Batmane, the dark steed

by Guillermo

League of Shadows

The room was completely silent, illuminated by the light of the moon and by some candles arranged around Blueblood, who was sitting in the center, meditating. His right ear twitched as he detected the sound of the door opening, followed shortly by the sound of hoofbeats approaching.

"Hello, Karal" said the unicorn without opening his eyes.

His partner gave a small laugh as he approached his bed, on the right side of the room. He was a kirin with a red hue to his skin, a golden breastplate, and a large black mane. He was dressed in the black garb of League members, but lacking the metal bladed bracelets, just like Blueblood and the other trainees who were still in training.

"How come you always know what I am?"

"Because you're the only one who doesn't knock on the door before entering" replied Blueblood without opening his eyes.

"Well, it's my room too, you know?" Karal commented with a smile as he collapsed onto his bed, not bothering to remove his robes, and let out a tired sigh.

"Training late again?"

"Yes, although I'm surprised I didn't see you there, usually you're the one obsessed with training" he said as he turned to look at the ceiling.

"Tomorrow I have the Shadow Test, I have to go with a prepared mind."

"I don't think you need it, you are the master's best student in a long time."

Blueblood didn't answer, instead she continued with her eyes closed and focused on his meditation. Karal looked at him out of the corner of his eye, and seeing that he wouldn't get anything else out of him, he decided to let him meditate in peace and got ready to sleep a little. Blueblood spent a few more minutes meditating before going to bed.

At dawn, they both got up and, like every day, they picked up their beds and put on their uniform, with Karal changing clothes. The two passed through the corridors of the temple until they reached the huge dining room where they had a simple but healthy breakfast before going to train. The training room had several sections designed for different training, agility, combat practice, resistance... Throughout the four years that he had been there, Blueblood had mastered all the disciplines, perfected his karate, learned the other martial arts that were taught, even achieved something that few had achieved, including Ra's al Ghul himself and the feared Lady Shiva, being able to mix the styles in fluid combat.

Also, his high deductive level aided him in his tracking and hunting tactics for his targets. Stealth was another field in which he excelled, learning to turn invisible using shadows to his advantage and to be aware of the noise he made so he could move stealthily and undetected, impressed another of his masters besides Ra's, Sensei, who was in charge of teaching the arts of stealth and some fighting tactics. He learned to use tools such as shurikens and smoke bombs. The only thing he failed to master was the use of illusionary magic, he was never a very skilled user of magic, and he doubted he ever would be.

Still, his accomplishments were enough to earn him his place as the favored student of Ra's al Ghul, who personally trained him whenever he could. And now, thanks to all this, his master deemed him ready for the Test of Shadows, where all who aspired to join the ranks of the League would have to go through a mental test in which they would face their greatest fear and they would merge with it in order to instill terror in their enemies.

Both Karal and Blueblood approached the section enabled for the fights, consisting of a soft sand floor with several circles that served as the ring. Karal entered one of the circles and smiled at the unicorn.

"One more match before you become an honorary member of the league?"

"I still need to pass the test and initiation before that" Blueblood said as he entered the circle and got into position.

"Sure, sure... But we both know you'll have a good time, it's not for nothing that you're the best of all of us" commented Karal, also putting himself in an attack position.

"You're pretty good too, Karal, don't underestimate yourself."

"Oh trust me, I don't underestimate myself."

Karal advanced at high speed and tried to hit Blueblood, only to be blocked by his right paw, and before receiving the unicorn's counterattack, he moved away from him, starting to walk in circles next to his opponent.

"By the way... what do you think the initiation will be like?" Karal said as he studied Blueblood for a blind spot to attack.

"I'll find out when I do, and so will you. With your skill, I wouldn't be surprised if you were called up for the Test shortly after me."

"I guess you're right."

They both looked at each other before launching into the attack, each giving their best. Karal attacked harder and faster, while Blueblood focused on blocking and waiting for just the right moment. The kirin tried to deliver a powerful blow that the unicorn dodged by moving aside and attacking his opponent's side, right in his ribs and knocking all the air out of his lungs. He barely managed to move away before continuing to be attacked, carefully watching the pony, who did not take his eyes off him.

