A bone chilling warbling howl brought Skywinder to awareness with start. His gaze was flooded with the rusty red of the soil of his homeland while noticed there was also a scattering of pointy bushes populating the area here and there. The heat reminded him of summer, harsh, dry and unforgiving to the point he could already feel the sweat trailing down his withers.
He knew that howl, any Tribesman would. Dust Dingoes.
Snapping to alert the colt's eyes darted to and fro taking in every detail he could as he searched for the origin of the howl. It didn't take him long to notice the vast red surface of the sacred rock, Uluru, or the small foal cowering at it's base.
The foal had a coat of purple and a mane as rusty as the desert sands surrounding it, crimson blood trailed down from numerous injuries, an eye shut tight to prevent blood from seeping in. It had a definite limp and one of it's wings hung limp as if nearly severed. Even from this distance Skywinder could tell the foal was in serious trouble even without the Dust Dingoes still in pursuit.
Worse, the predators knew their prey no longer had the strength to flee.
An ancient tongue, one used by the tribes for trading, formed on the colt's lips and tongue as he tried to scream for someone, anyone, to lend aid to the foal. To his dismay no sound left his lips and his own hooves refused his call to race to the foal.
One of the Dingoes pounced at the foal, sensing it's next meal was just moments away, when a blinding flash forced Skywinder to shut his eyes lest he lose his sight. As the glare died away the colt refocused his sights towards the foal, squinting through the after images of the few bushes that had been between them.
To the colt's surprise the foal lay completely healed and unconscious at the base of the rock and the Dust Dingoes reduced to fawn stains on the desert sands.
Motion in the corner of his eye caught his attention and he turned his attention to the skies. What he saw nearly made his knees buckle as his jaw fell limp.
It was more vibrant, but he would recognise that plumage anywhere.
---
“DAD?!” Skywinder declared as he sprang bolt upright – straight into someone else's nose. Both parties fell back and clutched either their nose or forehead, groaning in pain.
“Owie...” A filly's voice complained will glaring half-heartedly at the colt, “I guess that means you're up, huh?”
The colt grunted in response while rubbing his forehead in pain, “Yeah, but it doesn't explain why you where standing over me...”
“Mummy told me to keep a close eye on you until you woke up.” The filly explained as the colt finally took the time to notice her appearance. A pelt of muted purple graced her delicate features, her well groomed mane, the colour of a pristine coastline, framed her muzzle while a pair of gentle eyes, which seemed to have been made from fragments of the sun itself, gazed back at the colt.
Skywinder maintained eye contact with the filly for a few moments counting the seconds until, “Oh gosh! I should tell Mummy you're awake!” before watching the filly dash out of the room before slowly lowering his face into his hooves.
Between the bashing his head into the filly's jaw and that dream... or vision... he could feel a migraine coming on.
He had never experienced a vision through the Dream before, it usually took years of training and dedication for an Elder in training to learn how to channel the Dream well enough for the Spirits to communicate so directly. They where also supposed to teach lessons to the Elder and the Tribe to help them survive, often using events of the distant past as metaphor...
But what he has seen wasn't like that... was it?
A moment later the familiar form of Cloud Kicker entered the room and Skywinder nodded to her in greeting, his hooves steepled in front of his face as he did so, “So we meet again, Ms Cloud Kicker.”
The purple pegasus blinked at the colt for a moment before choking back a laugh, “You look and sound like a regular Bond villian there kid.” With the colt's only reaction being only the raising of an eyebrow the mare smirked, and with a wave of a hoof added, “Long story and I'm not sure you're old enough to hear it.”
Skywinder grunted and adjusted the pillow so he could set in a sitting position, “So what happened, how long was I out?” he asked with a grumble.
“An old friend of mine, with a reputation for clumsiness, dropped her mail bag right on top of you.” Cloud Kicker chuckled, “Judging from your expression just before it hit I take it that wasn't the first time something got the drop on you?”
“You're right.” Skywinder confirmed, “It's not uncommon for young Gryphoness to use guys as 'target practice' to hone their hunting skills.” He grumbled a bit then added, “I was always a favourite target because I was smaller and more agile then the others... made me harder to 'catch' and thus a better way of demonstrating skill.” He looked Cloud Kicker in the eye and smirked, “Though seeing the less skilled Gryphoness' getting a face full of dirt when I stepped aside was always amusing.”
The elder pegasus chuckled before asking, “So why didn't you dodge earlier?”
“I don't exactly have to worry about getting dive bombed every five minutes in this country.” He explained, “I'm trying to treat this as a kind of holiday while I convince my parents to move back home.”
Cloud Kicker raised a brow in question before asking, “Why wouldn’t you want to stay here? Somepony giving you a hard time? Say the word and I’ll sort them out.”
