//------------------------------// // Section 5 // Story: Shining's Log // by wille179 //------------------------------// Shining’s Log: 66         I’m being taken from my cell (still don’t know why I was locked up in the first place) and escorted to the palace throne room. Fine, right? I would think so, except for the fact of who was escorting me.                 Me. Shining Armor. An early thirties, un-cursed version of me. How do I convince ponies that I am Shining Armor when the pony that I think I am it right there? How?         Well for starters, I should A) pretend that the magic suppressor ring actually works and B) not obey the voices telling me to kill the impostor. Those voices are really annoying and they should feel bad. And the drums, the endless banging of drums. Oh wait, that’s my heart.         Anyway, I’m getting plenty of odd stares as I’m lead to the throne room. How often do you see a giant, bleeding, pony-like thing being escorted in chains through the castle? Especially if they are using their antenna to write with blood as they walk?         I hope that Princess Celestia can help me get home or get cured. The doors open and -------         Buck. That is not what I expected. Shining’s Log: 67         I’m so glad they gave you back, Log! I don’t care if you are a figment of my imagination, this place is evil! I need the company after what I saw. I wish I had Corny, too...         Ok, ok, I’ll tell... It was Twilight, my Twily, sitting on the throne and all grown up... with bat wings... and fangs. But her worst feature was her eyes. Instead of lavender, they were red and had the pupils STITCHED SHUT! What the buck?         I tried, Log, I tried! I told them what happened to me and they laughed. She and those five mares laughed at my suffering. They told me to go rot in a cell. And here I am again. At least they gave you back.         I’ve been here for hours. This anti-magic cell is apparently water-tight, because the endless blood trickling off of me is starting to pool around my hooves. I can’t sleep on any of the beds in here (they’re too small), so I’m going to keep you on it instead. Meanwhile, I’ve gotten so thirsty that I’ve started drinking the pooling blood for fluids.         Yes, I know there are others in this cell. Yes, I know I’m freaking them out. They terrify me, too. No, I don’t want to talk about them (or to them). I just can’t.         Fine...         Log, their limbs are gone! The two mares and one oddly long stallion all had their limbs cut off. All three are bound completely with their mouths bandaged shut. Only one eye each I could see: red with yellow sclera, magenta, and cyan.         Seeing as the guards could not see into the cell, I reached up and coaxed Thorn out of his nest in my mane and asked him to change. The tiny dragon shimmered and warped himself into blade form. With a flick of my (partially) restrained magic, I slit the bindings of Cyan Eye's mouth. "Haha! You have my thanks, good creature," she said the moment her mouth was free. Her voice, loud as it was, was rough from prolonged disuse. "Would you kindly free my sister?"         I nodded and then slit the other mare's bindings. "Ah, it's good to have freedom again, as slight as it may be. Thank you."         That voice. I recognized that voice. What Royal Guard (in training) would not recognize her voice? "Princess Celestia?"         She nodded gravely. "In the flesh. Or, what's left of it, anyway. Who and - pardon my asking - what are you?"         "Demon pony... I think... Not really sure. My name? I'm suffering from an identity crisis at the moment. Ask me when I figure it out," I replied, or something like that.         "Mmmmmrrrmrmrmrm!" The third figure mumbled. Apologizing for forgetting him, I slit his bindings open with Thorn's blade. "Ha! Now you know what being stoned feels like, Celestia."         "I have already apologized for that, Discord." Discord? I thought he was trapped in stone in the Canterlot Maze. What is a reality warper like him doing in here? Scratch that, I want to know what they are all doing in here without limbs or horns or wings.          Shining’s Log: Entry 68         Log, I won't bore you with the specifics of the conversation... Mostly because I became so lost in the conversation (actual conversation!) that I can't actually remember it word for word. The gist of the conversation went like this:         We introduced ourselves. I found out that Equestria had a third princess.         I told my story and showed them you to help fill in the details.         