Chapters The Dreamtime Warrior Awakens - Edited
Author's Note
An attempt at trying something new. Hope you all like. I'll update it when I can.
The Dreamtime Warrior Awakens - Edited
A scream pierces the air, howls follow soon after, a city in a panic as night after night for the last week a pony would be found mangled and chewed beyond identification if not for the fact their cutie marks tend to always be left alone, hunted by something that nopony alive has ever seen, almost like a warning to the populace.
This is one such night where a one, Midnight Starfall, a lilac coloured thestral with a purple mane of teen years finds herself cornered in the end of an alley knowing in that moment she would be the next death in the city of Manehattan.
One would wonder why she didn't just fly up and out of the way but unfortunately the shredding of wings is one of the first things these unseen hunters do to flying ponies when they hunt, after all... there's no point in a hunt if the target can get away and these hunters wanted the prey the afraid until the moment of their death.
So here we find poor, Midnight, alone, afraid, and cornered with her lifeblood slowly leaking from her shredded wings knowing that this was it, she'd be done for and no one would ever be able to find out why. She stood her ground, not wanting to look away as she looked into the unnatural darkness that moved towards her, not even her thestral vision able to pierce this supernatural blackness.
Whispers filled her ears, promises of what they would do to her when they catch her, promises of unending torment until the very moment of her death. They'd rip her apart and consume her organs while she lived, they'd flay the skin from her flesh and bones, they'd suck her eyes from her skull, and violate her from openings they'd make in her flesh and as these promises of unimaginable torment continued, the poor thestral could only look on with tears pouring from her eyes, knees shaking where she stood and the unmistakable scent of urine hitting her nostrils. She would not die quickly or painlessly.
It was practically on top of her now, it taking its sweet time, to savour the fear, to drink in the terror. Barely a pony length away now, a long bony appendage would reach forth, seemingly a mixture of a dragons claw and a ponies leg, all other details were hidden in the enveloping darkness that it wore about it's body, but just as the claw could reach the young female, a presence was felt behind it, a pressure that he'd never felt before, and yet knew all too well, it was the feeling of the hunter somehow now being the prey and this terrified the creature.
It slowly turned around, the barest image of a floating skull within the miasma. He would have to deal with this new threat before returning to his meal. He knew she couldn't get away so he'd be safe to deal with her later. Finally turning around the demon of shadow was witness to a strange image, what appeared to be a minotaur, but lacking all the fur and much flatter face stood at the entrance of the alley, looking at the demon of shadow with a look for boredom, disdain even, and this infuriated the creature to no end, it would destroy this creature and make a meal of it, relishing in the waves of pain and fear it would deal upon it before it dies.
It opens its mouth for the first time since the hunt began. "Who are you that dare interrupt my hunt?" It's voice drifted across the distance to the unknown creatures ears like a dying gasp from a drowning man, almost unintelligible but seemingly forced to understand. The creature would merely shrug.
"Just out for a midnight stroll, and just so happened to come upon-" He'd pause as he'd move his head as though to look around the demon of shadow. "-you seemingly in the middle of something?" He'd point a thumb back over his shoulder. "I can come back later after you're finished if you'd like." He seemed almost bored as he talked to the creature, unafraid, unconcerned, as though what he was looking at was merely a gnat about to be squashed by his thumb. This of course infuriated the creature.
"You will be going nowhere. You have seen me, so you will have to die." It's mass seeming to grow by the second to the point of filling the alley from wall to wall, and still this being was unconcerned. This would not do, having made its mind up, the creature raises its claws towards the being and charged, the ground shaking slightly as its steps are muffled by the ever present cloying darkness.
It would not live long enough to regret it's mistake though as this yet identified being merely sighed, reached into his clothes and raised what appeared to be a small stick with a handle, said stick glowing in a glaring red light before discharging a near soundless blast that the creature barely registered before ceasing to exist. It was like the being was there one second and the next it was engulfed in a corona of red and gold and dissolved into itself, all in the time it took to blink, it just ceased to be, it was no more.
