//------------------------------// // Chapter 16 // Story: The Darkness in our Souls // by Black Light //------------------------------// Chapter 16 Skies and I flew as fast as we could back to Ponyville. We arrived in a matter of minutes and I immediately flew to Twilight’s house. As I neared the tree I switched from flying to running. As I reached the door I spun around and bucked it open before running into the room. I looked around and saw the girls were all sitting in the middle of the room. Twilight and Applejack had a few cuts on them. Then I realized that something was missing, or more specifically somepony. “Where’s Rainbow?” I asked. The girls looked at the ground not wanting to look at me. “WHERE IS SHE!?” I asked again with much more force. “We… we don’t know. They just came and … and they took her. We tried to fight them but there were too many.” Twilight said crying. I took a few breaths trying to calm myself. ‘Think things through. Whoever took her probably wants me, so they’re not going to hurt her’ I looked back at the girls a bit calmer than before. “Okay now explain to me who took her. What did they look like? Did they have any special symbol or clothing on?” I asked. “Well those meany pants all had black cloaks.” I looked at Pinkie who had talked. Her hair was deflated again and she had the saddest face I had ever seen. “Black cloaks…” I tried to think back to all the ponies who were chasing me. “Did any of you see their face? Were any of them wearing a black face mask with a symbol on it that looks like this?” I asked as I projected a picture of a black spiral onto the floor. “Um… yes… one of them did. Is it important? I mean…” Fluttershy said before retreating into her hair. “Great.” I said. “I was hoping never to see these guys again. I guess I should've known better.” “So you know who they are? Well tell us. We need to go get Rainbow back right now.” Twilight said trying to stand up. Knowing what would happen I quickly trotted over and caught her as she fell. Her leg had a decent sized cut in it. There was no way she was going anywhere. “Sorry Twilight not today.” I said sitting her back down. “But Rainbow is in danger we have to save her. You can find them using your power.” Twilight said. “One, I can’t find them using my power. I have refused to ever use my power to search for them. Two, Rainbow won’t be in danger until I get there. They wouldn’t hurt her unless I am there. Three, None of you are in any condition to go out and fight.” I said. “Why? Who are they?” Twilight asked. “They are a group called the Shadow Servers. They consider me their god.” I saw the girls faces grow in surprise. “They know of my power, and they take joy in feeling their pain and fear. They want to try and keep me in my possessed state and have me take over all of Equestria. They won’t stop until Equestria is covered in shadows and everypony takes joy in pain.” “Their insane.” Twilight said. “That’s what I keep trying to tell them, but they don’t listen to me. They only serve the darkness. Anyway I know that they will tell me where they are.” I said. “How do you know that, partner?” Applejack asked. “Simple, they want me to lose control, so to do that they want to get me enraged. They will send a note telling me where to go. Then when I get there they will try and hurt Rainbow until I lose control.” “I don’t see how-“Twilight started but she was cut off as the mail slot on her door opened and shut. On the floor was a letter in a black envelope. I walked over and picked it up. “I told you. I’ve had to deal with these guys for a long time I know their strategies.” I opened the letter and read it. It told me to go to the cave at the top of the mountain outside of Ponyville. I closed the letter and walked over to the fireplace and threw the letter in. I didn’t want the girls finding out where to go. I looked at Skies and she nodded she went over to the girls and started talking to them trying to calm them down. I walked out the door and took off. I flew towards the mountain my rage building but I suppressed it I didn’t want to lose control especially in-front of these guys. I landed in front of the mountain and called out. “All right I’m here you can all come out now.” A large number of ponies all covered in black cloaks started coming out of the cave. Then one came out dragging a chain. He gave a pull and Rainbow Dash came out of the cave attached to the chain. Her wings and legs were bound to keep her from escaping. She looked up at me I saw the fear in her eyes. I felt the darkness start to wake up. I moved my hoof to my head to try and comfort my head ache. I saw all of the Shadow Servers lean in expectantly. “I’m