The Nightmare / Cradle of Echoes

Darkness.

Darkness was all what Inlight remembered. He heard the sounds of water falling down the river, hoofsteps of strangers to him, and fainted voices. He remembered how he was carried through some kind of cave, looking at the flat rooftop of the coridor. Faint lights of candles lightened the rooms. He walked through the coridors made out of metal, he saw drawings of pony-like figures, surrounded by young creatures of every kind. He put his hoof to his side, as he saw behind the steel door as kids ran near him, passing through, playing with ponies of metal.

He remembered being a foal. Remembered how he slipped on a rock and fell into a opened cave, going into the abyss. He screamed for help, as he felt the feeling of despair, hitting him like the fastest wind.

He was once again in strange corridor, and he could see the silhouette more accurate. The figure opened it's mouth, speaking in oddly familiar voice of elder changeling.

"He's dying!"

He swam out of the dark water, just after he fell into a cave. Looking arround, he tried to find the place to get out of the water, eyes covered in horror. But yet, he couldn't spot the long, dark arm with pincer on the end come right behind him from the darkness, opening it's metal hand.

He saw the cave, not like he'd been before. Inside there was a dim light, coming closer to him. He saw it, he saw the tree, made out of crystals, and infront of it floated 9 colorfull stones with dark blue being the highest out of all of them. Suddenly, a spark of purple appeared, quickly consuming the dark blue crystal, and then the others, followed by a crystal tree.

"To take him here is BLASPHEMY-!" He heard another voice of old mare, following him too.

"He should be near his mother." last word echoed through the coridor, as Inlight continiued to see what others couldnt.

The plain. The same plain where the Proving ended, where the attack happened. Figure stood on the edge of the cliff, and he saw that he had gray coat and dark mane, paired with green eyes. Duskshine slowly turned his head, as the Metal Devil, calling the top of the Sacred mountain his home lightened with color of red, and started to awaken from his sleep. Duskshine looked at Inlight, and pegasi returned glance. For a split second, he saw the figure of a mare, coat colored with white and mane colored with bright pink. She screamed with pain as she looked at the unknown, and Inlight heard Duskshine's worried voice.

"Inlight... I'm so sorry!" He said, before being covered with fire and smoke of the explodion. He saw the dark ocean, rumbling under dark skies of the storm. He saw a tall mountain, with bright light of blue coming from the top. He saw the silhouette of ram, holding the bell, making the devilish laugh. Untill the vision suddenly gone black.

Inlight found himself before the tall door, not unlike anything he'd seen. It was of triangular shape, and made out of machine metal of black. He saw it opened, and dark purple algae came from them, heading to Inlight, ready to cover him with it. He found himself once again on the cliff of the mountain, holded by a killer who murdered Duskshine. For a split moment, Inlight saw him becoming a tall, dark figure with devilish smile. He holded Inlight closer to him, and he heard him speak the phrase with voices of two.

"Turn your face to the Moon, FOAL!"

Inlight opened his eyes and gasped for the air, covered in cold sweat. He stood up from his sleeping position, and covered the wound on his neck with his hoof. It was just a nightmare. Pegasi took a couple of deep breaths, before his mind could properly work. He remembered what happened last time when he was awake, how he saw as Aspirants fell one after another from the arrows of the attackers. He remembered seeing a Focus on one of the attackers, and the pony who nearly killed him. He was stopped just second before he could take away his life by...

"Duskshine..." Inlight quietly spoke with sadness in his voice, eyes wattering up. He was gone. Forever. He would not be near him anymore, or anywhere else. He was dead, giving his life for Inlight's. Inlight burried his face in hooves, quietly sobbing under the light of the candles, put on the tables near him. After a moment, he wipe his tears and tried to stand up from his bed. He moved his body, helping with hooves, to the edge of the bed. Every move he made was followed by pain in his body, like he fell from the cliff straight on the water below.

And from what he last remembered, he did exacly that.

He put his hindlegs on the metal floor, before he realised that he missed something. He quickly raised his hoof to under his ear, and only felt his fur, wet from the sweat.

"Oh nonononono!" Inlight said with worry. His Focus was missing! Was it taken from him when his items were put together? If so, then where? He tried to stand up, but he tipped over and fell onto the cold floor. But that wouldn't stop him. Inlight tried to stand up again, despite the pain in his body, and he succeded, standing up on his hooves. He slowly started to move, while inspecting the place he had slept in. Those were sleeping quaters, as he could say from a couple of beds in this room. Candles, placed everywhere, lit up the room. He was strangely alone, no soul was near him. Inlight continiued to move to the door, entering the coridor, decorated with Nora accesories.

