//------------------------------//
// Chapter 12: The Enemy. 
// Story: The Chronicles Of ARTIMUS: Book One 
// by AlkapwnZ 
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	Fluttershy couldn't believe how quickly things got out of hoof.
One minute, she's chatting with Braeburn, as if nothing had happened in the last few days, and then those colts showed up. They shot Braeburn with that...THING, and now she's been kidnapped.
After the blue light died down, Fluttershy found herself in a thin hallway. The floorboards were polished oakwood, and the walls were a calming shade of baige. The hall was at a comfortable temperature that wasn't too hot, nor too cold, but just right. It was strangely homey, for an enemy's HQ, or whatever this place was. How did I get here?
Fluttershy could feel her heartrate increase when the suited colt behind her nudged her towards a door at the end of the hall. "Move." Fluttershy followed the colt's order, fighting back her tears of fear. She didn't want to get hit by that weapon of his, like Braeburn and Twister did. Dear Celestia, I hope they're alright... Fluttershy feared for her friends safety.
As she started off down the hall, Fluttershy felt the urge to look behind her, but she resisted it. She didn't know how the colt would react to her looking back, and she didn't want to find out. Fluttershy forced her gaze towards the door at the end of the hall.
The door was polished oak, just like the floors, and Fluttershy could hear somepony arguing behind it. Fluttershy felt her heart leap into her throat; Twister told her that nothing was sacred to his enemies. What would they do to her to find out more about Twister?
It was likely that she knew even less than they did; Twister didn't reveal much about himself, other than his journey for the Key Shards, and being Daring Do's grandson. If she had a chance to stick around longer, she might'v learned more from his feathered friend.
Fluttershy finally reached the door, and she gulped when the colt reached his hoof over her shoulder to push it open. As the door swung open, the first thing Fluttershy noticed was the sudden drop in temperature. Shivering, Fluttershy stepped into the room, and marveled at how different it was compared to the hall she had just left.
First, the floor was a bare, cold stone that was uncomfortable to walk on. The room was completely bare stone, other than a polished, oakwood desk that sat in the center, with a fireplace behind it in the wall. Fluttershy wondered how the room managed to be so cold, when the fireplace looked so warm and inviting.
Fluttershy found that sitting behind the desk was a pony wearing a black cloak and hood, and he was speaking with a pitch black pegasus. Fluttershy froze when she realized that the pegasus was the same she had seen at the buffalo camp. The pegasus Twister had attacked...
The pegasus didn't seem to notice her; he was too busy arguing with the hooded pony. "Look, I can get them to sell the land WITHOUT any more manipulation. It was difficult enough to manipulate the little one, but to do so with the chieftain, at the same time?! I could never pull something like that off. And if I release the little one, she'll tell everypony the truth!"
Fluttershy gasped; so Twister really was innocent? The hooded pony looked up, and Fluttershy could barely see his face under the hood. Fluttershy saw a dark green coat of fur covering his face, and the toothless grin he gave her told Fluttershy that he must be ancient.
"Nightshade, we will have to discuss this LATER. Right now, we have a guest." The hooded colt's voice sounded old and creaky, as if he was suffering some great sickness in his lungs. He stood up, and his hood glowed a sickly green hue as he pulled it off with magic.
As the hood pulled away and revealed his face, Fluttershy noticed that her assumption that he was ancient would have been an understatement; he had hundreds of wrinkles in his face, and some of his sickly green body fur had already started falling off. He looked old enough to be Granny Smith's grandfather!
"Greetings. Please forgive me for the suddeness of all this; Hollowcolts aren't known for their hospitality." Hollowcolts? Fluttershy turned to the colt in the suit, and he didn't seem to be looking at anything; he just seemed to stare off into space.
"Yes, he is a Hollowcolt. Um, would you mind...?" The old unicorn gestured to the 'Hollowcolt', and Fluttershy suppressed a gasp at what he did next; the suited colt sat on his rump, and he pulled off his sunglasses. As his glasses pulled away from his face, Fluttershy saw that he had no eyes; just small indents where anypony's eyes should be. It was if he was a maniquiine.
