Shadow and the Dark Horse Trilogy

Shadow and the Darkness that Binds

Evil monologue, blah, blah, blah, insert dramatic readings here.
I’m too tired for this shit.
I suppose it’s true to say that I’m too tired for anything. My failure to capture the Zebra that might be able to fix Ka’s horn had landed me magically fused to the wall as punishment, so I was currently hanging from the skin of my back and I had been for three days now. It hurt just as much as you might think it does.
Hence, the tiredness.
I looked up to the sky. Despite being on the wall of the throne room, I could see clouds and stars high above me, twinkling in the darkness of the night. I could see them because this portion of the roof had unfortunately collapsed at some point. It let the rain in too. That was probably the worst part.
I could handle being miserable. I could handle being miserable and stuck to a wall. I didn’t like being miserable, stuck to a wall AND WET.
I couldn’t sleep with this shit. I’d tried asking to be let down already so I could go deal with the goody-goodies but apparently his horn wasn’t nearly as important to him as making an example out of me was. Priorities, hey.
It was as I was musing over my own torment and wishing I could just get down already that Ka walked back into the room.
“Hey, Ka, buddy…gonna let me down now?” I asked him through gritted teeth.
“Have you learned your lesson?” He asked curiously, eyeing me in a manner that sent a shiver up my spine.
“Eyup, next time I have to fight an Alicorn Lightcore enemy with immense power, as well as another earth pony with crazy strength, whilst simultaneously trying to carry on my back a heavy zebra, I most definitely better win.” I said sarcastically. Annoyance flashed behind Ka’s eyes before his broken horn flashed. I felt the wall and my spine defuse and suddenly I was falling. Funny thing about Pegasus, falling is just as bad for us as anything else; at least, it is when there isn’t enough distance for you to slow your descent to gain flight. Because of this, and despite my wings, the ground still rushed to meet me. It hurt.
“Ouch.” I grumbled.
“Take whomever you feel you need to, and go retrieve that Zebra.” Ka instructed, sitting down on his throne.
“Yes your black and red-ness.” I grumbled, turning away from him. “Can I at least get a nap in and a fuck break?” I grumbled. “I haven’t slept in three days, and I doubt I could fight anyone in this condition.”
Ka just simply nodded.
I sighed with relief and stepped out of the room he’d designated as a throne room. It was raining outside again. It was always fucking raining. I sighed to myself and headed for the tower I’d claimed as mine own. I could go for a good fuck, I’ve not had any release for three days, but right now, I think sleep was on the forefront of my mind.
I looked up to the sky before turning back to my wings. I ached, my back was sore, and I hadn’t been able to stretch for days. I hoped this wasn’t going to cause performance issues.
I spread my wings and took to the sky. The wind rushed around me, and I had to admit, I felt free.
It was a wonderful feeling having the wind ruffle through my feathers as I moved through the streams of the air currents, taking me higher. The castle loomed below me as I soared; its broken derelict remains a constant watchman in the night in these dark cold woods. I liked it; it resonated with an empty part of me.
I yawning to myself a little, unable to suppress it as I slipped onto the balcony of the tower I’d claimed, slipping into the interior and curling up on the old dusty bed I had there.
I glanced around me at my room. It wasn’t much. The frail thin curtain I used to shield the outside from me still let the draft in, and the walls were barer and grumbling. I had very few objects to call my own. In the corner was a trunk filled with memorabilia and odd old ends that I had either stolen or acquired through other means. My mind flashed the picture of a box in there, a box that was black, and something about red lace. But I ignored it, and I ignored the box. I didn’t go near the box. The box wasn’t something that had any meaning to me anymore.
When I’d finally cleared my mind, the sleep came easy. The dreams did too.
I always dreamt these days. And I could never remember the dreams after they happened. All I knew is that sometimes I could wake up screaming a name, the face of said name on the forefront of my mind as I thought about them and words that might describe them playing on the tip of my tongue. But I could never remember them when I thought about it by the light of day, or the shine of the moon. Like a fog stopped me. Like my brain was filled with clouds.
Clouds that bound me in strings.

*

I awoke without a scream, but with a groggy grumble instead as I looking up at the ceiling, thinking about what Ka had said.
I needed to go get that Zebra back, but who to take with me? It wouldn’t be easy, but maybe an indirect approach would be best. Something akin to stealth, a quick in and out rather than starting a fight. I loved to fight, but even I wasn’t so stupid as to try and face them all myself.
