Knightmares

by NerfedFalcon

Pits of Tartartus

Author's Note:

Only a short chapter this time, but I'll get back to really serious fighting and such next time.

Count on it.

Two years ago

I hate to tell you, Princess, but Equestria isn’t the utopia you left. Things have changed, but there’s still bad ponies out there, and bad things happen to those who don’t deserve it. You never really see it when you go to places and stay in the royal suites, but outside, it’s like another world entirely sometimes. And there’s nothing that exemplifies this better than Chikatetsu.

What? Yes, Neighpon is still around. Technically, they’re part of Equestria now, but they still have a degree of autonomy, and the Emperor rules over a few cities, not just Heikyo. And they still revere you more than most. I’m surprised you became Nightmare Moon, even knowing that they were enjoying your nights... You don’t want to talk about that? Okay.

Celestia was there on a diplomatic mission. Apparently the Crown Prince had gone missing, and he wanted help from the Day Guard to find him. Anyone who could capture even a mortal Alicorn is definitely not someone you want to mess with, he reasoned, and Celestia agreed. I was part of the contingent sent to deal with it, but Cumulus didn’t want me on the main teams. Even then, he didn’t like me, and the current Captain, West Wind, agreed. At the time, I thought it was because I was a Unicorn in a regiment made up mostly of Pegasi, but that wasn’t it at all. I’m getting to it, don’t worry.

I spent the first day getting to know one of the Emperor’s advisors. Kobun seemed eager enough to show me around, but he was always deflecting my questions about what there was for outsiders to see in the city. Most of what he pointed out, he said it was forbidden to outsiders, and there was one part of the city he said even the locals were afraid to go into.

I knew he was hiding something from the get-go, but I didn’t know how to make him spit it out. It wasn’t until I saw the poster that I finally got him to crack.

The poster was one of the few I could read, written mostly in the two basic scripts. ‘Laguna vs. Mitsurugi, only at Chikatetsu,’ it said. “What’s that poster for?” I asked. “And if you say that I’m not allowed, then I’m going to tell the Emperor about your lack of hospitality. I thought that was something you were known across Equestria for?” Yes, it was mean, but I was running out of options and patience by that point. I didn’t have to go any further and possibly disgrace myself, thankfully, because that was when Kobun finally relented.

He said he’d actually wanted to show it to me, but didn’t know if he could get away with it. He led me through the alleys, to a set of hidden stairs leading underground. Two Earth Ponies were standing guard in a corridor, but they stepped aside for Kobun when he said something. I can only assume that he was saying I was his guest, or something like that.

No, I don’t remember exactly what he said, and I never bothered learning Neighponese any further, so... Look, let’s just get on with it.

There were about a hundred, hundred and fifty ponies all crowded around a glass-covered hole in the floor, about a thirty-foot radius or so. When we managed to get to the front, it was nearly over, but I could see what the spectacle was easily enough. Two Earth Ponies, both armed with the curved swords they favour, were fighting one another.

Both of them had clearly never used a sword before, and their injuries made it even harder. “They’re brought in off the streets,” Kobun explained. “Forced to fight to the death for the amusement of the crowd. The Bakufu,” that’s their government just below the Emperor, “ignore them because it gets rid of who they see as undesirables. But sometimes they kidnap children and force them to fight, and not just the homeless ones.”

“That’s terrible!” I exclaimed. “If you knew about this the whole time, why haven’t you told anyone?”

“There are Bakufu members in on running Chikatetsu,” he explained. “If I was to raise an objection, they’d shut it down and have me dishonoured.” That’s a serious thing in Neighpon. They take their honour very seriously, and—wait, you knew that. Anyway, I understood at least that much, and so I didn’t say anything else as I watched the fight end.

The red pony fell to the ground, overcome by his wounds and clearly not getting back up. At some prompt I couldn’t see or hear, the white chopped his opponent’s head off, and then threw up on the body. He had to be dragged out of sight by a pair of uniformed guards, while another pair dragged the body off.

That was when I decided that even if Kobun couldn’t do anything, perhaps as an outsider, the Bakufu wouldn’t be able to touch me. Discreetly, I placed a tracking spell I’d helped my sister study on one of the ones dragging off the body. If I knew where the bodies were taken, I’d have a starting place for my investigations.

Yeah, it’s a high-level spell, especially to hide like that, but my little sister’s something of a prodigy. She’s Celestia’s personal student, actually. No, she’s not in Canterlot right now, and I haven’t heard from her in a while... Not since she moved to Ponyville.

I’m getting off track. The spell took me down to the riverside, where there seemed to be a whole cart full of rotting bodies. They didn’t float it into the river right away, though; clearly they were waiting for something, like a few more corpses. When they’d walked away, they didn’t know I was there at all, and that allowed me to go down and investigate. Maybe there’d be someone in the pile that was important enough to justify the Emperor overruling the Bakufu regarding Chikatetsu, I thought.

Well, I got that in spades, sure enough. One of the bodies, near the bottom... It was slightly deformed from the time it had spent, but it was unquestionably Crown Prince Keiji. I mean, how many Alicorns are there around?

There’s actually another one besides you and Celestia living in Canterlot? I can’t say I’ve... wait. I think I remember... Twilight’s foalsitter. Cadence. I’d probably better look her up again. Argh, why do I keep getting off topic?

