Sombra lifted his head once again feeling the familiar cold chills, the tiny ice droplets felt like needles when they touched his fur,if he was bleeding he wouldn't have been surprised.He could no longer feel his back-hoofs from the torture of the ice cold floor and his eyes blurry from the long sleep he had been through, the only part of his body he could move where his front hoofs but even then they where in chains on the wall, the chains themselves made of ice and enchanted by a lock only a goddess could break.
As if automatic Sombra,after his eyes had become accustomed once again to the snow realized the situation he was in and pulled against the ice cold shackles,making the sound echo to rest of the small dark cell. It was of course to no prevail,even he knew that nothing could break the chains only she could. And Celestia,Luna and Cadence never would.
If only he had not been defeated by that putrid unicorn and her five much lower friends,not forgetting that dragon.Right now he would be crushing her beneath his hoof ,watching her take her last breaths and watching her life slowly slip away.Then of course he would once again become king but with more land,those who ignored his will would be punished,to the brink of death and the beautiful unicorn mare Twilight sparkle would me no more.The mere thought of it made sombra smile.
"And i would take back what is mine" Sombra grunted to himself realizing his snout was not frozen and not expecting any answer than the voice of the wind when he heard a slight rattle of chains nearby. "W-who's there?" asked the charcoal unicorn to the darkness curious as to who it was "why would you care?" replied the voice with a few more rattles of the chains,its voice in a raspy tone as if it had been crying.
The voice seemed somewhat familiar the unicorn,was there a chance somepony else got sucked into this prison cell as well? If anything it could be one of his slaves, them being depressed and not being able to torture them for an eternity would be a real pain though.But if it was one of the main six or better Twilight sparkle the torture would be more bearable slowly breaking there sanity.
Sombra's small train of thought stopped as he heard more of the pony rattling its chains,fiercer this time almost determined to get out. "No matter what pulling you do you will never get out of there you hear me!?only an abomination called a Alicorn can break it" "really?............thanks" said the disembodied voice rasply again which was followed by a small clicking sound of chains being pulled off the wall. "Your a alicorn?" groaned the former king almost saddened it was obviously one of the princess's torturing him about being stuck here alone and cold.
WHO DID THEY EVEN THINK THEY WHERE? NOBODY MESSES WITH KING SOMBRA!!
But then Sombra realized he was in prison,reality hit him hard.Still he wasn't going to be mocked without a fight. "You may be a princess,whoever you are,luna,Celestia,cadence I don't care but just leave now! I WILL be king one day and even in this state you wouldn't want to mess with me......so just leave!". A long awkward silence filled the small cell,the former king looked out into the darkness almost waiting for it to leave.
Finally getting frustrated the charcoal unicorn thought carefully,even though these chains where enchanted Sombra had found a way around it and could do small spells like mind reading and levitation. "Leave!" groaned the unicorn again before using a light spell and filling the cell with a bright light revealing no other than Twilight sparkle.
Sombra looked shocked at the Alicorn Twilight he knew the purple Alicorn was powerful but powerful enough to get upgraded to the state of a Alicorn? that was something he would never receive. Suddenly another thought filled the unicorns mind why on Equestria was Twilight even here? she didn't know where he was imprisoned the only reason she would be here was if she was a prisoner........
"What would be the point of leaving?" Asked the lavender mare replying to the question;her position quite awkward as though she was hiding something. "All my friends have turned against me,even my mentor they hate me now and theirs nothing i can do about it i might as well just stay here and freeze to death"
Sombra was confused. What did she do that was so bad she got sent here? in the ice cold prison Sombra had accepted as home;sobbing even more the alicorn still sat awkwardly,covering her eyes. "What did you do...." asked the charcoal stallion curiously "do you want to see?" asked Twilight angrily showing her green,purple mist flowing eyes staring right at him. "and how?" the stallion said even more confused......twilight was like him.