All this talk of going in and out things was starting to get me horny.
I was too pent up to really think about the upcoming fight yet. I slipped from my bed and made my way down my own tower to the basement. There sat in the darkness of the basement was a brown coated mare. She smelt bad, and her cell was filthy, but the moment he entered her ears perked up and she looked up with an almost eager smile.
“That’s right, Zero. Master is here.” I began in an almost loving tone, slipping open the cell door and walking inside. The cell was dark and dingy, a bucket in the corner was used for the mares waste, and there was a trough for food and water. A chair sat in the right most corner so he moved to it and sat down.
“Come here.” I instructed her, watching as she trotted over and sat down in front of me. I reached for her head with my hooves, and almost gently grabbed her face before pulling her close; I then pushed her head down till her nose was pressed into my crotch. “I need a little release.”
The mare didn’t hesitate. Despite my lack of a wash she instantly began licking over my sheath and balls. The gentle pleasures making me nicker softly in desire. I could feel myself already starting to swell in my sheath before my length spilled fourth. She wasted no time getting to it, running her tongue along its dark length, sending pleasurable sensations spiking up the shaft as I grew to full hardness. She moved to the tip, slurping over the top of it. I reached for her muzzle and pulled her down, slipping my shaft into her mouth, down to the back of it, before I pulled her sharply, forcing my cock down her throat. I groaned and kept pulling, slowly slipping further in as the mare’s eyes widened. I knew she couldn’t breathe. I liked that she couldn’t breathe. I began using her muzzle, pulling her up and down my length as I grunted, fucking her throat as I thought about my predicament.
I could use my speed to get into that encampment. But while I was fast enough for the others to not notice, Hayley with her fucking Lightcore abilities would pick me up in an instant. So that might end in a fight, not that I would usually run from a fight, but even I wasn’t so full of bravado that I thought I could take them all on. I’d rather not get killed.
Zero was struggling in my hooves, probably panicking due to lack of air. I ignored her.
Maybe I should instead stop thinking so small. Maybe instead, all I really needed was a really good distraction. I think I had one that would work nicely.
I grunted as I came, splashing seed down the mares throat as she struggled to remain conscious. I pulled out, splashing a little of my seed over her face before moving to walk out. “I needed that.”
I left Zero alone, locking the door as I left. I stepped out of my tower and flew my way back to the throne room. This might be a plan Ka would enjoy…if I could convince him to get off his lazy ass that was.

*

The plan was a simple one, but I liked to think it had a few elements of elegance to it. It was all about showmanship. Presentation. And I knew just the stallion to do it. There was after all, only one other stallion I knew that could out-present me when it came to sheer ego.
First we had to move through Ponyville.
Donning disguises weren’t the hard part, other than seeming a little dark in colours; I could pass for a normal pony easily enough. My partner had a little more difficulty at first, but a basic spell and disguise from ancient powers seemed to do the trick.
Together we walked, me not wearing anything and my partner in a basic form but wrapped in a dark cloak so as to keep them relatively hidden. The bustling joys of Ponyville surrounded us as we walked through the main square. I looked to my right and saw streamers and balloons flying above one house in particular, the cute thatched cottage housing many a rambunctious pony. Looked like a party, or what ponies considered a party. Maybe it was a birthday or, dare I suggest the thought, a cute-ceañera. God I hated the concept of cutie-marks. The very notion that a pony might be destined or segregated into a particular job for the rest of their life was astonishing to me, and terribly limiting to the individual.
We moved past the party briskly.
“Where ya goin’?” A bright and perky voice sounded out as a pink mare with a cotton-candy style pink mane began bouncing around us. “Every pony in Ponyville is at the party, and I know every pony in Ponyville and I’ve never seen you around in Ponyville before so are you moving into Ponyville, and if so, do you wanna party?”
How a pony could hop around like a bunny, I wasn’t quite sure, but this pink fluffy mare was managing it. I tried not to take not of the fact that she was quite cute with a shapely rump, but any thoughts and ideas I might have had about said rump were banished by the gleeful look in her blue eyes.
I stared at her and the way she grinned at me reminded me of all the reasons I hated this dimension. “No.” I said firmly before turning away.
“Awwww, a grumpy grump? Well that’s not right…you’ll have a party anyway!” And with that I felt hooves grab me.
Faster and with more strength than I’d anticipated, my partner and I were suddenly dragged into the partying house. This was not how this was supposed to go.
