Chapter 19: Darkness Rising
Perry woke up from his slumber with a loud knocking at his door. Getting up he could feel that something was wrong, a feeling within the air itself, but he couldn't really tell what it was. He quickly got dressed and went to answer the continuous knocking. The moment he opened it, Applejack ran inside and shut the door. She was breathing heavily, and looked as if her world was coming apart.
"Applejack, what's wrong?!" Perry asked, concerned for his friend.
"M...my family...I can't find my family!" she started to cling to him. Not sure what to do, he gently patted her shoulder.
"When was the last time you seen them?" Perry asked, looking at the distraught cow girl.
"I..I was opening the stall...and...and then they were missing!" she continued to sob, shaking and trembling into him.
"It is alright, Applejack. I will help you look," Perry said reassuringly. He moved to the door, Applejack following close by. As he opened the door, the sight he witnessed could be seen as nothing short of astounding. The sky was practically dark, the light of Celestia's sun unable to shine through the black clouds. That isn't what surprised Perry so much, though. It was the people running about, some of them screaming, others were yelling or hiding. They were fighting each other in the streets, often getting violent and bloody. Perry didn't know what to think of the spectacle, but it strangely excited him. He held back his feelings to give aid to Applejack, who was running through the crowds to the stand. Perry followed closely, looking around for any signs of sanity, and failing. There was no sign of anything that would be deemed normal, making everything so much stranger. Getting to the stand finally, he spotted Big Mac there, yelling at any all who approached him. "Applejack, I see your brother watching the stand," she looked over there, but continued to sob.
"Perry, don't lie to me! He isn't there! They're all missing! I...I am all alone," she said, shaking and trembling. Perry couldn't help but be thoroughly concerned. This was far from right. Even so, why did he feel like this is meant to be.
"Applejack...I have to go. If I find them, I will send them to you, until then, stay by the stall and don't go anywhere," Perry said, as he made his way to Twilight's. On arrival, he happened across Rainbow Dash, curled in a ball on the ground screaming. "Rainbow, what is wrong with you?" he asked, afraid of what the answer might be.
"My Wings! They are gone!" she screamed, crying loudly. Looking at Rainbow, her wings were fine and where they should be, just curled tightly around her.
"Rainbow, you still..."
"Leave me alone! Just stay away from me!" Rainbow screamed at him, not bothering to hear him out. He left her be, needing to get to the root of the problem. He opened Twilights door, and walked in quickly. Twilight was running about, screaming about not getting a letter. Perry was afraid that he would come across this.
"Princess, please don't expel me!" Twilight wailed at the top of her lungs. "Spike!" she yelled, a tired looking dragon walking into the room. "Hurry and send this one, maybe she will forgive me!" Twilight was practically hysterical. Spike, on the other hand, looked tired and worn. Perry walked up to her and grabbed the letter. "Hey! That's for Princess Celestia."
"I got this one. Let the little guy rest for a second," Perry sent the letter off with the spell. Spike walked up to him, and slouched into his arms.
"Thanks...you have no idea how rough it has been. She has been like this for hours. Celestia keeps sending..." Spike burped out a green flame with a letter. "...these to let her know everything is fine...but...it's like..."
"She can't even see them, Perry said slowly. "Have you seen Zecora today?"
"No I haven't. She must have gone out early this morning, before I was even up. Hope she is alright," Spike said, looking worried.
Perry stood there thinking. "What about you? You seem fine. Have you felt weird today?" he asked.
"Yeah, but for the most part, it hasn't bothered me," Spike said, still in a drowsy state.
"Ok, glad at least one other person is normal. Must be your dragon lineage," Perry said.
"What do you mean?" Spike asked curiously.
"Some dragons have a higher tolerance for magical effects. That's why you're not going insane like everyone else out there. Spike, you need to get everyone else in here where they can be safe. Rainbow won't be hard, since she is curled up into a ball outside, but for everyone else it might be difficult. Avoid anyone else, and remember, your own safety takes priority, so don't try and be a hero. I am going to go get Fluttershy and bring her here, then we can figure out what is going on," Perry said to him.
