Chapter 4: dreams of pain.
Heh heh. I forgot the disclaimer last chapter. -sigh- Well not this time. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own no one except the OCs, and even some of those aren't mine.
River and Keket watched as Moonriver leave. As soon as the door closed River said, "Ok let's get in her room before she gets back." Keket nodded. They quickly and quietly walked into Moonriver's room and we're confronted by the sight of a large circle with two empty bowls in the middle. River's pupils got small. "No, she couldn't possibly…" she said. Keket stared, unsure what she was talking about, but by the sight of things it didn't look good. "We have to get out of here, now." River said dashing for the door. Keket took one last glance at the circle, then ran after River.
Once they were in River's room, River switched on every light, banishing almost every shadow. "Can't take any risk." She said. She closed the blinds. "Explain to me what we just saw." Keket said, "Because it sure as hell doesn't look good." "It's human alchemy." River said sitting down next to her. "Human transmutation? Sounds serious." Keket said. "It is. Moonriver's tried it before. I can't believe she's trying again. You see human alchemy is trying to create a human. But it can't be done. I thought Moonriver understood that!" River explained. She looked at the cloudy sky through the sky light. "She's going to try tonight. We have to stop her."
Moonriver came back about an hour later, holding two large bags filled with bottles, and containers. She went to her room, not speaking, or looking for that matter, at anyone. River looked at her as she slammed the door. "Dammit. How could she try this again? I just can't understand it!" River said. "Calm down River, we'll stop her." Keket said.
Moonriver got everything ready, and then she laid down on the bed. She closed her eyes, and fell asleep.
-Dream-
Moonriver sit alone in a bloody field. The corpses of wolves dotted the field. Moonriver felt like she wasn't in her body. This is a dream she told herself. She knew what she was experiencing was a dream, but the way the grass moved, the smell of blood, all so vivid, like you could touch it. She got up and started to walk through the field. This is a dream she told herself again as she passed a bloody corpse. This is a dream. This is a dream. 'No Moonriver, it is a memory.' Came Dark Moon's voice. This is a dream. This is a dream. She ignored Dark Moon.
The landscape changed. She now stood in her den, her own body ay there, her children mourning her death. She knew it was a memory for sure. She remembered how she had died. Even though she knew this she continued to tell herself it was a dream. Moonriver was not enjoying her dreams this time. Usually they brought peace, not this time. Moonriver knew the cause. This was just her mind embodying her fears of what she was going to do when she woke in the form of dreams.
The landscape changed again. She now stood on the terra, the wind moving the grass back and forth, the scent of fresh blood reaching her where she stood. It was Larka's blood. She saw the body of her friend, her white pelt bloodied from a fight with Morgra, her gold/silver eyes seeming to fade as she lay there. 'Larka!' Moonriver tried to cry, but her voice seemed to be gone.
Moonriver felt a sharp pain in her back. She fell to the ground, her eyes still on her dying friend. 'Moonriver you are a fool.' Said Morganna. Moonriver groaned softly. The landscape changed again. Now Moonriver lay in a cell in Dark Moon's castle. 'How fitting. I'm not only a prisoner in the real world; I'm now a prisoner in my mind.' Moonriver said her voice choked with pain. She lay there, unable to sleep as she was already asleep, listening to the sound of what appeared to be water, more likely blood, dripping somewhere off in the distance.
River looked at the clock. Midnight. Moonriver had been silent for hours now. She was probably asleep. Then the sound of Moonriver moving around in her room. "Keket." River said. She had dozed off. "Is it time?" "Yeah, come on." River said walked to the door. The two walked into the hall. Darkness seemed to have fallen upon the entire place. River tried the door. It was locked. She heard Moonriver pouring in the materials. "Come on." She said taking out a hair pin. "Come on." She said again, a more urgent note to her voice.
Moonriver finished measuring everything. "Finally." She said. She clapped her hands together and put them to the circle.
River struggled with the door. Somehow the lock was resisting more than it ever did before. She heard Moonriver clap her hands together. She knew she was too late.