Rejected Heroes

by Cobalt Bristle

8. The Unfolding

The group awoke just as the sun was peaking over the mountains, causing a brilliant shine of orange light to shine across the landscape. Blaze had traded his shift off to Fallen, who transferred it to Crystal. Crystal was still keeping watch when the majority of the travelling ponies woke up, with the exception of Cobalt.

"So, what's next? Onyx is gone, Crion and Sharp are dead, and we're still far from stopping the shades. If somepony doesn't come up with some kind of plan soon, I don't know how much farther we can go," Prim warned.

"Even though the situation is not ideal, we need to continue forwards, unless we want the shades to win," Fallen advised.

"Look, anypony have an idea of what we're supposed to do? The Runes aren't going to be a viable solution right now. If what we were told is correct, there are very few left alive," Redshield observed.

It was at this time Cobalt woke up, but not in the way you would expect. Instead of simply getting up or stretching, Cobalt lurched backwards, letting out a rather large gasp as he did so. His hooves were shaking, causing his trotting to be unsteady.

"I'm fine," Cobalt insisted, shrugging off the supporting hoof that Blaze provided.

"Look, we need to come up with some kind of plan. I'm not sure we can continue with this if we lose anypony else. We need to get whatever help we can. This Whitehoof guy isn't exactly the most trustworthy, but he's our best chance at getting out of this alive," Blaze advised.

"We have help on the inside, true, but we need to get out there to stop the shades, once and for all. If we can cut off their leaders, then they will lose a lot of their strength. Enough to the point that they'll be mortal ponies with some sorcery," Fallen suggested.

"Perhaps, but we need to get Onyx back. There's no telling what he'll do if he's working for the shades. I have an idea of where they might've taken him, but there will be a lot riding on it if I'm wrong," Cobalt countered.

"Cobalt's right. We need to get Onyx back. He knows more about shades than almost anypony here. If anypony knows how to stop him, it'll be him," Redshield reasoned.

"Possibly, but won't it be easier to do that if the shades are weaker? Our fighters are few and we lost some of ours today," Fallen returned.

"Look, all of this bickering will get us nowhere. We can't split up as there are too few of us, so I'll make the decision for you. My brother helped save me from what the shades did to me, and I'm obligated to do the same. If you don't wish to join me, I will go on my own," Blaze stated, before grabbing his dagger and readying his gear to leave.

"You make a point Blaze, that we can't split up. Because of that, I suppose that I'll relent and help you go after him," Fallen finished, grabbing his stuff.

With that over, the rest of the group went to go pack up. After a few minutes, they were ready to go.

* * *

Onyx was being escorted to a room in what looked to be the shades' headquarters. He knew that he would have to come face to face with his mother eventually, but he never thought that it would be as a prisoner.

"Why are you just now doing this? Why not earlier?" Onyx asked his captor, which caused her to let out a grunt.

"I needed a good distraction. Besides, it worked," Bluesteel replied.

They went the rest of the way in silence, before Bluesteel opened a door to a room that had three shades sitting around a small stone table. Onyx attempted to overhear the conversation, but they stopped speaking when they started trotting further inside.

"Not a word. I care not about your futile argument," the tallest of the three warned Onyx.

"Hello to you too, mother," Onyx replied.

"I did not bring you here to listen to your remarks. I brought you here to further our own agenda. Whitehoof, escort him to Eldritch's chambers," Dark ordered, turned her head to address the shade on her left.

"Right away, Dark," Whitehoof affirmed, taking Onyx and leading him back to the hallway where he had entered.

"So, who's Eldritch?" Onyx asked the stallion, attempting some kind of conversation.

"A pony you don't want to mess with. Look, the rest of your group won't last long. With four of you gone, their morale has no doubt crumbled. Without you, they won't make it far," Whitehoof returned.

"I get it. You villains like to gloat. What's next? A monologue?" Onyx interrupted, making Whitehoof let out a chuckle.

"Oh, you won't get one of those from me. Your mother is the one who does that," Whitehoof commented, still chuckling.

Shortly after that, they reached a door in a long, empty hallway. Whitehoof opened it and went inside, gesturing for Onyx to follow. Onyx didn't know what to expect, but what appeared to be an office was what he was greeted with. A rug was on the floor near the far wall. A desk was to his left; a quill with dried ink on its tip sat atop it. There was an arrangement of straw to his right, which he assumed was a bed.

"Close the door," Whitehoof ordered, pointing at the open door.

Onyx closed it, causing Whitehoof to drop his slightly strained expression.

"Good. No one can hear us. I have not taken you to Eldritch, that would be far too devastating on your mind. You need to get out of here, plain and simple," the shade informed him, causing Onyx to raise an eyebrow.

"Why should I believe you? You're an adviser to my mother, you wouldn't have been in that room otherwise," Onyx assessed.

