//------------------------------// // Chapter 11: Questions and Answers // Story: The Return of the Humans // by DaringWizard //------------------------------// Merlin awoke in a misty wood with the ground covered by dark-brown roots. He got up, his head hurt, and his ears were ringing. He saw something in the distance, and walked toward it, his legs aching at each step. As he got close to it, he recognized it as the red winged angel- giving him a blank expression. "Who are you?" Merlin asked, the 'Angel' smiled. "Who am I? I am a creature that was once only human..." The creature outspread three sets of fiery-red wings. Six in all. "I know I'm dreaming... so tell me- what's happening to me? Why do I keep having these dreams?" Merlin asked. "Hahahah... your not dreaming. Try pinching yourself. It feels strangely real, doesn't it?" The creature asked, Merlin did so- and felt an irritating pain where he pinched himself. He looked up, shocked at the creature. "Have you ever heard of an O.B.E.?" "An out-of-body experience? Your not saying..." "You got into the habit of doing it since your very early childhood... you always ascended to the plain of nightmares and dreams. When I said come to Calisto village- I was referring to an astral plain. Not a physical one." The creature said. "What are you talking about?" "I'm referring to Complevitia- the sphere of creation. Hidden like the element of magic itself- it is where you'll find answers." "And what if I say no?" "You have no reason to say no. You are neither dead nor alive in this state- nothing can hurt you. Nothing can truly touch you." The creature said. "Who... who are you?" Merlin asked again. "Heheheh... hello, grandson." The creature said- and Merlin immediately realized who he was talking to- Arthur Pendragon. His forefather. He shot up in his bed in a cold sweat, rapidly breathing, and shaking. He was cold- as if touched by death's hand. Mordred walked into the room to find his poor brother in a state of obvious distress. "Brother?" Mordred asked, and Merlin got up, horror was in his eyes. "Brother? Did it happen again?" He asked, and Merlin nodded his head. He noticed that Joseph, Ezra and David were all standing there, looking very concerned. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked. -------------------------------------------------- "So, you're saying the guy in your dreams is... Arthur Pendragon?" Joseph asked. "As I said before, it wasn't a dream, it was an O.B.E., but yeah, it was him. No doubt about it." "How is it that you didn't realize sooner?" Mordred asked. "I wasn't looking at his face! I was more focused on the fact that he had six wings!" Merlin said. "Calm down, Merlin, no one's blaming you for anything." Ezra interrupted, he got up and walked over to Merlin. "-besides, what's the big deal anyway?" Ezra asked, Merlin looked at him confused. "You meet your forefather on the astral plane. If anything, that's just a mystical experience. Nothing more- it's not like he's gonna' try and force you to do his bidding. On top of that, who's to say it actually was him? It could have been some shapeshifter or a changeling's ghost... I wouldn't worry about it." Ezra concluded. "But-!" Merlin said, but he stopped. "If, by chance, it is true, take something positive away from it- this is a lifetime opportunity! you could get some magic lessons from him- he was the sorcerer who invented six points! In all honesty, I'm jelous of you." Ezra finished. "Ezra-! I never thought you to be so insensitive!" Mordred exclaimed. "I'm not! Merlin- your probably the luckiest apprentice who ever lived, right now! I mean, think about it!" Ezra said, Mordred looked very angry at Ezra. "Ezra-!" He began, but Merlin put his hand up to silence him. "No. Mordred, it's all right... Ezra? Thanks... I guess..." Merlin said, he wasn't serious. He didn't want his friends to fight over his problems, though. They had done that enough in the past. "You gonna' be all right...?" Joseph asked, Merlin nodded. "I'll be fine... just... I need some time to myself..." Merlin said, even though his spirits were lifted (by a fraction) by Ezra pointing out the positives, it wasn't enough to wipe his despair away. He looked up at the four, and Joseph, David, Ezra and Mordred left the room, with Merlin sitting there with a strange look on his face. "Merlin?" A soft voice asked- Twilight's. "Twilight?" Merlin answered. "Are you all right?" She asked, Merlin stayed silent for a few seconds. "I don't know. I honestly don't." Merlin answered, Twilight hopped up next to him. "Hey, we'll find a way to fix this, don't worry." Twilight said, Merlin's eyes trailed up to the ceiling. "Thank you, Twilight." Merlin said, and he took a cup of tea to his lips. ------------------------- Joseph took off like a rocket to the skies, but he couldn't get Merlin out of his mind. Him meeting Arthur Pendragon? His forefather? He decided to put it out of his mind, he raced to Rainbow Dash' house- his brown hair blowing in the wind. He slowed to a stop as he approached Rainbow Dash's home. He knocked on the door and it opened. "You wanted to see me, Dash?" "Yeah. Hold on a second." The door closed and Joseph heard her walking away from the door. Then he heard steps coming towards the door, it opened a crack. "So... ready to get some flying practice in?