//------------------------------// // The League of Shadows // Story: Cinematic Adventures: Batman Begins // by extremeenigma02 //------------------------------// Pain rocketed through the entire group, as one by one they were viciously shoved off the back of a transport truck and landed upon the hard ground. Groaning in pain, the Mane Six and Spike struggled to get back on their feet. As Bruce got back up with them, the transport truck began its drive down the road. Earlier that very same morning, they were pulled out of solitary confinement and escorted outside the walls of the prison. It was there when the group were loaded onto the back of a transport truck, along with a bunch of other criminals, and driven off through the Himalayas. The day before, a man by the name of Ducard came to visit, offering them a chance to be part of a group called ‘the League of Shadows’. But in order to do so, they must venture into the mountains, find a mysterious blue flower, and deliver it to Ra’s Al Ghul himself. Right now though, they were focused on the pain coursing through their bodies. “Honestly, did they have to throw us off the truck like that?” Rarity complained. “What’d you expect them to do?” Rainbow questioned. “Lay down some pillows, set up a dining table, and serve us a feast before kicking us off the bus?” “Least they could’ve done was let us off without resorting to barbarism.” “We’ve being sent here to learn the ways of master assassins,” Spike pointed out. “I’m sure it isn’t meant to be all sunshine and rainbows.” “Um—I-I’m not sure how I feel about this,” Fluttershy said nervously. “I know we need to find the Dazzlings and Chrysalis, but I could never learn to be an assassin.” “Ah’m sure it ain’t like that Fluttershy,” Applejack assured. “We’re bein’ taught tah fight, which is somethin’ we already do plenty of.” “Whatever the case, I just hope when we do this we get a celebration,” Pinkie suggested. “It’s been too long since we’ve had a party and now I’m super-duper sad. Just look at my Pinkie Meter; it’s gotten so low.” On emphasis, Pinkie Pie pulled out what resembled a thermometer from her mane, which she showed to the group. The meter, actually called the ‘Pinkie Meter’, displayed a spot at the very bottom next to a sad Pinkie face. Pinkie placed the meter back in her mane, as a frown formed upon her face, which in itself was a rare sight. “Don’t worry, Pinkie,” Twilight assured her. “Soon as we’re back in Equestria, we’ll have the biggest parties we’ve ever had. After everything we’ve been through so far, we deserve it.” This formed a huge smile in place of the frown upon Pinkie Pie’s face. She hurled her arms around Twilight, drawing her into a bone-crushing hug. “Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!” Pinkie said gleefully. “You really are the bestest friend ever Twilight! How can I ever repay you?” “Stop… trying… to break me… in half!” Twilight wheezed. “Oops, sorry!” Pinkie apologized. As Pinkie released Twilight, the alicorn princess took deep breaths, which hurt her clearly damaged ribs. With her horn aglow, she used her magic to repair her cracked ribs, a process which made her wince. “I think we should get going before the sun goes down,” Bruce suggested. “It’s already cold enough out here as it is.” “I’m all for that,” Rainbow nodded. “Sooner we’re out of this cold, the better. Wish I’d brought a jacket.” “Speaking of which, I can help with that,” Rarity smiled. Using her magic, Rarity used her horn to quickly conjure some winter clothing for every pony in the group. Feeling slightly warm from the clothes, the group delivered a small sigh of relief each. “Alright every pony, let’s get going,” Twilight said. The group began to make their way through the frozen plains of the Himalayas. They had absolutely no idea where this mission would lead them or even what was in store for them. In that moment, however, this was their only option. Eventually, they came upon a section of the valley that was absolutely littered with white flags that billowed in the wind. Apart from that, they also noticed a few blue flowers in the snow as well. Bruce knelt down and picked one of the tiny flowers for everyone to observe. “Wow, it’s actually kind of pretty,” Rarity observed. “It would look lovely in a bouquet of roses.” “Not the time Rares,” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “You know what it reminds me of?” Twilight asked. “It reminds me of the poison joke back home.” “It actually does Twi,” Applejack nodded. “It done got the same color and everything.” “Whatever it looks like, we should probably get it to this Ducard guy,” Spike suggested. “I’d like to get the hay off these frozen mountains as soon as possible.” “I’m with Spike on this one,” Rainbow agreed. “But