//------------------------------//
// Chapter 8. Come along, Barricade 
// Story: The Last of the Dark Ponies 
// by Askre 
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Chapter 8

Barricade sighed, the rage he had felt towards Sombra was subsiding. What he didn’t really want to admit was that it had been more fueled by panic than anger. The thought of being captured again by the king had just freaked him out. Somehow he had managed to convert the panic into rage, but the stallion deep down was struggling to hold it together.

I have to be strong, can’t lose it now, he thought over and over again, banishing the temptation of curling up in a corner into the furthest reaches of his mind.

The stallion left the corner his parents were huddled in and walked over to where Rainbow Dash had the fillies. He was mildly surprised when both Coal and Dinky rushed over to him and clung to him. The stallion sat down so he could hug them both with his forelegs.

“I’m sorry, princesses. Sorry you had to get mixed up in this,” he whispered to them. Barricade glanced over when Cara stepped up beside him and leaned on him. She looked angry.

“So, you’re the big bad Barricade, huh?” the raspy voice of Rainbow Dash addressed him. The stallion glanced up. He managed to produce a smirk, while the whole time he really just wanted to cry.

“I suppose I am,” he said and shook his head. “Heard all the bad stories, have you?”

“Some of them. Did of course see you when you arrived for the party, but I was on a lookout up in the clouds. Applejack told us though that you were changing,” the rainbow mare told him and sat down. Right now there wasn’t much to do but talk.

“He is. He came to our summer play.” Dinky turned a little to look at Dash. “He’s never come to any play before. He wasn’t even invited.”

“And he came to the birthday party and this time we invited him.” Coal looked up.

“Dad can be nice. He just sometimes forgets to be,” Cara remarked and grinned when given a mock glare by her father.

“From the mouths of babes, huh? Look, I was bad, yes, and treated other ponies rotten. However, I’ve come to realize that is no way to live. I need to change… if only for the girls,” He then looked at Rainbow Dash, hugging Coal and Dinky a little closer.

Rainbow Dash nodded. She could clearly see that his daughters wanted to believe he was changing. Judging from his actions so far, it was obvious that Barricade cared about his family, even his brother. She had not been impressed by the stories she had heard about him, but then Applejack told them about what happened in Manehattan.

Dash had to admit that she wasn’t the most forgiving pony. If anyone could hold a grudge it was her. Right now though, she couldn’t really see any benefits from holding Barricade’s past dangling over him. If they were going to escape, they needed help and right now he was the prime candidate for assistance.

Wonder if we could squeeze Cara through the bars? She is thin and if she could get out, she has the best chance to quickly get away due to her wings. Dash thought and glanced at the bars. They were not super tight together, but she could already see that not even a small foal could get through. Well, hang that idea.

A shadow fell on the prisoners in the cave. Looking up revealed that King Sombra had returned. Mirage and Hard Shovel stood up but didn’t otherwise dare to move. Dash jumped to her feet, Barricade, battling a sudden panic building up in him, narrowed his eyes. He shuffled his youngest daughters over to Cara before standing, mustering enough willpower to glare daggers at the king.

“You will no doubt be happy to know that Private has calmed down, whether he wishes to come here again is another matter,” Sombra told them with a smile. He got no response, just glares or frightened stares.

“And here I thought, Private was the silent one of the family. No matter.” The dark king shrugged and lit up his horn. Suddenly Barricade was enveloped by black smoke and disappeared for a brief second, only to reappear outside.

“Barri!” Mirage gasped when seeing that her son had been taken outside.

“I’m not going to comment on that one,” Sombra muttered, as he used his magic to produce a chain and a heavy metal collar that got fastened to Barricade’s neck. The stallion grunted and tried to struggle for a second before settling down and just continued to glare at Sombra.

“Sombra, why don’t you face me, you coward!” Rainbow Dash snapped, flaring her wings, seeming ready to ram into the bars.

“Oh yes, a pegasus versus a powerful unicorn. I do wonder who would win? You should ask that  what’s-his-name guard back at Twilight’s castle,” Sombra mocked then smirked. The bars of the cave disappeared. In a flash Dash was out, barreling towards the king.

