01-20-2016, 12:48 PM
Chapter 23: Prisoner
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Nightmare Rarity was nearly blown off her hooves when the jagged, ugly crystal burst from the ground behind her. She wheeled around, hair swinging wildly as she called out to Michael, his voice rang clearly in her ears as though he were standing beside her right now as he called back; fear underlying his voice. But there was no time at the moment, she glanced behind her to see several of the invaders charging at her. Her teeth bared in a soundless snarl she lashed out with her magical energies.
Rearing up on her back legs she brought her front hooves down hard, a wave of magic carving through the ground and scattering several of the attackers, a spear whizzing harmlessly over her head. Blasts of energy were let loose from her long horn and each hit their mark. The ponies shrieking as they were struck and sent flying away like bothersome children. Another she simply ensnared in a magical grip and threw him across the room, his body soaring through a wall and to whatever havoc was ensuing outside the castle.
Finally done with that she turned to face the unnatural structure. Calm, but quickly as she could she stepped back, giving herself some good distance as her horn lit up once more to channel energy. The unmistakable shape of a blue diamond formed just over the tip as Nightmare gathered her power before firing.
"Michael, if you're there you need to back up now!"
She waited several seconds before a powerful shot flashed through the room and struck the lower half of the crystal, bits of it randomly flew in all directions, coming within inches of her hooves as the horrid thing creaked. Shattering. It ripped through the ceiling as it fell, more of its pieces raining down to the floor before finally smashing into the stairs with a thunderous crash. Clearly splitting and crushing the concrete and the crystal shattering even further.
Nightmare Rarity's sapphire eyes widened when she did not see Michael waiting for her. She registered an orange burst of energy behind her, the familiar sound of a completed teleportation behind her. The four princesses looked around for any sign of King Sombra, Luna wincing as she stood from the aches her body now sharply felt from being on the receiving end of dark magic minutes ago. Celestia was left with a few superficial cuts, the traces of red liquid appearing quite unnatural on her white fur. Twilight and Cadence were unscathed, shaken, but fine. A flicker of relief crossed Twilight's mind as she realized the battle seemed to be waning, but that wouldn't change the aftermath: They were now certainly at war. One that determined Equestria's future.
"He's gone," Nightmare said, or rather stated in a flat voice, she instinctively knew Michael wasn't dead. Somehow she just knew. And he wouldn't have dared runoff.
"He's been captured."
-----
The first thing I registered was pain. A hell of a lot. Like I been run over by a train and then squashed by an elephant afterwards. Didn't help that I was lying on a cold stone floor of...somewhere. My eyes creaked open to see a dimly lit room of sorts, it didn't smell pleasant either. My nose associated it as something wet. My cheek pressed against the old stone, a quite but ragged breath escaping me as I began to move. Pain shot through my body.
"Ow!" At my exclamation I heard the sound of hooves behind me, panic setting in.
"Hey are you-," I whipped around fast, backhanding whoever was behind me, resulting in both of us crying out in pain. Me from the movement, him from the slap.
"Owwww, jeez, the hay was that for!?" A male voice demanded, I winced as I shifted to face him. A stallion pony, mostly white with a blue mane and tail, fairly young by the looks of him. Maybe only somewhat older than me. He was rubbing his cheek with a hoof and scowling at me, I could tell from his build he was strong...and something was desperately wrong with his horn. These black bumps covered it at all angles and they almost reminded me of rocks...and a bizarre venereal disease. There was a bunk, a plain old wooden bunk attached to the wall, no blanket or pillow. That was the only bit of "furniture" (I use that term loosely) in what was obviously a prison cell. Topped off with great, sturdy black bars keeping us in.
"Well you startled me. Given the last thing I remember is fighting and...something...," I remembered a red flash and then nothing else after.
"...He attacked! Where?" The pony asked urgently, the slapping incident forgotten instantly.
"Canterlot, and who's 'he'?"
"King Sombra. He came back somehow, my wife Cadence is away and he locked me in here-,"
"Wait-you're Shining Armor?!" I asked, sitting up when I realized he was the one Cadence had spoken of when we talked. "Explains why she hasn't heard from him."
