Finding My Place

by Firestar463

Chapter 16

I tried to fall asleep quickly. I really did. I knew I needed it. There were bags under my eyes, my arms ached with weariness. Even my head ached from my exhaustion. But even after a warm bath, even after a hot meal, even after climbing beneath the blankets to stave off the chill of the autumn evening, sleep would not come.

“Failure.”

This was not the voice from before. Not the one I had grown accustomed to. That voice had won. That voice had fallen silent. This was my own voice. My own words. My own thoughts, my own fears, my own doubts.

My own failing.

I had failed. My mission was done for. The army had marched from Everfree over an hour ago. Adamant Will was now out of my reach. And by the time he got back, the resistance would have already fallen.

“Coward.”

It wasn’t like I hadn’t had the opportunity to kill him. I certainly had. We’d been alone together in the dining hall. We’d been accompanied by only a scant few guards in the jail cell. I’d had a working gun, loaded and ready to fire, in my hands… And not taken the opportunity.

All because of fear. Fear, and my own doubts. Doubts on whether I could bring myself to kill again, even for the greater good. Doubts on whether the resistance could win, even though killing Adamant Will would surely swing the odds in their favor...

“Traitor.”

Was I? Had I betrayed the resistance? I felt my blood run cold as I lay there in bed, underneath the sheets, and found that I couldn’t easily say no. I’d come to Everfree, offered knowledge of guns to the Minotaurs, told them how it worked, helped them craft their new weapons… And the only thing I’d done to hinder them was an attempt to sabotage the gunpowder that I’d shown them how to make. A sabotage attempt that had actually ended up helping the development of the guns. Everything I had done in Everfree had been to the benefit of the Minotaurs, when I’d come here to do exactly the opposite.

I tore my mind away from this line of thought, choosing instead to check the time again. 1:45 AM. I groaned and rubbed my eyes. I reached for the glass on my bedside table, only to find that it was already empty. Another groan left me. I really didn’t want to get out of the warmth of my bed. But my mouth had suddenly gone incredibly dry. And so, reluctantly, I pushed the covers back, grabbed the glass, and made my way to the bathroom.

Using the flashlight on my phone, I quickly found the sink, the water inside untouched and unused. I dipped my glass in and filled it up, bringing the water to my lips and drinking greedily. My dry mouth now dealt with, I refilled the glass and made my way back into my room. I placed the glass back on the bedside table, and sat back down on the bed.

But before I could lay down and draw the covers back over myself, I saw something. Just a twitch. A small flash of movement. There it was again, in the corner of the room, near the window. I watched as the shadows twitched and twinged. The movement slowly became more pronounced, and I was able to discern a shape amongst the darkness. For a brief moment, my heart jumped. Sombra had shown up! Surely together we’d be able to figure something out. Something. Anything.

But just as quickly my heart skipped a beat. My eyes went wide, My body was frozen. “You’re…. You’re not Sombra…” I hissed quietly. This creature, this… thing… was no Pony. A draconic head turned towards the sound of my voice, revealing twin feral, yellow eyes, glowing against the darkness like a beacon. “What the hell are you?”

I couldn’t see the rest of the creature’s body, but I knew it had now turned to face me completely. Its feral gaze was fixated on me alone. Unblinking, unyielding. I found myself drawing back as the head inched forward. It made its way into the moonlight, revealing a few more features - Two horns, long pointy ears, a row of spines racing down its long, serpent-like neck - but the shadows refused to reveal its form. Darkness still clung to it in the moonlight, like a black shroud as its long neck reached further from the corner. A single, taloned claw fell forward, falling into the moonlight, but that too was shrouded by darkness.

By now I had fully retreated to the other side of my bed. My heart was racing, my eyes locked on this… thing. What was it? A dragon? A snake? Some kind of demon or monster, yet unknown to me? I found myself frozen in place as the creature’s advance stopped, its head still extended into the moonlight.