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Oh, sure! Why not?" Joseph answered, Rainbow Dash walked out- and Joseph immediately noticed something different about her appearance. "Come on, let's get going!" Rainbow Dash said, Joseph stared with a very confused expression on his face. "What?" She asked. "Uhm... what's with the-?" Joseph asked, Rainbow Dash looked confused at first- but then realized what he was looking at. "What? These? Their sports socks. Their a new thing for Equestrian racers- they keep you from burning out too fast. Don't ask me how, but, they work!" She said, Joseph was silent. "What's wrong?" She asked, Maybe I shouldn't... nah. When did a compliment ever hurt anybody? Joseph thought, then, he spoke. "Nothing. I just didn't expect you to walk out looking so... cute." Joseph said, Rainbow Dash's face went red, she giggled. "You're just flattering me." She said, Joseph shook his head. "Not that you aren't normally." He said, her face went redder, Joseph rolled his eyes jokingly, Rainbow Dash brushed off her blush. Well, that turned out sounding more flirty then I expected... Oh well. He thought. "Heheheh... Uhmm- so. anyway... race you to Canterlot?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Isn't that twenty-five miles?" Joseph asked. "I've seen you go about halfway without burning up- this'll be a breeze!" She answered, Joseph looked out into the distance- he could barely see Canterlot in the distance. "All right..." Joseph answered, but then Merlin came busting his way back into his mind... he couldn't put it out of his mind again. In fact, now he didn't want to. "Hey, Dash, has Twilight told you about Merlin's forefather- Arthur?" "That member of the high council? Not much. Why?" "Merlin claims to have met him in an out of body experience- an O.B.E.?" "Really?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "Well- I was wondering, I heard Twilight and Merlin talking to each other about him a few days ago... what does Equestria know about us humans?" Joseph asked, Rainbow Dash's eyes trailed up to the sky, then she looked back to Joseph. "I think Celestia found some old books a few months ago- they got published on the local market and apparently skyrocketed to the top of the popularity list. Seems that everyone in Equestria reads about you guys, now- at least that's what Twilight says. Anyway- one of those humans was apparently some legendary hero or something in Equestria- and Celestia confirmed that. Ever since then unicorns keep going around town trying to find a spell to summon one of you guys... it's actually kind of crazy, two years ago we knew nothing about humans... now, half of Equestria treats them like idols..." Her voice trailed off near the end of her sentence, Joseph looked off into the distance. "Funny... same stuff over at our place- the legend of the land of the Equines was a huge hit when it was published as a book... seriously! Half the town raided the bookstores to get it! Prince A.A. himself wrote the story- it was rumored they were going to make a T.V. show out of it... the very rumor of it skyrocketed as well... what was the show supposed to be called...? It was 'my little' something-or-other... I don't remember." Joseph said, he looked out in the distance. "Ah well, let's get some flying practice in, huh?" He asked, Rainbow Dash smiled and took off, followed by Joseph, but he still couldn't get Merlin out of his mind. ----------------------------------------------------- Merlin sat on the couch with morbid confusion and a hint of depression on his face. Ever so often taking the cup of tea to his lips and sipping. He didn't want to involve his friends in all of this, he didn't want them to fight over his problems... but this was something important. Maybe something bad. He didn't know. "Merlin?" Twilight called, she was upstairs, Merlin didn't move, he just stared ahead at the doorway. He could hear something walk downstairs, then, Twilight hopped up next to him. "Merlin..." She nudged him in the shoulder, Merlin looked over to her. "Sorry, Twili-" But he was interrupted by a hoof to his mouth. "Don't be." She said, she took her hoof down. "I know it wasn't a dream... it felt too real..." Merlin said. "I believe you... do you want to go to Luna? Even though it's not a nightmare she might be able to help you." Twilight said, Merlin shook his head. "No... I'm fine." "No, you aren't Merlin. You've been sitting in that one spot ever since you got up. Merlin... please. I don't want to see you like this." Twilight finished, Merlin put his forehead in his palm- his head hurt, bad. "All right... I'll go if it happens again- sometimes I snap out of it." Merlin said, Twilight smiled and scooted closer to him. "Thank you..." She said, but she could see that he only looked worse. She decided in that moment to try to get his mind off of his vision. It would help cheer him up. "Hey, I got a new magic book from the Princess- she said she got up from Prince A.A.?" Her horn glowed and a book came down from a bookshelf. It was brand new- a bright blue color with a dazzling gold border. She opened the book, and the two began to read, she wrapped her right wing around Merlin's shoulder, he repelled a bit at this. "What?" Twilight asked, Merlin's face went bright red for a second, but it quickly faded. "Nothing..." Merlin answered, and they continued to read. Did I just... blush? Merlin thought. ------- They read for almost half an hour before one of them broke the silence. "Twilight..." "Yeah?" Merlin thought for a second, about all that had happened... he thought about all the stuff that had happened- and realized something- was