A Crafter's Dream (Discontinued)

by ruthim345


A Crafter's Dream Ch. 29: A Queen's Terror (Part 2)

Now, without further adieu, I present,

A Crafter’s Dream

The first thing Steve knew, he was waking up. Groaning, he blinked his eyes groggily and looked around. He was in a small, cement room. A single light above him dimly lit the room. He flexed his hands, but found them bound behind him. He was also tied to a damn chair, metal chains wrapping around his torso. Squirming, he tried to wiggle his way out of the chains they’d tied him up with, but they held firm. He sighed.

“Okay.” He mumbled to himself. “How do I get out of this?” Looking around the room, he found it was bare. Looking down, he saw the chair he was sitting on was a simple wooden one. This caused his eyes to light up. However, before he could do anything, there was a loud click as the door unlocked. Thinking fast, he tilted his head down, closed his eyes and steadied his breathing, trying to fake sleep. He hoped whoever was coming in wouldn’t notice.

There was a “Clung!” and the door swung open. Steve could hear the sound of hoofsteps nearing him. They stopped next to him. He could hear the sound of faint breathing as they didn’t move for a few moments. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the hoofsteps moved away from him. The door swung shut and locked with a final clicking noise.

Immediately setting to work, Steve sat up as straight as his restraints would allow. Rocking back and forth, he began to build up leverage. After a few times, he thrust forward as hard as he could, managing to get to his feet, albeit a bit bent over slightly from the chair. Jumping up a little, he fell backwards, slamming the chair into the floor. It shattered on impact. Shaking the now-loosened chains from his body, he worked his hands free from their bonds, freeing them.

After doing so, his gaze turned to the metal door. It looked heavy, and quite sturdy, but Steve was determined. He let a small grin appear on his face.

“Oh, I’ve always wanted to do this.” He said as he rubbed his hands together in a devious manner. Taking a deep breath, he stepped towards the door and raised his fist.

Knock Knock Knock

“FBI!! OPEN UP!!”

Triangle: Kick

Jumping up, Steve planted both feet firmly on the door and kicked. In response, the door flew open and clattered to the floor. Landing in a crouch, he cautiously walked out of the room. And immediately got sidelined by a bolt of magic.

Damage Received - 4 damage. 16 health remaining.

He flew through the air, then slammed into the hard tile beneath him. Coming to a stop on his stomach, he groaned and looked up at his attacker.

Circle: Dodge

Only to see another bolt of white magic heading straight for him, making roll to the side. Getting to his feet, he darted away, ignoring the angry shouts from behind for him to stop. He ran down the long, gray hallway, the unicorns behind him giving chase, bolts of magic flying past him. Luckily, it seemed the ponies giving chase weren’t the most athletic, as their voices quickly faded from earshot.

After he was sure he’d really lost them, Steve allowed himself to slow down to a jog, so as to not make as much noise while looking for an exit. It was only after a good, fifteen minutes that he found something, although it was not an exit.

It was a large gray door, similar to the one he’d kicked down earlier. Only this one had a sign above it in big bold letters.

“Armory.” Steve read aloud. Smirking at his good fortune, he grabbed the handle and pulled. To his surprise, it opened without issue, swinging outwards. Hesitantly stepping inside, he looked all around the room, whistling in awe.

The owner of this place was freaking loaded. Bows hung from hooks, quivers beside them. A whole manner of weapons, swords, axes, spears, and the like were scattered around the room. To his right, he saw a large box with a label, “Fire Crystals. Warning! Highly Explosive!” That put a smirk on his face. Saving the box for later, he began looking for a good sword. Suddenly, he heard a quiet, almost indiscernible voice speak in the back of his head.

< oリ|| ̇/_t⍑ᒷ_w𝙹ꖎ⎓ > /⊣╎⍊ᒷ sℸ ̣ ᒷ⍊ᒷ ↸╎ᔑᒲ𝙹リ↸_ᓭ∴𝙹∷↸

Whirling around, Steve pulled back his fist, expecting someone or something to be there. However, to his confusion, no-one was there. His gaze searched the room, but found it was just as empty as before.

“What the Nether was that?” Steve muttered aloud to himself, eyes squinted. His mind raced to try and decipher the foreign tongue the voice had spoke in. It sounded, vaguely familiar. Suddenly, he caught sight of something blue in the corner of his eye. Turning to it, he walked over to see what it was.

It was a sword, bigger than the others, encased in a brown sheathe. However, the handle was a familiar cyan blue color. Steve’s eyes widened at the sight. Gripping the handle, he removed the sword and held it in front of him.

It was large, far larger than any other sword in the room. It wasn’t made of metal, instead made of a transparent, crystal material. He recognized the weapon. He should’ve, as he’d made many just like it. It was a diamond sword.

“But what’s one of these doing here?” Steve wondered aloud as he gazed at the crystalline blade.

Steve pushed that thought to the back of his head, as he had bigger issues to deal with. Besides, he knew better to question anything that happened in the Mindscape. Sighing, he instinctively tried to store the blade into his inventory, only to groan when he remembered how he had no inventory here.

“Guess I’ll have to do it the hard way.” Steve mumbled to himself.

Re-sheathing the blade, Steve strapped the sword to his back, knowing that for whatever reason, he had no inventory to store it in. Tightening the straps, he grabbed some fire crystals and put them in his pockets. Slinging a quiver of arrows over his shoulder, he nabbed a bow from one of the hooks, holding it in his left hand. Upon opening the door, he looked out, looking both ways to make sure to was safe. Luckily for him, the way was clear.

