A Vivid Dreamer – Ch15
NM: Things that go bump
Luna and Daisy were both panting heavily, they had over exerted themselves. Luna slumped against the stove, tables and kitchen sink that they had managed to pile in front of the door. Their attempts to blockade the ponikins proved fruitful when the scraping could no longer be heard on the far side of the door. Daisy climbed the pile to look out the window; Luna was suddenly brought to attention by her scream as Daisy fell off the blockade onto her back.
“t-their still out there.” Daisy said as she pointed a hoof towards the porthole. As Luna followed the pointed appendage, she found herself staggering backwards. There in the window was a blood stained and featureless head looking in. “We believe it to be in our best interest to vacate the premises.”
“r-right behind you.” Daisy said as she worked herself back onto her hooves. They worked their way through the kitchen, Luna making several observations. She noticed that there was no longer any of the rusty construction, instead she found herself wondering a water damaged and run down kitchen. The only things rusty were the kitchenware; knives, pots, pans and even the ovens. It wasn’t until Luna noticed the smell of blood that she realised that the kitchen counters held the occasional hunk of rotting flesh.
The sinks were filled with a red-brown sludge, with several unidentifiable chunks floating about. Upon the counters where there were cutting boards lay large hunks of unknown flesh, some still with bone jutting out at odd angles. As Luna surveyed the kitchen Daisy commented, “I think I’m going to be--” Daisy quickly turned her head to the side, shoving it between two shelves; a small splattering could be heard as the Pegasus voided her stomach before looking back as Luna, “sick.”
“While We agree that sight is disturbing, We believe it best we do not dwell of whom this meat once belonged to or whom it is for.” While the thought itself brought a great sense of unease to her, Luna couldn’t help but smile at Daisy’s disgust. Daisy had returned to her spot between the shelves; dry heaving.
“Please Princess, focus we still have to find a way out of here.” Luna let her smile drop as she nodded in agreement. It was then they heard a heavy shuffling, when both ponies realised that neither of them were moving they turned around to face a hideous four legged and bloated monster.
The creature was massive, nearly tall enough to come up to Luna’s chin resulting in it towering over daisy. Its faded grey fur bulged and warped from growths under its pelt. As it slowly shuffled its way across the kitchen several of the growths on its legs began to writhe. Looking upon its face Luna saw that while it had no eyes, it did have a blood stained mouth filled with jagged and broken teeth. As the thing reached a counter it leaned over and began drawing a fetid, browning hunk of flesh into its mouth. As Luna watched in disgust she realised that this thing was blocking the rear exit of the kitchen. It was then daisy spoke up, “I’m sorry princess… ugh. But I am not going anywhere near that thing.” Covering her mouth with a hoof Daisy heaved again, “Besides you’re the one with the one with the horn.”
Luna picked up on the cue and nodded as she began charging a spell. Lowering her head, Luna aimed her horn at the monster before letting loose a silver lance. The lance crossed the kitchen to strike the creature center mass, piercing it and scorching the wall behind it. As the thing fell it let out a shrill cry before landing in a twitching heap on the floor, black ooze bubbling out the new holes Luna had given it. As the smell from the ooze began to fill the kitchen with its presence; a rancid and fetid smell so thick Luna could feel it on her fur, Daisy once again heaved but only managed to bring up bile. Luna could no longer hold it herself, so bowing her head she finally allowed her stomach to void itself onto the floor.
With the air within the kitchen becoming unbearable, Luna spread her wings and began to take flight with Daisy following suit. The glided near the ceiling of the kitchen neither of them looking down, not willing to see the rotten meat and bloodied workspaces. But least of all the massive bulging mass of flesh that twitched and writhed spewing forth the black ooze that filled the kitchen with the horrid smell. As Luna landed near the door she reared up, and bucked the door with her fore hooves, the doors swung open as Luna charged out into the fresh air to find herself in an alleyway.
Luna slowed to a trot, then to a walk and finally stopped. She took a moment to draw in fresh air when Daisy came sliding to a halt next to Luna. Gasping for air with an extremely confused look on her face she turned to Luna, “But, how… what?” Luna watched as the mare spun in circles taking in their surroundings; the door they had exited lead out the back of a small restaurant, not the castle kitchens they occupied moments ago. “But we should be in the gardens.” Looking over the restaurant Daisy couldn’t make out any building higher than three stories, “where is the castle? We were wondering its halls not even five minutes ago.”
