//------------------------------// // Multidimensional Incongruity // Story: The Trouble with Gryphons // by Broniesrponies2 //------------------------------// I blinked. Something had happened, but I had no idea what it was. I sat up and looked around the makeshift cell/guestroom in the basement of the embassy. I looked at the figure sleeping on the bed beside me. Her long flowing hair that- wait. She had cropped hair when I went to sleep. I looked around again, my eyes wary for any changes from the night before. No, the hair seemed to be the only difference. I need to speak to Midnight! I thought, willing Luna to receive the thought. He is on his way. came the reply. There was the sound of a key in a lock, then the door started to open. I looked over to the familiar figure on the bed. She was still sleeping. What was that thought that I had about her hair a second ago? It looked exactly as always had- The flash ripped through my mind. Two sets of memories converged and overwhelmed each other. I held on tightly to the ones that must be wrong. My every thought was focused on that one difference. Kriea's hair had changed. I looked back, seeing two DEATH'S, two different pairs of pegasi catching me. Luna's dress changed, the colours of our aurora. They were all in the past. Like a desperate lion clawing at the ground to stop its movement, I clutched at the brief glimpses of the past associated with that one image. It was a good thing that we had sound dampened the basement. Only Kriea was woken by my screaming. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A distant ache in my head sat me up in bed. Not many pains had a direction that they were coming from, but this one did. I recoiled from the touch, then realized that this was yet another way that I could move. I tested the limits, moving from my body, seeing through non-existent eyes, feeling the pain dragging at my head. I snapped back into my body, suddenly propelled out of bed and onto the floor. A nurse was through the door instantly. "Josh? What is wrong?" "The pain, I can't reach it" I responded through gritted teeth. "What are you talking about?" "It hurts, but what hurts isn't me, while at the same time it is me.It comes from that direction. Something is happening and I need to get there, but I just can't reach it." "You are making no sense. Get back into bed or I will sedate you." "Give me a moment." I grunted. Fields and forests flashed past, mountains grew in the fore and shrank behind. I was almost there. A city, a town, anything would do. I just had to find the source of- I heard the screaming. I knew where it was. I knew what was happening. "I have to go to the Gryphon Kingdom." I said, standing. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A new feeling crossed my mind. A caress more gentle than even Luna's. It rested on my mind like a veil before lifting just as gently. My pain eased as the twin sets of memories were disentangled and then moved to two separate sections of my brain in a way that I could not comprehend. Both sets were there, both accessible. I looked up to see Midnight with a blade out, pointing it towards Kriea's throat. "What did you do?" he roared at her. She looked terrified as she sat on the bed. She lent back away from the blade, but it followed her every movement. "Nothing." I said, exhaling then getting to my feet. "It wasn't her." "Then what was it?" Midnight asked, his blade unwavering. "I don't know. What I do know is that you are pointing your blade at an inno- a relative innocent, who currently bears us no ill will. Please put your sword away." Midnight growled a little at the mild rebuke, but stood down and sheathed his sword. "Thank you. Now please get us a kettle and some hot chocolate. I don't think that sleep is a realistic occurrence right now. Then, I will tell you what I had Luna call you here to tell me." Midnight turned and walked out, shutting the door behind himself. I turned to Kriea who was sitting with an odd expression on her face. "What is wrong?" I asked, sitting next to her on the bed. "Well, what happened? I was lying here sleeping, then the next second you are screaming and HE comes in here and puts a sword in my face." She looked at me, then took my face in her hands and looked into my eyes. "Are you okay?" "I am now. As for what happened, I will get into that when Midnight comes back. I feel certain that you two may not like this."