The thunderous boom of the door closing settled with barely an echo. The green aura oppressed and consumed the light spell emitted from Celestia's horn. Where it had been blinding moments before, it was now meager and barely more than a bubble around her body. The clicking of the metal on her hooves gave no echo, as if sound too was cowed by the oppressive atmosphere. She passed beyond the web of chains and stood just within, bathed in the venomous green light from the floor and immersed in the hum that emanated from the barred cell. There was a sensation within, deeper than the darkness and unnerving emptiness of before. A feeling that crept into her mind, just outside the realm of focus. A baseless fear dwelling outside reason.
"Well, isn't this an unexpected surprise." The voice was calm, collected, and nothing about it gave any indication of malice. It's effect was quite the opposite; a cold chill ran down Celestia's spine. The fur on her neck pricked, and she clenched jaw as she ignored the shiver down her back. The creature was still sprawled on the ground. It didn't even look like its mouth had moved. Was it still asleep? If it was, was it still aware? She'd wondered this before, as well as many other things about this prisoner. So many mysteries remained, but none related to Celestia's purpose today.
"I would speak with you. Rouse yourself," Celestia said.
The creature murmured, then opened its eyes. It did not move from its face up position, though its eyes shifted to the Princess. They were a muddy brown, and very little about them seemed out of the ordinary. That was the perplexing aspect of this Sapien being. There was nothing about this being compared to all other monstrous creatures that hinted to the cruelty it was capable of. This creature lacked the ever-present aspect to the eyes of all other villains that revealed their nature, their ferocity. The plain brown eyes of this one made its past deeds all the more diabolical.
With a single blink, Celestia missed the transition of the Sapien from supine to standing and staring at her. She had forgotten just how swift it was, the reminder breaking through her composure enough to cause her eye to twitch. She steeled herself, pressing on with the business that brought her. "You were right," the Princess said in a dull tone.
"I tend to be," it said dully. "To what are we referring?"
"Discord--he was not utterly lost. One of the Elements of Harmony was able to reach him behind the veil of chaos and conceit," Celestia spoke pointedly as she stared at the occupant of the cell.
"Told you. Let me guess, the Element of Kindness."
"Yes." Celestia kept her voice level, no hint of emotion bleeding through. She knew all too well what could happen if she wavered.
"It just made the most sense. That element has always been resistant to corruption," it said as it waved an arm to emphasis its point.
"I still want to know how you do that, make these predictions so nonchalantly."
The creature smiled as it shrugged its shoulders. "Logic, as I've said before. My knowledge of past experiences as well as the progression of current events dictate how the future will unfold. I am not entirely trapped in here, you know. Dreamers are untethered from the worldly bonds. This cage doesn't really hold all of me."
"I have been told you sleep quite often, despite not needing it," Celestia said, indulging herself with another question. "Is that how you do it, how you spy on my kingdom?"
"Without so much as a book down in this rank cesspool, do you honestly blame me?" The Sapien interlocked his fingers behind his head and leaned back, though his gaze never broke from Celestia's. "I don't eat either. It doesn't mean I am not hungry. Better than what you give me, anyway."
"You have been offered meals."
The movement was so quick, had Celestia blinked at that moment she would have missed it. The Sapien rushed the bars and slammed its fists against them. There was a crackle of magical lightning as the spells warding the bars flung it back. It cried out in pain, but quickly composed itself, staring at its sizzling hands. With gritted teeth, it looked up at the Princess. It was no longer entirely composed, she could see. Its face was growing calm again, but there was hatred in its eyes.
"I will not eat your rabbit food!" It snarled at her, but otherwise did nothing as it nursed its healing hands. Within moments its hands were perfectly whole again.
"Then you will not eat."
"Pfeh. Figures. All the promises your tongue can spare, but you've never kept a single deal between us," it said angrily as it pointed a finger towards her. "Not once."
"I will not sell my soul for your comforts," the Princess said harshly. "I will take what is owed me."
"I don't want your soul, you stupid horse. What would I even do with something like that?" It flung its arms in the air in frustration as it turned around, pacing about the cell. "I want a decent meal, I don't care if I don't even need it. A walk through the grass, maybe. Though it does pain you so, any semblance of hope for my freedom."
