Shadows Of My Worldby HopeForTheFewChaptersShadows Of My WorldThe Heart Of The MatterEscaping DarknessShadows Of My WorldIn the dark hallways of the old castle sits a man, waiting and waiting for a chance, just, one chance. And he's about to get it... Shadows Of My World By HopeForTheFew "Were going to pull them out, one by one!" The pony said wickedly as it reached into its bucket of tools. In the bucket the pony grabbed a pair of pliers and looked down at the bloody mess that awaited below. There was the man, staring up at his captor with disdain and pitty. The mans eyes went wide and he tried to break free from his bindings. But he was unable to do so. He bit hard on the gag that was in his mouth as he watched helplessly as the pony drew nearer and nearer to its destination. "And boy are we gonna love it!" The pony shouted as it dove in and grabbed the mans fingernail with the pair of pliers. And in one quick motion, the pony tore the fingernail right off. Blood sprayed and muffled screams were heard as the man franticly tried to escape. The man shut his eyes hard as he began to cry. Nail after nail was pulled and tear after tear fell. And all the man could do was take the pain, time after time. "I think that's enough for today." The pony said as it finished dumping the fingernails in the small trash bin that resided in the corner. "I gotta say, I'll be very happy to see you tomorrow! There's just something about putting you through pain that takes all the stress right out of me." The pony said as it walked toward the door that led out into an old hallway. "Goodnight!" The pony said as it slammed the door and left the man alone in the dark. The man coughed loudly and he felt a thick liquid travel up his esophagus. The pony removed the gag but the man knew that screaming would not travel through the old thick walls. He continued to cough and he every time he would, a sharp pain would go throughout his whole body. And, soon enough, he started to cough up blood. When the man finally stopped his fit, he leaned his head forward and closed his eyes. Tomorrow would be another day, maybe that day would come late this time. "How you doing shining? Hows the wife?" The pony asked Shining Armor as they crossed paths in the hallway. Armor looked at the pony and replied: "So far, life is good, the baby's coming on quickly and boy does it kick." "Well that's good to hear. Say, me and the gang are heading out to the poker tables, whacha say? Wanna come along?" "Sounds good to me." Armor replied. "What time?" "8:00 o clock sharp." The pony answered. Armor smiled and said: "I'll be there." The two ponies gave curt nods to each other and went their separate ways. Armor traveled down the hallway until he came to an unlit corner. He looked left and right and then pushed a hidden button in the wall. The Canterlot Castle has had many secret doors and passages throughout the years for safety purposes and Shining decided to take use of some of them. When he pressed the button, there was a low rumble and a cloud of dust came rolling out of the wall as it opened. Shining gave off a loud cough as he inhaled the dirt. He snorted as he walked into the hidden passage. His horn lit up to aluminate the passage as he began to walk into the dark depths of what awaited him. He gave off a twisted smile as the door behind him closed shut after he pushed another button. He walked down the passage and began to quietly hum a soft tune to himself and the farther he walked, the larger his smile grew. He continued down the dark hallway until he found a door at the end of it. It was a modern item and looked displaced with all the other gothic like things that scattered the hallway. Armor walked up to the door and reached to the right side of it, there, he pushed another button and all the lights in the hallway started to flicker and then lit up and aluminated the hallway without his need of magic. He then reached for the doorknob, twisted it slightly and opened it quietly. The well lubricated hinges made no noise as the door slid open. Shining hit the light switch and light flooded into the room. He stared bewildered at the wooden chair that resided in the middle of the room. Everything was there... Except. Then, before he could finish the thought, a large fist slammed down on the unicorns horn. Shining's world went black as he tumbled to the stone floor that awaited him below. The man tied Shining Armor to the chair that was once his. Once he was finished he turned to the corner of the room. There sat the bucket of tortuous tools that was used on him. He walked toward it and, once he reached it, gazed in and looked at all the things he had. But out of all the complex tools, the man picked up a hammer and walked back to Shining. Once he reached the unicorn he raised the hammer and slammed it down on the unicorns muzzle; smashing his teeth in. The sound the hit made was deafening and it was like glass being shattered in the loudest octave. The man then turned to the door and limped his way to it, opened it, and exited the room, turning the light off as he went forward. He grunted as he fell hard to the ground, tears spilling out of his eyes as he gazed down at his hands. They were shredded, beaten and bruised, it was a miracle he was able to put that much force into his hands. He grunted as he sat up and leaned his head against the old stone wall. He wanted to leave, to get out of there, but his body wouldn't let him, he was too tired. So he closed his eyes and soon, fell asleep. When the man awoke, he found himself still in the hallway and, slowly, he turned his head toward the door where Shining was. The man sighed as he stood up and started to walk toward the exit. He had been there for weeks and all that time he had expected that unicorn to screw up. It took long enough too, all he had to do was weaken the ropes, and he did just that... The man woke up, still in his prison. He shook his head to try and wake up and, once he was finished he leaned his head back. He grunted as he pulled hard on the ropes. This must have been his hundredth time doing it, but, this was the first time the unicorn had forgotten to tighten the ropes. He pulled again and again and again until he wore himself out. He wiggled and wiggled and then, out of the blue, he felt it, the rope, it was starting to become loose. The mans eyes widened and he began to pull again. Then he heard it, someone was coming. The man picked up his pace and pulled harder and faster. He eventually got the ropes off his hands and quickly reached down to his feet, untied the ropes down there and stood up. It was the first time in weeks he had been free after traveling East. The man limped toward the door and stood by it. The noise was getting closer and closer and he knew just who the hoof steps belonged to. The mans face contorted to one of anger as he waited, and waited. And when it came time, the door opened and stepped in the unicorn. Shining stared on in bewilderment and the man raised his fist. And then a there was a loud crack as everything went black for the unicorn. The man limped his way down the old hallway toward the exit. When he reached it, he pressed a button on the side and the door opened, a cloud of dust and a low rumbling signifying its opening. When it opened, the man peeked both ways before limping his way out. There was a window right in front of the man, tears filled his eyes as he walked forward, he couldn't say how long it had been since he had seen the sun. Ponies were out and about in the city below him. As he stared on with blurry eyes, he cracked a small smile. It had been a while since he was able to do that, smile. In a little bit of time, that smile grew and it must have been the biggest one that man had every before had on his face. And then it faded. "Hey!" A guard yelled out and the man whipped his head around. He snarled as he turned the other direction and started limping as fast he could down the hallway. The pony quickly caught up to the man and turned his gallop into a fast trot. "You look in pretty rough shape, why don't we take you to the infirmary?" The guard asked. "No thank you." The man said through gritted teeth. "I just want to leave." "That's fine, but, first you wouldn't mind telling where those wounds came from would you?" The guard asked in curiosity. "I haven't seen anything like that on a Human before. And that leaves another question, where did you come from? I haven't seen you around here before." "That's my business." The man replied. Both of them kept moving forward. "But, hey, could you show me the exit?" The man asked as he looked toward the guard. "Yeah, sure, follow me." The guard replied as he led the man toward the exit of Canterlot Castle. "All available guards head towards the southern exit hallway, we have an emergency here. Captain Shining Armor has been severely