not going to lose control if that’s what you’re waiting for.” “We can change that. Bring her to me.” One of the ponies called from in front. “We have spies everywhere, even in the hospital. When we learned of your feelings for this one, how could we pass up an opportunity like this?” “You’re the new alpha I assume. You know what I did to the last one right?” I asked reliving the last time I met with them around a year ago. “Of course I remember I was there when it happened. You ripped his head off with only your hooves. It was a spectacular sight.” He said. I saw Rainbow’s eyes grow wide. She looked at me her eyes were begging me to tell her that it wasn’t true. “How can you talk about death and pain that easily?” I asked. “Because it is just another part of life. We just want others to realize this as well.” “I don’t care what you say. No pony deserves to feel that much pain and I refuse to help you.” I told him. “We will see if you keep thinking that after we have a talk with your friend here.” He said indicating to Rainbow. “If you touch her I will make your suffering legendary throughout all of Equestria.” I said instinctively. “Perfect, let your anger tell you what to do, let the darkness take control.” the alpha said. I felt the darkness urging me to let him out. I felt him telling me to do it, and I actually started to consider letting him out. Not because I wanted him to hurt the cult, but because the darkness was asking. He wasn’t trying to take control he was just asking. That normally meant he had a plan. I didn’t quite trust the darkness so I held off saving it as a last resort. “I’m not going do anything you want.” I said. “Well in that case.” The alpha raised a sharpened sword above Rainbow’s head. I quickly charged a shot of magic and used it to blast the sword away. “I see… well how long can you keep that up?” He raised his hoof into the air and every pony raised their swords and prepared to strike Rainbow. The alpha brought his hoof down and time seemed to go in slow motion as the rest of the swords descended towards Rainbow. “NO!” I screamed as I decided that there was no other choice. I let the darkness seep through. Suddenly a tendril shot out of my hoof. It split into smaller tendrils and grabbed all the swords. The swords were enveloped into the darkness and disappeared. The tendril retracted into my hoof and I put it back on the ground. I looked back towards the alpha as my vision glazed over. The darkness was sharing control again which obviously meant that he didn’t like these guys either. My mane and tail flared up and I felt the darkness asking for control of my mouth, and I let him take control. “Ah, our master is here! All praise the darkness!” The alpha shouted. “My master what would you have us d-” “I swear to Tartarus just shut up.” The darkness said interrupting the alpha. “My master?” the alpha asked confused. “You wish to serve me, but I do not wish for you to serve me. I am going to destroy this world myself. I do not require or want your service.” The darkness said and I understood. The darkness didn’t want this cult to serve him. He wanted the pride of conquering Equestria all for himself. “But my master all we have done has been in your honor.” “Ha, honor, I have no honor I just want to destroy and I will do it myself.” The darkness said. “Now I suggest you all leave before I decide to destroy all of you.” The darkness gave me control of my mouth again but continued to keep half control. I raised up my hoof and pointed it towards the chain on Rainbow’s neck. A tendril shot out and broke the chain “Let’s go” I said. She quickly ran over to me and stood behind me. The Shadow Servers were speechless. I couldn’t blame them. Their god just told them that he didn’t want them. Then darkness receded back and gave me full control again. I walked up to the alpha, Rainbow still behind me. “Now are you going to leave me alone?” I asked. “Why?... why?... why does he deny us?” “Because from what I can tell he is prideful and wants to do things his own way. You should just quit before he decides that he wants to destroy you all.” I said. “Maybe your right.” The alpha said. “Then again… maybe you’re wrong!” the alpha screamed as he pulled out a sword and prepared to bring it down on my head. I charged my magic and ripped the sword from his grasp. I spun it around and impaled it into the hoof of the alpha. He screamed in pain and fell over onto the ground. I guess he doesn't like pain as much as he said he did. I turned to face Rainbow and saw that she had been crying. I took her into an embrace while I charged a teleportation spell. I used the spell and in a bright flash of light we were gone.