The King Returns
At first, I felt a little groggy, seeing as I was waking up after a really bad nightmare. It took me a few seconds to rub my eyes and make sure I saw clearly. When I could see where I was, I was horrified.
It was still in the dark of the night and I was flying at breakneck speed in the sky, but how could I be flying in the sky? I didn't have my wings anymore so I saw it as impossible for me to be flying right now. I felt like a strong wind was pushing me higher in the sky, but a few seconds after I felt this strong wind, it seemed to die down. I still felt a strong wind around me, seeing as I was still flying at breakneck speeds. I looked down and I saw that a forest was below me.
"Why am I flying in the air?" I asked to no creature in particular. Before I knew it, the forest stopped and I entered a desert area. That was when I grew horrified again.
I saw that I was descending towards the ground. Panic set in. My heart raced as the sandy and rocky and snow covered ground below grew larger, more distinct. I flailed my arms and legs, desperately trying to slow my descent, but it was no use. I closed my eyes and tried to turn myself into a ball the best I can, bracing for impact.
After a second of more falling, I finally collided with the ground with a resounding thud. The collision was jarring and pain shot through my body as I bounced and tumbled across the unforgiving terrain. When the world finally stopped spinning, I lay there for a moment, trying to gather my wits. Slowly, I pushed myself up onto my elbows and surveyed my surroundings. The desert stretched out before me, vast and seemingly endless. It was covered in about 2 feet of snow for some reason, making me thing some massive blizzard struck this area not too long ago. Something else that caught my attention was that it was insanely cold, making me believe it was around Hearths Warming.
"I guess Hearths Warming is coming around. This makes me wish my friends were still alive. I loved celebrating the holiday with them." I sighed sadly, knowing that I won't be able to celebrate Hearths Warming with my friends anymore."
Despite the pain throbbing in my limbs, I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at the stark beauty of the landscape. As I struggled to my feet, the biting cold of the desert gnawed at me, seeping through my scales and into my bones. My limbs felt heavy, and every movement sent waves of pain rippling through me. But despite the discomfort, I knew I had to keep moving. I couldn't afford to stay still and freeze to death in this desolate landscape.
As I trudged on, I figured I could use my magic to figure out what was happening and to help me with my 'journey' if you can even call it that. I tried to make my eye glow, but it was too faint and no magic came. I tried to conjure up a lamp or some food, but I couldn't even do that. I sighed, knowing that I have to do this without the use of my magic until I can start controlling it again.
Stumbling forward, I trudged through the snow, each step a battle against the biting wind and the freezing temperatures. I had no idea where I was or how I had ended up in this strange place, but one thing was certain—I needed to find shelter and warmth before it was too late.
As I walked, minutes seemed to feel like hours. I started getting more and more tired with every step. I was starting to lose hope in finding any sign of life in the desert at night, until after what felt like 3 hours of walking, I saw what looked like a faint silhouette of a small town and next to it, looked like a big group of trees, though it was too small to be a forest.
I was happy that I saw some sign of life in this desert. Last time I was in this desert, there were no towns whatsoever and the buffalo reigned supreme. I tried to walk to the town but I suddenly collapsed. I couldn't continue trotting as my legs were in too much pain and the rest of my body was too tired for me to continue. I tried my hardest to keep awake, but in the end, tiredness surpassed my will to keep going towards the small town and I passed out from being tired in just a few seconds.
When I finally awoke, it was to the soft light of dawn filtering through the window of a small, cozy room. For a moment, I lay there, disoriented and trying to piece together the events of the previous night. The memory of flying through the air and crashing into the desert ground came rushing back to me, and I sat up with a start, my heart pounding in my chest.
But as I looked around, I realized that I was no longer outside in the cold and snowy desert. Instead, I was tucked into a comfortable bed, surrounded by walls made of rough-hewn wood and adorned with colorful tapestries. The room was simple but welcoming, with a crackling fire casting a warm glow over everything.
I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up, testing my limbs to make sure they were still functional after the ordeal of the previous night. Surprisingly, aside from a few lingering aches and pains, I felt remarkably well-rested. It was as if the events of the previous night had been nothing more than a strange dream.
But as I made my way to the window and looked out at the town below, I realized that it had all been very real. The buildings were quaint and rustic, arranged haphazardly along wide, snowy streets. Ponies bustled about, in quite nice looking jackets and hats, oblivious to what happened last night.
