09-16-2017, 09:41 PM
<link href='https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=times rel='stylesheet' type='text/css'><style>#ledgeruno{background:url('https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/ed/db/dc/eddbdc6ac0a42a30a251f206db390ebc.jpg') top left no-repeat;background-size:600px;border:2px #efeff7 solid;box-shadow:0px 0px 15px #efeff7;width:600px;border-radius:200px 200px 0px 0px;}#ledgerunobg{background:-webkit-linear-gradient(top, rgba(6,10,21,0), rgba(6,10,21,1)150px);background:-o-linear-gradient(bottom, rgba(6,10,21,0), rgba(6,10,21,1)120px);background:-moz-linear-gradient(bottom, rgba(6,10,21,0), rgba(6,10,21,1)120px);background:-linear-gradient(to bottom, rgba(6,10,21,0), rgba(6,10,21,1)120px);background:-ms-linear-gradient(top, rgba(6,10,21,0), rgba(6,10,21,1)120px);margin-top:300px;margin-bottom:0px;padding-bottom:20px;padding-top:100px;}#ledgerunobox{width:520px;background:black;border:1px #17302c solid;box-shadow:0px 0px 10px #86b9b0;opacity:0.8;border:0px;padding:20px;}#ledgerunotext{color:#ffffff;font-size:12px;font-family: ‘Times New Roman', sans-serif;margin-top:15px;margin-bottom:0px;}#ledgerunoname{color:CCFFFF;font-size:40px;font-family: 'Times', cursive;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;}#ledgerunoquote{color:CCFFFF;font-size:14px;font-family: 'Nixie One', cursive;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:0px;font-weight:bold;}</style><center><div id="ledgeruno"><div id="ledgerunobg"><div id="ledgerunobox"><p id="ledgerunoquote"><font color="lightblue">Bound for trouble from the start<br>I've been walking through this old world in the dark</font></p><p align="justify" id="ledgerunotext"> Down, down, down he goes into the dark dankness of the pit. Whatever has a hold of him pulling relentlessly until with a final clang, he is released. His one good eye stares at the floor. Already knowing where he has been placed. A flicker of candlelight cuts through the murky air, dancing across his prostate figure. A slow inhale, the scent of salt, of fear, and metallic bitterness. Looking to his right, seeing the rusty stain in the dirt. Blood. His blood. His cell had been unused since the last time, as if it had been waiting for him.
Slowly he stands, unable to accept that he was once more trapped by the Dark God. He is mostly unharmed minus the burn mark across his leg where the lava wolf had snapped at him. A soft sound behind him makes him reluctantly turn, facing Carnage himself. He looked the same as last time, untouched. Unchanged. Perhaps he would look unremarkable to most but the flaxen stallion knew better. He knew the intentions that crawled beneath his flesh. <i>”What a pleasant surprise….”</i> Muses the star man, watching him with interest. Knowing what lay in the cages next to him. <i>”You look… better.”</i> He notes flatly, his gaze caressing the empty socket. The claw marks. The brand on his flank. All because of him, his creation.
Ledger says nothing, merely gazing at him warily. He doesn’t doubt he has a reason to be here. As if reading his mind, the other shrugs lightly, moving towards the entrance of his cell. Looking out as he speaks. <i>”You haven’t learned yet, haven’t taken my lessons to, hmmm… Heart.”</i> Such a waste of a gift, he would learn to use it one way or another.
<i>”Your children must be worried, being out there all alone.”</i> He whispers softly and Ledger’s blood runs cold. Carnage gestures to come look, come see. Slowly, fearfully, he moves to stand beside the other. Looking out from the bars of his cage. There are others, like last time. He can make out their shapes and groans through the flickering pale light. It takes him a moment before his eye adjusts, before he sees her in the cage next to his. His heart drops in his chest. <b>”Ellyse!”</b> He cries, pressing his chest against the rusted metal. Wanting to get to her, comfort her. Protect her from the evil that was coming.
<i>”Ah yes. Ellyse.”</i> The Dark God muses behind him, trailing the back of the cell looking bored. <i>”She means so much to you and yet… She came here with him.”</i> His last word inflecting enough to make Ledger’s eye flick to the cage opposite hers. To Dahmer. A slow dread crawls into his veins, numbing his nerves. His mind thick, refusing to believe. Instead he stares at Ellyse as it begins to dawn on him. Even now he can catch her scent and his from both cells, intermingled. Together.
