"One!"

     "Two!"

     "Win!"

     "For you!"

     "Three!" 

    "Four!"

    "Win!"

     "Some more!" 

    "Five!"

     "Six!"

    "Win!"

   "For chicks!"    

     "Seven!" 

    "Eight!" 

    "Winning!"

     "Is great!"

    "Nine!" 

    "Ten!"

    "Win!"

    Again!"  

   "AND AGAIN! AND AGAIN! AND AGAIN! AND AGAIN!" The team cried out. DJ held his helmet up into the mass of players. "Bears on three!"

     "One! Two! Three! BEARS!" The team cried. DJ jogged over to the sidelines. Never walk on the field. He grabbed a water, allowing the liquid to flow down his practice jersey. He felt a tap on his pads, he turned to see Tyler, Kendrick, and Corben.    

     "Hey, we're going over to Kyle's house. He's in a lot of pain right now." Tyler said. 

    DJ was confused. "Pain? What happened?" 

    Corben had a look of shock on his face. "You didn't hear?" DJ shook his head. "Dude, his mom died just a couple hours ago!" 

    DJ looked around. "Are you serious? How?" 

    "Breast Cancer." Kendrick said. "We were on our way over to see if he needed anything."

     "Oh, yeah man. 'Course I'll come." 

    The dream blurred, leaving DJ on the sidelines as the offense took the field. DJ started playing with the purple ribbon around his wrist. Come on, boys! For Roni! He looked over, to see a skinny receiver, not in his shoulder pads and helmet. But in shorts and a T-shirt. Water in his eyes. Wow. I don't know what to call that. His mother lost her battle with cancer yesterday, and he is here on the sidelines with us! DJ walked over to Kyle, putting a hand on his shoulder. 

    "Listen, I didn't really know her, and I can't say I know understand what you're going through. But to be here, and now. That takes a lot." Kyle just nodded. "Remember, if there's anything we can do, just tell us." 

    Kyle cleared his throat. "She didn't want it to be losing, but just another obstacle in her way to Him."

     The dream blurred again, leaving DJ outside a church.  Ryan South and Walker, Dustin Staats, Kendrick, Corben, Tyler, and Shrabel all in a circle. Their purple collared shirts itching their necks. It was Noble, most of the people either didn't go to church, or wore T-shirts when they did. But this was different. A teammate, a brother, lost his mother to a deadly disease. The most formal dressing was required. And purple was her favorite color. 

    Tyler looked over his shoulder when he heard a car door shut. "What the fuck is he wearing..." he said.

     Everyone looked over to Dylan Moreno. The douche linemen was wearing a yellow T-shirt with black shorts. "Moreno, what are you doing?"  

   He grabbed the dip from his lip, throwing it onto the grass. "Coach said it was mandatory. Here I am."

     "You better have a purple shirt. Or you can leave." Staats stated.

     "Nope."  

     DJ was getting angry. "Listen, either find a purple shirt in about five seconds, or just get out of here. If you aren't here to support Kyle, which you obviously aren't, then just leave."

     "And why should I listen to what you have to say?"

     "Ah, because it's coach's orders, and I'm twice as fast and twice as strong as you?" 

    "Yo..." Dylan started, before he was cut off by a much larger voice.

     "Moreno! What are you wearing?" Barrett yelled, stepping out of his large black Silverado.

     "I w..."  

     "No excuses! Find something else! Now!"

     Moreno gave a small grunt, before pulling some Grizzly out of his pocket. "Yes sir."

     The dream blurred once again. DJ was staring at the body of Veronica Clark. She looked... peaceful. Too soon... He walked by the body, straight to Kyle, giving him a strong hug. "Our offer still stands." I wish he would accept it! I feel so useless!

     He gave a warm smile, tears in his eyes at the sight of his deceased mother. "Thanks, man."

     The dream blurred. DJ was sitting at a desk in a dark classroom. A projector replaying the same play over... and over... and over again. He held a bag of sunflower seeds in his left hand, and an empty Big-Gulp in his right. Barrett walked up to the from. "Western Heights looks the exact same as last year. Slow and clumsy." Barrett looked at his linebackers, DJ, Tyler, Kendrick, Corben, Nick, Josh, Boomer, and Forbes. "We should be able to rotate you all on a regular basis." DJ slipped a small Tylenol into his mouth, his back was killing him, but he wouldn't tell anyone. 

