Chapter 11 - ...and you lose what's held dear. (Part 3 of 3)
Bon Bon ran through what was left of the Library. Without a shadow of a doubt, she knew the destruction she saw wasn’t Laplace's doing.
“Holy dear Celestia,” she muttered. “Sir Fury, what did you do?”
She ran until she heard a voice.
“So… was that it?”
Laplace! Bon Bon hid behind the nearest bookshelf, staying out of sight.
“Was that seriously all, Mister Fury?” Laplace said in the distance.
Bon Bon, still in the shadows, popped her head out of her cover to see Laplace in standing in a crater over a familiar pony.
Sir Fury! Oh crap, what did she do to you?
Bon Bon retreated back to her hiding spot.
Oh, who am I kidding. That hole in the ground was probably your doing.
“That was it, wasn’t it?” Laplace walked into the crater toward Sanctus.
“For a moment, we really thought you had the power to end us. Thanks for confirming our hypothesis that we truly are beyond death. If you couldn’t send us into the next life, nopony could, huh?”
Laplace stopped walking and looked down on the broken stallion.
This wasn’t the moment she wanted.
“You know, we’ve been fantasizing about this moment where we finally beat you for so many years. So many different speeches, all the things to break you before you die… yet here we are. You’re half dead and can't hear a word.”
Bon Bon watched from the shadows as Laplace inspected Sanctus’s unconscious body.
The demon lifted his hoof up, then watched it fall to the floor limp.
“YeaH, you ain’t getting up…. It’s all worthless. Can’t even let us have this, will you?”
“I won’t let you have it, of course,” Laplace said, imitating Sanctus’ voice. “You’re weak, you don’t deserve—ah shut up!” Laplace wildly stomped the floor in frustration. Magic gripped Sanctus and she tossed him around like a doll, throwing him out of the crater in a petulant rage.
Her rage carried on for a full minute before it began to fade. Bon Bon listened from her hiding spot as Laplace's roars turned into frustrated grunts, and then to deep breaths.
Back in full control of her emotions, Laplace turned to Sanctus’ body, slowly walking up to him and stopping, staring at Sanctus.
"So this is how it ends."
Peeking out once more, Bon Bon saw a ball of magic begin to form at the tip of Laplace’s raised hoof.
“You call me weak, yet you don’t have any strength of your own. You were the weak one, you always were."
“You only said I was weak because you’re weak. All that talk of strength was just a bluff. You are the weak one. You always were.” The ball of magic doubled in size.
Bon Bon was out of time.
Laplace stared at Sanctus’ body, taking one final look at the stallion. The broken image she would engrave into her mind, her reward for her conquest. “Goodbye, fucker.”
“Shield!” Bon Bon shouted as Laplace fired her deathball at Sanctus only for a small shield to pop up right in front of him. The magical blast bounced off Bon Bon’s shield and back into the demon.
For the first time in one thousand years, Laplace faced the brunt of her own magic as the deathball exploded in her face, sending Laplace flying into the air. The remaining pieces of her body hitting the ceiling far away.
Without a moment to lose, Bon Bon ran forward and grabbed Sanctus and slung him over her back. “You old idiot. Captain Armor said not to do exactly what you did. Let's get the hell out of here.”
With her mentor secured, she turned to the exit only for a flash of light to block her path. Zircon appeared and plopped to the ground, now sporting a new set of metallic limbs and a large scar across her chest.
“Shit, shit!” Zircon said as she regained her sense from her reckless teleport. Zircon shot to her legs and saw Bon Bon, followed by Sanctus’ destruction behind her, and then Sanctus himself on the paladin's back.
“Oh shit,” she shouted before she ran up to Bon Bon. “Kid, what the hell happened?”
Zircon then proceeded to ignore Bon Bon's answer by cutting her off the moment she opened her mouth. The black pull of Zircon's magic tok the stallion off Bon Bon. “You’re as dumb as your brother," she said to unconscious stallion. “Why do you have to be such an idiot?” Zircon placed the stallion on her backside. "I'm not losing you too, you dumb oaf."
"Witch,” Bon Bon said “we need to get out of here. Right. Now. I knocked her away, we only got a minute before she comes back.”
“No, you’re out of time.”
From the darkness of the ruined library, a dark cloud descended upon the two mares.
"As impressive as it was turning our own magic against us, the only thing you've succeeded in doing is PISSING US OFF."
"Shit," Bon Bon muttered as she reached for her war hammer. "I'll hold her off, you get that guy out of—"
Zircon grabbed Bon Bon's hoof. “We ain’t winning this.”
