//------------------------------// // 10: Throax’s Nightmare // Story: Memoir of a King’s Master Consort by Sir Spike // by CrackedInkWell //------------------------------// Now there are very few things that I could remember from dreams. To be honest with you, for the sake of this chapter, I had to ask Princess Luna about the details of what exactly happened on that night. However, I do remember enough to know what exactly had happened and what was said. It’s only now that King Thorax has permitted me in sharing with the world of something that was so personal between us. That first night at the hospital, I remembered how that I couldn’t fall asleep at first so that the nurses gave me some sleeping pills to basically knock myself out. From there, I remember dreaming that I was in the desert by a pyramid as I was descending into a dark corridor with nothing but a torch in my claw. As I went further in, I noticed how the hieroglyphs on the walls and ceiling were becoming more elaborate with its imagines of past pharaohs, its Gods, life on the Nile, and the seemingly endless text in a phantom language. However, I did have to pause as I noticed one engraving on the wall was completely out of place among the others. It was that of Princess Luna with a joystick in her forehooves, looking at a screen. “Huh? What the-” To my shock, the image was moving, as if she was playing a video game. “I suppose you’ve read one too many Daring Do novels,” Luna asked me as she continued on with her game. “It’s not too often that I go into one’s dream where it’s Coltgyptian theme.” “Princess Luna?” I asked, “What the hay are you doing here?” “Excuse me one moment,” On the wall, she put the joystick down and lit up her horn. In a flash of light, she was standing next to me. “Much better, being in a two-dimensional form was rather jarring. Anyway, I’m in need of your assistance tonight Sir Spike.” I inquired what was going on, “Are we being attacked again? A new supervillain just popped up?” She shook her head, “Not quite. It has more to do with the dream realm that you are required. In particular, King Thorax is having a distressful nightmare that I believe you would help.” “He’s having a nightmare?” I blinked, “Over what? Is it monsters because if so, I thought that was your specialty?” “I don’t think it’s that kind of nightmare,” she said as she lights up her horn to have a door appear in the walls. “If anything, I sense it might be similar to what both my nephew and his husband had experienced in the past.” After opening the door to a field of stars, she added: “I think he is in desperate need of comfort.” Curious, I let the torch behind and followed the Dream Princess into a place that I have never seen before. All around it was like walking on an evening sky, only there was so much color around and the stars were solid to walk around. Not only that but on this starry path on both sides like an open hallway were doors of every size, shape, color, and style that with a stomp of her hoof, Luna moved the doors in both directions until she made everything stop as we now stood at a particular door. I remembered that it was more of a doorframe with a dark green curtain that had holes towards the bottom of the floor. Above the door, I noticed how that it and all the others in this open hallway had a star right over it that show a different color. The one that we stood in front of was neon red. “This is the gateway towards King Thorax’s nightmare,” Luna informed me. “Before we proceed, I must inform you that in you or Thorax are in sort of danger, rest assure that I shall be keeping an eye on potential dangers. But since you are about to walk into what is his worst nightmare, you need to be extremely careful as he is exposing not just his greatest fears, but his insecurities, worries, doubts and other truths. So do not be so swift to judge him, but do remember that you are here to comfort him in his time of need.” “Understood Princess,” I nodded as I reached out and pulled away from the curtain in which I and Luna entered. The first thing we’ve noticed was the rain. A steady stream that came pouring down from grim clouds overhead, and there was no wind at all in which this was not an angry storm. Luna used her magic to imagine and produce an umbrella for us to stand under as we examined our surroundings. We were in a forest of some kind where the trees had black bark and dark green leaves that drooped over the amount of rain that was being poured down on. What struck me was how quiet it all was. Apart from the constant rain, there was nothing to suggest fear of any kind. There was no ominous lightning or howling of wolves, the growl of monsters, nor the screams for help. I turned to Luna, puzzled. “I think we ought to start looking for the king.” As we did just that, I began to notice that with each passing tree that we walked past, I saw how many of them were carved deeply into them. These weren’t the kind that lovers that would carve their initials in, nor any graffiti that was left behind. Rather, as we took a closer look, they spell out a name, dates, places along with short messages on them. We quickly realized that what we had walked into wasn’t just a forest – this was a cemetery. Eventually, we spotted a Changeling walking between the trees so we’ve decided to follow him. As we got closer, we saw that it was Thorax’s brother who stopped by a particular tree and seemed to be speaking to someone behind it. “Thorax, you can’t keep doing this,” he said. “It’s already been three months now. You should let this go.” No response. “You do know that there was nothing that could be done. We did everything we could.” Silence. Pharynx sighed, “Look, I miss him too. We all do. Lavender, the kids, the Equestrian Princesses, the Dragon Lord, everyone misses him. But you shouldn’t be doing this alo-” “Why are you still here?” a voice, undeniably Thorax questioned him bitterly. “I… I don’t want to deal with this right