injured." Came a voice from the Earthpony's helmet. The mans eyes widened, he forgot to close the door. He turned toward the guard. "Hold on, I have to report to something real qui----ck." The pony froze as he slowly turned around. The bloody mess that stood before him raised his fist and slammed the back of it to the side of the pony's head. It was then that the Earth pony's world went black. The man dragged the Earth pony into a dark corner and then began to limp his way down the hallway, frantically looking for an exit. His breathing picked up and his heart beat rose. He had to find a way out, he had to. He wouldn't go back to that room. He would fight to the death before he went back to that room. As the man traveled further down the hallway, ponies started to appear left and right. He got gazes from all of them and some wanted to start conversation, but the man wasn't in any kind of mood to do so. He pushed his way past crowds and through guards. He must have been nearing the exit, he had to be. And then they came... The guards had got wind of him. When the first one came up to him and asked that he come with them he refused and made a public image of himself by knocking that pony out as well when they tried to take him by force. The man even started to run, in as bad a shape as he was he started to run. He knew the guards were on him, he needed to get out. He needed to go home, to see his family again, his children again. Tears filled the mans eyes as he kept pressing on. And then, everything seemed like it was in slow motion. He saw the guards after him from every direction, he had no way to escape, yet he needed to escape. He needed to say goodbye, one last time... But little did that man know, it wasn't the last time he would say goodbye... Author's Note This story will be two or three chapters long. Let me know what you think of it in the comments, it really helps! Also, please let me know if there are any problems like the story being to fast and the sentence structure is off. Thanks again! The Heart Of The MatterThe man closed the door, his pack on his back and a bright journey ahead of him. He said his last goodbyes to his family as he walked out that door. Of course he would return though, it was just a business trip after all. This was his first big offer, his first hit, and if this proved to be good for his family then he wouldn't have to worry about the bills anymore. He was heading of to the Pony lands, Equestria that laid far in the East. It would be a few days journey but, it would all be worth it if the deal was fulfilled. And so the man began his journey, waving goodbye to his family as they bid him farewell. Once the man crossed the first hill, the sight of his home was no longer visible. The man, turned his head one last time toward where his house was located, he sighed, turned back and started to walk to his destination. It would indeed be a bright journey, but it would also be a lonely one... Three weeks ago the man was offered a deal. He was a carpenter, the best in the land, and Equestria supposedly wanted what he could offer. If the deal succeeded then he and his family would move right outside the city of Canterlot for a couple years, or until he could make the quota of devices they wanted him to craft. That, was the hard part, the deal was, was that they would deliver him the supplies and he would then transform the supplies (wooden objects/old dead trees from the Human lands.) into whatever they would desire be it within reason. Making master pieces out of straight up logs was a hard business. Though he had been doing it all his life, it should've been just a simple task in the end, a hard but simple one. But we all know that man had something quite different heading his way, don't we? So, from here on out, I'll tell you the story of what happened to end him in his particular predicament... So this was it; Canterlot. This was the first pony city that the man had ever gazed at before, and by judging how long it took him to get there, it was well worth the walk. The beauty of the city was breathtaking, especially for someone who lived in the woods his entire life. The stone architecture was magnificent and the shapes and designs that surround this tower and that tower, were fantastic to the eyes. The man had heard stories of the wonder of Pony kinds cities, especially their capital. And now he knew they were all true. The only thing he didn't realize was that the city was ugly, on the inside. The man traveled up the streets of the city, heading toward the office unit he was told to head toward. During his walk, he received many stares, it was obvious the ponies didn't receive to many Humans, after all, they are a slightly hidden race, the Humans are. It took some time, but, the man finally reached the building he was aiming for. There was a large clock tower not to far from the man, he glanced at it, checked the time and, to the mans surprise, he was almost late, he had left a day early to make sure he arrived on time, but here he was... 'Must have been the time in the Everfree.' The man thought as he turned back to the building in front of him and walked in, pushing the door open as he did so. The inside of the building was just like an office or bank back home. Ponies carried on back and forth, jotting down notes and chatting amongst each other. The man walked up to the counter where a female pony was sitting twiddling her hooves, however that was possible. The man, with dark bags under his eyes walked up to the pony, when she didn't notice him, he tapped on the desk. The pony muttered something and when she looked up from her hooves, fear shot up in her eyes and she flopped out of her chair. The man chuckled softly and reached over the counter, grabbing the mares hoof and bringing her up. "I'm here to see Sir Shining Armor." The mare nodded her head, not taking her eyes of the man as she reached for her notepad that resided to the left of her. "Oh hurry up will you, I'm already almost late." He said, the mare flinched when he spoke but did as he commanded. She gazed at her notepad. "Is your name T~Timothy Red?" The pony asked, still appearing to be scared. "That is correct." The man replied. "Mr. Shining Armors office is directly behind you. Room number 3." The pony said, pointing a hoof toward the door. "Thank you." The man said before heading toward the door where his business inquiry was waiting. When he opened the door, the man was greeted by a well lit room and a pony staring at him oddly. The man smiled as he walked into the room. He heard the door close behind him and, when he looked, he saw two big burly brown ponies guarding the door and staring at him with sly smiles. "Sit down, Timothy." Shining Armor said. The man looked back at the pony and then down at a chair in front of him, his smile now gone. The man took a seat and stared hard at Shining. 'How did things change so quickly?' The man thought. Shining Armor slid a document toward the man. He picked it up and examined it. After about fifteen minutes the man realized something out of the twenty page document. "You want to turn my work into the arts of war." The man said as he looked up at Shining Armor, surprise in his eyes. "We haven't raged war in over an age, not even helped in any wars. And we wont start now." The man said sternly. "Look, you and your people have the strongest wood in all of Eques, we are on the brink of war and we need that wood!" Shining Armor said, slamming his hoof down in emphasis of his opinion. "No." The man said standing up, tossing the document on the office table in front of him. "We will not aid you in your endeavor. Our nations aren't even allies!" The man said turning around, ready to walk out the door. Behind him Shining Armor grew a twisted smile. "I don't think you have a choice." He said and when he said that, one of the big burly ponies blocked the door before the man could leave. The man turned back to face Shining Armor. He raised his fists, ready to strike, but before he could, he felt two hard legs surround him, holding him so tight it felt like he was going to pop. He grunted as he watched helplessly as Shining Armor got up out of his chair, walked toward him, staring at him wickedly. "One last chance." Shining Armor said, pointing toward the document on the table. "No" He said and when he said that, he saw a hoof flying toward him in slow motion. And when it struck, stars exploded and the mans world went black... "You know, I'm glad you said 'no'." Shining Armor said as he circled the chair the man was strapped too. Though the man was barley conscious, he could still focus on the words the unicorn was speaking. "Since you said such a beautiful word, I get to have some fun." The man shook his head, trying to wake up, but it was to no avail. It was as if he was drugged... The man kept trying and trying again, he was just so, so tired. He then felt a sudden pressure on his head. Then the pressure suddenly turned to pain as it shot throughout his entire body. The pressure and pain grew and it felt like something was crushing his head. His nails dug into the arms of the wooden chair as he tried to scream but the gag in his mouth muffled it all. The next thing the man knew was once again, another darkened world... But this was different. It was like being blind, he heard everything going on around him but he had no control over his body, like he was asleep or blacked out. "I wish this was an easier job then the Griffons made it out to be." Shining Armor said, apparently not realizing the Human was still awake. "Oh well, I'll be able to have some fun and get handsomely paid for it too." The pony said, snickering a bit as it walked out the door, turning the lights off as it did so. And now the man was alone, able to reclaim his thoughts. Oh if only it were that easy, but in that time, the only thing the man wanted to do, was sleep. And so he did just that; slept. 