From the Life of a Queen, to the Life of a Villianby Rainboom Dash 1ChaptersChapter 1Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8Chapter 9Chapter 10Chapter 11Chapter 12Chapter 2Chapter 1Queen Leisha watched over her kingdom proudly. She smiled as her subjects pranced around in small happy jumps of excitement. The royal ball was that night, and all of her subjects were royally invited. The ball was when the poorest and richest of her subjects came to the castle for a feast and beautiful night of dancing and joy. Everypony loved the Queen, and nopony rejected her as a Queen. She made sure they were all well taken care of, and always had a smile on her face. The little fillies and colts loved her, and played with her whenever she was out walking-which was quite often. "My Queen?" A guard asked from behind. She turned, and smiled at her guard in the silver armor. "Yes Commander Silver?" She looked at him, her light blue eyes sparkling. "Our mailpony has delivered a rather troubling message from a neighboring kingdom." Leisha gasped. Who was out for her? She thought she treated everypony in her kingdom, and neighboring kingdoms, with the up most respect... What had she done wrong? "May I see it Commander?" The Queen asked, taking it. The note was cut up from old magazines, and was glued hastily on the paper. 'Your kingdom is too rich. So here is our little pitch. On the night of life and laughter, We will make sure it will NOT be happily ever after.' "The ball... Tonight." Leisha whispered, staring to Commander Silver. "I'll get the guard ready. We will be ready my queen." Silver took off in a burst of speed out the door. Leisha walked over to her balcony once more, and sighed as she watched the fillies and colts gallop around in laughter. "What have I done wrong..." The Queen whispered. Her fur was glistening in the light, the white blending perfectly with the rays of the sun. "What have I done..." Her blue wings closed to her sides, she walked back inside with the simple thought of what had she done. It was now time for the ball. Leisha was fitted and ready in a elegant light blue dress that flowed to the ground like small waterfalls. Flakes of white were sprinkled across the entire gown, and small white butterflies with extravagant detail were soaring across the bottom. Leshias' crown was silver and sparkled with the sapphire gems embedded in the elegant headpiece. She had her mane curled and sparkled with the same white flakes as on her dress. Her tail matched her mane, and it shimmered brightly in the rays of the setting sun. She trotted down the stairs leading to the ball room, and smiled at her subjects. They cheered her on as she made her way to the bottom. She smiled, and as she got up to the stage, she bowed to the audience. "Welcome my friends!" She smiled. "Thank you all for coming tonight to the 5th Annual Ball of Friendship! I'd like to wish you guys a great evening, and please do be nice to each other!" The ponies started to mingle among themselves, and a few came up to the Queen to greet her. She smiled, and shook their hooves and the guards stood around the castle, watching closely to the outskirts. "Commander." A guard said to Silver. "Can I help you solider?" He replied, looking to the solider. He looked beat up, and his armor was burnt to a crisp. "What happened?!" "He is here Commander." "Who the hell is he?" Silver growled. "The one who sent the note." He said, standing tall, dispite his armor falling off. "Crap." Commander Silver said, growling at the ground. "It seems that we are going to have to think of ways to say goodbye if we can't save the Queen." He sighed. "Into the castle! We must save Queen Leisha!" He yelled, and ran inside. Chapter 3Leisha woke up to the smell of pain, anguish, and yes, death. Where she was was definitely not a good one. Which meant, she wasn't in her kingdom. Her kingdom was smelled of happiness, true love, and unity. Where was she? Celestia's and Luna's Equestria? She couldn't be. She had only been there on a couple special occasions, and it never smelled like this. She opened her eyes to darkness. Did they make her blind!? They couldn't have! Could they? "Hello?" She asked, she felt around her to feel walls very close to her. She reached forward to feel metal bars in front of her. She tried to use her magic, but something was blocking her from using it. She huffed in frustration. "Shut up." A nearby voice said. Her ears pricked at the voice. "Who are you? Where am I? Why can't I see?" She asked quickly. She hear the sound of a lock unlocking. She tilted her head towards the noise, and a hoof touched her head. The hoof moved over her eyes, and light flooded into her sight. She blinked a few times to filter out the light, and dim it. She squinted at the pony in front of her. A pegasus in a emerald suit of armor. "Your in the kingdom of jewels." He said. "I'm Silver Emerald and your sight predicament is fixed." He said, shutting the gate again. She stared at him. "Let me out." She growled, looking at him angrily. "Now." He snickered, and looked at her. "Don't you recognize me? It's me. Silver. Your trusted guard." Leisha stared at him with a shocked expression. The fur was the same. The eyes were the same. No. It couldn't be. "Your not Silver. He would never do this to me." She said. "Never." "You so sure about that? All I wanted to do was take the gold. That is why I helped this kingdom!!!" He laughed. When he said that, something snapped inside of Leisha. An anger. It felt as if something had began to corrupt her heart. A dark that she thought no pony had. And it was all aimed at Silver. Not to long ago she had started to fall for him. They were always together. Talking. Having fun. But not now. Now he had captured her and planned on holding her there till her kingdom falls to pieces. All she knew now was that something black had began its corruption. Now she didn't know whether to stop the evil... Or to embrace it. Chapter 4Leisha watched Silver silently. He walked back to where he was originally sitting-at least she thought so. He sat down, and looked at her with a devious gleam in his eye. He smiled, and leaned back with a slight chuckle. Another stallion trotted in, standing next to Silver. Another pegasus. The pegasus that asked for a walk to the Royal Gardens. "Good afternoon Silver. How is our prisoner?" He smiled, looking at Leisha with a smile on his face. I wish I could smack that stupid smile off of his face... Leisha thought to herself, her anger rising. "A little over talkative. Her mouth has been moving all afternoon it seems." Silver laughed, and the other pegasus joined in the laughter. "I took off her blindfold though, so she could see who her captor was." "And her look?" Silver mimicked Leisha's expression when she found out. A look of surprise, heartbreak, and fear. The pegasi laughed together, nearly falling over each other with laughter. Leisha growled, and her hate grew for the two stallions. "Oh, don't get your wings in a bunch." The stallion said, walking over to her cage. His light green eyes stared into Leisha's blue ones, and Leisha watched him carefully. "I don't think we have been properly introduced. I'm Striped Pearl." He smiled. "A girlish name, but my name." He said, rolling eyes. Thanks mom... Pearl thought to himself. "Very girlish." Leisha couldn't help but smirk at her comment. "Shut up." Pearl growled, kicking Leisha's cage. "Otherwise it will be more then a kick to the bars." Leisha growled at him, and he smiled. "So what are we going to do now boss?" Silver asked, looking at Pearl. "Going to go get some cider. I'm not worried that she will escape. There is no way to without the keys." Pearl shook the keys attached to the armor on his hip. Leisha stared at the keys, her eyes trained on them. Her head went through hurdles and over jumps on how she could get them, but by the time she thought of one, the two stallions were gone. She growled, and screamed in frustration. Her scream echoed through the empty room, besides the chair and desk facing towards her containment. She looked at the desk, and saw stuff cluttered all over it, from magazines, to writing pads. A small pencil cup was sitting on the corner of the desk, with an assortment of pens, pencils, and... Was it? It was! A small key was hiding in the middle of the writing utensils, barely visible from her position. The room was small, and she could reach it. She knew she could, and she just had to try. For her kingdom. She leaned forward, extending her hoof in the spaces between the bars. She reached and reached, and hoof came centimeters from the edge of the bobby pin. If only I had my magic... She thought, and then pulled her hoof back, and re-thought her plan on how she could reach it. Her cage was embedded in the wall, so pushing the cage over was out of the question. The wall behind her was concrete, so maybe if she pushed off of it with her back legs. She decided that she should try that method, and fixed her hind legs to push her off the wall. She got her hoof out to where it was before, and pushed herself as hard as she could. She touched the edge of the cup, and started to grasp at it to grab the handle. She closed her eyes and continued to reach for it, when a creaking sound of a door was heard. She pulled her hoof back quickly, and huffed to herself. Her one chance at escaping... A failure. Author's Note I know guys, my chapters are short, but there are going to be a lot of chapters. If you have read the author James Patterson, then you'll know how he writes short chapters but long books. That is how I write. Chapter 5After weeks of meals that would make your stomach turn over itself at the description of the ingredients, Leisha flipped over in her tiny cage. Her once beautiful white fur was now caked with unmentionable filth. Brown splotches of grime and dirt smeared her fur. The sapphire eyes that once watched over a kingdom with a caring smile, were now filled with sadness and a hidden anger tucked away behind it. The teal mane and tail that once added to the Queen's beauty was torn and brought to shreds, strands longer then others, strands sticking out of place. Her unique wings were tattered, and sore from the lack of use. She groaned and looked out the bars, to see Pearl staring at her. Pearl looked at the tattered queen, and sighed. He had been sitting here for countless hours watching her, making sure she wouldn't find a way to escape. Which he knew was just absolutely impossible. The walls surrounding her were concrete, and the only thing that wasn't was the cage door. How could she escape? Leisha looked around her tiny cell with despair. Her kingdom was probably in ruins, her ponies dying from hunger. She had no heir, no upcoming ruler, just... Her. She couldn't age, and thought that she had zero problems with the neighboring kingdoms. So what was the point of conducting an heir to her throne? Silver walked into the room with a small bag filled with donuts and 2 cup fulls of coffee on his back. He handed a coffee to Pearl, and then half of the donuts in the bag. Leisha stared at the delicious delicacies, just a foot or two away from reach. She felt her mouth start to water with the undeniable desire for a donuts and coffee, and she sat up straight looking at them. Her eyes were focused on them, just wanting one little taste. One small bite. A itty, bitty taste. That is all she wanted, was it too much to ask? "Oh does Queen Leisha want a taste of these delicious donuts...?" Silver took a slow bite into the fluffy, delectable, sugary breakfast item. Leisha felt the drool drop from her chin, as the doughnut started to disappear into the stallion's mouth. He laughed, and continued to eat, taking slower bites to make Leisha suffer. What seemed like weeks later, Silver finished his 3 donuts. He had risen and walked out of the room, leaving Pearl with Leisha once more. He was only on his second doughnut, and was looking at a carriage magazine. She sighed, and put her back to the stallion, not wanting to be tortured by the deliciousness. Leisha started to drift off, into the dreamland where everything was happy. Back to her kingdom. Back to her loving subjects that she called family. The ponies around her trotted, talking happily. Leisha was walking through the crowds, and they greeted her with friendly hellos and sad goodbyes when she started continuing on through her stroll. They all loved her to death, would do anything for her. And she knew it. "E-Excuse m-me?" A small voice said from behind her. She turned, and a small unicorn was looking at her with sad, fear-filled eyes. Leisha got down to her knees and looked at the filly in near heartbreak. She was bruised, dirty, and alone. "What's wrong dear?" Leisha whispered, petting the filly's overgrown mane from her face. She took a step back in fear, unsure of what she was doing. "M-My dad-daddy sent me h-here for help... Ba-Bandits at-attacked our c-carriage, and he needs help... H-His head w-was bleeding... Pr-Pretty bad..." She whimpered, looking up to Leisha for help. Leisha gasped, and grabbed the small filly. She looked around for nearby guards to go help the wounded father, but none were around. Her kingdom was so safe, she didn't feel like she needed guards walking the interior. "I'll go get you daddy... Can you show me the way?" Leisha asked, looking at the small pony. She nodded frailly, and pointed towards the west gate. Leisha held the filly close to her chest, and shot into the air. She had to save this filly, save her father. She just hoped she could make it in time. "There." She pointed to a carriage with a stallion laying out front, his head bleeding severely. Leisha landed right next to him, and gasped. He was in really bad shape. The filly jumped out of Leisha's hooves, and ran over to her father. "Daddy... I got help... I got Queen Leisha..." She said, looking at her father, tears in her eyes. He looked at her, and his eyes were clouded. Leisha knew she was too late. "G-Good..." He coughed, petting the filly's mane. "L-Listen Delilah..." He coughed again, looking at his daughter, tears in his eyes. "D-Daddy isn't going to be able to m-meet you at home... Daddy's hurt. You know that." "Daddy please... Don't..." She sniffled, staring at her dad with fear. Her eyes pleaded her father to not continue his doubt. "Baby I love you..." He said, and coughed again. His life was fading before their eyes. "Daddy no. No No No!! Please Daddy!" She nuzzled into her fathers face, and some of his blood was now smeared on her muzzle. