//------------------------------// // Chapter XXIV: Dream // Story: Astral Aegis // by Silvak //------------------------------// I awoke to see that I was sitting on a small boat, drifting in a sea of apple juice. Looking up at the sky, I watched the sight of bears swimming in the heavens while wearing various kinds of dresses that Rarity would likely make. Looking over the edge of the boat, I could see cupcakes that had sprouted legs somehow walking around, even though they were not even on some sort of solid ground. Raising my head, I just looked around for a moment before I said the first thing that came to mind. "What the buck is going on here?" I asked, only to be answered with silence. "Discord! If you're messing with me again, I swear, I'm going to shove... something down your throat and fire it till your insides are nothing but melted goo!" Still receiving only silence, I just pace around the boat, muttering obscenities to myself until the boat started to rock from something else besides my own actions. Looking around, I saw that the apple juice sea was starting to become turbulent in nature instead of its peaceful calm from earlier. Gripping the edge of the boot with my hooves, I tried to hang on only for the sea to become more chaotic, till a massive wave appeared. "...Buck me," I groaned as the wave overturned the boat, plunging me into the sea of apple juice. I tried swimming my way back to the surface, only to find that I was sinking like a rock. Holding my breath, I struggled to keep myself from sinking to no avail. Eventually, I couldn't hold my breath anymore, letting out bubbles of my air as apple juice rushed in to replace it. However, instead of drowning, I realized that I wasn't even really breathing. This led me to come to the realization that I was dreaming all along. Well, never thought I would dream up of something that Discord would do, I thought to myself as I looked around in a daze. The cupcakes once again caught my attention and I watched them as they walked past me. The scene only kept my attention for a moment before I landed on some flat surface, causing me to look down to see that it was some massive mirror. "Not another buckin mirror," I said to myself, only to see that the surface begin to distorted, the mirror morphing and shifting as figures started to come out of it. Looking around, I saw that the figures were all Xartik robots, ranging from the smallest models to the ones that stood over twenty feet tall. "I really wish I could control my dreams right now." "Well, why didn't you say so?" a feminine voice called out, and suddenly all the robots disappeared in a puff of smoke. "...Oh please don't tell me it's another voice that is trying to convince me that I'm going insane," I groused as I looked around for the source of the voice. It didn't take long for me to find it, which turned out to be a black and white version of me. "...Really?" "Well, what did you expect? Princess Celestia?" my copy said with a voice that was much higher than my own. I buried my face in my hooves, causing my copy to giggle at my expense. "You know you don't have to be so serious all the time." "...You're the nutty voice from the mirror before, so stop trying to convince me that I'm crazy and show me your true form," I replied, only for my copy to gasp as she planted her hooves on her face. "How could you accuse me of such a thing‽" she responded, only for me to deadpan at her. "Fine, you're naturally skeptical after the mirror, but honestly I'm not that voice." "Then who are you suppose to be, hmm?" "I really don't know, but do you remember the last thing that happened to you?" Eyeing the copy, I thought back to the last thing that happened to me before I found myself dreaming again; only to recall that I was bashed in the side of my head by the Xartik hunter. "Buck..." "Eeyup, you might have brain damage, which would explain why I'm here!" the fake exclaimed cheerfully, spreading her forelegs wide. "I... really doubt that my mind would be trying to alert me that I have brain damage, at least not this fast," I countered, glaring at the copy as her cheery expression started to fade. "Something is up, so tell me the truth already." Sighing, the copy just wore a stoic expression as her eyes bore into me. "Fine, I was just hoping to mess with you a bit. You really need to stop being so serious and angry, even if I have to make you panic a bit. For what I am... it's more of your mind trying to... how should we say, a figment of your imagination." "...Still doubting what you're saying." "You doubt everything, but fine, have fun being alone," the copy said with a huff of frustration before fading away. Shaking my head, I could only wonder why my dream was inane instead of... being weird. Letting out a sigh, I turned my head around, only to end up with a pair of dark purple eyes in front of my own, so cold and emotionless as they stared into my eyes like they staring into the depths of my soul. "Bu—" "—ck!" I shrieked, as my eyes slammed open in shock. Sitting up in alarm, I scanned my current environment to see that I was in a hospital room. Unfortunately, I immediately regretted my sudden movement as I felt a sharp pain on the side of my head. Hissing in pain, I placed a hoof on it to find that it was bandaged, causing me to wonder what happened till the memory came to me. That damned Xartik hu— "Aether, you're awake!" shrieked Pinkie, her face suddenly appeared before mine, along with the sound of something being inflated. I was about to let