//------------------------------//
// First Left Step 
// Story: Dreamquestria 
// by TheBBofC 
//------------------------------//

BEEP!  BEEP!  BEEP!  BEEP!

Although Stephen’s alarm was just as unpleasant as it always was, this morning, he woke up feeling better than he had previous mornings.  Perhaps those last few hours of rest at Fluttershy’s did the trick.  The thought was not even there for a full second before getting pushed out by more logical explanations.  Perhaps this is finally starting to wear off, Stephen’s consciousness loudly drowned out the original thought as he reached over to silence his alarm.  Now that the blaring siren was quiet, it was time to walk over to his dresser, shut off his webcam’s recording and log the night’s activities in his journal.
Stephen went to walk to his dresser.  But when he took his first left step of the day, the ankle went limp in protest.  Stephen thudded against the floor before he knew what was happening.  Then he was greeted by a searing, pulsating pain that shot through is leg and emulated from his left ankle.
The sprain had done a great job of catching him off guard and now it was also succeeding at clouding his judgment.  Not knowing what to do, Stephen instinctually curled up into the fetal position and rubbed his ankle in hopes that the pain would go away.  After a moment, it had receded slightly and allowed Stephen to think again.  So he placed a hand on top of his bed and hoisted himself onto it.  His heart still racing from the initial shock, he took a moment to recover before trying to walk again.  This time, he slowly put his left foot on the ground and very gradually eased his weight onto it.  It wasn’t long before the ankle started stinging again so he quickly jumped forward and got back onto his right foot.
Stephen limped around his bed and to the dresser his laptop sat on, hoping the whole way there that his recording would reveal something that would make sense of this sprain.  Anything captured on video would be helpful.  Be it Stephen tossing himself oddly in his sleep, sleepwalking, or even an intruder somehow breaking into his house for the sole purpose of twisting his ankle while he slept.  Anything would be more logical than the other possibility.  
Pressing most of his weight against the dresser, he stopped his laptop’s camera from recording.  Picking it up, he hopped backwards and sat on the foot of his bed.  Once it was ready, he played the file from the beginning and tapped the fast-forward button a few times.  Over the course of about fifteen minutes he watched nearly nine hours of footage with a tunnel-vision level of focus that he hadn’t used since taking the SAT.  Through the entire video, Stephen laid perfectly still in his bed from the time he laid down to the time his alarm went off.  Stephen knew he was a sound sleeper but he also knew that he would occasionally toss or turn in his sleep.  This, on the other hand, was like watching a lifeless body in fast motion for fifteen minutes.  Nor were there any nocturnal intruders.  At no point in time could he have sprained his ankle.
Stephen felt his eyes grow wide as his mind almost completely blanked out, leaving only the last thing he wanted to believe.  For the second time in a week, his entire consciousness turned to pure fear and became a broken record.  This time, it played the words, It’s real, on loop.
Regardless, it was time to start the day.  Stephen limped into his bathroom with the broken record echoing through his brains.  During a ten-minute shower, he was only present of mind long enough to wash his hair.  The rest of the time, his brain continued to echo; It’s real.  Afterwards, he staggered to his closet and painfully dressed himself with, It’s real, refusing to shut off inside his head.  Going down the stairs, Stephen had to lean himself against the wall and grip the railing with both hands as to keep as much weight off his left foot as possible.  With each step, his mind repeated, It’s real.  By this time, the single thought had become so prevalent and distracting that he completely forgot about cleaning his teeth, his room or his kitchen.  He might have forgotten to eat breakfast if his stomach hadn't growled loud enough to remind him.  
If there was anything to be thankful for this morning, it was the fact that this revelation wasn’t so distracting that he’d forget about eating.  Now that he knew it was real, he would have to do all he could to keep his energy up.  So skipping breakfast was simply not an option.  Once Stephen finished breakfast, he found a second thing he could be thankful for.  Given, his left ankle was sprained when he fell out of a second-story window.  But at least it wasn’t his right ankle.  Otherwise, driving to work would have been a painful experience.  