Okay, no more distractions this time. I couldn’t carry the body back through the streets, knowing it would look suspicious if I did. However, the river went upstream to the castle, and I decided to float the barge that way. Leaving the rest of the bodies behind and covering Keiji’s with my dress jacket, I managed to slip through the night, entering the castle via the river by saying I had news for the Emperor.

As I expected, he was outraged to know that his son had been killed. I tried explaining the arena to him, but I didn’t have the proof I needed, and a Bakufu member in the room kept on shouting me down, saying that I was being ridiculous and asking why anypony would listen to an outsider. With no other real options, I decided to bet all in, and accused the pony of being a ringleader.

When he sputtered, unable to come up with an answer, the Emperor repeated the question, and Kobun confirmed what I’d said. My shot in the dark had hit its mark, and the Emperor himself placed me in command of a unit to shut down the arena. Our mission was to return to the site, subdue any involved in the conspiracy, free the captured fighters, and bring everypony back to the palace to hear exactly what had gone on there.

Celestia seemed shocked at the news as well, and the Emperor apologised quite profusely to her. The Neighpon ponies worship the two of you as gods, above even the Emperor himself. Her displeasure at something so vile was all he needed to give me the authority to shut it down, and that was exactly what I did.

With the ten ponies I’d been given command of, we managed to raid the entire arena, arresting about twenty guards and two of the ringleaders. There were only five surviving gladiators, and all but one of them seemed pleased to be rescued. Oh, and I should probably mention that that was where I first met Cloud Skipper, though he was called Hakumen at the time.

Apparently they all got names specific to the arena to detach them from themselves, and were encouraged not to even think about the past. Skipper only managed to remember his own name through sheer force of will, he told me. But anyway, there was one other that was involved, but he didn’t get arrested; I killed him.

At the time, I thought it was justified. I was taken by surprise and wasn’t thinking straight, and so I went straight to killing. Who was it? The then-Captain of the Guard, West Wind.

I didn’t even wait to hear his explanation, or anything. I attacked first, trying to magically strangle him where he stood. He was a Pegasus, so I assumed that it wouldn’t be too hard, but he charged me down as he recognised the spell, and it came directly to blows.

We grappled for a few seconds, with him on top of me, until I managed to force him away with a quick magical push. After that, since I knew I probably wouldn’t get time to charge another spell, I gored him in the neck with my horn. Then I charged another spell, one that I knew would kill him regardless just from the magic being forced into his blood.

Like I said, I wasn’t really thinking. And when my horn came out and he gasped his last, I wanted to hide away forever, but the Emperor’s guards insisted I come back and make a report. Some of them were even proud of me for killing, but I didn’t feel that way.

There was still blood all over my horn when I returned to the palace, and Celestia seemed concerned for me. I insisted that I didn’t want to talk about it, and let her handle the interrogations. Surprisingly, it was Hakumen that stopped me as I turned to leave. I don’t think I’ve ever forgotten what he told me:

“If you want to stay sane, remember how you feel right now. Never forget this feeling, or you’ll lose yourself in the death of others.”

Cloud Skipper has never told me, or anyone else, what he did as Hakumen, but it’s clear that Chikatetsu left a pretty big mark on him. I can only imagine how he’d feel if it came out that the ponies we’re dealing with now have connections to it. There’s still five we haven’t caught, and it’s unlikely we ever will, unless we can somehow manage to deal with everything we know is coming.

But as for the black hound... I don’t know what that means. All I know is that if Chikatetsu is coming back, then we’re all in for a hell of a time.
~
“That’s all I told her,” Shining Armor finished, “and I don’t intend to force you to tell your side of the story. What’s done is done.”

Skipper shook his head. “Not anymore. If it’s coming back, then we’ll need to stay on our toes. And if Cumulus is involved in it... that wily old bastard will keep us very busy. The greatest strategist since Celestia herself is against us, and we only have four reliable units.” He shook his head again, more slowly. “But I promise you this. Until I can stand no longer, I will fight for the cause of Equestria. For pulling me out of the pits of Tartarus, I owe you that much at least.”

“I’m with you all the way,” Midnight affirmed. “You can leave everything to me...” She suddenly yawned and fell asleep on the spot, having completely worn herself out with the battle.

The two stallions laughed slightly, and Luna smiled. “The night is almost over,” she said. “I shall return to my chambers. Cloud Skipper, although you are not of my division, I would request that you take mine back to her bed as well.” Skipper nodded silently and pulled Midnight onto his back, leaving the room.

If the black hound is who I think it is, then she’ll need the rest. Everypony will.

Comments

[joeyjumper94]

Author's Note:
Only a short chapter this time, but I'll get back to really serious fighting and such next time.

Count on it.

I like it anyway.

[Nightshade11400]

Is it wrong that I do support Cloud Skipper and Midnight Blossom? I totally do.... XD

[BloodyDitzy]

Moar!

[NerfedFalcon]

4835942

Got a long chapter in the works. Can't guarantee a time, but it'll come, don't worry.

[BloodyDitzy]

4838003
Thanks bro, not that many good stories on this website that I haven't read yet. Relieving to read yours

[Oubliette]

hakumen is a blazblue reference?

[Ise no Kami]

I fell in love with Midnight Blossom first (not in that way), simply due to the artwork, but I'm really starting to like Cloud Skipper thanks to this. He's the one you really don't wanna mess with.