'I wonder how long it takes us to realize just what's happening to our hearts. How we can stop caring so easily, I wonder why it has to be repeated over, and over again. But, I suppose the planet will keep on spinning wont it? I wonder... Oh how I wonder...' Shining Armor put down the note, confusion in his heart as he day dreamed. Who sent that note? Who decided to send it to him? Did they know? Shining gazed once more out of the hundred times he already looked at the address. It was sent directly to him, but there was no return address. He scanned it and there was no magic about the note nor the envelope it came in. It was almost like it, just, appeared. It was a mystery, that was for sure, but it could wait for later. As of now, he had rather ugly job to do. The unicorn stood up from his office chair and walked to the door. All the paperwork was starting to put a strain on the pony and he knew just the stress reliever, but that would have to wait. He walked out of his office and out of the building he temporarily worked in. Once he assured the Griffons would leave them alone he could go back to doing what he always used to do. He could go and spend time with the wife and have a merry old time. Shining Armor smiled at that thought. That was the one thing that trumped torture any day. But, that time had yet to come, all he could do was have some patience. Before he knew it, Shining was inside the castle of Canterlot. It was once a marvelous site to the pony but now, after he had grown used to it, it became boring. That's just another reason he started his 'bad habit' of torturing innocents. He kept moving forward and, in another few minutes, he found himself outside the throne room of the Celestial Sisters. He gave a curt nod to the two guards who were positioned at the door. They returned the nod and they both began to open the door. When it was opened, Shining Armor walked inside, smiling to the Princess of the sun as he did so. "Good afternoon, your highness." Shining Armor spoke as he walked toward the princess. "Good afternoon, Shining Armor. I assume you know why your here?" Celestia said as she lit up her horn and cast a spell around the two. "I do, your highness." Shining replied, his face, once a proud smile turned into somewhat of a frown. "How is the contract going?" Celestia asked. "Not good, Timothy wont crack, his heart may be too strong for us. We might have to end up taking his family." Shining Armor said, his stare now one of hate. "We can't do that, then we'll have a bigger problem if the Humans decide to get involved." Celestia said. Celestia was deep in thought, doing her best to try and think of something. Then the gears started to turn. "Why don't we just control him?" She said, hope raising in her voice. "It would be extremely dangerous, but, we could give it a shot. Its the only thing we haven't tried yet." Shining Armor replied eagerly, all the more pain he could pour into the man, the better. "You do that, report back to me if anything happens." Celestia said as she released her spell and sent Shining Armor out of the room. But I suppose we all know that tactic didn't work, now don't we. Well, let me summarize the weeks the man spent in his prison. Pain, upon pain, upon more pain. But as they themselves said, he has a strong heart. And that one thing meant the difference between giving up and fighting to the death. To set confusing to rest, the man could not turn what he owned into a weapon, that land of his has been passed on through generation to generation and he knew just what would happen if he signed that contract. All Hell would break loose is what. But in a certain way, that happened already didn't it? Well, the end comes for the next chapter, I just Hope you all can find some enjoyment from it. Escaping DarknessToday, I'm gonna breath again. If it is my last time then so be it, but at least I'll be able to say I lived with a good heart. The man slammed his foot down, causing him to stop his speed, almost tumbling as he did so. He turned his head sharply to the left as he gazed at the guards, beginning to surround him. He looked to the right and behind him, it was the same thing everywhere he turned. Then the man gazed up, looking through a skylight window as beams of light from the sun shone on his tears. He looked back at the guards in front of him and took a deep breath. His heartbeat slowed as he watched the ponies closing in. The man limped his way forward, all of the guards freezing and preparing to strike as the man kept moving forward. A mage charged up his horn and shot a blast at the man. He fell face first as the blast impacted his spine. He screeched and grunted in pain as he tried to get up. The man pushed on the ground with all his might, blood dripping from his wounds. He staggered backwards as he got up. Then out of the blue came a loud holler of absolute rage. "Get him! Kill him! Look what he did to me!" Came a loud voice to the mans right. He turned his head and, when he located where the voice had come from, spat on the ground as he stared at Shining armor. The pony who caused him so much pain was sitting right there, beaten and battered when he should have been dead. "I Hope you found your little bit of heaven." The man spat as he charged at the pony, shoving the guards to the side as they were in shock. The man quickly reached the pony and did a swift uppercut to the jaw of Shining Armor, a loud crack was heard as his fist impacted and Shining fell to the floor like a rock, blood dripping from his mouth. if Shining wasn't dead then he would at least have even more permanent damage to deal with. The man heard hoof steps behind him and when he turned around the whole slew of guards were charging at him, the mage slammed the man with a thundering loud blast and sent the man flying backward. His world went black as he smashed through a window. The last thing he knew was the sense and feeling of falling as he traveled down the building. Celestia jumped in her throne when the door slammed open. A wounded and beaten Shining Armor limped through the door, blood dripping from his wounds. "We have a problem." He said as he stared at Celestia. And in that moment, realization hit her like a freight train. "Alert all the guards that are available, make sure that he never speaks again unless its to us." Celestia ordered, and with that, Shining Armor bowed as best he could and limped out the door. Worried looks were on the guards stationed at the door. Years of training couldn't stop them from breaking their cold dead stares when they saw their captain in such a shape. Celestia had so many thoughts running through her mind, and she had to admit, some fear too. If her ponies figured out what was going on then there would be revolts, rebels and horrible consequences. But she had her ways of dealing with things. Her guards were loyal, they would heed her words. Celestia in that moment grew a twisted smile. The man had nothing to stand on, if it came down to it, he wouldn't be able to defend himself. All he needed was a push. Just a push... Colors came floating back to the man and he heard screaming and yelling, words were thrown but he couldn't make them out. The man rubbed his temple as a splitting headache rumbled through his brain. The mans eyes grew clear and he found he was in a bush. He looked up and above was a broken window about fifteen feet up. Inside the window, looking down at him were the pony guards. The unicorn was there and tried to levitate the man up, but he held tight to his bush and fought the spell. The next thing the man saw were Pegasus ponies darting out the window left and right, getting ready to charge him. He rolled out of the bush and tried to stand up. But the moment he did he yelled in pain as he fell back down