"So sorry, my dear. Hollowcolts are much more welcoming than chimeras, in my eyes at least. So.....crazy. Unpredictable. Much like that Discord fellow. But Hollowcolts..." The old unicorn chuckled. "Hollowcolts are much more reliable. An older model of zombies, in fact. I honestly don't know who came up with the idea of them EATING pony flesh. Far too graphic, for my taste."
Fluttershy didn't respond; she looked down at the cold stone floor, frightened by what was to come. She jumped when she heard Nightshade yell, "SPEAK WHEN SPOKEN TO!" Fluttershy cried out, and when she tried to back away, the Hollowcolt pushed her forward. Nightshade glared at Fluttershy, but the old unicorn hit him with a levitating book.
"Nightshade! Show some respect! She is our guest!" He scolded Nightshade as if he had just insulted somepony invited to his party. The black pegasus looked back grudgingly at the old unicorn, then muttered. "Sorry." He stared daggers into Fluttershy; his piercing blue eyes were unnerving.
Fluttershy whimpered, still frightened by all that just happened. She just saw an old friend get injured, and then got kidnapped and taken to Celestia-knows-where, and now was being treated as the star guest to a party she didn't want to go to in the first place.
The old unicorn smiled at Fluttershy, and about seventy more wrinkles appeared on his face as a result. "And, your name is...?" Fluttershy didn't answer. Her eyes darted from Nightshade to the unicorn, finding both of them to be equally frightening.
Nightshade looked like he was about to yell at her again, but was stopped when the old unicorn spoke again. "Don't be afraid, my dear. You are my guest, and guests shouldn't feel unwelcome in my home. Nightshade! Bring me some of that 'cider' you told me about!" Nightshade growled, and as he walked away, Fluttershy saw hatred in his gaze when he looked back at the old unicorn.
"Now, let's start over. My name is Mordu." The unicorn gestured to Fluttershy to sit down where Nightshade had been sitting. Not wanting to give the Hollowcolt a reason to fire, she sat down gingerly on the leather seat. "You are...?" Mordu waited for Fluttershy's response again, and she mumbled,"....um...F-Fluttershy..." Mordu raised his ears, and he said, "Sorry, didn't catch that. Old age is catching up on me!" He chuckled, and Fluttershy felt strangely comfortable.
"M-my name...is...Fluttershy..." Fluttershy looked back down. Why did she feel more comfortable than before? Fluttershy suddenly felt anger rise up in her when she remembered what the Hollowcolt did to Braeburn. "Wait...why did you let him shoot Braeburn, then?!" Fluttershy surprised herself with her own sudden force, but she couldn't help it. Why would this colt have his servant hurt her friends, then try to play nice?
Mordu appeared caught off guard by this. He shuffled his hooves together, and said,"Hollowcolts are each given goals to execute. Sadly, they do what they deem neccessary to complete these goals. So sorry about your friend. Truly." Fluttershy was mad now.
"You still let him hurt Braeburn! What if he dies from it?! What about Twister?!?" Mordu suddenly looked up, interest showing in his wrinkled eyes. "Ah, is that what Dashing's calling himself now? Interesting....." Fluttershy's heart plummeted into her stomach when she realized what she had just done.
"Uh..." Fluttershy felt miserable. She had just blown her friend's last cover, and he'd probably suffer for it. Mordu gave Fluttershy another unnerving grin, then suddenly yelled, "NIGHTSHADE!! THE CIDER!!!!" Fluttershy sank into her seat. She couldn't say anything else, lest she gives away more about Twister.
Nightshade suddenly returned from the thin hallway, and he had two cider drinks on a silver platter. He grudgingly dropped the platter onto the desk, and he sneered at Mordu. "Anything ELSE?" He hissed spitefully at the old unicorn. Mordu chuckled, and said, "No, that'll be all. Return to your training." Nightshade nodded, and trotted away grumbling something about ungrateful old coots.
Mordu offered Fluttershy one of the cider drinks, but she shook her head rapidly. Twister told her that nothing was sacred to them; what if they had done something to the drink? Mordu shrugged, and he practically inhaled his own drink. Fluttershy was surprised by how he managed to drink it so quickly.
