Live, Die, Repeat

by Hidden_Night

The Moon?

“May you remember lost memories…” Anonymous silently hummed to himself. It was midnight, he was finding it increasingly difficult to sleep. He doesn’t know why he’s afraid of returning to the dream realm, but a minor horn cramp reminded him all the same.

“…May you find all you have lost…” He sighed, rotating his body off of the couch, making sure his steps are as silent as possible. He hasn’t felt this unease in a while. His mind ripping his ideas to shreds before he could present them properly. It sucks. The light pressure in his stomach doesn’t make it easy either.

“Luna has already looked in my head once…what’s stopping me from giving her a tour?…” He rests his head on the windowsill. Looking up at the moon in the sky, the stars seem so beautiful. A hypnotic dance of happiness and satisfaction fill his brain.

“The star…what was that one representing again?” He churned his brain again, before coming up with something reasonable. “May I find what I desire?…what do I want from this world now?”

He doesn’t know, he hasn’t had this sort of opening for self reflection for a while. He blames his ability to distract himself during the daylight hours, he blames his inability to properly sit down and talk about him. He blames the soul crushing realization that he might just die any moment, and continue on from this wonderful world.

“Huh…what do I want? My goal is to survive as long as I can, and this place has already reached the top four in terms of hours lived…usually it takes about 264 minutes to have me end up as a corpse. That happens a lot, but time goes by fast.” He stares at the moon longer, waiting for a response he can’t hear.

“You’re right. It’s just my head, at midnight. I shouldn’t even be listening to myself at this time. I should be listening to you, getting feedback from a person who lived just as long as I have. Twilight is great and all, but I feel I need someone I can relate too with my past…” He looks at the coffee table he has been using as his nightstand, the Nightmare Moon legend is upon a pile on the center.

“Because, I too know what it’s like to be taken away from home…” He decided to walk back over to the couch and lay down, pulling over a purple blanket over his body. “…it’s better to just find you. Cmon me, you can do this.” His eyes closed and his horn lit up. Slapping him in the face with a quick sleep spell.

---

“Here I am, back again.” The dremacaped hasn’t changed, it’s still the endless void of dreams and hopes. He should write a song about that, could sell well.

He shook his head of any ideas, or funny thoughts. Now’s the time for business. With a hopefully findable Princess. If she was in his head, he’d know. If she was nearby, he would also know. Every night, she grows larger in power as she continues her nightly duties. It’s very difficult to ignore her and suddenly start lucid dreaming when he’s sleeping normally.

“She’s probably in some sector deep within the dream scape. Probably somewhere down south, from maps I’ve seen Appleoosa as the only viable place she could be at right now, but I don’t know. That’s a bit far. It takes forever to travel through this slog…” He looks up north, Canterlot. Specifically, his eyes lock on to the protection bubble that broke his horn. He needs to ensure his magic doesn’t get broken, perhaps a part of him is inside her dreams now.

“I hate to be a bother Celestia, but I hope you don’t mind trauma dumping during your dreams!” He chuckles. Flying himself over there. Enjoying the freedom of flight, even in sleep, is exhilarating. “I need to figure out shapeshifting. Wings, and a horn?! Hell yeah.”

With his sudden halt causing an audible tire screech as he stops. Looking at the big blue bubble before him. “A bit chaotic in near her. Discord has definitely visited her…” He flies circles around it, unsure how to enter the dream. “Okay. So it’s probably by password…or something. What’s Celestia’s password…”

He lights up his horn and pokes the magic bubble, finding it stiff as always. “Let’s see if it reacts if I…” A transparent hand goes and knocks on the bubble, to test its heartiness. Still as sturdy as ever. “…” Hw stared at it. Still at a loss of what to do. “You know, I thought knocking would work. If I want a deep meaningful conversation, I might as well find someone who definitely won’t remember me…”

He looks around and sees a lone orb nearby where the Everfree should be, it’s not Zecora she’s close enough to Ponyville to be attached to it. Taking a quick hover over towards it, head dipping into the dream.

---

“BEHOLD! THE GRRRREAT AND POWERFUL TRRRRIXIE!” A sudden expansion of flame throwers from the stage, a dapper mare in a purple cape and hat stood proud.

Anonymous ended up in a crowd of cheering fans. All calling out, “Trixie! Trixie! Trixie!” Anonymous couldn’t help but enjoy this dream. It was unique, a stage performer, a stage magician. “Wait a second, illusion magic! Just what I needed!” He called out, he found a practitioner of illusionary magic, in her dreams nonetheless! He knew her general location, just needed to find her. Back to the forest later then! No, if she’s in the Everfree then she must be a powerful Illusionist, he needed to get into talkings into a meeting with her.

This Great and Powerful Trixie casted a spell that woo’d the audience. It wasn’t very detailed, due to the nature of a dream. She must be focusing on the crowd, she’s probably shy in the real world and uses this to get some recognition for her talents! That must be it!

“Wait, didn’t I say I needed therapy today?….nah there’s always tomorrow.” Anonymous needed to talk to her, but how. If he just jumps on stage, he could startle her and wake her up. However, if he blended in well enough into her dream, maybe he could weave in a conversation. If Twilight’s daydream has taught him anything, is that Unicorns love a strong magic user. Is it wrong to shift a dream about pounding fame into romantic feelings? Frankly, yes.