Shining Armor never got a chance to answer as the screeching of a door opening silenced us. Armored hoofsteps descending at a brisk, but somehow simultaneously a relaxed pace. My heart pounded against my aching chest but I kept a calm face, Shining Armor stood aggressively, glaring so hard the bars might turn white hot and melt to slag as whoever approached drew closer. Three stallions cane into view, two were clearly guards. Spears and black armor, big and strong, one almost as big as their leader. The other was clearly not a normal pony. Glowing red and green eyes with some otherworldly purple mist trailing from the corners of them, sharp teeth and jet black hair. He wore a crown and a stereotypical red king cape. His curved horn was cruel looking, reminding me more of a predator's great claw than a unicorn.
He flicked a hoof at his guards, eyes never leaving us, indicating for them to remain in place as he strode up to our cell. Keeping just out of reach.
"Smart choice."
"What do you want?" Shining Armor glowered with vitriolic eyes.
The king only chuckled in a deep voice that felt like it could rattle my teeth out of my skull.
"You would do well to remember your place, former Prince," he said dismissively as his eyes now rested on me, "I primarily came to see how my human guest is doing."
"You know what I am?"
"That I do, though I have never seen one first hand before," he answered like we were old friends carrying on a conversation, he demonstrated his boldness by actually stepping closer to the bars. "But I confess myself more interested in your...companion."
"Nightmare!"
"Where is she?" I contained a snarl, not wanting to show much emotion. But I saw him smirk at me, clearly reading it my eyes.
"She remains at Canterlot, we returned here following your abduction. They'll soon be coming to us, along with her, I should think."
I didn't like the way he was referring to her, I shifted my position, not fully standing, but not sitting either. I saw Shining glance at me, but he must've known better than to interrupt right now.
"What interest is she to you?"
"We're both creatures of darkness, Nightmare and I," the fact he spoke of her and himself made my blood boil, rage overtaking any hesitation or anxiety that once lingered. "I have big plans for Equestria, but sadly even with my loyalists and those I have under my thrall will not be enough to overtake all of it, nor lands beyond," Sombra's eyes gleamed at the thought of conquest, that and I knew he could see...maybe even feel my anger.
"With her by my side we could have it all. Have I struck a nerve?" He sneered at me, knowing my anger was building like a storm. But even to my own surprise a steely resolve washed through my heart and filled my veins, I made no move to attack as he clearly stepped closer to those damn bars as he went on. "Why she's wasting her time with a human and a peasant I'll never know."
"I think they call it 'slumming,' your Highness," a guard piped up, but cowered when Sombra shot him an irritated glower.
"So in other words I'm bait?"
"More or less," King Sombra confirmed with a sinister grin and a mocking, dismissive shrug. "What'll happen to you after all this I know not, but I know she'll see things my way."
With more speed than I thought I was capable of I sprang at the bars, my arms shooting through the bars, hands gripping his throat; Sombra's eyes bulged and I yanked him in. He grunted when his cheek clanged into the bars and he gagged when my hands squeezed his throat. Oh how I wanted to hear to his neck snap like a twig. The guards rushed over and battered me with the blunt ends of their spears, given how my body ached the strikes hurt considerably, a bash to my forehead sent me back and I plainly felt blood welling up. On the outside the guards cautiously checked to see if their king was okay, he angrily snarled at them causing them to scramble away like scolded puppies. Shining Armor kept his distance from me but was ready to help me if need be.
King Sombra rubbed at his throat with a hoof, fixing me with a murderous stare.
"You're lucky I need you alive...for now." He kept his distance but continued speaking, "Nothing you can do will change what the outcome, when she comes for you she will either join me or die. If it is the second, I promise you you will get a good view of it before joining her yourself." His eyes flashed with contained rage and his lips peeled back in an animalistic snarl.
"And I promise you this: She will come for me. And she will not be merciful to you or anyone else who gets in her way. And when I get out of here neither will I. Rest assured King Sombra...you will see both of us before you die."
Fear did not overtake his visage, but I saw a flicker of what could be described as concern cross his eyes before he gave me one last, hateful glare and exited the area. The guards trailed behind him, the bigger one never stop looking at me until he left my vision. The sounds of their hooves going up the stairs felt distant as the adrenaline's effect wore off and I slumped hard on my rear. The unseen door screeched open once more, slammed shut and was locked.
Shining Armor finally stepped toward me, "Come on, we need to do something about that cut."
