Father of the Night 25: Historical Accuracy.


                                            =Father of the Night 25=


                                            >You lick your hoof and turn the page of your book and read on.

                                            >"In ancient times, the island dwelling Minotaur's warred with the people of the Borean Tundra. The Minotaur's natural strength and size did them well on the arctic fields, but their forces stalled at the Battle of Erymanthus due to the labyrinthine city the Boars had grown used to."

                                            >Hmmm...

                                            "Facinating."

                                            >Anonymous turns to you on the couch. "What's up, Bruce?"

                                            >Huh?

                                            >You look up at him.

                                            "Oh, nothing sir. Just something in my book."

                                            >He leans forward and looks at the title of your book with a small frown. "You've been pretty single-minded about this, buddy."

                                            >You sigh and close your book, rubbing your temple with one hoof.

                                            "I-."

                                            "I should just sit here and do nothing while Will rolls across the countryside. I will not rest until Will has been defeated. I just...can't."

                                            >Anonymous sighs and rubs the top of your mane. It feels good when he does that. "I hope you know what you're doing, Bruce..."

                                            "...I truly hope so si-"

                                            >The television Anonymous was watching flashes to a shaken news anchor. "Good Evening mares and gantlecolts, we're here to bring you a breaking story." she begins.

                                            >An image of the westernmost part of the kingdom appears. "New reports indicate that the figure known only as "Will" has made his way around the Everfree Forrest and has reached Fillydelphia."

                                            >"Oh no..." Anonymous says.

                                            >You stand up and knock your book over.

                                            >"Will's followers, never leaving thier leader's side, have massed in the city in an attempt to force a surrender."

                                            >Fillydelphia...yes, that could work...

                                            >"What happened next was a standoff that is currently entering into hour four. We go now live to the sce-"

                                            >You stomp on the remote and jump off the couch.

                                            "Mister Anonymous, I need you to get the phone for me and help me call the needed people. I am heading to Fillydelphia."

                                            >Anonymous does not grab the phone, he grabs his coat and throws it on. "Yeah, well, hang on. I'm coming with you..."


                                            >You dress in your suit and make the calls.

                                            >From across the town of Ponyville, your allies come together and heed your instructions.

                                            >At the train station, a Mane Industries train is loaded up and headed towards Fillydelphia, a rush order being placed just an hour ago.

                                            >There, the five of you open a freight car and hobble in, right as the train begins to cast off.

                                            >Huddled around you was everyone you would need to defeat Will and more.

                                            >Well, almost everyone.

                                            >Shining Armor and The Catfilly were on one side of the car glaring at one another while Anonymous and curiously Twilight were sequestered on the other.

                                            >You clear your throat.

                                            "Let's go over the plan one more time."

                                            >Everyone joins you, Anonymous and Twilight standing as best they can while Catfilly lounges on a box and Shining Armor looks at Twilight with concern. "I'm not exactly comfortable with bringing my kid sister along on this, Batmane."

                                            >Twilight lightly stomps her hoof. "I'm not a filly anymore, Armor! And I'm and Element of Harmony now!"

                                            >Catfilly rolls her eyes. "That still doesn't explain what you bring to this little party."

                                            >Twilight narrows her eyes. "I can't sit by and just do nothing while somep0ny needs my help, I have to try and help any way I can."

                                            >She rolls her eyes again and looks to you.

                                            >Meanwhile, you're looking to Anonymous.

                                            "Are you sure you want to do this? I understand you wanted to...calm down after your previous activities."

                                            >Anonymous shakes his head. Normally this would be when he'd embrace you, but he dares not with outsiders here. "I didn't save you from that fall to not see things through."

                                            >You nod your thanks and roll a map of Fillydelphia out.


                                            >You point a hoof down at somewhere on the western part of the city.

                                            "Will and his followers are camping here. In an old junk yard at the cities edge where they have room.

                                            >You look to Catfilly.

                                            "I need you to break away once we get to the city and infiltrate the camp. Get into Will's tent and find what we talked about. He'll have it near where he sleeps if I'm guessing correctly."

                                            >She nods in agreement.

                                            "Good. Captain Armor?"

                                            >He trots forward. "Yeah?"

                                            "I need you to gather the guard of this city, along with any other souls who will join our cause and meet me-"

                                            >You point at a site in the center of town. [spoiler][/spoiler] "Here."