If it weren’t for the ambience of the surrounding traffic, the drive towards work would have been silent as he analyzed the situation.  Equestria and Ponyville were real.  That meant everything Twilight said was real.  That meant everything that happened to Stephen during the last five nights was real too.  He had already woken up with several bruises from Twilight’s diagnostic spells and now he had sprained his ankle too.  But these were minor injuries considering everything else that could have happened.  What if Twilight hadn’t been at Pinkie Pie’s door when Stephen went through the window?  He would have hit the hard ground flat on his back or headfirst from at least ten feet up.  That would have likely meant a broken back, broken neck, brain damage, crushed skull or any combination.  Or what if Applejack or Fluttershy hadn’t been able to save him during his encounters with the timberwolves?  Would his human body have simply died while his equine body was being devoured or would Selena have entered his room to find him mysteriously mauled and gnawed on?  What horrors did future nights have in store for him?
These thoughts continued until he pulled into the pharmacy across the street from the office building.  There, he bought an ankle brace, sports wraps and ice packs.  Stephen had never sprained his ankle before but he remembered Doctor Stable’s advice as clearly as he would have remembered it if it had been told to him while he was awake.  But that was because Stephen was indeed awake when Doctor Stable advised him.  There was no denying that anymore.  However, he did need to ask a pharmacist to teach him how to wrap his ankle.  Thankfully, they obliged.  Afterwards, Stephen slipped the brace over his foot and strapped it tight.  The added support on the sprained ankle made walking back to his car much easier.
As soon as Stephen punched in, he slowly made his way to the kitchen and threw his ice packs in the freezer.  On his way out, he grabbed one of the break room chairs.  Ignoring all of the confused looks from his coworkers, Stephen limped to his cubicle with the chair in tow.
Mere seconds after Stephen sat at his desk, Damien appeared at his cubicle’s entrance.  “Hey there, Stephen.  You know you’re not supposed to take chairs out of the break room, right?”
“I need it today.  Any weight on that foot hurts,” Stephen said shortly as he set his left leg on the chair.
“What’s with the cast?” Damien asked with a raised eyebrow.
“It’s just a brace.”  Stephen booted up his computer and did whatever he could to avoid eye contact with Damien.  Hopefully ignoring the problem would make it go away.
“Well you’ll have to put that chair back before lunch.  What if someone needs it and can’t sit because you’re hogging?”  There were at least ten other chairs in the break room and most of the people that worked here went out for lunch anyway.  But Stephen didn’t want to argue with Damien, lest he risk causing a problem just four days before his reviews.  He had too much on his mind already anyway.  “What the heck did you do to yourself anyway?”  Damien continued.
Stephen wanted to think up a believable lie.  But any chance of that happening was foiled when It’s real, rang loudly and annoyingly through his mind once again.  Now too much time had passed and even if Stephen could have thought of something, Damien would have guessed it wasn’t the truth and the problem would only persist.  “I fell out of a second-story window,” he said.
Both of Damien’s eyebrows shrugged.  “That’s no good,” he said insincerely.  “How did that happen?”
“I guess you could say I was horsing around at a party.”
“Well you should know better than to party too much the night before you have to work anyway.”
Stephen felt his exhausted and irritated mind fog up the same way it did when he lost his temper with Spike, or most recently, with Twilight.  He was about to snap back but thankfully, he caught himself before he could.  “I guess you’re right,” Stephen mumbled.  
A smirk appeared on Damien’s face.  “Plus, how can you expect to ever get ahead in this company if you don’t act responsibly in your off time?  I’ve seen a lot of people lose their jobs when bad habits like that go unchecked.”
What was that supposed to mean?  Was it a threat?  Was Damien just trying to get under his skin?  Whatever it was, Stephen didn’t take the bait.  “Yeah, sure,” he said coldly.  Clearing his throat, he made sure he was calm before continuing.  “If you’ll excuse me, the phone is probably going to start ringing soon.  Have a good day.”  Stephen made sure his tone was as plain as possible while searching his computer for something productive to do.  Out of his peripheral vision, Stephen saw Damien give him his usual cocky shrug before leaving him alone.
For the first time since Stephen started working here, the day actually got easier when the calls started coming in.  Whatever Stephen could do to divert his attention away from the broken record in his head was welcome.  Even the dense customers were a pleasure to deal with today.  On top of that, it was Monday now so the calls were coming in droves.  Never before had Stephen taken so many calls with such enthusiasm.  

Time flew like a rocket.  Before Stephen had even looked at the clock, it was time for lunch break.  So he made his way over to the deli next door to get another sandwich.  On his way there, he noticed that he missed a call on his cell phone.  So after he got his sub and found a place to sit, he returned the call.
