//------------------------------// // The Story // Story: A Story From A Dream // by FiMFigment //------------------------------// There she was, holding that ampule of mischief....perhaps that vile vial. All that needs to be said is that the potion inside is more than frowned upon, in the groups in which it is known, at least. It is thought to be the greatest blessing possible, but stories prove time and time again that whoever is afflicted by it will sooner or later realize its curse. I had not choice but to back away from her and that....that thing. I did not want to be anywhere near it, even though I had spend most of my life above its burial site, hoping to protect anypony foolish enough to attempt to take and drink of it. The feeling, no, pain that one of those fools was my very own student hurt so much beyond pain I have ever felt. We were coming closer and closer to that ledge that flanks my cottage, the rest is surrounded by the vast expanse of forrest. I could no longer look into her eyes, it hurt too much to think of her taking the...eternity...ah there was its name, the potion of eternity. How could such a simple name have escaped me? Though, it wasn't possible to look into her eyes either way, not with my gaze drawn to the ampule in her telekinetic grasp. Oh, how can I think that she is the fool, if it was MY purpose to protect it. I should not have taken up an apprentice before I even mastered being the guardian of such a dangerous artifact myself. Maybe I could convince her to give it back? Maybe she is not fully drawn into its false promises yet? Either way, I had to try something, and other options no longer existed. We stepped over the salt circle. "Please, don't be an imbecile! Have I not taught you enough times what happens to somepony who dares drink of that?" "Oh please," she countered. Not good! Not good at all! "You must have known this would happen, surely? You should have seen that nopony wants to become an old mumbling fool like you!" Those words, those terrible words. Had she been leading me with a carrot for the past 8 years? Had the pony I had come to love as a daughter only thought of me as a means to an end? It broke my heart to think of such a situation being our reality. "You have to listen to me," I pleaded. "Please, you know you will only be cursed. Nothing more! Do you have no love in your heart? Anypony you will ever love will die in your hoo-" The pain stopped. Why would it- I noticed a coolness spreading throughout me, tears filled my eyes, my thoughts, jumbled by time, became clear as day. When my gaze shifted down onto myself I realized the issue...or would it be the solution to my issues? Ah, a hole, that explains the loss of...everything. I looked up again, it was getting harder and harder to see through the darkness and tears, but there she was....her horn winding down. A sneer on her muzzle. I could see her telekinesis wrapping around the vile again, and... Goodness, What must have been only a heart beat or two for her felt like an eternity for me, but even eternities must end. Mine did, when my fall began. Heh, it is almost funny how things turned out. What would my kin think? An earth pony studying magic and failing to guard magical artifacts? Inconceivable! Ah, earth, how I missed you, even when you will end this beautiful moment for me. *flash* She had done it. The scream that wanted to emanate out of me never could, there was no more energy left in me. But I learned my lesson. If there is anything beyond, I will never allow myself to become so blinded again. I would never want her to become happy again! I...I....don't think I want peace...I want revenge...and nothing else. *impact* "Ssso, what do we have here?" it giggled. Nothing. The snake repeated itself: "I ssaid, what do we have HERE?" What? "RISE." How can I see? How can I hear? How can I....be? "Hello, old baron." "How are you talking to me? And how am I talking to you?" "Ah," she said. "That is a good question, you are a spirit." "So I did die...how could sh-" any words I attempted to say were interrupted by the intense burning hatred I felt. "You are angry. You are hurt," she said, leaving a moment to let me steep in my own frustration. "How does a deal sound?" That got me to stop. "A what?" "A deal...I help you obtain the revenge you desire so much, and in return you do something for me. How does that sound?" The audacity of her words almost made me furious again. "I have been around magic and magic beings long enough to know not to take deals from strangers. Snakes seem especially sinister." "Ah, you are wiser than you seem," she overflowed with sarcasm. "I do not want your deal, no matter how much you wheedle me...like..." Like her. "I take your deal." "I could add onto my offer, if that is what you- you take the deal?!" "Yes, but I have a condition. I have learned from experience." "Very well, though you surprise me. Your attitude seems so...much like an old friend. What is your condition?" "I keep my sanity and my mind." Even with her...simplistic physique, it was easy to see the snake tense up. Through her teeth she whispered a small, "Very well." She approached, slowly. I took a step back, maybe I had let my anger get the better of me? I should take it back, maybe there is something else I can do to... right I am doing this for revenge. She lifted her head into an attack position. I am doing this because of what she did to me. She strikes. I hate her. I woke up in... darkness. What? It had been midday, certainly. Where exactly am I? "..." What?! Why can I not speak?! I tried to move my forehooves under me to stand up, but there was....nothing. The Snake must have tricked me. "Would you come out now? It pains me to see one of my young possessed, the least you could do is hurry," a familiar voice said, almost exasperated. The Snake, she is still here? I tried moving, it...came to me. I can not explain it, potentially a sort of muscle memory or mind magic? This would be very interesting to experiment on. I am certainly a snake, but what wou- Right, I should move towards that voice. If I am her young, then she wouldn't attack me, right? Wait...if I am a snakelet, doesn't that mean I am much sm- ... It was daunting. As I left the cave I saw the snake, but she was seemingly meters taller than I was. While my eyes adjusted to the light she almost looked god-like. Like seeing Princess Celestia of Equestria for the first time. I should visit that nation once again, it was so vast and varrie- "Hello, baron, how