Despair, Songbird could smell it in the air. She wondered what kind of pony would be capable of creating such a depraved place. No, don't get discouraged and stay strong was what she had been telling herself as the hours slithered by. Her thoughts slowed to the point of numbering her mind. She had been locked in a cell with Sapphire for a few days, or, had it been a few hours. Songbird last track awhile ago...
Songbird turned towards Sapphire who had fallen asleep on a meager cotton stuffed burlap bag, her exhaustion evident by her pained and tired face. Her blacked eyes leaked a glossy liquid, Songbird thought they were tears, and her fur had all sorts of dirt and grime stuck in it. After she takes her hospital to a hospital, Songbird had to take Sapphire to a spa for only the spa ponies of Ponyville could sooth the tormented mare. It occurred to Songbird that she may be thinking too far ahead, what she needed to do was look for a means of escape. She stood up and explored her cell.
Songbird grimaced, hearing the sound of hoof steps outside her cell. Some pony is coming, hopefully not for her or Sapphire , but she doubted that possibility. In all likelihood, somepony was coming to rip her away from Sapphire.
The door handle creaked, the door flew open. From the doorway entered three armored stallions. They leered at her, one of them, the tallest and most armored stallion snorted hostilely. "Look fellas, we have a new play mate." He announced.
"Captain, she deserves a forthright introduction." One of the guards suggested.
"I couldn't agree with you more." The Captain acknowledged.
Songbird jumped up onto her back hooves, throwing her front hooves up. "We're not doing this." Songbird told.
The captain chuckled at the mare, his delight coming across to Songbird in a menacing fashion. "We're going to break your arms, and while we're at it, we're going to make your friend watch."
Songbird peaked over at Sapphire who was still lying on her mat. Songbird could see how tense she was, her arms crunched up over her body, hopelessness had consumed her long ago. "I'm not going to let you hurt her." Songbird argued, feeling less sure of herself. Although she was one of the stronger ponies in her social circle, she was but one mare up against fully armored knights.
The captain neared Songbird, his eyes gleefully wide. "Have you ever heard the sound of breaking bones, I assure you, its quite loud!"
Songbird's eyes darted away from the captain, focusing on something that moved near the cell's darkened corner. "I'm talking to you swine!" the captain roared at her.
"I told you what would...happen, if you did this again..." croaked a dry voice.
Songbird fell backward, throwing an arm over her eyes as a bright light erupted from room's corner. Her ears caught a sizzling sound and her nose picked up the scent of burning fur. The cell's brick walls deflected pained screams in all direction, their wails so loud that they hurt her ears. She peeked over her arm, watching Sapphire's abusers convulse violently, seeing a bright electric light inundate the writhing knights. They fell over one another, the red-hot metal frying their bodies to a crisp, Steam gradually filling the room.
Songbird sat in awe of the Dark Pony. He stood still, quietly watching her.
"Why..." Songbird inquired.
"I hate interlopers..." He answered.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Songbird awoke atop the ground. The Dark Pony must have put her to sleep. He must have the power to do that here otherwise she would have struck him when she had the chance and she clearly did not do that. Something is strange about this place, Songbird believed it, it is unlike the real world in every way. It seemed to have an odor to it, a foul scent that siphoned the life out of the living. To her, Sapphire seemed to have fallen victim to that. She needed to get out with Sapphire alive.
But how was she going to do that…
With the thought of being locked up in a castle and her attempts of inspiring Sapphire falling flat at every attempt, there was no way Songbird could not figure a probable way of escaping. She scooted next to Sapphire then withdrew into her mind, thinking about what she could do if anything.
Songbird sighed, what was she to do?
Songbird listened to the soft pedal of hoof steps outside her cell, they gradually sounded louder after each one. She rolled her eyes at her cell door. “Here we go again…” She groaned.
The cell door lever creaked, the door moaning as it opened up. An old stallion entered the cell. “Who are you?” Songbird asked.
The old stallion lowered his hood, unsheathing a knife from under his cloak. He taunted Songbird with it. “You're going to listen to me, and do as I say.”
“Fat chance.” Songbird scoffed.
“We don’t have time for this, get up!” The old stallion shot back.
“Why don’t you come a little closer so I can take that knife out of your hooves!” Songbird teased.
“The Werewolf wants you to leave.” The old stallion admitted. “Pickup your friend and I'll get you out of the cell block. From there, you're on your own.”
