//------------------------------// // Misguided Assumptions // Story: Confusion // by Lonice //------------------------------// I hate to admit it, but Princess Luna can be scary as shit. When all you see are teeth and eyes in a cartoon format, things aren't all that scary. Of course, when you're actually there... Things tend to be a bit different. So when her eyes became visible as a faint midnight-blue glow where the colored portion is, I started having a much worse panic attack than I already was. She's here to dispose of me... To take away the part of the equation that creates a complex problem... That's all they'd need to do, is kill me off secretly and make sure nopony would ask questions... Oh God, I think I'm gonna be sick... "Urgh..." I feel heat rise in my throat... Not good, definitely not good... Wait... Was she spying on my dream? That means she saw... No, no, no, no, no! Oh, son of a bitch! Why, of all dreams, did she have to see that... That nightmare!? Oh great, she's starting to use her magic... She's going to end it here and now, isn't she? Hey, Princess Luna isn't cruel like that! The show tells that much with ease, the one time she let her power get to her was when she was resentful, remember?! Uh... You're right... So, I just have to calm down...? But... I'm a threat, they should at least paralyze me until they know I'm not dangerous! You may not be dangerous, but I certainly am. That's why I have to take control... To keep them from thinking you're weak... That doesn't matter! Stop lying to yourself, moron! You deserve to suffeer! You complain nonstop, but you ca- I can't... I can't listen anymore... I can feel tears streaming out of my eyes, and I can hear my sobbing... Is this just another dream? I hope it is... I can't take this much longer... I'm going insane... I can hear him laughing, saying 'Finally, control is mine!' and it's driving me into a darkness I can't escape alone and- "We asked you to speak to us about your dreams!" Princess Luna shouts at me, nearly knocking me off of the bed. "Wh-What's g-goi-going o-on?" I manage to sob... Lovely... This is why I hate crying so damn much... Princess Luna just sighs, and her horn lights up again... I... I can breathe clearly... Thank God! "Thank you... You... You wanted to discuss my dreams, right? What about them?" I ask... For some reason, I'm much more calm than before... That's good. Princess Luna nods her head yes, I assume... Her eyes did just move up and down, so... "Did... Did you see my... My nightmare...?" I ask... I hope she didn't witness that... "Yes, We did view the same nightmare that you experienced," Princess Luna said, and I swear I've never heard her so serious... "So... Uh... What do you intend to do to me? I mean... I..." I can't talk... I have a lump in my throat, so I can't talk clearly... I need to clear my throat so badly, but... Wouldn't that be rude? I don't know... Oh, for the love of- "We are here to discuss your dreaming patterns. Clearly, the way you dream is vastly different than any of the other ponies in Equestria that I give dreams to," Princess Luna said... Wait, give dreams to? What does that mean? "Uh... What do you mean, '...give dreams to...'?" I ask. I knew she could view ponies dreams, but... Give dreams to...? "We use a unique spell that permits the ponies to have dreams, whether or not they are good or bad is purely randomized. However, We noticed that We didn't need to cast the spell to create dreams for you. Instead, a dream was already in progress. From what We saw, we believe that you may need help of some kind," Princess Luna said, and I could feel my heart sinking by the second... "W-What kind of h-help, may I a-ask..." I say, shaking to a point that my words are stuttered. Oh, this is not good... No, no, no... Yes! Give me control, and you will have nothing to fear! Allow me to remove your cause of fear! Now is the time to let me fix your problems! No! "You... You never said your name, so... Who are you?" I ask. I know it seems stupid, but hey... Better than saying I already know her name and that she rules over Equestria with her sister, Princess Celestia, right? "According to the letters Twilight Sparkle has sent to Our sister, you already know very well who We are. I believe we are correct in assuming that, Ajil," Princess Luna said... Shit, forgot that Twilight would probably send them letters about me... This is just jolly, ain't it? Heh... Well, I just have to calm down... "Y-Yeah, I forgot she would send you letters. You're Princess Luna, you raise the moon. Your sister, Princess Celestia, raises the sun. Princess Twilight is the princess of friendship, while her sister-in-law is the Princess of Love, and her name is Princess Cadence. Princess Cadence is married to Princess Twilight's brother, Shining Armor, who is part of the Royal Guard, but I can't remember what rank. I thought you and your sister would have taken action about me by now if you knew about me though..." I say, telling all that I know about the Princess's in Equestria. Shouldn't they have tried to contain me by now? "Well, that's that. We came here to ask about your sleeping habits. Does your species use magic while they sleep?" Princess Luna asks... And I don't think humans can use magic. I mean, with using higher brain percentages we could do something like magic, but... "Princess Luna, I'm afraid that, to my knowledge, humans can't use magic. I mean, if we used more than only ten percent of our brain power, we could probably do things like magic, but... Then again, my world isn't a magical world, by any means. This world, that you and I know as Equestria, is the most magical world I've ever been to," I say, making sure that Princess Luna gets the idea. "We see... So you truly don't know if you can use magic, for this is the first time being in a world with magic... Tomorrow, Discord will wake you. He can explain it from there. We