//------------------------------// // Chapter 17: Near Miss And Forgiveness // Story: Resurrection // by Z-A-C //------------------------------// "Ok I'll give you this: For a holding cell this is amazing. Definitely better than the last holding cell I was in." I've been moved into what looked like a five-star hotel room that the princesses called a holding cell. It had a white marble floor, white marble walls and even a nice bed with a velvet sheet and satin covers, both were very soft. "But I must admit.....it is a bit to fancy for my taste." "If you like, we can take you back to the dungeon." "So I was right! That was a dungeon. Hmm.....why would the nice princess need a dungeon hmm?" "They have not been used for a thousand years." "I see, so Equestria had a dark ages of its own huh?" "Back during those times I became very....well.....jealous of my sister here and transformed into a creature called 'Nightmare Moon'." "Hmm....Nightmare Moon..." "Yes. Those were dark times and I was punished...." "How, if you don't mind telling me that is." "I sent her to the moon for a thousand years." "So your not as nice as your subjects think! You sent your own sister to the moon for that long!? Nice princess indeed!!" "If it wasn't absolutely necessary I wouldn't have done it!" "I agree, she tried to reason with me but I was to angry and corrupted I didn't listen! Like....you..." "I knew there was a reason why I liked Luna better, she was a victim of our dear Celestia's fury. Your just like the doctors of my world! What if was a mental disorder?! What if it was a virus or a disease!?" "But it wasn't!!" "You. Got. LuCkY!! What if was hmm? What. If. It. Was!? You just threw her away, to the moon of all places! She could have DiEd!!! And you just stayed down here, sipping your cups of tea and going on like nothing happened!!" "BUT SOMETHING DID!!! I lost my sister to...." She opened up a can of worms with that. "NO YOU DIDN'T!! SHES RIGHT THERE!!!" I pointed at Luna, my hand shaking with rage making them both step back. "NOTHING COMES BACK DEATH AND A DOUBT SHES AN EXCEPTION JUST BECAUSE SHES ROYALTY!!! She threw you away because she was scared Luna, just like what my parents did to me! And when I was around the treated me like I was the worst mistake they made..." "You will address her as..." "I. AM. TALKING!!!" She shrank and sat down Luna did the same. "And as punishment for interrupting me," They both looked at me with fear in their eyes. "Look into my eye!" I flipped up the eye patch and forced my right eye closed leaving only my left eye open. I told you she opened up a can of worms and what better time to test out what my eye does. ------- We were now in what looked like a medieval dungeon, the bars of the cells were the darkest black and the bricks looked like they were made of dried, hardened blood. It was a place I never been to but felt familiar and it started to come to me when I started looking around. It was Ezekiel's home (Not me of course um....lets see how to make this less confusing? Oh I know the old video game trick! Lets call him Dark Ezekiel). I made it for him when he first came around or when I made him (one could say). The more I looked the more it looked like a torture chamber and it probably was judging by the torture devices lying around. All medieval era as well. There were bodies piled up in a corner and a few still bleeding corpses hanging from the ceiling, some in those body shaped cages and some from nooses. What? It seemed to be an excellent place for him! "Where are we!" She demanded. "Simple dear tyrant. Its very simple" "She is not a tyrant!! Tell us where we are now!" "So defending of your sister after what she did to you. Heh maybe she isn't anymore but she was at one point right?" "I never was!!" "Oh? Don't make me laugh!! A being that can control the sun and (apparently) the moon gaining control of the biggest country on the planet? Ha! Bullshit you weren't a tyrant at one point!! Oh and as for where we are......we're in the worst part of my mind. Isn't that right?" Just then a door flew opened. It wasn't a door you would normally find in a medieval torture chamber, it was a wooden bed room door and who stepped out? Well who's territory is this? "What!?!?" "But how!! "ladies, Seth or should I say 'Ezekiel'. Welcome to my house, located in well he already told you. Here as you can see is were the bad people go." He laughed like a mad man. "Ha ha, sorry couldn't keep a straight face. No, instead these are actually victims of Seth over here, the people from the funeral, his neighbors and the inmates from the prison. They're all here...do you like the decorations?" He laughed again. "So my friend, what do you have planned?" "Hmm...well nothing for Luna. I like her. The way he said that was creepy and made Luna cringe. "As for the Sun Goddess I think I'll make her remember her past, just to show her we're right!" "Ezekiel don't! If you do this you will be Imprisoned again for torturing us!!" "But your not going to be tortured. She is." "But you will still be imprisoned! Think of the friends you made!! Think about Fluttershy!" Dark Ezekiel and I both looked at each other and nodded. "If I let you go you will not speak of this. Agreed?" "Agreed." "Yes! Just please let us go! "Very well but know this! If you send anyone after me, your armies wont be able to stop me." He said in a very calm but threatening voice that even scared me a bit. "And in exchange for your freedom, do not bother Ezekiel again! Agreed?" She said in an almost mocking tone. "Fine. I suppose that should work. I must tell you this though...you will feel the after effects of being in here and that only about 3 seconds have passed in the real world." "And its been about 30 minutes here. Its kinda confusing but I'm the on that set it up like that." "I shall release you now." He clapped his hands and we were back in the "holding cell" 3 seconds later. I felt dizzy and fell. Since the princesses were sitting they didn't. I looked at them and they just stayed