I stared into the eyes of me. Just like the one before, this version of my likeness was here to give me some test meant to keep me alive, and to enhance my already over-powered eyes. I knew I would have to beat seven different versions of me eventually, but no one after the other. I’m still recovering from the trauma caused by the first one, and I’m really tired.
“What do you want? Can’t you see that I am tired?” I yawned sitting back preparing for my next test.
“Yeah, bro. You like…Umm…Need some sleep.” ‘Thank you captain stoner.’
“So what do I have to do?” He didn’t hear my question. He was more concerned about snooping through my room making a mess while he was at it. ‘I think I can figure his test out.’
“Let me guess; you want me to get out of my fantasy and accept reality. You want me to choose one of my halves over the other in order to live at peace, and to realize whom I was meant to be. Yadda, yadda. So let me tell you this. I can’t live without my dragon half because he helps regulate and limits the flow of chaos magic from growing rampant, and I can’t live without my griffin half because he keeps me sane. So go away now so I can sleep.” He turned round from his search of my closet and smiled.
“Dang man. You like, didn’t give me a chance. But props to you for beating me so easily,” He said disappearing back to whence he came.
“What the fuck?”
After he left as quickly as he appeared. I felt a sudden surge flow through me like I became stronger magically. I knew from the boost that I was still nowhere near as strong as Discord, but strong enough to now do much more complex spells that would have giving me trouble before. I got up from my wonderful bed to get something to eat, hoping that food in my stomach would help me get to sleep.
Walking down the halls at night was something I couldn’t get used too. Aside from the overall structure being similar to a white tube with a bunch of hidden doors in the walls, the lighting system changed during the late hours. The lights made it looked like I was outside the ship during the twilight hour, but the luminance made it look like I was in a horror film. And the constant clicking from my claws tapping the cold metal ground didn’t help the feeling either.
I slowly found my way to the main hall that led to the kitchen, but something caught my attention. Lily’s room was near the lounge just past the kitchen. The thought of her room wasn’t what forced my mind to focus on her, it was the light coming from a crack in the door, and so I went to go investigate.
As I got closer to the room, I began to hear the sound of running water. My initial thought was a leak was nearby, but that didn’t make sense. Lily must be having a shower, But at this late at night? That also didn’t make any sense. I knocked on her door asking if she was awake. The sound of a hard thud followed up by a groan of pain, told me she was awake and the one causing the running water.
“You okay in there?” I asked through a yawn.
“St-st-stay out!” she squeaked through chattering teeth.
‘I think she forgot how to use the hot water tap.’ I didn’t enter the room for fear of embarrassing her. She was still self-conscious about her appearance thinking that if she wasn’t covered up, people would see her as ‘Lewd and crude.’ And because after the events of earlier, me seeing her naked as she believes. Would get me into trouble with her.
“Need help with anything?” I asked sitting down beside the door.
“No!” she proclaimed.
“How much longer then?”
“Why?”
“I want to talk to you about something,” I lied. I just wanted her to hurry and go to sleep.
“Oh-Okay. Just a few more minutes!”
“Alright.”
I waited outside her door for the five minutes she said she’ll take. During this time, I heard her fumble and fall trying to get dressed, she kept repeating---just a few more minutes---Followed by many more tripping and moans of pain. If I wasn’t so tired, I would be laughing my ass off or making fun of her klutziness, but that would just be mean.
Just as I was about to fall asleep in the hallway, Lily finally opened the door shy as ever, but what happened to her hair? I knew Lily needed a haircut. Having a head that looked like a black bush was placed there haphazardly wasn’t very attractive, there could have been birds living in there or something much worse.
She attempted to cut her hair, was an understatement. Sure it was shorter up to her shoulders and less frizzy, but what she tried to do just made it look like a lawnmower sat on top of her head. There was botched patches all over, knots galore and in a very, very ugly style. I didn’t think about what I did next. I pushed her into her room closing the door behind me.
“Hey, What are you doing?!” she gasped.
“I am going to fix your hair and you are not going to run away,” I said teleporting a barber’s kit and hair style book from a prestigious saloon in Canterlot, then I turned on green eye learning all the styles from the book instantly.
“I’m fine Winter. There is nothing wrong with my hair,” she whined.
