//------------------------------//
// Chapter 9: The Return of the King 
// Story: Subject #7 
// by StarryDay 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 9
The Return of the King
June 12, A.C. 1014


Theseus peered over the steep mountainside. He let out a loud gulp. It seemed to be much higher than the last time.
"Um...maybe you guys should go get the guards." he suggested, getting an angry glare from Dash.
"And how, do you suppose we get them to listen to us?" she asked. Theseus gulped again.
"I can levitate you down," Twilight suggested, "if you can't get down on your own." Theseus shook his head.
"No, thanks. But we still need to get down somehow."
"I guess we just go," Twilight said. Theseus shrugged, gulped again, then jumped off the cliff, screaming all the way.
"Aaaaahhhh!!"
"I didn't mean jump!" Twilight yelled, catching him with her magic before he hit a boulder.
"How was I supposed to know that!?" Twilight rolled her eyes. Fluttershy quickly floated down to Theseus with an angry frown.
"Why would you do something like that!?" she yelled, making Theseus step back in surprise.
"Uh, I don't know." He sounded like a foal that had just got caught stealing cookies. "I guess I just did it." Fluttershy hugged him tightly, earning a look from Twilight and Rainbow. She quickly pulled away, blushing deeply.
"Listen," she said, "it's clear of debris from here to the ground...we can just climb down the rest of the way." Rainbow floated above them as they made their way down the mountain. When they entered the city, all the citizens turned to see the new arrivals. They stared at Theseus and his company of friends, judging all the way. After a walk, they arrived at the castle. Fire Wind was there waiting for them. He called out to Theseus and saluted.
"Your Majesty!" Rainbow turned to Theseus with a slightly questioning and slightly frightened expression.
"Your... Majesty?" she asked with a nervous gulp. Theseus nodded.
"At ease, Fire Wind. I'm looking for Zane." Fire Wind shifted his gaze a tad, making Theseus feel uneasy. "Fire Wind? What happened?" The stallion cleared his throat.
"Crystal Lake was furious when you left. We couldn't help Zane. He's not dead, but I think that would be a better fate." Fire Wind did not elaborate further. He caught sight of Twilight's wings and bowed. "You must be Princess Twilight Sparkle. We will make it as nice as possible for you here." Twilight rolled her eyes. He turned to enter the castle, then looked back at Twilight and Rainbow with a smile. "Razor and I will have a royal guest suite reserved for you two."
Fire Wind led the four ponies into the Great Hall, where Crystal Lake was sitting comfortably in his throne, using Zane's back as a hoofrest and reading a book that levitated in front of him. He looked up at their approach. Rainbow Dash stifled a laugh at the humiliated zebra.
"Theseus! How nice to have you back!" Zane strained underneath Crystal Lake's forceful hooves, only to be shocked by a magic beam from the his horn. The zebra was covered in bruises and scratches, looking much worse for wear. Several spots on his coat were covered in dried blood.
"Let him go, Crystal!" Theseus shouted. The unicorn laughed derisively.
"Really? Well, in case you have never had servants, this is what they do." He zapped Zane with another beam, causing him to call out in pain and lift his back higher. "Much better. Zebras are a lower life form; they don't deserve any special treatment, anyway." The fillies all gasped in disbelief.
"How dare you!?" shouted Twilight, stepping forward. "You would actually judge somepony's worth based simply on the color of their coat? I can guarantee that that zebra is ten times the pony you'll ever be!" He removed his hooves from Zane's back and placed them on the floor, earning a quiet sigh of relief from the zebra. He immediately tensed, waiting for another zap, but Crystal apparently let it slide. He stood up straight and confident, making Twilight back away slightly.
"You are one to talk. Is it not true that you once thought equally ill of your own zebra companion? Called her an 'evil enchantress?' Believed that she could cast curses?"
"Wha-How did you know that?" Twilight was suddenly much more uncertain of herself.
"I have sources," the evil unicorn replied simply.
"Zane is a Royal Guard," Theseus said. "He deserves better!" Crystal Lake turned to look at him.
"Fine, King." He kicked Zane away from him, sending him flying toward Theseus. Zane looked up at him, pure sadness in his eyes.
"Don't be stupid," he whispered. Theseus stomped a hoof in front of him.
"What is wrong with you!?" Crystal casually rolled his eyes, as if annoyed by a fly. His monkey stood on the back of the throne and yipped, giving an aggressive display of dominance. "Get off... of that... THRONE!" Theseus lunged toward Crystal, only to be pushed to the side by a blue glow. Crystal yawned in apparent boredom.
"Now, now, Theseus, you must learn to keep your temper in check. This throne is mine until I abdicate it to you, and I don't think that will happen any time soon. You abandoned your people; you threaten me in my own home. You are clearly not fit to be King." Theseus looked around; all of the Guards were wearing sad looks.
"But I-"
"And I have let the public know as such. You are a danger to Wither City, as are your compatriots. Therefore, you must all be locked in the dungeon. Fire Wind, Razor, throw them all in the backmost cells." Theseus looked at Fire Wind.
"No." The unicorn raised a questioning eyebrow at the orange stallion.
