//------------------------------// // He Who Walks...Again // Story: Don't Wake Up // by Grizzly Nation //------------------------------// I can't believe we let it go. We had it right in our hooves, but it slipped away. That monster will continue to feed off of the fear that it instills in my subjects. We cannot let it continue its conquest against ponies. Nay, we won't let it happen again. I will not fail my ponies a second time. I quickly dismissed the dream realm. I got up from my quite comfy pillow and stepped out onto the balcony. The cold breeze brushed against my fur and ruffled my feathers. I began my ritual to lower the Moon. “All things rise and fall, however, your beauty will always continue grace our land,” I spoke the short passage that I had said ever since I came back to Equestria. I carved a path with my magic, and the Moon followed. Slowly, it descended down below the horizon and the land fell into great darkness. Then slowly as if on queue, the Sun rose. Its light quickly chased away the darkness, and the Sun replaced the Moon's gentle glow with a warm yet intense light. I sighed as I returned to my room, shutting the balcony doors with a flick of magic. I plopped back down on my dark blue pillow. Closing my eyes, I let the silence surround me. I felt an everlasting calmness, and it felt good. This is peace; This is the part of life I love. “Rise and shine, Luna!” My eyes snapped open, a light suddenly intruded my space of solitude. Like a Manticore, I stood up, ready to defend my territory from the blindingly white menace. “Sister! Leave me to myself!” I shouted. “But Luna, it's not healthy to sleep in, let alone not even eat breakfast,” Celestia responded. I slumped back down onto my pillow. “I'm not hungry,” I said, muffling my voice with the pillow. Suddenly I was entrapped in yellow magic and lifted from my resting place. “I'm not taking no for an answer,” Celestia replied, carrying me into the bright hallways. “No! This is treason! I demand that you release me at once, Sister!” I yelled while I squirmed midair in her magic. “Luna, we share power equally, fifty-fifty. So, if I say this isn't treason, then my power cancels yours, meaning this isn't treason,” she replied playfully. “You dare use your politics against me, Sister! I swear, I shall get my revenge. My vengeance will come down with the intensity of a thousand moons!” I threatened before cackling like an evil mare. Suddenly, her magic disappears and I hit the ground. “Ha, I see you've come to your senses. Don't let it happen again and I'll stay forgiving,” I said. Of course, she let me go: all creatures feared the night. She looked at me with a smirk, “Actually, we're already in the dining hall.” I glanced around with utter confusion. “Why, of course, we are, this was where I intended to be,” I replied quickly. Celestia rose an eyebrow before taking a seat at the end of the wooden table. I trotted to my end of the table, nose held high, just as the nobles of my day used to. A big plate of hot waffles and a tall glass of milk were placed in front of me. “Sister, how did you know I wanted waffles?” I squealed happily. My day was terrible: School was boring as always, and of course, I didn't feel like I had any sleep at all. Why was all this happening to me? I just want to live a happy life. The sound of the bell snapped me out of my thoughts. I shoveled all my supplies into my black and white backpack and hurried out of the classroom. “Ah, quitting time,” I said to myself as I walked through the long halls. I dug into my pocket and pulled out my white earbuds. I popped the earbuds into my ears as I hopped onto the bus, by the time I reached my seat I had already been scrolling through my list of music. I needed to drown out this bus ride with music. Sliding the glass door, I walk into my house. I kicked my shoes off as I stepped onto the white kitchen tiles. I slipped off my gray puffy coat and placed it on the nearest chair and made my way up the stairs. I dragged my hand on the pale blue walls as I walked up the stairs. I vaguely remember when my family painted this wall. We ran out of paint so we never finished. This was the first time in a while we did something as a family. Damn, I miss the good times, back when I was in kindergarten. I didn't have to worry about anything. We had the dogs and the puppies, and everything was perfect back then. Now everything sucks. I'm just so unhappy. I did a quick U-Turn after I walked up the stairs. As I walked to the end of the hall I glanced into each of the opened doors. My parent's room was decent, it didn't have a lot of room, but they managed. My little siblings’ room was messy and pretty cramped. They never have slept in their own rooms before. Toys were scattered across the floor. They didn't even attempt to clean up. I scoffed before entering my room, and once again I dropped everything and collapsed onto my bed. But this time I just went on my phone. I didn't feel like sleeping. I just wanted to stay awake for now. The Dream Beast was sure to return, and I needed to be ready for it. But to do that we–I...I needed to have eyes everywhere. I had to increase my vision across the Dream Realm. But how? I could’ve raised awareness about the creature, but no, that wouldn't help at all. Raising awareness would only induce more fear. I couldn’t let it keep feeding, or else it would grow too strong. I could not fail my subjects a second time, I wouldn’t give it a chance to harm anypony. I cast my magic and was thrust from my seated position in my room to the purple void of the Dream Realm. I had limited options, but I had to try my best. If that beast continued to ravage the dreams of my ponies, it would have been all my fault. I began my regular rounds, slowly trotting down the long hallway of dreams. My routine was simple: the little fillies first, then the mares, and finally the stallions. The fillies usually have nightmares, and mares are more prone to nightmares than stallions. A red