//------------------------------// // Prologue - An Eternal Torture // Story: The Rise of Twilight // by Ephraim Blue //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash awoke in a dreary cell. Her head ached with pain as she stood up, trying to remember everything that happened. There were several drips of water that sounded close, and she dragged herself over to the sound, desperate for a drink. She must've tried scooting over at least a foot before her wings started tugging on her back. Glancing back, she saw many dark, piercing crystals in her wings, holding them down and causing even more pain when she tried to move. "Oh..." she croaked, her mouth dry from the lack of water. "I can't move..." She plumped to the ground and allowed her wings to rest again, easing the pain a little bit. She closed her eyes, trying to sleep and ease the pain in her mind. Drip... Drip... Drip... Drip... Drip... Drip... Drip... Drip... It wasn't long again before she reopened her eyes, looking in the direction of the sound. "Water..." she croaked once again, reaching as far as she could before being stopped by the searing pain in her wings. She repeated this over and over, only to fail every time. The water sounded so close, as if she could just reach it if she went a little farther. And every time she tried, her wings felt like ripping off her back. An eternal torture... a forever punishment. She did not deserve this. "Well, well..." a deep voice sounded. "Is our young prisoner having fun?" She flailed around, attempting to look at the voice. She saw nothing, but continued to hear a stallion's voice echo in her head. "You look like you're having fun." "W- Who's there...?" she said. "My, my, asking questions already, are you? You should not need to ask, but you do deserve to know who I am. I am King Sombra, ruler of the Crystal Empire." "S- Sombra...?" Rainbow asked. The name sounded familiar, but she could hardly think with nothing but the water on her mind. "D- Do you have any water...?" "Water?" the voice--Sombra--said. "You hear my name, but you do not tremble in fear. All you ask for is water. Did you not clearly hear me?" "I- I- I heard you... but... I'm just so thirsty..." Sombra never spoke for the next minute. When he did speak, he burst out laughing. "Oh, we are going to have a lot to teach you," he said. "If you did not hear me earlier, you are my prisoner." "Prisoner...?" "Yes. And because I am king, that means you only obey me. You do not speak unless spoken to, you will heed any order given, regardless of difficulty and hardship." "S- Sombra...?" "What is it now?!" Sombra growled. "Water..." Sombra's voice got further away. "When you respectfully acknowledge me as your king, young pegasus, then you may talk to me about your simple needs. Until then, you must learn that there is no water." Rainbow blinked. "N- No water...?" Drip... Drip... Drip... "But... That's water... right?"