My Little Pony Fan Fiction ❯ A Walk Among Spirits ❯ Chapter 30

Skyline stared at the silver tray with the goop of today's unfortunate victims that had fallen in The Arena. He took the roll from the tray and bit into it. To his surprise, the roll was warm inside. He chuckled as he thought my last meal here and they give me a nice warm dinner roll. How ironic. He waited until the light clicked off before he stood up and began to pace back and forth trying to figure out the best way to escape. He knew the mare he'd talk to through the robin was going to help. His thoughts then fell on what he had the bird tell the mare. She had mentioned getting her friends and he instructed the bird to tell her to bring not only her friends but the entire army. He knew what was inside this prison and knew a small group of rag-tag of friends wouldn't last a second down here. An army might last longer, but he knew they'd have a hard time getting through the entire facility. He suggested to get the princesses but knew the mare wouldn't be able to even get an audience with them.

He stopped pacing as he realized a flaw in his plan. How will they get in if there's no one to operate the elevator? Skyline thought just as he sighed in frustration. He was so close to freedom and yet it was now slipping from his hooves. There was no purge button in Master Control to open all the cells and if he was able to open the door. He'd just lock up like before. There had to be a way to open the door without having his body lock up on him.

He didn't fall asleep that night. He continued to try and figure out how to open his cell. His plan was crumbling all around him. He was sure if he could get whoever the mare persuaded to rescue him into the complex. An alarm would just sound and they too would be captured.

"Damn it all!" Skyline cursed as he tried to figure out a way to disable the alarm and also let whoever the mare was going to get inside the facility. As he contemplated how to let them in, a thought popped into his mind: a generator! This place has to have a generator somewhere.

Once he formulated a plan. He lay on the cold cement floor and attempted to asleep. It was hard at first since he was so excited to finally be free from this hellhole. However, after a few minutes, he finally fell asleep.

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

There was no nightmare, no battle between two different beasts, and no shadow stallion staring him down. There was just nothingness surrounding him. He felt a warm glow behind him and turned to see the two orbs that had attacked the shadow stallion.

"Who are you?" Skyline asked. One of the orbs slowly hovered towards him. It pulsed with every inch. It stopped inches away from his muzzle. It then floated down and nuzzled against his neck. Even though he was unsure what these orbs were, he felt a sense of warmth from the orb. Like a loving hug, he'd get from his mother. The second orb began to hover close to Skyline before it ruffled up his mane. It was almost like these orbs were acting like his parents. His mother would always hug him when he got home and when his father returned from Canterlot. He would always ruffle his mane, knowing Skyline hated it. Skyline quickly backed away from the orbs and asked again, "What are you?"

"You still haven't gotten it yet," a distorted voice said. Skyline's heart skipped a beat as he slowly turned to see the shadow stallion standing behind him. The shadow stallion was wrapped in golden chains. Each time he moved, the chains rattled and pulled at his shadow body. He glared at Skyline and the orbs before he continued, "you'll never leave this hell without my help. I alone can grant you freedom." The orbs floated over to the shadow stallion and touched the golden chains. The stallion wailed in pain as the chains burned at his body. The sound of sizzling flesh echoed throughout the darkness. The orbs floated away from the stallion as smoke rose from his body and chains.

"You'll never beat her," the shadow stallion hissed with every breath. He snarled at both Skyline and the two orbs before he added, "not without my help."

"I don't need your help nor do I need to beat her. All I need to do is show whoever that mare is bringing where this place is and I'll escape," Skyline said matter-a-factly.

"Do you honestly think bringing them here will stop this?" the shadow stallion stated. Skyline looked at the stallion confused as the shadow stallion continued, "You may escape, but this hell will continue. She won't just fade into the ether. She'll find another facility or probably has a second one in case this facility gets compromised. She will continue her experiments until she finishes and sees her plan succeed."

"Then they'll capture her, they'll lock her up, and stop this madness," Skyline argued. The shadow stallion let out a laugh that sent a chill down Skylines spine. The stallion stalked towards Skyline but the chains rattled and kept the stallion in place.

"You honestly think she'll get captured that easily?" the shadow stallion stated before he continued, "She must have a contingency plan should this place be compromised. What's stopping her from having a kill switch to blow that hellhole sky high?"

"She wouldn't! She won't set her plan back all the way to the beginning," Skyline argued.

"She doesn't have to," the shadow stallion said before he continued, "Like I said: she must have a second facility. The Ponies here couldn't be the only ones she intends to use in her army. She just needs to use the second facility to continue her goal. You know what needs to happen. You know how to end this hell, end this madness." Skyline wanted to protest, but he knew what must be done. He nodded and the shadow stallion smiled.

"But I won't need your help," Skyline growled.

"Oh you will, you will," the shadow stallion laughed.

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

Skyline slowly opened his eyes. He slowly stood up and looked into the darkness surrounding him in the padded room. He took a deep breath and sighed. He was going to shut off the generator to unlock the door and send the fog bird to where the mare would meet it with whomever or whatever she brought. However, there was a third part of this plan. Something he had once wanted to do, fantasizing about doing, but now as he thought about it. He didn't know if he could. He looked in the direction of the silver door and a grimace look formed on his face. He would need to kill Nip Tuck.