//------------------------------// // Chapter three. Ambush // Story: Shadow in the Dark // by Thestoryteller //------------------------------// The Canterlot hallway was well lit with glowing lanterns nailed into the wall. Each one lighting the long red rug that Nightwing, Flash, Comet tail, Sunset shimmer, Twilight, and Thorn, all trotted on as they tried to follow a rapidly moving Fluttershy that had a scowl on her face. Ever since she had heard that Thicket might have been freed she wasted no time to get to Canterlot. So Nightwing used his Shadow stalking spell and teleported everypony to the Canterlot hall. "Um, hey Nightwing?" Flash asked as he broke the silence. "What?" Nightwing asked. "When you and my sis were in Whitetail forest, did it suddenly somehow change her behavior?" "Not that I know of." "Then why is she so mad? And what does it have to do with this...Thicket guy?" "Speaking of which." Sunset interjected. "Who is this Thicket anyways?" "He's a selfish buck, that's so blind by his actions that he can't see where his path of so called 'fate of the deer' leads." Fluttershy said. "...um-" "He's a deer that tried to kill Fluttershy." Nightwing said bluntly. "He what?!" Flash asked in shock. "You heard me. Thicket is that someone that I needed your help with when we went to Whitetail. You know the place that I told you all we need to go to help Fluttershy?" Nightwing asked. "Whatever doesn't matter, what does matter is that we make sure that we have him still secure in his cell." "But Nightwing remember what was in that notebook. About how Thickets DNA might have been merged with unicorn DNA?" Comet tail asked. "What?!" Twilight yelled. "Oh yeah forgot to tell you that, we found a notebook in the cave and we found out that deer's antlers have some of the same property's that unicorns horns have. So it is, hypothetically, possible that Thickets antlers can channel energy." "But...for them to do that they'd need the magic inside of them first before they can do that." Twilight explained. "I know, but I've already told you this. Magic is in every. Single. Creature. On the planet. All you need is a way to channel it and then 'poof' you can now use magic." "But how dangerous exactly would Thicket be if he could control magic?" Sunset asked. "Depends really. If to much magic is used it puts a strain on a unicorns horn and will weaken it. However Thicket is not a unicorn and does not have a horn, therefor I have absolutely no idea what's gonna happen. And to be honest I'm kinda excited to see what happens." Nightwing said. "Halt!" A stern voice said making the group come to a stop. They had been talking for so long they didn't notice that they were facing a wall with a metal door that had several metal poles in it. To the left and right of the jail door were two guards. To the left of the door was a unicorn stallion with black fur and blue eyes wearing golden armor and a golden helmet as well that had a hole on the center of it for the unicorns horn to fit through. Two short swords were sheathed on the stallions sides. To the right of the door was a buck guard with tan fur and brown eyes. He was wearing Whitetail green armor and a Whitetail helmet that had two holes, each one for the bucks antlers. A spear was held in place by his hoof. Strapped to his back was a wooden bow, strapped to his side was a quiver full of brown feathered arrows. "Identify yourself." The unicorn said in a gruff manner. "All of you." Fluttershy mustered up her courage and stepped forward and identified herself. "Fluttershy, Arbor susurro of the Deer." "Twilight sparkle, one of the four Princesses of Equestria." Twilight said. "Nightwing, student of Princess Luna." Nightwing addressed himself. "Flash sentry, royal body guard of Nightwing and Princess Twilight." Flash said. "Thorn, royal guard of the Great tree." Thorn said. "Sunset shimmer, former student of Princess Celestia." Sunset said. "And I'm Comet tail...friend of Nightwing." Comet tail said. 'Wish I had a cool title.' He thought. "Forgive us for having to do that great one." The buck guard bowed before Fluttershy. "But we do have our orders." "All is forgiven." Fluttershy said as the buck rose from his bow. "Where here to see a deer by the name of Thicket." Nightwing said. "Care to take us to him?" "Of course." The stallion said in a less gruff voice as he levitated a large steel ring that had tons of keys on it. Looking through them the stallion finally picked one and shoved it into the lock on the metal door. He then turned the key and opened the door revealing a new hallway that had jail door after jail door on each side of the hallway. "Follow me." The group followed the stallion down the hallway. Along the way they saw prisoners of all kinds of races in the cells. Each one was as far away from the door as they could get. All had scared looks on their faces. 'Wonder what they could be so scared about?' Flash wondered in his thoughts. Then he noticed it. He saw that most of the prisoners terrified eyes were all looking at the stallion guard. 'But why would they-' Flash cut himself off as he remembered that some of his old work friends once told him there was a stallion in Canterlot known as the Punisher. If any prisoner made any trouble or ruckus then he would find them and drag them to a room he kept to himself. Nopony knew what was in the room. And frankly nopony wanted to know. All that they knew was that when a prisoner comes out of room their never the same ever again. "You okay Flash?" Twilight asked taking note of her coltfriends worried look. "Huh-wha?" Flash stumbled on his words as his mind came back to reality. "She asked if you are okay, are you?" Nightwing asked. "Uhh, yeah. Yeah I'm fine just...lost in deep thought that's all." Flash chuckled. 