//------------------------------// // Chapter 4. Companion chambers // Story: The tyrant of fear and hate // by Askre //------------------------------// Chapter 4 “Ow, ow, ow,” Foxy complained and pulled against the brush that tried to untangle her mane. “Seriously, this thing on my head was not meant for brushing.” “S-Sorry… I’m so sorry,” a whimpering voice apologised, belonging to the green mare who was currently attempting to brush her mane. She was not chained but still looked just as sad as the rest of the ponies outside. Foxy cringed, not in pain but in embarrassment. The poor servant was just trying to do the job required of her. Nearby two other mares were tending to Dew Doe, brushing her mane and coat. They were in a room with a large bed, it also had a small sitting area in one corner with a lounge chair and a couch. A doorway further inside lead to a bathroom. “No it’s alright, just continue, my mane is just a bit of a messy thing,” Foxy assured the servant and allowed the brushing to resume, cringing a little as another tangle was removed. “So you all are crystal ponies?” Dew asked, she had never heard of that type of pony, but it certainly explained their eyes and the very crystal themed motif of their city and castle. “Y-yes ma’am,” the mare tending to her coat whispered. “And your king is currently having us all prettied up, I take it we are his next playthings?” Foxy snorted and looked at the leather collar around her neck and the lightweight chains. The terrible memories from the spell in the throne room had worn off quickly when the maroon mare saw the brushes and other body care equipment the servants had brought. Now she felt just more general contempt and disgust. “We were told to tend to you,” the mare brushing Dew’s mane said in a tired voice, she looked the oldest and most worn. “We just assumed, since you wear the consort collars.” “Dew.” Foxy glared at her sister. “I’m going to kill the Doctor.” “Now, now, just let them finish, we might as well play along for now,” the blue pegasus said calmly, though deep inside she was just as unimpressed. She just had a feeling that if the servants didn’t do their jobs, they would be punished and she kept thinking back to the poor stallion who had been whipped for the simple act of stumbling and being too tired to walk on. “Dew, you know I’m not comfortable with being prettied up, if I see a single dress shown my way, I can’t be held responsible for what I might do,” Foxy whispered and winced for the last time when the servant was finally done with her mane and started on her coat. “I’m not exactly thrilling at this idea either, Foxy. But just look at them, they are scared out of their wits, let them finish and hopefully we will be out of here before anything bad happens,” Dew responded sharply. Foxy fell silent, mumbling something about bossy older sisters. She glanced back at the servant mare tending to her. She looked young, in her teens in fact. The pegasus frowned a little and just couldn’t fathom why someone would force such a young girl to work, she was pretty sure the three servant mares were just as much slaves as the ones in chains outside. “Hey, what’s your name?” Foxy asked, the servant warily looked up at her. “Uh…Emerald, miss,” she whispered and continued brushing the coat. “Ack, don’t ‘miss’ me, I’m Foxy, just call me that.” The pegasus smiled warmly. Emerald just nodded and continued with her work. Foxy frowned and wondered how to spark a longer conversation with the teen. Somehow asking how long she had been a servant didn’t seem appropriate. Everyone were though momentarily distracted by a loud voice coming from somewhere: “THIS IS A WHAAAAAAT!?” “Oh my, that was Private.” Dew gulped and her brow sunk in worry. “I hope he’s alright.” “Wow, didn’t know he could scream this loud.” Foxy blinked. The servants made no remark and just continued their work. Foxy took a glance at the pile of clothes on a nearby chair, it where the ones she and Dew had worn when arriving. The servants had helped them out of them before starting to work on their manes and coats. The pegasus walked over forcing Emerald to follow her as she was still brushing. “Well since we are hampered from flying right now, I don’t suppose the scarfs are long enough to use as a rope to escape out the window,” Foxy said and glanced over to Dew. “Foxy, we’re not leaving anywhere without Private and the Doctor,” the blue pegasus grunted. “I didn’t say anything about leaving them, just brain storming escape ideas.” Foxy grinned a little though it was a bit forced. “Because I’m getting bored out of my mind just sitting here and being brushed to look more pretty for that stupid… he’s not standing right behind me is he?” Foxy quickly glanced back but was relieved to see no one had in fact entered the room, it was still just her, Dew and the three servants. The crystal ponies were though starting to look a little confused. “She’s always like that when she’s bored,” Dew told them and chuckled slightly. “Frankly I wish he would just show up here already and get this over with,” Foxy grunted and walked back over to Dew, forcing Emerald yet again to run after her. “Foxy, let her finish.” Her sister pointed at the green servant who had started her work again. The maroon pegasus grumbled and sat back down, folding her legs as she did. “Excuse me, do you know who that mare was that was chained near the throne?” Dew asked, addressing the oldest of the servant. “That’s Amber Waves,” the old mare whispered and looked even sadder. “She’s