• Published 9th Nov 2014
  • 6,427 Views, 507 Comments

The Draconequus of Notre Mare - Inkquill



Deformed, beaten and hidden from the world. Locked away within hallowed halls and sacred bells, the world beyond nothing but a dream, this is all he has known... that is, until she came.

  • ...
12
 507
 6,427

Chapter Seventeen: He Who Tolls the Bells of War - Part One

The Draconequus of Notre Mare.

By Inkquill.

Chapter Seventeen: He Who Tolls the Bells of War - Part One.

Flash tried to struggle against his bounds as he felt his captors force him up a long flight of wooden stairs with Discord short behind them. He could hear many voices chatter through the burlap sack they had placed over his head, which indicated a large crowd. Once they reached the landing, he was shoved forward and forced down to his knees.

“Gather ‘round every pony!” Derpy called out with a giggle. “We got a show tonight!”

Discord had an even rougher time. Not only could he not hear what was going on, but now he couldn’t even see! He started to get a little panicked, and slightly fumbled over his own feet. “What’s going on!?” He called out but received no response. “Flash?! Flash, what’s happening?”

With a sudden jolt, Flash and Discord were freed from the blinding confines of their hoods. Their eyes soon adjusted to the change in lighting as they looked out onto a large courtyard filled with ponies. Mares, stallions, colts and fillies alike, all stared at them with curiosity and giddy laughter.

“Well, would you look at what we caught!” The golden, crossed eyed Pegasus mare continued. “Two of Chrysalis’ spies!”

A collective and dramatic ‘Boo’ came up from the crowd as they knelt there. Flash was the first to realize it, but they stood on a large wooden platform, roughly nine feat raised above the stone floor. Above them hung two nooses suspended from a high rafter and he felt his stomach begin to churn. He called out, but his muzzle was still gagged with the piece of cloth.

“And what do we do with spies!?” Derpy shouted, while she stamped her hoof, and nibbled a lemon muffin nonchalantly.

“Rope ‘em!” Shouted one stallion in the crowd.

“Cage ‘em!” Cried another.

“Feather and tar ‘em and send them down the river!”

“Hang them!”

“Yes! Hang them! Let them swing to and fro!”

A collective cheer rose up from the riled crowd. Flash and Discord more fiercely struggled against their bounds, with Flash’s screams and pleading words muffled out the damned cloth. They both froze slightly as they felt the rugged fibers of the rope draped around over their heads and around their throats.

The thundering sound of hooves against stone echoed through the vaulted chamber as the two battered comrades were forced upward to their feet and onto two trap doors that signaled their immediate future would not look so bright.

Out of the corner of Flash’s eye, he could see a large, extremely muscled Pegasus stallion with stunted wings, dressed in the customary black attire of an executioner step up to the scaffold and stand attentive by a very menacing lever.

Finished with her muffin, Derpy fluttered over to the two bound stallions and in a rough, sing-song voice asked, “Any last words?”

A muffled, desperate, yet angry plea was all that she received in response. Giggling, she looked to her muscled bound comrade and nodded. “That’s what they all say~”

With a silent nod, the large stallion placed his hooves on the leaver and began to pull at it. Flash and Discord held their breath, their hearts pounded in their chest as their blood pressure made their ears ring violently. This was the end it would seem…

“STOP!”

The whole assembly froze with dead silence as the small voice echoed through the catacombs. It was so quiet a pin drop could easily be heard as the vast sea of ponies parted as Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Trixie and Pipsqueak gallivanted through towards the scene frantically.

“What in the name of Celestia’s sweet flanks is going on here!?” Pinkie exclaimed, thoroughly peeved.

Fluttershy, the meanwhile, paid no mind to Pinkie’s swearing and focused only on her tied up friends up on the scaffolding. “These stallions aren’t spies!” She cried as she darted up the wooden steps with Angel in hot pursuit. “They’re our friends!”

“Well, why didn’t they say so?” Derpy asked bashfully.

“We did say so!” Flash and Discord exclaimed with an understandably angry tone as their former executioner removed their bounds.

“Fluttershy.” Discord said as a giddy smile grew on his face.

Fluttershy met him head on and leaped into the air, she wrapped her forelegs about him tenderly and embraced him. “Oh thank goodness you’re alright.” She said through exasperated breaths. “But… what are you doing here?”

Flash put a hoof on her shoulder to draw her attention. “We have a big problem.” He said before he turned to the crowd and raised his voice to make sure the assembly could hear him.

