The Unity Pact

by Truthseeker

Chapter 20.5: Dreams

Ashley Harvey's sleep was troubled, as it had been for nearly two months. Every time she slept, she dreamt the same two things. Her mind flashed back to the night of the massacre. The blinding lights and the blast of sound that deafened her temporarily. She rolled around on the ground with her eyes clenched shut and her ears covered. Her spear was lying on the ground next to her, within easy reach. She rolled over onto it, cutting her arm on the blade. The shock of the pain made her open her eyes. The world had gone mad. People ran around all over the place in confusion while lightning bolts streaked out of the darkness all around. Ashley watched in slow motion as her sister, Auriana, just beginning to show her pregnancy, was struck from behind with a shaft of lightning. Auriana's strawberry hair framed her terrified face as a full foot of her chest cavity exploded outward in a shower of bone and blood.

Auriana fell over onto her face and moved no more. Ashley could feel the tears running down her face. She had seen it so many times before. She crawled on her hands and knees over to Auriana's body. She turned her sister over and gazed in horror at the empty cavity where her breasts had been before. She could smell the charred flesh, the stench of the burnt fat from her breast tissue wafted into her nose. Ashley covered her mouth with her hands as a scream ripped itself from her throat. She wrapped her arms around Auriana's still twitching body and held her close. She cried with such force and such depth that no sound came out. Her sorrow was beyond natural Human capacity. Her mind and body were in complete shock. Without thinking, Ashley put her hand on Auriana's slightly swollen stomach. Where there had been life developing before, now there was an empty void. The life was gone, cruelly snuffed out before it had any chance. Ashley rocked back and forth even as the lightning bolts continued flying. People died all around her as she knelt in place holding her sister's lifeless body.

Unbeknownst to Ashley, two others bore witness to her agony. Princess Luna was deep in a trance on her air carriage, projecting herself into two minds. She stood silently, passively, almost completely still as she watched Ashley's memories play out before her. She was a stone, unaffected by what she saw. Beacon, on the other hand watched in silent horror at the pain his actions had wrought. His hooves slipped out from under him in his shock and he slid down onto his stomach, silent tears glistening in his eyes.

He watched, unable to turn away,
"I did this." he whispered.

He blinked and the first tears spilled from his eyes,
"It could very well have been my lightning that killed her."

"Them." Luna corrected, "The dead Human female was pregnant."

Beacon coughed but his cough became a hoarse sob,
"Stop it." he pleaded quietly, "Please stop." he could barely see through his tears.

The scene continued playing through his blurred vision. Innocent Humans were cut down in front of his eyes. They died by the dozen, all in horrible ways.

"You will not look away." Luna said firmly, "You will bear witness the atrocity in which you played a part. Let it be burned into your heart and know the face of vengeance for it is a hideous thing. It is a thing which disregards the sanctity of life and causes pain and misery in every one of its forms."

Beacon's eyes cleared up immediately, thanks to Luna's power over dreams. The clarity of the carnage before him was perfect and terrible to behold. Every second of it was indelible, it stained his memory like a red hot branding iron. He tried to close his eyes, tried to deny the truth of the reality. His eyes wouldn't close. He tried to bring up his hooves to cover his eyes but his limbs were frozen in place. Luna's control over him in the dream was absolute. His eyes were perpetually dry, yet he wanted to cry so badly. He wanted relief from the sight. He wanted something, anything to take his mind off the scene in front of him. He struggled against Luna's hold on him but it was useless, the lunar Princess' rule was absolute in the dream world.

Beacon couldn't stand to see any more. He opened his mouth to plead for mercy but no sound came out. He tried to yell. Nothing. He tried to scream. Nothing. He tried to cry. Nothing. His mind was in utter turmoil, it was torture, there was no other word for it. Beacon finally gave in, his will disintegrated and he just watched. His mind cried out for release but he forced himself to watch. It was right for him to watch the horrors he had wrought with his pride, 'It's unforgivable.' he thought, 'It's really unforgivable. How could I have ever been a part of this?' he wanted nothing more than to go back in time and fight the Unicorns he had called 'brothers'. He wanted to stop them. He wanted to tell them what they were doing was wrong on a level they had never imagined. He wanted them to see, to understand the madness of their attack, 'What have I done?' he asked himself sorrowfully, 'What have I done? How could I have been so heartless? How could I have been so cruel? How could I have ever done this? How?'

In that moment his sorrow knew no bounds, 'Never again.' he thought, 'Never again! Not this! Not to anypony else! Never! This should never have happened! Never! NEVER!' his spirit howled, rife with emotion.