It grinned. Not a happy smile - the hunger in this thing’s eyes never changed. This grin was full of malice, of the promise of pain and death. Twin rows of razor-sharp teeth flashed, pearl-white against the shadows.

“I am you, Christopher Powell,” The creature hissed. My eyes widened as I recognized my own voice coming from the beast’s lips. Its grin only grew wider. “And you are me.”

It lunged.

---

“SHIT!”

I rolled backwards off of the bed and landed hard on my back. I barely even felt it. I scrambled for my knife, normally clipped at my side, only to find it wasn’t there. Of course not. I’d taken it off to sleep. With no time left, I raised one arm over my head in a vain attempt to fight off the coming assault.

It never came.

What came instead was the sound of distressed metal, a loud crunching sound, and the metallic ring of swords being drawn. As the seconds passed, and the only sound was that of heavy hooves on polished marble, I opened one eye.

The monster was gone. The darkness was gone. Sunlight was pouring through the windows, illuminating the room. The only other creatures in my room were two Minotaurs, swords drawn, snarls etched on their faces. I watched as one of them finally spotted me on the ground and ran over. “What happened?” he demanded.

“I…. I don’t know,” I replied With the threat of death by monster gone, I shakily pushed myself back to my feet, rubbing the sore spot on my back that now painfully indicated where I had fallen. I glanced back towards the corner where the beast had been lurking, now bathed in sunlight. The corner was completely empty. “I… was it… just a dream?

“Bloody hell,” the other guard snorted. “Well, get back on the bed while we have a look around.” I quickly complied, scrambling back off of the marbled floor as the guards poked and prodded around the room. Inside and behind the wardrobe, under the bed, behind every piece of furniture, even inside the bathroom and behind the bathtub.

It was a quick search. Only a few minutes later, one of the Minotaurs walked out of the bathroom, shaking his head. “Nothing,” he grumbled

“For the love of…” I heard the other Minotaur mutter under his breath. There was a brief moment of silence as the two Minotaurs and I looked back and forth at each other. “Whatever,” The second Minotaur finally sighed. “Just… just go ahead and get cleaned up. We just received word that Adamant Will and our armies are on their way back.” His face broke into a small grin. “We’ll want to welcome our champions back home.”

I nodded slowly, not trusting myself to speak past the lump that had suddenly formed in my throat. I watched as the two Minotaurs walked out of the room and closed the door back behind them before letting out a great sigh. All my doubts, my fears, my self-loathing… all of it came rushing back to me. For a brief moment, I just sat there on the bed, unable to bring myself to move.

That is, until I heard the far-off sound of trumpets.

My ears perked up as the sharp, brassy-tones pierced into my room. I let out another sigh. The horns of victory. The sounds of the returning army. They were back. They’d won. And I’d failed.

There was nothing to be done now. Slowly, I pushed myself off of the bed and made my way into the bathroom. By the sunlight streaming in through my bedroom windows, I could see my reflection in the mirror. Despite my bath the night before, I looked completely disheveled, I reached for the comb on the side of the sink and wetted it, running it through my hair a couple of times in an attempt to make it lie flat, with only partial success. I splashed some cold water on my face and dried it off. Another glance in the mirror showed some improvement - enough to where I wouldn’t look a complete mess, at any rate. I made my way back into my room, clipped my knife and bag of scrolls to my belt again - more out of force of habit than anything - and walked over to the door, giving it three sharp raps.

Almost immediately, the door was flung open. The two guards from before were there, of course, standing watch outside my room. Just past them, leaning against the wall opposite my door, was Thunderhoof. His eyes snapped open as the door opened, and I flashed me a grin. I returned it half-heartedly as I stepped through the door and shut it behind me. Thunderhoof pushed himself off of the wall and gave me a couple of quick pats on the back before setting off down the hall, with me following right behind.

Our trip through the castle was swift and silent. No detours, no walking in circles, no retracing our steps. No talking, no laughing or joking. It was the most direct journey through the halls that I’d had yet, with silence matched only by my first trip. I noted with only mild interest that the number of guards patrolling the corridors was higher than usual.