Then they told me their story, and let me tell you, it's probably worse than my own. It started with Princess Twilight (She became an alicorn Princess! So. AWESOME!) wanting to demonstrate a new spell to a committee in Canterlot. Her friends, the Princesses, a reformed Discord, Cadance, and I (married to Cadance!) were there to watch her work. Then something went wrong.         The resulting explosion transported every living creature within one mile of Canterlot mountain (and only living creatures) to this world. Discord, unable to overpower the force holding them here, recreated Canterlot so they had a place to live and work while they tried to find a way home. Then the monsters came.         From outside the city, monsters of every possible shape and size swarmed at the prospect of fresh meat. But the real problem lay within the city. Delusions, panic, paranoia, and hallucinations overtook the ponies, brought on by the very world itself. And those who had the weakest minds succumbed first, completely losing themselves and wildly attacking their fellow ponies. They were banished from the city.         Sometimes, though, a pony will hide one of their sick relatives or friends. Those who were fully lost in their madness started physically transforming into monsters. The ones Luna described sounded much like the shriekers I kill by the dozens...         Eventually, the Elements of Harmony (my sister and her friends) succumbed to madness and attacked Discord. Twily won, took Discord's power for herself, and then attacked the Princesses. Backed by the Elements, Cadance, and my other, the royal sisters had no hope of beating Twilight.         Eventually, all three immortals were robbed of the ability to interact with the world, at least until I came along... Shining's Log: Entry 70         Without any indication of it's passage, time was impossible to measure in that cell. I'm now thoroughly convinced that they left me here to die. The immortals don't need food, and I fear that they might have forgotten my need for food and water. So for the past few waking periods, Thorn and I had been continuously drinking curse blood. The problem was that the curse blood appeared faster than Thorn and I drank it. So, it has become our makeshift hourglass. It's three hoof-lengths deep now.         In five hoof lengths, the mattresses will be submerged. Six, and I could drown if I fall asleep. That won't be a problem for a while... a month or two, tops.         But I haven't been idle since I got here, oh no. I've been training in magic under Discord and the Princesses, the three greatest magic users ever. It would take a decade or more to learn enough to even consider myself a skilled mage, so for now I settled for a crash course in battle, survival, and medical magics. For you, Log, I also learned how to magically clean and repair you (a necessity in this room. I’m sorry for nearly dropping you in the blood pool), conjure extra pages, and enchant you so that nopony can tamper with you.         There's also the added benefit that such a low magic environment has forced me to struggle with magic, much like resistance weight training (I can’t take the horn ring off yet - there are security spells on it that would set off an alarm if I tried). The extra sanity from having real company (maybe even friends) is nice, too.          Shining’s Log: Entry 72 (5 hoof-lengths deep)         I managed to get the blood-clotting spell to work on the curse blood for a prolonged period last waking period. It doesn’t hold forever, but I can at least have a dry, solid floor again. As long as I cast it before I sleep, I won’t have to worry about drowning in here for a while.         I also learned how to teleport today. I was disappointed that I couldn’t escape because of the nature of this cell. Whatever. I can manipulate the locks on the door. For now, I’m just biding my time. Celestia, Luna, and Discord are such wells of knowledge. If I escape now, I lose access to them.         Discord had a stroke of genius. He taught me how to generate small amounts of chaos magic (not that I could do much with it) and had me channel it through him. He in turn used it to reignite the immortal trio’s ability to produce their own magic.         So with those three starting to regain their power (and use it to regenerate their limbs), it’s only a matter of time before we’re ready to escape. Shining’s Log: Entry 75 (9.5 hoof-lengths deep)         It’s time.         Using my strength as a catalyst, all four of us magic users have grown in strength. It’s funny, being locked up in what should have been an impenetrable prison ends up being the greatest thing to ever happen to us. Now, let’s go see what’s outside. Log, I promise that whenever I get a moment, I’ll annotate whatever happens. This should be exciting. With a great surge of my magic, I pop the ring off my horn. Oh sweet relief...                  Let the games begin.