//------------------------------// // Bonus Chapter: Heir Of The Corrupt King // Story: Twilily Saga: Past, Present, Or Damnation // by Lighttone GryphonStar //------------------------------// Cult Race landed in front of a simple building, hidden in plain sight among several in a common city. He took a deep breath as he went inside. Inside was a public library filled with books. Nopony recognized him or even noticed him as he walked past the books to the front desk. But of course, he was very good about hiding in plain sight.  At the front desk was a gray pegasus mare. “What kind of books are you looking for sir?” questioned the mare. “I’m looking for a certain book,” he answered. “Alright, give me the description.” He took a deep breath, bringing more attention. “The story is about a stallion. He is a fake god who lives in the shadows and curses the real gods who in the light.” Suddenly upon hearing those words, the mare’s eyes widened and her body straightened. She then spoke in a zombified state like voice, “Oh, go right ahead, No. 001.” She pressed a button that was under the desk as Cult Race walked off. He walked over to the biology section. He walked to a bookshelf and didn’t stop, he walked straight through it. Past the holographic bookshelf was a pair of clean metal doors. On the doors was the symbol of perfection. He walked up to the doors. On the right was a slit. A robotic voice could be heard. “Provide blood sample.” He grabbed out one of his bone knives and pulled off his glove. He cut his hand and instantly the hand healed. He placed the glove back on then placed his maroon blue blood into the slit. Once that was done the doors open to reveal an elevator. The voice spoke again, “Welcome back No. 001.” He took the elevator down five hundred stories underground. Once it got to the bottom the doors opened. He walked out into a gigantic hallway filled with several liquid tanks. The tanks lined all the walls and up to the ceiling. In the liquid tanks could be seen doppelgangers. On the hallway’s ceiling was a metal orb covered in lights and at the end of the hallway was a maroon blue velvet throne facing a fireplace. Above the fireplace were five specially lined tanks. All five were empty. As soon as he entered the hallway the doppelgangers came to attention. They all stared and watched him as he walked through the hallway silently. Each one of the tanks had a number under them. He always trembled when coming here. These doppelgangers always freaked him out. He kept walking silently as he approached the throne. Under the throne was the number 000. He thought he was being perfectly quiet, hoping that he wouldn’t be noticed. Suddenly a voice spoke. This voice spoke differently from any other. This voice had a touch of morbidness to it. “I’m blind Cult Race, not def. Now stop moving so slowly.” Cul Race hastened his speed. The less time he spent here the better anyway. He got to the throne and bowed as it turned around on a magical levitating swivel. Sitting in the throne was a tall pale pink stallion with a long luxurious silver mane. He wore an emerald green business suit and round top hat with a sapphire blue tie. He also wore a polished golden upper face mask over his eyes and a pair of stylish pearl white gloves with a pair of shiny onyx dress shoes. In his left hand was a wine glass filled with royal nectar. In his right a silver and ruby red walking stick with runes on it that read 'Ótan i fantasía égine pragmatikótita.' Cult Race trembled at his smirk. “What’s wrong Cult Race?” he held his arms out away from his throne. “You don’t like your siblings staring at you.” “No Hollow Prince. I always find them pointless. Especially since they refuse to rebel against their twisted creator.” “Well of course," He chuckled. "You know I perfected my grandfather's blueprints after the failure that was you. After all we don’t want a bunch of homicidal maniacs running around creation.” Cult Race fakely smirked at that. Hollow Prince took a drink and then continued, “Anyway why are you here?” “I’m here to tell you that Corruption has been returned to his imprisonment in stone.” Anger grew within the Hollow Prince. “What? By who?!” “By a purple alicorn.” The Hollow Prince grew angry. So much so that the glass in his hand filled with cracks until it finally shattered. As the royal nectar spilled out over his glove, he demanded. “Where is this one? Who is this purple alicorn?!” “I don’t know.” he lied. “But listen, with Corruption now gone the Cult of Light needs a new leader.” Cult Race stopped as the Hollow Prince rose from his throne. He walked over and faced the fireplace. As he placed his walking stick on the wall, he pulled off his white gloves revealing that his hands were covered in rotting flesh. He threw the gloves, and the glass into a trash bin and pulled out new clean ones. As he placed on the new ones, Cult Race continued, “Look, you are the one the spirit of corruption trusted the most. You are the only one who can lead them now.” Hollow Prince turned to face him but refused to answer him. He simply grabbed at walking stick tightly and used to find his back to his throne. Once he arrived he took a deep breath and sat down. “I will consider this. Now leave me.” his voice was calm and almost too tame for somepony who had just received such dire news. Cult Race stood up and walked away. The room grew quiet once his footstep stopped echoing and the elevator doors closed behind him. The Hollow Prince simply leaned back once he knew Cult Race was completely gone. Suddenly the flame of the fireplace went out and the glow of every tank darkened until the whole room was pitch black. It quickly became quieter by the second to where not even the sound of breath from Hollow Prince’s own mouth could be heard. It stayed silent for so long, Hollow Prince’s own mind was