//------------------------------// // The Sweet Sound of Silence. // Story: Friendship and Mysteries // by The Cake Devil //------------------------------// Chapter 12 (Now edited by Neko Majn C) “So that’s the plan, huh?” Bill said, rubbing the space under his eye. “And what, pray tell, is in it for me?” “Well, how about your freedom for starters?” Discord responded with a shrug. “What?! Are you craz—” Stan was cut off as the snap of a claw rendered his mouth nonexistent. “It’s a start, but it’s gonna take a lot more,” Bill said, unhinging his eye to let loose a scroll that unrolled itself to the ground and beyond. “First of all, I want seven ounces of Hydrogen chloride and thirty six gallons of a wooden rocking horse.” Discord gave a small sigh. “Let’s just start with your freedom and work our way down the list, deal?” Discord stuck his lion’s paw out to the floating pyramid. “Deal.” Bill raised his stick figure arm and shook it up and down. “Mhmhmhph!” Stan mumbled, still lacking a mouth. “Oh, right, sorry about that, I was getting too used to the silence.” Discord snapped his claws once more, bringing back Stan’s noise maker. “Ha, s’taht hcum retteb! Tiaw, tahw did uoy od ot em!?” “Oh, come now, don’t be like that, I literally turned your constant frown upside down. Or perhaps inside out…or maybe it was your tongue I messed with, Stan could you do me a favor and say—” Discord turned his head to be face to face with the double barrels of Stan’s shotgun. “—Ah.” Giving a ‘harrumph’, Discord raised his paw and snapped his fingers once more. “Has anyone ever told you you’re sense of humor could use some serious work?” “My sense of humor is fine, it’s just everyone else is either a moron or insane,” Stan deadpanned. “Anyways, do you really think we can— wait, how do we put him away?” Stan asked pointing to Bill. “Put me away!? What do you mean p—” “Like this.” Discord rubbed the lamp once more, within moments, Bill’s body began to run thin as it stretched into the lamp. With a fading scream, Bill quickly disappeared into the spout of the golden relic. “Right, now that that’s out of the way, do you really think we can trust this guy?” “Let me put it to you this way, if my head were to turn into a diamond right now, I’d have more faith in the possibility that you wouldn’t decapitate it and sell it to the highest bidder.” “Wait, can you really do that? Don’t mess with me, patch job, I’m an old man with expensive dreams.” Discord gave a disconcerting sigh as he ran a paw down his face. “Point being, we have his trust just so long as we have his attention.” Discord craned his serpentine neck down and pressed his forehead to Stan’s, staring into the elderly man’s eyes with deep intensity. “So that doesn’t mean blatantly spouting any negative thoughts towards our new ally, do I make myself clear?” Stan hastily backed away from the glaring beast. “Alright, alright, easy there, Frankenstein, I got it. No need to go drill sergeant on me, yikes.” “Good,” Discord said, leaning his neck back to an upright position. “Then to the crystal garden we go!” he said, giving a snap of his lions paw. But the two hadn't moved, much to Discord’s dismay. “I don’t understand.” Discord said, frantically snapping his claws. “We should be there right now, why isn’t it working?” He asked before his claws gave a heavy wheeze and fell limp, swinging freely as smoke began to rise from the appendages. “So uh, patches, what’s the hold up?” Stan asked. “The ‘hold up’ is that something is preventing us from getting anywhere near the crystal garden! Which, one, means our dark friend has kicked his plan into overdrive. Two, the dark aura from said plan is interfering with my magic. And three, without magic, we can only get there the old fashion way.” “What exactly does that mean?” “It means get on my back.” “Your girlfriend is a purple-talking-pegicorn!?” Mabel blurted. “Why didn’t you tell me this?!” “She’s not my girlfriend!” “I’m an Alicron!” Twilight shouted. “Dipper, what the hay were you thinking?!” “What, me?! What about you, you’re the one who ran off!” “I did not ‘run off’ I did what I thought was for the best.” “Oh yeah, and as you can see that worked out just fine, poindexter.” “Excuse me?!” “Enough!” Mable screamed. Dipper and Twilight looked up from their argument, directing their attention to her. “Fighting is doing nothing but wasting time, and that’s the one thing we need right now. Dipper, you can explain this to me later. But right now our friends need us, and bickering isn’t going to do squat! So let’s think of something that can get our friends back, can we do that?” Dipper and Twilight turned their