The Ghost Of You

by MadMan

Don't Look Away

Author's Note:

oh god. i barely realized that it has been nearly a year since an update. If I were to tell you it's been a hell of a year, I would be understating madly. This chapter probably sucks. It was written over a period of months, during which I was tired a lot, drunk a lot, pressured a lot, stressed a lot, and feeling down a lot. I'm not even in the position to read this and tell if it's worth posting or not. Lemme know, and be honest. I've another chapter hot on the heels of this, I swear this time.

The light was bright, and hurt his eyes. The darkness was absolute, and left him blind. The fires were hot, leaving the acrid smell of burnt hair. The ice was cold, his breath frosting in the air. The surface he was on was hard, leaving bruises on his back. His chains were tight, cutting into his legs. Deafening alarms randomly sounded, ringing his ears and depriving him of sleep. His cell was kept in a crushing silence, and more than once, he thought he heard voices that probably weren’t there. If there was a hell, surely it was something like this.

Nightfury had attempted lashing out with his magic, but to his dismay, they had placed a small metal ring around his horn that seemed to siphon any magic he try to cast. He had heard rumors of such an artifact, but had yet to see one himself. Now he had been under the influence of the magic blocking device, Nightfury decided he rather disapproved. The effect was unnatural, making his instincts scream. It was different than other magic dampening fields he had experienced. They could be overloaded, outsmarted and defeated, whereas this one felt infinite, like the magic was being sucked into the dark void beyond.

Nightfury had been captive now for a week, yet it felt like so much longer. Every time he closed his eyes, another jolt of pain was sent through his body. Sometimes it was knives and needles, sometimes it was tightening his chains, but one way or another, his captors had kept him as awake as possible for several days. He was wearing down, and wasn’t sure how much longer he would last.

The small hole high in the wall to his left was now dark, so Nightfury assumed it was night. He couldn’t be sure, but it seemed to the beleaguered warrior that the hole shone faintly, casting a pale shadow in the darkness. He took this as a small beacon of hope, refusing to acknowledge that any but Luna could raise the moon.

The uplifting thought only lasted a moment, as Nightfury heard a door slam somewhere behind him. He had been purposely positioned with his back to the door, but he could always hear them coming a long way off. Sometimes, they even attempted to surprise him, sneaking another pony in behind a first who remained silent behind him until they sprung. A cute trick, not to mention completely useless. Mouth breathers, every single one.

The door directly behind him opened, then closed again quickly. Listening closely, Nightfury couldn’t hear but a single pony’s breath, so at least he wouldn’t have to deal with more than one.

Directly above him a light flared to life, making him blink his eyes rapidly at the intrusion. A sharp pinch came from the back of his left shoulder, telling Nightfury that they had just injected him with that hellacious substance again, for all the good it would do them. Without a sound, a small white table rolled into view, propelled by light pink magic. A single syringe was the only object on the table, and Nightfury could only sneer. From behind him crawled a delicate feminine voice, oozing through the shadows to squeeze into his ears.

“You have ten minutes to tell me where they are. When you do, I will inject the anti-venom. You know what happens if you don’t.”

Nightfury rolled his eyes and growled his answer to the pony behind.

“Bite me.”

He yelped at an abrupt pain in his neck. Turning his head as far as his restraints would allow, Nightfury could see a pastel blue mare with a pink mane pulling her head back, apparently having done just that. She fluttered her eyes at him, smirking.

“Tell me now? I promise to inject the anti-venom.”

Nightfury almost told her what she could do with the syringe, but smirked himself as he got another idea.

“Again, bite me.”

Leaning his head to the side, Nightfury did his best not to laugh. This mare had been trying her odd combination of torture and seduction on him for the past four days, and he was almost having fun antagonizing her. Closing his eyes, Nightfury gasped aloud as he felt her teeth mark his neck. As she lifted her teeth, he felt her lips creep toward his ear, her mane brushing his cheek. Somewhat distantly, Nightfury noted that she smelled like roses.

