A gentle light fell on my face, rousing me from a monotonous sleep. The fresh glare poured in unhindered through the bars which caged me. The sun, which I once controlled, now staring down on its broken ruler.
I slowly opened my eyes, and the memories sluggishly returned. I slowly glanced around the room, nothing had changed. Moss had formed on the wall below the window ledge from where the rainwater had come gushing in. The opposite wall wasn’t a wall at all; it was a railing of sturdy metal bars. My wings were hugged closely to my body in a metal brace, and my horn was trapped in a magic sealing funnel. Immobilised, exposed and alone. I am trapped in my own city.
The end of this week was something important, I knew it was. Luna wanted to have me executed, but she could have done it the first day she resumed command, so why wait? I could only fathom two reasons: she was trying to make me rot slightly before my execution- my murder, or she wished to spread more lies, so the people were firmly behind her. Neither of which boded well for me, neither of which I could influence.
I got up from my bed and shuffled over in my manacles to look out of the window: my only source of ‘entertainment’ in this place. I still found it amusing that I could use such words as bed and window. I slept on a metal frame with a thin straw mattress separating me from the harsh, rusted springs, and as for the window, it was a hole with bars in it. The manacles I still found tedious, to be imprisoned in a cell with no ability of magic or flight and yet she still insisted upon setting me in them.
The usual events of everypony else seemed to be undisturbed by their falsely accused ruler rotting in the Canterlot dungeon. The market stalls were set up as usual, ponies walked casually to and fro across the square, more guard patrols certainly but that is expected; although I never saw any opposition to them, or anything resembling a change in usual behaviour. They wouldn’t see me of course, the window was shielded by magic, so none can see in, but I can see out and see all. It seemed life would continue as normal for them, even if this was execution day for me. Some things stood out in the mundane world only I can see, posters bearing Luna’s crest are strung up across various building, some have been damaged or violated, but the damage to them was old.
One small figure caught my eye, across of the other side of the public square; my student sat upon a short wooden bench. She looks around wild eyed, her face was worn dull and her mane left messy. She would likely know of Canterlot dungeon, and she would know that she couldn’t see me. So maybe she’s just waiting there, just for me, my faithful student. Even in my last days there were pockets of resistance and denial among the people, but numbers grew smaller as my demise came nearer.
Her persistence to support me drove a smile from dry lips, but my smile was bittersweet, and I could feel despondent thoughts brewing, so I looked away. I would face my death and my sister with some dignity, even if that meant missing out on a chance of escape.
I could hear hoofsteps coming from further down the corridor; their clatter was louder than most, suggesting a guard of some sort. I waited patiently for the hoof steps to progressively become louder. A faint shadow stretches around the corner, the wings of the body were tucked neatly by their side, and a horn glowed faintly.
A smile broke on my face. My sister has at last come to see me; family reunions are always tricky. I turned fully to lean on the bars, they were cold to the touch, but I hid my discomfort with a frown as I stared down the corridor. The princess of the night emerged quickly and headed toward me, accompanied by two of my royal guards. Her hoofsteps were heavy as they bounce off the hard concrete floor; a tray of some sort levitated besides her as she walked.
I stared at her with an untoward scowl, the sister I once knew was gone, her mind turned bitter by the unsavoury torment from a millennia of solitude. The guards both stopped about 4 foot away from my cell door, but my sister continued and approached me between the bars. We were only an arm’s length apart, but she was so distant from me.
We stared at each other for a moment. Despise churned in our eyes as we stared at our hated other half.
.
“How long has it been Celestia?” she asked. Her voice was powerful, no doubt enhanced by magic; it flowed so freely and gracefully yet commanded respect. I shook clear the thought.
“Two days if I recall,” I retorted sarcastically, although I knew what she meant. A bemused grin came quickly at the corner of her mouth, but it was quickly corrected.
She looked down and took a heavy breath. “How long since we commanded the others fate?” she asked again. Her voice was filled with malice, but still retained its elegance.
“You would know better than I.”
“Yet here we are,” she almost shouted at me. She dropped the tray noisily and kicked it under a gap in the door. “Enjoy your last meal,” she said in a tone of spite. She turned to walk away.
I stood and stared until they had left. I pressed my face against the bars; their cool touch chilled the tears as they ran down my cheeks. My breathing staggered as I began acquainting myself with my demise.