"What about you? Why are you not crazy like everyone else?" Spike asked, slightly concerned.
Perry grinned towards Spike. "Can't make me any more crazy than I already am," he laughed, Spike hitting his face with his own palm.
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Perry ran as quickly as he could to Fluttershy's, dodging an avoiding everyone else running in the street. Not concerned about how he looked to everyone, he sprinted as his full, unhindered pace, rivaling Rainbow's normal flight speed. Perry was far from not worried. Everyone was acting completely crazy, and Perry couldn't figure out what was going on, or even more so, why he wasn't affected like everyone else. The more Perry thought about it, the more stressed he became. His worries were only increased at the lack of light inside Fluttershy's home as he arrived. He opened the door quickly, not even giving a damn anymore.
"Fluttershy!? Are you here!?" Perry yelled out. There was no response. He searched the house, but she was not there. Perry stopped and took deep breaths. "Ok...remain calm Perry. You hunt down people for a living, so this shouldn't be hard. He looked around the house closely. Starting from Fluttershy's bedroom. "Ok, bed isn't made. She possibly didn't have time to get it done, or she doesn't make it in the morning," Perry continued to look around the room. "Fluttershy did get out of bed like normal, though quickly," walking the path out of her room, Perry walked into the bathroom. "No sign of anything out of the ordinary in here. Continuing into the kitchen," Perry continued to talk himself through the situation to keep himself calm. He moved towards the kitchen, taking a look around. "No residual moisture in the sink, which means that either she cleaned and dried it after use or it wasn't used since last time," Perry's look around the kitchen seemed to have only added in more speculations than facts. He sighed, and looked outside. Perry jumped at what he seen. Simply leaning against a tree near a large field, was a grinning man.
This man wore black body armor, along with matching gauntlets and greaves. Atop his dark black hair was a silver circlet with a red horn design at the front. On his back, a regal cape flowing towards the ground. What Perry truly noticed, however, was those evil eyes. They had a green where they would normally be white, with red pupils, and they were looking at him, almost as if he was inviting Perry. Opening the window, Perry jumped out of it and quickly made his way over to him. He could feel powerful magic surging around him, strengthening the feeling he has felt all day. It was a feeling of fear, strong and vile. Perry managed to fight the effects on him, though, as he needed to get to the bottom of this.
"Who the hell are you?" Perry asked calmly. The man simply smiled and stood there.
"It is quite a nice day, don't you think? Been too long since I have had a physical body to enjoy it with," he stretched himself out and continued to lean against the tree, almost as if he didn't have a care in the world.
"That is great and all, but frankly, I don't give a damn. You're the one responsible for this madness here, am I assuming correctly?" Perry said, maintaining a strong front. The man chuckled, not even looking over at Perry anymore. Perry decided to try and take him out without question, and made a dash at him the moment he turned his gaze. This was stopped suddenly by the man's metal boot colliding with Perry's stomach, sending him flying back into the cottage. The impact made a large dent in the side, Perry falling down onto the ground.
"Oh that was just the most adorable thing I have witnessed in ages. Such bloodlust and rage. This is why you are not so easily affected by my spell," Perry groaned and tried to stand, but fumbled repeatedly, hacking up a storm as the kick and the impact knocked the wind right out of him. "I love the taste of another's fear. Their doubts. They fill me with power, making me strong. I have had to recover, though, as my last encounter with those blasted elements resulted in me nearly being obliterated," Perry, finally standing, started to walk back towards him slowly. "The last of my essence made its way here, the Crystal Empire no longer suitable for me. I was incapable of growing on the nearly non existent fear there. I eventually found the Everfree Forest, apparently an excellent source of fear for this town. I fed, and grew, until finally I was back to my full strength. Oh if I would have had just another day, the Crystal Empire would have surely been mine, but now I will just have to settle with the world," he spoke calmly, almost without a thought that he could be stopped.
"My spell, Worst Nightmare, is doing wonders on the citizens of this town, don't you think? Not only do I get to feed of the never-ending supply of fear, but those blasted girls are too scared to do anything," his grin stopped, though, as he glared at Perry, sending a chill of evil energy his way. "YOU, on the other hand, have proven to be a bit harder to succumb to this spell. Not surprising, really. That is why I had to take initiative against you, to keep you from becoming a very annoying thorn in my side."