“Please tell me. Cooperation will be... Rewarded."

Nightfury felt a tingle crawl up his spine, her soft tone implicating what rewards she promised.

“How about you reward me now, and we’ll see where that gets you?”

The mare laughed, a delicate laugh that reminded him of the sound of rain on grass. She backed up a step so he could see into her lovely cerulean eyes.

“I promised, didn’t I?”

Nightfury rolled his eyes again. He stifled a yawn and stared into the mare’s eyes. He could feel the first vestiges of the serum crawling in his skin, and he could tell he only had a few minutes left. Time to play hardball.

“There you go with those promises again. One after another. How do I know you’ll deliver?”

The mare took a moment to pout before answering his question. Blinking away a faux tear, the mare turned her flank toward him. Nightfury took a moment to appreciate the view before realizing what he was supposed to be focusing on: her cutie mark. A small yellow sun floated to one side of a blooming rose while a crescent moon hovered on the other. Nightfury blinked a few times as he tried and failed to wrestle a meaning from it other than gardening.

“Alright, you got me. What’s it mean?”

Turning her flank away from him again, the mare sat in front of him. From her posture, Nightfury could tell he was in for a tale.

“It’s a rose, flourishing during the night as it awaits the sun’s promised return. One day in elementary school, I promised a classmate I would bring her an extra book when I learned that her family was too poor to buy her one. I trimmed hedges and performed other extra chores for a few days to get the pocket change and bought it for her. When I delivered it to her, the smile on her face was so bright, I thought I’d go blind. I felt so good that I had worked so hard to fulfill a promise. I was so proud of myself, I didn’t even notice my cutie mark had appeared until I was halfway home. Kind of fitting that my name is Promise, isn’t it?”

Nightfury gritted his teeth as he felt his shoulder begin to burn. Shaking his head to clear his mind, Nightfury looked back to Promise.

“Well, that’s a cute story. I just wish I knew whether to believe that or not.”

Promise smiled and stood, taking a step closer so that her muzzle was but inches from his. Her demeanor had turned from innocent to calculating.

“I can see it in your eyes, warrior. The serum is beginning to work. Tell me.”

“I already told you to-”

A pained yell tore through Nightfury’s sentence as the burning spread. The left side of his shoulder, back, and neck all felt as if they were on fire. Promise leaned in and gently kissed his neck, luckily on the side that didn’t burn yet. He barely had time to savor the kiss, as the fire in his skin was quickly progressing to encompass his whole upper body.

Nightfury closed his eyes and grimaced, hoping that his pained groan wasn’t overselling it any. He had experienced a toxin quite similar to this a few years ago. The concoction she had injected him was a watered down version of a poison used by the Zebra tribes far to the southeast. The Zebras were also far less stringent on use, as the recipe was simple and ingredients were plentiful enough. Pain he was accustomed to.

Barely opening one eye, Nightfury peeked at Promise to see her reaction. Interestingly enough, she seemed completely disinterested, eyeing a bracelet she had around one hoof while her prisoner squirmed. Nightfury let out an groaned again, gritting his teeth and writhing against his constraints. The sound of chains rattling gained Promise's attention, but not in the way Nightfury expected. Her eyebrows narrowed, and she just glanced at him, shaking her head slightly. Confusion racking his brain, Nightfury paused in his faked pain, which made Promise react again, widening her eyes and nodding in his direction. Nightfury took this to mean keep up his act, so he continued his moaning and groaning and rattling chains.

Glancing at the door, Promise stood and removed the bracelet from her leg. She pressed her hoof on a certain spot, and the bracelet began to glow. Promise placed the bracelet on the floor near the door, then quietly walked over to Nightfury on the table. She leaned in, lips barely brushing his ear.

