//------------------------------// // Shadows Of My World // Story: Shadows Of My World // by HopeForTheFew //------------------------------// In the dark hallways of the old castle sits a man, waiting and waiting for a chance, just, one chance. And he's about to get it... Shadows Of My World By HopeForTheFew "Were going to pull them out, one by one!" The pony said wickedly as it reached into its bucket of tools. In the bucket the pony grabbed a pair of pliers and looked down at the bloody mess that awaited below. There was the man, staring up at his captor with disdain and pitty. The mans eyes went wide and he tried to break free from his bindings. But he was unable to do so. He bit hard on the gag that was in his mouth as he watched helplessly as the pony drew nearer and nearer to its destination. "And boy are we gonna love it!" The pony shouted as it dove in and grabbed the mans fingernail with the pair of pliers. And in one quick motion, the pony tore the fingernail right off. Blood sprayed and muffled screams were heard as the man franticly tried to escape. The man shut his eyes hard as he began to cry. Nail after nail was pulled and tear after tear fell. And all the man could do was take the pain, time after time. "I think that's enough for today." The pony said as it finished dumping the fingernails in the small trash bin that resided in the corner. "I gotta say, I'll be very happy to see you tomorrow! There's just something about putting you through pain that takes all the stress right out of me." The pony said as it walked toward the door that led out into an old hallway. "Goodnight!" The pony said as it slammed the door and left the man alone in the dark. The man coughed loudly and he felt a thick liquid travel up his esophagus. The pony removed the gag but the man knew that screaming would not travel through the old thick walls. He continued to cough and he every time he would, a sharp pain would go throughout his whole body. And, soon enough, he started to cough up blood. When the man finally stopped his fit, he leaned his head forward and closed his eyes. Tomorrow would be another day, maybe that day would come late this time. "How you doing shining? Hows the wife?" The pony asked Shining Armor as they crossed paths in the hallway. Armor looked at the pony and replied: "So far, life is good, the baby's coming on quickly and boy does it kick." "Well that's good to hear. Say, me and the gang are heading out to the poker tables, whacha say? Wanna come along?" "Sounds good to me." Armor replied. "What time?" "8:00 o clock sharp." The pony answered. Armor smiled and said: "I'll be there." The two ponies gave curt nods to each other and went their separate ways. Armor traveled down the hallway until he came to an unlit corner. He looked left and right and then pushed a hidden button in the wall. The Canterlot Castle has had many secret doors and passages throughout the years for safety purposes and Shining decided to take use of some of them. When he pressed the button, there was a low rumble and a cloud of dust came rolling out of the wall as it opened. Shining gave off a loud cough as he inhaled the dirt. He snorted as he walked into the hidden passage. His horn lit up to aluminate the passage as he began to walk into the dark depths of what awaited him. He gave off a twisted smile as the door behind him closed shut after he pushed another button. He walked down the passage and began to quietly hum a soft tune to himself and the farther he walked, the larger his smile grew. He continued down the dark hallway until he found a door at the end of it. It was a modern item and looked displaced with all the other gothic like things that scattered the hallway. Armor walked up to the door and reached to the right side of it, there, he pushed another button and all the lights in the hallway started to flicker and then lit up and aluminated the hallway without his need of magic. He then reached for the doorknob, twisted it slightly and opened it quietly. The well lubricated hinges made no noise as the door slid open. Shining hit the light switch and light flooded into the room. He stared bewildered at the wooden chair that resided in the middle of the room. Everything was there... Except. Then, before he could finish the thought, a large fist slammed down on the unicorns horn. Shining's world went black as he tumbled to the stone floor that awaited him below. The man tied Shining Armor to the chair that was once his. Once he was finished he turned to the corner of the room. There sat the bucket of tortuous tools that was used on him. He walked toward it and, once he reached it, gazed in and looked at all the things he had. But out of all the complex tools, the man picked up a hammer and walked back to Shining. Once he reached the unicorn he raised the hammer and slammed it down on the unicorns muzzle; smashing his teeth in. The sound the hit made was deafening and it was like glass being shattered in the loudest octave. The man then turned to the door and limped his way to it, opened it, and exited the room, turning the light off as he went forward. He grunted as he fell hard to the ground, tears spilling out of his eyes as he gazed down at his hands. They were shredded, beaten and bruised, it was a miracle he was able to put that much force into his