//------------------------------// // Dream Oblivion // Story: Elements Change the Dark Hearts // by Nightmare_0mega //------------------------------// Vicious, swirling snow amidst jagged steel and concrete ruins ensure little mercy for the weak. Darkened clouds blot out the nighttime stars, allowing the hollow, artificial lights littered around the environment to be the only sources of illumination. Blood stains painted the ground and wrecked walls as winds wailed like angry spirits in denial. At the center of this abstract horror stood the emaciated Psycho Mantis, unflinching to the elements and unfazed by the decay, but not entirely in a controlled state of mind. He slowly looked about his surroundings with a daze beneath the lenses, mesmerized and calm from the coiling and active, yet cold and long dead, atmosphere. He let out an involuntary sigh, slowly swaying from side to side in the wind-swept blizzard, remaining half-asleep to the familiar thoughts. It was then, however, that the wailing wind began to scream louder than before, forming vague threats, promises, thoughts and feelings. Hurt, envy, rage, disgust, betrayal, revenge, and death. Screams became diverse, losing unity and dark harmony to create a white noise of foggy memories, itching details of countless sins. But within the cacophony stood out a muted hum: A fragment of a mental poison from long ago. Mantis' daze broke away, bringing forth full concentration to it, where new memories bloomed before him. Several men painted dripping red. Countless bodies before them. Millions of faceless, naked people, writhing like maggots against each other in a selfish, desperate fashion. And then fire. A roaring inferno consuming everything in its path. However, as his concentration became weaker, he was able to see one last vision: Five people, standing before a gigantic, bipedal machine. A machine capable of untold destruction. The answer. At long last, he remembered the answer. -o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o- Mantis woke up with a start, inhaling sharply as he sat up in his bed. His hand brought itself to his head, as he rubbed his exposed scalp scars. The lenses of his mask reflected much of the mid-day light that seeped in through the window, despite still needing to turn away from the rays that did reach his tired, blue eyes beneath. As he did, even in his haze, he noticed he was not alone, as the blur of a bright aquamarine figure sat on the chair at his bedside. Even before his eyes could focus, he knew exactly who it was, especially with the constant squealing of excitement that rang within her head. "Oh, I'm glad you're awake!" Lyra said with the biggest smile on her face. Mantis groaned inwardly, rubbing the side of his head roughly, eyes squeezing to strain out the groggy disposition. He remembered he wanted to speak with her, but he still wasn't happy about the necessary evil. "Are you alright?" Lyra asked. Mantis focused on her again. "You're early, Lyra." "It's 1 PM, silly," she said with a playful giggle. He cursed under his breath for skipping over such a detail. Never the less, it was a minor inconvenience at best. "So it is," he said to her. "Hey!" she exclaimed, "I can actually hear you this time!" "Yes, Lyra. I wished for us to speak on even ground," he lied, already thumbing through her mind for details about her hometown to start. "Besides this, I've been silent for the last few days. It feels good to be able to speak, now that I have the strength," he continued, honestly. "Ok, that sounds fair." Ponyville. What an asinine name. A relatively small town in population, but extensive in businesses. All sorts of specialty shops can be found here, even ones that are entirely absurd. Has been around for hundreds of years, and is relatively peaceful, despite recent happenings. Mostly inhabited by the dominant equine species of this land, save for a small number of other herbivore creatures and... "So, I wanted to ask; what's your world like?" Mantis stopped for a moment, breaking away his concentration on probing the young mare's mind, and considered the question. "Harsh. Cold... Disgusting." Her heart sank, but the mentalist didn't care, as he peered back into her head. ... and a few other unusual residents from another world. Mantis remembered the other equine that visited him mention that there were others before him, but wondered about specifics. He tried to probe further, but Lyra's details were hazy at best. Apparently, she knew OF them, and had passing glances, however- "What kind of tools do humans use to, well, do everything?" Mantis stopped again. These juvenile questions... "Why do you want to know, Lyra?" Before she could answer, the mentalist interrupted. "Nevermind. That was a foolish inquiry of mine. However, if you really must know, then the answer is this: There is a technological gap between our races, but in most cases our races use the same equipment for our day-to-day lives. The only true differences I can discern is transportation, media, and in-home power. While your society does have electricity, it seems to be a lot less wide-spread, as you rely on... simpler