the Light within Darkness

Comet stirred. He moaned throatily, not having slept very well. He was still tired, and hungry. How long was it since he last ate? His stomach gurgled. Too long…

“You’re awake.” It was a statement, not a question. But something was different from last time he had talked with the changeling princess.

“You sound like you need somepony to dump all your frustrations at.” He had yet to actually see her, and from the sounds of it, she was behind him. He slowly turned towards her and rose to a sitting position. “It wouldn’t be the first time for me, my captors always seem to have something on their heart, but they don’t have anypony to listen to it. So I offer to listen if only to pass the time.”

“Hah, and why should I trust you? You already tried something last time.” Her deadpan would have caused Comet to flinch if it wasn’t for the fact that he was used to it by now.

He shrugged. “With the limiter, I am, as the name says, limited. It’s more or less useless if the one I try to use it on already knows about it. And since it didn’t work, I’m trying to, at least, get more comfortable while I’m staying. As for trusting me, well, you’re my captor, you never thought I’d, at least, try to escape once? But if I promise something I won’t go back on it, and I promise I won’t try to affect your emotions again, not directly at least.”

She stared at the stallion for a while, having monitored his emotion the whole time he spoke. He wasn’t lying as far as she could tell. She sighed in annoyance. “You want something, don’t you?”

“Well, yes. I’d like to have my freedom, for example. But I doubt you’d be willing to give me that. I would appreciate food though. Oh, and perhaps a mattress, if I’m going to stay here for long, I’d, at least, want to sleep well.”

“You aren’t in any position to bargain food,” Shadow said standing up and looking him carefully as she began to pace around him in a circular motion. A tactic her mother used to get information from Shining Armor before hypnotizing him and failing to take over Equestria. Great going mum “Tell me this why should I let you a worthless pony have a luxury even the drones don’t receive.” She added with a devious smirk.

Comet smirked himself, stretching, his joints popped. “You want something from me, if you didn’t you would have put me in a cocoon. Now, I’d be more willing to help you if I got something to eat. I already got the upper hoof of you once, I could do it again are you willing to risk that? Really, only that guard coming freed you from my grasp. So, do you want to take the easy route, or do you want to take the hard one?” His smile was gone, leaving his expression emotionless.

“You’re not one to demand something, you’ll have to eat sooner or later and we’ll provide the finest leftovers we have my dear ‘guest’,” Shadow said in a sarcastic tone, smirking as she looked this food “But you was right we need you, well not you yourself we need what you have inside you. Love. When we’ve extracted the essence then we’ll put you in a conversion pod.” She began to laugh as she paced a bit of her mother’s madness within her.

Comet started chuckling himself. “Oh, you’re really funny, you know? Even with a magic inhibitor was I able to best you, and if you want to gather love from me, then be my guest. If you find any, that is.” His chuckling intensified until it was a maniacal laughter.

“Oh, we will trust me even Sombra had love deep deep within him, mother knew that she used to court that lord of darkness before I was even conceived.” Shadow retorted with a cold glare and a devilish smirk “You my dear a just an ant compared to his evil, we’ll find love within you, and then you’ll be one of our mindless, docile, obedient drones.” She finished her rant with a spit at his face. The substance was a green gloop kinda like a jelly but slimy and sticky.

Comet didn’t flinch though, he only smiled. The smile turned into a grin soon after, but not an ordinary one, no, his overly sharp teeth made sure of that. “It’s your mother, isn’t it? She always tells you what to do, and you hate not being in control.” Using the doubt that flared for a second in Shadow, he powered up a new spell. As he did, his shadow grew, swallowing all light in its path, defying logic. Then it opened its eyes, a grin forming on the shadow.

Shadow couldn’t leave his gaze, everything else lost in darkness, his face the only thing visible. He threw himself at her, mouth unnaturally wide.

Shadow flew up from bed, sweat running down her forehead. Her expression turned into a frown. Only a nightmare. Everything felt so real though. She needed answers, and she needed them now.