Once I was done learning all that I could, I froze her with the eye of dreams, only letting mobility of her head. “Yes there is something wrong with your hair, and I will not let my girl have fur problems.”
“But I don’t have any!” she said while I positioned her comfortably in a chair. I wrapped a towel around her neck and then began to comb out all the knots.
“But nothing,” I say taking out the worst knots. “After we’re done, I’ll give you a treat for being a good girl. So stop fighting and let me work.
She stayed quiet while I worked my newly acquired skill on her hair, probably for the treat. Thankfully, the damage wasn’t as bad as I thought, thus making it easy for me to work with. I cut her hair into a cute short style. Bangs cut to one side and short down to her neck. I left her top a little wild keeping the cute bedhead look. Happy with my work, I cleaned up the mountain of hair teleporting it to a volcano, then I released her from her entrapment so that she could see her new hair dew. I laid down on her bed waiting for her return. When she did, she came out of the bathroom with a sheepish smile adorning her face.
“Better?” I smiled getting familiar with her bed.
“Better,” she replied.
“Then as I promised, I’ll give you a treat. How bout we share a bed for the night?” Lily blushed in response.
She turned off the lights then fumbled her way back to the bed. She was hesitant to get close to me in such an intimate circumstance, but I eased her nervousness cradling her underneath my wing. She let go a sigh of contentment nuzzling me until she found a comfortable place underneath my chin just on top of my chest. Even though, there were times when my luck has run out. When I have to walk through the rain all alone. I couldn’t help but smile for giving out such warmth. Then again. Sometimes I wonder if my life was meant to be that way, but as things that are going the way they are right now. I wouldn’t be surprised if something crazy happened while I slept. But I know that will happen. My assumptions are usually true. I quickly fell asleep to the gentle purr quietly emanating from Lily to a land of darkness and magic.
The sound of crying echoed in my mind. The sound of pain, the plight, begging to make it all go away filled the void of my dream. Save us the say, protect us they say, but I couldn't. These voices were calling out to someone else. To someone that has left a major impact on them. But who? I followed the voices wanting to know who they were calling out for. Was it a hero? Was it Celestia? Was it the doctor? I had the urge to know. Rushing through pure blackness drained me quickly of my energy. There was something about this place I didn't like...Like it was trying to consume me. Trying to stop me, but I pushed on till I reached my destination.
Light assaulted my vision, but the voices were gone. But where was I? I couldn't find out as I was transported before my sight could adapt to somewhere more different. I was in a hall of doors, just doors. There was nothing else other than the color of night, and a variety of doors. I found myself peeking into one, but I quickly pulled my head back in from the sight I saw. I shuttered in place. Witnessing Miss Cheerilee get rutted up by Big mac wasn't what I wanted to see. 'I must be in the hall of dreams. Luna's creation.' I guessed.
I slowly moved down the hall not looking into any more doors letting the curiosity slowly kill me, but one eventually caught my attention. It was a black door with a snowflake at the center, but it was heavily chained like no one was meant to go in or leave. I could tell there was even several magical runes placed on it, hard to find with the untrained eye. I walked up to the door wanting to know what was inside. It could not be that bad, right? Just as I was about to open the door, I was stopped by a strange voice filling the room with a new found curiosity. I turned around from my advance to see someone that I didn't think I would ever see. It was Luna.
"How art thou doing thine dream?" she spoke with her ancient regalness. I didn't know what to say. At least I was a griffin in this dream and not of the other variety. I smiled innocently snapping my fingers to a more comfortable setting. She was surprised to see that we teleported to the cherry blossom tree on my island, but this surprise didn't last however, but new found anger to what I just did. Just before she went all Royal Canterlot voice on my ass. I lifted a finger up so that I can explain. "Hello, Lulu. How are you tonight?"
"HOW DARE YOU INTERRUPT ME MORTAL! SUCH INSOLENCE WILL NOT BE TOLERATED!" Well, I tried. "EXPLAIN YOURSELF. RIGHT, NOW!" I took a long-winded sigh unsure of how I came to be here either. It could be the eye of dreams going into its final form just like the eye of foresight, giving me a much more powerful reach than before, but that's just speculation. Then again, that's exactly what happened. But why am I talking to Luna? She should still be on the moon.