The part was in full swing the moment we were pushed in. Music played, ponies danced, and the two new arrivals stood in the corner wondering how they were going to get out of this place.
How could ponies stay so childish? They were mainly adults here, but they were playing pin-the-tail-on-the-pony and other games, the punch was non-alcoholic (which just seemed pointless to me) and absolutely no one was fucking. Certainly not my kind of party.
“Shadow, get us out of here.” A growling voice from my partner told me firmly.
“I’m trying, but that pink one vexes me.” I grumbled. I had no idea how she does even half the things she does. Do the laws of physics just not apply to her? I mean yeah, this was a land of magic, but she was an earth pony, they weren’t really supposed to have any magic, where they? Was there some special hidden earth pony magic I’d never seen or heard from before?
I started trying to edge us both back towards the door. I was reaching for the doorknob when suddenly my hoof was grabbed by a pink one.
“Oh no-”
I barely got the words out before I was yanked off my hooves and onto the dance floor. The pink pony was forcing me to dance! NOPE, NOPE, and NOPE! I DO NOT DANCE!
I tried to scurry away but she kept a grip tighter on me than I could believe. I felt like this pony could crush me if she wanted to, but she wasn’t trying to hurt me, she was just squealing with joy as she spun me around and lead me through dance moves which I weren’t entirely sure were physically possible. I managed to crawl away for a moment only to be dragged back by my tail.
“HELP ME!” I squealed to my partner, but strangely I could see him smiling. The bastard was enjoying this!

*

Three hours.
Three hours of forced dancing and punch being forced down my throat so much I’d almost wet myself. I stumbled out of the party panting, aching, and feeling like I’d just went twelve rounds with a Lightcore Alicorn.
“Well that was eventful.” My partner said with a dark chuckle.
“Shut the fuck up.” I grumbled, finally walking back onto the same path we’d been on before the pink monster had dragged me away.
“HELLO!” GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! PINK MONSTER!!! “I had such a good time at the party with you; you should come to ANOTHER party.” She seemed quite eager, which only made me want to run away faster.
“NopeI’mtiredandgoinghomeanditwasawonderfulparty thankyouanywaygoodbye!” I darted round her dragging my partner with me and running through the town.
“Maybe she likes you.” My partner sniggered under his hood.
I ignored him, finally reaching the end of town. There was a path that led over the river, it was a little long but it led to White Tail woods.
We travelled down it in relative silence.
The sun was setting by the time we finally saw the woods. The white leaves upon the tall oaks reflected the red and yellow of Celestia’s sun in a manner that gave the white tail woods a golden autumn glow no matter the time of year. It was actually quite beautiful.
Let’s fuck it up.
We approached the forest and paused outside of it. The heavy canopy above that should have shielded the light from the ground, wrapping us in shadows, instead allowed the light to simply filter through in gold’s, reds and yellows. I was hoping this would change as we got deeper.
We trotted into the trees. Sadly, unlike the Everfree, there really was no innate darkness in the area so when we walked, everything, including ourselves, were perfectly visible, even as the sun was setting. This was going to be an issue. I had been banking on being able to come in under the shadows, but these woods were annoyingly cheerful and pretty. I swear I could see a bloody deer in the distance and it pissed me off.
Now, we knew that this was where those goody goodies had taken the Zebra, their location had never been a secret, but hey, Lightcore powers, they were scary, can’t just invade and wipe out the bastards. Beside, where would be the fun if they were all dead. The biggest problem was that because we had never ‘invaded’, we didn’t actually know EXACTLY where they were, and white tail woods were big. Not Everfree big, but big enough that this was going to take a while.
We headed off to the east first, moving slowly. As the light seemed to dim, the tree’s almost gave off their own glow in the moonlight that penetrated the leaves. Nothing ever went out of vision; there were no shadows dark enough to hide in. I was beginning to understand why this place had been chosen by those idiots…they weren’t idiots after all. At least, not completely.
“You should have picked someone else.” My partner growled to me.
“I would have loved to, but the others wouldn’t have stood a chance against Hayley, so that’s why I’ll need you. Besides, it’s not like you really do anything back home anyway.” I grumbled.
I felt a powerful grip on my neck coupled by a light red glow, and before I could yelp I was slammed against a tree.
“You’d do well to respect me more.”