where are we even supposed to go?” Fluttershy asked. “Mr. Ducard didn’t specify where to find him even if we found the flower.” “That’s the point,” Bruce commented. “He wants us to find him and this League.” “But we absolutely have no direction nor idea where he even went,” Rarity argued. “Actually… we do,” Twilight pointed out. Everyone turned toward Twilight with looks of great confusion. “What’re you talking about Twi?” Rainbow asked. Twilight reached into her pocket and revealed a rather strange ring of sorts. A ring made entirely of gold with such weird, yet intriguing designs. Specifically, there was a dragon wrapped around a sterling emerald in the middle. “After Ducard left our cell the other day, I found this on the ground,” Twilight explained. “The thing is, it wasn’t dropped but strategically placed. He wanted one of us to find this for a reason.” “How is that supposed to help us?” Spike asked. Twilight’s only response was a single smirk as she waved her hand with her magic and the ring glowed brightly green from the emerald in the middle. “This ring is now enchanted,” She explained. “The closer we reach Ducard and the League of Shadows, the brighter the ring glows.” Twilight began walking off down the snowy plains as the ring continued to glow brightly. The remainder of the group watched her for a few moments before deciding to follow behind her. They weren’t completely sold on the idea at first, but at this point they had no other choice. All they could do was hope that the magic wasn't completely leading them astray. <> For the next number of hours, the group fought against the cold and fatigue as they ascended high over the mountains. They trailed behind Twilight Sparkle, who lead them with the enchanted glowing ring. The further they traveled up the mountains, the greater the ring seemed to glow. However, the team were slowly growing more exhausted, and their already frozen limbs made it much more difficult to continue. “H-H-How m-much f-further T-T-Twilight?” Fluttershy shivered. “S-S-S-Shouldn’t be t-too much f-further now,” Twilight responded. “Y-Y-You s-s-said that t-t-t-t-three hours ago!” Rainbow complained. “I really don’t think this was a good idea,” Bruce commented, beside Twilight. “It’s all we had at the moment,” Twilight responded. As the group proceeded through the mountain, eventually they came upon a tiny village. As the group arrived, immediately all the villagers began to race back inside their homes. Elders pulled the children inside, sealing and locking their windows and doors, just everything to stay out of sight. There was one singular child watching the ground from behind the corner, as Fluttershy waved nervously at the child. When suddenly, an elder man pulled the child away before eyeing the group. “You turn back!” He instructed. “You go back!” The elder then brought the child inside, while the group eyed them oddly. “Gee, that wasn’t ominous at all,” Rainbow commented. “Let’s keep moving,” Twilight suggested. “We’re getting close. The faster we move, the faster we can get out of this cold.” “Then let’s get a move on,” Spike agreed. The group vented on through the tiny village, continuing their ascent up the mountain. Soon enough, they were sore, cold, and completely exhausted. Thankfully, their struggle proved worthwhile when at long last they arrived at their destination. They noticed a large wooden house built right along the side of the mountain. It was relatively the size of a mansion yet resembled more like a giant hut stuck on the side of the large mountain. The sight of the house alone made the entire group sigh with extreme relief. “Oh thank Celestia!” Rarity sighed. “I swear, if I take even one more step, I’m ready to throw myself off this mountain.” “Yeah right, Rares,” Rainbow said sarcastically. “And then you’ll say you mastered that levitation spell that unicorns are supposed to do.” “Oh, will you just leave me alone?!” “I wonder how they even built this house along the mountain?” Pinkie questioned. “I’m not sure I want to know,” Fluttershy shivered. Bruce walked ahead of the group and knocked heavily on the doors of the house. Both doors proceeded to open slowly, allowing the group to make their way inside. The interior of the house was completely decorated with Chinese décor including tapestries, architecture, and an assortment of many things. In the midst of it all, siting atop a magnificent throne was a Chinese man with a bald head and forked white beard. One look at him and everyone instantly knew who this was. “Ra’s Al Ghul?” Bruce questioned. All of a sudden, the sound of the door being barred made everyone turn to see an assassin with a katana and a machine gun. Soon a large number of other assassins started coming through every single