PAST
The Dawn woke up screaming. Her bedding was damp from sweat, skin clammy, breathing coming in rasps. Her bedroom door opened briskly and her Syncs rush in, nightgowns of green and turquoise flowing around their slippered feet.
Fawn
Are you alright?
Pawn
We heard you cry out.
The bedroom was semi dark, illuminated by the soft light of Topaz City's night life from the modest window. Miles distance from the Papuru Inn's building of suites, the inner city was still abuzz with activity as midnight approached. Fawn had conjured a towel from thin air and proceeded to dap at her Base's forehead and face, pushing aside a strand of silver highlights among tangles of jet black hair. The Dawn shrugs her off with a brush of the hand.
The Dawn
There's a towel right there on the counter. Next time, just grab that instead.
Fawn
I'm sorry, I just reacted-
The Dawn
It's fine. I'm the one who should apologize. I woke you.
Pawn
What was the nightmare about?
The Dawn stares at her, then throws a brief glance at Fawn.
The Dawn
It was just a dream, nothing to worry about. Go back to bed, you two. We have a busy day tomorrow.
They are reluctant, but obey. The Dawn lay back down upon cold pillow sweat, shivering as she stared at the city lights playing across the high ceiling. She needed sleep, so despite her hesitance, she closes her eyes.
***
The Dawn woke up screaming, blankets tangling her limbs, causing her to fall out of bed. She heard foot falls pounding on wet grass, then her tent door is pushed aside by the hand of a teenage boy; a split second later, a small female child pushed past him into the tent's living room. It was her two besties, Truth and Cat. They untangle a ten year old Dawn from her blankets, Cat pushing her friend's dark hair from her sweaty face.
Cat
What happened, Dawn?
Child Dawn
It...was nothing.
Teen Truth
Didn't sound like nothing.
Cat
You can tell me anything. You know that, right?
Child Dawn
I know, Cat. But really, its embarrassing.
Cat
Did you dream about being stuck in a tree? That's what always scares me.
Child Dawn
I dreamed... Truth won Supreme of the Year.
Cat
Oh, that is terrible.
Teen Truth
No, its not! In fact, I plan on taking the Plunge tomorrow.
Cat
No way! Can I be your second?
Teen Truth
You're too young.
Cat
You only four years older than me and you need at least two to go down there.
Teen Truth
Some of the guys are going with me.
Cat
Lucky them. I think I feel your pain now, Dawn. Good thing it was only a dream.
Child Dawn
Yeah...
Teen Truth
Come on, you two. The others got breakfast ready.
Cat hugs Child Dawn tightly, then sprung to her feet.
Cat
Hurry and get dressed. I'll save us a spot by the waterfall.
She runs and jumps onto Teen Truth's back as he was heading to the exit.
Cat
Carry me!
Teen Truth
No, your not five anymore.
Cat
I'm twelve, but still lazy. Carry me or I'll turn you to a frog.
The teen was fighting to dislodge his unwanted passenger as the tent door flapped closed.
Child Dawn feels around her small frame, ensuring she was in one whole piece. She levitates the glass of water from her nightstand over her head and tips it. The cool water causes her to shiver, a sense of ease envelopes her. She then starts to change from her soaked pajamas.
***
The Dawn woke, no longer willing to go on with the dream. She exits the bed and grabs the clothes she threw in the general direction of the room's cabinet earlier in the night. She checked the time and groans. Twelve hours left. Hers was the fifth battle of the day; not much time to plan.
In the living room, she finds Fawn in her battle gear. Loose fitting tunic and pants of green and white as opposed to the Dawn's darker color scheme; both had their long hair pinned up, keeping faces clear. She was standing by the door to the guest room from which Pawn emerges, mirror to each with the exception of a color swap of different shades of grey and a perpetual look of trepidation.
The Dawn
What's up? I told y'all to go to bed.
Fawn
Once I'm up, I'm up for good. Figured me and Pawn get some training in.
The Dawn
Sounds like a plan. You two don't have much experience with the Locket. Let's change that.
They walk the short distance to the Papuru Inn's training gym that was assigned for their private use. The thousand square foot facility held only the best in training equipment, both for physical fitness and spell practice. The Dawn herself never used the gym, but Fawn spent much of her time here. They spent the coming hours on strength training without enhancements and speed casting using the room's mag-tek sphere. The silver, grey orb housed magic within and was mass produced on her home world, though The Dawn had never used one.