“Hey.” I choked out. “I respect you, lots of respect here, totally respecting you.” I coughed before I was let go. I hit the floor with a thud. My partner walked past me, his cloak billowing out behind him unnaturally. I wondered if he was wearing it, or it was conjured. Probably the latter. My ‘partner’ wouldn’t want anything less dramatic than the perfect billowing cape.
I grumbled to myself and walked past him.
“I’m gonna try and get a better view.”
I spread my wings and launched myself into the sky. I flew through the tree canopy and out into the sky above. I landed on a branch and looked around, but unfortunately, this canopy was blocking any view of the ground I had. But there was one thing it couldn’t block.
Smoke.
I looked over to the west and saw some smoke rising from an area in the trees. How wonderful.
I flew down to the ground again. “I think I found them, this way.”
We turned back west and began walking, cracking tree twigs as we moved.
The smoke had been a good distance away, so I was wondering if how long it was really going to take to get there.
“What should we do once there?”
You’re asking me for advice?” I smirked at him. A light growl from under his hood told me I shouldn’t antagonise him much more. “Look, the plan is real simple. We get in there, you use your magic, hold them off. Attract the attention of little-miss-lightshow while I nab the Zebra.”
“So, I do the fighting while you run off?” He asked menacingly.
“Oh I’m sorry, do you want your h-” My sentence froze at the sight of a deer nearby. This one was a large buck with large powerful looking antlers. He stood there, regally, just watching us.
“It is just a deer.” My partner said scornfully.
“You sure about that?” I remarked as more deer approached from the shadows. We were surrounded, and from what I could see, they were adorned in glimmering necklaces and lace fabrics that acted as intricate tribal like outfits.
“You are not of this world.” Said the nearest buck. He was by far the largest of them, and he seemed powerful. He had an air of superiority about him; it made me want to hit him.
“They talk?” My partner queried curiously.
“No shit Sherlock. Want a medal for that observation?” I mumbled under my breath.
“What are you doing in my woods?” The buck asked, having made no move to approach or leave and neither had any of the others. They just watched us.
“We’re just looking for our friends.” I replied, smiling warmly. “They’re off in that direction we think; we saw the smoke of their camp.”
“Those in this wood are kept under our protection, and here at our invitation. You are not.” He cocked his head. “Your words sound of sincerity, but your heart is dark and that of a liar.”
“Well that’s just hurtful.” I mocked.
“You may be capable of convincing ponies with the slime from your mouth, but we of the forest can see the tar in your heart and soul, the way the darkness clings to you, drowning any light within. You are a puppet of the darkness.”
I seethed. “I am no one’s puppet.”
“The best of puppets believe they are free. No matter, your intentions here are clearly dark, and thus we shall allow you to pass no further.” The buck’s eyes suddenly began to glow.
White brambled vines suddenly erupted from the ground around us; they wove around our bodies and formed upwards, soon trapping us both in a cage of thick vines.
“That’s interesting.” My partner said. “Nature based magic, different from any I’ve seen in this world yet.”
The buck turned his eyes to my hooded companion. “Your eyes have not laid eyes on half the magic of this land alone, not counting those elsewhere. You are a child thinking yourself strong. I have seen your heart, Ka.”
The buck speaking his name shocked me. My partner chuckled and slowly red light began to scar its way down his cloak like a red nervous system. The cloak began to burn away and his wings slowly unfolded. Their bat-like visage spread wider than my own wingspan, and his red striped ebony body seared brightly as though each stripe were a scar in a dark twisted void.
“Even your chosen visage, is childish.” The buck said, not at all impressed by Ka’s appearance.
Ka looked at him. “Tell me, how does your magic work? Can you truly see into my soul? Do I even have a soul for you to see?”
“You come from a world of souls, and your own existence in that world is more akin to a spirit than a being of flesh and blood, the same as the puppet you have wrapped in your strings.” The buck’s eyes glanced at me when he spoke. My teeth grit tightly. I was getting very sick of being called a puppet.
“You know of my world?” Ka asked curiously. He seemed intrigued by this creature.
“I have seen it through your eyes. You never could defeat the Monkey King, could you?”
Was the buck mocking him? That was not a good idea!
Ka’s stripes began to glow fiercely and the wind around him began to pick up and swirl. The inside of the cage became stiflingly hot and instinct told me to hit the deck. I flattened myself to the ground and curled up tight as a wave of power suddenly erupted and burned away the cage entirely. The buck seemed surprised.