means, on top of this... "magic" your race seems to command." What lunacy. "As for media and transportation, generally your society uses forms that are generally half a century behind, with certain, isolated exceptions. Nothing noteworthy." The landscape of this world is generally much more lush and natural here, despite current circumstances. City-scapes do exist, but they are much fewer and farther between, opting to be more out of the way to nature rather than- "What do you like to do in your free time?" Mantis' eye twitched, before giving a light sigh to calm his nerves. "Think." Lyra frowned slightly. "That's all?" She waited for further answers or elaboration, but resigned to the one she got. "It must be boring." To a simpleton, perhaps, he thought with venom. Sitting for a moment, he did consider an extension to his answer. "There is one thing I do like to do on my time off, Lyra. A game of chess." "OH! I know that game, though I'm not very good at it myself. I do know someone who is." "Twilight, correct?" Lyra gasped for a second upon hearing him reveal the name on his own, but remembered he was psychic. She rubbed the back of her head for a moment, before replying. "Yeah, that's her. One of the smartest ponies in town, if not all of Equestria. Well, that might actually be a bit of an exaggeration, 'cause I hardly know everyone in town, let alone the whole world, but still." Mantis ignored her prattling and continued to probe for information. He decided to forget geography and topography for now and begin investigating in more detail about the society at large. He had managed to successfully test out his range for telepathy yesterday, and as such snagged a few nuggets of information, however minor, about it. Equestria was apparently a Diarchy, which was an odd term to say the least. Never the less, considering two rulers were in place, it was apt. Below them were the Nobles from various houses and prestige, however little other information on that was available from Lyra and the nearby minds he could reach competently. "By the way, I know you didn't look too well when you arrived here, but are you sick at all today? Because most of what I read of humans often shows a healthier figure." "No, Lyra. My physique does not reflect my vitality, and strength is less of a concern to me. So, my body is light, and just strong enough to carry the mind." "Ok, that's fair," she responded. "Well, aside from that, what are your-?" "Eating habits?" Mantis finished. "Well, you already know my race is omnivorous, don't you Lyra? While that does apply, I'm much... pickier." "That's interesting. So there are things you simply won't eat then..." She thought for a moment, but decided against offering to cook a meal for him, on the off chance she'd get it wrong. "Speaking of what you need, and what you told me about your world, do you need that gas-mask to breathe?" The mentalist winced. It had been a very long time since someone asked about his mask, and it was never easy to talk about. He looked to her for a moment, probing her mind for hidden intentions via research purposes or worse. However, very little but concern and genuine intrigue ebbed its way through. He sighed, seeing no harm in sharing for once. "I need it, Lyra," he started simply, "It keeps... everything else out." It was cryptic at best, but Lyra decided to accept the answer as is. There was no real need in pushing the matter further. It was obvious Mantis was hurting somewhere deep down inside, but she knew it would be pointless to aggravate old wounds. So instead, she tried to give a small, warm smile. "Alright." Despite the intentions, Mantis remained skeptical. It was too soon to be so trusting to something she just met. Far too early to simply be accepting and kindly. It didn't feel natural to him, and so he continued to probe her mind for information. However, before he could get very far, she spoke again. "I have to ask, if you're psychic can you see other people's thoughts or just read them?" Mantis was actually dumbstruck. This had been the first time someone asked such a question out of pure curiosity. It flattered him, which was also a first in a very long time. "That... is actually a very good question, Lyra, and one I don't hear, or read, very often. I will be blunt with you. Under most circumstances, telepaths like myself are rare. Among those that exist are usually ones that specialize in certain aspects. Some are able to read surface thoughts. Others are able to actually see images through the abstractness of mental information. These abilities, along with manipulation of thoughts and senses, moving physical matter with will alone, or... other skills are normally divided among those with such a talent. Even the skilled normally have to hone their abilities and train to evolve beyond what they were originally capable of. I, on the other hand, was... 