door in the room, and they all had the intention to kill. “Wait!” All of a sudden, all of the assassins froze in place as Ducard came out from beside Ra’s Al Ghul and looked down upon the group. Ra’s then started speaking a foreign language, which thankfully Ducard was able to translate. “What are you seeking?” He asked. “Right now, the bathroom?” Rainbow responded. Applejack gave her marefriend a jab in the side, shutting her up quickly before she said something that would get them all killed. Thankfully, no one seemed to acknowledge what Rainbow said as Bruce stepped up to address the League of Shadows. “I seek… the means to fight injustice,” Bruce responded. “To turn fear against those who prey on the fearful.” Ducard stared hard toward Bruce as though trying to determine whether or not his words rang true or not. Eventually, he finally turned his attention to Twilight Sparkle. “What are you seeking?” He asked her. Twilight looked over toward Bruce then back at her friends for a moment before turning back toward Ducard. She thought back to what he told her and the others back at the prison. It was at that moment she decided to go with that as a means of getting further in their mission. “To become more than mere agents of Harmony and peace,” She responded. Bruce grabbed the blue flower pinned to his clothing and Twilight grabbed hers as well. They both handed their flowers to Ducard, who observed them closely before showing them to Ra’s Al Ghul. The master of the League of Shadows continued to stare at the group before once more speaking in a foreign tongue. “To manipulate the fears in others, you must first master your own,” Ducard translated. “Are you ready to begin?” “I can… I can barely stand,” Bruce spoke in exhaustion. “It’s true, Mr. Ducard,” Twilight agreed. “We’ve been wandering through a frozen landscape all day.” Not even a second later, Ducard threw a massive kick that struck Bruce in the chest and sent him rolling back. “Death does not wait for you to be ready!” He yelled. “Bruce!” Twilight yelled. She attempted to rush to his aid, but one of the assassins held her back along with the rest of the Mane Six… even Spike. “Let us go you psychos!” Rainbow yelled. “Do not help him!” Ducard ordered. “He must face this himself.” Ducard then delivered a huge kick to the ribs, sending Bruce rolling and groaning in pain. “Death is not considerate or fair!” Bruce slowly got back to his knees, as Ducard circled around him. “And make no mistake, here you face death!” Ducard went to deliver another kick only this time, Bruce caught the kick and threw it off before assuming a fighting position. “Tiger!” Bruce started throwing punches which Ducard masterfully and expertly dodged. He then threw another and Ducard caught it before wrenching his arm. “Jujitsu!” He then delivered a hard punch to the ribs and Bruce staggered off to the side, but still maintained the fighter’s stance. “Panther!” Bruce then went on a flurry of punches that Ducard was able to either dodge, catch, or threw back tenfold. Eventually, he caught Bruce by the collar of his clothing and held him directly before him. “You’re skilled, but this is not a dance.” He then delivered a massive headbutt and threw Bruce to the side, the young man finally falling to the ground. He gave a small shove with his foot and Bruce rolled onto his back, slowly starting to pass out. “And you are afraid, but not of me,” Ducard observed. “Tell us, Mr. Wayne… what do you fear?” He then grabbed the blue flower and placed it back in Bruce’s clothes. He then gave a snap of his fingers, and on cue two assassins came over and picked Bruce up before dragging him off to another part of the house. Ducard then turned toward the Mane Six and Spike, who remained held back by assassins. He gave a single nod, and the assassins released them on command. “Are you all ready to begin?” He asked them. After having witnessed what he was able to do to Bruce, and in such a short amount of time, the Equestrian heroes (Even Rainbow Dash) all shared looks of genuine concern toward each other. “Is there another option?” Fluttershy squeaked. “Before we begin, there’s someone I wish to introduce you to,” Ducard informed. “I just hope whoever it is isn’t going to break us apart in the blink of an eye,” Rarity quivered. Ducard turned heel and made his way further into the house. Not wanting to end up like Bruce, the girls and Spike followed closely behind him. As they walked, they couldn’t believe just how big the house actually was on the inside. Every time they rounded a corner, there was another room filled with something odd. One in particular which caught their immediate attention. Inside were men dressed in dark armor and wearing some strange cowl of sorts with golden