"Always attacking from the bottom" Karal muttered as he circled Blueblood, who shrugged.

"A warrior must use every opportunity that comes his way, no matter how low."

"It's still low" Karal replied with a smile before returning to the attack.

He applied several targeted blows to his face, which Blueblood blocked as fast as he could, patiently waiting for another window of opportunity. However, Karal, in one of his flurry of blows, moved quickly, ducking and twisting so he could strike with his hind legs and knock the pony off balance, which did not see it coming and fell on its side. He grunted slightly in pain, before turning on top of his body seconds before the kirin slammed into his chest, bringing him to his hooves again.

"You have to seize opportunities, right?" Karal said with a smile, get another smaller one from Blueblood.

The combat continued in the same way, without having a superior clearing, both being very even. Even though Karal wasn't as good at defending as Blueblood, he made up for it with great offense, while the unicorn was the opposite. Even so, both were very good warriors, and inspired admiration in the other students and initiates, even some members of the League expressed their respect for both.

Both continued fighting for almost twenty minutes, which was already diminishing in both of them, the sweat on their skin and fur respectively, their breaths altered. Taking advantage of this, Blueblood found a hole in his opponent's defense and slammed as hard as he could into his face, disorienting and throwing Karal off balance. With that, the unicorn launched a series of quick, strategic strikes, preventing him from counterattacking, and with a twist, hit his legs to knock him to the ground and subdue him, bringing his right hoof to his side.

"You give up?" Blueblood asked with the hint of a slight smile, to which Karal rolled his eyes.

"Normally I wouldn't, but you have to take a test, so let's make it a draw."

Blueblood let out a small laugh before moving away and helping Karal to his hooves.

"Don't worry, you've also defeated me from time to time, it's not that important."

"Whatever you say, sir 'master's best student'" said Karal with a smug smile.

Both companions laughed lightly before saying their goodbyes and going their separate ways, Karal continuing with his training and Blueblood heading to the meditation room. He walked for a few minutes through the corridors of the temple before reaching his destination, guarded by two polished wooden doors where the symbol of the League of Shadows was, a snake biting its own tail, which in turn was the cutie mark of Ra's al Ghul. On either side were two elite League guards, a griffin and an eastern pony, dressed in their ninja garb, including the organization's steel bracelets, which had three blades on their sides.

They both greeted Blueblood before opening the doors to the meditation room, allowing him to pass. The room was quite spacious and lighted, both by balconies opening onto a view of the mountains, through which sunlight streamed, and several torches, which at that time of day, were unlit. The floor was made up of a tatami that covered the entire room, and with murals with artistic representations of members of the League. In the center was Ra's al Ghul, sitting with his eyes closed and meditating. Directly in front of the pegasus was a bowl of steaming black liquid that Blueblood suspected it was.

"Hello, Mr. Blood, have you been training before you came?" Ra's asked without opening his eyes.

"That's right, master, I had a practice match against Karal" Blueblood replied as he sat down in front of his master, who opened his eyes slightly and smiled at his student.

"Who of my best students has won this time?"

"I, master, although Karal has been a tough opponent as always."

"Ever so humble in victory" Ra's said with a smile, before looking at the bowl and taking on a slightly more serious look. "Do you know what is it?"

"I have a slight suspicion, master."

"Tell me."

Blueblood nodded, looking at the bowl and remembering his alchemy classes given at the temple.

"It is a potion made by the League's greatest alchemists, created to lull those who consume it into a sleep where they will face their greatest fears."

"As always, you don't disappoint me" Ra's said with a small smile, grabbing the bowl with his hooves. "You know what the Test is like. If you want to instill fear in your enemies, you must first learn to dominate your own and merge with them. Ready?"

"Ready."

Blueblood grabbed the bowl and brought it to his lips, closing his eyes and concentrating on the aroma. As he expected, he didn't smell good at all, and upon tasting the first few drops, he confirmed that the taste didn't improve either. Trying to ignore the taste, he drank the contents almost halfway down, setting it on the ground again. Little by little, his vision became more and more blurred, beginning to spin around him, having to close his eyes to not get so dizzy. His body began to spin in a seemingly endless tornado and he began to rise several meters into the air, he could no longer feel the ground under his hooves.