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "P-Please daddy... Don't leave me alone daddy..." "Queen Leisha will take care of you... I know she will..." He coughed again, and his eyes were struggling to stay open. "P-Please Leisha... Take care of my baby Delilah... She... Is... My..." His eyes shut, and he barely whispered, "baby..." He waited for Leisha's response, his chest barely rising and quickly falling. "Daddy don't talk like that! We will make it through this together!" She whispered, crying. "I will... I will treat her as my own." Leisha barely said, tears choking her up. "T-Thank you..." He coughed, and finally exhaled once more. He didn't inhale again, just laid there, cold as stone. "DADDY!!!" Delilah screamed, staring at her fathers corpse. She shook him as best as she could with her tiny hooves, and sobbed. "Please.. Wake up Daddy... Please..." She sobbed, hugging her dads limp body. Leisha started to cry as well, and looked at Delilah. Delilah was in a depressing state, and looked at Leisha. "C-Can you help m-me bury him... P-Please..." She whispered, and began to light up her horn. A little piece of his mane was starting to be picked up by her magic, but he was too heavy for such a tiny unicorn to carry. Leisha used her magic to help her, and went inside the castle grounds and buried him in the cemetery. Delilah just stared at his grave, and his tombstone that Leisha had created with her magic. "Thank you.." She whispered, and fell asleep on her dads grave. Rain started to trickle down the two ponies, and Leisha covered the unicorn with her wing to keep her dry. She finally dosed off with the tiny filly, with tear stains on her cheeks. Leisha woke up with a feeling of something touching her tail. She sniffled her tears away from the past dream, and looked at the item in her cage. A small chocolate doughnut was sitting next to her, with a small note on it. She picked up the note, and read it silently. "Thought you might need this after that nightmare.." "~Pearl." Chapter 6Leisha stared at the doughnut and her stomach rumbled for the delicious pastry. She grabbed it quickly, and started to swallow it quickly. The taste overflowed her taste buds, and she smiled as she chewed. It was ten thousand times better then what she was being fed. She closed her eyes in sweet bliss, her mind letting go of Delilah for the time being. She finished it, and smiled, looking out of her metal bars. Pearl was sitting there smiling, and finally said, "Glad your feeling better." He smiled, and then his smile turned to a frown. He pulled his chair up to Leisha's cage door, and leaned forward looking at her. "Can I trust you not to run if I let you out to stretch your legs in this room?" He asked, staring at Leisha. She nodded, and looked at him sincerely. He unlocked her cage, and moved back. She carefully took a step crawled out of her cage, and stood on her legs for the first time in months. She wobbled, and started to fall. Pearl caught her quickly, and stood her up. "Be careful." He whispered, and stood close in case she were to fall again. She moved her hooves cautiously, and took a step forward. She wobbled again, but regained her balance. She started to trot in circles around the room, and that eventually progressed into a gallop. She smiled as the feeling came once again to her hooves, and she started to fly as well. Her wings unfolded into their full wingspan, then started to beat. She flew through the air, and grinned, landing beside Pearl. He smiled at her, and pointed to a second seat in the room. She took a seat in it, and sat across from her. "So... Who was this... Delilah you were talking about in your sleep?" Pearl asked, stirring a spoon in his coffee. Leisha looked at him, and the tears threatened to spill again. She swallowed them back down, and looked at him. "A old friend's daughter..." She whispered. "But he is dead." He said, staring back at her. "Yeah..." She twirled her hoof on the table sadly. "Well... If you don't mind me asking, where is she now?" Pearl asked, looking at Leisha with concern. "I-I don't know... She was living with me in the castle and then sorta... Disappeared just a few hours before you guys took me away." She whispered, hoping her Delilah was alright. Maybe she was taking over the kingdom while she was gone to keep it in its best condition. Pearl sighed, and a door slammed from just outside the room. "Get back in your cage. Hurry. Before Silver gets in here." He pushed Leisha into her cage quickly, even though she refused. "Stop refusing!!" He growled, and pushed her in finally, locking the door. He sat back down, and watched as Silver barged into the room with anger on his face. "The king is not very happy with us." He growled, looking at Leisha. "You know, you caused all of our hard work to go to waste. He won't pay us because you decided to ruin everything!" He said, kicking Leisha's cage. "She somehow got a hold of her kingdom and told them she was kidnapped. Now they are sending troops towards us!" He yelled, smashing his sword into the desk. "How did you do it huh? How did you get a hold of your kingdom?" He asked, his anger overflowing. "I didn't." She growled, and turned away from him. Somepony must of seen her being kidnapped and ran to the real protectors of the kingdom. Maybe it was Delilah. Silver screamed, flew out the door in a anger explosion. She heard him screaming and smashing stuff in the other room, screaming stuff like, "I'm never gonna be able to overthrow the king with nothing!" and, "Stupid mare had to get in my way!" Over and over again. Pearl eventually walked out of the room to go talk to him, and they trotted outside. Leisha heard peace and quiet once more, and she yawned. Being able to run around exhausted her, and so she laid her head down and fell asleep. "Leisha!" A voice said, shaking Leisha's tired body. "Come on, wake up!" The voice said, and Leisha woke up groggily. "What?" She asked, blinking the sleep from her eyes. Delilah smiled at her, and jumped up and down. "What are you so happy about?" She smiled, sitting up and stretching. Her covers were scattered all around the bed. Must have been a rough night of sleeping for me. Leisha thought, and then looked back at Delilah. "I made you something in the garden!" She squeed, and took off towards the garden. Leisha followed her, and trotted into the gardens. The smell of the dawn breeze made Leisha smiled. The smell of flowers and the water swam through the air. "What?" Leisha smiled as she walked up to the filly. "See? I made it just for you." A butterfly with silver wings and sapphire details. Leisha gasped, staring at the butterfly. It shined in the morning light, and Delilah held it up to Leisha with a giant grin on her face. "Do you like it?" "I love it, baby girl." It had been weeks since Delilah's father passed, and Delilah insisted on Leisha calling her 'baby girl' or 'my little filly.' and such. Leisha took the butterfly, and Delilah's flank shimmered lightly. Leshia looked at it, and the gem butterfly appeared on her flank. Delilah gasped, and looked at Leisha. "I got my cutie mark mommy!!" She screamed, and hugged Leisha. Leisha gasped and smiled at the little filly. "And it is just like yours!" She smiled, looking at Leisha's cutie mark. Leisha nodded. "Yes it is Delilah." Leisha smiled, and nuzzled her. Chapter 7Leisha woke up to the smell of hot coco in the room. She grunted as she turned in the tiny cage, and looked outside the bars. The room was empty, and 2 mugs of hot chocolate were sitting on the desk. The steam was rising from the delicious drink, as well as the smell of chocolate and whipped cream. Oh what Leisha would do to get her hooves on a mug. The door opened, and a pegasus walked in. A female guard. How unusual! She stared at Leisha silently, and gasped. Her gray fur was blackened by flames or something unknown. Her eyes were a light sky blue with hints of brown. She walked up to Leisha and put her hoof on the cage, looking at Leisha sadly. "You poor poor thing..." She whispered, and the door slammed open. "What did I tell you about messing with the prisoners?" Silver growled, and Pearl walked in after him, carrying a third hot chocolate. More Temptation. Beautiful. Leisha rolled her eyes. The female guard whipped around quickly. Her dark blue and black tail swished nervously. "S-Sorry Commander Silver... It'll never happen again Commander." She whispered, and he came straight up to her face. "You better be sorry Recruit." He turned to Pearl. "That extra hot beverage won't be necessary. I've been called to the castle for a special meeting. Keep an eye on the Recruit Lieutenant." Pearl nodded and saluted as Silver left with a small of the door. "He is a hot head." The mare said as Pearl set down the hot chocolate. "No kidding." Pearl smiled, and picked up the keys to Leisha's cage. He opened her cage, and Leisha crawled out silently. She looked at the unicorn, was it...? No. "So who is this?" Leisha asked as Pearl handed her a hot chocolate. Her heart jumped up like a little filly, and she drank it happily. "Don't you recognize her?" He smiled, and the mare looked at Leisha with a sad face. It had to be! "D-Delilah..?" She whispered, and looked at the mare. She smiled, and took off her armor. Her cutie mark was the little glass butterfly. "Mom!" She ran towards her, and hugged Leisha happily. Leisha hugged her tightly, and tears ran down her cheeks. "I thought I lost you!" She whispered through her tears. "I'm so glad I didn't." They stopped hugging, and then sat down in the chairs with their hot chocolate. "I've been taking over the kingdom and made sure they were working all right before Pearl came and brought me here as the new recruit." She smiled, and Leisha smiled. Her little Delilah had grown up. "How did you get her Pearl?" She asked, turning to Pearl. He sighed. "Long story short, I asked ponies around your kingdom about a Delilah, told her, and-" "He brought me here." Delilah finished. Pearl nodded, and smiled. "I'm glad he got me. I can let you free now thanks to Pe-" "Now stop right there Delilah." Pearl said. "She isn't leaving, and you are not going to take her." He nearly growled. She stared at him in disbelief. "I'm sorry, but I can't allow it." "Then why did you bring me here Pearl?" "So you could see your mother before we threw her to the king and let him take over her." "What?!" Leisha and Delilah asked in unison. The black pit in her heart grew ever stronger. Leisha had become attached to this stallion, even started to feel for him. But the pit in her heart grew more. She growled, which never happened. Delilah looked at Leisha with a quick gasp. "I'm sorry, but now you have to leave Delilah. Your mother must go back." Pearl started to push Leisha into her cage, and Delilah cried. "No please! Don't do this Pearl!" She cried out. "I must. I have to listen to the King. Goodbye Delilah." Guards came into the room and took Delilah away. The last word Leisha heard her say as the cage door closed was... "Mommy!!!" Chapter 8Weeks had passed since Delilah had been to visit Leisha. Pearl would no longer let her out of her cage, and her food came less and less. Pearl didn't talk to her, but when he did he would talk about Delilah. And Leisha was going insane with him just talking about how Delilah would be punished for taking over the well-being of her kingdom. Her heart burned with a new found rage at Pearl, and with an eerie darkness clouding her thoughts. He would never get close enough to Delilah to even see her. Not with Leisha around. Pearl just kept explaining and describing how slow and painful they would make Delilah's death when they got their hooves on her. "...You won't even be able to tell she's a pony...She'll have no fur, no hair, just a hairless freak... Then we'll..." He continued on, but Leisha quit listening and turned around. She mumbled angrily to herself, flicking her tail. Then the door opened and Leisha listened closely. "Its almost time. Is she ready?" A stallion's voice asked,and she heard the sound of the chair push back and the clinking of armor as Pearl stood up. "Almost. Then she'll be fit to visit the king." Pearl said, then dismissed the other stallion, shutting the door behind him. He walked over to Leisha's cage. "Listen girl, you better get your attitude up. You can not meet the king with a attitude." He growled, and Leisha rolled her eyes. "Oh me...?" She batted her eyes, and used her hoof to flip her hair. "Have an attitude? I'm just to divine to