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CHAPTER FOURTEEN: The Lair

“Hey, Dorchester.” Lance said to me.

I faced him. “Yeah?”

“Last time I saw Vinetion, she was pretty upset about her powers being taken away. You wanna know how to make her feel better?”

I cocked my head. “Yeah, how?”

Lance put out his hoof. “You gotta boop her on the nose.”

My eyes widened. “Really? Is that all it takes?”

Lance laughed and nodded. “Yeah!”

I put on my best “Not Bad” face.

Lance chuckled, shaking his head and looked forward.

It had been two days since we set off, we had already exited the Ever Free Forest. It's way bigger than you thought it is by the way. We had entered a large canyon leading up to a massive mountain. Once we pass the mountain, we must go downward to raging waters. That's where the lair is.

Confused? It's all one big illusion. Only The Darkness can reveal that the water is actually one massive hole in the ground. Who would be crazy enough to jump into a raging, killer water? Exactly.

Only members of The Darkness have special powers that can uncover the raging water and show the correct area to jump into the lair. All the others are decoys that will explode and repair themselves. Like massive, mine infested holes in the ground. Like moles!

It's weird, but it's how it works apparently.

“But wait,” I suddenly said.

Bleak stopped and looked behind him to face me.

“Yes?”

“How are we going to get out?”

Bleak laughed. “Simple! We fly out.”

I nodded. “Okay, okay.”

I heard rocks fall.

“Wait... stop.” I hissed.

Everyone stopped moving.

“What?” Celestia asked.

My ears perked. “I heard something...”

There was a loud hissing sound.

Lance gasped. “Darkness!”

Bleak motioned for everyone to get down.

More rocks could be heard falling. There was rumbling. It slowly become louder and louder.

“Avalanche!” Bleak hissed.

“RUN!”

We all bolted forward. Sure enough, I looked behind me to see hundreds of massive boulders falling towards us. I saw a large group of The Darkness flying over head from us.

“They know we're here!” Bleak yelled over the thundering sounds of rocks smashing.

“Just teleport to the base!” I yelled.

Bleak looked at me with shock in his eyes. “Are you crazy?”

I shook my head. “Don't you realize, now that we know we're heading towards their lair, they'll prepare until we get there? Might as well just do it now!”

Bleak nodded. “Might as we- AAH!”

A massive rock had slammed down on Bleak.

“My wing!! My bucking wing!” He yelled.

I stopped in my tracks, looking up to see how far we where. We only had a few moments to free Bleak from under the rock.

“Come on!” I yelled. My horn began to glow and Bleak was released from the rock.

“You okay?” Frederic asked as Bleak caught back up to us.

“Yeah, my wing's fine. Just a little squashed. Now to teleport to the lair!”

Bleak's horn began to glow, and we were all engulfed in a bright light. We appeared in a large valley. White, raging water in front of us.

“This is the place.” Bleak said.

I sighed. “Let's get this over with. Once we find the correct spot, we'll go in and destroy the lair from the inside.”

Bleak faced me. “Exactly. Now come on, we've got some searching to do.”

Meanwhile...

“Might as well let them destroy it. It serves no purpose to me now...” Luce growled. He watched as the group followed Bleak as he looked.

“Idiots... they thought I didn't know about their petty plan all along? I've already had the entire facility evacuated and purged! The place is useless to me now! But as long as it gives them hope... and a reason to fight... I will be pleased to watch their puny progress crumble before them!”

Luce chuckled. He flinched slightly as the first part of wing armor was put onto his left wing.

“Be careful!” Luce swung his heard towards his backside to look at the workers.

“Our undying apologies, my lord!” One of the workers yelled out over the sound of construction.

“You better be! I don't want to be weakened at all!”

Luce turned his head back to observing the group. He sighed.

“I will take great pleasure in watching their spirits break. Nightmare!”

Nightmare appeared out of black clouds. “Yes, my lord?”

“Release them...”

“Yes, my lord.”

Dorchester's POV

The water suddenly calmed.

“What the hell?” Bleak said.

“This is interesting.” Princess Celestia said.

“Upon one summer's morning

I carefully did stray

Down by the Walls of Wapping

Where I met a sailor gay.”

I looked towards the water to see a merpony!

What the hell is going on?!

I think I know exactly who's behind this...