Fawn was currently engaged in a mock battle with it. Programmed to use a wealth of magic spells and curses, all within 800,000 Talent, it flew about the room casting magic without the drawback of having to sign, weave, or speak. When The Dawn trained in the use of magic in the past, mag-tek hadn't been invented yet, thus she had no clue how they operated, even so, she wasn't impressed with the technology. Mag-tek was mainly used on her world by those with low Talent or sold to aliens with no Talent whatsoever and were infused with weak, but useful magics. They were more commonplace nowadays with one in every four Braloorians seeming to have one floating over their shoulders. Usually programmed to aide its user in a variety of functions, this one was programmed to fight as if it had a Talent level of 10,000,000.
Fawn was quick on her feet and with her casting, able to correctly deduce the correct counter spell or anti curse at the right time; for timing was key when engaging in battle with magic. Each spell or curse cost Talent that is deducted from a caster's natural born Talent amount, which had a recharge rate of 1000 per second. In a fight, a careless mage could find herself without the Talent to defend herself and die a painful death. Being cloned from a Human, even one as fit as The Dawn, meant her stamina was limited compared to those they would encounter during the competition. After almost an hour of non stop running, leaping, dodging, and casting, both offensively and defensively, Fawn was struck by a paralyzing curse that ended the battle. The orb went back to its nook in the wall. The Dawn went to help her Sync to her feet as Pawn walked over from where she had been watching.
Pawn
That was spectacular, Fawn!
The Dawn
I gotta admit, you have improved a great deal in short order.
Fawn
Thanks.
The Dawn
Now you, Pawn.
Fawn takes the blood red locket from around her neck, handing it to Pawn, who hesitates a few seconds before putting it in place. She steps timidly into the designated area, the mag-tek activating to hover a few meters away. She enters a fighter's stance.
The Dawn
Ready? Get to work.
The Dawn was currently trying to get her Syncs into the practice of using the Locket to sense danger. The mag-tek came in the same way it had with Fawn, quick, angled patterns. Her reaction time was decent compared to her twin's, but her choice of spells was lacking in depth or imagination. Her Syncs held her wealth of knowledge in casting and lacked her innate flaw of self restriction, but held there own disabilities that created roadblocks in the application of that knowledge. With Pawn, danger was everywhere, including her own actions, thus she spent precious seconds contemplating the outcome of each decision, making her delay considerably.
As the actual dawn begin to crest to the west, the training had morphed into firmament production. The Traveler's Locket was unique to all other magical based amulets due to the sandy white substance it could produce at unknown quantities, which Xenzalin had dubbed firmament. Sometimes, the Locket conjured the material without conscience effort on the wearer's part; others, it was dependent on how intuitive to the Locket the user was in their current mental state on whether firmament would come when summoned.
The Dawn
Relax, Pawn. It's only practice. You're too tense. Stop thinking about what happens if you fail. Pain is a sensation that we all learn from. Act too much the coward, the Locket won't respond the way you want it too. It'll do want it wants.
Pawn was not successful at blocking the mag-tek attacks and was constantly picking herself up off the matted floor. After several sweaty sessions, Pawn was about to take off the Locket, halting at The Dawn's insistence.
The Dawn
Keep it for now. Get used to the feel of its hum in your mind.
The trio retreat back to The Dawn's super suite for breakfast. Pawn was chewing absently, when The Dawn cleared her throat for attention.
The Dawn
Since you need more practice, Pawn, you'll be participating in the next battle.
Pawn
Are...are you sure that's a good idea?
Fawn
The experience will be needed for later on.
Pawn
But what if I lose?
The Dawn
It's only one battle. Losing's not a big deal right now. Feeling out the opposition is.
Pawn (nervously)
What if I... die?
Fawn
The Locket will protect you. See? This is precisely why you have to do this. You lack faith in yourself and the Locket. This will remedy that.
The Dawn
Everything will be fine. Trust us.
***
The trio stood in the living room, eyes glued to the holoview. The program was currently in the process of deciding a geodome. Roxy's holoform floated next to the massive portrait of a barren land with blackened, dead trees.
Roxy
Superstars claim to have encountered ghosts here in the past. Spooky.
Pawn shivers, her lookalikes rubbing her back reassuringly.
The Dawn
It will be okay. See you soon.
Pawn vanished in the blink of an eye as Roxy continued her spiel.
Roxy
It's Superstar The Dawn vs Superstar Van Black at the Dead Territory! Here...we...go!!!
The Dawn felt Fawn eye her as Pawn was shown timidly walking about a cluster of dead trees. A split screen had Van Black motionless where the teleporter dumped him. Pawn's lips were moving, but no audible sound was picked up by the holo-cams. Is she casting already, was The Dawn's immediate thought, before Van Black was on the move in a sudden burst.
