The Sound of Madness

Celestia stared him down, his grip on Shining tightening. He struggled to escape, his horn had a ring around it. 'How did he get a magic dampening ring? Only the guards have... oh. He must'be went to the barracks when I teleported back inside, but how did he know where it was?' A thud knocked her out of her trance, and looked back, Shining Armor was sitting on the floor, confused as well, as the beast was rolling on the floor, laughing.

"Oh my god, that was fucking cliché! 'Missed me?' HAHAHAHA! What's next? 'No, Mister Bond, I expect you to die!' Jesus..." He went on one knee, wiping his eyes with his coat jacket, which was slightly tattered. "God, that was so stupid." He vanished when Shining tried tackling him, and reappeared behind him. "Bro, wait your turn, attacking when someone's back his turned, have you no honor? Celestia, where'd you get this guy, from the street?" Shining snorted, and tried tackling him again, but he slammed his foot into his muzzle, Celestia hearing a crack.

"Ugh, Your Majesty, what is this creature? And why does he know my name, along with every other guard?"

"Creature!?! Ugh, I've never been on such a low pedestal, you wound me, truly. Also, how do you now know about me? Celestia, have you not told them all about me? You know, with that Statue, no one ever wondered who I was? Oh, also, 'Sound of Madness'? Nice name for the statue pedestal, I like it, might ju-HURK!" Something slammed into him, sending them crashing towards Celestia, who hastily avoided it. Looking back, Luna was slamming her forehoof into his torso.

"Luna, ask me to DINNER FIRST!" He slammed his legs into her barrel, knocking her off of him. Luna, flipping in the air, landed on her feet. "God, again, no honor."

"You speak of honor, yet you showed no sign of that a thousand years ago!" Luna blasted him with her magic, blowing the wall of Celestia tower. The cold breeze filtered into the room, mixing with the smell of charred stone and wood.

"LUNA! You just blew up my dresser!" Before Luna could say anything, he jumped out of the hole, falling towards the ground, before flipping and landing on his hands. Celestia heard Luna mutter something about being a showoff, before flying down after him. "Shining, here," using her magic, she took the ring off of Shining's horn, "go gather the guards, I want the city in full lockdown. Twilight and the Elements should be getting here by train."

"My sister is coming? With, that-" he shoved a hoof to the hole, "in the city? I don't want my sister being hurt." Celestia was about to answer, when an explosion rocked the street. Dashing towards the window, she saw that Luna was battling him, and she was winning.

"Shining, there isn't a time to argue, now! That's an order!" Shining flinched, never seeing that tone come from Celestia. He saluted, before teleporting in a bright light, most likely to the barracks. She turned back, and saw Luna summon a sword and tried slicing him in two, but he rolled backwards, the sword nicking lower back. Wincing, he touched his back, feeling the warm blood fall over his hand.

"Ah, been too long since I've felt pain." He brought his red palm in front of him, before flicking it into Luna's eyes. She stumbled back in surprise. "Well, I've gotta go fix this wound. Hope you have fun fixing the castle. Nice shot Luna, blowing up Celestia's tower, almost like you're on my side." He vanished, leaving Luna to stab her sword into the ground out of rage. Celestia teleported next to her.

"How could he avoid all of my strikes so well? I've practiced those moves since I could lift a sword. The only way I could hit him was out of rage. He wasn't expecting it." Luna looked at the crimson liquid on the floor, it seeping through the cracks of the road. "Sister," she turned to Celestia, a slight tinge of fear in her eyes, "how could've he returned?" Celestia draped a wing over her sister's back.

"I don't know, but it doesn't matter now. He's escaped, and we have to trust that the elements get here soon. They are the only way we can stop him." Luna snorted, twirling her sword in the air. "Luna, we have banned killing unless it is absolu-"

"THIS IS NECESSARY! Think back to before, he used cheap tactics, and never gave us a moment to rest." Celestia sighed, before hearing a sharp whistle. Both turned to the sound, and noticed a plume of smoke.

"Twilight is here... I suppose we should get ready, and greet the Elements."

"Fuck, that sword hurt." A distinct ripping sound was heard throughout the hospital. A nearby doctor heard it and went over to an empty storage closet. Opening it, he saw a tall beast wrapping his torso in a bandage. The beast looked at him. "Hope you don't mind me borrowing your medical supplies." Was the last thing the doctor heard before falling asleep. "Well, at least no one noticed it... now then, to find a way out of the ci-" A sharp whistle was heard down the street. Teleporting, he reappeared on the roof, and saw a train coming in from the distance. "Maybe that has to wait, gotta make a good first impression after all.... that also sounded cliché, but I don't exactly care anymore."