The being sighed and turned to go before he spotted what lay at the end of the alley, a young thestral, bleeding, and clearly in a bad way, she wobbled on her legs before before his eyes she fell, either from blood loss or fainting after all the trauma she had experienced in the last few minutes. He'd walk up to her, looking over the mess she made of herself, the rank smell of piss filled his nostrils but he'd not fault her for it as he effortlessly lifted the young female in his arms and walked her away from the scene of her torment.
My name is Dean Warren, I was a pretty normal bloke of average height and build though would be slightly on the softer side of average, I enjoyed playing videogames and reading all kinds of stories, sometimes wishing I was in the position of those heroines as they destroyed being's that could make ones skin crawl, of beings that would give another nightmares at merely seeing them.
I didn't know how but this was about to become my reality though in a place least expected. I was just cruising along the web when strange artefacts started appearing on the screen, I was transfixed cause despite knowing such a thing may mean the death of his computer before long what was being shown in these artefacts was weird in the extreme, the screen would warp and lines of glaring red and black would flicker across the screen, and yet in the middle of it was a face, a skull really, unaffected by the glitches and warping, a face that left me feeling it was staring through me and into my soul, a face that was alive.
A simple sentence scrolled across the bottom of the screen, a sentence that would change my life forever. It gave me a choice. Die here, or follow it to a land that would need him. I couldn't move from my seat, the skull somehow having control of my body, leaving nothing but my hand free to control the mouse on the screen. It asked for my help and two options were left on the screen. Yes, or No.
Seemingly left with no option... I clicked yes.
It was like my body was thrown into an inferno, but I was left no option to die, I watched as my room burned around me, my home soon catching alight in this conflagration that would take away any semblance of my life before, and right as the agony reached the breaking point, I blanked out. I lay in darkness for who knew how long, feeling the flames lick my charred and deformed body, and yet still alive to do something about it, and yet still I could feel my body regenerating, my nerves, and muscles returning to as they were, my vision returning last to find myself laying on my back, hair smoking, and as naked as a new born, but laying at my side was a gun.
It appeared similar in shape to a flintlock pistol, similar to what you'd imagine a pirate to carry, it's metal glowing faintly in the twilight of dawn, small images engraved in it's woodwork. An energy could be felt around it, and a single thought came to my mind without prompt. 'Take it'.
Rising on shaky legs, I took stock of my situation. I was in what appeared to be a clothing shop, convenient, but nothing seemingly designed for my frame, mannequins lined the back wall, but they weren't shaped as one would expect a human to appear, they looked like small horses, ponies even. That was a mystery to answer later as I found a small section that looked designed close enough for him to use. I'd find a set of long jeans, made of a course cotton, and a tunic made of similar fabric.
This would do. Dressing quickly, I stuff the pistol into the waistband of the jeans, not sure what to do with it, but somehow with the knowledge it was very important to keep it.
"What the hell am I even doing with this thing! What even possessed me to even get involved with that monster." I'd almost yell at myself in my head, the small bat winged creature currently cradled in my arms, not even sure what to do with her, assuming its a her based on what he accidentally peeked at under her tail as he lifted her, I blush slightly at the accident. "I have to find someone to help me here, get her to a vet or something."
I start yelling for help, lights in the street slowly coming on as people begin to wake up, I peek some faces looking out into the street, seemingly too scared to exit their homes after dark. I can't tell what they are but if what I am holding is any indication... I don't think I am anywhere near home anymore. Finally what look like a miniature horse came out of a home, and trot towards me, their face nervous but the shouting of someone in need drove them to come and help. Reaching me they look at me with trepidation till their eyes fall upon the package I carried in my blood drenched arms.
All notions of fear ended when they saw my small package, and without a word start pulling me towards what appeared to be their home. They push me inside and towards their living room where they finally begin to speak.
"Oh dearie me. Tallow, quick! Go get some bandages from the first aid kit." She'd look at me, almost sharply. "You didn't do this to her, did you?" I of course shook my head in denial, but without much else to go on, she focused back on the mare I had since lay upon their floor, blood still slowly dripping from her torn wings. Tallow seemingly returned with a box with a large red cross on it and quickly fished out a couple rolls of gauze, dropping them by his partner, taking them up in a lime green glow, the mare was quick to begin wrapping her wings, careful not to make the wound worse till she was at least stopped from bleeding out.
I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and sat on the ground, head falling back and rest against their sofa.
