Login

Empty Heart, Full Heart

by CommissarAJ

Chapter 2: Ch. 2 - A Day was Lost

Previous Chapter

Chapter Two: A Day was Lost

Dawnflower...

There was a name I thought I had done away with a long time ago. While the ability to radically alter my appearance was nothing strenuous to a pony of my magical prowess, it was always easier to shift into and maintain a more familiar form than making one from scratch. I never enjoyed deception, but as Princess of Equestria it was sometimes the only option left to me when I needed to escape the obligations and responsibilities that came with the crown. For every moment of glory and there were a hundred nights sitting alone in my room with only letters and books to keep me company; a hundred instances where I felt cut off from my fellow ponies; chained by protocols and walled by expectations, I always felt like I was adrift in a sea of tapestry and uniforms.

The real Dawnflower lived and died more than a thousand years ago back when Equestria was half the size it was today, and I, a young Princess, was trying my hardest to bring together a world that had been torn asunder by Discord’s magic. It wasn’t an easy task; at best it felt like I was yelling at stone walls, and at worst, like I was beating my head against one. My newly-founded kingdom of Equestria was but one of many regional powers that sprung up in the power vacuum that followed Discord’s defeat. Putting Discord stone-locked body on display in my garden did help rally some followers to my cause, but it didn’t take long for ponies to forget the accomplishments of my sister and I. We learned the hard way that it took more than just removing chaos to bring harmony back to the land.

Everypony was looking to me for leadership, and I had to pretend I knew what I was doing.

**************************

One thousand years prior...

The years following Discord’s defeat were arguably more chaotic than during his reign. Chocolate may have not been falling from the sky, but without something so universally feared keeping the scores of ponies across the land in check, greed and ambition took hold. As few witnessed the downfall of the great Discord, even fewer believed that it was due to the actions of two young sisters and a relic known as the Elements of Harmony.

And if one were to step inside the castle at Canterlot, the seat of power of the new kingdom of Equestria, they would be even less inclined to believe that Celestia had anything to do with defeating the greatest evil ever known.

“What do you mean I shouldn’t use the word ‘I’ anymore?” the young Princess Celestia asked as she walked through the sun-lit halls of the castle. “It’s a nice word, and I’m hard-pressed to think of how I’d go about my life not using it. See? I just used it four times just now without even thinking about it.”

Alongside her was a bespectacled unicorn who carried along with him a large number of scrolls and ink pens. His name was Book Worm and his job as special advisor meant he was always running to the Princess with a new issue to bring up. “It’s not that you can’t use the word ‘I’ anymore, your Highness,” Book Worm explained as he swapped out the scroll that was hovering alongside him, “it’s just that it lacks a certain...leadership quality to it. You’re the ruler of Equestria, and you need to act like it.”

“Yes, because the castle, the guards, and the jewelry don’t scream that already,” Celestia replied with playful sarcasm. “Seriously, Book Worm, I don’t see why this is so important. I’m not the one that insisted on being made ruler of Equestria after Discord’s defeat.”

“But it is important. I’ve conduct polls and everything!”

“How in the world did you conduct a poll from the castle?” Celestia inquired as the two stopped in the middle of the hallway. “Is that why there were so many pigeons flapping through the hallways last week?”

The rotund little unicorn, at least compared to the much taller Princess, was trying to think of a convenient excuse to deflect the issue away from himself, but when he pulled out the next scroll, a couple of pigeon feathers fell out from it. From there he could only manage a sheepish grin. “B-back to the subject at hoof,” he stammered while adjusting his spectacles, “I’ve conducted a survey of the kingdom’s populace. It shows fifty-eight-point-eight percent of ponies are in favour of you adopting the use of the ‘Royal We.’”

“So in order to sound like a leader, I need to sound like an egoist?” the Princess quipped with a raised eyebrow.

“But it’s tradition.”

“If I recall correctly, Discord’s traditional means of addressing the public involved using a duck as a megaphone,” she reminded her advisor. Why anypony felt it necessary for her to address her subjects like she was some all-encompassing entity was beyond her, but she wasn’t going to blame the ponies who had lived under subjugation for so long. They wanted strong leadership, but she wasn’t sure if that’s what they needed. As the two continued on their way to the throne room, Celestia made up her mind on the matter. “The royal ‘we’ is an anachronism from an age where ponies were ruled over. I want to guide them to a better future, not control their lives.”

