“I take it this happened before?” Jason commented dryly from the sideline as another thump could be clearly heard, even by them sitting that far away.
“Well, you know what happened to Silver,” Star responded somewhat sadly, a slight wince in his tone. “Okay, that one is probably going to leave a mark. Trevor’s the guy that wrote it.”
“And it doesn’t help that both of them are stubborn jerks,” Roy added. “What did you think was going to happen if they ever met? My money’s on the furry one, by the by.”
“Right, because I’ve obviously spent time thinking about what would happen if I met a great and powerful being who created me,” Chitter huffed, most likely rolling his eyes. It was an odd group. Two humans at various stages of transformation, a nocturne pegasus and a changeling sitting nonchalantly, watching a unicorn and a satyr have a grudge match.
“I didn’t think they would end up in a few holds barred brawl,” Jason said, matching his OC’s tones.
So yeah, I was a bit preoccupied while those four were having their chat. The night before ended in a swirl of activity. After a swath of exclamations of surprise and distress on the part of all parties involved, we left Sam to his watery bed, encouraged by a chair wedged firmly under the door knob. Petty? Perhaps, but I had worked hard on getting the chair placed in such a manner than it actually did prevent the door from being opened.
Fine. Brenda convinced me to let him out since the rest of us did need to use the washroom, but still; the bathtub was his sleeping spot for the night. I would have felt a lot better if he didn’t seem so happy about it.
So I was in something of an ill mein, trying to get some sleep with an athletic young lady on the bed beside me, two friends on the second bed, and a fifth presumably naked once more in the bathroom a few feet away. It didn’t help that I found myself in the forest again, this time with pleasant company, and one not so pleasant company.
“Stop… resisting!” Silver grunted, straining to push past the hand I had firmly gripped around his muzzle to keep him at bay, the other intercepting the hooves that attempted to strike me, each glancing blow only bearable because proximity prevented him from getting much power behind them. “Take your beating… Like a Stallion!”
“Oh my…” Roy said, his tones and manner much like George Takai.
Considering he’d already gotten quite a few blows in, I decided that following that request was counter-productive to my well-being. Instead, I kicked him hard in the shin. Hooves, a tad dicey to balance on, but wonderful for dishing out blunt force trauma. He squawked and rolled off me, swearing and clutching at his rear leg. I staggered to my feet and whipped the trickle of blood that ran from my nose away with a grin. “Not so high and mighty now, are you, huh?”
“So… that’s 5 to 4 in Trevor’s favour,” Roy commented as I leapt unto Silver’s back and tried to pin him down. “Let’s see if he can keep the advantage this time.”
“Um… anyone else more concerned with the fact that we all seem to be sharing a dream?” Jason asked. Chitter chirped in a noncommittal fashion. “And didn’t I see Sam before Silver and Trev started duking it out?”
I managed to hook my arm around his neck and wrap my legs around his barrel, throwing myself to one side to force him off balance. I kicked at the same hind leg I hit earlier and he crumpled beneath me.
“He and Sea Bubble went off to the puddle that appeared and are playing with each other.” Roy paused as Jason facepalmed, Star struggling to hold back laughter. “Not in that way. Get your minds out of the gutters.”
“Say Uncle!” I yelled, lying on my back so I could keep Silver off the ground while I held him in a chokehold. He squirmed, his hooves flailing in the air as he tried to free himself.
“Never!” He yelled back, slamming his head into my nose, again. Shooting pain and the moment of blurred vision caused me to lose my grip on him and he slipped away; rolling off me and quickly putting a couple feet of distance between us as I slowly got up once more.
“I’m pretty sure it’s just cathartic for them,” Chitter buzzed as Roy called out 6-6. He nudged Jason. “You can feel it, right? Their emotions? Neither one of them are really angry, they are frustrated.”
Both Silver and I paused, turned, and glared at Chitter. The bug grinned back at us. “See?”
Silver grumbled under his breath, limping slightly. I followed, tenderly pressing on my nose, making sure it wasn’t broken. “Damn, Silver, your head’s a rock.”
“My head? I think I got a concussion from hitting your’s,” Silver complained with a slight wheeze. He coughed a little and rubbed at his throat.
“Which proves you’re both hard headed jerks,” Roy said cheerfully.
