It was later that evening, the lamps on the streets of the Emerald District lighting up in preparation for nightfall. There were a few ponies about, mostly guardponies, since the recent Diamond Dog raid...

Which meant that Skyward blended in to some extent.

The Haylian unicorn had gone for a walk after having spoken to Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor. Her mind drifted back to the conversation that she had with them before she had decided to go for a walk...

(Flashback)
Directly after the battle, Cadence closed the doors to the royal couple's personal chambers behind herself as she approached the settee where her husband was already sitting. Across from them, Skyward was settled on another, still clad in full armor, her shield leaning against the settee's edge as she regarded them.

"Mine blade and magic is thine to command whilst we art here in thine lands, if thou wish it, Your Highnesses,” Skyward spoke up, facing Princess Cadence and Shining Armor squarely. Shining Armor regarded her—he knew she was a strong fighter—never mind her duel with Prince Blueblood, he’d also read that letter Celestia had sent his wife, and from the reports he’d gotten from some of his soldiers...

He exchanged a look with Cadence, who nodded her head, and he nodded at the bluesteel unicorn mare.

“Very well, Skyward.”

Skyward saluted him before she put her helm on her head. She checked her sword, testing the edge before she nodded. She turned and stood tall, waiting for orders.

Shining nodded his head at her before beckoning to her. “Now, from what I saw and the reports from a couple of soldiers…you’re bucking good at fighting. You killed ten Diamond Dogs but you were focused on rescuing the ponies that were being taken away in nets.”

Skyward scowled. “That sight hit too close to home, Your Highness—one hath seen that happen, and not all could be recovered sometimes. Innocent lives were at stake—the greenlings seem to think battle is glorious, but in truth, ‘tis not. War is no game—lives are priceless and cannot be replaced if lost.”

She stomped an armored hoof against the floor with a sharp bam, gritting her teeth. “The Diamond Dogs wilt pay in blood if they dare try foalnapping anymore ponies---this, one shalt make damned sure of!”

Cadence regarded her. “I don’t suppose you’d be up to teaching some of those attack spells to our troops?”

Skyward looked startled, and Cadence quickly elaborated. “From what Twilight has told me, I know you were from an early age raised to fight, Skyward—you know spells that are quick on the shot. Your training gave you an edge—a serious one we’re going to need. They got a taste of what we’re capable of, and they are also terrified of you.”

Skyward arched an eyebrow, and the Princess of Love continued. “That Diamond Dog you were about to slay was the son of their pack leader—he knows you would have killed him if Shining hadn’t stopped you to deliver his warning.”

Skyward regarded them before she slowly nodded her head. “Very well. But mind. These spells are NOT to be used unless thou art in a full-scale battle—using them for fun garnered twenty lashes if somepony was caught using them to prank others. These spells are deadly—Blood Boil, for one…Dance of Blades is another.”

Shining looked curious. “Now why didn’t you use those?”

The Haylian mare looked at him. “Because one didst not wish to scar one’s allies with fear as well—those spells can be quite…nauseating to watch when they are used, and Dance of Blades requires a radius of five feet away from the target, lest the spell catch allies in its deadly grasp.”

Shining Armor rubbed a hoof against his chin. "If that's the case, can you write down a list of spells and then demonstrate them for us? Then we can perhaps start training with them on dummies."

"Assuredly, Your Highness. But, thou may wish to consult with thine royal wife's relatives before one can do anything. One believes thou knowest why..."

(End Flashback)

After all of that, she had been dismissed so the royals could compose a letter to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna concerning Crystal Empire troops learning certain spells. The Haylian mare glanced over, seeing Crystal Ponies meandering about, trying to rebuild despite the devastation. She aided a couple with a young foal in clearing out stone from their doorway, and smiled kindly at their thanks, nuzzling the foal who scampered up to her and squealed about how pretty her armor was.

Chuckling as she went on her way, she wandered into the main area--which was deserted, save for a few guards. She sat by the fountain in the center, peering into the pool and

"...help..."

Skyward's ears twitched toward the sound, and she turned her head, frowning. Was that...?

"...help me...please..."

The voice was faint, but it was clear--it sounded like a foal's voice! Was there a youngling trapped somewhere and the guards could not hear them? She got up, crossing to where she was hearing the foal, and called out in reply.

"Little one, where art thou? Answer me!"

"...help me....help me!"

Skyward cantered over to the furthest western corner of the plaza, seeking the foal, which sounded frantic by this point. There were fewer guards now--they were likely changing from day shift to night shift. But she paid no mind to that as she looked about for the foal she had heard.

Skyward crossed to the corner, where she had heard the voice. She rounded the corner, but saw nothing. Puzzled, she turned around—had the foal ran off somewhere?

But the second her back was turned, a pair of slim hooves suddenly snaked around her from behind, one of them pressing a cloth to her nostrils and mouth. She fought the grip, unconsciously inhaling the strange scent coming from the cloth itself…

The sky was the last thing she saw before her vision fuzzed out and went completely dark.

