//------------------------------//
// Part Eleven 
// Story: Neil 
// by Ferrum Requiem 
//------------------------------//


In the Dreamscape: Beskar and Fire


An overcast morning dimly lit the swamp. The crimson sunrise through the thick clouds set fire to the horizon, as a white blanket of fog settled on the shore beyond the foot of the willow tree. Neil gazed over the pond, his ankles devoured by the cold mist. The castle heap in the distance ceased smoking. The sheet of fire red clouds moved and rolled by faster than normal. It looked like a sky recording played backwards.

That was... new. The boy scrutinized the surrounding misty swamp lands while frogs and insects made their usual noises. The air was so close here, musty, and thick. It smelled like the basement of his school. Everything besides the sky was normal. He looked for Artemis, but didn't see her. Huh. She was sleeping next to him, and couldn't have gone far. Neil held a hand to his mouth. "Artemis! Where are you?"

Moments later, he heard from the tall grass, "Coming!"

Out of the swamp grass she approached. "This place is weird: everything's all shifty! I walked around." She stood next to him, then nodded to the grass. "All the colors and things melt together after a few yards. There's nothing beyond that, just emptiness."

"This is a dream." Neil had a nervous look in his eye.

"Weird... I've never had one like this." Artemis saw his trepidation. "Ooooh. Do you think this is bad?"

"I don't know; we'll have to wait and see." He regarded her with a hint of suspicion. "By the way, are you real, or a figment of my dream?"

Artemis reflected on this. Was she real? How would one know if they were real inside a dream? What if she was a conscious dream thing only to live as the dreamer slept? Would she die if Dad woke up? Or, is this Dad a figment and she the dreamer? Would he die if she woke up? All this gave her the creeps, and made her nervous. "I've... never thought about it before. How do I know if I'm real? Are you the dream, or am I?" Aghast, she sat down and smacked both paws to her face. "What if we're both dreams?"

"Whoa, now. Don't have an existential crisis on me." The boy kneeled then scratched behind her ear.

Artemis leaned into it and calmed down.

That wasn't the typical reaction of a figment. Does that mean they're sharing the same dream? There's only one way to know for certain. Neil snapped his fingers. "Here's an idea: when you wake up, tell me that doughnuts are delicious, then we'll know if we're sharing the same dream. Deal?"

"Yeah! I can remember that!"

Piff, pure pazaak. "Perfect." Speaking about existential crises, Neil recalled something. "By the by, I have a friend here that's going to visit us soon, maybe."

Her ears perked up. "Any friend of yours is a friend of mine! What's your friend look like?"

Neil counted the list of things he remembered about her on his fingers. "She's a pony Princess named Luna. She's a little taller than Zecora, I think, has dark blue fur, an ink blot mark on her flank with a crescent moon on it; her mane flows with stars and constellations; she speaks archaic English, and she has a horn and big dark wings."

"Wow, Luna should be easy to recognize out here."

"That's accurate."

Then, in the mossy trees, Phobetor slithered on his belly in the branches, his serpentine eyes focused on the boy and his wolf. At last, the mortal returns. Many steps remained in the human's journey. The god of nightmares breathed. From his acrid breath the incubus returned, unbeknownst to the mortals below. Let the trials begin.

Neil noticed the pool bubbled like something let a large breath go beneath. Well, that's not suspicious. He narrowed his eyes at the anomaly as the sky darkened. His instincts screamed danger.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Artemis readied herself for trouble.

Something wicked this way comes. Neil didn't have his weapons on him, just the chainmail suit. "Artemis, do you see my gear anywhere?"

She face pawed. "No. I tossed your spear down the pipe before we jumped in. It's still in the pool somewhere."

In other words, he's defenseless? "No worries." Neil held his hands out and a Carl Gustav M4 recoilless rifle materialized into them with a satisfying pop.

Artemis's glowing eyes widened at the strange thing he made appear. "Whoa! How did you do that?"

"We're in a dream, kiddo." Neil readied his new weapon. "You can do whatever you want."

Artemis grinned deviously as her imagination ran rampant, ideas to test flooding in. "Is that so?" She rubbed her paws together. "Hehehe." Her imaginings were cut short, however, as whatever was under the water finally emerged.

It was the most heinously anus thing they had ever seen. A vile swamp Kraken covered in bog film and slime burst from the feted depths. It wildly flailed it's foul arms and focused its hungry eyes on the two snacks standing by the willow tree. The odor coming off it was something special.

Artemis wanted to chop her nose off. "Groooosssss! Burn it with fire!" 

Neil just aimed the Carl Gustav at center mass, then fired. A fire ball erupted from the back of the weapon, sending an 84mm HE warhead speeding into the beast. In a gushing explosion of fire, smoke, and blue gore the Kraken's body ceased to resemble a large swamp creature. Blue stained chunks and tentacles rained down on the shore and into the pond.

Neil grinned menacingly as the smoking remains sank to its grave below, the gore turning the brownish scummy water a more pleasant brighter blue.

Artemis blinked. Never in her life had she seen something so... so... "Cooool!" She cheered with her paws in the air, "You erased it!" It's official, Dad's unstoppable. "What is that thing you've got?"

Neil patted the recoilless. "This is a Carl Gustav M4 recoilless rifle." He pointed to where the Kraken once existed. "That's what it does."

"Forsooth, 'tis a most impressive weapon."

Neil turned to the origin of a very familiar voice, and saw those same enchanting eyes looking back; they haven't lost any of their luster. "I was wondering when you'd show up."

Luna stood behind them, holding a warm smile. 

Artemis saw regal Luna and her eyes widened in awe. "She's prettier than I thought."

What was this, a timberwolf, with Neil? Luna cocked her head. And it's speaking, complementing her no less? A timberwolf that exhibits the will to speak to non timberwolves was unheard of. Luna's cyan eyes gravitated to Neil.

She took in his appearance. The human's aura had changed dramatically: instead of fear, worry, confusion, and loss, the princess saw courage, sureness, and competence, but the loss remained. Where terror once reigned, the tinge of the wild burned in those brown alien eyes, betraying a fiery resolve. New scars stripped Neil's face, trophies of past victories against the shadow of death no doubt. Neil braved nature's cruel gauntlet, and now stood before Luna wearing it! 

And what is this, he's wearing a chainmail suit of pure luminium, how did he get that? Couple the gleaming armor and large weapon in his grasp, rather than a helpless thing scraping by on the edge of death, Neil seemed like the brave knight from a chivalrous poem Luna knew by heart.

All and all, the sheer magnitude of Neil's changes in these last weeks took her breath away. And, there is even one more thing to consider: what of this timberwolf? Luna noticed their looks, and caught herself staring at them in deep contemplation. She cleared her throat and approached. "Greetings, good Neil. I am beyond relieved  to see thee after all this time. Verily, I am impressed to say the least. Slaying yonder nightmare with such ease is no mean feat." Luna gestured to Artemis. "Hello, fair timberwolf. I am Luna, Princess of the Night."

"Hello!" Artemis held her paw up. "I'm Artemis. My dad told me about you, not too long ago in fact."

Dad? Zounds. This beast considers Neil her father. "'Tis a pleasure, good Artemis." The manners of this timberwolf took Luna through a loop. A polite, docile timberwolf? Never has such a thing happened before. She shook the grinning wolf's paw. "Thy father toldest thou?" The immortal's cyan eyes settled on Neil questioningly, then scanned the environment. She saw the castle heap in the distance, then knew why everything seemed familiar. She asked anyway, "Pray tell, how hast thou come here?"

"That's a long story." Neil shrugged. "You got a few hours to burn?"

She approached Neil, her horn glowing. "I could meld with thy mind and use a memory transfer spell to speed things along?"

He was wary of that and took a step back. "How much of my memory?"

"Only a selective transfer, a full one will take too long." 

Neil still didn't like the idea of letting her into his memories. "No."

She assured him, "I know I may not have earned the respect and trust to ask such a thing; but, have I done anything to warrant distrust?"

It's true. Luna has been nothing but kind, gracious, and helpful. "No."

"Then, good human, all I ask is to extend me a measure of faith to prove my sincerity, and good will, just this once? I promise no harm will come to thee." Luna's steely gaze locked with his as she stoically awaited his reply.

Both felt each other out, Luna looking for a sign of faith, Neil seeking for any reason to say no and simply tell her only what was necessary, for however long it took.

The boy saw nothing malevolent, and his gut gave no indication she had nothing but good intentions. Well, she is in his mind, and technically should be a guest under his power. She shouldn't be able to do anything to him. Right? Is that a theory worth testing, though? He crossed his arms. "Will I still have my memories when you're done?"

"Oh yes. By transference, I meant I will share thy experiences as if I had lived them through thee. There is no loss of anything."

Ah, so, it's like copy and pasting files on a computer? That's not so bad. "Okay, but only the memories of what happened five weeks ago after I woke up from the fever dream."

"Of course." She nodded once, then closed her eyes. "Relax thyself, and think back to the moment when thou awoke from our first meeting."

Neil did so, as Artemis watched curiously.

Luna drew close, and tapped her horn to his head. The memories rushed into her mind, along with the clarity and understanding of the human's horrific yet inspirational journey. She saw it all, the development of his beautiful relationship with Artemis, the savage war with the antagonist Scar and the monstrous Patches, and some curious and rather unexpected wildlife new to the Everfree: the giant spiders, and the strangle hedges. Never had she seen such before. That warranted investigation at a later date. She also saw Zecora, the good hermit Alchemist of the forest. It was nice to see she made friends with Neil.

Now the Princess fully understood Neil's shocking transformation. But, with the memories also came the emotions, and feelings, the fear, the pain, the worry, the isolation, the constant battle with madness from the hopelessness of lonesome survival on an alien world. It sucked the immortal stoic in and she had to rebalance herself to compensate. Then, through the battles he forged a center to draw on, a place of strength, and it fed him. Luna interpreted this as a deep inner fire. She wasn't sure where it came from, and neither did Neil.

Fascinating. Artemis played a part in it, but this fire was a quality of itself, like it had always been there, asleep deep inside, waiting to be summoned. From the flame came hope, strength, willpower, taciturnity, and courage. Through the evolving feelings Luna watched how Neil came to emanate his knightly aura now. It grew in response to a need to survive. Neil evolved himself to fit his impossibly alien environment, then worked with it, flowed with it. What he said about humans before now made perfect sense: Humans are not a figure in the land scape, but the shape of the landscape. 

However, what jarred Luna the most was Neil did all this without knowing magic! This whole time, she hadn't realized just how vulnerable he truly was in her world. He should be dead. Yet, here he stands.

Humans are amazing.

Another thing that impressed her was all the new juicy information about the Timberwolf seen through the human's eyes. They were such poorly understood creatures. Luna had no idea just how intelligent they were, no pony did in fact. They are considered of sub par intellect compared to ponies. That couldn't be farther from the truth, for they seemed on par with Equine, or other advanced species. She will have to record these findings at some point.