                                            >Armor strokes his chin. "You're asking me to gather a lot of people on short notice..."

                                            >You nod.

                                            "Yes, I am, but it's vital to this plan that we gather as many people as we can. We have to show Will that he can be stood up to, that he does not speak for us all."

                                            >Shining Armor nods slowly. "I'll do everything I can..."

                                            >Good...

                                            >You look to Anonymous and Twilight.

                                            "I trust the two of you...very much. I know you'll be able to defend yourselves, but stay safe. Understand?"

                                            >Anonymous nods. "We'll do our part."

                                            >Good...

                                            >You roll the map back up and stow it.

                                            "Then let us begin..."


                                            -Music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIfk5-8oy_o-

                                            >The moment the train pulled into the station, the five of you separated.

                                            >Now you wait on the roof of a building overlooking the square below.

                                            >The sound of someone landing behind you draws your attention to Catfilly, holding a folder under her leg.

                                            "Did you run into any trouble?"

                                            >"Nothing I couldn't handle." She looks down at square. Shining Armor was below milling about in an ENOUIRMOUS crowd of people. Guards and citizens he had rallied to the cause of standing up to Will.

                                            >Speaking of the Minotaur, on the horizon you see a second mass walking closer to you.

                                            >Will and his followers.

                                            >You rise to your hooves and trot to the edge of the roof.

                                            >"Wait."

                                            >You look back, Catfilly hands you the folder. "Are you sure you can handle this? I saw what he did to you last time and..." she trails off.

                                            >Catfilly looks out over the crowd gathered here. "You don't owe them anything..."

                                            >You turn from her and look back over the crowd of ponies. Ponies who's lives and livelihoods hung on Will's fate.

                                            "It's not about owing anyone anything..."

                                            >You look back to her.

                                            "It's about doing the right thing."

                                            >You turn back and leap off the building, gliding down and landing on a bus in the intersection. All eyes behind Shining Armor turn to you as a booming voice resonates from the other direction.

                                            >"Batmane! I'm surprised you could join us after the tumble you had taken." Will shouts.

                                            >You look at him over your shoulder. [spoiler][/spoiler] "You'll find that I am harder to kill than that."

                                            >"Indeed." He looks over the crowd behind you. "I see you brought Captain Armor here, a Prince. Tell me, are you attempting to make my crusade easier by bringing forth examples of the divide of the people in this kingdom?"


                                            >You hold up the manila folder up for all to see.

                                            "Shining Armor is here because he stands against you and everything you are, Will. As will these others."

                                            >He cross his arms. "These documents will prove that?"

                                            "You should know, they're yours."

                                            >Even from here, you can see Will cock an eyebrow.

                                            >You don't bother telling him, he'll soon know. You remove the papers from the folder and turn to the crowd behind you, but not before giving them a quick once over.

                                            >Perfect...

                                            "Ponies of Fillydelphia! Will is NOT what he claims to be! He does not represent the will of the people, only his own!"

                                            "On this paper is correspondence between Will and his various other cells! Procured by...an anonymous source."

                                            >You hear the uneasy shuffling of heavy hooves behind you.

                                            >You clear your throat.

                                            "The march on Fillydelphia will be costly."

                                            "It is of no consequence, they will serve their purpose."

                                            "Injured followers will not reflect positively on us..."

                                            "After we take Fillydelphia, we will not need worry about our reflection."

                                            >The square is so silent you could hear a pin drop.

                                            >Will stands flabbergasted, the ponies gathered by Shining Armor glaring at him, even some who stood at his side sharing their face after what they had heard.

                                            >You toss the missives fluttering down to the ground.

                                            "All bearing Will's seal and handwriting, Will doesn't care what happens to any of you."


                                            >A few of the ponies come forward to look at the papers.

                                            >"He's right!"

                                            >"I recognize the handwriting from my autograph!"

                                            >"Will was going to roll right over us!"

                                            >Those are just a few of the cries that escape the angry din below you.

                                            >You turn back to Will. He's hunched over and his pupils are black pinpricks against a golden background as he stands among his faltering followers.

                                            "Μια φωτιά εξαπλώνεται."

                                            >Will arches back and roars. "BREAK MY MOVEMENT, I BREAK YOUR SPINE! GET THEM!"

                                            >You drop into a fighting stance as Will lumbers forward and his more fervent followers trail behind him. Shining Armor drops to the same stance.

