lucid

12.06.2010

Just Another Night (DILD)

NON-DREAM DREAM LUCID







Dream: Office Shenanigans

★★☆☆☆

It's another day at the office. I'm working on changing certain security settings for specific accounts, but am distracted when a lively character comes into the office. She starts up a racing circuit of some kind that involved jumping, running, and phasing over, around, and through cubicles. She invites me to join, since there's only three racers in the circuit, but I'm hesitant to take her up on the offer.

Dream: Bringing Down The House

★★★★☆

I storm into the headquarters of what seems to be a corrupt syndicate, headed by a man with silver hair. Confronting him directly, as women and guards surrounded him, I let him know I was going to bring his whole operation down. When I called him by his name, he freaked out and fled.

He managed to get away from me in the most bizarre and surreal manner, but I knew about his most recent plan. It involved putting on a play for a local school as a front for a much larger ploy, and that was my ticket in. I go to the school and work my way further into the operation, taking out or avoiding any opposition along the way. The dream ended before I could complete my objective.

DILD: Numbah One

★☆☆☆☆

Hey, it's a dream!

The bird wakes me up.

DILD: Numbah Two

★☆☆☆☆

That's right, this is a dream!

The bird wakes me up. . . again.

DILD: Numbah Three

★☆☆☆☆

Oh cool, I'm dreaming! I really hope. . .

Gorram bird. . .

11.06.2010

Enter Walms (DILD)

★★★★☆

NON-DREAM DREAM LUCID

My brother explodes in a puff of flame and smoke, leaving behind two flaming eyes that fizzled out after a moment or two.

"Burmes? Is that you?"

"Yes," states a disembodied voice.

"Oh, okay. Hey, can you help me find Walms?"

There was a pause before he replied. "Yeah, sure."

"Cool, thank you."

I Teleport away, letting Burmes guide the new scene. I end up in an open outdoors setting with none other than Walms standing a good distance away. He turns as I make my appearance, eyeing me strangely, almost as if he were sizing me up. "It's me, Walms! Mzzkc!"

"Oh, good job on finding me. . . We can start when you like."

"Very well." I say cooly, taking a stance and drawing my Katana.

Immediately, I turn on the pressure. Teleporting close to him, but well out of arms reach, I make a quick swipe, which he readily evades. Before he can do anything else, though, I Teleport again, and make another lightning quick attack, but am foiled a second time. TP, this time he's got claws out to block my thrust and follow up with his own attack, which I deflect before TPing yet again. This goes on for a good six or seven seconds, with me TPing, attacking, and defending about three or four times each second. The attacks themselves are varied and range from basic slash and thrust combinations to much more complex sword-work. Still, neither of us can can land a hit.

Without warning, Walms launches into the air. I'm quick to follow, purposefully dropping my blade as I do. Before he can reach altitude, I start charging a Kamehameha, chanting the telltale phrase that goes along with it. Walms immediately stops, turns, and Teleports directly below me, but that's just what I wanted. Using a Time Skip, so he doesn't have a chance to react, I change it up and deliver a huge downward arcing punch that instantly makes contact (thanks to the Time Skip). He looks visibly surprised as he plummets down to earth.

"I don't have to follow what I say I'm gonna do." I taunt, playfully, before TPing below Walms and Time Skipping a huge uppercut into his gut. This time he's ready, though, and makes a grab for my arm, so I TP away from him and follow him as he shoots back up into the air from the force of my blow. He rights himself quickly enough and speedily starts closing the relatively small gap between us. I start charging a real energy blast this time, but I screw it up as Walms tries for another grab. He rebukes me, commenting on my attempts at an actual energy attack, as I avoid his assault and Flash Step away, closer to the ground.

Still moving, I start charging another energy attack, but he's on top of me without warning, and now I don't have a prayer of getting away. So, I do the next best thing and direct a blast of energy at the ground, causing a massive explosion that envelops me and blasts him away.

Unfortunately, as the light of the explosion overtakes me, I lose my hold on the dream, and enter into a FA. I quickly get up, go to my laptop, and record the events. After publishing it, Walms responds almost instantly, saying he remembers the fight, and very much enjoyed it, pointing out how good the pacing and flow was.

