Not the pain one feels from a cut or a broken bone; a lifelong pain. One that I have felt since I was first cast down into the darkness.
Since I was born, I was in pain. Emotional from the loss of my mother, physical from the pain I received in the hellhole that was called a prison, spiritual as God watched down on my and left me to suffer. I was alone, I was nothing but a bane to others existences as long as I continued to live.
It wasn't long before I was called that; Bane. A single word just about summed up my existence. I was hated and despised in that prison, and eventually I fell into the darkness. It took years, but eventually darkness made its mark on me. And as the years went on, I came to realize a few things.
I was born in darkness, raised by it, and molded by it. Where others feared the darkness, I relished in it. Darkness was my closest friend, it was my greatest ally.
Yet I couldn't allow others to be one with it.
Darkness may have made me who I was, but I would never wish my pain upon a child.
When Talia was born, the prison was abuzz, talk of rape and torture plagues everyone's mind for days. When Talia's mother was taken, I raised her. Not with the darkness whom I was closest with, but in the light, someone I'd believed to be an enemy.
I raised her up to see the sky as the limit, protecting her as best I could. And when the time came, I let her go. I suffered horrendous wounds that even the quack of a doctor couldn't fix, but I would gladly take them any day for the chance to save her.
A week later the soldiers came, and I took my first steps out into the light.
The light was unfamiliar, blinding even. I would have wandered around for years, knowing not where my purpose lay had it not been for Ra's, Talia's biological father. He showed me that with every light, there lay shadows. Shadows I grew to find as extensions of my familiar darkness.
The darkness rose me through the shadows, and when the time came to leave the shadows, I was ready.
I left, trained in true darkness, and when the darkness choose to have Ra's leave their presence, I moved forward. I was the darkness' child, I was the only one truly fit to lead the shadows. With this I could have lived a powerful life, a life with no one to try to oppose me. But I left that behind to venture out into the light with Talia, to try to spread darkness to Gotham.
It was those faithful events that happened in that city that brought me to my current situation. Mr. Wayne and Ms. Kyle, Mr. Wayne was easy to follow, he was a shining beacon in the darkness; yet he could move through the shadows as easy as I. He truly was a dark knight.
Ms. Kyle was another story. Lying, deceit, murder, thievery. She was a true child of darkness and showed promise. Yet she had hopes of living in the light, willing to do anything to achieve it; even willing to fire a small missal at me while my back was turned.
That was how I found myself in this curious situation.
Talia had the plan and the drive to go after Mr. Wayne while I was just the muscle and the face of the organization that Mr. Wayne trained under before killing Ra's. It took nine years of planning, beginning immediately after his death, but Ra's' plan would become a reality. Gotham would be burned to the ground, and the earth salted.
But as the plan moved forward, I noticed Talia change. Where she once disliked her father for banishing me, saying that she was only following her father’s plan to destroy Gotham so that she could kill the Mr. Wayne, she she seemed to become more and more fanatic as time went by.
At times, I would see her talking to herself, as if she was talking to the ghost of her father. At those times, I felt small traces of worry. Ra's always spoke of immortality, but he never explained how it was that he achieved it.
These ghost conversations, as I began to call them, began to become more frequent, as Talia transformed. The original plan was to install fear and pandemonium into Gotham, through which we would rise up and control it through the league before releasing deadly gas and poison into the air and water supply, much like how Gotham had already been dealt with. Soon that changed to blowing up the city and escaping, a plan that I was OK with at the time of it coming from Talia's mouth.
But as the 'ghost talks' continued and I worried more and more about the stability of Talia's mind, she proposed one final plan; The destruction of Gotham, through the use of a self made atomic bomb.
While the planning of such an idea was similar to Talia, I could only see madness in her eyes. The end result of the planning was everyone, including the league of shadows, being destroyed in the blast.