The Dreamtime Warrior Learns
'What the hell... where the hell am I?' The thought raged in my mind, having been running on autopilot up to that point. 'Better yet, what was that that I did. What am I, what was that thing... why wasn't I afraid.' I had no idea, I almost didn't want to know what happened there. Looking back to the now sleeping form of the bat winged mare, he could barely wrap his mind around at what he was seeing.
"What even are you people?" I asked. It was such a simple question but even thinking it caused a feeling of panic to enter my speech. The couple from before that had helped me and this young girl stood off to the side, nervous of the human in their midst but too kind to do anything to get rid of me.
"We are ponies. How do you not know what we are?" The female unicorn replied, her husband declining to speak for the moment.
"You could say I am not from around here." I looked back to the teen and reached out, fingers softly rest upon her head and slide a stray lock of hair or mane in this instance from her face.
"So I take it that mare is not your daughter." The male... Tallow speaks up now nodding his head towards the still slightly bloody teen on the floor.
"No. I have no idea who she is. I just heard her screams and..." I trail off, looking away as I retract my hand. The couple cringe.
"So you found her. Did you see what happened to her?" The mare of the couple who I had yet to learn the name of asked, cocking her head to the side.
"I saw what was about to happen to her, but... but I stopped it. It was this gargantuan creature made of seemingly blackness... there were bones and claws and I..." I trail off, reaching into my pants and pulling out the weird enchanted pistol that I had used to slay it, the runes on it inert for the time being. The couple gasp.
Tallow lightly pushes his wife with his face. "Go take the young mare and get her cleaned up, I think this creature and I need to a moment to talk." The wife, who I annoying have yet to know the name of gently lifts up the girl in her magic glow and carries her out of the room to seemingly have her cleaned up. Tallow watching them go turns back to me and trots closer, eye's serious and alert.
"Seeming as how no one can go outside at the moment till the sun comes up, and we just got to spend the night here together, I have a few things to ask you." He moves up close and jabs me in the chest with a hoof, the force knocking me back and I have to prop myself up with my hands to avoid falling.
"What gives!" I exclaim, leaning back forward and batting the hoof aside.
"What gives is that you seemingly have managed to not only survive an encounter with the monster that has been killing ponies in this city for weeks but managed to kill it. So if anything I should be asking you the same. What gives with you, creature that I have never heard of?" If looks could kill, I'd be deader than the dinosaurs.
"First of all, I think introductions are in order. I am getting rather bored of just being the only one left out of the loop. Names, Dean. I am a human male. Who are you guys, and what's going on?" I'd completely ignore the fact that they somehow knew my language... or was it I knowing theirs? Anyways.
"The name is Tallow, Tallow Reed. I am an earth pony. The mare that you saw carry off that injured one, her name is Brook, she is a unicorn. As to the situation, it-it's complicated. It started about a year ago, all things were normal, but as soon as the sun would go down things from ponies nightmares would appear from the woodworks and attack ponies. It's happening all across Equestria from what I hear, the first few nights were a mess, ponies and other creatures would disappear and turn up the next morning dead, mangled, their bodies torn apart..." He'd pause. "If you were lucky."
"Fuck." If any word in the English language could describe this situation better go ahead and tell me... seeing as there is no ones else here to correct me, that will do. "So what has been done about it? Can't your military do something about it?"
He only sighs. "There is nothing that we can do. Before anyone has ever been able to intervene and stop it, the pony is dead, or missing. And if by Twilight they do happen to get there to help, they are killed too. Nopony has ever killed one before." He'd look at me pointedly, eyes wide. "Till now."
I am speechless, nothing I could think of could even put word to how I was feeling right now. "I am so-." I am interrupted from my reply by the sound of approaching steps, the tell tale clopping of hooves on wood. Brook who I knew the name of rounded the corner and entered the room, after seemingly washing up the wounded mare and likely putting her to bed.
Brook was a slender mare, she was a blue colour much like water as her name sake told me, with a seafoam green mane, a short horn spiralling forward from her forehead by about a foot. She stood at about my chest height, with her horn hitting my lower neck. Her husband was a light creamy yellow with a mane of a woody brown and it was at this moment I noticed that the adult had images stamped on their thighs of all things. Tallow being a candle and Brook of an open book with a droplet of water above the pages. I decide to shelve that for later.