"Correct. You ain’t. You're going to die, because we’re going to fucking kill you," boomed the cloud.
"Then how the hell do we get away from her?" was Bon Bon's reply.
A large, monstrous pony head made of shadows poked its head out of the cloud. Bon Bon turned the other way for a back exit, only to find the head of a dragon coming out of it.
"You don't."
Zircon grabbed Bon Bon with one metal claw and Sanctus’ body with the other. “We need to regroup. Where to?” Zircon asked.
"Any last words?" said the monsters in the cloud.
"Entrance. Now. Captain Armor’s waiting for us there."
“Right I’ll—”
“-WHAT?!”
With a poof the shadowy cloud surrounding them as well as the monsters inside it vanished. Light began to return to the room as the cloud cleared, leaving a young mare with a coat as white as snow.
“He’s here?” Laplace exclaimed, with a grand smile on her face.
“Oh thank the stars! He came for us!” Immediately, Laplace turned around and ran for the exit.
“Shining! My love! We're coming!”
Laplace vanished in a flash of light.
It was at that moment, Bon Bon realized she had made a terrible mistake.
June exhaled. She was free. Looking back to Flash far behind her she smiled as thoughts other than survival finally seeped into her brain. She smiled as she looked at her coltfriend, knowing that she was going to rock Flash’s world the first moment she could.
She saw the three guards in decorated pink armor approach her.
"Miss, please put him on the stretcher. We'll take him from here,” said one of them.
“Right. You take care of Steel, ok? He’s my friend.” June levitated the unconscious Steel Wings off her back and onto a provided stretcher.
Seymour Guise was next to follow, with Castle Crest in toe—the red mare from before—on his back. June did Castle a favor and levitated the young red mare off Castle’s back onto another stretcher.
June looked towards the gate for her coltfriend. Flash looked back at the library, getting a final glimpse at his prison.
"Come on, Sentry, it's time to get out of—"
From behind a bookshelf, there was the flash of a teleport.
Everypony's hairs went on end. She was here.
"Go!" Shining Armor shouted.
Shining and Flash dashed for the cell door exit, only for a purple magic to grab the door and slam it shut in front of them. They were cut off from the outside world and now were alone with her.
"Shining!!!" A white mare jumped out of the ground, tackling Shining Armor to the ground. Flash watched in shock as he realized the Demon of Canterlot wasn't trying to harm Shining. She was trying to hug him.
Laplace nuzzled the stallion. "Oh, you came for me!" she shouted as she buried her muzzle in his neck, taking in the smell of the stallion. "Thank the stars," she said, straddling him and staring at his eyes. Tears of joy ran down her face.
"My love, you came for us," Laplace exclaimed. Her hind legs bent up as the lovestruck mare looked at the stallion of her dreams.
As he opened his mouth, Laplace put a hoof on it. "No need for words my love, just this..."
Laplace pressed her lips deep to his, her snowy body wiggling left and right on the stallion.
Shining Armor tried to break free and push her off, but Laplace wrapped her hooves around him and kept their lips locked. Her tongue wormed its way into Shining Armor’s mouth.
Flash watched, confusion bubbling inside him until the corner of his eyes caught the door.
Flash moved to the door while the demon was distracted and saw the purple magic upon it, still locking him from his escape. On the other side of the cell doors, he saw June, Castle, and the soldiers trying to pull the door open. It was at that time he realized the hue, and who was behind it.
Laplace. They weren't trying to keep Laplace out. Laplace was trying to keep them in.
Shining Armor finally managed to break the kiss, and he gasped for air.
The lovestruck Laplace looked at him. "True love's kiss… it takes your breath away, doesn't it?"
The mare smiled and melted into Shining Armor. "Thank you, Shining… we almost forgot what you felt like. It's been so long since we've touched.” She gave him a soft, tender hug as she slid her head on top his neck and cuddled with the stallion of her obsession.
“We're so happy we're together again, you and us. I missed you—we missed you so much. Never leave us, Shining, stay with us forever."
Laplace’s smile grew as she reached down to kiss her one true love again. Her mind went blank as she closed her eyes, only love was allowed inside her heart.
“Oh Shining…” she sighed.
She leaned into the kiss and failed to find Shining Armor’s lips. Laplace opened her eyes, and saw she wasn’t kissing her one true love, but his magic.
He’s using a shield to stop true love’s kiss?
Silly Shining, you don’t know that we’re your—
It was at this moment she realized Shining wasn’t erecting a bubble around him, but her.