08.06.2010

June Adv. ToTM Completion (DILD)

★★★★☆

NON-DREAM DREAM LUCID

My body lifts into the air as the elevator plunges into a free-fall. Alright, don't panic. I can control the speed of my decent via Flight.

Oh, right, that means I'm dreaming. So, enacting my plan, I Fly down in tandem with the elevator. Unfortunately, the pull of gravity turns out to be a little too strong, and now I have less than a second to right myself before the inevitable impact. Luckily, I pull it off, and my feet and legs take the full brunt of of the blow.

Prying open the elevator door, I walk out into the lobby. High profile contractors are still streaming in through the sliding-glass doors. What was my goal for tonight again? Pyrokinesis, wasn't it? Yeah, that sounds about right.

My plans set, I raise my hands to either side of me. Then, pulling from my Heroes archetypes, I create a good sized orange flame in each one and begin to light the room ablaze. Jettisons of fire expelled from my palms and caught on the walls and ceiling. The DCs didn't really seem to notice.

After the room was burning sufficiently, I felt the need for higher levels of destruction. Waving my arms around as if I were Fire Bending, I manage to increase the size and strength of the fire on one wall. Heading over to it, I bask in the heat of my creation. I say something along the lines of, "It is not the fire that warms me, it is I who warms the fire." Then, I take a bite out of a nearby sandal. It was delicious.

Haven't had one of these kinda updates in awhile.

02.06.2010

Love and War (DEILD)

NON-DREAM DREAM LUCID







Dream: Never Gonna Give You Up

★★★☆☆

My Girlfriend breaks up with me after seeing a girl I was teaching something to grab my hands. I try to explain the situation, but she storms off. I spend the rest of the dream trying to 'get her back', all the while slowly uncovering bits and pieces of a conspiracy that was designed to split us up.

Fragment: Is Everything Okay?

★☆☆☆☆

Raven Knight makes an appearance and seems concerned over my well being. I assure her everything is great and invite her to join whatever it was that was going on at the time.

Fragment: Check This Out!

★★☆☆☆

I'm showing random people the room I was staying in wherein Raven was sleeping on the bed.

DILD: Flood Waters

★★☆☆☆

I'm trying to navigate through my flooded dormitory via Hover.

Realizing it's a dream, I exit the building through my neighbor's window and fly around a bit before waking into an FA.

FA Into DILD: *CLASSIFIED*

FA Into DILD: *ALSO CLASSIFIED*

DEILD: DG Entrance Exam

★★★★☆

Searching for a DG, I am hailed over by a DC who refused to be ignored. Going by the name of Burnes or Burmes (he pretended to play dumb when I re-asked him) he claimed to be a DG. Trusting him for the moment, I asked him if he could train me. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Can you fight?" He responded with a wide, toothy, inhuman grin, boasting about his skill, using terminology I didn't quite catch. From there we begin to spar. Neither of us can get a decent hit in with our swords, and he absorbed or ignored my fairly wimpy energy blasts. Things started to get serious when I went Bankai and subsequently pulled down my Vizard mask.

As my desire to kill and destroy grew stronger, he and the environment transformed. Him into a large muscular man with a smooth, black, oval, almost demonic, silver accented head. The environment into an apocalyptic and hellish version of my neighborhood. Immediately, he unleashed a ridiculous volley of elemental attacks into me, which just as quickly took their toll.

Falling back to earth, I feel myself dying. But I wasn't giving in that easily. As he passed by to my right, I quickly righted myself and unleashed a powerful bolt of lightening through his heart. Shocked, he returned to normal, and before he could anything else I trapped his head in an orange tornado immobilizing him. Then I woke up.

Part of an early lucid. The dream as a whole was fairly uninteresting, but this piece has stuck with me since I experienced it. Enjoy.

BONUS ENTRY OF DOOM!

??.??.????