Luna took pity on the poor mare’s state, everything felt too real to not be a dream but at the same time nothing made enough sense for it not to be. “Daisy please calm down, remember that we are within a nightmare. And more specifically on that is not your own, if we wish to end this soon we must find Ryan and wake him.”
Daisy took a few calming breaths, helped by the fact they were not choking on the smells from the kitchen before straightening herself out. “Right, which way now your highness?”
With that said, Luna’s horn began to glow. Picking a direction the two set off down the alleyway.
***
Daisy followed Luna, guided by her magic, around a small town they found themselves in. A town that Luna did not recognise; the buildings were too square to be from any of the smaller settlements; they followed the designs used in the cities like Manehatten and Fillydelphia. But again it didn’t fit as the buildings were too small. Luna had trouble following her trail through the town as there was a fog so thick that she could barely see more than two meters before her. And they would occasionally stumble across massive crevices that would cause roads to end suddenly. This posed no trouble however as whenever it came to such an obstacle they would just spread their wings and fly across.
Luna looked to her side to see Daisy walking as close to her as possible without touching. She was eyeing each and every shadow looking for potential threats. But Luna knew what was concerning the mare; as it was creeping on her as well. The silence, the stillness and the emptiness the town was exuding was oppressing. Ponies are not solitary creatures; always near others and trying to make friends. To be in a place that was not only empty but the air itself seems to be isolating must have been driving the mare insane. Daisy caught Luna looking down at her, “How much further?” her voice was flat, almost cold.
Looking back up Luna checked for the trail once again, “We believe that he has entered this building.” Daisy looked up to see that they now stood before a massive theater, the walls showing signs of neglect and the sign itself falling apart. The two pushed their way through the dilapidated entrance to find themselves in the worn out entrance hall. The carpet was riddled the holes, paintings hung lop sided; corners curled on most. A dark and ominous presence could be felt but not pinpointed. Luna checked her magic once again, “we are close, come let us find a way upstairs.”
The stairs creaked as they made their way to the second floor of the theater. The wallpaper peeling in many places and some of the floor boards missing allowing for a view to the floor below. Luna approached one of the doors and opened it, stepping through she found herself on the second story viewing platform of the large theater. Many of the seats had either rotted away or were completely broken, but to her surprise few remained whole.
Luna walked down the aisle with Daisy trailing behind, she was surprised to find that the trail was getting stronger. As she neared the edge of the balcony a small golden glint caught her eye, even stranger yet was that the trail led her towards it. When she got close enough to it she levitated it out of the rubble it had fallen into. It was a bit, or more specifically a defaced bit; for within the center of it laid a purple amethyst. When Daisy saw the ruined currency she spoke up, “What is that?”
Using her magic Luna caused it to spin before letting it drift upwards, then letting it drop she caught it in her hoof. The gem setting now held a stone of bright amber, Luna was uncertain as to how it had happened as she could not sense any magic from it. She spun and flipped the coin three more times, each time the setting held another colour of gem. “We do not know, but We have seen Ryan with such an item both on his person and within his dreams. If it is here then we must be getting close.”
Just as Luna placed the bit behind her neck piece a siren began blaring. The noise itself came from nowhere and everywhere at the same time, both her ears and Daisy’s swivelling madly trying to pinpoint its origins. Luna looked to Daisy as her head spun looking for danger while a frightened look creased her face. Luna was about to offer the mare her comfort when her own ears caught a new sound, it sounded like tearing parchment and fluttering. When Luna looked towards the sound behind her, her eyes went wide. A shrill gasp sounded when Daisy spotted the same thing.
The back wall of the theater began to fall to pieces as the sirens blared. The wall paper, wood and doors began falling apart; but as the pieces tore themselves off they floated upwards revealing the metal rusted appearance Luna first witnessed when she arrived. As the degradation worked its way towards them it revealed more and more of the rusted land scape. When it passed over the seats it revealed wooden benches, each armrest sporting a heavily rusted metal restraint. Both Luna and Daisy stepped back; attempting to stay ahead of the wave, until they backed into the balcony’s railing.
