The Minstrel's Coda
Chapter 7: Stroll with Twilight
"Hey Twilight. Hold up!" I shouted to Twilight as she was quite a way in front of me.
"No, how about you hurry up slowpoke!" Twilight said in a joking manner toward me.
"Ugh! Fine!" I shouted as I picked up the pace up to jogging speed to be able to catch up with her, panting heavily in the process.
"Wow you are really out of shape." Twilight joked as she turned her head back to look at me, while she continued her trot forward, and stuck her tongue out at me.
"Am not!" I panted back, hurrying my jog to a full out run just to be able to catch up with her. "I'm just... You've tired me out lately!"
"All I'm hearing are excuses." Twilight said in a singing voice, as she brought her head back forward.
"Oh yeah?" I responded as I finally caught up to her and kept pace at her side.
"Yep." Twilight answered as she closed her eyes in pride.
"OH fine... you know how to tire me out. I admit it... sometimes too well." I said shamefully as I looked toward her.
"Now that's more like it." Twilight commented with a smile. Her eyes opening and meeting mine.
There was something about this mare's eyes that I could get lost in just by looking at them. It could be the fact that she just had beautiful eyes and they were pleasing to look at, but to me staring into her eyes was much more. I felt that every time I had this happen, I felt like I was reading her soul. Down right to her every essence, and sensing that she was sincere and caring, and that I was always on her mind. Just like, even in the most dire situations, I always had her in my mind. Never a forethought, always a priority, and I knew I would always do my best to keep it that way.
However the longer I stared into her eyes. I felt an overbearing presence, as if the world was pressing down on me and as if it was ready to collapse. Slowly I remembered the dream of seeing Meadow Song crying in front of the statue due to the uneasiness. Feeling a sense of dread by the image that had just been placed in my head. Followed by the words that Twilight had told me weeks ago, "Maybe you're subconscious is trying to tell you something."
"Yes Kini?" Twilight asked, noticing that I was staring into her eyes both of us coming to a full stop.
"Oh... I'm sorry... I... just." I struggled to answer, pulling my eyes away from hers.
"Is something wrong?" Twilight responded.
"No. I just find your eyes extremely beautiful." I commented with a sense of worry set in, with light tears rolling down my face, feeling that this would be the last time I would say this phrase.
"Thank you Kini. This is why I love you." Twilight stated and smiled lightly. "Because you just know what to say that will make a mare happy."
"Hey Twi... Have you ever felt like... some day's might be your last?" I asked feeling the anxiousness follow the sense of worry, quickly raising my front right hoof to wipe the tears from my face.
"Why do you say that Kini?" Twilight questioned and noticed my uneasiness.
"I don't know... I just... I had a feeling just overtake me, I... I don't know. Maybe I'm... I really don't know." I struggled to answer again. Slowly looking at our surroundings seeing that we had just passed Derpy's cottage, standing in front of Sugar Cube Corner.
"Kini, if there is something wrong, you need to tell me. I'm here for you." Twilight reassured.
"I don't know how to explain it..." I stated, sighing heavily afterward. "I just felt an immense sense of dread, as I looked into your eyes. I had a feeling that it may be the last time get the chance to do this."
"Don't say that... I'm sure its nothing Kini." Twilight commented as she attempted to comfort me with her words.
"Well... I'm not so sure Twilight."
"What do you mean."
"Well you told me before, when I was trying to figure out the mystery involving Meadow Song, that sometimes your subconscious has a way of reaching out to you to tell you something. Especially when I told you the odd dreams I was having shortly after I ran into that pony." I explained.
"Yes I remember telling you that." Twilight commented.
"Well here is the odd thing Twilight, a lot of those dreams that I had, each and every single one, but two of them. My escape from my execution and the recurring dream I'm having now, which oddly enough was the first dream I had after meeting him, were the only dreams that had nothing to do with him. My dreams literally reached into my past, reminding me the stories of the bard who played the Song of Ragnarok prior to me."
"Ok so?" Twilight said curiously.
"So, what I'm trying to say is that, my dreams almost gave me the world's biggest suspicion that Meadow Song, was, and is Aldo. My dreams and subconscious pretty much handed the answer to me on a silver platter, and now that I'm having this expanded dream of the Queen returning, and now this new one..."
"Wait... what new one." Twilight interrupted.
"Well. I felt it wasn't important to mention, because it finally broke this cycle." I tried to explain.
"What's the new one? Why didn't you tell me?" Twilight demanded.
"I didn't think much of it... but as I looked into your eyes just a few moments ago. The dream's most unsettling image popped up in my head." I commented.
"What was it Kini?" Twilight asked.
"I dreamed of Meadow Song... He was in front of a statue of some pony I couldn't make out. But he was crying, as if he was extremely upset and sad. I felt the emotion come from the dream and it was an extreme feeling of despair. Seeing how he acted, completely distraught and broken. Not knowing why he was crying, but seeing his tears roll down his face and down his snout as well, made the feeling worse. Even now... just retelling the dream... I can feel it." I said, pausing momentarily to wipe the tears that had rolled down my face from the explanation. "He made subtle gestures, showing that he missed some pony, leaving a small gift behind at the statue..."
"So you think something bad is going to happen to Meadow Song?" Twilight asked.