I wanted to yell, I wanted to plead, I wanted to know if this was even the Talia I knew. I loved her as a daughter once, and to her I was more of a father than Ra's, but with this plan didn't end with us sinking together in the darkness. This plan ended in a blinding bang, and it would be the last.
But I couldn't say no.
As much as I wanted to stop her from doing this crazy plan, I saw that little girl that I raised so many years ago who I promised I would look after forever. I kidnapped the doctor, I ruined Mr. Wayne's life, I handed Talia the key to a possible atomic bomb, and I Broke the batman, and always hoping that Talia would come to her senses and change the ending of our story.
But she never did.
In those six months, I had only fleeting contact with her, and when I did get into contact, she spoke only of fulfilling her father’s dream. As she left to finish off her plan, I fully prepared myself for death.
What I didn't expect was for it to happen so soon. One moment I was ending Mr. Wayne's life, and the next I was shot halfway across the room. In the several times I spun uncontrollably, I saw Ms. Kyle on Mr. Wayne's bat cycle, a devious smirk on her face. I felt myself fade out of consciousness several times, knowing that it was only my heavily plated steel and Kevlar vest that kept me from instantly dying from being hit by what was essentially a miniature missile.
This leads me to my current situation.
I felt weightless, as if I was floating in an abyss. Long ago I'd lost feeling in my feet, yet the feeling in my legs remained. Pain was flowing through my body making me to believe some sort of spinal injury had taken feeling from my feet. I believed I would just float on into oblivion when I felt something grab me and pull me out of my weightless abyss. With that, I heard a voice ring out before unconsciousness claim me once more.
"Well well well, look what Trixie has found."
Chapter End.
A.N. Hey everyone, Suijin228 here with my try at a Bane fic. I made this because, frankly, I'm surprised I haven't seen a mainstream Bane fic come out. This is my hope at creating a wave of Bane fics by inspiring authors and setting the bar. I realize my writing isn't the best, so if anyone can do better and wants to take their shot, go right ahead. Keep goin and stay golden^^
For the first time in months, I was back in the darkness.
I could feel it soothing my mind and body, rejuvenating me as I lay unconscious. By the fact I was still thinking coherently and not being torn to pieces, Talia's plan must have failed. A pity in itself, but somewhere deep inside I felt a little glad that it had failed. Mr. Wayne time and time again had shown me that he would not kill, Talia would live and that was all I needed to know.
That thought should have put me as ease, but I still felt myself tense for unknown purposes. The more I tried to figure out why, the tenser I became. Slowly the tension caused my hands to shake as a feeling I hadn't felt since I left the hole entered me.
Fear?
What had I to fear? I didn't fear death? I didn't fear the darkness? Any sentence put upon me would be carried out by I and I alone, Talia would be safe since nobody knew about her aside from Mr. Wayne, and he wouldn't talk. So what was there for me to fear?
As I pondered this conundrum, I began to hear a most peculiar sound. It initially sounded like bottle rockets being lit off before descending into firecrackers. As I listened in, I felt my eyes start to open, blurry shapes and images invading my vision as I tried to take in the world around me.
While the shapes came into focus, I found myself sleeping in a bed, a comfy one at that. While I was no stranger to comfort while living as the head of the league of shadows, it had been over half a year since I'd slept in a bed, mostly due to me trying to keep a low profile.
Trying to sit up, I felt a sharp pain coming from my ribs. 'Defiantly broken,' I thought as I closed my eyes and tried to move without disturbing my injuries.
When I'd gotten into a sitting position, I felt a sharp pain in my forehead, as if someone taken a sledgehammer into it. Bringing my hand to the pains location, I was surprised to feel a strange object protruding from my temples. Worry began to set in as I moved my hands up until I felt the tip. A quick check relieved a similar object on the other side of my head.
This was what really began to worry me as I began to do a quick check over myself.
The first thing I noticed was that I was blue. While I was still at my same size, I was now coated in, well, a coat of blue fur. Throwing off the covers, and subsequently ignoring the pain in my ribs from the sudden movement, I gazed down at where my legs use to be. I use the term 'use to be' due to the fact that they now were the legs of a goat, attached to which was a thin whip like tail.