the ground. His ankle, he wasn't sure if it was broken or sprained, but he did know for sure that it hurt like Hell. There were ponies around who were not part of the group, he turned his head toward them as a last ditch effort, tears starting to spill. "Please." He muttered to them. All the while the guards were moving in. He tried to stand up, one more time. But as he made his attempt, he saw and heard the hooves of the flying guards land all around him. Some were busy clearing the crowd away but most were by him. He rolled onto his back as he stared up at the noon day sun. His first chance to live in weeks and he couldn't even manage an escape. The man started to chuckle quietly to himself and it grew into an unsteady laugh as his breathing grew ragged. One of the guards ran up to him and put her hoof on his chest. He looked up at the guard and smiled. "You know, you almost look like my wife." The man chuckled as his vision started to grow dark. "His hearts stopping, we need to get him to the hospital, now!." The guard said and the next thing he knew, he was being levitated by some odd unicorn. "Well, you would look like my wife if it weren't for the , you know, pony thing." The man muttered as he took one last glance at the female guard. She did look, in some odd way, like his wife. But she wasn't, and he had a family to get back to. With that the man regained his conscience which was starting to slip and rolled out of the telekinetic grip of the unicorn. He grunted hard as a sharp pain ran right up his leg. He turned around swiftly and stared into the shocked expressions of the guards. A new crowd was starting to form behind the man as he backed up slowly. The guards quickly snapped out of their daze and grabbed the man. He didn't even have a chance. There was nothing he could do, not anymore. "Oh come on mate, stand up already. Its not your time to die." "Then when will that time come? When I've had all my mangy body can handle? Let me tell you this, I'm tired of living, tired of dealing with all the pain, all the heartbreak." "All the sorrow..." "And is that what your family would want? Huh, for you to give up, what about your children? If you truly love them then you better stand, up. No good will come from a man who gives up, none whatsoever." "So you got a choice mate. Stand up, and give it all you got. Or rot away like so many before you did. Celestia can't get away this time." "So will you choose to die... or to live?" The man awoke, once again in the arms of his old friend. His good old torture chamber. He sighed, his eyes barely open and he turned to see who he assumed was Celestia. He had no idea how he got there, but this was her kingdom, she had the strings to pull. "Since Shining Armor couldn't get the job done, I thought I might as well give a crack at it." She finished the sentence with a slight giggle. "I haven't been able to do this in years!" She hopped up out of her own regal chair and pranced right over to him, gazed in his eyes with a sly smile and smacked him as hard as her hooves would allow her. His head whipped to the side as she did so, blood dripping from his mouth. "Boy did that feel good!" She said as she pranced back to her chair. "Now, down to business shall we! Since your Human government has so much security and we can't really corrupt it in anyway we try. We have to go a different rout to get what we want." She said as she leaned in close, that sly smile never leaving her face. The man spat on her, and she spat back. "Obviously you don't understand what's at risk here. We need your wood so we can kill the Griffons. And that's just putting it bluntly." She said, now with a bored expression. "I know why you need my wood, but you can't have it, no matter how hard you try, you can't break me!" The man finished laughing hysterically. "You have been trying for forever now to break me, and you haven't got anywhere!" The man said, pausing between words to laugh. "You know, I didn't want to have to do this. Its an extremely dangerous practice, but, I think we can make an exception." She said cynically. Celestia then proceeded two teleport two items in, one was a table, the other was a piece of paper, a piece of paper he was suppose to sign. "You wouldn't." He said, his laughter all gone. "Oh, but I would." She finished as she charged her horn and sent a large beam directly towards the mans forehead. "The question is mate, do you have the strength to fight for those you love? Will you live... Or will you die?" When the beam impacted, the man felt something crawling through his brain, trying to get some kind of leverage. He felt it wrap around his brain, he grunted as his teeth clenched and rubbed against each other. He fought and fought and fought, it was a battle of wills. But unfortunately for the man, he had lost his strength and will a long time ago... But as unfortunate things come, so do fortunate things. The battle was quickly lost and Celestia had him right where she wanted him. Luckily for her and the man, the spell hadn't caused any damage, just quite a bit of pain on the mans side. He could feel himself slip away as his body began to be manipulated. Now all she needed to do, was force the man to sign his name. A harder thing to do then one might realize. But deep in the heart of all those who are good, stands a light. And we all know what the light does to the darkness now don't we? So the man, not by the strength of his will, but by the strength of his heart found a way. And something, someone, somewhere gave him strength, an unnatural strength, a Godlike strength. The man roared, scaring away the grip Celestia had within him. The beam shut down and a startled Celestia sat before the man. He pulled against his bonds and they snapped like twigs. He stood up, the bloody mess he was couldn't stop him, no evil that day could stop him. He walked up to Celestia, shock and fear clear in her eyes. Rage filled the man as he lifted his right hand, ready to end what was once his cruel torturer. But then, in the blink of an eye, Celestia appeared behind the man and sent fire as hot as the sun toward the man. He screamed in pain as he took on the incoming fire, and then, when he regathered himself, he charged. He sent blow after blow to the head of the Princess of the Sun. And with one large right hook he sent her flying through the old stone wall and then he carried her to the main halls. There he through her down the hall, her muzzle sharply striking an old but proudly decorated pillar. Celestia shook her head, bewildered and frightened at what become of her so quickly. But then she started back up, as if her energy was being fueled. The man growled as he was struck by a bolt from the Princess. He fell on his back and grunted, trying to get up, but it was as if he was glued to the floor. Celestia trotted up to the man and placed her front two hooves on his chest in mockery. Her bruised and bloodied face looked rather ugly up close. "Just to make your end a little cheesier, any last words?" She asked, spite and anger clear in her voice. "God your stupid." The man said as he reached up, grabbed the back of Celestia's head and grabbed her muzzle, and then, he twisted. A loud crack was heard as he broke her neck. "I have never ever seen anyone as stupid as you." He shook his head and rolled out from under Celestia, letting her corpse fall to the floor. The man heard yelling to his left and right and he knew it was time to leave. And so, with that, the man turned around and jumped out the window, shattering the glass as he did so. And now, here we are, after around 7,000 words, we've reached the end of this story. I suppose its just a small one at that. And maybe not to good of a story. But maybe, just maybe this story touched one of you. Made you feel an emotion that made you reach out to it. Maybe even made you feel a little Hope, pun intended. But before I leave you, I would like to share one thing... One last thing: Epilogue: I walked through the ancient forests of the Everfree. Its nature, just as scary as ever. But in all honesty, I had nothing in my mind at that moment but the thought of reaching my family. My love for them ran deeper then I ever realized, now I'll be able to show them it. Every step I took filled me with even more anxiousness and impatience. But then it all stopped, as the days went past and the closer I got, I finally arrived. As I gazed at the stunning rooftop of the home I painted long ago. I heard the laughter and pitter patter of children's feet running across the dirt as I walked over that last hill I would have to face. A smile like never before beamed across my face as I ran with all my might to where my heart truly lies. "I'm home." Author's Note Sorry if this chapter seemed rushed. I am incredibly tired right now and a lot had been going on lately. But, Hopefully you all enjoyed this short little story of mine. Cheers everyone!
