Nightmare
By
Elendil Star-Lover
Prologue: Cataclysm
~~ All that we ever see or seem is but a dream within a dream. Edgar Allen Poe
Gaia shook. It trembled. It screamed in agony as its inter-dimensional counterpart devoured it. The whole planet shrieked in hideous turmoil as it was ripped apart. Chewed up. Swallowed.
Pain, anguish, these were new things to SheWaltz. Sure, the black creature was given a soul, but it was a safety to an armed warhead. Any bit of individuality she had had been stripped from her by torturous beatings from her former master. She had really only become aware when she had awakened beneath Tantalus's hideout with a wooden shaft skewered through her gut and a little boy and young woman spared her.
At the time, the waltz assumed that mercy was sparing those weaker then yourself. Doubtless that meant SheWaltz giving up fighting altogether, but... Now she knows that mercy was...kindness. Compassion, all things she was denied emotionally as a child.
She killed so many, caused so much pain. Was there time to correct a few mistakes? She hoped so.
SheWaltz cast her glass-green eyes at the blood red sky and the milky white sun diminishing over the horizon. She listened to the cries of the earth and the people. They ran like ants beneath the Hilde Garde. They all panicked, so scared that all they could do was pray. Pray as the planet shook itself to tear open deep chasms and breathe to ease its pain. Pray as rocks flew from the chasms and into Terra's waiting mouth. Pray as they, themselves were lifted from their homes by Terra's greedy hands and into her gaping mouth.
Silently, SheWaltz shook her unseen head and sighed. Not for the first time in her sixteen years, she felt helpless. She felt as if she was an ant trying to move a redwood. She felt helpless when she held herself back at Beatrix's sword. She felt helpless in Bran Bal staring at the creatures that she once was... She felt helpless in the Black Mage Village when she realized the extent of her sins. At those times, she'd prayed as well.
She stood on the deck of the Hilde Garde watching her birthplanet literally consume her...home. Inside the wood and metal cockpit, she heard male voices shouting at each other and punches thrown. In an adrenaline-induced haze, the SheWaltz pushed the door inside open and telekinetically tore the two young men, one stark white, one vividly multicolored, apart from each other.
"Stop it, the both of you," the six-foot teenager hissed. Her voice dripped in acid as scathing as her eyes and as burning as her flaming mane and tail.
"This isn't the time."
"Then when is?" the colored boy asked. "I want to break his neck before I die."
SheWaltz shook her hidden head, "And die with a sin fresh on your chest? There has been enough bloodshed."
The air around her pulsated with her vindictive fear. The dark creature circled around the warily eyeing pale genome. He watched the monster her had created. He, too, was scared. Not of her, not of his favorite creation. SheWaltz pointed a black-gloved finger straight ahead, daring her former master to move. He jumped as he felt air rush around the base of his tail and then the prehensile appendage painfully yanked through the open hole in his "pants".
SheWaltz spun him around and pulled him close. Her green eyes burned into his blue.
"Wear no masks at the abysmal monster you have created," she sizzled.
Then she prayed as the last of Gaia tore apart.
Prologue: Cataclysm
~~ All that we ever see or seem is but a dream within a dream. Edgar Allen Poe
Gaia shook. It trembled. It screamed in agony as its inter-dimensional counterpart devoured it. The whole planet shrieked in hideous turmoil as it was ripped apart. Chewed up. Swallowed.
Pain, anguish, these were new things to SheWaltz. Sure, the black creature was given a soul, but it was a safety to an armed warhead. Any bit of individuality she had had been stripped from her by torturous beatings from her former master. She had really only become aware when she had awakened beneath Tantalus's hideout with a wooden shaft skewered through her gut and a little boy and young woman spared her.
At the time, the waltz assumed that mercy was sparing those weaker then yourself. Doubtless that meant SheWaltz giving up fighting altogether, but... Now she knows that mercy was...kindness. Compassion, all things she was denied emotionally as a child.
She killed so many, caused so much pain. Was there time to correct a few mistakes? She hoped so.
SheWaltz cast her glass-green eyes at the blood red sky and the milky white sun diminishing over the horizon. She listened to the cries of the earth and the people. They ran like ants beneath the Hilde Garde. They all panicked, so scared that all they could do was pray. Pray as the planet shook itself to tear open deep chasms and breathe to ease its pain. Pray as rocks flew from the chasms and into Terra's waiting mouth. Pray as they, themselves were lifted from their homes by Terra's greedy hands and into her gaping mouth.
Silently, SheWaltz shook her unseen head and sighed. Not for the first time in her sixteen years, she felt helpless. She felt as if she was an ant trying to move a redwood. She felt helpless when she held herself back at Beatrix's sword. She felt helpless in Bran Bal staring at the creatures that she once was... She felt helpless in the Black Mage Village when she realized the extent of her sins. At those times, she'd prayed as well.
She stood on the deck of the Hilde Garde watching her birthplanet literally consume her...home. Inside the wood and metal cockpit, she heard male voices shouting at each other and punches thrown. In an adrenaline-induced haze, the SheWaltz pushed the door inside open and telekinetically tore the two young men, one stark white, one vividly multicolored, apart from each other.
"Stop it, the both of you," the six-foot teenager hissed. Her voice dripped in acid as scathing as her eyes and as burning as her flaming mane and tail.
"This isn't the time."
"Then when is?" the colored boy asked. "I want to break his neck before I die."
SheWaltz shook her hidden head, "And die with a sin fresh on your chest? There has been enough bloodshed."
The air around her pulsated with her vindictive fear. The dark creature circled around the warily eyeing pale genome. He watched the monster her had created. He, too, was scared. Not of her, not of his favorite creation. SheWaltz pointed a black-gloved finger straight ahead, daring her former master to move. He jumped as he felt air rush around the base of his tail and then the prehensile appendage painfully yanked through the open hole in his "pants".
SheWaltz spun him around and pulled him close. Her green eyes burned into his blue.
"Wear no masks at the abysmal monster you have created," she sizzled.
Then she prayed as the last of Gaia tore apart.