With a steady gaze, the Princess spoke in a hard tone, "You would have slaughter for a meal."
The Sapien scoffed and buried its face in its palm as Celestia continued.
"The grass on which you walk is bloody. The freedom you speak of is doom to any who mistakenly fall upon your path."
"Come on, Big C. That's just insulting."
"Princess Celestia is my name, and that is how you will refer to me."
"See, there you go. Always needing that little extra bit of control." The creature chuckled to itself. "What are you going to do if I don't, your Princessness? Flog me? Torture me? Ponies and torture?" Its voice took on a mocking tone. "Oh no, keep those pillows away, I can no longer handle the fluffiness!" Its face morphed from the jeering sneer to a glare as it stepped forward again. With that same evil gleam of hate in its eye, the Sapien grabbed the bars of its cage.
The protection wards burst to life, lashing at their prisoner. Lightning and fire surged from the bars into its arms, the flesh on its hands beginning to sear away. The entire time, it did not even flinch. "I have been your prisoner and slave for more years than I can keep track of. Deal after deal made, and never once have you made good on your promises. Come on, Celestia," he raged as the flesh of his arms turned black and began to wither away from the destructive magic he was unleashing upon himself. "Bring your righteous wrath on me. Let's see if you can do worse than you already have."
The Princess turned away as the Sapien continued to cling to the bars. Such self-harm she wished no part of. "You have brought this upon yourself," she rebuked curtly.
"Not true!" It yelled, squeezing the bars all the harder. "I didn't choose to come here. I never wanted to be here!" Finally releasing the bars, the Sapien held up its hands to show the seared and crumbling ruin that remained. It took a deep breath, staring at the damage before once again speaking in a calm voice, "But providence does work in wondrous ways. So, tell me my sweet Princess, what bargain can we make today? I'm so excited to find out the new and intricate ways you plan to utterly screw me over." It turned its blackened hands over, showing all that remained was charred sinew and bone with remnants of muscle clinging hopelessly to the ruined appendages. Then, with a wave of its arms, the flesh regenerated completely.
Celestia scowled. It was showing off now; the containment spells were no longer sufficient to keep its powers locked away. She composed herself, desiring to move on rather than to argue. "You were correct about Discord; he has turned from his chaotic ways." She kept herself calm, despite the ugly feeling in her stomach from the display it had just shown her.
"He might have learned his lesson once, but don't think he's been tamed. He'll return to old habits once or twice--I think. I can't be certain, chaos is not exactly easy to predict."
"You seemed to predict his actions fairly well on both accounts of his villainous past. Now you cannot be certain?" The light from Celestia's magic intensified as she raised her voice. "You must do better than that. I will not have a being that powerful be free among my subjects without knowing for certain."
"It depends on what you are willing to offer," the Sapien said as it folded its arms across its chest. "I believe my last deal with you was for a certain remnant piece of a defeated unicorn king. A piece I know you recovered, but I haven't seen the smallest sliver. Before that, I was promised an actual meal--another empty promise. Before that, a respite from this sunless cavern," it said gaudily. "When that promise went unfulfilled I thought maybe I could barter for items instead of freedom, especially ones with a bit of sentimentalism. I guess not. Perhaps if I make a deal for a piece of string in return for my services, you will actually keep your word."
"To allow you to possess such an item as that remnant is too dangerous."
"For you."
"For Equestria."
"For you." It settled its hands behind its head again. "But very well. I'll make a new deal with you. First, what do you want?"
"Tartarus has been sundered for some time. From what we know, the guardians have returned nearly all of the escapees. Several have eluded them, some of whom have the darkest of powers and the will to use them to do harm."
"That is not something you need to be worried about for now. At this moment, your attention would be better used focusing on your protégé."
"How do you," Celestia's voice trailed away as her eyes shut in resignation. She did not wish for the headache that arguing with it would cause. She knew it spied, she couldn't stop it, and that was enough. "What does Twilight Sparkle have to do with this?"
"She has proven herself readily, correct? If you're worried about Tartarus and the beasties it held, then Twilight is your best hope. Perhaps an acceleration of plans? Before you deny it, don't bother. I know how Twilight Sparkle fits into this grand scheme, and you are better off including her. She'll make a better example than you ever did."
