//------------------------------// // How Time Changes // Story: In His Presence // by Ocean Heart //------------------------------// How long had it been...since he had felt the warmth of the sun? It felt like several lifetimes, stuck in this endless purgatory. A lesser mind might even call it hell if exposed long enough to the singular torment of boredom; A dark room, chained to a wall, limbs locked in place and body, rendered immobile. The only light he ever saw was the afternoon sun sending a bright beam into the center of the room by a small window above his head just so he could feel the pain of the light on his tired eyes, but not give him the slightest hope of freedom...and it would give him an idea of the passing days. Passing the time plotting revenge was a fun thing he had for a while, but even that lost its luster after a few months; frankly it nearly drove him to mad babbling. Whatever force drew him back to the realm of the sane, he would gladly thank. After his near slip to insanity, he had nothing left but to do mundane things; sing, act...simple things, really. The guards outside stopped participating a long time ago, he missed the mare who sang with him at times, he never did get her name, but her voice was an oasis compared to the constant silence. The silence.... There was a promise he made to himself late into imprisonment, to never leave himself in silence, he needed to surround himself with noise; somehow...someway, he would never let the quiet reach him again. The crushing sound of silence became a deep-rooted fear; So, when he lacked the energy to sing or hum, he simply swung his heavy limbs on his chains, just so the silence wouldn't take him. "And the sunlight...comes again..." He sang to break the silence. The bright beam forced him to close his eyes, the dark of the cell had ruined his vision, any amount of light only caused him pain and sent him into a more hopeless pit. "Come to remind me...Like an old friend..." The chains rattled as he tried to move his body, a slow smile on his face when he remembers the time he heard a guard sobbing after he sang, sometimes that made it a game for him, a game of "Who could he make weep" in his current plight. Putting extra effort into his tone to sound more depressed and alone, he continued. "But this friend knows not what he does...he causes pain and hate, and suffering with his love..." A loud bang shook the door to his cell and the surprise cut him off. "Stop singing!" Came a male voice. The sudden sound made his ears hurt, he wanted to argue and shout at the guard.... "My apologies." Was all he could say. Not in a meek way, but in a tone that showed he had still retained his self-respect...if not learning to not fight a losing battle. He wanted to at least have some interaction with something, but he had a deep feeling that an argument would only worsen his already bleak situation. She could always find a way to make him miserable, in fact...he remembered that guards were once posted inside the room itself, to make sure he would not try and free himself by persistence alone, after he befriended the guards, they were told to stay outside and not talk to him. When they sang or acted with him, they were removed, and now this hulking brute stands a post, trying to keep him silent through fear. A useless tactic on him, there was nothing left for him to fear except her. Pillows... His mind already jumped to a new topic to keep himself busy... I will have my bedroom drown in feather soft pillows from only the greatest craftsmen...even if I must tread water to get them. What color would they be...? Eyes turning dim and distant, he could only tilt his chin down to rest on the iron neck brace that kept his head pinned to the wall. Doing the only thing he could in his isolation. Sleep...sleep and dream of a better place to be. Perhaps he would be treated to a fond memory of his rule, where everything served to comfort him; The crystal ponies toiling away to make his kingdom better, while he sat in his chambers and lounged with so many...now he didn't care if he had a line outside his door; His dream was to be with all of his pillows... To just have the sweet softness of one comfort, a book, a movie, blanket or wonderful pillow; Or a pony to just talk to is what he dreamed of...and it was heavenly. A gentle sound wakes him, eyes fluttering open to the darkness, no sunlight to burn his eyes. Looking around the room to see where the noise had come from. It happened again...it was a knock at his door, not like the brute trying to silence him; this was a question. Questions of his own began to form, his hate surfaced, with it his mania, when it occurred to him that it could be her. After all this time she finally seeks to visit him again in this new form of hell she sought to break him in; He had to look good...doing his best to throw his rats nest of a mane to the side with what little movement he had, he prepared himself for the day he had been waiting for…for...he couldn't remember how long it had been...nevertheless, he steeled himself and said. "What is it...?" With as much power to his voice. Suppressing the cracks that he felt wanting to come out in his tone. Even in the darkness, the door opened to a light, so soft, it took a moment for his eyes to adjust; but it was something he forced himself to push down. His face was a stone slab of anger, but he did not feel the twitch in his lips. Refusing to look weak if he could help it, he looked at the light until it came into focus, it was a light on top of a horn, glowing a soft lavender, bright purple eyes shining at him with worry and pity. What is this... The eyes grew closer to him until he could see more features, body a hauntingly tall size, wings held tight against the body and not a singles trace of malice on her face. In fact, as she grew to be only a few feet from him, he realized that her face was somehow familiar. Yet he couldn't place it...his time had robbed him of some of his memory, and the purple face of an alicorn was something he could not place a name to. His plan was coming undone by his own curiosity and desire for contact, conversation, but his face contorted to a scowl when he knew for a fact that he remembered that shade of purple and those wide eyes. "My...h-how you've grown into such a regal princess..." Looking at him still with concern, she took a step back and sat down; studying everything about him, the hair looking rotten and ragged, eyes bearing heavy rings and body showing signs of malnutrition and even dehydration. The green tint in his eyes were gone, the purple mist was absent as well she even glanced to the side, just out of his vision was a gleam of silver and red. Someone had placed his crown in his cell as a cruel joke...his power and life just a few feet away...but always unreachable. The silence had become unsettling, he began to move in his binds to try and somehow free himself, as if the visit would change the way his next few moments would be. She only looked at him with more pity and he even could see a gleam in her eyes as water began to build. He stopped moving as that old feeling of rage boiled him to stillness. "I'm so sorry for letting this happen..." Her voice... It was familiar, old in his memory. The penance on her face was obvious, she had something to do with his poor state, perhaps she could be the one to free him. He let go of his plan, doing the only thing he can to be free of this place, even though it shamed him. " Please, kill me or release me, but do not waste my time." He said in desperation. The lavender mare shook her head, the light casting on the colors of purple, vanilla and teal. She remained silent. Something that was rapidly making him dislike her. “You hold tight to that fear, child. Once free, none will stay my wrath. Everyone you love and care for will die when I am free.” He began to slip into a rant, his heart was pounding and body shaking with fury. He felt cold sweat on his skin, seething, breathing hard now when he stopped and realizing just how much he lost his composure. The mare stood and turned, he did feel the twitch in his eye then, gritting his teeth tight. “Don’t go…” he muttered as the door shut, heave lock falling into place and he was left alone again. Alone to his thoughts and the guard outside that stand ever watchful should the fractured stallion ever free himself. The fire inside him grew slowly, it reached places it never touched in years; it filled him with emotion and life...something was finally happening... "Come back! I demand you return and explain yourself!!" Another hard bang at the door, this time he didn't back down. "Stop the banging! What is it getting you, anyway-?! I won't be silenced! Celestia!!!!! Come and finish what you started! Where in Tartarus are you Celestia?!" Another bang, louder this time. "Be quiet in there! I will gag you if I have to." "Do it! I dare you!" Panting with the effort of stretching his lungs to shout, he felt anger returning full strength; his hunger grew, however...and he knew it would be a long time before he received another meal, he had to save his energy. Silence answered his question to the guard, a bit odd…normally the brute would argue all day if they got into it, seems however, this was a different day. Whatever happened outside while he was locked up was irrelevant, none of it mattered to him, but now...now his game finally starts and everything outside his small room would be the difference between freedom or continued lifeless existence.