“Ha, ha,” I said without much enthusiasm. I spat a glob of mingled blood and saliva off to the side. “Man… please tell me none of this will be around when I wake up.”
“It’s a mental construct,” Silver said in a bored tone. “At most you’ll have some trace aches here and there. Solely psychosomatic.”
“So now that Silver and Trev got their lover’s spat out of the way-,” Jason started.
“Yeah! I still hate the guy, but there are more important things right now,” Silver scowled.
“- Can we please get back to the ‘why are we in a shared dream’ question?” Jason continued as if Silver never interrupted.
“That’s probably genius’ fault,” Silver muttered, dropping to his haunches.
“Take one unicorn with a talent for mind affecting spells and knowledge of dream magic, one changeling with emotional bonds with his companions and give those ties and abilities to two humans with no experience managing them, and you end up with a subconscious dreamscape that draws on the emotional ties,” I explained.
“Okay… sorta makes sense,” Roy nodded. “Just one thing… how the hay do you know that?”
“I made him up, which includes the gist of his magic, now I’m getting his know-how on the actual magic,” I said blandly. “And I’m clever.”
“Speaking of…” Silver said. “Chitter, anything you need to give your guy the heads up about?”
“Um… don’t try to use your more active abilities,” Chitter said after a moment’s thought. “Changeling magic doesn't regenerate like a regular pony’s magic, and we need love energy to stock up.”
“I keep telling you, I’ve got lots of love to spare!” Roy protested.
“And draining love energy drains the source, so if you don’t want to hurt those around you, don’t use up your magic. You can survive off friendship and ambient emotions no problem, but if you dig too deep you’ll start getting into trouble.
“Oh… and…” Chitter leaned in close and whispered something in Jason’s ear.
“WHAT?” Jason yelled, making them all flinch. He looked at Chitter with something akin to terror. “You’re kidding, right? Please tell me you’re kidding. I mean, it makes sense, but…”
Chitter shook his head with a grin. “Still a guy though.”
“Changeling biology?” Roy asked. Jason sighed and nodded.
“Good for you,” I commented. I raised my eyebrows when Silver motioned for me to move closer. Oh, brilliant. What joyous secret of lunar touched unicorns was I to learn now? As I leaned in close, he suddenly reared back and gave me a damn headbutt again.
“OH FRIGGING WHAT THE HELL?” I swore, staggering back and falling to my ass.
“OH BUCK A MINOTAUR SIDEWAYS UNDER THE NOONDAY SUN!” Silver swore himself. The others just stared, stunned. “Why is your head so tough!?”
“Why’s your’s? Jeeze. Did we not hit each other enough earlier?” I complained. “Seriously!”
“Look, right now you’re the central point of whatever’s happening to everyone, so I figured I could give you some ideas on how to… moderate the effects, since your horn grew in,” Silver said. “Tartarus spawn… Almost hit your horn too…”
“Wouldn’t that be your horn?” Star asked. “He got your scar too.” He pointed to the old wound that somehow formed on my jawbone, matching the one Silver had.
“And couldn’t you simply, I don’t know, tell me!” I demanded, too irate to both worrying about Star’s points.
“It would take too long. So I gave you direct transfer of the ideas. Also, it was more satisfying.” Silver said. Really? I scowled at him as he motioned for us to follow him. “Now come on, we need to grab the puddlecolts so I can show you something.”
Roy and Star exchanged looked, but shrugged and took off after my alterego, Jason and Chitter lingered a bit. “Seriously,” Chitter asked, “What did you do to make him that upset at you? The only time I remember feeling that mix from him was when we were on the Still Echo case.”
“Still Echo?” Jason asked. We both looked at him. “Hey, I haven’t got that weird rapport you and Roy do. You know I suck at backstory. I let you guys write it for me.”
Chitter shook his head in a manner that clearly questioned his place in the world if that was the person who made him, but explained. “I’m a rogue changeling, right? Formerly part of Chrysalis’ army? Part of my agreement with the crown and nobility was that I work with the guard. Still Echo is… he’s a nocturne that lives up to all the negative stereotypes. Violent, depraved, criminal tendencies of the worst kind, a mar on Equestria’s harmony.”