I could feel my Breathing increase momentarily as panic set in before my training calmed me down. 'When in an unfamiliar situation, learn the local color and try to adapt' even though the lesson obviously didn't apply to waking up as monster, a Satyr if my Greek mythology was correct, the lesson was to stay calm and wait.
Feeling touching my face, I noticed that my face still wore the mask. Furthermore it seemed to be fully repaired. Whoever had taken me in seemed to have some repair knowledge. 'I'll have to thank them before my departure.'
So caught up in my thoughts, I failed to notice the notice I'd heard earlier stop and the door to my room open. "Ah, it seems Trixie's guest is up." Controlling my instincts so that I wouldn't attack this individual who'd managed to sneak up on me, I prepared myself for whatever image I would be faced with as I turned. If the voice was any indication, she was obviously a female and by the way she talked, most likely a servant or slave to whoever's home I was staying in.
As I turned to look at this figure, rather than find another Satyr, I found myself looking down at a small Technicolor horse. Her coat was a pale blue color, leading up into a silvery mane. With eyes a pale magenta color, and a horn poking out of the top of her head. She was the strangest animal I'd seen since... myself!
"Trixie was beginning to wonder when Trixie's guest would awaken. She'll admit when she was stopping in Hoofington on the way to her next gig, she never thought she'd find a Minotaur like you lying in the river." Rather than feel annoyed at this creatures annoying speech pattern, I felt amused. Someone actually speaking in third person was something I'd never thought of seeing. Even more, she explained what I was, a Minotaur, a rather fitting creature if the legends describing it were true.
"I'm guessing that you are Trixie?" My robotic voice came out, surprising Trixie as she stepped backwards before retaking the ground she'd given. "Trixie is more than just Trixie. For she is, THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE!" As she yelled out these words with such exuberance, small fireworks seem to explode behind her giving her introduction a bit of flare. I however was slightly blinded by these balls of light, as they appeared and exploded inches from my face. As the lights fades, I had to wonder just where these lights had come from.
“And you are?” Was there a bit of smugness I detected in her voice? A few weeks ago, for even thinking you were above me, I would reward such thoughts with a crushed skull. But not now. Even if I was in another body, my mask should have given who I was away immediately, seeing as how my face had been shown around the world when I’d taken Gotham. This leading me to believe I was no longer in my own world.
This would be interesting.
"Yes Ms. Trixie, I am Bane, and it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Underneath my mask, I couldn’t help but grin a dark grin.
End
A.N. Alright, this here is the start of Equestria’s Reckoning. Bane won’t instantly try to attack Celestia since he has no idea she even exists yet, so to pass the time he’ll be traveling with Trixie. Next chapter there will be a time skip as I skip over Bane learning about equestrian through his travels with Trixie. This will be just so I can get the long and grueling explanation of everything out of the way that every Brony knows. Lastly, this takes place before Cannon, so next chapter you can expect to see Bane and Trixie in Boast Busters.
Step by step, I carried Trixie's wagon down the road to her next destination. My hoofs crushing the earth under my feet as my hands had the wagons handles in a death grip. Harsh wind was blowing, as my coat and vest failed to block out the winds.
I'd grown use to the feeling of this years ago, but what was strange was the fact that I'd heard no schedule of winds taking place this early in the morning. The clouds were so thick that I couldn't even be sure if the sun had risen yet. Still, I continued onward, my mind wandering.
Over the last few months I'd picked up a few things about this land, Equestria, while traveling with the so called 'Great and Powerful Trixie'. For one humans didn't exist and instead the world was populated by equines (ponies as they called themselves) and mystical creatures. Unicorns, pegasi, dragons, all of it coming out of the mind of a six year old. This may entice some, but I saw through this and choce to look beyond the boarders of this supposed Eden.