                                            >"Here they come!" he cries to those behind you.

                                            >However, as Will and those loyal to him get closer, flashes of lightning and rolls of thunder shoot down from the heavens.

                                            >With a voice.

                                            >"HOLD, MISGUIDED SOULS! LET YOUR SALVATION DESCEND ON THE NIGHT'S WINGS!"


                                            >Will makes the mistake of averting his eyes towards your new compatriot and away from you.

                                            >You capitalize.

                                            >Will's head flies back as you zip buy and sock him in the jaw.

                                            "You've slowed, Will. The last time we met, you would have countered that."

                                            >The minotaur rubs his dented mask and you inspect your brass hoof.

                                            >Not dented. Good.

                                            >You spin around and toss shuriken at Will, aiming for the mask.

                                            >"HOW DID YOU-ARGH!" he shouts as he brings his massive arms up and the stars imbed themselves inside.

                                            "Are you asking about my ally? She volunteered."

                                            >The sounds of righteous laughter as somep0ny dives into the oncoming hoard and sends them flying with magical might unseen by any other rises above the chaotic din.

                                            >You'd have to try and ween out the second person gloating, however...

                                            >"Do you KNOW who that is!?" Will shouts.

                                            "I do not believe she picked a code-name yet..."

                                            >"RRAAAGH!" Will charges you, horns down. You backflip and come down as he passes, kicking off the back of his head and landing behind him.

                                            "You know, Will. I finally got what you've been selling."


                                            >Will shouts again and swings the back of his hand at you. You fire your grapple gun around it, toss it into a mail box, and watch as it retracts and pulls the mailbox into Will, knocking him down.

                                            "This was never about the "will of the people"."

                                            >You bring your hooves back and forth on his face, denting his mask even further.

                                            "It was about your own meglomaniacal insanity, just like all the rest."

                                            >"RRRAAAAAGH!" he shouts, lashing out again as a white vapor leaks from his mask.

                                            >You duck and roll away.

                                            "King Sombra was more of a threat than you, at least he was within grasp of what he wanted."

                                            >Will's eyes seem to bug out of his head and he tosses the mailbox over your head straight at the crowd, snapping the line.

                                            "Incoming!"

                                            >The box is enveloped in a blue aura and tossed back at Will, the minotaur shrugs it off.

                                            >You hear someone land behind you.

                                            "We need to take this elsewhere. Go to plan B."

                                            >"Agreed."

                                            >You turn and run full tilt down the street he rampaging bull behind you.


                                            -Will PoV-

                                            >You'll catch them.

                                            >You'll catch the Batmane and his ally-who-couldn't-be.

                                            >The two of them run ahead of you as you barrel through carriages and anything else in your way, tossing them like the nothings they were.

                                            >Abruptly, the two of them dart down an alley. You lean to the side and chase after them.

                                            >To your surprise, you find an open cellar door of all things. The sound of hoofbeats echo from inside it.

                                            >...Underground.

                                            >Like it would even matter.

                                            >You push that nagging thought aside and run down the open door.

                                            >All you could do as you run was think. Months of planning, almost a year, done away by the meddling of a child in a cape playing at Zorrin.

                                            >That irritated you more than a bit.

                                            >Your heavy hooves ring out in the narrow hallway as you approach the light at the end to-

                                            >You skit to a halt as you almost hit a large steel wall. An equally large steel door drops from above, cutting off your exit.

                                            >"Fish-" a voice starts.

                                            >"-in a barrel." another finishes.

                                            "COME OUT!" you bellow.

                                            >A slight snickering and the sound of hooves on metal catches your ear. You turn and give chase to it down the metallic hall you were in and skid around the corner.

                                            >Stretching out as far as the eye could see along this path was branching ones, some you could see branching out even further.

                                            >...No.

                                            >"Welcome, Will-"

                                            -"To the ancient Fillydelphian Labyrinth."

                                            >Get out. Get out. Have to get out.

                                            >You run back where you came from and start pounding on the metal. You and tight enclosed space did not do well together and you hated getting lost more.

                                            >"I am afriad-" "-That will not work." the voices mock.

                                            >Silence, before a faint "pchoooo" whizzes by your head.

                                            >"No."


                                            >You turn to the sound and are greeted to a roof to the eyes, sending you reeling back.

                                            >Clutching your face you stumble down the dreaded maze.