"I will need more than riddles, prisoner." She could not prevent the note of disdain from invading her tone when she spoke. The Sapien was pushing her, just as it always did.
"Ouch, I guess a demotion from honored guest was inevitable. Oh, how I am wounded."
"Stay your babble, and answer me."
"Fun as a wet graveyard--fine. If we are so insistent on answers, the only way to survive what is coming is to put every hope in her. She is already the Host of Elements, now she must ascend beyond that. A true icon of harmony, like you Princesses were. Starswirl had the right idea, and you've been planning this yourself. Maybe not this soon though, so do something about that."
"What you suggest may very well destroy her," Celestia said, her voice low.
With a deadened chuckle, the Sapien shook its head. It had control of the discussion now, and its reaction made Celestia feel as if she were a child being scolded. The temptation to silence it with force was unnervingly strong.
"It better not, at least if you like being alive and stuff like that. The baddy coming your way is not like those before it. Eternal night, eternal chaos: neither of these aimed to specifically destroy what lay before them. This will, it being death and all."
"How can you possibly know such things?" Celestia pressed, bringing up the old question once again. "You are entombed in the roots of a mountain and yet you have never been wrong."
"I can smell it. I see it in dreams. Its reveling, really. I would rather see your little utopia razed to the ground and make you watch--but unlike some I have a conscience. So I offer this. Lead Twilight through her ascension; do not leave her to flounder in her new-found abilities. I figure she'll have her fair share of problems, Fate has her methods of testing us you know. If she can handle it, she'll be the one to put faith in."
"And if she should not?"
The Sapien snorted as it shook its head. "How hurtful, lacking faith in your own student. I assure you she will. It's her--heh--destiny."
"As if you know of such things." Turning away, Celestia made her way towards the chain web surrounding the cage. The prisoner's voice halted her dead in her tracks.
"Was I wrong about your sister? Was I wrong about your connection to the elements withering like a dying flower? Was I wrong about the Crystal Empire all those years ago? You should start trusting me some day--it might do you some good."
"You enjoy my suffering."
"Quid pro quo. You loved torturing me first. All those delightful experiments when-"
"That is enough. I have had my fill of you." She passed beyond the chains, stepping back into the dark of the cavern with the ominous green to her back. She had to still her heart; she could feel dark tendrils almost reaching out to her as the creature watched her from its cage.
"Are you not forgetting something, fraulein? I never work for free. Every deal we make comes with a price, whether or not you care to pay is irrelevant. You're already in debt so what's the harm in a little more? What is one more coin on the pile?"
The Princess halted, and after a deep breath she turned her head to stare.
The Sapien grinned at her. "Ooh, chilling. Tell you what, I'm going to make this one easy. So simple that you won't lose a thing. You won't miss it."
"What is it?"
"A kiss," the Sapien chuckled to itself when he saw her reaction of disgust. "The price of this knowledge is a kiss."
Celestia actually felt her stomach turn. That she would deign to come into contact with this beast in such a fashion was utterly unthinkable.
"You can leave, rant about how nasty I am, call me a monster. Despite all that, I am still keeping track of your tab in my head. One of these days, I will collect what's owed me."
"We shall see," Celestia said as a bolt of blue light shot from her horn into the door ahead of her.
"Yes," the Sapien growled as the great door began to drift open, its voice drowned in the cacophony. "We shall."
Its eyes stayed fixed on the Princess as she moved beyond the door. It just stared, watching it slowly drift shut. It slammed closed, and silence enclosed the vast chamber. Sitting in the gloom, the prisoner let out a slow sigh, then leaned back. "Ten million bottles of beer on the wall, ten million bottles of beer. Take one down, pass it around..."
Oh, come on Celestia. Assuming that nothing worse happens to you, that is a cheap price indeed.
You have me hoked.
Pre-Reading comment
Still waiting for my fifty bits.
Mid-Reading comment
So, he's a fortuneteller. Good to know.
Post-Reading comment.