----
Nightmare Rarity was nearly blown off her hooves when the jagged, ugly crystal burst from the ground behind her. She wheeled around, hair swinging wildly as she called out to Michael, his voice rang clearly in her ears as though he were standing beside her right now as he called back; fear underlying his voice. But there was no time at the moment, she glanced behind her to see several of the invaders charging at her. Her teeth bared in a soundless snarl she lashed out with her magical energies.
Rearing up on her back legs she brought her front hooves down hard, a wave of magic carving through the ground and scattering several of the attackers, a spear whizzing harmlessly over her head. Blasts of energy were let loose from her long horn and each hit their mark. The ponies shrieking as they were struck and sent flying away like bothersome children. Another she simply ensnared in a magical grip and threw him across the room, his body soaring through a wall and to whatever havoc was ensuing outside the castle.
Finally done with that she turned to face the unnatural structure. Calm, but quickly as she could she stepped back, giving herself some good distance as her horn lit up once more to channel energy. The unmistakable shape of a blue diamond formed just over the tip as Nightmare gathered her power before firing.
"Michael, if you're there you need to back up now!"
She waited several seconds before a powerful shot flashed through the room and struck the lower half of the crystal, bits of it randomly flew in all directions, coming within inches of her hooves as the horrid thing creaked. Shattering. It ripped through the ceiling as it fell, more of its pieces raining down to the floor before finally smashing into the stairs with a thunderous crash. Clearly splitting and crushing the concrete and the crystal shattering even further.
Nightmare Rarity's sapphire eyes widened when she did not see Michael waiting for her. She registered an orange burst of energy behind her, the familiar sound of a completed teleportation behind her. The four princesses looked around for any sign of King Sombra, Luna wincing as she stood from the aches her body now sharply felt from being on the receiving end of dark magic minutes ago. Celestia was left with a few superficial cuts, the traces of red liquid appearing quite unnatural on her white fur. Twilight and Cadence were unscathed, shaken, but fine. A flicker of relief crossed Twilight's mind as she realized the battle seemed to be waning, but that wouldn't change the aftermath: They were now certainly at war. One that determined Equestria's future.
"He's gone," Nightmare said, or rather stated in a flat voice, she instinctively knew Michael wasn't dead. Somehow she just knew. And he wouldn't have dared runoff.
"He's been captured."
-----
The first thing I registered was pain. A hell of a lot. Like I been run over by a train and then squashed by an elephant afterwards. Didn't help that I was lying on a cold stone floor of...somewhere. My eyes creaked open to see a dimly lit room of sorts, it didn't smell pleasant either. My nose associated it as something wet. My cheek pressed against the old stone, a quite but ragged breath escaping me as I began to move. Pain shot through my body.
"Ow!" At my exclamation I heard the sound of hooves behind me, panic setting in.
"Hey are you-," I whipped around fast, backhanding whoever was behind me, resulting in both of us crying out in pain. Me from the movement, him from the slap.
"Owwww, jeez, the hay was that for!?" A male voice demanded, I winced as I shifted to face him. A stallion pony, mostly white with a blue mane and tail, fairly young by the looks of him. Maybe only somewhat older than me. He was rubbing his cheek with a hoof and scowling at me, I could tell from his build he was strong...and something was desperately wrong with his horn. These black bumps covered it at all angles and they almost reminded me of rocks...and a bizarre venereal disease. There was a bunk, a plain old wooden bunk attached to the wall, no blanket or pillow. That was the only bit of "furniture" (I use that term loosely) in what was obviously a prison cell. Topped off with great, sturdy black bars keeping us in.
"Well you startled me. Given the last thing I remember is fighting and...something...," I remembered a red flash and then nothing else after.
"...He attacked! Where?" The pony asked urgently, the slapping incident forgotten instantly.
"Canterlot, and who's 'he'?"
"King Sombra. He came back somehow, my wife Cadence is away and he locked me in here-,"
"Wait-you're Shining Armor?!" I asked, sitting up when I realized he was the one Cadence had spoken of when we talked. "Explains why she hasn't heard from him."
