//------------------------------// // Chapter 9: Door To Darkness // Story: Legacy Of A Hero // by CrypticMetaphor //------------------------------// The COH slept soundly during the night, but deep below the castle something stirred awake. A shadow cast itself over the throne room and stretched toward the throne. Out of the shadow rose an avatar composed of blackened steel and a solid substance that had the sheen of oil. The avatar itself was in the shape of a unicorn with a curved horn. The horn itself was made of blood red crystal and its eyes were made of indigo light with black slash like pupils. The Black Kings voice emanated from beneath the throne as the Avatar remained and the shadow receded, “Bring me the girl first.” The Avatar exhaled in response and melted into the shadows. * Mary rolled onto her side as the wind softly whistled outside her window. In the corner of her room the avatar materialized. Its eyes fixed on the girl and as it inhaled its horn began to glow almost threateningly. The Avatar slowly vanished as Mary awoke to a sound that seemed to linger on the wind. “Mary…” Mary looked toward her door and uttered one word, “Dad?” * Dominic awoke from his sleep to the sound of a door shutting and the sound of foot falls vanishing down the hall. * Mary looked around for the source of the sound but couldn’t quite place it. She arrived in the throne room and found it to be unusually dark. The curtains were drawn and the lights were dimmed. Before her lay a massive maw of a hole complete with stairs leading downwards. She then heard an almost ghostly sounding voice of her father beckoning to her. “Wandering child . . . so lost . . . so helpless . . . yearning for my guidance . . .” Mary walked slowly down the stairs in a daze as Dominic rounded the corner and witnessed the passage shut behind her. He then yelled in both surprise and frustration as he began to bang on the floor which awoke several ponies from their slumber. * Mary arrived at the bottom of the steps and glanced at what was before her, a lone door that seemed to have no earthly business being there and it was open into darkness. The Black King stepped out of the shadows behind Mary and smiled beneath his mask. “Your father awaits you child, do not linger.” Mary turned to face The King who then shoved her forward. She fell into the open door and was engulfed in darkness that threatened to consume her. * Mary looked around to find she was standing in a ruined Ponyville with a decimated Canterlot in the distance. She saw pony’s collapsed around her and some that were gravely injured. She ran to a lone shape that she recognized among the rubble. Martin was pinned under a beam of wood which she moved with ease. Mary was practically in tears, “Dad, please say something.” Martin stared straight at her and grasped her throat as a look of anger appeared, “You’re a disappointment.” Martin stood up with Mary in his grasp, “I should have never even thought you could live up to the family name, look at all of this. It’s your fault for leaving!” Mary’s body was then engulfed in flames as Martin began to burn, “Dad…run away…” Martin yelled out in agony as he was burnt to ash. Mary was on her knees in absolute anguish, “No…” Several voices of the people and ponies she knew began to jeer and chant, “Disappointment, coward, murderer.” Mary’s face was then streaked with tears, “No…” * Mary gazed into the darkened abyss of the opened door as tears ran freely from her eyes. Her eyes in question were altered by the doors magic. Her sclera’s were neon green and her irises were red as freshly spilled blood. The Black King then opened his hand as he produced a shard of black crystal. The Black King then tapped it to her head which caused it to disintegrate into black energy which was then absorbed into her body. The Black King then spat with spite, “Let the fear you possess consume you, just as flames consume an elder forest.” Mary then tensed up as her eyes became completely black. * Cadence opened the passage and all present gazed down into it, “This is impossible, I thought I got rid of this.” Dominic said nothing as he merely leapt down the hole into darkness. He soon landed directly behind Mary who was now standing and trembling. When Dominic approached her she screamed inhumanly and threw him against the farthest wall. Her flames then ignited into existence and seemed to be more alive than conventional fire. The flames grew in size and intensity as they seemed to cascade off Mary like water and creep up the sides of the walls toward the surface. Mary floated up with them as Dominic took notice of the open door; his eyes slowly began to transition toward being altered until The Black King slammed it shut. Dominic narrowed his eyes, “You!” The Black King shook his head, “Your time will come when I deem it so.” Dominic went to intercept the dark assailant but was stopped by frightened screams from above. He glanced quickly upwards then back at where The Black King once stood and cursed loudly. He blasted up through the tunnel of flame and landed in Hell. Blue and white flames were engulfing the walls and threatening to bleed out the windows and onto the streets below. Dominic ran to Cadence who was keeping the flames at bay, “Where’s Mary?” Cadence gestured with her horn toward Mary who was on her knees before the throne chanting the word “No” over and over again. Dominic looked to his friends, “The Black King was just here, he opened some sort of door down there that must have messed with her head.” Shining Armor cursed, “King Sombra’s Shadow Door.” Cadence shook her head, “It shows you your inner most fear and causes ponies to be consumed by it to the point of them perceiving it as reality.” Sweetie Belle looked to the princess, “So it’s like she’s having a really bad nightmare?” Cadence nodded, “Exactly.” Dinky stepped forward, “Well we better snap her out of it soon or else she’ll turn us into barbeque!” Dominic ran through the immense flames and grasped Mary’s shoulders, “Mary, snap out of it! Whatever your hearing, this illusion isn’t real!” Mary looked with absolute despair at her friend, “My father-“ Dominic sighed as the flames burned him, “Is still being held hostage, and if you keep this up you’ll fail him FOR REAL!!” Mary screamed as her flames brightened and scorched Dominic. Dom cried out in pain as he was being burnt, but he held on. He then hugged her tight and gritted his teeth. “Mary, I’m here for you. And I’m not leaving your side no matter what.” The comment caused Mary’s eyes to open wide in realization. * A nine year old Mary was being tormented by several older boys. Dominic then rushed in to her defense, “Leave her alone!” One of the older boys stepped forward, “Or what?” Dom took on an evil looking smile, “Or else I’ll feed you your own teeth.” Two hours later: Dominic was covered in welts and bruises as he grinned at Mary, “Don’t worry Mary, I’ll always have your back.” * Mary’s eyes snapped back to normal as all the flames extinguished in unison. Mary looked at Dominic who was still hugging her. His clothes were charred and his skin was badly burnt, but his breath was still heard. He pulled away from her clutching the now broken black crystal, “Told ya I always got your back.” He then collapsed on the ground.