The bubble shrunk, barely giving Laplace any room to move trapping her inside Shining Armor’s bubble shield. All Laplace could do was struggle and watch as the love of her life slipped out from under her. He brushed off the dirt from his coat and turned to Flash.
“You can breathe easy, soldier. It’s over. She’s not breaking out of that.”
Flash sighed in relief.
“What type of play is this Shining? Oh, you tease…” said the trapped demon. “Playing with balls are fun, but there’s a certain pair we’d rather play with instead,” she said with a coy smile.
Shining Armor ignored her as he walked towards Flash.
“The spell will wear off after a while,” he said. “Let’s go while we still have the chance.”
“Shining! You gotta let us out. We can’t feel the spell we set up around us! If we don’t maintain it, that Bonny asshole is gonna be able to get over here and those ponies on the other side will open the door!”
Shining thought for a second before turning his head to Laplace. “That’s the point,” he said. “Sentry, let’s get that door open. We’re leaving.”
Laplace pounded a hoof on the bubble, sending nothing but a ripple through it.
“Leaving?! Shining, wait! You can’t leave without us! You came here for us!”
Shining Armor shook his head. “I came here for them. Not you.”
“But then when are you gonna get us out then?”
Shining Armor said nothing as he turned away from Laplace.
“Sentry, let’s move,” Shining said.
Just as the cell door finally swung open, Flash and Shining heard Laplace giggle.
“What’s so funny?” Shining asked, turning around and looking at Laplace.
Like a little filly, the demon mare was giggling, a hoof to her mouth. “Shining, we remember this spell.”
“And?”
“Shining, you’re using the same spell on me twice.”
“What does that—crap!”
A flash of Laplace’s magic shattered Shining Armor’s shield spell. Shining Armor was quick to throw up a new shield on Laplace’s position, but he was too late. Laplace vanished as a new shield bubble clamped down on the empty space where she once was. Shining heard a yelp behind him. "Flash!"
Shining turned around and saw his fears confirmed. Laplace floated in the air behind Shining Armor, but she was not alone. She held Flash as an equine shield, a hoof transformed into a claw wrapped around Flash’s neck, her nails ready to slit his throat.
“Hello Shining Armor,” Laplace began “This is my bargaining chip. Say hi, chip.”
Flash, struck in the demon’s grasp, spoke. “Sir…”
“Good,” Laplace said, looking back to up Shining Armor. “Now, how about we get down to negotiations, for realsies this time. And you ought to hurry because we don’t want…” Laplace poked Flash’s neck with one of her nails. “...something you can’t undo.”
Shining took a step towards her. “Let him go.”
“You’ll have to give me something for him, Shining. If you’re gonna leave me behind again, you’re gonna have to give us something for it.”
“No. You’re going to unhoof him, and we’re going to walk out of here.”
Laplace poked Flash’s neck and blood welled up at the spot. The stallion squirmed as he felt death creep closer. “Over his dead body. Remember who holds the chips here.”
Laplace has a little chuckle, her confidence brimming. “Here’s my demand: you take Flash’s place here, and stay with me in this prison.”
“No.”
“Don’t you know how much we love you? You’re the only thing we truly want. Come on, Shining… come live here with me.”
“If you really feel that way, prove you love me and let him go.”
“No! If we do, you’re just gonna leave! ”
“Yes, I am going to leave and you can keep this very luxurious prison we’ve allowed you. Despite all the things we’ve given you, at every single opportunity you try to stab us in the back. A bare cell and a loaf of bread is more than you deserve for how you’ve wronged us.”
The hostage-taker was taken back. “What are you talking about, my love? We haven’t done anything wrong!”
“Anything wrong? Anything wrong!” Shining exploded “When I pulled the half dead body of Conduct out of here, that wasn’t wrong? When you violated one of my friends, that wasn’t wrong? When you held hostage my soldiers and did goddess-knows-what to them, that wasn’t wrong?
The perceived impossibility of those words baffled Laplace's mind. “W-what?!” she cried out. “We don’t hate you! We love you!”
“You took my family from me!” Shining shouted. “Then you tried to murder the love of my life, and then you have the gall say you love me? You don’t know what love is!”
“Yes, I do! I know everything about love, and all of it is you! You’re my love, Shining Armor! Why can’t you understand that we’re doing this all for you?!” she shouted back. “You don’t know what’s good for you but we do! You do love us, you just don’t realize it yet because that whore put you under her spell. One of these days we’ll break that spell, so don’t worry, my love. But that’s not going to save Flash. If you want to save him, you need to give us something in return first.”
“You don’t get to make the deals.”
