Chapter 44: Dream Raid
"Empress Luna! What is wrong with you?"
The Empress thrust her sword deep into the deck, right between my legs. I crawled away from the humming blade, fearing for my life. I knew I was in a dream, however I did not know what could become of me in the dream. Luna was using some supernatural power to be in my mind, the logical conclusions of soul and body may not have been applicable.
"You are dealing with him! With Discord! You are planning to ruin my Sister! I know you are!" The Empress screamed at me.
The anger from her was felt in the very air. Each step towards came with the sound of thunder and an earthquake through the wooden boards. You may think I be exaggerating, but what I write is quite literal in the dreamworld. Lightning engulfed the sky with a terrible storm, whirlwinds flew through the air with the same speed as the flying ship. Every strike behind the Empress made a terrifying split-second image of her blackened face with bright, glowing, soulless eyes.
"Your Highness, I have no idea what you are talking about!"
"Do not lie, peasant! You have confirmed your dealings with my last trip. Lying will do you no benefit."
She lifted her sword and lunged at me. I flipped myself over and dodged the ferocious attack. The sword stabbed the wood and remained in there. The Empress pulled on it, but it remained fixed in the boards. I took this opportunity to flee below deck.
"You cannot run forever! Your imaginings are finite!" Luna yelled at me.
It did not seem that way as I ran. The wood was changing colors each second, the halls were bended and curved. Blackness would take over spots here and there. Since it was my mind forming all these peculiar images, I concluded that it was places I had either not observed before, or had forgotten entirely.
"You shall pay for this!" I heard a demonic voice from behind me.
"You're mad! I've done nothing to your Sister!" I pleaded desperately.
I opened a door and walked through. Nothing was under my feet and I fell into an abyss. On my way down, I kept colliding into invisible objects that altered my journey to the bottom. The light from the door I had opened went farther and farther away. I finally slammed into a smooth and hard ground. My back burned with pain. Pain. Was it real? Did I need to fear anything at all from this?
"You'll have to be quicker than that."
Out of the darkness that surrounded me came the Empress herself. Her blade hummed in the silence. I lifted myself off the ground. The bones in my back seemed to pop into place as I stood up. Each movement echoed in the dead silence.
"What have I done to receive your wrath?" I asked, or better put, moaned.
"You deal with Discord. You plan to usurp my Sister and I!"
"On what proof?"
She gestured to the area around us. Images of palm trees ad green water faded in and out of the blackness. Sepulchre, Rainbow Dash, the Ragnarok, and the memories of every time the Labyrinth Isles were mentioned.
"You are in the Labyrinth Isles! I can tell by the way your mind imagined the waters and the moon. You mentioned Discord. Knowing his very existence is enough for me to understand your plot. What do you plan to do to my Sister?"
"Why should I tell you?"
"You tell me or you will regret your pride."
"We are in a dream! What can you do to me? I cannot die." I prayed she'd take my bluff.
"You cannot physically die, this is true. But, that does not mean the pain you feel will not be excruciating! Or that your mind may remain dead in this realm!"
She lifted her sword to her face and turning the blade so that the broadside faced me, putting herself in a classic dueling pose. I drew my sword, but did not join her in her sudden formalities. The black estoc's blade formed an image where Luna's face went behind it. The haunting face was a dark blue with a long sharp teeth and wicked eyes. Unlike Luna, the face was smiling; I could hear some wild cackle from it. It was something from a horrid nightmare.
"Do you expect to win this?" She asked me.
"Of course. It's a dream, I can do anything."
"If only that was the case."
With a yell, she swung her blade at me. I caught the blade with my own. She withdrew her sword and swung it again. Her attacks were fueled by a hellish rage. I kept stepping back with every attack. Despite using the longer and heavier sword, she could wield it like a light dagger. Her style was simple: attack until you successfully hit.
The darkness took over the floor again and we fought on. I expected to fall into the abyss again, but did not. There was no light, but her and I were well illuminated. That was the only reason I could see her obsidian sword.
"This would be simple if you just answered!" Luna griped.
"I would answer if I felt your intrusion of my mind was justified!"
Her words distracted me slightly. It was just enough for her get the advantage and spin my falchion out of my hand. My sword flew through the air and never landed as it fell through what I thought was the floor.