A fresh breeze rolled in through the window, I shivered at its icy fingers wrapping around my form. I bent down and picked up the tray, it was a different meal than the last, rather than a simple oat dish, I now had a thick soup, maybe tomato judging by the colour. I gave a brief snort of amusement; perhaps Luna has some compassion left in her, or more than likely it is used to deliver narcotics.
Although I had long since realised that I would die on this day, it is something I still could never prepare for; how can you? Even until this last day, I still held close to me the faint glimmer that something, somepony, would get me out, or at least cause enough disruption to postpone the inevitable. Her draconian ways haven’t changed since her youth, she was always the punisher of the two of us, evident now that she never lost her touch.
It’s a bizarre feeling. To know that you will die. We face death every day, and we know with a certainty that we will die later in life. I have been around longer than most, far longer than most. I’ve made enemies in my time- if I didn’t I’d be a bad leader - but my people always had faith in my decisions, they would always go to war knowing I made the right choice. We live now in an age of peace, the prospect of war would terrify and maim my people, as it is our propensity now to avoid conflict. So why is an execution of royalty accepted by our seemingly passive race? I could not answer this.
The governing sectors of Canterlot are easily corrupt, a bribery is worth the weight of a leader even if it is their own. Yet the public... scared maybe, afraid of the violence brought by a dark alicorn and too apathetic to try and stop her.
My death would come at the end of this day. A lump grew in my throat. It came with a feeling of helplessness, but also...relief was it? A burden of wondering of my death had been lifted as soon as it was a certainty? I could not tell. It was a feeling I was, and always will be, unfamiliar with, the type of feeling you only feel once, and that is often enough.
I sat upon the bed and wiped the drying tears, and as I stared into the soup, readily beginning to eat, I could see the turns I should have taken to stop this. The different paths I should have followed to prevent uproar on the scale which now commands my fate. The regret of a thousand years and the paths which mislead me took me to this stage, a sister should never rule alone for this reason.
The soup was rich and fragrant, but had a peculiar aftertaste which I suspected to be some sort of narcotic badly blended into the mixture. I still polished off the full bowl without the drug taking effect. Soon after, a stallion came to collect my empty tray, and the effects of the drug had begun.
I lay wistfully on my single bed. The springs dug angrily into my side, but my mind was too comforted to notice. My vision grew murky, and my head was filled with haze impairing rational thought until it led me deeper to sleep. My final thought at that point was how, even after a thousand years, she was still so predictable.
* * *
I awoke to movement. I was being dragged along by the same two guards Luna had possessed. My head was corrupt with fog, and a curious nausea crept along me.
My legs were still shackled, and the two guards dragged me under my shoulders, my legs trailing behind. I shook my head to clear the irrational thoughts which quickly amounted as to where I was. I already knew where I was. A long tunnel leading out of the Canterlot dungeon, it leads to the open plaza, in which would be my stand where all would end.
I slowly squinted and looked about me. The guards were expressionless, but a grim overshadow followed the party. They both stared straight forward down the long, featureless tunnel ahead. A light source is encrusted in the roof every eight paces or so, its dim light casts a swooping shadow of my broken figure.
I look up straight ahead; the light at the end of the tunnel was getting brighter. It isn’t long now. The tunnel walls creeped closer together, tighter and tighter they wound until only the three of us could barely scrape through with the guard’s shoulders brushing noisily against the walls. We reached an opening just before the end of the tunnel, and I was handed over to two regal-looking guards. These guards were only for the ceremony, they wore a purple armoured robe and a mask over their mouths with an indent of a crescent moon on their robe chest plate. The whole outfit had a faded golden trim.
The new guards turned after a nod of approval and walked toward the exit of the tunnel. I could hear the other two guards behind us bickering about something, but no words could be distinguished. The light of the exit poured into the tunnel. I squinted with no way to shield my eyes as I was brought into the light.
The entire plaza had changed. One elevated narrow track lead across the entire causeway toward the wooden hanging podium at the end of the track. The podium faced a large building, half way up was a balcony, upon which sat Luna and a few royal guards. All buildings on either side of the path had tapestries bearing Luna’s crescent moon embellished upon them. Great crowds of ponies flocked at either side of the elevated track. Various ponies leant out of the windows of the buildings to the side, some only colts and fillies still willing to watch my murder.