the King’s… personal slave.” I gathered as much, the blue pegasus thought with a mild frown. “Is she the only one?” Dew wondered but then looked at her collar and cringed. “No wait, don’t answer that question.” The servants didn’t seem to dare talk more anyway and now hurried with their work. Before the two pegasi mares knew it, they had finished and left the room, taking also their old clothes with them. Dew frowned and couldn’t help but wonder why they had suddenly sped up their work, maybe she had started asking too sensitive questions. “Well so much for the scarf escape route.” Foxy looked at the now empty chair. “Any bright ideas?” “None,” Dew grunted and rose up, she walked over to the innermost window of the room, it had a view of the city. She could see tired and ragged ponies walking around on the streets. Unlike Foxy, the frightening images from the spell hadn’t left her mind. Dew was very worried; she had noticed that the Doctor hadn’t smiled once ever since he realized where they were. It was highly unusual if he wasn’t smiling or grinning, even in face of danger. The way he spoke to King Sombra, it was obvious they had met before and that they didn’t like each other. That isn’t so unusual though, we’ve met plenty of ponies before that the Doctor’s met previously. Even some the Doctor was not too glad to meet again, but this time, it was like he was afraid. The mare furrowed her brow as she considered this. “Oooh, ooh, we could use the bedsheets.” Foxy was clearly still brainstorming escape ideas. Dew just shook her head and kept her focus on the outside. “Gah where is Private and his magic when you need it,” the maroon mare grumbled. That actually caused Dew to turn her head to see what her sister was up to. Foxy was in the process of trying to remove the sheets, but it seemed they were fastened to the bed with some sort of fasteners that were difficult to remove with hooves or your mouth. At least if you didn’t know how. “Seriously, what kind of sheets are fastened to the bed,” Foxy remarked and tried her best to pull at the sheets. Dew just smiled and once again shook her head, mildly amused by her sister. Her smile dropped when seeing dark magic aura envelope the doors and they began to slowly open. Foxy was still too busy with the sheets to take notice. “Um Foxy…” Dew grimaced when seeing King Sombra enter. Foxy spat out the mouthful of bedsheet she had and looked up at Dew, she hadn’t heard her nor noticed that her sister was looking past her. The maroon pony looked rather annoyed as she pointed at the sheets. “It’s like this was intentionally made to be difficult to take off, at least without some magic. Really is that idiot that paranoid of prisoners using the sheets as rope?” she asked and raised her hoof, it made a clank sound as it made contact with Sombra’s breast plate. “Oh… now he’s right behind me.” Foxy carefully glanced to her side to stare at the grinning face of the king. “Well, more to your side actually,” King Sombra corrected with a chuckle. Foxy let out a nervous giggle and quickly sidestepped away so there was more space between her and the tyrant. “I do hope you are both enjoying your accommodation, I can see already that my servants have been tending to you,” he said glancing now at Dew who didn’t move from the window. Foxy carefully took another sidestep to increase further the distance from the king. “I suppose, is this the luxury edition of your dungeons? Because don’t try to tell me we are just your guests,” Dew responded dryly. King Sombra chuckled and started to approach the mare. He was amused by her attitude, having seen glimpses of it in the throne room. She wasn’t trying to be defiant, but she was clearly attempting to be brave and was making a valiant effort of it. “My dungeons are reserved for spies and other enemies of the state. There is no need to overcrowd them after all, others go to my mines or other hard labor,” Sombra stated as he stopped right in front of Dew. He leaned his head down so he was nearly muzzle to muzzle with her. “Are you telling me you would prefer any of those alternatives?” Dew faltered a little, she had to admit that right now there was an advantage to being in this room over the dungeons or the mines. They probably didn’t have a free run around the castle but at least here they had a higher chance of being able to escape and free the others. “No… just confused, I mean we came here with a pony you threw in the dungeons. We will not deny being his friends,” Dew Doe whispered and found it increasingly difficult to hold the gaze with Sombra, his red intent eyes seemed to burn right through her and she could almost feel the dark magic welling inside of him. “True, you did,” Sombra nodded and took a step back. He turned his head slightly to look at Foxy who was still standing nervous further away. “It’s probably not escaped either of you that the Doctor and I are not friends,” he snorted and frowned slightly. “However.” The frown vanished and he smiled again as he turned his attention back to Dew. “The Doctor didn’t speak to deaf ears. My business is with him, not you. I will not grant his request to release you but I will not harm you, unless you give me a reason to.” “Joy, so why the collars?” Foxy blurted out and tugged at the chains on her neck wear, causing her sister to palm her face with one hoof. “A security measure, you did arrive with the Doctor after all.” Sombra moved away from Dew and now approached Foxy who gulped and considered asking for a mouth zipper next