III

I suddenly felt an overwhelming sensation of dread standing in front of the dark wooden door. The gateway which lead to what once had been my sanctuary felt foreign to me. Despite having convinced myself that earlier events were the concoctions of an exhausted state of mind. I could not shake the overwhelming apprehension that wrestled against my more solid judgment. The nagging uncertainty was a powerful agent.

The hallucinations of my childhood had begun to re-establish a foothold in my psyche. I attributed their resurfacing as the side-effect of my lack of study. I was not occupying my mind as strongly since undertaking the task of unraveling my father's correspondence. My overactive imagination was beginning to get the best of me. I was tempted to imbibe the foul tasting liquid that I kept in my chambers. It would give me some respite from these troublesome visions but the opiates I had been prescribed were a last resort. I wished to remain lucid if I was to uncover what my sire spoke of.

My moment of hesitation vanished. A sudden unearthly strength poured from the void of my being. I cannot easily describe the euphoric feeling which coursed through me. The calming wave of opiates could not equal the warmth which traveled through my body. I opened the door.

The flaming wicks lining the spiral staircase leaned towards me. Straining against their bondage as the library breathed in the air of the manor. The flames seemed to dance in anticipation of my entrance. I may have imagined it, but the sizzling burn of the candles prickled in my ears. My hooves echoing on the stone staircase only bolstered my renewed constitution.

Approaching my desk I sparked the lantern to life. The bright flame cast elongated shadows from the furniture around me. A resounding crunch under my hoof revealed the splintered remains of the wooden box. Its shattered chips were strewn across the stone tile as if it were thrown to the floor in a furious rage. My curiosity should have piqued, yet the alien fortitude in me emboldened my crusade.

I continued down the rows of shelves towards the shadowed bend leading to my father's study. The door was located on the far left wall at the end of the cavernous library. As a foal, I always had a strong curiosity of the forbidden room. What child wouldn't wish to uncover a secret? The thought of finding a unique text or incantation was one of the few anxious pleasures I had as a child. I was startled out of this memory as the intricate engravings on the obelisks appeared to slither. Oceanic amphibians, dragons, and beats of yore all wavering as if alive. I brushed it off as a trick of the light and continued down the corridor.

The sound of a chiming clock bellowed throughout the stone repository, intermittently ringing out against the foundation. The depth of the toll was similar to that of Celestia's bell that sat high in Canterlot Castles belfry. How foolish these thoughts were. I turned back and inspected the standing clock. It was motionless and soundless. The thin cast hands sat patiently on 6:10. The chime came again, the clock was innocent of the din. This toll came from all around me, reverberating a deep wave off the chiseled walls. I felt as if the breath was being knocked from my lungs.

My mouth became dry. I ran my tongue across my palette, it felt sandy and rough. Images of a hidden oasis, deep under the desert flashed through my mind. Its lush greenery surrounded still waters, pure and clean. Such a sight would humble the most hardened of stallions.

A ghastly shriek arose from the staircase. Once again, followed by the the thunderous echo of hooves against the solid rock. My body froze as the lanterns flame was snuffed out. Despite my intent focus on a lively spark, the braided strip refused to reignite. The luminous glow of the surrounding candelabrum's vanished. The olfactory scent of stifled wicks flushed into my nostrils. The sudden absence of light left me a blinded animal amongst the ghostly words of the past. I started to feel the familiar grip of despair as the suffocating darkness enveloped me. I concentrated on a spell of radiance. As I began to utter the spell, a sudden wave of calm washed over my mind, placating my efforts. My words fail me even now. I can only retrospectively describe this sense of security as a false, unwarranted intrusion. Unnatural and foul.

Again the ghastly wail echoed throughout the canals of the library. My heart wished to flee, yet my mind and body were at an impasse. The stones of the ancient foundation began to shudder around me. The bellowing chimes and boisterous quake overpowered the beat of my heart inside my head. Plumes of dust and silt reached out at me. Grasping like clawed appendages, angry from disturbing their eons of repose. The calm of my mind was at once replaced with a villainous sense of violation. The sickening impression of intrusion sent my psyche into a frenzied defense. A bulwark of pure will rallied inside my baser matter to fend off the intruder as I searched for the elusive incantation of radiance.

My nostrils began to fill with the most unsettling odor of a fetid millpond. My eyes shot open as I felt the muscles of my crest contract. An unseen grip tightened itself upon my neck. A violent, unworldly howl came from behind me. On that clamor, my mind was released from its bondage. The sudden clarity caused the spell to burst forth without restraint.

I had never been strong when it came to conjuration magics. As I have mentioned too you before, I possessed only an amateur's level of magical capacity. But the sudden intrusion in my mind unlocked a hidden strength in me. I felt a swell of heat as I became blinded by the vibrancy of the spell. My lungs burned, filling deeply with the acrid bouquet of smoke. My vision swam as a dizzying array of colored lights spotted my sight as the world came back into focus. The library burned from the careless violence of my casting.