have an attitude!" She looked at him angrily then slammed her hoof back down to the bottom of the cage. He growled, and kicked the cage door. Leisha pulled away from it as it rattled, staring at Pearl with a 'you are dead' expression. He looked at her, then sat down before the cage. "What happened to the 'I wish for only everypony's happiness?'" He said, imitating her voice and putting air quotes in the air with his hooves. "'Oh, I am only as good as my friends? As my peasants?'" He said, leaning towards the cage, his face smiling with a victory. Leisha laid her ears back, and quickly tried to grab him through the bars. He jumped back as she nearly grabbed his face. She was boiling with rage and hatred. Pearl watched her huff and puff from behind the bars, her eyes flickering back and forth from green to the light blue. He kicked the cage again. "Calm it!" He growled, and she stared at him, her face red with anger. The door opened to allow a guard in. "The king is ready to meet his future Queen, Pearl." He said, and Pearl turned and nodded. "Get a few more guys. We are going to need lots of help with her." He turned to Leisha, her teeth bared in a angered sneer. "A lot more help." The stallion nodded, and within minutes about 5 more guards came into the room. She mumbled, squirming around in her cage. Pearl ordered them over to the cage. "The second I open this, you guys grab her. She is gonna try to run." They nodded, creating a half circle around the cage. They stood ready, looking to Pearl for the go. Leisha stared at the cage, waiting for the door to open, waiting to spread her wings and break out from this cold, hard, death cage. She looked at Pearl with an intent glare. He stared back, and put his hoof on the cage, holding the key right next to the lock. Leisha felt all of the muscles in her body tense, ready for the spring. "NOW!" Pearl said, whipping the cage door open. Leisha leaped out with all of the might left in her skinny body. Leisha felt her wings open the moment they were able to get out of the cage, but her lack of strength only caused her muscles to fail. She fell, the guards grabbing her quickly and pulling her to the ground. They quickly got to work, securing her wings down with rope. One unicorn put a magic cuff on her horn to stop magic that she may use when they enter the castle, and another put cuffs on her hooves to still allow her to walk yet if she tried to run she wouldn't make it that far. She huffed, her energy sucked out of her from the failed escape. She looked at the guards around her, then to the shackles on her. She sighed, looking down at the ground. "Come on Leisha. We have a King to meet." Pearl said, guiding the guard and Leisha to most likely Leisha's horrible doom. Chapter 9Leisha groaned as she walked outside of the building she had been kept in for the past months. The sunlight hit her strongly, and she closed her eyes. The sunlight almost seemed to kill her, like it was burning into her flesh. She laid her ears back, and tried to move away from the sunlight. The guards held her in place, and she looked at Pearl. He was trotting up ahead, and the ponies of the Kingdom moved at of his way as he walked past. They watched Leisha with a weary eye, and the foals watched her curiously. She had to look like death. Leisha looked down at herself, her bones clearly visible. Whenever she took a step, she was able to watch her hip bones perfectly move through her skin. She looked back to her tail, which was knotted, messy, and her tail seemed to be falling apart. She sighed, looking back forward. She felt her bones ache, and she stretched her neck a little bit. She heard her bones pop in her neck from the movement, and winced. She turned to the ponies around her, then continued marching on. Her fate had began to draw nearer, and she knew it. She looked up, squinting as the castle seemed as tall as the sun. She was coming up close to the stairway that would lead to the end of her life. Instead of the stairway to heaven, it was more like, well, you know. She sighed, shaking her head. She watched the crowds of the town fade away, as she began her journey up the stairs. Some of the ponies there, even seemed, familiar... Like... They were some of her friends in her Kingdom... "Come on Leisha. You know this isn't healthy for you." Sapphire said, helping up the Queen. Leisha shook her head, standing with a wince. "Maybe you should take a week off of your regular morning walks. Maybe you should just rest." A group of the villagers joined by Sapphire, nodding in agreement. "We know that you love all of us. A few days away would fit you just fine. Just stay home and relax." She nodded, and Leisha looked at them, stretching her back. "I can't just 'stay home'. I have to come see you guys. I would hate to go a day without you, any of you. Just my body has to get used to double the running, playing, and walking I have to do with Delilah." She said, flicking her tail slightly. Since Delilah had joined Leisha in the palace, all she wanted to do was play play play. "It'll all be good in time, my family." She said, smiling to the crowd of her subjects that had come around her. She looked up to the palace, watching the sun begin to fall behind the silver walls. She looked to the crowd. "I love you all, now go get some sleep. All of you." She smiled, and began up the staircase to her castle... And as she turned around, she began to see her friends waving, their smiles brightening up Leisha's day. The picture fizzled away when two large doors blocked the view of the crowd below. Great. Reality again. Leisha stared ahead, her happy hallucination crushed as the sound of the doors shutting rang in her ears. She looked at the ground, and she felt the soft feeling of carpet underneath her hooves. She just wanted to lay down right there, roll around, and be happy again. Like that was gonna happen. Leisha rolled her eyes, looking back up. The walls around her were made of different jewels, from emeralds to rubies. She sighed, and laid her ears back. She saw the guards around every pillar, every window, and every door. She had no chance of escaping at this point. Pearl stood up taller as his arrival to the King's throne grew nearer. He watched as the light finally fell on the tip of the King's throne. The light shimmered off the gold on the throne, and eventually the King came into view. His dark grey fur was brushed thoroughly, and his black mane was slicked back in its normal ways. His light green eyes pierced straight into Pearl as he came into view, looking straight into his soul. Or so he thought. The King then turned his eyes to the Queen behind him, and Pearl bowed as the other stallions of the guard brought Leisha front and center. Leisha stared at the King, his eyes looking deep into hers. She blinked, and then looked down. She couldn't show any kinds of weakness. Leisha shook her head as she looked back up, staring right back at the King with a evil glare. All he could do was smile at her, and he stood. He was tall, almost taller then her. He walked up to her, leaning over to come into straight eye contact. She sneered, but he just smiled even wider. His teeth were sharp, and a pearly white. Something she wish she still had, a smile. There was one thing that was different about him... He didn't have wings! Usually, the kingdoms wouldn't allow a unicorn to be the ruler of their own Kingdom. Celestia always chose who was able to rule over kingdoms or not, with of course the consult of the leader of their region. Which in this case, was Leisha. "What happened to your wings?" She sneered, looking up at him. "Too scared to be able to fly so you got rid of them?" She couldn't help but chuckle then. "I've never had wings. I've been a unicorn since I was a colt." He said, growling slightly at her. He looked over to Pearl, then back to Leisha. "And what happened to you? Did someone forget to hoof feed you?" Leisha grew even angrier with that remark. She would never do that to any of her subjects. Not her royal guard, not anypony. "Looks like somepony over fed you. Right?" Purple flames seemed to spark from his eyes, then disappeared. "You sure do have a sense of humor don't you Leisha?" He laughed, and then looked down at her. "Has Pearl told you my name yet? Or did he leave you with the mystery, so I could unravel it?" Leisha looked at him. It was true, Pearl hadn't told her his name yet. Yet, she should know him. He was a ruler of a kingdom, in her region. Celestia had to have consulted her with this unicorn at some point in time... Wait. "Good Evening Leisha." Celestia smiled as Leisha walked into her palace. Leisha looked around, her curiosity peaked by the golden armor on the guards. Her guards wore teal armor, this was strange, all in its own way. "There has been a new kingdom added to your region, yes?" Celestia said, holding a scroll in front of her. Leisha looked back up at her and nodded. "Yes. The Jewel Kingdom." Leisha confirmed. Celestia nodded, and the scroll vanished away. "You have a mare in mind for the spot I do believe?" "Yes of course. Her name is Midnight Shadow." She nodded, and turned as a alicorn walked into the room. The mare was a pitch black with a grayish mane. Her mane draped on her face softly, her sparkling emerald eyes looking up to Celestia. She bowed, then stood again as she watched the two leaders converse her fate. "She is a great pony, and cares for everypony as I. I have been mentoring her since she was a mere filly." Celestia nodded at the black alicorn standing in front of her. She looked her over, then nodded over to Leisha. "If she is a student of yours, I do believe she is ready for the responsibilities of a kingdom." Leisha nodded, then looked down. "My dear Celestia, there is a problem I must share with you regarding Midnight." Leisha said as soon as Midnight left to go greet her new subjects and family. Celestia looked down at Leisha with a confused expression-usually illnesses or problems would pop up in a magic check her guard performed before they entered the throne room. "Midnight, she is a great student. She adores me and her friends and family in the kingdom. But, she has been acting strange ever since I told her that she may be ruling her own kingdom." "A sign of nerves, Leisha. Nothing strange about that." Celestia said, looking at Leisha. "No, I mean, yes, but no." Leisha sighed. "I went into her room last night while she was sleeping and checked her vitals for any problems that could be causing this new found nerves..." "And what did you find, Queen Leisha?" Celestia persisted. "She's pregnant, and the foal inside of her is causing her severe pain and worry." Leisha said, looking up to Celestia. Celestia was shocked to hear the news, but stared at Leisha with a worried expression. "Keep an eye on her and her foal. I have a feeling this foal will mean no good in the future." Leisha had kept her word with Princess Celestia, watching Midnight Shadow closely whenever she came to visit. Leisha could tell she was using her magic to hide the belly, but her strained eyes only led Leisha to more worry. It had to be close to time for Midnight to have the foal, and Leisha was never more right. Within days the foal was born, a small colt that was a unicorn, with green eyes, black mane, and dark grey fur. Leisha was the first to hold the newborn, and Midnight smiled when she finally got to hold her son for the first time. Midnight tried to think of the best name for the colt, and ended up calling him Buddy all the time. The time flew on, the colt becoming older, going to High School, and eventually graduating with perfect A's throughout all of school. He was planning to go to college, go be a doctor, when tragedy struck the Jewel Kingdom. Leisha had run to the scene as fast as she possibly could, but it was too late. Midnight Shadow was collapsed on the floor, clutching her stomach with her hoof. A broken glass and orange juice was splattered all over the floor next to the body. Leisha knew the cause of this, it was obvious. Poison. Leisha looked around, she just had to find that one. The one Midnight left behind. "B-Buddy...?" Leisha whispered in a soft tone. The stallion standing above her growled at the mention of the name. "M-Midnight's Buddy...?" Leisha felt the tears start up in her eyes, and she saw it start to begin in the stallion's eyes as well, but he quickly swished them away. "The name isn't Buddy anymore Leisha." He said, staring at her with a cold hard glare. "I've properly given myself a name." "King Sombra." Chapter 10Leisha watched the king as he circled her, flicking his tail. He had begun to circle her slowly, watching every movement she made. Her mane was as sleek as ever, and he couldn't help but smile. He had always wanted her to be his Queen, but never had the courage to. He had begun his plan to kidnap her only a year or so ago, when he first received his invitation to her royal ball. He hired her captain of the royal guard to begin her arrangements in his kingdom, and one of his captains to commit the crime. King Sombra stopped, looking around for Pearl. He had always been running off at the worst times to go visit his new marefriend to see how she was doing with the new house King Sombra had given him in turn for watching the Queen all the time. He growled, and turned to one of the other guards to go fetch him. The guard saluted, taking off in search for his captain. The King then turned again to the Queen, and smiled. "Come on my Queen. Let me take you around the grounds." He