still, it took them a few minutes to snap out of it. I was a little dazed when they came to, I was laying there unable to move. I heard the door close and Luna came up to me. "Ezekiel? Whats happened to you? You used to be kind, respectful and frankly a little odd but that.....that was......monstrous. "It must be the reason I was sent to the asylum...except for the eye thing. I'm pretty sure that's never happened before." "You must get help! I will tell the head medical scientist to start working on something." "Do what ever you want. Nothing will work. I'm tired and I want to sleep, If you will excuse me Luna I need my rest." She was about to say something but stopped and nodded her head and exited the room. -------- It was a restless sleep or maybe it wasn't. I don't know but my head hurts so I'll try not to think about it. It was also a dreamless sleep but that happens often so I probably slept wrong or something, it felt like a hang over. "Oh right....I lost it and trapped the princesses in my head. I'll have to apologize for that, even if they hate me now...." I got out of bed, walked over to the door and opened it. There were guards outside. "Uh....Hey fellas what going on?" "Oh you're awake, your presences is requested." The one on the left said. "By Celestia?" "Actually no. Princess Luna wants to see you as soon as possible." The one on the right said. "I'll go get ready then." "We will escort you when you are ready." They both said. There wasn't much to do because the one thing this "cell" didn't have was a proper bathroom so there wasn't a shower, but there was a mirror so I could at least fix up my hair a little bit. I opened the door again and told them I was ready and they took me to Luna's quarters. One of the guards knocked on the door and a very tired Luna opened the door and told me to come in. The guards tried to come in to but Luna stopped them and told them that she will be fine, they looked at me and then each other with unsure faces but left anyway since Luna's door already had guards. Luna walked over to her desk, sat down and looked at me. "Don't just stand there. Please have a seat." "Yes Princess." I sat down. I was nervous and she could tell. "My my Ezekiel, being formal isn't like you. Something wrong?" "I'm sorry...." "Ah I see, don't worry about last night. I talked to Celestia already and I think she understands what happened." "What do you mean?" "Well what I think is that the fact of my banishment when I transformed into Nightmare Moon triggered some kind of flashback for you. This is why I think so and I quote: 'You just threw her away, to the moon of all places! She could have died! And you just stayed down here, sipping your cups of tea and going on like nothing happened!' As for further explanation as to why I think that, is your reference to mental disorder and 'sipping tea like nothing happened.' From what I've gathered you have had traumatic experiences in that place and hearing of unjust punishment and/or over-excessive use of discipline made you think back to what happened to you." "Are you a psychology Major?" "No but I have studied a bit on the subject. Continuing: One more reason I think that is because of the slight tone of caring and your concern for me. I made Celestia think back to those specific phrases to find what I was talking about and she agrees." I let out a sigh of great relief. "Thank you Luna." "Your welcome Ezekiel but I would apologize to her if I were you, you're not off-the-hook yet." "I was planning on it. You look tired by the way." "Ah yes well.....I've up for awhile and I'm usually a sleep by now." "Alright I wont keep you, get some rest dear friend and Princess Of The Night. I will go make right with Celestia." "Oh look at you giving commands to one of the Princesses. How brave." She giggled. "Yes I will get some rest and then we can talk later if you would like." "Sounds good to me Luna." I smiled and so did she as she was getting in bed. I told her to have a good sleep and walked out. I asked Luna's guards if they could escort me to where Celestia is. The said that their post is at Luna's door but I could ask a servant to show me the way. "Servant" well atleast they didn't say slave but then again why would they? After a couple of minutes I found a pony that was able to take me to Celestia. It turned out she was in the throne room, I thanked the pony and gave her a few bits and then went to Celestia. A guard stopped me when was making my way to the throne. "Stop right there! What is your purpose?" "Hmm....I never really thought of that. What is the purpose of all living things on....oh you meant why am I in the throne room right?" He nodded. "Oh in that case. I am hear to speak to the Princess." He nodded and walked back to the princess, who smiled and he came back. "She will see you." "Thank you." I walked past the line of guards and up to the throne. "Hello Celestia. Oh sorry I mean Princess." "Hello Ezekiel. Back to your old self?" "Well I'm an undead human that lives with and is dating a pony. Hmm.....not quite but close." I chuckled. "I will say that is a yes." She giggled. "So why are you here?" "To apologize for last night. No idea what that was about." "Ah yes last night. You have nothing to worry about Ezekiel, Luna already talked to me." "Yes I've spoken to her." "I see. Has she shared with you her thoughts?" "Yes." "Very well. You are forgiven Ezekiel. No hard feelings. but," Her expression turned serious. "You are on thin ice. You will be watched much like when we were informed of your presence in Equestria." "If that needs to be done then so be it but just so you know....Fluttershy and I were planning a little 'alone time' if you catch my drift." "O...oh I see well um.....you wont be monitored at night just in case." "I'm just kidding with you." I laughed. "But yeah anyway I'll be going now. Thank you Princess." "Its no trouble Ezekiel. See you later." I think I just barely avoided something really really bad. Just barely as in "holy shit that was a close one".