Rejected Magic

by Cobalt Bristle

4. A Change of Events

Author's Note:

Here it is! Finally got this out, even though it's not quite what I wanted, I still like it. Not as long of a story as I would've liked, but there will be a sequel. I hope to still make small edits to this story (especially this chapter) in the future.
Signing off,
Cobalt Bristle

Cobalt woke up in a small chamber, no doubt made of stone, and was greeted by a familiar, yet different voice. “Hello, Cobalt.”
Cobalt jumped to his hooves, examining his surroundings. There was a shade in front of him, and it knew his name. Neither of those things were good. His mane was flattened and caked with dirt. His hooves were similar, but they hurt to walk on. He hoped he didn’t walk on his mane.
“Amusing thoughts Cobalt, but your humor can’t save you now. You’re trapped in this chamber. Even now, we are turning your friends against each other. Without you, they’re at each other’s throats, waiting for the chance,” The shade taunted him, causing Cobalt to attempt to attack it.
Cobalt launched himself at the shade, which turned out to be not one of his greatest plans. The shade smashed her hoof into the ground, causing a spire of earth to rise, smashing directly into Cobalt. He fell to the chamber floor, dazed. Laughing, the shade kicked him with her hoof.
“Pitiful. I thought you knew more about us, but I must be mistaken,” she said, before another shade came from behind it.
“Silence, fool! I told you not to anger him!” Turning to Cobalt, the shade forced him to his hooves. “Come!” It shouted at him.
Warily following the shade, Cobalt looked around. He began to recognize some things from the “map” that the group had looked at earlier. He was in the Canterlot Sanctuary.
The shade finally stopped, pushing him into a circular chamber. On the floor, there was some kind of star, and he was standing directly in it. Before he had a chance to react, he had his hooves swept out from underneath him. Too tired to stand, Cobalt just laid there, waiting for what would come next.
“Interesting. You seem to be unaware of what’s about to happen, even though you know more about us than most mortals do….” After a short pause, the voice continued. “….or maybe you do, but refuse to acknowledge it.” When it finished, Cobalt felt an intense pain ripple through his body, before passing out.

* * * * * * * *

Onyx woke up to chaos. Brave was running around, barking orders and fighting with Solus. Lunar was still asleep(somehow), and Flawless wasn’t currently there. Then Onyx looked to where Cobalt should’ve been sleeping, only to find his bedroll empty. Upon seeing this, Onyx quickly ran over to where Brave and Solus were shouting at each other.

“You were supposed to make sure no one got hurt, that was your only job! Now Flawless is injured, and Cobalt and Platinum are missing!” Solus shouted at Brave, causing him to pause for a minute.

“Solus, I’m sorry, but this arguing won’t solve much. Flawless is still hurt, and Cobalt and Platinum are still missing. We need to work together to even help Flawless, much less Cobalt and Platinum.” Brave told her, causing her to stay silent until Onyx decided to speak up.

“Uh, Brave, Solus? Can I talk to you guys for a second?” Onyx asked.

Upon hearing him speak, Brave turned to him. “Onyx, good, you’re awake. Now we need to talk. Flawless is wounded, perhaps fatally, and Lunar still hasn’t awoken. Platinum took Cobalt in the middle of the night. Flawless tried to stop her, but he was sliced through the torso by the shade that is now Platinum. Lunar was, well, kept asleep by the shade, perhaps to minimize resistance. The bottom line is, we need help,” Brave explained, leaving Onyx speechless.

They have Cobalt and Platinum. If that’s true then…. Onyx’s thoughts were interrupted by Lunar coughing from his bedroll.

The three ponies rushed over to him, and heard the last thing they would want to hear. “Run,” Lunar wheezed, before his eyes were reduced to slits and he drew his bow.

“Brave, what’s happening to him?” Onyx asked the Guardian, but was answered by Solus instead.

“The shades haven’t possessed him, the results could be catastrophic. They’ve clouded his mind, causing him to kill whatever’s in his way.” Solus explained, before having to dodge an arrow.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Cobalt awoke, and found it was hard to concentrate. He looked around his surroundings, and found that he was in the last place he would want to be in. He was in his own thoughts. He looked around, and then jumped to his hooves. His mind cleared, and he could think clearly, but couldn’t come up with a reason why he would be here.

“Ah, confused, are you? Let me clarify,” A voice sounded, sounding much like Cobalt’s own. “You are a shade. I control these functions now. You are here because you can’t be in your own body, a prisoner in your own mind.”

“I’m not a sorcerer! This shouldn’t be!” Cobalt shouted into the darkness, causing the voice to break out in laughter.

“You don’t know do you? I suppose that is for the best. If you knew, you would’ve been much more difficult to turn.” With that, the voice went silent, and forced Cobalt to watch what was happening, what his body was doing.

The shade had taken full control of Cobalt’s conscious and subconscious thoughts, allowing full control of his body. Cobalt’s head tilted, seeing several shades in dark armor and purple swords. Cobalt was no longer himself, just a small voice trying to fight a booming one. Without control of his body, Cobalt couldn’t warn his friends. He imagined that Platinum was of a similar state.

“You all know the plan, now let’s crush this resistance before it crushes us. Now let’s do this!” One of the shades shouted, undoubtedly the leader. When Cobalt’s body started galloping without his consent, Cobalt’s mind started shutting down. His mind fogged back up, and he fell unconscious, the shade continuing to steer the body.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Onyx drew his bow, and then thought about what he was about to do. An arrow being lodged into Solus’s leg was all the convincing he needed. Onyx nocked an arrow, and fired it at Lunar’s torso. At the last second, he moved, causing it to lodge itself into his cutie mark. Lunar’s entire body shook, before he fell to the ground.

Onyx looked at what became of the Guardians. Solus was hurt, but alive. Brave had two arrows in his torso, both wounds spurting fresh blood. Onyx didn’t suffer any injuries, causing him to immediately consult the wounded. Before he could do so however, ponies in black armor came flooding from the sanctuary.

“We expected a little more, but you’ll have to do,” one told the broken trio.

Onyx launched an arrow at the one who spoke, only for it to be sliced out of the air by its sword, which had black flame flickering around it. Shocked, Onyx knew what was about to become of him, and that he should try his best to take as many as he could. However, he was tackled by a shade before he could even start his plan. Knowing it was over, Onyx just slumped over, before he pulled out his dagger and sliced through the heart of the shade. It gave a glass-piercing shriek and disappeared, leaving the barely conscious Solus out cold.

The group of shades were stunned, but not stopped. They charged the lone pony, throwing all their might on him at once, before realizing that wasn’t a good idea. Onyx teleported behind the shades, causing a few of them to trip when trying to turn. Onyx then launched an arrow at a stunned shade, causing another shriek and more infuriated shades.

Sunset help me, Onyx thought. Moments later, Onyx was pinned by four shades, disarmed.

“No one can help you now, pony. It’s over,” one of the shades told him, and Onyx knew it was right. Brave and Solus fell unconscious when the shades came, the mercenaries were most likely dead, and his friends were shades. A single tear fell from Onyx’s cheek. That’s when an orange streak came from across the sky, causing an ear-shattering noise. The last thing Onyx remembered was somepony calling his name, telling him to stay with him. That’s when Onyx succumbed to shock and blacked out.