I turned my spectral gaze to the roaring dragon thing and bared my fangs as I drew a spectral sword. The beast lunged at me and I leapt back, swinging my sword sideways and slicing the beast's nostril. It reared back and roared in pain but I charged in and thrust my sword deep into its chest. The dragon's head drooped and I jumped up, kicking my sword clear through its chest.
As the carcass disappeared into a puff of smoke I stepped over and picked up my sword. I pointed it at each of the remaining shadows but they all shrank back as if afraid. I sheathed my sword and picked up the weightless Cindra and started walking back the way I came.
"I can't allow her to leave", a baritone voice rumbled behind me.
"Try and stop me", I snarled as I turned around.
I found myself staring into the skeletal humanoid face of the Grim Reaper himself. His bony hands grasped the largest scythe I had ever seen in front of a cloak so dark it seemed to draw one in. I jumped back away from him and snarled ferociously.
"Do not defy me", he murmured as he reached for his hood.
When his hood fell away I was in utter shock at his appearance. The magic of his hood disguised his shoulder length white hair and piercing blue eyes. His full beard was neatly trimmed and as white as his hair. I growled deep in my throat and crouched down to lay Cindra to the side.
"I see you, Prince Jackson of Everfree", he rumbled, "but yet I do not see you."
"Save it", I spat. "I'm taking her back with me."
I drew my sword and crouched into a fighting stance before I continued speaking.
"Even if I have to kill you, she is going with me."
"So be it", tha Reaper said.
He shot forward and swung his scythe horizontally and I blocked with my own blade. He somehow reversed his motion and slammed the butt of his weapon into my ribs. I was blasted across the meadow and slid to a stop. I tightened my grip on my sword and sped toward him. As I was approaching he swiped his scythe at me launching sickles of compressed air at me. I dodged, ducked, dipped dove and dodged again as attack after attack flew toward me. The last attack I dodged just a hair too late as I took to the air.
A lucky strike on the tip of my wing brought me spiraling back down to the meadow. I tucked my wings tight against my back and aimed my sword at my deceptively powerful opponent as he slowly approached me. He stopped a safe distance away and just stared at me for a few minutes. I dropped into a deeper stance as he slung the scythe over his shoulder.
"Prince Jackson of Everfree", he rumbled slowly. "Your time to die is yet to come. Why do you throw everything away for her?"
"I made a promise", I hissed. "I promised to keep her safe."
"Why can't you just accept her death and go on", he asked. I could hear the barest hint of pity in his words.
"I refuse to accept failure", I shouted as I tightened my grip on my sword.
"Is that so", he smiled sadly.
Rage flared inside me and I struck. My blade flashed as it arced toward his neck but with the barest movement he let my attack pass right by, throwing me off balance. His fist connected with my stomach and lifted me off my feet.
"Fuck", I grunted as I landed on my side several feet away.
I leapt back to my feet and fought through the pain. Magic flowed into my blade as I slashed the air repeatedly sending wave after wave of white hot magic at the snowy warrior. To my astonishment and dismay he fluidly dodged every single wave.
Why can't I hit this guy, I thought. He's fuckin' me up and I haven't even scratched him!
I focused more magic into my blade and pointed it straight at him. A pure white beam shot out of my blade and streaked toward him. As expected he deflected the attack but I had just enough time to charge in close. I ducked under his scythe as he swung horizontally and jumped straight up, drawing my blade from his left hip to his right shoulder leaving a silver trail in its wake.
"Well now", he grunted as he leapt back and touched the wound. "It's been a while since I've seen my own blood."
"I'll show you more of it", I growled and tensed up.
I dashed to the left and drove for his right side but he deflected my blade and spun away from me. I whirled around and dodged backward, narrowly avoiding his own massive blade. As soon as my feet touched the ground I launched forward with a flap of my wings and slashed down from right to left. Another bleeding wound was my reward, as well as a slash across my back.
A primal scream of pain ripped from my lungs and filled me with a deeper rage than I've ever felt before as my eyes fell on my severed wing lying on the ground. I spun and stabbed backwards, scoring a glancing blow across the Reaper's leg. I turned to face him and continued the assault. Our blades flashed and rang with a frenzied pace as we both tried to press for an advantage. The longer the fight went on the angrier I got until I just lost my mind.
Our blades locked in a stalemate and neither of us could break it, so I threw my arms upward, forcing the blades to follow suit and let go. Time froze as I caught the look of shocked fear on his face before I drove my fangs into his throat and bit down hard. A warm metallic liquid flooded into my mouth as I yanked my head back and ripped flesh free.
"Fuck you", I growled after spitting the chunk of flesh from my mouth.
I left the Reaper in the meadow choking on his own blood and hurried over to Cindra. I gently picked her up and carried her out of the meadow and through a shining light. The sound of my mother screaming my name hysterically drove daggers through my brain. I opened my eyes but everything was hazy and the sounds were muted somewhat.
"Mom", I groaned. "Where am I?"
"Thank the heavens", she gasped as she gently hugged me.