A nearby younger buck suddenly charged at Ka, but a single wave of the dark Alicorns hoof sent the young one back, smashing up against a tree. Another one charged, a doe this time, he lifted his other hoof and slammed it down. As though an unseen force had wrapped itself around the doe’s throat, she yelped and her face was suddenly slammed down into the ground with a sickening crunch.
The leading buck’s eyes glowed again and with a furious stomp, fire erupted around Ka in a circle, trapping him in the burning ring.
“Do you know how ki works in the world I come from?” Ka asked curiously, sitting down as though he were speaking casually. Hell, he never looked that casual at home, if I had to guess, I’d say he was actually enjoying himself.
“Ki,” Ka began, “is the life-force energy in all living things. It’s in every spirit, every living soul, the rocks, the trees, even the air. It is a form of energy that as spirits of our world, we can take and harness and forge.” He chuckled. “Our natural ability to take and forge that energy came with us to this world. Many of us can take and forge our own bodies into new forms if we choose too, I chose this one. You see, magic is just energy. Oh it’s fickle, has differences, limitations and even rules.” He said bitterly. “But it IS just energy, and it’s one we have used for millennia before coming here.” He raised his hoof and the fire around him suddenly began moving, forming into a ball of fire in his own hoof. “There is very little you can conjure, that I cannot bend to my will.” He extended his hoof and the fire erupted at the shocked buck. The buck lowered his large antlers, they glowed for a moment and the fire erupted and dispersed on impact. He then jumped and dived, his hooves glowing as he stamped down, attempting to crush Ka physically. Ka was quick.
It had been a very long time since I’d seen Ka fight, and though recently I had begun doubting any loyalty I might have to his all-mighty-redness, seeing him fight removed said doubt and replaced it with an eager grin.
Ka ducked and span under the hooves, lifting up, turning round and hooking his hooves around the deer’s neck, wrenching him over his back with brute strength. The deer yelped, slamming into the ground. He moved quickly though, rolling to recover before bucking out with a leg. Ka took the blow in the chest but his hooves latched down, capturing the leg before the buck could pull it back. He grinned, turned and threw.
The deer struck a tree hard.
Ka was almost graceful on the battlefield, but in the most scary kind of ways.
Other deer charged in. One went high, Ka ducked under and slammed his shoulder into the buck’s stomach, another went low and Ka took the blow, rolled with the momentum and slammed down with his hooves onto the bucks head. It split like a melon, splashing gore over the otherwise beautiful golden leafed ground.
A doe jumped on his back; he reached up, grabbed her round the head and flipped her over his shoulder, slamming her down onto the corpse of the other deer, the buck’s antlers spearing her through the gut. He bucked back with his hind legs, smashing into the throat of another deer that had approached from behind.
It was as I watched that I felt something sharp against my own throat. I went stiff.
“STOP!” I heard a young buck yell. The fighting stopped and Ka looked over to us.
The young buck was pure white with a golden necklace and piercing blue eyes, his horns were only half the length of any of the others. If I had to guess, he was barely more than a teenager. He also had a very sharp flint blade to my throat.
“If you do not leave these woods, I will kill him!” The buck’s voice was shaking. He was shaking. I could feel his weight on my back as he kept me pinned the ground.
Ka and I just stared at each other before Ka let out a wry chuckle.
“You think I care if he dies or not. It’s like your leader said, he is but a puppet.”
I felt a stab of hurt and anger rush through me at Ka’s words.
“Son.” I heard the Buck leader said. He was lying by the tree he’d been thrown at, and was staring at the buck on my back. “You were not supposed to come.”
“I can handle it father, I’ll make them leave.” The young boy said firmly. “I don’t believe you, he was leading you before, he may be under you, but you need his guidance, I can see it, you need him.”
I wondered if that was true.
“I don’t.” Ka said simply. I watched him; his eyes were boring into my own. “I am lazy.” He said with a light chuckle. “I do not like doing all of the work, so I sit around and make him do it for me, but I do not need him. Lately he has proven himself incompetent. I know where those I seek are now, I know they have in their possession what I need, and because of this, I no longer have need for a defective puppet.” Silence surrounded us. “So go ahead, kill him.” Ka began approaching.
“Son, run!” The leader shouted.
“Y-your bluffing...you wouldn’t!” Ka didn’t answer this time, he just smirked. “I mean it! I will!” I could feel the flint starting to bite into my throat now.
“Then do it.” Ka said with a grin. “And then you’ll die with him.”