As the wave passed over them they both launched forward, the railing they were leaning against had become a low wall of barbed wire. They could only watch as the wave passed over the theatre, turning it to a rusted and mocking imitation of what it should have been. As the wave passed the stage Daisy pointed a hoof and said, “What is that?”
Luna looked over the stage witnessing its transformation. The curtains almost looked as if on fire, the bottoms began to shred as the pieces floated upwards, revealing a metal grated stage. But what Daisy was pointing at was not the stage itself; it was what the stage was presenting. There on the stage in the center was a pony-form, similar to the one she encountered when she met Daisy. But this one was chained down to the stage over a massive metal block. It seemed very familiar; it was faded brown in colour without any discernible features and a slight greying colour running down its neck. Before Luna could bring herself to question why the dough-like monster reminded her of somepony she heard heavy chains being dragged along metal grating.
The trapped dough pony started to become restless; testing its restraints pulling at its chains in a dire attempt to free itself. But neither Daisy nor Luna noticed, there attention held by something thing that had made itself know. Walking onto the stage was a tall alicorn, while it walked onto the stage it dragged along with it heavy chains linked to massive manacles on each leg. Its fur was a bleached and sour white with faded brown-red stains around each hoof, its horn, wings, and along each cheek. Its multi-hued mane and tail hung limp from its neck and haunches as they dragged along the floor. Its wings were tattered shreds and its horn had a crooked spiral to it that led to a jagged point, but what concerned Luna most was mark on its flank; a sun stained as red as blood.
“i-i-isnt that Celestia?” Daisy stuttered as she pointed to the parody of the solar princess.
“No, that is but a projection of the dreamers fears. It is not my real sister.” Luna said with a frown; she was afraid of the implications this could have.
“But how? How could anypony see her as such a thing, she is the most benevolent ruler Equestia has ever seen since its inception”
“How indeed.” Luna muttered to herself as she considered her sisters strange behavior as of late. She was drawn from her thoughts as noticed the alicorn was standing over the chained pony-thing’s form while it still struggled in its attempts to free itself. The alicorn reared up on its hind legs, chains and manacles dangling from its for legs. Luna called out instinctually when the chained pony’s muzzle broke through the material that gave it its dough like appearance revealing a tan coloured muzzle gasping for breath, “SISTER—“
Luna was shocked into silence as the alicorn looked straight up at her, but without having eyes. The alicorn had bandages wrapped around it head covering all but its mouth; red stains flowing downwards where each eye should have been onto each cheek. The alicorn didn’t break its stare as it brought its hoofs down on the trapped pony with a resounding crunch. Blood, bones and pink matter spewed from the pony’s mouth as the alicorn began to slide the pony across the metal block until each leg pulled free from the torso with a tear and a pop. The alicorn threw the remains off to the side, legs still chained to the floor but now without a body, all the while looking straight at Luna. When the alicorn started walking towards her, it wasn’t until it was halfway up the aisle that Luna realised she was being shaken by Daisy, “Princess I think we should go, it’s coming for us.”
“Right, right…” looking around she spotted the door they had entered in, “Come let us go.” She said as she charged for the door, and used her magic to pull it open. Luna skidded to a halt as she soon realised that beyond the door was a black pit leading down to an unknown depth. She didn’t even get a chance to consider its sudden appearance when she was bowled over from behind by a hasty Pegasus.
The fall was just long enough to give Luna time to straighten herself out and halt her descent. She hovered there for a moment before Daisy fluttered in beside her, a sheepish smile on her face, all she said was “Sorry your highness.”
“No injury befell Us, so all is forgiven.” Luna replied, but Daisy’s smile remained apologetic. Luna took in their new surroundings, the pit fall had deposited them within another rusted out corridor but she could not tell from where it belonged. Using her magic once again searched for Ryan, and was quite surprised to find that he was close. Heading down the corridor she turned to Daisy, “we are close.”
