//------------------------------// // Taken // Story: Sword, Shield, and Scabbard // by Shadowslash101 //------------------------------// Chapter 7 Taken Meanwhile, Roadburn dashed through the forest with his great speed. The wind and rain hitting against him made it a little harder to focus, but he had made it to the shack. “Oh, no!” He shouted in dismay as the wind was steadily tearing and ripping apart his home. He dashed into the shack to search for Granny Cookie, but nopony was inside. “Granny!” He shouted for her as he looked outside. “Granny!” “Roadburn!” A voice shouted out to him from deep into the forest below the cliff. He quickly dashed over to the edge and he spotted the old mare below. She was looking around like a panicked squirrel looking for food. “Roadburn, where are you?” “Hold on, Granny!” Roadburn told her. “I’m coming for you! Just…stay there!” He dashed around the cliff to the ground below and Granny Cookie ran over to hug him for comfort. “Oh, goodness!” She exclaimed in shock when the thunder struck more violently than before. “What’s happening, Roadburn?” “I don’t know,” Roadburn told her, “But we need to leave to the Crystal Empire! C’mon!” He took her by the hoof and led her through the forest, but a tremor shook the ground under their hooves. “What’s going on?” A pillar of stone shot out of the ground before them, and the trees attached their branches into the stone. They pulled their roots out of the ground, and acting like arms, they pushed the boulder up from the ground and two pillars stick out from under, acting like legs. The boulder opened up like a mouth and crystalline teeth could be seen inside. “What is that thing?” Roadburn exclaimed in fear. It roared and charged at them. The Blue Unicorn scooped Granny Cookie onto his back and he dashed away from the gigantic creature. He stopped and watched as the creature continued his charge and crashed into the cliff side. The recoil of the crash forced it back and rocks fell upon it, but it wasn’t enough to bury it. Roadburn stood Granny Cookie up. “Run.” He told her. “Run now!” She nodded and ran as fast as she could to escape. The creature turned around to Roadburn. “The Fourth Chain.” The creature grumbled. Roadburn looked at it confused. “The what?” The creature pointed a root at him. “You.” Roadburn looked at the creature oddly, but he bolted to the creature’s left and bucked its arm. The wooden appendage broke into the shambles, but it regrew the next second. “What?” He stepped back in shock. “Try again!” The monster punched Roadburn, sending him flying into a tree, which its branches hocked around and trapped him in place. “H-hey! No fair!” He shouted at the rock monster and struggled to free himself from the grasp of the tree. The monster charged past Roadburn. He was after Granny! “No! Leave her alone!” He struggled for freedom from the tree again, but it was too late. The creature had captured Granny Cookie and escaped with her screaming in fear. “Granny Cookie!” Roadburn shouted in dismay. “No-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o!” Meanwhile, Fido charged his way through Ponyville, over the train rails and straight into Canterlot with Eli, Rarity, and Spot riding him. He skidded onto the streets to a halt. The three climbed off of the Diamond Dog. “We’re too late.” Rarity told them as the thunder exploded and harsh wind blew past them. Discord flew—or was rather flung—out of Canterlot Castle and landed onto the streets, making a long trench behind him. He eventually stopped before the Diamond Dogs, Rarity and Eli, and pushed himself up slowly. “Oh, my aching head.” Discord tried to rub off the agony. He popped the top of his head off and pulled out his own brain. He rattled it like a baby rattle and popped it back in. “Much better.” He noticed the group staring at him, and Rarity almost hurling on the ground--that was so disgusting. “Oh, here’s one.” He stood up and snapped his fingers and Eli disappeared and reappeared beside him. “Eli!” Rarity gasped in shock. The draconequus loomed over Eli. “So tell me, where are your friends?” Eli looked at him strangely. “Over there…” Eli gestured to his friends still staring at Discord oddly. Before Discord could roll his eyes, a loud ear-piercing sound shot through the air. Discord quickly covered his ears as did everypony else. “What’s that sound?” Eli shouted as he stumbled