> Perplexing doctrines > by ERROR_IN_Zed_INPUT > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Prologue > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I haven't had  even a semblance of a "normal" dream in so long, I can't even remember how long it's been. My usual dreams usually only consist of what I would consider my greater anxieties, even if my-own personal beliefs conflict with what I dream. And it doesn't matter how relaxed I am when I begin to fall into the embrace of sleep, I usually, almost always have nightmares about one thing or another. This night's dream, however, was a little different than what I would consider the broad range of "normalcy" for dreams that I usually have on a nightly basis. Instead of being helpless to save someone's life for one reason or another, or me dying in another person's shoes with no chance for resolution, this one was more demon-oriented, or inspired. The dream started out like any other, with me staying at a friends house for what he might have considered an "experiment" of sorts. --- He pulled out a belt, black, leather, with runes and markings written about it in a manner that seemed purposeful. Like they were there for a reason, and preceeded to tie a bandana around his head, the belt going on last and acting as a ponytail of sorts, hanging down to the backside of him. The runes seemed to have a faint glow against the dark contrast of the candlelit room, but only in peripheral vision. "Alright, man, here's how it's going to be." He pulled out a knife and slit down his arm, a small but long incision that went from his elbow to his wrist, just enough to get a trickle of blood to freely flow to the floor. Covering up the rune on said floor with a red hue. "When this floor is covered in my blood, and I'm knocked out cold from blood loss, I need you to push this." He handed me a remote and pointed at the front "This button. This will wake me up." "I don't think I'm ready for this," I said, already feeling slightly woozy from witnessing his self-mutilation. He seemed perfectly calm for what he was about to do. "You say that this is going to work, but I don't know what it is that you're talking about. What will work? Exactly what is it that you're going to do? And why exactly should I not call the police on you for attempted suicide?" "Trust me...you'll want to see this.." I scoffed and turned around, already dialing the three selected digits and pushing call. As I heard him mumbling in some indecipherable language that I couldn't understand, I turned around and my jaw hit the floor, my eyes fixated on his floating form. The phone in my hand completely forgotten, dropping to the floor as the emergency personell answers with her normal rhetoric. "You don't know what you're doing, man! You could KILL us BOTH!" "That's a risk I'm willing to take." "Not me!" His eyes widened as he realized what it was that I was fumbling for, the remote. "NO! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'LL HAP-" I pushed the button and his screams immediately sang an ear screechingly high pitched scream. "You... You MADE me DO THIS!" Tears began streaming down my cheeks as the knowledge that 'I caused his pain' set in. Why...why did you have to do this. Why do you always have to be so stubborn as to never listen to reason, especially when there'a logical conclusions that can be come to through simple thought and analysis. After only seconds of hoolding down the button, the remote began to vibrate. Sending jolt after jolt of electricity up my arm making me unable to drop it. You're going to cost us both our lives... I hope it was worth it to you. My life began to flash before my eyes. My mother. My father. My younger sister and my older brother. The happy, most amazing times we've had together. We never fought, argued, 'nor cried. We obeyed our parents, we respected them. But most importantly...they respected us. From little youngsters, barely able to walk, through our less-than-angsty teenhood. And then adulthood. Mother crying as I graduated high school. The proud look in my fathers eyes as I read the letter for my acceptance into college. The bond of brothers as we shared our first kill, as emotional as it might have been. The love of sisters as we related to everything about one-another. And I... I was about to lose it all. But I'm not ready. This isn't something I can easily give up, I've WORKED. HARD. For the relationships that I've BUILT. "No." I said. Cruching the remote with my one hand. "It will not end like this." The shocking pain still going through my system, I walked ontop and over the rune placed on the floor. And grabbed my brother's ankle. "Your crazy ideas are not going to get the best of us, brother." I yelled. A stern look in my eyes. "I will not let them." As soon as his body fell back down to earth, our weight together, combined, proved to be too much. And we fell to our doom. Through the house. Through the cemented basement floor. And beyond. > And so it begins, the end is in front of us. It surrounds. > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Us. Falling. Eternally for a finite amount of time. That in and of itself I know, makes no sense. But it does to me. Us. It felt like we were falling for an endless amount of time. I can't guess hide 'nor hair about how long it may have been in what one might consider reality. All I know is, in its unpredictable nature, it was peaceful. Tranquil. I couldn't see my brother falling beside me, and, even, I'm not sure if I was falling the entire time. Just that halfway into eternity I completely lost the feeling of free falling. But no other senses portrayed themselves. Soon after, I began to see stars not mine own. Not the stars that shine in abundance around my planet, earth. But stars completely alien to what I remember. I thought I was dead. I felt no pulse, heard no breathing -- heard nothing in fact, smelt no smells except for that of a garden of lillie flowers. And I lost consciousness. If this is what death is like...maybe it's not so bad... --- I awoke to a scream. Shrill as the day. I shot open my eyes. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, are you okay?" I heard running coming from above me. Why does your voice sound so familiar. I coughed a couple times and slowly sat up. Groaning all the way with how sore my body felt. "No, NO! You should let me take a look at you first before you try anything too extreme!" Spoke an almost harsh whisper-like voice emanating from behind me. I chose to listen, mostly because it hurt too much for me to do anything beyond lie still. So I fell back on my back, sighing in defeat. She's right. She walked up to my form, leaving me mostly encased in her shadow. Taking one of her hooves to poke at parts of my body, probably tryi--... Hooves. "Fluttershy..?" I said. I'm clearly dreaming. There's no way this can possibly be real. She squeaked a little upon hearing her name and looked around almost frantically, trying to find the culprit of the pony that called her. I took one of my hands and softly petted her snout after she looked back in my direction. She smiled, looking me in the eyes. Sighing and leaning into my hand, she seemed to calm. After thirty or so seconds I slowly began to take my hand back. She almost looked disappointed. It was kinda cute. "Fluttershy." Her eyes widened, "Y-y-you...you can..talk?" She asked, the last part coming out as but a squeak. I sat up again, ignoring my body's protests against it and sighed. "Don't worry, my little pony...i wouldn't hurt you. Couldn't dream of it." Sighing again, I began to stretch. She watched me warily. Looking ready to bolt at any movement I made. Funny enough she stayed exactly where she was, looking both fascinated and afraid. "A-are you hurt?" She asked, taking a half step toward me, hoof half in the air. "No... I just need to stretch. I've been immobile for longer than I can say." "Well... I'm not going anywhere until I know you're okay." She said, sitting on the ground. "Hey, I'm not gonna stop ya." I said, "I could use the company..." After I finished stretching, she stood on all legs at attention. "So where is it you're staying at? I'd very much like to walk you back. I-if you don't mind that is." "I... Don't rightly know." Her head turned slightly sideways in confusion. Oh god that's adorable. "This is Avol, correct?" I asked, at her nodding confirmation, "Equestria, under the order of Princess Luna and Princess Celestia, that has a mage and student named Princess Twilight Sparkle, element of Magic. With five best friends, You Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash? Formerly living in Canter lot as a foal, Twilight Sparkle was asked to move here by Princess Celestia in an attempt to get her to make friends." She looked more and more terrified and curious at the end of every sentence. I mean, I would too, should some random stranger list off half my life. "Fluttershy, bearer of the element of kindness. Please, oh god please...don't tell me that this is real..." At her dazed nod in confirmation, I sat back down. Now dizzy and emotional. Crying. Pinkie Pie appeared out of nowhere, jumping from an invisible space portal that only she could apparently see. "So Fluttershy," Pinkie intoned, "Have you met the Human yet?"