"Quiet now. This room is enchanted to alert the guards to any magic usage. That bracelet was ensorcelled earlier to record sounds, then play back those sounds. I recorded you faking pain, and now it is playing those sounds to the guards outside."

Nightfury turned his head to listen and sure enough, the bracelet was now emitting the sounds he had been making just seconds ago. Promise again pressed her lips to the side of his head.

"I want to get you out of here, but on one condition. You take me with you. I'll be back tonight if I can."

Nightfury opened his mouth, intending to ask a few of the questions that ran rampant in his head. Promise shushed his words with a hoof to his lips, delicate and gentle. More unsettled than ever, he lay his head back against the table and narrowed his eyebrows at the mare. She leaned in close again, staring into his eyes.

"I'll be back as soon as I can, and answer some questions. I promise. Now get some sleep. I've instructed the guards to let you have a few hours rest, or we'll never get any information out of you."

With a wink, Promise turned and picked up her bracelet, which silenced immediately. The door opened quietly without any visible prompting, and she left. Nightfury stared at the door for several moments after it had closed, face blank as he thought. His laid his head back on his table, glaring at the ceiling as if it held answers to the questions burdening him. Eventually, he felt his eyes drifting shut. Normally, he would have forced them open for fear of more unusual torment, but this time he trepidatiously let them close. When no alarms sounded or needles stabbed him, Nightfury forced his muscles relax and ignore the fire still sweeping through his body. He didn't plan on sleeping, but some restful meditation seemed in order. Thoughts of roses frolicked in his mind.

An indeterminable time later, the door opened quietly. The sound was faint, but it was still enough to snap Nightfury back to full awareness. He hadn’t quite been sleeping, but was not far from it. Looking up, Nightfury saw that it was Promise who had disturbed him. She slipped through the door and gently closed it, obviously attempting to make as little noise as possible. He scowled at her, whispering in the darkness.

"This time, it's my turn to ask questions, girl."

Promise batted her eyelashes at him, moving close.

"Speak quietly, and we have time. I told the guards I wanted to see if you talk in your sleep."

"Shrewd. Right, how do I know I can trust you?"

Promise sighed and sat on the floor, her eyes drifting away from Nightfury's and back again.

"Honestly, there is nothing I can do to prove my honesty. All I can do is tell you that I am not here willingly. This mare that took over Canterlot has coerced many of Celestia's staff to work for her. For many of us, including myself, she threatens our families. She posts a guard at our loved one's residence, and she says of we try anything, they get hauled away to the dungeons, and most likely, their death."

Nightfury closed his eyes for a moment, laying his head back on the table.

"Sounds like Axion. So tell me, if we both disappear, what's to stop her from holding your family hostage or killing them?"

Promise's smile unnerved Nightfury a bit. It reminded him of Wildfire just before he revealed an especially outrageous plan.

"Because, warrior, you are going to kill me in your escape. You are proficient in appearance illusions, I assume?"

"Well, yes. But they dissipate if the pony they are cast on is killed."

"What if the pony is already dead?"

Nightfury couldn't help but smile at Promise. He was liking the way she thought. This might actually be worth listening to.

"Spoken in true desperation. Alright, where are we going to get this donor?"

"Are you familiar with the palace dungeon layout?"

"Only the barracks."

"Well, just below us is the general population room. It's not much more than a remodeled cave. It's where they round up all the drunks and drifters all night. They don't keep a tally, they just let them all go after sunrise. We open a hole in the floor, grab a mare, quietly kill her, you cast your little illusion, then we cut a hole in the wall and levitate down and teleport from rooftop to rooftop."

Nightfury took a moment to glare at Promise.

"I am not afraid of killing, but I will not murder an innocent civilian. Why not one of the convicted? As well, there's sure to be some sort of magical surveillance or field to prevent teleporting out."

"Well then, let's hear your plan. They keep a good watch on the ones in here for the long haul. Outside, there's guards on every corner, not to mention those creepy undead things that got you. It's hell out there."

