//------------------------------// // Questions left Unanswered // Story: Break of Dawn // by SupaSqueegee //------------------------------// Celestia stared down at the strange creature at her hooves, her mind furiously working over all the information she had gathered over her lifetime. She had never seen anything like him before. All he did was just lay there, staring up at her like she had just grown a second head. “I’ll ask you again: Who are you?” she said more firmly. His mouth moved as if he was about to say something, but all that came out was a strangled gasp. This was the creature she had been seeing in her dreams. He was the one that had been consuming most of her thoughts for the past week. And now that he was here before her, she was having a hard time thinking what to do. His countenance took on a more level-headed appearance as he shook his head, scooting back away from her. “I...I’m Cale,” he whispered, sitting up into a more comfortable position. He was fairly sure at this point that she wasn’t going to hurt him. At least... not yet. He didn’t have a clear grasp of what he was staring up at, but whatever she was, she was powerful. A shiver ran down his body, his arms crossing over his chest. It wasn’t a defensive movement, as he more or less was hunkered down in front of her. From what she could tell, he was terrified. He had every right to be, considering the close encounter with the Manticore he just had. Celestia took a less domineering position. She wasn't going to get more out of him at the moment. Sitting back on her haunches in front of him, she gave Cale a soft smile. Though that didn’t bring about a big change, it was enough to give her hope. “Cale,” she mused, keeping her eyes on him. “It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Pr... Celestia.” With a tilt of her head, she asked, “do you know where you are?” He shook his head. While he still looked frightened, he wasn’t in the panicked mode he had been in just moments before. “You’re in the Everfree Forest," she continued. "And this,” she gestured with a hoof, “is Equestria. My home.” His brow furrowed, Cale settling forward a bit more as his hands dropped to his lap. “Everfree Forest?" he asked. "Equestria?” Cale's mind was positively racing. He’d never heard of either of those places. He opened his mouth as if to say something else, before his eyes widened in sudden understanding. “Wait! I...I’ve dreamt of this place.” His olive orbs cast around as if he was truly seeing his surroundings for the first time. “I thought I was just dreaming... does that mean…?” He looked back up to her. “Was that magic you just used? To save me, I mean.” A genuine smile crept along Celestia's lips. She nodded “It was.” She was still confused by his appearance, and yet... she was beginning to have a clearer grasp of the picture. It was obvious that he was a stranger not only to the Everfree, but to Equestria itself. “What do you mean you’ve dreamt of here?” she asked, tilting her muzzle. He looked back up to her and furrowed his brow. This couldn’t be happening. It was impossible! This had to be a dream. There was simply no other explanation for it. Either that, or he really was losing his mind. A smirk toyed at the corner of his lips. He could practically see himself strapped to a bed in a mental hospital, whispering about magical horses. He half believed he was crazy, himself! Deciding to see for himself just how far this rather lucid dream was willing to take him, he ignored her question and reached up with his right hand. It was a slow gesture, but he eventually leaned forward and up enough to gently lay his open palm against her cheek. Another shiver ran through his body, but this time, not from fear. Celestia’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, but she allowed him to do just as he planned, feeling his shiver match the one going down her own body. Her wings twitched, causing him to draw himself back defensively. “Right," Cale said. "So I’m either having a more vivid dream than I’ve ever had before, or this is real.” He shook his head and stood up, brushing himself off as he did so. It was probably best just to go along with the ride for now. For his own sanity, if nothing else. Celestia stood up with him. While she didn’t overtake his size by much, she was easily larger than he, standing at almost a full head higher. “I can promise you that this isn’t a dream.” She took a step forward toward him. “You never answered me: By what did you mean that you’ve dreamt of Equestria?” She was a lot closer to him than he would have liked at the moment, but somehow her presence had a calming effect. He shook his head to wipe away the negativity of his thoughts, keeping his eyes locked onto Celestia's own. “Just what I said," Cale stated. "I started dreaming of magic horses, and flying horses, and... regular horses about a week ago. I-” He stopped short, seeing her eyes widen and her nostrils flare. “Wait… Was it something I said? You look like you’ve seen a ghost or something.” Celestia composed herself quickly, her famous, serene smile encompassing her features once again. “It was, actually.” She leaned down and met his eyes with her own on a more even setting. “Though you have a couple of things misconstrued. First, we’re ponies; not horses. And secondly, you weren’t dreaming. You were catching glimpses of our world.” Luna rolled onto her other side, letting out a weak sigh. She couldn’t help but feel worried for her sister. While she was more than accustomed to Celestia’s nervous worrying, she was starting to get the feeling that this was something else entirely. The dreams alone... Luna shivered despite the warm comforter on her, opening her eyes to look around her room. The faintly glowing star patterns painted above her bed gave her little comfort. “Dearest sister... what is it that haunts you so?” She couldn't sit idle. She had to investigate. Luna slid out of her bed, moving toward the door in her chambers. There was much she missed in her thousand year exile, and if there was any pony in the world that could provide her answers, it would be her. Luna took one last look around her room before exiting, her goal set in her mind. It appeared that she would not be getting any rest this day either. Cale blinked, never once taking his gaze away from the large... pony in front of him. “Okay, so let me get this straight: I’m in Equestria. There are talking ponies here who can fly and use magic.” At Celestia’s nod he let out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “Phew... alright. That’s a lot to take in.” Celestia nodded patiently, giving Gale more breathing room. The fact that he had been having similar dreams as she was enough to give her pause. If he was here, then there had to be a purpose of some sort. She just wasn’t sure what it was just yet. However, she did know that telling him about her own dreams would not be a wise choice. At least... not yet. Cale broke his eye contact with Celestia, leaning back to reach his hand up to run it through his hair. “Wait a second...” He looked her over again, taking note of her body more thoroughly. “You’re not like the ponies I saw in my dreams. They looked a bit... smaller than you. And they had either a horn or wings. Not both. Like you.” He kept looking at her, as if he was expecting her to correct him. “Why are you different?” Celestia thought about her reply. Was there a point in lying to him anymore? “That’s because I’m an alicorn. I’m of royal descent, and am currently one of four princesses of this land.” Seeing his eyebrows climb made her chuckle in a rather musical manner. “For now, I believe that is enough," she chuckled. "I believe I have left my duties alone for long enough, and you look like you could use some rest. Come.” She flared her wings and motioned for him to come closer. “Let us return to the palace. More answers will come in due time.” He watched her, uncertainty playing across his face. Deciding that this ‘palace’ of her’s was probably - or certainly - better than the forest, he nodded his head. It only took him a couple of steps to reach her side. As if reading his thoughts, Celestia smiled and said, “I can take us from here with my magic. It’s just a simple teleportation spell, so don’t be alarmed.” Before he could respond, they winked out of the forest in a flash of golden light.