I could barely stay afoot as the shifting foundation intensified. Enormous slabs of obsidian stone fell on the burning jewels of venerable scholars long forgotten. My eyes stung as tears streamed down my cheeks. The sight of my world reducing itself to ash struck to the very heart of me, I felt such intense anguish. I never believed I was capable of such a feeling. Not even the passing of my guardians raised such a sudden outpouring of emotion. The resurgence of the slithering intrusion caused the volcano in my void to erupt. I would not allow the perversion to take hold of me again.

A shriek of anger erupted through the howl of the roaring inferno. I ran in a cantering flight of panic through the burning corridors. Vines of flame reached out around me, their blazing tendrils flared in a macabre dance as I fled. The tiled floors began to crumble, clattering under my hooves like dominoes. Sounding like a hissing rattle on the tail of a serpent as I charged towards the end of the canals with a frenzied lunge in my gait. The squealing howl rang in my ears, the pain would have once brought me to my knees. If not for the adrenaline fueling my flight, I may have not been long for life. I felt as if the howling entity was upon me regardless of the chasm being torn under me. Rounding the corner I could see the monolithic door of my father's study against the far wall. It was in reach.

I cried out in desperation as every galloping stride seemed to pull the door further from me. The hall was looping, stretching through infinity as if standing betwixt two mirrors. My mind clouded as fatigue began to overwhelm me. A stiffness grew in my bones, I could no longer struggle against the inevitable. Gasping for breath as the smoke began to choke the life from my body, I fell.

The fires of my world vanished as I plunged into the void below. The feeling of free fall into the depths of Tartarus was a welcome wave of relief. I twisted around to see the gaping hole falling away from me. The debris of my sanctuary fell all around me like a starlight meteor shower. I realized that I was beginning to fall slower as the flaming debris charged towards me. In a matter of seconds, I came to a complete halt. Fiery particles of varying size cascaded about my frame on all sides. The frigid sensation of ice coiled around my body. Its sudden cold stifled any cry I could muster from my torrid lungs. I was held aloft in an abyssal trench by an unknown entity. I struggled against my frozen bonds which proved a fruitless attempt at defiance.

A punishing strangulation began to bear against my exhausted frame, I could not abstain. Despite the bastion of my will, my body was weak. I surrendered to this nefarious intruder. Inside my mind came an otherworldly voice repeating the words.Destiny. Destiny. Destiny.

I writhed inside the frozen bonds as the voice became louder. A cruel pressure grew behind the globes of my eyes on every utterance of this declaration. A discordant scream escaped my muzzle as Incorporeal claws bore deeply into my hide. My battered body was becoming undone. The brass key started to levitate, trying to pull away as a crystal materialized above me. A deep amber glow pulsated from its core as the key strained towards it. The scored chain began to cut into my flesh as it strained towards the crystal. Stretched and confined, I was lost. I felt the life begin to flow from my being. Destiny. Destiny. Destiny. Came the voice with incessant certainty. Its torrent I could no longer endure as my world faded.

My mother once told me that our dreams had some substance in reality as we know it. They could reveal hidden truths, or in extraordinary cases; stand upon the precipice of premonition. Yet dreams, even nightmares, could never venture through the subconscious and mar the flesh. When I was a foal, I would often have fanciful dreams of another life. I was a sorcerer, a creator, a god. Pegasus and Earth Pony alike would fear me. Yet in the end, I would always meet my fate in the beams of a dazzling light. I would tell mother about these dreams. She would simply caress my mane and claim that nothing of this world or beyond would ever cause me any violation. These times were one of the few moments of affection I can recall. How she could even fathom what haunted me as a foal, I never understood. The dismissal of my dreams containing any hidden truth were quietly hushed by my matron.

Rays of the late morning sun drifted through the windows. I awoke, cowering on the floor of my chambers. A vicious sting radiated behind my eyes as the familiar surroundings of my sparsely furnished room came into focus. The only purpose this room served me was to closet my wardrobe and bedstead. The mattress was pristine from many nights of disuse. I had always found the chaise within the library a more suitable berth during times of intense study.

Surreal imagery haunted my senses as I struggled to regain my bearings. Bracing myself against the edge of the basin I pulled myself up. I was trembling, parched and famished. My body and mind had fallen prey to neglect since the inception of this mystery. The vision of the horrors which plagued me began to fade from my minds eye. The clear water in my basin looked like an oasis to me. I sated my thirst in a most boorish display.

I looked into the mirror. Bloodshot eyes and remnants of tears were cut on fine fur of my cheeks. My coat was clammy with sweat and my mane in wild disarray. I was a wretched mess. No longer was I the picture of a Unicorn noble. I had reverted to the forgotten foal. Crying in a pool of tears from the subconsciously created visions of a haunted world. The only consolation I had was the knowledge that my library, my sanctuary, the only world I have ever known. Was spared any real destruction.