to Rarity. “Let’s get out of here!” Before they had the chance to climb onto Fido, Magi landed before Discord, and blasted Discord with another wave of magic. Discord flew back and crashed into a building. Magi took this moment to do what he could. He turned around and tossed the shield to Eli, and it slid to the Earth Pony’s hooves. Eli and Rarity looked at it confused. “Take it and fulfill what you came here for!” Magi told him. “I’ll hold him off! You must escape before he comes!” “Who?” Eli asked the strange Unicorn, “And what are you talking about? I only woke up in some Diamond Dog mine three days ago.” Groaning could be heard from the building and Discord slowly crawled out of the hole he made. He rubbed the ach on his head. “We should go.” Rarity pulled Eli back to Fido after he grabbed the shield and loaded it onto his back. “What about him?” Eli gestured to Magi. “Magi is immortal! He can take of himself!” Rarity assured Eli as she climbed onto the dog’s back with Spot. “C’mon!” “You are failing!” A roar-like shout boomed with thunder, before Eli climbed up. “I-I…I’m sorry, Master!” Discord apologized to the monstrous voice. “Magi’s skill has enhanced since before!” “Fool! Are you not the Titan of Illogic? I will deal with him!” The thundercloud, now directly above them, began to swirl around, stirring the wind even more violently. A funnel swirled and stretched down between Magi and Discord. The wind was so powerful that it almost pulled in everypony. It disappeared and a black cloak stood hovering above the ground. A dark mist floated out from under the cloak. Slowly, it turned to face Magi, and Eli could only see two blood-red eyes in hood of the cloak. “My scepter,” The deity pulled out his arm to Magi, “Give to me what is mine.” “You are not worthy of this scepter anymore!” Magi scoffed. “You will not rule this realm!” “Very well.” Black fabric lashed out and coiled around Magi, taking him by surprise, and he disappeared in a puff of black smoke. The scepter flew back to the entity’s hand, and it flashed with a bright light. The ground began to quake and tremble beneath everypony. “Eli! Get on here!” Rarity shouted at him. Eli quickly turned around and climbed onto Fido’s back and the Diamond Dog bolted off. “I am Kronos,” The entity raised his scepter, and it changed form. It wasn’t a dull iron rod with an Ice Diamond anymore; instead the Ice Diamond grew out three small iron rods that stuck out to make it look like a cross. The upper body of the rod thickened, and the bottom spiked out. “Emperor of all life, and death,” Kronos shouted, and lightning lashed out from his scepter into the thundercloud. Mount Canterlot began to shift and move. Kronos was tearing out the city. A fissure opened under Fido, and they fell in. Luckily for them, Fido had grabbed the edge of the fissure. The shield fell from Eli’s back, but he caught it before it fell below. To his surprise, the shield latched onto his arm. “What the?” Eli responded with an odd look. Groaning and grunting, Fido pulled them back onto the surface, and the quake grew even more violent. Canterlot was breaking apart and the castle was beginning to take to the skies. “Run!” Spot shouted at Fido and he charged off, forcing Spot, Rarity and Eli to hold on for dear life. The laughter of pure evil echoed through the night as Mount Canterlot spiked up into the air; its vegetation falling apart and dying to the foot of it. Rarity looked back in awe as the mountain began to reform into a new castle above its summit. “Canterlot…” She whispered sadly as they escaped the collapse of the grand city. Meanwhile, Roadburn hung limply from the branches of the tree that still hugged around him tight. He did nothing, but breathing and hanging above the ground. The tree still hung to what was left of the mountain, on its side. All he could think about was that he would never see Granny Cookie again. Moments passed like hours, as he thought to himself silently of what tortures that creature could do to her. He was unsure of her safety. He floated away from the ground below, far, far away from it. The tree hung from was at the very edge of Kronos’ castle island. A rustle in the tree’s leaves still couldn’t grab his attention. A blond, curly mane slowly peeped out from the leaves and a white face followed with purplish eyes and a broad smile. It was Surprise! She somehow