"I don't know... but considering my past dreams and what they've showed me... now seeing the Queen return, and seeing Meadow Song crying. I can't help but just... ask myself... could they be warning me now?"
"Maybe they might."
"Don't you have a book on interpreting dreams Twilight?" I questioned.
"I do, but nothing on from the perspective that you're trying to figure out. I'm sorry Kini." Twilight explained.
"That's alright... I just keep trying to tell myself that I'm paranoid, because every time a dream like this pops into my head... it stays there and eats at me." I commented.
"How long has been this going on... with you're dreams?"
"Ever since I met Meadow Song, even when I met him and started dreaming about his origins, I became obsessed with figuring him out. Even now... with the recurring dream and this new one... I feel it slowly consuming me... I fear that just like before..." I tried to explain but was interrupted.
"That they might mean more than just a dream." Twilight finished my sentence.
"Exactly... I feel that there might be more to it than it just being a dream. But there is one last thing that make's it all just very worry some." I said with a chill run up my spine.
"What is it?"
"Ever since I arrived in Equestria and became a pony, I did not dream, and if I did, I never remembered them. The only time I started dreaming was when I met Meadow Song." I explained, shivering lightly.
"You can't be serious." Twilight responded quickly. "Every pony dreams, even I dream, every night, and I can vaguely remember what happened."
"Which is fine, back when I lived in Midgard, every night, I would dream also, but it was just upon me coming to Equestria and became a pony, it changed. Because even in the short time in Equestria that I was a human, I dreamed at least once, and that was of Satan Morroc coming to consume me directly. But ever since that it and becoming a pony, it went blank. So... its disturbing to me." I mentioned.
"This is unheard of. Do you really think that you didn't dream at all prior to meeting Meadow Song and being a pony? Only ponies who are crazy have been reported to have this." Twilight explained.
"So then obviously I must be crazy." I stated in a sarcastic but joking manner.
"I don't think you're crazy Kini." Twilight commented.
"So then, how can their be a connection between not having dreams and being crazy? Has there ever been a study about normal ponies who are just like you and... well I'm not a good example. But just normal ponies in general who have been reported to not dream or remember their dreams at all?" I retorted.
"I don't think so... but I don't think that anypony has ever thought of such a study."
"Maybe you should lead it then. Because trust me I'd love to know why I'm feeling this way, and why I've only been dreaming since the incident in Canterlot." I commented.
"Maybe I can look into it... perhaps suggest it to Princess Celestia and see where it goes from there... because I'm sure we'd need to have ponies to study and you can't just randomly ask someone off the street. Results won't be consistent or valid." Twilight stated.
"Twi..." I stated with a monotone voice.
"Yes Kini?" She responded quickly.
"I'm just afraid... that's all. Let's step back for a second and say that hypothetically it is proven that my dreams are telling me something, based off previous results. That could mean that these dreams I'm having now, could be foreshadowing things to come, or warning me of things to come. I don't completely understand why Meadow Song would be crying, even though I have an immense sense of dread, even just by muttering that dream aloud." I said as I shivered lightly. "But what is plain as day, is the fact that I've had a dream regarding the Xellie that started with a simple image. The dream slowly evolved, and expanded into what it is now. What if the dream is a literal representation of her returning... Could it be that she's here in Equestria now?"
"Kini I really don't know... but you shouldn't let you bother you this much. Dreams even though you can pull information from... I just can't see them being a warning of the future." Twilight contested.
"Twi, but this really is bothering me... Every time I dream this, or even think about it. I feel completely uneasy, even now. It's just too uncanny for the coincidences, not dreaming prior to meeting Meadow Song, the past dream references... there is just something going on here I can't explain." I tried to explain contesting her counter point.
"Ugh... I hate when some pony uses the explainable... Just like with Pinkie and her Pinkie sense. Perhaps you're right..." Twilight seceded.
"Pinkie sense? This is the second time I've actually heard this reference... but what is it?" I questioned.
"Trust me even I can't explain that one... But let's say you are right, and the dreams are warning you. What can you really do?" Twilight asked.
"I don't know... I can just stay observant and vigilant, but other than that... I don't know what I can really do." I responded.
"So don't let it bother you this much, the time will come if you believe you're dreams are warning you. But I believe in you Kini, I know you'll be ready if something does happen. You always have been." Twilight reassured and quickly pecked me on the cheek. "Now come on... we have to get to Sweet Apple Acres and go help AJ out." She mentioned slowly trying to comfort me.
"You're right... there is only so much I can do... I just hope that I am ready if something does happen... Hey... mind if I ask a favor?" I asked.
"What is that Kini?" Twilight answered back.
"Have I ever shown you where I made my entrance in Equestria?" I questioned.
"No... come to think of it you've never shown me."
"Come... follow me. It's near Applejack's." I stated as I picked back up walking, leading the way.
As we trotted along. I couldn't help constantly feeling that something major was coming my way. I felt the uneasiness still sitting with me. I knew that my dreams were trying to warn me of something to come. I knew that it could be of the Queen returning, and that she'd be after me. But the one dream I could not make any sense of, was the one of Meadow Song, but every time I thought about it. I had felt an over bearing sense of dread and despair, but why?
End of Chapter 7.