Luna and Daisy walked down the rusted corridor, nothing worth note other than the occasional rusty pipe that dripped fetid water. That was until they approached a large set of double doors, a series of loud thumps could be heard from the other side. A muted voice suddenly spoke up from behind the door, “I think it’s dead, you can stop now.”
“Marigold!” Daisy’s ears pointing straight forward at the sound, her body straightened as she charged straight for the door. Luna had to use her wings to catch up.
Luna rushed through the door in an attempt to stop Daisy from hurting herself or running into danger, when she found herself within a large green house. The walls still rusty and the glass of the dome so foggy it was opaque or shattered in places revealing a blood red sky, and then there were numerous dead trees. But in the center of the room held an interesting sight of Marigold, a yellow Pegasus with a blonde mane, holding back Daisy. Ryan stood there surrounded by the corpses of at least three pony things, holding a bloodied pipe in hand.
“Mari what are you doing, that thing is going to hurt you.” Daisy shouted as she tried to push her way past her friend. Ryan looked at the two ponies rather dejected.
“Hurt me? Daisy he saved me, we’ve been looking for a way home.” Pointing a hoof behind her Marigold continued. “ever since I woke up here, he has been helping me get back to Canterlot, and his name is Ryan.”
Daisy looked over her friends shoulder to the human as he gave a sad smile and a wave, “That’s Ryan?” Daisy let out a relieved sigh before she continued, “Mari you never left Canterlot, we are all asleep and everything we have experienced has been a nightmare. His nightmare.” Marigold’s face was the picture of shock before in morphed to one of confusion. Before anyone could continue Ryan spotted Luna and his expression weaved into that of a scowl, walking up to Luna he raised his pipe at her.
“You! What is my mind to you? Some sort of tourist attraction? ‘come one come all to see the human of myth? Or have you brought more ponies into my mind so they would hate me?” Luna took a step back inorder to distance herself from the blood covered weapon.
“No, We have done no such thing. We came here to end the torment of this nightmare as well as free the four ponies you have drawn in with you.” Ryan lowered the pipe a fraction as he raised one of his eyebrows.
“Torment? What torment, I am free to do as I please here. It is when I wake up I’ll be tormented, still be behind bars being punished because you and your sister decided to barge into my mind and didn’t like what you saw.” The anger in his voice washed over Luna, Ryan raised the pipe at Luna once again. “What gives you the right to enter another’s mind to do as you please?”
Luna could not fully understand why he was so angry, but she would not be threatened. Standing tall over Ryan her eyes began to glow bright white, “We are the Princess of the night, it is Our duty to not only safe guard our subjects but their dreams as well. We came to you cell ease the burden of false imprisonment, but what we saw was that you have threatened four ponies under Our protection with this nightmare that you have trapped them in.” Luna finished by stomping a hoof, eliciting a crunch as small silver cracks radiated from the impact.
Ryan immediately dropped his pipe in order to clutch the sides of his head with a loud grunt as he staggered backwards. Seeing Ryan hurt Marigold flew in between him and Luna, “Princess stop, while I’m relieved to know that this is a nightmare and my life was never in danger. Ryan here stood guard over me as if it were.” This calmed Luna as her eyes dimmed allowing her irises to return, she looked down at the floor beneath her hoof and cringed. While the silver cracks were still present they slowly began to recede. She looked back up at Marigold whose face was screwed in concentration, “wait, princess if this is Ryan’s nightmare and he now knows his dreaming. Why hasn’t he woken up yet?” Daisy nodded in agreement.
Ryan straightened himself out and shook his head, turning to face Luna he frowned, “you have no idea how much that hurts.” He bent down to pick up the pipe once again, “I’m not sure how ponies dream, but when I’m having a bad dream it ends when I face the big bad or I wake up normally—“
“You will not.” Ryan looked to Luna confused, but before anypony could question she continued, “The reason We are here Ryan, is because your body is radiating potent sleep magic. We do not know how, but it is keeping you asleep as well as causing those around you to slumber as well. Those that fell asleep by your magic were pulled into this dream and cannot be awakened until you have been awakened. It is this nightmare that is keeping both you and those ponies you are connected to asleep.”
