//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: When the Sun (and the moon) comes knocking on my door. // Story: Regal Mind // by Lorhelei //------------------------------// There were few words that describes the daily life of the brown unicorn named “Stead Hoof”. Most of them alluding him being a farmer. The days started with the rising sun and only ended once it hides on the far mountain where Canterlot is. The nights were pacific and calm. “It’s a simple life, but a good one,” thought Stead. His wife, Daisy Flower was lovely and passionate. She takes care of the crops while he uses his magic and studies to improve the machinery that allows them to keep a farm just well by themselves. They have no foals, his parents were travelers and hers was no longer with them. They were only just them, but never feel alone. The sun was setting down, meaning that was time to end the day, Stead pack all his tools into a small fabric pocket and put them in a side of the tractor, leaving it ready to retake the work tomorrow morning. Daisy called him to the house with a harmonious call that means that the dinner was just ready. With no further work able to do, Stead decided to go with his wife and spare some time with her before both goes to bed. Dinner was delicious, the aroma was invigorating as ever. Daisy Flower not only had a talent with the crops that allowed her to make harvests that could endure almost any season, but with the cooking as well. She had always known what to put in the dinner to end a day. Maybe Stead works didn’t go well, then Daisy put some extra species in to make her husband live again. Sometimes was Daisy who was down, Stead was no cooker, but knew how to comfort his mare, in that case Stead would sit right by her side and gently nuzzle Daisy to remember what really matters, telling her old stories of him, and even not his own. They were always for each other, in fact, full in love. After the dinner Stead was plenty and alive again, like if all the daily worries disappear at the sight of his wife sleeping on his side. Daisy had his peach color mane over her eyes, covering her face just in the way that Stead loved. He always wonders what he has done to deserve such a beautiful and lovely wife, but as always, he couldn’t grab the answer. Stead moved the streak of hair that was covering Daisy’s face and plant her a gently kiss before they both fall asleep. That night, Stead was uneasy, he didn’t notice, but the blankets were soaked with cold sweat. In his head, two voices were taken over his dream, and utterly, his mind. They were screaming, not in pain, but in panic and sadness. Those voices were barely understandable, as if they were fading, coming on and back from wherever they came. “We can use him for a time before —“ The voice was interrupted by another one. “We just can’t do that!” shouted another voice in Stead’s dream, clearly unpleasant with what was happening. “I’ll not bury any of my ponies with such burden… No for my mistakes.” “But we must sister, It’s the only way I have to protect us” A moments of silence followed that last sentence. The pitch dark world where Stead Hoof was stay in full silence for what seems to be an eternity for him. He was unable to speak or move, he was, in the end, a mere spectator in his own mind. Then. One of the voices speak: “Will he suffer?” “Only if we allow it” Silence once again ruled in Stead Hoof’s mind for a painfully long time. “Sister we don’t have the time to—“ “Do it then!” the voice crackled in mid-sentence, fully acknowledging what those words means, “Just… Do it…” The voice acknowledges the command, “We don’t do this just for us, remember that sister. All Equestria need us alive, if this little one could know, he will allow us to do such. When the last word where pronounced, a joint of electricity struck Stead’s mind. The pain was overwhelming, but he found himself unable to scream or move. His mind was in a barrage of thoughts that was not his own, his eyes moved erratically behind his eyelids whie memories that don’t belong to him were being forced in. Feelings of sorrow and regret invaded his mind and take over him so abruptly that, if he was able, he would scream in agony to make it stop. The grim feelings were slowly overtaken by a one warm and kind sensation. A feel of motherly love and pride was slowly replacing the crippling sorrow and regret he felt a moment ago. But then. Everything stops. All the mental noise of the flurry of emotions and memories suddenly stops and Stead Hoof was again alone with his mind. The moment of silence was greatly appreciated by the afflicted stallion, until a voice whisper in his ear. “Wake up” Stead Hoof, in a scream and a sea of sweat jumped out of his bed while his wife was dumbfounded on his side. “Honey, are you all right?” asked Daisy Flower with deep preoccupation on his face, “You were screaming so loud, so full of… Pain,” her eyes were bloodshot and the fur on his cheeks were damp, “I was afraid something was happening to you…” “I… I think it was just a dream sweetheart… It… felt so real…” a jolt of pain took over his mind, making him stumble, “My head… This is the worst migraine I have had in years. Even worse that the day after of the festival of friendship” Stead said with a faintly smile just to calm his wife preoccupations. Daisy relaxed a little after hear his husband calls back of what was an unforgettable night that she let in out a small chuckle that Stead Hoof clearly noticed. She is always too kind “Don’t worry sweetheart. It was just a bad dream, a little breakfast and this bad one” -Stead Hoof tapped his head with his hoof- “will be fixed” Daisy Flower give her a comprehensive smile before she gave his husband a gently nuzzle, “Please don’t exploit yourself, I still need you to fix the machinery and nopony will do it for free” “What a problem isn’t it? Glad I’m at least some kind of free service pony for you,” he gently pushed her away while laughing. “Go ahead, I’ll shake this migraine off and go after you, I have a tractor to fix.” “Right on iron-stallion,” said Daisy Flower while leaving the room looking back to her afflicted husband with grief in her face. Very well Stead, we need to focus… Did I say ‘we’?  