Ma’s breath is warm across my nape. We are curled beneath the stars, laying upon a mat of soft spring flora. Feathers and the smell of her fur, and Da’s soothing voice breaks silence. His tone is earnest and soft, not as a vine sent to snare but a warm ray of sun splashing my soul. I listen to another of his eve stories.
“Magic and the importance of it in the threads of time. You have often questioned me of this.”
“Hear my words dear one, so that you might become wise.”
“Our plane of existence is mythical, abound with colorful sprites that whisk their way through life as silken beings spun into the cloth of time. I am child of this world, whelped from the soil and fashioned by intimate fingers. Yet. Among the flavor called joy, there must always be a bitter residue. A song of woo that decrees grand and tiny insignificance creature alike will sing.”
“It is through knowledge that I’ve learned and lost. “
His face fades, I can no longer see it plainly.
“There is another world child, a plane of existence that is untold through legend. You can’t see it, smell it, touch it. Nay, it is likely you will never feel it.”
“You ask how it exists.”
“Hush now. The story has only begun.”
“Every memory. Every action. There will always be a choice you didn’t make, a path you didn’t take. What would have happened child; if you had only taken that other path? “
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I sleep an honest slumber. With innocent surrender I fall into that realm of rare bliss. Lulled by the baritone of my father’s voice—it is him and his stories that cradle this resting place. Protection, assurance. There is a change in the dream as my childspirit falls asleep and his voice fades into a whisper, “There is a portal to a neutral place. Where all choices are made—some even changed.” I smile, knowing his story well enough to retell the feelings of childlike glee on that quiet eve of its telling. There is a touch of serious in that tone, though I wasn’t old enough then to recognize it. “I’ve seen it,” He says.
Suddenly, a cry to wake the dead is sent to bugle toward heaven. A scream so unholy, unnatural it gashes my molars upon themselves and I nearly bite my tongue. A lung crushing darkness sets in and I stir violently from that dreamscape to enter a nightmare. It is not to my sweet desert that lids rise and meet, but a shivering gap of space between herself and me. I start at once, lips spread in a silent omission of fear and shock. The space widens, what lies ahead is startling, frightening even. Fina is here with me, her worry, concern rushes to me like a wave. A phoenix cry leaps toward heaven.
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A dead world stands before us. Full of lightening and fire, it rains down from the sky like falling stars. Sometimes entwining in lovers fashion before crashing into dark water below. Bulking by now, my wings are spread and thrusting to push me away…limbs backpedal until I can feel rump hit something solid. The bark of that old Magnolia we slept under? She is there, urging me backwards, tugging upon my flank with ironclad talons. Fearful of an impending doom I painfully eject her from my mind, “Go!” the word comes out as a scream that vibrates our connection forcefully enough to send her reeling.
Still the space spreads until I could taste salt in the air, feel wind lash my cheeks. A sickening reality set in; this strange world was going to pull me. Hold me captive where not even the sun could reach. Moments before it swallowed me whole I cried out as a fevered man grasping for life. Knowing that death was coming.
Death didn’t come.
Fire and water. There never seemed to be an end. I had come to this vacant world forever ago, or days ago. It was impossible to tell. Water below and fire above. There was no light save for the strikes of lightening and fireflashes that fell from above. Below for as far as my eyes could see was water. Salt water.
When I first arrived, there had been hope. I flew a grand distance, circling perhaps the whole globe in stubborn determination to find a way out. A way home. There was no exit point, no salvation. This was pure hell. Eventually my wings began to grow stiff, each beat was a painful reminder that they wouldn’t hold me up much longer without rest. Finally at the end of both energy and moral. I fell forward, gliding closer to unconsciousness as the water drew near.
So thirsty. My tongue was a hot and heavy piece of useless flesh behind teeth. The fragile folds of muscle was burning and each swallow agony. I thought that my time had come. I would drown in this forgotten world without a soul to morn for the passing. Alone. Without my God.
I prayed a quiet request for my family all the same. They had been present in my thoughts since the beginning and it seemed right that they be there in this final moment.
And I fell.
But. Not upon the cold surface of water. Stone! A mass of land had formed the moment I drew near, large enough to house my shape with a little extra surface for laying. Feathers extended as if to try some feeble effort to bring me toward the sky again. The ground held sturdy as if rooted below the ocean, I stumbled and nearly fell over. More rocks appeared to catch me from below, forbidding me access to a watery grave. Smooth and slippery, not pointed. I had never seen stones of such texture and locked together so tightly.
