A black mist, no, FOG, swirled around the hooves of a stallion as he slowly trotted to the center of a network of tunnels while his eyes gleamed dark and foreboding in the never ending darkness. He sat down for a minute to catch his breath and took a scan of his surroundings. "It's almost time," he growled under his breath to a mare who had met up with him a few tunnels before.
"I know Black Fog," she answered him stiffly. Then they came into a cave where the ceiling arched high above their heads and a three foot long hole in the top of it cast dim moonlight into the pitch black space. Straight under the hole, where the moonlight was brightest, a stallion was sitting on a long couch with a mug of coffee in one hoof while he held a newspaper in the other. All of a sudden he slammed the newspaper onto the table in front of him and started to rip it to sheds just as the pair stepped in front of him and dipped their heads respectfully to him.
"Ah, my slaves have arrived I see," he looked mockingly at them as a fragment of moonlight revealed their bones, stark against their rippling skin. Another sign of how poorly he was treating them, they had scars laced across their bodies from muzzle to hooves. Then, Black stepped forward and bowed his head. When he lifted his head and stared steadily into the other stallion's eyes you could see that his eyes actually didn't gleam menacingly. His eyes actually looked haunted, frightened, and even scared. But you can tell he isn't scared for himself.
Black looked the other stallion and asked desperately, "How much longer are you keeping my family hostage Dummau?".
"I'll let them free them when I feel like it!" Dummau snapped back, "Or, would you rather I dropped them in the vat of acid?" he added threateningly.
"NO!! DON'T DROP THEM IN THERE!!!!" Black pleaded, horrified at the thought of them being killed in cold blood because of his own actions. Dummau cackled happily at the power he held over all of his 'slaves'.
"Good slave," he said smoothly as he turned away from Black and disappeared into the tunnel in front of him. Black gritted his teeth and spat at the entrance to the tunnel angrily.
"I know it hurts," the mare murmured, "But giving him the reaction he wants will only provoke him to do it more," she added forcefully.
"I know Icicle," Black closed his eyes as he press himself against her bony, yet, reassuring frame, "I don't what I would do without you,"
"I don't know what either of us would do without the other," Icicle answered as she pulled him into a hug. "Besides, it's Dummau's fault that we both got our power's and captured us," she added trying to lighten the load of guilt that she know's is there. Black knew that she was trying to do that.
"You know I'll ALWAYS, feel guilty for what has happened to us," he sighed unhappily. "The next time that we see our families.......... will be heaven............ if we even go to there instead of the other place.........." Black's eyes started to water up with tears and Icicle wiped them away.
"I know that we've been forced to do some very bad things lately. But inside, we both have good hearts. That should be enough for us, and isn't dying better than working for Dummau?" she gently inquired. Black moved out of her grasp and stared at the wall behind Icicle, his eyes glazed with fear and sadness.
"I need time to think," he stuttered and fled down a tunnel.
"Oh Black," she sighed, "Why can't you let somepony into your life....." she questioned the air he left behind. But she already knew the answer. It's because he's afraid he'll hurt somepony, and one day, he will........