this taking a toll on Twilight? At the very thought of this, he spoke. "I think I may have overstayed my welcome- if you want me to leave-" Merlin got up but Twilight brought him back down with her magic. "Don't be like that Merlin. I'm glad to have you guys here." She said, she brought her wing away from him. "Especially you..." She said under her breath. "What was that?" Merlin asked. "Nothing." She said, she scooted away from him. "Seriously, Twilight- my room is on the other side of the portal-" "Merlin, it's all right." Twilight said, she got up and used her magic to put her book back. Merlin looked down at his necklace and held it in his hand. Twilight looked over to him. "Who did you say gave that to you?" Twilight asked. "My Mother. I got it when was eight years old..." Merlin said, his eyes trailed up to the ceiling in thought. "So- why is that you family's crest...? What does it symbolize- to your family?" She asked, Merlin looked over to her, he looked at her eyes. He saw beautiful, compassionate eyes- staring back at him. He broke his gaze after a second, and spoke. "To me... it represents far more then magic." Twilight looked at him anxiously. "I think it represents the positive influences in our lives... the heart of white magic- that feeling of empathy... to me, it means a lot of things. What about you?" Merlin asked, Twilight looked at her cutie mark. "Well... for me... I..." Twilight stopped- what did it mean to her? It was a mark for magic, yes... but what did it mean to her? "I... I don't know, honestly, I don't know... I know it means magic, but... I don't know." "Hmmm... Maybe we're not supposed to know about some things... who knows." Merlin said, he got up. "Twilight?" Merlin asked. "Yeah?" "Thanks... thanks for listening to me." He said, Twilight couldn't help but get a warming feeling- what was this strange, foreign feeling she had never felt before...? She thought for a second- she realized it, but couldn't accept it, she looked down at the floor. "Twilight? What's the matter?" "I...I... I need some time to myself." She said, and she trotted upstairs, and shut the door, Merlin sat back down and began to write in his journal. 24th of August, 2010, Or is it a much later date? I don't know... it's been a while since my last entry. I took Joseph and Mordred up to the sanctum and showed them around, along with that, David and Ezra arrived. It seems only appropriate- they are my friends after all... but my nightmares have come back, and now I think they are O.B.E.'s- I don't know if that's worse or better, but I do know one thing now: Arthur Pendragon, my forefather, is the red winged angel I'd been seeing... so much stuff has happened that it be an overstatement to say that's the most important thing that's happened to me... Twilight... there's something I don't understand... she seems to be very caring for me and my friends- a rare person to come by, nowadays... back home people would care for you, but, not like the way she does... I don't necessarily need her to take care of me, but, I do need some place to crash for the night so I won't get seen by the town members... lest I get dog-piled again. He stopped writing for a second. He thought about all that had happened, yet again- him being here in general... then, more questions filled his head. He continued writing. And yet... despite that... my time here has been the most peaceful time of my life... the beautiful countryside... Celestia's sanctum... and Twilight... I've never had a friend like her... there's something about this whole place that I just can't wrap my finger around... but it makes me want to stay here and never go back... I know that magic school will be back in session soon... if only I could just stall it for a little longer... maybe I could close the portal... When did I start having thoughts like this...? Merlin shut his journal and dropped it on the couch, he walked up to his room and began to ponder his feelings, he saw Twilight appear in front of his doorway, she stopped and smiled- then walked away. Merlin sat there- then, for seemingly no reason- lost consciousness. His head hit the pillow- and he had a nightmare free sleep. As he slept, Twilight sat in her room- did she really have a crush on Merlin? Or... was she just flustered by the awkward events between her and Merlin? She didn't know... she'd never felt like this before. She'd never felt this warm feeling deep down... it felt nice, but also strangely sad. She didn't know what to make of it. She felt like something was wrong with her. This was all too sudden. She didn't know what to make of it... only that it was a new feeling. Something she could not feel for anyone else... No. It couldn't be. Merlin was a nice guy and all, but... this was too fast for her. She felt her feelings waging war against each other. She looked over to the window and looked out at the countryside... needing something... she then knew what it was. She knew however, she didn't have it with her... it was in the room next to hers... she needed to talk to Merlin. She got up and walked over to the other room where she saw Merlin resting there. "Merlin...?" She called, no answer. She walked up to his bed and put her front legs on the edge to try and see his face- he was sleeping. Not like the previous nights when he was tossing and turning, he was still... he wasn't having any more nightmares. Twilight smiled when she realized this- she left the room... she could ask him questions later.