Lucid Dream (mlp fanfic)

Chapter 3: High up in the clouds

I opened my eyes and stood up, finding myself on... a cloud?

I wasn't in my bed anymore, where I had fallen asleep. It also appeared to be light. Afternoon most likely, but it had been night when I went to sleep.

It didn't take long before I realized that this was a dream. And I was aware of it, which means it was a lucid dream. It wasn't a shock for me. I was a vivid dreamer and lucid dreaming was something that happened to me quite often. It is how I got my cutiemark.

I remember it like it was yesterday. I felt so aware of myself and my surroundings in that moment, I thought it was real. But when I hit myself it didn't hurt. I quickly discovered I could control what happened in my dream with my own mind. That got me excited. I made myself walk in the air, made plants appear, etc. My brain quickly discovered that I was very much awake in that dream, and woke my body up, pulling me out of it.

I was so disappointed then, but when I went to turn myself in a better position, blankets all messy at the end of my bed, I saw it. My cutiemark appearing with a flashing light. It got me excited again and I woke my family to show them. They were happy for me but also very confused as to how I got my cutiemark by sleeping.

I sighed. My family. I hadn't seen them for years. Not since I left Cloudsdale to find a place of my own. I didn't want them to see I still hadn't accomplished anything. That my cutiemark meant nothing. I had no talent. Getting a cutiemark in dreaming. What can you accomplish with that? If others knew that it would only give off a you-are-lazy vibe to ponies. They would only hate me more. And if not, my parents would be mad that I haven't visit them for so long.

A feeling of guilt washed over me. My poor parents, what would they have thought. Maybe they thought I died? Maybe they thought I abandoned them. Or worse. A shiver went through my spine as I thought this; they don't care. They hate me like all the others.

But you have princess Luna. And princess Celestia doesn't hate you either. But what if she did? What if Celestia was being kind just because I was a friend of Luna. What if she was acting.

No, that's ridiculous. The princess would never do that. A princess has to be honest.

I snapped myself out of my thought spiral, still finding myself on the cloud. Slowly, I started to pace forward. This dream felt strange tho. Not like any lucid dream I've had before. The further I got on the seemingly endless path of clouds, the stronger that feeling became. It was as if there was an aura. A presence. But I didn't see anypony the whole way. I didn't even see anything other than clouds.

There! There I saw something. I couldn't quite see what the shape was yet. I could only guess. It looked like a building. A huge building. A... castle? Did I see that right?

When I came closer I saw that it was a castle indeed. A castle made of clouds. Amazing! The castle became bigger the closer I came to it. I figured it looked a lot like the Canterlot castle. Pretty strange, but then again, this was a dream. Dreams are strange. Especially lucid ones.

I looked quite some time at the castle doors, then knocked on it. Well, I wanted to but my hoof went through it. Quickly I pulled it back. I inspected the front of the castle once more. I hesitated. Was I really going to walk into this strange castle? Who knows what lays behind it. But if I didn't, I may not find out what this place is. I hesitated for a moment, then walked through the door, slowly.

I expected it to be dark inside but it was anything but that. There were al lot of holes in the castle representing windows.

'H-hello?' I said with a trembling voice. 'I-is anypony t-there?'

No answer.

'Hello? C-can anypony hear me?'

When still no one answered I started walking, constantly looking around me, alert of my surroundings.

Not only the outside looked like Canterlot castle. The inside too. It was exactly the same, except that everything was made out of clouds.

After a bit of walking I ended up in what seemed to be the throne room. Even the throne room looked exactly the same. It also had the stained glass in the form of clouds.

Impressive.

I inspected my surroundings for a bit, then continued my way, up to the balcony. All this way I hadn't seen anypony. It had been consistently quiet. It scared me. Maybe my intuition wasn't right. Maybe there was nothing here after all. But why then, is it, that I can still feel a presence.

I looked over the railing of the balcony and saw it wasn't just a path I had walked on. Cloud land stretched before me, with a lot of houses. But I hadn't seen them on my way here. Houses? Why were there houses if there was no one here. What is this? Some kind of ghost city?

I turned as I suddenly felt wind blowing, causing me to get goosebumps under my fur. I walked a few steps backwards, soon touching the railing, and made myself smaller.

'W-who is there?' My voice trembled.

Another gust of wind, and then I saw snowflakes falling from the sky. But there was no cloud where they could fall from. The wind made them swirl around.

I focussed my gaze on it, looking confused. Slowly but surely, the snowflakes started to form a shape. The shape changed and became more clear. A body.

I widened my eyes in surprise, as a pony stepped forward.