"I suppose this is strange to you. All you need to know is that I am not truly with the shades. My organization has gone into hiding for some time because of them," he clarified.

"Look, if you're with us, I believe you now. You wouldn't have even taken me here if you weren't. So what's the plan?" Onyx inquired.

"Alright, don't get touchy-feely on me though. We're in an abandoned and unused part of the Canterlot Castle. It was sealed after the sisters' corruption. I suppose Sunset just couldn't bring it upon herself to check in here again knowing what had happened. There is only one way in and one way out, known to the shades anyway. I have found another way that you will be able to exploit," Whitehoof elaborated, grabbing a bow and tossing it to Onyx.

"That's good. I won't have to fight through shades with an arrow-less bow," Onyx snarkily commented.

"I don't have time for your comments. Just pull the string on the bow when you need to use it. If you want to know why I'm different from the rest of the shades, that will have to wait. Dark has no doubt been informed that you never reached Eldritch's quarters. She'll have my head for it, but you need to get out of here," Whitehoof further elaborated.

"Wait, you said that your organization went into hiding. You don't mean the Guardians, do you?" Onyx asked, causing a sigh to come from Whitehoof.

"Look, I'll explain everything once we get out of here. We need to move before it's too late," Whitehoof finished, grabbing a sheathed sword and motioning for Onyx to follow.

Whitehoof tossed aside the rug that was on the floor, throwing it onto the desk. Underneath it was a jaggedly cut, circular hole. It led to a dimly lit corridor.

"I do hope you don't mind walking," Whitehoof commented before jumping into the hole.

Onyx followed him, plucking a torch from a nearby sconce. "We have time, don't we? Do you mind telling me why you're helping me?"

Whitehoof sighed at this. "We have a long walk ahead of us and no speech to fill that will grow tiresome. What about me do you wish to know?"

"I want to know why you're helping me," Onyx stated.

"Ah, a fair question that. I am helping you because of two reasons. I promised I would, and you being corrupted would be a major blow to the resistance that is being thrown at your mother. You may not realize it, but you being out of your mother's hooves is the only thing keeping the shades from winning," Whitehoof explained.

"Why me? Why not Blaze?" Onyx asked the shade.

"Blaze is, well, difficult. Corrupting him is like trying to hold back the tides. Dark has not figured it out and, well, I haven't either," Whitehoof admitted.

"Hard to corrupt? I haven't seen anything like that, besides Crystal. She doesn't have magic, so the shades can't bind to her," Onyx returned.

"I know you will ask this eventually, so I get it out of the way before I lose the nerve. I was a member of the Guardians, though not the way you know them. The Guardians were not a group of 10 that held magical artifacts. They were the leaders of the Guardians, yes, but not the only ones. I was the right hoof man of Disrupted Harmony until the shades attacked. He used all of his energy and life force to keep them at bay while I went to warn the rest of the Guardians. He gave me what I supposed was his Rune," Whitehoof informed Onyx, causing his eyes to widen at the final statement.

"You have a Rune?" Onyx shouted.

"That I do. It is not what you think it is. It's an energy. I do not wish to elaborate further, but know it's not a physical mass you were looking for," Whitehoof replied.

They walked in silence for a moment. Onyx noticed some kind of light towards where they were walking, and pointed it out to Whitehoof.

"That's the exit. Probably the only way out of here besides the door that leads to the main castle. Look, I have something to tell you before you leave. I cannot follow you, but I can tell you why. I had to become a shade to spy on Dark and her sisters. I advised Midnight on how to direct Eldritch a few days ago. I still have the Rune energies inside of me, despite my giving up of those powers to a more capable pony. For some reason, they stuck with me. I used them to cage and contain the shade. It exists inside of me, so I can never join any sort of resistance. As long as it does, your mother can track me. I will stay back and keep them from reaching you. If we meet again, do not trust me unless I tell you 'poisoned winters'." Whitehoof finished, pointing Onyx to the exit.

"Well, thanks, I guess. I'll tell the others what you've done for me. May Sunset guide you," Onyx stated, walking out the exposed hole in the side of a mountain.

"Well, I'll go see what I can do to find the rest of them. I do hope his sacrifice won't be for naught," Onyx commented to himself, walking down a worn cobblestone path.

Onyx stopped when he heard voices around halfway down the mountain. "Look, you sold us out. You told Sunset's steward where we were. Boss told us we needed to kill you, and we'll actually listen to him.

Onyx gripped the handle of his bow, preparing for a skirmish.

Author's Note:

Hey guys. Thanks for sticking with me through these inconsistent updates. The 2nd installment wraps up with this chapter. If it's not what you were expecting, the third will focus a lot more on trying to defeat the shades. If you find any grammatical errors, please notify me. I didn't bother my editor with the rewritten second half . Finally, I'll do a little vote. If you want to save this mysterious pony about to face their death, go ahead and tell me so. If you don't... also tell me.

Comments

[Selene Moonlilly]

Save.