A story, written in first person, about a pony who works in Canterlot castle learning about a mare who is kept behind a mysterious quadruple locked door.

In some ways this is a response fic. It is definitely a fast fic. It was written in two quick spurts yesterday and given a final pass this morning. Take that as a warning, if you like.

I took something said in a discussion about Knowledge of the Holy (by Cynewulf) and used it as a prompt. Here's that something:

Imagine you were told there was locked room in the building you work in. No one ever goes in and no one ever comes out. They tell you a woman lives in there. She's been in there as long as anyone can remember. Why is she there? For how long? Who is she? One thing they know is she can kill people just by willing it. Doesn't need a weapon. Doesn't need to even touch you. She just has to want it, or maybe not even that, and bip, you're dead, like she flipped off your light switch. Now someone tells you you have to go in there and talk to her.

(The spoiler is for Knowledge of the Holy, I don't think knowing in advance should be a problem for this fic.)

That's not actually a writing prompt, but it says, "Imagine." So I did imagine, and this is the result.

Like Knowledge of the Holy it's written in first person. Like Knowledge of the Holy the woman is a mare and the workplace is Celestia's castle. It is not, however, an alternate version of Knowledge of the Holy. It's entirely original, simply using the "imagine" statement as a prompt.

Note on the tags: there isn't a "sad but hopeful" tag, but that's what I was shooting for.