    "So do they still run the same five plays?" Tyler asked. The room filled with a little laughter.

     "No! They have a sixth this year! They run to the closed side of the field!" The laughter continued. 

    DJ just stayed silent in the desk. Pain.... so much pain! The dream blurred, putting DJ in the middle of a horrible field. The grass was halfway up his cleats, the yard lines were jagged, as well as the out of bounds. Razor wire around the stadium, made completely out of a boring grey concrete. It's like we're playing in prison.

    DJ strapped up his helmet, jogging out to the field. I already have six sacks and an interception, this is too easy! He cringed as he planted his right foot to slow his momentum. Come on, baby! Just one more quarter, then I'll get you looked at! DJ looked at the formation. "Flood! Flood!" He yelled. He looked over to the coaches. They pointed at the night sky, holding up six fingers. "Black six! Black six!" DJ screamed.     "Motion! Motion!" Nick yelled. DJ looked over at the receiver. I hit the A gap, poor bastard won't even see me coming!

    "Eyes!" The QB yelled.    

     "Eyes!" The line yelled in return.

     "Seeet. Hut-ut! Hut!" The line went in motion, the QB dropping back.

     DJ ran straight for his gap. Already a yard from the hole. The center saw him closing in. "Oh hell no!" He yelled, adjusting his stance to stop the backer. DJ lowered his body to the ground, knees almost hitting the grass, in an explosion, he legs launched him into the center's chest, knocking him back on his heels. Soloman better give me a donut for this! DJ kept churning his feet, until the three hundred pound center was flat on his back. DJ rolled off, and in three steps, had his arms around the QB's waist, throwing him to the ground.

     DJ got up, walking back towards his place on the field. Just racking up the stats. He heard feet pounding the ground behind him, he thought nothing of it, just players jogging back into their positions. As DJ walked, the steps got louder and louder. Then, DJ felt the center slamming into his back. DJ screamed in pain as he collapsed to the ground. 

    "Payback, bitch!" The center yelled at DJ, who lay on the ground.  

     DJ tried to curl into a ball, only for the pain to shoot through his body, he tried to lay straight with the same result. He settled for laying in the same position. No! Not now! He felt the tears streaming down his face. The pain was excruciating.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

    Celestia looked at the creature. She remembered his story, and now knew his name. DJ. The creature started to groan in pain in the bed, sweat starting to build around his forehead and arms and legs. His hair started to stand up. Celestia looked at the doctor. "What's happening?" 

    The doctor looked over at DJ. "From the looks of it, he's having a nightmare. He hasn't woke from after this morning, and has been having this reaction on and off." 

    Celestia looked back at the creature. If you aren't a warrior, but only an athlete, why are your nightmares this bad? "Is there any way we can wake him up?"  

     "Only with magic, or from the inside. Forcing him to wake up would be our best bet. But..."

     "Lu-Lu is the only one who can, and she doesn't want to go back..." 

    "Exactly."    

     So, we could either test magic on him, and not know how he will react. Or convince Luna to go back into his head. Celestia looked back at DJ. His breath had quickened, and was sweating like no other. Maybe I can convince Luna. I really don't want to test on him. She stared at DJ longer. The more she stared, the more she saw, not a alien killer, but instead, a lost foal.

     Celestia stared for near ten minutes. Analyzing each scar, each facial feature, each muscle, each breath. She felt sympathy for him. From his story, he had just reached the top of the world, and it was violently ripped away. The truck rolling, the deer jumping, and the random portal that was formed by an alicorn that just wanted her older sister to be proud. 

    Pride. A deadly thing. A feeling that can drop a full grown stallion from a mountain of wealth, to an alleyway with a tin can asking for spare change. Celestia let out an audible sigh. "I will return, please watch him."

     "Yes, Princess!"

________________________________________________________________________________________

     Twilight stared at the lines from her machine. This is impossible! She looked again and again at the jagged lines. The machine was built to detect massive outputs of magic, and last night, had a giant spike. She ran the tests again and again, the residues was still there, but was rapidly fading. I don't understand? Something this powerful had to have got the Princess' attention! Twilight walked up the stairs from the basement holding all her new machines and gizmos. 