The other prisoners flinched when there was a smack and Rainbow Dash came flying back into the cell, crashing hard with the stone wall. Sombra hadn’t even used his magic, he had simply punched her with a hoof. The bars went up again.

“Ow,” was all Rainbow Dash could really say as she nursed her sore head. Hard Shovel was soon by her side and helped her get back up.

“Come along, Barricade,” Sombra started to walk away, pulling at the chain and dragging Barricade away.

“Where are you taking him?” Mirage rushed over to the bars. Reaching out with one hoof. “Please leave my sons alone!”

“Please,” she whispered and sunk down to the ground. She barely noticed Cara coming over to her to give her a hug.





Barricade didn’t really bother to struggle against the chain. He knew Sombra was stronger than him and would just drag him across the ground if he tried. They didn’t walk for too long. They were soon in a cave that seemed to have been refurbished into a lab.

There were two long tables with various equipment on them that he couldn’t make head or tails of. A large book rested on a wooden podium. There were shelves full of books and scrolls.

I so don’t want to be here alone with him, Barricade thought, but continued to sport a brave face. He wasn’t going to give Sombra even an ounce of satisfaction of knowing that he was in fact right now scared to death.

“So, Barricade, I’ve been hearing that you’re changing your tune. No more crime boss life for you,” Sombra addressed him as he used his magic to fasten the chain end to the floor.

“You should know. It was you wasn’t it? Controlling that pegasus in Manehattan, warning us what was happening to Cara,” Barricade grunted, he tried the chain but only confirmed he was stuck for the time being. Shit! Shit! Shit! No, no time to panic. Have to be strong.

“Very clever of you, yes, it was me,” the king chuckled and walked over to the book on the podium.

“Why?” Barricade asked. The conversation was at least helping him to marginally remain calm.

“Whatever do you mean?” Sombra looked up from the book, a coy smirk on his muzzle.

“Why did you help us back there? Why in Tartarus did you care what was happening?” his prisoner asked.

“I couldn’t let some two-bit thug get away with harming you or your daughter, now could I?” Sombra chuckled at the unimpressed expression that came on Barricade. “It is simple Barricade. Caballeron had every intention of harming your children or even going for your brother to make you cooperate.”

“You and your brother belong to me and I don’t take kindly to others messing around with what belongs to me.” Sombra’s cheerful attitude dropped, he scowled and his voice got darker.

“We do not belong to you!” Barricade snapped, straining now against the chain as he leaned forward to glare at the dark pony.

“Oh, but you do, Barricade. I claimed your brother when I first pulled him back in time and made him my vessel. You I claimed when I possessed your brother and made you my sentry,” Sombra growled and stepped closer, the cave got darker and the king looked much taller and menacing.

“You and your brother have the strongest link to the dark ponies because your parents are both descendants. Two different lineages have crossed in you two.” King Sombra now loomed over Barricade whose stance faltered, the defiance vanished and his fear became more visible as he worried what was going to happen.

“I intend to let the dark ponies rise again. The key is in those of you who descended from the refugees of the destruction of the Empire. I’ve already examined the lineages of the others - no one has as strong link to them as you two. You already exemplify a lot of dark pony traits. That dark gray coat is no mere coincidence, you even have the temper of a dark earth stallion. You have the rage - I have awakened it in you. Like it or not Barricade, you and your brother are the closest to being pure dark ponies than any currently living pony except me.” Sombra stepped back, the cave got slightly brighter again and he seemed to recede a bit in size though he was still much taller than his prisoner.

“You’re mad,” Barricade whispered. He slowly rose up and backed slightly away. Sombra just snorted and returned to the book.

“Even your brother shows traits. His reclusiveness isn’t that dissimilar to the dark pegasi. They always tended to keep to themselves.” The king started to go through the book.

“Private is a recluse because he is scared shitless that ponies won’t accept him. He keeps ponies at arm’s length because he’s afraid of rejection. You don’t think I don’t know my brother?  Nopony knows my brother better than me,” Barricade snapped, once again converting his rising panic into rage.

“Private and I used to be close, really close. I was the only one he would tell his feelings to. He even admitted to me that he was in love with Dew Doe back when I was dating Foxy, but he was just too scared he would ruin their friendship if he admitted it. The only new thing I know about him is that he’s bi, but I don’t think he started to reach that conclusion until after we got estranged,” he continued, not really caring that Sombra didn’t seem to be listening to him.

“Lots of ponies have tempers like me. As for our coat, have you looked at Celestia’s royal guards? They practically come only in two colors - white and dark gray.” Barricade sat down when seeing that the king seemed to be paying no attention to him.

“I never should have gotten involved with Caballeron… I should have just swallowed my pride… I would still be with Foxy…” he sighed and dropped his head. The pony really had to struggle to keep the sobs away.

“Yes, you certainly have done some damage in your idiotic ambitions.” Sombra glanced over with a mocking chuckle. “She still hates you, doesn’t she? Your grand apology didn’t amount to much did it?”

Barricade didn’t respond, just kept staring at the ground. There was a clank of metal as Sombra approached again.

“Do you really think they will give you a second chance even after that, considering all the idiotic things you have done? Didn’t your parents come and fetch you for that birthday party, to make sure you did come? Doesn’t seem like they trusted you,” the king mocked.

Still silence from the prisoner. Barricade was inwardly cringing. He had been wondering about that. Then he thought back to the party, sure the girls greeted him happily enough, but Derpy didn’t look too thrilled that he had shown up. Foxy had looked downright suspicious and Dew Doe had plain ignored him.

Was I really welcome there? he thought. Do they really believe that I’m trying to change? Have I burned the bridges too much?

“I don’t think they are ever going to give you a second chance,” King Sombra said, his horn lit up and Barricade was enveloped in magic energy.

“What…. AAH!” Barricade cried out when pain started going through him. He struggled to rise to his hooves, but the magic aura kept him in place. He cried out again, louder.

“No! Stop! PLEASE!”





“Why does he need so many blankets?” Private wondered and marked down the contents in the crate he was inspecting. He had found a clipboard, some paper and a pencil to write with. Reluctantly the unicorn had then started to do the task ordered of him, take inventory of this supply cave. At least it kept his mind off things.

I suppose it can get chilly during the nights, he shrugged and struggled to use his magic to move the crate to the ones he had already gone through. My magic is not being blocked, why does it barely work?

Private looked around, he had managed to go through most of the stuff inside the cave. Only a few boxes were left, checking them revealed dry food. He put that in the corner he had stored all the other dry food he had found.

Something is not right; these cave walls look odd. The unicorn frowned and put away the clipboard. He still didn’t really want to leave the cave, so instead he trotted over to one wall and started looking closer at the rock.

He didn’t really bother using magic in here and by looks of it, he isn’t storing something super important here, aside from the food. Private touched the wall. He felt something odd and tingly from it.

Great, I need to test something. He steeled himself and trotted out of the cave. He tried doing a simple light spell. His horn lit up with no problem. The unicorn glanced back to the cave and entered it, already he struggled with keeping the light going.

There is something in the wall that dampens magic, it doesn’t quite block it, but dampens it. Private frowned, racking his brain for any mineral that could do that. He groaned in frustration and lamented that he had failed basic magic back in school.

“Well I suppose then all I need to do is wait until Sombra comes back in here and knock him out since he will probably struggle with his magic in here too,” he mused, then looked at his out-of-shape body. “Yeah, no that’s not happening.”

Private started to consider more options when his ears picked up a sound. The stallion looked towards the cave entrance. He could definitely hear a cry. Private frowned and peeked out of the cave, there was a louder cry of pain.

Barricade. The unicorn gasped and hurried out. Since he wasn’t sure where to go, Private just followed the sound. He finally found the lab and froze when seeing what was happening.

Sombra stood in front of Barricade, who was still chained to the floor, and was blasting him with some sort of magic. His brother was crying out in pain and beginning to struggle to stand up.

“No! Stop!” Private called and attempted to rush in, but was stopped by a forcefield from entering the cave. He started to hammer on it with his hooves. “What are you doing to him!?”