Luna opened her eyes, and smiled to the human. "Thou survived so much in such little time; verily, thou art worthy of respect." She bowed her head to him humbly. "I salute thee."

This took Neil aback. No one had ever bowed their head to him. Was her culture similar to Japan's? Neil returned the bow just to be safe. "Thank you."

"Certainly." His instinct for humility pleased Luna. She added, "Although there are things in the wilds thou hast yet encountered, I have no doubt thou wouldst surmount them all, given the chance."

"Dad's unstoppable." Artemis proudly boasted. "Especially when I'm with him."

"Humble as always, Girl." Neil patted Artemis sitting by his side. He told Luna, "I feel like I'm more lucky than anything, actually." 

"I am none too certain of that, Neil." Luna corrected. "Consider this: thou tamed one of the deadliest pack predators in all Equestria, even earned her respect and adoration. 'Tis no mean feat." She gestured to Artemis. "Timberwolves make impossible pets, even when caught as pups. They always became aggressive and never bonded to anypony that tried. Both thou, and thy adopted daughter, are the exception." Luna narrowed her eyes inquisitively at them. "How dost thou explainest this?"

Neil shrugged. "You tell me?"

"I do not think luck is the answer. Fortune is fickle. Thou art consistent."

Artemis wanted to check on something, then rose and walked to Luna.

Luna tilted her head, watching Artemis move to gaze at her flank.

Artemis pointed at Luna's cutie mark, looking back over to dad. "You were right! She does have a moon on her butt!" She giggled. "Moonbutt, that's funny."

Groaning, Neil face palmed.

Luna blinked for a moment. Moonbutt? She held a hoof to her muzzle and giggled. "Indeed, 'tis true!"

Artemis laughed with her.

Neil chuckled too, wondering what the odds were of Luna finding that funny.

Luna asked Neil, "So, I see thou appreciated my moon before thou slept?"

Neil nodded. "You know it." Literally.

"I also know thou knew of my existence beforehoof, thanks to Zecora."

"It was still a clever way to prove yourself." Neil clapped to her sincerely. "Well done. Oh, by the way, thanks for not lobotomizing me when you transferred my memories."

"Ah, yes." She rolled her eyes like an elder would to a silly child. "I was about to ask why thou believed me capable of such a thing."

"Well, think about it." He shrugged. "You can waltz into my mind. I'm sure you can twist minds too if you wanted."

Luna replied matter of fact, "Nay, 'tis not possible." 

"How so?" Neil crossed his arms. "Are you saying you're a guest under my power?"

"Correct. Dost thou recall the moment thy hand penetrated a thin veil just before our first meeting?"

Neil thought back, and did remember. He nodded.

"That was a mental block. 'Tis an impenetrable barrier the mind erects upon contact with anything it perceives as a threat. It is a natural thing. However, I have not encountered one in centuries. That is why it surprised me so. When thou burst the barrier, thou gavest me permission to have a presence in thy mind; but, I can never have power over thee, even if I wanted to."

"Alright. What about all those spells you've cast at me? How could they affect me if you're merely here as a presence?"

"Simple, I cannot harm thee, but anything that does no harm is allowed."

Neil clicked his fingers and pointed to her. "Ah, I see! That's like co-op in a video game. I like that."

"While I'm not familiar with this video game thou speakest of, I am happy it helps thee understand." Luna affirmed with a singular nod.

Neil rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry if I came off as rude; that was not my intention."

Luna held up a silver jeweled hoof. "Nay, good Neil. Do not apologize. Thy suspicions of the alien with extraordinary powers art reasonable. Why, I feel this is a testament to thy goodly nature. Thou harbored these fears and yet allowed me into thy dreams, and even into thy memories. Thou art cautious, nothing more. I respect that; 'tis a trait the Everfree rewards. To not suspect death in the valley of death is to be neglectful. In the Everfree-"

"Neglect kills." Neil finished for her, his jaw slacked. Luna truly understands.

"Indeed." The forest taught Neil well, and Luna tasted the rather bittersweet development upon the shifting wind. For all this time, she believed herself a rescuer, imagining herself arriving in the last moment to retrieve a stranded alien from the jaws of wild death. When, in fact, the hunted had saved himself, then became the hunter. The irony was formidable. "So, I suppose thou no longer requires rescue?"

Artemis cracked up. "Dad, needing rescue?" She busted into laughter, then poked Neil on the leg to get his attention. "I like her; she's funny."

Neil had a chuckle over how tickled Artemis was, then withdrew into thought. He could use the help, surely; but, Neil can take care of himself, especially with Artemis and Zecora. He's built for himself quite the unit. "Sorry if I'm not the damsel in distress you expected. For what it's worth, I appreciate all your help so far."

Luna saw the hesitation in his eyes, and a trepidation in his aura. Why is Neil on the fence about being rescued from the forest? "While I believe thou art hardly helpless," Luna gestured to the bog, and the forest in the distance. "I find it strange thou wouldst be conflicted about escaping this wild place, with all its hardships and struggles? Why not live with my subjects? There is a small but beautiful town but a days walk from here, and maybe an hours flight." She pointed at the horizon. "That direction."

Neil noted the course she pointed out. Mmm, over those sludge mounds and beyond? Good to know. He held a finger up. "I will answer with a question."

Luna waited to hear it.

Neil asked, "I've been thinking for a while, what life would be like if you found me. What makes you so certain you would be rescuing me? How well would I be received by your people?" He pointed to himself with a thumb. "Me, an omnivore, a hunter, wearing the skins of animals. It's not the garments I worry about, but their opinion of me being okay with wearing them. How would they not see me as a monster? I'd rather stick to what I'm used to. Believe it or not, I'm actually settling in. I even just finished a nice hut." He then pointed to his daughter. "And my kid, a timberwolf? She's my family. Where she goes, I go. She's a poisonous predator to your people; so, if being rescued means I have to give her up, forget it."

Artemis didn't have the words to convey how happy that made her. She liked the idea that dad could live away from harm with ponies like Zecora, and maybe that pink one. She wasn't bad, and Zecora was part of their pack. But, it also made her sad, as she hadn't imagined that dad was sacrificing a safer life just to be with her.

Luna digested Neil's perspective and wisely agreed that Artemis would pose an issue. "Forsooth, 'tis possible not all of my kind would welcome thee with open hooves; but, I cannot speak for everypony. However, surely moving closer to the town at least would be safer? I am not forcing thee to move to where thou wouldst be less comfortable than, this, if thou hast truly adapted so." She motioned to the wilds around. "And, if even that isn't acceptable, thou couldst stay in my castle as I devise a means to return thee home. Artemis is welcome too, of course."

That last statement hit Neil like a truck. Luna could take him back to Earth? Didn't Helen say their portals weren't meant for humans? "I thought your portals can't handle humans."

Luna waved the nonissue away with a regal hoof. "'Tis merely a measure of attuning a portal spell to fit thy physiology."

Neil cocked his eye brow. "I've been holding this back, but now I have to ask: by spell, of course, you mean magic?"

Ah, yes. The topic of magic has finally surfaced. Luna responded simply, "Indeed. 'Tis a simple feat of the magical arts, in addition to all I have done up to now." She regarded the human's deepening bemusement stoically.

Artemis whispered, "Hey, dad, didn't Zecora mention something about magic?"

Neil just stared into space, chewing on the implications of Luna's words. Zecora was right all along. Magic is all around us, she said. That's how her potions worked, magic. Her procession on alchemy came to mind, and butterflies fluttered in his gut. He was living inside a fantasy novel this whole time. He couldn't deny it anymore, and sighed in defeat, face palming. Things just got even more complicated.

Luna took in his distress. With no magical attainment of his own, in addition to his cautious nature, Neil's negative reaction was understandable. “I know thou dost not use magic. I saw it in thy memories. Are all humans nulls?”

Neil furrowed his brow at the strange question. "Nulls?"

Luna explained, "Nulls are theoretical beings that evolved while neutral to the energies of the universe, thus they do not possess a system of magic to utilize them. Starswirl the Bearded theorized their existence. There are no Nulls on this planet. Everything evolved to be magically positive, to take a more physical role in the energies sustaining and flowing through all things here in some fashion or another."

"Ookay. On my planet, unless you call conmen and illusionists magicians, humans do not have any special abilities.” The Boy grimaced. “Real magic, what you've pulled, the stuff I've seen on this planet? Not on Earth, as far as I know. There are stories of people who did magical things, but nothing else.”

"By the moon... Starswirl was right." Luna took this information to heart. It explained the wild and untamed presence she felt around Neil.

Neil narrowed his eyes. "Why is that such a big deal?"

"Thou must understand," Luna explained, "All life on my world, regardless, have some magical attainment native to them. Magic is to us what breathing is to the lungs, beating to the heart, thoughts to the mind. Thou confirming the existence of Nulls, it shocks me. I cannot comprehend never feeling connected to the world around me. I've felt as thou felt in those transferred moments; but, this numbness thou lives with? I do not understand it."

Neil shrugged. "I don't know what you mean. What numbness?" He didn't feel sick, or have anywhere numb like from an injury. "I feel fine."

"Thou dost not feel the embrace of the world, nor the pneuma of thy lungs, and art deaf to the heartbeat of the universe. Thou floatest on it merely, like a leaf lost on the surface of the tide. My best description is, thou art like a little intelligence trapped in a bag of skin. 'Tis so outlandish, good Neil, for my body is a vessel, a conduit for life."

Artemis imagined what it would be like to not feel connected to the forest, to be deaf to its music. Dad doesn't hear the trees sing, or feel the living ground? She had assumed he could all this time. Why wouldn't he? But according to Luna the breeze is just wind to him, and the ground is cold dirt... Wow. That boggled the Wolf's mind.

Luna shivered. "Ne'er had such a visual of alienation been given to me. How dost thou cope with it?"

Neil scratched his head, wondering what numb to the world even meant. "I've read of something like that from Greek Mythology about Humans being like a flame, or a divine spark animating a body of clay molded by the Titans; but, I can't personally relate to what you're talking about. I feel as I have always felt. Sorry I can't help you understand. I don't understand it fully."

Luna wasn't surprised the null failed to see where she was coming from. They were sharing the same star but two worlds apart. Understanding will not come easily.

The idea of being numb to the heartbeat of the universe bespoke of a loneliness Luna believed she understood on some level; yet, that heartbeat held her even at her loneliest. Neil felt nothing but the clay that housed him. Chilling. "'Tis alright, Neil. There is nothing to apologize for. I shall reflect upon the gift of this new perspective. I thank thee for it."

"Sure." Neil cleared his throat and changed the subject by asking another question that's bothered him. "By the way, what exactly are you, a pegasus?" He gestured to her horn. "Unicorn?"

“Nay, I am an alicorn.”

Alicorn! That's right, like from Greek Mythology, but he forgot the name. Neil rubbed his stubbled chin. "So, alicorns have the evolutionary traits of both pegasi and unicorns, that is, flight and magic?”