smiled, and motioned the guards away. Leisha stared at him, and watched the guards move away from her slowly. She stood, and watched the king. Should she run? Leisha stretched her legs, and she felt the guards tense for a chase. She smiled, and cracked her neck. Her tail flicked, and she stretched her back. She walked up next to the king, and started walking. "What's first?" She smiled, and her ears twitched towards the sound of gasping from the guards. Murmuring was heard, and she giggled inside as she turned back to Sombra. Sombra nodded, his facial expression solemn, almost as if he expected her decision. Sombra watched her move softly through the halls, and every once in a wall they'd cross a room that he'd explain who and what they were for. Leisha would nod and smile. She was acting strange, like what she was doing was all part of a elaborate plan she had in her head. She would keep looking into the rooms, then towards the windows, then towards him. She was definitely thinking of something, but he couldn't quite figure it out. Her face could keep the darkest secrets, and it surprised him on how she kept them all so well. As the tour ended, they made their way back into the throne room, where guards watched with focused expressions. Leisha could only watch Sombra as they came to a stop. "Why me?" She asked, tilting her head to the side with question. "Why not some other mare?" Sombra stopped, and he slowly turned to the Queen. "Why?" He chuckled softly. "You know Leisha, you have helped me grow. I grew on you, you grew on me. Am I right?" He whispered, and she nodded solemnly. "You, besides my mother, were the only one who thought I had a future. A good future." He looked back at his throne. "But when my mother started to tell me I could never truly have a future with you, something in me snapped." He smiled softly. "It was great. Watching her suffer from poison." He chuckled lightly, then sighed. "Of course I did love her though, she was my mother after all. But if she wasn't going to stand behind me and my choices, she was a useless being in my life. If she was going to stop me from my dreams, without me even learning the consequences of some of my choices by myself, what kind of mother is that?" Leisha drew in a sharp breath. Even though she knew that he was a suspect in his mother's murder, she could never really accept that fact as one. She always saw him as the cute, funny straight A student, not a murderer. "But she was your mother Buddy..." She whispered, laying her ears back. "My name is not BUDDY!" He screamed, his eyes staring at her angrily. "That was never my name! My mother never truly named me! She never thought I was good enough for one!" "That's not true Buddy! She loved you with all of her heart! She never thought that!" She screamed back, her eyes growing hot. "Then why'd she give up on me? Why did she never believe I could be with you?! She was the one that taught me that nothings impossible! If that was true, why didn't she let me try on my own?!" He seethed. "If she truly loved me, she would have let me at least try!" He screamed, tears streaking down his grey cheeks. Leisha became silent, tears running down her face. "She always loved you... Just like I did..." She whispered, then looked at him with focused, angry eyes. "Until you turned into this monster!" The room went silent. Guards watched Sombra with a shocked expression, and all that was heard was the wind blowing in the open windows. Sombra growled, using his magic to put chains back on her feet and neck. "Take her back." He growled, laying his ears back. "Keep her locked up tight. Maybe then she will learn how to respect her King." He said, and when the guards didn't move, he stomped his hoof in anger. "Now!" The guards scurried forward in a rush of clinking armor, then grabbed the prisoner and yanked her out of the room. Sombra watched with a angry expression, then turned and sat in his throne. "She will be mine..." He growled, before turning to Pearl who had just ran back in. "Make sure she is properly reformed to love me... I want her back in 2 weeks." He said, watching him. "Do you understand? I don't want a lick of attitude like she gave me today. I want her to be loving and caring. Just like she had treated her subjects." He then focused on the door. "And make sure she is healthy, feed her normally, keep her well. When she comes back... I want her clean. I want her healthy. Then she can bare my heirs." He whispered, tapping his hoof. Pearl gulped, then bowed. "Yes sire." He whispered, then raced off after the Queen. Author's Note Hey guys!! I submitted this to EQD, but sadly was rejected. :( I'm going to make a few changes around the already written chapters and the new chapters coming out soon. I really want it to be published on there, it would make me so happy... New chapters won't be coming out often, my laptop has restrictions that restrict me from here. Bummer. :( Chapter 11Over the next few days, Leisha was very surprised to find how well she was being treated. Her fur had almost completely regained its normal glow, and the showers she took every night were completely wondrous. She loved being able to move around in a bedroom that was given to her in place of her old living arrangements. There was something off. Why would he, just out of nowhere, move her to such lavish accommodations? Not because he was to be wedded to her soon, but there was a deeper meaning. Something that could be hazardous. But she just couldn't figure out what. As she pondered over her thoughts, there was a knock at the window. Odd... She thought, staring at the window. Maybe a bird ran into it. She turned around and continued to go over her thoughts. Knock Knock Her eyes once again turned to the window. Her magic was sealed and her wings magically trapped, so the thought of escape was fruitless. She gently stood and walked over to the window. Her eyes drifted around, looking for the source of the knocking. She soon saw a pegasus fly up, her eyes glittering the days subset. Her grey fur was soft and fluffy in the wind, and she smiled. "Momma!" She cried through the window, tears down her face. Leisha saw the look of pain in her eyes, and she watched her cautiously. "Mom, you have to get out of there!! You can't let them have you!" She cried, and Leisha stared at her with a broken expression. There was her little angel, crying for her to escape. Tears leaked down her face, and she put her hoof on the window. "Delilah! You know I will escape at the moment I can!" She croaked, laying her ears back. "But I have had no such chances thus far... I will get back to you my little girl." The pegasus stared in at her through the window, nodding quickly. "Just don't let Sombra get anywhere near you, he is planning to-" Delilah fell from the sky, her eyes struck open in shock. Leisha stared as she watched her little baby fall. She screamed, banging on the window. Delilah desperately tried to flap her wings, but to no avail. There was an arrow sticking them together, and Delilah screamed for help. Leisha whined as she tried everything to open the window. She helplessly watched as Delilah hit the ground below, her body mangled. She screamed, then went silent. Leisha stared with the most broken horror. Her little girl, the little filly she saved all those years ago, the fruit of all her efforts, was broken. Was dead. Leisha quickly sat up with a scream as she looked around the bedroom. She ran over to the window. Nothing. She sat down, tears staining her fur. The whole thing was a dream. Thank Celestia. Why hadn't she noticed it before? In her dream, Delilah was a pegasus. Which was obviously not her, as she was a unicorn. But she couldn't help but think it was her baby. In some, miraculous way, her baby got wings to come save her. But of course not. It was all just a sad twisted dream. "My lady." A voice came from the door. "Sombra has requested that you see to him immediately." Leisha looked at the door, then stood. "Alright." She said, walking to the door and leaving the nightmare she just had behind. Chapter 12Leisha held her breath as she took her first steps into the hall. Two guards escorted her by her side, and she paid no attention to them. Her hooves clicked silently on the tile floor, and her ears perked as she approached the door of the villain she was kept here by. The door slowly opened, and she walked in with a hard expression. She wasn't going to be phased by his trickery. The room was open and luxurious, dark and filled with the scent of stallion. There was a fire going in the large fire place at the left most wall of the room, which gave the dark room light. The carpet was a dark burgundy, and there was little furniture in the room, besides a large bed across from the fire. There was another door across the quarter. The door creaked open, and the Sombra entered, looking lustful and anxious. "Well good afternoon my sweet white rabbit." He smiled, his eyes flashing a tint of purple. He walked up to her, gently caressing her mane. Leisha tensed, becoming as stiff as a board, and he snorted angrily. "That is no way to treat your king." He growled, laying his ears back and sneering at her. "You will learn to love me. Otherwise you will be punished." Leisha stared at him with a daring expression, and he sighed and turned away. "I wish not to hurt you." He said gently, with almost a hint of apology in his voice. He was beginning to soften up on her. "Well that is good to know." Leisha replied with a dull tone in her voice. She rolled her eyes and looked to the ground. He turned to the Queen again, and he tried to give her a soft smile to make her feel more relaxed with him. But she ignored it. "What do you want. Why did you call me here." She said, her eyes staring up at him with disgust. "I just wanted to know if you would like to go to your kingdom tomorrow." He answered. Leisha looked up at him quickly, and took a step towards him. The guards tensed their weapons and were ready to protect their leader, but he waved his hoof for a gentle dismissal. They calmed down, but barely. He looked back to Leisha, who was almost right up in his face. "You... You're serious?" Leisha asked anxiously, her eyes filled with hope and wonder. "I, I do! Of course I do!" She smiled happily, and he smiled back. "I will be accompanying you. It will be our first, let's say, 'date'." He smiled, and she looked at him. She wasn't a big fan of this, but she needed to see her ponies. She needed to make sure they were okay, make sure Delilah was okay. "Fine! Whatever!" She said quickly, and he nodded. "So it shall be. We will leave in the morning, I will come pick you up myself from your room." He smirked, and she nodded. "Now go get ready, my queen." She turned towards the door in a quick flash, and the guards sprinted to catch up to the runaway. Sombra smiled with an evil emphasis, and turned to the window. He began to laugh, and looked at the walls of the next door kingdom. "Soon the hidden evil in my Queen will be revealed... and Princess Luna and Celestia will have to give me the Crystal Kingdom... I only have to wait one more day." Chapter 2Queen Leisha watched ponies dance happily, and listened to the laughter of the children. She turned to hoof steps behind her, and saw a stallion standing proudly. He wore a black tuxedo, with a rose in the front pocket. He was a pegasus, with a white and blue striped mane and silver fur. "My Queen." He bowed. One of the richer subjects. She thought to herself, and curtsied to the stallion. He look at her, his light green eyes glowing slightly. "May I walk you to the Royal Gardens?" He smiled, holding out his hoof. She smiled, and took it happily. What if this is the guard from the other kingdom in the letter? Leisha thought, looking at the stallion. But what if it's one of my subjects? She studied him closely. He does look familiar... Leisha thought for a moment. The silver fur looks familiar... But there are a ton of silver coated stallions in the kingdom. His light green eyes are different though. I've only known 1 silver coated green eyed pony in the kingdom. He must be him. "Why thank you." She smiled, and he led her out to the garden. The flowers were shining brightly in the moonlight, and the lake flowed silently. Water flowed downwards from a small waterfall, making a beautiful sound of water splashing against itself. The stallion stood before her on the bridge crossing over the lake, staring at Leisha with a nearly blank expression. "So my queen..." He began. "How have your days in the castle been?" "Perfect. Everything stays happy as long as my kingdom is happy." She smiled, staring at the lake. He looked at the forest behind her, then looked at Leisha. "Nothing... Unexpected?" He asked. Leisha looked at him suspiciously. What was he getting at...? "I got a weird letter recently... Do you have something to do with that...?" She got automatically tense, her wings ready to bolt into action at the idea of a possible quick escape. "No No No." He chuckled lightly. "It's just weird to see a kingdom with no problems." He looked at her with a devious expression. "But maybe they'll create one." Darkness soon took over Leisha's vision. "MY QUEEN!" Silver screamed from the castle gates. Her guards started to rush in. Leisha kicked and screamed, until she was kicked in the jaw. That sure shut her up. Leisha passed out from the blow. "You can't stop us now you puny idiots!" She barely heard the stallion as he laughed manically. Soon Leisha was gone in a flash of light.