out a shout of surprise when Pinkie interrupted it by giving me a bone-crushing hug, shaking me around which also caused my head to hurt. "I'm glad that you're okay!" "Pinkie... you're... crushi—" I squeaked out, my forelegs flailing until she finally let go, allowing me to breath again as I gripped my head in pain. With one eye closed, I gave her a glare as I said, "Was that really neces—" only to have a chocolate cupcake stuffed into my mouth. "Oh course it was, I was so worried about you! I was so sad when I saw you were hurt... but I knew deep down that you're a tough pony! And now that you're up, I can throw you 'Congratulations on Get—" Pinkie started to explain, until I stuck a hoof into her mouth as I swallowed down the cupcake. "Pinkie, I'm glad that you're happy that I'm... okay. But I need you to calm down for a moment and let me think for a bit please." Getting a nod and some muffled response, I pulled my hoof out of her mouth as I tried to think things over. "Okay... I need to know what happened while I was... out." "Oh! After you were... hurt, the mean alien robot ran across the town, like it was trying to get away! We tried to save you, but the mean robot was too tough for us to hurt, till Princess Luna came and was: Wham! She beat the bad robot hard, then Princess Celestia saved you and shot magic at the meanie, that made it blow up! Then I hugged you since you were safe now, but we had to take you to the hospital, where the doctor said that you weren't hurt that bad. But he said that you may be sleeping for a few days, and he was right, it took you two days, six hours, forty two minutes and thirty three seconds to wake up!" At first, I was blinking at Pinkie's rapid retelling of what happened, only for me to gape at her when she gave me either an estimate or the accurate amount of time I was out. However, the aching pain on the side of my head knocked me out of it. "Okay... other than what happened to me, I need to know some more things. Like what happened to all the stuff that came back with us, and what the princesses are doing in regards to this? Also, what were my recruits doing during all this?" "Oh, all the stuff that you got is in Twilight's lab for safe keeping. Twilight thought it would be best to keep it there till you wake up cause we don’t know what they are since you got them all. The princesses are super worried about you and what happened and have been visiting to check up on how you're doing. Princess Celestia is even at Twilight's library right no—oh I have to tell her and everypony that you're awake!" Pinkie said before she tried to leave in a mad dash. "Wait Pinkie!" I shrieked, causing her to stop and look at me in confusion. "I need you to get me something first. It is very important—" to me "— for me to get it first." "Of course I will get it for you!" Pinkie said as she zipped over me. "What is this super duper important thingy you need?" "Okay, it's with the stuff that I brought along... when Rainbow, Twilight and I returned. It's a small metal box, about half a foot long and three inches wide. Also, make sure that I get it before anypony sees me... besides a doctor." "I'm on it Aether, you can count on me!" Pinkie declared with a salute before she finally left the room in a flash. It wasn't long before she made her return, bouncing about as she said, "I got it!" as she gave me the item I requested. "Thank you Pinkie, this means a lot for me," I replied, before hearing the hoofsteps of somepony else coming. Stashing the metal object in my mane, I glanced at the door to see the rest of the Elements coming into the room, with Celestia, Silver Shield, and a doctor coming in behind them. As I expected, the Elements fussed over me, with the exception of Rainbow who said I was a tough filly to wake up so soon. After all the fussing, Celestia made her way past the Elements as she said with a smile on her face, "Aether, I'm happy to see that you are awake and well." "Heh, if having a head injury is well, I don't want to know what is unwell in your point of view," I replied with a chuckle, only for some of the Elements to give me a disapproving shake of their heads at my comment. However, my retort only gained me a mild smirk on Celestia's face."After what I heard of your actions when you were at the Crystal Empire, I'm sure that my remark is in line with your own judgement on a pony's well-being. Regardless, I do care about your health and I am overjoyed to see that you're awake." Blinking, I looked aside as I rolled my eyes at her sentiment. "Eh, all that matters in the end is that every other pony is okay, and that I'm not seriously injured. Though... I have a feeling that there's going to be a lot of explaining thanks to the... unexpected trip that occurred." "While you are correct, I would rather you do that after you have fully recovered." "Good to hear... though I do have to tell you something important," I confessed as I rubbed a hoof over my mane. "Oh? What is it?" Celestia asked as she and everypony else came closer in anticipation. That proved to be a mistake when I said, "It's... this!" I withdrew the metal device from my mane, activating it to open up its top to show two small metal rods, electricity arcing between the rods as I jab it against Celestia's neck. I smiled as I saw that the taser did its intended job, sending waves of electricity into Celestia's body. Her body slightly spasming as her legs locked up from it as I yelled, "Don't fix another Maralus core without asking me if it is a good idea or not!"