attentions away from Mabel and back to each other. With a shared averted gaze the two mumbled their apologies to one another. “Alright then, now that that’s out of the way, Twilight,” she said, pointing to the Alicorn. “Y-yes?” “Who is this Sombra guy and how hard do I need to punch him till he gives us our friends back?” “Wh-what?” Twilight said shaking her head in disbelief. “King Sombra is almost at the peak of his power, you can’t just ‘punch’ him and hope to win!” “Look, girls,” Dipper interjected. “Neither one of us are strong enough to take on Sombra alone. So we’re going to need some help, and I think I know just where to find it.” “Blast!” Diamond said, slamming a hoof on the table. “So close, so, so close this time.” The elderly stallion muttered as he held a shaking hoof to a chalk board and scratched a mark below a board already filled to the brim with a multitude of preexisting tallies. “A more focused source of energy, yes, that’s what we need, yes.” He said as he glanced into the dimly lit room, separated by a sheet of glass. With a disappointed sigh, Diamond pulled a red rope, drawing a curtain between him and the lifeless mass that lie on the otherside. As he turned to look up from the curtain, his attention shifted to the gray stallion standing in the doorway. “Ah, Silver Shroud, you’re back,” Diamond said with a nervous grin. “And just how long have you been standing there?” “Long enough,” Silver said with a sigh and a shake of his head. “I thought you said that we’d limit our testing on living beings before I left?” he asked, stepping into the musty workshop as he passed a cage of shivering parasprites. “Oh come now Silver, they’re just parasprites. If they’re not breeding then they’re eating everything in sight.” “Just parasprites, huh?” Silver said, glancing back at the board. “Well yes, and the occasional woodland creature but nothing outside of th—” “Lies!” Silver hissed. Violently slamming his foreleg onto the desk, the stallion cleared the contents onto the floor with one swoop. In their place he placed a piece of parchment. “Diamond Dog Disaster,” Silver angrily read. “The bodies of three diamond dogs were found outside city limits. What was thought to be the simply diamond dogs being diamond dogs, was quickly dismissed as there were no fresh scratch or bite marks on any of the bodies. On a more disturbing note, all three of the victims’ faces were frozen in a state of sheer terror, along with bruises on their wrists and ankles, suggesting that all three bodies were restrained.” “You don’t understand,” Diamond said, cautiously approaching Silver. “The subject needs sentience in order for the process to properly work. Without that element, the subject’s soul will wander aimlessly under the illusion that it’s passed on and will give up all hope of escape!” “Diamond, listen to yourself!” Silver roared. “This isn’t simply buying animals at the underground market, we’re talking about actual lives. Diamond dogs are one thing, but just how far are you willing to go for your blasted results?” “I’ll go as far as I need to!” Diamond shouted, slamming a hoof onto the table. “This work supersedes the lives of all who dwell in our world and it’s the only way it’s going to be freed from its tyrannical rulers once and for all!” “Again with your hatred for the royal sisters. It seems every time the wind doesn’t blow right it’s their fault. I’ve listened to your babblings since I was a foal, but only now do I see them for what they really are, the ravings of a mad old fool. Ravings from a sad old stallion who is too thick headed to see the good that they have done for the world!” “But it’s all a lie! None of it is right, none of it! No being was meant to have the control over nature as we do, yet we have pegasi controlling the weather and unicorns altering the fabric of reality. Our very destinies are assigned by theses ridiculous brands on our hindquarters and everypony simply goes along and dare not question ‘why’? “Do you want to know why that is, Silver? Time. Time, Silver, the one thing that none have enough of. With enough time, everything that we as a society hold precious will fade away. Facts that could alter the very essence of who we are, forgotten or worse yet, altered to fit the twisted will of those who remember it. But with this, Silver, with the crown on our side, we can break down that final wall and tear the veil that has been pulled over societies eyes for so long!” “I’ve heard enough,” Silver said, brushing past Diamond on his way out. “It ends tonight; I want this room cleared out by tomorrow. No more testing, no more bodies, no more crown. You’re