He moved from his spot, revealing Fluttershy lying in the ground. She was still, not moving one bit. Perry's eyes widened at the sight of her there. "You...what...have...you...DONE!? Perry yelled, barely able to restrain himself.
"It is actually kind of funny. Poor girl here is so skittish, that her own fears practically incapacitated her. She is still alive, mind you, but she shut herself down to prevent going into shock," he told Perry, though this did anything but make him feel better. His blood was boiling, he wanted to see this man's entrails smeared across the landscape, but he was also afraid for her safety if he tried to attack. His two warring sides drew in a laugh from the enemy. "You will not be able to hold out much longer, I can feel the fear starting to make its way into your heart," Perry was right, he was afraid. Afraid of losing what he had come to treasure most in life. He wanted to attack, to unleash an unholy terror on him, but on the other hand, Perry didn't want to hurt Fluttershy or cause him to hurt her.
"...What do you want from me?" Perry said slowly, staring at the man.
"In all reality, it isn't what I want, it's what you want. You want to be able to indulge in that glorious bloodlust that you so try to hide behind that of a gentlemanly appearance. I want you to be my dark knight, serving besides me, and in return, she will be safe for you to do as you please with her. It is everything you would want, and you wouldn't have to worry about the social implications of your actions, no one would stand between you and your whims. Within days, the Worst Nightmare will spread all across Equestria, causing more people to give in to fear, and causing my power to grow to continue to spread the effect. It is a glorious cycle, and it would be a shame for my next of kin to not bask in it with me," he said, laughing. Perry looked at him, confused and surprised at his comment.
"Next...of kin?" Perry asked, not really sure how to respond.
"The Sombra blood flows through your veins as well as it did your father and his father before. That damned Celestia cursed our blood ages ago to prevent the spread of the evil seeds within us. I managed to counteract the spell before hand, but unfortunately it wasn't completely capable of preventing the curse, as some of it still managed to effect me. As such, only one child may be born from any one descendant, and it will always be a boy. You are the current son of Sombra, heir to the dark legacy that I offer. I only want to spread the rule of our family to all, and want you by my side, my grandchild."
Perry stood there in shock, everything was all becoming clear. He thought back to his past, his father training him to be lethal and deadly. Always saying we have privileges over the others of this world, given to us by divine creed. Perry understood the reason for his fathers last words before he killed him. 'Your potential has fully bloomed. Now go, my son. Show the world our strife and anger, and let it be known that you are destined for greatness.' Perry dropped to his knees, screaming and shouting incoherently. Everything was true. He could feel it. There was no mistaking that he was destined to rule along side his ancestor and become the agent of death he was always meant to be. He went quiet.
"You are right, grandfather..." Perry spoke after a few seconds. He got up and walked towards him, chuckling happily. "I am sorry for the way I acted towards you."
"I am glad you can see it my way. You will make a wonderful king, Pierrot," Sombra said to Perry. Perry grinned happily, looking up at his great grandfather. Sombra was about to pat his shoulder, when something stopped him. Perry threw his fist as hard as he could into the face of the tyrant, sending him flying across the field before him. Perry picked up Fluttershy and carried her to her house. Setting her down, he turned towards the angered king, walking quickly back towards Perry. Perry did the same, chuckling under his mask.
"Your face is priceless, gramps," Perry said as they approached. "You honestly thought I would want to join you. We may have the same blood, but we are nothing alike."
"You little whelp! Don't think you have won because you got a cheap punch on me," they stopped feet apart from each other. "You could have it all, fame, power, anything your heart desires. Why give it all up so easily?" Sombra asked.
"You really have no idea, huh? It is simple really, there is only one thing I want anymore. I want to see that woman over there happy, and though what you say is appealing as all hell, and even I am calling myself crazy for it, it would be a world where she would be miserable and unhappy. I can not except that."