After climbing for a few meters, the tornado began to slow him down and Blueblood plunged into a long fall, slamming out onto a hard stone floor. Grunting slightly in pain, the pony sat up and looked around him, and instantly, his heart skipped a beat… he knew this place. He was in some kind of hole, with rock walls full of moss and roots, and just above him, he could see the tops of the trees and the silhouette of the full moon, lighting him with her light. The unicorn closed his eyes and took a deep breath, musing to himself and reminding himself that this was all a dream, one that couldn't hurt him, at least not physically.

Blueblood opened his eyes, calmer now, and studied himself better looking for wounds, noticing that he was no longer in his adult body, he was a colt again. Despite this, he managed to keep his cool, making sure he hadn't taken any damage from his fall. Nodding in satisfaction, he spun around, encountering something that had haunted his nightmares for years, the same hole those bats came out of. The unicorn kept his gaze fixed there, a part of him afraid that those critters would come out and torment him.

The darkness seemed even deeper than would be possible, and the sharp edges made it look like a hungry mouth ready to eat him. When it was clear that he wasn't going to get anything out of it, Blueblood took as deep a breath as he could before moving into the hole, ready to kill himself. He dragged his little body down a long, dark tunnel, and although he remembered perfectly well that it was big enough for a foal to pass through easily, the walls pressed against him and the sharp rocks made small cuts on his body. After what seemed like hours, the unicorn managed to get out, falling heavily to the ground, where he grunted at the sudden blow.

Blueblood got up slowly, looking around him, only to see the purest darkness he had ever seen, the only thing he could see was the ground closest to his body. With a frown, he spun around, noticing that the hole he had come through, either couldn't see it because of the darkness, or it didn't exist anymore. The sound of screeches around him froze him in place, his heart beating fast. The unicorn tried to stay calm, trying to notice something in the latent darkness. Gradually, blood-red eyes became visible on all sides, and the shrieks became deeper, crueler, and more monstrous.

Blueblood stood still, trying to breathe deeply, remembering his lessons with his teacher, staying calm. After a few minutes, something was present among the screeches of those beasts, a whisper, too low to hear. The pony tried to focus his ears in the direction of that sound, but every time he succeeded, he seemed to move to a different place.

Blue...

The unicorn froze, thinking he heard his name... with a voice he thought he recognized. Blueblood closed her eyes and concentrated on his breathing, reminding himself that it was all a dream, nothing could do any real harm to him.

Blue... Blue...

The whispers grew louder and swirled in one place, right in front of him, accompanied by the screeching and flapping sounds of those monsters. Steeling himself and remaining calm as his master taught him, Blueblood opened his eyes, seeing what was in front of him. All around him was a tornado of bats, and in the middle, standing out above all, were figures, much older than himself, that he vaguely recognized.

You didn't save us...

As they said this, both silhouettes advanced, rebelling at last... they were their parents. But unlike what he remembered, his tolls were more matted, dirty, and with various patches that showed the rotten flesh and bone underneath. Part of their mouth was exposed and their eyes were totally black, looking at their son like a demon would look at his prey.

You did nothing to save us...

You let us die...

We are dead because of you!

The cave around him shook, chunks of richness falling from the darkness and almost crushing Blueblood, who cringed, closing his eyes and feeling his heart pound… fear overwhelming every part of his being. His parents' screams grew louder and louder as he succumbed to terror, the sound of the gun that ended his parents' life being heard throughout the cave. He was a colt again, a frightened colt, alone and without his parents...

Blueblood concentrated on that memory, the memory of feeling helpless, the fear of being alone… the fear of losing more loved ones. As terrified as he was, something else arose in his mind from that memory, something that had never lost its strength in him...hatred. The hatred for criminals, the hatred he felt every time he thought of another foal suffering the same as him, filled him with enough determination to face his deepest terror.

"You're right…" he whispered, finding the strength to get up. "I couldn't save you... I was a coward..."

Blueblood opened his eyes and looked at his parents, and as he did, he could feel his body growing back into an adult.

