//------------------------------// // Chapter 11 - The Evil and The Redeemed // Story: SAE - Sword Art Equestria // by The Dark Brony //------------------------------// -Kirito POV- Once we arrived back in our own universe we were standing in the middle of the barracks with multiple members of the guard just staring at us before one of them walked up to us and asked “Where did you come from?” “I’m sorry, we did some extra training after we got back and then had a meeting attend to,” I explained. “Well, the princesses wanted to see you, they decided that they needed your help with something.” The guards explained. “Did they say what it was?” asked Asuna. “They mentioned something about the blacksmith that joined us recently.” Replied the Guard which caused Asuna to flinch back before he continued to say, “Something happened to her while you were gone didn’t it?” “We’re afraid what happened there is strictly confidential,” I admitted. “I’m sure what happened there will be released soon, you’ll just need to wait,” Asuna explained. “Well, the Princesses asked you to meet them in the dungeons,” “Thank you for passing the message on to us we will come back later to help with your training.” The guard then saluted us before he said “Well then, after you meeting maybe we will stand a chance of beating you when we spar, Captain Kirito.” “Maybe, maybe, with enough practice we need to be ready for if anything like Discord happens again.” replied Kirito “Here’s to hoping it never does,” Asuna replied with a smile. “Well, you best get going don’t want to leave them waiting,” the guard admitted before we nodded to him before making our way out of the barracks and towards the castle’s dungeon. As we made our way through the dungeons we saw many things, some of them being ponies and the humans from the attack in chains and others in cages that were suspended from the roof. We then heard a voice say “Ah Kirito, come here to gloat have you, tell me, how is Liz doing since she abandoned us to save herself?” “Shut up!” I shouted at the voice. “Oh hit a nerve did I what happened she went to help you and got herself killed?” “Rosalia, if you value your own life you should just be quiet,” Asuna replied. “Why would I do that, it so much fun to talk about our subordinates.” I then switch to my GGO avatar before grabbing the rifle Craig gave me, aimed it towards her and said “If you have any wish of not having a bullet put between your eyes, I'd shut your mouth this second!” “Oh, what you going to do shoot me? Come on big boy, give it a shot, I bet you don’t even have the guts to pull the trig…” She then stopped dead as Asuna’s sword was placed millimetres from her neck before she said “As captains of the guard, we order you to not push your luck. We have no problems with increasing your sentence from imprisonment to the death penalty if you make us, in fact, I could very easily change it now and have you on the block by tomorrow morning.” Rosalia then stopped before going silent. I then looked back to Asuna before I said “We’ve left the princesses long enough,” As placed Craig’s rifle over my back before we made our ways further into the dungeons. As I made my way further into the dungeon we saw members of Rosalia’s guild members in shackles against the wall who stared at me before hiding their faces as I passed them. I then looked to Asuna who clearly understood what I was thinking as she nodded to me before we saw Celestia and Luna in front of one of the cells before we quickly made our way to them. “Well, so you just got here… where were you?” asked Princess Celestia. “We were preoccupied with training with someone close to us,” Asuna explained calmly. “Thou was training with Master Kirito, We presume?” Asked Princess Luna. “No, we weren't training with each other… we were training with someone like us.” “So… you went to those people we met earlier?” “No not them… we were training with… my older brother.” Celestia then looked at us before she said, “Wait… did you just say older brother, didn’t you say you came here alone?” “We did… he’s in… well, this world's future.” Asuna admitted. Celestia then stopped dead before she said “Wait… what do you mean of our future.” “He said… well, it doesn’t really matter, but could you make us a promise.” Asuna asked Celestia. “What will you want us to do?” asked Luna. “When he ends up appearing look after him if we are unable to, just look out for a boy named Craig, he’ll have black hair and knowing him from when he disappeared he will be most likely scared,” Asuna declared. Luna and Celestia then looked at us as Luna said “We will see what we can do.” “That's all we ask” Asuna replied. “So… Why did you want us for?” I asked Celestia. “We need to decide what to do with… him,” Celestia said gesturing to whoever was in the cell next to us. I then looked towards the cell to see King Sombra just pacing in the cell not bothering to try and