All he can do is stare at her, the betrayal written on his face. The disgust in the hard pupil of his eye, reflecting orange in the dim light. Suddenly a roar rips through him, a bears roar that echoes through the cavern, rife with his anger. <b>”Our children!!”</b> His voice filled with pain and agony, filled with the sound of his heart shattering to pieces in front of her. The accusation leaves his lips and there is no regret. The twins were alone, unprotected. Smoak too. If they were harmed... So help her if they weren't ok.
He turns from the sight, unable to look at her… Look at them anymore. Hadn’t he always known though? He had seen the way they had looked at each other. His body shakes with despair and wrath, unable to ground his feelings. Looking at Carnage as he comes towards him with almost pity. With a toss of his great head, a white hot pain slashes across his chest. Ledger grunts but does not move, his grief consuming him. Another toss, another slash. The Dark God admires the dripping red X that now rests just over his heart. <i>”Lesson learned.”</i> He whispers, the intimidating gaze holding that of the one eyed stallion. Pleasure in his depths for this time he didn’t have to do anything but gather them and watch. They destroyed themselves in front of him. Had he not warned the chestnut of letting his heart take the wheel? Now he would claim it again. X marks the spot.
The Dark God leaves and he is alone, knowing who was next to him and refusing to acknowledge either of them. The soft dripping noise of his blood hitting the dirt is the only sound beside his ragged breathing. He doesn’t care if he ever escapes. What was the point? The pain he feels inside is worse then anything Carnage could have ever done to him. The burning of his anger refuses to subside as he thinks of every touch, every word. All lies. Perhaps she hadn’t even realized it, wanted to believe her own words as badly as he does. She had hurt them all, the children most of all. Slowly he comes to his senses, the twins. Smoak.
Even if she and her winged lover deserved to suffer, the foals did not.
With steely determination, his facial features unreadable, he presses against the bars. The rusted metal cuts at his skin but he doesn’t care. He rams his body again and again until finally, two give way. Just enough that he can fit through. For a moment, he thinks to save her. To release her. Then with a cold last look behind him, he thinks better. Let Dahmer save her now, that’s what she wanted anyways, right?
As soon as he slips free, he’s transported some place else. The cages instantly disappear, the sun is bright in the sky. He’s stepped into an open endless desert, a sea of sand and dirt. There is nothing for miles around. Not a single cactus or plant, not a single tumbleweed. Slowly he starts forward. There’s no other choice. The anger licks at his insides, scorching him with it’s bitter resentment. He tries to force himself to think of other things but it’s useless. All he has is time, time to scrutinize everything that had ever happened in his relationship. To think of Magnus. The twins. It all swirls around him, every step is heavy. Last time Carnage had physically made him a broken man. This time, he had shattered his soul.
It’s only a matter of time before he stumbles into something, before he is no longer alone with just gritty sand and tainted memories. A snake, twice his size, slowly unearths itself from the dunes. It’s serpent tongue darts between it’s scaled fangs as golden eyes narrow at him. Long ribbons of thick sleek flesh coil on top of itself as it prepares to spring. He doesn’t have much time to react. The shift happens quickly, bear ripping through horse, to take his place. The polar bear is out of character here, the heat quickly penetrating beneath his snowy pelt. The bear is too angry, to pent up with all that has happened, to care. The monster pales in comparison to the brutal heartbreak and the bear makes short work of the beast. The snake manages to bite him on the thick muscles of his hindquarters but he doesn’t even feel it, doesn’t care if it’s venomous or not. Instead his claws rip through the sensitive snake belly, his teeth ripping at scales and sinew. Releasing all his frustration and rage into the serpent.
When he is done, the snake is in pieces and Ledger has shifted back to normal. He is covered in blood, it stains his lips and coat. He doesn’t care, even realizing that he enjoys the feeling. That release. Setting off once more into the distance. There is only one thing on his mind now, feeling slightly improved with the warmth of his muscles in motion, and that’s to get back to his kids. An ear swivels, he thinks he can hear them calling and he quickly picks up his pace.