Anonymous does not care, if he’s going to get illusion magic

“For Trrrrixie’s next trick! I need audience participation.” The mare on stage rolling her r’s like a real showman. (Showmare? Showpony? Showmare sounds better.)

“Oh that’s just perfect.” Anonymous mumbled raising his hoof in the air, the others did the same, now having to jump up and down to try to get any attention.

“Hmmmm. You! Green stallion!” She pointed at Anonymous, who seemed to be the most eager. “Come upon the stage! Trixie shall guide us to the perfect ensamble.”

“You mean ensemble?” Anonymous somehow ended up at the stairs, dreams are strange.

“T-Trixie knows what she’s saying!” Trixie pulled Anonymous over with her magic and placed him inside a box.

Anonymous felt excited, was he going to get cut in half? Rearranged? Get sent to the abyss and appear once the box opens up? He doesn’t know, and it’s exciting.

“Now! As he-“ He couldn’t hear Trixie anymore, now just mumbles as he’s in an empty space of the dream. There’s nothing for him to sit on, so he just floats there. Nothing to see so it’s just a swirling mass of Trixie’s blues and the purple of her clothing. It was nice, it was like looking at a screensaver.

“I miss phones. And computers…I can make one with Twilight…” He felt something shift in the dream. It suddenly stopped being happy. with a red aura encapsulating his being he is tossed up from the box into the wooden stage. “Ow…” He rubs his jaw, turning he saw Trixie, but with a new accessory. A red amulet upon her neck.

“Did Trixie hear the name of the mare who shamed her?!” She yelled, her voice booming as she stomped her hooves in the stage. The crowd began to boo Anonymous. “The mare who showed her up!” She stomped towards him, causing Anonymous to flinch. “The mare who ruined my career!” Stomp! “Took my home! My pride! My money!” With a final stink anonymous quickly scrambled back up to his hooves.

“You dare mutter her name in Trixie’s presence? Then dare to invade Trixie’s dreams?! Thank goodness this amulet lets Trixie know of any intruders!” She smiles, her eyes slowly growing a contrail of red. Anonymous could feel the power she exuded, this was perfect! “How do you plead!?” Her horn was once shined a bountiful purple aura, now a hateful red flicker shined through as she prepared a spell.

“Oh, well I guess I can skip the whole plan I had, anyway! I’m here to learn from the Great and Powerful Trixie!” Anonymous stood proud, smiling all the same.

“…Come again?” Trixie was suddenly stunned, unsure of what to say or do. “Did Trixie hear from you correctly? You want to learn? From Trixie?” Her horn slowly tunes down, the red flicker dying out.

Anonymous coughed as he readied himself to speak, “I mean. A powerful illusionist,” Trixie smiled as she heard that. “A great one as I can see,” Trixie couldn’t help but feel happier with these praises. “Plus, any good magician holds onto magical artifacts, I haven’t seen any others with one. So it must mean you’re strong enough to have one and keep it!” Anonymous can’t help but feel he fed an ego with how much Trixie is riding on his praises.

“Well, when you put it that way. Trixie shall oblige this request! However, be warned, only the most noble and dedicated of students must meet the Grrreat and Powerful Trrrrixie!” Trixie stood on her hind legs and let the fireworks go off around them. “In the Everfree forest, and at a fee of 60 bits per session.” She spoke that last part rather quickly.

Anonymous didn’t think about it, if he was going to learn illusions, he might as well do so as soon as he can. “Okay. Deal.”

“Perfect. Meet me at…” Trixie puts a hoof to her chin and chuckles mischievously. “That old ruined castle. Trixie can lead you to her camp if you bring the funds.”

“Fair enough. I’ll be there…uh…today? Tomorrow? Night time is weird. What time is it?”

“Trixie knows it’s…” They both pause as they stare at eachother. “Just meet Trixie when you wake up.”

“Fair enough, bye bye now.”

“Wait!” Trixie tried to grab me as Anonymous just woke up. Leaving her dreamworld.

---

“I’m going back! Hopefully, I don’t forget about it. It’s best to not be distracted this time!”

‘Am I being scammed? Probably. Will I learn Illusion magic? Yes, hopefully. Is it still night time?’ Anonymous turned to look outside at the window. ‘Yes, yes it is.’ He went back to sleep.

Author's Note:

A magic duel won’t happen, due to unsavory consequences of Trixie’s ego.

Comments

[f0st3r21]

“Wait!” Trixie tried to grab me as Anonymous just woke up. Leaving her dreamworld.

I am curious why she wanted him to wait. Maybe next time.

[Fireeaters]

Maybe trixie won't go kill crazy or whatever

[Booster Spice]

Thats a lot of carrots.

[ThatGuyTookMyUserName]

A magic duel won’t happen,

Oh no

Oooh no

Oooooh no no no

Anon stahp! Anon, don't turn this into a harem anime! Equestria is not prepared for the antics!

[Hidden_Night]

11723368
You underestimate the power of an isekai protaganist.

[harts fire]

ok i can say this is a fun story to read.

[GleamingKyler111]

“Here I am, back again.” The Dreamscape hasn’t changed, it’s still the endless void of dreams and hopes. He should write a song about that, could sell well.