The Witch King Rises Again

Angmar found himself in one of the many places he despised. A forest of spiders and Elves. A forest woven with enchantments meant to scare children away and drive men insane. The forest he had to walk through alone. He wasn't scared, he remembered the rules that had been set down within the forest and he was confident in his ability to stay the path and no more. He looked himself over. He had his great-sword, gauntlets and greaves, and his cloak. His headdress, battle armor, extra weapons and horse were nowhere to be seen. He looked back to the forest and gave a ghostly sigh before walking in with his fists clenched. Any creature who saw him walking through the dreadful forest would have either thought he was mad, or knew to stay away. An air of malice followed Angmar as he walked down the twisting, broken path.

He continued for what seemed like hours to the With King, the constant temptation of veering off course to see that falling branch, the breaking of a twig, a howl in the distance. He ignored them all until he heard a familiar voice.

"Please just listen to me!" The voice was distant, but sounded like it was coming for everywhere.

Angmar's head darted around, looking for the familiar voice. A voice he hadn't properly heard in four thousand years, yet the speaker was as clear in his mind as ever.

He debated whether he should chase the voice or ignore it like he had done so many times before. He drew his sword, keeping it off to the side he continued down the path.

"Please just listen to me! I can help you, even if you do not enjoy my company, you have to admit I have always been right. Even now, one of them is trying to get in. I cannot keep this private for long, and I would prefer what I need to say be said in confidence."

Angmar stopped dead in his tracks. The voice was clearer now, even though it sounded distant and all around. He could hear something he never thought would be coming from that voice. Desperation. The trees to his left shifted on their roots. They moved aside to reveal a path made of tree roots in the form of a walkway.

"Please, go through the path, I will guide you."

Angmar looked to the path and back to the main trail. He jumped at what was now surrounding the old trail. Shadows were dancing behind trees, along the trail and simply floating through the air. Dark magic he recognized from Middle Earth. Magic he knew all to much about. He looked back to the makeshift walkway. He could see rays of sunlight coming through the canopy and falling onto the path. To any other being, that would have looked like a path to paradise. To him, a being soaked in the shadows, it looked like it would skewer him with those rays of light. He looked back to the shadows, his shadows. He let out another sigh and went down the walkway, ignoring the sense of dread building in his mind.

The walk felt like hours, constantly being stung by the light getting through his tattered cloak, when it only took ten minutes. He got to a clearing in the forest. All the trees around the clearing making a solid wall, the canopy somehow was still over the clearing, even though there were no trees holding it. In the center of the clearing was a round table made from tree roots spiraling out from the ground to make a single leg in the middle. The table was at least two meters in diameter. Two chairs made the same way were on either side of the table and in one of them sat a man.

The man was old, very old. His tall silver crown and garments had a blue shine to them. His skin seemed to cling to his bones tightly. His elbows were on the table, his fingers wrapped in each other as his forehead rested on his knotted hands. The man opened his eyes and looked up to Angmar.

"I am glad you decided to talk." The man said lowering his arms. "I hear that you can learn a lot about a person by how they play chess." He waved a hand over that table and the table morphed from entwined roots to a solid table with a checkerboard pattern. The man waved his other hand and branches snaked down from the canopy and placed pieces on the board. The man had white while the empty chair had black. "Would you like to take a seat?"

Angmar hesitated for a moment, but slowly made his way to the chair and sat in it. "White moves first." He said resting his arms on the chair's.

The man smiled warmy. "Indeed. Pawn to G3." The pawn in question moved the space without him touching it.

"Pawn to B6." The pawn moved and Angmar looked at the man. "You said you wanted to tell me something?"

"Yes, I did. It can wait though. If I simply told you, you wouldn't listen. If I give you something to think about, it may sink in. You should know better. Knight, F3."

"So this is what you've come to? I cannot say I blame you. We know each other better than we would like to think, don't we. Bishop to B7."