Their conversation paused for a brief second upon reaching the throne room. A pair of unicorn guards opened the door for them and a second later a loud trumpet announced the arrival. By the heavens, did Celestia wish they didn’t have to do that every time she stepped into the throne room. She was certain that the guards and numerous dignitaries waiting in the room would’ve noticed her arrival without the help of a brass section, and it would save her ears the strain. Out of politeness, the dignitaries held their ground and allowed the Princess to enter, but she knew that they would come swarming the second it appeared her business with Book Worm was concluded.

“If you won’t consider the royal ‘we,’ then could you at least speak a bit louder when addressing the public,” the advisor continued undaunted in his suggestions. He unfurled yet another scroll from his seemingly endless supply. “At least forty percent of respondents state that they have trouble hearing you during your weekly addresses.”

“Okay, now that is far more reasonable advice,” Celestia conceded with a smile. “If I didn’t know any better, Book Worm, I would suspect that you tossed me the ridiculous request first to make sure I agreed with you on what you really wanted.”

“You give me far too much credit,” Book Worm insisted. “How about I run the royal ‘we’ idea by your sister? She’s always been interested in taking up public speaking.”

“Fine, you do that,” Celestia waved him off. The idea of her little sister using the royal ‘we’ made the Princess chuckle quietly under her breath. Her little sister had always been eager to find a role in the expanding Equestria government, though her age and brashness made it hard for Celestia to find a suitable role outside of her duties as Princess of the Night. With Book Worm and his poll results finally gone, Celestia was soon swarmed by the legion of dignitaries and officers that had been waiting for her arrival. How they imagined she would be able to answer their requests when they all spoke at once was a mystery to her, but it was a chore that she did not want to indulge in.

Thankfully for the Princess, she caught sight of a familiar face nearby. The only pony not to mob her stood near the throne - a pegasus clad in a combination of colourful finery and heavy chainmail. She stood with a sort of quiet and patient dignity, as though she was above the idea of trying to vie for anyone’s attention.

“Captain Storm!” Celestia called out, which immediately silenced the crowds around her. Pushing the ponies aside like branches of a tree, the Princess strode over to the military pony and delivered a friendly slap on the back. “I’m surprised to see you back so soon. I thought the issue with the Crystal Empire would’ve taken longer.”

“I would hardly call a couple of scouts to be much of a border incursion, your Highness,” the pegasus replied with a hearty chuckle and a dismissive wave of her hoof. “You should’ve seen the look on their faces when they woke up to find their camp surrounded by a dozen soldiers.” It was always important to enjoy what you did for a living, but even then there were times where Celestia wondered if the zealous Captain of the Rainbow Guard, Pearlescent Storm, might’ve enjoyed her work a bit too much.

“I hope you didn’t have to hurt anypony,” Celestia commented with obvious inferences.

“Of course not,” the captain reassured her. “We gave them a stern lecturing and told them that if they wanted to know more about Equestria then they were free to send a written request to the Princess. Then we sat down for breakfast and sent them back to where they came from.” The problem with so many new nations rising up was that the boundaries between kingdoms could vary by several miles depending on the cartographer. It wasn’t uncommon to have scouting parties skirting along their borders, and while Celestia didn’t like military confrontations, Pearlescent insisted that a show of force was needed to ensure that nopony tried to encroach on their territories.

“Next time we find somebody wandering into our lands, how about we try inviting them over for tea instead of telling them to go home at spear point?” Celestia suggested as she trotted up to her throne. As much as she enjoyed talking to her friend, there was a kingdom that needed governing and it wasn’t going to wait on her.

“What is with you and always inviting ponies over for tea?” The two ponies shared a brief laugh while nearby dignitaries watched and wondered if there was some kind of joke that they were missing.

As the laughter died down, Celestia took a seat at her throne and rested back with a contented sigh. Good news from the captain was always a good sign that it would be a good day in Equestria, but at the same time it was unusual for the captain to deliver just good news in person. “I know you didn’t come here just to tell me about your run-in with the crystal ponies. Now what is it?”