My knees locked themselves so that I might remain standing a little longer, and for a moment I just stood by as the world raged on above and below. Waves didn’t quiver my rockscape, yet I felt sick all the same. Hunger coupled with thirst. I wanted to reach out and drink the splashing moisture which lapped the sides of stone. My wings closed hesitantly, their creaking pain resounded through me, a raspy moan slipped toward the sky as I heaved and waited for death.
Death didn’t come. At least not quickly.
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Eventually my weakness and desperation gave way to a raw instinct for survival. Giving up would mean a slow death, if I’m meant to die in this world—I would do so after only exhausting ever effort. Slowly and carefully because I didn’t trust my stomach or body at this point—right forelimb took a shaky step forward. More stones appeared ahead of my hoof and miraculously I didn’t fall over from a dizziness that was invading this mind. One more step and the stones rapidly emerged out toward my left, they circled the water and made a ring in the ocean. I watched with an awakening fascination. Shifting toward the stone circle I paused at the edge and noticed something rather query within.
Around the rocks was water stirred by elements, inside the circle it was entirely calm. The water was so still I felt that it could be walked upon. Something else was different as well, water inside the circle smelled sweet, pure. Whereas the liquid on the outside was salty. Tensely I reached out, parched lips daring past fear of unknown danger—they slipped across the edge. Nothing emerged to block my path, and no beast lunged out to claim me. Sinking lips into the water I gave one thirsty tug and swallowed. Instantly a wave of relief filled me when the water fell past my tongue and down to an upset stomach. Greedily I drank from the pool until my insides sloshed.
Revived, I withdrew from the water with a crooked smile creasing the corners of my face. One small victory that could be savored. Moisture dripped down my muzzle and fell in little drops back into the water it had come. Something moved in the pool, jerking from that brief moment of content to alert I shifted a step back. The weight of stone holding firm. More movement followed in the pool until it swam with shapes, yet the water never so much as trembled. Pictures formed, an image of some other place. With mouth gaping I leaned in again, having lost some fear of it.
The picture shifts, moving in a forward fashion as if I was looking through the eyes of another person. Sky and grass, the sun. It was shining in that world behind the pool, my looker seemed to be basking in it. A figure outlined by the glare came flying in on creamy wings. I stiffed from having recognized the shape and cried out, “Cera!!” at the water, my breath hitched when a small ripple appeared and the image vanished out of sight.
It was me who trembled now. I leaned over, peering and waiting for something to happen. Nothing did. Eventually I gave up and did the only thing a reasonable fellow could do in this situation. I walked away on the mythical stones. As I did more of the path appeared, and in turn more circles also emerged. The first circle had vanished behind me, as did the first path. I glanced back every so often, halfway expecting the rocks to suddenly jest and disappear beneath the black ocean to take me with them. There were dozens of pools that I peered in, each still looking through another set of eyes. Some appeared to present a healthy world, others a broken one. The vision remained if I didn’t blow it out.
Standing still by any circle, I could watch for hours or days. Seeing loved ones that I had known, and a few that I hadn’t. The pools didn’t tell the same story twice. Nor was there an end to them—I watched on and on. Walked on and on. There were hundreds, thousands or more pools. Staring helplessly out across that dark horizon I had just about hit my limit—there was a consistency about this place. There was one thing that I hadn’t tried.
Entering one of the pools.
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I paused in front of a ring, chosen above the others for testing. Right before I can touch the glass like surface with an extended hoof, there was a sharp noise from behind. Anyone with sense could recognize it for the clicking of feet against stone. When I looked up everything else faded away, even the sounds of ocean and wind.
It was me that stood at a distance. I was looking at myself.
A collar of battleborn steel hangs across his shoulders, it was scratched and its amber gold center was dull. Sunblessed orbs appeared tired like me, dimmed by fight. Pink lines that are deep scars litter his pelt. Yet, this creature was similar to me in every other way despite the tattered appearance. We peered at each other from a distance before stepping in a copycat way to meet the other face to face. Pausing in the same instant I opened my mouth to speak and he did the same. Ears notched themselves back, and his did the same; ivory tail slipped against my quarters, his did as well. Finally my voice found its way out, “Are you me?” He didn’t mimic now, merely stared at me with a vacant amusement.
Finally the moment seemed to suit him well enough to answer, “Aye.” An already tight frown deepened and I ventured another question that would perhaps end this game, “How do we leave?” This only seemed to amuse him all the more, a wicked grin emerged across his maw and the fellow laughed in a way that might make small children cry. “We. Do not.” I was tired and strained to a fine edge, he could see this and snickered all the more. “Better hurry though your son waits, he is quite the little murderer,” the sneering tone caught me by how bitter it sounded. Now it was my turn to snarl as an angry spark flashes behind a normally docile gaze, quickly I hiss a defense for my prized prodigy, “You are sorely mistaken”
He glances up at me, smile fading into a biting sneer, “Mur-der-er.”
