//------------------------------// // Chapter V // Story: Papa Gehrman // by SolidArc5542 //------------------------------// When her sister’s Solar guards had informed her; her sister wanted to have a word with her, Princess Luna happily obliged. Ever since her return from the moon, she has been opening up more and more to her sister. The Nightmare Night she and Twilight had spent together was the prime example. She didn’t have to be afraid anymore. All those thoughts disappeared, however, when she felt the tip of a blade being pointed at her neck. What had she done to anger this creature? Were her introductions a bit rude? Did she have something on her face? “G-greetings, visitor from the stars,” Luna said, looking at Gehrman. “How art thou doing, this lovely evening?” Gehrman said nothing. He kept on glaring at her, his rage never leaving his eyes. Whatever was going on. Wherever he was. It seemed that the moon—but most likely one of its spawns—had followed him. Was the moon that keen on keeping him in that accursed Hunter’s Dream? Had he not suffered enough? “S-sister, not to be rude or anything, but could thou please ask your guest to sheath his blade?” Luna asked, turning her head sideways and looking directly at her sister. “Gehrman, what is the meaning of this?” Celestia asked. Both angered and shocked about the fact that someone she deemed friendly, would commit such an act. “I will not have you fall victim to this spawn of the moon,” Gehrman replied, tightening his grip around the hilt of his Burial Blade, never breaking eye contact with Luna. “State your business, this instant. Lest you return to your originator.” “Princess Luna is my sister,” Celestia interrupted, glaring sternly at Gehrman. “She is not a ‘spawn of the moon’. She raises and lowers the moon. She controls it!” “S-she controls it?” Gehrman asked. Slowly lowering his blade, Gehrman stumbled backwards. “I-I do not understand. The Old Ones, they ascended themselves into a higher existence. The moon, the hunt, the dream. I-I…” Gehrman trailed of, looking at Luna. “Are you… an Old One?” Luna rubbed her neck, shaking her head while doing so. “No, we are not. And second,” she said, turning to her sister. “Art thou out of thine mind, sister?! Why wouldst thou let a dangerous creature like him, enter our royal castle?!” “Because he seemed like a reasonable and kind man,” Celestia sighed, taking a glance at Gehrman. “It seems like his looks deceived me.” Gehrman looked down at his hands, lost in his thoughts. He did not understand where he was. Was he freed from the dream? Why was there a ‘Princess of the Moon’? And if he was indeed freed, was this the afterlife? He was old, very old. Long ago, when he vowed to watch over the dream, he was granted a purpose. But that meant he could never return to the waking world. Laurence, Master Willem, they all made their own choices. The only difference was that the two of them, got to see the sun rise above Yharnam. While Gehrman could only watch as the morning dew covered his clothes, and the flowers in the Hunter’s Dream. So what happened to him? Why did he end up in this strange, unfamiliar world? Talking equines did not seem like the work of the Old Blood. They were no beasts. If they were, the smell would have given them away. “I am free,” Gehrman whispered to himself, realization finally hitting him. The reason he felt so awake, was because he was awake. The reason he could walk without the help of his moon, was because his moon was not here. And the reason he did not notice or smell any signs of the Old Blood, was because there was no Old Blood to begin with. He… was free. “Gehrman, I am sorry; but you will be taken into custody until further notice,” Celestia said, glaring at him as she slowly walked towards him. “Hand over your weapons.” “Your majesty,” Gehrman said, looking at Celestia. “Please forgive my sudden act of hostility. Your sister’s title just reminded me of something.” “Of what?” “Something bad. Something… greater,” Gehrman replied. Bowing his head, Gehrman mentally scowled himself. He was a hunter of beasts, but these were no beasts to begin with. “Execute me, if you must. But please, let me enjoy what little time I have left in this waking world.” “Your words are like riddles, Gehrman,” Celestia glared at him. “I am going to ask you this one more time. How did you arrive in Equestria? And I will not take ‘I do not remember’ for an answer.” “I remember walking over a graveled path. Gravestones of fallen hunters as far as the eye could see. Then, there was a blinding light. It soothed me and it made me feel at peace. The next thing I know, I woke up in Mr. Quill’s bookstore,” Gehrman replied, sheathing his Burial Blade and bowing his head in shame. “That is all I want to remember. I want to forget about my past, about the dream, about the blood.” “You have been talking about this ‘Old Blood’ for quite some time, now,” Twilight commented, looking up at Gehrman with a curious expression. “What is it? And why do you keep mentioning it, whenever we ask you about how you arrived here?” “It all started with blood. The Old Blood was found in the old labyrinths underneath Yharnam. When it was