Pearlescent rolled her eyes as the Princess forced her hoof. “We’ve got reports of activity in the Moonlight Kingdom to the east,” she explained, “and our border outposts are reporting potential dragon sightings out east as well.”

“Dragons and the Moonlight Kingdom?” Celestia repeated with a quizzical brow. “I thought you’d be delighted to hear that.”

“Happier than a pig in a feeding trough, your Highness, but I also know what you’re going to say next.”

They were getting too predictable at this, it seemed. They were predicting each others responses, which means they were soon going to be finishing each other’s sentences. “No, I’m not going to let you march the Rainbow Guard out to the eastern front.”

The iridescent-maned pony scowled at the response, if only by instinctual response. It was a natural for a military commander to be in a constant state of disagreement with a diplomatic-minded leader. Captain Storm always preferred the martial solution to any problem, while Celestia preferred to avoid it at all costs.

“You know the dragons nest in the mountains on our eastern borders,” Pearlescent argued, albeit in an extremely polite manner. “With the Nation of the S’Kaip Goats gone, there’s no buffer between us and the Moonlight Kingdom. Moonlight has been expanding in all directions over the past decade, and we’re the only neighbor left in the immediate area..”

Princess Celestia wished she could dismiss such an assertion as Pearlescent being paranoid, but the Moonlight Kingdom’s rapid expansion over the past months suggested otherwise. Since the Rainbow Guard captain wasn’t going to be satisfied with a strategy that amounted to ‘please knock before invading,’ Celestia tossed a small concession forward.

“Reinforce the border outposts, and I want three military operations drafted before the end of the day,” the Princess instructed. She didn’t want to unite the land by going to war, but she wasn’t going to be taken for a fool. It would also keep Pearlescent busy for the rest of the day and out of her mane. As much as they were friends, Captain Storm would keep bringing up the issue with the Moonlight Kingdom until the Princess relented.

The guard captain bowed her head respectfully and was about to head off when a familiar young filly came galloping into the throne room. “Sister!” she called out as she screeched to a halt in front of the throne. Neither Princess Celestia nor Captain Storm appeared surprised by Princess Luna’s sudden arrival; in fact, Storm just rolled her eyes. “I have just been informed. Is it true that we may be making contact with the Moonlight Kingdom soon?”

“If by contact you mean with spears, then yes,” Pearlescent deadpanned but was soon hushed by the elder sister. Thankfully, Pearlescent’s comments didn’t seem to dampen Luna’s apparent enthusiasm.

“Yes, we do suspect that the Moonlight Kingdom will become a central issue in the coming weeks,” Celestia explained in a way that avoided implying she was committed to any particular course of action just yet. “Since when have you been so keen on such political affairs?”

“I have always held interest; you and the others are the ones who keep snubbing from discussions. In fact, I want to lead a diplomatic mission to the Moonlight Kingdom,” Luna replied with the faintest hint of annoyance that was only subdued by her burgeoning excitement. “But I have heard such wonderful things about them. I have been told that they have a moonlight festival in the winter, and that they can see in the dark! Also, it is said that they are typically nocturnal.” One did not need to be a genius to see why Luna would have such a high opinion about such a nation, as if the Princess gleeful hops about the throne room did not make it obvious. Still, Celestia was worried about such an infatuation with an unknown kingdom with a history of hostile invasions, and she didn’t want to know where Luna was getting this information.

“And in case nopony has told you, your Highness,” Pearlescent spoke up once more with mounting contempt, “that same kingdom you are so fond of just recently annexed our goat neighbors. Clearly you do not recognize the gravity of the situation we’re in.”

“I am aware that we’re presented with an opportunity to open diplomatic ties with a powerful nation,” Luna shot back. Pearlescent’s informal approach may been okay with Celestia, but Luna interpreted it as a sign of a disrespect. “We could learn much from these Moonlight ponies. That’s why we should-”

“Sister, please!” Celestia interrupted before an argument broke out. “Captain Storm is merely expressing her concern over our nation’s security.”

“So you’re taking her side? Oh, what a surprise!” Luna snapped. “You never take anything I say seriously!”

