Chapter 31: Bad Dreams

Hope: Day 5
Nightfall: Day 19

Hope’s POV

I awoke from the sound of birds singing outside. As I properly came to, I took notice of the daylight coming in through the window. I then say to myself, “It’s- *yawn* It’s morning already?”

Noticing that Fluttershy wasn’t in bed, or anywhere in the room. I realised that I must had overslept. But, it feels like it hasn’t been long since I fell asleep .

After quickly making the bed. I hear the voice of foals playing outside the room, near the door.

I thought it must be the Cutie Mark Crusaders. But, it wasn’t female voices I could hear. The voices I heard are male. There was something felt familiar and strange about it though.

Reaching to the door knob. The door sudden sprung open in the opposite direction. Causing me to miss the knob and falling flat on my face on the other side of the door.

Moaning from having my face hit the floorboards. I look up and gasp from seeing my younger human self, who were stood in front of me. I was back on Earth. Actually, back in my old living room to be precise. By guess, my younger self must be about ten years old.

I look down at my paws and found that I’m still an ampwolf. Realising that I’m probably having another weird fucked-up dream. Like I been having for the past few days I been here.

Perhaps here, in Equestria, the dreams are different.

Preparing to play or watch this scenario unfold. I examine the room and look behind myself, not finding the door I came in here but my big brother there stood watching me. Like he was expecting me.

I spoke first, “Hey, Big Brother.”

He didn’t respond to my words. But instead, just walked into me and straight through me like a ghost. Almost causing me to fall on my flank this time.

I quietly said to myself, “Guess I just have to watch then.”

My younger self then asked him, “Hey, Big Brother, can we have a sparing match today?”

He responded, “Maybe later, Hope. I’m busy with some paperwork right now.”

Young Hope, protested, “Oh come on. You’re just saying that cuz you know I’ll beat you.”

He responded seriously, “*sigh* Fine. If you want to fight me so badly, we can. Just for a little while though. But don’t start sobbing cause you still can’t beat me… yet.”

I knew what my younger self was going to say, and I knew what was going to happen next. No matter how I tread to forget this embarrassing scene, I just couldn’t.

My younger self. Opening his big mouth, “What? Me? The Great Hope of the Wolves, cry? You must be joking, ha ha ha.”

Feels embarrassing seeing myself say that. Still, I was only a boy back then.

My older brother taunted, “Oh. Just like that one time, you cried, because our mother wouldn’t buy you an ice cream.”

My younger self. Ran towards him and yelled out, just while he was about to aggressively punch him in the sides, “HI!”

However, my older brother sidestepped and dodged my younger self’s incoming attack. As he did, he grabbed the attacking arm and held it securely. Then, he taunted, “What are you going to do now? I have your arm.”

My younger self. Taunted back, “Yes, you have an arm. But what are you going to do about the other?”

Predicting my younger self’s next action. He ducked the incoming punch that was aimed at his face and countered by punching my younger self’s stomach, hard and releasing his grip on the arm. Which caused my younger self to fall to his knees with the wind knocked out of him.

He then stated to my younger self, “You’re not good enough. So why bother, when you know that you will only fail?”

Ashamed at how stupid I was back then. I saw a tear roll down my younger self’s face and he admitted, “Because… I want to be good as you at fighting. And the only way I can do that is by fighting you.”

He responded, “Even if you do become better and possibly stronger than me. What are you going to do with those skills, eh? To defend yourself and those who are vulnerable and weak? Or, to become a Mr Tough Guy that wants to do what he wants and when he wants, and abuse those around him with his strength?”

Those words hit me hard back then, even now. I knew how right he was. But, I stupidly responded that day with the wrong answer… Aggression.

Just as my older bro turned around to walk back to his study. He asked, “Think about what I mean, Hope.”

My younger self, feeling like he’s taking the piss, recovered from the recent punch and held his hand in a fist. Then he ran up behind and shouted in anger, “I’ll show you who’s weak!”

Just before he could kick his older brother in the butt, while charging at him. The older brother quickly sidestepped and span kicked him. Sending my younger self flying onto the settee, causing him to cough and gasp.

While my younger self started to cry. My older brother quickly spoke, “Wrong answer. I hope you understand what I’m trying to say someday. I got to get back to work, I don’t have time to mess around.”