Stead Hoof was watching himself in the mirror on the wooden room. His body was dull, his throat arches and his head was spinning. It took all his will to focus his eyes on the face in the mirror just to notice something was odd. His face was his own, no doubt of that, yet it felt like seeing another pony in that slightly-foggy mirror. A completely different sensation pulled him out of the mirror while he watched his shaking hooves with a dumbfounded gaze and cold sweat running through his forehead. A sensation of panic and fear. That was just a dream. Nothing more. Repeated Stead Hoof in his mind like a mantra, with his eyes closed hoping that when he opens them, the pain, along with the anxiety banished as fast as they came. It has to be a dream. It’s not possible that… Whatever was that was real. Stead felt the accumulating fear growing more and more as he thought about that painful dream. What were those voices? What do they do to me? What they want with me? His thought was interrupted by the sound of his wife calling him down to eat. The smell of the lovely food made by his beloved Daisy quickly calmed his nerves, allowing him to ignore the uneasy feeling enough to stop shaking. “Going!” shouted the unicorn while he took a grasp of the door knob with his kinesis. His will was to just pull the door, like he has been doing since many years ago, but his own magic has other plans. The wooden plank flew at an enormous speed and crash with the wooden wall at the other side of the room, making a tremendous noise and practically destroying the door completely, leaving Stead confused and frightened in the sight of such a massive force. What just happened!? Stead Hoof with the door knob still in his kinesis. Did I just rippoff the entire door… That… That’s not possible, I had never had that power! A second later the sound of crackling wood and the sight of the deformed knob awoke him from his astonished state. “What in Equestria was that!?” screamed his wife from the first floor. “I-I just fell off the bed, it was nothing, mostly noise than anything sweetie!” yelled back Stead with a weavering voice that he hoped that his wife didn’t notice. She noticed. “Are… Are you ok? Do you need help? That was a… Tremendous fall” “I’m ok, don’t worry, I’m already coming down” The sound of the wooden floor clopping with the hooves of his husband make her sign in relief. Just wanting to see her husband well and whole. It might be a surge due the stress. That weird dream really messed me up “I just slip with the blankets, I’m ok sweetheart, let’s get eat and get the job done, shall we?” Stead Hoof take a sit at the side of his wife and started eating his breakfast. Daisy was rather bemused, but relieved that Stead was fine. That night was not only rough to him, but for her. Seeing her husband in such state left her really concerned, she could still be hearing the screaming pain of his husband and thought of her being unable to help him. The meal passed without any troubles. Without any of them wanting to touch the subject, not for the moment, they move to more common subjects. They talked about the farm, his friends, and anything that could distract them of the morning incident. Once both finished their meal, they get out the house and contemplate the sun rise. Both were skeptical since the sun rise should be happened an hour ago, but rapidly thought that they might have wake up early. Maybe Celestia fell asleep again. Thought Stead Hoof, he laughs after his own joke only to feel angry a moment later. That… Was weird... It wasn’t uncommon of him to laugh of his own jokes, but to feel angry about it, that was another mater that he decided to drop for the sake of his own sanity. He saw the tractor parked on the middle of the field and remembered what he was doing before. Today you will be defeated tractor. This is the day when I, Stead Hoof end your days of malfunction Yesterday he was unable to identify what makes the machine produce a damp noise and to not move at all, but today, today he was ready for a second round. His honor as Daisy’s Fixer was on the line. Her Queen demanded a machine, and a machine she will get. He took his tools with a careful grasp, remembering what happened to the door, and afraid that he might lose his tools. And, slowly, start the machine´s engine. The same damp noise welcomes him as he smiles back to the metal construct. This is what I love. A moment later he looks back and see his wife preparing a new batch of seeds for the season and imbuing them with her magic and gently put them in another bag. And she is who I love. Hours later the tractor was ready. He smiles at a job well done and give a call to his wife. They both walk to the house and prepared the dinner together. It was good to see that nothing really changed. “You know, I’m convinced that that was just a dream,” said Stead, convinced of his statement, “Maybe Luna just decided to play a joke on me, you know what they said.” A chuckle later and a jolt of pain in the back of his head after, the dinner was ready and served. Both take seat and finish their dinner before go back to bed. Both ponies were exhausted, physically and mentally at the point that both fall asleep at the moment they snuggle together. “Why are you so upset sister? We all know that you had fallen asleep before” a small and politely chuckle was held by the disembodied voice. “Well, it’s not like I always fell asleep I must admit. But explain to me, what is what everypony says about you? Little sister” asked the other voice in a more regal and smirked tone. “It… Was a one-time thing… When I first discover I could enter in the dream realm... I-it was nothing” Said the voice with a faint of regret. “But… Do you think he notice us?” rapidly changing the subject. “I don’t really know, he seemed affected by our own emotions, but at a small level. We must stay calmed until we discovered who attack us. This pony will not be in danger while we stay in his mind” A faith of regret was clearly perceptible in that words, “yet, I fear that our presence gave him much more magic of what he can manage. I hope those power cause no harm to him or his wife.” “I agree, we must stay in control of ourselves, for now we shall let him sleep, he deserves a good dream after that last night, I will take care of that.” Said with a proud smirk. “By how the things were unnoticed Twilight and Cadance should be covering us in a good manner, I think.” “I fear that that could be our lesser problem, sister… We need to contact them and warn them about this threat. Before it’s too late” “I could try to go to the dream realm and speak to them, but it might put too much stress in this little one.” “I see… You should try at least. If it seems too much I beg you to stop immediately, this one has no reason to suffer anymore. We will reveal us to him. In time” “I’ll sister. You shall not worry.” In the middle of the night, a strong feeling of deep exhaustion and a shock of pain awoke him. Stead rapidly raised his head and turns to both of his sides, looking for the culprit of that painfully sensation. The only thing he found was his wife sleeping in comfort at his side. He left a smile an tranquil smile before making an effort to sleep again. But then. He heard a faint noise. Something that was not in the room. No. He verified that. Were in his ears? No. Two voices in his head were clearly audible. That voices were not of his own.