//------------------------------// // Chapter thirteen // Story: The Adventure of Galloping Waves // by Evilhumour //------------------------------// Swift Thought looked at the trembling, panicking alicorn. He had put on a slimmer, more manageable earth pony collar on the stallion, which did have a good use to it, to lock him in place with the chain to the wall, but his legs were wobbling badly. As he was the only other unicorn in the room, and the Queen couldn’t be seen to do anything to him, he used his own magic to hold the slave steady. He looked at the earth pony carrying the Queen’s brand, enchanted that it would always be ready to use, and frowned. This was one of his ponies that didn’t show up for the highly recommended meeting last night. He didn’t make it an order, just to see who actually came. Only a hoofful didn’t show, indicating they were arrogant, like the previous Head Overseer and some of his flunkies, or stupidly unaware, like this pony was. It was…worrying. Still, he watched the pony perform the right motions, saying the words and yet still fumbled; that his life now belonged to that of the brand and to the Queen, that his duties of his past were gone, nameless until give a new one and so forth. He finished, continuously forgetting that he didn’t need to mention the Queen as it was her direct slave. One mark. He also rushed through the whole ritual of words. Two marks. He picked up the brand, a bit too eagerly, his eyes bright as he stood to the right side of the slave. Three marks. “My Quee-” He spoke, but his concern was caught off when it happened. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARG The slave’s scream penetrated deep inside his head, causing him to wobble a bit. Looking to the side, he saw the Queen was clenching her head tightly, muttering words under her breath. He snapped his gaze towards the earth pony, who was now on the other side, the far side of the slave, ready to do it again. Before he could lift a hoof, the earth pony pressed the brand against the flank. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARG Tumbling forwards from the onslaught, he managed to puke quickly to the side, not bothering to hold himself back now. Let his body go through the motions so he could move faster. He ignored his Queen’s scream of pain; leave that for latter. He needed to stop the idiot! How he could not see or feel the pain coming from the slave was bey-Think later! He forced himself towards the idiotic pony when he stepped back and noticed it. “What the-” The pony blinked as he noticed something. The brands were gone! Frowning in anger, he picked up the brand tightly. “I don’t know how you did it, slave but you will be given your brand!” He glared and pressed the glowing brand against his left flank again. AAAAAAAAAAARG The slave shouted again, the pony in charge clearly enraged and enjoying this. He would have pushed further, get it deeper if he had not been knocked down by a very shaky but furious unicorn. “You bucking fool!” He bellowed as loud as he could. He did shout other things, but after the first blow, he remembered nothing until the guards pulling him back. ~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~ The Queen sipped her tea slowly, looking at the pacing unicorn. It had only been an half hour after the incident and ten minute past since Swift Thought had come into her private chambers to discuss with her what exactly had happen. Of course, something else must have happened, as he did not go into the mater directly, still debating it silently. Whatever it was must have worried him enough that he wasn’t acting like his normal, brash self and come here unprepared. “How-how are you feeling, my Queen?” He looked nervously at her, finally starting this conversation. “I am managing fairly well, all things considered.” She knew that a lot of her unicorns were with the healers, with only some just leaving. “And you?” “My Queen?” He blinked, confused. Interesting. Whatever happened to them really unnerved him. “Yes. You were effected like any other magic user as well as your hooves might have some injuries…” She broke off that track, letting it end an amused tone. “I don’t-I mean, I am fine, my Queen.” He stuttered, looking to the side, embarrassed. Not all of it, she thought, but there was some of his unusual behaviour explained. “You knocked that earth pony down.” She spoke sharply, letting her voice trail a bit. “Ye-” “Several times, in fact.” She laughed softly, not loud enough to insult him as it was not her intent. “I do believe that the healers are still trying to put his bones back together as well as get him a set of dentures.” “My apologizes my Queen,” He bowed, looking down at the floor. “My anger got the best of me.” “It is all right.” She gave a short, assuring laugh. It was bit amazing at how many laughs one could do just to tweak an emotion or feeling of somepony. “As I am to understand, whatever happened was due to my slave being branded and that fool not only failed to notice what it was doing to me, but continued on the action after seeing it failed.” “Among other things my Queen.” His ears darted to the side, reminding her of the small report he gave her when he went to his chambers to look through his books. He had wrote a scathing report on the pony in charge of the branding of her slave that suggested highly disturbing and disgusting things, and a request to have a personal conversation with the pony in charge of all brandings concerning maters in how it was conducted. “Yes, yes.” She nodded her head, getting to her hooves. He watched her like a hawk, she noticed, already moving to aid her. She shook her head, standing on her slightly weak legs. She