The guards carrying me both stopped abruptly. I looked around with open eyes, but I was swiftly dropped soon after by the guards. A loud, booming voice carried across the plaza, the same beautiful voice amplified so all could hear, even the wind itself seemed to shift to carry along her words. “Walk!” shouted my sister.
I got up slowly. My hooves ached as I stood, my eyes glistened with anticipation and malevolence. I slowly hobbled down the track.
The ponies at each side stared painfully at me. Some wore expressions of sadness, some of hatred, almost all of them familiar, but all so painful. I could have broken down and cried right there if I hadn’t a shred of hope left, but I was going to see this through to the end. Guards stood atop some of the buildings, most brandished weapons to the crowds, but all wore a look of uncertainty. The quiet chatter of talking ponies at the side was heard, but I scarcely noticed.
My world closed into a simple field of vision, the simple but terrifying standing of that podium which would soon finish me. I looked up to the balcony again, Luna’s face was one of sadness. I was surprised, but it was likely just for show, better that than seem pleased with a sibling's death. I shared so much of my immortal life with her, I can still see her as a filly, laughing, playing together, but she isn’t the Luna I knew anymore.
I finally reached the podium. I walked under the beam and stood upon the trap door, it rocked gently as I came to rest upon it. The executioners came up a small set of stairs to the left of me, but I never looked directly at them. They wore a striking black masks, and their cutie marks were covered in another black garment. I used to know them personally, but they wouldn’t know me.
The lies infused in their minds would portrait me as a monster- a killer- and a tyrant. My legs were tied into place on the lower brace. A slight commotion was heard in the crowd but was cut out almost immediately. The hoofsteps were heard behind me, and the broad noose was placed around my neck, it was tightened and then all fell silent. I immediately became aware of the lever in front of me; no doubt it linked to the trap door. My mind was racing, and my breaths became heavy.
I looked up to my younger sister; she leaned upon the crenellations of the balcony. She gave a quick nod of approval toward me, and I knew what it meant. An almost merciful gesture, but one I was grateful for.
I looked about in the crowd in front of me. My voice quivered slightly as I spoke. “I am dying today, not because you believe it to be right. But because you didn’t believe in me.” The crowd was unresponsive. “You are being fed vindictive lies and false accusations all falling on my head.” My voice broke toward the end.
“Ha!” Luna added soon after. “You die today because of the lies you told and murder of innocent lives, but you will learn even in your last moments that betrayal is only a word. To feel all those who you care for stripped from you is what I have endured,” My mouth hung open as I tried to counteract. “And when you finally reach a domain of eternal darkness and solitude that is exactly what I endured.” She spoke absolute power into every word, the wind boomed as she emphasised the end of each sentence.
“And yet even after 1000 years you hold a grudge so strongly?” I retorted desperately. I barely had a point, but I was going to make it count either way.
“I hold no grudge sister. That is why I will give you this one chance,” her voice became quieter as she spoke. “Leave Equestria, and denounce yourself as princess, then and only then may you walk away with your life.”
I looked down in anger. I could live. I could start over in a new land. I quickly cleared that thought and scolded myself for ever considering it. I looked back up to my little sister. “I will never leave. This is my land. These are my ponies!” I tried to gesture to the crowd, but my shackles prevented me.
Luna’s horn began to glow as it covered the lever in front of me. My eyes flashed furiously between her face and the lever. Her voice was soft but meaningful. “Then my mind is not guilty.”
The lever was swung, and I fell three feet. The rope on my legs pulled taut, and I fell face forward to the ground below. The noose on my neck snapped taut soon after. I felt an enormous pressure as a sharp crack reverberated through my skull. My head fell over to the side as my mind grew clouded. But there was no pain.
I couldn’t take a breath, but instead I felt an incredible weight upon my chest. A trickle of blood dripped out from the corner of my mouth, and the crowd in front roared with satisfaction. But I didn’t hear them...all stood still and silent as my vision closed to the single puddle in front of me. In the puddle, I saw my reflection and the sun disappear behind the building in front of me, as if it didn’t want to see its ruler die.
I felt my chest grow heavy as I pushed out a weak, quivering breath. My mind moved to a distant but comforting reverie, and still, I could not shake the bittersweet memory. That my truth was carried to the grave- my truth would never be repeated; her lies would never be forgotten.