followed Roadburn here. “Psst.” She giggled. “Psst. Surprise!” She shouted as she flew out from the tree, but Roadburn didn’t look at her. He kept looking down in distraught. She poked him to grab the unicorn’s attention. “Roadburn.” She said. “Roadburn. Wake up, Silly Billy!” Roadburn looked up to her like he had awoken from a dream. “Huh?” He blinked. “Surprise?” “Surprise!” She shouted and rain came pouring down on both of them. “Heh, heh,” She smiled uncomfortably, “Need a hoof?” Roadburn looked down toward the ground below him. The steep side of the mountain was so vertical that it made him feel like he was a hanging wall picture. “Uh…Sure, Surprise…” Roadburn accepted her offer. The Pegasus pulled the branches away from Roadburn, and caught him before he plummeted below. “Whoa!” Roadburn exclaimed a little nervous. “Not used to heights?” Surprise asked him as they flew down below. “Not afraid of heights, afraid of falling from those heights.” The Blue Unicorn reasoned as they landed below. “Thanks anyways.” “Sure!” The White Pegasus nodded. “I’ve been tasked to make sure that you’re safe-and-sound!” “By who?” Roadburn raised an eyebrow of curiosity. “Uh…” Surprise’s look changed to thought. “I’m not supposed to say.” She smiled awkwardly. Roadburn just silently turned around and walked away, and Surprise followed him. “So where are we going now?” “I’m going to save my granny,” Roadburn answered her, “And what’s this ‘we’ stuff you’re talking about? You’re not my bodyguard.” “Yes, I am!” Surprise giggled. “I’m supposed to protect you.” “Why?” He asked her. “You’re a very special pony, Roadburn.” Surprise told him. “What do you mean?” “You’ll see soon enough.” Surprise giggled again as they continued through the dead forestry and rain. Meanwhile, “Ugh…” Helpful moaned half-asleep. “I don’t feel so good.” Helpful opened his eyes, and he was confused. He was chained to a red stone pillar with a skull on the top, and before him was a wall. The sky was completely covered in red and black smoke. He looked to his right and lava geysers were blasting molten rock into the air far off from him fortunately. He looked over to his left to see a cave in the shape of a monster attempting to swallow him whole. Helpful also learned that his location was in some canyon. “What is this place?” He asked himself. He could he moaning behind him. Alarmed, Helpful tried to look behind the pillar to see who or what was moaning, but its width was the size of the columns at Canterlot Castle, hindering his sight. The moaning came again. “What’s that? Who’s there?” He said as he began to struggle for freedom of his chains. “Good lord.” The moaning voice finally spoke. “I’m starving.” “Boltage?” Helpful recognized the voice. “Are you trapped too?” Boltage notices everything different around him. “If you mean tied to a pillar by chains and stuck having to stare at a wall, then yeah.” The Pegasus answered. Helpful raised an eyebrow. “You’re staring at a wall too?” “Yeah, what are you looking at?” “Uh…a…wall,” Helpful replied and shook his head. “We should get out of here.” He struggled to free himself again. “Hey, Prince,” Boltage grabbed his attention. “Why don’t you use your ‘Super Strength’ to break us free?” “Oh right.” Helpful remembered, “How silly of me.” He focused his power and tried to break free once more, however Helpful’s wings wouldn’t shine. Boltage was just hanging around for Helpful to break them loose. “Is there something wrong?” Boltage asked. “I don’t get it.” Helpful stopped. “My power is useless…” “Maybe you’re not trying hard enough. Try again.” Helpful strained himself to break the chains, but they wouldn’t even crack. “My powers are gone!” Helpful moaned. “How can this be?” “Lemme take a whack at it.” Boltage insisted. He started charging up power. “No, no, no, no, no!” The Tan Pegasus begged. He didn’t want to get shocked, chained to a pillar and to his fortune, the electricity in Boltage faltered. “Hey, what gives?” Boltage demanded, surprised by the absence of his power. “You too, ‘eh?” Helpful chuckled. “What’s so funny?” “Oh, nothing really. It’s just the fact that we don’t know where we are and we have no power to help us free ourselves from this prison.” Helpful explained. “It’s exciting, really.” Bolt sighed. “Well, we better get out of here soon.” He felt a drop of sweat travel down his face. “It’s hot here.” After long