//------------------------------// // The Return // Story: A Change In Scenery // by TaylorTheFailure //------------------------------// The sun rose, introducing the new day. I slowly opened my eyes, with the assistance of my hands of course. Wait, my hands! My eyes immediately darted to the two familiar multi-fingered extremities that I had been away from way too long. My hands! I flexed each finger individually, admiring how I had gone any length of the time without them. My attention moved from them, to the room. My bedroom! And it looked exactly the same as when I left it, empty and new. I'm home! I laid my head back down, thinking about the insanely long dream I had just had. I can't believe it wasn't real! I mean, of course when you're running around as a cartoon horse in a cartoon world, there should be some major red flags, but it just felt so real. It was so long, but enjoyable. However, I am happy to finally be back to my old self. A knock at the door quickly interrupted my thoughts. "Hey sport. Are you up yet?" greeted my dad from the other side of my bedroom's door. As soon as I heard his voice, I had the immediate impulse to hug him. I jumped up, opened the door, and wrapped my arms around him. But he did't hug me back. At first, I thought it was because he was in shock by what I had just done, but a few moments passed and I still didn't feel his arms around me. Something wasn't right. I retracted my hug and looked at him. His face had a cold stare. It wasn't the accustomed jolly one that I was used to, but rather a motionless glare, as if he didn't know me. "Dad?" I questioned, reaching out to him. My hand slowly made its way to him, while he didn't twitch or move at all. Eventually, my fingers were only a few inches from him when his face began to move. Not normally though, but as if his skin was beginning to sag. Dad's face kept drooping and drooping, until I realized that it wasn't sagging, it was melting! "DAD!?" His face began to melt faster and faster, until he was completely unrecognizable. The rest of his body and the walls around us began to pick up the same routine of melting, like a glacier that was headed straight for the sun. I helplessly reached out to try and stop my Dad's body from liquifying, but all I ended up doing was grabbing two scoops of my melting father. "DAD! NO! OH GOD, PLEASE NO!" My hands fumbled around in the puddle of color that was my Dad, while the walls around me also continued melting. "This can't be real! THIS CAN'T BE REAL!" I yelled, closing my eyes. I reopened them a moment later, to find that I was no longer home with my liquified father, but rather, in a pitch black space. I couldn't see much, mostly on account that it was pitch black, but I did notice that I was no longer human, but a damn filly again. Before I could once again get upset by my reoccurring predicament of being turned into a filly, or the fact that I had just watched my father get liquified into a puddle, the room was quickly lit by two familiar... humongous... red... eyes. They were focused on me with the similar evil and angry expression as in the forest. I froze, stuck reliving the same horror again. And I knew that there was only one way to go, and that was in the complete opposite direction. I bolted, with the familiar feeling of fear in me, while the vast darkness ahead of me was rapidly brightened by the light of the red eyes following my path, just like before. Except this time, I didn't get away. I felt myself stumble and land on my side. I tried to get back up, but I couldn't, like a vine or something had wrapped itself around my hoof. I looked back to see the two red eyes closing in on me. I was done for. I just stared into the shining lights of death, knowing that it would be the last things I'd ever see. But then, a dark purple beam collided with the sinister red eyes and obliterated them into a blanket of dust, just like the cloud I crushed between my hooves. What the hell just happened! At first I didn't move, still in shock of all the events occurring. But, I eventually scanned the once again pitch black space, in the direction of where the beam came from, as if expecting to be able to see anything. However, for some reason, I was able to make out the movement of something coming towards me amongst the darkness. I immediately panicked, knowing that it must be another haunting creature or nightmarish experience. I kept trying to will myself off of the ground, but was still held down by some vine-like structure. My struggling persisted and persisted until the silhouette spoke! "Thou have no need to be afraid" said a calm and familiar voice. I froze, still cautious of this new entity. I didn't respond. My eyes, however, revealed that I knew that someone was there. I've heard that voice before, and considering where I might be, I'm pretty sure I know who it belongs to. But it could be another trap, just like my father was. I would have been saddened by that thought, if I wasn't preoccupied by this new possible threat. The familiar voice once again spoke up, "I said thou have nothing to be afraid of." Then, a flicker of dark purple magic from the entity evolved into an illuminating light that brightened much of the dark space. It also revealed its master: Luna, who had a welcoming smile on her face. At first, I was glad to see that I was right about my suspicion, but I was still watchful of her, not knowing whether it was truly her or another ruse. Luna saw my heedful look, as her smile vanished. "Why art thou so wary of me" she asked, with ponderment and confusion in her eyes. A few moments passed, and I was finally about to speak, but I stopped once Luna pointed her horn towards me. A familiar purple aura covered it, indicating that she was about to do something. Still trapped by the vine's grasp, I knew that I wasn't going to be able to escape. Instead, I closed my eyes and embraced the fury that was about to be unleashed. I waited with my eyes closed for what seemed like minutes, only to realize that nothing had happened. I reopened my eyes to find Luna standing in her same place, except her horn no longer had its aura, and she was staring at me with a comforting grin. I looked all around at my self to see what she had done. I ended up finding that rather than anything happening to me, something that happened to the vine around my back hoof. It was gone! I lifted myself up, relishing in my regained freedom. "Thank you" I said, with hesitation still evident in my voice. "Thou art most welcome, little one" she responded. I still didn't know whether to trust her, but if it was the real Luna, and considering that she just freed me, I might as well give her the benefit of the doubt. Thoughts ran through my head as I began pondering what to say. Then, an interesting question arose from within the sludge of my brain. "How long have you been here?" Luna didn't hesitate to the inquiry. "The whole time" she quickly responded. "You mean you saw the..." "Yes. I saw the monstrous eyes and the horrific fate of the strange two-legged creatures" Luna interrupted with uncertainty in her voice. "I have seen many dreams throughout my nights, but never something as horrendous as thine." Then her eyes began an intense diagnostic on me. "In fact, I do not believe that I have encountered a single dream of thou" she said with a hint of skepticism and ponderment in her voice. Uh oh. I think she knows that I'm not from Equestria! I froze, knowing that she would kill or incarcerate me for having invaded their world. I had to say something before she knew for certain that I'm not really one of them. "Uh, I'm new here" I barely managed to mutter. THAT WAS TERRIBLE! Did I really just say that!? "What does thou mean?" Luna asked with even more bewilderment present. "Uh, uh... well you see..." Come on! I have to think of something! Even though I knew it was a dream, I could still sense the build-up of sweat pouring down my forehead. I began slowly backing away from the princess, struggling to form any excuse or explanation that would keep her from ending me. But then, as all my hope faded, and I began to feel myself mentally crumble, a loud echoing sound came from above. "Get up! We're going to be late!" "Rainbow?" I asked, questioning the voice as if it could hear me. It didn't respond, but it did continue. "Hello?! Wake up, we got to go!" As the familiar, yet disembodied voice continued, her annoyance was amplified. Then, the empty space, excluding Luna and I, began shaking, as my vision blurred in and out. I had no idea what was going on, but Luna gave me a look of uneasiness and dissatisfaction, as if she had so many unanswered questions. "Wait!" Luna commanded, as she rushed for me. My vision kept blurring in and out. And before Luna made it to me, my vision went completely black, as the echoing of Rainbow's voice remained dancing in my head. My eyes shot open, revealing a both annoyed and worried Rainbow who was shaking my makeshift bed. "Get up! We have to go Squirt or we're gonna be late!"