flash gets my attention. I stare at the red door, its murky red portal tempting me to step in. I smile. “The hunt is on, beast,” I said as I stepped through the portal. Once again my sight just blinked into existence. I was in some sort of town, it looked kind of old. The houses themselves were identical and simple. The walls had their wooden support still showing on the outside, and the walls themselves looked like they were made of dried mud or brown concrete. Raising my skeletal hand I realized what was happening. “I'm back here…” I had to be dealing with some kind of recurring dream. But this wasn’t the same: It was not gloomy or scary at all. The only thing that I found similar were the ponies –a lot of horses. So many colors flooded this town. Did I managed to get high, or was this an acid trip? The whole town gave off a cheery vibe and that weirded me out. A familiar pulling sensation reminded me of what I needed to find. I walked further into the town, listening to my feet clicking on the gravel path. As I continued walking I cast a few glances at the ponies. None of the horses even acknowledged my existence. They went about their business in, what I assumed was, some kind of marketplace as several horses had set up stands. They bartered for these seemingly random goods. They were selling fruits, vegetables, feathers, bread, books, and practically anything they could get their hands on...hooves, anything they could get their hooves on. Why couldn't they see me? Were they just ignoring me? I quickened my pace. I just wanted to get out of here. The whole vibe shifted suddenly, changing to more a sad one. Like when your watching a show and you find out the main character is getting abused by his parents. The area was visibly changing as I walked further. The once colorful and happy setting was blackening and completely silent. Eventually the color drained to a gray shade, like a black and white picture. The silence was killing me. The only thing that kept me sane was the rhythmic clicking of my feet. It was so strange, almost disturbing to have such a lack of sound. Until a sound pierced the silence–some kind of high pitch yelp, like someone taking in a sharp breath of air. The sound was in the direction of the tugging as well. Something told me I was gonna meet another frightened child. I came across a bench, and sprawled across that bench was a dark gray horse crying into her forearms. My gut clenched as I looked at the scene in front of me. I always hated crying. With kids it was normal, but I'm pretty sure this was a full grown horse. I approached the bench, transfixed by the sobbing horse. With each step I took, I felt my need to help grow. I kneeled down, staring directly at the horse's buried face. I didn't know what to say. People who acted like this were usually fragile and irrational. I had to be cautious about my approach. “Hey.” My voice sounded as demonic as the last time I was here. The horse lifted it's head from it's resting spot. The horse's wetted eyes were slitted like a reptile. It's iris was blood red–it was strange. The horse released a shrill scream that sounded feminine enough. Two leathery black wings snapped into action as she panicked. “Stop!” I yelled as my arm immediately thrusted into the air. I clutched onto her dark blue tail, holding her in place as she desperately flapped her wings trying to fly away. I yanked her tail, pulling her back down onto the bench. She landed on her back, her legs sprawled out as I climbed on top of her. I forced her front hooves down, holding them to the bench with both of my hands. She began to thrash her body, kicking, trying anything to get me off. “No! No! Please don't kill me! I don't wanna die!” she screamed. “Would you shut the fuck up!” I exploded, my regular voice finally returning. It echoed throughout the quiet space. I paused to collect myself. “Now, I am not going to kill you or cause any other kind of harm. And when I let go, you will not try to fly away, do you understand?” my gaze hardened before she quickly nodded. Her face was oddly tinted red. I eased my grip and slid my hands off of her hooves. I leaned back, getting a good look at the situation. She was still stretched out, and still blushing–why was she still blushing? Then it dawned it on me: this entire scene looked lewd. I had forced her down and now she's spread out across a damn bench. I slowly glanced down, my eyes trailing her body before I stopped. I immediately jolted off the bench. “You were! I was touching!” I couldn't even form a sentence as I tried to process what just happened. I buried my face in my hands as I tried to purge the thought from my mind. Why was it so hot!? I couldn’t even think straight! No! No, this was just a dream, none of this was real. I did not sexually assault a horse! My rapid breaths finally were slowed as I calmed down enough to remember what I was doing here. Slowly, my hands uncovered my eyes, revealing the bat...horse...thing to still be on the bench, however, she was sitting upright still furiously blushing. I took a deep breath. “Alright, so...why were you crying?” She froze like she just had a mental shutdown. These horses were so weird. “Uh, hello, you still there?” I asked. She shook her head and still seemed confused. “Okay, sorry, I'm being rude,” I said before I softened my gaze. “Hello, what's your name?” I asked, trying to piece together this situation. “Sharp Tooth,” she replied, shifting uncomfortably in her spot. Her voice was so young, like college dorm young. It was so beautiful, so kind. I would’ve loved to have a girl with that kind of voice. “That's...a name,” I said. Why were their names so weird, I wondered. Were all horses named after adjectives and objects? “What's wrong with it?” she asked, sounding offended. “Nothing, look, why were you crying?” I asked again, changing the subject. She sat there silently, almost as if she was hoping there was some way she could get out of this situation. I gazed into her