The young buck visibly swallowed. “Then…I will die…knowing I have killed your puppet, and weakened your strength!” He was a courageous little thing. But I’d had enough.
“No, you won’t.” I said simply. I leaned down and suddenly grasped the double edged flint knife in my maw. I felt it cut into my cheeks and gums as I bit down. I turned and twisted, the buck yelled, I turned sharply, my hooves twisting his before I brought my muzzle round, driving the sharp point of the blade in my muzzle deep into the young buck’s throat.
“I am not a puppet.” I said softly to the young buck as he stared at me with wide shocked eyes. He fell down in a pool of blood. The leaders scream of grief echoed throughout the wood.

*

We left the rest alive. The leader was broken from the death of his son, and so many others that had tried to attack us.
“I hope you find what you are looking for.” The leader said sorrowfully to us. “And I pray it costs you your life in a way most agonising.”
Ka just chuckled in response, the cloak he’d worn before burning into being over his body again until it covered him like it had before.
I wondered if leaving them alive meant that they’d come back later on as foe’s, but considering today’s events, I didn’t know if I looked forward to it or not. It was interesting to fight someone other than Hayley and her gang from time to time. I supposed we’d find out at some point in the future. No point in looking back when the future held so many possibilities.
The woods swallowed us again. The gold’s and yellows surrounded us as we walked, and a soft silence became an ever present companion.
We approached the campsite slowly. I went in first; under the shadow of a tree I glanced into what I expected to be a small encampment. Instead what I found was something relating to a small village. The houses (and I DO mean HOUSES) were thatched on the roves and walls and they even had a few plantation areas of growing food. They’d gotten themselves a relatively small sustainable village in the middle of the woods. How quaint. They even had a lookout tower, which no one was currently manning. Maybe I was giving their intelligence too much credit these days.
I turned to my partner and smiled, nodding to him. “Okay, try not to let the Lightcore kill you, otherwise, have fun. I’ll get to the Zebra.”
I ducked into a bush and followed it round as Ka stepped past me into the encampment. I turned away from the scene and moved around one of the houses as stealthily as I could.
“Can we help you?” A female voice asked curiously. I turned to look where Ka was, still hooded. A golden brown earth pony with a pink mane in a ponytail stood before him. Megan Goldtail.
She was perhaps the kindest most wonderful mare a stallion could really meet in these cruel times…too bad.
“The glow of Ka’s red eyes met hers and she instantly backed up, then when her hooves stopped, she kept moving anyway, before she was suddenly flying off her hooves and smashing through a small thatched building across the way.
Everything went silent.
There were more than those I had expected in this town. I wondered if they were accepting visitors and traders, because I saw ponies here and there that I had never met before. But I did recognise some. Among them where two Alicorns, one who had achieved the Lightcore, and one who had achieved the form, but not yet the power. Hayley and Paige.
Paige.
My eyes lingered on hers from the shadow momentarily, and there was a part inside, so deep I could barely register its existence, that almost screamed at the sight of her. It was a scream of sheer agony. A scream that spoke of loss. And for a single moment, for a single minute instance, I could feel it inside before the darkness quelled it.
I turned away.
Ponies were running away now, trying to escape as one of the buildings erupted in flames. I could hear Ka’s echoing dramatic laughter easily over their screams of terror. I needed some cover, but thankfully, Ka gave me just that. The sky began to darken with his power and the wind picked up. The clouds thickened and suddenly rain began to fall. It quickly became a storm.
Well, maybe rain wasn’t my favourite kind of cover, but it’d do. I moved stealthily around another building, spying a second watchtower in the distance, and beside it, a medical building. Well…might be an appropriate place to house a Zebra that was good with potions. Or was assuming healing poultices all they do considered racist? Didn’t much care.
I moved closer to the building and slipped into the door, as an explosion behind me rocked everything. Ka was certainly enjoying himself.
The medical room was little more than a slightly bigger area than what might be in any of the other buildings. It was filled with medical beds and tools that might be used for surgeries. It made me curious how many injuries they had out here if they needed facilities like this so badly.
I moved to the left side, crossing five beds before coming to a partition. I moved it back and smirked as I looked down at a sleeping Zebra. Judging by the book on the bedside and the half eaten oatmeal bowl, I assumed she was only sleeping, and in no way still unconscious from the attack days ago.