The phone rang a few times before a feminine voice answered.  “This is Doctor Viknesh’s office, how may I help you?”
Thank goodness, Stephen thought to himself.  Even if Equestria was real, perhaps there was something on Earth that could help him.  It was a stretch but he’d be willing to try almost anything at this point.  Since the issue was somehow sleep related, Viknesh’s office would be a good place to start.  “Hello, this is Stephen.  I saw I missed a call from you.”
“Actually that was Viknesh looking for you.  I’ll get him on the phone.”  Smooth jazz music played over the phone when Stephen was put on hold.  Having grown up with Jazz, he recognized the song.  To keep his mind off worrying what may come of this whole ordeal, he hummed along with the song and bobbed his head while he waited for Viknesh to answer.  But then the music became a little too relaxing.  Eyes growing heavy and head growing foggy, Stephen shook himself awake before the exhaustion could overtake him and took a bite from his sub.
While he was chewing, Viknesh picked up the phone.  “Hello, Stephen.”
Stephen rushed his chewing and swallowed before he was ready, almost causing himself to choke it back up.  “Hello, Viknesh.  I heard you tried to get a hold of me?” he said, barely managing to keep the sandwich down.
“Yes, I wanted to see how you were doing.  Any changes?”
Ponyville is real and I’ve almost died at least twice.  “Yes,” Stephen answered while thinking of the realization he made this morning.  But then it occurred to him that Viknesh was probably asking about any changes in how he was sleeping and not how Stephen was travelling to a different dimension.  “I mean, no.”
“Which is it?”  Viknesh asked.
Stephen thought carefully as he spoke.  He wanted to tell Viknesh everything he knew.  However, if he revealed that he believed his dreams were real or how nervous he was, they might think he was crazy.  That would probably bring about consequences he wasn’t yet prepared to deal with.  “I’ve been keeping a journal like you asked me to.  The prescription put me right to sleep and kept me down for fourteen hours.  But I still had those weird dreams and still wasn’t feeling rested when I woke up.  However, I did figure out how to take naps without sleeping.  When I do that I feel a little bit better when I get up.  But nothing has really changed.”
“I see,” said Viknesh.  He paused just long enough to make Stephen feel suspense.  “I think we might want to schedule you for an observation.”
“Actually, I’ve already observed myself,” said Stephen.  “I recorded myself with a webcam last night and watched the video when I woke up this morning.  I am definitely not sleepwalking.”
Viknesh sighed.  "Okay, but there are other things we can see by observing you that you can’t see by recording yourself with a webcam,” Viknesh said bluntly.  “If you’d like, you can send us your footage for your records.  But you’ll still need some actual tests.  We can be ready for you at the beginning of next month, if that works for you.”
The beginning of next month was still at least two weeks away.  Between sleeplessness and Ponyville, how would he survive for that long?  “Can’t we do it sooner?” Stephen asked, trying to conceal his nervousness.  “If you really think you can figure out what’s going on, shouldn’t we do it sooner?”
“We can try,” Viknesh started sounding concerned.  “But it’s unlikely.  Why do you ask?”
He didn’t want to tell Viknesh that Equestria was real.  But perhaps if the doctor thought Stephen’s dreams and injuries were connected, the process would get sped up for his safety.  “Last night I dreamed about falling out of a window and spraining my ankle,” he said as calmly as he could.  “When I woke up this morning, my ankle was sprained.  I watched the whole video that I recorded.  It was nine hours long and I looked like a dead body, flat on my back and wrapped in blankets all night long.”  Stephen started mumbling as his composure waned.  He cleared his throat and took a deep breath before continuing.  “I didn’t even twitch or shift so how is my ankle hurt?”
“That is concerning,” said Viknesh.  There was another pause before he continued.  “Dreams can be pretty convincing.  Sometimes people think they’ve been hurt and then start feeling hurt.  Now, I know you’ve woken up with bruises before but like I said, those could have been caused by anything.  That’s what we’re going to try to find out when we run these tests in a couple of weeks.  Was your ankle swollen when you woke up this morning?”
“Not really,” said Stephen.  “But after I twisted it in the dream, I laid on an ice pack for a couple of hours.”
“Doesn’t that seem convenient to you?”