Now Luna was trying to pick an argument with Celestia, and the elder sister was not in the mood to try and downplay her sister’s feelings of neglect. She couldn’t pander to Luna every time the captain held a different opinion. “This is not that simple, Luna,” Celestia tried to reason.

“They’re our neighbors so let’s just go talk to them. How could that not be any simpler?” Luna presented a salient point, but it wasn’t as simply as just knocking on the door of their castle and asking to speaking the Lord of the house. Even just walking into their territory could be seen as a hostile incursion. Supposedly the goat nation was met with open hostility when they attempted diplomacy, but invasions had a way of warping the truth by the time it reached one’s ears.

“The goats tried that,” Pearlescent scoffed. “I hear they sent the messenger’s head back on a platter.” Celestia wasn’t certain about the veracity of that claim either.

“But Celestia! You of all ponies know the importance of diplomacy,” Luna said as her angry rhetoric turned into more of a whine. “Please! Let me have this, just this one time! Oh please, oh please, oh please!” The younger sister was utilizing the most potent weapon in her arsenal, as no amount of training or experience could protect Celestia against the sight of her sister begging.

Thankfully, the guard captain was inoculated against such tactics. “Princess Celestia, would you please tell your sister to stop acting like a child and allow the grown-ups to do their job!”

As it turned out, being called a child was one of those things that Princess Luna did not tolerate too well. Before Celestia even had a chance to defend her sister, a fuming princess stomped her hooves in outrage. “I will show you who is a child!”

“Luna, wait!” Celestia called out. Alas, her words fell upon deaf ears as the other princess stormed out of the throne room. “That could’ve been handled better,” she sighed afterwards.

“She needs to understand her role in the kingdom,” Pearlescent scoffed as she began to trot off in order to attend to her own duties. “This isn’t like the old days where the two of you can just run off and fix every problem on your own.”

“No...no, I suppose that time has passed.” Celestia couldn’t help but feel a small pang of envy at her sister’s passion. She remembered when she felt a similar strong calling when first seeing Discord’s tyranny over the ponies of the world. When did she become so passive in her rule? When did delegating tasks become her life? A few years ago, Celestia would’ve been out the door en route to the Moonlight Kingdom before Pearlescent even had time to voice a protest. She could only hope that Luna would exercise some restraint.

**************************

“So let me get this straight - Luna went out for a stroll, in full gear, and not only did nopony bother to stop her, but nopony even asked where she was going?” Unbeknownst even to Celestia, her voice had risen in volume by the time she finished her sentence to the point where Book Worm was almost cowering behind his bundle of scrolls.

“Y-yes, your Highness, that is an excellent summary,” Book Worm replied. Celestia had only just finished raising the sun when delivered the news, and there were few things as discouraging as getting bad news before your morning tea. It was also one of the easiest ways to make the Princess cranky. “C-Captain Storm has already s-sent out search parties.”

With a dismissive wave of her hoof, the Princess sent Book Worm on his way. “Well that was fast,” Celestia muttered under her breath. In fact, the only thing that was surprising about this situation was that she hadn’t been more prepared for it. Were the roles reversed, Celestia would’ve done the exact same thing, and probably would not have waited as long as Luna had. The only question now was what she going to do about her little sister. Celestia had half a mind to just tell Pearlescent to track the errant Princess down and drag her back by the tail, but that would only make things worse. The last thing she needed was to make it seem like both she and Captain Storm were Luna’s enemies. Princess Celestia concluded there was only one way to fix this mess, and that was to get Luna herself.

But Captain Storm would never let her just run off on a wild chase. Celestia wouldn’t even make it as far as the outer wall before somepony saw her and reported her to the captain. Once Pearlescent caught wind, it’d be ten, maybe fifteen, minutes tops before the Guard Captain caught up and dragged her back to the castle. In retrospect, making the fastest pegasus in Cloudsdale with the longest record of bucking the chain of command her ranking military officer might not have been the wisest decision of her political career. Like many of her decisions, it seemed like a good idea at the time to have a guard who was more concerned with their duty than politicking.

“I can’t just sit here and do nothing,” Celestia mumbled as she paced about her room. She did have the authority to override Pearlescent, but she suspected that the guard captain wouldn’t hesitate to subdue her ‘in order to protect her from herself.’ At any other time, Celestia would’ve applauded such dedication, but now it was just going to get in her way. After several minutes of pacing failed to help, she trotted back to her bed and laid down. “Pearl would just tell me to be patient and let the guards handle it.”