goggles. The armored assassins merely stood like statues, as they were being addressed by another individual. The Equestrian heroes kept looking through the door, watching all the individuals inside. Eventually, the other person in the room paused mid-sentence, and slowly turned straight toward the Mane Six and Spike. The individual, clearly a man, wore a very nice suit, with matching gloves and shoes. The most distinguishing element about the man was the mask he wore, one made of pure gold and designed like an owl’s head. The individuals in the room locked eyes with Twilight, the remainder of the Mane Six and Spike, uttering not a single sound in between. For the longest time, they just stared at each other. And whatever it was about these masked assassins, the Mane Six and Spike felt a chill emanating off of them. “It would be best if you could keep up.” Ducard’s voice was enough to snap the Mane Six and Spike away from the room and proceed onward towards their destination. Eventually, Ducard led the group to a pair of large iron doors and pushed both of them open with ease. Inside the chamber, there was no furnishing of any sort as far as material possessions. Merely four stone owls and what looked like a pool of strange glowing liquid inside. Ducard led the group inside the chamber, and they continued to stare towards the glowing pool. While looking at it, it felt as though they could hear voices whispering in their head. “Can you hear them?” Ducard asked. “What is it?” Twilight asked. “What you are hearing are the voices of the Lazarus Pit,” Ducard explained. “These rejuvenating waters are the secret of the League of Shadows.” “But what exactly is it?” Spike asked. “All answers will be revealed when you are ready,” Ducard answered. “But this is not why I brought you here. You are here so you might meet someone who is going to help you all unlock the power which lies within you.” All of a sudden, a cloaked figure entered the room, circling around the ‘Lazarus Pit’ to stand before the Equestrians and Spike. The figure reached up and pulled their hood back to reveal a mean with nearly ghostly white hair. The Mane Six and Spike looked upon the man, who in turn looked right back at them. A sudden look of realization spread across Pinkie Pie’s face. “Hey Spike, check it out,” She told her young friend. “It’s Spike! Huh… I thought he was a vampire. Last I remember, he was in a small town called Sunnydale, fighting off armies of centuries old vampires—” “Pinkie, what are you talking about?” Spike asked confused. It was then Pinkie noticed how everyone around her merely eyed her oddly. “Oops, did I get the wrong universe?” She asked. She reached into her mane, and pulled out two different stacks of paper. One was entitled ‘Future Cinematic Adventures’, and the other entitled ‘It’s Showtime’. Everyone just shook their heads at the crazy party girl. *Gasps, sighs with exasperation* You know what? This has happened so many times, I’m not even upset anymore. “This is Duscan Al Ghul, son of Ra’s Al Ghul,” Ducard introduced. “As the only true born son of Ra’s Al Ghul, Duscan is meant to lead the League of Shadows to the future. Therefore, I cannot think of a better teacher for you than the future Demon’s Head.” Duscan looked at each and every single member of the Mane Six and Spike, sizing them up. He turned back toward Ducard and gave a single nod of confirmation. Ducard nodded back before addressing the others. “Duscan is willing to train you, but you must follow his instructions without complaint,” Ducard explained. “You will be tested to your physical and mental limits to master fear and turn it against your enemies. Something Celestia would never have you do.” Once again, the way Ducard brought up their ruler continued to make the entire group wonder just ‘how’ he knew about her. Did they know each other? Have they met before? And if so, why hadn’t Celestia ever told them? Not even to Twilight Sparkle herself? “You will meet us in the main hall tomorrow at first light and we shall begin your training,” Ducard informed. “I shall train with Mr. Wayne personally, while you train with Duscan. Only after you have learned to master fear will we know you are ready to become who you were always meant to be. For now, allow me to show you where you will be staying. Ducard and Duscan proceeded to lead the Mane Six and Spike out of the room. Before walking away entirely, Twilight Sparkle spun around and took one more look toward the Lazarus Pit. She could still hear voices calling to her, to have her bathe in its waters. She could almost feel the power resonating from it. Eventually, she was able to pull her vision away from the pit and trailed the rest of the group. “Why did she never tell me?” Twilight asked herself.