Minecraft: Dusk Beam's Journey

by RedWinter

Epilogue: Beyond The Gate

Home.

I am home. After those long months spent looking in the Overworld for a way back. When I went through the portal left by the death of the Ender Dragon I passed through a void. What Happened there I can scarcely countenance.

Words sizzled in the blackness, searing in their brightness. There were two distinct colors.

‘I see the one you mean.’

‘Dusk Beam?’

‘He has reached a higher level. He can read our thoughts.’

‘It matters not, he thinks we are just the lingering voices of the Overworld.’

‘This is how he chooses to read our thoughts in this part of his long dream.’

‘Are we right to speak to him in the long dream?’

‘He has earned it through the short dream of the game.’

‘But for this one, it was not a game.’

‘No. It was a story. One that he carries with him even now.’

‘And what will he tell in his story?’

‘He will tell of sunlight and trees. Of fire and water. He will tell of creating and defending and growing'

‘This one has much to tell of. He worked to carve a niche of safety in place of constant danger. What truth did he glean?’

The next words were lost to me.

‘He cannot read those thoughts.’

‘No, that understanding, that level has yet to be achieved.’

‘Does he know that we love him? That the universe is kind?’

‘This one is special. He can sometimes hear the universe past the noise of thought.’

‘But there are times when sadness and grief overtake him. When the burden of the dream is too much and he fears to speak the words that will set him free.’

‘We cannot interfere. He reads our thoughts.’

‘Sometimes I do not care. But he carries the truth with him. The truth that cannot be spoken.’

‘Too strong for this dream, to tell this pony how to live his life.’

‘I will not tell him how to live.’

‘He is growing restless.’

‘I will tell him a story. Much as he would tell it.’

‘But not the truth.’

‘No, let the truth be cradled in a soft cocoon of words. He knows of this.’

‘Use his name.’

‘Dusk Beam.’

Although it pains me to say so, I do not remember the words which the voices used to tell their story. The feeling though will never leave me. Shapes and stars swirled in my vision. Warmth and comfort flowed through me. For a short time I was connected to something greater than myself.

A crackling noise filled my ears and I manifested in an explosion of purple magic. Although I had never been to Ponyville, I recognized Equestrian architecture. I appeared in the middle of town square, cracking the ground with the force of my return.

I can only imagine the shock and fright the locals went through to have a fully armored and armed to the teeth stranger appear in their town. The happiness, the sense of belonging, of being home filled me to the brim. So I just sat there smiling like an idiot. It probably only made me look crazy, but I hardly cared. The ponies stopped in the middle of whatever activity they had been occupied with and took cover behind stalls and buildings.

A baby started to cry.

The passage to Equestria had hatched the dragon egg. The infant squalled on the ground where the egg had rolled out of my pack. For a moment I expected an evil descendant of the Ender Dragon. No, the little bundle of scales was black with purple spines and belly with little speckled wings. She was… cute. Very cute.

I picked her up carefully out of the fragments of egg. I cradled the tiny bundle of scales and her cries petered off to a burble. She opened her deep violet eyes and regarded me with wide-eyes curiosity. She reached towards my muzzle with her tiny arms. The happy sound the speckled lizard made warmed my heart down to my soul. With the tip of a hoof I tickled her soft belly scales.

“I think I’ll name you Obsidia.” If I had made a miniature dragon golem out of obsidian, it would be the spitting image of the hatchling.

Looking back on it now, the tiny dragoness probably saved my life. Somepony had made the proactive decision to make an emergency call to the royal guard. A small platoon of them had me surrounded, making a protective cordon between me and the civilians. They may have taken action if not for the hatchling looking at everything around her with newborn wonder. Even with their stony expressions, it was good to see other pegasi again.

The little dragon soon started to fuss and in a rather miraculous jump of intuition I realized she must be hungry. Oddly, she had no teeth, so I thought that maybe milk would do. In my pack was a bucket of milk. How it had not spilled through my rather acrobatic fight with the Ender Dragon I will never know. Carefully, I held her head up and tipped the container to dribble a few drops into her mouth.

Of all the things to happen next, I never imagined Princess Celestia flying in to be one of them.

The princess of the sun was every bit as wonderful, as royal as I remembered. Maybe more so in that moment for what she represented. It was the sun that kept me safe in the Overworld. The royal guards genuflected in flawless precision. Although I wanted to, I could not make a full show of my loyalty without spilling the babe’s milk. I sufficed with bowing my head as graciously as I could. The ponies of the town peeked around the golden bodied forms of the guards in interest.

Celestia’s words were soft, kind, and carried smooth authority.

“Stranger, please, tell me your intentions, and how you came to be here.”