The purple alicorn moved out of the shadows and sat next to Sombra her old enemy "do you really want to know?" she sighed realizing her state and the mess she was in. "what ever but what did you do that was so.....evil???" "massacre,I wanted power simple i guess that's what happens when you play with dark magic not even knowing your using it...so is my life"
Sombra didn't say anything, he was just happy he wasn't alone anymore, in the way that hes not alone in the prison and that he's not alone in mind
What a pretty little town, what a pretty little princess
Right near the middle of Equestria, in its seas of lush green valleys and in one of its famous meadows lives the small remote town of Ponyville. Once a calm and small town created by travelling earth ponies it had grown into a popular tourist destination thanks to the summer sun celebration that had happened a few years back. Normally many ponies of all walks of life would walk through the town. Unicorns, earth ponies and Pegasus alike enjoying the calming atmosphere and keeping the many markets and shops busy. A happy and welcoming aurora would cover the friendly town and cheer would be heard at all hours. Ponies would walk on the brown and orange leaves in autumn, sell the towns many rare flowers in the hot months and reside happily in there humble abodes when winter would take its toll.
But not today.
The many streets that where normally full of life lay empty in the hot summer sun. Buildings painted pastel pinks and calm blues lay empty and abandoned doors creaked in the soft rolling wind. Ponyville could be described as nothing more but a ghost town, long grown out of its prime. Bits of rubble of what were merely a few days, houses covered the ground and the smell of small forest fires could be smelt all around.
Monsters and creatures of the night scurried occasionally out of the Everfree forest nearby as they learned about the new, abandoned territory. So unfamiliar to the warm almost quaint feel of the climate one could be seen every now and then either hunting the remaining livestock that still lived in the town, exploring they're new territory or most likely sitting like stone statues above the hilltops.
However, in the midst of the abandoned ghost town trotted a figure. A earth pony mare with a light shaded mane came out of the shadows, a small smile crept on to her face as her bright orange fur glistened with fresh sweat. A leather stetson sat neatly on the top of head and her lightly shaded mane was held up in a small ponytail by a even smaller red band. Three large red apples adorned her flank in the shape of a triangle, marking her destiny and life as a apple farmer. Most ponies would presume that she had come from the large farm, Sweet Apple Aces that in the midst of a ghost town, was still running.
The mare suddenly stopped. A large shadow of a mesmerizing building looked down at her and emerald eyes looked back up at it with a passion. In the middle of the town, sure to be a new attraction once the plans had gone through was a large sapphire tree-like castle.
The structure Gleamed like diamonds in the mid-mourning sun and "branches" of the structure grabbed on to the main rooms like they where leaves. Gold platted rooftops added a more magical feeling and greatly reflected the stunning symbol of glass friendship that lased on the top of it. A star with six points, representing the elements of harmony sat atop the heavenly structure. Loyalty, generosity , honesty, kindness, laughter and of course, magic being the main focus of the standing symbol.
Climbing up the stairs and entering the large castle the Simpleton mare began to climb up the castles winding maze of hallways and stairs. The move carpet streaking further and further up the tower as she walked higher and higher4 on every step. She passed a large glistening throne room filled with five thrones in one large circle hastily. A big kitchen with an even larger dining hall and a set of guest rooms.
The smile on the apple-farmers face disappeared suddenly as she almost reached her destination. A ear-splitting scream echoed near her as it echoed beyond and into the crystal walls. Hastily she stepped in her dear friends room. The princess had sent her just in time.
Twilight Sparkle sat up in her new king size bed as a familiar pony came into her sights. Royal purple walls and large ebony doors where covered by the warm orange color of her friend and her bruised wings, though battered and shaking, flapped with a calming familiarity.
"Howdy there Twilight I heard the scream'in, you alright?" Her voice was laced with caring and understanding " I know it's one of those nightmares the Princess has been talking to us 'bout, your not hurt are ya'?".
Twilight's one working eye looked away from Applejack and fell to her hooves. "Applejack..." her voice was croaky and raspy "It was strange,...I was in a pitch black darkness and I was reaching out for you. I was in a lot of pain....an-an..." a single tear fell from her purple eye and her friend rushed to her side "Y-y-you guys just got up and left me....."
Applejack placed a hoof on her shoulder as Twilight's breathing began to quicken after uttering the few lines of nonsense.
"Now, now Twilight your like a lil' filly crying over a bad dream. Ya'know will never leave ya."
The new princess of friendship calmed herself as she lifted her friend off of her and her mind pulled it self out of its shock. Twilight painfully straitened herself and spoke softly "mentally, I'm incredibly unstable but physically I am getting better, you don't need to worry about me I'll be just fine, Applejack."
The earth pony mare smiled back, she knew it was a lie but she hated to think what would happen if she pushed her friend any further. Memories of a not so distant past quickly passing through her eyes.