They Paved Paradise (DILD)

★★★☆☆

NON-DREAM DREAM LUCID







I struggled. Each time I lifted my arms up to find a new handhold in the snow-covered cliff-face challenged my fortitude. My breath shot visibly from my lungs into the chilly night air. Determined to complete my objective, I pressed onward. Soon enough, I pulled myself up onto the ledge overlooking the forested valley below me. Taking a moment to study my surroundings, I turned my head to the left. What I laid my eyes upon will stay with me for the rest of my life. Before me, amidst all this seemingly natural beauty, was a parking lot.

And yet, the presence of the parking lot was not what caught my interest. You see, the detail overwhelmed me. The lot stretched out into the distance towards an indeterminable end, the light from the streetlights played perfectly on the dancing snow as it fell, and I could actually make out every distinct texture and color along the hard black asphalt. The amazing part? Everything I just described existed solely as a creation of my mind. I was dreaming.

22.05.2010

Green Grass, High Tides, and Tall Drops (DILD)

★★★★☆

NON-DREAM DREAM LUCID

Looking down at her finished painting, I smiled at the stick figures it had taken her five Fast Forwards to complete. It was a rough depiction of a hilled cliff-side, and each person in the piece was crudely labeled. Well, let's see what I can do. I grab her hand.

"Hold on tight."

I Teleport.

The world around us spins as it fades almost instantaneous into blackness. Remembering the painting of the supposed future, I reach my other hand down into the void and feel the cool dew-covered grass that was going to be beneath us momentarily. Sure enough, we reach our destination.

Vivid blue skies with their whiter than white clouds lined the green-hilled cliff-side. In the distance, deep-blue shining oceans met the lighter colored skyline. The beauty of this place was both surprising and awe-inspiring. A little ways below us were a few of the characters from the painting, lounging on the edge of the cliff. I let go of the painter's hand, and she immediately took off.

Wanting to really bring the picture to life, I started rolling down the hill. Spinning, spinning, ever faster, alternating blue skyline and green grass--oh the wonder of it all. And then I ran out of ground.

Shit.

As it was, my current trajectory would land me face first into some rocks protruding from the cliff-face about a hundred feet down. Not fun. Turning mid-fall, I powerfully kick off from the side of the cliff, netting me just enough distance to have nothing but air between me and the water 300 feet below. Tumbling downward, I couldn't help but think, Hitting the water at this height will be like hitting concrete.

Thanks rationality, you're a real life-saver.

Not wanting to take the easy route out and fly away, I let myself drop, picking up speed every second. Almost at the water, I brought my feet below me, pointed my toes downward, and crossed my arms in front of my chest. Below, several groups of people were already in the ocean, enjoying the relatively calm waters. Almost there. . .

SPLOOSH!

The sensation as my feet broke the surface and my body shot down into the refreshingly brisk water was beyond words. A blue universe surrounded me, and I didn't have a care in the world. Floating there, weightless, pumping cold liquid though my lungs, I relished the experience. I didn't want to wake up.

So, I didn't. . .

Not for awhile anyways. >.>

19.05.2010

Helping Out: It's What I Do (DILD)

★★★☆☆

NON-DREAM DREAM LUCID

Flying toward my house, I spot Champion Cynthia, hovering over my court on a magic carpet. In the court itself are a myriad of Pokemon. High in the air I spotted a Lugia, Ho-oh, Flygon, and some others. The ones on the ground were less distinct, as were the ones at a slightly lower altitude. For some reason, I got the impression that I needed to help exterminate all of them.

With a joyful glint in my eye, I shoot across the sky, spawning a variety of sharp metallic weaponry in my curled hands. As I pass Ho-oh, I release a volley of kunai and throwing stars into it. Its body evaporates into nothingness. Still darting overhead, I quickly spawn a new set of weapons in my hands. Just as soon as they form, I launch them into Lugia and the Flygon, ending their existence in much the same fashion.

Still thinking I'm helping, I fly down to the other Pokemon floating in the air. Putting my hands behind me, I pull from DBZ archetypes and create two small energy balls in my hands. I toss the one in my left hand at a nearby Pokemon, causing it to explode in a bright flash of yellow light. I throw the other at two a ways below me. The blast spirals slowly on its way to its target, but that's not good enough for me. I swing my arms in front of me and shout, releasing a wave of invisible energy that propels the ball forward at ten times the speed. Even so, the Pokemon dodge my attack. Unfortunately for them, they were unable to avoid the gigantic explosion as the blast hit the ground below, taking out half the court.