Shining Armor never got a chance to answer as the screeching of a door opening silenced us. Armored hoofsteps descending at a brisk, but somehow simultaneously a relaxed pace. My heart pounded against my aching chest but I kept a calm face, Shining Armor stood aggressively, glaring so hard the bars might turn white hot and melt to slag as whoever approached drew closer. Three stallions cane into view, two were clearly guards. Spears and black armor, big and strong, one almost as big as their leader. The other was clearly not a normal pony. Glowing red and green eyes with some otherworldly purple mist trailing from the corners of them, sharp teeth and jet black hair. He wore a crown and a stereotypical red king cape. His curved horn was cruel looking, reminding me more of a predator's great claw than a unicorn.
He flicked a hoof at his guards, eyes never leaving us, indicating for them to remain in place as he strode up to our cell. Keeping just out of reach.
"Smart choice."
"What do you want?" Shining Armor glowered with vitriolic eyes.
The king only chuckled in a deep voice that felt like it could rattle my teeth out of my skull.
"You would do well to remember your place, former Prince," he said dismissively as his eyes now rested on me, "I primarily came to see how my human guest is doing."
"You know what I am?"
"That I do, though I have never seen one first hand before," he answered like we were old friends carrying on a conversation, he demonstrated his boldness by actually stepping closer to the bars. "But I confess myself more interested in your...companion."
"Nightmare!"
"Where is she?" I contained a snarl, not wanting to show much emotion. But I saw him smirk at me, clearly reading it my eyes.
"She remains at Canterlot, we returned here following your abduction. They'll soon be coming to us, along with her, I should think."
I didn't like the way he was referring to her, I shifted my position, not fully standing, but not sitting either. I saw Shining glance at me, but he must've known better than to interrupt right now.
"What interest is she to you?"
"We're both creatures of darkness, Nightmare and I," the fact he spoke of her and himself made my blood boil, rage overtaking any hesitation or anxiety that once lingered. "I have big plans for Equestria, but sadly even with my loyalists and those I have under my thrall will not be enough to overtake all of it, nor lands beyond," Sombra's eyes gleamed at the thought of conquest, that and I knew he could see...maybe even feel my anger.
"With her by my side we could have it all. Have I struck a nerve?" He sneered at me, knowing my anger was building like a storm. But even to my own surprise a steely resolve washed through my heart and filled my veins, I made no move to attack as he clearly stepped closer to those damn bars as he went on. "Why she's wasting her time with a human and a peasant I'll never know."
"I think they call it 'slumming,' your Highness," a guard piped up, but cowered when Sombra shot him an irritated glower.
"So in other words I'm bait?"
"More or less," King Sombra confirmed with a sinister grin and a mocking, dismissive shrug. "What'll happen to you after all this I know not, but I know she'll see things my way."
With more speed than I thought I was capable of I sprang at the bars, my arms shooting through the bars, hands gripping his throat; Sombra's eyes bulged and I yanked him in. He grunted when his cheek clanged into the bars and he gagged when my hands squeezed his throat. Oh how I wanted to hear to his neck snap like a twig. The guards rushed over and battered me with the blunt ends of their spears, given how my body ached the strikes hurt considerably, a bash to my forehead sent me back and I plainly felt blood welling up. On the outside the guards cautiously checked to see if their king was okay, he angrily snarled at them causing them to scramble away like scolded puppies. Shining Armor kept his distance from me but was ready to help me if need be.
King Sombra rubbed at his throat with a hoof, fixing me with a murderous stare.
"You're lucky I need you alive...for now." He kept his distance but continued speaking, "Nothing you can do will change what the outcome, when she comes for you she will either join me or die. If it is the second, I promise you you will get a good view of it before joining her yourself." His eyes flashed with contained rage and his lips peeled back in an animalistic snarl.
"And I promise you this: She will come for me. And she will not be merciful to you or anyone else who gets in her way. And when I get out of here neither will I. Rest assured King Sombra...you will see both of us before you die."
Fear did not overtake his visage, but I saw a flicker of what could be described as concern cross his eyes before he gave me one last, hateful glare and exited the area. The guards trailed behind him, the bigger one never stop looking at me until he left my vision. The sounds of their hooves going up the stairs felt distant as the adrenaline's effect wore off and I slumped hard on my rear. The unseen door screeched open once more, slammed shut and was locked.
Shining Armor finally stepped toward me, "Come on, we need to do something about that cut."