"Well I'll go do what I came here to do and make ya' some of Grannie smith's famous good mourning' breakfast and then we can talk bout' the plans for the new and improved Ponyville!." Applejack smiled warmly before shutting the door and leaving Twilight to her own thoughts. Even though she had wished to talk to Twilight more about her dreams, the princess had forbid her too in fear of early problems resurfacing.
The lavender alicorn's timid smile quickly turned into a frustrated frown as her friend left the room. Her glazed and tired eye scanned across her brand new abode and a sigh escaped her lips.
"Nothing is making sense...."
Those where the exact thoughts that had been going around in her head the four days she had spent immobile in her bed. After the Tirek incident Twilight had taken some major injuries, her left front hoof had been taken clean off and her left eye gutted out. Bruises cuts and scars were scattered all over her body and falling from great heights during the battle and badly damaged the feathers on her wings. Her body looked like it had been very bluntly, mangled and mutilated. Her feathers looked like purple and red lines of bone and thin bits of mashed up flesh and her bandages alone where covered and drenched in at least half of her blood. If she hadn't descended to a alicorn before the fight, she would pretty much have been dead right now.
After losing the fight itself Twilight had collapsed by the sheer pain and her friends had to escape and save Equestria without her.
It would have been to painful, Celestia had said ,to transport her to Equestria's best hospital in Manehatten after they found her bleeding to death outside her new castle. So instead, she was healed with some powerful healing magic and told to rest up for the next couple of months. One or two and she would be walking again. If she was lucky.
But then there was the thing that confused her so. How had the other mane six opened the box without her? How had they escaped Tirek's grasp? Where they not taken when she had gone to train and discover how to use her new powers and fight? Even sights of her friends in the last four days had been few and far between. Beside from Applejack, All her friends had told her was that together they had defeated Tirek and out of the ground had grown this castle, that was presumably, for her.
Half of her wanted to believe the story witch had too many plot holes and shifty eyes while being told to be true but another could see through the black, sin tinted lies like glass. She had been lied too, obviously; So the question still lingered in her mind about how her friends had defeated the Minotaur in her absence. And why she was being lied too in the first place.
But the days of doing nothing but thinking about the story had only brought her a few reasons as to why she was being lied too and one or two theories with more holes than a dragon could count on one hand.
Suddenly but softly Applejack several minutes, maybe hours later, opened the purple doors to Twilight's room. In her hoof she held a plate full of steaming eggs, hay buns and a calming cup of apple flavored tea. Her smile was wide but her posture showed how hard she had worked before she had gotten to the castle.
"Well these should help you feel better in no time flat" the earth pony grinned as she placed the various food items on to the lavender mare's satin bed. The scent of warm food and the very idea of having some energy attracted the lavender alicorn and Twilight rose from her relaxing stance and painfully grabbed the food to eat it silently.
Behind her Applejack searched through her bag and pulled out a silver tinted scroll and scrolled it out on top of the king sized bed. On the scroll, written in a very fine Canterlot blue ink where various plans, measurements and shapes depicting the idea of new residential houses. However unlike the neat official printed text the various rectangles, triangles and lines that made up the houses where crudely drawn on to the fine paper. They where obviously drawn by the cow pony herself.
"Since most ponies houses where destroyed after your fight with Tirek, me and the good ol' fancy council members in Canterlot have decided to start first with the houses." Applejack began, even though she herself couldn't read what the where plans that clearly. " The buildings will start tomorrow and I'm sure that we can get the residents of Ponyville back in there homes in no time! what do'ya think Twi?".
The lavender alicorn was only half listening as she stared down at her bandaged hooves as they rested in her satin covered lap. "Will the others be helping along with the construction?" she tried to ask confidently but it barley came out as a strained and raspy whisper.
Luckily Applejack heard and replied swiftly like the words where planned "Actually, no. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna called them on a meeting just last night."
"Then why didn't you go?" Twilight's voice asked meekly.
"Because ya'know I have to stay with Bic Macintosh and help look after the farm"
"Then...why can't I help?"
It was the question Twilight had been meaning to ask as soon as she had woken up three days ago and had began to sat in the cold room. It was big of course, ever turning Applejack for or against her, but it had to be asked. She was just damn tired of not being able to help people like her apple bucking friend who had been suffering in the last days! Her physical state would not matter to her if she could fix all the wrongs she had made while in her battle with Tirek.
The earth mares voice suddenly turned stern as she spoke "Twilight, you may not remember it but we've been over this before. You're to weak to even get out of bed, let alone carry some planks of wood, let alone levitate a god damn hammer. Wait for when your both mentally and physically ready; for faust damn sake your body is still in shock!"