“We’re all in danger!” He called out. “We have to evacuate immediately! Chrysalis knows where you are, and she’s attacking at dawn with a thousand stallions!”

Several horrified gasps rose up from the crowd from both mare and stallions alike, followed by worried mutterings. “It’s not safe here!” Cried out an elderly mare.

“We have to leave!”

With that, the crowd dispersed as families and caravans scrambled to their things and hurriedly began to load them up while others took off out of site deeper into the catacombs. Flash, Fluttershy, Pinkie and Discord meanwhile descended the platform together with Fluttershy who kept the draconequus’s paw in her hoof.

She paused at the landing and looked to her chimeric friend, and made sure he could read her lips. “I can’t thank you enough, Discord.” She said, holding his paw and claw in her hooves tenderly. “You risked yourselves just to warn us. I can't imagine how to thank you for all that you’ve done.”

Discord felt his cheeks flush with color and heat as he read her lips, the bright warmth of her eyes only assisted in her loving sentiment. He chuckled and ran his talons nervously through his mane before he replied.

Flash, seeing his awkward demeanor, decided to help him in his predicament. “You should have seen him.” Flash said as he gave the draconequus a knowing wink and smile. “He was determined to find you and make sure you and the rest of the gypsies were safe. In fact, we probably wouldn’t have found this place without him.”

“Nor would I—“

The voice fell heavily over the crowd. Cold and resonating, it silenced the scattering gypsies as they all turned to face the source of the voice. Though Discord did not hear it, he could feel the sound as it reached him, pressing against her fur and pressing against his mute eardrums. He turned, following the horrified stares of his friends and he felt his heart sink as he saw what everypony had already seen.

Standing beneath the looming archway that led into the deeper reaches of the catacombs was, to everypony’s horror, Queen Chrysalis. She wore a calm yet disturbingly giddy grin across her lips as her soldiers quickly began to file into the room, sending the gypsies into a panic.

Desperately, they tried to scramble towards the other exits, but were only met with the sharp, glistening tips of spears as the soldiers encircled them and halted their retreat. Pegasi trying to fly above the guards were equally thwarted in the mad dash to escape as weighted nets were catapulted from slings, catching them and forcing them to the ground.

Flash and Fluttershy were soon also set upon by the guards forced to kneel. Baring his teeth, Discord lunged at the two soldiers, but was quickly subdued as he felt a lasso fall and constrict around his neck, pulling down as he felt the air leave his lungs momentarily.

“Finally,” Chrysalis said as she descended the stone steps to where the three companions knelt. “After all these years of searching, the Courte of Miracles.”

There was an almost kitten-like purr in her voice as she looked over her prize. Slowly proceeding over to Discord, she lifted her hoof and gently ran it through his mane. “Dear, sweet Discord.” She purred, “I always knew you’d be of use to me.”

“No.” Discord whispered in horror.

“What are you talking about!?” Fluttershy snapped, nearly managing to wiggle free of the guard’s grip.

Chrysalis turned her cold yet joyful eyes towards the still struggling Pegasus. “Why, he lead me right to you, my little bird.”

“You're a liar.” Fluttershy spat.

“And look what else the cat has caught,” Chrysalis sighed. “Captain Flash Sentry returned from the dead. Another miracle I presume.... I shall remedy that.”

Curling her lips, she sneered at the two before stepping away from them and lifted her voice so that all could hear. “There shall be a little bonfire in the Grand Plaza tomorrow. And you’re all invited to attend!”

“Lock them up.” She commanded.

Discord felt his heart racing; filled with anger and desperation. “No!” He cried, reaching out to Chrysalis pleading. “No, please. Mistress, please! Have mercy!” However, the only response he received was a cold, icy glare.

His eyes filling with tears, he slunk to the floor, burying his head into his hands. “N-no…”

Chrysalis shook her head, sneering. “Take him back to the bell tower.” She ordered. “And make sure he stays there.”

Author's Note:

Well... this is it guys. Last chapter. Or at least first of the last chapters. :P

For reasons I wont divulge just yet I decided to break the last chapter of this story into three parts. Just I feel the obligation to you guys to put martial out there and this I think will allow me to do that as fast as possible while still putting out good quality stuff. (At least as good as a skinny teen and put out :P)

But anyway, this is it guys! Lets get over this final hurdle together! :heart: