//------------------------------//
// Chapter 15 - Breaking free 
// Story: Captain Goodking and the Nightmare Knights 
// by Leondude 
//------------------------------//

Goodking has been through so many time-loops that they have practically exhausted him. He had Trixie try to take on the mysterious invader in his place. But Trixie kept getting beaten by the dark alicorn every single time, each one worse than the last. In this timeline, Trixie once again has fallen at the hooves of the alicorn invader and he and his forces have been enslaved by King Capper. He and General Snake eventually led a revolution but it was short-lived by the alicorn once again annihilating everyone. At this point, Goodking no longer cares what happens to him or his people. Then one day, when the alicorn appeared once again, the great and powerful Trixie slew the nightmare! Goodking couldn't believe what he was seeing. But then his hopes were dashed when Trixie said this:

"You pathetic mortals have ignored The Great and Powerful Trrrixie for too long! Now you shall all kneel before me!"

Goodking then noticed an amulet around Trixie's neck. It looked like an alicorn and it had a ruby in the centre. Is it possible that this trinket is responsible for Trixie's sudden megalomania? Granted, Trixie always did have an ego, but it was never to the point where she would enslave people (except for that one time but Goodking didn't know that).

"Hey, Trixie!" Goodking shouted loudly "Remember me?"

"The Great and Powerful Trrixie has no business in remembering the names of mortals!"

"Come on! It's me, Captain Goodking!"

That resulted in Trixie firing a blast so powerful it disintegrated Goodking right on the spot. As you'd expect, Goodking wound up right back when he started. He then spent a week within his bed sulking and despairing over his predicament, something that made him susceptible to Snake's manipulations. While at first, Goodking only stated that the time-loops were merely dreams, but he eventually confessed to Snake that he's stuck starting off on the same day over and over again.

"If these time-loops you are talking about are as bad as they say, might I suggest fighting fire with fire?"

"What, and go back to being the mean old Storm King? Not a chance!"

"Why not? It served you well in the past."

"Yeah, well the past is dead and I'd like to keep it that way!"

"Your grace, if the past was dead, then Equestria wouldn't have so many ancient foes returning. You know, before you conquered it."

"And even if I did want to fall back into old habits, how is that supposed to help me take down Capper and Trixie?!"

"Perhaps I can show you something that will give you a boost"

The bedroom then swirled around like it was being sucked into a vortex, transforming into a dank cave (and no, you are not going to see Pepe in there). Snake then led Goodking down the cave, where there was shining light near the end of it. When they followed the light, they saw an unusual thing: A golden seal wearing a centurion helmet and balancing a bomb on its nose like it was a ball.

"This is War" Snake said "One of the seven Seals of the Planets. It is said that those who have possession of all seven seals can have the power to rival that of an alicorn."

Snake then pointed to a bucket filled with salmon that are glowing a bright shade of gold.

"But if you need a power boost, then I might recommend eating the Fish of Knowledge. And since knowledge and power go hand in hand, there will be no-one to stop you once you have the seals and the fish on your side."

Goodking pondered what Snake has said for a moment. What if taking the power corrupts him into acting like his old self? But then again, if he had superpowers, he could become a proper superhero instead of relying on "sidekicks". He then decided to take up Snake's offer. But before he could do that, he heard Luna's voice calling his name.

"Who said that?" Goodking said

But there was no-one there but him, Snake and the seal. He then tried to get nearer to the seal but he heard the voice again but louder. Eventually, Snake started (for lack of better words) glitching out and rapidly morphing between himself, Luna, the dark alicorn that has been attacking Goodking, and what appeared to be Sanies. And then in the corner, he saw a yellow pegasus with a pink mane curled up in a fetal position crying in some sort of inferno. And then he turned back to notice Snake ferociously charging at him while letting out an eldritch roar, still glitching out and sounding frighteningly demonic.

"Just. TaKe. tHeeeeeee. SsssseeeeAl!!!!"

Eventually, the world started collapsing around him and Snake then backed off before splitting into two ponies. One formed into Luna while the pony that was once Snake morphed horrifically into a familiar draconic foe from Goodking's past: Lord Sanies.

"Hehe, it appears I bit off more than I can chew" Sanies said in that same menacing voice he always has "But it doesn't matter. There is a power far greater than either of us and if I can't take the combined power of the Nightmare Knights and Discord, I shall possess the power of the Seals instead."

And from out of nowhere appeared Trixie, now as a unicorn, Capper, now wearing just his coat, and Tempest, her horn now looking as broken as it was before. Clearly, everyone's going to have difficulty trusting one another again, especially since that they have actually killed each-other a few times, but they are going to have to work together if they were going to take down Sanies. Then suddenly, Goodking noticed that there's one group member missing.

"Where's Stygian?"