A battle raged around us as day and night guards fought against hissing spitting changelings. Magic bolts of every color flew all over the place but my attention was drawn to the black fire burning changelings alive mere feet away.
"Luna, he's alive", mom shouted. "Grab Cindra and let's go!"
"Which one is Cindra?!"
"The only one with a golden fucking leg", my mom shrieked before she teleported us away.
We popped directly into the medical ward at the castle amidst shouts of alarm from bystanders and my mother began yelling for doctors. The med-ponies leapt into action and swarmed around us flooding healing magic into us from every side. Somepony nudged my back and a jolt of pain rolled my eyes into my head.
I woke up strapped face down to a table that supported me from the sides somehow with a sheet suspended above me and groaned loudly. The patter of little hooves confused me and I tried to lift my head to see who was there but I was held fast. I struggled for a moment before I heard Nurse Redheart comforting me.
"What happened", I asked.
"You were badly injured", she replied.
"How badly", I asked nervously as I stared at the floor.
"Maybe we should wait for the doctor", she hedged.
Moments later Doctor Adryl trotted in and he asked how I was and all that jazz. I answered his questions as he looked me over.
"Doctor, how bad was I hurt", I asked.
"Do you want the itemized list or the cliff notes", he joked.
"I hate lists", I grumbled.
"Well, the worst of your injuries were truly amazing ones", he scoffed. "How did you survive being stabbed clean through your abdomen?"
"What", I asked in confusion. "I didn't get stabbed, I did the stab- WHERE'S CINDRA?!"
The med-ponies scurried from the room but the cute little nurse rushed back in with two sets of hooves right behind her. I struggled again as I heard the ponies and the nurse shouted for me to calm down.
"Master", Cindra gasped.
"Jackson", Shadow cried at the same time.
My two mares were by my side in an instant and I began to calm down. The doctor slowly stepped into the room and approached me. I asked if he would kindly remove the strap from the back of my head and he obliged.
I lifted my head and saw two of the most ragged looking mares I had ever seen. Shadow had bags under her puffy bloodshot eyes and her mane and tail were a disheveled mess. Her wings drooped in exhaustion as she smiled at me. Cindra wasn't faring much better. She also had bags under her dull blue eyes. Her mane looked like somepony took wads of cobweb and stuck them to her neck.
"You guys look terrible", I grinned at them.
"Look who's talking", Shadow sniffed as she nuzzled my face. "You're the one strapped to a table givin' everypony a nice view up Main Street."
"Master", Cindra whispered wide eyed as she nuzzled me as well. "Thank you."
She gently kissed my cheek and took a few steps back with a bow. Shadow cocked her head to the side for a second before placing a short kiss on my lips. The doctor cleared his throat and edged closer.
"Prince Jackson", Doctor Adryl began, "may we freely discuss health information?"
"Yeah", I shrugged.
"Very well", he said and sighed before he continued. "Your Highness, by all rights you should have been declared legally dead."
"Say what now?"
"Your Highness, you had a gaping wound through your torso", he reiterated. "Several of your organs were damaged so you required multiple surgeries."
"What", I asked stupidly.
"It was tricky, but you will make a full recovery from those wounds within six months", he said. He looked like he wanted to say more but hesitated.
"Spit it out", I groaned.
"Your Highness, I've never seen a pair of wings like yours", he said quietly. "Your left wing was cleanly severed, but already it has begun regenerating itself! We wanted your permission to study your blood."
"No", I said instantly. "Can I get up now?"
"Not yet, your Highness", he said somewhat dejectedly. "You're still in the intensive care unit and we would like to keep you for observation for the next couple of weeks."
"Did you say weeks", I asked flatly.
"Just to make sure your wounds are healing well", the doctor responded.
"Look", I chuffed. "I live in the castle. I'm sure mom would be willing to make room for a nurse or something right next door to keep an eye on me."
"Very well, your Highness. Preparations will be made immediately."
He bowed stiffly before he left and Nurse Redheart turned to us with a stern face.
"Prince Jackson, I'm personally volunteering to be your round-the-clock medical supervision", she said to me and turned to the two mares. "That means no hanky panky."
Cindra groaned audibly gaining a scowl from the nurse. A trio of unicorns followed Doctor Adryl back into the room and I eyed them suspiciously. The good doctor noticed my expression and cleared his throat.
"Prince Jackson", he said with a bowed head. "In order to move you without causing pain or harm there are a few spells we have to use. There will be a paralysis spell, a stasis spell and a temporal interpretation spell."
"Wait, what was that third one and what does it do", I asked.
"The temporal interpretation spell", he explained, "is a spell that affects how the subject's mind keeps track of time. Essentially it's a memory spell and completely optional."
"Hell no", I said loudly.
"Oh, and Prince Jackson", the doctor smiled. "Congratulations."
"On what", I asked dumbly.
"Miss Shadow's pregnancy, of course", he smiled as the orderlies' horns lit up. Before the medical spells hit me I had just enough time to say one thing.
"Well, fuck."