//------------------------------// // Dreams // Story: A Drink // by Chemtest //------------------------------// Darius was always a curious zebra, in both meanings of the word, and his position as Emperor had done nothing but boost that curious nature more. Thus, finding himself in the richest city in the world, within the palace of the most powerful leader, he found himself wandering. The Palace is an expansive work of art in itself, it’s corridors made of gold and marble, covered in the finest artifacts and foreign gifts. Rugs from Buffalo, paintings by the finest Griffon artists, Zebrican silks and mosaics, and Minotaurian tapestries from their old days of independence. Anyone could spend their entire life studying just a single hall, let alone an antechamber or the throne room itself. However, what is most fascinating about Canterlot’s palace are the many hidden hallways, hidden only by tricks of psychology and optical illusions, but elsewise open completely. One hallway is shaped in such a particular manner that one would think it’s just a short inlet barely two feet deep, but upon stepping in it would be revealed it’s actually a long hallway of at least fifteen feet, connecting two halls as a shortcut. If one trots that way, they would see a stained glass window halfway down the hall, which, upon trying to touch, would be revealed as just a reflection from a much larger room. It is into this room that Darius trots now, seeing that the entire room is dedicated to different stained glass windows. He looks around, admiring them all in turn. One of them show the chimera form of Discord, though his eyes lack the yellow they would in the future. He is shown laughing, clinking a glass with a faceless unicorn, while all around him ponies party and feast. Beside him is another window, one of King Sombra, wearing a blue cape and lacking any purple flames in his eyes. It shows him at the front of a herd of Crystal ponies, braving through a blizzard. Between Discord and Sombra is the largest window in the room, shining brightly in the brilliant light. It shows off the form of a stallion, with wings bigger than most ponies, and a horn long enough to pierce through a pony from the side. His coat is an ocean blue, his calm eyes a leafy green, with his mane red and orange, like fire, and his tail grey, like stone. He looks forward, wearing a small but ornate circlet around his head, containing a gem in the front that seems to be every color at once, and yet no color at all. Surrounding him are dozens of ponies, all bowing, while the sun and moon rest above and below his outstretched wings, respectively. Darius takes out a little journal, writing down on it, “Fascinating piece of art… I shall have to ask about it.” He then turns around, barely able to take in a window of an armored Pegasus mare and a regal Griffon before he is blinded by orange fire, “What in the blazes?!” He blinks rapidly, clearing his eyes, and looking to the source of the light. There, he sees a rather young looking mare, wearing heavy and shiny plate armor, an insignia of the sun emblazoned on the front. Her coat is a bright yellow, and her mane a bright orange, the tips of which burn with equally bright orange fire. She trots closer to him, “You aren’t supposed to be here, nerd.” He takes a small step back, “Well, there is nothing saying that. It is really a marvel in here, isn’t i-“ He’s cut off by her, “Don't care, nerd, I’m not a nerd and art shouldn’t exist for another two hundred years.” He pauses, and looks at her, “You’re a Paladin. Yet also a demon, from the burning mane.” She grins, “Damn, you’re more perceptive than the last striped nerd I met. Then again, he was blind.” Darius nods, “You know Fatecaster Knip, then, speaking of a blind zebra. A distant uncle of the Royal line due to his divi-“ She cuts him off again, “Cousin, not uncle, nerd, and idiot, plus ratio.” Darius slowly nods, “Judging by your odd way of speaking, you must be an Insanity. Perhaps Lady-“ She grins, cutting him off, “D. Squire D, Pala-Din, Insani-D, choose whatever you will but don’t wear it out. And you’re Emperor Darius.” Darius nods, “Yes, and I’ve read about you. The Terror of Hoofington, it called you. The Destroyer of Trottingham. The Great De-Winger. The Demon of the Sun.” D rolls her eyes, “You cut off one pair of wings and suddenly you’re ‘the great de-winger’. Okay, Darius, shut up and stop distracting me.” He shakes his head, “I’m afraid I won’t j-“ She reaches up, closing his mouth with a hoof, “Shut up, nerd. I’m playing the long game here and I need to make sure everything goes perfectly. The proper foals made, the correct lessons learned, the right battles fought. I need to get you with Sun-Ass.” He frowns, smacking her hoof away, “Do not refer to her as such.” She grins, “You can’t tell me what to do, you aren’t my mom. Now, I want you to get with Celestia, because she needs you, Darius. She likes nerds, and you’re a nerd, she also likes compliments to her legs. So, take a seat, and Momma D is gonna tell you how to seduce a princess.” Persistent Smile had always had vivid dreams. As a foal, she suffered from many nightmares, nightmares of her being in another filly’s body, a Pegasus, being bullied all