//------------------------------// // Chapter #9: Prisoner-626 // Story: My Little Pony: Dark Star // by WestRail642fan //------------------------------// Chapter Nine. Prisoner-626. The early morning sun shone through the window of Pipp's trailer. David stirred in his sleep, he rolled over to avoid the sun shining into his eyes, he felt his nose pressed up against something. Slowly opening his eyes, he came face to face with a sleeping Pipp, her muzzle pressed against his nose. David blushed hard. Looking down towards his feet, he saw one of her wings draped over him. "What happened last night?" He asked himself as he slowly lifted her wing off of himself. Quitely, he shifted over to the edge of the fold-out. Trying his best to keep quiet, he slowly crept over to the small kitchen. Pipp rolled over in her sleep, now snoring loudly, a hoof dangling over the edge of the bed as David closed the door to the trailer as he left it. David sat on the car's hood, birds chirping in a nearby tree. The cold morning breeze rustled through the leaves as the sun sat just above the horizon. Looking towards the northern horizon as the wind blew against his hair. "Oh. There you are." He heard Pipp chirp cheerfully, "Here, brought you breakfast. Well, if you call choc-chip cookies breakfast." She smiled, gleefully flying over, landing on the hood next to the human, "Want some?" She asked, mid-chew. David held out his hand as Pipp pulled out some cookies from the packet, placing them in his palm. "Pipp, what happened last night?" David asked, taking a bite of one of the cookies. Sighing as he chewed. "You... Were having a nightmare." Pipp looked at him with concern, placing a hoof gently on his leg. The gold shine of her hoof reflected the daylight, "While you did eventually snap out of it, you were trembling. So I ended up sleeping next to you, just to put you at ease." She rested her head on his upper arm. "You didn't need to do that for me, Pipp. But thank you." David replied, gently stroking one of Pipp's wings. "No problem." She hummed, closing her eyes, "You are my friend, and I'll do anything for my friends." She smiled, the breeze gently blowing through her feathers. Haven, Sunny, Zipp and Zoom made their way through the cell block below the palace. Eventually, they came to a secluded area of the cell block. There was a number labelled "Prisoner-626". 5 heavy armour guards kept watch on the reinforced steel doors. "Never seen guards so heavily armoured." Sunny whispered to Zipp as one of the guards began the long process of opening the heavy door. "That's Squad 99. I call them the bad batch, simply because they look like a bunch of ex-convicts." Zipp explained in a hushed tone. "They were assigned to watch over Opaline." Zipp added. "Please, follow me." One of the guards spoke, the group entering the reinforced room, "For safety reasons, they'll have to lock us in." The guard added as the steel door slowly closed behind them, "And for security reasons, we will have to ask that you empty any items you may have on you please." He added. "That won't be necessary, Hunter." Zoom spoke, looking at the guard. "Sorry commander, but it's for both your safety and the safety of the prisoner." The guard replied bluntly. "Best do as he says." Haven leaned into Zoom's ear. "Besides we don't know what she might try to do." She added. "Alright. Well, you heard the stallion." Zoom loudly spoke before removing every piece of armour she had on, and placing her sword into the tray. Sunny and Zipp placed their items into a numbered tray each. Then they were escorted through a metal detector that was installed. Then they were body searched again to make sure no items remained on them. A female guard searched Sunny and Zipp. She motioned as she gave the green light. Once all items were placed into trays, Hunter mentioned to the security camera for the second set of doors to be opened. The doors opened with a hiss, "You might want to prepare for what you're about to see." He ordered as the doors opened up, revealing Opaline sitting in the middle of a trashed cell. The alicorn in question was currently restrained and looked sedated. "What happened here?" Zoom asked wide-eyed, she looked up at the cell wall. Words and symbols were carved into the thick concrete. "We're not too sure either." Hunter replied, leaning against the wall, hooves crossed, "Since she