A World Away

by StratoPegasus

November 14, 1914

[The paper is crumpled, dirtier and more worn than the other pages, as if the author was writing in a cramped, hectic space]

The dream happened again last night, only this time I was prepared. Over the last week I’ve been trying to work up my skills in something called “lucid dreaming,” something Isaac told me about when I told him about the dream. He told me I should try following the yellow horse, and last night I did.

The dream began again like it always did, in the field. The grass...the sun...the wind, all things I am familiar with by now. Since my last journal entry I had the dream four more times, each time almost identical to the last. Never before have I had a dream occur so many times over again, with such resilience.

As I lay in the field for the eighth time, a nagging feeling began to enter my mind...a question...”is this a dream?” Isaac told me about what to do when I ask that question, he told me to put my fingers in my nose and attempt to breathe, and if I could, it was a dream.

Sure enough, I pinched my nose and tried to take a deep breath, and the sweet air continued to fill my lungs as it did before. I had done it, I had awakened within my dream. I was overtaken by a sudden wave of energy, a whole new level of sensation coming over me. The grass felt even softer, the sun was even warmer, even the colors seemed deeper. A beautiful land before...suddenly became a paradise.

I started to walk dutifully in the direction I always did, a new sense of awakening filling my form. Sure enough, I came upon the yellow horse once again, and again she ran. However, this time I followed her. When she launched herself into the air, I followed her on the ground, trying to keep pace in a full-on sprint.

“No, don’t run! I’m not going to hurt you! I want to be your friend! I’m new here and I don’t know where to go” I yelled to her, quickly speaking every comforting and affirming thing that came to mind. I think it was working - slowly her pace began to slow, and eventually she landed in front of me in a full-stop. She turned to me, waiting for me to explain myself.

I spoke to her between my heavy panting.

“I’m...new here....I don’t know...where to...go. Is there anywhere...you can take me?”

In hindsight I know it was foolish to assume she spoke English, but I figured if it was my own dream she would speak the language I spoke.

“What’s your name?” I said to her.

“Fl...Fl...Fluttershy,” she said to me, apprehension still palpable in her soft voice.

“I’m...call me Sky,” I told her. For some reason I still wished to remain anonymous, even to my own mind. A feeling I can’t explain. A new world, even if it’s in my own mind, was a new opportunity to develop a new identity.

“Where am I? I’m not from here, I’m from somewhere...very far away,” I told her, trying to put my origins in the simplest terms, just to assure that she would understand.

“Here? You're in Equestria, mister.”

I spoke to her again, “Well...Fluttershy...every time I’ve come here I’ve tried going toward that village over there, but I get lost and get...taken away...each time I try” pointing in the direction of the small village in the distance. “Can you take me there?” I tried to speak in vague terms, I didn't want this creature to realize it was a product of my imagination, I wanted to make this dream seem as realistic as possible.

“Oh, that’s Ponyville, mister. If you’re really new here, then that is a good place for you to get acquainted. I live there, and one my best friends also lives there, and she might be able to help understand our land more.”

"Oh, I hope Twilight can help you," she said with worry in her voice.

I tried to act as natural as possible. “Well then, let’s go!” I said, slowly walking toward “Ponyville,” motioning my hand for her to follow.

Who was this "Twilight" she mentioned?

On our way toward the village, she gave me a thorough explanation of Equestria. Her race controlled this world - a world of ponies, just as I had suspected. There are three races of ponies who ruled the land - Earth ponies, hearty workers who are similar to horses on Earth, just smaller in stature, who grew food for all the inhabitants of this land; Pegasi ponies, winged horses who could fly and also had domain over the weather; and Unicorns, ponies that controlled magic, similar to the unicorns of mythology.

This whole land is something out of mythology. I can’t believe my own mind created this. It's so...expansive!

As we neared Ponyville, the view I saw became more fanciful than I could have possibly imagined. Miniature horses with the same bodies and faces like Fluttershy were everywhere. Pegasi ponies zipped through the air, the clouds around them responding to their every motion. Ponies of all kinds trotted through the streets...talking, laughing. Merchants sold their wares. It reminded me of home...of Helensburgh...only it’s filled with ponies. I couldn't help but smile, I've never had a dream like this before.

The whole town was full of life, whether it was pony life, human life, it didn’t matter to me. It’s an empowering energy, it lifts up the soul.

I wanted to stay and see more, but a sudden whistling noise began to drown out the sounds of Ponyville. A sudden blast knocked me awake. The Germans were shelling our position! Without thought I ran for cover in the nearest deep dugout, along with several other nearby troopers. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw vast swaths of earth blasted into the air, in some cases accompanied by men...and parts of men.

Isaac and Felix were waiting for me there. Wilfred was several miles down the trench, I could only pray that his position was safe...that he was safe. Some of the men I first saw when I awoke didn't make it to the trench - some were trampled, others were clipped by shrapnel. Yet, like I mentioned before, death has become immaterial, simply another state of existence that any one of us could take at any moment. In the end today will be remembered as little more than any average day in the trenches.

As of the time of this writing, we have yet to leave this dugout. It's been almost an hour since the shelling has stopped, but nobody wants to risk being caught in a second wave. It's an uneasy peace...a tense peace, but any peace is welcome. For a moment, we have escaped the fighting, but a dense smell of burned flesh is creeping it's way into the dugout, a sign of what scene is surely awaiting us outside. But for the moment, that doesn't matter.

I think I'll go tell Isaac about my latest dream.

Comments

[Miki]

Wares, not wears.

[StratoPegasus]

1874699
Good catch. Thank you! /)*(\