//------------------------------// // Secrets and Truths // Story: Psycho // by Bishibosh the Shaman //------------------------------// Psycho Chapter Ten Princess Luna opened her eyes, she found herself blinded by a glaring light, but as she raised a hoof to block her eyes she felt the resistance of the straps that bound her. She looked down to the floor and gasped. She was on the very same bed she saw the man on, and even worse her body had changed. Instead of her dark coat, she now had pale flesh. Instead of hoofs she had hands. Her chest exposed to the room around her. Further horror ensued when she noticed that is was not her body, but Krieg's. She had just seen his experiences from a third person view, but now she was living it. She heard what sounded like a vacuum of air as the wall opened in front of her. Was she in Krieg's nightmare again? What brought her back to this place? Through the door came a man, his voice pierced the silence of the room. "You bandit's are all the same, you know? Chasing poor defenseless girls, keeping her away from the people who really care about her. It's like you don't care that the world outside will kill her. Tisk tisk tisk..." "HELL CALLS TO YOU!" Luna heard come from her mouth. She could hear? Before it was black and white, silent. "Uh uh uhh, watch your mouth please. There are children here." The man flicked a switch, a scene from his dream she must have missed. A window on the wall opened showing a little girl, she sat in a chair strapped down. Large bots surrounded her. Luna felt the tear run down Krieg's face. The man spoke again. "Here I give you an option. Break free, I'll let you. Leave here and live free as a bandit, kill and murder all in your path!" No... you will not... I will kill you myself before I let you harm the innocent A voice resounded in Luna's mind. "All you have to do is leave her here. Go ahead big guy, it's a big world." The table spun and a big door opened behind them. Luna looked out at the land she saw. The dream world faded. All Luna heard was an echo of Krieg's past Where is she? Is she still alive? Did she get away? Luna awoke in her private chambers, barely aware of her heavy breathing. She heard his voice in her dreams, but it was her who was to go int his dreams. Was he really two people? Was that really his past? If so, they had much preparation to do. The four vault hunters, Axton, Maya, Salvador, and Zer0, were all gathering in front of Sanctuary after the defeat of Wilhelm. Gaige and Krieg were celebrating in the bar. Both not too eager to be dealing with the weird power cell Axton retrieved from the giant bot, they decided to relax from the fight. Just as Krieg lifted a drink to his mouth, both his and Gaiges Echo's went off. A familiar voice rang through it. "You know, I think it's Finally time to tell you that little secret. Angel's working for me..." Gaige stared at Krieg who was still drinking, unphased. "Lowering Sanctuaries Shield, Jack." The familiar voice rang in a dreaded tone. "Executing phase shift..." The street in front of them burst into dust as a mortar round exploded, taking the life of a woman staring at the destruction. Gaige was already rushing to the middle of town but stopped as she noticed Krieg staring at the spot were the woman once stood. "Come on dude, we gotta get to Roland!" Gaige insisted. Krieg grunted in response. Gaige watched the other four vault hunters rush to the center of town, but just as she stepped forward to run a mortar shell exploded in her face. She went flying back and smashed into a wall, then slowly peeled from her hole in the wall to the ground below her. Krieg ran to her immediately but was a moment too late. One moment he saw Gaige standing up, the next another mortar shell blasted her back to the ground. He rushed to her side, and watched her body lay motionless. The hyperion device that allowed them to escape death was busted, and at seeing the device smoking on her belt he felt something he couldn't remember feeling for a long time. A single tear squeezed from his eye, and even though it got caught in his face mask he was aware of it being there. He pulled out from one of his deep pockets the same device he wore and clasped in in his hands, then placed it in the hands of his dear friend. He knew not how the technology worked, but smiled when he saw her body disappear into light. She made it. In his head, the voice spoke. You don't deserve death. I deserve death. Krieg looked up in the sky as his vision was clouded. He watched as his hands began to disappear before his own eyes, and everything was a swirl from that... but somehow he felt... warm... Krieg sat in his room, his new friends surrounding him, Rainbow was laying on his curled legs snoring. Fluttershy was curled up in her bed, along with Rarity, Applejack, and Twilight. Pinkie was stretched out out on the floor in the most awkward position. He glanced out the balcony of their room to see a glimmer. He rolled Rainbow off his lap and stood up, walking to the balcony. The white alicorn was out in the night sky. As though she caught Krieg's sight, she lifted into the air and floated down to him. He backed up to find the door's shut behind him. Krieg suddenly felt concerned. Celestia landed on the balcony in front of him. "Shouldn't you be resting princes?" Krieg asked warily. "I would be yes, but something has come to my attention, it involves you." The alicorn stated. "And what would it be that involves... me..." Krieg rhymed unintentionally. "My sister's dreams, surely you know of them. She finds herself visiting your's regularly." "I'm flattered." "She claims she has seen your journey that led you here." "My journey? I fell from a cloud if that's what you mean." "No, she claims she has relived your life on Pandora. She has seen it all through your eyes." "They must be glimpses of reality escaping into my mind. Don't worry abo..." "You still believe this to be in your head?" Celestia inturupted. "What else would it be, this place is peaceful and left untouched by war. I can be myself and find peace without condemnation. I'm sorry to say it but I cannot believe this is actually real!" Krieg was lying through his teeth. He didn't realize how emotional he got but he truely wanted to believe this place was real. "And what of your friends, are they real?" "I..." Krieg couldn't answer. "Your world is still out there, how you managed to get here is beyond even me but the fact remains that both Pandora and Equestria exist." Krieg was speechless, he wanted to believe Celestia. He wanted to think of this world as real, but she didn't know how much he had suffered or how much he had lost. He felt a warmth in his discomfort. "I am sorry, but you must see that this land is indeed a reality. Which is why we need you Krieg. I need to show you something." Krieg looked up at the alicorn and blinked. She had teleported them into a system of caves. "When I first saw you, I thought it was coincidence. But after hearing what my sister has told me of your dreams, now I am certain." Celestia lit the room with her magic, and there the two of them stood for a moment in silence. As the light illuminated the room, Krieg was in wonder. The room was full of ancient ruins, very familiar ruins. What startled him was the emblems he found on most of the ruins. An upside down V. "I noticed this emblem on your mask, and again. Thought it was merely coincidence, but the more I heard about you, the more I heard about Pandora, and the more I heard about your friends on Pandora... these Vault Hunters... The more certain I am that Handsome Jack will make a move here. It only makes sense." "So you think... this is a vault..." "What else could it be? You have enough evidence in your dreams to prove to me that this is indeed a vault. I have kept it secret for so long fearing what could be behind those doors. I can definitely tell it is powerful." "You really don't know the half of it...