My Little Pony Fan Fiction ❯ A Walk Among Spirits ❯ Chapter 5

They went down the hallway in silence for the rest of the way. Only their hooves and the squeaking of the cart echoed through the green hall. When they reached the end of the hall, the white mare pushed a button and the elevator doors slid open. The tan stallion picked up Skyline and placed him on the blue floor of the elevator.

"Mind your step," the stallion laughed before he pushed the button and the doors slid closed. Skyline suddenly fell to the floor and quickly stood up. He could move his body again. He rushed around the elevator looking for a way out. However, like the room, he shared with the three fillies. There was no escaping the elevator. It suddenly started to move. Skyline frantically looked around before looking up to see the darkness he was ascending to. The elevator felt weird like only the floor was moving.

When the elevator stopped, the doors and walls all were gone. Skyline looked around but only saw dirt surround him. The dirt stretched into the darkness that also surrounded him. He was confused at where he was. Had they let him out?

"Hello?" Skyline squeaked. For a few seconds, there was no sound, no movement. Suddenly lights exploded on causing Skyline to wince.

Once his eyes adjusted to the lights. He found himself inside an arena with dirt floors. He looked up to see lights hanging from the glass dome that covered the arena. There were blurred outlines of Ponies watching him from the other side of the glass.

"Good evening fillies and gentlecolts and welcome to another event filled evening at the Suicide Dome!" the voice echoed. The crowd erupted in cheers and when it died down, the voice continued, "As always, I'm the stallion announcer with the greatest voice. Jukebox." The crowd once again erupted in cheers.

"What's going on?" Skyline asked.

"Tonight's opening round might be over quick, but don't worry. This is just the appetizer for the main course because fillies and gentlecolts. Your favorite femme fatale is in the main event. That's right you greedy foals. Mares what to be her and stallions want to be with her. Viper will be in the main event!" Jukebox yelled. The crowd erupted even louder as he announced her name.

"Round?" Skyline questioned.

"Now, without further ado let me introduce you to tonight's contenders!" Jukebox announced. The crowd once again cheered before Jukebox continued, "In the red square: he is the stallion that walks the Shadow Realm. This is Shadow Dancer!" the crowd cheered.

"Killer! It's Shadow Killer," a voice yelled. Skyline looked across from him to see a dark blue stallion standing on a red square yelling up at the dome.

"Oh the edginess," Jukebox joked.

"I will put my hoof so far up your ass; you'll be able to taste the dirt I'm standing in for a month!" Shadow Dancer yelled.

"Sure, you do that," Jukebox said unimpressed before he cleared his throat and continued, "and it looks like Shadow Dancers opponent in the blue square is one of the new arrivals. This should be a short match, but hey. You get ever closer to see Viper in action." The crowd erupted in cheers once again.

"Damn it, it's Killer! Shadow Killer!" Shadow Dancer yelled again but was lost in the cheering of the crowd. Shadow Dancer Sighed before turning his attention to Skyline and added, "Alright look: I'm in no mood to chase you around. So do me a favor and stand still. I'm already pissed off as it is. Between the damn announcer and that damn filly, they put in my room a day ago. I'm a little on edge."

"Filly?" Skyline asked.

"Yeah, they put a damn filly in my room and all she did was cry for her parents. Cut my hoof on her glasses," Shadow Dancer said before he turned to the skybox that hung on the right side of the dome and said, "Which hopefully will be cleaned by the time I get back."

"We have already cleaned up the mess after you left Shadow Dancer, but please. From here on out: don't kill your roommate," a female voice said over the intercom. Shadow Dancer didn't argue about his name with the new voice. He simply sighed and turned his attention back to Skyline.

"Like I said: don't make me have to chase you kid. Just make my 100th win an easy one please," Shadow Dancer said as he lifted his right fore-hoof. The end of the hoof changed from dark blue to pitch black.

"Fillies and gentlecolts, are you ready?" Jukebox asked. The crowd cheered before Jukebox asked, "Red Square. Are you ready?"

"Just shut up and let me get this over with," Shadow Dancer sneered.

"Blue square. Are you ready? Jukebox asked. Skyline couldn't speak. He was too stunned at what was going on to even speak. Was this the twisted things the professor did with them? Jukebox waited for a second before continuing, "Alright. Count with me: three, two, one. Begin!"

Shadow Dancer punched the air and a black tendril shot from his hoof towards Skyline. The tip of the tendril morphed into a four-clawed hand. Skyline quickly rolled out of the way of the attack just before it slammed into the ground. Shadow Dancer snorted in irritation before the black tendril retracted back into his hoof.

"Stand still," Shadow Dancer hissed. He punched the air again and again the tendril shot out of his hoof. However, as it soared through the air, it split into four tendrils. Each with four clawed hands.

Skyline quickly got up and darted away from the tendrils. He rolled and serpentine to avoid the tendrils from grabbing him. The ground shook with every tendril that slammed into the dirt. If he had his wings he could dodge them with ease.

The tendrils quickly retracted back into Shadow Dancer's hoof as his left fore-hoof changed from dark blue to pitch black. His irritation was growing and he slammed both his forehooves to the ground while screaming, "I said stand still!" Eight tendrils erupted from the ground behind Shadow Dancer. Each tendril had a four-clawed hand at the tip. Skyline ears bent back before the tendrils shot towards him. Skyline galloped as the tendrils raced towards him. Some of the tendrils slammed into the ground, but instead of retracting back. They shot out of the dirt and dust and continued the chase

Skyline took a chance and looked back. His heart nearly leaped out of his chest as he saw how close the tendrils were getting and how ferociously they slammed into the ground just to shoot out towards him. He looked forward and galloped faster. His legs burned as he winced and forced himself to run faster. As he ran, the image of the white tiger flashed in his mind and caused him to trip over his own hooves. One of the tendrils grabbed him by the waist and shot up into the air before looping around and slamming him into the ground. He gasped as all the air in his lungs felt like it was sucked out. The tendril slowly lifted him from the ground as he gasped for air.

"Finally caught you, you stupid fucking foal," Shadow Dancer hissed. The tendril quickly wrapped around Skylines abdomen before Shadow Dancer continued, "I was going to make it a quick death, but since you wanted to waste my time. I'm going to make you suffer for every second you wasted." The crowd cheered as though they wanted to see Skyline suffer.

The tendril started to tightly squeeze around Skyline's abdomen. Skyline began to scream as he felt the tendril constrict around his body. Tears welled up in his eyes as the pain shot through his entire body. As the tendril squeezed tighter, his screams grew louder. However, his screams were overpowered by the cheering crowd.

Skyline cracked open his eyes. Everything was blurry because of the pain and tears. Mom, dad, somepony, anypony. Please help. Make the pain stop. I don't want to die! Skyline pleaded in his mind. The image of the white tiger appeared once again in his head. Please help me.