arrived, she's been screaming about something coming, something she claimed only she could stop." Hunter gestured to the words on the walls, "We had to resort to sedating her last night for her safety." He pointed at the now drugged-up alicorn who sat in the middle of the room, only being held up by the chains. "To tell you the truth ma'am, even me and my team are wary of her, and even we're unsure what she's talking about. We were hoping you guys knew." Hunter spoke directly to Haven as Zipp approached one of the walls. "Hey, Sunny!" Zipp called out, the earth pony quickly joining her pegasus friend at the wall, "Does any of this make sense to you?" Zipp looked up at the symbols on the wall. "No, I've never seen any of these, nothing about them even in my father's journal." Sunny spoke, her eyes fixed on one symbol in particular, "But that one looks like the cutie mark of Twilight Sparkle. But why does it look like it's shattered?" Sunny turned her head to face Zipp. Zipp cautiously nodded. Sunny breathed in before slowly approaching Opaline. "Hey, kid. I wouldn't do that if I were you." Hunter warned the earth pony. He got ready to draw out his sword. "Easy." Haven reassured Hunter, placing a hoof on his hoof. "Opaline?" Sunny asked. No response came from the alicorn. Sunny gently Opaline's back with her hoof. Again, no response, "Release her restraints..." Sunny spoke. "What?" Hunter asked bluntly. "I said release her restraints." Sunny replied, her eyes fixed on the chains that were holding Opaline upright. "You must be crazy, we had a hard time restraining her and you want them off ??" Hunter spoke sternly, trying his best not to yell. "She said do it!" Zipp shouted, grabbing one of Hunter's swords and holding it at his neck. "Zephyrina! Let him go this instant!" Haven said in a stern voice. Hunter was sweating hard as the sharp end of the blade was inches away from penetrating his neck. "No, Mom! The only reason why we're here is that Opaline is the only one who can help us get Pipp home!" Zipp trembled, she dropped the sword as she began to cry. Hunter took the sword back and placed it back in his sword holster. "I'm sorry, but only the Queen can authorise the removal of the restraints." Hunter looked over at Haven as she began to comfort Zipp. "I hereby authorise it." Haven nodded, gently rubbing Zipp's back. "I'm such a horrible sister!" Zipp sobbed. "Nonsense Zipp…" Haven soothed, "You're a wonderful sister to Pipp, Sunny told me about the fight you two had the night before all this happened." Haven kissed the top of Zipp's head, "It's not your fault Pipp refused to even acknowledge your concerns…" Haven hugged Zipp with her wings. "When you and Pipp entered my world many years ago, I had doubts about the ability to raise you two as a mother, but your late father reassured me I could do it. He helped me on every step and now I'm glad I married him, "Haven said as she hugged Zipp and kissed her forehead. "He's quietly watching over me and making sure we are safe." She added as Zipp held onto her tightly. Hunter moved his hoof to his face, "Tech. Release the restraints for Prisoner-626. Authorisation code Quebec-Hotel-Zero-One." Hunter spoke into his earpiece. The cell was filled with a buzzing sound as the restraints holding Opaline disengaged. Sunny quickly caught the alicorn as she fell backwards. "As requested... The restraints have been removed..." Hunter spoke, trying his best to calm the situation, "But, the tennis ball stays on." He added sternly, Sunny nodded slowly, placing a hoof on Opaline's forehead. "Whatever you injected her with, she's been out for hours." Sunny said with slight alarm in her voice, "How much did you give her." "Just one dose. It's pretty strong stuff." Hunter replied from across the room, "She was one tough pony to sedate, I'll tell you that, but it'll wear off in a few hours." He added, watching cautiously as Sunny rolled up a blank and gently lowered Opaline's head onto it. Zoom continued to stare up at the symbols on the wall, "I'm no expert, but this symbol looks like a castle of some kind. Might be her castle though." Zoom spoke to herself as Sunny approached her, "Nearly all of this writing is complete gibberish. And well, I dunno about you but I never saw stuff this gibberish, not in my time as a guard." Zoom placed her hoof on her chin, "Was she trying to write something or just