Not that patrols or intelligence mattered anymore.

We didn’t even stop outside of the throne room, instead moving past the half-dozen guards standing watch and walking into the throne room. We weren’t the only ones waiting inside. At least two-dozen other Minotaurs were standing around, talking and laughing amongst each other. Most were wearing colorful, elegantly-designed clothing that indicated a high social status. However, I dully noted that a few were wearing the uniforms of military commanders, including badges and medals.

I received several glances in my direction as I entered the throne room, and even a few nods of acknowledgement. I could only guess that word of my contribution towards the development of the Minotaurs’ new weapons had spread among the elites of Minotaur society. None, however, seemed interested enough to speak to me. I was happy to keep it that was. I made my way towards one of the corners and sat down in a chair propped up against the wall, keeping my distance from the other Minotaurs.

Thunderhoof, however, wasn’t about to let me have my time alone. He followed me into the corner and sat down heavily next to me. I could see him smiling next to me, but I couldn’t bring myself to return it. He punched me lightly on the shoulder. Still I gave no response. His smile slowly faded, and he put one hand on my shoulder, turning me towards him. His raised eyebrow was all the question that he needed.

But of course, I couldn’t tell him everything rolling through my mind. “Just… just tired,” I answered, half-truthfully. “It’s been a long couple of weeks.”

I could tell Longhorn wasn’t entirely satisfied with that answer, but he didn’t press any further. Instead, he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, leaving me alone to grapple with the same doubts and fears and self-anger that I’d been dealing with since the day before.

Mercifully, I wasn’t left alone along.

The sound of trumpets rang out, and I jumped back to full awareness with a start. Next to me, it seemed that Thunderhoof had been caught just as off-guard by the sudden noise as I had been, as he nearly leaped from his seat. The sound of conversation died down almost instantly as the doors to the throne room were flung wide open. “Welcome home, our king and returning champions!” A deep voice boomed. Thunderhoof and I both made our way over towards the mass of Minotaurs now gathered near the pillars as the procession began to file into the throne room.

The first to walk in was Adamant Will himself. He was decked out in a full set of plate armor from neck to hoof, with only his head remaining unarmored. One of the guns I had helped to create was slung behind his back. Twin battleaxes were clipped at his waist, and both axe-heads were coated in what appeared to be blood. The crimson liquid was also splattered here and there across Adamant Will’s armor, but the king himself appeared unharmed.

Behind him came a procession of a dozen warriors clad in plate, and an equal number archers clad in leather and mail. It seemed that each one had had their armor specifically made for them, for no two sets of armor were alike. Likewise, their weapons were all different from each other. I could only guess that these were a few of the champions that had accompanied Adamant Will - the best of the best. Behind them strolled two Minotaurs covered in long, flowing robes, with staves strapped to their backs. Most likely, these were among the very few mages that the Minotaurs had in their ranks.

The next figures to walk into the room were not Minotaurs, but Ponies. Three of them. My eyes went wide, and my heart sank as I recognized their figures. Celestia. Luna. Serenity. Their wrists were bound by ropes, and they were bound to each other by a set of iron chains clasped to their ankles. Each one had one of the same rings that I had seen before attached around their horns, with caps placed over top of the horn as well. Their camo-clothes were torn and ragged, their fur dirty and matted with blood. I noted with no small amount of horror how thin each one had become - little more than skin and bones. Serenity in particular seemed to be in bad shape, with blood matting the entire right side of her head. Her eyes were ringed by dark circles and sunk into her face. Still, all three marched evenly through the doors behind the Minotaur mages, their heads held high and defiant against the chorus of boos and jeers that greeted them.

Behind them were ten of the twelve Minotaurs that had been given a gun to use. Their weapons were at the ready, pointed squarely at the backs of the Pony royalty that walked in front of them. The jeering died down as they marched into the room, and I could see a few of the Minotaurs - particularly those in military uniform - leaning in closer to get a better look at the weapons.