"Okay then, I'll explain. My name is Winter, the prince of darkness, knight of the sun and moon, archmage of all forbidden magic, the chosen one, the king of glass, the man who conquered two million vaginas, the thing Celestia fears most, the creator of the elements of harmony, the master smith of seasons, the guy, in the tongue of the dragons- dovah amokriin, and the. MOST! Loveable. Adorable. Fluffy griffin you will ever meet."
"Wha...?" was her reply to my list of honorifics. She scrunched up her face unsure of how to respond, but if she starts yelling again. I'm going to smack her upside the head till she can suck herself.
"We don't believe you. Half of those titles we never have heard of."
"Well, I can't give an answer to that right now because this is sort of new for me too," I shrugged taking in the scenery.
"Very well then, we shall believe you. For now," she growled menacingly. "Then tell us mortal? Why art thou in control of thine dream state?"
"It's my special talent," I smiled.
We had a lovely conversation that mostly involved me trying to prove that I wasn’t the next big threat of Equestria. She didn’t like the fact that have more powers over dreams despite her being the princess of dreams. I didn’t tell her to what extent I can manipulate a person’s mind, but I kept what I could possibly do. But with all her constant blabbering and threats to use the elements of harmony on me in grand reformation. I was fangirling like a motherfucker, because Luna is best pony.
Once she settled down I asked for current events and what not. Luna told me mostly about this griffin named Griffin. I tried not to laugh at the irony of his name, but I knew that she kept some things away from me about him. From what I got from Luna, I was a few years into the future around the time of the Canterlot wedding. Apparently this Griffin character was a pirate that bitched slapped queen Chrysalis into submission. My first reaction was indifference, but Lulu told me he did it without a scratch. Still indifference. I could easily take him.
Other than the pirate, Luna didn’t know anything about me. Which was odd at first, but then again. I probably asked Tia to keep me a secret just in case of emergencies.
“Tell us Winter. How art thou here? You have been hiding from it during our talk,” she says looking at the blood moon. Wait… A blood moon? That wasn’t right. When did that happen.
“I have my reasons, but if you must know. My eye lets me do this. It is both a curse and a blessing. Because of it, Celestia fears me and tries her best to stay and my good side because I am an unknown factor for her, and to make things worse. I am immune to the elements of harmony and I can probably remake them if I had the time.” Luna stared unsure of how to react, but it wasn’t out of fear, more like concern. I am glad she thinks that way, Tia doesn't though. Aside from everything so far being fine, this bloom moon that entered my dream was bothering me. Something was wrong. Almost like….
I turned into my dragon form pushing Luna out of the way before she could respond while summoning Nix to my side. I slid down the side of the meadow in my Ornstein armor that I reformed with dragon scales, making this set more badass than before, but I kept the helm off. It just gets in the way. I turned on red eye checking out my new ability’s. I can know see the future without being frozen in place indefinitely and I can now hold if for a longer amount of time.
Luna was dazed from the impact I left on her, I’ll say sorry later. Right now, I have to focus on my enemy. I knew something was strange when I got here. I should have been sent back ages ago for the strain this spell was supposed to be on me. Now I know.
“Abraham took, Isaacs hand, and led him to the lonesome hill,” he sang with glee. Just like that, my life gets a little harder. It was me, again, but unlike the others. This one was crazy and wanted to fight.
“While his daughter, hid and watched, she dared not breath she was, so still.” Luna darted her vision back and forth between us. One a fully armored dragon the other a fully armored griffin, except I had a sword he had a scythe. My scythe.
Just like before, I must pass a test. But this thing was feeding off of Luna in order to fight me here. I don’t know his motives, but I can tell what I must do. Kill myself. With a flick of my scabbard Nix was free from her sheath encasing me in pure darkness that is hellfire. Other me that I am calling golden, reared up on his back legs towering over my six foot six by two feet. Luna tried to intervene, but I glared her down keeping her at a distance. I don’t want to accidentally kill her.
The rose filled meadow in full bloom of the red devils with a cherry blossom tree the size of a four-story building set the mood for a romantic battle between me and gold with a blood moon coating the scene in crimson. I fucking wish this wasn’t happening right now. I was enjoying tea with Lulu.