An idea suddenly flashed to mind. Pearlescent would stop the Princess from joining the search, but she wouldn’t stop another guard going on Celestia’s behalf. Hopping from her bed, the Princess opened her bedroom door to see who had been assigned guard duty for that day. Fate was smiling upon her as a young unicorn mare was standing watch outside of the door.

“Excuse me, could you come inside for a second? I need to have a word with you,” Celestia spoke.

Not expecting to be addressed so suddenly by the Princess, the guard was actually startled by the summon. “Y-yes, your Highness,” she stammered in response before following Celestia inside. “Is there something I can help you with?”

“Yes,” Celestia began. “I need you to take off all your clothes.”

“M-my clothes?” the guard repeated.

“Are you questioning my orders, guardpony?” Celestia shot a stern glare back at the guard.

“No, your Highness!” With all the speed and precision the Princess expected from a pony of the Rainbow Guard, the unicorn had her entire uniform off and in a neat pile at her hooves within a matter of minutes.

“By the way, guardpony, what you are about to witness is not to be mentioned outside these four walls,” the Princess warned as she began to levitate the various items of armour and clothe. She began to focus her magic, creating a brilliant golden aura around her body. The light from the aura continued to intensify to the point where the guardpony had to avert her eyes to keep from being blinded. When the light dimmed, a copy of the guardpony now stood where the Princess once had. The only difference between them was that the copy was now wearing the guardpony’s armour.

“M-may I ask what this about, your Highness?” the guard asked with a cautious tone.

“I am going to be you for a few days,” Celestia explained as she took a moment to adjust her helmet. “I just need to head for a while without anypony bothering me. In the meantime, you will stay in here and lock the doors. If anypony comes looking for me, tell them that I am not granting any audiences and that any state matters can be brought to Book Worm’s attention. Oh, and when the servants come around, feel free to order whatever food you’d like.”

“Um...a-as you wish, your Highness,” the guard replied. It was clear that the guard was still in a bit of a shock, but the promise of being able to rest, relax, and take advantage of the Princess’ personal chefs made for an enticing offer.

“Try not to make a mess, but otherwise feel free to make yourself at home,” the new guardpony explained as she trotted for the door. “Oh, and before I forget to ask, what is your name?”

“Dawnflower.”

**************************

A long and exhausting day scouring across the lengths of Equestria had turn up little for Princess Celestia. In hindsight, taking the appearance of a unicorn might not have been the wisest idea since the armour prevented her from enabling the use of her wings again. The occasional overpass of patrolling pegasus guards made her reluctant to drop the disguise either, lest she risk Pearlescent crashing down from the sky in a storm of thunder and rainbows. With those limitations, Celestia was forced to travel by foot like the humble soldier she was disguised at. On the bright side, or so Celestia kept telling herself, the exercise could do her good. It has felt like the past few years have been spent sitting around eating cake with the only gains being the size of her royal tush.

Knowing Luna, the impertinent little princess would be making her way towards the Moonlight Kingdom so that meant heading east. Since traveling in the open would’ve made Luna easy to find, then the canopy of the woodlands made for the most logical place to search. That meant an even longer and more tiring search through the forests.

Her once-brilliant planned seemed more and more foolish as daylight dwindled. By the time the sun was beginning its descent, Celestia had probably covered only a quarter of the forest. By her estimate, she was somewhere east by slight northeast of Canterlot in a stretch of woodlands that straddled the new boundary Equestrian and the Moonlight Kingdom. The cartographers labelled it as the Hollow Shades due to the thick canopy that made even midday feel like dusk. Were it not for Celestia keeping track of time in her mind, she could’ve sworn night had fallen already. The air was crisp and cool to the touch, which had originally been a welcome relief from the midday heat, but now Celestia knew that it would only serve to sap her energy during the long night.