"But I won't be again... I swear to you that I won't let any other colt go through the same as me... I won't rest until I accomplish that goal, even if I have to die for it."

The ghosts of his parents began to change as he spoke. Their flesh was healing and rejuvenating, and their eyes lost their demonic aura. Now, Blueblood wasn't looking at two demons come to torment him... he was looking at his parents, who were smiling warmly at him. The tornado of bats around him faded to nothing, and light flooded the entire place, revealing that he was standing on a beautiful hill, the sun shining in the distance.

Seeing his parents lovingly smile at him, Blueblood felt a lump in his heart. Hesitantly, he stepped forward, wanting to hug his parents, even if it was just a potion-induced dream. However, his vision began to blur once more and his eyelids began to grow heavier and heavier.

"Wait... No... A little more... please..." he said as he tried to move forward, only to find that he couldn't move.

Resigned, Blueblood settled for trying to keep his eyes on his parents for as long as possible.

We are proud of you...

Blueblood let out the tears he had been holding in at hearing his father's voice, just before everything went dark. When he opened his eyes, he was back in the meditation room, lying on the tatami. Blueblood sat up, still recovering from the experience, and surveyed the place. It was considerably darker than when he started the test, even the torches had been lit. In front of him, a tray with a bowl of rice, an apple, and a full glass of water had been placed.

"I trust you have passed the Test" said a voice to the right of him.

Turning, he saw Ra's on the balcony, watching the golden sunset landscape, though the sun could not be seen from that position.

"Yes, master" Blueblood said as he sat up straighter and nodded.

"Alright, alright... Please eat, I want to show you something before you go to bed."

Blueblood nodded before focusing on the tray, using his magic to grab the chopsticks and start eating, renewing his energy. Finishing, Ra's turned and gestured to the unicorn, who rose and followed his master out of the meditation room. They both walked through the corridors of the temple for a while, in the direction of an area that the pony had rarely visited, the dungeons, something that confused him a lot. They came to an archway, in whose jambs stood two torches, that opened onto stairs that spiraled down into the depths of the structure. As they descended, the wood was replaced by the stone of the mountain, and at the bottom of the steps, and down a long corridor, was a steel door guarded by two members of the League.

Both ponies approached, being greeted by the guards, who proceeded to open the heavy door. Inside, Blueblood saw an even longer corridor than he had come from, filled with various stone cells with metal bars, shackled with chains hanging from the walls. Ra's led his student between the cells to one at the back, stopping in front of it. The unicorn approached his master and looked inside, seeing a chained eastern pony, with his head down and somewhat rickety, you could almost see his bones. His fur was yellowish and he had a black mane that cascaded over his face and an inhibitor ring was visible on its curved horn. The prisoner raised his head and looked at the newcomers through the hair that covered his eyes.

"Who is he?" Blueblood asked curiously.

"A farmer who tried to steal food from a neighbor. When the neighbor caught him, they got into a fight that ended up killing him, now he's a murderer."

"What will you do with him?" Blueblood asked, a little confused as to why his master had brought him there.

"Tomorrow nightfall, you will mete out justice. You will execute him."

Blueblood opened his eyes and looked at his master with doubt.

"Do you want me to kill him?"

"That's right" Ra's said as he turned his head to stare at Blueblood. "We have trained you all these years for this. This is the path of true justice, a justice that will not tolerate crime."

"Master…I don't think I can…" Blueblood stared at the prisoner, doubt in his eyes. "I am not an executioner... He should be judged."

"By whom? Corrupt judges?" Ra's asked. "Criminals take advantage of a corrupt and permissive society, spitting on its laws. You should know better than anypony."

They were both silent for a while before the pegasus started to walk away, pausing for a moment to turn his head and look at Blueblood.

"I understand your hesitation, afterward, you were raised by Princess Celestia and with values ​​that were too lenient with crime. But this is the best way to find true justice, isn't that what you came looking for?"

Blueblood glanced at Ra's, who gave him one last smile before continuing to the door.

"You have one day to think about it, I will wait for you tomorrow in the meditation room. Choose the correct option, Mr. Blood."

With those words, Ra's left Blueblood alone with the prisoner, thinking. Was this what he really wanted?