"Why is no one here? Where am I?" Inlight questioned as he turned to walk right, to the other room. On the other side there were metal doors, just as in the Old World ruin. This place is... from the Old World? Then why bring him here? Pegasi questioned himself, looking arround the room, untill he saw his clothes! His armor Sliver Reef gave him and a Focus! Inlight quickly walked to it and picked up his armor outfit, ready to dress up.

It took fair ammount of time, but in the end, the pain slowly faded and Inlight could wear a costume normaly. He put his Focus just under his ear, and immediately turned it on. He looked arround. This place was the Old World ruin, lightened with candles. He looked up, and saw a big source of the signal, bigger than any machine, just like... Metal Devil. If he was under Metal Devil then that meant that he was in the...

"I'm in the Sacred Mountain?" Inlight questioned himself. "But... only Matriarch is allowed here... why bring me here?" He had a lot of questions, and with the wonder and alert, he went further. He still had to find his weapons, and killer's Focus.

He walked through the long, cold corridors, passing stalagtites and stalagmites, coming from the floor and the ceiling. He walked to the left, and came right into the ruin filled with candles, and in the middle of it his weapons were laying! He came closer and picked his bow, spear, arrow quiver and the Focus.

Inlight groaned at the sigh of the killer's Focus, as it was partialy damaged. Couldn't they carry his things atleast gently? Lets just hope that he could read data from it...

"Well now, what can you tell about yourself?" Flame-maned pegasi scanned other Focus, and was greeted by swarm of orange circles, each of them having a cross in it. Almost every file was damages... exept one. Inlight moved the corrupted files with his hoof, and looked at one audiofile – recording. He tappet on it once, and was greeted by familiar large white unicorn with orange eyes, in the same armor as they've met last time. "You..." Inlight said with bitterness, as recording started.

"To all avaliable units, abandon the exavations sites and move to the assighed coordinates. Targer imagining is attached to this message." Recording stopped, and a holograpgic map appeared, which looked like the Embrase. Three red dots were on the base of the mountain, which looked like Sacred Mountain.

"'Target imagining'....?" Inlight asked no one, as he looked at the image with curiosity. The killers planned to attack the Provint, to kill someone from the group... they were after him? But why? And how do they even know about him? He only recently met anyone who was not his guardian! With each question answered two came up, one more confusing than the other... Inlight sighed, and looked again at the datafile he saw. There was another file, attached to the hologram. Inlight raised his hoof to it, and pressed. In an instance the hologram faded, and new one appeared. It was a pegasi wearing an Nora armor, with short mane colored like flame and blue eyes. It was recording of Inlight.

"And who says I'm like other Nor-" The recording stopped mid sentence, but it was enough for Inlight to put the puzzle pieces together.

"They saw me through North Star's Focus..." Inlight remembered how he said those words when met that mysterious mare. That's why she quickly trotted away after her Focus glitch? When she recorded him, it malfunctioned and made her leave? Then why she was so frightened of something? Either way, North Star worked with attackers, and SHE was guilty of the attack. He had to find her, and put an end to her plans! Only how could he do it...?
His train of thoughts stopped as he heard hoofsteps coming from behind him. He froze in place, thinking what he should do. He slowlu raised his hoof, reaching to his bow as the hoofsteps were coming closer. Inlight suddenly quickly turned arround, bow ready to draw, when he saw a familiar eldery changeling – High Matriarch Syrenna.

"Syrenna!?" Flame-maned pegasi surprisingly exclaimed, as Syrenna walked closer, and spoke.

"Inlight! Thank All-Mother you're safe! I was wondering where did you go." She then looked back from where she came from, and waved her hoof to Inlight. "Come now! We need to go quick!" Not even waiting for pegasi, eldery changeling started to go in opposite direction.

"We need to go... b-but to where!?" Inlight questioned. He didn't understood why so much hurry. But his answer came shortly after when Syrenna told him.

"To the place where you were born!"

This made Inlight freeze for a moment. Inlight looked down, shanking his head, eyes full of disbelief. And after a moment, he opened his mouth, and spoke.

"W-WHAT!?"

Flame-maned pegasi and tall changeling queen walked through large hallway, made out of metal and steel. On the sides, it was lightened by small candles, paired with religious emblembs of the tribe.

"A-Am I gonna meet my mother?" Inlight was speaking exitedly, following Syrenna by her side.