I flinched at each word. Yep. That described Still Echo. Chitter went on. “From what I hear, he’s even worse than what they say Changelings are like. Theft, kidnapping for ransom, rape, someponies even say he’s a murderer. He’s never been caught, but Silver always get’s that same mix whenever he’s mentioned.”
“And that’s why Silver hates me,” I sighed, closing my eyes slowly.
Chitter managed to convey the ‘raised eyebrow’ look despite his lack of that feature. “He hates you because Still Echo was never caught?”
I slowly stood and started after the others. “No. He hates me because he’s his father.”
----------
“Carry me?” Sea Bubble asked, trying his best to look cute. He was pretty average for a seapony shades in the blues and blue greens, splashing his tail playfully in the water, his wet mane clinging to his skull. Unfortunately, he was surrounded by ponies in the dark shades, and his bright pastel coat only looked even more girly in contrast.
“No,” Silver said flatly.
“Not it,” Roy and Star said in unison.
Sea Bubble was an anomaly in the original party all the other OCs came from. Silver Stroke? Intelligence officer in the Night Guard. Star Defender? Flier in the Night Guard’s Shadowbolts. Chitter? Renegade from the Changeling’s army and under probation in the Royal Guard, most often with the Night Guard. There was a trend there. It was the premise of the game when it was proposed. Sea Bubble? Teenage seapony exploring the surface world of Equestria. He didn’t even have a set of landlegs for Luna’s sake.
“Carry me?” he asked as Chitter, Jason and I caught up. He gave me the same pleading look, almost close to tears, his lower lip quivering slightly, water dripping from his mane irregularly. It wasn’t foal level adorable, but you’d have to be a special kind of heartless to refuse that face.
“Ha, ha…. No.” I was a DM, a Game Master, A Lord of Dice. Being heartless was in the job description. “Sam, carry your OC. He’s your responsibility. Silver, lead on.”
“Aww, come on! I’m weak and feeble,” Sam protested. We were all doing our best not to look directly at him. As it turned out, we popped up in this dreamscape wearing whatever you had on before you fell asleep. Which was, in Sam’s case; nothing. Roy donated his shirt to the cause, but still, it had been awkward.
“Carry me?” Sea Bubble pleaded, aiming his attempt at Sam. Unfortunately for Sam, he was not a DM, and he caved easily. Soon enough, our group was off again, trudging through the forest’s underbrush, a mismatched party of ponies, transforming humans, one changeling and one seapony happily gurgling as he rode piggy back.
Chitter’s look was mingled fear and concern, and kept darting between Silver and myself. Jason had just winced once, but moved on. I suppose that’s the difference between those to whom it’s a story, and those who live the life.
“So…” I asked after we were walking for a while. Dreams made perspective a difficult thing to pin down. “What are we looking for?”
“Not what,” Silver said. He stopped us and moved a branch, pointing. “Who.”
Okay. Somewhat cryptic. We had reached the edge of the forest. The rest was just emptiness stretching out. Sitting at the very edge of the treeline was an earth pony mare; a peach coat with a dark pink mane braid and hanging over her shoulder, her tail well styled. I couldn’t see her cutie mark from where I was. “So… you brought us to see a mare?”
“Think,” Silver said, the ‘stupid’ implied, but not stated. “Why would there be a mare here?”
“Because you’re lonely?” Roy quipped.
“Just go talk to her,” Silver said, pushing me out into the open.
“Dude!” I staggered forward a few steps, still not used to the hoofed feet. Of course I ended up falling flat on my face.
“Are you okay?” a female voice asked.
“Not really,” I grumbled, pushing myself into a seated position. She had brown eyes, looking at me with concern and a slightly amused smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. “Hi. I’m Trevor. You are?”
“Melody Scales,” she smiled and circled me. Her cutie mark was interesting. Six coins falling, no, positioned on a diagonal staff; coins made into musical notes.
“Well, nice to meet you, Melody,” I looked over my shoulder and glared at where the others were. Silver poked out enough to make a ‘get on with it’ motion with a hoof before ducking back into cover. Really? Get on with what? I sighed. “So… mind if I ask you what you’re doing here?”
