Celestia gasped in pain, the intake of breath into her lungs stinging like needles in her chest. She blinked, the light unusually blinding and piercing. For a few moments, she was... confused. For one, she wasn't in her room in the Crystal Palace. Rather, she was in a dark... cell?
"Glad to see you finally awake, Celestia..." a voice hissed, distorted heavily from an unknown magic.
Celestia turned quickly, expecting to find somepony, but was unsuccessful. She attempted to speak, only to cough violently, a glob of congealed blood exploding from her maw as she hacked away the pain that burned her lungs. The princess' eyes watered horribly, the pain emanating from her barrel becoming unbearable at this point. But, as soon as the pain started, it stopped, leaving Celestia gasping for breath, the coppery taste of fresh blood still coating her tongue.
"W-Who are you?" Celestia shivered, the unnerving silence annoying and stressing her greatly. The room was empty, save for the four walls that enclosed her. They were made of stone brick, and were etched in symbols she did not recognize.
"Well... that is a question, isn't it?" the voice mocked. "You seem to always think that YOU get to ask the questions..."
"You've sat upon your throne of power for too long, Celestia..." the voice chuckled darkly.
The solar alicorn opened her mouth to retort, but was interrupted by another string of coughs, the burning, stabbing pain assaulting her lungs once more, blood speckling the otherwise clean floor with red. Again, the pain ceased, the mare falling to the floor with a 'thud'. She whimpered uncharacteristically, the pain unlike anything she had ever experienced before. She gasped, snarling with rage as she attempted to summon up her magic. With a stabbing sensation, she collapsed once more, a cry of agony flying from her lips.
The pain... nothing could describe the pain...
She had a headache now, too...
"Now... I'm going to ask some questions... you will answer them. Are... we... CLEAR?" the voice boomed, seemingly coming from every direction now. Celestia's head span like a top, both physically and mentally. This voice... whoever or WHATEVER it was, obviously had her in some sort of magical trap or psychosis, her body simply not responding to her command at most points. She would have growled in defiance, but it stopped that, to.
"Yes..." she whimpered, finally.
She had no other choice. She would play this... game.
"Good. Now we are getting along." the voice stated. "Now... the scenario is simple. Answer the questions. TRUTHFULLY. That is all that I ask. Once you are done, you are free to go..." the voice boomed, emotionlessly.
Celestia shivered, the room she sat in unimaginably cold all of a sudden. Her teeth chattered, before she responded.
"What happens if I don't answer truthfully?" she asked.
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"PAIN..."
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"Let us begin, shall we?"
"Did you know Shining Armor was to ascend to alicornhood. Yes or no will suffice..." the voice asked, unnaturally politely...
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"Yes."
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"Good. Did you know that he would ascend into lichdom as well?"
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"No..."
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"Did you send them to fight Sombra, aware of his ascent to this pedestal of necromancy?"
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"N..."
PAIN.
She screamed, the pain actually causing her to gag and wretch, her eyes watering horribly from the sensation. After what felt like an eternity of agony, the throbbing ceased, leaving the hardened mare sobbing upon the floor like a filly.
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"DON'T LIE TO ME." the voice boomed, quite obviously irritated with her ruse. She snorted, or attempted to, and sat back up, her barrel burning.
"Now, did you send SHINING ARMOR and PRINCESS CADENCE to fight Sombra, aware of his ascent to this pedestal of necromancy?!"
"YES!" she screeched, the pain coming back in echoing waves now...
"Good. Now, how did you know of his condition?"
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"L-Luna. She was... Sombra's lover. At one point..." she sobbed, the pain echoing away now, only to inevitably return later. "He... he wanted immortality. To be with her..."
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"Good girl. See how we get along when you tell me the truth?" the voice mocked, clearly enjoying this sadistic game.
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"Now... WHY did you not tell Shining Armor of his destiny?"
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"He... I..."
"CHOOSE YOUR WORDS CAREFULLY, PRINCESS..." the voice growled, the cell she resided rumbling with the volume and baritone.
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"I... I am not sure."
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Nothing.
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"Good." the voice said, simply. Calmly. It was appeased.
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"One more question, Celestia..."
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"Are you resentful for what suffering your 'games' cost him? What sorrow you bestowed upon Cadence?"
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"Yes."
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"Good."
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"Now, Celestia. You are given one question. Choose it wisely..."
Celestia thought hard on this one...
On one hoof, she would know the perpetrator responsible for assaulting and interrogating a monarch of Equestria, but on the other...
She would know who to fear...
Who to hide from...
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"Who are you?"
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"Heh... my name..."
"Well... I am known by many. The most pretentious would be the 'God of Death'. The most insulting would be the 'Jailor of the Damned'. The most accurate would be..."
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"The Lich King..."
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"Sleep tight, Celestia..."
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