Cleaning Darkness
Chapter 6: A Few Days

By: Major Frostwing

It was a quiet morning in New Ponyville. The sun had just started to rise over the city and people were slowly waking up to greet the day. The castle was a different story. Nova had been awake for a few hours watching the cameras and listening to the audio that was coming from Jon's shop. He had locked himself in there three days ago and no one had seen him since. The most terrifying thing was the camera feed was just a black screen and the mics were only picking up the same song the entire time.

"Just what is he doing in there?" Nova asked as she tried to listen for any other sounds besides the sound of music.

"Good morning Princess." Dash said walking into the dining room to get some breakfast. She looked exhausted but Dash was never a morning person to begin with.

Nova looked up from the tablet to greet her with a smile. "Dash you are up early. Looking to get some flying done?" Nova asked as Dash rubbed her eyes shaking her head.

"Nah. Just having a hard time going back to sleep." Nova said as she took a seat next to Nova. "Jon still locked up in his shop?" Dash asked as Nova let out a tired sigh.

"I don't know what he is doing in there the cameras are just a black screen and the mics are only blasting the same song." Nova rubbed her eyes sighing. "I can't even get him to open the door." Dash let out a huff.

"I don't get how you and the other Princesses can even put up with him. I get he used to be some big shot hero but now he is just an ass." Dash said as a servant came up to take her order. Once she had ordered and the servant had left Nova picked the conversation back up.

"Jon has always been like that. He was only polite around one person and his children when he ran an orphanage." Nova looked down at the tablet a sad frown on her face. "He is terrified of her now. He is so afraid that he has disappointed her and it drives him insane." Nova looked to Dash still frowning.

"Who was she?" Dash asked genuinely curious about the one thing that made Jon stop being such a prick. "Maybe we can get her here and she can make Jon reform." Dash suggested only for Nova to shake her head.

"She died a long long time ago." Nova said solemnly to the shock of Dash.

"I'm sorry Princess I didn't know." Nova set her hand on Dash's shoulder smiling gently to her.

"It is alright Dash. To answer your question her name was Red Line. She had saved Jon's life when he first arrived and soon enough they fell in love. They got married and started a family together. Jon would protect Equestria with all his might and from what I heard from Celestia, Luna, and Twilight. Jon vowed that if any harm were to befall her or his family there would be no mercy for the perpetrator."

"Did he really vow that on his wedding day?" Dash asked as Nova giggled.

"It definitely sounds like something he would vow." Nova said as Dash let out her own giggle. "But now the memory of her haunts him. He constantly feels like he has failed her. I just wish he would let us in to help him." Nova slammed her fist on the table startling not only Dash but the guards in the room as well. "But that hard headed bastard won't even come out of his room." Nova said through gritted teeth. "I'm supposed to be able to help him. He trusted me with something and he treats me as if I am nothing to him."

"I will go and see if I can talk some sense into him." Dash said about to get up when Nova set her hand on her shoulder once again holding her in place.

"Not wise. Jon does not like being disturbed when working. It is one of the only times that he gets to sit down and just think so let him have it. If we bother him to much he will only push us away." Nova said as she released Dash. "Plus your food is here. You shouldn't waste food."

It was getting late on the fourth day of Jon being locked in his room. Jon was sitting in his shop tinkering with a few bits of metal in his hands while also doing the same thing in his magic. His music was blaring as he continued to just sit and think. A sudden bolt of pain rocketed through his chest as the bits of metal dropped out of his magic and hands. Jon slowly rubbed his chest right where the pain sat his eyes had not moved from what he had been staring at the entire time. "I need more parts... and time. Time is nice." Jon thought to himself as the pain slowly faded away. Jon blinked as he stood up walking over to his project seeing a cannibalized Umbra laying on his table. The blade did not care that it was in pieces he knew this much for sure. "So much to do... So much to do indeed." Jon thought as he covered the project with a sheet sealing it with a flick of his wrist.

Nova sat in the dining room as the rest of the elements filed into the room. Each of them were chatting about their day as they took their seats at the table. Nova smiled to each of them before her eyes rested on the empty chair across from her.