The scene froze suddenly, everything except Ashley, Beacon, and Luna. Ashley realized her dream had been literally paused and looked down at the frozen image of her sister. She had very little experience with lucid dreaming. She looked around at the lightning bolts frozen in flight, at the panicked people halted in their tracks. Princess Luna stepped forth from the darkness, startling Ashley. The moon Princess approached the grief stricken young woman with all the composure that she could muster. The scene was one of the most tragic she had ever witnessed. She stopped in front of Ashley and knelt down, laying on the ground.

Ashley gazed at the intruder with tear stained eyes,
"Who," she sniffed, "Who are you?"

In the dream world Princess Luna had power beyond power, language was no barrier in her own realm,
"My name is Luna." she said quietly, "I am Celestia's sister and Princess of the night. Your dreams are troubled." Luna looked down at Auriana, "Who was she to you?"

"My . . . she was my sister." Ashley whispered, "Auriana."

Luna nodded sadly,
"She was with foal?"

Ashley looked back down at the frozen body,
"She was pregnant, yes." her lower lip trembled, "I was so excited." fresh tears spilled down her cheeks, "I was going to have a new little niece or nephew . . . "

Luna unfolded her left wing and gently wrapped it around Ashley's shoulders,
"I am sorry for your loss. It should never have happened."

Ashley violently shoved Luna's wing off her shoulder and turned to face the indigo Princess with a furious face,
"How would you know!?" she spat, "You have no idea what it's like! Get out, get out of my dreams! You have no right to spy on me! How dare you!"

Luna slowly rose to her hooves,
"Very well. I shall intrude on you no longer."

"W . . . wait." Ashley whispered, "I . . . " she paused, sniffed and wiped her nose, "Please don't go." she took a deep, cleansing breath and exhaled slowly, "I'm sorry I yelled at you, I just . . . " she trailed off quietly as the surrounding scene slowly faded to black.

Luna knelt back down,
"The grief is still fresh and you are hurting and confused." she took a chance and gently nuzzled Ashley's shoulder, "Do not let your grief drive away those who may wish to provide you comfort."

"Like you?" Ashley didn't look up as she spoke, "Is that why you're here?"

"Nay. I speak of your friends, the other Humans. Have they not offered comfort?" Luna asked drawing her head back.

Ashley shook her head,
"No. They don't know how to handle it either. Everyone has to deal with it on their own."

Luna shook her head sadly,
"Not any more."

Beacon had been listening to the entire exchange. He had been concealed within the surrounding darkness when the dream faded, but as Luna finished her sentence, his form was suddenly illuminated by a source-less light.

Luna nudged Ashley's head up and the young woman's vision fell onto Beacon. Her recognition of Beacon was instantaneous. Her eyes bulged and her breathing sped up, a cold sweat broke out on her skin almost immediately.

She stiffened up instantly,
"The one I killed!" the exclamation came out as a breathy whisper and Ashley tried to back away, even in her kneeling posture.

"He is not dead." Luna said quietly.

Ashley gained her feet and backed away quickly,
"I killed him." she whimpered, "I killed him." her back slapped against an invisible barrier.

"He is not dead." Luna repeated, "He lives." she turned her head to Beacon and suddenly he was garbed in his old Royal Guard armor, "Do you recognize him now?"

Ashley looked at the armored stallion. His coat was white and his mane was blond. She could no more identify him than she could any other Royal Guard.

Ashley shook her head,
"The only time I saw him was when I stabbed him." her eyes bulged, "He was a soldier?"

Luna nodded as Beacon's armor disappeared,
"He was one of the Royal Guard at one time. His position was stripped from him. He was sentenced, by me, to serve as a physical barrier, to use his own flesh as a shield to protect others. He was to live as a vagrant. His only food came from the generosity and kindness of the Ponies around him. He had no home and no possessions. There was no blanket to cover him in the cold. He was forbidden from speaking unless it was to save the life of another. He was forbidden from using magic. The years of his sentence had only just begun when you attacked the very town in which he was serving. To his credit, he did exactly what he was supposed to and you ran him through. The blade missed every organ, tissue, artery, and vein. By all logic, he should have died almost instantly. His time was not up though. A force far more powerful than Celestia or I decided his fate." she beckoned the stallion over even as Ashley slowly stepped away from the invisible barrier.

"I can't imagine what he must have done to be punished so harshly." Ashley whispered.

"Have a seat." Luna said patting a place next to her with her left wing, "Here in the dream world, my realm, our minds are linked. Language is no barrier. I am one of the only Ponies allowed to utilize any form of Mind magic."