    "Spike!" Twilight yelled. She heard the small pitter patter of her assistant's feet from upstairs.

     "Coming!" He yelled back. When he got to the stairs, the poor dragon's foot landed on a small piece of paper, causing him to roll down the stairs. Twilight flinched with each thud. Spike eventually landed in the first floor, face first. 

    "Spike, take a letter."

     Spike grabbed a quil and piece of paper. "Alright!"

     "Dear Princess Celestia, last night, one of the machines sent to me to detect large amounts of magic had a large spike, located in Canterlot. I can not tell if it is a source of disharmonic or harmonic magic. However, it did seem very strong. I am curious as to what it was. If you have yet to see any signs of a large magic anomaly, it may still be there, as the machine is still reading the after affects, though they are rapidly fading. Your student, Twilight Sparkle." Twilight looked over at Spike. "You get all that?"  

     "....ilight… Sparkle. Got it!" Spike said, before catching the letter on fire, turning it into a green smoke, flying out an open window towards Canterlot. "So, what do you think it was?"

     "I don't k..." Twilight started, before Pinkie popped out of one of the bookshelves.

     "It's a human! Lyra was right about them!" She said with a large smile on her face. "I wonder if I can throw it a 'Welcome to Equestria' party?" 

    "A human, Pinkie? Those are just myths. What makes you think a human is in Equestria?"  

     "Well, last night I woke up with a craving for strawberry cupcakes, twitchy tail, and itchy arms! And I knew it meant a human was in Equestria!" 

    "This would be the first human in Equestria! How wou..." Twilight stopped herself. It's Pinkie, don't question it.  "If a human is here, then why hasn't Princess Celestia told me about it?" 

    "Maybe she's been busy? I mean, hello! A human! You know of it was here that you would be asking it all kinds of questions."  

   "If it understood our language, yeah. But Pinkie, if it really is a human, do you remember any of the myths?"  

   "This isn't like those in the stories!"

     "How do you know?"  

     Pinkie narrowed her eyes, slowly receding back into the shelves. "I just do." Her eyes darted back and forth, landing on Spike. "Oh, hey Spike!" 

    "Hey, Pinkie!"

     Pinkie continued to sink into the shelf until she was no longer in the library, but serving customers at Sugarcube Corner. Twilight let out a small sigh as she levitated the books that were on the floor from Pinkie's entrance back into their proper places. "It couldn't be a human, could it?" Twilight asked Spike.

     "How should I know? I don't even know what a human is."  

     Twilight let out a sigh of relief. "Good. They aren't exactly nice. They are usually very violent, bring destruction and war with them everywhere they go."  

     "Then surely Princess Celestia would've seen it?"

     "Maybe." Twilight started towards the door, the sun was starting to set, and she was going over to Rarity's for a sleepover. "Spike, if Princess Celestia writes back, bring it to me unless it's too late, alright?"

     "Of course!"

     Twilight smiled. "Alright! See you tomorrow!"

_______________________________________________________________________________  

   "No, Tia! I'm not going back in there!" Luna said as she continued to read the "To Kill a Mockingbird." "Tia, what's a nigger?" 

    "Luna, he's in pain. As to your second question, I don't know. Why?"

     Luna looked back at the book. "They are spoken pretty badly of. As if they did something horrible, yet, I can't find what."

     "I can't answer your question, Luna. And I know what I said, that you wouldn't have to go back, but if you saw him, you would understand."

     "If you would have been there you would understand! It was horrible!" 

    "He's scared, and alone, Luna. He's in a place he doesn't know, with things he doesn't understand. He's having nightmares Luna, and we can't wake him up. But you can. You can end his suffering."

     Luna looked up from the book. "What if it happens again? What if he has the metal that spits fire?" 

    "Luna, I really don't think he knows it's a dream, or he would stop it himself."

     "But what if he does?"  

     Celestia let out a sigh. "Luna, we could fight on this all night. But we can't. You have to raise the moon soon, and I need to sleep. I will let you choose whether or not to help him. You don't have to, but I think it would help him." Celestia started walking out of the room. "You may want to take a look at him, help make up your mind." Celestia shut the door behind her, leaving Luna alone with the alien book.