Dropping the empty glass back on the platter, he looked back up at Fluttershy, giving her another toothless grin. "Forgive my manners; two thousand years of imprisonment can do that to a colt." Two-thousand YEARS?! Who IS this colt? Fluttershy stared at him with disbelief.
Mordu chuckled again, apparently finding her amazement amusing. "Oh, yes, I am that old. Necromancy isn't as death-centered as Celestia would have had you believe." NECROMANCY?! Fluttershy stuttered with fear,"Your...y-you're a..." Mordu interrupted her. "YES, I'm a necromancer. Celestia imprisoned me, but we now share a mutual understanding of one another. I provide her with these amazing new devices," Mordu reached into his desk drawer, and Fluttershy gasped when she recognised the silver weapon that the Hollowcolt had used on Braeburn. "and she lets me enjoy the more sinful pleasures of life. Necromancy included."
Fluttershy couldn't believe what she was hearing. There's no WAY Celestia would want such monstrous tools! And to release a NECROMANCER?! For these THINGS?! "I don't believe you." Fluttershy spoke again, and she reminded herself to be careful of her words; she couldn't give away any more about Twister.
This time, Mordu simply laughed. "Disbelief is nothing more than unacceptance. Learn to accept the truth, and you'll be much better off, dear. But, to the matter at hoof," Mordu reached back into his drawer again, and he pulled out an old folder. "Your friend Dashing, or as you better know him, TWISTER, isn't as clean as he'd like you to believe. This," The old unicorn waved the folder in front of Fluttershy's face with his magic,"Is all the proof you need."
Mordu dropped the folder in front of Fluttershy, and she was nervous in opening it. The unicorn looked unnervingly confident, and Fluttershy dreaded what she would find in the folder. Gingerly lifting it with one hoof, Fluttershy pushed aside the silver platter and put the folder in it's place.
As Fluttershy opened the folder, she slowly felt a lump form in the back of her throat. First, there was newspaper article involving the massacre of seven ponies, completely unrelated to each other, slaughtered in a Manehatten market by a pegasus, noted to having a grayscale mane by witnesses. That...that can't be right.... There weren't any pictures to back up what these witnesses claimed, and Twister wouldn't just slaughter a group of ponies. Would he?
Looking back up from the article, Fluttershy realized Mordu was giving her another toothless grin. Realizing she was finished with that article, he egged her on. "Oh, there's more where that came from, dear! Just look back inside."
Fluttershy returned to the folder, tossing aside the article she had just read. There was another article in a full newspaper circled, and Fluttershy opened it to the marked page. This article involved the discovery of theft of the 'Sunstone', and the corpses of three buffalo warriors. Again, a pegasus claimed to have a grayscale mane was mentioned as being involved with the tribe recently, and his description by the warriors of the tribe was disturbingly similar similar to the same pegasus involved in the massacre. Again, no pictures, but one buffalo warrior marked as a witness was mentioned.
Little Strongheart.....Now I know they're lying to me. Fluttershy had just heard Nightshade admit to manipulating the young warrior, and what was keeping back the possibility that Twister was framed for the Manehatten massacre? Fluttershy felt her heart begin to race. Here, I have an opportunity to find evidence to clear Twister's name!
Fluttershy suddenly felt frightened again. What would these...necromancers do to her, now that she was at their mercy? Who's to say they're going to be any friendlier, even if she believed them?
Mordu cleared his throat, and Fluttershy realized he was waiting for her to say something. Clearing her throat nervously, Fluttershy managed to stutter out, "I-I...can't believe he would..." Fluttershy hoped she managed to pass of her nervousness as shock to what she had just read. Mordu grinned wider, and twenty more wrinkles appeared as a result.
"So, now that you have proof, can you accept Dashing's true identity?" Fluttershy didn't know how to answer, so she remained silent, as if she was still trying to soak in what she had just read.
"NIGHTSHADE!!!!" Fluttershy jumped at Mordu's sudden shout. Turning her head to the sound of galloping hooves, Fluttershy saw the pitch black pegasus burst through the door, his face red with.....exhaustion? Or anger?