Luna then grabbed my collar and held me in place. I felt her warm breath reach my face. It smelled of cake, again. The darkness left us like a snake being chased. The ground changed into a thin wooden beam that we both were standing on. The rest fell away and became air and sky. Clouds were below us and above us. Wind howled past us and the moon was back in its full glory.
"You think I'm afraid of a fall?" I gulped.
"You are. Trust me. I can sense it in you. This may not be real, but Fear is still with you."
"Your Highness, why do speak of Fear like that?" The board of wood started to evaporate behind me.
"Because We are Fear!"
My feet hung in air. The board ceased retracting before Luna. The only thing that kept me from falling was the Empress's grasp on my collar. I looked down. The clouds and land below me were familiar, I had seen them before. I then realized that it was the view from the Royal Palace. The places that were generated were never new. This dream was being built solely off of memory.
"Answer Us! We tire of your unwillingness!"
"Can I summon people in my dream?" I asked her.
"What? We did no..."
"Here I come!"
I sighed in relief by the voice. Luna turned around to see Vinyl reloading her musket. My friend went on one knee on the wooden beam. She rammed the ball in the barrel, cocked the hammer back, and aimed at the shocked Empress.
"Hold still princess!" Vinyl grinned.
The ball from the rifle struck the Empress squarely in the chest, causing her to let go of me. My hands caught the end of the beam. Surprisingly, Luna did not fall off from the hit. Blood tainted her dark blue armor and robes. Her growl indicated that it was not entirely successful.
"How dare you use my own powers against me!"
"Shut it moonbutt. Do you think we care?" Vinyl taunted.
"I can't believe I remember her like this..." I muttered.
"Do not insult me, projection!" Luna shouted.
Vinyl raised a brow. "Projection? What in Tartarus are ya talkin' about?"
I lifted myself onto the beam. Luna stomped over to Vinyl, who was wisely backing up. I reached for a throwing knife, aimed, and threw it into the Empress's shoulder. An infuriated groan left Luna's throat.
"Tides turned!" Vinyl laughed.
Luna clutched her wounded shoulder. "Do not tell me about tides!"
Suddenly, water funneled from far below and up to us. The clouds disappeared and more water took its place. I started to float from the surrounding water. It was all streaming in like one broke a dam nearby. Vinyl was also being washed to and fro from the rushing water and waves. Her musket swirled around before being lost under the rising surface. Luna was gone. I did not know where she was, but I knew she was still around.
Soon, it was all quiet. The water stopped its currents and settled as a calm ocean. The moon was resting on the horizon, far larger than I have ever seen it before. I started to swim. I did not know where to go as there was no land in sight.
"Think Octavia! Think!" I encouraged myself.
The water began to ripple and shake. I stopped my swimming and tread in place. The bow of a massive ship sprang out of the ocean in front of me. It was a shape and size that I had no recollection of, thus I knew it was a creation of Luna. The number of decks it possessed kept rising as the entire ship soared out of the black water. Each deck had a row of cannons. The sails were a dark blue with Luna's Moon on each. The very top of the main mast flew the Equestrian flag. The water it threw up rained on Vinyl and I.
"Pfft! Not impressed." Vinyl commented casually.
"Why can't I just wake up..."
It was then that I saw Luna at the wheel. Her hair waved in a non-existent wind and became the same color as the night's heavens above us. Her eyes glowed so brightly that they appeared as incandescent as the moon itself. I had seen such a glowing before. And that was from a Bearer of Harmony.
The Empress raised her hand, signalling the cannons to make ready. My eyes widened and I turned to swim away. The sound of hundreds of cannons firing echoed across the world I was in. I braced for whatever they were launching to strike me. Splash! Splash! Splash! Some cannonballs skipped on the surface and went out into the nothingness. One came screaming right for me. I shut my eyes and expected to return to the world of the awake and conscious. Instead, the cannonball teleported me onto the deck of Luna's ship.
"You are by far the most troubling Assassin I have ever met!"
"I wouldn't be such a trouble if you let me speak!" I replied to the approaching Empress.
"You are the murderer of my Sister! You and the Lord of Chaos plan to bring Death to her! You do not deserve the right to speak."
The Empress set herself in an odd stance, her sword held back with both hands and her body in a position to strike, yet she was across the monstrous deck from me. A dark embrace surrounding her feet and legs. She then charged across the deck almost instantly leaving a dark blue streak in her wake. The sweeping sword cut through my right shoulder and the force sent me into a mast.