Hooves sink into sand as he plows through the wasteland. Intent on reaching them. Suddenly another figure seems to materialize out of thin air and this time he comes to a complete halt. Her back is turned but he knows exactly who it is. Slowly, Ellyse turns to face him. The shine of her feathered wings seems to shimmer in the heat, making her appear almost ethereal. A sharp intake of air fills his lungs, the pain of her raw within him. <i>”Oh Ledger…”</i> She sighs, looking sad. He has only one question. <b>”Why?”</b> He snarls, the bile rising in the back of his throat as his blood pressure begins to escalate. Feeling the stinging burn of the x across his heart. She comes towards him, as beautiful as she was the day he had first laid eyes on her. It sends a pang of grief through him that rocks him through his core. <i>”It’s not your fault.”</i> She coos, soothing words meant to balm his wounds. <i>”I don’t love Dahmer either. How could I? How could I love anyone… After Magnus.”</i>
Nothing could be worse then that. It’s as if she has stuck a dagger straight into his heart and twisted it as far as it could go. Without realizing it, he is bear again. Without thinking, he rears up on back legs as both paws reach for her. Claws ripping across her face, plunging across her chest. Over and over. Then she is gone.
He blinks, back in his normal skin. There is no sign of Ellyse. No corpse, nothing. Just him and his invisible ghosts. It’s as if a mask has fallen into place, the golden flecks hard and cold within his good eye as they fall on the oasis in the distance. Wearily he plods on till he has reached the crystal clear water. Alone and heartsore. The things he had faced in the desert are already a distant memory, nothing compared to the monster he had left in the cavern.
<br></p><p id="ledgerunoname"><font color=lightblue><i>Ledger</i></font></font></font></p></div></div></div></center>
Slowly he stands, unable to accept that he was once more trapped by the Dark God. He is mostly unharmed minus the burn mark across his leg where the lava wolf had snapped at him. A soft sound behind him makes him reluctantly turn, facing Carnage himself. He looked the same as last time, untouched. Unchanged. Perhaps he would look unremarkable to most but the flaxen stallion knew better. He knew the intentions that crawled beneath his flesh. <i>”What a pleasant surprise….”</i> Muses the star man, watching him with interest. Knowing what lay in the cages next to him. <i>”You look… better.”</i> He notes flatly, his gaze caressing the empty socket. The claw marks. The brand on his flank. All because of him, his creation.
Ledger says nothing, merely gazing at him warily. He doesn’t doubt he has a reason to be here. As if reading his mind, the other shrugs lightly, moving towards the entrance of his cell. Looking out as he speaks. <i>”You haven’t learned yet, haven’t taken my lessons to, hmmm… Heart.”</i> Such a waste of a gift, he would learn to use it one way or another.
<i>”Your children must be worried, being out there all alone.”</i> He whispers softly and Ledger’s blood runs cold. Carnage gestures to come look, come see. Slowly, fearfully, he moves to stand beside the other. Looking out from the bars of his cage. There are others, like last time. He can make out their shapes and groans through the flickering pale light. It takes him a moment before his eye adjusts, before he sees her in the cage next to his. His heart drops in his chest. <b>”Ellyse!”</b> He cries, pressing his chest against the rusted metal. Wanting to get to her, comfort her. Protect her from the evil that was coming.
<i>”Ah yes. Ellyse.”</i> The Dark God muses behind him, trailing the back of the cell looking bored. <i>”She means so much to you and yet… She came here with him.”</i> His last word inflecting enough to make Ledger’s eye flick to the cage opposite hers. To Dahmer. A slow dread crawls into his veins, numbing his nerves. His mind thick, refusing to believe. Instead he stares at Ellyse as it begins to dawn on him. Even now he can catch her scent and his from both cells, intermingled. Together.
All he can do is stare at her, the betrayal written on his face. The disgust in the hard pupil of his eye, reflecting orange in the dim light. Suddenly a roar rips through him, a bears roar that echoes through the cavern, rife with his anger. <b>”Our children!!”</b> His voice filled with pain and agony, filled with the sound of his heart shattering to pieces in front of her. The accusation leaves his lips and there is no regret. The twins were alone, unprotected. Smoak too. If they were harmed... So help her if they weren't ok.
He turns from the sight, unable to look at her… Look at them anymore. Hadn’t he always known though? He had seen the way they had looked at each other. His body shakes with despair and wrath, unable to ground his feelings. Looking at Carnage as he comes towards him with almost pity. With a toss of his great head, a white hot pain slashes across his chest. Ledger grunts but does not move, his grief consuming him. Another toss, another slash. The Dark God admires the dripping red X that now rests just over his heart. <i>”Lesson learned.”</i> He whispers, the intimidating gaze holding that of the one eyed stallion. Pleasure in his depths for this time he didn’t have to do anything but gather them and watch. They destroyed themselves in front of him. Had he not warned the chestnut of letting his heart take the wheel? Now he would claim it again. X marks the spot.