The man chuckled. "It seems you haven't dulled like the others did in the millenniums past. It is a shame they had to fall so far. Bishop to H3."

"Pawn to D6. They have, regrettably. I have tried to tech them better, but they would not listen beyond the orders to kill or burn." Angmar could feel his voice become less distorted with every move made.

"What are your plans with that grey one, Sombra? Pawn to B3."

"You know my plans as well as I do. Knight to A6."

"Yes, but why are you so bent one having his head? Besides, it's good to say them out loud. That one...what's his name...oh, never mind his name, that pegasus that attacked you, any plans I haven't seen for him? Bishop to C8."

Angmar chuckled. "After all this time, you still make bad moves. Queen to C8. As for that nuisance. I will strike him down should he become so bold again." Angmar could hear faint violin music in the background.

"You seem to be holding back with them, why is that? Bishop to A3."

"The ponies? They are more annoying than an actual threat. Celestia seems too trusting, Twilight annoys me to no end. The others that were with her are just afraid for themselves. I have no quarrel with them, yet. Queen to H3."

"Yet, indeed. That one that I told you about, the one who is trying to get to us, she has entered the forest. I can see her trying to stay true to the main trail, although in vain. I trust you already figured out what is happening? Knight to E5."

"Of course. I am dreaming. It has been to long for me to be in a true slumber, that it feels different than the waking world. Who is this one who tries entering my mind? Knight to B4."

"I have not grown powerless in my absence. Her name is...Luna, yes Luna. She is another princess. Although, terribly misinformed. You know what this forest does. Dream world or not. Knight to C4"

Angmar sighed. "Not ANOTHER one! One can only have so many rulers! Yes, I know the forest. 'Whether it be the land of the living or that of the dead, the forest will claim all of those who do not stay where they must tread.' All who have been through the trees no of the rhyme..." Angmar shook his head and sighed again. "I am assuming she is trying to find her way to me? Pawn to G6."

"Right again. Shall I send the spiders for her?" The man looked from the board to Angmar with a look of concern.

Angmar thought for a minute about what to do. "Yes, but do not send them to kill or capture. Scare her to us. Your move."

"Ah, yes, my apologies. Not all of us have had the benefit of dark magicks keeping our minds in check. Pawn to A3."

"Those powers are as much mine as they are yours, you simply haven't indulged as I have." A scream was heard in the distance, followed by the screeching of the giant spiders. If he could have smirked, it would have been plastered on his face. "She'll be here soon enough. Will you be staying for the inevitable?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world. Besides, this world is mine. Either way, she will be doing most of the questioning. We might as well continue our game while she does." Just then a hole opened up in the wall of trees and a blue alicorn fell through and quickly backpedaled from the spiders trying to get into the closing hole. the spiders retreated before their limbs were severed. She fell to the ground panting.

"Knight to F6." Luna turned to the voice. Angmar and the man simply continued with their game. "Your friends are still as vicious as ever."

The man chuckled. "I'll send them your regards. They take pride in their work, quite odd for spiders. Perhaps we should deal with our uninvited guest?"

"Of course." Angmar turned away from the game and looked at the princess. "Luna I presume?"

Luna was surprised by Angmar knowing who she was. "Uh, yes. I am princess Luna, keeper of the ni-"

"Your title means nothing in my mind. Unless you would like to get better acquainted with the spiders, I suggest you get to the point."

"Bishop to B2."

"Knight to E4." Angmar said without turning his head.

Luna was slightly frustrated with Angmar's comment on her title. "My sister, princess Celestia, asked me to watch your dreams. This is... different to what I expected from one such as yourself."

"Oh really? Well then, would you prefer something like this?" Angmar turned back to the game as black crystals started growing around Luna in the form of an arch. "Step into the light." The inside of the arch became a solid wall of light. Luna looked cautiously to Angmar as he turned back to his game. She swallowed her fear and walked into the light.