Despite the devastation, a few Pokemon remain alive. I speedily charge up a powerful Kamehameha and fire it off, vaporizing those Pokemon directly in its path. The resultant blast of energy as the Wave hit the ground wiped out any that survived the initial burst. My job was done.

13.05.2010

Simple Pleasures (DILD)

★★★☆☆

NON-DREAM DREAM LUCID

Excusing myself from the table, I begin walking toward the soda fountain across the room. The reception hall is terribly crowded with people. I don't really feel like navigating around them all, so I decide to walk straight through. But it would prove rude of me to simply push people out of the way. Thus, I come to the conclusion that phasing through them is probably the best course of action.

Each time someone ran into me I Phase Shifted the part of my body making contact, letting them pass right through. It's cool how I can do that in dreams.

Oh yeah, I smile softly, this is a dream. By now I've reached the soda fountain, but there's a bit of a line. A container of stacked cups stands to my left. I reach out my hand and use my TK to flick the topmost cup off its stack and toward me. As it comes down, I go to grab it. I fumble around with it for a moment before wrapping both hands about the clear textured plastic. A sloppy catch is still a catch, I think, still smiling. Now what to do about this line?

I notice all the DCs were getting their drinks out of a single Pepsi dispenser in the middle of the fountain. Moreover, this dispenser was operated by slightly lifting on the tab holding back the refreshment. By lifting it, a small waterfall of brownish liquid would pour out. Kinda like a real fountain.

Feeling slightly devious, I reach out again with my TK, and lift the tab all the way up, drenching everyone within a two foot radius of the machine with cold soda. I position my cup under the ridiculous flow, filling it, but wetting my whole right side in the process. The feeling is remarkable. I marvel, for a moment, at how amazing our brains really are.

04.05.2010

Serious Business (DILD)

★★★★★

NON-DREAM DREAM LUCID

CRASH!

I burst through the glass, quickly drawing my blade. Still arcing in the air to the grass below, I shout "Bankai!" releasing the true power of my sword. As I looked down on the lightsaber battle ensuing in my backyard, I see several friends caught up in the fray. Still falling, I bring my hand up to my face and tear down my Vizard mask, enjoying the rush of power. Landing skillfully on the grass, everyone notices my entrance. The clash of sabers ceases as I look up through my red and white mask. I pick a target.

Walking casually into the battle, I relieve someone of his fight, pushing him to the side. Taking a relaxed stance, my blade in one hand, the young 'Jedi' acting as my opponent stares back at me, terrified. He makes a cautious pass at my left side with his green lightsaber. Sneering behind my mask, I parry, flick his weapon away, and stab him in the shoulder, all in one motion. As he staggers backwards, it's easy to see how pissed he is. He charges at me, letting loose a guttural cry.

Still relaxed, I deflect each of his thrusts and slashes, but my complacency gets the better of me. The saber cuts through my side as I jump away, avoiding the brunt of what would have been a fatal blow.

FZZSHHEEWW!

A sharp pain shoots up my right arm as I finally take notice of the other 'Jedi' who have come to aid their comrade. Surrounded, a feeling of panic blossoms at my core. Sensing my moment of weakness, the group attacks as one. I do my best to defend myself, but a few blows end up getting through. I shout violently, emitting a wave of energy that pushes them all backwards. My fiery rage burns away any previous inhibition. "That's it. No more of this fucking kiddie shit."

In a flash, I cut down a 'Jedi' to my left, severing his body into 5 pieces instantaneously. Fear strikes the others as I stand there, bloodied blade in hand, 20 feet from where I was less than a second ago. Before the pieces of the man I just killed could hit the ground, they begin to run, but not fast enough. I speed from one victim to the next, dismembering and mutilating their bodies as I go. My speed and precision is unparalleled. And yet, despite my rampage, save the first, I leave them all alive. . . mostly.

All from one LD.

