Dark Secrets

Chapter 4: The slip-up

*rustle*

Cyburst turned his head towards the bush which a sound had just emanated from. He was patrolling the border of the small amount of land the Cloaking scroll covered. the bush was on the outside, so he paid no heed to it. The cloak made him and everything else inside the border look like any other part of the forest, but that doesn’t mean people couldn’t hear him. He and Candy have been there for only six months, but it felt like six decades. Cyburst trotted until he came to the small line he drew three months earlier to make the patrols much easier. Cyburst had finally finished the last round and sighed. When you’re secluded from the outside world, there’s not much news for you. He walked back up to his house, where his mare and filly were rocking back and forth.

“Is it okay for me to speak?” Cyburst wispered,

“Yes, she’s quite the heavy sleeper.” Candy Corn replied in a normal tone,

“Good, I’ve grown to dislike crying.” Cyburst said, also returning to normal voice level.

“Did you find anything?” Candy asked, “Is it over?”

“No, and I’m not sure.” Cyburst answered. “Many wars last for a year, but we can’t be sure.”

Candy Corn sighs, “I know, but I just get anxious when I’m left from my work for this long.”

“Hey, I’ve got enough food, cider, and bits to hold us here for a decade, we’ll be fine.” Cyburst said, trying to cheer up his mare.

“You’re right. We’ll be just fine.” Candy replied, looking down at their filly, “She’ll be fine too.”

“She’ll be more than fine she’ll be protected.” Cyburst said.

Cyburst embraced Candy Corn and the both stared out the window, trying to pick up any signs of equestrian life, but they only found a family of bunnies, huddling inside their burrow.

Cyburst awoke with his forelegs still around Candy Corn. He looked outside to find the sun wasn’t there, but the moon was. He yawned and slowly relaxed his grip, and took his legs away from Candy. He went outside to make another patrol. THe morning patrols were always the hardest, still groggy from the snooze. When Cyburst was finally awake, he felt a little uncomfortable. Something was different, but he couldn’t place his hoof on it. He brushed it away, it couldn’t be too important. He found the line and set out. Nothing out of the ordinary, but that feeling kept nagging him., like somepony was watching him. Cyburst pushed the thought to the back of his hea. Somepony? Watching him? Impossible. The cloak was intangible, insensible, but secure.  Shifting could be heard from the direction of his house, but it was probably only Candy Corn waking up. She hated it when she was alone in the morning. Cyburst decided to cut the patrol short and head back. as soon as he turned, he realized something. Do you know what he heard?

Nothing.

No birds chirped. No squirrels chattered. Not even a manticore could be heard. Something was wrong. He ran back to the house. He unlatched the door and threw it open. He saw Candy being held by somepony, gagged too. Somepony who shouldn’t have even been there.

“Let. Her. Go.” Cyburst said, his eyes aflame.

“No.” The pony said, sneering.

“Then you die.” Cyburst said, a large amount of magic was being built up around his horn.

“You first.” A voice said next to his ear.

Cyburst tried to react, but it was too late.

*snap*

Cyburst’s vision was strangely tilted. his head felt as if it had lost ten pounds. His neck collapsed and he fell to the ground. He’d finally pieced it together. Why he felt uncomfortable. It was hotter than usual. It was the summer solstice. The only day the magic wears off. That’s how they got in. But it didn’t matter, not anymore. He wasn’t going to be around much longer anyway. Candy Corn struggled to get out of the pony’s firm hold.

“MMMMMPFHMMMMPFH!” Candy Corn tried, but it was too late.

*Gasp!*

Cyburst awoke with a start. he jolted upright and felt himself all over and found nothing was broken. He was alive. Not only that, but in perfect condition. he put his hoof on his neck. Every vertebra was intact and in the correct place. Cyburst practically jumped for joy. Well, actually, he did jump for joy. But wait, didn’t that pony snap his neck?

“...by being one with me, you have an incredible regeneration rate...” Phoenix thought,

“Wha ha ha!” Cyburst said, “Phoenix, you haven’t talked so long I almost forgot about you.”

“...Aww you made me die a little inside...” Phoenix thought sarcastically, “Go do something useful with your power...”

“Okay, but not right now. Right now I need to tell-” Cyburst stopped dead in his tracks, his blood turned to ice.

“Candy Corn.” Cyburst whispered, looking at the pitiful body in front of him.

Sure enough, it was Candy Corn, but it was very hard to tell. Her body was mangled and her legs were twisted at funny angles. a white paste covered her coat in some areas, mostly near her posterior. It didn’t take an analysis spell to know what it was. Her mane was ripped and ragged. Her eyes, her once beautiful eyes were duller than he’d ever seen them.

“What happened” Cyburst said as he looked around his house.

The room was ransacked. All things deemed valuable had been taken. Everything else had been destroyed. Table? legs cut off, broken in two. Nice wooden chairs? They looked as if Goldilocks had sat in them. Crib? a pile of dust.

“What’d they do with Quiet Ocarina?” Cyburst said through clenched teeth,

“...I do not know...” Phoenix thought,

Cyburst went upstairs. It didn’t look any better. He looked at the forest through a nearby window. It looked as if nothing had ever happened. The sun was setting again. The birds started to chirp. The squirrels were collecting things for winter. The faint roar of a manticore could be heard.

He went back downstairs and touched a panel on the wall. the wall shifted to reveal a secret room. nothing had been touched in there, thankfully, but that wasn’t enough to lift his spirits. Cyburst couldn’t comprehend what had just happened. His whole life, everything he’d worked up to from his childhood, had been taken away from him in a mere day.

“...What do we do now?..” Phoenix thought,

“Now?” Cyburst thought, “We leave.”

“...Where?..” Phoenix thought,

“I don’t know yet, but not here.” Cyburst thought, “You ready?”

“... Sure...”

“Fifty percent! RELEASE!” They said harmoniously.

A small piece of cloth caught Cyburst’s eye. He picked up the rag with his talons. Once he examined it, something inside him snapped.

“Phoenix, we have our destination.” Cyburst thought in a little-too-cheery tone,

“...Okaaaay. Where?..” Phoenix thought,

“Celestia” Cyburst thought in reply,

Then, nothing but a loud boom was heard, all that was left where Cyburst was moments ago was the cloth and the wind. Cyburst was flying towards canterlot as fast as he could go without losing his transformation, which is mach three.

“...Are you scared, Cy? You’re shaking...” Phoenix thought

“No.” Cyburst thought back, “Now, now I’m angry!”

The small white cloth had finally touched the ground. It’s sun decal matched the well-known Cutie Mark of a certain princess. its corners began to smolder. Then, it was engulfed in flames.

A/N SOOOO SORRY. I'm not busy at all, I just never get around to updating this. I'm going to try to see if I can get this republished so I can try to get more views, but it's going to take time. If I don't write before, I definitly will write during the holidays. See you soon. Oh, and while I'm hear, WHAT THE HELL MIRAGE!