Before my older brother left the room. He took one last look at my younger self, to make sure he wasn’t seriously hurt.

Meanwhile, my younger self started to cry. As he did. He moaned, “Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! *sob* Why can’t I ever beat you!? *sob*”

Looking at myself sobbing. I knew I deserved that kick that day. We may looked like we didn’t love each other, as brothers. But I knew in our minds we care about each other. That last thing he said before he left the room was a clear message, but I was too stubborn to think about what it meant back then.

Not having a slightest clue on what to do now. I was suddenly greeted with a green flash of light by my side. Causing me to jump a short distance away in defence stance.

In front of me was the Queen of the Changelings, Chrysalis, herself. Who took a step towards me and cooed a quick tone to herself before laughing unpleasantly. Like she’s trying to frighten me.

I broke her cheerily moment by interrupting her with a question, being partly annoyed to see her, “What do you want?”

After another chuckle, but calmer this time. She explained, while not taking the tone of my words lightly, “Oh, don’t mind I. I’m just here to feast on some of your love. *pleasurable gasp* That’s right… We can invade your dreams and still feed on you from the outside.”

If this is truly a dream invasion. I thought I’ll attempt to stay cool for Celestia’s sake. So I politely asked, “P- Please… I know you must be hungry, but do you mind if you… feast on somepony else tonight? I’m still not comfortable with having changelings around me, not to be rude.”

She cackled with a look of triumph and confessed, “No, I think I stay.”

Before I could even think or speak. She grabbed me with her magic, which was a green and black like aura, and tossed me directly at a wall. There was a dent left behind and me falling on the floor soon after. Though, it did seriously hurt. But I don’t think there was any permanent damage to myself.

Almost getting to the tipping point of getting pissed off. Before I could even warn her, she had already had me pinned against a wall with her magic again. But this time, she also came and hoofed me in the face. Causing my nose and probably a tooth or two, in my mouth, to bleed.

She could only smile at my reaction. So, without holding back, I attempted to punch the bitch in her own face with an electrical current flowing through my arm. While growling at her in the process.

My fist however had no electrical current. And, it just went through her like if she was nothing but a ghost. Making my attack utterly useless.

Suddenly, I had the fear that this dream was about to turn into a real nightmare. As I shivered and was partly enraged.

Chrysalis, still smiling and laughing at my futile attempt to give her some payback, tossed me across the room and over the settee where my younger self were but isn’t now.

Unable to control my temper any longer. I caught the scent of blood running from my nose, not only was I was enraged but was about to go berserk.

Grabbing the nearby settee. I ran and charged it towards her. But before it could even make contact on her. She blasted it into two pieces with me flying with it, in a body full of burns, on to my stomach and rolling into another wall.

Growling from the rage and pain I was in. I managed to will-power some static through my body as I got up and attempted one last charge at the vile insect. By tossing random objects such as the TV, a flower jar and even my old games console at her to try create an opening. Since she saw them as a threat by blasting each one of them. Then, I dashed towards her while I had the chance.

Not being able to grab me again in time, since she was busy deflecting the furniture. I managed to send a few punches through her, even though she was ghosting my attacks. The electrical current that I was struggling to charge were having some effect as she gasped from each strike.

Thinking of that night when Fluttershy was in danger of the Hydra. I mustered everything into my fist and punched Chrysalis full in the face with a full glowing fist of electricity while yelling, “DAMN YOU!!!” Which fully impacted her and sent her rolling across the room.

Before I could even think. She was sudden engulfed by a black and green cloud as the room stated to shake from the distortion.

Now covered in a black and green aura. She preceded to stand up and emit a small growl of her own. One that expressed the emotion of hatred.

I could only stand, stare and try to predict what she was going to do next, since she has never expressed this sort of behaviour before. What ever it was, she was just has pissed as I was now.

With her eyes suddenly starting to glow a furious green as she also had her teeth grit. She couldn’t help but laugh a moment after. So I asked, not caring how rudely I spoke, “What are you laughing at!?”

She didn’t answer my question. But instead, morphed into a dark-green cloud with her head hovering in it. That soon slowly slithered its way towards me, like a serpent coming for its pray.

Right now. I didn’t know what the fuck she was anymore. But it terrified the shit out of me to the core…