I side stepped barely dodging his insanely fast frontal assault. I knew my dragon body was powered by chaos magic, thus the more I had flowing though my veins, the more my physical ability’s would be enhanced.
He followed up using the forward momentum of his initial attack clipping me just enough to send me flying back several hundred feet to the edge of the meadow. I got back up with a grunt only to jump up into the air barely missing another attack. I slashed down blocking his follow up midflight. He gave me a sadistic grin, but I wasn’t in any pain. My armor did what it was supposed to do. Plus Lily hit way harder than him.
“That the best you got! Lily hits harder than you!” I laughed. He didn’t however. His eyes went into slits telling me what I needed to do. Ira-pain, Acedia-choice, Superbia-defence. Each test was exactly what I don’t do. What I didn’t do ever since I got here. I looked up to the moon to see that a little slice of red disappeared. ‘Hehe, got you bitch.’
I flapped my wings to get a better footing on the ground at the base of the tree, still surprised that I managed to summon my armor and weapons through the rift he made. He didn’t like the fact that I had a cheeky smile on my face. So he directed his attention on Luna. We both bolted for her, I to protect her, him to kill. I was faster though. I intercepted him parrying the cheap knockoff of my scythe taking it into my left hand, kicking him across the face, sending him flying back to the other side of the meadow slightly missing a head.
Luna looked at me too shocked to even register what is going on. Nor do I anymore. I took a gander at the moon instead of watching him reattach his head to his shoulders. Half of the moon was back to its pure snow white telling me this fight was half over.
He lunged from his position breaking the distance between us in a flash of rose peddles. I intercepted him kicking him back to the end of the meadow, again. ‘Almost there.’ He charged again flailing his claws like a madman hoping to land a hit. I caught him throwing up the weapons into the air, smashed his skull into the ground letting Nix land in his heart ending the fight.
The scythe disappeared as did Goldie. I sent Nix and my armor back home turning myself back into a griffin. Luna was speechless, I would be too if I were in her position, but I more important matters to attend to. Like my magic decided to run out. I left her a letter telling her that if she told anyone of what she saw. I get to take her virginity. A fair trade in my eyes.
I awoke to a warm sensation. The sensation best described as adoring affection. The events from my dream left me very sore. I didn’t want to move, then again why would I? The soft cotton blankets covering me on a nice foam bed. The air is slightly cool, but not unbearable. The ship moved gently up and down cradling me back into sleep, and I have a certain diamond dog with her arms around my waist nuzzling just under my chin not wanting to let go.
I didn’t dare wake her. It was still early in the morning, and I really didn’t want to wake up, but as luck would have it. I woke her up. She got up, stretched, cleared her eyes and plopped her head back down on my chest before realizing that I wasn’t her normal pillow. I gave her a soft smile as she looked up from her confusion.
“Winter? What…Are…you… AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
Many ears were killed that day.
Lilly jumped out of the bed freaking out that I was in her bed. I don’t know why though. She was wide awake last night to see me do so. ’Maybe she thought she was dreaming?’ I slowly recovered from my ear rape caused by her insanely loud screech. She smacked me with a pillow ordering me to get out, but I didn’t. I wasn’t in the mood to do anything at the moment. Thankfully, she realized that I wasn’t teasing her, thus ending her attack on my ear canals, and face.
“Why are you in my bed?!” she asked getting another pillow ready for pomfing.
“You invited me,” I deadpanned. She smacked me upside the head accordingly.
“No I didn’t,” she said while I batted away another pillow to face attempt.
“Well, you weren’t complaining, by the way. Who is this; Mighty Blizzard you keep talking about last night?” I teased in a better mood. ‘Must have been from the pillow to face.’
“No one,” she blushed. “Get out! You aren’t supposed to be in here.”
“Oh Winter,” I sang getting back into the grove of bugging her. “Please take me with your mighty blizzard.” Lily’s blush deepened as she tackled me off of the bed.
“But Lily,” I purred getting dragged out of the room by the scruff. “Once I take you for my own. There is no going back from such wonders.” And with that, I was thrown out of the room, down the hall, into the kitchen with a very flustered Lily claiming she wasn’t thinking any of those things last night, but she can’t lie to me. 'What a dirty, dirty girl.'