[Monday night]

[mind_over_metal]

[It's a dark October night in camp. All is quiet in the Cabin McAvoy.





Until a child starts screaming.]

Comments

[mind_over_metal]

Why did they have to battle?

[goddamnemperor]

Kanly. Vendetta. Both Houses were dominated by an old feud. When Dune went to House Atreides, the Harkonnens plotted to take it away from them.

At that time, my father was fifteen years old. [he pauses, always finding it difficult to talk about him] He was starting to learn that he was special, that destiny had chosen him.

[mind_over_metal]

So he was like you?

[goddamnemperor]

He was and he wasn't.

House Atreides moved to Dune. But the Harkonnen plot had already begun to move, and my father, blessed with tragedy, lost his own father to the sands. He and his mother escaped and lived with the Fremen, the race of Dune.

[mind_over_metal]

Blessed with tragedy...?

[goddamnemperor]

If there was no such thing as tragedy, people cannot grow, young wali. It is a reality of all worlds.

He grew up with the Fremen, became one of them. Muad'dib, the mouse. He took leadership over them and conquered the Imperium. House Harkonnen was destroyed and my father, Paul Muad'dib became Emperor.

Now, my story will begin.

[mind_over_metal]

*hunkers down with anticipation, like when you know that your favourite character is about to make his entrance*

[goddamnemperor]

Our mother was sick. Over-saturated with spice. When she died, we were born. Not just born! We were aware. Every memory, every feeling, every thought that our ancestors ever had, became our heritage. We could talk before we even had teeth!

That being said, our father, devastated by grief, ran into the desert, leaving us with our aunt, who was... like us, who knows how it feels to be aware.

[mind_over_metal]

"We"?

[goddamnemperor]

Ah, yes. My sister, Ghanima. We were twins, set to take over the empire once we reached fifteen.

However, people plot. Conspiracies began to grow over my aunt's rule of Dune. Afraid and scared, she became... lost with herself.

[mind_over_metal]

Because she had all of the memories, too, right? Inside of her?

[goddamnemperor]

Yes. It's like... the noise you hear, in your mind. All those other voices. For her and for us, that noise was there from the very beginning.

She fell prey to one of those voices... Baron Harkonnen. Who seized control of her and the Empire and tried to kill us.

[mind_over_metal]

Wait, wasn't that the enemy house? How was he inside of her?

[goddamnemperor]

The enemy house ... had secret ties to our own. The Baron's daughter was our grandmother. [he smiles a little] Such is the way of politics.

We managed to escape, Ghani and I. But ... I chose to separate from her, to dress in our myths and save mankind. For all our fortune-telling, our futures were starting to trap the human race. That... could not be allowed to happen.

[mind_over_metal]

And your sister, she would be-

*stifles a yawn*

...she would be saved, too?

[goddamnemperor]

Yes.

But that part of the story must come tomorrow, young wali.

[mind_over_metal]

And you promise? That you'll continue it?

[goddamnemperor]

I keep my promises.

[mind_over_metal]

*can't restrain his smile as he climbs back up into his bed and his mind slides closer to Leto's*

And I promise that I'll be here to listen.

[goddamnemperor]

I will hold you to that.

[mind_over_metal]

*tucks himself in, still positively glowing*

Good night, Leto.

[goddamnemperor]

Good night. May your dreams be sweet.

[mind_over_metal]

*the adrenaline from the initial shock of his relocation having worn off and the weariness of the sudden strain setting in, it doesn't take long for sleep to overtake him. and his mind curls up close to Leto's -- not touching, not quite, but getting as near as he can to that miraculous stillness, with the caution of one wishing to avoid being told to go away*

[goddamnemperor]

[his mind sings to you, a faint lullaby, soft and lilting in a woman's voice, to put you to rest]