CHAPTER 10
I meant to get this chapter up a little earlier than I have, but with recent internet problems still plaguing me, it was only now that I could be able to post it. I am beginning to believe that this story is cursed, much like Macbeth. But here is chapter ten, after a small delay. I hope you all enjoy it.
As the two stallions entered the cavern, and passed by our hiding place, I immediately recognized one of them as the leader of the Sombra cult. Before they spotted us, we sprung the ambush. I leapt onto the leader's back as Daring used her whip to lasso the other stallion, giving Dash and Budder the window they needed to charge him. The leader of the cult immediately used his magic to lift me off of him, and throw me against the wall of the cave. I quickly got to my hooves again, dodged a bolt of his magic, and tackled him to the ground. I was able to give him a series of powerful punches to the face before he once again propelled me away using some sort of magical shockwave technique.
"OW...shit!" I exclaimed, getting back to my hooves. "If you unicorns ain't the biggest cheats I ever..." My complaint was cut short by me having to jump out of the way as a blast of magic was fired at me. I saw that Daring and my family were making fair game out of the other pony, and notwithstanding my sad history of getting into it with unicorns, I wasn't about to let the malefactor beat me. Besides, even more importantly, he might have some valuable information about what was happening to me, and how to stop it.
I guess if I hadn't had this on my mind, I probably wouldn't have pressed the issue and taken on such a powerful unicorn by myself. But in my desperation, I guess I wasn't thinking straight...or at least tactically, and I charged at him, drawing my dagger. I saw him holding his ground calmly, charging his horn as I came at him. I planned on dodging his attack and striking before he could lash out again with his magic, the only thing that gave him the edge in our battle. But I was too slow, and the last thing I remember from the fight was seeing a blinding flash of light, followed by feeling an immense pressure in my head, then nothing.
I stood in a void. The ground was black, but everything else was a pure white, illuminated from some source I couldn't see. I remembered being blasted by the unicorn, and realized that I was either knocked out cold, or I was dead. I suddenly felt understandably bad about the latter possibility, and hoped for the former. As I stood there, trying to figure things out, I heard a voice from behind me.
"We meet at last." It spoke in a measured, regal tone. I turned to see a familiar figure standing a short distance away. I took in his appearance for a moment. He was a gray unicorn with a long black mane and tail. He wore a steel breastplate and greaves, and over his back was draped a white-trimmed red velvet cape. On his head was a silver crown, and from underneath protruded his long, curved, blade-like horn. "Do not look so surprised." The unicorn stated in a gravely yet suave voice. "Know you not who I am?" My first look at him, and I knew who I was dealing with.
"Yeah. You're that Sombra bird I keep hearin' about." I answered. "And you're the son of a bitch that's trying to possess me or whatever."
"You are a defiant one." He said, then laughed evilly.
"And you're a two-bit thug." I returned. "What are you doing in my head, and how the Hell are we even talking right now?"
"I suppose we have a little time to speak." Sombra said casually. "And I...owe a debt to the vessel of my return to at least explain how you are going to aid me."
"Cut to the chase, Sombrero." I growled, narrowing my eyes.
"Very well then..." He began. "You are at the moment, unconscious. This allowed us the opportunity to, at least for this brief time, coexist inside your mind, and converse as we are. It will be the last time, however that we can do this, as soon I will be powerful enough to gain complete control of you mind and body...at which point your own consciousness will perish."
"You know that I ain't gonna let you take over my body." It was a declaration, not a question.
"You have no choice in the matter." He said, stepping closer. "I have been overshadowing you, even before you gained possession of my horn. The prisoner you murdered? How do you know if that was your hoof...or mine that took his life?"
"How?!" I demanded. "How were you able to do that?!"
"The ritual had already awakened me." Sombra explained. "And when I sensed you reading my journal entry, I knew that we were the perfect match."
"I'm nothing like you." I stated.
"It was then that I chose you to be my vessel." He continued. "Can you not see it now? You felt it, even then in the prison, my will guiding yours. And I have grown stronger and stronger with each passing moment, and taken control of you inch by inch. Even now, your ability to resist me grows weaker by the second..." I lunged at Sombra, but instead of feeling my body crash into his, I ended up on the ground. I turned to see him standing calmly near me.
"You have no fucking idea how much I can resist you." I said hatefully.