"I also possess magic from Earth ponies as well, good Neil. As I said, all beings here are magical to at least some degree. Pegasi utilize magic belonging to the air element, for example." 

Neil asked further, gesturing with an index finger to them, “Are your wings fully functional?” 

Artemis asked, "Why would she have them if not?"

"I just want to see for myself."

Luna flapped her wings and hovered over the ground, then flew up into the sky with the agility of an eagle, then did vertical loops, and landed back down with grace. 

Artemis clapped. 

Luna smiled at the timberwolf's excitement over a simple trick. "I can do much more in the waking world."

Neil whistled. "Geez, having the best of everything must be convenient."

"Actually, 'tis a pain in the flank." She sat down. “But, it has its sweeter moments." She gestured to the human. "I have a question. Instead of magic, what dost thou have on thy world? Shall I hazard the physical sciences are the answer?”

“You nailed it.”

“Ah, very good." Luna asked another query. "How advanced art Humanity's sciences?"

Neil shrugged. “We've walked on the moon several times."

"I assume thy satellite is uninhabitable, without an atmosphere and such?"

"Yes."

"The Moon of my planet is the same. Magic is required to survive its cold and silent surface." The idea of braving the vacuum of space without warding and preserving spells gobsmacked the alicorn. "Forsooth, thy people must be advanced to tread Earth's satellite without magic. Verily, 'tis a great feat indeed!"

"We can do a lot, yeah." Neil looked up, then frowned at the sudden heinousness above. The sky was turning with a chaotic array of colors and cloud formations. It was like god was having a rave in the sky! He didn’t like it; it's giving him motion sickness. 

Artemis followed his gaze and almost puked. "What's wrong with the sky? Make it stop!"

Luna giggled. That remained consistent since last time.

Neil pointed up. “Why is the sky doing that all of a sudden?”

Luna motioned at the unsavory shifting acid trip above, which now more resembled a warping storm of chaotic energies. “This mess is due to thy unruly mental state.” Luna knew the sky was a sign of distress deep within the psyche, even of something far, far darker. She wondered if that nightmarish shadow bane would return. Luna remained alert, but made no indication she was expecting trouble.

His unruly mental state? Neil watched on curiously as the sky's colors began devouring each other. The shifting clouds allied themselves with the ruinous powers fueling the disorderly nonsensical formations, becoming themselves a mass of unrecognizable colors and shapes undulating like some foul vomit orgy. God, it’s terrible. Neil focused on turning it into a sane, clear blue sky.

Luna watched him concentrate, clearly trying to fix the problem. She waited to see if he would succeed on his own with baited breath. 

"Hey!" Artemis pointed up.

Neil cracked an eye open to see his handiwork.

"That crazy pink cloud looks like an angry squirrel on a murder spree."

Neil huffed. Nothing changed. Damn.

Luna let her breath go in one easy sigh. So close, he was so close.

Irritated that he needed help, Neil asked Luna, "How do I fix it?” He glanced over to her.

Luna stood and approached. "Thou must learn how to control thy dreams, and by consequence thy thoughts, emotions, and ultimately thy mind." 

Whoa, that escalated quickly. "It's that complicated of an issue?"

"Forsooth, 'tis the only way. Thou couldst fix yonder sky with some practice; but, 'tis the product of a deeper problem. Thou wouldst do a greater service to thyself in targeting the root cause." Standing close to Neil, nocturne mane waving periodically over her regal eyes, the lunar Princess measured him up. "Thou knowest not what thou asked; still, I will humor thee." She finished matter of fact. “Thou must walk the path of the Oneiromancer to control thy dreams without fault.”

"Oneiroo what?" Artemis scratched her head. 

Neil dissected the meaning of the word. “Oneiromancer, oneiro... that’s Greek for dream. The word mancer means manipulating something, like an element. So, oneiromancer must be the practice of dream manipulation. I understand now. Interesting.”

Smiling at his marvelous deduction, she nodded enthusiastically. “Exactly correct.”

Artemis added to his side, "That sounds fun."

"So, this will allow me to completely control my dreams, like a painter commands his canvas?"

"Yes." Luna gestured to herself. “I am willing to teach, if thou art willing to learn.”

Neil agreed to the alicorn's offer. “When can we start?”

“Now, if thou wouldst prefer?” She rose up to sit again with her hind legs crossed in a half lotus.

Those Alicorn joints are quite flexible. Neil held up his hands to ask something first. "One more thing: you said you could take me home?"

"Verily, we did wander from that topic earlier. I did say I can take thee home."

With a glint of trepidation, Neil looked down to his daughter. She looked up to him.

Artemis had a feeling why dad was suddenly saddened by that. Would the other humans not welcome her on Earth, like the ponies wouldn't here?

"Okay." Neil breathed and looked to Luna. "How far away is my planet?"

Luna shook her head. "I do not know, and have yet to hear from the Ordo Veritatum on the matter. But, I suspect the distance is great if the scribe thou encountered used a portal to reach thy world."

"Give me your best guess on the distance."

She shrugged. "Mayhap, at least a hundred light cycles?"

Neil assumed that meant a hundred light years. Yikes.

"Is that close?" Artemis asked.

"No." Dad answered. "It's really far away."

"Isn't that bad, though?" She protested.

"Maybe."

Luna cocked her head curiously. "So, I assume thou wishest to return home, on the morrow mayhap?"

Neil gripped his fists, and closed his eyes, letting the fact he could go home soak in for a moment.

Luna and Artemis waited patiently for his answer.

He wondered to himself, What do I do? There was a time when he would've jumped at the chance to leave, to drop everything and say, Yes, Luna, take me home! I hate this place! Things are complicated now. He finally admitted, "I need to think about this."

Artemis fought the urge to scream, What's to think about? Say no, and stay here with me! But, dad's safety meant everything to her. He would be safest with his people. So, she didn't say anything, not wanting to say the wrong thing. Artemis lied down and curled up, deeply conflicted.

"Very well. Take thy time." Luna understood. "My offer shall stand."

"Thank you." Neil joined her on the ground, placing his legs in a half lotus. He was intrigued with all the perks Luna promised with this training, like mastery of his thoughts, and mind. This left him eager to learn. "What’s first?"

Artemis watched on.

“First and foremost," Luna began, "‘Tis customary in the art of oneiromancy for the student to offer the master a token of affection, to show their genuine interest to better themselves from within.” Her horn glowed a hue of light blue and out of her mane levitated the apple Neil offered her all those weeks ago. She said to him, with a deepening smile, “This boon thou offered me before certainly fits the custom. Judging by thy indifferent expression, thou dost not know the significance of this gift. Understand, this apple came from a dead tree. To offer life from death is a most touching feat of symbolism I ne’er will forget.”

Neil loved how that simple gesture was so profound in Luna's eyes. “I just wanted to give you an apple to show my friendliness. I had no idea that was such a big deal.” Her initial reaction to his gift now made complete sense.

Placing the gift back into her mane, the Princess sat straighter. “Now, student, ready thyself. We begin by closing our eyes.”

He did so.

“Now, harken to my voice and heed my words carefully, dear student. Take thy time in learning the instructions well. Know the dreamworld moves at the speed of thought, which is much faster than time in reality. There is no cause to rush; hours here are but minutes in real time, and days pass here as hours there. Though, even this is not set in stone.” She cleared her throat. “Now, first, I want thou to imagine as clear and concise an image as possible of a night sky. See the burning stars, the orbiting planets, and the brilliant ephemeral trails of falling stars racing across the luminaries above.” She opened an eye to see her new protege at work.

Neil sat, legs crossed, full attention affixed to his imagination. Scattered thoughts from his mental periphery tried to betray the image building in his mind; but, the boy pushed them aside and held the scene in place. Soon, the assault of thoughts ceased and only the night sky remained. The canvas was clean. He birthed the sun and the planets, then synchronized their orbits. One by one, distant stars spawned in the empty night, transforming it's chaos into a magnificent display of lights. Soon, blazing streaks of shooting stars added depth to the background like brush strokes. Neil imagined the space outside the sky so vividly, he could practically taste the star dust. He even added a touch he thought Luna would appreciate.

Luna gasped suddenly. “Oh, most wonderful of nights!”

Artemis's sharp glowing eyes beheld the beauty above. "Awesome."

Neil opened his eyes to find himself within his vision. Under the stars he birthed a meteor shower which gave an extra bit of depth. The madness before was incinerated under the starlight, and from its ashes came a night sky that would arrest any onlooker’s breath. A moon orbited above this inspirational scene with a mark on its surface matching the one on Luna’s flank. He just stared at his creation agape, thinking, was that supposed to be easy?

Luna noticed the moon up high. “Lo, unless my eyes betray me, I spy my cutie mark on yonder moon! Didst thou makest a moon for me?”

Neil smiled at her obvious enjoyment of the simple gesture. “I thought you’d like that touch.”

“Like it? Forsooth, I love it!” She asked, “pray tell, hast thou prior experience in the art of meditation?”

He scratched his head. “Well, when I don't have anything better to do, I sit back and watch my thoughts for a while. I’ve done that since I can remember."

Ah, that made perfect sense. “Of course.” She gestured to the night sky. “’Tis a virtually unheard-of feat for a complete novice to produce such an extravagant vision in the first attempt. This is due to the common inability to separate oneself from their own thoughts.” She pointed to him, smiling warmly. “But thou hast already mastered such a skill. That is why thou succeeded." Luna’s smile soured to a stringent expression. “Don’t let it fill thy head, please. ‘Twas simply serendipity.”

“Yeah, I figured it was a fluke.” He laughed lightheartedly. “No worries.”

“Very good. Oft’ times egotism befalls students ere realizing their true potential, then squander themselves in a most depressing fashion.” She ignored the bad memories of seeing many initiates fail during her life. “Let the next lesson commence.”

“Hit me with it.” Neil readied himself.

Suddenly, a fluttering butterfly flew delicately by. Both Luna and Neil shot their gazes to it. How the?

It landed on Artemis's nose. She snorted and laughed as it tickled her. It flew off and away. She gasped when Luna and dad looked at her, covering her muzzle with both paws. Oops. "Uh, sorry. I just followed along. Was I not supposed to?"

Luna couldn't believe it. Tonight, frontiers were being expanded in ways unlike any generation before.

Neil pointed to the wolf. "Did you really do that, sweetheart?"

"Uh huh. It's been so long since I last saw a butterfly, so I tried to make one. I think they're beautiful."

"I didn't know you could do that in my dream."

"Actually, thou art sharing a dream together." Luna corrected Neil. "'Tis rare, but not unheard of, especially considering the strength of thy bond. She can utilize her imagination as well as you can, in theory. The strange part is, I have never seen a timberwolf within the dreamworld before, let alone one that can manipulate it." Well, now she has two students, apparently. Will the wonders ever cease?

"Scooch over here, Artemis. Join us." Neil patted a place beside him.

She did so.

