In the darkness of the cell.
In the darkness of my mind.
Is it waiting.
The thing in the darkness.
The thing that I fear.
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Darkness.
Everywhere around me.
Complete darkness.
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The walls, dark and moldy.
The walls, staring at me.
The walls, creeping closer to me.
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Honey?
Is she okay?
Is she alive?
Have they taken her?
Or did they only take me?
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“They will kill everypony you love or you have loved.”
“Who’s there?”
“Only yourself.”
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Falling.
The ground rushing towards me.
The only thing I wonder is when I will hit it.
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“Whats the matter? Scared for the gallows? Scared for death?”
“Who are you?”
“I am you.”
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“Luna and Celestia, watch over me in my time of need. Watch over me, protect me, against whats hiding in the shadows. Protect me from the things in my mind.”
“They are not listening you know. You are alone.”
“Who are you?”
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Light.
White, beautiful light.
Embrace me.
Protect me.
Never abandon me.
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Darkness.
Pitch black darkness.
Embraces me.
Hides me.
Always there.
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“This is all your fault you know.”
“You are the one who abandoned the right path.”
“You are the one who tried to cleanse an already clean place.”
“The corruption does not lay here.”
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“Who am I?”
“Who are you?”
“are you inside my mind?”
“Or whispering in my ear?”
“Who am I?”
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“What is happening around me?”
“What is happening inside me?”
“Utter chaos?”
“Or perfect harmony?”
“Why?”
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My veins, burning.
Burning with rage.
Burning with hate.
Burning with anger.
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Honey.
Sweetie.
Live!
Wait for me!
Don’t die!
Daddy will come back!
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“Am I asleep?”
“Am I awake?”
“Where am I?”
“Will I return?”
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“Are you there?”
“Or have you abandoned me as well?”
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I stared up at the ceiling. How long had I been laying here, fighting against my mind? The smell of mold and soil entered my nostril, blended with the smell of my own sweat. I had trashed around in the narrow bed, my coat and mane now stood in every direction.
I did not care.
Luna’s grace did not reach down here. Neither did Celestia’s. I was trapped. Alone. None of the goddesses watched over me.
I was alone with my own mind.
A mind that fixated on one thing.
Honey.
What had happened to her? Was she okay?
I raised my front hooves, the rusty chain that held them together following up. I stared at those chains, the chains that efficient shackled me in place. They were connected with the iron collar around my neck. The iron was cold against my bare neck. No matter how much heat my body pushed in it would it become warmer.
I slammed my hooves in the wall. Hard. I felt the pain rush through my body.
I did not care.
My daughter. My beautiful Honey. I could not stop thinking about everything that could have happened.
My mind projected a picture of her laying dead in a valley.
A picture of her happily bouncing through Trotholm.
A picture of her laying dead in her bed.
A picture of her crying in Carrotrose’s hooves.
A picture of her dead, blades piercing every part of her body.
A picture of her sitting beside me in the cell, comforting me.
A picture of her getting killed as she tried to get to my side.
A picture of her looking at me as I walked towards the gallows.
A picture of her walking besides me as we made our way to the gallows.
Over and over did I slam my hooves into the walls. I felt how the warm, red, life-giving liquid emerged from the wound I had inflicted on myself. I felt it drip down on my chest, coagulate in my coat.
I did not care, the rage inside me overthrew the pain. I felt no pain, only rage.
If it was what was needed to keep my daughter safe, then I would continue with it until I dropped dead down.
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I had lost consciousness. Or had I never awoken?
I looked at my hooves. No wounds was seen.
What is happening with me?
Am I going insane?
I looked at my chest, and saw one of the most beautiful things I had seen in the ceiling.
Red life giving liquid had coagulated in my coat.
So it had happened.
But why did I not have any wounds?
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I dont know how long time had passed when a guard opened the door. In the brigh,t light that emerged from the other side of the door and nearly blinded me after so long time in this darkness, did I see the silhouette of an unicorn.
The unicorn’s horn glowed with a purple light as he walked towards me, a tray floating beside me.
“So, you are finally awake and have stopped to hurt yourself. Good.”
I recognized that voice.
I tried to speak, my throat sore from the lack of water.
“Take it easy, it was hard enough for our medical team to mend the wounds on your hooves. I do not think they will be happy to fix your throat as well.” I could hear on the sound that the unicorn smiled. “Now open up so I can feed you, you have not eaten in three days.”
Three days? My mind raced. How much had happened in those three days? Was Honey safe? Was Carrotrose, who had protected me for years, okay?
“Or are they both dead?” the voice from my dreams whispered to me.
My stomach really felt empty, I opened my muzzle to take whatever food that was offered to me.
I felt how the unicorn first poured water; fresh, cold, clear water down my throat.
The burning inside my throat disappeared directly, leaving behind only hunger.
I do not know what it was the unicorn feed me, whatever it was was it not good tasting. It had the same consistency as mud, and the taste was not far from the same.
But it filled my stomach.
I felt the energy from the food getting into my system.
And with the energy came the body functions up to max again.
I could feel how it itched where the wound on my hooves should have been. The coolness from the iron felt even colder against my neck. I could feel how my back itched, probably from lices in the mattress.
I looked up at the unicorn, Corelight.
“What are you doing here? Feeding me like a parent feed a newborn?” I smiled at him, a taunting smile.
He smiled back, a grim smile.
“Oh, I’m here by my own choice. Not only do I get to see you break down at the thought of the gallows, but I can also do this.”
I felt how the air rushed out of me and pain explode in my chest as Corelight brought his hoof down in my stomach.
I coughed and tried to regain my breath, tears in my eyes from the pain.
“I will see you hanged soon, pegasus.” Corelight said, his face dangerously close to me. “And I will enjoy every second of it.” he snarled at me as he turned to leave.
“What have I done you, Corelight? What have I done that make you want me dead?” I asked him as he leaved.
He stopped in mid step, looking back at me, his eyes with full with fury.
“What you have done to me? YOU KILLED MY FATHER, THAT IS WHAT YOU DID!” he said, shouting the last words.
I looked at him as he walked out from the cell, closing the door after himself, trapping me inside the cell with the darkness again.
The victim that Luna hour not even a week ago had had a son.
A son that now hated me.
And rightfully so.
“Who am I?”