Stephen didn’t believe that his brain was powerful enough to make him feel this pain just from believing he was hurt.  But he didn’t want to risk pressing the issue any more.  “I guess you’re right,” he said with a sigh.  
“Try not to worry about it, Stephen.  Your dreams can’t hurt you.  But let me know if you wake up with marks on your body again.  Okay?”
“That works, I guess,” said Stephen.  “Even so, it’s been nearly a week and I still don’t feel like I’m sleeping.  I’d rather not wait much longer if it can be avoided.  Is there anything we can do?”
“Hmm…I can’t make any promises right now but I’ll see what I can do.  I’ll call you back and let you know if an opportunity presents itself.”
It wasn’t much, but it was a glimmer of hope nonetheless.  “Thank you,” Stephen said enthusiastically.
“Meanwhile, just be sure to relax.  Take it easy during the day and remember to keep updating that journal.  If you can, try to control your dreams and avoid falling.  You’ll be fine.”
“Will do, Doctor.  Thanks again.”
“Good luck, Stephen,” Viknesh said before they hung up.
Stephen took another bite of his sub as he thought over his predicament.  “This is easy,” he said to himself.  “I’m sure they’ll be able to get me in sooner.  I just have to stay out of Equestria until then.  Then they’ll be able to figure out how this keeps happening and make it all stop, right?”  Stephen repeated the sentiment a couple of times in his head before realizing how far fetched it was.  But despite that, he couldn’t hope for anything else right now.




MEANWHILE IN PONYVILLE…



The group had congregated at the library.  Suitcases were packed and ready to go.  Applejack, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash conversed as they waited for Twilight to finish preparations.  Rarity was as ecstatic as she usually was to visit the city of Canterlot but held her poise while she waited.  Unlike Pinkie Pie, who was excitedly bouncing in place as she proclaimed her anticipation for the fun trip ahead.  All that was needed now was for Twilight and Spike to triple-check their supplies and materials checklist and review the responsibilities.
“It looks like we’ve got everything,” said Twilight with a smile.  “Tell me what you’re going to do while we’re gone,” Twilight asked her assistant.
Spike set down his quill and checklist as he repeated Twilight’s instructions.  “Run the library and tend to Fluttershy’s animals like normal.  Stephen will appear at Fluttershy’s cottage sometime after dinner.  Lead him back here and keep him safe until you get back,” Spike droned, this being the third time he’s recited the list.
“If anyone comes looking for him?” Twilight quizzed.
“Notify you immediately and don’t let them see him until you get back,” Spike said confidently.
“Great, it looks like we’re ready to go then,” said Twilight.
“Oh and don’t forget to take these!” Pinkie Pie zipped up to Spike and dropped a tall stack of board games, four decks of cards and a box of assorted sweets next to Spike.  “That way you two will have plenty to do and won’t get bored while we’re gone,” she said with a smile stretching from ear-to-ear.  Then her eyes lit up and she started cantering in place.  “Oh and don’t forget to lock the windows and close the shutters and watch out for spilled punch and he probably doesn’t want to go up any stairs or play on the second floor of anypony’s house right now just so you know,” she rambled excitedly, making sure to cover every thought she had as soon as it arrived in her mind.
“The train leaves in an hour, Pinkie,” said Rarity pointing to a clock on the other side of the room.
“We’d better get a move-on if we want to get to Canterlot before night,” Applejack said as she threw a suitcase onto her back and lead the other ponies out of the library.
“Okey-dokey!” Pinkie cheered.  She gave Spike a hug before grabbing her suitcase.  “Have fun!” Pinkie called back to Spike as she skipped out of the library.
“You too!” Spike called back before closing the door behind them.

Spike and Owlicious arrived at Fluttershy’s cottage shortly after dinner.  Once there, they went around her house and fed all the animals according to a list that Fluttershy had left for them.  Once that was done, there was nothing to do but wait for Stephen to arrive.  So they sat and they waited.  Then they continued to wait.  Then they waited some more.  
Eventually, the dragon and owl resorted to playing card games with each other.  Spike and Owlicious alternated between games of Memory and Go-Fish for an hour.  Then they moved onto board games while Spike picked at the box of snacks Pinkie had left for him and Stephen.  The games lasted for a couple of hours before Spike passed out, partly because of the fact that it was past midnight and mostly from extreme boredom.   Then only Owlicious was left to wait for Stephen, who never appeared.