(Undetermined time later…)

“Wakey wakey, pretty filly! Time to get up!”

If not the annoying, high pitched falsetto, the splash of cold water was what did it—coughing and sputtering, Skyward was jolted out of her impromptu slumber. She muttered curses as she wiped the water out of her eyes—

Or tried to.

Groggy from being awoken so rudely, she found she couldn’t move, and when she looked down, she found out why. Her legs were bound with strong rope, tied in sailor’s knots! She scowled, lighting her horn to make swift work of them…

Magic surged—only for her to feel as if her magic was being held back by something…and panic shot through her when she realized…

“Ah ah ah—can’t have you using magic now. Sorry I couldn’t get you a ring that matched your coat, cutie.”

Skyward’s lips thinned as things became clear—she had been foalnapped, and she knew exactly who had done so. As her sight came into focus, adrenaline chasing away the last of her artificially imposed sleep, her royal blue eyes bored holes into the pale orange Crystal Pony standing before her, just out of her reach. She also saw now she was without her armor, her shield and sword were missing, and she could feel the metal ring on her horn.

But, this was no ordinary ring—it was a magic suppressor for unicorns who misused their magic or for criminals. She was also tied to the wall with a strong piece of rope—he was weak by Earth Pony standards, but she knew his true weapon was his mind.

And that just made him even more dangerous.

He fidgeted as he stood before her, a regretful expression on his muzzle.

“I’m so sorry for treating you like this. But…come on! The way you talk, the armor you wear—and the shield you were holding! That is your shield, isn’t it?!”

Skyward’s eyes burned with royal blue rage—she said nothing; she would give this traitor nothing, by Din’s burning eyes! He put his muzzle close to hers—his breath smelled like old pizza and something else she didn’t want to think about—she snapped at him, trying to latch her teeth into him; but he pulled back before she could bite him proper. He jumped back, and pouted at her childishly.

“Oh come on! I know it’s your shield! I saw you use it on those Diamond Dogs! The swordplay, the way you fought—it’s like Time Link himself taught you!”

(Damnation—he doth not know how close to the truth he is—Princess Zelda trained me like mine own ancestor Time Link, but only to an extent!)

Skyward merely turned her head in defiance, and he stomped a hoof in frustration. “So, you’re gonna give me the silent treatment, huh?”

“Let me go or thou wilt suffer a fate worse than death,” she hissed at him, and he snorted. “You? You’re tied to the wall, I’ve got your magic stifled, and nopony knows where you are. Honey, face it…I’ve got you good.”

She snorted at him and curled into a ball—and let out a yelp when he kicked her. The burning hatred and rage in her royal blue eyes made him flinch back, and he scowled. “Fine. We’ll see how a day without food works, and if you tell me what I want to know, I’ll feed you.”

Coldly she curled in around herself again, laying back her ears, but all the while she kept staring at him—with no small amount of rage and contempt in her eyes.

“Don’t look at me like that! If you had been more forthcoming when I asked you stuff, this wouldn’t be necessary!”

She scoffed, merely turning her head away—and cried out when he kicked her barrel again, hard—she gasped for breath; that was going to leave a bruise for sure. “Look at me when I’m talking to you!”

She turned and spit at him—her saliva landed right on his muzzle, and she bared her teeth at him. “By Luna’s moon, thou shalt pay for this, ye limp-dicked gelding,” she snarled. He slapped her with one hoof and she tasted blood on her tongue, pain exploding on the left side of her muzzle.

“Watch your mouth, Skyward—is that even your name? Is your name Skyward Sword!?”

Once again, she was silent, and he roared in fury as he reared up and slammed his hooves into her ribcage. She screamed in pain as she felt a rib crack—he kept up his assault, his hooves crashing into her again and again—and she could do nothing to fight back. She managed to get a bite or two in, but he retaliated by repeatedly slapping her muzzle. Despite her best efforts, Skyward cried in agony as the beating continued, blood flying from her mouth mixed with spittle—it hurt to breathe, she knew he’d cracked two ribs at least, and her barrel ached abominably.

He gasped for breath when he backed off, glaring down at her with impotent rage, his hooves tipped with her blood as she lay there on the floor of his basement, covered in her own blood and bruises forming on her muzzle and her barrel.

“I’m gonna give you a day to wise up—the longer you don’t answer me, the longer you go without food. Talk back to me again and I’ll belt you so hard, I’ll, I’ll…”

“Or thou wilt do what,” she managed to sneer at him, and he cuffed her again, snarling incoherently as he stomped back upstairs and slammed the door. Skyward spit after him in defiance, then curled up, whimpering in pain as the full force of her agony seared through her body. She glanced around for something, anything she could use...

She was in the clutches of a madpony, and she had to find a way out.

If she didn't...

She didn't even want to consider what would happen if she failed to escape.