Twilight twitched slightly in her sleep, before slowly fluttering her eyes open only to squeeze them shut with a groan, as the harsh light stabbed at her eyes.
"Twily, you awake?" A familiar voice asked in concern, "You okay?"
With a low moan, Twilight carefully blinked her eyes to adjust them to the light above her, before tilting her head left to spot her B.B.B.F.F, Shining Armour, as well as a unicorn mare with a dark-blue, colt-like mane and tail, a reddish-brown coat and a heartline for a Cutie Mark, who looked happy to see her awake.
"As I said, Prince Armour, all that Miss Sparkle suffered from was magical exhaustion," the doctor stated, before looking at Twilight, "My name is Doctor Beating Heart. I have to say, I've seen some cases of magical exhaustion but you certainly take the cake," she said with a chuckle.
Twilight frowned in thought, before exclaiming with a gasp, "Princess Luna! Is she...?"
"I spent the last half-hour performing surgery on Princess Luna. Thank Faust for alicorn healing abilities, otherwise..." Dr. Heart answered, a serious look adorning her face, "Second degree burns, several dozen fractures all over her body, some bones even holding four, a slash wound that cut clean through her left scapula, both humerus at different points and ribs as well as nearly opening her lungs, and internal haemorrhaging? A normal pony'd be dead in a minute if they're lucky enough. She's currently being looked after by the best we have."
"And... the creature...?" Twilight hesitantly asked, hoping that Luna's plan had worked.
"I knocked it out cold, Twi!" A new voice jumped in, making Twilight spin her head to the right so fast her neck cricked. Rubbing her neck with a wince, she looked over to see Rainbow Dash in the bed over, surrounded by the rest of the girls, with both hindlegs in a cast and held in traction ropes, "Though you do get credit for softening it up for me," Rainbow continued, a grin on her face.
"What Ah wanna know is how ya'll brought that thang down when an Ursa Major and Princess Luna couldn't," Applejack interjected. Twilight looked around to see her friends, her brother and the doctor looking at her expectantly. Taking a deep breath, she began,
"Well, you see..."
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Flashback; Over the Everfree
Twilight couldn't believe her eyes. The creature, carrying an injured Princess and herself, was standing in midair like it was nothing. Then, with a burst of static that echoed painfully in her ears, she found herself dangling over Ponyville.
Suddenly, she felt somewhat lethargic before an image of Princess Luna swam before her eyes. Twilight, the image called, Listen carefully. When you have the chance, strike the beast with a Sleeping Spell."Dimly, she heard the creature ask her something... the Hospital? Hoping it was that, she gave the directions while trying to focus on the plan the Princess was laying out, Though chances are the beast will not fall, I'll use a Hypnosis Spell to weaken his mental defences. Then, we shall strike with all the magic we have. Understood? With a mumbled affirmative, Twilight waited until she was placed on the ground before giving a silent apology and following the plan.
It seemed that the first and second stages went well, but even with both high powered spells striking, the creature refused to fall. Collapsing from the fatigue that overcame her, Twilight barely registered Rainbow Dash before blacking out.
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End Flashback; Back at the Hospital
"And, that's how it happened," Twilight finished, sipping at the glass of water the doctor offered partway through, before asking a question, "But how'd you turn up in time, Rainbow?"
"I, uh, couldn't sleep," the cyan pegasus admitted with averted eyes, "Kept thinking about that monster. So, went flying 'round Ponyville to clear my head, and BOOM!" she threw her forelegs out wide to emphasize her point, "There's that thing, with Princess Luna looking all beat up and you, running in midair. So, I took off after it, saw you two hammer it, and came down to finish the job," she finished, buffing a forehoof against her chest before admiring it.
"In any case, the creature's locked up in the hospital. Got it bound with magic draining cuffs and magic reinforced chains. Not even the Princesses could break out," Shining stated, a small amount of boast coming through at the last part, before becoming serious. "Twily, I know that you're curious about it, but please - stay away. I don't wanna see you as bad, or worse, as the Princess."