04.05.2010

Outburst (DILD)

★★★☆☆

NON-DREAM DREAM LUCID







I struggled fervently against the sheets that trapped me to my bed. Every slight movement was a struggle, and the possibility of being snapped back down to my mattress was all too real. A boost of strength would be necessary if I were going to push through this. A song I've only ever heard on Rockband starts playing, "Highway Star" by Deep Purple. With no time to be puzzled by the choice my subconscious made, I drew from the energetic guitar riffs and pushed my way out into the common room. My sheets broke away as I passed through the door. Without hesitation, I dashed toward the blind covered window and burst through it, shattering the glass and tearing through the blinds that bended like elastic around me. I flew off, following the asphalt hill behind my dorm.

For some reason, I felt tremendously powerful, and I had the urge to use that power in destructive ways. I picked up a nearby parked car with my bare hands and slammed it into a wooden fence. Not entirely satisfied, I chucked the car across the street, embedding it in an SUV. These acts of violence were only making me more antsy. MORE! I NEED MORE! A frenzied look on my face, I began to dart off, looking for new ways to exert this power. But before I can, rationality shines through and I stop myself and the still playing song. Regaining control of my emotions I play the song "Created" by Portugal. The Man to help center myself.

_________________________

04.05.2010

Release (DILD)

★★★☆☆

NON-DREAM DREAM LUCID







"Bankai!" Energy burst out around me as I shouted the word. It had been awhile, and boy did it feel good. But there was something new I had been meaning to try out. I reach my hand up to my face, fingers bent like a claw, and start to slowly tear away at the air. Sure enough, a Vizard mask begins to form about my face. Finishing the motion, the mask forms itself to my head, obscuring some of my vision.

BA-DUMP!

My heart throbs once, violently, for a brief moment. I convulse; my back doubles over. The dark powers the mask drew forth were enormous. Looking down, I saw black rings of energy coursing up my leg. It felt fucking awesome. I revelled in the moment as everything began to normalize and I became used to the state.

_________________________

04.05.2010

New Tech (DILD)

★★☆☆☆

NON-DREAM DREAM LUCID







Making up my mind, I decide to try my hand out at portal creation. I focus on my fingertips, bringing as much attention to them as I can muster. My digits begin pulsating as if they were storing a large amount of energy. Not surprisingly, the dream destabilizes. By quickly utilizing a combination of my own personal focus technique and the tactile sensation on my fingertips, I'm able to ground myself enough to keep the dream going.

Reaching my hands out, I pick the first target to come to mind: Raven Knight. I pull at the air in front me with surprising results. A tall, orange, door sized, holographic interface appears. I touch it, and a 3-Dimensional globe pops up along with some controls on either side. Erm, how do I work this thing? Magically, I'm forced into third person wherein I get to see my body (Vizard mask still on) go through a tutorial on how to work the transporter.

Pick a destination.

Code it in.

Step through the gate.

Wait for the destination to load.

Engage!

The world fluctuates around me before shifting into a new environment. I'm in a tropical, forested, slightly urban area, and everything is on fire. An orange hued glow fills the hot night air while once green trees and brush lie before me, charred and blackened by the flames. I take off to see what was going on, blade at the ready.

22.04.2010

House Party (DILD)

★★★☆☆

NON-DREAM DREAM LUCID

"Do you hear that?"

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

The two men before me looked at each other, nodded, and began tearing away the old mansion wall. The sickly green wallpaper tore away easily enough. In fact, even the steel-lined vault-like wall was able to be pulled away, layer by layer, by these men who probably had some kind of super strength going on.

Once the last layer was pulled away, a faint sigh echoed slowly through the room. There, in the wall, amidst all the wooden studs and shredded insulation, lay a body. This girl had been contorted and stuffed into the walls long ago. And yet, while she was no longer alive, neither was she fully deceased. In a sickeningly quick motion this remnant of past transgressions twisted, pulled, and tore its way out of the wall. She was headed straight at me.

Mouth hung open, black wet hair strung about her face, and eyes as black as the darkest pits of hell, she lunged at me. Aghast, I take a step backwards, rationalizing the situation as I do. "It's okay," I tell the DCs around me, "She just wanted someone to know she was here." Obviously, this statement was more to help me than the lifeless characters about me, but it did its job. Smiling at the creature inches from my face, still uneasy, I turn away to rejoin the house party.