The more I fought her, the more power she used against me. I clutched my bleeding shoulder and thought. I had to have the same powers as her in this dream. I summoned Vinyl, I knew I could do more. I started thinking of every single person I could remember. Friends, family, acquaintances, and even enemies.
Before I knew it, the deck was smothered in hundreds of people. Some were duplicates and many were not there entirely. Some of their faces were greatly blurred from my own forgetfulness. However, all of them, including the Sunset Shimmer I summoned, pulled at their weapons and charged at the invader. They swarmed over her like locusts on a farmer's field.
Luna fell to the army momentarily. They tackled her and seemingly tried to beat her to the dreamworld's version of death. She recovered from the onslaught and psuhed back the summons. I saw her throw Noteworthy off and then slice his head off. Lyra went down, a few people who names I remember not, and Flashius went flying off the ship. Twilight seized the Empress with her magic and began slamming her repeatedly into the deck, snapping the boards with each it.
"You Assassin! You lack the honor of the duel!" Luna screamed as she was knocked into the wood..
A shadow crept onto Twilight, making her disappear into nothingness. Luna recovered from the attack and stood up, her hand glowing with a bright blue. The same blue surrounded each of my allies. The next moment every one of their heads exploded in disgusting amounts of blood and splatter.
"You should of summoned Discord, Octavia, then you could have stood a chance. But I must admit, you adapt to the dreamworld rather quickly."
With that, she conjured a javelin in the air and threw it at me. I dodged it easily, but it was simply a distraction. She charged at me again with the lighting strike, but this time I intercepted her sword with my hidden blades. It was well that I did so, as this attack was aimed at my skull. She tried to overpower me by pushing down on me, but I held my ground. I expertly slid her sword to the side and kicked her in the stomach and followed up with both my blades into the gaps of her armor.
"GAHH!" Her eyes bulged out with agony.
In a fit of retaliation, She grabbed my arms and pulled the blades out of her. She then held me up by my wrists. Her teeth were becoming sharper and that of a savage beast. Her eyes were now different sizes and slits in the pupil. She became a terrifying beast.
"We shall kill you for that!" The voice was doubled. "We shall end you for you insolence!"
She spun and tossed me across the entire ship. My body tumbled into a mast and fell it and I landed by the wheel. The mast fell off the side and into the black waters with a tremendous splash. My entire body ached from the pain. It was not real, but I could not ignore it. It felt real; it acted real. There had to be a way to heal that I did not know about. A way to manipulate the wounds on one's body. Whatever that was, Luna knew it as she ran across the ship as if she was never injured.
She stopped before the tall steps that led up to me. Her sword glowed with immense energy and she swung it. The energy sprouted off her blade, extending its reach. The enhanced sword sliced through the captain's quarters below me, sending into pieces like a barrel of gunpowder was lit.
I flew into the air and landed straight below in the now roofless captain's quarters. The place was untouched by Luna's sword. All the rich furniture remained upright, the small cups and dishes sat on the tables like nothing happened. Even the paper did not fly off with the explosion.
The battle was no longer in my favor, if it ever was. The furious Empress marched through the remnants of the door. Her hideous teeth and eyes glared at me with hatred. My body ached so much that I could barely move. I grabbed onto a table and pulled myself up into a standing position, but still leaning on the table. Luna stopped before, her blade pointing right at me and the tip inches from my face.
I needed a way to get out of this situation. Of being stuck in this ceaseless nightmare with such an Empress. I fell to my knees, the blood from my shoulder still oozing out. I tried to appear as defeated as possible.
"Your Highness!" I gulped. "It does not need to be this way. We do not need to fight!"
"Now you beg? I would slap you for such an act if you were my Sister Dearest. That time is long past. We shall break your will and send you to Discord as nothing more than a husk. The best way to deal with Discord is to compromise his underlings. We shall do this so that you will not bring ill to my Sister."
"Sister! Think before you speak! Consider what you are doing. Listen to my words and show mercy."
Beside Luna appeared her Sister, Empress Celestia in a brazen portal of warming light.. Luna's face instantly softened and her grotesque features faded away. Celestia glowed with a illuminating aura. It was soothing and relaxing to me, as if all my problems were gone. The younger looked at her Sister with genuine affection. It was the first time I saw Luna smile. She then nodded and lowered her sword.
"You are lucky, mortal. We...I would have gutted you."