Shadows Of My WorldIn the dark hallways of the old castle sits a man, waiting and waiting for a chance, just, one chance. And he's about to get it... Shadows Of My World By HopeForTheFew "Were going to pull them out, one by one!" The pony said wickedly as it reached into its bucket of tools. In the bucket the pony grabbed a pair of pliers and looked down at the bloody mess that awaited below. There was the man, staring up at his captor with disdain and pitty. The mans eyes went wide and he tried to break free from his bindings. But he was unable to do so. He bit hard on the gag that was in his mouth as he watched helplessly as the pony drew nearer and nearer to its destination. "And boy are we gonna love it!" The pony shouted as it dove in and grabbed the mans fingernail with the pair of pliers. And in one quick motion, the pony tore the fingernail right off. Blood sprayed and muffled screams were heard as the man franticly tried to escape. The man shut his eyes hard as he began to cry. Nail after nail was pulled and tear after tear fell. And all the man could do was take the pain, time after time. "I think that's enough for today." The pony said as it finished dumping the fingernails in the small trash bin that resided in the corner. "I gotta say, I'll be very happy to see you tomorrow! There's just something about putting you through pain that takes all the stress right out of me." The pony said as it walked toward the door that led out into an old hallway. "Goodnight!" The pony said as it slammed the door and left the man alone in the dark. The man coughed loudly and he felt a thick liquid travel up his esophagus. The pony removed the gag but the man knew that screaming would not travel through the old thick walls. He continued to cough and he every time he would, a sharp pain would go throughout his whole body. And, soon enough, he started to cough up blood. When the man finally stopped his fit, he leaned his head forward and closed his eyes. Tomorrow would be another day, maybe that day would come late this time. "How you doing shining? Hows the wife?" The pony asked Shining Armor as they crossed paths in the hallway. Armor looked at the pony and replied: "So far, life is good, the baby's coming on quickly and boy does it kick." "Well that's good to hear. Say, me and the gang are heading out to the poker tables, whacha say? Wanna come along?" "Sounds good to me." Armor replied. "What time?" "8:00 o clock sharp." The pony answered. Armor smiled and said: "I'll be there." The two ponies gave curt nods to each other and went their separate ways. Armor traveled down the hallway until he came to an unlit corner. He looked left and right and then pushed a hidden button in the wall. The Canterlot Castle has had many secret doors and passages throughout the years for safety purposes and Shining decided to take use of some of them. When he pressed the button, there was a low rumble and a cloud of dust came rolling out of the wall as it opened. Shining gave off a loud cough as he inhaled the dirt. He snorted as he walked into the hidden passage. His horn lit up to aluminate the passage as he began to walk into the dark depths of what awaited him. He gave off a twisted smile as the door behind him closed shut after he pushed another button. He walked down the passage and began to quietly hum a soft tune to himself and the farther he walked, the larger his smile grew. He continued down the dark hallway until he found a door at the end of it. It was a modern item and looked displaced with all the other gothic like things that scattered the hallway. Armor walked up to the door and reached to the right side of it, there, he pushed another button and all the lights in the hallway started to flicker and then lit up and aluminated the hallway without his need of magic. He then reached for the doorknob, twisted it slightly and opened it quietly. The well lubricated hinges made no noise as the door slid open. Shining hit the light switch and light flooded into the room. He stared bewildered at the wooden chair that resided in the middle of the room. Everything was there... Except. Then, before he could finish the thought, a large fist slammed down on the unicorns horn. Shining's world went black as he tumbled to the stone floor that awaited him below. The man tied Shining Armor to the chair that was once his. Once he was finished he turned to the corner of the room. There sat the bucket of tortuous tools that was used on him. He walked toward it and, once he reached it, gazed in and looked at all the things he had. But out of all the complex tools, the man picked up a hammer and walked back to Shining. Once he reached the unicorn he raised the hammer and slammed it down on the unicorns muzzle; smashing his teeth in. The sound the hit made was deafening and it was like glass being shattered in the loudest octave. The man then turned to the door and limped his way to it, opened it, and exited the room, turning the light off as he went forward. He grunted as he fell hard to the ground, tears spilling out of his eyes as he gazed down at his hands. They were shredded, beaten and bruised, it was a miracle he was able to put that much force into his hands. He grunted as he sat up and leaned his head against the old stone wall. He wanted to leave, to get out of there, but his body wouldn't let him, he was too tired. So he closed his eyes and soon, fell asleep. When the man awoke, he found himself still in the hallway and, slowly, he turned his head toward the door where Shining was. The man sighed as he stood up and started to walk toward the exit. He had been there for weeks and all that time he had expected that unicorn to screw up. It took long enough too, all he had to do was weaken the ropes, and he did just that... The man woke up, still in his prison. He shook his head to try and wake up and, once he was finished he leaned his head back. He grunted as he pulled hard on the ropes. This must have been his hundredth time doing it, but, this was the first time the unicorn had forgotten to tighten the ropes. He pulled again and again and again until he wore himself out. He wiggled and wiggled and then, out of the blue, he felt it, the rope, it was starting to become loose. The mans eyes widened and he began to pull again. Then he heard it, someone was coming. The man picked up his pace and pulled harder and faster. He eventually got the ropes off his hands and quickly reached down to his feet, untied the ropes down there and stood up. It was the first time in weeks he had been free after traveling East. The man limped toward the door and stood by it. The noise was getting closer and closer and he knew just who the hoof steps belonged to. The mans face contorted to one of anger as he waited, and waited. And when it came time, the door opened and stepped in the unicorn. Shining stared on in bewilderment and the man raised his fist. And then a there was a loud crack as everything went black for the unicorn. The man limped his way down the old hallway toward the exit. When he reached it, he pressed a button on the side and the door opened, a cloud of dust and a low rumbling signifying its opening. When it opened, the man peeked both ways before limping his way out. There was a window right in front of the man, tears filled his eyes as he walked forward, he couldn't say how long it had been since he had seen the sun. Ponies were out and about in the city below him. As he stared on with blurry eyes, he cracked a small smile. It had been a while since he was able to do that, smile. In a little bit of time, that smile grew and it must have been the biggest one that man had every before had on his face. And then it faded. "Hey!" A guard yelled out and the man whipped his head around. He snarled as he turned the other direction and started limping as fast he could down the hallway. The pony quickly caught up to the man and turned his gallop into a fast trot. "You look in pretty rough shape, why don't we take you to the infirmary?" The guard asked. "No thank you." The man said through gritted teeth. "I just want to leave." "That's fine, but, first you wouldn't mind telling where those wounds came from would you?" The guard asked in curiosity. "I haven't seen anything like that on a Human before. And that leaves another question, where did you come from? I haven't seen you around here before." "That's my business." The man replied. Both of them kept moving forward. "But, hey, could you show me the exit?" The man asked as he looked toward the guard. "Yeah, sure, follow me." The guard replied as he led the man toward the exit of Canterlot Castle. "All available guards head towards the southern exit hallway, we have an emergency here. Captain Shining Armor has been severely injured." Came a voice from the Earthpony's