Chapter 1Queen Leisha watched over her kingdom proudly. She smiled as her subjects pranced around in small happy jumps of excitement. The royal ball was that night, and all of her subjects were royally invited. The ball was when the poorest and richest of her subjects came to the castle for a feast and beautiful night of dancing and joy. Everypony loved the Queen, and nopony rejected her as a Queen. She made sure they were all well taken care of, and always had a smile on her face. The little fillies and colts loved her, and played with her whenever she was out walking-which was quite often. "My Queen?" A guard asked from behind. She turned, and smiled at her guard in the silver armor. "Yes Commander Silver?" She looked at him, her light blue eyes sparkling. "Our mailpony has delivered a rather troubling message from a neighboring kingdom." Leisha gasped. Who was out for her? She thought she treated everypony in her kingdom, and neighboring kingdoms, with the up most respect... What had she done wrong? "May I see it Commander?" The Queen asked, taking it. The note was cut up from old magazines, and was glued hastily on the paper. 'Your kingdom is too rich. So here is our little pitch. On the night of life and laughter, We will make sure it will NOT be happily ever after.' "The ball... Tonight." Leisha whispered, staring to Commander Silver. "I'll get the guard ready. We will be ready my queen." Silver took off in a burst of speed out the door. Leisha walked over to her balcony once more, and sighed as she watched the fillies and colts gallop around in laughter. "What have I done wrong..." The Queen whispered. Her fur was glistening in the light, the white blending perfectly with the rays of the sun. "What have I done..." Her blue wings closed to her sides, she walked back inside with the simple thought of what had she done. It was now time for the ball. Leisha was fitted and ready in a elegant light blue dress that flowed to the ground like small waterfalls. Flakes of white were sprinkled across the entire gown, and small white butterflies with extravagant detail were soaring across the bottom. Leshias' crown was silver and sparkled with the sapphire gems embedded in the elegant headpiece. She had her mane curled and sparkled with the same white flakes as on her dress. Her tail matched her mane, and it shimmered brightly in the rays of the setting sun. She trotted down the stairs leading to the ball room, and smiled at her subjects. They cheered her on as she made her way to the bottom. She smiled, and as she got up to the stage, she bowed to the audience. "Welcome my friends!" She smiled. "Thank you all for coming tonight to the 5th Annual Ball of Friendship! I'd like to wish you guys a great evening, and please do be nice to each other!" The ponies started to mingle among themselves, and a few came up to the Queen to greet her. She smiled, and shook their hooves and the guards stood around the castle, watching closely to the outskirts. "Commander." A guard said to Silver. "Can I help you solider?" He replied, looking to the solider. He looked beat up, and his armor was burnt to a crisp. "What happened?!" "He is here Commander." "Who the hell is he?" Silver growled. "The one who sent the note." He said, standing tall, dispite his armor falling off. "Crap." Commander Silver said, growling at the ground. "It seems that we are going to have to think of ways to say goodbye if we can't save the Queen." He sighed. "Into the castle! We must save Queen Leisha!" He yelled, and ran inside.
Chapter 3Leisha woke up to the smell of pain, anguish, and yes, death. Where she was was definitely not a good one. Which meant, she wasn't in her kingdom. Her kingdom was smelled of happiness, true love, and unity. Where was she? Celestia's and Luna's Equestria? She couldn't be. She had only been there on a couple special occasions, and it never smelled like this. She opened her eyes to darkness. Did they make her blind!? They couldn't have! Could they? "Hello?" She asked, she felt around her to feel walls very close to her. She reached forward to feel metal bars in front of her. She tried to use her magic, but something was blocking her from using it. She huffed in frustration. "Shut up." A nearby voice said. Her ears pricked at the voice. "Who are you? Where am I? Why can't I see?" She asked quickly. She hear the sound of a lock unlocking. She tilted her head towards the noise, and a hoof touched her head. The hoof moved over her eyes, and light flooded into her sight. She blinked a few times to filter out the light, and dim it. She squinted at the pony in front of her. A pegasus in a emerald suit of armor. "Your in the kingdom of jewels." He said. "I'm Silver Emerald and your sight predicament is fixed." He said, shutting the gate again. She stared at him. "Let me out." She growled, looking at him angrily. "Now." He snickered, and looked at her. "Don't you recognize me? It's me. Silver. Your trusted guard." Leisha stared at him with a shocked expression. The fur was the same. The eyes were the same. No. It couldn't be. "Your not Silver. He would never do this to me." She said. "Never." "You so sure about that? All I wanted to do was take the gold. That is why I helped this kingdom!!!" He laughed. When he said that, something snapped inside of Leisha. An anger. It felt as if something had began to corrupt her heart. A dark that she thought no pony had. And it was all aimed at Silver. Not to long ago she had started to fall for him. They were always together. Talking. Having fun. But not now. Now he had captured her and planned on holding her there till her kingdom falls to pieces. All she knew now was that something black had began its corruption. Now she didn't know whether to stop the evil... Or to embrace it.
Chapter 4Leisha watched Silver silently. He walked back to where he was originally sitting-at least she thought so. He sat down, and looked at her with a devious gleam in his eye. He smiled, and leaned back with a slight chuckle. Another stallion trotted in, standing next to Silver. Another pegasus. The pegasus that asked for a walk to the Royal Gardens. "Good afternoon Silver. How is our prisoner?" He smiled, looking at Leisha with a smile on his face. I wish I could smack that stupid smile off of his face... Leisha thought to herself, her anger rising. "A little over talkative. Her mouth has been moving all afternoon it seems." Silver laughed, and the other pegasus joined in the laughter. "I took off her blindfold though, so she could see who her captor was." "And her look?" Silver mimicked Leisha's expression when she found out. A look of surprise, heartbreak, and fear. The pegasi laughed together, nearly falling over each other with laughter. Leisha growled, and her hate grew for the two stallions. "Oh, don't get your wings in a bunch." The stallion said, walking over to her cage. His light green eyes stared into Leisha's blue ones, and Leisha watched him carefully. "I don't think we have been properly introduced. I'm Striped Pearl." He smiled. "A girlish name, but my name." He said, rolling eyes. Thanks mom... Pearl thought to himself. "Very girlish." Leisha couldn't help but smirk at her comment. "Shut up." Pearl growled, kicking Leisha's cage. "Otherwise it will be more then a kick to the bars." Leisha growled at him, and he smiled. "So what are we going to do now boss?" Silver asked, looking at Pearl. "Going to go get some cider. I'm not worried that she will escape. There is no way to without the keys." Pearl shook the keys attached to the armor on his hip. Leisha stared at the keys, her eyes trained on them. Her head went through hurdles and over jumps on how she could get them, but by the time she thought of one, the two stallions were gone. She growled, and screamed in frustration. Her scream echoed through the empty room, besides the chair and desk facing towards her containment. She looked at the desk, and saw stuff cluttered all over it, from magazines, to writing pads. A small pencil cup was sitting on the corner of the desk, with an assortment of pens, pencils, and... Was it? It was! A small key was hiding in the middle of the writing utensils, barely visible from her position. The room was small, and she could reach it. She knew she could, and she just had to try. For her kingdom. She leaned forward, extending her hoof in the spaces between the bars. She reached and reached, and hoof came centimeters from the edge of the bobby pin. If only I had my magic... She thought, and then pulled her hoof back, and re-thought her plan on how she could reach it. Her cage was embedded in the wall, so pushing the cage over was out of the question. The wall behind her was concrete, so maybe if she pushed off of it with her back legs. She decided that she should try that method, and fixed her hind legs to push her off the wall. She got her hoof out to where it was before, and pushed herself as hard as she could. She touched the edge of the cup, and started to grasp at it to grab the handle. She closed her eyes and continued to reach for it, when a creaking sound of a door was heard. She pulled her hoof back quickly, and huffed to herself. Her one chance at escaping... A failure. Author's Note I know guys, my chapters are short, but there are going to be a lot of chapters. If you have read the author James Patterson, then you'll know how he writes short chapters but long books. That is how I write.
Chapter 5After weeks of meals that would make your stomach turn over itself at the description of the ingredients, Leisha flipped over in her tiny cage. Her once beautiful white fur was now caked with unmentionable filth. Brown splotches of grime and dirt smeared her fur. The sapphire eyes that once watched over a kingdom with a caring smile, were now filled with sadness and a hidden anger tucked away behind it. The teal mane and tail that once added to the Queen's beauty was torn and brought to shreds, strands longer then others, strands sticking out of place. Her unique wings were tattered, and sore from the lack of use. She groaned and looked out the bars, to see Pearl staring at her. Pearl looked at the tattered queen, and sighed. He had been sitting here for countless hours watching her, making sure she wouldn't find a way to escape. Which he knew was just absolutely impossible. The walls surrounding her were concrete, and the only thing that wasn't was the cage door. How could she escape? Leisha looked around her tiny cell with despair. Her kingdom was probably in ruins, her ponies dying from hunger. She had no heir, no upcoming ruler, just... Her. She couldn't age, and thought that she had zero problems with the neighboring kingdoms. So what was the point of conducting an heir to her throne? Silver walked into the room with a small bag filled with donuts and 2 cup fulls of coffee on his back. He handed a coffee to Pearl, and then half of the donuts in the bag. Leisha stared at the delicious delicacies, just a foot or two away from reach. She felt her mouth start to water with the undeniable desire for a donuts and coffee, and she sat up straight looking at them. Her eyes were focused on them, just wanting one little taste. One small bite. A itty, bitty taste. That is all she wanted, was it too much to ask? "Oh does Queen Leisha want a taste of these delicious donuts...?" Silver took a slow bite into the fluffy, delectable, sugary breakfast item. Leisha felt the drool drop from her chin, as the doughnut started to disappear into the stallion's mouth. He laughed, and continued to eat, taking slower bites to make Leisha suffer. What seemed like weeks later, Silver finished his 3 donuts. He had risen and walked out of the room, leaving Pearl with Leisha once more. He was only on his second doughnut, and was looking at a carriage magazine. She sighed, and put her back to the stallion, not wanting to be tortured by the deliciousness. Leisha started to drift off, into the dreamland where everything was happy. Back to her kingdom. Back to her loving subjects that she called family. The ponies around her trotted, talking happily. Leisha was walking through the crowds, and they greeted her with friendly hellos and sad goodbyes when she started continuing on through her stroll. They all loved her to death, would do anything for her. And she knew it. "E-Excuse m-me?" A small voice said from behind her. She turned, and a small unicorn was looking at her with sad, fear-filled eyes. Leisha got down to her knees and looked at the filly in near heartbreak. She was bruised, dirty, and alone. "What's wrong dear?" Leisha whispered, petting the filly's overgrown mane from her face. She took a step back in fear, unsure of what she was doing. "M-My dad-daddy sent me h-here for help... Ba-Bandits at-attacked our c-carriage, and he needs help... H-His head w-was bleeding... Pr-Pretty bad..." She whimpered, looking up to Leisha for help. Leisha gasped, and grabbed the small filly. She looked around for nearby guards to go help the wounded father, but none were around. Her kingdom was so safe, she didn't feel like she needed guards walking the interior. "I'll go get you daddy... Can you show me the way?" Leisha asked, looking at the small pony. She nodded frailly, and pointed towards the west gate. Leisha held the filly close to her chest, and shot into the air. She had to save this filly, save her father. She just hoped she could make it in time. "There." She pointed to a carriage with a stallion laying out front, his head bleeding severely. Leisha landed right next to him, and gasped. He was in really bad shape. The filly jumped out of Leisha's hooves, and ran over to her father. "Daddy... I got help... I got Queen Leisha..." She said, looking at her father, tears in her eyes. He looked at her, and his eyes were clouded. Leisha knew she was too late. "G-Good..." He coughed, petting the filly's mane. "L-Listen Delilah..." He coughed again, looking at his daughter, tears in his eyes. "D-Daddy isn't going to be able to m-meet you at home... Daddy's hurt. You know that." "Daddy please... Don't..." She sniffled, staring at her dad with fear. Her eyes pleaded her father to not continue his doubt. "Baby I love you..." He said, and coughed again. His life was fading before their eyes. "Daddy no. No No No!! Please Daddy!" She nuzzled into her fathers face, and some of his blood was now smeared on her muzzle. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "P-Please daddy... Don't leave me alone daddy..." "Queen Leisha will take care of you... I know she will..." He coughed again, and his eyes were struggling to stay open. "P-Please Leisha... Take care of my baby Delilah... She... Is... My..." His eyes shut, and he barely whispered, "baby..." He waited for Leisha's response, his chest barely rising and quickly falling. "Daddy don't talk like that! We will make it through this together!" She whispered, crying. "I will... I will treat her as my own." Leisha barely said, tears choking her up. "T-Thank you..." He coughed, and finally exhaled once more. He didn't inhale again, just laid there, cold as stone. "DADDY!!!" Delilah screamed, staring at her fathers corpse. She shook him as best as she could with her tiny hooves, and sobbed. "Please.. Wake up Daddy... Please..." She sobbed, hugging her dads limp body. Leisha started to cry as well, and looked at Delilah. Delilah was in a depressing state, and looked at Leisha. "C-Can you help m-me bury him... P-Please..." She whispered, and began to light up her horn. A little piece of his mane was starting to be picked up by her magic, but he was too heavy for such a tiny unicorn to carry. Leisha used her magic to help her, and went inside the castle grounds and buried him in the cemetery. Delilah just stared at his grave, and his tombstone that Leisha had created with her magic. "Thank you.." She whispered, and fell asleep on her dads grave. Rain started to trickle down the two ponies, and Leisha covered the unicorn with her wing to keep her dry. She finally dosed off with the tiny filly, with tear stains on her cheeks. Leisha woke up with a feeling of something touching her tail. She sniffled her tears away from the past dream, and looked at the item in her cage. A small chocolate doughnut was sitting next to her, with a small note on it. She picked up the note, and read it silently. "Thought you might need this after that nightmare.." "~Pearl."