With everyone at attention, Luna continued. “Thou canst separate thyselves from thy thoughts and holdest a thought long enough to project it into thy dream. Now, we practice dream vacancy, also called mental vacancy, which is the most difficult lesson to master yet.”

Challenge accepted. Neil closed his eyes and followed his teacher’s instructions, along with Artemis.





Within the dreamlike rendition of the swamp campsite, the three sat, once merely acquaintances, now students and master. After a few hours of instruction on mental vacancy and meditation, they took a break from oneiromancer training.

They sat on the pond's shore, taking in the sweet tranquility of a well-ordered sky above.

Neil lied on the trunk of the willow tree and closed his eyes, watching his thoughts dance by. They were less chaotic than usual. The training was paying off; but, something strange gripped him, like a hand reaching from afar. It dragged his mental eye to a disturbing scene: the titan Prometheus being devoured by a massive crow. Bolted to a twisted rock face as the crow tore into the poor deity, he howled for help as he had for untold ages.

To read the mythology was one thing, to watch it another! Gripped by the vision, Neil tossed and turned as Prometheus suffered savagely. When the crow finished its meal, the titan's gaunt features turned to Neil's perspective, sunken dark eyes pleading for it to end, the carrier of the divine flame now a sickly thing. His gasp was barely at the edge of hearing. "Son..."

Luna felt a disturbance nearby, something cold, and the light of Neil's aura dimmed. She turned, then saw a snake suspended over him on the tree trunk, breathing a foul black miasma into his face! It finally showed its face. Luna rushed to him, firing a ray beam at the demon from her horn.

A black cloud blown from Phobetor's nose absorbed the attack. He slithered back into the tree, hissing at Luna all the while.

Luna bared a mouth full of fangs as her eyes turned serpentine. She hissed back. Its red eyes slowly vanished from the tree above, staring right into hers. It was gone, having left as silently as it came. "Foul Incubus." She checked on Neil, as Artemis came quickly to see what happened.

Neil shot up from the vision. His face twisted into a frightening scowl. He knew the titan was calling to him for help.

Luna hushed him. "Focus. Art thou alright, dear student?"

"I'm okay." He breathed, "just a little freaked out."

Luna didn't see any permanent harm done. But, the tacky red hue to his aura concerned her. "Whatever didst thou see, Neil? A foul thing posing as a snake was bewitching thee."

Running a hand down his face, Neil answered, "I saw the titan Prometheus being tortured at mount Olympus."

She was unfamiliar with such things.

Neil noticed she didn't know what he was talking about. "I'll give you what I know about Greek Mythology to save time. If I think about it, will the thoughts be easier to find?"

Luna tilted her head. "Yes."

"Do it."

Horn glowing and touching Neil's forehead, Luna did so, and from the boy's mind she learned in seconds all he knew about western mythology. It was such a wide breadth of information, she had to take a minute to digest it after the transfer was complete.

Now Luna knew the titan, and his heart wrenching tale of sacrifice. "This Prometheus is the Greek deity that helped craft mankind by gifting them the divine flame, to free them from the tyranny of the gods?"  

"Yes." Neil shook his head at all this. "I know how random it sounds; but, I feel compelled to go there and save him."

"Uhh, dad?" Artemis gestured with her muzzle to the distance. "Was that always there?"

Neil and Luna rose to see what she was talking about. Beyond the horizon was a mountain so tall it punctured into a massive cloud cover. The clouds glowed a deep menacing red, and swirled angrily around it. 

"No." Neil breathed. "I didn't put that there." The sight of it made the boy nervous, like something bad was waiting for them there.

Luna relented, "Neil, I believe thou had a vision. I have had such fits of insight before. It comes with the territory of being an alicorn. Tell me what thou saw." Neil told her and things made a little more sense. "We must go to Olympus and investigate. Clearly thy mind is trying to work through something important." Luna bit her lip, gazing at the wicked mountain far away. Will the Incubus be awaiting them up there?

Artemis sighed. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go roast us a crow!"

The crow wasn't what worried Neil, but the pantheon. "We'll run into some very powerful and unsavory forces at the peak of Olympus."

Luna corrected, "There is nothing within thy mind thou cannot dominate. Thou must believe so to succeed."

Well, Neil had survived hostile nightmares before. Maybe she was right. "I assume we can get there the same way I fixed the sky?"

Luna nodded. "Indeed. Take us away, student."

Neil closed his eyes and imagined standing before the mountain, its ancient stony foundations, and the bulk of it cutting into the heavens, where divine things thirst above, watching, waiting, craving the praise, the prayers, and the sacrifices of the broken little things below. Harsh winds struck Neil's scarred features. Opening his eyes, the boy beheld the home of the vile governors, corrupt Olympus.

Artemis marveled at the sheer size of the mountain. "Whoa."

"Well done!" Luna flared her wings. "Hop on Artemis, and Neil. I shall take us the rest of the way."

Neil stared into the foreboding swirling crimson veil above, clinching his fist. "No. I have to climb on my own. You two fly; I've got this." He has to try and make it with his bare hands. If he cannot scale a mountain by his own strength, then how could he hope to defeat a pantheon of foul gods with the power to hold the fire titan in check?

Luna spied the fire burning in his aura. "Very well, I shall remain with thee all the way."

The son of the fire titan scaled the mountain while Luna ascended by air with Artemis on her back.

Several times he almost fell, each he regained himself.

"You can do it, dad!" Artemis cheered from the back of the lunar princess. Under her paws, she felt how warm and soft Luna's fur was. "Wow. You're soft and cozy." Artemis held on a little tighter, relishing the warmth.

Luna chuckled.

After breaking the thick menacing clouds, they arrived at the mountain top. Neil dusted himself off, and as Luna landed with Artemis at his side, before them approached Zeus and the pantheon, with sprawling Olympus behind them. The gods blocked the way.

A pit grew in Luna's stomach. Neil's dream had shifted in a disturbing way as the beings approached. Her skin crawled with the sensation one gets before disaster strikes. She stood ready and alert.

"They're giants." Artemis jumped off Luna to stand closer to Neil.

Neil listened as Zeus spoke in a deep thundering voice.

"We have been watching you, mortal. We know why you've come."

All the gods scowled at the three intruders, only disdain permeating their unblinking gazes.

"You cannot pass." Zeus crossed his mighty arms. "The titan is punished for his crimes, eternally. Your flesh will not live out the sentence. Your mission was ill conceived."

"Go, little man." Hera sneered, "While we spare you still."

Neil deadpanned at them. "No."

"You dare?" Hera bared her teeth, practically hissing at the boy.

Zeus humored the mortal. "Your courage is commendable. Very well, I shall educate you. Prometheus is guilty of stealing the divine flame and giving it to men. Men cannot control such power as we have suffered to see from our perch here." He pointed down to the churning clouds. They parted, revealing scenes most gruesome, of wars, massed purges, of machines bellowing poisons into the air, and all manner of other fire born sins native to men, even some greater sins yet to come. 

Luna gasped at the horror of it.

Zeus continued: "I gifted fire to them in the name of freedom, Prometheus said in his own defense. Freedom from what, I asked the mad titan. You, he replied." Zeus shook his godly head. "Such insanity." He gestured to the scene in the churning clouds. "Look upon your freedom, mortal. No sane world is built when the servants are free from their good masters. We have guided men through their imperfect ways for millennia. Then, this mad unhinged creature stole and gave you a powerful weapon you mortals cannot control. The damage was done, however. There could be no going back." Zeus sighed. "For that, he is damned for all time."

"Plus," Hera added, "Mortals don't call to us; the children now falsely believe they no longer need their parents to guide them. Humanity has abandoned its place. For that we also hate the titan."

Ares bellowed, "May he suffer as the heavens turn, and may his ungrateful spawn be damned to burn themselves with his gift!"

Hephaestus grinned. "I enjoyed nailing the titan to the crag for which he rots! With Kratos, we reveled in exacting justice!"

Neil caught that discrepancy. Hephaestus lamented chaining the fire titan; only Kratos was brutal and pitiless. Who is this Hephaestus, then? Neil gripped his fists tightly. "So, despite caring so much, all of you great and noble gods remained here, powerless, because a titan gave us matches?" He frowned. "Seems like the all powerful gods are just as fragile as me."

They didn't like that one bit.

Zeus narrowed his angry eyes. "Impertinent child, you had your fun." Zeus waved at the intruders. "Begone."

Things were getting heated, and Luna loosened up, ready to move at the toss of a thunder bolt.

Neil digested the information so far: the gods hated Prometheus for giving the divine flame to his children, so they would no longer be dependent on the gods. Abandoned by humanity, the gods were consumed by their disdain. They've come to relish his suffering, and resent his fire bearing children. These selfish creatures would never allow Neil to pass corrupt Olympus and free his father, not without one hell of a fight.

Irritated that Neil remained, Zeus sneered. "Child of my enemy, remain here any longer and I shall smother your flame."

Oh, lookie here: someone thinks they wear the pants in this dream. Neil retorted back, raising his voice, "Not before I burn you with it!" 

Enraged by the mortal's insolence, Zeus hurled a thunder bolt at him.

Luna jumped in the way and blocked it with a warding spell. The bolt splashed over the shield, splattering super heated plasma and fire around the barrier. The attack almost penetrated her ward. Its power surprised the Princess, like the shadow bane before.

Zeus extended his mighty divine hand and pointed at her. "You may be immortal, but you are no god. That bolt was not meant for you." Eyes radiating with power, he clenched his hand into a fist full of lightning. "The next one will be. Take the mortals and flee. Never return. This is my final warning."

Neil's mind was just like Luna's when she battled her nightmare, a battlefield between his will and the forces trying to control him. She didn't have the time to worry about why this human was fighting something only alicorns have suffered from. The foul nightmare spawn was preparing to strike again.

Artemis growled, then imagined a flying bird over that god's stupid head. Then, a majestic crow flew over, and dropped a fresh wet deuce on Zeus's head, almost vanishing into his curling white locks. Justice is sometimes ironic.

In sheer disbelief of such dissidence and disrespect, Zeus wasn't quite certain how to properly punish the timberwolf. Annihilation seemed too easy.

Hera covered her face in horrified embarrassment.

The other gods snickered amongst themselves; excepted for Ares, he roared with laughter.

Zeus cast a glance back to the laughing gods, the anger in his eyes silencing them.

While Zeus was distracted, Neil grew himself to his size, then drove his fist into the god's face with all the might he believed necessary to end Zeus, a god smiting punch.

After taking the full force of it, Zeus pushed back on Neil's fist with his face. The god's chilling unphased glare spoke of just how much trouble Neil was in.

The punch did nothing. Did he not believe enough? Uh, oh.

Zeus grabbed his head and held Neil in the air like a toy. Plunging his other hand into the human's chest, Neil screamed as the god tore out his divine fire.

Luna gasped.

Artemis rushed to help him, but Luna held her in place with a spell. Angry, she barked back, "Let me go!"

"Thou cannot help." Luna held firm.

