//------------------------------// // Never fear, THEY appear // Story: Fire and Earth, Bats and Hearth // by lionaxel //------------------------------// I toss and turn trying to get comfortable but everytime I close my eyes and manage to drift off, that dream plagues my sleep. ------ "Applejack! I have to come with you! You understand right?" I cry out. This was the same dream I have every night, even though it seems to be in high definition and even maybe feel more real than the real world, it's really starting to get old. "No, you can't, There's somethin' out there and we can't risk losing you! You're our last hope!" Applejack replies, a grave expression on her face. I hang my head, there is no way I can talk Applejack into letting me go. Besides, she has a point. "Alright, fine. Call for me if anything happens." "Watch Apple Bloom!" Applejack warns before she runs off deep into the orchard. Now I run back to the barn. I'd play with Apple Bloom and pretend like nothing was happening. That should keep her calm. But that dreaded feeling wouldn't leave me and it made my hooves feel like lead. What if Applejack never came back? Regardless of my feelings, I made it back to the barn pushing every thought away except one; I had to protect Apple Bloom! I dash upstairs, the house is silent. Way too silent. "Apple Bloom!" I yell with all of my might. No reply. Panicked, I check everywhere, but I can't find my sister. She's gone. Gone where? I have no idea, but she's gone. A flash of light from behind me diverts my attention. I turn to see a familiar creature. One that has a goat horn and hoof, a deer antler, a lizard foot, wings, a eagle claw, a lion paw and a snake tail. Just before I can say "Discord!" I hear a strange buzzing noise and the image dissolves. ------ I blink sleep out of my eyes before I hear the buzzing again. Beside me, on my bedside table, my phone is going off. God, who would call at this time? Checking it, I see it's Mira, of course. I answer it, yawning "Hello." "Happy, Happy Birthday! To me and me and you!" I momentarily take the phone from my ringing ears. before replying "You know you said 'me' twice, right?" "Well, duh!" Mira blurts and I can imagine her rolling her gray eyes. "Ok, ok. I get it. Your waking me up at, what time is it? Six? To praise yourself on another birthday and you thought it would be nice to wish me a happy birthday but still focus it on you. I get it." I say it all in one breath and there is silence on the other line. Then Mira replies "Fine." Then her tone gets more happy "Expect me at around four. I'm coming over to celebrate my birthday." "Our birthday." I correct. "Whatever." Mira hangs up and I set my phone on the bedside table again. People often wonder why I'm friends with the "brat". I dunno, I guess I just feel like I need to help her become a different person. I personally think i've helped her quite a bit. She seemed really surprised all those years ago when I started acting friendly towards her. I had time to get dressed and clean up a bit before the doorbell rings. I open the door and Mira steps in, her blond hair gleaming red as sunlight streams in from behind her. She wears her jacket. Her jacket always struck as familiar, but I could never place it. Not that it mattered. "You look shaken. Me too, I had a strange dream last night. Of that show you watch." "My Little Pony?" I stare in disbelief. "Really?" "Yeah, that one. Why?" Mira asks with a skeptical look on her face. "About the one you showed me, with the dragon thing." "Discord? That would be... the finale. I had a dream about that too!" I realize. Could we have had exactly the same dream? "Really?" Mira asks, frowning. "So, what happened in your dream?" I decide to fish for information. "Well, I start out in a strange world with people who are different colors. Y'know like blue and red? In a school. I-I think it was called Canterlot High or something like that. Then I stepped through a mirror. THROUGH A MIRROR! Then i'm in some sort of castle. As I run out, I see no one, then a dragon thingy-" "Discord" I interupt. "Yeah, Discord. Anyway I see Discord and he tells me that everypony. Heh, everypony, heh heh, is gone! Then there's a white flash and that's when I always wake up." Mira finishes. "Th-that's not in the finale!" I frown. "Yes, its at the end. Its an orange unicorn! It's after when the purple unicorn dies." Mira argues. "After Twilight dies, but that when that strange blue earth pony that no one's ever heard of dies." I retort. Wait. That's strange, why would Hasbro make a scene of a pony no one's ever seen before with out anyone even naming her? Why would Hasbro even make that episode? Sure enough, Mira is looking at me strangely. Wait an orange unicorn? Who's that? "Can I come in!?" Mira barks. She's tapping her foot impatiently. Oh, shit! She's still outside!! "Y-yeah! Of course!" I say hastily. Whoops! Mira walks in, and shuts the door. I rub my eyes trying to adjust them back to electrical light. I blink and head to the living room, where Mira went. Wait, is she holding something? Yes, it's a brown paper bag, pretty big too. "You wondering what this is?" Mira asks. Damn it, she must have noticed me scanning it. "Its wine. I know you like that, so I bought it for us." Wait, Mira bought something for us? Usually it was the other way around. Mira never does anything for anyone but herself. "Oh, and you get to open your present on your birthday." My present? Mira never buys anyone, except herself, anything. Even for my birthday she usually buys me a cheap card with a small message. Wait- on my birthday? "It is my birthday," I point out. Mira rolls her eyes, "You EXACT birthday, fool! You were really into that stuff in high school, right?" Its true, I was. "Oh, right." "So, when is your birthday." Mira demands. "I swear i've told you before. It 4:15 exactly." I answer. "Holy shit! That's in two minutes!" Mira exclaims. She hands me a huge bag. It's pretty light. I guess it's probably another cheap card