The sight of the bustling town filled me with a sense of relief. At least I wasn't alone in this strange place. Gathering my courage, I made my way downstairs and was greeted by a few ponies laughing and having fun.
One of them saw me and got the other's attentions. In a matter of seconds, they all started looking at me.
"Hello buddy, are you feeling ok?" One of the ponies asked me. He was in a cowboy had and suit.
"I'm doing better than I was last night. I still don't know how I got here. I was having a nightmare, then I woke up flying, fell to the ground, saw a town and then suddenly passed out again."
"Apple Fritter here saw you passed out this morning on the outskirts of town. She picked you up and put you on her back and brought you into this town." The cowboy said.
The pony known as Apple Fritter then told me, "When I found you, you were as cold as an ice cube. I knew I had to help you get better. So I brought you here to my place and made sure you were fine before I let you sleep for a while."
"Really? What time is it right now?" I asked the ponies.
They pointed at their clock and said, "It's about half past 10 buddy. You slept in for quite a while. Oh and before I forget, my name is Braeburn and this is Apple Fritter. Welcome to the town of APPLEOOSA!" Braeburn said while going on his hind legs and flailing his front legs around.
"Hi Braeburn, Hi Apple Fritter. My name is Solaris." I introduced myself.
"I never thought I would see another dragon before. I only met that small one a while back." Braeburn said curiously
Apple Fritter then asked, "You also said that you were suffering from a nightmare right? Care to explain?"
I sighed and nodded. "I may as well. I was in a dark form, before I saw a small dragon and a teenage pegasus, I tortured the dragon while keeping the pegasus hostage until the dragon passed out. I then created a blizzard before the dragon I tortured in my dream used 7 gems to kill me." I shuddered as I remembered the dream. "That was when I woke up."
As I recounted my nightmare to Braeburn and Apple Fritter, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease creeping over me. The images from my dream still lingered in my mind, haunting me like a shadow in the dark. It was unsettling to think that my subconscious could conjure up such vivid and terrifying scenarios.
Braeburn and Apple Fritter exchanged concerned glances as I spoke, their expressions mirroring the gravity of my words. It was clear that they were both taken aback by the intensity of my nightmare.
"That sounds downright terrifying, Solaris," Braeburn said, his voice tinged with sympathy. "But you're safe now. Whatever happened in your dream, it's not real."
"And the blizzard that happened last night, we all just believe to be a malfunction in the weather factory." Apple Fritter told me before asking, "Speaking of which, what were you doing in that blizzard last night?"
"I don't remember. I was just flying through the air which is impossible because I don't have wings anymore and then I landed near this town. I don't remember anything before that." I said worriedly
Braeburn and Apple Fritter saw the worry in my voice and placed comforting hooves on my shoulders. "Don't worry Solaris, you're safe now with us."
Their words warmed my heart, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude towards these ponies who had taken me in and cared for me when I was at my lowest. Despite the strangeness of my situation, I felt a glimmer of hope blooming within me.
"Thank you, both of you," I said, a small smile tugging at the corners of my lips. "I really appreciate it."
The day wore on, and Braeburn and Apple Fritter showed me around the town. They introduced me to the sheriff who I personally think sucks at his job, while I also was introduced to a pony called Trouble Shoes. I learned that he used to be a criminal because of his clumsiness, which I find total bullshit. He told me that he would still be a criminal if it weren't for 3 small fillies clearing his name. I smiled at the story, knowing that even small creatures could save the day.
Day turned to evening for the town of Appleoosa and I was enjoying a hearty feast with my 2 new friends that consisted of apple cider, apple pie, apple crumble and apple everything I could think of, it was there. As they were sharing stories of this town however, a shrill and bloodcurdling scream filled the town air.
The three of us froze, our eyes wide with alarm as the chilling sound pierced through the jovial atmosphere of the feast. Braeburn and Apple Fritter exchanged worried glances, and without a word, we all sprang into action, rushing towards the source of the scream.
As we raced through the snowy streets, the sense of foreboding grew with each passing moment. I could feel the tension in the air, thick and palpable, as if some unseen danger lurked just around the corner.
Finally, we arrived at the town square, where a crowd had gathered around a trembling pony, her eyes wide with fear. She was pointing towards the outskirts of town, her voice trembling as she tried to form coherent words.