Zeus held the lapping flame in his palm up. "So small, so dim, you sought to burn me with this cold fire?" Zeus crushed the flame in his hand, snuffing it out just as he promised. The force behind Zeus's next punch rocked Neil's world, as the god drove his divine fist into Neil's face in kind, launching the mortal off mount Olympus.

"Hold on!" Luna dropped Artemis to her back and took flight after him.

The laughter of the menacing deities behind chilled Luna to the core, then a thunder bolt burned by her, barely missing, one last toying poke before their escape. The heat of it washed over them, leaving their hearts pounding in their ringing ears.

Wide eyed, Luna snatched Neil in free fall and escaped from deadly Olympus, taking the human and his timberwolf back to their camp by the willow tree in the swamp.





Artemis stood over dad, groggily laying on his back after Luna ease him down. "You alright?"

"Just five more minutes, Mom. I swear I'll be ready." Neil went cross eyed. "I'm just too good at this game."

Artemis cast a desperate and worried look to Luna. "They broke him!"

Luna levitated a sphere of water from the pool, and let it fall over Neil's dizzy head.

"Blegh." He sat up, dripping wet, then let his breath go upon seeing the bog, relieved. They were safe from Olympus. 

"That Zeus knocked you into next week." Artemis sniffed him. "You okay?"

Neil groaned as he stood. "I... feel strange, like a cat that just lost eight of his lives." He had one hell of a headache. "Ouch. That actually hurts. Dreams shouldn't hurt."

"Normally." Luna answered.

"I hoped curing the Arcanotoxin would've normalized my dreams, and our first meeting was a fluke."

"As did I, at first. After the shadow bane attacked, I felt something different, something I hadn't felt since I fought my Incubus. I was unable to inform thee sooner of my suspicions. We hadn't the time." Luna let out a long breath. "I could've informed thou before venturing to Olympus; but, I had to see it for myself, to be certain it was as I felt. Forgive me, good Neil. I was wrong to delay."

She wasn't making sense. "What are you apologizing for? Tell me what?"

"'Tis an Incubus that has thee."

Neil and Artemis shared confused looks. They listened closely as she explained further. 

"I believed that only alicorns could suffer an Incubus. We have a deep connection with the magical currents of the universe, and are born with great power. This quality is a double edged sword. If the balance within is not maintained, alicorns can lose themselves while struggling with their benevolent and malevolent egos, our conscious and unconscious minds."

Neil understood the logic of that. "Power corrupts."

"Indeed, it can. It starts small. If the unbalance remains unchecked for too long, the evil within grows into a self aware nightmare. They resist their host's will, and weaken them with any method they can, their fears, worries, temptations, and so on. They slowly eat away and devour the original ego in control. It becomes more violent and aggressive as it gains ground. If the disharmony is not balanced, the Incubus subjugates the alicorn's mind, and becomes a living nightmare." 

Artemis sank in her seat on the ground, fearing where this was going, and what it meant for dad.

So, it wasn't just the Arcanotoxin after all, but something worse besides it. Great. Neil chewed on this disturbing information. "Why is it always malicious? Can it be reasoned with? Why destabilize things further by attacking, not working with, the original ego?"

"Think deeper. If thou wishes for peace, thy alter ego desires the opposite, war. The selves thou and I believe we are is the conscious mind; we believe ourselves reasonable, but our unconscious selves think us mad, because they exist to contrast us in every degree. It believes to co-exist is to surrender, because we wish to co-exist with it. Understand?"

That was pretty straight forward. "Oh, of course. All this makes perfect sense... except it fucking doesn't!"

Unflinching, Luna stoically listened to his outburst, fully expecting this reaction. It was only normal.

"Can you please tell me why my own dreams are trying to kill me? Nothing like this happens on Earth! Unless, I'm going schizo before my own eyes!" Neil took a breath, his heart pounding in his ears, his blood pressure through the roof. He sat down and tried to cool off. Just when he thought things were starting to turn around, this happens, something else to survive, himself. 

It's like his life was a fiction novel, or something worse... a fanfiction.

"It's okay, Dad." Artemis snuggled up to try and comfort him.

He pet her gingerly, staring long and vacantly into space. Artemis never looses her spirit, he shouldn't either.

"Neil?" Luna got his attention. "The cause of thy Incubus eludes me as well. I am frustrated by it; but, doubtlessly thou art assailed by one. We shall find the answer in time. Give not into hysteria."

"Yeah." Neil picked at the imaginary cat tail grass in the mud with his free hand. "Is this something alicorns have always dealt with?"

Luna's stoic façade then faltered to a subtle wince. It's come to the point she must inform him of every horrible detail she knew about the Incubus. It was just... painful. Steel yourself, Luna; Neil needs your help. "Nay, there was a time of ignorant bliss to such dangers, a time where I fell prey to my Incubus."

She tried to maintain her serene mask, but Neil could see the pain in her eyes.

Artemis whimpered. "You don't have to tell us, if you don't want to." 

"Nay, forgive me, 'tis not an easy subject; regardless, thou must hear it. We understood nothing of this at the time." She breathed to calm her nerves, then told them about Nightmare Moon, her malevolent ego, a vile monster that consumed her slowly over time. It began as a tinge of jealousy towards her sister, something small, fleeting, easily dismissed. Luna felt such a feeling was utter nonsense, as she was the vanguard of the night, the one her subjects counted on to guide them through their nightmares, and defend their dreams. She even helped other creatures across the world with their worries and fears through their dreams. The world loved her; her subjects loved her. She was content, but not her dark side.

The feelings grew into a demon that hungered for something more, growing into a selfish thirsting thing that hooked into Luna, catching her completely unawares. It whispered that her subjects didn't love her enough, that they loved Celestia more. That's why they played in the sun, and slept away the moon. They would never frolic in the light of the lesser luminary for as long as the tyrant sister's sun rose to defeat it. The only way for Luna to attain the love she deserved was to drown the sun, take the throne for herself, and rule over an eternal night. What madness! 

Luna tried reasoning with it, to placate, and even compromise with it. Every avenue only revealed the ego was manipulating her good will, trying to use her trust against her. Luna resisted Nightmare's manipulations at first, but her whispers grew louder to a shrill that couldn't be ignored. Realizing the danger she was in, Luna confronted the wicked thing, marshaling every mental power and clever trick she could muster in epic battles across her psyche to defeat it. Nightmare Moon was still Luna's other half; she knew her far too well for it to end easily. Like a mental chess match to the death, the struggle lingered on exhaustively for weeks. 

Nightmare knew where to strike at Luna's will, what threads to pull, what things to say. With the pressure of Luna's inner struggle and the stress of her royal responsibilities, the weight of her immortal crown grew heavy. She developed a short fuse, and was often frustrated with her sister.

Luna recalled, "One night, I was late in lowering the moon after a particularly horrible engagement with Nightmare Moon during my evening meditation. My sister was angry, and lectured me on how I must take my duties more seriously. I tried to tell her what I was going through; but, neither of us understood what was happening to me. She told me to get a grip, stop taking my dreams so seriously, and grow up." The princess's ears pinned to her head in shame. "I hated her for that.

"I started believing Nightmare Moon. I was swallowed by resentment, anger, jealousy, as she twisted my love for Celestia into hatred and envy. She has it so easy! I would think as she passed by with that usual smile. How dare she demand anything of me? even if all she wanted was help greeting guests, or similar trifles." Luna closed her eyes, and swallowed dryly. "I was so tired in the dawn of my last moon, I didn't feel like arranging the constellations, despite that night was the stargazing Festival. Celestia bitterly told me my subjects would cease stargazing if I didn't check my attitude problem. Finally, seething by myself in the throne room of our old castle, I accepted Nightmare Moon's demands in a fit of rage. I became Equestria's Nightmare. Reborn a sun hating demon, Nightmare Moon almost defeated Celestia and conquered Equestria; but my sister banished the monster to the moon using the Elements of Harmony. They are relics of great magical power on this planet."

Luna was imprisoned within Nightmare as her subconscious, kind of like a form of stasis. The monster plotted her vengeance in exile for a thousand years. Luna was finally rescued in the old decayed castle by six young ponies that embody the Elements of Harmony. Although Luna suffered losing the war within, which left plenty of scars, she's spent the last few years trying to rebuild and integrate into a new world. It was far from easy.

Neil tried his best to keep up, but there were topics and details that left questions. Why was Celestia such a hard ass? Where did these Elements of Harmony come from, who made them, why did those six ponies use them but not Celestia, in fact, why didn't she save Luna the first time instead of banishing her, etc? Neil just listened on, not wanting to bloat the conversation with questions. He would find his answers in time. 

Luna came closer to Neil. "I failed myself, my subjects, and the world. I've since spent my life indebted to Equestria and myself after my liberation." Reliving her decent into madness a thousand years ago reopened painful wounds that haven't quite healed. These emotions tested every part of her stoic art. She can't loose control again. Luna chanted the Code of Control to herself: Do not bury passion, but choose it. Emotion is a choice; temperance is a choice. I choose my temperament; it does not choose me. I feel my emotions; they do not feel me. Thus, I have control. Luna chose calmness, and held on to it as the negative feelings starved to nothing. Much better.

Artemis felt bad for her. "That's really sad. I'm sorry, Luna."

Luna smiled down to the caring wolf. "Thank thee, sweet Artemis."

Trepidation gripped Neil's stomach He saw in Luna's tale the machinations of his possible demise by his darker self. Yet, something else didn't add up. He asked, "Here's another thing that makes no sense: Alicorns, creatures powerfully connected to everything, suffer from this, correct?"

Luna agreed. "Connected to the magical currents of the universe, yes."

"Sure. There's just one problem: you said I'm a null. I'm neutral. I don't have magic."

"Thou art a null; but, all things have magic, even nulls. Magic is everywhere; it flows through us, binds us, gives us life. Existence itself is a byproduct of this current, and would be impossible without it. It is the breath of life, if thou wilt." Luna pointed to him with a regal forehoof. "Calling nulls neutral to magic means they evolved with their magical potential undeveloped, not nonexistent." 

Neil blinked, then gestured to himself with disbelief. "You mean to tell me that I can learn magic?"

Luna replied matter of fact. "Indeed. Thou art like a well deep underground, waiting to be found and tapped. Thou wilt have a very difficult time building thy prowess from scratch, but 'tis possible."

It's just one thing after another! Neil pinched the bridge of his nose. "So, I'm slowly turning into a monster?"

"A more monstrous version of thyself, yes." 

All this left Artemis terrified. She's seen dad's monster. Is it really trying to take him like Luna's did? She placed a paw on dad's leg to comfort him. How can one defeat their own monster?

Luna tapped a hoof to her chin. "What is the nature of thy disharmony? If we find a way to bring balance back to thy mind, thou can defeat thy Incubus." Luna then proclaimed with absolute certainty, "Very well. Neil, I swore to rescue thee in our first meeting; no matter what, be it to the death, I shall help thee defeat this monster. Thou will not fail like I did."