Twilight tried to argue, but found her brothers gaze and stature unyielding. "Alright, Shining, I promise." With a grateful smile and nod, Shining gave her a short nuzzle, before turning and leaving the room, Doctor Heart in tow, as her friends came over to comfort her. Even as they did, Twilight still couldn't help but think about the creature.
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As I stood within a black void, pink lines flashed into existence to show that I was somewhat bowing before a creature, similar to the two in my last dream, standing in front of me. Looking upwards as much as I could, I saw that it had long, black hair held with angular pieces of silver, a white sleeveless coat, marred by specks of blood, laying over black robes, and a shocked expression on its face. In my left hand, I held a silver blade which I presume to be the other's.
"I told you that I'd be in trouble if you died," a voice, familiar yet not, echoed calmly, "You idiot."
"Impossible!" the creature softly exclaimed, before demanding, "What are you?" As he continued talking, I felt an itching sensation, that I'd taken no notice of before, end.
"What am I?" the voice taunted, "HA! I don't have..." My view jerked upwards to view him entirely as I felt a psychotic grin twisting my face.
"A NAME!" My hand, as I seemed to be tethered to a body, clenched around a sword that was disturbingly similar to mine before sweeping upwards to cut the other from hip to shoulder, forcing him to release his blade. With a demented cackle, I watched him skid back from the slash as I jumped.
"You ****** do suck at this, ******!" I shouted in that strangely familiar voice, the blurring from my last dream returning, "You got beaten by your ******** reiatsu, cracking the ****** throughout your body. You're so pathetic." Reiatsu? I wondered, before deciding to ask Instinct later.
Charging forward, I yelled, "I'll show you!" as I shattered his sword into... petals?
"I'll show you... how to use a ******!" As I neared my opponent, he held out his hand. A sliver of pink fell from the walls and reformed into a sword. Rearing back, I wound up my sword arm before swinging it in a circular motion, a spiralling, fang-like wave of black flames, edged with a dark crimson, racing at the other. Just before it struck, however, he vanished only to reappear some distance away, perched on a rock before disappearing again as I destroyed the same stone with my attack from above.
When he reappeared again, I sprinted at him, while releasing three of the black fangs. He attempted to disappear again to avoid them, but in an instant I was behind him, a hand on his shoulder to hold him in place as I cackled. The next second surrounded us in darkness and dark red.
When the smoke and darkness cleared, we both stood there, as shattered pieces of his headdress fell with some blood from his forehead.
"The way this reiatsu feels..." he panted, "and that mask..." As he spoke, I felt more of the light itchiness return.
"Are you a Hollow?" As he asked his question, I gave a light chuckle and replied, "Who knows? There's no need to know. With this you are going to-"
Vanish. To my shock, my hand shot up and grabbed at something that was over my left eye before seemingly straining what was there. My opponent was as shocked as I was at what was happening, as I began flailing around, grunting and exclaiming as pain and panic swelled within me.
Don't interfere! Leave! As what I suddenly recognised as the voice a mere few seconds ago ordered me, I faintly noticed my body emitting a light-ish blue glow as I replied, "You're the one interfering! Can't you tell **** I'll win if *** leave me like this?!" I attempted to ward off whatever it was with wild swings, screaming out against it. My efforts seemed pointless, as with a scream of pain and a shattering of something like ceramic, as shards of what must've been the mask my opponent commented on fell towards my feet, the entire scene fading away as they did.
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I jerked awake as my dream ended, only to the sound of chains clattering as my arms only moved partially. Shaking my head as best I could to clear my vision of bleariness, I gazed around as much as I could to find that I had been shackled...
Though that would've been an understatement.
My ankles and wrists bore black-ish silver manacles, connected to chains that ran to the wall for my hands and shorter chains into the floor for my feet. My calves, thighs, forearms and upper arms were solidly wrapped in chains, the ones around my legs forcing me into a kneeling position with the chains around my arms holding them at an angle above and away from my body. More chains wrapped around my waist and crossed over my chest that I assumed led either into the wall behind me or the floor again. Attempting to look caused me to feel that even the base of my horns held the manacles, with chains leading into the roof, and my neck had a chain that was anchored in the floor.
What was strange though was...
I felt more....
Well, solid.