Time passes, and I find myself on a couch. For some reason, I turn around to see what's going on in the living space behind me. Many people I don't know are hanging out around a table, drinking, laughing, and socializing.

A bright flash pulsates through the room.

Suddenly, everyone around me had transformed into demonic monsters. Fire roared around them and licked the walls of the once pristine house. Everything was charred black and the red glow of the flames shone menacingly off the wide serrated tooth lined jaws of the patrons before me. In unison, they all turned toward me. Verily freaked the fuck out, I duck my head out of sight behind the couch. Still lucid, I do my best to recreate the flash that enabled this shift of perspective. Sure enough, a white light shoots through the room.

Everything was back to normal.

19.04.2010

The Race (DILD)

★★★★☆

NON-DREAM DREAM LUCID

And so, with gusto, my new friends and I took to the highways. I was on a small, sleek, and terribly fast motorcycle while these three strange creatures trailed behind me. Each one of them meant me harm. I knew that, and had confronted them about it earlier. The wispy woman, whose body was made entirley of formless darkness seemed taken aback when I mentioned it. Each of them was even more surprised when I explained that, despite their ill will, I would accept and welcome them with open arms. For, I knew they could cause me no real harm, and maybe showing them just a smidgen of kindess would help to change them at a deeper level. Regardless, that was all behind us now. What lay ahead was an open road filled was fun, adventure, and daring!

Only minutes after starting our journey I found myself taking a detour. Apparently, there was an intense motorcycle race going on, and I wanted to join in. Seamlessly, the motorway I was traveling on branched off into a race-track. Upwards of twelve racers zoomed past me and my group. With a glint in my eye, I zoomed off after them, planning to win this race using any means necessary. By sheer force of will, I pushed my bike faster and faster until, within seconds, only two competitors stood between me and first.

Revving my motor, I barreled into the racer in front of me, clipping his wheel and sending him spiraling out of control. One down, one to go. Reaching out with my mind, I forcefully launched the leader, motorcycle and all, 20 feet into the air. He lost his grip on his bike as man and machine shot off the course, tumbling over the concrete wall, out of sight, out of mind, out of luck. I was home free. Excitement and happiness welled up from my core as the finish line came into view. Everything started to fade. . .

NO!

Quickly utilizing my own personal focus techniques I managed to stabilize just enough to keep myself in the dream. Gritting my teeth, determination etched upon my face, I refused to let the dream end before achieving my goal. My bike slowed as my focus shifted. Sensing the other riders gaining on me, I gripped the handlebars ferociously and, with one last push, shot forward, clearing the distance between me and the finish line in a fraction of a moment.

As peace settled in, the last thing I saw was the pale smiling face of the smoke woman. I could feel, without a doubt, that she was genuinely happy for me. I woke up, content.

BONUS ENTRY OF DOOM!

07.09.2009

Thunderdome! (DILD)

★★★☆☆

NON-DREAM DREAM LUCID







Last night, I managed to get lucid during an in game "grand release" of Issue 16 and Going Rogue in City of Heroes/Villains. The Devs had a planned a huge event for all the new players. They were going to have a bunch of veteran players compete in a trivia game based on the game's story. In my now lucid state I realized just how lame this was. So, I took Admin powers away from the Devs, gave them to myself, banned the Devs, constructed a huge arena, filled it with all the newbies, and made the area a free for all PvP zone. I commanded everyone to go at it. The 23 survivors would win fame and status symbols. Everyone else would have their account deleted.

The battle was epic. From my lofty viewpoint, flying above the arena, I saw many bursts of colored energy blasts. Swords clashed, and the earth shook.The cheers from the audience were overwhelming. In the end, as I shouted out the names of the winners to the crowd (as they stood on their pedestals) I was surprised to see none other than Oneironaut. He had managed to survive a bout with super powered entities with nothing more than his bare hands and kick-ass trench coat.

Fun stuff.