     Luna let out a sigh. Maybe I should at least look at him. I did bring him here. I guess it's my fault he's laying in that hospital bed... There was a soft knock at the door. "Enter." She said. A yellow unicorn walked in the room with two more books. 

    "Princess! We found these in a compartment of the truck!" He lowered the two books onto Luna's desk. One was a brown book, with very few pages, and a pencil stuck in the side, the other was a slightly larger and thicker black book, with the title 'Holy Bible' engraved in a gold color.

     "Thank you." Luna said, picking up the brown book first. "You haven't found any weapons, have you?" 

    "Actually, we think we found two."

     Luna looked at the unicorn. "Think?"

     "Well, one is obvious, a black knife. But the other, we aren't to sure about. We think it is some kind of weapon, but we aren't too sure, and we don't want to mess with it too much, if it is a weapon, we don't want it against us." 

    "Could you possibly describe it?" Luna opened the book. It contained a calendar with notes on almost every date.  

     "Yes. It is half wood, half metal. The metal is a long hollow tube, and the wood looks like it would be what is grasped on to. We found something that may go with it in the truck. I'll be right back!" The unicorn ran off, leaving Luna with tbe brown book in her magical grasp. 

    Luna looked back at the book with notes all over. "This is just a schedule? When and where he needs to be." She closed it, picking up the larger black book. "In the begining..."

     The unicorn trotted through the door. "Princess, these are what we found." He levitated three red cylinders with a silver bottom over to Luna. "We are unsure how they work, but it is easy to see what is inside." 

      Luna watched the unicorn split the red cylinder in half. A black powder and small metal balls started to fall to the floor. She looked at one of hers. There was a large outline of the letter X. "And you said you have yet to know what it does?"

     "Correct. We think that these actually go into the metal and wood device, this is supported by when we were examining it, we pulled hard on one part on the bottom, ejecting one of these onto the floor." The unicorn laughed. "I must say, he's better off with the knife if that's all it does." 

    "Do you have any information on this black powder?" 

    "Yes, it is very flammable, almost explosive."

     Luna eyed the cylinder, slowly moving it farther away from her body. If he is awake, he could tell us what these are, and what they do? As well as most of his other things. "Thank you for this information. I would ask to be alone now."

     "Yes Princess!" He processed to bow and walk out of the room.

     Luna looked back to the black book, which had pages very different than all of the other books. Tia wants me to go back into his dreams, to wake him up. If I do that, he could explain all his things. Give them knowledge. And end his suffering. Luna sighed. "Maybe I should at least take a look at him. I have around thirty minutes until I need to raise the moon." Luna stood up, making her way to the hospital, where DJ was having another round of nightmares. 

    Luna looked at the shaking body, eyes darting back and forth under his lids, sweat dripping off his body. He looks horrible! "Doctor, how long has he been like this?"

     "On and off for hours." He replied while continuing to stare at a chart.

     Luna let out a sigh. Tia's right, I should end his suffering. Luna's horn let off a small glow, her conscious mind entering DJ's. 

    "I'm sorry, bub. But you have to." A strong voice said. Luna blinked a couple times. She was in a house, she knew that for sure. She looked over to see a large alien, much like DJ, on one knee, talking to a much smaller one. By the way the dream was bending, Luna assumed the smaller one was the alien in the hospital bed.

     "Dad! I don't want to go with her!" He screamed, a tear in his left eye. 

    The larger alien embraced DJ. "I don't want you to go either, but you have to."

     DJ cried a little more. "I don't want her, Dad! I like Mom better!" There was a strange noise similar to one of Pinkie's horns. DJ looked over his shoulder. "And she brought Bruce..."

     I don't understand? Why is he having to go with her if his mother is here? Is this like school for a foal? If so, why is it just one person? "Buddy, I know you don't want to go. But if you don't, me and Mama could get in a lot of trouble, and you would have to stay there."  

     DJ nodded. "Okay." He turned, heading for the door. Luna followed as a ghost of herself. How is this a nightmare?

