By the time Twilight's testing was finished, it was already late in the night.
Twilight yawned before she sleepily said, "You know, I think I've written everything I could about you down. Sorry if I took up all your time..." She yawned again.
I sighed and said, "Nevermind that, it was eye-opening to me as well."
Twilight nodded, before her eyes widened and she said, "Wait what? Didn't you know about your own body before?"
She must have been so focused that she didn't notice my own reaction, or at least forgot it near instantly, I thought.
"I, uh, never really had tests like this done before..." I said with an embarrassed smile. It was the truth.
Twilight looked at me with slightly narrowed eyes. Then, she yawned for the third time and stretched backwards.
"Maybe you should get to bed. Don't want to damage anything in here if you fall asleep suddenly," I said, getting up from the bed I was laying on. My robe was lying on a nearby table, though the table looked like it was drooping for some reason. I slipped the clothing on and felt the material seal itself back up above my wings.
I'm sure Twilight would have flipped out even more if she saw that.
I was laying on a bed, replaced after I laid down on a regular bed and it started to collapse. The bed I had now was made for heavy creatures, and after I learned that I weighed as much as a solid gold statue of me would weigh, it was a justifiable change.
I was also trying to make sure I didn't slice my bed up with my feathers as I tried to go to sleep. I sincerely hoped that I could still sleep, even if my body was almost completely artificial. I don't want to have to hit my head on a brick wall to get to sleep.
I closed my eyes and tried to forget just what I was...
WAKE UP, CHILD
Bwuh?
I SAID, WAKE UP.
I woke up to the starry void again.
WELCOME BACK TO THE LAND OF THE WAKING.
"What do you want?" I spat out into the void.
AH, SO YOU HAVE FINALLY SEEN WHAT YOU ARE.
My eyes widened, until I remembered that this guy could apparently read my mind.
LET US CONVENE IN A MORE NATURAL PLACE.
The void faded out, replaced with the rolling hills from before. And just like the previous dream, I saw that man with the black and white long coat leaning against a tree.
"So. What do you want to know?"
"Wuh?" I eloquently said. Shocked, I asked, "Just like that?"
"Yep. I said I would explain stuff to you, so I'm taking the opportunity of your dreams to do that," he said. He then stood straight before sitting down underneath the tree and beckoning over to me.
I was still suspicious of him, but I sat down next to him.
There was a few seconds of awkward silence.
"So..."
I flinched, startled by his voice. I took a deep breath and asked, "Who are you, really?"
He looked out over the field and sighed. Then he said, "I have no name, but I am a very powerful being. Essentially, I am akin to a god, though I am not all knowing. And before you start trying to rationalize that, think about where you are and what I can do, such as reading your mind with no apparent effort."
I was shocked to learn this. I still doubted him, and he quirked an eyebrow in my direction.
I shook my head and said, "Alright, nevermind. Did you bring me here?"
He nodded, but did not say anything else.
"Why?"
"I cannot answer that right now," was his curt reply.
He continued, "There are beings more powerful than I who I am trying to not grab the attention of."
After that cryptic remark, he stood up and said, seemingly to himself, "Alright, it's time to go." He glanced at me for a second, before scrunching his eyebrows together. Then, he snapped his fingers.
Man, what a dream... I thought as I got up out of my bed and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. When I opened them, I stopped for a couple seconds.
Why is my skin not gold?
I was still processing this when I heard a voice. A woman's voice.
"Ralphy! Breakfast is ready!"
It can't be...
It is. This is an interactive memory.
I looked around frantically, searching for the voice.
You won't find me here, I am just giving you some relaxation after having your new form revealed to you.
"Ralph? You okay up there?"
"Yeah! I'll be down in a second!" I yelled down to the first floor of my house.
I dressed myself in a simple pair of pants and a t-shirt before heading downstairs to the small kitchen.
"There you are! I thought you would never wake up."
The most beautiful being in the whole world stood before me, covered in stains and grease. Yet, nothing tarnished her beauty. Her brown hair was tied back into a ponytail, and her bright hazel eyes shined in the light of the sun coming through the kitchen window. Her lightly tanned arms held two plates of delicious eggs and bacon, and some pancakes were ready to be served on the table.
The kitchen looked just like it did before...then. The whole kitchen was shaped like a square, with two three foot wide openings near the corners on the side facing the dining room. The section of kitchen counter that was separated from the rest was where we had stored the canned foods. The countertops were green marble and covered with various cooking utensils. The cabinets were a light colored wood with brass knobs. The stove was a simple steel two-in-one with a two-person oven on the bottom.
Suddenly, everything grayed out.
Don't waste time gawking. Just be happy that you are here, and enjoy the time you have, I heard the voice say from everywhere.
I couldn't move, but I thought, But she's been dead for years! How can I act normally around her?
Simple. She knows that she has died, but she wants to help you relax.
I was struck dumb by his words.
However, don't mention that to her, as it would not be good for your mental health.
The surroundings regained their color, and the most beautiful woman of my life set the two plates down on the table.
She turned towards me, where her face changed to one of worry. She walked over to me and stroked my face before saying, "Ralph, are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."
I leaned into her touch and said, "Sorry, I just had a bad dream." I decided to follow the advice of the voice and enjoy the small amount of time I had with her.
She then said, smiling, "Oh is that all? Well then, you need to get some of this food in you! It'll make those nightmares go away before you can say scared!"
Thus, I sat down to eat the best food that I could ever have.