now…” “You know I’m here to talk-” “Leave!” His brother shook his head, “As you wish, Your Majesty.” He turned to walk away. It didn’t take Sherlock Hooves to put it together what was going on. I learned that Thorax was more than just scared of losing me, more than just having me harmed, but that I would die. After taking the umbrella into my own claws, I told Luna to let me take care of this. She in return said that she’ll be watching me before disappearing behind the trees. Now I turned my attention to where Thorax was as I silently walked up to the tree. As I got closer, I heard him sobbing, whispering the word “No,” over and over. Going around the tree, I saw what state he was in. There with his head bowed low and tears flowing with the rain, the Changeling King had his usual colorful exoskeleton return to black as the day I met him. I don’t think that I had ever seen him behave like this as he was practically hiccupped his grief. As I went behind him I saw, to my expectation, what was carved on the tree: “Sir Spike,” it read, “Born, May 17, 990. Canterlot. Here lie the hero of Equestria, the Crystal Empire and the Changeling Kingdom. Beloved Master Consort of King Thorax. Martyr of the Hive.” I didn’t bother reading about the time and place of death, as much as it was unnerving of seeing my tombstone. So I quietly walked up from behind, umbrella in my claw as I shield him from the rain. “You know,” I said, “they say that you might catch a cold if you stay out in the rain for too long.” He twisted his neck upward, blinded by tears he asked, “W-Who’s there?” “Here,” I knelt down and taking his face into my free claw, I help brush the tears away for him to see. “So what are you crying about?” The king’s jaw dropped, “S-Spike! Are you-how did you- why are you…” when his own words failed him, he wrapped me in his forehooves and cried. “Hey, hey,” I cautiously began. “What’s wrong? Why are you crying?” “I-I saw you d-die,” Thorax croaked. “I held you when… Oh, Spike, I’m so sorry!” I remembered that I hugged him back. “I really tried everything. W-We gave you so much love, a-a-and I tried to get you to a-a doctor so you could live but… I couldn’t save you…” “Shh, it’s going to be okay.” I whispered to him. “No, it’s not. I failed you, Spike. As a friend. As a lover. As a King… I watched your life slip away. There’s nothing I could do, but I really tried everything…” “I’m certain you did,” I patted the back of his head. “This actually hurts me to see you beating yourself up.” After glancing at my carved name on the tree, I asked, “So is this what you’re most afraid of?” “It already came true,” he whispered. “Please forgive me.” “I already do, and you have nothing to feel sorry over.” “But-” I pulled him away so I could put a claw to his lips. “Ah! Hear me out. Look Thorax, you didn’t fail me at all. Never once were you ever at fault… if anything, if there’s anyone to blame for all the trouble we have gotten ourselves into, it’s me.” Thorax’s eyes wide, “Spike-” “Let me finish. I know it for a fact that at least ninety percent of all the crap we got ourselves into, I had caused it somehow. Like the time when we first met and I was trying to feed you or when I was afraid that you and Ember won’t get along – that was my fault. As much as you try to protect me, you must realize that I am taking on more responsivity, and that includes the choices I’ve made. Don’t think that you have to be responsible for me, that’s my job.” Here the King sighed, “So do you regret becoming my consort?” “Do you remember when we’ve first met in that icy cave near the Crystal Empire?” he nodded. “On that day, I chose to look past of what you are and try to see who you are. I decided for you to become my friend, and I have never regretted it. And I chose to be your consort, and do you know why? It’s because, for the first time in years, I felt that you were the kind that I may live the rest of my life with. Sure, we might not be officially married, but you know what? I don’t care either way just so long as you are there in my life. If anything, agreeing to be your Master was the best decision I had ever made.” After a sniff, he asked, “But we may lose each other, would we? Here you are dead over there, so would it make it any different if you didn’t want to be with me anymore?” “Thorax,” I said sternly, “Look at me.” He did and I kissed him. “I can’t see what lies ahead. I don’t know how long officially this relationship we have will last. But the fact that to do anything as we have is amazing by any standard. Even if it lasts for a couple of weeks or all of eternity, I want to spend every moment of it because I can be easily happy with you. And even if when death comes, I do wish that I leave such a legacy for you to be passed on. I don’t want you to be miserable forever since you showed me the meaning (and several definitions) of love. That’s what I’ll take away, and I hope you’ll do so too.” “But what would I do without you?” I smiled, “You’re more clever than you think, My King. Never underestimate yourself Thorax, you are a wonderful Changeling that anybody would be lucky to have the privilege to get to know. Now dry those tears, you have a life to live, with or without me.” What happened next was the critical piece that only Luna remembered as, according to her, Thorax and I were starting to wake up. Luna told me that she recalled how the forest seemed to quiver as if there was an earthquake. Then suddenly I was being pulled away as if somepony put a lasso around my torso and pulled really hard, sending me flying through the woods, out of the door and back to my dream to which I woke up. Awake at the hospital, not too long after I had woken up and had breakfast, the nurse wheeled in a bouquet of gems in which every flower had a different gem that was carefully crafted. I remember the card in which it was tied to the vase that simply read: Thank you for giving me peace of mind, my Dragon. It was needed. – Thorax.