“Doing some examinations of him, Private,” Sombra explained, never looking up from his work.

“You said you wouldn’t harm them!” Private cried and continued to beat on the forcefield.

“No, I said they would be safe. It was you who wanted no harm,” the king corrected him. “Your brother is safe. He will not die, however the examination process is a little painful. That can’t be helped.”

“Examine me then, leave him alone!” the smaller unicorn demanded.

“Oh I will examine you as well, Private, very closely.” King Sombra looked up and smirked, but Private was just too distraught right now to really pay attention how he said it. “But I need to compare data, so I need to examine your brother first.”

Finally, the king let up. The magic stopped and Barricade crumbled to the ground, groaning and sobbing in pain. The forcefield disappeared and Private rushed to his brother’s side.

“Barricade told me that you and he were close once. Is that true?” Sombra asked as he watched his prisoner cradle the other one with his front legs.

“I… yes. Once, before he turned full jerk on us, stole from our parents, treated my friends badly. Not even Dew can read me as well as Barricade can. I didn’t care when you told Barricade I was bisexual back when you possessed me. If we still had been close, I would have told him. Because I know he would never have told anypony.” Private looked up to glare at Sombra.

“You long to be close with him again, don’t you?” The dark unicorn ignored the glare and tilted his head as he observed the brothers.

“More than anything,” Private whispered and hugged his disoriented brother.

King Sombra was rather impressed by how stable Private behaved. Considering earlier, the king had half expected the pony to be still a nervous wreck.

“Take him back to the cell. No wait, I’ll make a new one nearby. Put him in that one. The bars will rise once you’re out of it,” he ordered.

Private froze for a moment. Going back to the cell area meant he would have to face his parents. Then he looked at Barricade who still could barely move from the examination Sombra had subjected him to.

I am so not ready… but what can I do? He rose up and helped Barricade to rise, letting him lean on him.

Slowly the brothers walked out of the cave. As they continued, Private noticed that the torches on the walls were dim in some places but brighter in others. It dawned on him that Sombra was showing him the way since the last time he had been in the cell area he had just run out in blind panic.

How considerate. Private snorted, but kept walking. Barricade didn’t say a word, there just escaped an occasional sob. He really did a number on you.

After a short while, Private started to hear soft noises, realizing it were voices speaking as quietly as they could. He hesitated, realizing they were approaching where the cell was. Taking a deep breath, he guided his brother into the cavern.

“Private!”

“Barricade!”

“Dad!”

Private ignored the voices for now. He saw the new hollow Sombra talked about. Knowing better than to disobey, he guided his brother to it. He could hear them asking what he was doing, but the unicorn was too nervous right now to respond. He got to the new cell and allowed his brother to lie down there. As soon as he backed out, crystal bars rose up to close it.

“Private, why did you put him there?” Slowly he turned to look at the other cell. Everyone was right at the bars and looking out.

I can do this. I can do this. Private chanted in his mind, slowly and with much effort he approached the other cell. Just think about something positive… think about Dew Doe… right Dew… chasing me with a brush or making a surprise pancake breakfast.

“Privy.” As soon as he was by the other cell, he could feel his mother reach out with a hoof to touch his cheek.

“Private. I don’t care what that monster has told you. We don’t hate you. You are who you are and we love you,” Hard Shovel said as he also reached through the bars to touch his son with a hoof.

“Yes… I did say those things once, I am so sorry you heard me say that. Your mother slapped me for it, told me to never say something so hateful ever again,” the old stallion continued. “I was intolerant in the past, I know. It took me a while to get over it, but I have. I would welcome any relationship you have, no matter who it is.”

Private looked at him, then at his mother. They were both smiling at him, no hateful words, nothing. Just love, understanding and probably concern over their current situation.

“Please don’t let that monster use your fears against you again,” Mirage said.

“That’s very difficult, he is rather good at dragging them up,” Private remarked then sighed. “But yes… it was a stupid fear. I knew you wouldn’t hate me… it just stuck so hard…”

“I’m just sorry that my words caused it. How is your brother? What was done to him?” Hard Shovel tried to see over to the other cell, but it was difficult.

