The Voices of Nobody

by BowtiesandFedoras

Chapter 23

"What?!" they all said in unison, save for Big Mac, who was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, deep in thought and still clenching his fists. "Y-You're going in there?! With him?" Rainbow Dash said.

I stood there in the doorway of the bedroom I woke up in. They were all there, save for Luna, who was behind me. They all had looks of shock on their faces, some still with residual tear marks.

"Yes. I have to," I told them. "I've got to. No one else knows how to perform Necromancy but me, and besides... He's my demon. I can't have any of you getting hurt for me anymore."

Twilight stepped towards me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Nobody, I know that you think you have to face Vesania alone, and you have good reason to think that, but... we don't want to see you get hurt, either."

I looked at them, and the look in their eyes showed me that Twilight spoke for all of them. I could see that they either didn't want me to go alone, or that they... they themselves wanted to...

"No, I can't have you come with me. I don't want to be responsible for more people getting killed."

"You and I both know that you stand little to no chance of defeating him on your own," Luna said.

I began growing frustrated. I sat down in a chair and closed my eyes, thinking hard on what to do. I couldn't have them all get hurt because of me, but, I knew, and I wasn't going to fool myself, that the chances of me stopping him by myself were between slim and none, and slim was on its way out of the building. What am I to do?

I looked up at them; I couldn't stand the responsibility of seven more lives. I almost said something, but stopped myself. Big Mac stood up from the chair and calmly walked over to me, no longer clenching his fists. I stood up too, though I knew not why. He looked me in the eyes, his face nearly clean of any emotion. The silent man spoke. "Nobody, I understand that you don't want to carry the burden of more lives, and I respect that. But if you go alone, you know there's a good chance you'll die. And if you fail, then all is lost, and he wins. If we go with you, you just might have a shot at sending him back to where he belongs; even if you lose us, it'll be so you can live to avenge us; to avenge everyone else; to avenge... my sister. So please, do it for us; for them. Let us come with you."

I was... struck dumb by his words of wisdom. The first time I hear him speak, and it gives me the push I needed to make a decision that would determine the outcome of all of our lives. I looked around the room at all of them, one by one.

---

We teleported to the front of the castle--the teleportation made me queasy, but it was painless and quick--standing just outside the pink translucent barrier. I could see magic beings standing atop turret buildings and casting the spell that held up the shield. One glanced over at us, and did a double take.

"You there! What do you think you're doing! The city's been evacuated! Get outta-" He stopped himself abruptly. "Princess? Princess! You shouldn't be here; it isn't safe!"

She shot him a cold, determined look. "Let us pass." Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried well.

The guard looked confused. "Come again? You know what's in there, don't you?"

"Let us pass. I'm fully aware of what is contained in this barrier. We are here to banish it from the castle." Her voice was stunningly strict and influential.

The guard was silent. He made a gesture to another guard standing near himself and spoke to him, no doubt mentioning us and the princess' orders. The other one came over to look at us. He looked much older than his companion, and looked as tough as nails with his serious, rugged face.

"Princess... Am I to believe that you wish passage into this quarantined area?"

"You are, General," was the answer.

After several seconds of her and the general looking at each other, conveying wordless messages that may have been developed over years of loyal service, he nodded to Luna, and then his companion. The other man was struck dumb, but reluctantly obeyed the order.

A small gap appeared in the shield in front of us.

"I hope you understand, Princess, that after you all go through, for the safety of everyone else I must close it indefinitely," said the general.

"I do, General."

We all looked through the hole and at the pristine castle behind it. We stood there in a single file line, joined hands instinctively, and I looked at Luna. She looked at me, and a miniscule smile broke out on her face, the bottom lip quivering ever so slightly. "Are you ready to do this?" I asked her.

She nodded. I looked at everyone else, and then back at the opening. "Are you all ready to do this?"

Though there was no audible answer, we each stepped through the gap in the wall as one. After seconds that might have been hours, we passed into the enclosed realm of horror, and the gap sealed itself after us. The air itself felt different from when we were outside; the flow, the temperature, everything.

I looked back up at the turret, and at the general. He gave me a stern look and a salute. I nodded to him in return.

"So... What's the plan now?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"We go in," I said plainly.

---

We wandered through the silent halls that were full of the signs of struggle and loss of one. Pictures were askew, a window was broken, and a curtain lay on the floor. We were pressed close together going down the hall out of a sense of fear. We rounded a corner, and Rarity gasped as she saw the body of some poor boy sprawled about on the floor. His arms and legs were in an odd position; it looked so unnatural, and his head was turned to the side, eyes wide open.

I stifled disgust and went over to him. I knelt down to him and closed his eyes out of respect. He was just a boy! I saw him catering tables just earlier in the night. He must have been no older than his early twenties! It's clear that Vesania wouldn't spare anyone.

"Come on; we knew we would see things like this," I said, trying to encourage them to keep moving.

We drew nearer to where the ballroom was. We finally reached the scene where most of the awful carnage of that night took place; the doors were closed.

I cautiously approached them with an outstretched hand, and the others all held their breath. I pressed my fingers against the door and pushed it open so slowly that the hinges squeaked. I looked through the gap with one eye, looking for any possible dangers that may be inside. My gaze fell upon the massive crater in the wall that Celestia and Luna had made while fighting Vesania. I pushed the door open just enought so that my head could fit through, but pulled it back in after seeing a dozen of the dead guards lying strew about on the floor.

"Ugh... There's nothing there," I told the others, trying not to gag.

We continued down the empty halls, nothing to hear but our own footsteps and an eerie echo coming from an indistinguishable source.

"Wait, what's that sound?" Pinkie asked. We all silenced and listened for what she had heard.

There was a slurping sound followed by a thud in the distance. I looked down the corridor it seemed to come from. Luna peered down it with me and said quietly, "That sounds like it's coming from the throne room..."

We all lined up again as we looked down the daunting tunnel of marble and plaster. I heard Big Mac crack his knuckles as he looked at me. I grabbed my breast pocket and felt the spellbook sitting there against my chest.

My heart lept as a voice called down the hall--his voice. "Oh, do come in, will you? I can hear you breathing in there."

We all froze and some gasped in fear. Big Macintosh growled so quietly that I almost didn't hear him.

Tired of his taunting, I began to take a step down the hall. Luna grabbed my hand, "Wait... Don't-" She silenced as I shot her a look with an emotion that seemed like a cross between determination and anger.

After several long seconds, I continued down the hall, and was surprised to hear more footsteps behind me. I turned my head and saw that all of them were advancing with me. Together. We walked down the hall together. We walked into the throne room together, and we witnessed the horror inside... together.

Author commentary:

Sorry; I thought I could fit the fight scene into this chapter, but I was sadly mistaken. But I assure you, the next chapter will be full of spell-casting, demon-fighting, soul-sucking, statue-throwing awesomeness.

Comments

[BowtiesandFedoras]

You heard me: statue-throwing.

[SpikeDark]

bic mac bad ass of the world