“Yes we do!” she said. Her grip on Flash’s neck tightened, making the pony yelp once more. “We don’t think you remember how a hostage situation works. The one holding the hostage gets to make the demands, remember? Don’t think we won’t kill him! Do what we say or he dies!”
“Just like how I told you to put Cadance down, and then you threw her over a balcony? You think I’d be a fool to trust you twice?”
Laplace rolled her eyes. “Of course you should. We’re only trying to help you. We love you after all, we’d never harm you.”
“Then let him go!”
“Then just give me Flash. How’s that for a deal? Just promote Flash to my new night guard, and we’ll let Flash go. The current one is getting old, and we want a new one. So make it Flash.”
“No.”
“Then he’s gonna die! You don’t want his blood on your hooves, do you?”
“I know you won’t. You can’t bring yourself to hurt something you care about. If you were willing to harm him, you would have petrified him like the others. You’re bluffing, and we both know it.” Shining Armor stared at her as he spoke, his gaze unflinching.
Laplace floated an inch back. She looked away, her mind running before she turned back to Shining Armor “Y-Yes we can! We’ll kill him! Just do what we say and we won’t hurt anypony else!”
Shining held his stare. “So you’d demand Flash, yet you’ll kill him? You’re not very good at this whole hostage thing, are you? I don’t think you understand how a hostage situation works.”
Laplace howled in frustration. “Why are you being so mean! Why are you being so unreasonable!? There’s absolutely no reason why you wouldn’t agree to this!”
Laplace gritted her teeth. Shining wasn’t going to listen to reason. She knew something was clouding his mind… or somepony.
“It’s that whore, isn’t it?!” Laplace’s eyes burned yellow with righteous indignation. “Cadance is here! I knew it! I knew it! She’s doing this to you!” she screamed at him. A sinister yellow aura began to radiate off the demon, the light of her eyes grew in intensity.
All four of the demon’s hooves became claws, fangs bearing as the image of princess flashed in her mind. “It’s that fucking whore, Cadance! It’s all her fault! She’s the one keeping you from loving us!”
The demon’s voice began to deepen as her limbs flailed in fury. “You do love me, you just don’t remember! She’s been brainwashing you to steal you away from us. She and all of her kin need to die! Just give me ten minutes… we won’t be soft like last time and just kill her. All of them! Mares, foals, and every other pony! No mercy for any of those fucking canterlot bastards! You’re the only pony who deserves to…”
The running blood on Laplace’s claws snapped her out of her madness.
“…live.”
Flash began to make a wet gasp, blood gushing from the gash in his throat.
“No.” Shining Armor froze in horror.
Laplace looked down in horror as she realized she had torn a deep gash in Flash’s neck during her rage. Her claw was covered in his blood.
Laplace shrieked as she dropped the dying soldier. He landed flat on his back, blood splashing from his torn neck; His consciousness fading as death came to take him.
“Flash!” she screamed
No no no!
We can’t lose him!
What did we do!?
We lose everything if he dies!
We have to save him!
Laplace dropped down on top of Flash, her horn brimming with a purple magic.
“Don’t die on me!” she shouted as her horn unleashed a torrent of magic zapping Flash.
“NO!” shouted Shining as Laplace and Flash were consumed in bright light.
When the light faded, Shining Armor saw the demon, as well as Flash… who was gasping for air.
Thank the stars he’s fine.
That was a close one…
Flash started coughing as air began to flow once again into his lungs. The moment his higher brain functions returned he reached for his severed throat to find it whole once again.
He looked up and saw Laplace, her hoof outstretched to his captain.
“See? See? Everything’s fine, he’s ok,” said Laplace. “No need to do something reckless, my love. Everything’s ok and it’s just like nothing happened.”
For Flash, as well as any other sane soul, Laplace’s words couldn’t have been further from the truth.
“Let’s get back to negotiating, ok? Where were we?”
The millisecond Laplace began to reach for Flash, he bolted. His wings spread out and flapped backwards across the ground and out of Laplace’s grasp.
“Wait! Flash!” she shouted.
“Now!” Shouted a mare from out of sight.
“—Constrixi!” two mares shouted.
Two pairs of conjured ropes shot out of the floor and immediately wrapped around Laplace, binding her. Black crystals emerged from the ropes, their anti-magic sapping any attempt of Laplace’s to grab Flash with her horn.
“No!” boomed Laplace as her bargaining chip freed himself.
Yes! Flash thrilled as he pushed himself past Shining Armor.
