cut her off by placing my hand over her mouth.

She was still glaring at me. But I thought it was time for me to end this conversation. I already knew why I was here and what I had to do. However I can’t start my mission until Dash wakes up.

I decided to find a way to end the dream. I looked around at an excuse to just end shit when I saw the sun. I decided that since she likes it so much she’ll fall towards it and die in the dream to wake up. I brought my hand up toward the sun and lowered it towards the horizon.

She looked sad to see it go before her sadness became shock as the trees parted and the mountains started to fall toward the sun. Until there was a whirlwind of light and, well wind. The trees where sucked into the blazing orb and the world began to crumble around Rainbow Dash.

She looked back at me to find that I was no longer there. She looks with fear at the light as the world drops and cracks around her and falls into the burning ball of light. She then began to fall after the broken and destroyed world that I’ve created. She covered her eyes as the light got brighter and brighter as she fell toward it.

Then she felt a burning and her fears grew so intense that she-

“AAAAAAAAAAAAH!” She shot up from her prone position and looked at herself in the mirror with a cold sweat.

“Man what a dream.”

“I’ll say.” Said a voice in her head.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

“Please stop doing that.”

“umm…sorry?”

“Anyway let’s go save the world!”