"Yes." Artemis had her serious face on. "Whatever it takes."

"To the death?" Neil asked.

"The Incubus is a part of thee. It has power comparable to thy power. Thus, if it wished me harm, it can try to."

Neil interjected, "But, you're just a projection of your mind in mine. How can you get hurt here?"

She finished stoically, "Thou cannot kill thyself; but, thou canst harm thyself. Thou canst also harm me, in theory, anyway. I have placed myself at a dangerous level of closeness to thy mind to reach thee. Dreams under the power of an Incubus are more liken to being awake while asleep. Thus, the mind will make injuries real. Verily, the mind is a wonderful and terrible force."

That's a terrifying revelation. "You still want to help? Forget everything else, why risk your life for me?"

"I would be a liar if I said my intentions were selfless. No pony was there for me when I fell. I am giving thou what I wish I had." Her ears pinned down. "And, mayhap, I might find some solace if thou succeedest."

"Vicarious redemption?"

Nothing gets by this Human. "Yes."

Neil was beyond grateful she would go that far just to help him, and felt somewhat ashamed for mistrusting her in the beginning. If only he knew then what he knows now. That's a real constant in life, isn't it? He shrugged. "I don't know what to say."

"I do!" Artemis exclaimed, getting up then rubbing her soft wooden form on Luna's leg like a loving feline. "You are awesome! Since we're in this together, why don't you join our pack? We're already a pack of three, counting Zecora." Artemis looked to dad, her eyes asking an obvious question.

Luna pet Artemis. "Verily, ne'er have I been invited to join a timberwolf's family. I am honored."

Guess who's coming to dinner? Neil relented with a sigh. "Welcome to the family."

"Yes!" Artemis bounced in cheer. "Best. Pack. Ever! That monster won't know what hit it!"

Hit? Neil felt his cheek where Zeus punched him, then realized a possibility. "I just had an idea. Could saving Prometheus be our first step to defeating my Incubus?"

Luna thought about it. "'Tis a reasonable idea. Thy mind could be resisting the nightmare by fracturing itself into harder to possess parts."

Artemis saw where this was going, saying with excitement, "If we gather all the parts before it does-"

Neil interjected with enthusiasm, "We can starve it, then kill it!"

"Yeah!"

Luna liked the idea. "A solid plan, to be sure."

"How though?" Pacing back and forth, Neil brainstormed over his options for rescuing father from the tyrant Zeus. Clearly, Olympus had been corrupted by the Incubus, and the titan was a piece of himself he needed to retake.

Artemis tried to think of something as well.

Luna also was deep in contemplation, and bit her lip as she gazed into the still beautiful night sky. "I mentioned before how I commanded armies in grand campaigns against Nightmare Moon's holdings on my mind, moving them like pieces on a chess board as we engaged our wits. Thou faces a similar environment, and wouldst need an army to subjugate Olympus. I don't suppose thou has any lying around?"

Neil froze in place after hearing that. He turned to stare at the foul red mountain beyond the marsh. All was still ultimately his dream, at least the parts that were still his? So, his options were limited to his imagination. "An army..." Neil rubbed his stubbled chin. But, what force was crazy and skilled enough to assail Olympus that he knew of? What force of badasses could defeat a pantheon of gods empowered by his Incubus? 

Neil could call on the Space Marines. His eyes gravitated to Luna and Artemis. But, the Astartes would likely try to kill them too, and then wish to grant Neil the Emperor's Mercy for aiding and abetting with Xenos filth. That won't do. There was only one other group he knew of, one with the beskar balls to invade corrupt Olympus and win. Neil sighed. Time to reopen some old wounds. "We need to go to Mandalore."

Artemis cocked her head. "Where is that, and what is it?"

"It's a planet, home to the Mandalorians, the greatest warriors in the galaxy." Neil pointed at himself. "You're looking at one... Well, I used to be, anyway." He frowned sadly.

"What happened?" She asked.

Luna's ears perked up, eager to hear this as well. Her student counting himself among such a group was truly a fascinating development.

"That's a long story." He waved it off. "I'll tell you later. Let's focus on getting to Mandalore first."

Artemis was a little disappointed, but agreed all the same.

Luna saw this subject caused Neil pain, and respected his choice. "Everypony has a painful story."

"Tell me about it." Neil ran a callused hand over his scarred face. He dreamt about Mandalore for a long time in his past, and admitted out loud, "I won't be well received when they see me. But, if any warrior I know can help, it's Mand'alor."

Luna added, "If that part of thou is yet another piece to consolidate, we must go anyway."

"Agreed." He pointed to the sky. "Mandalore is on the outer rim of the galaxy. We need a starship with a hyperdrive to get there." 

Luna raised her eye brow. "Thou couldst easily travel there instantly, if thou wished, like last time."

Neil shook his head. "That's not a good idea. You don't just show up on Mandalore unannounced. That's a good way to get shot, repeatedly, with disrupters, and maybe some concussion missiles." He smirked. Just to make sure.

Luna frowned. "The longer thou tallies, the more powerful thy Incubus becomes."

"Very well." She had a point. Neil followed the same procedure that took them to Olympus, and imagined Mandalore in great detail; but, nothing happened. What? "I... I can't take us there." Neil face palmed, remembering what Zeus did to him. So, that's what happened. "Zeus said he would snuff my flame. He stole my fire, my power over my dreams."

A chill ran down Luna's spine. This initial blow by the enemy was unprecedented. "Egad, such never happened to me. My Incubus took control only after I gave in willingly." The princess bit her lip. Things were debilitating faster than she imagined, in unexpected ways. Mayhap Incubi evolve differently with each host, as due their abilities?

"We underestimated my alter ego." Neil chewed the tip of his thumb nail nervously. "I'm losing control. This looks bad."

"Now what?" Artemis wondered.

From the willow, Phobetor sighed a black mist that wafted with the dreamlike breeze, and settled over the pond. Now, the struggle begins.

The party turned and glared at the pond with concern.

Neil dreaded what other foul swamp spawn was coming next.

Artemis hoped it wasn't something nasty again.

Luna readied herself for a savage fight, thinking Neil was vulnerable in his current state.

Suddenly, a sonic boom above announced something entering the atmosphere at high speed. A starship descended and landed over the swamp grass several yards in front of the mismatched pack.

Neil immediately recognized it as a large smuggler class vessel which resembled a horseshoe crab. A loading ramp opened and from of the ship rushed a group of pirates and slavers, who quickly surrounded the pack of three.

Artemis gasped at the force of freaky things she's never seen before. "What the hell are those!"

"Trandoshan slavers." Neil scowled, "and pirates, the scum of the Galaxy."

One of the Trandoshan slavers sneered with a weapon leveled. It said something Neil didn't understand.

He raised his hands. "I don't speak lizard."

Luna narrowed her eyes at the strange hostile creatures as her horn glowed defensively.

The other slavers hissed and pointed their unique array of weapons at her. The pirates did the same in a rainbow of alien curses and words.

"Tell your pet behave." One of the pirates ordered.

"Just play along." Neil whispered to her. "This solves our ship problem." He didn't take his eyes off the alien pirate. Hmmm. That must be the captain.

She did so, thinking things have taken a curious turn.

"Good." The pirate captain held his repeating blaster at the hip, keeping it trained on Neil. "Why Mandalorian hide on backwater planet? You Mandalorian, yes?"

"I used to be." 

"Close enough."

Neil scowled. "You know nothing, aruetii."

"I know credits, and Mandalorians worth much these days."

Neil deadpanned. "What?"

"You got two choices, Mando." The captain gestured with his weapon to the ship. "We do this easy," he shouldered his blaster. "or real easy."

The cold blooded slavers hissed, and the pirates merely stared on coldly, each hoping the latter would be Neil's answer.

Neil whispered to Luna and Artemis, "Just follow me and stay quiet; we don't want to piss them off just yet." He kept his hands up as he walked to board the pirate's vessel. Since his power over his dream was gone, he had to rely on wits alone for now. My alter ego has some nerve using dream figments to capture and bring me in, rather than face me himself. What an asshat.

Artemis and Luna followed silently up the loading ramp in file behind Neil.

Neil heard Luna's voice in his head.

"So, what is thy plan?"

Well, that's a neat trick. He whispered back, "We steal the ship after dealing with these thugs."

"Agreed."

Their soon to be ship was a run down rust bucket. Neil didn't know what was more surprising: that it was space worthy, or these bottom feeders were smart enough to pilot it. The scum herded their captives into a large cargo hold modified into a holding cell.

"Don't try anything, Mando." The captain set his bug eyes on Neil. "You think me stupid? I know you wish to take ship and flee. You won't get far. This is just shuttle. My real ship is above. You not the first Mando I catch, and you join the rest soon." With that, the captain closed the door, and magnetically sealed it.

"Damn it." Neil crossed his arms. "We're not taking this."

"We wait, then." Luna sat down on the cot.

Artemis lied down next to her and curled up.

Neil inspected the room closely as the ship lifted off. It was a plain holding area. Few enmities were here, a cot, some seats, a port hole to peer out into space, but nothing else. He sat down on one of the chairs across from Luna, and leaned into the back rest. "You weren't kidding when you said the Incubus uses everything you know against you."

"Yes. Everything thou art, he is the antithesis. He is the epitome of the saying, thou art thy worst enemy."

Minutes past as Neil ironed out ideas and plans for escape, then Luna broke his train of thought.

"So, how many worlds hast thy kind settled?"

Neil furrowed his brow. "Come again?"

"Humanity has gone to Earth's moon; it's only logical that a space fairing race have since ventured to distant stars and put down roots, like the planet Mandalore we are going to. How many alien species hast thou discovered? I am very curious to know."

Neil cracked up. "I'm sorry, Luna. I've done you a disservice."

She cocked her head quizzically.

"None of this is based on anything man has done in reality. All this," he gestured about the ship around them, "Those aliens are from a fictional world called Star Wars. It's a trilogy of movies from before my time."

Fictional world? Luna understood now. "Ah, I see. This is like a play."

He shrugged. "You could say that."

"So, thou counts thyself a member of a fictional warrior race?" She giggled. "Thou wert so serious about it too."

Neil clicked his tongue. "I fell in love with their way of life, and I tried to implement it into mine when I was a younger. It's kid stuff, I know, but it's important now."

"I meant no offense, good Neil." She placed a hoof to her chest. "I know all too well what it feels like to be deeply inspired by something, even if it's fictitious. There's no shame in it. Verily, 'twas good thou didst; it served thee well in the Everfree. I see now the inspiration behind thy prowess in combat."

Neil smiled. "You're cool, Luna. Has anyone told you that?"

"Cool? Nay, I am comfortable."

He laughed. "No, that's an expression."

Artemis finished for him, "It means something is interesting, awesome, or it's used to call someone a nice person!"

Luna blushed. "Oh, no pony has ever called me such before, thank thee. I think thou art cool too."

"Thanks." Neil then asked, "So, what about you? You have combat experience in real life?"