ruby eyes, trying to read her from her expression, but I couldn't. I knew nothing about her; I had no basis. All I could do is just try to get to know her. When she finally spoke, it broke me out my thoughts. “I was just upset about my situation,” Sharp said quietly. “What is your current situation?” I asked, slightly leaning to hear her better. “Other ponies hate me, because I'm a Bat Pony,” she responded, hanging her head in defeat. Oh, discrimination, this is a pretty complex problem. “So, who cares if they don't like you?” I replied, tilting my head. “Because, ponies pretty much rule Equestria! I can't get a job, and even I don't know how I'm gonna cover this month's rent!” she yelled as she ranted, holding her hooves to her head. “Quick question, what's Equestria?” I asked. I assumed it was the town we were in but I needed confirmation. She lowered her hooves back to the bench, “You seriously don't know what Equestria is?” I nodded before she sighed. “Equestria is the giant country were in right now.” “Oh it's a country, who runs it?” I asked trying to pry information. “Princess Celestia and her sister Princess Luna.” She spoke in a way that a teacher would when explaining a book to a student. “I'm sorry, but who exactly are they?” I was curious now. They had such elegant names. It seemed weird but the names sounded fitting. She groaned before continuing. “Princess Celestia is a really really really old pony who raises and sets the sun.” That...perplexed me but I stayed silent as she continued. “And Princess Luna is her also really old sister. Princess Luna controls the night. She makes the stars and moves the moon,” she finished, before looking at me. That last word kinda stuck with me: Moon. “I know this is a weird question but can this Luna travel through dreams,” I asked, taking a glance at the sky. She shrugged. “I don't know. It's news to me if she can.” She adjusted her position on the bench. “Now, it's my turn,” she said with a smirk, “who are you?” She stretched her arm out to tap my chest. I really didn’t think I was dreaming anymore at that point. These personalities and conversations were too complex. The details were too real, but why? Why was this happening? Why was I a skeleton talking to a bat...pony? I snapped out of my thoughts when I felt another tap on my chest. My eyes focused on her and she winced under my gaze, signaling that I probably should have started talking… “Oh yeah, I'm Adam, the dream walking skeleton...guy.” Her expression stayed the same. It was an awkward silence, we didn't even know where to start. “So,” I began, breaking the silence, “why do...ponies not like bat…ponies?” Sharp shook her head in disappointment. “I don't know, they just seem to not like anything that isn't a pony.” I crossed my arms. “But aren't there any other places that could have jobs for bat ponies?” “Probably, but I can't move out, I don't exactly have money,” she explained, flopping down onto the bench and giving a big huff. “You ponies are silly,” I said at her display. She smiled at my remark and sat back up. “Alright, so what can bat ponies do?” I asked, looking up and down her form. She glanced around before answering, “Well, the only thing that's different are our eyes; I can see better than any normal pony in the dark.” “Why don't you do a job that attributes to your abilities, like hunting or like a bodyguard?” She cocked her head. “A bodyguard? Why would anypony need that?” I shook my head. “Don't you guys have crime?” “Not much. The worst crimes day-to-day come from ponies stealing an apple or skipping out on a bill,” she said. I began pacing back and forth. “Ok, what about some kind of shepherd?” I asked just trying to throw an idea out. “What's a shepherd?” I stopped pacing and sighed. “A shepherd is someone who watches over animals and scares away anything that would want to eat the animal,” I explained. She still looked kinda confused. “But, it doesn't have to be animals, it can be anything, like fruits and vegetables.” She looked up to think, “Well, we do have a farm over here and they have been having problems with animals stealing and ruining apples.” “Great! You see there is always some way around a problem!” I exclaimed. I was actually happy that I possibly solved a pretty big problem. She smiled–this one felt genuine, but more than that, it actually felt good to do. This feeling was amazing. Was this what it’s like being a parent? It sure didn’t feel like this with my siblings. In an instant she sprung at me. In a blur of blue I was tackled to the ground. I only had a moment of peace before I was aggressively nuzzled by Sharp Tooth. What was up with these ponies and hugs? –so much contact! As she violently rubbed against me, she buried my face in a tuft of dark blue fur. She smelled like...honey. It made me feel at ease, and so calm. I just couldn’t describe the warmth I felt. It was so perfect. I wanted to stay like this forever. After finally breaking out of my haze, I pushed her off. I was greeted with an inky sky dotted with white lights. I shot up, almost instantly standing up. I stood face to face with that same moon, the same moon that had caused me so much pain. The face was staring at me, singling me out from this entire town. It illuminated everything in a pale white light, almost as if it was trying to trick me into believing I was safe. And just like that, almost as soon as I saw the moon, a white light engulfed my vision and then...nothing. Nothing but black filled my sight, but I didn't feel any pain. An extreme numbness racked my body, it felt like thousands of needles pierced my skin. The feeling faded and a sore and sluggish feeling replaced it, almost like my bones were made of butter. I felt warmth return to my body and then movement returned. My limbs at least responded to me. I struggled to open my eyes, but they eventually listened and parted. Light flooded my vision, but this was gentle light. It was morning and I had my body back. I realised I woke up.