must return to giving dreams," Princess Luna says... "Wait! When you give dreams... Do you spy on them?" I ask. I know its offensive, but... "Spying would not be the right word. For the ponies to experience a dream, We must also experience a part of that dream. We have, however, learned to hide Ourselves from the ponies. We must be going," Princess Luna says, and the last I see of her is when she casts a spell that gives off a bright flash, and a loud POP sound. Then, everything went black. I was in the crystal library again. It used to be called Golden Oaks, but... I think now it can be called Crystal Oaks, just to keep a fitting name. I watch the entrance door as Twilight and the other five walk in... Everything isn't as detailed though... The ground is missing, and it's practically a dark hallway... "We're only trying to help," all of them say in unison... If that isn't creepy for this world, I don't know what is! "If you don't tell us what's wrong inside, we can't help you. We don't want to watch you cripple yourself," they continue. What... Wait, am I dreaming again?! Damn... "This is just a dream, and I doubt any of you could help me. My problems are... Extreme. Besides, you're just figments of my creation here. So, allow me to-" suddenly everything went black. "Wake up, Ajil. I don't like to be kept waiting," I hear Discords voice... Oh yeah, why did Princess Luna want him to wake me up? I don't like this at all... Why does he have to wake me up? Hopefully he doesn't try to fuck with my mind with some kind of puzzle... "So, Ajil, what will you be having for breakfast, hm? I have to admit, you look suspiciously like a creature that could eat meat, but then again..." Discord begins. Well, shit. Guess he's already got it figured out that I'm an omnivore, so there isn't any use hiding it. "Scrambled eggs, bacon, and the carrots that I have. That's what I'll have for breakfast. Also, my species is omnivorous. We eat both plants and meats, though I think you already knew that much," I say, cutting him off. I really don't feel like opening my eyes. Wait, why is the blanket warm...? I sit up to see a plate with exactly what I asked for sitting upon my lap... What... The... Fuck. "Wait, you actually knew what the hell I was talking about?!" I yelp, startled by the fact that they have bacon. I mean, really?! "Why yes, you didn't think I was a herbivore with my few sharp teeth, did you?" He asks. I can see a smug smirk across his face now, which is lovely. He's going to drive me crazy much sooner than- I will. Ha! Now, I just need some popcorn so I can watch you lose your pathetic mind. Soon, control will be for me and me alone! Then I will prove you are strong! I will prove that I have the power of a god! I will destroy any who oppose me! Do you hear me, Celestia?! Luna?! Even you, Discord! "Yeah, I should've known. So, why exactly did Princess Luna send you here?" I ask, and due to that widening grin, I think I shouldn't have. "Well, you see, your species has never been in a magical world, according to you. So, that means the usage of magic was impossible in that world. Here, in Equestria however... We have magic, and that means you may have magical capabilities. That's where I come into play, for I... I have to make up for the mess that I aided in creating when Tirek got out. Of course, I doubt Lulu would mind if you knew some dark magic. I mean, how else will they combat dark magic? Sometimes, you have to fight fire with a stronger fire! Which is where you come in, because you, my friend, seem to have untapped potential. So, after you're done, meet me at Sugar Cube Corner! If you need directions, ask Twilight, I'm sure she knows how to get there. Until then, au revoir!" Discord explained, and he vanished, leaving me to eat my breakfast. Seriously, I never thought I would eat meat again. I begin to eat, starting with the eggs. What did Discord mean, 'untapped potential' my ass! If I could use magic, I think I'd be able to tell. Of course... There is a possibility that I can and I haven't noticed. I mean, I was busy looking through books during a large portion of the day yesterday. I can't just say "No, I have to magical powers" without trying to see if I have any... I now notice that I have one strip of bacon left... Hmmm... Just focus on lifting it and... make... the... damn... bacon... float! Suddenly, there's a loud POP! and I see a faint sickening green aura surrounding my piece of bacon... "Really? That color of green? Ugh... Well, time to try something a bit more difficult..." I say, and focus on lifting the piece of bacon into the air... Within a few minutes, it lifts about two centimeters or so into the air... It isn't much, but it's a start! Great! Now I'll have even more at my disposal when I gain control! Ha! How do you know that me doing this isn't preventing you from gaining control? Wait, what if it does the opposite of that?! Not good, so not goo- KNOCK KNOCK! "Hey, shouldn't you be heading to Sugar Cube Corner?" the muffled voice of Twilight seeps through the door. Oh, yeah! I gotta go! "Thanks for the reminder!" I holler. I open the door, and dash down the stairs... I guess they had moved me upstairs, but these stairs aren't like the ones on the library. That weird taste in the air, the pristine white walls... Am I in a hospital?! What happened to me!? Well, since you can't come to the obvious conclusion, it's that you had passed out and hit the floor. You've likely been out cold for at least a day, considering you're inside a hospital now. Now all you need is a splitting headache. As if on cue, my head felt like it had taken a direct hit from a nuclear blast, and absorbed all of it... "Oooooggghhh..." I moan... This is just great. First I have my nightmares spied on, then am told to meet Discord for magic training, and now my migraine... What is with me? If what Discord said is correct, and it appears to be, your body may be adjusting to the magical pressure within this world. You know, how air pressures can make you nauseous. Yeah, you're right about that, Alex. Glad some of you are friendly. Unlike Enar. You do realize that I can hear and see every thought you process, right? I'm even forced to pay closer attention when you mention me. Gah, just get to the ground floor. Ponies are starting to stare, after all. Sure enough, there were other patients beginning to stare... Right. "Floor, floor... 