The Dawn and Fawn stood tense as there was no outward sign Pawn knew he was approaching. It was the crackings of burned trees Van Black was plowing through that finally drew her attention. A wall of grey brick blinks into existence between them, which Van Black punches through unimpeded. Another wall as Pawn began a retreat; Roxy's voice was shrill as it issued off screen.
Roxy
Superstar The Dawn flees before the awesome might of Superstar Van Black; the Death Hand demolishing every construct she can conjure. She's been muttering this whole time. Control, can we amplify the audio receptors?
Pawn had taken to the air, Van Black mere feet away. He angles on her trajectory, black clad hand reaching for her throat, when she was now somewhere else. Having teleported to the huge geodome doors leading out, her mutterings were becoming more clear as she pounded uselessly on the steel. The Dawn and Fawn share another look, this one of guilt, once they understood what she had been speaking under her breath.
Pawn (whispering)
I know what you two did. I know what you two did. I know what you two did.
Roxy
Not sure what she means, but she better pay attention. Van Black is closing in!
Her beating at the immovable doors became more frantic, her mutterings rising in volume until they were full blown shouting.
Pawn
I know what you did!!! I know what you did!!!
When she turned to face the coming threat, she was screaming the phrase, placing her hands together in a rotating motion. A yellow cloth appeared in Van Black's path and he smacked into it, face first. The cloth expands to cover Van Black entirely, then began to constrict. His muscled form shook with the strain, his legs were slowly but surely being drawn up to his chest, arms as well. As was Pawn's arms, shaking with effort, in her attempt to crush the Superstar, sweat ran in rivulets down her straining face.
Fawn (quietly)
You got him, girl. Come on.
The Dawn watches her Sync's vain efforts with a look of pure fear. The section of landscape around the fighters was turning reddish and Pawn was sweating profusely, panting as if catching her breath was getting more difficult by the second. The metal doors towering behind her started sparking before she caught on fire. The Dawn wanted to close her eyes, hoping to spare herself another nightmare to add to the bunch. She swallows hard and watched her kind, yet cowardly clone fall to her knees, with a hard stare right back at her through the holoview. Her words were clear amidst the crackling of flames, her eyes sad.
Pawn
You betrayed me.
Then she was blazing like a bonfire. Van Black had returned to the color of his namesake as the spell died along with the caster. The Locket appeared, floating before The Dawn's tear streaked face. She only looks at it; Fawn grabs it and drapes it over The Dawn's head.
The Dawn (sullenly)
Thank you for helping me, Fawn.
Fawn
If you had died, we both would have anyway. At least this nightmare will stop.
The Dawn (sullenly)
She knew.
Fawn
She caught me over her bed last night, weaving. I told her it was a protection spell. Thought she believed me.
The Dawn
But you erased her memory of my nightmares of Van Black.
Fawn
She would have broken down and been unfit for the omniband to take her. You would have been chosen by default.
The Dawn
How do you know that?
Fawn
The Locket revealed it to me.
That night, as The Dawn prepared for bed, she prayed she wouldn't have the same dream she had the night before. The one where she was a child again, back on Supreme Isle, with her best friend. While Truth was taking his Supreme trial, kid codename, the Plunge, they opted to play hide and seek in the small forest behind the structure the kids also playfully referred to as 'the Orphanage'. She had been 'it' and went searching for the twelve year old who was clouding her soul signature so her younger friend could practice reading a person's Talent for detection.
She found her past a cluster of foliage with spotted yellow leaves, upside down in a tree, one remaining eye staring blankly back at her. Clumps of her were scattered across the multicolored forest floor, along with insane amounts of red fluid. The last memory she had before her consciousness faded to darkness was of her best friend, The Catalyst, losing her perch on the thick branch to collect in a bloody pile at the base of the tree.
This was one of two nightmares that have plagued her since childhood and the one that woke her Syncs when she screamed. The second of the two nightmares, in fact, the very one that attracted The Truth and The Catalyst that morning fifteen years ago, had been of her death at the hands of the Death Hand. These two would alternate nights, but now, she hoped, the vision of her being torn apart by the orange hands of a radioactive giant or set ablaze by radiation, would cease. That sacrificing someone who, technically, was not truly alive anyway, would grant her the peace of a restful sleep that has eluded her for a decade and a half.
The nightmare had Cat and Pawn, blended together in a kaleidoscope of fire, blood, screams, and accusations.
PRESENT
A little girl in a frilly blue dress shakes her head in wonderment at The Dawn's dairy on the table next to her glass of green vine milk and perched black cat.
Little girl
I never suspected The Dawn capable of such betrayal.
Oscar
Humans are so intriguing.
Little girl
Yes, they are.
Oscar
Keep reading.
She turned the page.
End chapter