The Second Dream

(Drabble written for @black-rose-queen, in response to her own. Hope you enjoy this!)

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The silent, desolate landscape of the Moon hung in space, newly freed from the alien embrace of the Void.

The lone figure on it gazed at the elegant, gilded Orokin structure ahead, one of many that circled the ancient satellite.

The Tenno clad in the Ash Warframe began to silently move towards it, the instructions of the Lotus clear in his memory.

Save the Reservoir. Stop the Stalker.

Ash remembered the shadowy figure that had inconvenienced it twice before. Powerful, to be sure. But death was no obstacle to a Tenno.

Moving deeper into the ancient ivory-gold city, Ash’s thoughts wandered to the recent events.

What the Lotus had revealed about her own origins. The return of the Sentient, Hunhow. The revelation of the Moon’s location, the moon having long been presumed lost centuries ago.

Ash slowed down as he entered a chamber, a hand gripping his Dragon Nikana while the other held his Hikou Prime shurikens.

A waterfall fell from an unseen source in the ceiling above into a pit. Elegant, and typical of Orokin architecture. The Reservoir, no doubt.

Approaching it, Ash was mildly surprised to see something arise from the depths. A floating structure that resembled a lotus flower.

The pod within floated to the edge of the Reservoir, opening up to reveal a figure on a hovering chair. They looked no older than a young adult.

Who was this?

Just as Ash was about to step forward, his vision flickered with static. He seized up and collapsed, his vision going black. The figure collapsed onto the floor as well.

In the darkness, Ash felt unease and panic rise within. What was going on? And then, he heard a voice out of the dark, one he’d heard before. The Orokin researcher known as Margulis. Their saviour, their ‘mother’.

Dream…not of what you are.

But of what you want to be.

His vision returned, again filled with strange static. His head pounded, and he could feel his heartbeat vividly.

Trying to rise, he could only crawl ahead. To the Ash…in front of…him?

Instinct told him to touch the Warframe, and so he crawled over to it. Laying a hand on it’s back, ethereal blue light shone from the point of contact, and Ash soon responded, scooping him into his arms.

A pause, as he took in the realisation. Was he that child?

Apparently, the Stalker had come to the same conclusion. The (presumed) rogue Tenno had suddenly appeared, but stood staring at his hand.

His massive greatsword, clearly of Sentient design, throbbed with angry red light.

“This is your only chance to make it end. Your hatred is too weak, shadow. Mine is strong. My fragments will finish this,” Hunhow intoned as the Stalker vanished.

The Lotus’s voice resounded, clearly concerned. “Tenno…Operator…you’re awake now. But you’re more vulnerable than ever. Get to your ship, now.”

And so they did. Sentient Battlelysts and Conculysts appeared along the way, but he found that he could fire a beam of pure Void energies at them, making them wither like insects in fire.

Back onboard the Orbiter, Lotus spoke once again. “I don’t know how much time you have. Descend into the heart of your Orbiter, there you will find the Somatic Link.”

As she spoke, so he obeyed.

He’d always wondered what lay behind that door. Perhaps it was time he found out.

Bidding Ash to carry him there, he studiously avoided the door covered with Infestation.

The door with the unknown symbol finally unlocked itself, and the two entered.

“You shall not leave this place!” the Stalker hissed, appearing in a burst of red energies.

“Stalker? How?!” demanded the Lotus. “Get past him. Get to the Link.”

The Stalker fired off great red energy waves from his greatsword, similar to the Exalted Blade that the Excalibur Warframe could use.

Each wave was dissipated from the Void-beam he fired in response, and as he reached the Somatic Link, he fired the beam into the indicated spot.

The Link pulsed, and the two were pushed back. The Lotus urged him on. “Again.”

And so he did. Twice more he fired the beam into the Link, and on the third time the force of the pulse blew him off Ash’s arms.

He tried to get up, only for the Stalker to appear hovering near him. He recoiled, panic rising again.

The Stalker landed, looking at the unmoving Warframe beside him. He nudged it with his massive blade, finding Ash unresponsive.

“No self, no sense, no death.” Hunhow spoke. “Just a metal puppet, dangling on Tenno strings.”

“Only the Tenno’s death will end your despair.”

Silently, the Stalker impaled Ash with his blade, walking forward.

“All your dread-long life, you’ve waited for this moment. But you’re asking yourself, was I one of these wretched things?”

The Stalker knelt down, grabbing him by the throat as he lifted him up.

He struggled fruitlessly, feeling the Stalker begin to choke him.

“You know the answer. You still hate them. You still hate yourself.”

As his vision began to swim from lack of air, he could see Ash jerkily move, grabbing the impaled greatsword. The Stalker noticed as well, dropping him.

“What…is…this?”

With a resounding twang of snapping alien metal, the greatsword known as War began to break. The Stalker froze, floating in the air as red energy crackled between him and the weapon.

“Shadow! Protect…meeEeEEeee…” came Hunhow’s panicked words as Ash finally broke War, one half flying a short distance as the Warframe went limp again.

The Stalker jerked and writhed, and all went white.

He came to some time later, barely aware of someone scooping him into her arms and carrying him to the Somatic Link.

Was that…the Lotus?

He was placed inside, and soothing energy flowed again. The Lotus looked on with motherly pride as he re-established the Link.

“Now we fight on two fronts, my child.” she said. “The war without…”

He remembered now. His name was Red.

“…and the war within.”

He breathed a silent thank you to Ash, the Warframe still limp behind the Lotus.

As the Lotus inquired about his memories and of the five great Tenno Schools, Red remembered more.

Madurai. Vazarin. Unairu. Zenurik. Naramon.

He was drawn to Naramon in particular, it’s stealth and tactics-focused ways matching his philosophy. It was why he’d chosen the Ash Warframe, after all.

“I see a tree, of many branches. The Naramon Way. Our discipline focused on Knowing the enemy. We believed that to truly understand a foe would confer the greatest advantage upon a warrior.”

The Lotus nodded. “Naramon will be your Focus. Are you ready, my child?”

Red nodded slowly. “Yes, Lotus. I am. And…thank you.”

Though most of her face was obscured by her lotus-shaped mask, she smiled. “Anything for my children.”