are you feeling?" "W...at..dit...yoo...do?" I croaked out. "I am doing my part of the deal, but the next part is yours to complete." I tilted my head in confusion. "You, as you are, must become your heart," the Snake explained pointing to...my body. My body. It looked....dreadful. Like it had been there for days. How long had all of this taken me? It was her fault! Full of resolution, I turned my awkward body to the Snake and asked, "H..ow doo.....do thet?" "Ah, that is another good question. You must figure that out yourself, I may not help you." Helpful. I slithered to the...corpse. Looking for any clues as to how to do the impossible. Though with magic anything is possible, I suppose. Especially dark magic, and soulmancy and necromancy easily fell into that category. ... Where was I? ... Oh, body. I saw the cavity. It used to house a heart, and from the looks of it some lung and ribs. All taken from me by the monster I saw as a daughter. Maybe that the darn thing was the exact reason I died.....heh, ironic. What in tartarus am I supposed to do?! I tried going inside... Yeah, there was some magic there, my sense for magic was never that great (obviously, I wasn't a unicorn), but I think this magic is more emotional. Magic is influenced quite a bit by emotion and desire, of course, but emotional magic is a-whole-nother tome to read. It is quite hard to control, as it will also change your own emotion, which can make casting rather unstable, according to scholars who can actually cast spells. But it also has some questionable ethics, you see it takes something out of the caster's very being, to change the emotions of another, and the castee will likely also be hurt by- Focus! I think that I am on the right path, but one of the challenges in life is that nopony knows if they are on the right path until the trotted to the end. ....life.... The thing she took away from me. *a light* Huh, it seems to be working. Of course! Emotional magic becomes exponentially more powerful with the emotions of the caster....the caster. Am I casting a spell? She cast a spell on me. A....feeling. Some sort of feeling overwhelms me, it isn't purely physical or emotional, it is something else as well. It is everything. And nothing. Wait... I leave the cavity of my......heart again. The Snake views me with curiosity. "What are you doing?" I pay her no real heed. I attempt to take the locket of my.....friend....out of my hoof-holster and slowly bring it back. If it doesn't work, I don't want to lose everything. Lose everything like SHE caused me to. Once again anger flares up inside of me and I am *gone* She loved life. There is nothing better than the feeling in your prime for 20 years. He was wrong.....and that makes her feel bad. She...was different then. She had no idea what she wanted. She had murdered somepony. Somepony who cared for her. Somepony who...trusted her. "Ah, ignore such thoughts," she told herself. It was a beautiful morning in the village she had come to be an active member of and she was happy. Life could not be any better for her. "Good Morning Young Lady," exclaimed Mr. Flour, the local baker. "Mornin' Rising Flour, how was you trip to the north? I heard there were quite severe storms up there!" "No storm could take the view of my beautiful homeland, but it was very tedious to travel anywhere!" That made her wonder... "Did you meet Celestia personally?" Rising could barely contain his laughter, and exclaimed that, "Nopony could just stomp into the princess's throne room and just say 'Hi.'" "But you said you used to be quite important, you were a guard!" "Yes, but even an ex-guard can't simply trot up to Celestia." "Hmm, well....maybe one day you will?" "I doubt it, she must either way be busy, with the upcoming celebration." "Oh yeah, weren't you there because of it?" "Yes, but other matters brought me home." She was starting to get a little sick of this conversation that's just there for the author to tell the reader when/where this story is taking place. "Well, I hope you will meet her one day, maybe I will, but have a nice day!" "I doubt any of us will meet her, but you as well!" So they departed, and she started on her way to the town's coffee shoppe, just like every other day. *step* "Finally." The salt ring has finally completely worn off! It has been so long since I have seen my own home. So long since I have seen the books within. So unbelievably long since I have had tea. ... It was not in good shape. The wood had visibly begun decaying and anything within that was perishable has.....perished. Yet, it was home. My home........ it also was her home It still hurts to think of the betrayal of that monster, all those summers ago. Even her bed was still here, reeked of her. I can find her. But I would have to leave the forrest. My only shelter. My only sustenance. Ooh, how she loved the late macchiato. The Coffee Shoppe had this waitress, she made the best coffee in the entire town. She could sip on it for hours on end, if it wasn't all gone within a few minutes. He sat down. "Um, hello Mr....?" "Hello, Lora." "WHAT?! No!" She did not mean to yell that so loudly. Everybody turned to look at her, even Max.....who was blind. "So, Bella Flora, how has your life been? Mine has....well it has not, in a way." "How....how? You should be-" she caught herself and fell into a whisper, "oh, I am so happy you are alive! I am not a murderer!" "Those feeling are only one way, I must inform you. And you ARE a MURDERER!" He yelled that, now she would have to use that memory wiping spell again. ... They were walking down the street. It was a while before anypony spoke. "So, are you a ghost?" "No, more of a spirit." "Why do you look like that." He looked at himself, in a flash he was.....normal. Like he used to look, just younger, less tired. "And if your question pertains to my facial expression, I am considering how to kill you." "WHAT?!" "Isn't it obvious? I am here to take revenge." "But....wait, I can't die!" ... After thinking for a moment, she looks back at him. Where did he go? Ah, there he is.....trying to bite my neck.....are those canines? "Would you stop? I can not die, you were wrong, I am as happy as can be." Her life was perfect. "You think that now. Wait until the curse of the potion you took all those years ago rears its beautiful head! You will one day notice how terrible of a mistake you have committed, and you will come back begging for mercy. I know just what I have to do." "What?" "Wait..."