From a Nap filled with 3 WILDs:

29.03.2010

March Basic ToTM Completion (DEILD)

★★☆☆☆

NON-DREAM DREAM LUCID

Still holding onto my lucidity, I rack my brains trying to decide what to do next. With no goals in mind, I figure I'll just take a shot at one of the Tasks of the Month. What were they again? Oh yeah, "Taste the Rainbow." I look up, and sure enough, a dim rainbow stretched itself along the inside of the concrete archway above me. Flying up to the arch casually, I grab onto the rainbow, tearing a piece away. Surprisingly, it's somewhat elastic, just like a Fruit Roll Up.

Not wasting any time, I pop the piece into my mouth. Yuck! Indeed, it does have the texture of a Fruit Roll Up, yet it tastes like stale popcorn. Utterly disgusting. Slightly displeased, I drop back down to the ground. . .

??.02.2010

Raven: The Spar (DILD)

★★★★☆

NON-DREAM DREAM LUCID

"M---?" Hrm. . ? Someone is saying my name. "M---!" The room around me starts to come into focus. My consciousness catches up with me and I encounter the woman calling my name whom I recognize as. . .

"Raven?" She hugs me in response, but I can't make out anything above her neck; it's just one big blur. "Why is your head blurry?" I ask.

"I don't know. Try focusing on something." I comply and go through some focus exercises. I turn toward the scene around us: a nice sized house with wooden furnishings and squared archways between rooms. Sure enough, her facial features becomes clear and defined. Medium length black hair fell about her smiling face. I controlled my excitement to prevent waking up. This is what We've planned for.

I pull out my blade. "Don't take this personally or anything, but I want you to remember this." I dash in for a strike. She whips a Claymore out of nowhere and deflects my blow. She steps in for an attack, but I spin around, stopping the thrust with my Katana, above my head. She's fast. We're both fast. I'm pulling off moves that surprise even me. One of them, a horizontal slash to midsection, manages to make contact. I barely feel resistance as the tip of my sword passes through her belly.

No blood, odd. This brief moment of wonderment allows her to get inside my defenses and thrust her blade into my stomach. I manage to jump back just in time to avoid being run all the way through. Surprisingly, I don't feel any pain. I decide to turn it up a notch. Bankai would be unnecessary, but I could try a bit harder. Again, I start my attack. A few fancy moves later and my blade finds its way jabbed into her heart. I stop it before it can do any real damage, but we both agree to call it at that.

In the fray I had failed to notice the presence of a small boy. On a second glance, I realized, at a deeper level, this is no ordinary boy.

Upon waking I recognized him as that one boy from the X-Files. The child who held the key to everything Mulder had been searching for all these years.

I speak with him for a moment, but everything he says is difficult for me to comprehend, which is saying something. I turn my attention back to Raven, who seems to be distracted by something. "Hey Raven!" She looks up. "I want to try something on you, specifically your Witchblade, do you mind?" She shakes her head. "Cool!"

I put my left arm out, Katana still grasped in my right hand. "Chidori!" Screaming blue electricity enveloped my left palm and arm. I ran the electricity along the length of my Katana, creating a blue strip of powerful energy along the middle of the weapon. I swing it at her to test it out. Her Claymore flips out again to stop my playful swipe. My blade starts to slide into hers a bit, but her blade seemed to be actively resisting being cut. I pulled mine back.

"Chidori!" I follow the same procedure as before, but this time I spread the energy out over the entire sword. "Theoretically," I tell her, "This should be able to cut through anything." I thrust at her. Jointed blue armor forms around her body. The tip of my Chidori charged Katana makes contact with the armor covering her chest. A loud crack resounds through the room as my blade causes the Witchblade to crack and splinter around its tip. Despite this, however, my sword gets stuck before it makes its way all the way through the armor.

I pull it out and toss it to the side. "I hope I didn't startle you too much. That's just something I've been wanting to try for awhile." She seems distracted again and wanders off into the house. I turn my attention back to the child. There's another presence here now. Something I can feel, but cannot see. I pay it no mind.

The boy and I spend the rest of the dream discussing various topics. Unfortunately, it's hard for me to understand him. After awhile, I inform him that I was going to wake up now, since I had already spent so much time in the dream. He nods solemnly and I take my leave.