Liberty wasn't sure how he had ended up where he was, last he remembered he had been talking to his mother and Mapiya about the direction the herd was planning on traveling when he seemed to have blacked out and awoke...here.
He had just gotten to his hooves, shaking out his mane when the Voice spoke. Black-lined ears laid back into the pale pink mane as ruby eyes scanned the darkness for the threat. Though big for his breed, Liberty knew he was still a usdia and while he was more than willing to fight any threat he had to face, he knew the odds were not in his favor.
"Show yourself!'
"Do you think I am to simply appear before you like some simpleton? No little fool, you have bigger things to worry about than where I am. Tick tock Liberty, tick tock."
The use of his name alarmed the stallion more than anything else had so far. How long at this thing been watching him, watching his herd? Were his parents safe? Was...Gods..let Runa be alright. She may have cut him from her life, but she and Starlet were still his babies.
"What do you want from me?!"
While the answer didn't come in words, there was movement from off to the left as vines parted as if by an invisible hand. Tossing his head, Liberty let out a huffing snort, sneering, "You're a fool yourself if you think I will walk like a lamb to slaughter! Show yourself or are you too frightened of one little pony?"
There was no response from the Voice, just the gentle sway of the vines over the dark entrance. Liberty's ears pressed tighter to his skull as he looked around, trying to figure out where he was but he recognized nothing. Gritting his teeth, the stallion debated one last time against trying to fight its way free of the clearing but some dark part of his brain told him that trying would cost his life.
Taking a deep breath he let it out through his nose in a slow, controlled breath before walking forward into the darkness. His ears flicked about wildly as the sound of his hooves clicking on the stone floor didn't echo as they should but instead just were swallowed by the black. He was unsure how long he was walking before suddenly the stone disappeared and there was a splash as he stepped into some sort of pool.
His nostrils flared as he tried to scent the air but all he could smell was the cold stone and minerals.
"Drink."
He threw his head up, looking around blindly into the darkness, "Wh..what?"
Again there was no answer to his question leaving him laying his ears back in frustration. Glaring into the nothingness, Liberty debated but again the feeling that he was wasting time that he didn't have pressed in on him. Maybe it was just the darkness or the cruel carelessness that had filled the voice, but whatever it was, Liberty finally lowered his head to drink.
The water was crisp and shockingly cold, tasting so heavily of minerals that made him want to scrap his tongue on tree bark to dislodge the thick coating. Still, the coolness was welcomed and once he had drank as much as he could stand to, the pink stallion began walking again, the water now sloshing around his hooves. Would he walk forever in this darkness? Would he ever see his family again? His simple but kind mother, his beloved b*****d or a father, his...
Suddenly he heard the sound of water sloshing. Was he no longer alone? Was this a threat? Was it the voice?
"Who's there?"
"Ugh..you."
Liberty felt his heart skip a beat before it began racing as he tried to rush towards the much loved but agonizing voice only to find his hooves felt like they had sank into the stone, limbs thick and heavy.
"No.. nononono you can't be here!"
A dim glow began taking shape out of the darkness, brilliant blue eyes that he had loved to compare to the sky seemed cold as ice now, a faint glow behind them,"Oh big surprise. Daddy doesn't want me near him. What a shock."
The venom in her tone shouldn't be a surprise but the words still felt like a dagger straight into his heart. His steps faltered as he stared at her in agony,"
Runa scoffed, as an ugly sneer twisted her face,"No one took me old man! You left me! Just like you left mom and Star! All you ever do is leave!"
Liberty's head reared back in shock as he stared at the faintly glowing figure speechless momentarily. Some part of his brain screamed that this wasn't real, that Runa's eyes didn't glow like stars, that there had never been an iridescence to her coat but the rest of him was too much in shock and horror to see her here.
"Runa that's not...I didn't.."
"Oh but you did old man. You left us behind without another thought. I just walked away like we were nothing but then I should be surprised. To you we are nothing."
Anger began to replace the shock as his dark ears laid back, "Runa! This isn't the time for this! You're in danger! We are in danger!"
"The only danger to me has ever been you."
Shuddering hard, Liberty let his breath in a helpless little whine sound, "Runa I know you don't believe me but I have never done anything but love you and your sister. I love your mother. Nothing will ever make me stop loving her. What happened between us had nothing to do with either of you girls."