Beacon swallowed hard and very slowly approached Ashley Luna. He reached back and drew his sword in his mouth. Ashley tensed but Luna quickly extended her wing over the young woman's shoulders. Beacon stopped in front of Ashley and laid the sword flat on the invisible ground then laid down in front of it. Ashley could clearly see the stitched wound from where she had stabbed him. Beacon laid back his ears and lowered his chin onto the ground.

"The crime he committed was the very same event you were dreaming." Luna said quietly.

Ashley gasped loudly and grabbed the sword almost without thinking. A heavy hoof descended onto the blade and slammed it back onto the floor with a heavy thump. The weight of the hoof pinned Ashley's fingers under the handle painlessly.

"Is your pain truly so great that you would do violence against one who has already suffered at your hand?" Luna's voice was quiet but stern, "Has there not been enough suffering already?"

Ashley looked down at her pinned hand then at the prostrate form of the stallion in front of her. Beacon hadn't moved a muscle. His eyes were closed but Ashley could swear she saw tears moistening the edges of his eyelids.

Luna spoke up again, her voice was quiet but intense,
"I forced him to watch your memory. He knows your sorrow. He may not speak your language in the waking world, but he is with you. The blade that ran him through was his own."

Ashley's head whipped toward Luna,
"How?" she asked.

"Fate, karma, magic, act of God, call it what you will. Your lives are intertwined. Your loss is great, but here is somepony sent to you. The purpose of this is far beyond me, but I promise you this, he will never hurt you. He has seen the agony of your loss. He begged me to stop because it was too much for him to bear. Look at him." Luna commanded.

Ashley looked back at Beacon. His posture hadn't changed but his head was up and his eyes were open. Her eyes met his and the two held each other's gaze.

Seconds passed.

Minutes passed.

Hours passed and still they held their gaze in absolute silence.

Luna very very slowly removed her hoof from the blade of the sword, careful not to disrupt the event before her. The two individuals that had been brought together were from two completely different worlds. Ashley had been on the road to becoming a brilliant airplane mechanic. Beacon had dreams of retiring from the Royal Guard and becoming an explorer. The paths of their two very different lives had intersected and spun both violently out of control. They had been brought back together and finally, actually met. What they saw in each other's eyes was a person, a living, thinking, feeling being.

That simple truth motivated the next event,
"I'm so sorry." Beacon whispered.

He broke eye contact and looked down, blinking away tears,
"You should have killed me."

Ashley had to blink away tears of her own as she let go of the sword handle,
"There's been enough blood." she slowly slid the sword over to him, "Keep it." she reached up and wiped her eyes, "I don't have any more use for it."

Luna slowly rose to her hooves,
"Sleep now. Let your dreams be troubled no more." she looked around at something Ashley and Beacon couldn't see, "My work is done here."

* * *

Princess Luna blinked and shook her head. She tilted her head back and cracked her neck left, then right. She sighed with relief as the built up tension melted away.

One of the Pegasi pulling her chariot looked over his shoulder,
"Is everything alright, your Majesty?"

Luna gazed affectionately at the concerned tone of the Guard and nodded,
"I can only hope." she looked out at her moon and cracked a small, warm smile, "Though, were I to guess, I'd say, 'yes'."

Comments

[Shwaggy]

Wow... very intense chapter. Again, not sure how the rest will feel once they find out that Luna can walk into and control their very dreams, but it turned out well here.

And with that, my reading/commenting spree is complete!

[Triv_]

Odd, wasn't notified of the new chapter.

[ViktornovaMk2]

gotta fix previous comment.

Beacon and Ashley, are going to end up having a very long and interesting conversation, when they finally get a working translation.

New comment: Can'y wait to see other human's reaction when they see how Ashley reactes to Beacon following her around like a puppy

[Truthseeker]

4241609 I used his name so many times, I have no idea where the error is. Would you please specify the chapter number and line number?

[TheTownCrier]

A little catharsis is healing.

[No I Will Not]

Ashley violently shoved Luna's wing off her shoulder and turned to face the indigo Princess with a furious face,
"How would you know!?" she spat, "You have no idea what it's like! Get out, get out of my dreams! You have no right to spy on me! How dare you!"

This...makes me so triggered.
...
GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY MIND! *proceeds to go apeshit, tells the fellowship*

[Titan Commander Sebaste]

That was intense, and incredibly touching.
*Slow claps* You have shocked me speechless, bravo sir, bravo

[Silentwoodfire]

I remember my thoughts when I read this the first time: 'What will they do?'

I still wonder that

[Orrm]

6334405
Likewise

[Seyking]

Its annoying how the 2 alicorn almost control everything the storie is great but i found it annoying that human are far more easely trusting