"My Sister can be quite serious at times." Celestia told me casually. "Now, Lulu, what is it that makes you visit this young woman?"
"This woman, Octavia Melody, has been dealing with our old enemy, Discord. She wants to kill you."
"No!" I defended myself. "Discord only wishes to speak with Celestia as a friend."
"So you finally admit your dealings!" Luna guffawed triumphantly.
"I can tell you are merely a pawn in all this." Celestia said to me. "Well, I'll be expecting you two shortly then. I'll have tea ready."
Celestia then faded away. I was hoping she would stay as I was left alone with her mean-spirited Sister. Luna seemed to wait impatiently for Celestia to disappear entirely before speaking to again, in a low, almost whispering voice.
"My Sister and Discord have had their relationship; that is over now. From their past, I have learned that nothing good can come from Chaos. It has always been this way. It was Chaos that started this war of yours. You Assassin, a mere imposter of what we truly were. That's why you shouldn't help him."
"Imposter? I am not an imposter of anyone!"
For the second time, she smiled. It was a mocking grin of my apparent ignorance. "Is that what Twilight has told you?"
I blinked. "Yes. We started off when Starswirl foun..."
"Silence! Starswirl was a fool and an unoriginal one at that! With his hate for progress and the like, he tainted the name of the Brotherhood for his own gain. He stole the Elements of Harmony from the Tree for his own insane vision."
"How could he taint the name of one did not exist at the time?"
Luna stood upright. Her eyes glowed a little still, but the amount of brightness waned. The ship was now riding the waves of a powerful ocean. The silence from the Empress disturbed me greatly. It was like I surprised her with my words.
"Assassin, the Brotherhood has been here far longer than Starswirl. It started when Death himself was swarmed over by his people and beheaded. When the Crystal Heart was shattered and never to be remade again. When Chaos, Fear, Harmony, Wisdom, Love, and Absolute Order were taken by six nameless Bearers. Do you not know this?"
"That's not how I remember it..."
"Then observe."
She sheathed her sword and placed a hand to her chestplate. She pulled it back to reveal her chest beneath it. There, a pulsing black Element was in place of her heart.
"You're a Bearer?" I croaked.
"Indeed. One of the nameless six. We are Fear, her and I. It is what allows me to dreamwalk."
"But...But..." I felt weak.
"Starswirl took the Elements of Harmony, seeds of the original Element that was carried by a dear friend. He recounted the tale of us conquering Death, better known as the Shadow King, using his own nameless warriors. I was an Assassin, the name given to us by our killing of the Shadow King. The act gave us immortality, thus we conquered Death. We destroyed the Crystal Heart, it was too powerful to keep intact. To prevent its reconstruction, my Sister, Discord, Tirek, Chrysalis, our dear friend and I decided to give up our hearts to Bear the Elements for eternity. For they are must be returned to recreate the Heart."
"Then the Brotherhood..."
"Has no purpose. My Sister is quite amused by you all. I'm sure Discord is too. We are the ones preventing what you believe should be prevented."
"The shards!"
"They are children of the original Elements. Fear and Wisdom has sprouted countless number of them. I'm sure you know we keep them in the basement, out of the hands of those who should not wield them. Your Elements of Harmony are different though. They resemble the original six. Harmony tried to make a new Crystal Heart, and in doing so made itself a tree and killed its Bearer. It was partially successful. However, since they are half-shards and half-Element, they cannot make shards themselves."
"Why hide this from all of us? To make your population ignorant?" I pointed at the Empress boldly.
"They Fear that which they do not understand! The Greed of humanity knows no bounds. They would search for the Elements and shards to no end. Just like the Templar who wish to recreate the Crystal Heart. That is why they despise my Sister and I. Our existence prohibits their visions. I cannot answer for your Bearers of Harmony. I expected you to know such things. Sunset Shimmer and Twilight do."
"Twilight..." I muttered. "Twilight has kept us all ignorant. But why?"
"Maybe she has plans of her own. She is a child playing in a war she does not understand."
Twilight was the traitor! It was the only explanation. I should of known. She was the most likely from the bunch. Magic did not hold any moral standings like Honesty, who cannot lie. My vision blurred. The head of the Brotherhood was leading us all to ruin! Were the other Bearers with her? Did they know of her true intentions? All her suspicious actions flashed through my mind. Braeburn, Appleloosa, her talks on revenge, her anger when questioned, her secret of being a princess, and her willingness to do anything for victory.
