//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: After Discord // by Faindragon //------------------------------// The Dark Stable was not the brightest gem in Trotholm. In fact, a jeweler would probably throw it away without taking a second look at it. But for now it was my home. A dirty tavern in the darker parts of Trotholm, The Dark Stable stood out in the crowd of others, as dirty if not dirtier, taverns. After all, this was the place you came to if you searched for somepony who could do your dirty job for you. I had chosen to stay here for safety reasons, this was a place that was avoided by the guards, not even on a direct order did they come here with less than half the force. My hooves took me towards my temporary home when I saw something out of the corner of my eyes. Celestia’s grace had started to break the horizon. I was late! *^* My hooves swiftly carried me towards the walls guard tower. How could I miss it? Every day for years, and today I was close to missing it? The guard tower came into view, it was only a single corner left and I would reach it. A metallic sound made me stop in my spring. The sound, a sound of horseshoes, came from the other side of the corner, from the guard tower. I quickly looked around, my eyes catching a water puddle. I walked over towards it, checked my reflection for any blood in the coat or anything else that would tell them what I had done this evening. I started to calm down, making my breath regular again. It went slower than it should, I threw worried looks toward the sky. It would soon be to late! As soon as my breath was regular again did I round the corner. I wasn’t suprised to see the guards standing close to the guard tower, the sound they made was the only sound in this early Celestia hour. Two of the guards was unicorns, both in light collors. The other two, one pegasus and one earth pony, was both in darker colors. They all had the light, brown, armor of the city guards. The guards swifted slightly at the sight of me. The two unicorns lifted their crossbows with their magic; aiming the deadly bolts directly at my heart. I ignored them, continued to walk towards the guard tower. “Halt, who goes there?” one of the unicorns called towards me. I ignored him, continued to walk. I knew that if it came to fighting would I have to throw myself to one side quickly to make sure the bolts didn’t hit me. They were not magically enchanted, no glow surrounded the bolts. The unicorns had to go first, then the pegasus and lastly the earth pony. “On orders from the great leader do we stand here so to not let anypony pass. If you take another step will we shoot to kill.” the unicorn warned, his magic embracing yet another crossbow that he brought forth beside the other. I stopped in my tracks, looking towards the sky. Celestia’s grace had spread it first light even further, it would soon be to late. I looked at the unicorn guard who had spoken up. “And why do you stand here to not let anypony pass?” I asked him, my mind looking for a way out of here. The time was almost up! “I do not questions the orders I have been given citizen, nor should you. Now leave this area befor....” the unicorn said, only to be interrupted by a guard captain who looked out from the guard door. The guard captain was an earth pony with a light beige coat and he wore the silver armor that was common for a captain in the city guard. “Guard Corelight, at ease. You are to let this pony pass, he is here on my invitation.” the guard captain said, looking at me. “But captain, our orders was to not le....” “I know that Corelight, but my words goes here. If the great captain want to punish me for letting an old friend, who have been here every morning for years, come into the guard tower for his daily meditation then he will take it with me. Did I make myself clear?” “But sir, our..” “DID I make myself clear Corelight?” the captains voice didn’t raise but the threat in it was easy to hear. “Sir yes sir.” the unicorn, Corelight, said. He took his crossbows away and stepped aside, shot a hateful glare towards me. The captain, an old earth pony I befriended a long time ago, known under the name of Lightheart; looked at me as I made my way towards the guard tower. I meet his hazelnut-brown eyes, and he smiled lightly. “You are late, I was afraid you wouldn’t show up.” I only nodded and walked past him, made my way upwards the stairs. I might be in a hurry, but I did not hurry my steps. This was an important part of this ceremony, not as important as the meditation but still important. Lightheart walked after me, his steel horseshoes clinking against the stone stairs of the old guard tower. The guard towers had stood here for as long as Trotholm itself, guarded the city together with the city wall, guarding it against it that might search it harm. “You are lucky that I was the one on guard in this tower this morning, I’m being transferred tomorrow. Going serve at the castle instead.” I nodded again. I knew that he was going to be moved, that information had been easy to come over. But that he was moved to the castle... That struck me as a hammer blow between the eyes. I didn’t show it outwards though. I only walked, my mind quickly sorted that information away to be looked over later. Now there were only one thing on my mind. The meditation. I stood there at the flat top of the guard tower. Lightheart had stepped away, he knew that I wanted the space during my meditation. I felt the early Celestia hour wind blow through my mane and coat, catch every hair on my body. But most importantly, I was not late. I lay down in the middle of the open space, felt the cold from the stones seep into my body, challenging my body heat for control. I felt the water from the rain sip into my coat. But most importantly, I felt THEM. Slowly did I clear my mind of thoughts, letting go of them all until only one thought remained. I slowly lifted my eyes to the sky, my eyes on the point where the Celestial Twin’s gaze would met. And as the gaze of the Celestial Twin’s met did I start my pray. The gazes twisted before my eyes, embracing each other before they slowly let go and drifted apart again. “Celestial goddesses, ruler over life and over death. Let my spirit fly on the wings of freedom. Let my mind drift in the wind that you control. Let peace and harmony fall over Equestria. Protect the weak and the old. Protect the sick and the young. Protect the ones that walk under your wings. Protect the ones who have yet to find the way. In your hooves do I lay my fate. In your hooves do I lay my future. In your hooves do I lay my life. Protect me as I hunt down the ones who bring harm. Protect me as I protect the ones around me. As a phoenix will you raise again. As a phoenix will you ignite the wrong in this world. As the Celestial goddesses will you bring forth peace and harmony. In your service, in life and in death. In your service, for the greater of ponykind.” It might not be the best of prayers, but that was not the important part. The important part was that I my entire soul took part in this prayer, my entire being believed in every word. It was built with words directly from my heart. I felt how my body was heated by the gaze of Celestia, I felt how my mind was cleared by the gaze of Luna. But most importantly, I felt how they looked at me, how they supported me in this hard time. I slowly watched as Celestia’s celestial eye rose over the horizon. It was a sight that had met my eyes every day for the last years, in the same way that Luna’s celestial eye met me at the night meditation. Still I was stunned by the sheer beauty of that eye that met my gaze every morning. I rose from my position on the stone floor. A few of the fallen’s tears dripped out of my coat and landed on the stone. I walked over to the side of the guard tower, watching out over Trotholm. The city slowly rose with the sun, bathed in Celestia’s grace, bathed in her glory. The white stones of the castle sparkled in the embrace of her glorifying grace.The bakeries were already running hot, the first customers would soon arive. Trotholm was a lively city, ponies was on their way to work or out for other things of importance. Guards trotted the streets, for an untrained eye everything seemed perfectly natural. But I saw what nopony else saw. The guards walked nervously, their steps were to quick, their heads looked to much on the ponies all around them. The guard was nervous and afraid, of what they did not know. But I know what they really were nervous about, what they feared to see in the shadows. Me. They feared to see me, they feared my presence in the shadows around them. They knew I was somewhere in the city, they thought that they would be dead if they found me. Fear is a tool that is easy to work with, especially if you do not have to do anything at all. And I did not need to. Words had spread around the city guards. It was dangerous to go alone, if the mysterious shadow finds you, you are dead meat. I had never let anypony who had see me kill live to tell the tale, I left no mark behind that could lead towards me. I was a shadow in this city. A shadow that slowly, unknowing of the inhabitants of Trotholm, cleansed this city from filth. A shadow who works for the goddesses.