Chapter 6Leisha stared at the doughnut and her stomach rumbled for the delicious pastry. She grabbed it quickly, and started to swallow it quickly. The taste overflowed her taste buds, and she smiled as she chewed. It was ten thousand times better then what she was being fed. She closed her eyes in sweet bliss, her mind letting go of Delilah for the time being. She finished it, and smiled, looking out of her metal bars. Pearl was sitting there smiling, and finally said, "Glad your feeling better." He smiled, and then his smile turned to a frown. He pulled his chair up to Leisha's cage door, and leaned forward looking at her. "Can I trust you not to run if I let you out to stretch your legs in this room?" He asked, staring at Leisha. She nodded, and looked at him sincerely. He unlocked her cage, and moved back. She carefully took a step crawled out of her cage, and stood on her legs for the first time in months. She wobbled, and started to fall. Pearl caught her quickly, and stood her up. "Be careful." He whispered, and stood close in case she were to fall again. She moved her hooves cautiously, and took a step forward. She wobbled again, but regained her balance. She started to trot in circles around the room, and that eventually progressed into a gallop. She smiled as the feeling came once again to her hooves, and she started to fly as well. Her wings unfolded into their full wingspan, then started to beat. She flew through the air, and grinned, landing beside Pearl. He smiled at her, and pointed to a second seat in the room. She took a seat in it, and sat across from her. "So... Who was this... Delilah you were talking about in your sleep?" Pearl asked, stirring a spoon in his coffee. Leisha looked at him, and the tears threatened to spill again. She swallowed them back down, and looked at him. "A old friend's daughter..." She whispered. "But he is dead." He said, staring back at her. "Yeah..." She twirled her hoof on the table sadly. "Well... If you don't mind me asking, where is she now?" Pearl asked, looking at Leisha with concern. "I-I don't know... She was living with me in the castle and then sorta... Disappeared just a few hours before you guys took me away." She whispered, hoping her Delilah was alright. Maybe she was taking over the kingdom while she was gone to keep it in its best condition. Pearl sighed, and a door slammed from just outside the room. "Get back in your cage. Hurry. Before Silver gets in here." He pushed Leisha into her cage quickly, even though she refused. "Stop refusing!!" He growled, and pushed her in finally, locking the door. He sat back down, and watched as Silver barged into the room with anger on his face. "The king is not very happy with us." He growled, looking at Leisha. "You know, you caused all of our hard work to go to waste. He won't pay us because you decided to ruin everything!" He said, kicking Leisha's cage. "She somehow got a hold of her kingdom and told them she was kidnapped. Now they are sending troops towards us!" He yelled, smashing his sword into the desk. "How did you do it huh? How did you get a hold of your kingdom?" He asked, his anger overflowing. "I didn't." She growled, and turned away from him. Somepony must of seen her being kidnapped and ran to the real protectors of the kingdom. Maybe it was Delilah. Silver screamed, flew out the door in a anger explosion. She heard him screaming and smashing stuff in the other room, screaming stuff like, "I'm never gonna be able to overthrow the king with nothing!" and, "Stupid mare had to get in my way!" Over and over again. Pearl eventually walked out of the room to go talk to him, and they trotted outside. Leisha heard peace and quiet once more, and she yawned. Being able to run around exhausted her, and so she laid her head down and fell asleep. "Leisha!" A voice said, shaking Leisha's tired body. "Come on, wake up!" The voice said, and Leisha woke up groggily. "What?" She asked, blinking the sleep from her eyes. Delilah smiled at her, and jumped up and down. "What are you so happy about?" She smiled, sitting up and stretching. Her covers were scattered all around the bed. Must have been a rough night of sleeping for me. Leisha thought, and then looked back at Delilah. "I made you something in the garden!" She squeed, and took off towards the garden. Leisha followed her, and trotted into the gardens. The smell of the dawn breeze made Leisha smiled. The smell of flowers and the water swam through the air. "What?" Leisha smiled as she walked up to the filly. "See? I made it just for you." A butterfly with silver wings and sapphire details. Leisha gasped, staring at the butterfly. It shined in the morning light, and Delilah held it up to Leisha with a giant grin on her face. "Do you like it?" "I love it, baby girl." It had been weeks since Delilah's father passed, and Delilah insisted on Leisha calling her 'baby girl' or 'my little filly.' and such. Leisha took the butterfly, and Delilah's flank shimmered lightly. Leshia looked at it, and the gem butterfly appeared on her flank. Delilah gasped, and looked at Leisha. "I got my cutie mark mommy!!" She screamed, and hugged Leisha. Leisha gasped and smiled at the little filly. "And it is just like yours!" She smiled, looking at Leisha's cutie mark. Leisha nodded. "Yes it is Delilah." Leisha smiled, and nuzzled her.
Chapter 7Leisha woke up to the smell of hot coco in the room. She grunted as she turned in the tiny cage, and looked outside the bars. The room was empty, and 2 mugs of hot chocolate were sitting on the desk. The steam was rising from the delicious drink, as well as the smell of chocolate and whipped cream. Oh what Leisha would do to get her hooves on a mug. The door opened, and a pegasus walked in. A female guard. How unusual! She stared at Leisha silently, and gasped. Her gray fur was blackened by flames or something unknown. Her eyes were a light sky blue with hints of brown. She walked up to Leisha and put her hoof on the cage, looking at Leisha sadly. "You poor poor thing..." She whispered, and the door slammed open. "What did I tell you about messing with the prisoners?" Silver growled, and Pearl walked in after him, carrying a third hot chocolate. More Temptation. Beautiful. Leisha rolled her eyes. The female guard whipped around quickly. Her dark blue and black tail swished nervously. "S-Sorry Commander Silver... It'll never happen again Commander." She whispered, and he came straight up to her face. "You better be sorry Recruit." He turned to Pearl. "That extra hot beverage won't be necessary. I've been called to the castle for a special meeting. Keep an eye on the Recruit Lieutenant." Pearl nodded and saluted as Silver left with a small of the door. "He is a hot head." The mare said as Pearl set down the hot chocolate. "No kidding." Pearl smiled, and picked up the keys to Leisha's cage. He opened her cage, and Leisha crawled out silently. She looked at the unicorn, was it...? No. "So who is this?" Leisha asked as Pearl handed her a hot chocolate. Her heart jumped up like a little filly, and she drank it happily. "Don't you recognize her?" He smiled, and the mare looked at Leisha with a sad face. It had to be! "D-Delilah..?" She whispered, and looked at the mare. She smiled, and took off her armor. Her cutie mark was the little glass butterfly. "Mom!" She ran towards her, and hugged Leisha happily. Leisha hugged her tightly, and tears ran down her cheeks. "I thought I lost you!" She whispered through her tears. "I'm so glad I didn't." They stopped hugging, and then sat down in the chairs with their hot chocolate. "I've been taking over the kingdom and made sure they were working all right before Pearl came and brought me here as the new recruit." She smiled, and Leisha smiled. Her little Delilah had grown up. "How did you get her Pearl?" She asked, turning to Pearl. He sighed. "Long story short, I asked ponies around your kingdom about a Delilah, told her, and-" "He brought me here." Delilah finished. Pearl nodded, and smiled. "I'm glad he got me. I can let you free now thanks to Pe-" "Now stop right there Delilah." Pearl said. "She isn't leaving, and you are not going to take her." He nearly growled. She stared at him in disbelief. "I'm sorry, but I can't allow it." "Then why did you bring me here Pearl?" "So you could see your mother before we threw her to the king and let him take over her." "What?!" Leisha and Delilah asked in unison. The black pit in her heart grew ever stronger. Leisha had become attached to this stallion, even started to feel for him. But the pit in her heart grew more. She growled, which never happened. Delilah looked at Leisha with a quick gasp. "I'm sorry, but now you have to leave Delilah. Your mother must go back." Pearl started to push Leisha into her cage, and Delilah cried. "No please! Don't do this Pearl!" She cried out. "I must. I have to listen to the King. Goodbye Delilah." Guards came into the room and took Delilah away. The last word Leisha heard her say as the cage door closed was... "Mommy!!!"