“Sombra said he was examining him, then told me to put him in another cell. He is weak at the moment. This took a lot out of him,” his son explained, then he glanced back as if he was worried.

“Dad, is it really true about comfort colts?” Private whispered. Mirage and Hard Shovel looked at each other before returning their attention back to their son.

“Yes, I’m afraid it is. Has he tried anything?” Hard Shovel asked carefully.

“He keeps hinting at it, but no he hasn’t really tried anything.” Private bit his lip for a moment before looking back at them. “He isn’t wrong, dad, he’s been inside my head. He knows everything about me. All my wants and desires.”

“Private, what are you saying?” Mirage arched her brow. “You’re not actually telling me you like the hinting.”

“I think I do. Mom, dad… err…” Private fell silent and looked at the fillies who were also close by and clearly listening.

Rainbow Dash quickly realized Private was about to say something really personal to his parents. She quickly grabbed Dinky and Coal and pulled them further into the cell. Cara also caught on and quickly tried to go as far in as possible.

“Okay, here goes.” Private took a deep breath and leaned really close to the bar in front of his parents.

“I love Dew Doe. Any other mares I completely ignore. She knows me, understands me and just is in all ways incredible,” he whispered so low that Mirage and Hard had to strain their ears to hear him.

“But when it comes to stallions. I’ve found that I’m more attracted to the strong, aggressive type. I have fantasized relationships with Commander Hurricane, King Horsenidas of the Spartacorns… and the lost son of Queen Rabia. My brain keeps yelling at me, ‘the lost son of Queen Rabia is hitting on you, in real life.’ It makes me shiver all over.”

Private sighed and hung his head, there were no words from his parents yet. It didn’t worry him right now, he just needed advice and they were the ones he usually went to for it. “He’s a horrible, brutal, monster, yet every time he hints at something, my heart skips a beat and I am scared I will give in, because my biggest fantasy is playing out in real life.”

Mirage looked at Hard Shovel who was thinking. The old mare then reached out through the bars to put a hoof gently on Private’s head.

“Privy, you are scared and confused. It’s alright, it’s alright to have these feelings,” she said gently and caressed his mane.

“Private, no matter what happens, we won’t think any lesser of you. I know this is hard and he isn’t probably making it any easier for you. But you must be strong, if we are going to get through this,” Hard Shovel chimed in.

Private raised his head to look at them, he was frowning in thought. Then a soft sob came from the other cell, then a frightened whimper causing him to glance over.

When I was possessed, Barricade stuck by me, he was so strong, never gave in to Sombra, he even dove and tackled him when he was controlling my body and was going to attack that mare at the inn. Dad has a point. I must be strong, for them, for Barricade, he thought and turned his head back to his parents.

“I will,” he whispered and nodded. It was going to be really hard, but the unicorn was now determined to do for Barricade what his brother had done for him.

“Hey, Private.” Rainbow Dash appeared by the bars now.

“Since he’s letting you run loose I think we can turn that into our advantage. Have you seen any way out yet?” she asked. Private shook his head.

“Keep your eyes open for anything. With Barricade now isolated, I am going to need you to help us bust out of here,” the rainbow mare said.

Private raised an eyebrow for a second but nodded. Then he noticed that his mother’s eyes had opened wide. The stallion glanced back and stiffened a bit when seeing Sombra enter the cavern.

“Private, I told you to take your brother to his new cell, not chat it up with the others,” the king said sternly.

“Uh… well you didn’t tell me not to,” Private said and quickly turned around, hoping he hadn’t caused trouble for those in the cell. Sombra arched his brow at the response.

“Don’t try to be clever with me, Private,” the king grunted. His magic activated and a collar of magic appeared around Private’s neck and dragged him away from the cells. “I told you already, your family’s safety depends on your behavior.”

“Sorry,” the smaller unicorn whispered, glancing carefully back to the cell. His parents were glaring at Sombra but otherwise said nothing.

“Come along, I have other jobs for you to do,” Sombra snorted and released Private from his magic grip, but now pushed his prisoner out of the cavern with a leg.

End chapter 8