still welcome here but as long as I live you will not put anything or anypony under your experiments again. Do I make myself clear?” “You’re dooming every last one of us, you ignorant fool!” Diamond screamed. His face turned red with anger as the veins in his neck grew, pulsating up and down with every rasping breath. “No. I’m trying to save what’s left of the stallion I once looked up to. I love you, Diamond, you’ve always been there for me before and after mother and father died. But these past few years have warped you…that crown has warped you, and it’s turned you into something else. The past few minutes have proved that to me, once and for all. So I’ll say it once more, this ends tonight. And be warned, if I catch wind of any more testing or strange bodies found, I won’t hesitate to call upon the royal guard myself. I’m sorry, Diamond, but this is the only way.” Silver made his way out the door, closing it behind him. He began his silent ascent up the spiraling staircase, counting the steps as to keep his mind off the ear piercing sounds of rage coming from the lab. “Time is running out, Sombra,” the entity said. “Our enemies are weakened, but they still remain, and are growing stronger as we speak.” “I know,” Sombra said. Heaving a heavy sigh, he turned to look at the entity floating before him. “I’m aware of what needs to be done but—” “Sh, sh, sh, sh, sh, ssssssssh. There is no need for any worries, my little Sombra, I will take care of everything whilst you prepare.” “Very well,” Sombra said as the entity faded away. In a flurry of broken branches and crushed bushes the timberwolf emerged, sliding to a stop in front of Sombra. Clutching onto the creatures wooden hide for dear life was Gideon, his face frozen in a frown and his whole body shaking uncontrollably. “When I say slow down, you slow down!” Gideon screamed. To which the timberwolf responded with a low, rumbling growl. Rolling his eyes, Sombra put on a sneer and levitated the pudgy creature off the beast and placed it at his hooves. “Am I to assume you return successful, slave?” Sombra asked, leaning his neck down with narrowed eyes and a glowing horn. “Yes, sir, three hostages, just like you asked.” Gideon reported. Reaching into his jacket he pulled out three black gems, each with their own prisoner trying frantically to break through the crystal. “Well then, congratulations are in order,” Sombra said as the glow dimmed form his horn. “You’ve successfully prevented your destruction after the final task.” “Final task, your lordship?” “Indeed. In order to obtain the last remaining power required for my ascension, a physical bond between myself and the crystals core. This process leaves me susceptible to attack and thus in need of protection during.” Sombra turned his back to Gideon, his eyes gazing up the length of the great crystal. “That’s where you come in.” “M-m-me?! Are you crazy?!” Gideon screamed. In an instant Sombra turned his head to Gideon. Black aura pouring out of the corner of his eyes as his fangs glistened in the dark light. “Aha, what I meant to say was, while I would gladly lay my life on the line, I doubt I’d last very long against our foes.” “Of that I am painfully aware, that’s why it’s only your body we’ll be using.” “We?” “Me, to be more specific,” A voice whispered into Gideon’s ear. Gideon turned around with lighting speed to be face to face with two blood red eyes nestled among a cloud of darkness. As he opened his mouth to scream the entity gave a sinister cackle and rushed into his mouth and disappeared down his throat. For a moment, Gideon stood in place, gasping for air as he attempts to register what just happened. Attempting to scream once more, Gideon took in a deep breath of air only for it to be caught in his throat. Suddenly seized with intense pain, he fell to the ground clutching his stomach and quivering uncontrollably. With a deep breath, Gideon ceased all movement and calmly climbed to his feet. He turned to face Sombra, now bearing the eyes of the entity. “You’re turn Sombra,” the possessed Gideon said. Heaving a heavy sigh, Sombra teleported to the tip of the crystal formation. With his eyes closed tightly, the lord’s horn sprang to life, enveloping him in its dark magic. The aura quickly solidified into its own crystal, trapping Sombra in a transparent tomb. The aura began to spread down the length of the main crystal slowly working its way into the soil and deep into the very core of the mineral. Gideon turned away from the crystal. Staring to the forest, the fiend chuckled through a sneer. “It’ll all be over soon. After so long, everything is falling into place.”