He closed the door behind him and stepped out. Sighing, he started to his left, eager to find an exit.

* * * * *

Steve ran through the concrete halls, yelping as yet another arrow flew by him, narrowly missing. Steve held his bow in his right hand now, arrow knocked. Flinging himself around a corner, he whirled around, bow at the ready.

Square: Shoot

Square: Shoot

Steve let an arrow fly, only for it to be blocked by a magic shield, projected from one of the unicorns. Not to be deterred, he shot another arrow, only for the same result. Gritting his teeth, he took off again, careening down the halls.

Suddenly, Steve was forcefully stopped as he ran full-force into something very solid. He stumbled and fell onto his back.

Damage Received - 1 damage. 15 health remaining.

Pushing himself to his feet, he looked up with a glare on his face, which quickly dropped at the sight of what exactly had formed the barrier.

It was the Dreamwalker, Princess Luna. Only, she looked a little different.

Her astral mane was shorter, hanging just above her neck. One of her eyes was closed, a long scar running over it. Most noticeably, though, was her horn. Glowing dark blue, the tip was missing, seemingly broken off, sparks coming off the end of it. Her one eye stared down at Steve with a blank expression.

“Being, cease thy running. Tis futile.” Steve sighed, boredom seeping into his voice, which threw off the mare.

“You know, why is it that everyone always tells me to stop, like they expect me to just lay down and take it? Seriously, when has anyone actually listened to that?” Tossing his bow aside and throwing down the arrows, he unsheathed his sword. Her eye widened in surprise.

“How didst... what?” She asked, clearly confused, as well as apprehensive.

“Like it? Found it while I was scavenging your armory.” Her eyebrows furrowed in anger. Her barrier dropped, probably to conserve energy. Steve pulled back his blade, dropping into a fighting stance. He could hear the hurried sounds of his pursuers getting closer. He'd have to finish this fast.

Square: Slash

Triangle: Kick

Triangle (Hold): Roundhouse Kick

Steve slashed his blade forward, making Luna backpedal. Intent of keeping her on the defensive, he kicked forward, then spun in a roundhouse kick. Caught off-guard, Luna managed to avoid the first kick, but failed to do the same with the second, catching it straight in the muzzle. Growling in pain, her horn released a small burst of magic bolts.

Circle: Dodge

Circle: Dodge

Circle: Dodge

Steve dodged, weaved and jumped over the attacks, managing to remain unharmed. Raising his blade, he rushed towards the mare. In response, her horn lit, and a burst of purple fire shot from it.

Circle + Square: Counter

Steve swiped blade sword with all of his might across the incoming flames. To his joy and Luna’s frustration, the magical flames flickered and went out before they could touch him.

“Woo Hoo! That’s what I call getting burned!” Steve yelled. Luna growled and shot another beam of magic.

Circle: Dodge

Steve nimbly dodged this attack as well, feeling the air rush past him as it flew by.

“Hey, be careful Luna!” Steve chided. “You should control you fiery temper.” Luna’s expression morphed into one of confusion, until it finally clicked. Then she was just pissed.

“Thou art making jokes?!” She yelled, both angry and confused.

“Of course! I spend most of my time between life and death, so I gotta get my jokes in when I can!” Steve said, sword pulled back. “But, as much as I’d love to fight you, I gotta go. Friends to find, and such.” At this, Luna’s eye lit up, and not in a good way. Her horn stopped glowing as a smirk made it way onto her lips.

“These friends. Their names wouldn’t befall to be ‘Trench’ and ‘Aura’, wouldst they?” Steve stopped, staring at the mare in distrust and anger. His smile fell and his teeth grit.

“How do you know those names?” He growled. Her smirk turned victorious, which made his blood boil and stomach churn.

“They art our prison’rs. We did capture them not longeth after thee.” Luna said proudly. Steve’s eyes widened in shock. They had Trench and Aura! Suddenly, the unicorns giving chase finally caught up. They arrived behind Steve, horns glowing, glaring at him.

“Dropeth thy weapons. Surrend'r and thy friends shall live.” Luna spoke, voice hard. “Flee, and their lives art forfeit.”

Steve’s mind raced. He wanted to beat the living shit out of her. He wanted to stomp her into the ground while he laughed in victory. But he couldn’t. Trench and Aura’s lives were on the line. He had no idea where they were.

He sighed. He didn’t have much choice. Slowly, his grip on the blade loosened and the sword clattered to the floor. Luna huffed in triumph.

“On thou knees.” She commanded. Steve’s pride burned at the notion but he swallowed it. His friends depended on it. He readied himself to kneel on the ground.

“I don’t think that will be necessary.” A familiar voice spoke from behind. Whirling around, Steve gasped in shock at the owner of the voice,

“Abyss?!!”

* * * * *

He persists.

It was to be expected. He was never the one to give up.

Even when he was on the verge of death, when he had nothing left, he fought. It, frustrates me.

But he will fail. The nightmares will only get stronger. And they will learn. Even if he does, he will never beat me, not when I finally achieve full power. I would crush him beneath my foot.

But it will never get to that point. She, will make sure of that.

He cannot hope to beat her. My wonderful creation.

My little Daybreaker.