The procession came to a sudden halt at the base of the steps. Adamant Will took his time in ascending them, each step falling slowly. He turned at the top of the stairs, and his eyes locked with Serenity’s. I could see him smirk as he slowly sat down upon the throne that rested at the top of the stairs.

“Bulls and Cows!” He declared, his voice resonating throughout the room. “Today… we are victorious!” A chorus of cheers and roars rang out from the crowd, with Thunderhoof joining in. I turned my body more fully towards Adamant Will so that Thunderhoof would not see that my silence. It was several long minutes before the noise died down enough that Adamant Will could be heard again. “The resistance camp is overrun! We count nearly a hundred rebels dead, the rest scattered to the winds! And The last of the ‘royal family’ has been brought to justice. Bring them forward!”

There was some jostling from the crowd, and the three mares were shoved to the front of the crowd and onto their knees. From here, I had a clear view of the three mares… and they had a clear view of me, if they would only turn their heads. I quickly shifted my position so that I would be obstructed more from view as Adamant Will continued.

“You three should have known you couldn’t hold out for long,” he chuckled. He rose once more from the throne and walked back down the stairs towards the three captives.“You should have surrendered when you had the chance.”

“We never surrender,” Serenity hissed viciously. “Equestria and her citizens will resist you to their last breath!” She raised her head and spat towards Adamant Will, the projectile landing squarely at his hooves. The guard behind her instantly kicked her from behind, sending her sprawling to the ground. Cheers and laughter rang out from the gathered crowd as she slowly pushed herself back upright.

Adamant Will, meanwhile, seemed merely amused. “To their last breath, hm?” he murmured. He rubbed his chin in contemplation. “Tell me, Serenity… did you not wonder how we gained entrance to your camp, hm?” There was a brief moment of silence as Adamant Will’s grin grew slowly wider. The eyes of the unicorn head on the talsiman still clasped around his neck began to glow, a ruby red glow that contrasted greatly against the cold steel grey. “Guards! Bring forth the other captive!”

A rustle of movement from behind me and to the right caught my eye. The crowd quickly parted as two guards walked forward, dragging a lone figure between them. The deposited him on his knees a dozen feet or so away away from Serenity. As the light fell upon him, I recognized the figure as the Unicorn from the dungeons. He didn’t look any better than he had in the dungeons - if anything, he looked even weaker than before.

“Your own people turn against you, Serenity,” Adamant Will smirked. “This one fled your camp. Fled the hunger you forced upon them. Fled to us. And gave us the map and the spell we needed to enter.”

I could see Serenity stiffen as her eyes locked with the Unicorn captive. Tears flowed freely from the Unicorn’s eyes, and he turned his head so as not to look at his queen. “I’m sorry…” he choked out. “I’m so sorry…”

“Don’t be sorry,” Adamant Will soothed, walking forward towards the Unicorn. The glow coming from the eyes of the talisman grew brighter. “You were promised mercy. Come now, come forward”

The Unicorn tried, and failed, several times to rise to his hooves. After the fourth attempt, Adamant Will made a small motion with his hand, and the two guards picked the Unicorn up by his armpits and dragged him forward. He was held upright in front of Adamant Will, whose smile only grew wider. The glow from the talisman continued to grow brighter, and I could have sworn that Adamant Will’s eyes began to glow red as well.

“And now, for your reward.”

In one quick motion, Adamant Will whipped the gun off of his back and into his arms. He snapped it up to attention. The muzzle was aimed at the Unicorn in front of him. The Unicorn gave out a startled gasp.

Click.

Boom!

I flinched backwards in horror as blood splattered from the the back of the Unicorn’s head. Bit of bone and blood sprayed outwards, some landing upon Serenity and the Princesses. The two guards that had held the Unicorn in place released his body, and the corpse fell towards the ground with a sickening squelch.

The crowd roared its approval.