Chapter 8Weeks had passed since Delilah had been to visit Leisha. Pearl would no longer let her out of her cage, and her food came less and less. Pearl didn't talk to her, but when he did he would talk about Delilah. And Leisha was going insane with him just talking about how Delilah would be punished for taking over the well-being of her kingdom. Her heart burned with a new found rage at Pearl, and with an eerie darkness clouding her thoughts. He would never get close enough to Delilah to even see her. Not with Leisha around. Pearl just kept explaining and describing how slow and painful they would make Delilah's death when they got their hooves on her. "...You won't even be able to tell she's a pony...She'll have no fur, no hair, just a hairless freak... Then we'll..." He continued on, but Leisha quit listening and turned around. She mumbled angrily to herself, flicking her tail. Then the door opened and Leisha listened closely. "Its almost time. Is she ready?" A stallion's voice asked,and she heard the sound of the chair push back and the clinking of armor as Pearl stood up. "Almost. Then she'll be fit to visit the king." Pearl said, then dismissed the other stallion, shutting the door behind him. He walked over to Leisha's cage. "Listen girl, you better get your attitude up. You can not meet the king with a attitude." He growled, and Leisha rolled her eyes. "Oh me...?" She batted her eyes, and used her hoof to flip her hair. "Have an attitude? I'm just to divine to have an attitude!" She looked at him angrily then slammed her hoof back down to the bottom of the cage. He growled, and kicked the cage door. Leisha pulled away from it as it rattled, staring at Pearl with a 'you are dead' expression. He looked at her, then sat down before the cage. "What happened to the 'I wish for only everypony's happiness?'" He said, imitating her voice and putting air quotes in the air with his hooves. "'Oh, I am only as good as my friends? As my peasants?'" He said, leaning towards the cage, his face smiling with a victory. Leisha laid her ears back, and quickly tried to grab him through the bars. He jumped back as she nearly grabbed his face. She was boiling with rage and hatred. Pearl watched her huff and puff from behind the bars, her eyes flickering back and forth from green to the light blue. He kicked the cage again. "Calm it!" He growled, and she stared at him, her face red with anger. The door opened to allow a guard in. "The king is ready to meet his future Queen, Pearl." He said, and Pearl turned and nodded. "Get a few more guys. We are going to need lots of help with her." He turned to Leisha, her teeth bared in a angered sneer. "A lot more help." The stallion nodded, and within minutes about 5 more guards came into the room. She mumbled, squirming around in her cage. Pearl ordered them over to the cage. "The second I open this, you guys grab her. She is gonna try to run." They nodded, creating a half circle around the cage. They stood ready, looking to Pearl for the go. Leisha stared at the cage, waiting for the door to open, waiting to spread her wings and break out from this cold, hard, death cage. She looked at Pearl with an intent glare. He stared back, and put his hoof on the cage, holding the key right next to the lock. Leisha felt all of the muscles in her body tense, ready for the spring. "NOW!" Pearl said, whipping the cage door open. Leisha leaped out with all of the might left in her skinny body. Leisha felt her wings open the moment they were able to get out of the cage, but her lack of strength only caused her muscles to fail. She fell, the guards grabbing her quickly and pulling her to the ground. They quickly got to work, securing her wings down with rope. One unicorn put a magic cuff on her horn to stop magic that she may use when they enter the castle, and another put cuffs on her hooves to still allow her to walk yet if she tried to run she wouldn't make it that far. She huffed, her energy sucked out of her from the failed escape. She looked at the guards around her, then to the shackles on her. She sighed, looking down at the ground. "Come on Leisha. We have a King to meet." Pearl said, guiding the guard and Leisha to most likely Leisha's horrible doom.
Chapter 9Leisha groaned as she walked outside of the building she had been kept in for the past months. The sunlight hit her strongly, and she closed her eyes. The sunlight almost seemed to kill her, like it was burning into her flesh. She laid her ears back, and tried to move away from the sunlight. The guards held her in place, and she looked at Pearl. He was trotting up ahead, and the ponies of the Kingdom moved at of his way as he walked past. They watched Leisha with a weary eye, and the foals watched her curiously. She had to look like death. Leisha looked down at herself, her bones clearly visible. Whenever she took a step, she was able to watch her hip bones perfectly move through her skin. She looked back to her tail, which was knotted, messy, and her tail seemed to be falling apart. She sighed, looking back forward. She felt her bones ache, and she stretched her neck a little bit. She heard her bones pop in her neck from the movement, and winced. She turned to the ponies around her, then continued marching on. Her fate had began to draw nearer, and she knew it. She looked up, squinting as the castle seemed as tall as the sun. She was coming up close to the stairway that would lead to the end of her life. Instead of the stairway to heaven, it was more like, well, you know. She sighed, shaking her head. She watched the crowds of the town fade away, as she began her journey up the stairs. Some of the ponies there, even seemed, familiar... Like... They were some of her friends in her Kingdom... "Come on Leisha. You know this isn't healthy for you." Sapphire said, helping up the Queen. Leisha shook her head, standing with a wince. "Maybe you should take a week off of your regular morning walks. Maybe you should just rest." A group of the villagers joined by Sapphire, nodding in agreement. "We know that you love all of us. A few days away would fit you just fine. Just stay home and relax." She nodded, and Leisha looked at them, stretching her back. "I can't just 'stay home'. I have to come see you guys. I would hate to go a day without you, any of you. Just my body has to get used to double the running, playing, and walking I have to do with Delilah." She said, flicking her tail slightly. Since Delilah had joined Leisha in the palace, all she wanted to do was play play play. "It'll all be good in time, my family." She said, smiling to the crowd of her subjects that had come around her. She looked up to the palace, watching the sun begin to fall behind the silver walls. She looked to the crowd. "I love you all, now go get some sleep. All of you." She smiled, and began up the staircase to her castle... And as she turned around, she began to see her friends waving, their smiles brightening up Leisha's day. The picture fizzled away when two large doors blocked the view of the crowd below. Great. Reality again. Leisha stared ahead, her happy hallucination crushed as the sound of the doors shutting rang in her ears. She looked at the ground, and she felt the soft feeling of carpet underneath her hooves. She just wanted to lay down right there, roll around, and be happy again. Like that was gonna happen. Leisha rolled her eyes, looking back up. The walls around her were made of different jewels, from emeralds to rubies. She sighed, and laid her ears back. She saw the guards around every pillar, every window, and every door. She had no chance of escaping at this point. Pearl stood up taller as his arrival to the King's throne grew nearer. He watched as the light finally fell on the tip of the King's throne. The light shimmered off the gold on the throne, and eventually the King came into view. His dark grey fur was brushed thoroughly, and his black mane was slicked back in its normal ways. His light green eyes pierced straight into Pearl as he came into view, looking straight into his soul. Or so he thought. The King then turned his eyes to the Queen behind him, and Pearl bowed as the other stallions of the guard brought Leisha front and center. Leisha stared at the King, his eyes looking deep into hers. She blinked, and then looked down. She couldn't show any kinds of weakness. Leisha shook her head as she looked back up, staring right back at the King with a evil glare. All he could do was smile at her, and he stood. He was tall, almost taller then her. He walked up to her, leaning over to come into straight eye contact. She sneered, but he just smiled even wider. His teeth were sharp, and a pearly white. Something she wish she still had, a smile. There was one thing that was different about him... He didn't have wings! Usually, the kingdoms wouldn't allow a unicorn to be the ruler of their own Kingdom. Celestia always chose who was able to rule over kingdoms or not, with of course the consult of the leader of their region. Which in this case, was Leisha. "What happened to your wings?" She sneered, looking up at him. "Too scared to be able to fly so you got rid of them?" She couldn't help but chuckle then. "I've never had wings. I've been a unicorn since I was a colt." He said, growling slightly at her. He looked over to Pearl, then back to Leisha. "And what happened to you? Did someone forget to hoof feed you?" Leisha grew even angrier with that remark. She would never do that to any of her subjects. Not her royal guard, not anypony. "Looks like somepony over fed you. Right?" Purple flames seemed to spark from his eyes, then disappeared. "You sure do have a sense of humor don't you Leisha?" He laughed, and then looked down at her. "Has Pearl told you my name yet? Or did he leave you with the mystery, so I could unravel it?" Leisha looked at him. It was true, Pearl hadn't told her his name yet. Yet, she should know him. He was a ruler of a kingdom, in her region. Celestia had to have consulted her with this unicorn at some point in time... Wait. "Good Evening Leisha." Celestia smiled as Leisha walked into her palace. Leisha looked around, her curiosity peaked by the golden armor on the guards. Her guards wore teal armor, this was strange, all in its own way. "There has been a new kingdom added to your region, yes?" Celestia said, holding a scroll in front of her. Leisha looked back up at her and nodded. "Yes. The Jewel Kingdom." Leisha confirmed. Celestia nodded, and the scroll vanished away. "You have a mare in mind for the spot I do believe?" "Yes of course. Her name is Midnight Shadow." She nodded, and turned as a alicorn walked into the room. The mare was a pitch black with a grayish mane. Her mane draped on her face softly, her sparkling emerald eyes looking up to Celestia. She bowed, then stood again as she watched the two leaders converse her fate. "She is a great pony, and cares for everypony as I. I have been mentoring her since she was a mere filly." Celestia nodded at the black alicorn standing in front of her. She looked her over, then nodded over to Leisha. "If she is a student of yours, I do believe she is ready for the responsibilities of a kingdom." Leisha nodded, then looked down. "My dear Celestia, there is a problem I must share with you regarding Midnight." Leisha said as soon as Midnight left to go greet her new subjects and family. Celestia looked down at Leisha with a confused expression-usually illnesses or problems would pop up in a magic check her guard performed before they entered the throne room. "Midnight, she is a great student. She adores me and her friends and family in the kingdom. But, she has been acting strange ever since I told her that she may be ruling her own kingdom." "A sign of nerves, Leisha. Nothing strange about that." Celestia said, looking at Leisha. "No, I mean, yes, but no." Leisha sighed. "I went into her room last night while she was sleeping and checked her vitals for any problems that could be causing this new found nerves..." "And what did you find, Queen Leisha?" Celestia persisted. "She's pregnant, and the foal inside of her is causing her severe pain and worry." Leisha said, looking up to Celestia. Celestia was shocked to hear the news, but stared at Leisha with a worried expression. "Keep an eye on her and her foal. I have a feeling this foal will mean no good in the future." Leisha had kept her word with Princess Celestia, watching Midnight Shadow closely whenever she came to visit. Leisha could tell she was using her magic to hide the belly, but her strained eyes only led Leisha to more worry. It had to be close to time for Midnight to have the foal, and Leisha was never more right. Within days the foal was born, a small colt that was a unicorn, with green eyes, black mane, and dark grey fur. Leisha was the first to hold the newborn, and Midnight smiled when she finally got to hold her son for the first time. Midnight tried to think of the best name for the colt, and ended up calling him Buddy all the time. The time flew on, the colt becoming older, going to High School, and eventually graduating with perfect A's throughout all of school. He was planning to go to college, go be a doctor, when tragedy struck the Jewel Kingdom. Leisha had run to the scene as fast as she possibly could, but it was too late. Midnight Shadow was collapsed on the floor, clutching her stomach with her hoof. A broken glass and orange juice was splattered all over the floor next to the body. Leisha knew the cause of this, it was obvious. Poison. Leisha looked around, she just had to find that one. The one Midnight left behind. "B-Buddy...?" Leisha whispered in a soft tone. The stallion standing above her growled at the mention of the name. "M-Midnight's Buddy...?" Leisha felt the tears start up in her eyes, and she saw it start to begin in the stallion's eyes as well, but he quickly swished them away. "The name isn't Buddy anymore Leisha." He said, staring at her with a cold hard glare. "I've properly given myself a name." "King Sombra."