Brook steps up to her husband and rubs her cheek against his. “How have you been entertaining our new guest, honey?” Taking a seat by his side, she’s put out a hoof towards me in greeting. I take it in my hand and give it a light shake. Tallow takes a moment to think.
“I’ve been telling him of what has been going on with the world of late. I still am unsure why but he’s not aware of anything that’s befell our country.”
I raise a hand behind my head and scratch at my scalp. “That is a both simple and very complicated answer. To put it simply I appear to have been displaced here from another world. I don’t know how, all I recall is being given no choice by some unexplainable being and told to come here to help you people. So to put it simply I guess. I guess I am an alien.”
This shocks the couple into silence. Which is soon broken by Brook. “Listen. Let’s finish this conversation in the morning, I for one am very tired and talks of aliens is giving me a headache. You-”
“Dean,” I tell her, seeing that she may want to know my name.
“Right... Dean. Dean, you may sleep on the sofa tonight. We’ll pick this up where we left off in the morning. Hopefully that poor mare you dragged in here is feeling well enough to join us then. I’ll get you some blankets.” She notices my bloody top as though it slipped her mind till that very moment. “And give me that top. I will give it a wash as well.”
Not wanting to look the gift horse in the mouth, I pull my top off, and hand it to her, her signature magic glow surrounding it as she walks off, her husband seeing all the drama is over for now yawns, tips his head at me and makes for the stairs.
Now feeling slightly more exposed now, I move to the sofa and lay down on it. It’s not long enough to lay on stretched out but I’d make do. Brook sleepily drops a blanket on top of me then wanders off to bed with her husband.
It was going to be a strange day tomorrow so best get to sleep I guess.
The sun hit Midnight’s eyes like the blazing asshole of Tartarus, the young mare squeezing her eyes shut and covering her head with her blanket... blanket? Instantly awake, the young thestral mare is instantly awake as memories of the night before come streaming back, her head whipping around in fear finding herself in an unfamiliar environment.
A small bedroom with a chest of drawers under a window just big enough to climb out of if she needed to, and the bed she currently lay in. Ultimately calming down seeing she was in no immediate danger she’d climb from the sheets but as she does she hisses in pain, taking note of the slightly bloody bandages wrapping her wings.
“Ow. So last night was definitely no nightmare. How’d I get here though.” With only one way to find out she exits the spacious little bedroom, entering a small hallway which led out to a staircase and ended at a pair of doors, the sound of running water already audible with somepony taking a bath.
Deciding that the stairs was the best bet, she’d make her way to them and down, attempts of being quiet ruined by the slight creaking of the board on the floor. She’d cringe slightly at the noise.
Before her lay a fair sized living room, and laying on the sofa was something she’d never seen before, It looked like a tall hairless monkey or just as hairless but short minotaur. It had a flat face and was very much asleep at this time.
Not bothering to get closer as she thought better of messing with it and just attempting to get home. She took one step towards the door and was met with a loud creak of the floorboards and the groaning from the creature from the sofa, it waking from the small noise.
A light creak knocks me from my slumber, confusion entering my system as the feeling of a small sofa or couch is felt under me instead of my bed. Eyes shooting open as the memories of the last hours filled my head. An arm coming up and resting over my eyes and groaning loudly as I sit up.
“What was tha-? Ahh. You’re awake, good.”
Standing mere steps from the door was the young mare from last night, looking much better than she did last night too I was happy to note. Rising to my feet I can see she is quite nervous of me, I would be too in her position.
“Where am I?” She’d ask, a visage of thinly veiled panic in her voice, her eyes shifting to the door as though readying herself to bolt at the slightest provocation.
“You are safe. Do you not remember what happened last night?” Shivering slightly, my bare chest doing nothing to stay warm, a slightly frigid breeze slipping in from under the door.
“I... I remember being cornered in an alley, a wall of blackness and bones-.” She cocks her head. “You saved me, didn’t you. How?”
I turn my chin up in thought, a finger upon my chin. “I am actually not really sure myself. I appeared here last night and heard you scream... something wanted me to help you.” Looking back to the sofa and fishing around under the sheets, I retrieve the now seemingly lifeless pistol, its runes dull and dead.