'blessed' to be given these many forms of power." "So, you can even move things without ever touching them? But, I thought-" "Some rumors are true, Lyra. This is what makes them so... dangerous." Lyra began to wonder what other rumors were true about this human, but only for a moment or two. No, she thought, He's been nothing but nice... if a little creepy and ominous. After all, you can't judge a book by its cover. "I have one more question..." "Do my dreams work 'better' considering I have a high aptitude of skill in telepathy?" Mantis asked for Lyra, while he considered said question for a moment. In all of his years, in all of the things he's seen and done, using his mental capabilities on his own mind was never considered. Not out of negligence, but more out of the clear redundancy it would entail. Dreams, however, were a different matter. Despite who he was and what he's done, and despite how much power he had, he never had real control over his dreams. It was bizarre to know how non-telepaths had more success through the phenomenon of lucid dreaming than he ever did with his power of direct mental control. Finally, he answered, much to his chagrin, "No, I do not." Lyra frowned a little. "Oh, that's too bad. I mean, if I had the ability to change my own dreams however I want, I'd TOTALLY abuse that." She laughed at the little selfish desire of hers. "Indeed..." Mantis continued to probe her mind, but only got so much out of her. She clearly knew little about her society beyond the surface and the workings of her home town. However, she did have a mental map of the capital city's location on this world, home to the Diarchs, Celestia and Luna. That may come in handy, if I need it. He looked through the nearby minds within the building, cross referencing the few facts he had gained from the little unicorn before him. Everything seemed to line up, but the surface thoughts put him off a little. Mixed in with genuine well wishes and kindly thoughts were pips of self desire and baser cravings. They were fleeting, and lesser, but they were still there. A disease is a disease, no matter how small the infection is. "I'm afraid, Lyra, I'll be needing you to leave for today," he requested, "I feel... fatigued." "Oh," she responded dejectedly, "I guess I'll see you later then?" "Perhaps," he replied, "One thing, though. Would you mind sending your bookish friend, the scholar Twilight?" "Oh? What for?" "I didn't get the chance to speak with her very much last time, due to how tired I was... recovering. Besides, after today, I would be very interested in having a game of chess with an intellectual like her." "Oh sure," Lyra stated, "I promise to tell her when I can." She got off her seat, and proceeded to the door. With one last look to her human acquaintance, she gave one more smile before leaving the room and shut the door behind her. Alone once again, Mantis shifted his concentration, and reached out to the minds in the hospital once again, lifting surface thoughts to get a better understanding. Just like last time, it was a mix of sin and virtue. While benign, he couldn't help but become more and more doubtful over how long their society's good intentions would last. How long would it take before they descend to violence and self desire? Worse still was that the majority of them were equip with power to imitate his own. As disgusting of a thought it was, it was a tad unnerving to feel that such power could become a threat through inevitable corruption. That sort of power, he thought, it can't be left to thrive. He recalled what he probed from Lyra. Celestia and Luna. Literal movers and dictators of the time of day itself, as was claimed. Veritable gods in this land if it were true. What a pretentious title, but alarming if much of the race held even a fraction. He sneered at the idea. They lived in Canterlot, the epicenter of Equestria. If he were to cure the world before its sickness could set in, he would need to start there. Burn the center, and then let it spread to consume all in its path. Yes. That is the best course of action. Mantis, upon his epiphany, looked to the vacant chair. He raised his hand, and with little delay, so too did the piece of furniture levitate from the ground effortlessly. He was honestly surprised at how easy it was now; as if he were already at full strength but still capable of far more. A wicked smile cracked beneath his mask, as he flew the chair around the room like a child with a toy airplane. Upon setting it back on the ground as it were, he then concentrated on the bed he laid upon, and attempted to move it too. Just like the chair, he was able to grip it with his will, and with a fair bit more effort, he managed to move it about. The feeling was a bit too loose for his liking with the movement, but he managed to keep control. It was extraordinary, upon reflection. His power had returned at an exponential rate, and there were no signs of stopping yet. If he were to wait for even a few more days, he'd have long surpassed his apex and prime back when he was with FOXHOUND. No... he thought, I'll surpass the raw, untapped potential I had when I was merely the Third Child. There was something in the air of this world that seems to be allowing this to happen, and he couldn't help but let his wicked smile grow wider and wider. It was an intoxicating thought to say the least. When the time is nigh... It will all come to an end.