The Dream is Real

               Sly was confused. He jumped up from his bed in the realization that the man from his dream was now standing in his room. He kept checking his shirt, but every time it still read “It’s a dream”. He searched for an answer to this impossibility standing in front of him, but there were none.

               “What’s going on? How are you here? This isn’t possible.” Sly said with a sense of confusion.

               “It’s not what you think Sly. I’ve waited patiently for you to let me in, it only took 16 years. This most defiantly isn’t a dream this time, but yes, I did come from your dream” Said Laraniss as Sly struggled to grasp what was happening in front of him.

               “What are you talking about?” Sly asked.

               “It’s kind of hard to explain…I’m a Prince from another planet, that was enslaved inside of you when you were a baby. I’ve been searching for ways to release myself from your sub-conscience. That’s why I was manipulating your dreams like that. I figured you’d try to find answers after watching you all these years…finally you were able to see me, and not yourself, which gave me access to your mind…did you get all that?” Laraniss answered. Sly stood speechless and confused, he didn’t have an answer.

               “No…not really.” Sly replied with distain.

               “Look, I need your help. Do you want me out of here?” asked Laraniss.

               “I don’t even know how you got here!” yelled Sly, becoming a little frustrated now.

               “Technically I’m not here.” Laraniss replied.

               “Seriously!? You’re really not making any sense.” Said Sly.

               “I know it’s out there, but I’m kind of like an imaginary friend that isn’t imaginary. I’m a figment of your imagination that is presenting itself in front of you.” Said Laraniss.

               “Oh yeah, that helped a lot, thanks.” Sly said sarcastically.

               “Ok ok. When you saw me in your dream, I was able to gain access to your mind, which means that from now on, I’ll be able to talk to you. Which is a lot easier than the way I was contacting you before.” Said Laraniss.

               “So what is it you want from me?” Sly asked.

               “I need you to figure out how to release me from inside of you.” Laraniss answered.

               “So you’re somehow inside of me?” asked Laraniss.

               “Yes. I don’t really understand how myself yet, but that’s what the deal is.” Said Laraniss.

               “I’m losing my mind…yeah that’s it, must be some sort of side effect from all the soda and junk food I eat. This will blow over eventually, it must be some teenage phase I’m going through, yeah that’s it…it’s just a phase.” Sly replied, in a state of disbelief. Laraniss breathed a sigh of breath, and in a flash, he was nose to nose with Sly. Sly’s eyes widened, seeing the Prince move that fast. The Prince grabbed him by the arms and lifted him into the air.

               “Listen here boy! I am the Prince of a warrior race called Raynians; I have fought countless battles to prove my strength since I was very young. I was told when I was a boy that I would someday save the universe! You will help me out of this prison, or I will torment you for the rest of your life.” Yelled Laraniss as Sly started laughing, in disbelief. Laraniss dropped Sly, and he shrugged to the floor still laughing.

               “Ha, next thing you’re going to tell me is that you’re the Legendary White Warrior! Ha-Ha!” said Sly, still in disbelief.

               “What did you just say?” asked Laraniss.

               “I said that the next thing you’re going to tell me is that you’re the Legendary White Warrior. The story you just told me sounds an awful lot like the old legend my mother used to tell me about when I was little.” Sly replied. Laraniss was stunned.

               “This planet has heard the legend too? I don’t understand, how did I miss that?” Laraniss pondered to himself. Sly, seeing how surprised the Prince was finally snapped into reality.

               “No way! You’re him aren’t you? You’re the young Prince that vanished all those years ago on Planet Rayne!” Sly said as he finally got a grip on himself. Laraniss began pacing across Sly’s bedroom.

               “I don’t understand, how could I have missed this…all these years and I never knew how far the legend had travelled.” Said Laraniss. For 16 years, real time, he had been suspended in time, at some points he was able to see what was happening through Sly’s eyes. He had to live with what happened all those years ago, to his parents’ and his people. For 16 years, he had been training and planning on how to take revenge, and restore his people. He had come to the conclusion that, no matter the cost, he would restore his people back to their rightful status as the most powerful race in the universe. In his current state though, there wasn’t much he could do. He looked at Sly, who had still been rambling. “Was I this absent minded when I was his age?” Laraniss thought to himself.

               “So you’ve been gone for 16 years? How old are you then?” asked Sly.

               “Technically, 32.” Laraniss answered.

“Really? You don’t look that old. If I had to guess, I’d say that you were around 18.” Sly replied.

“My people do not age as most do. Once our bodies fully mature, we age about half as much as our age suggests, that way, we are able to continue to battle for the full extent of our lives, it was something all Raynians learn the moment that they ascend to their Elite form.” Laraniss replied; a little confused at how quickly Sly switched from hysteria to level headedness.

“Elite form?” Sly asked.

“It’s a transformation, notice the red glow? I have been stuck in my Elite form ever since I was enslaved in you. That’s why I have barely aged; the longer we’re in this form, the less we age. No one has mastered the form, I didn’t have much choice. For a long time it was quite painful for my body to be fully transformed like this.” Laraniss answered.

“Oh I see.” Sly replied.

“We’re getting off topic here.” Laraniss said, remembering that he was finally able to speak directly to Sly. “I think I have a few ideas on how we can release me.”

To be continued…