Ryan slumped as he looked over the two pegasi before turning to Luna, “Please Luna, take it for what it’s worth but I never intended for this to happen or to harm your subjects...” he then looked up at the sky as if searching for something. Luna followed his gaze skyward, just in time to witness the red sky turning a more natural grey. “now… you said there were to other ponies in here with us?”
Luna nodded, “Yes but we split our search to find you, and when the dream shifted we found ourselves in unfamiliar places. We should set out—“
“No need, they are right there.” Ryan pointed the pipe to a set of double door in the corner of the greenhouse. As Luna watched, the door suddenly burst open allowing two unicorn stallions to charge through. As soon as they were in they slammed the door shut and braced it with their shoulders.
“Do you think this door would hold them?” One stallion said to the other, who just nodded in response.
“What door?” Daisy giggled as she watched the frantic panic of the two stallions. The two looked over to Daisy before going back to the door, then doing a double take. The stallions were firmly braced against a brick wall. The two quickly recomposed themselves when they realised that they were in the presence of not only the two other guards, but Princess Luna and who they assumed was Ryan.
“Well then, now that everyone is here I think it’s time to wake up don’t you?” Ryan said as he swung the pipe over his shoulder.
“Right, and just how would we achieve that?” Mint asked, “If I’m not mistaken you should have awoken when you realised you were asleep.”
Ryan turned to the questioning pony, “yes well there have been complications, seeing as I can’t wake myself…” he turned to glare at Luna, “and I do not wish to be awakened by the same manner as your sister seemed fit.” Luna cringed as she recalled the event in question, “I guess I’ll have to face to the reason I’m having this nightmare.”
“It is the reason We not only entered your dream, but why We enter the dreams of those under our protection. We will help you in this matter.” Luna watched as Ryan opened his mouth to say something, but the words died on his lips as a loud crack was heard. Everyone turned to the door the noise came from, it was the same door that Luna and Daisy entered the greenhouse with.
“She’s here” Ryan chimed as the door burst open with another crack. The doors crashed to the floor as the hinges splintered the door frame. Luna charged her horn, ready to face this assailant when the target would present itself. As the dust cloud settled however, everypony but Ryan froze.
There in the doorway stood the projection of her sister, jagged horn, shredded wings, bandaged face and chained legs. It looked too much like her sister for her to act against it, and it seemed that the other ponies in her company had the same problem. Ryan did not however share the same hesitation, and to Luna’s shock was already on the creature. The ponies could only watch as Ryan brought the pipe down on the alicorn’s face and again on the upswing. It was on the third swing however that the pipe was encased in a sickly yellow glow, one that was matched by the glow of the alicorn’s horn. Luna couldn’t see his face but she heard the grunt of surprise that came from Ryan as the pipe was launched out of his hand. The ponies present watched the pipe sail across the green house as it impaled a tree husk with a wet crunch, followed by a garbled gag.
The noises however did not come from the tree, they had come from Ryan. Luna looked at the slumped form of the human, held up by the ivory spear that protruded from his back. It was stained red as blood drained around the spirals of the horn. The alicorn brought her head up allowing his body to hang in the air, Ryan gagged in his uplifted position spewing forth a red froth from his mouth that ran down the alicorns back. Luna couldn’t do anything as a smile crept along the alicorn’s face.
Luna’s body didn’t respond to her commands, her senses dulled as colour washed from her vision, and then time stood still. Everything began to crumble to dust leaving behind a vast, empty white void. The other ponies that stood beside her were now gone as everything continued to crumble away. Everything Luna could see turned to dust until all that was left in the vast white was the alicorn with Ryan skewered on her horn. Luna could only watch the image before her in horror as her vision began to fade. With nothing to see but black, Luna tried again and again to open her eyes.
When she finally managed to get her eyes open, what she saw was the underside of her canopy to her bed. Luna could hear the telltale sound of quill on parchment, looking around she found the source of the sound to be her sister working at her table. Upon hearing her movement the writing stopped, Celestia look to the bed her expression as mix of relief and concern. “Luna you are alright, I was so worried you have been asleep for some time.”
Luna blocked out most of what her sister was trying to tell her, she had one thought on her mind “Where is Ryan!?”
Celestia was shocked by the outburst but still remained collected, “You mean Lodestone? He is in the infirmary recovering. Why?”