“No nothing like that.” Skywinder replied forlornly, “Ponyville just isn’t my home. Too green, and the weather is the Serpent’s domain… having ponies change it on a whim just doesn’t seem right…”
“Ah.” Cloud Kicker nodded in understanding, “You’re homesick.”
He simply nodded in reply before muttering to himself, “A qamy Shimmeralis qim yeve.” Shaking his head he looked the mare in the eye, “I suppose you're right.”
The mare leaned in close and smiled at the colt, “Well if you're being forced to stay here why not enjoy it? Ponyville has a lot to offer to an adventurous young colt like yourself.”
Skywinder just grunted non-committally as he looked away from Cloud Kicker, his attention diverted by another pony entering the room.
“Thank goodness you're alright.” The grey mare exhaled as she entered the room, a relieved expression on her face. Her blond mane fell gently over her face as her gaze turned in his general direction.
He wasn't entirely sure if her full attention was on him as one of her eyes was lazily gazing at the ceiling. It was only years of dealing with some of the other creatures native to his homeland that kept him from staring.
“I've been hit with worse.” Skywinder admitted reassuringly. He faintly smiled at the memory of when he had been hit by that 'worse' thing.
He was started from his reminiscing by the sudden intrusion of a large brown thing entering his vision. It was a large round bread like concoction with a domed top and small spherical berries adorning the outside.
“Here!” The filly from earlier commented as she forced her way back into his awareness, having jumped on the bed with him and shoved the food item in his face while he was distracted, “It's nummy!”
Taking the confectionery with a sceptical eye he raised a brow and looked at Cloud Kicker, “Uh... what even is it?”
“A blue berry muffin!” The grey mare chirped in reply, “I baked it as way of saying sorry, I hope you enjoy them.” She smiled invitingly as his gaze returned to the strange foodstuff.
With all eyes on him he couldn't very well refuse and so, with some reluctance, parted his lips and tore off part of the muffin with his teeth. The soft substance sacrificed its molecular bonds for the sake of becoming part of a greater whole, while the colt's teeth easily rended their way through the soft berries.
Noticing the eyes of the other three in the room on him as he swallowed he blinked and smiled awkwardly. On one hoof he could admit it just tasted as bland as everything else he'd ever eaten or he could lie and say it tasted good. Though if they didn't question him about it he could-
“So?!” the filly chirped from where she stood next to the grey pegasus,ca “Mommy's Muffins are the best aren't they?!”
“I certainly think they are.” Cloud Kicker added with a wink at the grey pegasus who immediately began blushing even as she cast the other mare a warning glare.
Thinking quickly the colt blurted out, “It was good.” A fake grin quickly worked its way onto his face, “I can't really compare it to anything, but it was good.” His eyes darted between the mares and filly nervously, hoping they didn't pick up on the half-truth.
The grin that appeared on the grey mare's face told him she believed his words, however the fact the grabbed the tray on her back in her teeth and offered the additional muffins sitting atop it to him brought on a sense of dread. That dread was reinforced by the filly chirping, “That's great, we baked an whole oven full for you!”
“Uy Mevlerf'm Xeivb Ru!” Skywinder blurted out without thinking. Thinking quickly he added, “I really should be going, my parents are bound to be wondering where I am... so...” He jumped off the bed and made a break for the door, “See ya!”
A few moments passed in utter silence before Skywinder awkwardly trotted back into the doorway to face the surprised expressions on the mares and filly's faces. Coughing stiffly he asked, “So... which way is the exit?”
---
The day was as pleasant as one would could honestly expect for one of the co-rulers of one of the most powerful nations on the world of Inigur. Court had ended without major incident, no dire matters had been brought before her attention and none of the nobles had made an Ass of themselves.
No offence was meant to any Asses with that thought of course. Such petty things were beneath Princess Celestia of Equestria.
All that stood between the Princess and some leisure time was a stack of paper work she could easily work through in just over half an hour. With her goal in sight the Princess placed her flank on her cushion made of Phoenix down, to keep the Royal Plot warm, and lifted a quill with her magic.
Turning her attention to the paperwork she because speed reading the document to ensure the nobles weren't trying to sneak in some bill or another. Just within the last week they'd tried sneaking in one that enforced an Elective Monarchy and another that would have lowered there taxes.
She was honestly surprised no one attempted to slip in a bill that flat out usurped her power yet.
Finding the first document to be legitimate she readied her quill to sign it when she heard the chamber door burst open.
“Sister!” Luna declared with a hint of urgency in her voice, “Something most unexpected has occurred.”
Raising an eyebrow the Solar Princess asked, “What has happened, Sister?”
Luna stepped closer to her sister and spoke in a hushed tone, “I have encountered... a Dream Walker.”
Celestia's quill dropped from the air and splattered black ink all over her forgotten documents.