"Phoenix... Monsters... Darkness... Terror...King... Coming!!!"
Even though the trembling pony's words were incoherent, I knew what she was talking about as I grew horrified and a chill ran down my spine.
"No, why now? Why is he here, he was destroyed long ago. He shouldn't be here."
"Solaris, are you ok?" Braeburn asked me.
"King Naeus shouldn't be back. I saw him vaporized along with his monsters. How is he here?" I started having a panic attack.
Apple Fritter started hugging me and asked, "Solaris, it's ok. Now tell us, who is King Naeus and what is going on?"
I started explaining. "King Naeus was a king from 13,000 years ago, he was the king of the Phoenix empire. That was until one day, he started making monsters which in the end, killed 85% of all Phoenixes. He disappeared until 2,765 years ago when he took my dear friend Discord under his wing since his family went missing in a blizzard a few millenia ago. That was also the same blizzard my mom went missing. He stayed around until 835 years ago when he started tormenting various creatures of all kinds. Princess Celestia then vaporized him to keep her creatures safe."
At this, everyone was confused. "But the history books said that there was a 1000 year long peace with nothing going wrong. Nothing says that a giant phoenix tormented ponies."
I was confused by this until I felt anger in me, "That cheeky fucker."
It was then that I heard a dark menacing laugh and a shadow fell over the town. As the shadow loomed over us, a chill ran down my spine. I could feel the darkness radiating from the figure that emerged from the darkness, his form obscured by a cloak of swirling shadows.
"King Naeus," I whispered, my voice barely audible above the murmurs of the crowd.
The figure stepped forward, his eyes glowing with malevolent energy as he surveyed the town with a twisted grin. His presence seemed to suffocate the very air around us, filling the square with an oppressive aura of fear and despair.
"You thought you could banish me to the depths of oblivion, didn't you?" King Naeus sneered, his voice dripping with malice. "But you underestimated the power of the shadows. I have returned, stronger than ever, and this time, there will be no escape for you or that tiny princess."
I looked up at King Naeus with anger. "How did you get back here Naeus? You shouldn't even be here."
"It was quite easy. I created a dark heart to possess some creature and create a blizzard. I then used that blizzard to gather some strength, and when I had just enough power to escape, the blizzard stopped. Perfect timing. But no matter, goodbye everyone."
With a wave of his wing, King Naeus summoned forth a horde of shadowy creatures, their twisted forms writhing and contorting in the darkness. The crowd gasped in horror as the creatures advanced, their eyes glowing with malevolent intent.
Braeburn, Apple Fritter, and I stood shoulder to shoulder, ready to face whatever horrors King Naeus unleashed upon us. Despite the overwhelming odds, I knew that together, we stood a chance against the darkness.
As the first wave of shadow creatures descended upon us, we fought with all our strength, pushing back against the tide of darkness with every blow. The battle raged on, the sounds of battle cries and roaring flames filling the air as we struggled to hold our ground against King Naeus and his minions.
But despite our best efforts, the darkness seemed endless, an unstoppable force that threatened to consume us all. With each passing moment, I felt my strength waning, the weight of despair pressing down upon me like a suffocating blanket. Even with fighting with all of my strength, I couldn't hold off King Naeus and his minions any longer and I collapsed. King Naeus laughed and summoned his monsters back to him.
"This is just the beginning every creature. See you in a few weeks." And with that, King Naeus and his monsters disappeared.
Braeburn ran to me and helped me up. "Solaris, are you ok?"
I couldn't hear what he was saying, all I heard were King Naeus' words. He said that he made a dark heart to possess some creature to create a massive abnormal blizzard. Was my nightmare a reality? Did I really try and kill all life in Equestria with a bizzard? I started hyperventilating.
Braeburn saw me hyperventilating. "Woah, hey, Solaris, are you ok?'
"I need to get out of here."
"Wait, are you serious?" Braeburn asked. I didn't answer this question however, because I just ran. I didn't know where I was going, I just ran.
"Solaris? SOLARIS!!!" I heard Braeburn and Apple Fritter yell out to me. I didn't listen. I needed to get out of here as quick as possible.
"I screwed up. I screwed up badly. Now King Naeus is back and will terrorize Equestria. What am I going to do?" I asked myself.