IV

I found myself effortlessly floating through blue skies, bodiless and free. I dropped through the clouds with such speed and grace that no Pegasus could match. A landscape from another era began to appear under me. I flew over orchards and flowered fields coming to rest over a hill crowned with apple saplings. Hovering above the small mound I peered to the horizon. The panorama that spread before me was breathtaking. My words will not give this glorious world any due justice.

Structures of sculpted granite stood majestically on the fields, their walls seemingly forged from the earth itself. The towering spires were poised like stoic guardians, shepherding the expansive fields and greenery. The glorious city of Canterlot was insignificant to this monumental structure. Bright sparkles of light dotted my vision as sunlight reflected off the glass that sat in the fresco lined windows.

I was transported to the city's entrance. The gaping archway swallowed me into an expansive promenade. Earth ponies unlike any I have seen before galloped through a bustling marketplace. They were taller and leaner. Their appearance was more liken to that of an elder Alicorn. Such as the royal Princess Celestia. I seemed invisible to everypony. They were unaware of my presence as I floated through the streets. Automatons and clockwork constructs sat in the shops and domiciles. I was astounded by the intricate machinery. The mechanical constructs were more advanced than any I've seen before. I blinked my lidless eyes to find myself back above the sapling crowned hill.

An enormous shadow crept on the periphery of my vision. I flew upwards, backing away from the advancing shade. The shade was caused by a city in the clouds. Its grandeur was unmatched. The city of Cloudsdale would be humbled in the shadow of this edifice. Much like the stone-cut city, the craft was awe-inspiring. Large wells at its base churned a mixture of prismatic light. The floodgates of the wells opened, cascading rainbow waterfalls into the skies, their torrents painted the heavens in a florid glory. Pegasi frolicked through the clouds, carefree and at peace. Much like the Earth ponies I saw earlier, the Pegasi shared the same physical attributes.

The clarity of this intoxicating vision was unlike any I had ever experienced. Even the most memorable terrors of my youth were not so rich. They were only clouded puzzle pieces on the table of my subconsciousness. Was this world the creation of a drug induced stupor? Or was this recollection the concoction of something more, tangible?

A sudden eruption of magical energy tore through the land. The thunderous noise was horrendous in its intensity, as if the world was being torn asunder. A black slime crept from the mountain range beyond the two cities. It was devouring the pristine skies in its wake, soaking through the heavens like spilled inkwell. The sun was quickly encircled by the ooze, turning the magnificent star into a burning eye that gazed on the world with malice and contempt.

Images were flying through my mind so quickly that I can only set down the most impacting. I was hovering high above a grand battalion of ponies. Young and old stood in unison against an unknown force. Everypony was encased in a suit of armor. The style was similar to the royal guard in Canterlot, though lacking any of the decorative features. Their construction was streamlined, each layer of plating was built for purpose.

In the skies, Pegasus ponies flew rallying formations of a scouting party. They sped off towards the peaks beyond the two cities towards their charge. A sight of their short skyward battle flashed before my mind. Cries of surprise and anguish erupting from the ground brought me back. Figures cloaked in shadow began to materialize inside the ranks. They were so quick-hooved that I could not make out any discernible features. I struggle to remember their shape. All I can muster is their dark, equine-like bodies. The dark stallions surrounded me, they were aware of my presence. I was trapped. Several pinpoints of light created a halo of energy around their heads. I was not frightened. I was enamored.

Their power surged through me, electrifying my body. The pain was unimaginable. I cried out as my very mind was warped. I began to take a corporeal shape as the putrid ooze filled my lungs, sprawling through my being. I was reborn, reforged in the seething hatred of this malevolent force. I became a sorcerer, a creator, a god. Earth and Pegasus pony alike cowered in fear. I swiped my hooves across the fields, tearing apart the idyllic landscape to my will. As I reached toward the sun, the world became silent. I looked down to find I was falling through a dark whirlpool. As I fell I could see a glimmering flicker of light in the eye of the storm. The light grew brighter as I charged towards its celestial glow. I became greedy and desired its power.

I was transported into an opulent chamber. Inside this windowless room was a grand orrery of golden stone. In its outstretched arms floated six crystals, powerful relics beyond my understanding. Their combined energies bore into me, turning my eyes into my soul where I saw such black and grained spots. I felt as if I were dying. Yet there was a benevolence whispering to me which the darkness fought against. I charged towards the orrery as a dazzling light seared my mind.