“My reward to you,” Adamant Will snarled. All pretense of kindness was gone from his voice. Only disgust remained. “You are granted the mercy of a swift death. More than a traitor like you deserves.”

“MONSTER!” I heard Luna scream. “You BEAST! You will BURN in Tartarus!”

And just as suddenly, the glow from both Adamant Will’s eyes and the amulet faded. His face was no longer contorted in a snarl, but had instead returned to its previous contemptuous smirk. “You first,” he chuckled darkly.

His gaze shifted a few inches over towards Serenity, who appeared frozen in place. “To the last breath, hm?” he murmured. “Then let me take your last breath from you. You and your family will hang at dawn tomorrow, for the entire city to see. And then, none will question the might of Minos. None will question the strength of Adamant Will. Take them to the dungeons!”

Half a dozen guards stepped forward and grabbed the princesses and Serenity, dragging them out of the throne room. A chorus of cheers and applause rang out from the crowd, interrupted only by the sound of Luna’s struggling. “You will pay for this!” she yelled. “Do you hear me! I’ll kill you! I’LL KILL YOU -” Her words were cut by a shriek off as one of the guards punched her hard in the jaw, to the sound of another round of cheers and jeers.”

And then, the throne room doors closed behind them. And they were gone.

My hands were shaking. My knees trembling. “No.” I hissed to myself. “This.. this isn’t right. This isn’t how it ends. This CAN’T be how it ends… “

“A day of great victory for Minos,” Adamant Will declared, piercing into my thoughts. He carefully stepped over the corpse at his hooves and the pool of blood that had formed around it. “Bulls and Cows, go home to your families. Feast. Rejoice. Celebrate. Tomorrow, we complete our first step towards dominion over all over Gaia.”

“And as for you, Chris.” My eyes snapped upwards as the crowd began to disperse into their own, smaller groups. I tried to hide my panic as Adamant Will’s eyes locked with my own, and he moved towards me. “Have you not seen blood spilled before?” He asked as he stopped in front of me. “You appear… shaken…”

“N… not like that, your highness,” I stammered. “I have never… never fought on a battlefield before. I’ve only… only ever shot… game. Hunting. Not fighting.”

“I see…” Adamant Will murmured. “Perhaps…. No.” He shook his head. “No matter. While we may have been able to defeat the resistance without your aid, the guns you helped us to create certainly saved the lives of a few of my Bulls. They will be instrumental in our future conquests.”

“I’m… glad they’re being put to good use.”

“Still shaken…” He murmured. “And pale as a ghost, too. Hm… do you require more rest? I know we have pushed you hard these past few days.”

“Y-yes, please…”

Adamant Will nodded. “Very well. Thunderhoof, escort Chris back to his room. I will have a banquet delivered to you later in the day, that you may at least enjoy a portion of our revelry. Hopefully you will be feeling better tomorrow.”

“I wouldn’t want you to miss our grand finale.”

Author's Note:

We're getting close to the end, folks!

Comments

[Drunk Thoughts]

You bloody bugger, don't you pull the cliffhanger on me, don't you go all climax sad ending and stop there. Why must writers be so evil? Just why are all writers evil with their cliffhangers?

[Firestar463]

7680262

s2.quickmeme.com/img/50/50b00af07252c462fcec8871ab308de9014c23d629a94c31c1f5d8ee2193232e.jpg

[Unending Suffering]

7680292

Hey,

Glad for the update. But surely this cannot be close to the end. Perhaps there is another story? A sequel? I mean I can think of two endings one happy one not so much. But both could be written in only a few chapters. But I'm hoping that there will be more.

[Firestar463]

7680469
I've got three, maybe four chapters more left in this story. After that... Who knows.

I'll keep you in suspense

[Sipioc]

....YOU-!

....NOT AGA-!!!

OK! OK!

I get it we are building to something big.

But, DAG NABBIT! Get to it!

Next chapter better be huge!

[Therisinghero]

me:

Other readers:

the author:

I cant tell you how much I want to reach through this screen and snap adamant's neck!