"I'll leave you behind. Not killing you will be my way of showing my thanks for your help."

"Please, you have to take me with you. I cannot live like this."

"You'll have to. I can't take you along. It'll be hard enough for me to escape alone. With you in tow it'll be nearly impossible."

"And how are you going to get out on your own? I know where and when the guards change shift."

"Fight my way out. Just take off this silly little ring and I'll show you hell."

Nightfury stared at Promise, daring her to challenge his words. After a moment, she dropped her gaze to the floor. Nightfury felt the smallest pang of regret for his harsh words, but quickly quelled it. There is no time for emotions in war.

"Fine. I didn't want to have to play this card, but I don't have a choice."

Nightfury scowled at Promise's words.

"It better be an ace, girl."

"I know Axion's plans for Celestia and Equestria."

"Face card, but no ace. We already know a few details. I was captured taking a map to my compatriot outside the walls. The creepy undead things got me, but he got the map and got away."

"So you know locations. I know ideas, plans, politics, and reasons. And I'll only tell you after we've escaped."

Nightfury bared his teeth to the ceiling. He hated being in this position, but every scrap of intel on Axion was precious, and this mare seemed to know it. Even false information could be useful in its own way. He had to develop a plan to get them both out of there intact.

"Can't we just fake some transportation papers saying you're taking me to a more secure facility?"

"My treachery would be discovered before too long. I will not do anything to let them know I willingly went with you. At least us escaping through the wall, I could plausibly play the hostage. I will not doom my whole family to certain death just for-"

"For what? Justice? Peace? An entire nation of innocent ponies?"

Nightfury sat up as far as he could, ignoring the burning sensation his whole body still trembled with. The toxin he was injected with earlier had all but worn off, but it was still uncomfortable.

"Admit it or not, we are in the midst of civil war. I know it seems unfair, but if you really do have information vital to our success, we have to get out of here alive as soon as possible. If you do not help us, your family will be but a single drop in the ocean of blood that is soon to be swirling around our hooves. All give some, some give all. This is your some."

"My family is my whole life! They are all I have left."

Nightfury lay back on the table, the cool surface welcome to his fevered skin. His voice grew quiet.

"No, Promise, they are not. Your heart still beats. That is all you need. That's all any pony needs to change the world. Besides, you don't even know for sure Axion will kill them. If she does put them in the dungeons, we can release them when we return to remove her from the usurped throne."

The room was silent for a while. Nightfury glanced at Promise from time to time, her demeanor never changing. She sat still, eyes closed, head hung. At length, she sighed.

"Just give me a few more days with them. I won't tell them anything, I just want to do a few nice things for them. They deserve that, at least."

Nightfury mentally growled. He was very opposed to any delay of getting information to Luna, but at the same time, he was asking this mare to condemn her entire family, possibly to their death.

"In two days, just before midnight, I am leaving. You can be here and come with me, or not. I don’t care.”

Promise only sighed and hung her head, eyes closed. Nightfury knew all too well the thoughts she must be wrestling with. He leaned towards her as far as his chains would allow him.

“Hey. I assume I will be tortured as normal in the meantime?"

Promise looked up, and Nightfury couldn't tell if it was a tear or mischief that gleamed in the corner of her eye.

"Of course. We cannot afford any suspicion. I cannot go easy on you."

Nightfury just smiled grimly. He had expected nothing less.

"Good. Just keep it interesting."

Promise offered no words, instead leaning in to kiss him on the cheek. Standing, she left the room, and Nightfury set about clearing his mind. A lot had transpired that night, and he wanted to be as mentally fortified as he could be for the coming day's torture. He was sure it would be more intense than any he had yet experienced. Promise was about to sacrifice her entire family for this his cause, and he had no doubt that she was going to get what penance she could from him before they escaped.

Comments

[ToxicTalon]

Oooh~ An update~ I still need to read more of this... Can't wait for the next update... Hopefully it won't be another year.