I NEED MORE OF THIS
Also
SAPIEN CONFIRMED FOR NAZI SCIENTIST
-SYA, The Horse
5504439 I don't know. I'm suddenly remembering all the stories I've read that had a monster that would suck out your soul the moment your lips met it's.
And I'm not talking about just the Dementors.
5505236 Where's the vampire that will fight for Celestia though?
This guys seems to know everything... can I ask him about season 5?
So.. Am I to assume that this story is "Silence of the lambs" meets My little pony, only with a immortal human sorcerer in the role of Hannibal lecter??
Seriously, all the people rooting for this nutcase must themselves be insane.
He refuses to eat because the ponies will not kill, meaning he's already a selfish, immature asshole (would he be willing to attack Buddhists for the same thing?).
He calls them 'horses', indicating he doesn't even regard them as sapients with equivalent existence, and is thus immensely prejudiced.
He rants, he raves, he acts as if he knows everything (and conveniently does for the plot, despite most of his arguments with Celestia amounting to nothing but simple-minded hyperbole).
Frankly, he's one of the worst HiE OP characters I've come across, with his 'help' being nothing more than some carrots to try and lure readers into thinking he's not such a bad guy and has been 'misunderstood' by the mean old Princesses.
But that's nothing compared to the people sympathizing with him here! "Oh, he only killed 3 ponies! That's not so bad!" Dear god, what the hell is wrong with you people?! And now you're happy that he's brutally murdered another pony and clearly plans to kill more, also in vicious, savage ways!
I wouldn't trust him at all myself. I've known people who act similarly to him.
5508089 You seem to have read my mind... that's it exactly.
And it's quite teeth-grating in that regard.
Alright, I'm a bit late to the party, but: plot guessing time!
This is a former brony brought to equestrian by unknown, probably standard means of blah blah, deity says so, boom done.
But he's sent far back, before equestria was a nation. On top of that, he has gained a few powers that he didn't understand, namely regeneration/immortality and potentially the magic altering abilities.
At first he's still this normal joe, utterly lost, probably in the wild, eating what he can to stay alive because he doesn't know of his immortality or doesn't accept it yet. Then in come ponies calming he is a monster because he killed and are some animals, a hint is formed, he is captured, Celestia comes in to figure things out. He gets hostile, potentially even accidentally discovering his magic altering abilities, and uses them to escape. He is then recaptured, Celestia tried to find ways of containing him, eventually outright experimenting on him, driving him insane. Eventually, the 'solution' of keeping him contained is devised, and during that time he regains his sanity over the many long years in his cell. Or perhaps his body devised a way of healing his mind too. A perfect power, and a perfect prison. Thus with either insanity denied him or lost to him, he begins bargaining with his captors, using knowledge he has from his former bronydom and potential (and perhaps limited) psychic or telepathic abilities or some such to get a gist of timeframe around him, he gives Celestia hints about things e should never have known, becoming a valuable source of Intel for her. But she knows that this monster (that she helped create through her tortures) can never be released or given anything he desires for fear he would use it to escape.
And this just makes the matter worse in the end, giving our now jaded, cynical, and stark raving sane individual more fuel for his massive bonfire of hatred he has for his captors. But it is a cold fire, and slow burning, giving his calculating and sharp mind time to devise a plan to escape and wreak revenge on those that had done this to him. For he has nothing to lose, and has had well over a thousand years to sharpen his wits and little else.
This is most likely the most dangerous individual it is possible to meet because of these very facts.
5510453 "The most dangerous creation of any society is the man who has nothing to lose." James A Baldwin.
A man with nothing to lose has no fear of consequence, and that is truly terrifying.
5513053 No fear of losing respect, love, friends, family. Can literally do anything he wants. Friggin scary.
I read all of Sapien's lines in my own neutral, relaxed voice. I don't know if you intended for your reader to do that, but if you did, congratulations, it worked.
He creeps me the fuck out.
It got a bit Hannibal in this chapter.
It's the ultimate crossover! Khan, Flint the Immortal, & Hannibal Lector all rolled up in one!
Oh, I'm so seeing Benedict Cumberbatch in that cell, it's scary!
Celestia, you'd better start paying up quick!
Remember, "paybacks are a bitch!" isn't just a catchy phrase!!