I do not recall how much time had passed when I awoke to a soft knock upon the door. My mind was a dull haze as the intoxicating effects of the chloral still gripped me. Looking towards the door I could see the tan colored mare. She advised me that my meal had been prepared and a sitting was ready. Her voice echoed in the marble bath-hall. Her tone was as mellifluous as a concerto. I stumbled a slurred acknowledgment that must have sounded quite foolish. As she left I wanted to call out to her, but I froze.

The water had lost its warmth, I started shivering. The humid pleasantry of the hall was replaced by a biting cold. These past few days I had felt nothing but cold, I had grown tired of it. I desired warmth and comfort. My legs groaned in discontent as I stood. How feeble I would have looked had I been spied upon. I peered down, watching the ripples in the water. The droplets sent small, spherical waves that stretched outwards, expanding until they dissolved against the edge of the tub.

I levitated a pair of towels off the nearby table as I stepped out, drying myself off. My eyes became locked on the brass key. How contrast the patina of the key appeared against the stark white finish of the table. It seemed to me, that my visions have only intensified since coming into possession of the key. It was a ridiculous superstition that such a simple object could possess such a powerful trait as to warp somepony's perception.

As I've mentioned, I had many bouts of restless sleep throughout my youth. Sights of cataclysmic horrors that would sap my strength and leave me gasping in a fevered sweat. Mother always told me dreams were unable to transcend the barrier of reality. Yet these waking nightmares of late felt frighteningly physical in nature. I had grown weary of this curse. I picked up the key, staring at it intently through my glazed eyes. If the renewed intensity of these dreams stemmed from this key, I wished to be rid of it. I threw it across the room. A metallic ring shot out as it hit the marble wall, the silver chain rattled as it curled upon the floor. I turned away from it in disgust. Out of sight, out of mind.

I turned the mirror back towards me. Although the waters had renewed my vigor, I was still fearful of the haggard ghoul that would be staring back at me. I hesitated, my eyes were continuously drawn towards the key across the room. Shaking my head I peered into the reflective glass. I beheld a grey stallion of angular proportion, although not unsightly. A damp, unkempt auburn mane hung lifelessly upon his head and crest. His heavy-lidded eyes sat like sunken orbs. They were dark as of cocoa. Almost black as pitch and shining with intelligence. His countenance beckoned a hidden sadness. A burden which must have been carried since his earliest days.

As I stared at my reflection, I began to feel the emptiness swell inside me. Having been cloistered much of my life, I had never known another existence. For the first time in my life I knew the cause of the void inside myself. Loneliness. Despite my wealth of knowledge and financial security; my stately home and titles of lordship, I was nothing. A hollow vessel. My father, in his last and possibly only act of selflessness relayed the pieces of a most grand future he had once envisioned for me. What might that have been? I was now enamored to discover it. I walked over to the key.

My senses began to sharpen as the chloral faded from my body. My legs trembled as I felt the pangs of hunger. I picked up the key and looped the tarnished silver chain around my neck. The scoring sat heavily in the line around my neck, but I was thankful for the familiar bond as the key pressed against my chest. I turned and left the pallid surroundings of the bath hall.

The smell of herbs and a homely garden filled my nostrils as I walked to my chambers. I quickly groomed and donned a new vest, tucking the key inside. Closing my door, I galloped down the stairs and into the dining hall. A single setting had been placed at the head of the elegant oak table.

Sitting at the table I poured myself a snifter of cider. I spun the dark orange liquid in the glass before quickly downing it in a single gulp. As the cider sat in my belly, its warmth radiated throughout my body. The door to the kitchen swung open. The tan Earth pony appeared, pushing a wheeled cart. She quietly stood beside me, placing a bowl of stew upon my plate. She smelled of strawberries, the scent was beyond pleasing to me. As she was about to return to the kitchen I called out to her. She turned towards me with a questioning look in her auburn eyes. I was at a loss for words, I could feel myself flush with embarrassment. I felt such a fool. She asked me again if I required anything else. I felt a tightness in my chest as I swallowed hard asking her if she would sit with me.

