//------------------------------// // Knight Falls // Story: Libero // by Discombobulated Soul //------------------------------// Pain. Tools were scattered throughout the bare room. The room was devoid of anything else. It was the classroom. Anger. This room was where he learned everything. How to act. How to cower. How not to scream. How to cast barriers. No barriers, not yet. The whip lashed through the air yet again, hurting almost as much as the scowl of anger on Broken's face. "I had thought you knew better, foal. Scores of red, leaking lines already covered his white body. Knight made no noise, however. He'd learned better than that. Another learning implement swung over to him. He didn't bother dodging. The bat stung. It was worth it to not cast a shield. "Let us see if your barriers have improved in the time you have been gone." Knight shook his head. Another thwap of the bat. "You do not ever refuse me. Remember? Knight nodded his head. A much lighter thwap. Much less painful. Much better. Good. A deep scowl. Anger. Not good. "Keep that smile off your face, filth. We are not done with you yet. Not good. A pounding at the door. Knight was already awake, so it was much better than it might have been. He opened the door and was tugged by the ear and led away. The pain made him focus. No way out. I can't not make a barrier forever. A heavy tremor passed through his body. He was trying to keep up with the servant so his ear would stop hurting, but the servant kept hurting him anyway. Daylight, the courtyard, outside. A rough shove, and he scrambled to stand up as soon as he could. HE's here. HE wants me to make a shield. "That's right, Darkest. I want ya ta make a shield." No anger yet. But soon that'll change. "Ya wouldn't want me ta be angry, now would ya?" Knight shook his head. Another scowl. An accent change. "Then create one, Darkest. I shall not order you once more." His horn lit, then died. Another shake of his head. Anger. "You will make a shield, Darkest. You cannot resist forever. ....Pain.... Pain. The sky was orange, so the sun was setting. Knight was more red than white and favoring a leg, for it was exceedingly sore. His horn's spiral was glowing, and he'd given in, desperately wanting a way to end the pain. Knight reached through the many fabrics of reality and expertly used his mana to guide the very base layer forth into tangibility. A transparent grey sphere materialized around him. He saw Broken grin and light HIS horn. A familiar pressure pounded with vicious velocity at his mental space. It was relentless in its efforts to distract and destroy him. Knight lasted several minutes before the pressure came through and the barrier broke, shattering into fragments that quickly vaporized. Knight collapsed to the grassy ground, his mind similarly in fragments and a familiar agony. "It seems you have gotten rusty, filth. When last we did this, you lasted several hours." Anger. Rage. Disappointment. Broken lifted the whip again. "No matter. Soon, we will have you right back there, and you will never think of leaving again." Agony... Agony. Knight was forced back into the classroom. HE was waiting. The unbarred window was yellow, so it was morning. "Well, we have certainly made progress, have we not?" Knight didn't answer. It wasn't a question. A derisive sneer. "You know, colt, it was very foolish of you to ever leave in the first place. I was watching you the whole time, through my spies." Knight's eyes widened in shock. "I never questioned where you were. I kept track of you the whole time. I even took a visit down to where you were staying and watched for a while." No. Celestia, please no. "Why, I must have at least thirty-two hired spies in that town alone!" Darkest screamed out, No, such things are impossible! Ponyville has a population of under fifty! I told you. Thought Knight, vindicated and not feeling any better for it. Broken's sneer intensified, HIS entire face crumpled with disdain. "Yes, indeed, I was always watching. Waiting for just the right time to strike. And now, you are back here, with me. And you are never going to escape again." Knight's ears tucked. The metal language rod rose. "Now, let us see if your language has atrophied as much as your barriers, eh?" The rod swung, too fast to track, and struck Knight in the chin. "Recite it for me, filth. Go on!" Knight fumbled. "The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plains." The solid metal rod tapped lightly on his skull. It hurt, but not as bad as it could. Good. He was good. "Now, repeat after me: Broken is everywhere. I cannot escape him, he sees everything, his allies span the planet." Knight obeyed, with proper speech as well. "It is acceptable. Remember, Darkest, You are not safe anywhere." Another whap with the rod. It hurt, but not much. Not safe... ....anywhere. "Captain