The Tales of Prince Onyx

by Stanislas

29-Cadance to the Rescue! (edited)

The Emperor of the Gryphon Empire was sitting on his throne, watching his two new prisoners being whipped. Since Onyx escaped from him, he had done everything in his power to find those who had helped him in his escape. After 2 years of searching he, unfortunately, still couldn’t find out who destroyed the dungeon and killed his torturer. However, he did discover those who helped Onyx escape the border checkpoint and finally, he has his claws on them.

There was three of them in the beginning; a spy, the spy’s apprentice, and an inventor. First, he slowly and painfully killed the pegasus inventor in front of the two other, to demonstrate that he would get the answer he wanted at any cost. Then during the first week, he took the prisoners and placed them in a cage in the central palace, where every gryphon in his army would throw rocks and insult them; he even encouraged the city’s population to help torture his two prisoners.

The screams of pain from the two ponies were like a soft, symphonic music to his ears, and fortunately for him, his new torturer was even better than the last one. The Emperor’s objective was to extract some secrets the spy knew about the other nations, and what the better way to make him talk than by torturing his student in front of him. By now, both of the spies had endured everything that the Emperor had thrown at them ... he would kill the earth pony if Raynor didn’t talk. Recently, he developed a new way to torture prisoners; he would use it today.

“I’ll give you one last chance, Raynor; tell me everything you know about the other members of the Council or your little student will die by my claw.”

Vallis, the earth pony tied to a chair and whipped across the chest since this morning, mustered up all of his strength to tell Raynor, “No ... don’t ... tell him... We both … know what will happen ... if we talk.”

To the Emperor’s joy, Raynor remained mute; with a smile on his face, he reached for a cage behind his throne and the torturer brought a bucket to the Emperor. The Emperor opened the cage and took out a rat, threw it in the bucket, and had it tied face down on Vallis’ chest.

“This is your last chance Raynor...”

Raynor was crying in silence because he knew what was about to happen to his friend and student. But if he talked, Canterlot … no … Equestria would be lost, and if sacrificing Vallis’ life could save the lives of thousands of ponies then … he would do it.

“Nothing? Well, ok then; torturer, bring me one of the torches from the wall. I think is time we … heated things up.”

The Emperor, who was now holding the lit torch, put it at the extremity of the bucket; Vallis felt and heard the rat inside scurrying around to find and exit to his jail. He knew that if the Emperor continued to burn the bucket, the rat would dig through his chest, creating a fatal tunnel into him.

Raynor could only watch in horror as his friend was slowly killed in this painful way; he could hear skin being torn apart by the little claws of the rat. The screams of pain from his friend would haunt Raynor until his death. The Emperor laughed at Vallis’ screaming and crying.

“Come on Raynor, don’t tell me you will sit here and watch this poor colt being killed like this. Listen if you tell me what I want, I will take your friend to the hospital and then set both of you free.”

Raynor watched as his friend was dying; his heart was torn between his duty and his friend.

“I … I’m sorry, Vallis...”

Chrysalis was in her throne room, waiting for one of her spies to return from a recent mission in Canterlot. Unfortunately, her kingdom’s food supplies were starting to run low, and the only viable way to save her kingdom from starvation was to conquer the capital of Equestria. With it, they’d be able to gather enough love to feed her hive for the next two centuries if her plan worked. As a bonus, she had always wanted to control Equestria. These ponies banished her hive to the Badlands over a thousand years ago, during her grandmother’s reign, and would finally take her revenge. In order to take a large city like Canterlot, she would need to take her time to make sure that this plan was going to be perfect. Her spies have already found a way inside the castle, now she just needed to find which pony would be best to kidnap and take his or her place to attack Canterlot from within. However, there was one thing that she feared, it was that prince called Onyx. Not only was he is a creature totally unknown to her, but he knew who she was; he might recognize her. Dealing with him was going to be … complicated. He saved a member of her hive, for which she would always be grateful. She wasn’t just the hive’s queen; she was their mother, and each and every changeling her child. Regardless, she would get rid of him if he stood between her and feeding her children.

Finally, her spy entered her throne room.

“My Queen, I’m here with the report. Unfortunately the target did not take the potion, but I have discovered two interesting things. First, the prince will be leaving Canterlot tomorrow to a small village called Ponyville. Second, I have discovered a potential target for you, an alicorn named Cadance; she’s getting married this summer.”

“This summer... Well, it gives us plenty time to prepare for the invasion. A pair of newlyweds … they’re always so full of love. Mmm. Prepare me a ration of the royal jelly; I will go by myself to meet the prince in this small village. I hope for his sake that he makes the right choice.”

Onyx was reading requests for pay raises by the royal guards. Apparently, the night guards wearing magic armor that makes you look like a bat and working night hours were reasons for better pay than the solar guard. On another scroll, the solar guard requested same thing; carrying a princess that weighed more than 4 earth ponies was not written in their contract.

“Hmph … Mom really should cut back on the pancakes. Maybe Luna could convince her to eat less...” Onyx thought, before he signing the two scrolls. Sipping his glass of wine, he opened the next scroll when he was interrupted by Cadance entering the throne room.

“Shouldn’t you be asleep with Shining?” asked Onyx.

“And shouldn’t you be wearing that crown and cape?” answered Cadance.

“Fine... Want some wine?” asked Onyx, pouring a glass for his cousin; she gladly accepted and took a seat next to him.

“I heard from Shining that you’re meeting Twilight tomorrow; is that true?” Cadance asked, sipping her wine.

“Well, yes, but I don’t think I’ll be able to go there. I received a letter this morning ... I mean at the start of the night; apparently Mother and Luna have decide to remain on vacation for a few more days so I’m stuck here...” Onyx said, pouring another glass of wine.

After a few moments of silence Cadance asked, “Do you love her?” The question took Onyx by surprise.

“Love who? Who in the hay are you talking about?”

“Don’t act like you don’t know; I’m talking about Twilight.”

Onyx put the scroll back on the desk and poured yet another cup of wine. He downed it slowly before he answered Cadance.

“I don’t know, Cadance... She’s more than a best friend to me; it’s like she’s a part of my family, and then you saw what happened after the night of my eighteenth birthday...”

“Well, I’m not surprised. I would’ve reacted like that too if you two had done it in my bed.” Cadance smirked.

“No, I wasn’t talking about mom. You saw how Twilight was crying that day ... I could never forgive myself for breaking her heart ... and just look at me ... I’m not even a pony.”

“I’m pretty sure she ignores the fact that you don’t look like us.”

“Right, but what if she wants to have a family; she couldn’t have a colt or filly with me. We could always adopt, but it just wouldn’t be the same...”

“Listen to me, Onyx. Twilight has always loved you, and don’t you dare say that I’m wrong; I’m the Princess of Love for Faust’s sake. I’m sure that if your life were a story, every reader would want you two to be together. And how dare you say that adopting a foal is not like having your own baby, Celestia adopted you and you know she would’ve never thought of throwing you away for a foal of her own; she wouldn’t have it any other way. Now you will return to your bed, sleep the rest of the night, and tomorrow morning you will go to Ponyville to meet Twilight. I will replace you in tonight’s night court, now go, or I’ll place a love spell between you and my brother.”

Onyx kept quiet ... thinking about what Cadance had said; he hugged her before doing as she had asked. The night would be short; a good thing because tomorrow he would tell Twilight how he felt about her.