“Your majesty, I am of your subjects, of Canterlot no less. I was… transported to a different world many months ago, and have only now returned. My story is a long one, if you will hear it. I also have a copy of the journal I kept to record my experiences.”

The princess was considering my words when one of the pegasi took a step forward.

“Dusk Beam? Is that you?” It was Nimble Stride, my friend who had first taught me to use the spear slung across my back. He looked baffled to see me again, and so garbed. Celestia raised her brow in an imperious way, turning to her normally silent guard.

“You know this pony?”

“Yes, your majesty.” Stride said, bowing deeply in apology for speaking out of turn. “Dusk Beam went missing on the night of the last Summer Sun Celebration.”

“Yes, it seems we’re still discovering side effects of that portentous of nights.” Later I would learn just how much I had missed. Elements of Harmony, prophetic consummation, battle between light and dark, and even a new princess! Celestia’s flawless golden countenance turned to me once again and smiled brightly, containing the warmth of the sun in even the smallest of her expressions.

“Dusk Beam, please, come with me back to the palace that I may hear this tale of yours. There were many disappearances and other strange happenings of my sister’s return. You may help in uncovering some of them.” I could only nod in dumb acquiescence and follow. We arrived shortly after at the palace on a golden chariot. I may have flown, just to feel Equestrian wind and clouds if I had not been so tired.

It seemed too good to be true at first. But the princess was true to her word and listened intently to my whole tale, from beginning to The End. I even got to meet Princess Luna, the lady of the night coming to the side of her sister to raise the moon. Her presence somehow eased my distrust of the darkness. Something about the dark alicorn soothed the ingrained paranoia.

The pair paid careful attention and only rarely interrupted me to question a particular action or aspect of the Overworld. It took a good while to tell, but I was well used to long dark vigils.

Obsidia had drank her fill of milk and dozed off early into the tale.

Celestia generously offered me accommodations in the palace for as long as I needed to get my affairs in order from being gone for so long.

There is not much to tell of that. The streets of Canterlot, although familiar, were distant somehow. Everything felt constricting, confining. I did not settle back in, and grew restless after a few days. I had never had many material possessions. When it grew too much I asked Celestia for advice. She heard my plight and suggested I move to Ponyville. The thought was appealing, the open air and rural country would do me good. She also told me of her pupil, Twilight Sparkle and her baby dragon.

Obsidia had become as much my child as any flesh and blood, and I hardly knew anything about rearing a dragon. Spike was a little older so I thought Twilight could give me good advice. I bid Stride a fond farewell and promised to visit.

I found a nice plot of land and erected a nice cottage. It was not as easy as in the Overworld, but I got the job done.

That was a few months ago now. Obsidia has grown up fast and is already walking and flapping around on her own. She is an utter darling. Spike was simply overjoyed to have a friend to play with. The little green guy is gentlemanly, if a little sarcastic. Twilight is a very intelligent and well-read unicorn. She reminds me of my old friend. I make regular trips to the library.

Settling into my new life was a lot easier than I thought it would be. My armor and spear hang above my mantle. I take the weapon down and practice with it regularly. Old habits I suppose. Twilight has been nagging me to compile everything together into one big journal so she can send it to the Canterlot publishers and distribute it. That is sort of what I am working on now.

I tell stories of the Overworld and The End to Obsidia often. She always listens with such rapture. She has become my everything.

There are days I miss the open fields and wild forests, hoping that my city still flourishes beyond the barrier that separates our world. But then I see the love my little dragoness has for me, and talk to the new friends I have made in Ponyville: The Element bearers, the regular folk, and even the odd zebra, Zecora, who lives out in Everfree.

And I know deep down that I am loved, and that I love them. We are all love.

In this long dream, that is all that matters.

Comments

[thisisastorymindyou]

all I have to say that i am impressed with your work,though I wish that there was someway to continu this story

PS if you were wonding this is my reaction:

[Otrepony]

Good story, IT is well written which is always a plus 4/5

[Aerovenax]

A fittingly simple tale for the simple game that is Minecraft. You captured its essence well.

[thisisastorymindyou]

I just relised that i miss spelled continue

[Rune Dancer]

This was a very nice story for such a simple game. I've been a minecraft fan since beta 1.2 and you have captured the essence of the game very well (Other than the constant pains of trying to remember the most important of recipes) I would almost suggest you write a extended version, one that goes into his crafting and his building better. Or even make a new story about SEVERAL ponies getting sucked in. after all, multilayer is always more fun.

You earned a triple stache! enjoy

[Subatomic Seal]

Holy shit I am legitimately crying now!

[Subatomic Seal]

One last thing: FUCKING BEAUTIFUL!!!

[Ray MorningLight]

THIS IS AMAZING! I like how this story small as it is pack a tales of adventure