"WHA-" Nightshade suddenly stopped himself, and after closing his eyes, he said," YES, lord Mordu?" Mordu grinned, and said "Please lead our guest to her quarters. She's going to need some time to soak all this in." The sickly green unicorn winked at Nightshade, and the pegasus suddenly started grinning himself as some unspoken understanding passed between them.
"This way, DEAR." Nightshade sneered at Fluttershy, and as she slowly pulled herself out of the chair and walked into the hall, she felt her flank get slapped. "HURRY UP!" Crying out, Fluttershy sped up to a gallop, running through the oakwood-and-baige hall. Feeling a gust of air blast her mane, Fluttershy stopped when she realized Nightshade had flown over her head and landed in front of her.
"Not THAT fast. Move in a trot, and don't get any funny ideas." The black pegasus turned around to move towards the wooden door opposite to the room they had just left. Fluttershy moved on, careful not to bump into the dark pegasus, and she felt another lump form in her throat when the Hollowcolt nudged her again. "Don't slow down, and don't speed up. Nightshade is real picky about that."
Did the Hollowcolt just give her advice? Didn't Mordu say that Hollowcolts were just zombies under somepony's control? Fluttershy forgot this when Nightshade spun around to face her again, and realized they had reached the end of the hall.
"Enjoy the light while you can. It's under-rated." Nightshade gave Fluttershy another unnerving grin, and he turned to the wooden door and pushed it open. Fluttershy felt her heart leap into her throat when she saw what was in the room behind it.
As the door opened, the first thing Fluttershy noticed was the smell of something rotten. When the door swung open completely, Fluttershy realized it was rotten flesh.
The room was filled with ponies in dark hoods like Mordu's, and they were all working with the corpses of animals. Bunnies, timber wolves, manticores....and even ponies.
Fluttershy wanted nothing more than to scream and run, but the Hollowcolt nudged her again, forcing her to walk into the horrifying room. As she continued along the small path running down the room, Fluttershy felt like she was going to be sick.
One hooded pony was doing some kind of ritual with the corpses of a rabbit and a mole, and he turned his head briefly to look at Fluttershy. Looking away, Fluttershy held back her tears. Why would they do such horrible things with the bodies of animals?
Fluttershy gasped again when Nightshade suddenly turned around. "These are our training grounds. Not much, I know, but Lord Mordu knows that only a select few are strong enough to learn necromancy. And even fewer make it out completely alive." Nightshade added this last part with such cold malice, it made Fluttershy want to cry out.
"Hurry up! The tour isn't over." Nightshade suddenly turned back around in a huff, as if Fluttershy just did something to deliberately annoy him. Fighting back her convulsions, Fluttershy hurried along, trying her hardest not to match the gaze of any of the necromancers.
Nightshade pushed open another door along the side of a wall, and Fluttershy immediately felt the repulsive smell of smoke hit the roof of her mouth. As they trio walked into the next room, Fluttershy felt her eyes begin to water at the amount of heat and smoke hitting her eyes.
Fluttershy saw that this room was like the engine room of a train that was super-sized; there were machines burning and releasing smoke into the room. Fluttershy wondered how this was healthy for anypony working in here.
Fluttershy walked further into the room, and found that the machines were....building weapons? The machines were moving belts of some kind, and they moved mettalic parts along while metal, bipedal arms grabbed them and put them together. Machines building machines...
Nightshade spun back around again, and Fluttershy just barely stopped herself from walking into the dark pegasus. "This is where our weapons are built and manufactured. Half goes to us..." Nightshade tipped his head to where one of the moving belts were taking fully constructed weapons. "And half goes to the rest of Equestria, in turn for our due payment. It's a system that works well for us." Nightshade's eyes beamed as he spoke of the room; Fluttershy realized it must be pride. Did he invent these things?
Fluttershy didn't have a chance to ask. Just as quickly as he started beaming, Nightshade scowled at Fluttershy and growled "Keep up!" The dark pegasus spun around again, and Fluttershy felt the Hollowcolt nudge her to move forward.