"This does not relinquish the crimes you have committed, Octavia. My business here is not yet finished."
The Empress backed away from me. She unsheathed her sword and began twirling it in her left hand. I waved frantically and leaned on the table. I did not want to start another battle.
"Wait!" I begged. "Maybe we could help each other? Discord is your enemy, right? Maybe we..."
"The better option would be to silence you. You now know of the secrets We hold. We cannot let you spread such things across the land. You also have a death sentence on your head. Your hanging is long overdue."
"I could keep it a secret. I promise. I can help you as my sentence."
She paused. "I sense sincerity in your voice. And Sister Dearest would not approve of me disposing you. Fine, you shall have your chance. Meet my Sister. She already knows to expect you. She shall be on the ECS Solaire, you cannot miss such a ship. It is the size of the one you stand on. Capture her, but do not harm her. Tell her that you had a nightmare that involved the moon and a thousand years. She will understand. Then we shall form a ploy against Discord together. Do not tell anyone of this. Not even your dead friend who seems to be back from the grave. The projection you created would have not been so clear and vivid if you had only seen her months ago."
"Thank you, Your Highness." I bowed.
"This is not the last time we shall meet this way, Octavia Melody. I shall also meet you in person again. And I shall be on this ship when I do it. This is the ELS Artemis."
"This cannot possibly be an actual ship. It is far too large to even float."
"With enough surface on the water, even larger vessels can float."
"Can I wake up now?"
"Yes, We give you permission."
It was instant. My eyes opened and I was in a cabin. The morning sun poked through the window. Vinyl was snoring loudly in the bed beside me. I sighed in relief that I was out of the dreamworld.
"Good sleep? You were tossing and turning like you were on fire!"
At my feet was Discord. He was in his human form and eating a rotten apple. He grinned at me with his crooked yellow teeth. I felt a cold sweat on my back as I sat up in my bed.
"You've been here all night?"
"ALL night, my dear! Once I saw you muttering pleas and grunting like you were stabbed, I had to watch. It lasted, and lasted. I was waiting for when you shoot up with a start and pant like crazy. But you never woke up."
"It was a terrible dream indeed."
"Yes, it would be a nightmare for me too if Lulu showed up with her dreamwalking abilities."
"I have no idea what you are talking about."
"Really? I pinpointed it on the spot and you still lie? Oh, Octy, you make me proud." He laughed.
I remained silent and stood up. My body ached, especially my shoulder where I was cut. Without looking back at the Lord of Chaos, I walked away. I heard him giggle under his breath. My mind was rushing with all the startling news from Luna. Twilight....Twilight....Twilight. Who would I tell? How could I reveal my findings to another? Would the Bearers attack me? Would the Bearers believe me? What were the Sisters' plans against Discord? I sighed. Such things could only be answered through waiting and seeing. Risks were on the horizon for me.
~
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5710074 You're not the first to say that. Although I didn't really base her on Cormac, (The chapter was written before I knew about Rogue) I guess they are similar but have differences.
This is getting better and better.
5710408
Definitely a very fun fight scene to read.Though I suppose Octavia is now an agent of Luna?...nah, doesn't sound as catchy.
Either way, I look forward to the next update.
p.s:Love the new profile pic.
5710731 Dream Herald? Night Harbinger? Eh?
That fits Luna better still....
And yes, Rarity = best poni. I think I'll go through all six of the Day of the Dead covers as avatars.
5710748 Those titles sound like they'd belong to people Luna actually trusts to serve her and from her rather impulsive actions, I doubt if she has many if any at all. Well, besides the Shadowbolts.
5710773 Yeah....Then Octy is moon's bitch? That sounds better.....maybe....
But Celestia'll make up for Luna's.....actions. I'm sure Octy will be grateful for that.
5710811 True, at least your version of Celestia is just as level-headed as the canon one...so far.
Luna was the first Assassin. Definitly believable. But she is a failed one then as she has given up leadership if she was the first. The first must lead, if others are to follow.
Or that your mind Ay remain dead in this realm!""
thats all I could find on read number 1
5716641 You can't correct if you misspell it too
5716652 .... May May may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may may
Its may and I can not lie
rap is bad for me in time
blah blah blah
5716664 Stop being impatient! May will get here soon.