My Little Pony Fan Fiction ❯ A Walk Among Spirits ❯ Chapter 18

Skyline was speechless as he looked across the dirt floor at Cheerilee. Before he could speak Jukebox asked, "Red square, are you ready?" Cheerilee didn't say a word. She just blankly stared at Skyline. Her stare made it seem like her body was there, but her mind wasn't. Without missing a beat, Jukebox then asked, "Blue square, are you ready?" Skyline didn't answer. He was still in shock to see his teacher standing across from him in this hellhole. Jukebox didn't wait for a response as he counted down and began the match.

"Mrs. Cheerilee, are you alright?" Skyline asked as he walked towards her. Cheerilee didn't say anything. Instead, she took a deep breath and let out an ear-shattering screech. Skyline fell to the ground as he felt like an invisible weight was pushing him to the ground while he tried to block out the screech with his hooves. When the screech stopped, the weight seemed to disappear. Skyline shook his head to stop the ringing in his ears and asked, "Mrs. Cheerilee why?" he wasn't able to finish. Cheerilee took another deep breath and unleashed another ear-shattering screech.

Skyline fell to the floor again, this time it felt like the weight grew larger and was pushing him to the ground. Even though he had his ears covered, it felt like the sound had pierced through his hooves and was tearing his head apart. He screamed in pain just as the sound ceased, but it felt like the sound lingered longer. The weight he felt suddenly disappeared. He felt like if it went on any longer he would have been flattened.

"Oh darling, I don't think she remembers you," Nip Tuck stated through the intercom. Even though his body felt weak and his head was ringing in pain. He still was able to stand up. His rage towards Nip Tuck pushed his body to do so. He looked up and glared at the skybox.

"What did you do to her?!" Skyline screamed.

"All I did was infused her with magic," Nip Tuck stated before she laughed, "After that: I simply gave her to my staff as a present. Blame them on her broken mind."

Before Skyline could respond, Cheerilee let out another screech. Skyline suddenly dropped to the ground as the weight hit him like a ton of bricks. He wasn't able to cover his ears and he screamed as the sound made his head feel like it was going to pop and the weight felt like it was going to flatten him.

"I'd suggest doing something," Nip Tuck laughed over the intercom. She knew that this would push him over the edge. The day before, when the jet black stallion brought her the documents. She discovered Cheerilee was the teacher taken from the schoolhouse. She put two and two together and knew Skyline wouldn't fight his teacher. She hoped he'd simply be pushed to the point his mind finally snapped. When that happened and he was in pieces, she'd swoop down and pick them up. Cheerilee took another deep breath and let out an ear-shattering screech. Skyline screamed in pain as he curled up in the fetal position with his hooves over his ears. The invisible weight crushing him and making it hard to breathe.

"Mrs. Cheerilee, please stop!" Skyline cried as tears filled his eyes. Cheerilee didn't listen and took another deep breath and let out another screech. Skyline screamed in pain before he cried again, "Please! I don't want to hurt you!"

"Come on, Come on," Nip Tuck said to herself. She watched the fight unfold and feared Skyline wouldn't do a thing and added, "Show me I chose the right Pony to lead my army."

Cheerilee reared back and took in another deep breath, but before she could unleash another ear-shattering screech. Skyline sob, "I'm sorry." Thick white fog rushed out of his body and soared towards Cheerilee. The fog morphed into a sphere and it slammed into Cheerilee's body. She fell backward and gasped as the air was sucked from her lungs. The sphere bounced back towards Skyline before a hologram of a clock face appeared above it. The hand of the clock began to spin before it stopped on a red symbol and fire engulfed the sphere.

The clock face shattered and the Sphere shot towards Cheerilee. As she got to her feet, the sphere slammed into her body and exploded into flames. She screamed as her body was engulfed. She dropped to the floor and rolled, but the flames wouldn't go out. Skyline lay in the fetal position on the ground with his hooves over his ears, sobbing as the events unfolded. His eyes were closed shut as tears fell to the ground. He didn't want to see or hear what was happening, but he knew. He knew what was happening and he wanted it to end.

To Skyline, it felt like an eternity before Cheerilee's screams finally stopped. The sphere bounced over to him and unfolded into the three-banded armadillo. It nuzzled its head against skyline who didn't move. All he did was whisper, "Monster." The armadillo suddenly turned its attention to the skybox. It folded back up into the sphere and shot towards the skybox. It slammed into the glass of the skybox. The glass cracked but didn't shatter.

Nip Tuck didn't move from her seat. She smiled when the sphere hit the glass and said, "That's my boy." The sphere bounced from the glass back to the ground. It spun and was ready to launch another attack. However, it was interrupted by an immense amount of electricity surging through Skyline's body. Skyline screamed in pain as the sphere suddenly dissipated into white fog. Skyline fell unconscious as the wall across from the Skybox opened and two mares rushed out to place Skyline on the cart. Before they could leave The Arena, Nip Tuck said over the intercom, "Anypony that thinks about touching Spirit Walker. Will be terminated." The two mares looked up at the Skybox and nodded before pushing the cart through the opening of the wall.

"That threat might not work ma'am. The stallions here might still look for revenge for Songbird," the jet black stallion said as he poured a glass of water for her. Nip Tuck sighed as she sat back in her chair and rubbed her temples.