     DJ stepped into a machine similar to the one that landed in Luna's room, only more like a box, and green. "Hey, man!" Another strong voice said as DJ opened the door, met with a cloud of smoke.

     "Hey Bruce..." DJ said as he took a seat. Luna stayed as a ghost, watching the scene unfold. No doubt this is a memory.    

     A female voice came from the front. "What? Not gonna say hi to your mama?" Wait, I thought his mother was in the house?

     "You're not my mama! Emiley's my mama!" He screamed. A hand made solid contact with his face.

     "No! I'M your mama!" She said, pulling a lever, sending the machine into high speeds very fast, causing a loud roar.

     DJ pulled at the door, trying to get out of the machine. "I hate you! I hate you!" Is all he screamed as he started banging on the glass, but his little weak arms had no affect. Luna had seen enough. She wrapped a wing around his trembling body, and with a bright flash, both were brought back into the world known as reality.

______________________________________________________________________________  

     DJ immediately pulled the blankets over his head. What the fuck was that?! I ain't thought about that bitch in years! He let out a loud groan, his head was killing him, along with his ribs, his sore limbs, and his empty stomach. He lowered the blanket, but kept his eyes sealed shut. He could feel the fluids going into his arm. So I really am in a hospital. Looks like my subconscious got that part right. DJ was searching his mind for anything he could remember after the crash, but only came up with fragments from dreams. 

    DJ slowly opened his eyes, looking straight up at the white ceiling. He let out a small sigh. Still not Norman Regional, maybe it's Access? Or a Saint's? Maybe OSOI, no, they're sports related. I doubt they would see me for a car accident. DJ's stomach let out a loud grumble. "Empty, 'eh? Don't worry, bud..." DJ slapped his hand on his gut. "...I'll fill you up."

     "You're hungry?" A soothing voice said. DJ had heard it before, but couldn't put his finger on it. He continued to stare at the ceiling. 

    "Yeah. Pretty sure the last time I ate was a couple pieces of pizza on the bus on the way home."

     "Would you like me to get you something?" The voice said again.

     "That would be much appreciated, thank you." As he finished the last word, DJ rolled his head to the right, vomiting a green burning liquid. Fuck that hurt...

     "I'll be right back!" The voice said, DJ frowned when he heard two sets of feet. Two ladies, one talking, both in heels. Maybe one was just observing? Oh well, at least I get food.

     DJ rolled his head over, spitting out the rest of the vomit from his mouth. He looked up, noticing the scenery. Well played, room looks the exact same. Maybe I regained consciousness earlier? His head rolled the other way, his clothes were laying on the ground in a pile, as well as the wrap. DJ frowned when he saw his underwear. He raised the blanket, revealing him completely naked. He looked back at the pile, just out of arm's reach. This is different, never been naked in a hospital. He swung his legs out of the bed, using his toes to drag the pile closer to the bed, where he quickly put on the underwear and shorts. He reached in the left pocket, finding his black Skullcandy headphones.

     Awesome, now where's my... there it is! DJ found his phone on the floor, screen down. He picked it up, clicking the home button. Full battery? Strange... He plugged is his headphones, pressing the play button built into the wire. The speakers came to life. 

    Yeah I get it, you're an outcast

     Always under attack 

    Always comin' in last

     Bringin' up the past

     No one owes you anything!

     I think, you need a shotgun blast 

    A kick in the ass

     So paranoid

     Watch your back!

    Oh my, here we go 

    Another loose cannon gone bipolar

     Slipped down, couldn't get much lower 

    Quicksand's got no sense of humor 

    I'm still laughin' like heeeeeeeell 

    You think that by cryin' to me 

    Lookin' so sorry that I'm gonna believe

     You've been infected by social disease

     Well then take your medicine! 

    I created the sound of madness!  

     Wrote the book on pain!

    DJ cut off the music when he saw the door start to open. Wouldn't want to be rude. He pulled the headphones out of his ears. The door was open, but nothing was coming through. "Umm... Hello?" He called. 

    "Just a second..." The same voice said. DJ strained his ears, there were whispers, but he couldn't understand what was being said. 

    DJ's stomach growled again, louder this time. "Could you hurry please?" 