I smirked as I picked up a nearby vase with nice pretty flowers in it. I tapped her shoulder. Her blue eyes opened and looked at me in surprise.
“Hey, I bet you’re getting sick of being knocked out.” I chuckled bringing the vase down on her head.
It smashed and scattered pieces to the floor, the Zebra slumping where she lay. I grabbed her and began picking her up.
“Drop her.” Ah, that musical familiar voice.
I turned and looked at her. Paige. Her Alicorn form was pretty much useless. She had little to no magical potential, which meant that even though the Lightcore had gifted her with immeasurable power, she had absolutely no idea how to use it. It was actually kinda funny.
“Or what? You can’t beat me.” I smirked.
“Please Phil.” She almost sounded like she was pleading.
“That’s not my name.” I chuckled. “It’s Shadow.”
“I’m not calling you that. You are Phil still…somewhere inside you.” This was kinda rich. Did she honestly think this would work?
There was a slight ache inside, a dark spot that was filled with what I could only describe as a dark box, where flashes of thoughts and feelings came from before the darkness drowned them out. But hey, I liked the darkness, it was comforting, it was useful, it made me strong.
“This has never worked before. Why would it work now?”
She almost smiled. “I don’t expect it to. But do you really ever expect me to stop trying?”
I thought about that answer. My answer was ‘no’, and I felt proud of her for that. What the fuck?! Why was I feeling proud of the enemy over something so stupid? And why did that even make me a little hopeful. Wait…was I smiling? I could feel it. There was a fucking smile on my face.
Okay, I don’t like it when bitches make me feel shit I don’t want to feel.
“Sorry, this conversation is over.” I slammed my hoof down on a nearby table, it flipped up a scalpel and with a bat of my wing I sent the sharp point into Paige’s shoulder. She screamed.
That was such a delicious sound it almost got my cock hard. I charged forward and slammed out with a hoof, forcing the blade deeper as she tried to move out of my way. Her larger and more powerful wing lashed out and struck my face, sending me sprawling. I rolled with the momentum. I looked up at her when I came to a stop on my hooves, only to see her hooves lash upwards and strike my chin. Ouch, that hurt.
I charged at her, lashing out with my right hoof. She dodged left, and I blocked one of her blows to my stomach. She reached with her mouth for the blade, latched on and pulled it out, slicing it at me. Flecks of her own blood splattered us both as well as the wall. I moved forward, raising a hoof. The blade sank deep. I let it. I moved in and thrust a hoof up as hard as I could between her legs, driving it against her hard. She yelped and fell down. I was on her fast, gripping her by the throat. My hoof was burning with pain from the slash; I had a bloody mouth and, god-damn-it, I was rock hard. I ground my cock against her bruised pussy for a moment and nickered softly.
“Oh I would love to fuck you…another time maybe.” I chuckled as I slammed my head against hers to knock her out. I licked my wounded foreleg before draping the zebra over my shoulder. I was tempted to sample the zebra but I ignored my urges right now.
Opening the door I looked out.
Ka had been busy.
The buildings were all but destroyed, the tower had been brought down, and the ground was quaking. The place rumbled as flashes of light and power erupted from the balls of powerful energy that sparked from the magical power of Hayley’s and Ka’s battle.
I moved around the edges, grunting at the waves of electrical heat that flashed from their devastating blows at each other. They’d already uprooted trees and buildings around them, I could see bodies and corpses of resiodents or visitors that had otherwise been around them. But I didn’t see the good guys making any attempt to heal them. Probably best to be honest, best to stop the cause of the death before actually stopping the death. Prevention was better than a cute.
I had no idea what I was talking about…or talking to myself about…or thinking. I hate my brain.
I slipped around one of the only intact buildings and moved for a gallop to the trees.
I knew exactly what I was doing, all I had to do what get far enough away. I glanced at Ka, wondering how I was supposed to signal him to fall back but…fuck it. I’ll leave him.
The forest denseness surrounded me again, and by the moonlight the forest came alive with a silver glow that radiated around us. The brown and gold leaves covering the ground that had reflected the sun in the day and twilight, now reflected the rays of the moon, giving me a somewhat silvery ground to walk on. It was quite beautiful, but I was also aware it kept my coat a firm target in contrast to its background. There was nowhere I could disappear. But as I travelled and walked, I found my fears unanswered and now quite moot. I was away from the encampment now; I could see the edge of the forest. This might actually be easy.