Shining Armor, sir! We have a location on the missing pony case." The stallion lit up in joy. "Finally! Organize the first, second, and fourth platoons and lead away, we're heading a charge there, pronto! Move, boys, move! Knight was partaking in the stale bread he'd been afforded after refining his speech. Knight was also nursing his sore body. Knight had a high pain tolerance, but today had pushed it very far. Suddenly, he heard the sound of a magical explosion and what he figured was a lot of armored hooves. A glance out the nearby manor window revealed scores of armored ponies entering the building. A few moments later, HE came charging into the room and grabbed Knight with HIS magic. Wordlessly, Broken galloped down the many flights of stairs, heading towards the basement. A beam of rose-colored explosive magic threw the both of them off the staircase, causing them to land painfully on the floor. Knight skittered away, watching the armored ponies attach restraints to HIS loyal servants, who simply stood defeatedly. Knight speedily erected a barrier between himself and the other ponies, bolting outside through an open servant's door. He ignored the gruff calls of "Wait, KID!" in doing so. Knight nearly collapsed in agony when he felt Broken shatter the barrier, but continued his desperate sprint away from the marbled manor of malice, blindly heading down the mountain and towards the only house he could shelter at. The sun was low in the sky, so it was evening when Knight finally reached Ponyville. He began galloping as ponies started to run up to him, eager to recapture him and send him back to Broken. Soon, most of the town was everywhere, surrounding him. He hadn't made it more than a few strides into town before word must have reached that he'd escaped and that they needed to recollect him. Darkest begged to differ. Nay, we do not know if HE was being honest about that. We can not know with certainty that the townsponies are malicious! Knight ignored him entirely, focusing on backing away from the ponies in question. It took much concentration to move at all, thanks to his severely beaten body. "Darkest? Is that you?" Demanded the purple noble in her pretentious, perfect voice. Knight scrambled away from her and out of range of the stunning spell she had no doubt been charging. A few of the closest ponies stumbled back and away from Knight at his tortured scream, but the majority continued in their goals to subdue him. They were all over, closing in, asphyxiating him with their mere presence. Then, they were washed out with a grey filter as Knight called forth a barrier about himself, their various sounds of jubilance silenced as the sphere blocked all noise. Darkest was in denial, Surely, surely they cannot all be spies. Surely, Broken must have been lying in that estimate. Thirty-two is simply ludicrous! Darkest couldn't see their circling, hungry forms as they prowled about the outside of the shield. He was blind to their ceaseless attempts to break in, or wear him out. But Knight saw things as they were, and he'd protect both of them. That was what he was for, after all. She's working for HIM. The purple noble had gotten impatient and so had been attempting to destroy the barrier for the last hour or so in attempts to please her master. There were scant traces of Knight's coat that hadn't yet been dyed red, for he'd lost a lot of blood over the last few days. Most of the earlier crowd had dispersed, moving on with their day. A small collection of ponies in white uniforms, including a mare with a white coat and pink mane, were clustered around a small table-like thing on wheels. They were watching the noble with anticipation as she tried numerous things against his barrier. Knight didn't feel strain of any kind maintaining the barrier. He only had to actively focus to bring it into existence, move it, or dispel it. Indeed, the shield would remain there, protecting him, until he fell unconscious. This was something that he desperately prayed the ponies wouldn't figure out, as he had no plans beyond waiting for them to give up and running. But the longer I'm here, the less well I can run. He hoped they'd give up soon. The enormous, gorgeous rainbow beam crashed against Knight's shield with what he could guess was great velocity. Some minutes ago, the six mares from Doughnut Joe's shop had come together, each wearing a necklace, with the noble wearing a tiara. They spoke to each other for a while, and soon after started hovering in the air. Then, the beam had descended, achieving absolutely no effect on Knight's barrier. He had, through sheer force of will, remained conscious for what must have been at least ten hours. But the light was beginning to fade, and he could feel sleep coming, demanding rest for his beaten, red body. The sun was peaking. Soon, night would