"Yes, but it's complicated. Come on." Changeling rolled her eyes and gone in the dirrection of large door, which has a large circle structure in the middle, and small console panel. They walked closer with each step they made, while Inlight continiued to ask questions about his mother, thinking he will meet her soon.

"Does my mother look like me? Or she just has white coat as I do..? Was she a pegasi too? Wait, that's a stupid question..." He continiued talking, untill they reached large doors. Syrenna came closer to the console, but hesitated to open the door, face full of hesitation. Inlight was quick to notice the way changeling felt, and soon he felt suspition in his heart. "Syrenna?" He quietly asked once again.

"You were not born from anycreature, Inlight." That statement struck Inlight surprisingly, while he widened his eyes from shock. And before he could ask what High Matriarch meant, he was hit once again. "The mountain is your mother." Before Inlight could ask even more questions, Syrenna waved a hoof through the console, and in turn, the doors started to open, revealing what was inside.

They were greeted by a enormous room, filled with candles and rugs, along with Nora marks. In the centre, from the centre, one of the tentacles of Metal Devil froze in time, in the middle of getting into the room. The hall it made let the sunlight lighten the room. Behind the Metal-Devil's arm, up by a couple of stairs, stood large doors, made with round and dark metal. On that door were three triangle-shaped lines, one bigger and higher than other.

"What is this place...?" Inlight gasped, observing the room, eyes filled with wonder.

"This, Inlight Dust, is the birthplace of all Nora! The womb of the mountain!" High Matriarch Syrenna exclaimed, her voice echoing through the room. So this was the place from where all of the Nora tribe came from? This place was enormous, and the doors of the womb stood shut. While they were walking to the middle of the room, Syrenna started to speak first.

"Inlight, the massacre at the Proving is not the only bad news for the tribe. The attackers vanished after their slaughter. Our scouts managed to find their camp but not their trails. But there's more-"

"Wait," Inlight suddenly stopped, making Syrenna walk a couple of hooves before stopping and looking back. "How does that is related to where I came from?" He questioned changeling queen, clearly confused about that.

"My thoughts are... with everything!" Syrenna answered, and turned her head to point at the top of the stairs with her hoof. "17 years ago, on a particulary stormy night, we heard cries coming from this room. We came here, and saw you, right there." Inlight looked at where Syrenna was pointing, full of wonder and confusion.

"So... I came from behind the door. From the 'womb'?" He questioned, putting two and two together. He couldn't just appear out of thin air, and he was next the door, so his mother is... behind it. In the womb. That was strange. Why leaving him alone? Why did she made that choise? That doesn't make any sence, that doesn't make ANY sence.

"That's what I always thought!" Syrenna spoke, waking Inlight from his thoughts. "That you were brought here by All-Mother herself! But others... like Jehzaa... thought that you were brought here by someone else – the Metal Devil. The seed from which our tribe will rot appart. We couldn't get into the agreement so... we casted you out. To Duskshine." Syrenna spoke, as Inlight looked at the door infront of them. This was no Godness or Metal Devil, this was created by the Old Ones, not some entities!

"But this isn't a Godness..." Inlight bitterly spoke as he started to climb the stairs up to the door before them.

"Inlight...!"

"That's a door!" Inlight pointed hoof at the door, finishing climbing the stairs, now standing directly before the entrance. He looked at the frustrated changeling, then turned his glaze back to the door. "With creatures inside..." Even denying any Godness or god-like being, this was still strange. Creatures behind a metal door, created by the Old Ones... what did they do there?

Suddenly, the red light started to glow from the triangular lines, and the ray of light lit up and pointed on just before Inlight. The ray started to move up, covering the front part of Inlight. A small interface with small text and picture of pony, looking like him appeared him, while synthetised voice spoke.

"Hold for Identiscan."

Syrenna gasped as she heard the door talk. For her, it was Godness herself speaking down to her heir – Inlight Dust. Meanwhile for flame-maned pegasi, it was quite surprising but he hold still while the red light passed his head, covering him whole. Light faded, and and door continiued to glow red. The silence was interrupted by once again a robotic voice.

"Genetic profile confirmed. Entry- ALERT. OMEGA registry corrupted. Unable to access the facility. Entry unauthorised." And light began to slowly fade. Inlight was stunned, but it quickly changed to frustration.

