//------------------------------// // Ch.13 The Mad King // Story: The Origin Chronicles Vol. 2 // by SmokeShadow95 //------------------------------// A portal appeared in a flash of red light. The circular mass of swirling energy came out of nowhere and a pony stepped through. This was not a normal pony, but a Mad one. But it was also not just any other Mad pony. It was not just any Darkmare. No, she was very different. She stepped through the portal and found herself to be in a place as dark as she had been feeling lately. But she did not come alone. Rarity looked up at her chaperone. There she was. The same Mad mare that had tried using the image of her little sister, Sweetie Belle against her. The same Mad mare that had taken all her friends away from her, except for Twilight. And now she wasn't even sure if she was okay. All she had told her was that she had sent a 'Champion' to meet them, whatever that meant. And yet, despite all of that there was something about her that Rarity couldn't shake. Some dark attraction that was pulling her in, even if she felt like she was moving deeper and deeper into the wolves den. Ebony Thorn. “Rarity dearest, are you coming or not,” Ebony asked from a few paces ahead of her. Rarity quickened her own pace and caught up to Ebony. The closer she got the more she could feel it. That strange, dark attraction. It was in everything about her. The way she smelled. The way she walked. The way her eyes looked when she glanced over at Rarity. Was this some kind of love she was feeling? How could that be? Rarity shook the thoughts from her head as her and Ebony came up to another pony. Rarity looked up to see a throne. An enormous throne. It was big and black, with black, thorny vines winding their way along the outside edges. They met at the top to form a large rose the color of red blood. It even looked wet when Rarity looked at it. Like at any moment little red droplets would started dripping down. “Do you like it?” Rarity heard the voice, but did not see the bearer. That was due to the fact the entire throne was shrouded in shadows. It was only now that Rarity saw into them. Two glowing red eyes like none others. These were not the red eyes of the Mad ponies. They looked like normal eyes of a normal pony, except for the part where they were entirely red. Every part of them. “Well, are you going to answer me?” “Oh, yes. It is quite dark, and more than a bit unnerving,” Rarity said, “It is bold, but it fits in with everything else here perfectly.” “Quite beautiful, and not afraid to speak her mind. I do like this one. Ebony, you have brought home a good one.” “Yes, my good King Bloodthorn. I believe I did.” “K- King Bloodthorn,” Rarity sputtered. “Ah yes. Did Ebony not tell you?” King Bloodthorn finally emerged from his place in the shadows. Or rather, the shadows retreated from around him. Either way, Rarity found him to be quite intimidating. He stood very tall, even for a Mad pony. He looked down at Rarity when their hooves were on the same level. His coat was very dark, but not black as Rarity was expecting. His coat was red. Blood crimson. His mane and his tail were as black as coal and and the ooze that the Madness came from. This pony King came down of his throne and walked up to Rarity. He slowly stepped around her. He circled her and looked her up and down. What was he doing? What was he looking for? “Yes, I think she will do nicely,” Bloodthorn finally said after a few times around, “Ebony, dear. Take her to the chamber and make preparations. I will be in shortly.” Ebony had to gently pull on Rarity's mane to get her to follow her. She was still a little stunned at the meeting of the King. Ebony took her down the way the came. They walked past the point where they originally came in via portal. They walked on until Ebony took a right down a long and wide corridor. Ebony could see that Rarity was still stuck on Bloodthorn. “Surprised to find that we have a king?” “Well, yes, but that is not all.” “Ah, I see. You're wondering about the interest he showed in you. No need to worry. You might just become our Queen of Madness.” “Queen?! I don't even know the pony.” “Let me give you some details then,” Ebony explained, “He has many names. Bloodthorn is the most commonly used, and only if 'King' is before it. Some call him the Mad King, or the King of Madness. A few even call him Blackthorn, but he hates that for some reason.” Rarity's next thought was cut off. She noticed something out of the corner of her eye as she walked with Ebony. A pony? She turned her head to look. She did not much like what she saw. Ponies. Dozens of them. Hundreds, maybe. Too many for her to count. They were walking through a corridor where both sides consisted of giant cells. Wall of giant stones held them in and kept them captive. Bars of strong metal kept them in. The bars were covered in small metal barbs to keep the ponies from trying to escape, yet there was enough room to see through the bars. Just enough room to see any pony being taken away. What a torturous idea. Rarity looked around at all the ponies in these cells. They were not mad. They were prisoners. Prisoners of a war no pony wanted to think about. Rarity saw that they were fed, but not quite enough. Looks of hunger still lingered in the eyes of some ponies. Each cell was large and held approximately twenty ponies in it. To Rarity's dismay some ponies actually recognized her. “Rarity? Rarity, is that you?” She didn't look. She didn't want to see the faces of the ponies. Besides, she already knew the voice. Not a pony she ever thought she would find here, but here she was. Bon Bon. Rarity tried not to think about the fact Bon Bon was from Ponyville. She traveled to Manehatten a lot. Maybe she was taken from there. Rarity closed her eyes and rushed to Ebony's side. A moment later and they were gone from the other ponies. Before long Rarity and Ebony found themselves before a rather large set of double doors. Each door had to be as tall as four full grown stallions. Each door had to weigh as much one house in Ponyville. Ebony used her magic to open both doors with ease. The room that lay beyond was not like any Rarity had seen before. The room was large and hexagonal in design, with each of its six sides decorated with beautiful cloth drapes. Each wall began with a bed of pillows at the base. Small couches were placed all around with no apparent reason behind their placement. Everything in the room had one thing in common. A theme she was beginning to notice more and more the longer she was there. Red. Blood crimson in color. Every single piece of furniture. The entire room was dominated by a large fountain in the middle. It easily stood half as tall as the doors did, or at least two full grown stallions in height. But what Rarity noticed more was the stuff coming out of the fountain. Black ooze. Rarity froze and stared at it. “No need to worry, Rarity,” Ebony said from across the room, “That is not for you, although you might be interested to know that Mad ponies can drink the ooze like water. It has no effect on them.” Rarity said nothing as Ebony lead her through that room and on to the next one. It seemed to be taking a very long time to get to wherever it was they were going. Was Ebony giving her some strange kind of tour? It did not matter anymore as Rarity soon found out. Because they had arrived. The chamber that King Bloodthorn had mentioned before now lay just ahead of them. It was not nearly as nice as the one before. Where the other had lavish seating and lovely drapes this chamber had walls of dark, rough stone that seemed to suck the light out of the room. And no fountain sat in the center of the chamber. In the center was pool. Not a very large pool. Big enough for just one pony was her guess. But the same black ooze that flowed through the fountain was also here. Ebony took her all the way around. Before she knew what was happening Rarity stood before the pool of ooze and was looking deep into the black. “Go on. Step right in.” “Ebony.” It was the first time Rarity had ever called her by name. It felt weird, but not bad. “Ebony, there was something I've been meaning to ask you. It slipped my mind earlier with the grand tour and everything.” “What is it, my dear?” “You spoke earlier of the many names of the King. Dare I ask what you call him?” “I call him. . . Father.”