scribbling random things?" Zoom asked Sunny. Sunny took a closer look at one of the 'words' trying her best to work out exactly what it was. "Dark Star?" Sunny said, her face a mixture of confusion and concern. "Sounds like a name to me." Zoom suggested, "Perhaps they're the 'she' Opaline was referring to when we arrested her." Zoom added, remembering the event a few days earlier. "Do you know who Dark Star is ?" The blue pegasus asked. "No, I'm afraid not my father's journal has no information on a name called Dark Star," Sunny replied, frowning as she thought hard. Sunny's ears twitched as she heard a pained groan from behind her. All heads turned towards the centre of the room. Opaline was now standing up, wobbly on her hooves and nearly falling over. "Water..." Opaline groaned, "Need... Water..." Slurring her words as she stumbled over to the wash basin. "Wait!" Sunny shouted, flailing her forelegs in the air, "We can get you some-" The sound of the faucet being turned on full blast filled the room, "-water..." Her ears fell flat against her head as she grumbled. Opaline lapped up the water from the faucet like a thirsty dog, completely unaware of the five other ponies now in her cell. "Um." Sunny cleared her throat, "Um, Opaline." She spoke clearly. The faucet shut off. The purple alicorn stood up, now less wobbly and slowly turned around. "What are you doing here?" Opaline spoke, stern yet calm. The tension in the room felt like it was making it hard for Sunny to breathe, "Can't you ponies here see I'm awaiting my death sentence?" She added, looking directly at Sunny. "Well..." Sunny gulped, choosing her words carefully, "We need your help." A loud laugh filled the room. "Ha! As if I should even consider helping you!" Opaline laughed, "Well, go on then. Tell me what you dare need my help with?" "Pipp's gone missing!" Zipp shouted, peeking out from behind Haven. "And you want my help to find that small pink one? Can't you just track her on that plastic box she's always using?" Opaline slowly trotted over to Haven. "Heh, you can't even look after your daughter." Opaline snickered. "Don't you think we already tried that?" Haven bluffed, not once since Pipp ran away did they even think to try and track her phone. "Besides!" Sunny bellowed, bringing Opaline's attention back to herself, "In the note Pipp left before running away, she said she's going to the Crystal Empire." "The Crystal Empire?" Opaline tilted her head, "Now, that's a name I've not heard in centuries..." "So, you have heard of it!" Sunny's eyes lit up. "Heard of it? I was born there." Opaline smiled, at least, what Sunny believed to be a smile, "But, I'm afraid to tell you, your friend's journey is a lost cause. No one has been able to find it since Equestria went dark. Not even myself..." Opaline looked down. "Now listen here!" Haven shouted, grabbing Opaline's neck, "The only reason why my daughter is even going there is because of this human who calls himself... Oh, blast, what was the name?" Haven looked at Zipp "David Wyne." Sunny and Zipp spoke at the same time. "Thank you. The only reason why Pipp is even going there is because of this Mr Wyne claims to be from there." Haven's nostrils flared in anger as she pushed Opaline near the wall. Her eyes flared with anger and her wings flared as she thought of ways to deal with this mare. "That's impossible." Opaline stuttered, "Mr Wyne disappeared just before Equestria fell, how could he possibly be here?" Opaline gasped for air as Haven pushed her hoof harder on her neck. "What do you mean?" Sunny tilted her head. "Well, for starters, Humans can only live up to 100 years." Opaline stammered as Haven released her hold on the alicorn. Haven kept her stern look on the alicorn. "Besides, the only way he'd be able to find his way to the Crystal Empire would be with the use of a magic crystal and those only work within the Empire." Opaline placed a hoof on her chin. "So, you mean that they're going in blind?" Haven looked at Sunny with concern in her eyes. "I can't believe I'm going to say this." Opaline pinched the bridge of her nose, "But fine. I'll help you." She groaned. "Yes!" Zipp cheered. "Thank you, Opaline, but why?" Sunny asked. "Because I want to go home." Opaline smiled, "But I have only one request." "What would that be?" Haven responded, stepping forward. "I want dragon fire." End of Chapter Nine.