My Little Pony Fan Fiction ❯ A Walk Among Spirits ❯ Chapter 32

The mouse popped out the other end of the door and quickly scurried down the hallway towards where Skyline remembered where the elevator to the surface was. The mouse suddenly lay flat as two stallions wheeled the squeaking cart down the hallway. Once the two were out of sight, the mouse quickly scurried towards the stairwell. It morphed into a spider and quickly climbed the wall and crawled up towards the top. Once there, it morphed back into the mouse and quickly scurried towards the dead end. As it slowly closed the gap, it morphed again. However, this time it morphed into swirls of white fog that slithered between the invisible gaps of the elevator. The strands of fog swirled in the elevator shaft before it shot upwards. It slithered from under the hollow rock and swirled towards the top before morphing back into the mouse. It looked up towards the sky and Skyline once again saw the lush blue sky of the outside world.

He didn't have time to marvel at the sight as the mouse morphed once again and changed into the white robin. It spread its wings and soared up into the sky before it flew towards Ponyville. Ponyville was oddly quiet and sparse with Ponies. The robin flew towards the cottage it went to the last time it was in town. It landed on the windowsill of the cottage and waited for the mare and whoever she was bringing with her.

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

Meanwhile, the mouse in the generator room scurried around, looking for any weakness in the Tesla coils. Its fangs gnawed at the metal but found no purchase and it continued looking for any weakness. The hell are these things made of? Skyline thought. The mouse continued to search for a weakness in the Tesla coils. Skyline had his right eye closed since seeing two different visions gave him a headache.

The white Robin pecked on its right wing before it tweeted. Skyline opened his right eye and closed his left and let out a, "Whoa." He had thought the mare would get a small group of Ponies with a few Royal Guards added to the mix. He didn't, however, foresee her getting all of the Royal Guard, the whole town of Ponyville, and the princesses themselves.

The bird tweeted and Fluttershy turned to the group of Ponies and stated, "He says whoa." Skyline quickly began to explain his plan. As he did, the bird relayed it to Fluttershy who, in turn, told the group of Ponies behind her.

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

After that. Skyline began before he heard five clicks come from the door. He suddenly stood up as his body locked up. Shit, no! Skyline thought.

"Oh, um. Do I need to repeat that?" Fluttershy asked nervously

Skyline watched as the steel door opened and a jet black stallion walked in and place Skyline under his arm before turning tail and walking back out. They're taking me to The Arena! The white robin chirped frantically at Fluttershy.

"They're taking him to The Arena," Fluttershy repeated to the group behind her.

"We need to be taken to this place now!" Luna said as she stomped her right front hoof. She and her sister wore their Royal Armor. Luna's armor was dark blue with small white dots that represented a starry night sky. Ten crescent-shaped daggers were strapped to her chest armor. Celestia's armor was golden with the symbol of the sun on her chest plate. In her magic floated her halberd.

You can't! I haven't disabled the security system yet. You need to give me time! Skyline thought. The bird chirped and Fluttershy nodded before she told the others. Skyline waited to be placed in the cart. However, instead of placing him on a cart, the stallion walked out with Skyline under his arm and headed for the staircase. Skyline looked up at the stallion and asked, "Where are you taking me?" the bird continued to tell the group of Ponies what was happening.

"The boss wishes to see you," the stallion said before he started to ascend the stairs. This isn't good. Skyline thought.

The white Robin suddenly flew into the air and chirped wildly before flying towards the Everfree. Fluttershy quickly turned to the group of Ponies and said, "He wants us to follow him." the group nodded and quickly followed the bird into the Everfree forest.

"Didn't we already check the forest?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Yeah, I bucked nearly every dang tree in this forest," Applejack stated.

The group followed the bird through the forest as it weaved and flew through the branches. The bird flew into a clearing in the middle of the forest before it landed on top of a large pale rock. It pecked at the rock before it waited for the group to catch up.

"A rock? It took us to a rock!?" Rarity ranted as the bird pecked at the rock again. The bird chirped in protest.

"He says this is where we wait until he can let us in," Fluttershy stated.

"More waiting," Rainbow Dash sighed.

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

Skyline watched as the stallion carried him up the stairs towards what he assumed was the skybox. The stallion seemed to struggle up the stairs as he carried him under his arm. The stallion wasn't an overweight Pony, but he was struggling to walk up the stairs on three legs. He took a deep breath as he finally reached the top. He then walked towards the door to the skybox and pushed the door open with his right shoulder.

Nip Tuck sat in her chair floating clipboards around her. When she turned to see the stallion, she smiled and said, "Ah, there's the Pony of the hour. Set him on the floor and leave us." The stallion nodded before he set Skyline on the floor before leaving the room.

"Why am I here?" Skyline hissed

Nip Tuck chuckled as she got up from her chair and walked over to Skyline and explained, "I had hoped to pick up the pieces of your fractured mind. However, you seemed to have done that yourself. So I needed another way to break you."

"You have nothing left to take from me," Skyline hissed again.

"Is that what you think?" Nip Tuck said smugly as she floated clipboards towards her before she added, "I had intended to find your parents, bring them here, infuse them with magic, and force them to fight each other while you watched. However, Fate seemed to change my plans."

A smile broke on Skylines face as he said, "Seems your mercenaries underestimated them." He was happy that her mercenaries didn't get their hoofs on his parents.

"My mercenaries could easily take them down," Nip Tuck said matter-a-factly before she continued, "No, the Everfree was the one that took that opportunity from me when it sent a pack of Timberwolves to slaughter them." She levitated a clipboard to the floor that had a newspaper article on it with the title: two Ponies die after search party is attacked by Timberwolves. Skyline's eyes widened as he saw the picture of his parents under the headline.