Fluttershy reluctantly trotted along, careful not to go too fast, nor too slow. Nightshade pushed another door open again, and Fluttershy found herself in a hallway just like the one she appeared in: The smell of smoke and rotting corpses somehow didn't reach this area.
Nightshade spun around again, and he walked past Fluttershy. "The Hollowcolt will take care of the rest. Just don't try anything, and he won't fire." Nightshade grinned mockingly at Fluttershy again, and disappeared through the door she just walked past.
Fluttershy gulped when the Hollowcolt pushed her forward again. "Move." The Hollowcolt spoke the word with it's usual monotone speech pattern, but it had a sense of force that scared Fluttershy. She quickly followed his order, and trotted towards the door at the end of the hall.
Again, when they reached the door, the Hollowcolt stretched it's hoof over Fluttershy's shoulder to push it open. Fluttershy stepped into the room, and was surprised by how serene it was compared to the rest of where-ever she was; it had oakwood floorboards, like the hallway, and the walls were painted that same calming shade of beige. The room had a nice large bed sitting right in the middle of the room, and Fluttershy was tempted to collapse onto it. The only thing unnerving about it was it didn't have any windows.
Fluttershy looked back at the Hollowcolt, and she watched as it closed the door behind them and sat down in front of it. Confuse, Fluttershy finally said after a few moments," Um....what...what are we...supposed to do now?" Fluttershy didn't want to give the Hollowcolt any reason to fire at her, but surely a single question couldn't hurt?
The Hollowcolt suddenly turned it's head towards Fluttershy, as if it's indent-eyes could see her. Could they? "You are to stay within your quarters until the feast." It spoke quickly and abruptly, with the same emotionless tone. Fluttershy forced herwself to ask another question," W-what...feast?"
The Hollowcolt resumed it's gaze at Fluttershy...if you could call it a gaze....and said,"Tonight, Lord Mordu has prepared a grand feast to welcome all new necromancers and guests. You are a guest, so you will be attending tonight." The Hollowcolt suddenly turned it's head away from Fluttershy, staring back into space.
Fluttershy mumbled something even she couldn't hear, and walked towards the bed. As she fell onto it, Fluttershy was surprised at how tired she was after all of that. As she closed her eyes, she feared for her friends safety; she had given away Twister's last cover, and it would only make things more difficult for him and her friends.
What about Braeburn? Would her old friend die from being shot? Did he survive? Not knowing her friend's fate was both nerve-racking and frightening for Fluttershy. What about the others? Applejack must be beside herself with grief at what happened to Braeburn, and Fluttershy wondered how Twister would handle things.
Twister...did he really kill seven ponies? No..he couldn't have....there wasn't any real evidence to suggest he was the killer, and he didn't seem like the kind of pony who would go on a killing spree. But what do you know? Fluttershy reminded herself she's only known Twister for a few days. While he did save their lives on multiple occasions, he did kill that doctor at the hospital in cold blood.
He did it to protect himself! Fluttershy scolded herself. Did he? Or could he be crazy? Fluttershy didn't know what to think of the crippled pegasus anymore. Would he hurt her friends? Is he really on their side?
And what about these...necromancers? Mordu was definitely creepy, but he seemed like a decent pony overall, and did seem sincere in his apology for Braeburn. That still doesn't excuse it! Fluttershy reminded herself. And Two-thousand years old? How is that even possible?
What about Nightshade? Fluttershy realized she had forgotten to ask the dark pegasus why Twister attacked him. Fluttershy decided she would have to keep an eye on that pegasus whenever he was in the room. He looked like he was going to tear Fluttershy apart when she didn't answer Mordu's question.
And the necromancers overall....who could such twisted, horrible things to those animals? And those ponies...Fluttershy didn't recognize any of them, but if they were willing to use the corpses of other ponies for their experiments....
Fluttershy felt her eyelids grow heavy, and before she could worry another negative thought, she had fallen into a restless sleep.

--Hope you enjoyed the chapter, guys! Next chapter is due next week, hopefully at the same time as this one! I also want to give a shout out to Pyro1101, who's feedback and ideas has helped me immensely in writing these things! READ HIS STUFF NAOW, DAMMIT! He's an amazing writer!--