Twilight watched in slight horror as Applejack's normally calm and collective manner, one of the things she just slightly envied about her friend, melted away in mere seconds and was now replaced by anger and concern.
Applejack's hoof inched slightly outward to the table by Twilight's bed side and her breathing quickened. If Twilights thoughts began questioning and thinking deeper they might have to turn to the the backup plan again quicker than they had expected.
Getting out of her slight shock, Twilight realized she had a point to make and stared her friend down with her only working eye.
A strong deep purple orb locked with two stonger evergreen ones. "Applejack I'm the brand new princess. It's my new duty whether I'm in good health or not to look after my subjects. And the whole of Ponyville is destroyed, they need a princess more than ever!".
Applejack's face turned to a face plastered with worry, her chest heaved slightly and the pain of the last few months weighed down her facade slightly. "I'm sorry Twilight, but the princess was right you are not mentally stable right now, let alone physical and I'll do more harm than good when your not thinking straight. Your not as powerful as you once was a few days ago."
"Look, I know I've never and never will have any control over your fancy magic. But going from one of the most powerful beings in Equestria to barley alive would take strain on any odd pony. And it's my duty while the others are away to look after you. I will not allow you to step one hoof outside this room!"
The air in the room became stiff as the two mares looked away from each others eyes, both waiting for the others reaction while questioning there own. Applejack had snapped far too soon and she knew she had just started yet another fit in her friend. Oh how she didn't want to do this!
And then it happened, something In Twilight's mind clicked. Did Applejack just say that she wasn't that powerful anymore? That the country farmer, her friend didn't think she was good enough? Twilight had tried her hardest, she really had. It wasn't her fault that Tirek and beaten her so easily!
Where her friends not visiting her because of this? Was it because she had somewhat failed them? Was she not good enough for them?
Where they not friends anymore?
A small tear fell from Twilight's only working but twitching eye at the very though of it. Her breathing became raspy and quickened while her body trembled slightly. Applejack quickly dashed for a small cup of tea by her friends table.
"H-h-how dare they! I was good enough for anypony, I was the most powerful being in the whole of Equestria!" Twilight's voice was trembling but a small peak of power rose up in her voice. At the end of her sentence it had started to sound venomous. Various voices joined in in her speech and her normally happy yet quirky voice seemed power hungry and demonic.
Then without warning in Twilight's mild rage of confusion and hurt her earth pony friend had tackled her to the bed. The lavender alicorn cried in pain as her already damaged limbs began to sting in a antagonizing purple fire . Her breathing hitched as Applejack pressed a cup of warm vanilla flavored tea to her lips.
"Drink."
The orange mares voice was and filled with worry and was that...fear? Twilight wasn't sure if her friend simply cared for her well being or hated her in that moment and she should fight back. However, Twilight had gone through days of stress, nightmares and seeing only slight fear in the only ponies who had cared for her till now; the latter option one.
The apple farmers eyes went wide as the bandaged and beaten Twilight began to protest and fight out in her tight grasps. Flames of dark purple and flickering light velvet's with great power began to dance up the earth pony's front hooves and she cried with sudden, urgent pain. Both soaked and dried blood fell and rubbed on the mares coat as she used all of her strength to fight off the alicorns force. Applejack, black spots clouding her vision quickly drew back her knee and deeply bucked Twilight in the stomach with a ear splitting crack as her friend finally began to draw back.
"Drink. Twilight, I'm so, so sorry but this is for your own good." Twilight wept slightly as she hung her head in defeat and let the warm, sweet liquid slide down her neck without a sign of annoyance or pain.
Her eyes locked with her friends as they both began to recede back into the pain they where going through. A lot of things had began to race inside of the lavender mares head. She was angry, hurt and confused all at the same time for what had felt like forever today. Not only that but she also felt extremely tired. Yes, tired.
Twilight yawned as her apple bucking friend arose from her with the cup held shockingly in her hoof. Applejack used her burnt crisp pain filled limbs to limp back to the edge of the door and quickly "run" from the castle.
Twilight didn't care though as she watched her friends limbs bleed out and leave a trail in the barren roads outside the castle through her large windows. She was much to tired to deal with current affairs.
And with that, the element of magic painfully covered herself in her covers and fell into a another nightmare filled black abyss of sleep.