discovered, people saw it as a cure. And it was. The Old Blood cured any disease, whether it be a plague, or a simple cold, it cured everything. Word quickly spread, and people from all over the world came to visit Yharnam, only to get a simple sample of the Old Blood. Blood of the Gods, they called it,” Gehrman replied, his eyes filled with regret and sadness. “What happened next?” Twilight asked, curiosity filling her eyes. “A plague,” Gehrman replied, looking down at her. “A plague beasts that spread widely across Yharnam. The Old Blood was seen as a cure for this plague, and for a long time it was. Until the plague of beats could not be haltered any longer. Many sick travelers, infected with this plague came to visit Yharnam, because it was famous for its blood ministration. Many hunters have come and gone, all of them refused my offer. So I had to forcefully free them from the dream.” Celestia sighed, rubbing her forehead as she looked between her sister, Twilight, and Gehrman. “I think we’ve heard enough,” she said, turning to Luna. “It’s up to you, sister. Does Gehrman deserve a second chance?” Luna immediately nodded her head. “Yes he does. We have learned a lot from young Twilight Sparkle. I think she would agree with our decision to let our visitor from the stars, be given a second chance.” Twilight nodded her head in agreement. “Whatever Gehrman is talking about, it seems like it really did a number on him. I think he’s just happy. Happy that he far, far away from the plague of beasts,” she said, looking at Gehrman. “Right?” she asked. “You have no idea,” Gehrman replied, looking down at his peg leg. “The hunt cost me my foot, the beasts the ones I held dear.” “It’s settled then,” Celestia said, looking at the two bat pony guards that had entered the throne room. “Take him to the guest quarters and--.” “Actually,” Luna interrupted. “Since he is our guest, we think he should be given a royal treatment. He is not from our world, remember?” “He almost slit your throat, remember?” Celestia retorted. Luna shook her head in a dismissive way. “All is forgiven. Besides,” she said, smirking at Gehrman. “He would have probably been too slow to even lay a hoof on us.” Celestia could only shake her head as she motioned for the two guards to leave the throne room. Looking back at Gehrman, she spoke up. “Gehrman, I will be heading to my chambers. Twilight, you should get some sleep, too. And Luna,” she said, taking a quick glance at her sister. “Be careful.” “No worries, dear sister,” Luna replied, nudging Gehrman. “I assure you that Gehrman and I will not ‘slit each other’s throats’.” Nodding her head, Celestia teleported herself to her chambers. Twilight excused herself and left the throne room, heading to her chambers as well. This left Gehrman and Luna standing inside the throne room. An awkward silence following soon after. “So,” Luna broke the silence. “Art thou tired?” “No,” Gehrman replied. “Ah, cool, cool…” Luna trailed off. “Are you?” Gehrman asked. “Nay,” Luna replied. “…” “…” Gehrman let out a long sigh. Was he actually getting bored? He wasn’t even in the dream anymore, so why was he getting bored? “What do you usually do, on a night like this?” Gehrman asked. “We usually watch over our subject’s dreams, making sure they are pleasant,” Luna replied, raising an eyebrow at him. “What does thou usually do, on a night like this?” “For a very long time I watched over a dream, too. Making sure whoever entered it, had a pleasant stay. Before returning to the waking world, returning to the hunt.” “So… thou art like us?” Luna asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice. “In a way, yes,” Gehrman replied. “We art guessing thine dream differs from the dreams we watch over?” Luna asked. “In all honesty, your majesty,” Gehrman replied, looking her directly in her eyes. “It was more like a nightmare, than a dream. Constantly being forced by the moon, to watch over that accursed Hunter’s Dream. Having to watch as hunters who sign that accursed contract and enter the dream, get to leave and wake up in the waking world,” Looking down at the concrete floor of the throne room, Gehrman felt a sudden wave regret washing over him. “And now, the hunter who achieved the impossible, has to take my place. I should not have lost. He should not suffer the consequences of my mistake.” Luna’s expression turned into one of compassion as she saw sadness filling Gehrman’s eyes. In a way, he reminded her of herself. Or, her former self to be precise. She too felt regret of committing such acts of betrayal in the past. Her jealousy taking the best of her. But Gehrman seemed to be blaming himself for everything. What exactly happened to him, that caused him to have such a negative view of himself? Why did he hate dreaming so much? Dreams weren’t a bad thing. No, on the contrary. Dreams were good. They were pleasant and they allowed you to experience things you could not do in the real world. She just needed to show that to him. Deciding not to waste any more time, Luna closed her eyes and prepared to cast a spell. A spell to enter the realm of dreams, to be precise. Little did she know, that Gehrman has had enough of dreams.