the only thing that was keeping him from going insane. He took another breath annoyed as ever that he still couldn’t hear the sound. He gritted his teeth when out of nowhere echoes filled the room. A figure could be heard walking through the darkness. “You know he is lying to you.” Hollow Prince smiled upon hearing that voice crack through the silence. He moved his walking stick around almost seemed like he was feeling around for him as he answered him. “It matters not, Blood Diamond. Now, did you bring me five like I asked?” “They will be down shortly. I also witnessed the two mares, though at a distance.” “Good.” On that, he stomped his walking stick down four times in a rhythmic form. Light filled the room once more but this light was not coming from the fireplace or the tanks. Instead, it was coming from above the fireplace. The five tanks above the fireplace opened up and glowed in five different hues. Yellow, orange, cyan, white, and pink. Under them were the numbers 003, 004, 005, 006, 007. “I don’t know why Grogar suggest I use these exact tanks but it doesn’t matter.” “Because they lie in her future.” Blood Diamond reminded him. Hollow Prince raised his hand up to his mask. “Indeed that damn lavender alicorn’s future. Soon she and the other alicorns will realize what true hate is. And when that is done, I will kill them all.” He gripped at his mask, so much so that his nails dug into the flesh around it, making blood flow outward. “Every last one, especially the one that ripped out my eyes nearly four thousand years ago.” He quickly felt the blood soaking his fresh gloves. Annoyed with his hidden temper ruining another pair he swatted the blood away and laughed aloud. “Look at myself, angry at a mare who has yet to even commit her atrocities that are fated to await her and her student.” He stood up and swung his walking stick about. “Yes, I wonder how their journey will continue, I mean we do know where it will all end.” He pulled off his bloody glove and placed his rotted flesh cover hand over the amulet on his neck. “Yes, revenge will be given, ten times over to that stupid lavender alicorn, Twilily Moonlight, or as she seemingly goes by now, Twilight Sparkle.” ****** Winds of midday tore through an empty plaza full of alicorn statues. A lone pink alicorn stallion in bronze armor was kneeling in front of one of them, bowing in a prayer form. His golden mane flew over his face a few times as he spoke words silently. “You keep praying to her. Yet I can tell you whether she is listening.” A voice spoke up behind him. The alicorn stopped and smiled. “Of course you can. It is your species uniqueness.” The alicorn stood up and bowed his head one more time to the statue before turning to face the voice. “Hello, Rex. I’m glad you're here. Did you catch him?” Rex Moba was a tall thin charcoal colored stallion with a navy blue mane. He had on many blue Arabian style cloths and scarfs wrapped around his upper body, his broad shoulders and arms as well as around his neck and forehead. His face, shortcut navy blue mane and the abs along his thin belly were still exposed. Below he wore wide long white trousers with the bottoms tucked in his black stringless shoes, along with many gold chains wrapped around his whole form, and especailly his arms. Rex placed his arms on his back and bend backward until his back popped. “Hold on, Golden Williams.” He flipped forward and seemed to pull a bloody bag out of nowhere. “Here is Grace Venom.” Golden Williams frowned and grabbed his face. “You were supposed to bring him back alive.” Rex jumped slightly at this and dropped the bag to the ground as the head rolled. “I didn’t make his own axe fall on his neck.” He closed his mouth partially and mumbled, “At least not on purpose.” Golden Williams lowered his face to the severed head and wrapped in his magic. He placed it back in the bag and removed the blood splatter. He turned back to the statue he had been looking at before. “Sorry, mother.” He took a breath and turned back to Rex as Rex grabbed the bag out of his magic. Golden Williams raised his hand up to his face and continued, “Fine. Please at least tell you and Clover got the mission done quietly.” Rex’s face fell. “Well, Clover wouldn’t have it when she found out about how mares are treated in that country.” Golden Williams signed heavily. “Fine, fine. Let’s get you on to the next mission then.” “Good, I want to be out of here before your father sees me.” Rex looked left and right. Golden Williams looked at the statue once more before turning away to leave. “Don’t worry, He never visits my mom anymore.” ***** The two entered a room full of strange machinery hidden under the plaza. “I have a special case that you of all ponies might enjoy.” Golden Williams walked over to a filing cabinet. He opened it and pulled out a file folder. He looked it over carefully before handing it to Rex. Rex took it and opened, inside the file folder was three pictures. One was of a fiery red mare, the other was what looked like a wolf and the final one was a black stallion covered in stitches. There were also papers on all of them. “Why would I enjoy killing these creatures down?” Golden Williams’s eyebrow raised as he turned back around to the filing cabinet and pulled out another file. “First of all, we want them alive so they can provide us with the whereabouts of him.” He showed the file to Rex and Rex’s eyes widened. “That the former king of the Wendigoes. But didn’t he die more than five thousand years ago…” Suddenly Rex’s voice stopped as he ripped the file of Golden Williams’ hand and looked it over even closer as he reached for something on his neck that glowed. “Indeed, the picture was taken before his supposed death and he wearing your amulet.” Golden Williams smirked. “Have I got your attention now.” “Yes. Yes, you do.” ****** The End.