Physical needs melt away and I shift subconsciously into a battle stance, he mimics the same—still sneering. “What are you going to do, kill me as he did? Nay friend you should know I am a dead man walking.” There wasn’t time to riddle his games.
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I thought we would fight, my limbs are prepped toward action. Jaw already hardening into a tight line of resistance. But we didn’t spar, his taunts seemed pitiful at the very least considering the situation. I certainly couldn’t stand expending pointless energy and somehow I felt that attacking him would be out of vain here. There was no glory or reward to be had. I glared at him in disgust all the same and with an almost dismissal way turned my eyes toward the pools around us. He chuckled and fell silent for a moment, the brow of one eye rose in what I thought was consideration.
The battlescar was considering something.
Just as I’m about to walk away from this conversation and go back to mulling over how to enter a ring, he spoke again; still biting words but less…bitter sounding, “I can help you get home.” Surprised by this sudden change of jest to assist I couldn’t help but stare at him with a skeptical sort of smirk that seemed off balance. Perhaps I was going mad after all. He didn’t laugh this time, only turned and started walking along the path as if expecting me to follow. I stood by, watching as each step led the beast further away. His ears didn’t so much as leave their pricked position to sense if I was coming along. Somehow it felt as if I would be tailing the head of a wolf—but this might be my only option.
Warily I started after him. We walked for a long while, many hours. His rear was always ahead, plodding along--following the image of myself lost its antics after the first few hours. I began to grow increasingly frustrated as time wore on, and with it my strength. “How much longer?” I asked quietly, fearing with a sick dread that he was leading me closer to a grave instead of salvation.
“We are here.”
He stopped and I paused, gazing from behind nervously as a foal might stare around her dame. Another pool, seemingly similar to the rest was ahead of his hooves. Edging closer while stifling sounds of unease and weariness I tried to appear less exhausted than he, and failed miserably. His head, so similar to mine swiveled around to regard me with a smile that made me cringe. “You look like shit.” Mumbling in return I countered with a rasp, “Aye and in good company.”
For the first time since we had laid eyes upon each other I saw a shift in his gaze, a softening of lips that hardened back into a tight line shortly after. Leaning over the pool I realized that though it seemed similar to all the others, it was different. No images appeared, the water was darker—black as the ocean that swirled around us. “Where exactly is…here?” Silence greets me and my face turns to regard the now empty spot he had been standing just seconds ago.
I am alone again.
Head swivels around, eyes frantically searching—hoping for a wild moment that this wasn’t just in my mind. I wasn’t going crazy. My mirror had just been standing by, talking to me. Telling me I looked like shit. Nostrils flare into a snort and turn to the dark pool again with dying remnants of hope falling into the cold ash. The water remains still and pictureless. My heart thunders ahead, if there was ever a time for fear; now was its moment.
My body is weak, I feel sleepy. This couldn’t go on; I had to do something.
I slipped my right forehoof into the black liquid. It felt cool against my fur, a tingling sensation ran up the limb and trembled my muscles. There was no pain, but there is a pulling sensation. Like an undertow or strong current. Drawing in a shaky breath of salt air that I prayed wasn’t my last, I jumped into the water. There wasn’t time to tread water and a strong individual wouldn’t have been able to fight the current in a healthy state. Instantly my frame is pulled under, wings pushed themselves tighter against my sides. They were useless now. I kicked feebly and closed my eyes. There was no point in seeing, because it was black all around.
My chest started to hurt moments later from lack of oxygen. Seconds passed before I was fighting panic, it had all been for nothing. The shadow me had finished his final act, tricking me into death by choice. For the chance at returning to the surface I weakly gave up my last reserve of energy over to the hands of fate. Feet kicked passionately and my eyes lifted to see the same black as before. The flicker of life began to dim as nothing changed and the tightening of chest began to crush my heart. I found out that the mind during its last few moments would escape. Da’s face came forward in that moment, Ma’s eyes. Her bright golden eyes. I watched them and the tenderness they held. Sleep.
When was the last time….I…slept?
Water couldn’t be held back any longer, it came rushing in past my slack jaw. A most uncomfortable sensation, and then the world really went black.
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Air. Sand. I could see a light, and the sound of waves.
Black again.
OCC:: Midas is very weak and starved. His body is lean from the lack of nourishment.
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[O] Down the rabbit hole and back again (Open, healers, family, Kri)