    The whispers stopped. The door opened even wider. DJ heard the feet coming through the door. About damn time! He was used to eating around seven times a day, every hour and a half to two hours, pushing near four-thousand calories. He was always growing, and if he didn't have his food, he wasn't growing. When he wasn't growing, he wasn't getting stronger. When he wasn't getting stronger, someone, somewhere, was. And DJ hated losing.

     DJ watched as the tray came in first, held by a dark blue aura of light. His plastic shaker and protein bag along with several fruits and vegetables, and his creatine bottle. DJ stared at the tray, jaw hitting the floor. What the hell? Two blue hooves eventually came through the door, followed by the head of a horse with cyan eyes, mane flowing with stars glittering in it. She stepped the rest of the way into the room. 

    DJ stared at the alicorn. He eventually looked away, down to his hands. "Ten perfect fingers..." he tried pushing his fingers through his hand. "Solid hands..." He plugged his nose. "And can't breathe through a plugged nose.... This is real... This isn't a dream."  

   "We found this bag and bottle in your truck.... We thought you would want it..." The alicorn placed the tray on DJ's lap. 

    DJ looked down at his two supplements. He popped the top off the shaker and creatin, pouring the white powder into the shaker, then cracked open the bag, pouring in two scoops. "Water..."   

     "W-what?"

     "I need water." He said, picking up the shaker. "You drink it, not eat it." 

    "Oh... of course..." She said, backing out of the room. "I'll be right back." 

    "Yeah, alright." He said. As soon as the pony walked out of the room, DJ looked around the room. "Hardy har har, guys! Real funny!" DJ looked at the apples and carrots on the tray. He picked up a carrot, observing it close, looking for anything suggesting someone messed with it. He took a small nibble, satisfied by the taste, he took a larger bite.

     The door opened again. The alicorn carrying a large glass of water. "Will this do?" 

    "Yeah, that's fine." He said, grabbing the glass, pouring it into the shaker. After twenty seconds of shaking, he popped the white lid, tipping back the bottle. Sweet Jesus, this tastes like shit... He continued to down the liquid like it was nothing. When you want something, most of the time you have to sacrifice something. To gain muscle and size, DJ sacrificed taste. Same meals everyday. No variety. But it was pretty damn cheap. 

    As he started on the apple, the alicorn decided to speak. "I believe we have met before, on much more... violent circumstances."

     DJ looked up. "Really? I don't recall..."

     The alicorn waved her hoof at him. "Maybe we can talk about his later. I apologize for not introducing myself. I am Pri..."

     "Princess Luna, raised the moon every night, sentenced to the moon for a thousand years, yada yada." DJ looked around the room. "How are you guys doing this? I know you don't have near enough money to buy a setup like this." 

    Luna looked at DJ. "How do you..."

     DJ put up his hand. "Listen, you're doing a great job with this, but seriously, you can cut the act. I know this is just a prank." He looked around the room again. "Worst time possible, assholes!" 

    "Act?"

     DJ started laughing. "Yeah, come on, who are you really? Mariah? Meridian? Cheyenne?" DJ looked at the tray. "How'd you get the aura of light, that was actually pretty BA." 

    Luna just stared at DJ as he ranted on about how it was just a prank from his friends, he rolled his truck and they decided they would get him back for the flat tires and condoms on the door handles. Luna turned to see her older sister in the doorway. "He thinks it's a prank."

     "Should we tell him?" 

    Luna looked back to DJ. "Let's let him finish his rant, then we'll tell him."

     Celestia nodded. "I believe we should keep him here, in the hospital until we learn more about him. We don't want the public to be in fear."  

     "The nobles already know something is wrong, and their gossip spreads fast." 

    "When we learn that he is not dangerous, we will reveal him to the public."

     "How can we be sure he's not dangerous?" Luna asked. Before Celestia could speak, an explosion rang out from the floor below, multiple small holes popping up in the floor.

     "Hey! Who the fuck has my shotgun?" DJ said, leaning over the bed looking at the small holes.

     Celestia sighed. "I am unsure."

_________________________________________________________________

Edited by Sanity Next Chapter: Maybe I need a chapter namer guy? Estimated time remaining: 4 Hours, 57 Minutes