The first thing that greeted Luna when she stepped out was the stench. It smelled of rot and decay. She could hear yell and roars in a language she hoped to never hear again, but it was muffled by the others so she couldn't gain any meaning to the words. Her vision cleared and revealed a large black castle made from iron and areas glowing an eerie green. She flew up to get a better look. The castle was in a canyon of some kind, the rocky surfaces preventing and entrance other than the main gate, or a lethal fall. Coming through the main gate were thousands of bipedal things. Each one wearing iron armor that covered most of their faces. Large iron swords that sent a shiver down her spine hung either on their backs or hips. Many were holding torches to see through the dark of the night in the canyon. She heard a roar coming from the castle and turned her attention from the warriors to it.

She wished she didn't.

Coming from within the walls cam a beast she never thought could have existed. It looked like a dragon but with a far longer neck. It had armor on it's head and down it's neck. Instead of scales it had grey skin. It's talons were unnaturally large and it's head was longer than she would have thought normal for dragons. It hung off of a tower and roared in her direction. It leapt off and started flying towards her. Luna started panicking as the beast flew closer and closer, allowing her to see the sheer size of it, and the rider.

Luna was shocked to see a being much like Angmar was in his dream, but looking like he was ready to go to war. She moved out of the way before it hit her, and flew in place for a minute watching it fly off with Angmar on its' back. She wanted to run from the monstrous things. Go back her bed and forget ever being here. But something was keeping her there. She felt herself moving without her approval. She was following the army without knowing it. She couldn't take her eyes off of Angmar, no matter how far away he seemed, she could see him clearly. She followed for what seemed like moments, but when she looked back at the castle it was on the horizon. She looked back to Angmar to see him on the ground in front of the army on a large plain.

She landed beside him and looked over the army. Somewhere along the line another army must have joined, she assumed. There were creatures and warriors that weren't clad in iron. There were huge elephant creatures with two pairs of tusks, they had wooden structures on their backs with more warriors. She looked back to Angmar, who was still on the dragon-beast. He was looking forward. She followed his gaze to see another army and a city she didn't see before. The new army was mostly made of bipeds on ponies, but the ponies were larger and had longer faces.

'Wait. That wasn't there before, time distortions, me being pulled along. This is a dream! But it's to real to be just a dream. Perhaps....a memory.' She thought to herself. 'That's why none of them are noticing me!'

The monster Angmar was riding reared up and gave a deafening roar. Luna just was able to barely able to take off to avoid the  charging horde. Luna watched from the air as Angmar took to the skies while the armies clashed against each other. The ponies being slaughtered and the riders falling after. The battle raged for minutes and Luna could tell that somehow the riders were doing better than the iron clad warriors. The riders were able to kill while atop the ponies and when their mounts died, they could continue on foot. The others, many died when the elephants fell, others went from swords. She watched as Angmar swooped down from the sky and crushed a group of them while others jumped out of the way.

Then another swooped down, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another.

Eight more of the things came down from the sky, each carrying another like Angmar. The eight new one shrieked and all of the warriors covered their ears one way or another. Luna tried desperately to cover her ears with her hooves, but when she tried it didn't do anything. She tried to fly away, but she couldn't move, her wings had stopped working. She felt herself plummeting to the ground while she fell into darkness.

Luna woke with a start. She could hear a faint noise. It took her a moment to realize what it was.

Violin music.

She looked up quickly only to have her neck grasped and her body lifted off of the ground, to the eye level of Angmar. She looked at the abyss of a face with fear, remembering the shriek and the monsters that resided in that darkness. She felt fear. She felt like a foal in front of an angry demon.

Through her stupor she was able to croak. "What...are...you?"

Angmar chuckled and tilted his head slightly. "I am a nightmare." Luna could hear clicking and trilling noises coming from behind them and the sound of branches creaking. Angmar walked to the new hole in the clearing wall and tossed the scared princess into the waiting horde of spiders. "Pleasant dreams, princess."

"Your illusions are still as good as ever."

"Indeed. Queen to H1, checkmate."