I managed to get onto the road, galloping back down the path. I thought about flying, but carrying another pony (or zebra in this case) was difficult as it was, I didn’t think I was in much of a position to fly.
The sounds of the fighting were left behind, and the eerie silence of the night swam around me as I trotted back merrily. The borders of Ponyville soon meeting my eyes.
I saw the different colourful houses and wondered how I might make it through the town without being spotted. I figured if asked, I could make up some excuse as to why I had an unconscious Zebra on my back. The good thing about this world and these ponies is that they were incessantly gullible. Seriously, I couldn’t understand it how a villain hadn’t taken them all over years ago.
I moved through the sleeping town quietly, and by my luck so far, it seemed I might actually make it through without much trouble.
“Heellooooo Pegasus.” My luck ran out. “What’chya doin’ with Zecora?” The pink mare from before was bounding around me.
“Shush, you’ll wake everypony up.” I hissed at her, adopting my usual casual tone. It’s a good thing I was such a good talker, or this might actually present a problem. “Zecora was helping me with something and tired herself out; I’m just taking her home.” I shrugged, playing like I was doing a good deed.
“Ooooh, can I come?” She asked, wriggling her rump a little. It was a little absent minded I was sure, but was she…looking at me suggestively?
“Erm, no, I’ll be fine, thank you for the offer anyway.” I moved past her and felt a knot in my chest loosen when it seemed she would let me. I left the pink mare behind me and entered the dangerous Everfree forest, making sure to go in the general direction of the Zebra’s hut at first.
Zecora, it was quite a nice name. I’m sure it had come up before, but I wasn’t the best at remembering them. Pony names were so bloody stupid after all, they were usually noun based, but I had no idea what a ‘Zecora’ was, or what it might mean, if anything.
I moved deeper into the forest, turned and finally headed in the proper direction back to our hideout.
I’d actually made it. My plan had worked.
I stepped into the castle that we had called our own and looked around. Maybe I should keep the Zebra for myself for the night before Ka came back. I grinned at the thought.
I spread my wings and flew up. Flying was much more difficult with a pony on my back.
We made it to my tower and I stepped through, depositing the unconscious Zebra onto my bed spread. I looked her over, admiring her form. She was toned, supple, and strong. She was adorned in jewellery that glinted in the night, and her tail, like all zebra, was thoughtfully small, and hid nothing of her rump. I grinned.
I moved down between her legs and let my tongue out, slowly licking over her folds, murring at the exotic taste. Her cunt tasted a little earthy, like she washed it in herbs. I felt her wriggle a little, letting out a soft unconscious moan in her state. I smirked, pulling my mouth from her, I moved over her form, and, after looking down at her with a smirk, I pushed forward, sliding into the unconscious mare with a groan.
“Oh that’s nice.” She was very tight and clenched my shaft in all of the nicest of ways. I could feel her heat around me, she was a little dry, but I didn’t much care. I began rocking, moving and thrusting gently. I looked down at her as her eyes opened, taking in the situation. She tried to move, but my hooves grabbed her and pinned her down. “Nope, you stay.” I grunted, moving a little more roughly. This was fun, I could already feel myself starting to swell. It didn’t matter if I lasted long, I could simply take her again if I wanted. I was getting close; my cock head had begun to flare. I was thrusting harder now, I wished she’d screamed but instead she just grunted. At the point where I almost climaxed I closed my eyes and felt a sharp pain suddenly lance through my neck.
“Argh!” I pulled out and backed off, bringing my hooves to my neck. I pulled out what looked to be a sliver of pottery, covered in my blood, and something…green.
The Zebra was looking at me, usually a mare in her position might have woken shaking and crying, but instead she was staring at me calmly.
“A trap you set, as best you can.
You thought it was easy, so good your plan.”
She stood up slowly, despite the ordeal of rape; she seemed in no way haggard. I however could feel myself shaking. I had already lost my arousal; my vision was swaying, and something inside was beginning to really fucking hurt.
“But your plan was ours, we knew you’d come.
And now none can stop what has begun.”
“What…what did you do to me?” I asked her, feeling a burn run through my brain as a cold sweat began to turn my coat clammy and moist.
“I have released what darkness has tried to bury,
I have released your memory.”
My eyes widened and then something snapped inside.
I felt it all, I saw it all, my life flashed in front of me and suddenly everything inside felt like it had doubled in weight. I felt a scream of agony rip through me like nothing I had ever felt or sounded before.
And for the first time in a very long time.
I remembered.