“Of course! I was… I… was…” Melody hesitated, losing some of her animation. She struggled a bit, her hoof extended hesitantly, looking from side to side. I waited, letting her think. Honestly, I don’t know what Silver had expected me to do. It was a mare. In our dreams... Okay; tad weird. But really, what was I supposed to do about it? I wasn’t a magic unicorn yet.
“Waiting,” she said finally. She sank a lot of sadness into the word.
“Waiting for what?” I encouraged.
“For… her… to hear me, I suppose,” Melody said. She sat, staring off into the distance. “Why do you think she hasn’t come?”
“I dunno,” I said honestly, shrugging a little. I glanced back at Silver. He and Roy were smiling. At least Jason and Sam looked confused. I rolled my eyes and turned back to Melody, trying to figure out what she was… no way… “Have you tried reaching out to her?”
“I’ve…” Melody paused, and then smiled bashfully. “I don’t remember.”
“Um… what can you remember?” I asked. I heard moments behind me.
Melody considered it for a while, pawing at the ground. “… Singing.”
“So… Maybe you haven’t song the right song for her?” If I was right about this…
“The right song?” Melody said thoughtfully, falling silent again.
I was going to push her a little more, but she started singing. Her voice was soft, and her singing slow and melancholic, but it was lovely. “Saying goes… that when you're stuck on a mountain… You try to go up, you try to go down, you turn around… To face a wall so you can face yourself… realizing you've made a mistake…” Her voice trailed off.
I recognized that song. It didn’t make sense, but I think I got an epiphany. Silver came up beside me and nodded. “You realize it now, right?”
I nodded numbly. I was starting to get numb, my legs and waist tingling slightly. “But… how? She’s not… I mean… why?”
“Melody Scales,” Silver said softly as the mare stood up with confidence. “Music.”
“So together we are all lost on the moon, We all share our home on the moon, we forever we are lost on the moon, together we pay your crime on the moon!”
Melody’s voice trailed off and I realized the dream was fading. She smiled at me again. “You think she heard me?”
Maybe it was a trick of the eyes, but I thought I saw someone standing behind her. “Yeah…” I said softly. “Pretty sure she did….”
----------
Melody’s voice was still in my head when I woke up. The others hadn’t woken up yet, if the snores and soft breathing were anything to go by. The noises of the city were muted, but a reminder that people were up and about, despite the darkness the heavy curtains imposed on in room. One high point of the pony eyes; these had good low light vision.
Toying with the idea of going back to sleep, I reflected on the night. I really hoped that would be the last of the shared dreams. Or the weird dreams all together. I think I could survive not meeting Silver in my dreams anymore.
I stiffened when someone moaned softly beside me and shifted on the bed. And here was the other conundrum. Melody was definitely Brenda’s OC. But as far as I knew, she wasn’t a brony. Or a pegasister. Sure, she had watched a few episodes with Roy, even one or two when I had been around, and we… had talked about a bunch of fandom music on the way…
Okay… what defined a brony? Seriously? And when would she have made an OC? Brenda rolled over in her sleep, shifting a bit closer to me. I Blinked and Swallowed nervously. Did her hair look different? Her hair was different. She sighed in her sleep, a slight smile on her face. Her breath was warm on my skin. Yep. Time to get up and get moving before… stuff. Stuff would be bad. Very. Damn. Okay, time to get moving before stuff gets worse. On a side note; dang. Just… dang.
I yawned and rolled into a sitting position, rubbing my nose and jawline, trying to massage the psychosomatic pains away. Damn, Silver hit hard. This whole this was making less and less sense. Wait, turning into ponies didn’t make sense in the first place. I sighed and ran my hand over my face, stopping when my fingers brushed against the newly old scarred skin on my jaw. I explored higher to where my horn was.
Lovely thing to remember him by, I thought. I got up carefully, taking my phone with me as I headed for the window as quietly as my hoofed feet would let me, not quite ready to wake the others. The city noise level rose as I got closer to the window, and I ducked behind the curtains to look out at the world. I hummed to myself as I watched vehicular and pedestrian traffic go by. Morning in Chicago shimmers... Morning in Chicago shines...
Wonder how many people out there are in our situation, I mused. There was a slight clink as my new horn, Silver’s horn, hit the glass when I leaned in too close, trying to take a peek at the lot below. I flinched reflexively before sighing and trying to catch a glimpse of my reflection in the glass. Apparently I’d gotten pony ears overnight as well. “Lovely.”