Still, she could think of worse places to be forced to spend the night. While most forests went to sleep with the rest of the world at night, the Hollow Shades seemed more lively as the temperature dropped. Swarms of fireflies danced above the nearby streams while bats and other nocturnal creatures stalked through the treetops. It was not even as dark as the hour would predict as the local fauna was speckled with white flower and rotund fungi that possessed a faint blue phosphorescence. Were she not in such a hurry, she would’ve taken the time to admire the forest’s serenity. She hoped that Luna had passed through this forest, and not just because it meant she was on the right track.

However, the tranquility of the forest was disturbed when she heard faint voices in the distance. There were no roads leading through the Hollow Shades so chances were she was not hearing the casual chatter of some random travellers. Using a heavily wooded section of the forest to mask her approach, Celestia stalked towards the source of the chatter. Soon she could hear a bubbling creek and the voices became clearer. She could make out two distinct voices conversing.

“You sure this is wise, Sombra?” one of the voices spoke. It was a sharp, cutting tone - the voice of confidence and authority. “Shackles are no way to treat a young maiden”

“One would think the hoofprint on your forehead would be a good indication of my wisdom,” a second voice, softer and more refined, replied. “Perhaps if she had kicked lower, I would no longer have to worry about you trying to play chivalrous knight around fair maidens.” The light-hearted chuckle that followed suggested this was more of a joke between comrades than an insult between superior and subordinate.

“She was...deceptively strong.”

“And here I had worried that this Equestrian Princess was just another teetotaling dainty.”

Celestia hastened her pace when she caught the word ‘Princess’ in the conversation. Unless some other unfortunate kingdom had a runaway princess, they had to be talking about Luna. She finally tracked the source down and came across a pair of ponies standing along the edge of a small creek bed.

“I will see to our guest.” The first voice had belonged to a well-armoured pegasus. He was, however, unlike any pegasus Celestia had seen before. Instead of feathered wings, his were thin and leathery like a bat. Overlaying a slate-gray coat was a full suit of armour composed of black metal plates that glistened like obsidian. They matched the description of the ‘black armoured soldiers’ she had been given in Pearlescent’s numerous reports on the potential threat.

“Keep your head down this time,” the second pony replied. Much like how the pegasus knight was unlike the ones Celestia was familiar with, the unicorn was equally unique. Rather than a simple straight, spiraled horn like most unicorns possessed, his was sleek with a slight upward curve that reminded Celestia more of a fang than anything else. Like the knight he possessed a slate-like coat, but the only thing he wore was a simple blue cloak that draped across his slender frame.

As the knight left, Celestia lingered in her hiding spot and continued watching the unicorn. He did not follow the knight, and instead remained as his spot on the creek bed as though he were enjoying the tranquility. When he lowered his face down to take a drink, Celestia saw her opportunity to make her approach. Upon quenching his thirst, the gray unicorn lifted his head only to discover he was now staring down the tip of a spear.

“Well, this is interesting,” he said without inflection. His crimson eyes locked with the disguised Princess, and she could see no fear in them. If he did feel threatened, he did not display it; rather, he appeared almost unconcerned by the gold-armoured soldier before him as he casually brushed his dark mane back with a free hoof.

“You will release Princess Luna to me at once,” Celestia demanded.

“A bold move to make demands of me,” the unicorn replied with a slight smirk. “Unless, of course, you don’t even know who I even am.” He paused for a second and just stared at the disguised princess with a scrutinizing gaze. “No, I don’t think you do. I think you should leave before you do something you’ll regret.”

“You’re in a rather dubious position to be making demands.” Celestia suspected he was trying to psyche her out. She pressed the spear closer to assert her position. “Give me the Princess!”

“Or you’ll what? Stab me?” The unicorn made a daring move to lean in towards the spear. Had Celestia not pulled it back when he did, he likely would’ve stabbed himself in the process. “I take it you’ve never killed before? You don’t have the look of a warrior in your eyes.” Now he was calling her bluff, which would work if Celestia didn’t come up with a new plan.

While the Princess would admit that she was hesitant to kill in almost any circumstance, the application of a bit of force was not unreasonable. Celestia decided to knock the smug little smirk off his face by smashing the back-end of her spear into the side of his face. It was harsh, yes, but there were few lengths she could not go to in order to rescue her sister. The unicorn went down easy enough, which gave her impression that this pony was all bark but no bite. Perhaps this would be easier than she had imagined.

“I won’t ask you again,” Celestia warned.