I was in my forge, working on a piece of armor for Tim’s Berserker cosplay. The breastplate was almost done and just needed a few finishing touches. I was etching my signature just three inches to the right from the center of the chest piece.
“Ralph? Tim’s here!” I hear my beloved’s voice shout from the living room.
“Alright! I’ll be out in a sec!” I yell over the din of the etching machine.
Just as I finished up with the last letter, I heard footsteps from behind me. Feeling the phantom sensation of something against my neck, I whirl around. Instead of seeing a shadowy figure, I see Tim with his hands up, surprised.
“Whoa dude! It’s just me. You know, your best buddy Tim?” he said with a worried look on his face.
I took a few deep breaths before shaking my head. “Sorry, just had a bad dream last night,” I said before I turned back to my work, polishing the etching.
I heard more footsteps, until Tim was right next to me with a troubled look on his face. I noticed this and looked up, asking, “What’s wrong? You’ve got a little bit of ‘Long Face Syndrome’ going on right there.”
He glanced at me for a second before he begins slowly talking. “A bad dream…? Did...Was I in a Berserker costume in your dream?”
A chill ran down my spine. I slowly nodded.
He sighed. “I also had a dream, and some hot golden angel that said that she was you was there. She called herself Celedon. Ring any bells?”
I almost dropped the tool in my hands.
“This really is just a memory, isn’t it?” he said, despondent.
Yes, it is.
I jumped from the sudden appearance of the voice. Apparently, Tim did as well.
You have both been through quite a bit, in different ways. I decided to be a little nice, though I will require you to do something for me at a later time.
After a few seconds of silence, we both looked at each other.
“Ralph! Lunch is ready!” I heard from the kitchen.
“Just a second!” I yelled back.
“Oh! See if Tim wants anything! We’ve got plenty!”
A few more seconds of silence stretched between us. Then I took a deep breath and said, “Well, you feel up to eating something? Best make the time you’ve got here something good, right?”
He slowly smiled and said, “Yeah, let’s go eat. It’s been awhile since I had some good cooking.”
“Hey! I cooked decently for a guy living by himself!” I said as I faked an indignant tone.
“But you know her meals are better.”
“...Can’t argue with you there…”
We both laughed at that as we sat down to some delicious barbecue ribs and salad.
“Hey Ralph?” Tim asked as he washed his dishes.
“Mm?” I couldn’t talk due to the food in my mouth.
“What say we all go to the Crazy Station?”
“I don’t know…You alright with it?” I said as I looked across the table.
She nodded and said, “Yeah, I think it’d be a nice way to spend some time together.” She had a small smile on her face.
“I’m driving!” Tim said as he rushed out the door.
“Shotgun!” we both shout. A second later we chuckled.
“I guess we both get the backseat, then,” I said.
“Mmhm,” she purred. As I stood up from the table she walked over to me and placed a kiss on my cheek. I had missed that feeling...
“WHOOO!!!” Tim screamed. We were riding on the ‘Skin Peeler,’ since it went so fast you felt like your skin was being peeled off your face. It was quite a morbid name to tell the truth, but it was one of the best roller-coasters in the state.
“AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!” She and I screamed as we clung to each other. We both were adrenaline junkies, though you wouldn’t see it from our reactions.
Just a few minutes later, we were getting off the ride. Her hair was messed up, Tim looked like he couldn’t stand straight, and I leaning on her because my balance was so messed up.
“Woo man, that was fun!” Tim said, still giddy from the ride.
“I’d say we go on a gentler ride for now…” I said. Granted, I loved the sensation of speed, but that one just wore me out.
All of a sudden, I felt water hit my nose. I looked up to see that there were dark clouds moving in above us.
“Tim, I think it’s time to go,” I said, still looking up at the sky.
He followed my gaze and said, “Shoot. Alright, let’s hurry back to the car.”
Without warning, the rain just starting pouring down. It wasn’t harsh, but there was a lot. We were immediately soaked to the bone. Thunder rumbled overhead. Our footsteps squished through the amusement park grounds as we ran to the car. Other people were taking shelter underneath awnings and inside buildings, while some, like us, were heading to their cars.
“Tim!” I shouted over the rain. “You go ahead! Get the car started up!” I covered her as best as I could with my body, though it was a meager protection.
I saw him nod before he sprinted away. I held her close as we tried to run to the entrance to the amusement park grounds. She slipped on the wet ground and almost brought me down with her, but I found a spot to lean my foot into so we didn’t fall. Not two steps later I did the same thing, bringing her down on top of me.
Everything around us stopped. I looked into her eyes, and she into mine. We stayed there for a few seconds, the curtain of her hair blocking sight from everything else. After those long few seconds, we got up. I was completely soaked and covered with mud. We both laughed a little at the irony of me falling down just after having held her up.
We also laughed just because we were in each other’s arms.
The love of my life and I were on a couch, snuggled together in front of a cozy fire and wrapped in towels. I was stroking her sopping wet hair while we both took in each other's presence and warmed ourselves by the fire.
"Hey Ralph?"
"Yes?" I looked into her eyes. The eyes of someone I love and had missed.
"It's time to wake up."
...My time was up. I sadly sighed and whispered, "Alright."
But before I got up, I pulled her in for a light kiss, just to remember her.
"Goodbye Ralph," she said as she let go of me.
I could feel my body becoming different, like I was not really there. I felt my shape morph into that of my new body, with the wings and the...chest.
"Goodbye...Alice."
Those were my final words to my wife before I woke up.