"I have fought many battles across multiple campaigns in my life."

Neil expressed real interest in that. "Any you care to share?"

She thought about it. "Well, there was my first, the Discordian War."

"Discordian?"

"Aye, this was nearly two thousand years ago." 

"Two thousand years?" Neil blinked. "Zeus was right. You are immortal."

Luna nodded. "Indeed, I am."

"What's immortal mean?" Artemis asked.

"It means you never age, and live forever."

Luna added, "But, immortal does not mean invincible. Alicorns are very durable, immune to time, sickness, and we heal fast. Still, even we can die: like if we are decapitated, or suffer other such grievous injuries."

Artemis pried further. "I guess that means it's happened before?" 

"Well," Luna bit her lip. "This information about Alicorns is exceedingly ancient. 'Tis regarded more as myth than fact in this age. However, these are not myths I wish to test."

"I can imagine." Neil gestured to her. "So, about the war?"

"Yes." She cleared her throat. "'Twas a dark and chaotic age that dominated the Equestrian continent. Equestria was very different from what it is now, and the one whom ruled over it was to blame: a tyrannical draconequus named Discord, a being of chaos with immense power."

"Ooooh," Artemis scooted on the cot closer to Luna. "Could he alter reality?"

"Oh yes. I've seen the beast drink chocolate rain from pink cotton candy clouds. He was always fond of that trick. I've also witnessed him take a glass of wine, then drink the glass around the wine."

Neil blinked. "He what?"

"Forsooth, I hardly believed it myself. Those were but the parlor tricks. Any reality bending absurdity was his specialty. He lived for having fun, always at another's expense. Life was nothing but a game to him, and wretched for anypony under his rule. Imagine if thou wilt, a place where it was day and night at once, where if thou stepped a few trots east it was evening, but turned west to morning, then only to suffer them switch randomly. Then, paint the ever changing landscape with living malicious trees that would grow balloons filled with glue for the sole purpose of throwing them at the hooves of any passerby. Also, count on the cotton candy clouds to rain chocolate milk and make everypony sticky when it dried. And, picture a world where thy daisy sandwich suddenly comes alive to have thou for supper! Honestly, there were far too many anomalies to count. They made the war very frustrating."

Luna then held her silver jeweled hoof high. "So, order had to be restored! With my Sister and a full force of our greatest warriors, we marched on the chaotic realm of Discordia, and fought Discord's army of ginger bread and other confectionary monstrosities to free the land."

That made Neil want ginger snaps. "That's suspiciously kind of a tyrannical god of chaos to build his army out of cookies and candy. You must've rarely went hungry."

"Actually, any pony that ate them fell asleep, and didn't wake up until Discord was defeated months later."

"Diabolical."

"Indeed. I remember well the last battle at Discordia's snow globe capital. We had broken through the dome and managed to disable the bakeries churning out reinforcements. Celestia and I assailed the chocolate castle at the center while our forces mopped up the remaining confection army in the frosted streets. Discord was a worthy foe, matching both Celestia and myself. It wasn't until we challenged Discord to a singing contest he was defeated."

Neil laughed. "No way!"

"Way, dear student!" Luna giggled. "My Sister devised that brilliant stroke. While Discord belted out an impossible tune, we took the distraction and used the elements of harmony on the draconequus, turning him to stone as he sang. Equestria was freed, and we became its rulers and protectors. A new capital was built over Discordia's capital. It was dubbed the Castle of Two Sisters." Luna pointed at Neil. "Thou fought in the ruins of that castle yesterday."

"Wow! That was a great story!" Artemis's tail wagged on the cot.

Neil agreed. "Seriously, you should write a biography, Luna."

Luna chewed on that idea. She never considered it before. "Mayhap, if I find the time."

The holding cell's door opened, and the pirate captain stood with an old model disrupter pointed at them. "Follow, Mando. Make no trouble, and I no blast."

"Story time's over." Neil rose and followed the Rodian with Luna and Artemis in tow, Trandoshan slavers and pirates were to their left and right all the while.

The hanger of the ship the shuttle landed in was a massive freighter retrofitted into a slaving ship. The place crawled with slavers and pirates. There were cages everywhere filled with fresh slaves bound for the market, and crates of goods around them as they walked on. These dirt bags had quite the operation here.

Luna said in Neil's head, "There are many of those lizard creatures here."

"Taking the ship won't be easy with just us." Then, Neil spied a ship in the far corner of the huge hangar, a familiar M22-T Krayt gunship. If his eyes weren't deceiving him, that was his spaceship he left back at home, the Ruusann! What is she doing here?

There were a few fellow Mandalorians awaiting their cells in the cages. Their armor had been stripped from them and they wore simple slave clothes. One saw Neil and tightened his face. His gruff hand gripping the alloy bars of the cage, the warrior's iron gaze met Neil's. He seemed to recognize the boy with eyes filled with frustrated shame.

Down an unkempt corridor the slavers lead them into a large machine room. A big set of blast doors slid open to an even larger room with multiple levels, the cell block. Aliens, humans, and Mandalorians alike filled the cells. Many eyes were on the three new additions walking to their cell. How were there so many Mandalorians here? There must be hundreds. 

This really pissed Neil off. "These slaver scum will pay for this."

"Ponies haven't encountered slavery since the fall of King Sombra." Luna scowled at the scene around her.

Artemis just kept her head down and waited to see what dad would do next. She was completely out of her element here.

Eventually, at the end of the long cell block, the Rodian stopped and opened their cell. "Many other Mandalorian here; they no escape. You no escape. Don't try, or you get fried." He motioned with his weapon. "Inside, Mando."

"Brute." Luna hissed under her breath.

Once inside, the door slid closed and locked itself. The captain left with his scumbag entourage. 

In the far corner, napping on a cot, a blond woman in slave clothes looked up. Her grey eyes saw Neil, and she smirked. "Su cuy'gar, shabiir." (So you're still alive, screw up?)

Luna didn't recognize that language, but she understood it all the same thanks to the nature of the linguistic spell she cast on Neil.

"Luka!" Neil was happy to see his old friend again. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." The Mandalorian rose and approached to stand before him.

"Who is this?" Artemis asked.

Luka saw the two odd aliens behind her old comrade. "Do these strange creatures know you, ad'ika?"

"Luna, Artemis, this is Luka. I've traveled with her and another Mandalorian in my dreams since I was younger, like twelve."

"You handled yourself well, for an ad'ika."

Luna held her hoof up. "A pleasure to meet you."

Luka stared at the appendage, then back to Luna. "You expect me to shake that?" She crossed her arms. "I don't know you."

Neil assured her, "Luna's a friend. You can trust her.

The Mandalorian cocked her eye brow. "Like I could trust you, screw up?"

"No need to make things more complicated than they are." He gestured to Artemis and the princess. "They are helping me get to Mandalore. I could really use your help too."

She stared long and hard into Neil's unflinching gaze, then sighed. Holding out her hand, she shook Luna's hoof.

Neil asked, "Is Marduk a prisoner here too?"

Luka shook her head. "Marduk's a Protector now, at Mandalore."

That was a surprise. Marduk's more of a ronin type, always craving the next mission to somewhere else. "I never imagined he would've picked something so... static? He's changed."

"Understatement of the millennium, a lot has." She gestured around, "You sure picked a messed up time to return."

"What the hell's happening?"

"Shabla, that's what. Pirates and slavers have swarmed our territory from everywhere at once, raiding and pillaging our worlds. Mand'alor has called for the clans to rally and cleanse the outer rim of this filth. Marduk joined the Protectors, and I returned to Vlemoth Port to inform my Clan. On our way to Mandalore, we were ambushed out of hyperspace by pirates before we could make our second jump. That was two days ago. We've been prisoners here since."

"All of you were captured?"

"No. Just the portion that stayed behind to ensure the rest made it back into hyperspace. All clans are under strict orders to avoid engaging the pirates before joining the fleet. Mand'alor wants to wipe them out in one strike."

Neil still couldn't believe even a fleet of these thugs could do any substantial damage. "How the hell are slavers and pirates causing this much trouble?"

Luka deadpanned. "I don't think you understand how many of them there are. It's like every scumbag that could hold a blaster and fly a ship in the Outer Rim invaded Mandalorian space at once. We've never seen anything like it since the Dral'Han."

That explains a few things, and leaves several big questions. One thing at a time. "You ready to get out of here?"

She shrugged. "Are you? The cell door is locked tight, maglocks. Only the cell master has the key." She pointed out the cell door's viewing port to the guard station across the block one level up, "that cell master. Otherwise, I'd be out of here already. There's also surveillance, at least twelve guards at all times, and four auto turrets at each ceiling corner."

"Yeah, I noticed. This is one heavily armed rust bucket."

"It seems this ship was specifically outfitted for holding Mandalorians." Luka added, "This invasion was orchestrated. The only thing these bottom feeders respect are credits. The only one who hates us with a deep enough purse for something like this-"

Neil finished, knowing the answer, "The Republic." 

Luka nodded, a bitter scowl on her face. "We just need proof."

"Some things will never change." Neil asked Luna, "Can you open our cell?"

Luna's horn glowed. "I thought thou wouldst never ask."

"When you get it open, cast the shield you used when that bane thing attack us. Your mission is to keep Luka and I alive while we hit the guard station. Then, we set our vode free, take the ship, and fly home."

"'Understood." Luna poured energy into the cell doors as her horn glowed. 

"What about me?" Artemis asked, her tail wagging.

"If you see any way to help, jump at it."

"Gotcha."

The delicate electronics inside the cell door sparked, and the circuits keeping the maglock engaged shorted and died. The alloy door slid open.

Luka whistled. "You brought a sorcerer?"

"Alicorn." Luna corrected.

"You can be the Queen of Naboo for all I care." Luka focused on a Trandoshan guard wielding a crude repeater just outside the door. She bolted out the cell and nabbed the lizard before it noticed the door opened, then snapped its neck with one clean motion. She held the repeater as Neil took the thing's knife.

The alarms blared.

Neil motioned for Luka to form on him. "Luna?" he called back.

Luna cast a shield, and a translucent bubble of cyan light enveloped around them. 

Trandoshan guards rushed to firing positions along the cell block, then opened fire while Luna and Artemis followed the two humans.

They both watched Neil and Luka work without hesitation and with frightening precision.

The cell block erupted with howls and cries of encouragement, the aliens and Mandalorians egging the warriors on to free them.

A hail storm of bullets and blaster fire struck the ward harmlessly. 

"You doing alright?" Neil asked as they advanced.

Luna barely felt it. "Foal's play."

Luka blasted the slavers firing down on them like it was a shooting gallery. The shield let her shoot, but not get shot. She grinned only like a warrior could in the face of a helpless foe. That creature had impressive powers.

Neil took out a guard that rushed into the shield with his knife. With the lizard's blaster in hand, they ascended the stairs to the guard station, both warriors taking out the rest of the guards with accurate fire. At the top, Neil and Luka focused fire on the auto turrets pelting the shield from above. Each was reduced to a smoking wreck.