The Dark God leaves and he is alone, knowing who was next to him and refusing to acknowledge either of them. The soft dripping noise of his blood hitting the dirt is the only sound beside his ragged breathing. He doesn’t care if he ever escapes. What was the point? The pain he feels inside is worse then anything Carnage could have ever done to him. The burning of his anger refuses to subside as he thinks of every touch, every word. All lies. Perhaps she hadn’t even realized it, wanted to believe her own words as badly as he does. She had hurt them all, the children most of all. Slowly he comes to his senses, the twins. Smoak.
Even if she and her winged lover deserved to suffer, the foals did not.
With steely determination, his facial features unreadable, he presses against the bars. The rusted metal cuts at his skin but he doesn’t care. He rams his body again and again until finally, two give way. Just enough that he can fit through. For a moment, he thinks to save her. To release her. Then with a cold last look behind him, he thinks better. Let Dahmer save her now, that’s what she wanted anyways, right?
As soon as he slips free, he’s transported some place else. The cages instantly disappear, the sun is bright in the sky. He’s stepped into an open endless desert, a sea of sand and dirt. There is nothing for miles around. Not a single cactus or plant, not a single tumbleweed. Slowly he starts forward. There’s no other choice. The anger licks at his insides, scorching him with it’s bitter resentment. He tries to force himself to think of other things but it’s useless. All he has is time, time to scrutinize everything that had ever happened in his relationship. To think of Magnus. The twins. It all swirls around him, every step is heavy. Last time Carnage had physically made him a broken man. This time, he had shattered his soul.
It’s only a matter of time before he stumbles into something, before he is no longer alone with just gritty sand and tainted memories. A snake, twice his size, slowly unearths itself from the dunes. It’s serpent tongue darts between it’s scaled fangs as golden eyes narrow at him. Long ribbons of thick sleek flesh coil on top of itself as it prepares to spring. He doesn’t have much time to react. The shift happens quickly, bear ripping through horse, to take his place. The polar bear is out of character here, the heat quickly penetrating beneath his snowy pelt. The bear is too angry, to pent up with all that has happened, to care. The monster pales in comparison to the brutal heartbreak and the bear makes short work of the beast. The snake manages to bite him on the thick muscles of his hindquarters but he doesn’t even feel it, doesn’t care if it’s venomous or not. Instead his claws rip through the sensitive snake belly, his teeth ripping at scales and sinew. Releasing all his frustration and rage into the serpent.
When he is done, the snake is in pieces and Ledger has shifted back to normal. He is covered in blood, it stains his lips and coat. He doesn’t care, even realizing that he enjoys the feeling. That release. Setting off once more into the distance. There is only one thing on his mind now, feeling slightly improved with the warmth of his muscles in motion, and that’s to get back to his kids. An ear swivels, he thinks he can hear them calling and he quickly picks up his pace.
Hooves sink into sand as he plows through the wasteland. Intent on reaching them. Suddenly another figure seems to materialize out of thin air and this time he comes to a complete halt. Her back is turned but he knows exactly who it is. Slowly, Ellyse turns to face him. The shine of her feathered wings seems to shimmer in the heat, making her appear almost ethereal. A sharp intake of air fills his lungs, the pain of her raw within him. <i>”Oh Ledger…”</i> She sighs, looking sad. He has only one question. <b>”Why?”</b> He snarls, the bile rising in the back of his throat as his blood pressure begins to escalate. Feeling the stinging burn of the x across his heart. She comes towards him, as beautiful as she was the day he had first laid eyes on her. It sends a pang of grief through him that rocks him through his core. <i>”It’s not your fault.”</i> She coos, soothing words meant to balm his wounds. <i>”I don’t love Dahmer either. How could I? How could I love anyone… After Magnus.”</i>
Nothing could be worse then that. It’s as if she has stuck a dagger straight into his heart and twisted it as far as it could go. Without realizing it, he is bear again. Without thinking, he rears up on back legs as both paws reach for her. Claws ripping across her face, plunging across her chest. Over and over. Then she is gone.
He blinks, back in his normal skin. There is no sign of Ellyse. No corpse, nothing. Just him and his invisible ghosts. It’s as if a mask has fallen into place, the golden flecks hard and cold within his good eye as they fall on the oasis in the distance. Wearily he plods on till he has reached the crystal clear water. Alone and heartsore. The things he had faced in the desert are already a distant memory, nothing compared to the monster he had left in the cavern.
<br></p><p id="ledgerunoname"><font color=lightblue><i>Ledger</i></font></font></font></p></div></div></div></center>