Heart Warming’s eve, that is if she lived to see another Heart Warming. “Just so you know my brain and my mouth aren’t always connected together or in agreement, so I may not always say what I meant to say,” the maroon mare tried to clarify as the king stepped up in front of her. “Slap me,” Sombra simply said. Foxy blinked at this odd request that came completely out of the blue. She looked at Dew Doe who was just as confused. She looked at Sombra again who waited patiently with a grin on his face. “You want me to slap you?” she asked just for clarification, the king nodded. “I should warn you that I don’t always know my own strength.” “You can proceed whenever you wish,” the king said holding back a chuckle. Foxy slowly and hesitantly lifter her hoof, then raised it fully and swung it, expecting to hit the stallion square in the face. But in mid swing her entire body froze, suddenly the collar began chocking her, the mare gasped for air and crumbled to the ground. “FOXY!” Dew cried and came running over. She dropped down to the floor and gathered her sister into her front legs. The collar had stopped choking her and the maroon pony was now coughing and retching. “And that’s why the collars,” Sombra chuckled, his smile now looking crueler. “So much for not harming us,” Dew snorted and hugged Foxy closer to herself. “You could just have told her that the collar would choke her if she tried to hit you.” “A burned hoof learns quicker to avoid the fire,” the king told her, his expression turning grimmer. He lowered his head to be once again muzzle to muzzle with Dew Doe. “I did also say, ‘unless you give me a reason to.’ Now I have demonstrated with this small sample what I am willing to do. So let me advice you, miss Dew Doe, don’t test my patience too much, my mercy has limits and so does my hospitality. Your sister will live, but there are far worse things I could do to you,” he growled menacingly. Dew said nothing and looked away. She concentrated on her sister, caressing her mane gently and holding her while Foxy regained composure again. The mare wasn’t even really sure why she had said that to Sombra. She looked up again when hearing the king walk away, he was headed towards the entrance of the room. “Servants will come with food for you soon, we’ll be talking later,” he said before he disappeared out of the chamber. Private breathed in and out, trying to calm himself down. The stallion sat in a middle of a room that was similar to the one Dew and Foxy occupied. Next to him sat a purple colored crystal pony stallion patting him reassuringly on the back. “I-I’m sorry sir, I didn’t mean to startle you like that,” the servant said apologetically, he was wearing a blue vest. “I guess I assumed His Majesty had informed you… uh what these… ah collars were.” The unicorn slowly glared at him causing the crystal pony to immediately stop patting him. Private then slowly raised one hoof and pushed the other stallion further away from him and his personal space. “Ah sorry?” the purple one cringed. “Why am I wearing… a consort… collar?” Private whispered sharply and used his magic to try and grab hold on the chains. He found that he couldn’t, there was some sort of a protection on them. “I don’t know, really, I’m as surprised as you are sir. His Majesty has so far only shown interest in mares as far as I could tell.” The crystal pony shrugged. He then gestured to himself. “I’m Rubinstein, I’ve been ordered to attend to you.” Nice… just nice. Private hung his head. Now he had a stallion servant too. “So anything you need? I could get the maids to come and brush your mane and coat, if you’re hungry I can send for food for you,” Rubinstein counted up but only received a cold glare from the unicorn. “Sorry, I ramble. This is a first time I’m attending a… royal consort…” He stopped for a second when receiving a death glare from Private. “Guest… I mean guest… I’m sure the collar is just a mistake.” “Anyway… this is actually the first time I attend to a guest too… I’ve just recently been moved to the castle to work. I used to be in the mines like the other slaves, but I suppose the position opened up. I rather not think about why the position opened up, I like sleeping at nights. I don’t even know why they picked me, do I look like a servant material to them? I used to be a mason before His Majesty took over,” the servant continued rambling, gesturing wildly with his hooves. “Do you always talk so much?” Private grunted and wondered if this was some form of torture King Sombra was subjecting him to. “Well, yes when I’m nervous I just start rambling on. Sorry, I can’t help it, I’ve been nervous ever since he took over, I mean he didn’t need mason slaves so I was just thrown into the mines and now I’m serving in the castle. I’m just so out of my element,” Rubinstein answered with a shrug. Just my luck. Private lay down on the floor and wrapped his front legs around his head. Rubinstein had not stopped talking and was now rambling about his family of whom he had no news at all, then went on about the other servants who Private had no idea who were and then went into another long winded ramble on what he should be doing for the unicorn. Private almost wished he had just been thrown into the dungeons. But deep down he really couldn’t fault the crystal pony from being nervous, it couldn’t be fun to be serving someone like King Sombra, not knowing where his family was and probably being at risk being sent in chains back to the mines at any time. Or worse. The unicorn sat up and