“Conversing with a young lass

Who seem'd to be in pain,

Saying, William, when you go

I fear you'll ne'er return again.”

I felt myself drawn to the merpony this time.

“Dorchester, no!” Frederic yelled. He grabbed me and I fell back.

“She's trying to seduce you!”

“My heart is pierced by Cupid

I disdain all glittering gold

There is nothing can console me

But my jolly sailor bold.”

“No...” I said. I was mesmerized by the beautiful creature. I shoved Frederic off me easily. I put one hoof into the freezing cold water, but I didn't care.

“His hair it hangs in ringlets

His eyes as black as coal

My happiness attend him

Wherever he may go.”

“I didn't want to have to do this.” Celestia sighed. She blasted magic at the merpony. I turned around, and blasted the bolt of magic back, it hit a rock which exploded.

“NO!” I roared.

“From Tower Hill to Blackwall

I'll wander, weep and moan

All for my jolly sailor

Until he sails home.

My heart is pierced by Cupid

I disdain all glittering gold

There is nothing can console me

But my jolly sailor bold.”

I turned around, and continued to trot towards the merpony. I walked up to her, the water calm beneath me.

“My father is a merchant

The truth I now will tell

And in great London City

In opulence doth dwell.

His fortune doth exceed

300,000 gold

And he frowns upon his daughter

Who loves a sailor bold.”

The merpony put her hooves onto my cheeks and put her face closer to mine. She spoke softly, with the voice of an angel.

“A fig for his riches

His merchandise and gold

True love has grafted my heart

Give me my sailor bold.

My heart is pierced by Cupid

I disdain all glittering gold

There is nothing can console me

But my jolly sailor bold.”

“Dorchester!” Bleak said. I felt the water beneath me begin to stir.

“Should he return in pov'rty

From o'er the ocean far

To my tender bosom

I'll press my jolly tar.

My sailor is as smiling

As the pleasant month of May

And often we have wandered

Through Ratcliffe Highway.”

“It's too dangerous! Get out of there!” Lance began to fly towards me but was pushed back by some sort of field.

“Many a pretty blooming

Young girl we did behold

Reclining on the bosom

Of her jolly sailor bold.

My heart is pierced by Cupid

I disdain all glittering gold

There is nothing can console me

But my jolly sailor bold.

My name it is Maria

A merchant's daughter fair

And I have left my parents

And three thousand pounds a year.”

The merpony put her face up to mine. Nearly kissing.

“Come all you pretty fair maids

Whoever you may be

Who love a jolly sailor

That plows the raging sea.”

More merponies began to swarm around me and the other one. I felt myself... weaken.

“While up aloft in storm

From me his absence mourn

And firmly pray arrive the day

He's never more to roam.

My heart is pierced by Cupid

I disdain all glittering gold

There is nothing can console me

But my jolly sailor bold.”

The merpony began to press herself against me. The water sped up until she was battling the raging waters once again.

“My heart is pierced by Cupid

I disdain all glittering gold

There is nothing can console me

But my jolly sailor bold.”

My eyes widened.

“NO!” I roared. Flames burst from my body, blasting all the merponies back.

I blasted a massive wave of white hot flames at the water. The fire spread like the water was gasoline.

“Dorchester, no!” Lance yelled.

I was engulfed in the white hot flames.

“He's fine! His own power cannot harm him!”

“I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!” I roared. The water evaporated. All of the flames retreated and began to swirl around my right hoof like a massive glove.

“HOW DARE YOU TRY TO MAKE ME BETRAY MY WIFE!” I pointed my hoof at the merponies.

“Dorchester! Stop! They were under Luce's control! Let them be!” Bleak yelled.

My hoof reclined. I sneered and spat at the merponies.

I shot the white hot flames at the ground, creating a massive crater.

“The Darkness's lair!” Everyone gasped.

"How did he do that?!"

"Don't you remember? The reason he is an alicorn is because he absorbed one of The Darkness! He shares it's power."

I looked down and summoned more fire.

“This is for everything you've done to me! And I'll be damned if you put anymore of a fight before I rip you apart!” My voice boomed. I threw the fire bolt at the lair, sending debris flying everywhere.

When I had calmed down, I descended to the ground.

“GO!” I roared at the merponies. They vanished in a shell of water.

I faced the group.

“Let's go back...” I huffed.