"I have met many ponies like you." He replied. "Sooner or later, your will is going to break. And the harder you fight, I assure you, the more sweet it will be for me when you do."
"Go to Hell." I spat. The next thing I knew, Sombra was in my face, holding onto my shoulders tightly. I found myself staring into a pair of luminous green eyes with hellish red pupils, boring into my very soul as a purple mist floated from the corners. This was evil...pure evil that I was looking at, and I felt it physically.
"You know nothing of Hell!" He growled angrily. "But you will, Drake. I assure you of that. And your marefriend will as well. And your sister..."
"Leave them alone!" I exclaimed, tearing away from his grip. For a moment, we stared each other down, circling like two dogs preparing to fight.
"I know your weakness." Sombra said in a low, threatening voice. "And I know how to make a deal. Tell me, Dragoon, do you like to bargain?"
"Not with devils." I answered. I wanted nothing more than to tear this stallion apart. I knew better, that we were in fact in a daydream, and he was untouchable.
"I have no compunction against harming anypony who stands against me, even if it be a foal." He stated, and I wanted even more to skin him alive. "However, I am a fair and reasonable King. If you allow me to have your body and mind, here and now, no harm shall come to...Budder...ah yes, that is her name." I could no longer help myself. I started shaking, and couldn't stop, and I felt tears begin to rise in my eyes. Sombra grinned triumphantly at having reduced me to such a state.
"Shut up..." I whispered, closing my eyes.
"If you wish, I will even allow her to escape from my rule, and leave the country...with my blessing." He continued, circling me like a vulture. "Your little sister does not have to die with so many of the rest of them, Drake. Nor does she have to endure the burden of servitude that so many of the...useful ponies in the land will be subjected to...of course, losing you in this manner, she may take her own life, but there is always that little chance that she will flee, and live her life in relative peace. Does that not sound pleasant to you?"
"And...If I...don't?" I asked, my voice sounding more weak and fearful than I'd wanted.
"Then in retribution for your defiance, I will do things to her that you cannot even conceive of." He answered calmly. "Her end will be slow...painful...and she will beg for her suffering to come to an end for days. As I now see through your eyes and hear through your ears, I will keep your consciousness imprisoned in your own mind, and make you to see and hear as I use your very own body to torture and kill Budder."
"Damn you, you son of a bitch!" I screamed. "I'm gonna kill you! You hear me, you fucking monster?!" he laughed again. "I'll kill you!" I broke down and let out a scream of agony as tears began to run down my cheeks. I fell to the ground as my legs gave out from under me, and I hid my face from the evil being in front of me.
"All ponies have their...breaking point." Sombra stated, sounding satisfied. "Do I have your answer?" I thought for a moment. I couldn't play his game. I couldn't let him get inside my head...in either sense of the phrase.
"Sombra..." I began. I sniffed, wiped my face angrily, and stood up. I locked eyes with him. "Let me tell you something." He raised an eyebrow. "You threatening my family...that just means that I ain't gonna stop until you're deader than Hell. It also tells me that you know I can resist you for a long enough time that you have to try and make deals and threaten me to get me to give in. You just showed your own weakness, asshole."
"Hm. Have it your way." He growled. "You really think you can win this..."
"Been through worse." I lied with a shrug.
"You are a fool." He stated.
"And you're a piece of shit." I shot back. The atmosphere changed. I could see shapes around me, colors, as if a new world was fading into view.
"Run little rabbit, run." Sombra's voice said, growing more and more faint.
"Drake?! Drake!" Somepony's voice called frantically. As my vision cleared and my faculties returned, I could feel myself being shaken. Rainbow Dash was holding my by the shoulders, shaking me as she shouted my name. "Drake?!"
"Wha...what?" I stammered, fully coming to with a splitting headache.
"Ohmygosh Drake!" Dashie cried, grabbing me in a tight embrace. "Please don't do that again! Please Drake, ohmygosh...I thought we lost you!" She pulled back, and I saw tears streaming down her cheeks. "You got hit by that unicorn's magic and...it was bad...I...I thought you were gone..."
"I'm not." I said. "I ain't leavin' just yet." I thought back to what had just happened to me. "Help me up...please..."
"You sure?" She asked.
"Yeah...just help me sit up." She nodded and helped me get into a sitting position.
