YAY! I'm back in action, people! Camp was awesome, thanks for asking, apart from that Floral Essence . . . that stank! Anyway, I'm back, and here it Chapter 13.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs and of course my words that are in this chapter.

Chapter13: What Time is it?

I had a miserable time. Kind of expected, but it was bad.

No one paid any attention to my shattered wing apart from the fact that it prevented me from flying. Hmm . . . ya think?

I was locked in that cell long enough to know that the weather was changing. The temperature was dropping. It had been towards the end of summer when Ares—utter idiot, I tell you—had grabbed me by the hoof and dragged me into his little portal. Since then I had been locked in here. I think my wing was infected.

Yeah, it was. The bones were broken in so many places and the long gashes along it had swollen and discoloured. I was in constant pain. As soon as I shifted the wing stabs of pain would shoot up the wing. I found myself praying for it to go away. I was crippled by it.

On top of that it was getting colder. And I could hear footsteps and the distant rumbling of intercom announcements. The ship was being used as a cruise liner—with a prisoner? Sure, maybe I wasn't a human of any sort, but I mean, how is a Pegasus hard to spot? [No comment, okay? Gee, that was a nice one? Shall we tell the readers? Not so happy now, are you!]

I was curled up against the wall with my injured wing lying out in front of me in its misshapen heap it had become. The intercom came on again and made my head throb with pain. The infection was getting worse.

As soon as I thought it couldn't get any worse, it did. I was visited by a Laistrygonian giant. One that obviously had a Mrs Uglypies back home because he had tattoos on him that said stuff like, JB luvs Babycakes. To be honest, I wasn't sure how I could read with the infection so bad that it was messing with my head, but I was.

He grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and began to drag me along like something he really wasn't too happy about touching. I had my eyes clamped shut and I could feel sweat popping up on me; that was how bad the pain was of my wing being dragged along.

When he finally dumped me on the ground, passing out seemed like a great idea, but someone obviously had other ideas because they dropped a bucket of water on my head.

I bolted to my feet in shock and immediately crumbled again from the pain. It was like a liquid inferno was burning through every working nerve I had in my body.

I pried open an eye and came face-to-face with a demigod. He was looking me over. He had mousey-brown hair, a face full of freckles, and the sort of features that tend to give away a sense of cunning, wit and the general feel of a troublemaker.

"Chris, what d'you think?" said a voice. I stiffened; it belonged to Sir Hi, I'm Just Going to Torture You until You Join—oh, and by the Way My Name's Luke.

He seemed even eviller than when I'd last seen him. He'd decided to go more casual now, wearing jeans and a red t-shirt, arms crossed over his chest and his sword at his waist. He was a pretty intimidating figure, I have to say. If I wasn't half-dead already from pain, maybe I would've had thought so, but when you're in that much pain . . .

'Chris' grabbed my lip and jerked my head up. As he did I something cracked painfully. I went feral at that moment and snapped at him.

He took a step back. "It's gone pretty feral, Luke—uh, sir."

Luke shrugged, "needs to be a bit feral. Nothing like an infection to do that."

Okay, I was really mad. I bared my teeth at him. "You complete and utter—"

Now, people, this is the bit where they say, I shall not repeat the words, and because those words were so rude, filthy, foul words that if I were to repeat them I would be banned from continuing this story and that would make me very, very mad. [Not like I can say the same for you, can I, boss?]

He looked at me. "Get him to deck. Maybe he's too feral."

Two more cannibal giants walked up to me and they each grabbed me. One grabbed at my neck, the other my mane. They dragged me along; upstairs, downstairs, through lifts, and yeah.

I think I blacked out along the way—actually, I did. Because I had this like . . . dream. I won't say vision because that's a really weird way of putting it, to me, anyway. [No, I never said anything about you, okay?]

I was in blackness. Everything around me was cool to the touch. Tiny breezes fluttered past me and whispered. Come, this way. I wanted so badly to follow them. I looked at my wing and saw that there was no injury. I lifted it; no pain.

I grinned for the first time in basically months. Another breeze pushed past, slightly firmer than the others. Peace, this way . . .

I decided to agree. I mean, these guys were getting rid of the pain.

I spread my wings and felt the breezes under them as I glided along. I could make out a silvery light at the end of the black. Silver engraving swirled around it with lives of their own.

The door was high and arched. Pictures raced across it. I wanted to see what was passed them. They began to slowly creak open at that thought.

Suddenly a picture formed on the door. Opal.

She was framed against the sunset with her forelegs tucked up high and her neck arched. Her eyes sparkled and her mane and tail flowed out behind her like liquid gold.

Then another image formed: my buds and I. Laughing at some joke. I myself was in the weirdest position ever, laughing with my eyes tightly shut.

More pegasi flashed across the doors as they slowly creaked open. But then they all faded as the doors opened. I walked forward.

I saw a river in front of me. It was black and swirling with teddies, wedding dresses and all things like that. A boat much like a barge or ferry or something was there, too. A lone, hooded figure stood in front of it. His eyes were sockets of darkness. He smiled: sadly, and darkly.

"Choose," he said. "Come, or stay."

Suddenly I realised where I was. I was right between the two doors. I glanced sideways and saw I picture of me, standing next to Opal, that day I'd left to follow the kids on their quest. The sun was catching her eyes and they shone gold like the sun, whereas I seemed to have a dark, night feeling to me, I could even sense something like space from that picture.

I looked at that, and then at the guy. He was still there. He hadn't moved. Breezes pushed past me, urging me on, as they flew in they melted into figures; hooded with bare feet. They were people.

I felt fear gripping me. I was choosing whether to die or survive. I couldn't just die. I was . . . why was I important? Why should I live? I had only pain to return to, didn't I?

Then my vision flicked with a shot of a chocolate and gold wing. I looked at the picture. It had changed back to the first picture I'd seen of Opal, and as I watched it changed.

I could only see her back as she looked into the sky. Three figures were flying into the sky. I saw her eyes, and I knew that I couldn't just . . . go. Then, as I watched, two of the figures in the sky faded away and it was just one. Me.

I looked at her expression. It was saying a message, loud and clear. Please come back, please.

I looked at the guy and the milling people around him. "No, I choose to stay."

He nodded grimly and waved a hand. I moved back out of the closing doors as, for a second, another figure appeared before them. He was hooded, too, but he had wings coming out of his back. About a million different shades of black and they shone.

He looked at me with hazel-gold eyes and then it all began to fade. As it did I could see light, and then colour.

I opened my eyes to a world of pain. There was a blinding flash of bright gold.

I looked up to see a Pegasus kick down the cannibal giant. Her golden wings were open wide and her chest was heaving. Her eyes flickered to me, and an expression of relief so strong it was hard to look at fell over her face. A single word formed in my mind. Opal.

That was slightly odd, don't you think? That wasn't too gross a chapter with the infection and all, was it?

Yeah, that was Charon and Thanatos. The Doors of Death that have a VERY big part coming up in this story.

Aw, there's romance! That's kinda weird, seeing as they're horses, but anyway, yeah.

What the heck do I call it? Blackopal won't work. Blacpal?

I don't know. Suggestions please!

Please R&R.

Until next chapter, or a PM,

- Owl.