“This... I don’t know what it is, but it allowed me to help you.” Placing the pistol into my waistband. “Count yourself lucky.”
“What’s your name, by the way? Might as well know the name of the girl I risked my life to save.”
“Midnight.” Finding herself more comfortable, she’d sit down.
“The name is Dean. I don’t know where I am, and what is truly going on here, but I gotta say, you are remarkably calm for someone who nearly died not 12 hours ago.”
She’d only chuckle. “Coming from the one who’s seemingly lost. To be honest, I am just focusing on the here and now to avoid the panic I feel bubbling up inside.”
“That’s a good idea for now.” Laying a hand on her withers. “Think now, panic later.”
The Dreamtime Warrior Hunts
Author's Note
There will some more graphic scenes in this chapter, so be prepared.
I truly hope you enjoy and possibly let me know what I could do to improve.
Sincerely.
Me.
The Dreamtime Warrior Hunts
Over the course of the last 5 days I had been getting a feel for what kind of situation I truly find myself in. In the course of my time here a dozen different ponies have turned up dead or missing. Peoples nerves have been on edge and slowly building to complete panic, every night I am wracked with nightmares, visions of death and the dying in torment, it was enough to send one mad. I only felt cold and calm.
It was a weird thing. Ever since I was dropped here I haven’t felt much of anything. There was moments of panic as I hear the sound of a distant scream that everyone else seemed to miss but besides that, I have more or less gotten used to the idea that I am stuck in a world not my own. This was one such night while laying in bed, listening to the sounds of running water above my head, the couple that lived here seemingly allowing me to stay here along with the teen filly I rescued shortly after arriving. She was an interesting one, never wishing to show weakness but when she smiles that smile will never reach her eyes, those dead eyes.
A soft noise reached my ear, static and the sound of burning firewood, the sound embers make when breaking away from its wooden prison on a fire. Looking that way I spot the pistol I came here with softly glowing, much as it did that first night, its done this every night since I got here where shortly a few minutes later the scream of a new victim that I can only hear hits my ears, but there was something different about this time. It was slowly growing brighter as though whatever was making it do such was coming closer.
*Thud*
*Thud*
*THUD*
Footsteps, growing closer, steps of something massive. Deadly. In a small panic I reach for that very pistol and as my hand wraps around that cursed weapon a wave of calm hits me and the unbreakable desire to investigate takes over.
Climbing to my feet with almost fluid grace my eyes become dead locked on the door of the house and move towards it where I hear the steps have become earth shaking, the ground shook slightly under my feet as I stepped outside feeling the bite of the cool night air, the supernatural stillness only broken by those resounding thuds of the great beast that stalked the night tonight.
“No time like the present I guess.” Stepping off onto the street itself, the thudding footsteps suddenly stop. It’s eerie.
Picking a direction at random I follow the direction I believed deep down was where this creature was. It wouldn’t be long before I am rewarded with the sounds of smashing glass and the muffled screams of tonight’s victims. Picking up the pace, I’d pull up on the corner of a multi-floor office block, back against the corner as my head peeks around the side and my eyes are filled with this new beast.
It had a large trunk like body, much like a tree. 5 meters across at the thickest part and ending at a pair of short legs, with feet half as long as it is fat, but that is not where it gets truly terrifying, for upon the top of this monstrous body sat a bed of writhing tentacles, much like an anemone, though given tentacles much longer and the centre filled with a massive jaw of gnashing teeth and what it was doing was neither something one could ever get over seeing.
As I took in its pure size, it was currently wriggling its tentacles in through the partially destroyed wall of someone’s home, the sounds of crashing furniture and screams of the occupants barely heard over the sucking and writhing mass of tentacles and slapping of whatever slime those tentacles secreting. But all of a sudden it stopped having likely caught what it was planning on grabbing.
The tentacles would retract with ferocious speed, a dark shape being pulled out and now dangling above the writhing beast and its enormous jaws, it was a stallion of some kind, difficult to see from where I watched, but it didn’t look like it made it from being dragged out like it did. Legs dangled in impossible directions, having been snapped and twisted at the joins, half its face was a bloody mess and yet it looked down upon its hunter with as much defiance as a creature in its position could be. He was being lowered now towards the now gaping maw of the beast, razor blade like teeth glinting in the night. He knew he was done for and closed his eyes, refusing to make a noise as he was quietly lowered into the mouth of the beast and subsequently devoured.