"'No?'" Fire Wind looked around nervously. Razor appeared torn, but in the end, he sided with his commanding officer. Crystal turned to the next nearest Guards. "You four! Grab Fire Wind and Razor and throw them into the dungeon as well."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" The Guards moved quickly toward the ponies, attempting to capture them. The group were surrounded by Guards, and Rainbow Dash quickly fended some off with swift kicks to the face. Theseus gave her a glance, confused beyond all explanation.
"Look," she said, catching his gaze, "I don't want to get thrown in the dungeon any more than you do!" She was quickly grabbed by a pegasus Guard and lifted into the air. "Hey!" she shouted, struggling against his strong grip. "Let me go!"

"Well," said Rainbow from her cell, "so much for that army of yours." Theseus found that he missed his sword terribly now that it was no longer at his side. He rubbed his chin in thought.
"Maybe not," he muttered. He addressed each pony in their respective cell. "Everyone, I have an idea, but we need to get out first." He glanced around the dungeon, spotting the keys on the hook on the wall, slightly down the hall from his own cell, and sitting next to his sword and saddlebag. He tried to grab them with his telekinesis. It should have been easy, but... the keys remained stationary. "Why won't my telekinesis work?"
"Because there's an anti-magic enchantment on the doors," replied Twilight flatly. "This city was founded by incredibly powerful wizards; there's no way in Tartarus they would overlook the telekinesis trick." Theseus looked around and noticed arcane symbols etched into the frames of the cell doors; he guessed that those were what gave the enchantment its power.
"Well," Rainbow said, "you're the magic expert. Is there a way to break the enchantment?"
"I may be able to do it, but I need time and concentration."
"I wish Discord was here," said Rainbow. "All he'd have to do is snap, and we'd be out! Huh. Never thought I'd say that!" Without warning there was a splash of water, getting Theseus's mane wet, and there was suddenly a bathtub sitting in the middle of the hallway, filled with bubbly water and containing a very annoyed-looking, amalgamated creature. All three mares shouted together.
"Discord!" He got out of the bathtub, grabbed two towels off an oddly-placed towel rack, and snapped the bathtub away. He wrapped one towel around his serpentine body, tucking in a corner, and another around his head turban-style.
"Oh, for goodness' sake!" he said. "Did you have to interrupt me during my daily bath? I was just about to start playing with my rubber ducky!" He produced a small yellow rubber toy and squeezed it, causing it to make a tiny, innocent squeak. He then began to sing. "Rubber ducky, you're the one..." Twilight interrupted him with a clearing of her throat. He turned to look at her, tossing away the rubber duck. Theseus looked at him with curiosity, wondering what happened to the towels.
"Aw," said Discord in a baby-talk voice, crouching in front of the cell door grasping his mismatched knees, "did poor Twiwight get impwisoned?"
"I'm assuming you heard our request?" she said.
"Why, no," he said innocently, "I've no idea what you mean." Twilight sighed.
"Can you get us out of here?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't hear the magic word." He leaned in his right ear, which to Theseus's amazement grew to a size larger than his own head. Twilight groaned in annoyance.
"Can you get us out of here, please?" He smiled, snapped his claws (which looked an awful lot like a griffin's), and Theseus was standing in front of him, along with Fluttershy, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and a very confused young earth filly.
"Huh? Where am Ah?"
"Oops," Discord said. "Sorry, Apple Bloom." He snapped again, and the filly was replaced by a pocket of air. "Now don't expect me to get you out of a jam-" he held up a jar of grape jelly for emphasis- "all the time. This was a special occasion, and I'm doing it because you're my friend!" He happily pinched the uncomfortable Twilight's cheek with a lion paw. Then he stepped away and said a farewell. "Bye-bye!" And then he was gone in a soft flash of light.
"What in the hay was that?" asked Theseus.
"That," replied Twilight, "was Discord, the spirit of chaos."
"Long story," said Rainbow Dash. "Tell ya later." After grabbing their things, they ran down the halls looking for a way out. They finally found the exit, but they were stopped from escaping by a quiet voice from one of the cells.
"Your Majesty!" Twilight instinctively opened her mouth to reply, but it was addressed to Theseus. He walked up to the door of the dark cell and looked inside to see Fire Wind and Razor each sitting in a corner. Theseus could not believe that they had almost forgotten about them. "Your Majesty, please let us out!"
"We don't have the keys," said Rainbow Dash, shrugging. "Sorry." Twilight frowned.
"Seriously? Nopony thought to grab the keys?"
"I can help with that," said Theseus, concentrating his magic. A soft glow emanated from his eyes, and Fluttershy disappeared from beside Twilight.
"Eep!" She then reappeared several meters away next to Theseus. He stuttered.
"Uh- Uh, th-that was supposed to bring the keys, I swear!" Fluttershy simply stood in place with wide, frightened eyes, prompting a quiet snicker from Rainbow. Twilight sighed.
"Let me do it. My magic is much more advanced than yours." She closed her eyes, and the keys appeared with a flash next to her, being held in her magic glow. She passed them to Theseus, who then opened the cell, releasing the Guards.
"Thank you, Your Highness!" said Razor.
"Hey," said Theseus, "you're my Guards. I couldn't let anything happen to you." He looked around at the small, ragtag group of ponies. "Now how do we get out?"