Songbird and Sapphire cut the hallway’s corner, running towards the door with great haste. Songbird thought The faster they moved, the better. She opened the hall’s door then led Sapphire to the spot she and The Werewolf used to sneak in. “You’ll have to crawl through here with me.”
Sapphire reached for her back leg, letting out a pained moan. Songbird urged Sapphire to keep going as they made their way through. “Sapphire, you have to keep going.” Songbird encouraged.
“It hurts…” Sapphire weeped.
“We have to keep moving or they will find us.” Songbird stated.
“Why are you even here?” Sapphire asked.
“Now is not the time!” Songbird argued. “I’ll explain everything later.”
“The rocks are cutting me!” Sapphire cried.
“I’m not leaving you here…” Songbird assured. “I’ll carry you the rest of the way if I have to, but I need you to crawl through. I can’t do that for you!”
Sapphire followed Songbird. She crawled to the opening, reaching out to pull herself out. “That's it, keep crawling!” Songbird encouraged.
They reached the end of the tunnel, both dashing behind a row of barrels. They kneeled down, exchanging looks with each other. “What now?” Sapphire asked.
Songbird peeked over the barrels, searching for an escape route. The main gate was closed and the castle walls around were patrolled by armored knights carrying lit torches and swords. Songbird quietly gave the situation some thought, concluding that the only way she and Sapphire could escape was for her to fly them both above and over the castle’s wall. “I’ll have to fly us out.” Songbird said.
“Songbird, how are you going to carry me?” Sapphire questioned.
“Just trust me.” Songbird asked.
Sapphire looked up, eyeing the top of the wall. “That could be thirty...maybe forty feet tall.” Sapphire pointed out.
“Oh yeah, where are you getting those numbers?” Songbird jokingly asked.
Sapphire leveled her eyes to Songbird’s gaze. “You know who.”
Songbird chuckled lightly. “Yeah, I do...alright, let's do this.”
Songbird grabbed Sapphire, Sapphire latched onto Songbird. They gradually ascended, rising higher the harder Songbird flapped her wings. Sapphire looked won, watching a four knight patrol pass by. “Their coming!”
Songbird looked down, watching the patrol. “They haven't seen us, it must be too dark.” Songbird pointed out, continuing her ascension up to the castle wall’s walkway.
A watch tower door a few feet away from Songbird flew open, a single guard stepped out onto the wall’s walkway. He immediately spotted Songbird and Sapphire, knowing that they somehow escaped their cell. He scowled at them then drew their sword. “Stop!” He yelled, reaching for an alarm bell attached to the watch tower’s door frame.
“Wait, let us!” Songbird begged, panicking over the guard sounding the alarm. Within that moment, everything made sense to Songbird. She either had to escape with her badly injured friend or be executed alongside her. She fluttered her wings, hovering over the wall until she could safely descend the outer side. They landed together, wasting no time, Songbird ran with Sapphire hoisted over her back. “Hold on to me!” Songbird cried, sprinting towards the neighboring woods. She could still hear the guard frantically ringing the alarm bell as he roared “The prisoners have escaped, open the gate!”
Sapphire’s head hung over Songbird’s hip, Songbird’s tail repeatedly brushing against her face as her friend charged forward. She lifted her head, looking at the castle gate. She watched it open, a few armored knights stepping between the massive doors. She looked back at Songbird. “They're chasing us!”
Songbird grunted, pained by Sapphire’s upon her back. “Grrr, I know! Shut up!”
Sapphire paid no mind to Songbird’s remark, she was far more concerned with Songbird escaping the pursuing knights. She watched the tree’s pass by her, the air thinning around her, the sky shrinking before her, every moment lengthening more after the other, the thought of freedom tantalizing her. She silently wondered if her experiences under the Dark Pony was finally over.
Songbird looked forward, noticing the end of the world nearing her. It was nothing, but a wall of Darkness. That was what she and The Werewolf emerged from on the way into this world and it would be what she will leave with Sapphire alive. Songbird sucked in air between her teeth, hastening her pace as the knights closed on her. Songbird ran head first into the void…
Songbird and Sapphire unexpectedly awoke near a train track. Songbird stood up and looked around. “Ponyville…,we’re in Ponyville.” Songbird looked down at Sapphire, huffing exhaustively. “I’ll carry you to the hospital, lets go.”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Celestia compulsively paced up and down the vacant halls, waiting for her sister to return from the dream world.