Once when I was bored I did 999 bottles of beer on the wall. It took 6 hours. To be so bored to resort to 10 million...
Aww.... I was hoping for Clef...
So it IS the Devil. Or at least a human (or human shaped being) of great power
5514003 Oh wow, so did I. Just seemed like the right thing I guess? What if Sapien is reaching through the story to fix on the reader? Now that's creepy
some one should parody this so the human is actually chef from south park
"Hey Chef!"
"oh hey the princess what can i do for you to day?"
So eerie but so awesome.
5505211
Same here.
5525854 I bet that this is how he gets into the ponies mind and drives them crazy.
♫it's the song that never ends~♫
I don't get why he's helping the princess.
...
5638680
because he's not a complete monster?
That's a lot of beers on the wall
Hold on let me try
Ten million bottles of beer one the wall ten million bottles of beer you take one done pass it around ten million bottles of beer
Nine million nine hundred and ninety nine bottles of...
*50 years later*
One hundred bottles of...ugghhhh
I'm excited to know more about this prisoner as the story progresses. First of which i want to find out is why? Why is he locked up like that? What evil did he do to merit such fear and treatment? How is he this powerful and how did he end up in equestria? How was he even captured and imprisoned? And above all... is he really the villain celestia fears him to be? Or somewhere beneath the shit-scary veneer lies tinsy-tiny will in his heart to do good?
Here's to hoping we'll get the answers to those questions.
Hmmm...a possibly crazy human with sadistic tendencies, overgod-tier powers that make every MLP:FIM villain shit themselves in fear, an as of yet unknown type of healing factor that makes Deadpool green with envy, and knowledge of Equestria's past, present and possible futures?
I like where this is going.
th03.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/f/2012/365/d/2/pinkie_pie___mustache_by_coolez-d5ps2r9.png
5668837 one hundred ropes of noose on the fan...
I checked this out because there's currently a pretty obvious knockoff on the featured list, but fuck it, the knockoff is better. At least the author of that one doesn't give the impression of being a teenager in the process of failing English class.
Uh, maybe cause he's not a villian, Princess liarpants
5509663 where did it say he killed 3 ponies? What were the circumstances surrounding it if it happened? I must have missed that part.
5638680
Pure loneliness, and for shits and giggles.
Tobias, the prisoner, might be insane... but he has no desire to be alone in the darkness for all eternity. Celestia's visits, even if she keeps screwing him over, are preferable to forever being alone in the dark, with no-one to talk to. Celestia might be horrid company, but she's still company.
Or at least, that's how I interpreted it.
Unlimited knowledge is what he holds!
Actually I just watch a 20 minute tv show for kids.
So all he wants is some meat? And Celestia won't give it to him because "it's slaughter"? What about the minotaurs? They're omnivores. And the griffons? They're freaking carnivores! I think Celestia won't give him food just out of spite.
He's an idiot. So far Celestia hasn't suffered anything for denying him, so there's no standing for bargaining in the first place. If he really wants "quid pro quo", then he has to be willing to walk away from the table, which he hasn't done in over a thousand years, it seems.
Fucking stupid.
Oooo this is awesome XD hahahaha, I like it!
Nicely done man! loving how this is going.
I can't believe I'm barely reading this, this story is looking really fucking interesting.
Totally visualizing him as Hannibal Lector.
5895383 Damn it, now i am too. Well, more of Hannibal Barka.
This chapter has proven that this story so far is literally in second place with my all time favorites. Griffin The Griffin - Falling Feathers is in first place by the way. Also...
2.bp.blogspot.com/-h62ifwJrsWY/UdYSSOB5w3I/AAAAAAAAAC8/DM0S33gAkP0/s900/luna_facehoof_by_3luk-d4sqhwm.png
Celestia, you're a total dumbass!
and i missed this story... how?
Nothing lasts forever.
Why am I just finding out about this story now?!
I gave him the masters acsent
5743856 so that's how he knows the future...
Let the mind games begin.
Celestia, you are a serious bitch
5679010 if he's been there as long as they say. If he's not crazy gods of any religion wold be proud
5743856
Lol.
6405407
XD We hope thou didn't really need a comment to tell thou that
That must get old fast.
But damn, is this guy's strong or what?