"Then take a mare from The Cell Block to replace Songbird," Nip Tuck stated as she levitated the glass of water from the stallion and added, "As long as it's a mare they can use for their sick pleasure. I highly doubt they'll care if it's not Songbird."

****************************

The mares opened the steel door, pushed the cart into the room, placed Skyline on the floor, and then pushed the cart back out before slamming the door shut. Skyline just lay on the floor. He had woken back up when they were pushing him down the hall. Many of the stallions in the hallway were screaming at him and threatening him, but he didn't care. He curled up into a ball and started sobbing. He couldn't handle it anymore. His friends were gone and now he had killed his teacher. He just wanted it all to end and for this nightmare to be over.

A while later a single tray slid through the doggy door into his room. He didn't even bother going over to it. He knew what it was and refused to eat it. He'd rather starve than consume what was given to him. His stomach growled in protest and it soon cramped. He slowly got up on shaky legs and walked over to the tray. He picked up the dinner roll and only ate that. He left the goop and yellow brick untouched. Some of the roll had touched the goop so he broke that part off so he wouldn't have to taste it. He went back to the middle of the room and lay down on the cold cement. He waited for the stallions that threatened him to make good on their promise. He would much rather die than spend another day in this hellhole. However, no one came into his room and ended his suffering and when the light clicked off. He cried himself to sleep.

**********************************

Skyline once again found himself surrounded by the wails of the fog creatures being brutalized by the mist creatures and the looming shadow of the tree. His hooves were still stuck in the ground like it was made of glue. Nip Tuck was at the base of the tree, marveling at the three fillies hanging from the tree branches. She turned and smiled when she noticed him.

"It's such a work of art and yet I wanted to add one more ornament, but sadly it kept breaking the branches," Nip Tuck said before her horn illuminated and Cheerilee's lifeless body floated in her magic. Nip Tuck sighed and added, "Such a beautiful ornament. Sadly I have no place for it."

There were three loud snaps before the three fillies fell from their branches and hit the ground. Nip Tuck's horn stopped glowing and Cheerilee's lifeless body flopped to the ground. Nip Tuck turned towards the tree and sighed, "I'd hoped they'd lasted longer. Oh well."

The ground began to shake as a meat grinder rose up next to the tree. Nip Tuck once again lifted Cheerilee's lifeless body with her magic. As she walked towards the meat grinder, the three fillies lifeless bodies floated above Nip Tuck in her magic.

"No!" Skyline cried as he tried desperately to move, but his hooves sunk deeper into the ground. Nip Tuck paid no attention to his pleas as she threw the four Ponies into the top of the meat grinder. Skyline's ears bent backward as the sound of whirling blades ripping the flesh and breaking bones echoed. He watched as blood erupted from the top of the grinder. From the bottom, pinkish gray goop fell onto a metal tray.

Nip Tuck's magic wrapped around the tray as she lifted it and walked over to Skyline. She placed the tray in front of Skyline who looked up from the tray and glared at Nip Tuck before he hissed, "Get that unholy shit away from me."

"But darling, it's good for you," Nip Tuck said matter-a-factly before her magic lifted a chunk of the goop towards him. Skyline quickly shut his mouth. Nip Tuck sighed and stated, "Please eat. You have to eat to keep your energy up." She pushed the goop against his muzzle and Skyline winced as he felt it against his face. Nip Tuck sighed again before Skyline felt her magic around his mouth trying to pry it open. He fought with all his might to keep his mouth shut.

Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop! Skyline screamed in his head. The wails of the fog creatures being brutalized by the mist creatures echoed all around him. He could feel his jaw slowly opening. Stop! He screamed in his head.

Snap. His eyes shot open as the white creatures exploded into fog that seeped into the ground. Nip Tuck's magic disappeared from his muzzle as the goop fell to the ground. Skyline lifted his front right hoof from the ground and escaped its grasp. Nip Tuck began to slowly back away from Skyline and for the first time since meeting her, Skyline saw fear in her eyes. He started to walk towards her as thick black smoke started to pour out of his body.

The smoke began to morph and take the shape of four new creatures. The first was a saber-toothed panther. Its two long canines were made of thick white fog. The second was a nine-tailed fox. Each tail was the body of a different type of snake and made of thick white fog. The third creature made of thick black smoke was a Pony-sized fiddler crab. Its right pincer was as big as its body and made of thick white fog. The fourth creature was a six-foot-tall Minotaur with two battle axes made of thick white fog and its right horn looked to be broken off.

The ground shook violently as fissures and cracks slithered open behind Skyline. An eruption of black smoke exploded from the ground and morphed into the shape of a two-story creature with a reptilian visage, a robust build, an upright posture, a long tail and rows of serrated fins along its back made of thick white fog. It reared back and roared. The sound of a leather glove being pulled down a stringed instrument echoed. Nip Tuck tripped over her hooves as the creature roared and a sadistic crooked smile formed on Skyline's face.

********************************

Skyline jolted awake. He sat up and looked around at the darkness of the room. Suddenly the light clicked on and after a while, he heard the faint sound of hooves and squeaky cart. A sadistic crooked smile formed on Skyline's face as he licked his lips and waited for the day to begin.