She seemed to be taken aback from my request. It was beyond inappropriate of me to ask for the company of an underclass. But recent events weighed heavy on my heart, and I needed the compassion of anypony. She was confused, staring back at me. I pulled a chair out with my magic, inviting her to sit. To my internal elation she came over and nestled into the seat. The silence in the room was suffocating as I slowly ate my meal. I invited my servant to sit with me, yet I was at a loss for words. I was not accustomed to being an entertaining host.

Clearing my throat, I asked her where she lived prior to her employment at the manor. The pleasant tone of her voice that I had heard earlier was absent. Her reply was flat and stoic, addressing me as a servant to a master. I leaned forward and met her eyes asking her not to respond to me as the lord of manor. Instead, to speak to me as she would to anypony else. Her nervous demeanor faded, her face beamed with a smile that radiated happiness I had never seen before. I leaned back in my seat and smiled at her, I felt a capitol fool, but my spirit became a little lighter as she spoke. She told me of her upbringing in a small hamlet beyond Canterlot. As droll as it may appear to you, the telling of her simplistic upbringing was as fascinating as any ancient manuscript I had read.

As I finished eating, I found myself becoming entranced with this mare. Being unaccustomed at mutual, friendly conversation, I had become a capitol listener. I listened intently to her telling of coming to Canterlot to escape the drudgery of farm life. To rise above the shackles of her class and find her place in the world. She stopped, looking at me intently as her bright face sank into one of concern. She told me that she understood how I felt. I was taken aback, stating I did not know what she was referring too.

She rested a hoof upon mine. Her touch was electric, yet I was frozen, I could not avert her gaze. Her dulcet voice spoke of being an outsider. A stranger in a sea of outclassed faces, lost, forgotten and alone. She looked on me with care. I was not of the nobility, I was not an emaciated ghoul. In her auburn eyes, I was just a lonely stallion in a world where I did not fit. We sat together in silence for what felt an eternity. How painful this recollection is to me now. In that moment, I connected with somepony else, a memory that will last until the end of my days.

She stood, clearing the table from my meal. Placing the dishes upon the tray and returning to the kitchen without another word. I was alone, but this event left me refreshed and clear-headed. The carcass of my body was revived with a new vitality. Standing quickly I entered the foyer and stood in front of the door containing the spiral staircase. The extravagant library that had once been my only asylum, now gave me pause. It had been violated by the malignant hallucinations of my waking nightmares. But no more was I going to allow these phantasmic incarnations to dissuade me. I quickly pulled open the door and descended the staircase.

I felt my mind stumbling over the serene presentation before me. My earlier visions of chaotic fantasy still lingered on the forefront of my mind. Yet before me, was a scene calm and pristine as I had always remembered. Candles appeared bright as they proudly displayed the intricate masonry on the archways. With every step I felt strangely unreal. The veil of darkness which had forever lingered throughout the halls was gone. I felt as if I had ventured into an elaborate reconstruction. I figured my renewed vigor had given me a stronger perception, I was lucid.

As I approached my desk, everything appeared untouched. The weathered box sat undisturbed amongst the small scrap of parchment and lantern. I sparked the threads to life, revitalizing the lanterns glow. I wound the wick down to the burners base, easing the brightness of the flame. Gripping the lamp in my focus, I habitually looked at the standing clock to see its ebony hands resting on 6:10. Feeling reassured, I started down the hall.

My ears twitched as I walked down the corridor of shelves. I thought I heard a faint whisper drifting through the air. If it was a creation of my own or the breath of a phantom, I cannot be certain. I turned towards the corner at the end of the canal. I could see the monolithic door of my father's study.

Stepping up to the door I hooked a hoof around the molded brass handle. Taking a breath I pulled upon the handle, meeting a considerable resistance. Locked, of course. The adolescent side of me could not help but indulge in the naive fantasies of my youth. That perhaps the door was unhindered, its secrets mine for the taking. Levitating the brass key, I placed it into the chamber of the mechanism. A resounding click echoed throughout library as I twisted the brass handle. Sliding the key out of the lock, I placed it back within the safety of my vest. The door was lighter than I anticipated as I pulled upon the handle. I expected an ominous of rusted hinges as the door opened. But it glided open soundlessly.

I was greeted to an arched hallway. It was black as pitch inside the tunnel. An olfactory odor I could not describe filled my snout. Placing the lantern ahead of me, I stepped into the small channel. I turned the deadbolt as I closed the door, locking the world out. Shuttering those who would lay claim upon what my father held as my birthright.