moment of waiting and trying several attempts for freedom, Helpful and Boltage hear a mare’s laughter from the cave near them. “What’s that sound?” Bolt turned his fearful gaze toward the cave. “It’s laughter,” Helpful answered, “Of pony origin.” “When did you start talking like that?” Boltage raised an eyebrow. The laughter came closer and louder until a figure appeared in the cavern. It was indeed a pony, female, but she wasn’t alone. A griffin seemed to be with her. “You’ve got to stop laughing like that, Trixie.” The griffin’s voice interrupted Trixie’s laughter. “But Trixie was just appreciating the funny joke that you told her some time ago.” Trixie answered her as they came closer. Boltage and he would exchange odd looks if the pillar wasn’t in the way. The figure became much clearer once they exited the cave. The griffin was brown coated and her bird head was white feathered. Her eyes were yellow. Trixie had a lightly colored blue coat and her mane was a cyan color. Her eyes were violet and her Cutie Mark was a wand beside a blue crescent moon. “Besides, Gilda, Trixie isn’t familiar with everything you griffins mean.” Gilda only sighed. “Trixie, you really need some coolness lessons.” “What?” Trixie looked at her baffled. “Trixie cannot believe what she is hearing! Isn’t she amazing just the way she is?” “Amazing? No. Annoying? Yes.” Gilda replied. Boltage whistled to grab their attention. “Hate to interrupt your witty banter, but, in case you haven’t noticed, we’re stuck, and we kinda need some help.” “And who are you?” Gilda asked him. “You hear that, Helpful?” Boltage laughed. “They’re asking who we are!” Helpful didn’t laugh with Boltage. “He’s Boltage and I’m Prince Joyful, but you can call me Helpful.” Helpful answered her. Bolt’s laughter died down. “We really do need help Miss, uh…” “I am the Great and Powerful Trixie!” Trixie shouted with her hooves in the air, “And this is Trixie’s fri—” “Acquaintance.” Gilda interrupted. Trixie sighed. “Acquaintance, Gilda.” “Sup?” Gilda greeted them, crossing her arms and looking away, like she had swaggered. “Stuck chained to a pillar,” Helpful answered, “Other than that fine.” “How did you get stuck on there anyway?” Trixie asked him. “We woke up this way.” Helpful answered, slightly embarrassed. “Do you live here, or?” “No, we woke up here too, like you have.” Gilda answered him harshly. “How’d you escape?” Helpful wanted to know. “Like this.” Gilda walked over to the other side of the pillar and all Boltage and Helpful could hear was the sounds of clicking, like something was being picked at. Before they knew it, the chains fell down and they were free. “Whoohoo!” Bolt celebrated. “I’m free again!” Helpful walked around to see Gilda and to his surprise, she tossed a padlock to him and he caught it. “Nice reflexes, junior.” She complimented him. “Uh, thanks.” Helpful raised an eyebrow as Trixie walked around to them both. “How’d you unlock that?” “My dad was a locksmith, and he taught me everything I know.” Gilda braggingly smirked. “So what was with your friend?” She gestured to Boltage, who was rolling on the ground; nothing unusual. “He was laughing all weird earlier when I asked who he was.” Bolt stood back up. “I’mma try to fly up and get a better view of our surroundings.” He jumped, but instead, he couldn’t go airborne. He hit the ground, as if his flapping wouldn’t work. “What the?” He exclaimed in surprise. “I can’t fly?” “Well, I can’t either.” Gilda nodded as Boltage stood back up. “Hm. It might be a magic seal.” Helpful thought aloud. “Well, the Great and Powerful Trixie can help with that.” Trixie gestured for Boltage to come to her, and concentrated. Her horn wouldn’t create the aura like they expected. “Oh, come on!” She growled as she tried her magic again, but nothing happened. “Something wrong?” Helpful asked her, concerned. “Trixie can’t use her magic!” She exclaimed in horror. “Heh. I knew Trix were for kids.” Bolt joked. “Ha! Nice one.” Gilda brohoofed him, and Helpful gave them both a stern look. “What?” They both shrugged. “We should leave this place.” Helpful reasoned with them. “No need to concern ourselves with magic seal breaking. We need to leave.” “Well, Trixie suggests--!” A horrendous roar rumbled from the lava geysers. Everypony turned around to see the geysers blast magma in the air and as they hit the ground, they began to buildup