2? Okay, so down one and I should be able to go..." So I rushed down the softly carpeted stairways. The hallways were relatively empty, except for the occasional nurse pony. As I open the door, fresh air rushes into my lungs. "Ahhh..." I breathe out. They day is beautiful so far, so this should go well. . I look around, first my left, then my right... It's dirt road and grass for as far as I can see to the left, but the right appears to be Ponyville... Well, let's go! Sugar Cube Corner can't be that difficult to find. Sure enough, just five minutes of slowly walking into Ponyville caused me to spot what appeared to be Sugar Cube Corner, which appeared rather empty compared to normal... In through the window I saw Discord sitting at a table, writing in a journal... Interesting. I wonder what it's about? As I approach the door to Sugar Cube Corner, Discords voice emanates from behind me, "Going in won't be necessary, I just needed to meet you here. Now, to get to where we're training..." and he snapped his fingers, causing a bright flash of white, which seems to be lingering there... Wait a second... "What the hell, why is it so damn cold?!" I shout... Maybe I should've stopped myself... Ah, to hell with it, it's fucking cold! "Well, that would be simple. We're in the middle of a blizzard in the arctic plains around the Crystal Empire. I want you to use magic to keep from freezing," Discord said, looking at his claw-hand thingy. I think they're talons... But... "Seriously?! That sounds really fuckin' complicated, how am I supposed to know how to do that shit already?!" I ask, panic rising in my voice. All Discord does in response is smiles, and flies into the sky. So he's watching, huh? Let's do this. "Just gotta f-f-focus..." I say, stuttering due to shivering so violently. I can't believe I didn't notice the cold until now, but... I need to focus on heat... Fire, yes, fire... Holy shit, it's so cold... Serves you right, for not wanting to show strength. Just... "Shut the fuck up, okay?! I'm trying t'a fuckin' focus here!" I shout aloud... Oops... But I need heat... Focus on the snow in front of me, come on... Focus... "Well, it seems this isn't your strong suite," said Discord, flying down from the clouds, "So why don't we try this," he continued, and proceeded to snap his fingers again. This time, we were surrounded by guards, all pointing spears at us. "Ahp!" I gasp, and raise my arms as high as I can immediatly... I need to go, now! Wait... I watch as begin to levitate, and the entire world becomes grayish, though it appears as though I'm inside an eating hall for guards... God help- My thoughts are interrupted by a "No," and a snap from Discord. This time... "Is this the Everfree Forest?" I ask. If it is... Couldn't I die here?! Why the fuck would he bring me here?! "Well, it's part of it that nopony has seen in centuries, so you should be okay to cast a spell. Try to make all the leaves fall off of this tree," Discord explained, knocking on an ancient, knotted tree. "O-Okay... I'll do what I can," I inform Discord. I have to be successful here. Two failed attempts, one left... Focus... Fall... Off... There's a loud POP and everything begins to spin, accompanied by what's likely a migraine starting, and slowly black bleeds across all of my vision until I can no longer see, and I feel my body slam to the ground, but instead of hearing a thud, I hear a massive CRUNCH and I lose conscious. "Ungh... Wha-?" I stop myself when I feel the metal enter my head. "Agh!" I shout, which causes the metal to sink even deeper... Wait... it's just a migraine... Thank god. "Oh good, you're awake. So, Ajil, do you think you were successful in knocking that trees leaves down?" Asks Discord... What is he talking about? I mean, when did I... Oh... Well, I blacked out, so I couldn't have done much... "I don't know, maybe knock one or two leaves down?" I say, more or less asking. Why is Discord grinning at me? I mean, big deal if I guessed right. Just luck and common knowledge based off of the events. "There were 30 trees exactly like it within a five mile radius. They no longer exist," says Disco-oh what the fuck?! That... Bu...Wha... "What?! Th-th-that's not possible! Are you sure there energies didn't go somewhere else, or..." I stop when Discord clears his throat. "Well, there energies still exist, but they vanished. Oh, and about where there energies are..." he said, noticing my confusion, "Well, their energies... Attacked you. That's why you're lying here in the Library. You have to rest to replenish all of that energy you lost when the burst of magic left you. It wasn't anything major, but you seem to be able to adjust fast. You may, with the right kind of training, be able to rival my power at one point," Discord explained. At that moment, a letter seemed to burn into existence right in front of Discord. Weird, huh? I never thought he'd look so unhappy. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I have to go to a meeting now. Also, try not to cast any spells unless you're told you're allowed to, because otherwise you could get into a lot of trouble... Mostly due to inexperience," Discord said, and he vanished. I wonder why he's being serious about training me? Oh well, I'll live. I do need rest, after all... You do realize you almost killed me, right? Probably would have been a good thing. I need to rest though, so shut up and leave me be.