fall. Knight would likely fall with it. No. During the last few minutes, the world had faded in and out of focus, darkening and lightening over and over as Knight nearly passed out but caught himself. No, please. Just a few more hours. Ponies, he couldn't identify who, crowded around the shield. All he could make out was their eager, predatory grins. I have to keep going. Knight had long since collapsed to the ground from a combination of his legs failing and his exhaustion. He could no longer make out what time it was. They'll take me back. They're working for Broken. They bring pain. One last, desperate plea found its way past his chapped, red lips. "N-n-no.....!" Nothingness. Sheets. Blanket. Bed. Heat. Big pony? Big pony? IS THERE A BIG PONY? Knight heaved in great volumes of air, his eyes searching the room in a desperate state of alarm. Knight balled up, finding nopony else. Knight let out a cry of panic and pulled the needle out of his left foreleg. Knight scanned his own body, observing his new pinkish coloration. Somepony must've tried to wash me. Knight's ears flattened, his tail tucked. That means somepony touched me. Knight began searching himself for any irregularities. Nothing's out of place... Minutes passed with him sitting there, on the bed, staring at the white walls and wondering what to do now. The door creaked open. Knight launched himself off the bed in one mighty flinch, landing roughly on the floor and cowering halfway under the bed. Hoofsteps. The door shut. Somepony's there. Knight tightened his fetal position, making his small form as tiny as possible. Silence, then a shuffling noise, as if somepony laid down. Then more silence. Knight's muscles slowly loosened as time passed and nothing else happened. Knight slowly raised his head to peek over the bed. Pink mane. Yellow coat. Teal eyes. He ducked back down at their gaze, trembling with great fervor. Minutes passed. Nothing's happening? Knight eventually looked again, seeing that the pony ...Fluttershy... had closed her eyes and rested her head on the floor. Knight very nearly ducked his head again, but stopped himself in time to observe her utter lack of movement. She's breathing, but that's it. Knight watched her expectantly for quite some time, looking for any provocation to resume his cowering. Once he was reasonably sure that she wouldn't suddenly move, he hesitantly placed a hoof down in front of him. Then another. Until he was slowly stepping around the bed and into full view of the pegasus. Still, she made no movement. She must've heard that. Knight stood there for another while, his quivering gradually ceasing and his breath slowly stabilizing. She still hasn't moved. Now certain of her guaranteed stillness, he searched the room again. There was no means of escape other than the door, which was blocked by the resting pegasus. Hestitantly and with glacial sluggishness, Knight approached the mare. He stopped a few inches away and gave a tentative sniff. Broken Barrier always smelled of rage and blood. Of pain, metal, and war. HIS manor was always kept impeccably clean, even from the more-than-occasional puddle of blood. It always smelled of cleaning supplies, wax and soap. Fluttershy smelled as wonderful as her voice sounded. She was earthy, despite her being a pegasus. Her scent was of nature, of kindness, of gentleness. Of safety. Knight's weak legs collapsed at the mere mention of the word and he fell to the ground. Still, Fluttershy remained still, her ear giving only the slightest twitch. Knight reached a hoof forward and touched her cannon bone, eliciting no reaction. her fur was soft, and the most wonderful light buttery color. So unlike the harsh fashions of noble ponies or a certain evil green hue. A wet sniffle was what finally caused the mare to open her eyes and observe his creased, tired eyebrows and pathetic frown. "F-f-f-flutters-s-shy?" Inquired Knight in the single quietest voice to ever speak. That was the word that he said, but the one he meant had an entirely different meaning. Darkest broke down into tears, cradling her foreleg when all she did was nod slightly and smile gently. The pegasus reached her other leg around him with the same speed he had moved earlier, and Darkest allowed her to hold him close with no hesitation whatsoever, migrating his bawling to her chest. She could never hurt me. The ponies sat there for a time, in their own little figurative bubble, sheltered from the hostile outside world. The tiny, pink colt who had suffered so much cradled in the gentle yellow mare's protective embrace. "Shh, shh, It's alright, Darkest. Everything's okay now. You're safe, okay?" Safe. Soon, Darkest slept peacefully, for in that moment, he was more protected in her downy wings than one of his barriers could ever make him. And only the most genuine smile graced his features.