The unicorn seemed more pleased than anything else. He chuckled under his breath before wiping away a small trickle of blood from the corner of his lip. “Then show me how much you want it,” he said. Celestia didn’t have time to contemplate on those words as the stallion struck with two powerful kicks that knocked out her hind legs.

Celestia fell to a half-sprawl, using her fore legs to keep herself from toppling over completely. It was a momentary victory, however, as Sombra rose up with a lunge as he tried to drive his horn into the Princess’ side. A last-second twist put armour between the horn and her side, but the impact still knocked Celestia into the water. She cursed her idiocy of underestimating her opponent; she had the upper hoof and she got careless. She could practically hear Pearlescent chastising her for such a folly.

Grabbing her spear once more, Celestia scampered back to her hooves with a few quick thrusts to make sure that her foe did not get any ideas about coming closer. He appeared to be willing to give her space, though she thought it odd that he hadn’t used the opportunity to run or call for help. Perhaps they were both being foolish today. What he did do, however, was unhook his cloak and keep it levitated by his side.

“A spear versus a cape? Perhaps you might want to reconsider,” Celestia said with the hopes that he would see reason and yield.

“If you think yourself mighty, then attack.” It was almost as if he was taunting her by the manner in which he held his cape to the side. Like a matador, it looked as though he wanted her to strike, but Celestia was still reluctant to use deadly force.

Her eyes darted about the landscape looking for an alternative and her gaze soon fell upon a few rocks at her hoof. “Perhaps I will,” she replied before using a hoof to kick a small rock into the air. A quick swing of her spear sent the stone flying towards her foe.

Yet even her speed did not catch him off-guard. The cape quickly intercepted the rock, catching it like a giant net. He then twisted the fabric around the weight until he had an impromptu flail now at his disposal. Celestia wasn’t even given enough time to act surprised as the weight-cape was now swung towards her head. Instinctively, she raised her spear to block, but that only caused the rock-and-cape to wrap itself around the shaft. One sharp tug later and the spear had been wrested from her grasp.

“Don’t suppose I could convince you to stop this foolishness?” he quipped as he now brandished the spear.

“Rescuing the Princess is my only prerogative,” Celestia replied in a stubborn defiance, “and any pony who stands in my way will be dealt with.”

The stallion relaxed his posture all of a sudden as a new inquisitive look fell upon him. “Perhaps you can be of use after all,” he said as he suddenly tossed the spear back to Celestia. He couldn’t help but chuckle upon seeing the Princess’ stunned expression. “Your Princess is not being held prisoner, she is being detained for her own safety.”

“What do you mean by that?” Celestia didn’t hesitate to retake her spear, but she was beginning to think that this stallion did not pose as much a threat to her as she had originally thought. “Is she in danger?”

“She has fallen gravely ill, and has been mad with delirium,” he explained. “We believe she was poisoned by a predator that stalks these forests. If you truly wish to help your Princess, then you will assist me in tracking down this creature so that we can brew an antivenom.”

“How do I know this is not some kind of trick?” Though her first instinct was that of concern for the well-being of her sister, the Princess had to keep her reaction in check. He could very well just be misleading her in order to buy himself time or lull her into a false sense of security. The risk of deception would have been even greater if he knew who he was dealing with, and Celestia did not want to reveal more than she needed to him.

“You are free to believe what you wish,” the stallion said with an indifferent shrug. “It will not change the fact that the Princess will likely not make it through the night without an antivenom.”

**************************

I had no reason to believe him, but beyond my own preconceptions, which had just led me into a fight with an unarmed pony, I had no reason to believe he was lying either. When it came to the safety and well-being of my sister, the risk was too great to ignore. I had to put my trust in him.

If I had known what I was getting myself into, I would have revealed my true self to him right then and there, but at the time I was still operating under a certain degree of suspicion. He held considerable power over me and I did not want to reveal my trump card just yet. Besides, how was I know who Sombra was back then? At the time, all I saw before me was a cunning and strong-willed unicorn.

But I was a young mare, equal parts daring and fool-hearted, and I thought I could challenge anything the world could throw at me. How could I have known what the forests held for me?

Return to Story Description

Login

Facebook
Login with
Facebook:
FiMFetch