The rise of DrakeFang

Chapter 3: Following the path to darkness

Drake and Hot watched the scene, and both saw the armored, weaponed guards talk to Ariana and her son, though not making a sound. Judging from the guards’ facial expressions, it wasn’t a nice conversation or a peaceful arrest. Hot Shot was confused. Why couldn’t they hear anything? Did he become deaf? He looked up at his dad, the real, pony version that is, and saw that he shed a tear.

“Dad? How come we can’t hear them? What’s going on here?” Drake glanced at Hot, and then back to the scene. “I can’t remember. My fear of finding out the truth behind it won’t allow me to hear them.”  Hot Shot looked at the ground. “We don’t have to move on if you don’t want, Dad. You’re hurt enough as it is. I’m causing you more pain.” Drake looked shocked, and turned his head at his son. “Not at all. Hot, you deserve to know this. You need to know who I was.”

Hot Shot nodded, glancing back at the scene. Ariana had made a hand signal at Drake, telling him to run away. The boy did, and one guard lashed at Ariana, piercing her with a spear, the blade of it showing through her back. The other guard returned to his companion as Aria’s lifeless body fell before his feet.

Drake ran through the forest behind him, crying, completely in panic. Hot Shot and his dad decided to follow the boy. They couldn’t be seen, so it mattered little. Following the boy to the heart of the forest, where he had stumbled upon an old hut, Hot once more looked confused.

“This is your world, right, Dad?” Drake nodded. “Why do you ask?” “Because your kid self just ran into Zecora’s hut in the Everfree Forest…” The woods did look like their Equestrian counterpart. Even the hut had that atmosphere the zebra’s had. The scene changed again, and now the boy, Drake and Hot were standing inside the hut, right in front of an old man.

“Do be welcome, child~”, the old man said, his voice sounding a bit dark, but kind. Drake appeared to be sitting down on a chair in front of him. “Who are you?”, the boy asked the man, whom responded with “My name matters not. But you, young Xiroth, you are the one that does.” The boy’s eyes widened, and he asked him “How do you know me?”. The man chuckled, and sat down, a kind smile showing on his face. Hot Shot couldn’t help but smile as well, glancing at his dad, who’d been watching the scene with a slight hint of anger in his eyes. “Who was he, Dad? He seems like a kind man.” Drake’s expression didn’t change at all. “That, Hot, is the man whom I had put trust in, only to get it betrayed.”

Hot looked worried, and glanced back. The man was still talking to the boy. “You have lost your mother, and your father wants you gone. Let me help you, young prince. I can make you the king your father wants you to be.” The boy’s expression turned not really happy, but relieved someone was there for him again. “How will you help me?” The man waved a hand, floating several objects under a purple-ish smoke. “Become my pupil, and I can show and teach you the ways of darkness. I can make you more powerful than anyone in this kingdom.” Drake hesitated to answer. The boy began thinking, and after a while, he looked back up at the man.

“Deal.” The boy reached out his hand, and the actual Drake, the pony one, looked away from the image. Hot Shot noticed his dad looking away, figuring out Drake thought it was the worst mistake he made in his young life. “Dad, are you sure you wanna keep showing me all this?”

Drake nodded. “From here on, Hot Shot, things will get ugly. Do you want to carry on?” Hot Shot looked determined. “No matter who or what you were back then, Dad, I won’t look at you any different than I do now. You’re the father I look up to, not the guy that made mistakes.” Drake couldn’t help but hug his son, and together, they watched the boy as swirls of darkness engulfed his hand.

The boy’s path to darkness had begun…