My eyes were drawn to the chain which rested in the raw line of my hide. The blue sapphire wreathed in the coiled brass elicited a single word within my mind. Destiny. I turned away from my horrid appearance and pulled open the chestnut cabinet that sat to the left of my bed. Inside stood several bottles of chloral hydrate, my opiate of choice. Drinking such a concoction straight is not recommended for anypony. Yet for the intensity of my ailments, diluting it was out of the question. Every dark brown bottle reflected the light off their rounded shoulders. Reaching with my magic I selected a bottle which was already half empty. I could scarcely focus as the bottle shook erratically in my spell as I unscrewed the cap. I swallowed a healthy mouthful of the foul tasting liquid, nearly draining the bottle.

Feeling the placebo effect before the opiate coursed through my veins, I returned to the basin. Reaching out, I pulled the chiming rope. I did not stare into the mirror for I was afraid, or ashamed; of the wretched beast that would be looking back at me. Moments later a gentle knock came from my chamber door. I beckoned the servant entrance. As ashamed of my appearance as I was, I asked the Earth Pony to ready me a bath and a meal. I stared at her for longer than was appropriate of a gentlepony. I could see the concern painted on her face. I was never close to anyone, let alone a servant. They were only present to perform tasks which the elite deemed under them. But the void inside me always seemed to get a little less abyssal whenever I spoke to my servants. This one tan mare specifically. I cleared my throat and turned away, excusing her. She looked as if she wished to speak, swaying slightly upon her hooves in consideration. After a moments pause she gracefully bowed and left to her task.

The chloral sat heavily in my stomach and I felt as if I would expel its boon. I could not erase the stain left by the vile intruder. Its presence on the clean core of my intellect was shameful to me. The knowledge of this intrusion, regardless of its origin, cut to the very depths of my soul. The sudden image of the peculiar amber crystal flashed inside my minds eye. It appeared rectangular, sharp edged and crudely fashioned, pulsating with an unearthly light. A gentle knock pulled me out of my reverie. The young Earth Pony entered and informed me that my bath was drawn. I looked out the window to see the sun was reaching the height of noon. How quickly time has been passing. I began to feel light headed as the chloral began to course through the tunnels of my vein. I thanked her kindly as she dismissed herself.

I made my way through the empty upper corridor of the manor, stopping in front of the doors to the masters chambers. I placed my hoof on the handle and with a gentle push, swung the door open. The room was awash in a white light as the sun filtered through the organdy curtains of the large arching window. The room was extravagantly decorated. Opulent trinkets and a masterfully crafted fresco overlooked the four posted bed. I dared not auction off these items. I cannot explain my reluctance in parting with the objects of this room. Perhaps a deep seeded respect for my parents stayed my hooves. I gazed on this room with both reverence and disgust. The burden of my memories were created within this room, and their creator died in this room.

Slamming the door shut I continued down the hallway and entered the bath hall. A steaming porcelain tub of water waited in the center of the marble room. The frosted windows along the alabaster walls softened the mid-day sunlight, giving the waters an inviting glow. A long standing mirror in front of the tub had become fogged over with condensation.

Not wanting to glimpse my emaciated appearance, I levitated the mirror away, facing it against the wall. Grimacing, I peeled the chain from the crevice on my neck. I set the key on a nearby wheeled table containing various bathing amenities. My servant appropriately readied me a clean vest that sat folded on the table. Despite it being a casual duty, this gesture caused a faint smile to form on my face. The care of my rearing always fell to midwives and various servants in the employ of my parents. Regardless of it being their paid duties, I was always grateful to them. I could never express affection to them, it was not in my capacity. I knew what affection was, yet I was frightened. Frightened of looking foolish, frightened of falling into the tropes of a sub-pony. They were not my blood, nor were they of the Unicorn elite. I am ashamed of this now, but I could not foresee the follies of my family's indoctrinated ideology. Nor the pawn I was upon the chessboard, surrounded by the enemy.

I felt the last remnants of horror dissolve as I stepped into the waters embrace. My world began to return to a semblance of normality as I sank deeper into the tranquil berth. The waters stung the raw imprint on my neck, yet the pain was dulled. The chloral was seeding my mind with the pleasant tingle of relaxation, dulling my senses and stupefying my mind. A liquid veil sheltered me from the eyes of phantoms and haunted visions. Closing my eyes, I thought of the coordinates beyond Canterlot City. The frozen wastes deep inside the mountain range that nopony dared venture. The absent book pertaining to that very region and the key to the study accompanied by the enigmatic letter from my late father. I would not allow the obvious constructs of my fatigued body deter me from, my destiny.