“No no no!” Laplace shouted as the black crystals worked their anti-magic on the demon, sapping any attempt to wield her magic. Laplace winced in frustration to break free but accomplished nothing. As the glow of Laplace’s horn faded, black crystals encroached on the demon’s horn, silencing any future attempts.
When her eyes reopened she saw a blue translucent dome made up of tiny hexagons, cast by Shining Armor. “A different shield spell. Unlike you, I learn my lessons. You will not be breaking out of that anytime soon.”
“Shining,” whined Laplace, “let us go. Why are you doing this to us?”
“Because you are a bitch with a capital C,” Zircon said, coming out of the shadows. Alongside her followed Bon Bon walking on three legs, her free hoof on her war hammer just in case.
When Laplace and Flash looked at the two, they noticed the body of Sanctus, floating peacefully on what seemed to be a magically constructed stretcher. Courtesy of the unicorn witch in the room no doubt.
“Good to see you, boy scout,” said Zircon to Shining Armor. “My crystals should stop her magic and keep her in place for now.”
“Thank you,” Shining Armor said.
“So we got your guys back, everything seems good. So…” Zircon clapped her hooves together now. “Mind if I kill her now?”
Shining shook his head. “That’s not why we’re here. We came here to secure her hostages. We’re done.”
“Whaaat?” Zircon groaned. “You know how dangerous she is! Why the hell are you letting this asshole live?”
Laplace shouted why. “Because if you assholes haven’t noticed, we can’t die!”
Zircon scoffed. “Oh please like I haven’t heard that one before. Just give me time.”
“Zircon, that’s not your concern. Look, for helping us out we’ll allow you access to her labs. We'll be disassembling it. I'm sure there's something there worth your while.”
Zircon knew this was a losing battle. Besides, she had more important priorities.“Sure, whatever. I’ll be back after Sanctus is taken care of.”
“Wait, my lab?” Laplace shouted. “Don’t touch it! It took us years to build that!"
Shining coldly looked at Laplace. “And you would have been able to keep it if you didn’t force our hoof.”
“What?! No!” Laplace shouted. “It’ll take forever to trick you all into giving us the materials to build a new one!”
“We will not be giving you that chance.” Shining Armor said. “While we still have you like this, we will be doing a full search of your library. Any and all contraband will be confiscated. Including that lab of yours.”
“Not my lab, no! We didn’t do anything to deserve this!” Laplace would have flailed like a child if she wasn’t bound.
“Ahhh! Why is Cadance doing this to us!” Laplace looked at Bon Bon and Zircon. “You paid shills of that whore! You’re going to—” A black crystal formed over Laplace’s mouth, reducing her to muffled grunts.
Grunts, to which Zircon just laughed. “Paying me? Kid, this gig was free. I mean, if that princess you’re bitching about was actually paying me I would have listened to her asking us to not kill you.”
Shining Armor glared at Zircon.
“What? Money talks,” Zircon said. “Especially after all the shit that fucker’s put all of us through, you think I’d show Laplace mercy for free? Don’t be so naive, boy scout, ok?” Zircon walked past Shining Armor and gave his shoulder a playful nudge.
“So if you don’t mind, I’m gonna be taking my idiot to the ward,” Zircon said, hoisting Sanctus’ body back over her back. “I need to slap some sense into him once he wakes up for scaring me the way he did. By the way, I’ll send the bill for my new legs—”
“He pays for you,” Shining Armor said, pointing at Sanctus. “I’m not that naive.”
Zircon grinned. “See? You’re learning already boy scout. You’ll make your dad proud yet.”
Zircon walked away from Shining Armor and towards the cell door exit out of Laplace’s Library. With a simple application of magic, the cell door swung open. Zircon turned to Flash. “Come on, kiddo, I’ve had enough for one day. I know you have too. Let’s go.”
Laplace made a loud grunt as the third most important thing to her got up. Flash looked at the bound demon.
“Sentry,” Bon Bon said to him, “it’s time to go.”
Laplace looked pleadingly at Flash.
“Flash, this isn’t over.”
Flash froze.
“Sentry?” Bon Bon saw Flash’s immediate hesitation. “Is something wrong?”
“No, nothing Ma’am,” Flash replied. “It was nothing. Let’s just go home.”
Laplace looked on as Flash walked out and saw him greeted by his friends. Conflicted emotions bubbled inside as his marefriend pulled him in for a deep long kiss outside of her jail cell, followed by pink armored ponies forcibly separating them and taking each one individually to parts unknown.
The demon had lost everything, but Laplace knew she had at least one silver lining.
The Demon of Canterlot would soon be free.
Chapter 11 - ...And you lose what’s held dear. (part 3 of 3)
end