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CHAPTER TWENTY: The Song of Containment

Future...

“Let me hear it.”

“Face me.”

I put her hooves on the side of Silvermoon's head.

“Open your mind, listen, hear it Silvermoon. Hear the music.”

“Cum tacent clament. Serva me, servato te”

Silvermoon faced the merponies.

“Gasp!”

Tears began to pour from Silvermoon's eyes.

“Take it away...”

“You sure?”

“I can't bare it...”

I pressed my hooves upon Silvermoon's head, releasing her from hearing the depressing music.

“I'm sorry...”

“It's okay.”

…

“You can still hear it?”

“All the time...”

Current Point...

I stepped through Tartarus. It had been a long time since Tythol had made contact with me, for I had almost completely forgotten about him being able to have a connection with me.

I was in spirit, no one else could see me. I was roaming Tartarus with Silvermoon, she knew this was going to be hard for me.

We where going to see Annabel and Discord. Earlier, Tythol had informed us Luce had taken their souls, and was slowly absorbing their power to fuel himself.

I walked through Tartarus with a faint image of Tythol in the lead. He was leading us towards Luce, yet earlier Tythol had informed us that he only had enough power to make us invisible to the common eye, but we couldn't get close enough to Luce or else he would see us.

I was breathing slowly. I felt my chest tighten more and more as we neared Annabel and Discord. We would be able to see them, and they would be able to see us, but only for a short time.

It was going to be worth it.

“Stay close, we are almost there.” Tythol said.

My head stayed down. I was in the back of the group, watching Silvermoon's back hooves to make sure I didn't get separated from the group.

“We're here.”

I jerked my head up to see a massive cave. The three of us walked through it, careful not to be seen in the slightest way.

After a few minutes of looking around, we eventually made it Annabel and Discord's containment.

They lay against the wall, fast asleep.

I felt the burning gaze of Tythol against me. I glanced over to him, or pointed his hoof towards them.

I slowly approached them. Discord made a sudden and I jumped back, gasping.

After a few seconds of silence and standing completely still, I summoned enough courage to poke Annabel a few times.

“Huh...? What...?” Annabel said quietly as she slowly opened her eyes.

“Dorchester!” Annabel gasped. She tried to hug me, but her arms went right through my body. I looked at her sadly.

“Oh...”

“Annabel...? What's goin- Dorchester! You're here!” Discord said with delight.

“I can't stay here for long. We can't make any true physical contact at all, but at least we're here.”

Annabel turned her head around me, and saw Silvermoon.

“Hey, Silvermoon!” Annabel said happily.

“Hey Annabel, hey Discord, nice to see you two again after so long.” Silvermoon said with a smile.

“So, how has it been?” I asked.

Discord frowned. “Terrible. Luce Danneggiato is a complete asshole. He likes to torture us, and laughs at our suffering... he sets those red biting ants on us almost every single day, and has taken away all of our magic at this point.”

Silvermoon gasped. “That's terrible!”

“That's not even the worse of it. He bullies who ever works with him except Nightmare, it's like he's his favorite or something.” Annabel sighed.

“We saw what happened during Nightmare Night. I just wish I could have done something, anything really.” Discord said.

“You had no control.” I said, remembering what Jeff The Killer did to that mare and her foal.

Silvermoon turned around to face Tythol who was looking around the massive cave, observing everything he laid his eyes upon.

“Well... I hope you two are okay.” I said, trying to change the subject.

“We're fine, for now.” Discord answered.

“Yet I'm not sure how much longer we'll last.”

“You will not last much longer...”

Tythol turned his head. “Luce!”

Luce bared his jaws in a smile. “I knew I heard something coming from the containment chambers! Tell me, are you so determined on being the hero you've completely forgotten who you're dealing with?”

There was a few moments of silence.

“Let me show you the pain I have caused.”

Another cage began to flow towards us. Inside of it held a large group of merponies.

They were singing.

I felt tears fall from my eyes. Yet Silvermoon was squinting at the merponies like she couldn't hear them.

“Can't you hear them?” I asked.

Luce chuckled. “She is a regular alicorn. No special powers whatsoever. She cannot hear them, unless you can will the ability into her.”

I turned to Silvermoon.

“Let me hear it.”

“Face me.”

I put her hooves on the side of Silvermoon's head.

“Open your mind, listen, hear it Silvermoon. Hear the music.”

“Cum tacent clament. Serva me, servato te”

Silvermoon faced the merponies.

“Gasp!”

Tears began to pour from Silvermoon's eyes.

“Take it away...”

“You sure?”

“I can't bare it...”

I pressed my hooves upon Silvermoon's head, releasing her from hearing the depressing music.

“I'm sorry...”

“It's okay.”

…

“You can still hear it?”

“All the time...” I said with a low voice.

Luce chuckled again. Everyone had tears coming from their eyes but Tythol who sat calmly.

“Merponies only sing when they feel and know they're life is in danger, which explains why that one sang to you when you attempted to breach the lair.”

“But this...” Tythol said.

“This is The Song of Captivity. When they feel like they have no hope... like they have lost everything. Only once before in all of history have the merponies sung this exact song.”

Luce smirked. “And tell them... when was that, brother?”

Tythol scrunched up his face in thought. “When you sent me down to the deepest waves of the universe.”

“Leave. Now.” Luce hissed in a demanding tone.

I faced Annabel and Discord. Both of them embracing each other in a tight grasp and crying softly in each others arms. I felt Silvermoon nuzzle herself next to me.

“I will make these two listen to this accursed song... every... single... second...” Luce's smile widened. “And you can't do a damn thing about it.”

Tythol transported us out of the cave suddenly, leaving me and Silvermoon alone. Standing in front of the bed, tears coming from both our eyes.

Silvermoon ran up to me, and hugged me until I felt like my ribs had broken.

When Silvermoon released me, I walked silently into bed and pulled the covers over me.

My eyes adjusted to the sudden darkness, and I stared at the ceiling until I passed out from exhaustion.