"Princess are you alright?" Party asked as Nova snapped out of her thoughts.

"Yes Party I am alright just thinking is all." She said with a smile.

"You just looked sad is all... Has Jon still not left his room?" Party asked as the rest of the girls looked to Nova as she sighed.

"It has been four days now what is he doing in there?" Aura asked as Nova magicked her tablet into her hands looking at the cameras only to blink in surprise.

"I can see the room." Nova said as she flicked through the cameras only to see that Jon wasn't in the room. "Where is he?" Nova asked as the doors to the dining room opened slowly.

I opened the doors leading into the dining room yawning as I stepped into the room closing the doors behind me with a quick flick of my wrist. I saw everyone at the table staring at me which made me only cock an eyebrow at them. "What?" I asked as I walked to my seat sitting down across from Nova.

"You left your room." Nova said as I gave her a perplexed look.

"Uh... Yea I noticed when I stepped out the room." I pointed out a little off kilter from the weird stares. "I was hungry and decided I needed a break so I left my room." I watched as the servants came to take everyone's orders. The servant had gotten to everyone before stopping at me. "I will take a steak Medium Rare a baked potato and a bottle of wine the best you got." I said clapping my hands together before shooing them away.

"You eat meat?" I heard Aura ask as I flicked my eyes to her.

"Yep. I thought we covered this when you guys first met me." I said picking up my knife spinning it between my fingers casually. "I mean come on my teeth say it all. I smile enough for you guys to see them." I pointed out before seizing all the knives in my magical grip as they mimicked the knife in my fingers. I slowly moved them towards me as they continued to spin in graceful arcs.

"Jon just what do you think you are doing?" Nova asked as she moved her hand under the table.

"Doing something with my magic I hadn't done in a very long time. I am fine tuning my magic trying to pinpoint what is strangling my magic." I said as I began to feel the same burning in my chest beginning to rise. The burning sensation turned into pure pain as the knives dropped from my magical grasp only to be caught in Nova's magic. I set my hand over the pain in my chest as it slowly faded. "Something is stuck in my chest... and whatever it is. I want it taken out. I can't focus with this constant annoyance." I said as Nova moved all the knives back to their proper places.

"Jon. What is stopping you from removing it yourself?" Nova asked as I continued to hold my hand over the pain I looked away from Nova setting my hand on the table. "Jon?" Nova asked as I let out a sigh.

"It's sitting in my heart... Or at least close enough it would be stupid to try and remove it on my own. I don't particularly enjoy being in my death state it is quite painful contrary to the number of times I have been put into it." I looked to Nova sighing. "Plus you know the other reason I won't shove my hand into my heart to remove it."

"Right." Nova said quietly as the girls looked about confused.

"What is the other reas-" I snapped my fingers as a band of dark purple magic slammed over Ruby's mouth.

"It does not concern any of you except those who actually know me. None of you know what I have sacrificed and what I have lost. Only those that know of that pain can even ask me for my reasoning for anything. Now fuck off and don't ask again." I said snapping my fingers again as the mist disappeared. I turned my attention away from Ruby as I focused on Nova once again. "So how are the others doing?" I asked as I continued my conversation with Nova.

"Concerned about you locking yourself in your room for so long. They also know about your plans to fight Iron Shackle." Nova said as I let out a scoff.

"They only know that I am planning to fight him. Not my actual plans Nova. There is a difference." I said as our food was brought before us. "Tell them they can stop worrying about me. I am just focusing on some very important preparations and I like to be alone when I work."

"Mind letting me in on your plans?" Nova asked as I picked up my knife and fork stabbing into the junk of meat on my plate.

"In due time my dear... All in due time." I said as I began to eat coming up with a small solution for my big problem.

Author's Note

Peek-A-Boo Mother Fuckers! Due to me purchasing a new computer I had lost all of my old writing so I had to rewrite a few chapters. That and the horrible horrible distractions. (GAMES!) I have been rather lazy but now I am back so enjoy more of our psychotic Hero/Villain.