was still recovering, but she was no invalid. “Those are matters to be dealt with later. The matter now is to determined what exactly happened and why.” She shot a look at him, wondering if he truly did have some idea to this or if she was putting too much stock into him. “I-I am unsure of what exactly happened, my Queen.” He eyes darted to the floor. “I truly do not know my Queen. The backlash, the disappearing brands, none of it makes any sense if he were to-” He paled, clearly afraid to finish that thought. “He were to be decedent of one of the two Princesses.” There, she spoke the blasphemous words. He glared at her with wide eyes before composing himself. “And if that were to be true, then you do know who their parents are.” That got him to smile, one that a pony would give they just uncovered a great secret of the universe. ~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~ The scene in front of the royal doctors and healers worried them. More so then the incident, more than the fact they were still receiving ponies despite it almost a hour now, not even the fact that one of the Princesses was still unconscious although that really did worry them. No it was the fact that Celestia was visibly worried. She had only gained conscious a few twenty minutes ago, but she had ran directly to the library despite everypony telling her to rest. Lucky she had, as she found Twilight and the other two element passed out on the floor. Both Applejack and Fluttershy both had recovered, but the other alicorn was still out like a light. Right now, Celestia was pacing across the room, biting her lip and glancing at her former student. “Sister, please.” Princess Luna placed a hoof on the Princess of the Sun, trying to calm her. “Thou will create a crater in the floor if thou continues to pace. Princess Twilight will be fine.” “I-I don’t know that.” She muttered, looking at the latest arrivals in the private room, Soarin helping in Rainbow Dash, who by the sounds of it was very annoyed, saying she was bucking fine and if he asked one more time by Celestia fat flank she’d buck his head off. She then noticed that the fat flank and said pony that it belonged to where in the room and meeped when said pony walked over to her. Before Dash could say a single word, Celestia wrapped her legs and wings around her, hugging her tightly. “I am so glad that you are unhurt Dashie.” “Th-thanks Tia-TWILIGHT!” Rainbow Dash dashed to her friend’s side with great concern. “Is she-” “Unconscious and for a great while longer, I am afraid.” Celestia spoke softly. “As the alicorn of Magic, this sort of event would be beyond painful to her, second only to the pony who was receiving the pain.” She looked to her former student again, rubbing her face softly. “What are you not telling us now sister.” Luna glared at her, angry at more secrets. “It’s not a secret as it is an event that happened only once and a very long time ago.” Celestia looked back, trying to comfort her sister. There were a lot fences to mend now. “This event only occurs when an alicorn tries to use the opposite of her designed power. The universe grinds against itself at the reaction, sending out the pain to all those powerful enough to feel it. As Twilight is the alicorn of Magic, she would be more inclined to the universe’s heartbeat of magical balance and any great disturbance would be painful for her.” “And how do you know all this, sister?” Luna glared at her. “I learned of it the first night after I banished you.” She looked to the side of the room after that was said. “I tried to directly control the moon and stars and the pain from it nearly burned me out completely. After that, I learned quickly that trying to use your powers would be beyond me and thus only moved the moon for all those years.” “Th-that would explain why the stars were in such disarray upon my return.” Luna paled at this new information. “I-it would also make sense why Gallop could never form any fire magic.” It did make sense now. Gallop was able to do perfect water magic, and passable air and earth magic. But fire magic always fell apart for him, the magic weaves collapsing as he tried to perform the simplest of fire spells. “Yes, but it does put forth the question of how Gallop could use that much fire magic, or why.” Celestia frowned, trying to think what would force her nephew to do something like this- “Um, your highness.” Applejack looked timidly at her, holding her hat close to neck. Oh Faust, this was not good. “Ah think ah know what it was.” “Speak, speak Element of-Applejack.” Luna forced herself to remain in the present, her worries starting overwhelm her. “Well…” She tried to move backwards, away from the lunar princess. “Back at our farm, we do need to mark our cows.” She took a deep breath. “The…pain, ah’d guess it would like an animal getting branded.” Princess Luna didn’t say anything to this, stunned. Celestia took over in an instant, waving the ponies out of the room. She wrapped her wings her sister, holding her tightly. “I promise you, I will do everything to get him home and make things right.” Luna only sobbed, feeling more of the fiery pit of rage and emotions that she once felt long ago. Ignoring that power, refusing to wield it was getting harder and harder. She knew what it was, what it meant. Nightmare Moon was coming if she didn’t stop herself from going down this path. But Luna honestly could not tell if she didn’t want her to come or not, to use that power to punish those who hurt her family. To strike down those who lied to her. She simply didn’t know and what was worse, she didn’t care. All that mattered was getting her colt back. ~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~