They stacked up by the guard station's sliding door. Neil nodded to it. "Luna, can you do the honors?"

Moments after, Luna blasted it open with a heat ray. Neil and Luka cleared the room of the dazed guards with cold precision. Inside, Neil located the emergency release button, then punched it. All the cell doors opened.

Luka opened the station's weapons lockers, then tossed a pistol to Neil. He asked Luna and Artemis to help distribute the weapons. Over a hundred Mandalorians and aliens gathered at the foot of the station. Luna took it upon herself to gather the weapons with her magic, then lowered the mass of firepower into the crowd.

Artemis dropped a single pistol, all she could fit in her mouth. She cocked her head with slight disappointment after it all but vanished into the mass of weapons below.

Neil stood a foot to the rail from the guard station, leaned into it, and overlooked the cell block. He yelled the plan down to them, "Mhi hiibir me'sen, bal slanar yaim!" [We take the ship, and go home!]

The freed warriors roared in cheer, hyped to get some revenge on their captors.

At the blast doors back to the machine room, Neil peered through the view port. He saw a full company of lizards and pirates, and pointed right at the door was an E-Web heavy repeating blaster, because of course they have one. "E-Web," he said to Luka.

"Chakaar." Luka cursed.

"Luna," Neil called, "they have a powerful weapon on the other end of this door. I only need one shot."

"Indeed, or..." She looked into the port and narrowed an eye at what must be the weapon. "Behind me." She charged her ray, then melted through the large blast door. Once the ray penetrated, the E-Web was next in its path, turning it into slag, and the crew to ash. The power bank connected to it exploded, killing or disorienting everything within twenty yards in the large room.

Hundreds of Mandalorians howled a deafening cry as they poured through the glowing hole that was the cell block's blast door. The fractured pirate defenses crumbled in seconds, accurate blaster and mass driver fire killing anything stupid enough to fight back. Fresh waves of slavers and pirates mounted a desperate defense on the catwalks above, as the poor bastards below either kissed the floor, or ran like frightened children.

In the heat of the battle, Neil pointed to the sign that said bridge. "That's our next target."

Luka agreed. "Cut the throat." 

A big Mandalorian approached. "We will rip out the heart."

Luka tossed a thermal detonator to him. "Oya, Maldus." 

"Oya, vod." Maldus nodded appreciatively, then rallied the Mandalorians and aliens into fire groups and led an assault to free the other cell blocks.

Neil, Luka, Artemis, and Luna took down the corridor to the bridge. Upon arriving at the turbo lift, a huge Trandoshan with a heavy repeater blocked the door. It hissed, then leveled his weapon to erase them.

Luna raised the ward, then a Mandalorian rushed from the hall to the lizard's right, and fired his weapon at it. 

Neil's party moved in to help, but the warrior yelled not to interfere.

"Is he mad?" Luna asked.

"Honor demands we obey." Luka replied as Neil silently watched with Artemis at his side.

The beast shrugged off the blaster fire and swatted the gun from the warrior's grasp. The human drew a knife and stabbed the lizard in the chest, but it grabbed the Mandalorian by the throat, and held him up. It thrusted the repeater's crude bayonet at his gut, but the warrior curled his body into a plank in the air, then wrapped his legs around the repeater. It pulled him close enough he grabbed the knife from its chest. He drove it into the big lizard's eye, then kicked the hilt until it was buried in the socket.

It let him go, and fell to the alloy floor, hissing its last breath. The Mandalorian coughed and labored to breathe as he ripped something from the beast's neck, a mythosaur pendent. "I... owed the... bastard one." He punched a key card into the console and summoned the turbo lift. "Oya." He took the heavy repeater and left to rejoin the battle.

"Whooa." Artemis gawked. "He killed that big thing with a little knife!"

Luka approved. "Kyr'amur kote." [A glorious kill] 

"Such valor..." Luna, standing next to Neil, informed him, "I double approve thy source of inspiration."

"So do I." If Neil didn't know better, the princess was enjoying herself.

As they rode the turbo lifts, the sounds of combat died down, but the alarms remained blaring. The blast doors at the top were maglocked tight.

"We've got a key." Neil reached for it.

"Verily." It took a little longer to burn these durasteel doors, but Luna's ray chewed through all the same. She hasn't used this much power in a very long time, not since the Crystalan Campaign in fact. She'll have to tell Neil that story later.

"I actually meant we have the key." Neil held up the key card from the dead Trandoshan below.

Luna blushed. "Oh."

"Keys are boring." Luka shot into the smoking hole.

Then, on the other side, the captain and his crew of scumbags fired their weapons back into the hole Luna made after recovering from the blast. They nearly shat themselves when the horned creature was blocking each of their shots with some energy barrier, especially the captain, since his disrupter is supposed to ignore shields.

"Ad'ike first." Luka gestured for Neil to go.

Neil quipped, "Why do you think I'm waiting?" 

"For your beskar to earn itself, apparently."

Neil scowled, then moved in with grinning Luka behind.

Every pirate and slaver next to the Rodian captain soon lied on the deck Kentucky fried by blaster fire. Only he remained. He panicked and dropped his disrupter. "M-Mando! I have code to ship. N-no kill, please? Take, yes?" He held out a holodisk by his shaking hand.

Neil slowly walked over, and took the codes. "Sure."

Luka leveled her blaster, hissing through her bared teeth, "Hut'uun." [Coward]

The captain freaked. "N-no kill! I gave code! We had deal, Mandalorian!"

"And I agreed to it." Neil scowled. "I also told you, toad face, I'm not a Mandalorian anymore; but, she is." He gestured to her with his head, a dark grin on his face. "I don't think she's into deals."

Luka blasted the Rodian into oblivion.

With the bridge fight over, Artemis's ears slumped. "I didn't get to help at all."

"It's okay, Kiddo." Neil reassured her. "Your time will come."

Luka located the comm system, then hit the button to talk. "Bridge to Maldus, come in. Over."

Moments later, a voice boomed over the static. "This is Maldus. The hanger is secure. We've taken four of six cell blocks. The kill teams to sweep the engine rooms are blocked from entering. Can you unlock the maintenance access ways from there? Over.

Neil found the console to override the emergency lock down. He did so, then reset the turret systems to target friendlies and protect hostiles. He also found, surprisingly, a host of Battle Legionnaire droids being held in reserve in the ship's depths. He gave them the same parameters, then nodded to Luka.

"They should be open, and there's a friendly BL droid contingent below. Over." She listened for a reply.

"Kill teams clear, droid assist confirmed. Cell block five secure. Will report again once the ship is cleansed. Over and out."

"Strap in, everyone." Neil sat at the helm, unlocked the systems with the holodisk, then the computer calculated the jump to hyperspace.

Luna took it upon herself to gather the bodies neatly out of the way. No sense tripping on them.

Luka took the second chair and did a systems check. "All green." A small red blinking light on the comm station lit up, indicating there was a holodisk with a record of recent transmissions inside. She pressed it.

A hologram of a Devaronian dressed in a full spiky battle suit appeared over the auto-map at the center of the bridge. It said:



There's been a change of plans. Those schutta senators and their Jedi pets are trying to stiff us in the last minute. All captains are to hold their slave stock and spoils to protect our investment. Finish rounding up any strays, then return to me before the Mandalorians regroup. Do not fail to report in, or delete this message. If anyone does, you better be dead when I find out.



Luka's face darkened, then clinched her tough hands resting on the console with fury. "First, the Republic glass our worlds like a neo-crusader purge, thousands of Mando'ade, the old, the unarmed, were put down like animals. Now, they pay raider scum to strip away what's left, sending the Jedi to ensure their cowardly hands stay clean." Luka slammed her fists on the console. "They have no honor, and will never stop until we are extinct." She ejected the holodisk and squeezed it. "Mand'alor must see this."

Neil stared out into the abyss of space from the bridge's viewing port. Is this what the Incubus wants? To take everything, to twist and rip away the world he built for himself within, like Nightmare did to Luna? It wants to use his own fantasy as a weapon to break him. It won't work.

Luna didn't fully understand what was going on, but she watched Neil's aura darken with a lingering anger. That she understood. It was something she felt a lot during her battles with Nightmare Moon. "Neil, may I ask what happened between this Republic and you Mandalorians? I am not familiar with the history of the play, Star Wars."

Luka cast a look back over her shoulder to Luna. "Only a true warrior could understand us, aruetii."

Luna stood straighter, "I shall have no trouble, then."

"Strong words." Luka raised an eye brow. Sure, this creature has impressive powers; but, without them, could she stand against even the lowliest of Mandalorians? "We shall see."

Neil gestured for Luna to come closer. "It's better if you see for yourself."

Luna did so. With a glowing horn, she touched his head to learn from his memories.

Luka wondered what Luna was doing.

Luna did her work, and released him. It was such a tragic tale, the history between Mandalore and the Republic. These Mandalorians worshiped war, and dedicated themselves to mastering its art as part of their identity. This was the cause of their destruction, and paradoxically, is their only means of salvation in this new age. She also saw where Neil had tweaked the canon regarding how Mandalore responded to the Republic's occupation of its territories after the Dral'Han. He called it his head-canon. Luna understood why he did this. Any race, fictional or not, would grow to hate another that believed itself righteous enough to cull them, simply on the potential of being a threat. There was no honor in what the Republic did. "Thou hast built for thyself a rather imaginative place in this world, good Neil."

"The Incubus wants to destroy it." He frowned bitterly.

Luna responded with conviction. "That won't happen."

"What did she do?" Luka asked.

"She read my mind, and now knows our history, and our enemies."

Luna added, "From one warrior to another, I humbly offer thee my respect." She bowed her head as only a warrior can.

It will be a while yet before Luka can return the gesture honestly; but, this Luna made a slight impression on her. She will not forget to return the bow someday. However, Luka had more pressing matters to think about: vengeance.

Neil saw Luka's grave look, then recalled a relevant passage of an ancient Mandalorian war chant. "Motir ca'tra nau tracinya. Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a." [Those who stand before us light the night sky in flame. Our vengeance burns brighter still.]

Coxed from her thoughts, Luka added the next verse. "Aruetyc talyc runi'la solus cet o'r. Motir ca'tra nau tracinya. Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a." [Every last traitorous soul shall kneel. Those who stand before us light the night sky in flame. Our vengeance burns brighter still. ]

Neil saw the computer finished calculating the hyperjump. "Aruetyc talyc runi'la trattok'o. Sa kyr'am nau tracyn kad, Vode an." [Every last traitorous soul shall fall. Forged like the saber in the fires of death, Brothers all.]

Luka remarked darkly, "That saber will cut deep."

"One war at a time, Vod." Neil read from the console the time to arrival. "Next stop, Mandalore. E.T.A, one hour." He shook his head. "This slow piece of junk."

"At least it's a moving piece of junk." Artemis added, seated in the back silently all this time.

Everyone agreed with that.