"No, NO!" He shouted, hoping that his voice could somehow open the door, but unsuccesfuly. Red light faded, telling Inlight that he would not enter the hatch, would not find out who was his mother. "No..." Inlight sat down on the cold floor, while changeling queen came closer, putting her hoof on his shoulder, comforting him. Pegasi's head hanged low, with eyes closed trying to hold his new tears. All of the answers he needed, and they were locked infront of him, away from him. The room went silent once again, leaving pegasi and the changeling in silence.

"Inlight..." Syrenna spoke softly, continiuing to comfort Inlight. "The Godness spoke to you! It knew you like she was the one to give birth to you!"

"Did you not hear...?" Inlight spoke, anger starting to rise in his voice. "It did NOT recognised me!" He didn't want to look at High Matriarch's face. He couldn't, he just wanted to be left alone.

"Because of the corruption!" Syrenna countered Inlight's words. "She said it herself that the womb is corrupted, and clearly if you will heal that corruption she will recognise you." She said her every word with confidence, and assured Inlight that it would work, and he'll succeed. Flame-maned pegasi stood up, finally looking at the changeling queen.

"Then how should I... heal the Godness, may I ask?"

"It can be connected to the killers from the Proving. Their dark essence came on this land corrupting the Godness herself. So if you find them, you can heal it!" Syrenna came up with the plan for Inlight. He had to find the killers, and make them pay. However that shoud've helped, he needed to do this. Sky Breaker, Summerwind... all of the Aspirants.... Duskshine. They took first pony he could call a friend, they took the pony who raised him. And Inlight wantet revenge. "But they left no trail for you to follow... that would be bad." Syrenna mumbled under her nose, while putting her hoof on a chin. "Is there any other lead you can follow, Inlight?"

Theese word awoke Inlight from his thoughts, and Inlight began to think of other alternative ways to get them. He knew North Star is along with them, but where does she even live? Equestria, from what he heard, is a really big place, he wouldn't find her in it! Unless...

"Silverhoof... brother of North Star, the main lead..." Inlight spoke under his nose, thinking even further. He was one of the Equestrian elite warriors, so he would be in their capital. "He lives in Canterlot."

"But that's outside the Nora territory. Becoming an exile right after becoming a Brave...?" Everyone knew that any Nora who leaves his homeland becomes an exile, shunned from the Sacred Land. He looked at Syrenna, eyes full of unsertainty. She looked at him, making her own plan, and after a moment, she made a smile.

"I know just what you need."

Two tall figures, wearing ceremonial tribal robes, stood infront of the entrance to Sacred mountain. One was Hippogriff with dark-blue coat, other was kirin, colored gray and yellow. They looked at the crowd of creatures, coming to All-Mother mountain, to mourn the victims of the slaughter on the Proving. From the cave, two other figures appeared. One was changeling queen in ceremonial robes, and other was flame-maned pegasi, with armor of a Brave.

"Sokorra, Jehzaa! I have to speak to you!" Syrenna declared to her sisters, who both turned their heads, one with blank expretion, and other with frown on her face. "The Godness spoke to Inlight Dust! She tasked him to heal her corruption, but he has to leave the Sacred Land." Changeling queen explained the situation to her sisters, while Inlight stood nearby, looking at the crowd.

"A Seeker?" Female hippogriff spoke. "But there was no Seekers in over a century."

"I know, Sokorra." Syrenna calmly replied. "But we need to make a new exeption, the one which will decide the of the tribe."

"PFH, you want to name this thing a Seeker?" Female kirin said, pointing a hoof on Inlight, saying her words with all the bitterness she could. She then came closer to him, visibly larger than Inlight. "Then let it be! May he go from the Sacred Land and never return!" Jehzaa spoke, and left the scenery into the Sacred mountain, leaving Inlight devastated. Both Matriarchs looked at each other, then, with sympathy, walked to him and put their hooves of his shoulders.

"Inlight Dust, you are given a sacred task to heal our godness and bring justise to ones who passed away at the Proving. And with this task, you are given a Seeker's mark." Syrenna announced, floating a mark with her blue aura of magic, as Sokorra continiued.

"May no boundaries or taboo stop you on achieving your task. May you carry the will of All-Mother, and serve her as truthfull as did the first Braves of the Nora."

"Hereby we announce you the Seeker of the Nora, may you spread the light, when it doesn't shine." Both Matriarchs finished their speech, and Inlight took the Seekers mark. He took a deep breath, and put the mark on his belt. No boundaries now stopped him. He was now free to leave the Sacred Land. And then, he will find the killers and make them pay, all of them.

From now on, he was Inlight Dust, Seeker of the Nora.