                                            >"This maze was once the shining attraction of Fillydelphia's faire. However it had to be closed after too many got lost in its depths."

                                            >Lost.

                                            >The second voice chimes in. "They say thine ghostly selves still haunt this place. Passing on to the netherworld after getting lost in these walls."

                                            >Lost until you DIE.

                                            >"It is likely you will join them...unless you surrender and come with us."

                                            >...

                                            "RRRAAAAHHHHGGGGG!"

                                            >You recede in your mind back away from the darkness and the silence and the walls.

                                            >You have to get out.

                                            >Now.

                                            >You start punching a wall as hard as you can, feeling your bones rattle and your skin ache as you do.

                                            >Suddenly, the sound again, the feeling of your legs not moving joining it.

                                            >"Those walls are three feet of solid steel, even you cannot break them."

                                            >You feel some sort of rope slap into your neck and drag you back while your feet slip forward. As your head hits the steel floor, something runs towards you and bounces off your face.

                                            >You feel your nose crack.


                                            "RAAAAGH! LET ME OUT OF THIS PLACE! LETMEOUTLETMEOUT!"

                                            >You climb up and run down the corridor. You can't tell where you are or aren't anymore.

                                            >The entire time, they mock you.

                                            >"Come now, children can do mazes." proceeds a kick to the gut.

                                            >"Mayhaps this one is not as smart as they?" comes before a twisted arm and a trip to the floor again.

                                            >"A sorry tale..." is followed by three razor sharp objects hitting your lower calf.

                                            >They're wrong, you're NOT stupid. You know who this is.

                                            >But there was one thing you could not wrap your head around.

                                            "I SAW YOU FALL!"

                                            >All is silent before a click echoes through the walls. Followed by a beeping that grows ever faster.

                                            >"I got back up."

                                            >The wall you are crouching near explodes at the bottom, drowning everything else out with the sound of wrenching metal as it crashes on top of you and your mask is ripped from your face.

                                            >It presses you against the ground and a heavy green gas in through the cracks. You feel your eyelids growing heavy.

                                            >No...you can't...fail...

                                            >The last thing you hear before you pass out is two pairs of hooves coming closer to you.


                                            -Bruce PoV-

                                            >The unconscious Will drops to the ground outside of the Labyrinth's back entrance, still groaning and a trickle of blood coming from a cut in his head.

                                            >You look him over...he looks smaller.

                                            "Was I really defeated by -him-?"

                                            >"Thrown through the window most readily." your companion says,

                                            "Hard to believe..."

                                            >"No now, young one. If this adventure has taught you anything, tis to not take your enemies too lightly."

                                            >You nod. She spoke the truth.

                                            >From far away, you hear the sounds of police sirens rise above the din of the riot for the first time in a  long time.

                                            "They're mopping up, you should go. There are not enough of your kind for your presence to go unnoticed in the calm."

                                            >"Very well." she says. "But we shall patrol again soon, yes?"

                                            "Yes."

                                            >"Until then, Batmane."

                                            >What can only be describe as shadow folding over shadow booms from behind you as you leave the alley.


                                            >Will would not be getting up for some time.

                                            >You stick to the back-roads and run to the rally point before you see a familiar biped.

                                            "Anonymous!"

                                            >He turns to you, his eyes wide and pupils small. "Br-Batmane! Coe with me, right the hell now!"

                                            >Oh no!

                                            "What is it, what happened!?"

                                            >"Just come on!"

                                            >Anonymous runs down the street and you quickly catch up.

                                            >Your paces even out and he begins to talk. "We need to find Armor RIGHT NOW!"

                                            "Anonymous, what HAPPENED?!"

                                            >"It-it happened fast! Twilight and me were together for a long while but everything went to shit once the fighting started, we got separated!"

                                            >"WHAT. HAPPANED?!"

                                            >He opens his mouth, but is interrupted by a scream nearby. "TWILY!"

                                            >"Armor!" you both shout in unison.

                                            >You run to the point of the voice and screech to a halt at the rear of the alley.

                                            >The ambulance lights illuminate the scene dramatically.

                                            >You don't know what happened.

                                            >You didn't know that Shining Armor could make such a scared face.

                                            >You didn't know that Anonymous could get ill as he clutched his mouth.

                                            >You don't know why Twilight is being loaded -into- the ambulance.

                                            >But you know that the back of the average pony is not supposed to bend in that direction.