from Walmart. "Five, four, three, two, one!" ------ "N-no!" "Hehehehe" "Give her back!" "For five score, divided by four!" ------ "Iris! IRIS!" I hear Mira's voice. Wait- what happened! "H-huh!?" I stammer. "You were just standing there for like five minutes!" Mira actually sounds concerned. But I was just- oh never mind. "Open your present!" "Oh, uh, ok." I reach in. Almost the entire bag is filled with tissue paper. But as I feel around I find a small box. I wonder what it is. I pull it out and open it. Inside the box is a necklace with a yellow and red sun charm. I recognize it as Sunset Shimmer's cutie mark. "Where'd you get this!?" "Oh, uh, heh heh. I kinda made it." Is Mira blushing? "You made it!? You've got talent!" I exclaim. "Oh uh, yeah. Anyway what was up? You just stood there." Mira's expression becomes dark. What DID happen? It certainly didn't feel anywhere close to five minutes like Mira said. Was she pulling my leg? No, even though I've never seen her show any concern to anyone but herself, I had a feeling it was valid. "I dunno, anyway, what made you choose Sunset Shimmer?" Mira smiles "It looked the coolest!" I smile. Maybe, just maybe, Mira is becoming more selfless. More like a true, true friend. God dammit. Now I'm quoting songs! Whatever, as long as I don't do it again. Then, Mira says something that really surprises me. "Now, let's watch that show you like. My Little Pony?" "Uh, yeah. But why? I thought you hated that show?" She shrugs "Oh well. I guess I'm gonna give it a try." Its funny how someone you think you know so well can change overnight. The rest of the night went like planned. We just watched ponies the entire night until Mira said she had to leave and that's where I sprang my surprise. "Hey, before you go." "Yeah?" "Mind closing your eyes?" Mira does as she's told, and get out her present. "Ok, open!" "My god! Is that a- a cactus?" Mira stammers. "Yep, a spiky one too. You can add it to your collection." I say, handing the tiny cactus to Mira. "Th-thanks." Mira says flatly. I don't think i've ever heard her say 'thanks' in the while i've been with her. So it's a nice surprise. It's very late so I crack open the wine bottle and pour myself a glass. I sit down and watch a few more episodes before I head down to dream away. Even though I would probably have that same dream again. ------ My dreams are very different tonight. I see people. Lots of them. One, a man with black hair, was staring at a bottle of scotch. While another guy with black hair is smiling. A girl with blond hair looks on with an unreadable expression and another dude looks at the scotch in amazement. Then the scene shifts and I see more people. But it keeps changing rapidly so I only catch glimpses of people. I see two girls, one with dark red hair and the other with brown hair, and a guy also with brown hair, his brown eyes gleaming. Then a man decked in fancy attire his intense blue eyes seemed to stare into mine. These people looked... familiar. Although I'm sure I've never seen them before in my life. Then why do they seem so familiar? There's one that stands out to me. For sure. It's the man beaming at the other man with the scotch. He's muscular, like he's been working out, but he doesn't look like that type. His brownish-blonde hair seemed very familiar almost as if... Nope, it's gone. Then the scene shifts one last time. I see the mane six. Shining Armor and Big Mcintosh are standing at the edges of the group. They were standing in the real world, but they were still cartoony. It looked like one of those "Ponies in Real Life" videos but horribly made. Then it's black. For five score, divided by four! That phrase again, what does it mean? Then I wake up. ------- I wake up early again today, the sky is still dark. Well, that was an interesting dream. VERY interesting. A crap ton of people I don't know. But there was that one that seemed so familiar, too familiar. Urk! I'll never understand why. Fuck, what am I thinking! My brain probably made it up to taunt me or something like that. Yeah! Yeah, no. I don't know how, but I know that they are real people. I need to get this out of my mind. I need to take a shower, that'll help. I go to the bathroom and turn on the water. Then I undress and step in. I scratch my thigh before getting the shampoo. I get that out of the way and turn my attention to the body wash. I start to scrub myself when "What the fuck is THAT!" There is visible green under the soap. I clear the suds off of the spot and I literally stop breathing. On my thigh is a mark. A mark of a sprout. L-like a cutie mark. Holy shit! When did this get here? A tattoo? I feel it but it feels like, well, my skin. Like a tattoo should, except the colors are amazing! They are very vibrant. And its sharp and bright as day. Its not any cutie mark I've ever seen. And how the hell did I get it? Did I get drunk last night off wine? Then I hear my phone buzz. I rinse the remaining bubbles off and dry myself before checking the phone. New Text Message From Mira WHAT THE HELL! I'M COMING OVER TO GIVE YOU A PIECE OF MY MIND YOU NASTY PIECE OF SHIT! I run upstairs and put some clothes on. The only shirt left in my closet was of Sunset Shimmer. Where'd I get that? Hmm, whatever. Ding-Dong! I let Mira in who storms into the living room. She's wearing another deep red shirt and a skirt along with some black knee-high boots. "Now I know I watched that show with you and I know I gave that necklace but THAT GIVES YOU NO EXCUSE!" Now I'm confused even more "Woah, woah, woah. Excuse for what?" "You know perfectly well what I'm talking about!" She retorts. Now I'm starting to lose control. "No! I did nothing to you, okay!?" Mira's anger melts away into a look of shock "You really didn't do it?" "Do what!?" "This!" Mira lifts up her black skirt slightly to show something I never expected to see. Emblazoned on her thigh was a sun. A yellow and red sun. I instinctively look at my shirt where on Sunset Shimmer's flank lay the same mark.