hands. He grunted as he sat up and leaned his head against the old stone wall. He wanted to leave, to get out of there, but his body wouldn't let him, he was too tired. So he closed his eyes and soon, fell asleep. When the man awoke, he found himself still in the hallway and, slowly, he turned his head toward the door where Shining was. The man sighed as he stood up and started to walk toward the exit. He had been there for weeks and all that time he had expected that unicorn to screw up. It took long enough too, all he had to do was weaken the ropes, and he did just that... The man woke up, still in his prison. He shook his head to try and wake up and, once he was finished he leaned his head back. He grunted as he pulled hard on the ropes. This must have been his hundredth time doing it, but, this was the first time the unicorn had forgotten to tighten the ropes. He pulled again and again and again until he wore himself out. He wiggled and wiggled and then, out of the blue, he felt it, the rope, it was starting to become loose. The mans eyes widened and he began to pull again. Then he heard it, someone was coming. The man picked up his pace and pulled harder and faster. He eventually got the ropes off his hands and quickly reached down to his feet, untied the ropes down there and stood up. It was the first time in weeks he had been free after traveling East. The man limped toward the door and stood by it. The noise was getting closer and closer and he knew just who the hoof steps belonged to. The mans face contorted to one of anger as he waited, and waited. And when it came time, the door opened and stepped in the unicorn. Shining stared on in bewilderment and the man raised his fist. And then a there was a loud crack as everything went black for the unicorn. The man limped his way down the old hallway toward the exit. When he reached it, he pressed a button on the side and the door opened, a cloud of dust and a low rumbling signifying its opening. When it opened, the man peeked both ways before limping his way out. There was a window right in front of the man, tears filled his eyes as he walked forward, he couldn't say how long it had been since he had seen the sun. Ponies were out and about in the city below him. As he stared on with blurry eyes, he cracked a small smile. It had been a while since he was able to do that, smile. In a little bit of time, that smile grew and it must have been the biggest one that man had every before had on his face. And then it faded. "Hey!" A guard yelled out and the man whipped his head around. He snarled as he turned the other direction and started limping as fast he could down the hallway. The pony quickly caught up to the man and turned his gallop into a fast trot. "You look in pretty rough shape, why don't we take you to the infirmary?" The guard asked. "No thank you." The man said through gritted teeth. "I just want to leave." "That's fine, but, first you wouldn't mind telling where those wounds came from would you?" The guard asked in curiosity. "I haven't seen anything like that on a Human before. And that leaves another question, where did you come from? I haven't seen you around here before." "That's my business." The man replied. Both of them kept moving forward. "But, hey, could you show me the exit?" The man asked as he looked toward the guard. "Yeah, sure, follow me." The guard replied as he led the man toward the exit of Canterlot Castle. "All available guards head towards the southern exit hallway, we have an emergency here. Captain Shining Armor has been severely injured." Came a voice from the Earthpony's helmet. The mans eyes widened, he forgot to close the door. He turned toward the guard. "Hold on, I have to report to something real qui----ck." The pony froze as he slowly turned around. The bloody mess that stood before him raised his fist and slammed the back of it to the side of the pony's head. It was then that the Earth pony's world went black. The man dragged the Earth pony into a dark corner and then began to limp his way down the hallway, frantically looking for an exit. His breathing picked up and his heart beat rose. He had to find a way out, he had to. He wouldn't go back to that room. He would fight to the death before he went back to that room. As the man traveled further down the hallway, ponies started to appear left and right. He got gazes from all of them and some wanted to start conversation, but the man wasn't in any kind of mood to do so. He pushed his way past crowds and through guards. He must have been nearing the exit, he had to be. And then they came... The guards had got wind of him. When the first one came up to him and asked that he come with them he refused and made a public image of himself by knocking that pony out as well when they tried to take him by force. The man even started to run, in as bad a shape as he was he started to run. He knew the guards were on him, he needed to get out. He needed to go home, to see his family again, his children again. Tears filled the mans eyes as he kept pressing on. And then, everything seemed like it was in slow motion. He saw the guards after him from every direction, he had no way to escape, yet he needed to escape. He needed to say goodbye, one last time... But little did that man know, it wasn't the last time he would say goodbye...