With Trixie, I made frequent visits outside of Equestria, there I saw things from an outsiders point of view. Equestria was a shining gem, that I would admit, but there were several differences between Equestria and the rest of the world.
Firstly,everything was done by magic or physical labor, as electricity didn't exist outside of a lightning strike. From the weather to the celestial bodies, all of it was performed by someone. This didn't seem to bother the inhabitants as they all saw this as their duty to their ruler, Princess Celestia.
Second, Magic only seemed prominent in Equestria. Where in this land no winds would blow the clouds, animals needed others to take care of themselves, and the seasons were brought into existence by these ponies. Outside Equestria's boarders everything seemed to work as it should. The clouds moved via the wind, animals took care of themselves, and seasons happened naturally. The only difference between Equestria and everything else was the heavy existence of magic. Magic, while existing outside the boarders, was rare. Ponies seemed to stay within the confines of Equestria while dragons, changelings, minotaurs, and other creatures inhabited the outside.
The magic in Equestria not only gave ponies the power over nature, it also gave sentience to almost every animal that lived in its confines. From the littlest mouse to the largest bear, every single one of them was given conscience. While outside the boarders animals were as they should be, food. They didn't cry out in fear or say that this was murder, which was a blessing to others consciences. This was probably why carnivorous behavior was prohibited inside the boarders of Equestria yet perfectly OK outside. Already I'd been reduced to sneaking fished from streams when Trixie wasn't looking to survive.
Thirdly was Technology. Technology inside the equines domain was severely limited, yet magic seemed to progress rapidly. Outside the domain technology seemed to be in the middle of an early industrial era, airships and railroads covering the skies and ground. Inventors and thinkers were treated as heroes and each new invention brought forth was sought after as if it were gold.
Finally there was Weapons. Weapons to ponies were spears and bows, which to them could take out any threat along side their magic. Sadly for the outsiders, they were evenly matched in the weapons department. Swords and bows being their primary weapons. Yet the difference between the two was that outsiders had the will to use weapons.
War in equestria was nonexistent, while outside everything from theft to murder took place every day. Ponies appeared too kind hearted and weak to raise the call of battle, while everyone else was willing to throw their lives away at any cause that caught their eye. in the past hundred years alone, five wars had erupted outside the lands.
Currently things were calm with the outside world, but I'd bet whatever I had that war would eventually erupt again in the next five years over some petty difference. And I'd bet everything again that Equestria would once again come out of the conflict unscratched, as it always did.
When you get down to it, Equestria should have been wiped off the map ages ago, destroyed between conflicts. Only the rulers kept the country alive, and seeing as they were eternal, Equestria would continue to live on, a paradise the rest of the would could only look in with longing looks as they tore each other to pieces.
'Not if I have anything to say about it.'
As I worked as Trixie's slave errand boy, I began to think over a few things. Philosophy states that everyone in the world had a destiny based on their character and what they did best. Ponies had it easy with what they called 'Cutie marks', a stupid name in my opinion but I digress. Every other creature had to go out and find what they were good at the old fashion'd way. If said person wasn't instantly good at it, then they moved on. This philosophy was the reason that outside of Equestria, unemployment rates were monstrously high.
But philosophy's throughout history have changed. From humans place in the universe to the question of there being a god or not, man has always sought out to answer the big questions. Which seemed to be a trate that was given to humans alone since no philosophers had come along yet to call bullshit on this idealism.
As the sun finally come over the horizon, well after the time it should have risen, I had a smile under my mask. As the sun rose, so too shall the creatures of this new world. A new age was coming to this world, and something told me that I would have to be Equestria's Reckoning.
End
A.N. I know I've kept you waiting, but I was working out the plot to this story so as to not disappoint you later on when I hit a writers block. Here's the next chapter of this story, which I started about a week ago and only just finished it. Now this is mostly just filler, but everything afterwords will hopefully be longer, better, and more important plot wise. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, keep goin and stay golden^^