I could only hope it ended there but I was clearly mistaken as before long it sprung back to life, tentacles delving back into the destroyed home, and finding its next prey, faster this time, likely whomever was inside had given up hiding after seeing their loved one being eaten alive. I look down at the pistol in my hand, considering my options, whether I even had the ability to fight that thing and help whoever was left. I didn’t think I was prepared to take that chance just yet.
Looking back up I am met with the sight of a mare now being dangled above the beast, a Pegasus, its wings mangled and beyond repair, blood soaked her sides, but other than that she was unharmed that I could see. The beast didn’t just lower this female towards its waiting maw this time, instead tentacles moved up to her position as she dangled by her back legs, wrapping around her forelegs and pulling them tight so she dangled spread eagle above the beast, a half dozen more moving up as well and coving her from her barrel to groin. I didn’t wish to look.
I stepped free of the cover of the building, hoping that what stupid action I was about to pull would do enough to save at least her. Raising the pistol to my eye, centring the beasts trunk like body in the old fashioned crosshairs I’d lay a finger upon the trigger, and inside me, the gun seemed to pull upon something, but it was too slow, I couldn’t charge it in time to stop it from what it would do next.
Before my eyes, the tentacles wrapped around the mare began to writhe, the ends of two wriggling free and moving to a place that made it very apparent what it wanted to do next. In the next second, fist sized ropes of muscle coated in a viscous mucous plunged deep into the female in its grasp, a near ear shattering scream filling the street as she shook and writhed in her binds, her insides writhing with the invading mass and the sound of popping joints hit my ears, she was beyond saving now.
I could see the pleading look in her eyes, tears streaming from them as seconds later her throat bulged out and a sound like her jaw breaking, the end of that tentacle that invaded her insides burst forth, tip splitting apart and curling back on itself to then wrap around her face, her eyes rolled back up on themselves as thick blood dribbled from her destroyed mouth orifice, and back down the tentacles that invaded her other end. It was over for her now.
Looking on with tears leaking from my eyes but inside I was just ice, my emotions disconnected, I could finally feel the drawing of energy ebb away and the pistol was ready to fire as the hammer clicks back on it’s own, he had been too slow for this couple, something he’d do better to fix for next time. Blinking away his tears he’d take a step forward towards the beast, ice cold fury on his lips.
“Hey ugly! I hope you’re satisfied with yourself cause you aren’t going to be getting another chance at hurting anyone else again!” The last word a scream that left him winded, and punctuated it by pulling the trigger.
The hammer dropped and like a powder charge firing off a lead ball, flames ripped free from the barrel, flying true and slamming into the beast in its centre mass, cracks spiderwebbed across it’s frame, the mucous burning, sizzling, like oil on a hotplate, tentacles writhed and spasmed violently, involuntarily releasing the mare, but not without causing more irreparable damage, the tentacles splitting her down the middle opening a gaping opening from chest to groin, her foul and decimated insides spilling across the pavement and coating the beast and cobblestones red with her life blood. It was a horrendous sight.
All this happened in the span of seconds and when finally it was over all that was left was the roasted carcass of the tentacled beast.
It had taken me some time to free the brutalised remains from the clutches of the monster, laying her body on the floor of her home and using a sheet from their bed upstairs used it to cover her up. Allow her some peace after what became of her not long before. It was something I would never forget nor will I allow myself to forget.
I remembered back to what came of the beast, it looked like it had been thrown in a blast furnace, skin charred and bubbling, it’s short scream suddenly cut off as it finally succumbed to its death. I would leave the body for the people to clean up on their own, not wanting to do it myself. Not like it would be going anywhere after all.
Grisly job complete, I clean myself off from the blood and make a hasty retreat, not wishing to be around any longer than necessary. If only I had decided to stay longer though and truly make sure of the kill I wouldn’t have missed the chunk of the beast no larger than a chihuahua wriggle away into the darkness, it’s barely conscious mind screaming bloody murder and revenge as it escaped.