Chaos now!

CHAPTER 13

PRISONERS

Kark and the ponies were led to the holding cell, which was located on the outskirts of the village. It looked like the remains of a metal storage container.

Gilda opened the door, which squeaked open; then she motioned with her rifle for them to go inside. Her henchdogs pushed the ponies in with the tips of their machine guns. Gilda closed and locked the metal door behind them.

The inside was dimly lit with but a single candle, but it was who they saw inside that shocked them all. “Princess Celestia!” Rainbow Dash gasped.

“My loyal subjects.” The Princess said in greeting.

Everypony bowed down before her, except for Kark.

“Why aren’t ya bowin’?” Apple Bloom asked him in a whisper.

“Not an Equestrian citizen. Remember?” Kark said in answer.

“Oh, right.” Apple Bloom muttered, and continued bowing.

“I knew that you would all come for me.” The Princess admitted. “Though I wish that it was under better circumstances.”

“So that was you helping me enhance my telepathic abilities out there.” Kark said.

Celestia smiled and nodded. “It was. I sensed your approach, and couldn’t resist helping my eager apprentice.”

Sweetie Belle, though, couldn’t resist asking a burning question within her. “Dear Princess Celestia, what have they done to you!?” she cried.

She did, in fact, look pretty horrible. Her once really long mane was gone. She was literally bald. Her once long tail was also gone. There was only a small tuft of hair left sticking out, with just a hint of its multi coloured shading. Her body was covered with several scratches, bumps and bruises; and her hoof slippers, crown jewels and necklace were missing.

“The Diamond Dogs? Nothing. The villagers here are quite peaceful, and the soldiers stationed here are more preoccupied with protecting the diamond mine about five klops north of here. This was all Discord’s doing. Funny thing, too: He literally pulled my mane and tail hair right off; and ate it like cotton candy.” Her voice faltered at the end, but she held hack her sobs.

Sweetie Belle, though, could not. She sobbed freely at the horror right before her eyes. “Dear sweet Princess, I can’t bear to see you like this.”

Celestia immediately got up to comfort the sobbing young pony. “Take heart, young filly. I’m fine, really. This is nothing that a little time, regrowth and a good spa treatment can’t fix.” She then eyed her. “Can you be brave for me, dear Sweetie Belle?”

Through sniffs and tears, Sweetie Belle nodded. This made Princess Celestia smile proudly.

Rainbow Dash was the next to speak. “I can’t believe that he would DO something like this to you, Princess! Kark, you should’ve killed him when you had the chance!”

Kark shook his head. “It wasn’t the right time. Besides, I couldn’t do it with Gilda standing there and pointing her rifle at me. If I’d killed Discord right then and there, she would’ve popped my guts full of lead.”

“Well, at least ya would’ve accomplished yer mission, and maybe Princess Celestia would be free.” Applejack complained.

“Kark’s right.” Celestia said. “It wasn’t the time to act. His chance will present itself eventually.”

After a few moments of silence, it was Apple Bloom’s turn to speak. “Well, I, for one, seriously doubt that! He shoulda killed him right then ‘n there, an’ we would be free to leave this nightmare of a place; but now, we’re his prisoners, maybe forever.”

Apple Bloom hobbled over to the only bench in the cell and sat on it, looking quite depressed.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Celestia said. “You know, I can help you heal that leg; and your leg, too, Sweetie Belle.”

Both fillies’ ears perked up.

“Now this I gotta see.” Rainbow Dash said eagerly.