helmet. The mans eyes widened, he forgot to close the door. He turned toward the guard. "Hold on, I have to report to something real qui----ck." The pony froze as he slowly turned around. The bloody mess that stood before him raised his fist and slammed the back of it to the side of the pony's head. It was then that the Earth pony's world went black. The man dragged the Earth pony into a dark corner and then began to limp his way down the hallway, frantically looking for an exit. His breathing picked up and his heart beat rose. He had to find a way out, he had to. He wouldn't go back to that room. He would fight to the death before he went back to that room. As the man traveled further down the hallway, ponies started to appear left and right. He got gazes from all of them and some wanted to start conversation, but the man wasn't in any kind of mood to do so. He pushed his way past crowds and through guards. He must have been nearing the exit, he had to be. And then they came... The guards had got wind of him. When the first one came up to him and asked that he come with them he refused and made a public image of himself by knocking that pony out as well when they tried to take him by force. The man even started to run, in as bad a shape as he was he started to run. He knew the guards were on him, he needed to get out. He needed to go home, to see his family again, his children again. Tears filled the mans eyes as he kept pressing on. And then, everything seemed like it was in slow motion. He saw the guards after him from every direction, he had no way to escape, yet he needed to escape. He needed to say goodbye, one last time... But little did that man know, it wasn't the last time he would say goodbye... Author's Note This story will be two or three chapters long. Let me know what you think of it in the comments, it really helps! Also, please let me know if there are any problems like the story being to fast and the sentence structure is off. Thanks again!
The Heart Of The MatterThe man closed the door, his pack on his back and a bright journey ahead of him. He said his last goodbyes to his family as he walked out that door. Of course he would return though, it was just a business trip after all. This was his first big offer, his first hit, and if this proved to be good for his family then he wouldn't have to worry about the bills anymore. He was heading of to the Pony lands, Equestria that laid far in the East. It would be a few days journey but, it would all be worth it if the deal was fulfilled. And so the man began his journey, waving goodbye to his family as they bid him farewell. Once the man crossed the first hill, the sight of his home was no longer visible. The man, turned his head one last time toward where his house was located, he sighed, turned back and started to walk to his destination. It would indeed be a bright journey, but it would also be a lonely one... Three weeks ago the man was offered a deal. He was a carpenter, the best in the land, and Equestria supposedly wanted what he could offer. If the deal succeeded then he and his family would move right outside the city of Canterlot for a couple years, or until he could make the quota of devices they wanted him to craft. That, was the hard part, the deal was, was that they would deliver him the supplies and he would then transform the supplies (wooden objects/old dead trees from the Human lands.) into whatever they would desire be it within reason. Making master pieces out of straight up logs was a hard business. Though he had been doing it all his life, it should've been just a simple task in the end, a hard but simple one. But we all know that man had something quite different heading his way, don't we? So, from here on out, I'll tell you the story of what happened to end him in his particular predicament... So this was it; Canterlot. This was the first pony city that the man had ever gazed at before, and by judging how long it took him to get there, it was well worth the walk. The beauty of the city was breathtaking, especially for someone who lived in the woods his entire life. The stone architecture was magnificent and the shapes and designs that surround this tower and that tower, were fantastic to the eyes. The man had heard stories of the wonder of Pony kinds cities, especially their capital. And now he knew they were all true. The only thing he didn't realize was that the city was ugly, on the inside. The man traveled up the streets of the city, heading toward the office unit he was told to head toward. During his walk, he received many stares, it was obvious the ponies didn't receive to many Humans, after all, they are a slightly hidden race, the Humans are. It took some time, but, the man finally reached the building he was aiming for. There was a large clock tower not to far from the man, he glanced at it, checked the time and, to the mans surprise, he was almost late, he had left a day early to make sure he arrived on time, but here he was... 'Must have been the time in the Everfree.' The man thought as he turned back to the building in front of him and walked in, pushing the door open as he did so. The inside of the building was just like an office or bank back home. Ponies carried on back and forth, jotting down notes and chatting amongst each other. The man walked up to the counter where a female pony was sitting twiddling her hooves, however that was possible. The man, with dark bags under his eyes walked up to the pony, when she didn't notice him, he tapped on the desk. The pony muttered something and when she looked up from her hooves, fear shot up in her eyes and she flopped out of her chair. The man chuckled softly and reached over the counter, grabbing the mares hoof and bringing her up. "I'm here to see Sir Shining Armor." The mare nodded her head, not taking her eyes of the man as she reached for her notepad that resided to the left of her. "Oh hurry up will you, I'm already almost late." He said, the mare flinched when he spoke but did as he commanded. She gazed at her notepad. "Is your name T~Timothy Red?" The pony asked, still appearing to be scared. "That is correct." The man replied. "Mr. Shining Armors office is directly behind you. Room number 3." The pony said, pointing a hoof toward the door. "Thank you." The man said before heading toward the door where his business inquiry was waiting. When he opened the door, the man was greeted by a well lit room and a pony staring at him oddly. The man smiled as he walked into the room. He heard the door close behind him and, when he looked, he saw two big burly brown ponies guarding the door and staring at him with sly smiles. "Sit down, Timothy." Shining Armor said. The man looked back at the pony and then down at a chair in front of him, his smile now gone. The man took a seat and stared hard at Shining. 'How did things change so quickly?' The man thought. Shining Armor slid a document toward the man. He picked it up and examined it. After about fifteen minutes the man realized something out of the twenty page document. "You want to turn my work into the arts of war." The man said as he looked up at Shining Armor, surprise in his eyes. "We haven't raged war in over an age, not even helped in any wars. And we wont start now." The man said sternly. "Look, you and your people have the strongest wood in all of Eques, we are on the brink of war and we need that wood!" Shining Armor said, slamming his hoof down in emphasis of his opinion. "No." The man said standing up, tossing the document on the office table in front of him. "We will not aid you in your endeavor. Our nations aren't even allies!" The man said turning around, ready to walk out the door. Behind him Shining Armor grew a twisted smile. "I don't think you have a choice." He said and when he said that, one of the big burly ponies blocked the door before the man could leave. The man turned back to face Shining Armor. He raised his fists, ready to strike, but before he could, he felt two hard legs surround him, holding him so tight it felt like he was going to pop. He grunted as he watched helplessly as Shining Armor got up out of his chair, walked toward him, staring at him wickedly. "One last chance." Shining Armor said, pointing toward the document on the table. "No" He said and when he said that, he saw a hoof flying toward him in slow motion. And when it struck, stars exploded and the mans world went black... "You know, I'm glad you said 'no'." Shining Armor said as he circled the chair the man was strapped too. Though the man was barley conscious, he could still focus on the words the unicorn was speaking. "Since you said such a beautiful word, I get to have some fun." The man shook his head, trying to wake up, but it was to no avail. It was as if he was drugged... The man kept trying and trying again, he was just so, so tired. He then felt a sudden pressure on his head. Then the pressure suddenly turned to pain as it shot throughout his entire body. The pressure and pain grew and it felt like something was crushing his head. His nails dug into the arms of the wooden chair as he tried to scream but the gag in his mouth muffled it all. The next thing the man knew was once again, another darkened world... But this was different. It was like being blind, he heard everything going on around him but he had no control over his body, like he was asleep or blacked out. "I wish this was an easier job then the Griffons made it out to be." Shining Armor said, apparently not realizing the Human was still awake. "Oh well, I'll be able to have some fun and get handsomely paid for it too." The pony said, snickering a bit as it walked out the door, turning the lights off as it did so. And now the man was alone, able to reclaim his thoughts. Oh if only it were that easy, but in that time, the only thing the man wanted to do, was sleep. And so he did just that; slept. 