//------------------------------// // A dream. // Story: The Wolf of Equestria // by MrAquino //------------------------------// My eyes slowly began to open as I heard what sounded like classic music playing in the hallway from a phonograph. And my nose twitched as I smelt something freshly cooked and baked; turkey and pie. Was breakfast served door to door? Or was this an elaborate prank? But as soon as I smelt the delicious food, I was wide awake, sitting straight up. My eyes were quick to adjusting in the dark, as I was in the middle of an empty room. Gonna guess it's a prank… but I couldn't resist the smell, as my mouth began to drool. Almost instinctively, I got up to the door and opened it. On the other side of the door was a dining room, decorated in maroon drapes from the ceiling, with what appeared to be hints of gold around the edges. Right in the middle was a moderately large table, properly set, with a cooked turkey in the middle. The turkey… I could smell it… the aroma… I… I must feast!  "Hmm… easy to lose control, are we?" An unfamiliar woman's voice asked. I shook myself. What just happened!? I turned back to see the door I had entered was gone. Looking back, the table was empty, but sitting on the other end was a mare wearing a dark cloak, but also wearing a sort of mask you'd see at a masquerade. Her coat was white, as was the long horn on her forehead, and the wings on her sides, and her mane was blood red. She shuffled various cards in her hooves.  "Um… hi…" I began. "I-" "Have many questions?" She finished for me. "Oh, I know. I know everything you've asked when you first arrived here, Legosi. Or… as you're calling yourself now." I tried to open my mouth, but felt myself being pushed by one of the chairs, taking a seat right in front of her. "There's no need to speak, I've seen your life before; from your birth, all the way to right now, where you're working outside in the summer heat of Arizona for Walmart, who treat you more as a mule than a real person. Are you dead? Well, it all depends really. Is there a way to get back to your original body? Yes, but that's up to you when this is all over." Her horn glowed as she held up a glass of wine, taking a sip from it.  "I apologize, I should've introduced myself. My name is Faust, one of many, to be exact. Here, you can call this my home, or as I call it, the meeting room. Typically, we Fausts gather here to share stories of what happened in our own worlds, but at least one has this place to herself, so you're very honored to be here. This place, and myself, exist between dream and reality, mind and matter. But please, let's take a look into your future, shall we?" She placed three cards in front of me, before, without any warning, appearing behind me, almost making me jump.  "Do you believe in fortune telling?" I wasn't sure, but in Equestria, it's very much possible. "Hmm, very interesting answer you have. But let's find out, shall we?"  I was uneasy, but followed her words. I carefully flipped the first card to my left over, showing a castle being struck by lightning. "Hmm… the tower in the upright position represents the immediate future. It seems a terrible catastrophe is imminent. But what is next?" A terrible catastrophe!? But I just got here! Nervously, I flipped the next one, showing a Cresent moon. "The moon in the upright position. It represents hesitation and mystery… very interesting indeed. So you'll meet a misfortune soon, and a great mystery will fall upon you." Are we sure this isn't a joke on me immediately? I already had a misfortune and I'm already having a mystery of what happened to me and is happening to my body right now. But with one last card in front of me, I flipped it over. It was an old man with a cane in one hand, holding a lantern with the other. "The hermit. Upright as well. This represents self discovery and understanding! Seems this adventure will help you understand yourself at the end of it all. Seems you'll most likely grow up as well."  "... this is interesting and all," I finally began to speak. "But… why did you pick me? I think there's someone better that you could've picked." "Oh indeed, but this wouldn't be interesting to show to my fellow Fausts. But we will meet again soon, and hopefully, without you getting a bump on your head. Ta-ta for now." "Wait, what do you mean by-?" RING!!! I jerked myself awake and bumped my head on something hard. The impact made me groan in pain as my eyes opened. I was back in the student room, and I had just hit my head against the bottom of the top bed. The ringing continued as I turned to see the alarm clock had gone off. Reaching over, I pressed the top, making the ringing stop. With a groan, I sat upright on my bed, head feeling a bit swollen now. Was that all a dream? But if not… what danger was heading my way? "Woah, you ok, Legosi?" Sandbar asked. I looked up to see the young stallion was already up, most likely seeing me hit my head against the bottom of the top bed. "Yeah, I'm ok." I replied. "Just… had a weird dream." "Really? What happened?" "... It's not important." I stood up, stretching with a long yawn. "Oh boy, first day of school." "And a bright day for us all!" Sandbar walked out of the room, though slowly closed the door. "I'll be outside, ready to give you a tour after you get dressed." "Yeah, yeah. I'll be with ya in a sec." He closed the door. I turned back to the mirror, looking back at my reflection. Upcoming danger? What could that mean? And why did I act like that in front of some cooked turkey? That delicious smelling cooked bird… probably slowly baked… all mine… I shook myself again, and swore that my reflection glowed for a second. ...Did it? My stomach grumbled. Ok, let me get get dressed, get some breakfast first, and attend my first day of school. 20 year old guy in the body of a teenage wolf in what's essentially an academy… yeah… this is strange. Wait… what I did last night… oh God! This felt way creepier! Hopefully, I can find a way out of this body and get back to my own.