“Well… enough time wasting…” With one last yawn, I threw the curtains open.
“Good morning Campers!” I yelled cheerfully, my voice and the bright rays of the sun doing their dastardly tasks of waking the formerly peaceful sleepers. Brenda buried herself under the covers to hide from the light. Jason looked like he was willing to wake up properly, but Roy’s stretching wing made the choice for him when it pushed him off the bed.
“I was getting up on my own,” Jason complained in a bland tone.
“Oh, sorry Jason,” Roy yawned.
In the meantime, I trotted over to the bathroom door, still yawning and rapped on it. I was not meant to be up yet. “Get up, Sam! People need to use the bathroom.”
“I’m up, I’m up,” his sleepy response came. I could hear water splashing inside, so it was good enough for me.
“Hey, I’m getting fur,” Roy suddenly announced back in the main portion of the room. “I was hoping to go hooves like Trevor.”
“Good for you,” Jason sighed. “At least you have your hair.”
“Changeling crests are cool too,” Roy retorted with a laugh.
“And here I thought I was done with military haircuts when I moved out of my parents’ house,” he said a bit dejectedly.
“What are you tw-- wow,” I said, my voice trailing off. Jace apparently lost all his hair overnight. He ran his hands over the newly bare scalp and toyed with the spines. He even had changeling ears to go with it. “Well, that’s apparently a thing…”
“You shouldn’t talk, old man,” Jason retorted. I glanced at the dresser mirror. Apparently, I’d somehow missed the fact that my hair had gone silver grey with a gold streak through it. I suppose the whole thing with the scar and the horn distracted me.
Roy was sporting fur over most of his upper body, I could only speculate about the rest, and his hair had started changing; taking on the red and light brown hues of Star’s mane. Jason… really needed to put his gloves on. My arms hurt looking at his. The show did not properly portray what holes through limbs really looked like. And he was getting that exoskeleton/fur mix changelings had and had the faintly glowing blue eyes.
“Anyway, there’s one more thing to address…” I sighed and poked the lump under the covers. “Brenda, time to get up.”
She groaned inarticulately but pulled the blankets aside and stretched widely. Considering the other three in the room were healthy young males, I was sure I wasn’t the only one to appreciate a stretching female form in the morning, but I bravely ignored the fact that she had removed her bra to sleep.
“Brenda, may I be the first the welcome you to the herd,” I said in a stately fashion, waving her to the dresser and the mirror.
“Welcome to… what?” She yawned, looking at the mirror, and at long length of dark pink hair that now crowned her head. She squeaked. It was adorable. And another note; her eyes shrank as she squeaked. They must have been her first change.
The ensuing silence was only broken when Sam emerged from the bathroom, his mane soaked, his lower limbs scaled and upper ones tinted cyan blue.
“Brenda is a brony?” Roy asked, a bit taken aback by the turn of events.
I sat down beside her on the bed and hugged her. “Remember the mare we say in the dream? Melody Scale? Brenda’s OC.”
“How?” Brenda asked. “I mean… I… I’m not a big fan of the show or anything. I don’t hate it, but I don’t really love it or anything! I just liked some of the music that Roy found and downloaded it for myself and-”
“Don’t ask me to explain the philosophy of what makes a brony or pegasister,” I shrugged. “But Brenda made the cut. Silver said it was the music.”
“I… guess it was a good thing I decided to come with you,” Brenda said, crawling to the edge of the bed and lifting locks of her hair free with a dazed expression. “Um… do you… know..?”
“Earth Pony. Her cutie mark is a music… scale I think is the term, with coins marking the notes,” I answered, guessing at what she wanted to know. “Peach fur. Very good singer. She sang lost on the moon for you.”
“Extremely good singer,” Roy agreed. “Star was crying.”
“So was he,” Sam added.
“I think I heard it,” Brenda said slowly. “Just before you woke me up, I dreamed I was alone in an empty place, then someone starting singing to me, and brought… people, I think. I don’t remember how it ended well, just that she had a lovely voice.”
Brenda exhaled slowly. “Okay… I can deal. What do we do next?”
“The convention,” Roy said. “It’s what we came for. We just have one more reason to go.”