'I wonder how long it takes us to realize just what's happening to our hearts. How we can stop caring so easily, I wonder why it has to be repeated over, and over again. But, I suppose the planet will keep on spinning wont it? I wonder... Oh how I wonder...' Shining Armor put down the note, confusion in his heart as he day dreamed. Who sent that note? Who decided to send it to him? Did they know? Shining gazed once more out of the hundred times he already looked at the address. It was sent directly to him, but there was no return address. He scanned it and there was no magic about the note nor the envelope it came in. It was almost like it, just, appeared. It was a mystery, that was for sure, but it could wait for later. As of now, he had rather ugly job to do. The unicorn stood up from his office chair and walked to the door. All the paperwork was starting to put a strain on the pony and he knew just the stress reliever, but that would have to wait. He walked out of his office and out of the building he temporarily worked in. Once he assured the Griffons would leave them alone he could go back to doing what he always used to do. He could go and spend time with the wife and have a merry old time. Shining Armor smiled at that thought. That was the one thing that trumped torture any day. But, that time had yet to come, all he could do was have some patience. Before he knew it, Shining was inside the castle of Canterlot. It was once a marvelous site to the pony but now, after he had grown used to it, it became boring. That's just another reason he started his 'bad habit' of torturing innocents. He kept moving forward and, in another few minutes, he found himself outside the throne room of the Celestial Sisters. He gave a curt nod to the two guards who were positioned at the door. They returned the nod and they both began to open the door. When it was opened, Shining Armor walked inside, smiling to the Princess of the sun as he did so. "Good afternoon, your highness." Shining Armor spoke as he walked toward the princess. "Good afternoon, Shining Armor. I assume you know why your here?" Celestia said as she lit up her horn and cast a spell around the two. "I do, your highness." Shining replied, his face, once a proud smile turned into somewhat of a frown. "How is the contract going?" Celestia asked. "Not good, Timothy wont crack, his heart may be too strong for us. We might have to end up taking his family." Shining Armor said, his stare now one of hate. "We can't do that, then we'll have a bigger problem if the Humans decide to get involved." Celestia said. Celestia was deep in thought, doing her best to try and think of something. Then the gears started to turn. "Why don't we just control him?" She said, hope raising in her voice. "It would be extremely dangerous, but, we could give it a shot. Its the only thing we haven't tried yet." Shining Armor replied eagerly, all the more pain he could pour into the man, the better. "You do that, report back to me if anything happens." Celestia said as she released her spell and sent Shining Armor out of the room. But I suppose we all know that tactic didn't work, now don't we. Well, let me summarize the weeks the man spent in his prison. Pain, upon pain, upon more pain. But as they themselves said, he has a strong heart. And that one thing meant the difference between giving up and fighting to the death. To set confusing to rest, the man could not turn what he owned into a weapon, that land of his has been passed on through generation to generation and he knew just what would happen if he signed that contract. All Hell would break loose is what. But in a certain way, that happened already didn't it? Well, the end comes for the next chapter, I just Hope you all can find some enjoyment from it.
Escaping DarknessToday, I'm gonna breath again. If it is my last time then so be it, but at least I'll be able to say I lived with a good heart. The man slammed his foot down, causing him to stop his speed, almost tumbling as he did so. He turned his head sharply to the left as he gazed at the guards, beginning to surround him. He looked to the right and behind him, it was the same thing everywhere he turned. Then the man gazed up, looking through a skylight window as beams of light from the sun shone on his tears. He looked back at the guards in front of him and took a deep breath. His heartbeat slowed as he watched the ponies closing in. The man limped his way forward, all of the guards freezing and preparing to strike as the man kept moving forward. A mage charged up his horn and shot a blast at the man. He fell face first as the blast impacted his spine. He screeched and grunted in pain as he tried to get up. The man pushed on the ground with all his might, blood dripping from his wounds. He staggered backwards as he got up. Then out of the blue came a loud holler of absolute rage. "Get him! Kill him! Look what he did to me!" Came a loud voice to the mans right. He turned his head and, when he located where the voice had come from, spat on the ground as he stared at Shining armor. The pony who caused him so much pain was sitting right there, beaten and battered when he should have been dead. "I Hope you found your little bit of heaven." The man spat as he charged at the pony, shoving the guards to the side as they were in shock. The man quickly reached the pony and did a swift uppercut to the jaw of Shining Armor, a loud crack was heard as his fist impacted and Shining fell to the floor like a rock, blood dripping from his mouth. if Shining wasn't dead then he would at least have even more permanent damage to deal with. The man heard hoof steps behind him and when he turned around the whole slew of guards were charging at him, the mage slammed the man with a thundering loud blast and sent the man flying backward. His world went black as he smashed through a window. The last thing he knew was the sense and feeling of falling as he traveled down the building. Celestia jumped in her throne when the door slammed open. A wounded and beaten Shining Armor limped through the door, blood dripping from his wounds. "We have a problem." He said as he stared at Celestia. And in that moment, realization hit her like a freight train. "Alert all the guards that are available, make sure that he never speaks again unless its to us." Celestia ordered, and with that, Shining Armor bowed as best he could and limped out the door. Worried looks were on the guards stationed at the door. Years of training couldn't stop them from breaking their cold dead stares when they saw their captain in such a shape. Celestia had so many thoughts running through her mind, and she had to admit, some fear too. If her ponies figured out what was going on then there would be revolts, rebels and horrible consequences. But she had her ways of dealing with things. Her guards were loyal, they would heed her words. Celestia in that moment grew a twisted smile. The man had nothing to stand on, if it came down to it, he wouldn't be able to defend himself. All he needed was a push. Just a push... Colors came floating back to the man and he heard screaming and yelling, words were thrown but he couldn't make them out. The man rubbed his temple as a splitting headache rumbled through his brain. The mans eyes grew clear and he found he was in a bush. He looked up and above was a broken window about fifteen feet up. Inside the window, looking down at him were the pony guards. The unicorn was there and tried to levitate the man up, but he held tight to his bush and fought the spell. The next thing the man saw were Pegasus ponies darting out the window left and right, getting ready to charge him. He rolled out of the bush and tried to stand up. But the moment he did he yelled in pain as he fell back down the ground. His ankle, he wasn't sure if it was