Chapter 10Leisha watched the king as he circled her, flicking his tail. He had begun to circle her slowly, watching every movement she made. Her mane was as sleek as ever, and he couldn't help but smile. He had always wanted her to be his Queen, but never had the courage to. He had begun his plan to kidnap her only a year or so ago, when he first received his invitation to her royal ball. He hired her captain of the royal guard to begin her arrangements in his kingdom, and one of his captains to commit the crime. King Sombra stopped, looking around for Pearl. He had always been running off at the worst times to go visit his new marefriend to see how she was doing with the new house King Sombra had given him in turn for watching the Queen all the time. He growled, and turned to one of the other guards to go fetch him. The guard saluted, taking off in search for his captain. The King then turned again to the Queen, and smiled. "Come on my Queen. Let me take you around the grounds." He smiled, and motioned the guards away. Leisha stared at him, and watched the guards move away from her slowly. She stood, and watched the king. Should she run? Leisha stretched her legs, and she felt the guards tense for a chase. She smiled, and cracked her neck. Her tail flicked, and she stretched her back. She walked up next to the king, and started walking. "What's first?" She smiled, and her ears twitched towards the sound of gasping from the guards. Murmuring was heard, and she giggled inside as she turned back to Sombra. Sombra nodded, his facial expression solemn, almost as if he expected her decision. Sombra watched her move softly through the halls, and every once in a wall they'd cross a room that he'd explain who and what they were for. Leisha would nod and smile. She was acting strange, like what she was doing was all part of a elaborate plan she had in her head. She would keep looking into the rooms, then towards the windows, then towards him. She was definitely thinking of something, but he couldn't quite figure it out. Her face could keep the darkest secrets, and it surprised him on how she kept them all so well. As the tour ended, they made their way back into the throne room, where guards watched with focused expressions. Leisha could only watch Sombra as they came to a stop. "Why me?" She asked, tilting her head to the side with question. "Why not some other mare?" Sombra stopped, and he slowly turned to the Queen. "Why?" He chuckled softly. "You know Leisha, you have helped me grow. I grew on you, you grew on me. Am I right?" He whispered, and she nodded solemnly. "You, besides my mother, were the only one who thought I had a future. A good future." He looked back at his throne. "But when my mother started to tell me I could never truly have a future with you, something in me snapped." He smiled softly. "It was great. Watching her suffer from poison." He chuckled lightly, then sighed. "Of course I did love her though, she was my mother after all. But if she wasn't going to stand behind me and my choices, she was a useless being in my life. If she was going to stop me from my dreams, without me even learning the consequences of some of my choices by myself, what kind of mother is that?" Leisha drew in a sharp breath. Even though she knew that he was a suspect in his mother's murder, she could never really accept that fact as one. She always saw him as the cute, funny straight A student, not a murderer. "But she was your mother Buddy..." She whispered, laying her ears back. "My name is not BUDDY!" He screamed, his eyes staring at her angrily. "That was never my name! My mother never truly named me! She never thought I was good enough for one!" "That's not true Buddy! She loved you with all of her heart! She never thought that!" She screamed back, her eyes growing hot. "Then why'd she give up on me? Why did she never believe I could be with you?! She was the one that taught me that nothings impossible! If that was true, why didn't she let me try on my own?!" He seethed. "If she truly loved me, she would have let me at least try!" He screamed, tears streaking down his grey cheeks. Leisha became silent, tears running down her face. "She always loved you... Just like I did..." She whispered, then looked at him with focused, angry eyes. "Until you turned into this monster!" The room went silent. Guards watched Sombra with a shocked expression, and all that was heard was the wind blowing in the open windows. Sombra growled, using his magic to put chains back on her feet and neck. "Take her back." He growled, laying his ears back. "Keep her locked up tight. Maybe then she will learn how to respect her King." He said, and when the guards didn't move, he stomped his hoof in anger. "Now!" The guards scurried forward in a rush of clinking armor, then grabbed the prisoner and yanked her out of the room. Sombra watched with a angry expression, then turned and sat in his throne. "She will be mine..." He growled, before turning to Pearl who had just ran back in. "Make sure she is properly reformed to love me... I want her back in 2 weeks." He said, watching him. "Do you understand? I don't want a lick of attitude like she gave me today. I want her to be loving and caring. Just like she had treated her subjects." He then focused on the door. "And make sure she is healthy, feed her normally, keep her well. When she comes back... I want her clean. I want her healthy. Then she can bare my heirs." He whispered, tapping his hoof. Pearl gulped, then bowed. "Yes sire." He whispered, then raced off after the Queen. Author's Note Hey guys!! I submitted this to EQD, but sadly was rejected. :( I'm going to make a few changes around the already written chapters and the new chapters coming out soon. I really want it to be published on there, it would make me so happy... New chapters won't be coming out often, my laptop has restrictions that restrict me from here. Bummer. :(
Chapter 11Over the next few days, Leisha was very surprised to find how well she was being treated. Her fur had almost completely regained its normal glow, and the showers she took every night were completely wondrous. She loved being able to move around in a bedroom that was given to her in place of her old living arrangements. There was something off. Why would he, just out of nowhere, move her to such lavish accommodations? Not because he was to be wedded to her soon, but there was a deeper meaning. Something that could be hazardous. But she just couldn't figure out what. As she pondered over her thoughts, there was a knock at the window. Odd... She thought, staring at the window. Maybe a bird ran into it. She turned around and continued to go over her thoughts. Knock Knock Her eyes once again turned to the window. Her magic was sealed and her wings magically trapped, so the thought of escape was fruitless. She gently stood and walked over to the window. Her eyes drifted around, looking for the source of the knocking. She soon saw a pegasus fly up, her eyes glittering the days subset. Her grey fur was soft and fluffy in the wind, and she smiled. "Momma!" She cried through the window, tears down her face. Leisha saw the look of pain in her eyes, and she watched her cautiously. "Mom, you have to get out of there!! You can't let them have you!" She cried, and Leisha stared at her with a broken expression. There was her little angel, crying for her to escape. Tears leaked down her face, and she put her hoof on the window. "Delilah! You know I will escape at the moment I can!" She croaked, laying her ears back. "But I have had no such chances thus far... I will get back to you my little girl." The pegasus stared in at her through the window, nodding quickly. "Just don't let Sombra get anywhere near you, he is planning to-" Delilah fell from the sky, her eyes struck open in shock. Leisha stared as she watched her little baby fall. She screamed, banging on the window. Delilah desperately tried to flap her wings, but to no avail. There was an arrow sticking them together, and Delilah screamed for help. Leisha whined as she tried everything to open the window. She helplessly watched as Delilah hit the ground below, her body mangled. She screamed, then went silent. Leisha stared with the most broken horror. Her little girl, the little filly she saved all those years ago, the fruit of all her efforts, was broken. Was dead. Leisha quickly sat up with a scream as she looked around the bedroom. She ran over to the window. Nothing. She sat down, tears staining her fur. The whole thing was a dream. Thank Celestia. Why hadn't she noticed it before? In her dream, Delilah was a pegasus. Which was obviously not her, as she was a unicorn. But she couldn't help but think it was her baby. In some, miraculous way, her baby got wings to come save her. But of course not. It was all just a sad twisted dream. "My lady." A voice came from the door. "Sombra has requested that you see to him immediately." Leisha looked at the door, then stood. "Alright." She said, walking to the door and leaving the nightmare she just had behind.
Chapter 12Leisha held her breath as she took her first steps into the hall. Two guards escorted her by her side, and she paid no attention to them. Her hooves clicked silently on the tile floor, and her ears perked as she approached the door of the villain she was kept here by. The door slowly opened, and she walked in with a hard expression. She wasn't going to be phased by his trickery. The room was open and luxurious, dark and filled with the scent of stallion. There was a fire going in the large fire place at the left most wall of the room, which gave the dark room light. The carpet was a dark burgundy, and there was little furniture in the room, besides a large bed across from the fire. There was another door across the quarter. The door creaked open, and the Sombra entered, looking lustful and anxious. "Well good afternoon my sweet white rabbit." He smiled, his eyes flashing a tint of purple. He walked up to her, gently caressing her mane. Leisha tensed, becoming as stiff as a board, and he snorted angrily. "That is no way to treat your king." He growled, laying his ears back and sneering at her. "You will learn to love me. Otherwise you will be punished." Leisha stared at him with a daring expression, and he sighed and turned away. "I wish not to hurt you." He said gently, with almost a hint of apology in his voice. He was beginning to soften up on her. "Well that is good to know." Leisha replied with a dull tone in her voice. She rolled her eyes and looked to the ground. He turned to the Queen again, and he tried to give her a soft smile to make her feel more relaxed with him. But she ignored it. "What do you want. Why did you call me here." She said, her eyes staring up at him with disgust. "I just wanted to know if you would like to go to your kingdom tomorrow." He answered. Leisha looked up at him quickly, and took a step towards him. The guards tensed their weapons and were ready to protect their leader, but he waved his hoof for a gentle dismissal. They calmed down, but barely. He looked back to Leisha, who was almost right up in his face. "You... You're serious?" Leisha asked anxiously, her eyes filled with hope and wonder. "I, I do! Of course I do!" She smiled happily, and he smiled back. "I will be accompanying you. It will be our first, let's say, 'date'." He smiled, and she looked at him. She wasn't a big fan of this, but she needed to see her ponies. She needed to make sure they were okay, make sure Delilah was okay. "Fine! Whatever!" She said quickly, and he nodded. "So it shall be. We will leave in the morning, I will come pick you up myself from your room." He smirked, and she nodded. "Now go get ready, my queen." She turned towards the door in a quick flash, and the guards sprinted to catch up to the runaway. Sombra smiled with an evil emphasis, and turned to the window. He began to laugh, and looked at the walls of the next door kingdom. "Soon the hidden evil in my Queen will be revealed... and Princess Luna and Celestia will have to give me the Crystal Kingdom... I only have to wait one more day."
Chapter 2Queen Leisha watched ponies dance happily, and listened to the laughter of the children. She turned to hoof steps behind her, and saw a stallion standing proudly. He wore a black tuxedo, with a rose in the front pocket. He was a pegasus, with a white and blue striped mane and silver fur. "My Queen." He bowed. One of the richer subjects. She thought to herself, and curtsied to the stallion. He look at her, his light green eyes glowing slightly. "May I walk you to the Royal Gardens?" He smiled, holding out his hoof. She smiled, and took it happily. What if this is the guard from the other kingdom in the letter? Leisha thought, looking at the stallion. But what if it's one of my subjects? She studied him closely. He does look familiar... Leisha thought for a moment. The silver fur looks familiar... But there are a ton of silver coated stallions in the kingdom. His light green eyes are different though. I've only known 1 silver coated green eyed pony in the kingdom. He must be him. "Why thank you." She smiled, and he led her out to the garden. The flowers were shining brightly in the moonlight, and the lake flowed silently. Water flowed downwards from a small waterfall, making a beautiful sound of water splashing against itself. The stallion stood before her on the bridge crossing over the lake, staring at Leisha with a nearly blank expression. "So my queen..." He began. "How have your days in the castle been?" "Perfect. Everything stays happy as long as my kingdom is happy." She smiled, staring at the lake. He looked at the forest behind her, then looked at Leisha. "Nothing... Unexpected?" He asked. Leisha looked at him suspiciously. What was he getting at...? "I got a weird letter recently... Do you have something to do with that...?" She got automatically tense, her wings ready to bolt into action at the idea of a possible quick escape. "No No No." He chuckled lightly. "It's just weird to see a kingdom with no problems." He looked at her with a devious expression. "But maybe they'll create one." Darkness soon took over Leisha's vision. "MY QUEEN!" Silver screamed from the castle gates. Her guards started to rush in. Leisha kicked and screamed, until she was kicked in the jaw. That sure shut her up. Leisha passed out from the blow. "You can't stop us now you puny idiots!" She barely heard the stallion as he laughed manically. Soon Leisha was gone in a flash of light.