'Nice safe.' A voice spoke. "Huh?" "What now?" "Did...did you say something?" "No, and nopony else did. Are you sure your alright Flash?" Sunset asked. "Yeah...just-" "*Ahem*" The stallion guard cleared his throat as he got the groups attention. "The prisoner you wish to see is through this door." The guard said as he pointed to a fuller metal door. "I will wait outside if you need me." "Thanks." Comet tail said as the group entered through the door. Closing it on their way in, Leaving the guard all by himself as he stood still like a statue. "Hi there." A voice said to his left. The stallions eyes shot wide open as he turned to the left only to see an objet hit him in the forehead as he collapsed onto the floor. The group faced a single jail door in front of them. It was much like the ones in the hallway only this one had four guards, two does and two bucks, stood in front of it. "Afternoon Miss, how we may we be of service?" One of the bucks asked. "We wish to see if Thicket is still in his cell." Fluttershy said. The buck was startled by what the Arbor susurro just said. "Are-are you sure?" He stammered. "Yes I am." Fluttershy said. "I see, forgive me but I only asked because we checked on him three hours ago and he was still present at that time. In fact you can see him right there through the cell bars." The bucked pointed to the inside of the cell and sure enough. Thicket was there, lying on his side facing the wall. "So you see there's no need for you to go in there." "Well as convincing as that is there's one small problem with it." Nightwing said as he approached the buck. "And what might that be?" "Your lying." "I beg your pardon?" "Allow me to educate you on something, see I have this special talent of mine that allows me tell when someone is lying about something. And you just told a lie to the Arbor susurro. Your leader, your light in the darkness, the one who lead you to salvation, etcetera, etcetera, the point is you lied." "I did no such thing I-" "Lie." "But I'm not-" "Lie" "I'm telling you the truth!" "Another lie. Stop lying and tell us the truth." Nightwing demanded. "Fine." The buck now had a smile on his face, not a good sign. "I'm what you call a stone pony and I have a spell on me that allows me to look like something I'm not." The buck said. As soon as the buck said that Nightwing lifted his right hoof and his crystal began to glow as the once four deer now looked like stone ponies. "Now that makes much more sense." Nightwing said. "Right then, Twilight and Sunset be a dear and create another one of water bubbles the rest of us will fight off the stone-" Nightwing was cut off as he disappeared without a trace. "Nightwing!" Comet tail yelled. "Oh I wouldn't worry about him if I were you." A voice came from behind. The group turned around to see a certain somepony that Flash and Comet tail would never forget. "Clutterstep?! Twilight said in surprise. "What are you doing here, you need to leave right now." "Why would he do that?" Another voice said this time in front of them. It was Thicket. "So I guess you really didn't escape." Thorn said as he prepared to attack Thicket. "Oh no I escaped. I was just here because I was apart of a trap for Nightwing." Thicket said as his single antler was entrapped in a dark green glow. "No then, let's settle this once and for all Fluttershy." Thicket said as he charged at Fluttershy. "-ponies, wait what?" Nightwing asked as looked around his surroundings. He was on the large balcony that overlooked all of Canterlot. "Funny isn't it?" A new voice said. Nightwing swung his head around to see a pony with a cloak and hood covering the figures body. "Who are you?" Nightwing asked. "Isn't it obvious." The figure said. "..... No I'm at a lose here." "I'm the one behind all of this." "Oh....oh." Nightwing said as the words sunk in, his brow lowered as his face became serious. "Oh." "I take it you know understand how serious this is?" "Sure, why not." Nightwing said as he fired a blue beam from his crystal. The figure lifted his left hoof and the beam exploded as it hit a blue shield. And then Nightwing saw it. Attached around the figures left hoof was a crystal. That looked exactly like his. Nightwing lifted his right hoof to examine his own crystal and sure enough they were the same. "Why is it things like this are never simple?" Nightwing complained. 'Okay figure this out later, right now beat this guy to pulp.' Nightwing created two aura blue swords that lunged at the figure, instantly two aura blue swords were formed by the figure and instantly began to clash with Nightwing's swords. "Before this goes on for any longer I want to know one thing." Nightwing said as he looked directly at the figures hood. "Why? Why are trying to kill me, because last time I checked the Order died a long time ago." "The reasons that I want to kill you will only be known by me and only me." The figure said as he created another blue sword that was countered by another one of Nightwing's aura swords. "By why are you doing this, the Order got what it wanted I'm literally the last vampire bat-pony in existence, as in when I die my race ends." "Why is it that your so calm about that, you know yet you seem fine with it. Why?" "Probably because I know there's nothing else I can do, I can't stop what's coming and if I die, I die. Nothing more." Nightwing said as created two more aura swords that were contered by two aura swords of the figures. "So your fine with dying?" "Yeah, I am." "How about your friends then?" "..." "Nightwing, the last vampire bat-pony died and now there's nothing to protect them from me." The figure mocked. "Stop it." Nightwing said. "I wonder if he even thought about us or if he even tried?" "Stop it right now!" Nightwing growled. "Poor little Nightwing that couldn't save his friends." "...ha ha." Nightwing said flatly giving the figure a...somewhat confused look. "You really thought I'd fall for that, get all angry and charge you like some idiot, how stupid do you think-" Nightwing was once again cut off as Thicket appeared out of nowhere and as a green aura surrounded his horn he and the figure disappeared. Making the aura swords turn into dust. "....what?" Nightwing said confused. - "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING?!?!" The figure shouted at Thicket. "I HAD EVERYTHING UNDER CONTROL!!!" "I'm sorry but I had to bring you here, it's about Clutterstep." Thicket said. "Clutterstep, what does he want, and why would he-" "He's dead." The figure stopped dead in his tracks he slowly turned his head towards Thicket. "What?" "Clutterstep...he's dead." "....Take me to him." The figure demanded. Thicket obeyed and he teleported him and The figure to a room with a table in the center of it. On it lied a body covered by a white sheet. The figure approached the sheet and using his crystal he lifted the sheet off. He looked at the body for a while until he gently laid the sheet back on the body. "What kind of...thing...did this?" "I saw who it was." Thicket said. "Well spit it out who did this." "A..a daemon." Thicket stammered.