broken or sprained, but he did know for sure that it hurt like Hell. There were ponies around who were not part of the group, he turned his head toward them as a last ditch effort, tears starting to spill. "Please." He muttered to them. All the while the guards were moving in. He tried to stand up, one more time. But as he made his attempt, he saw and heard the hooves of the flying guards land all around him. Some were busy clearing the crowd away but most were by him. He rolled onto his back as he stared up at the noon day sun. His first chance to live in weeks and he couldn't even manage an escape. The man started to chuckle quietly to himself and it grew into an unsteady laugh as his breathing grew ragged. One of the guards ran up to him and put her hoof on his chest. He looked up at the guard and smiled. "You know, you almost look like my wife." The man chuckled as his vision started to grow dark. "His hearts stopping, we need to get him to the hospital, now!." The guard said and the next thing he knew, he was being levitated by some odd unicorn. "Well, you would look like my wife if it weren't for the , you know, pony thing." The man muttered as he took one last glance at the female guard. She did look, in some odd way, like his wife. But she wasn't, and he had a family to get back to. With that the man regained his conscience which was starting to slip and rolled out of the telekinetic grip of the unicorn. He grunted hard as a sharp pain ran right up his leg. He turned around swiftly and stared into the shocked expressions of the guards. A new crowd was starting to form behind the man as he backed up slowly. The guards quickly snapped out of their daze and grabbed the man. He didn't even have a chance. There was nothing he could do, not anymore. "Oh come on mate, stand up already. Its not your time to die." "Then when will that time come? When I've had all my mangy body can handle? Let me tell you this, I'm tired of living, tired of dealing with all the pain, all the heartbreak." "All the sorrow..." "And is that what your family would want? Huh, for you to give up, what about your children? If you truly love them then you better stand, up. No good will come from a man who gives up, none whatsoever." "So you got a choice mate. Stand up, and give it all you got. Or rot away like so many before you did. Celestia can't get away this time." "So will you choose to die... or to live?" The man awoke, once again in the arms of his old friend. His good old torture chamber. He sighed, his eyes barely open and he turned to see who he assumed was Celestia. He had no idea how he got there, but this was her kingdom, she had the strings to pull. "Since Shining Armor couldn't get the job done, I thought I might as well give a crack at it." She finished the sentence with a slight giggle. "I haven't been able to do this in years!" She hopped up out of her own regal chair and pranced right over to him, gazed in his eyes with a sly smile and smacked him as hard as her hooves would allow her. His head whipped to the side as she did so, blood dripping from his mouth. "Boy did that feel good!" She said as she pranced back to her chair. "Now, down to business shall we! Since your Human government has so much security and we can't really corrupt it in anyway we try. We have to go a different rout to get what we want." She said as she leaned in close, that sly smile never leaving her face. The man spat on her, and she spat back. "Obviously you don't understand what's at risk here. We need your wood so we can kill the Griffons. And that's just putting it bluntly." She said, now with a bored expression. "I know why you need my wood, but you can't have it, no matter how hard you try, you can't break me!" The man finished laughing hysterically. "You have been trying for forever now to break me, and you haven't got anywhere!" The man said, pausing between words to laugh. "You know, I didn't want to have to do this. Its an extremely dangerous practice, but, I think we can make an exception." She said cynically. Celestia then proceeded two teleport two items in, one was a table, the other was a piece of paper, a piece of paper he was suppose to sign. "You wouldn't." He said, his laughter all gone. "Oh, but I would." She finished as she charged her horn and sent a large beam directly towards the mans forehead. "The question is mate, do you have the strength to fight for those you love? Will you live... Or will you die?" When the beam impacted, the man felt something crawling through his brain, trying to get some kind of leverage. He felt it wrap around his brain, he grunted as his teeth clenched and rubbed against each other. He fought and fought and fought, it was a battle of wills. But unfortunately for the man, he had lost his strength and will a long time ago... But as unfortunate things come, so do fortunate things. The battle was quickly lost and Celestia had him right where she wanted him. Luckily for her and the man, the spell hadn't caused any damage, just quite a bit of pain on the mans side. He could feel himself slip away as his body began to be manipulated. Now all she needed to do, was force the man to sign his name. A harder thing to do then one might realize. But deep in the heart of all those who are good, stands a light. And we all know what the light does to the darkness now don't we? So the man, not by the strength of his will, but by the strength of his heart found a way. And something, someone, somewhere gave him strength, an unnatural strength, a Godlike strength. The man roared, scaring away the grip Celestia had within him. The beam shut down and a startled Celestia sat before the man. He pulled against his bonds and they snapped like twigs. He stood up, the bloody mess he was couldn't stop him, no evil that day could stop him. He walked up to Celestia, shock and fear clear in her eyes. Rage filled the man as he lifted his right hand, ready to end what was once his cruel torturer. But then, in the blink of an eye, Celestia appeared behind the man and sent fire as hot as the sun toward the man. He screamed in pain as he took on the incoming fire, and then, when he regathered himself, he charged. He sent blow after blow to the head of the Princess of the Sun. And with one large right hook he sent her flying through the old stone wall and then he carried her to the main halls. There he through her down the hall, her muzzle sharply striking an old but proudly decorated pillar. Celestia shook her head, bewildered and frightened at what become of her so quickly. But then she started back up, as if her energy was being fueled. The man growled as he was struck by a bolt from the Princess. He fell on his back and grunted, trying to get up, but it was as if he was glued to the floor. Celestia trotted up to the man and placed her front two hooves on his chest in mockery. Her bruised and bloodied face looked rather ugly up close. "Just to make your end a little cheesier, any last words?" She asked, spite and anger clear in her voice. "God your stupid." The man said as he reached up, grabbed the back of Celestia's head and grabbed her muzzle, and then, he twisted. A loud crack was heard as he broke her neck. "I have never ever seen anyone as stupid as you." He shook his head and rolled out from under Celestia, letting her corpse fall to the floor. The man heard yelling to his left and right and he knew it was time to leave. And so, with that, the man turned around and jumped out the window, shattering the glass as he did so. And now, here we are, after around 7,000 words, we've reached the end of this story. I suppose its just a small one at that. And maybe not to good of a story. But maybe, just maybe this story touched one of you. Made you feel an emotion that made you reach out to it. Maybe even made you feel a little Hope, pun intended. But before I leave you, I would like to share one thing... One last thing: Epilogue: I walked through the ancient forests of the Everfree. Its nature, just as scary as ever. But in all honesty, I had nothing in my mind at that moment but the thought of reaching my family. My love for them ran deeper then I ever realized, now I'll be able to show them it. Every step I took filled me with even more anxiousness and impatience. But then it all stopped, as the days went past and the closer I got, I finally arrived. As I gazed at the stunning rooftop of the home I painted long ago. I heard the laughter and pitter patter of children's feet running across the dirt as I walked over that last hill I would have to face. A smile like never before beamed across my face as I ran with all my might to where my heart truly lies. "I'm home." Author's Note Sorry if this chapter seemed rushed. I am incredibly tired right now and a lot had been going on lately. But, Hopefully you all enjoyed this short little story of mine. Cheers everyone!