"So this is where my lineage has led to. No worries, once I kill that damned Princess, the curse will die with her, and then I will have the heir that I deserve," Sombra said, unhooking his cape and tossing it to the side. "In the meantime, I should discipline you for being insolent."
"Discipline me? That is cute, but I have to apologize. You're the one who needs a lesson in love and tolerance towards others, and I will gladly be the one to beat it into you with a smile on my face."
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"This is as far as I can go, Captain," the voice came from an old carriage driver, as he stopped in front of a giant glowing field. His old looking wooden cart's doors opened up to reveal a man, wearing golden armor which covered almost his entire body. His sharp blue eyes, matching his long blue hair, looked into the distance to see Ponyville, the darkness looming above it from the evil magic.
"Thank you for your help, sir. You are a brave man for willing to go out this way, and I do commend you," he looked inside the cabin of the carriage. "All right, let's move out. Make sure you're wearing those amulets the princesses gave you," he backed away, as two men stepped out of the carriage.
The first man wore a simple pale blue robe, going all the way down to the ground. His head was clean shaven, making his emerald eyes the only thing bright. "Your concern is appreciated, young Shining Armor, but need not worry. I have made sure to don thy protective relic."
"Seriously, why can't you talk like a normal person? It is always 'hither ye lad, I am old!'" The second man grinned as he spoke.
He wore a nice black suit, topped with a fedora of the matching color. He tipped up the hat to look over everything with his piercing brown eyes. His long brown hair matching them made its way halfway down his back, almost twice as long as Shining's.
"Seriously, Catacomb? That form again?" Shining said to the hatted man.
"What? Ladies love the look. Or would you prefer something more towards your liking. I can do your wife if you want?" he said, chuckling. Shining glared at him, knowing fully of the real meaning behind his words.
"Young changeling, your words need to be selected more carefully. It sounds as if you made implications that you are willing to engage in intercourse with Shining Armor's significant other," the bald man said, stating what seemed to be an obvious fact.
"Don't bother, Reader. Once an ass, always an ass," Shining told the bald man.
"And that ass, oh man!" Catacomb said, nudging Shining Armor with his elbow. "I can only imagine what it's like to come home and tap that. Should invite me one of these days. Man, woman or something in between if you are feeling freaky."
"I am going to forget that I heard that, because you are more useful alive than dead," Shining Armor said to Catacomb.
"Young one's, as amusing as your usual banter is, I do believe we should make haste to town," Reader said to the others. "The masked one is going to need assistance with thy enemy, and all of Equestria's fate hangs in the delicate balance of us succeeding on this perilous mission."
"You're right," Shining said. "Lets go, Catacomb," they all started walking, moving into and past the barrier, the amulets shining slightly, letting the wearers know they are working.
"You guys want to hear my new theme song?" Catacomb asked.
"Do not bother, young changeling. It is dull, you lack proper rhythm, and your rhyming is terribly off. Generally why talented musicians generally avoid using the word orange," Reader criticized before he even began.
"Seriously, I told you to stop that mind invasion stuff! It creeps me out," Catacomb said, his energy having somewhat vanished. "Why won't you do that when I ask you to?"
"Because," Shining Armor started to speak, "picking up women in bars is a terrible misuse of such a powerful ability."
"Hey, don't be like that. A guy's gotta eat!" he said casually.
"We should most definitely make haste, fellows. The mental state of the town is in complete disarray, and heavens knows what could happen," Reader said to the others.
"Don't worry," Shining Armor said, holding out a small box he had been carrying," these were designed for situations such as this. I can only hope that Perry is fairing well without proper protection."
"Don't worry about that guy. He is tougher than a rock. Crazier too, though compared to a rock I guess that ain't saying much. Supposed to make you go nuts, though. Knowing that, he's fine. Doubt he could be any less sane if he wanted to be," Catacomb chuckled.
"I just hope so, Cata," Shining replied. They walked in silence for several minutes, getting closer to the distraught town. The quiet in the air and the way the wind blow giving the three men a stoic appearance.
"GO GO GO TEST GO!" Catacomb sang, breaking the silence. Shining armor rubbed his temples, grunting slightly
"...Let's just go..."