"Celestia." Luna winced, stepping out of a magical aura.
Celestia raised her chin to Luna's. "Yes?"
"There are no more plays for you to make and the match has nearly concluded. Why do you patrol the halls?" Luna questioned.
"I should not have told you to wait, you may have been able to do something had I not..." Celestia confessed.
"No sister...current events would have come to pass regardless." Luna insisted.
"I don't believe that, Luna." Celestia countered.
"I have competed with him since discord's defeat. It is only logical to think that he would have fixed the board at some point." Luna defended.
Celestia hung her head. "Our subjects!"
"Take praise in our victories and responsibility for our failures. We must accept what may come to pass if Pocornia does deliver the orb to the Dark Pony." Luna explained.
Celestia lifted her head, taking Luna's words to heart. "Well said Luna..."
"With that in mind, I have to leave now..." Luna replied.
Luna turned her back to Celestia, walking down the hall with a stern look and hardened eyes.
"Where are you going?" Celestia asked.
"I have to pick up the rest of the pieces..." Luna answered.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was late, Octavia laid in her hospital bed sound asleep. The lunar rays cast themselves over her. She started to stir in her sleep, gradually awakening from her inadequate slumber. She frowned as she reached down, her stitched abdomen aching incessantly.
Octavia groaned loudly, hoping to alert a passing nurse to her pain. Minutes passed to no avail. She felt a desire, a need to see her room’s doorway so she reluctantly lifted herself upright, just enough for her to see the darkened hallway. Anxiousness struck her senses as she wondered why nopony patrolled the hospital's halls and why all the lights were off. She shook as a cold air lofted over her. She centered her vision, watching a black fog gather at the foot of her bed. “I...know...what...you...did.” It whispered.
Octavia gripped her sheets, watching the Dark Pony materialize over her. His height had tripled, his figure having grown large. He looked down at her, his featureless and semi transparent face scaring her stiff. She swallowed heavily, knowing all too well that the many stitches across her abdomen would not tolerate her defending herself.
“I will claw your vocal cords from your throat....”
Click, a sudden burst of light assaulted Octavia’s sensitive eyes. She blinked, beholding an unexpected sight. “Ms.Melody, the surgeon wants to check your stomach. I’ll just wheel your bed to the operating room, okay?”
Octavia had been rendered absolutely speechless, considering herself blessed by fate. She momentarily struggled to put her thoughts into words. “Nurse...nurse, i’m hurting.” She said as she motioned at the empty I.V drip stuck in her arm. “I need more medicine.”
The nurse got behind Octavia’s bed and rolled it out into the hallway. “I’ll have to let the doctor look at it for you.”
Octavia shut her eyes, resting them just for a moment. The sound of clanking metal roused her, her mind needing a few moments to process everything around her. A dozen Equestrian soldiers at odds with a handful of Hospital Security guards , the unmistakable presence of Princess Luna who now stood over her bed with the surgeon who operated on her next to Luna. “I can’t discharge her like this, if she strains to walk, it’ll cause the stitches to burst. She will die!” the surgeon protested.
“We told them not to come in here.” One of the security guards attested.
“We do not answer to you.” One of the Equestrian guards stated.
Luna turned her head to the one security guard, displaying her authority with a stomp of her hoof. “Cease your trite squabble, all of you answer the monarchy...”
Octavia pleadingly tugged at her I.V tube. “Please, I am hurting!”
“Nurse, refill Ms.Melody’s I.V!” The doctor ordered.
The nurse tended to Octavia while the Doctor and Princess Luna exchanged words. “I can’t, I just can’t. Princess, with all do respect, you are not a doctor. There's too much risk.”
“I assure you that she is not safe here and that she does need to be relocated to the Canterlot infirmary. I will give you time to use whatever methods to make her more stable, but she must be relocated before sunrise.” Luna royally decreed.
The doctor sighed heavily. “Nurse, painkillers, sutures, needles.”
“Yes doctor.” the nurse cooed.
Luna focused on Octavia, looking at her calmly. While Octavia’s wits felt foreign to her, they were sharp enough to notice Luna’s eyes betraying her. Something about Pocornia’s predicament had changed, something crucial…
"Doctor, I will need you to prepare the others under your care." Luna ordered.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------