then leaned towards the servant and put a hoof over his mouth. As much as he sympathised, all this chattering was starting to grind at his nerves. Rubinstein fell silent and looked unsure at Private who removed his hoof. “Just be quiet for now, please,” Private said and sighed in relief when the servant nodded and did not resume talking. With silence finally achieved the unicorn started to look around. However, the room, although luxurious wasn’t all that remarkable. He was also pretty sure that window didn’t open fully. He would need more information before proceeding with making any plans. Then I guess I have no choice but open up the chatterbox again. He sighed and turned back to Rubinstein. “You wouldn’t know why he’s so interested in Equestrian unicorns? Because that’s so far the only reason I can think of why I’m not rotting in the dungeon,” Private asked. “I wouldn’t know sorry sir.” The servant shook his head. Private sighed, he wasn’t so good at this questioning thing. That was more the Doctor or even Dew Doe and Foxy. He was almost tempted to just tell Rubinstein to resume his rambling, who knows, maybe something useful would come out by accident. “How far from here is the dungeon?” he decided to ask. “Uh far, you’ll need go all the way down and to the sublevels. It’s constantly guarded,” Rubinstein responded, wondering at the question. The unicorn frowned, considering Sombra said he would be under constant watch, that would make it difficult to go the dungeons and try and spring the Doctor out. He was about to ask some more when the doors to the chamber opened and in walked King Sombra. Rubinstein flinched and immediately ducked down in a bow. Private rose up to stand, refusing to bow for the king. The tyrant just chuckled before glaring down at the covering crystal pony. “Leave us!” he snapped. Rubinstein immediately rose up and hurried out of the room. The doors closed behind him with a slam. “So Private,” Sombra glanced at the unicorn and smiled. “Enjoying the company?” “Uh… sure, why not,” Private grunted and grimaced a bit when the king came even closer. “That’s good to hear, you like the room I’ve provided for you?” King Sombra started to circle him in a rather tight circle, even swatting the tail so it came only inches from hitting the smaller unicorn. “I… guess.” Private was really starting to feel uncomfortable and had to lean his head back so the black tail of the tyrant didn’t strike him. “Good,” the king stopped so he stood beside his prisoner. I swear to Celestia if he doesn’t stop this… Private grit his teeth, almost fearing something was going to happen he wasn’t going to like. Aside from the king’s insistence to stand so close to him. He froze when a leg was put around him. “Now I must confess that I have always had certain fascination with Equestrian unicorns. Then again you probably guessed that already back in the throne room,” King Sombra said, greatly enjoying the discomfort he was causing the other unicorn. “Now as pathetic as your little display of magic was it still wasn’t half bad. I must admit it probably would have been more boring to have a unicorn with more magical potential. I mean, somepony like you probably barely has any magical defenses at all,” he continued and suddenly hugged Private even closer to him, pressing their heads together. “Care to put that to the test.” Will you PLEASE, let go off me. Private was screaming on the inside. This was just really starting to get too freaky for him. There was little though he could do, Sombra was too strong and held him firmly. The king’s horn began glowing and his eyes turned green. Private winched as his own horn was suddenly forcefully activated. The King had turned it on quite easily. The smaller unicorn gasped as he could feel a drain, it was like something was being sucked out of his body, then he heard a cruel chortle inside his own head. “This wasn’t even a challenge, how disappointing, but it will serve its purpose,” the dark voice of the king remarked. “Now stay still my little one, this next part will hurt!” The drain stopped and now Private could feel a searing pain. It started up in the horn and then slowly crawled down it, entered his head and then began coursing through his entire body. The unicorn started crying out and began to struggle against it, but he was still held firmly by the evil king. “Make it stop… MAKE IT STOP!” Private started screaming in agony. Finally Sombra did let go and the smaller unicorn crumbled to the floor, moaning and sobbing in pain. The king deactivated both horns and stared smirking down at the prisoner. Private had his front hooves on his head and breathed heavily. “It always does hurt at first, but then you get used to it,” King Sombra whispered softly and started to gently caress the blonde mane beneath his feet. “I’ve infused some of my own magic into you, help you boost you up a little bit. See how it works with what little magic you have in you.” The King continued to admire his handiwork, this had been a bit easier than he had expected and he was a little disappointed that the unicorn couldn’t struggle more against it. However, he was not one to complain since what he had set out to do had in fact worked. He continued to stroke Private’s mane, giving him false assurance that this was all over now. Sleep, little one, you and your friends will be useful tools to use against the Doctor, he thought and cast a sleeping spell on Private. Then Sombra levitated the unicorn to the bed before leaving the room. End chapter 4.