and form into a body. It all soon hardened into a humongous giant made of hardened lava. His shape was a sphere with arms and legs, and there was no head, but that’s what scared them the most. The head was the body! The craggy eyes of the Lava Titan opened with the red molten rock flowing out and traveling down his stone face, like tears. It took a few steps toward them and everypony was too scared to even think about running. It was truly horrifying. It took a deep breath through its open nostrils and launched lava straight toward them all through his humongous mouth that stretched across his face. Helpful immediately pushed Trixie ahead of him. “Run!” He hollered to break the others from their trances. Gilda and Boltage both ran out from the lava’s path and they bolted away from the giant with Helpful. The Lava Titan gave chase, launching lava at his fleeing prey. “What is that thing!?” Trixie exclaimed in fear as a patch of lava narrowly misses them. “That’s a Lava Titan!” Helpful told her. “An ancient creature known to only thrive in…” It all hit Helpful like that piano from last week. “Oh! Star Symbols save us!” He shouted as they ran through the cavern, losing the Lava Titan and escaping out to another canyon with another pillar similar to the one Helpful and Boltage was freed from. “What is this place?” Boltage asked again. “The Underworld!” Helpful answered him. “We must’ve been sent to the Underworld!” “You mean the place of afterlife?” Trixie exclaimed in shock, “But Trixie was captured and left here! Trixie didn’t die!” “Well, neither did us, Trixie!” Boltage shouted toward her, a little rude. “There should be an exit in here!” “The Underworld has one exit, but it’s guarded by Cerberus.” Helpful replied. “And we can’t get past him like this.” “Yeah.” Bolt nodded. “We’ll be mincemeat.” “So we’re stuck here, junior?” Gilda asked Helpful. “Seems that way.” Helpful sighed sadly. He was already thinking of Fluttershy, and how she wouldn’t be able to know this. He was unaware that the Elements of Harmony died because of his absence in the world of the living. “We should find a safer place. I’ve been told that the Underworld not only has heat like this, but it also has a colder environment. If we can find a safe place between them, we should be fine.” Everypony nodded with him, and they followed the pathway, away from the Lava Titan. Meanwhile, in the ruins of Mount Canterlot, Kronos sat in his new throne of his castle. Behind him was a giant, blazing fire. The room was huge. The floor before the Titan Lord was smoothened out, and the entire chamber was sealed off from any light outside. The only entrance’s double doors were blank and bare. Scorch stood on Kronos’ right and Discord stood on his left. The doors opened and a titan of earth and forest entered, and in its right root hand was Granny Cookie, fainted for her tragic experience. The Earth Golem stomped its way up to Kronos and then it bowed to him. “My Liege.” It grumbled. “Why are you here?” Kronos asked him. “I have brought to you this pony,” It pulled Granny Cookie up for Kronos to see, “I sensed you near me, and I awoke. You wanted this pony.” “Hm…” Kronos took a moment of thought. “You fool!” Scorch growled at him. “Our Emperor has no time for these vermin! Leave and dispose of that pony immediately!” “Silence!” Kronos ordered the Ifrit. “Earth Golem, what you say is true. I wanted her for she knew a secret that this world doesn’t. Take her to the dungeon and when she awakens, bring her to me.” “Yes, master.” The Earth Golem turned around to perform his order. Kronos turned his gaze to Discord. “I have a job for you, Discord.” Kronos told him. “Oh, goody!” Discord clapped his claws in excitement. “What am I doing this time?” “You will go to the Crystal Empire and find me two Alicorns.” Kronos told him. “Which are?” Discord raised an eyebrow, confused. “Bring me Nightmare Moon and Envious.” Kronos explained. “Then eviscerate the Empire! Leave nothing left!” Discord saluted to the Titan Lord. “Yes, sir!” He snapped his eagle claw and disappeared. Kronos turned his gaze to Scorch. “You will depart for Raziel’s Castle.” Kronos ordered. “Find the Scabbard, and the whereabouts of the Chains of Existence. Oh, and see if you can exterminate our ‘nuisance.’ The one they now call ‘Eli.” Scorch bowed to his master. “Yes, Your Highness.” Scorch bowed and left his lord.