When the figure opened its mouth to retort, Liberty hurried on before she could speak again.
"There are no excuses nor explanations I can give to make it right, only that I was between two terrible choices, choices that I hope you never have to face, and made the choice that I thought was best." He took a deep breath taking a step forward, the heavy feeling in his limbs starting to disappear, strength returning to him."I love you Runa, but I am tired of being the villain in your story. You can hate me as long as you want, but I love you and I always will. That is my truth. What is yours going to be?"
A squeal of surprise spilled from him as suddenly he was plunged back into pitch dark."RUNA?!"
"Do not fret little father. She was never truly here. You have faced the darkness within you, now you must face the darkness from without."
"If I ever find out you touched a hair on her hair I will find you and tear you to shreds I swear to the Gods!"
Again, there was no answer but the darkness seemed to lighten, just enough that his eyes could make out the shape of the tunnel around him. Rage filled his veins as he continued forward once more.
Leaving the pool behind, once more the only sounds were the clicks of his hooves on the stone and the sound of his own breathing. He could feel the slope of the tunnel change, going upwards now even at a slight tilt. How deep had he been? What had been in that strange pool that had made him see Runa? Wha...Suddenly he stopped as again he heard new noises coming through. A shuffling of something heavy the head as well as a faint huffing sound.
"You have faced the fight inside, now we will see how hard you are willing to fight to survive. Good luck. Oh and Liberty?"
"What?!"
There was a cruel, taunting tone to the voice, "Time is almost up. I'd hurry if I were you."
A snarl of rage spilled from him only to be echoed by something ahead. He froze for a moment eyes going wide in horror as he realized what awaited ahead of him. A bear or perhaps worse, a bear shifter, either way, he was screwed. Liberty couldn't make his limbs move as he froze for a moment. He started to turn around, to go back the way he came only to find that the way was blocked by thick roots like a tree had sunk itself all the way into the earth. There was no way out but forward.
Stepping as slowly and carefully as he could, Liberty inched his way forward trying to keep his steps silent. At the bend in the tunnel, he peered around to see a massive bear between him and what looked like an exit to the outside. To get free of this damned cave he was going to have to go through the den.
His ruby eyes locked onto the lumbering figure of the creature as the beast snuffled around its den. Thankfully it seemed to not be a shifter but that didn't make the creature any less dangerous to the usdia. A regular bear could kill him just as quickly as a shifter.
Liberty's ears flicked back and forth as he thought through his options all the while feeling the weight of some deadline he did not know pressing down upon him. He couldn't outrun the bear and in a straight fight he could never win, but perhaps he could trick it? Only...something nagged at the back of his brain. Was this another trick?
Watching a bit longer, he felt more and more sure that like his daughter, this beast wasn't actually there. Gathering his courage to step out the silken taunting voice returned.
"Are you sure you want to do that?"
Laying his ears back once more, Liberty glared even though he knew there was nothing there for him to see,"This is another trick."
"Oh? And if you are wrong?"
"I'm not."
Not waiting for another taunt, the stallion stepped forth from his hiding place. The bear bellowed as it swung its head towards him, gnashing its teeth. Liberty squealed a challenge, all of his rage, fear, and despair bellowing forth. He was going out that entrance and back to his family, or he would go down with a fight after all.
Stomping its feet, the bear postured at him but Liberty just squealed his challenge again walking determinedly towards the exit. He was well within striking range by now but the bear seemed to shrink away from him just further proof to him that it was just another illusion. At the last moment before he was close enough to touch, Liberty lunged snapping his teeth at the beast making it scramble backward with a startled roar. With the exit cleared, Liberty bolted out of the cave entrance into the sunlight.
"Well, well, well. Not the ending I expected but I must say I am impressed."
Liberty scoffed as he set off at a trot,"It was only another of your tricks. There was no real danger."
"Oh no little father, that bear was very much real. I am sure it is quite puzzled at this moment as to where a tiny pony such as yourself appeared in it's cave, yelled at it, and tried to bite it before running away."
That caused him to stumble his eyes flying open wide as he stared back at the cave entrance in horror,"WHAT?!"
"I would run along now if I were you. Oh and Liberty? I'll be seeing you again...real soon."
(WC 1915)