throughout school. She’d wake up, of course, crying as fillies do, confiding in her parents and finding comfort within them. Her other moms would always try their best to help, but only the two that made her could truly get her to calm down. They reminded her, always, that the dreams weren’t real, and that she was safe. But the dreams had always seemed so real. One day after class, even, she ran home and wrote a letter to the address she saw in her dreams. Of course, this came back with nothing, said address didn’t even exist, but this did attract the attention of the Princess. She came to Fillydelphia and went to Smile’s school, giving a speech there to the foals about the importance of honesty and mental wellness. She ended it off by mentioning how any foal could write her at any time if they needed help, planting a seed in the young filly’s mind. That night, after writing to the Princess, the little filly had another nightmare. Her bully was beating her small dream Pegasus form, but he was turned to ash and her wounds disappeared as the Princess herself appeared in her dream. She told the small Smile about a secret group of ponies, the Dream Agents, and how one of these ponies would help her with her nightmares from now on. She ended off the night by teaching Smile how to fly in her dream Pegasus form, and taught her the importance of shining bright for everyone else. From that night forward, every time she had a nightmare, her special Dream Agent would come and vanquish the nightmare. Her Agent was a funny stallion named Corny, and would always leave her waking up with a smile. As she grew older and older, she learned more about Corny, about how he was confined to a wheelchair and used his humor and Dreamwalking to still feel useful. As she grew into a teenager, and then into a mare, he became her best friend, and a second father figure. He was old, much older, than her, and had a lot of wisdom to give. Currently, Smile sits, the young age of 22, wearing a light blue dress, and occasionally looking out of the window. She’s just sent a letter to Corny yesterday, asking for him to come over and meet her parents. Not only her parents, but the entire herd, had been so welcoming that they all left in a carriage to go pick up Corny from the train station, leaving her alone in the house. She smiles brightly as she waits, deciding to snooze the time away. Blood. That’s the first thing she notices in her new dream. Her hooves are coated with it, her mouth carries a knife coated in it, some of it leaks from a cut near her eye. In front of her, it comes from a deep cut in her bully’s neck, spilling out his life force. Her wings are flared out, either in anger or fear, and she pants, breathing in more of the iron smell. She looks up wildly as the gigantic form of the Princess lands in front of her, hard magenta eyes glaring at her. She frowns, mouth tightening around the knife, with her lowering down into a better stance. The Princess frowns back, ripping the blade free of the knife and throwing it far away, before then speaking in a quietly stern voice, “Sweet Dreams. You are a very troubled mare.” Sweet scowls, dropping the handle of the knife, “You don’t know anything.” Celestia narrows her eyes, “Bow.” Sweet frowns, stepping closer, “No.” Celestia frowns more, “That was not a request, but an order. You have murdered a stallion, that alone can give you many years in prison. But you are useful. Bow, and perhaps I’ll consider forgetting what I’ve seen.” Sweet scowls, slowly getting down and bowing. Celestia nods, “Good pony. You might think your life is worth nothing, but I will remake you. There’s a place for troubled ponies like you.” Her mane catches ablaze, and her eyes turn orange, as she leans down, horn lighting up like fire, “And it isn’t in a dream.” Smile wakes back up with a start, hearing knocking on the door. She quickly gets up, and gallops over, opening the door, seeing the mailmare has arrived, looking solemn as she gives over a letter. Smile slowly takes the letter, almost looking at it, before a voice much like Celestia’s speaks, “You remember this day, Smile.” She looks up, seeing Celestia, with fiery mane and eyes, where the mailmare stood before. She blinks, “P-Princess?” The fire Celestia snorts, “Much more than that, but not yet, Sweet Dream.” Smile tilts her head, “What? That’s the name of my dream self, silly.” She trots into the house, “That is what you think. But those dreams all were awfully real, and your memories… aren’t. What do your parents look like?” Smile blinks, “Well, they look like me, right?” She looks at Smile, “That isn’t a question that should be answered with a question. This is a dream, a memory. That letter tells you about how your family and your best friend is dead. Then you go to Canterlot and speak with Celestia. I ask you, what did the mailmare look like?” Smile blinks again, “Well… like the mailmare?” She shakes her head, “You don’t remember, because that’s too detailed. Smile, do you trust me?” Smile slowly nods, “I… well, who are you?” “Your true ruler.” She trots up to smile, offering a hoof, “When you wake up, you will be the beginning of the end of the greatest villain the world has seen. You just must go to Cloudsdale.”