escape almost like he just didn’t care or he felt like he had no need to attempt to get out of this predicament. “So what is there to do?” I asked Princess Celestia. “Well, we either need to find someone to keep an eye on him being he isn’t even trying to escape or be a threat to us… but if we can’t find someone to look after him I fear we will be left with no option but to just imprison him indefinitely.” “By that, I assume you mean to use the elements on him and as I heard someone mention before… Stone him?” “So you know of our method of dealing with long-term prisoners… it is likely the one who tried to attack us will be dealt that fate soon,” Celestia admitted. Asuna then looked at me before I nodded and said, “Well… we’ll take care of the King for now.” This caused the princesses to look at us before we heard King Sombra say “Don’t I get a say in this?” “Well yes… you either have them look after you or you get put in stone until we decide a better fate for you,” Celestia pointed out. He then looked to me before he said, “But… why would I want to be looked after by commoners?” I then looked as Asuna before I said “Why does he talk like us and not like royalty in old English.” “Well I never liked talking like your normal royal and I found talking like you seem to work for me,” Sombra replied. “These commoners as you called them are the newest and most highly respected of my guards I'd be more inclined in having them both be seen as our bodyguards,” Celestia admitted causes Sombra to stop in surprise. He then looked to us and said, “Who is the strongest of you two?” “Why do you want to know that?” I asked him. “I need to know the… Commoners who would be caring for me are strong enough to keep me safe.” I then looked at Asuna before I said, “Well I’m the stronger of the two of us.” Sombra then looked at me and said “Then you shall suffice in keeping me safe,” Before he turned into smoke and burst towards me. However instead of hitting me it went around me and merged with my shadow. Asuna then looked at me and said “You okay?” “Yeah… this must be what Craig felt like.” I replied calmly. “Oh so this is what it is like being someone's shadow,” replied a voice from seemingly nowhere before he said “I may just like it here,” tell you what kid you look after me and I’ll teach you how to manipulate shadows.” Celestia then looked to me and said “Kirito are you alright,” “I’ll be fine, don’t worry,” I lied, shaking my head. Luna then looked at me questionably before saying “If thou is sure.” “Don’t worry Luna, I’ll be fine I just need to get some fresh air.” “I can help you with that,” Sombra chuckled before shadows began to surround me before covering me completely as I disappeared. A minute later I reappeared near the barracks before I said “What… Just happened?” “So we are able to still use shadows… I guess that's one thing,” Sombra muttered. “What do you mean?” “Oh sorry, I was thinking to myself… anyway, being we have time I want you to try and change the density of our shadow.” “Why would we need to do that?” I asked him inquisitively. “Well, for us to use the shadows we need to be able to change the density and then we could use them as shields or as weaponry if you can learn to manifest them correctly,” Sombra explained. “Okay, then what are the steps to do this?” “Well first you need to focus on controlling the shadows and bending them to your will, then stop two is to manipulate them in whatever way is necessary for the situation, I always used them as shields and my crystals as weapons.” “So what I just close my eyes and let your magic flow through me and I’ll be able to manipulate my own shadow?” “To begin with, yes… although I used my horn… you’ll need to use something else to focus and control the shadows.” “Maybe my hand?” I suggested before I closed my eyes and opened the palm of my hand as it began to faintly glow black and purple before my shadow began to rise behind me and then slowly wrapped around me before I lost concentration and it dropped back to the ground and merged with the earth again. “Well, you can use it… just not effectively,” Sombra admitted. “I guess I’ll just need more practice,” I admitted I then heard a voice shout “Kirito! Kirito where are you!” I then smiled before I said, “Looks like Asuna’s looking for us, we better get moving.” Once I walked into view I saw Asuna running towards me before she asked me “Kirito are you okay?” “Yeah I’m fine why?” “I was worried for you… anyway, I explained about how Sebaste and Sebastian needed our help and they agreed to it.” “So when they need us we…” I was then cut off as we heard a voice say “All UDE members, report to the throne room, this is not a drill!” “Well… looks like it begins… we better get over there.” I admitted “Yeah I suppose we should” She admitted as I picked up the assault rifle I was given and Asuna grabbed her Chainsword before we disappeared from the barracks.