"Bubby!" Budder sobbed, coming from somewhere behind me and hugging me close. I heard her crying hard, and felt her body lightly bouncing against me with each sob. Dash held onto me from my other side, and Daring Do walked up and looked into my eyes. Mine met hers, and I sighed.
"I saw him." I said coldly.
"What?" Daring asked.
"I saw the son of a bitch. Talked to him in my head."
"Sombra?!" Daring exclaimed.
"Yeah...the rat-bastard is in there...inside me...he ain't gonna stop till he takes total control."
"What did he say?" Dashie asked, a hint of fear in her voice.
"Other than the whole resistance is futile shit?" I answered, then stopped myself. I threw my forelegs around Dash and Budder, and hugged them close. "I love you two, you hear me?" I said emotionally. "You two are my world. You're my sun, my moon and my stars, and I love you two more than you'll ever know. I just wanted to tell you that...I...in case..."
"NOOO!" My sister wailed. "No! You can't! You can't leave me, Drake! PLEASE!"
"What did he say?" Rainbow Dash repeated. "Drake?!"
"That he's gonna kill you..." I said through clenched teeth, tears starting to pour from my own eyes. "Both of you..."
"I ain't afraid of him!" My marefriend said defensively.
"But are you afraid of me?" I asked.
"Drake...no." Dashie answered.
"You should be." I said forlornly. "Because he wants to use my body to kill you. Guys...he knows what hurts me most!"
"Fight him, Drake!" Dash cried. "You have to! We can't lose you!"
"I'm gonna fight him down to the last." I stated grimly. "If he wants this body, he's gonna have to use every fucking ounce of his mojo to get it." I gave my sister and Dash a squeeze. "I promise. For you two. I'm not giving up for you two." I kissed them both, Budder on the forehead and Dash on the lips, then stood, and motioned with my head for Daring to follow me. We walked a short distance away, to where my family couldn't overhear what I had to say. She could tell by the look on my face that what I had to tell her was probably bad.
"Yeah Drake?" She sighed sadly, taking off her pith helmet and running a hoof through her grayscale mane.
"Daring...I just want to say that it has been a pleasure serving with you on this assignment. You're a hell of a mare...hell...you're a hell of a pony..."
"Drake...don't talk like that." Daring said, as if it were an order. "Don't you talk like you're giving up."
"I'm not." I thought about how to say what I needed to say to her. "Daring...I meant what I said. I plan on fighting Sombra out of my mind until I go down. I have to, and I will." I sighed and looked back at my family a moment. They were holding onto each other, Dash obviously trying to comfort Budder. I then gave Daring Do what was probably the most serious look she'd ever seen me have. "And if I go down, Daring Do...if, I want you to kill me." Her look softened, and for a moment, I thought that the hardened adventurer was going to cry.
"Drake, I...I..."
"You'll have to." I said. "If Sombra takes over my body, he'll try to kill all of you. I want you to understand...it won't be me anymore. If that happens...if I can't fight him anymore...I will be Sombra."
"I know." She said
"And I want you to put me down if that happens. Don't let me hurt Dashie or Budder. Please..." I begged. Daring looked away for a long moment, and when she turned back, she had tears in her eyes.
"I will. I promise." She whispered dutifully. Her lip trembled. "Goddamnit, Drake...you know why I always work alone?" When I didn't answer, she continued. "It's so I don't have to lose anypony, alright?"
"Neither do I." I nodded. "I never did. How did I get transferred from active duty to CID? Because I lost ponies...my whole squad...my marefriend...butchered, Daring. And I survived..."
"Five years ago on the frontier? That was YOU?!" She gasped. I nodded.
"And from then on, I've realized that I would rather die than to let anypony else close to me get hurt." I said. "And that's why I'm asking this of you. For my family."
"If the time comes...which I hope it doesn't...I'll do what needs to be done." She placed a hoof on my shoulder. "And I'll get your family out of here, Drake. I promise."
"Thanks." I said softly. I walked back to Dash and Budder. "What do you say we try to figure out a way out of this mess?" I nodded toward the two figures tied up across the cavern. "And we'll start by questioning those two..."
What do you all think? Will Drake make it out of this one? How can he? The gang have been in some sticky spots before, but this by far is the worst predicament they've ever been in, isn't it? I'm certain you are wondering what will happen next. I will attempt to have the next chapter up soon. Until then, thanks for reading. -Drake