After Discord

by Faindragon

Chapter 16

The shadows of the moon.
All of them silent.
Some of them deadly.
Some from foes.
Some from friends.
But a friend that is but a shadow.

Is that a friend to trust?

*^*

I slowly made my way through the castle gardens. Luna’s eye watched over me, her gaze embraced me, hid me.

I was a shadow as I slowly made my way though flower arrangements and small paths of gravel between them. I did not make a lot of sounds, and the small ones I made were drowned in the sound of the rippling water of the gardens.

I walked past the place where I had had the water clash with Honey only days earlier. Happier days.

I could hear her laugh.

I could hear her begging me to stop.

I could hear her laugh again.

“Those days will we never get back. Those days are long since passed.”

Had the voice seemed... sad? After all it had said about Honey being dead. Was he really sounding sad now?
“I will make sure that those days get back.”
“How will we make that? We have killed everypony we loved! We have betrayed them all!”
“They all live, nopony has been killed yet. And I have not betrayed anypony!”

I was only meet with a grim, sad laugh.

I looked up at the sky, meet the glance of Luna’s eye, watched her mane twinkle around it. I could feel how the rage inside me built up as I watched the eye, but I struggled with it; suppressed it. I could not let it take over, not in a time like this.

It really was a beautiful Luna hour, her eye had still some distance left before it had made it to its peak. But I had no time to lose. I had not seen any guards so far, but that did not mean they did not exist. I slowly made my way towards the big, old oak tree in the middle of the castle gardens. I had never agreed with a meeting place with Corelight, but that was the central point, the core, of the gardens. If it where anyway we would meet was it there.

“Can we trust him? Are we certain that he have not planned an ambush there?”
“I believe he can be trusted, otherwise I would not stay here now.”
“How do we mean?”
“If we would not be able to trust him would he have warned the guards about our escape plan.”
“We can see the point in that. But will he do what we ask of him?”
“I can only hope.”

*^*

I lay completely still in the bushes close to the oak tree. Luna’s grace illuminated the old tree, illuminated every leaf, making it stand out in the night. It was really a beautiful view. It had not been hard to get here, the only guards I had seen had been easily avoided; they had not spotted me at all.

It made me wondering, where was every guard pony? Not that it usually was a lot of guards in the castle gardens at night, but more than two should it certainly be. Where all the available guard out in the city searching for me?

“Or are they all here, waiting for us?”
“Corelight has not betrayed me! “

And if he had, then I would have to fight my way out of here.

*^*

I heard the hoof steps on the gravel before I saw the hooded pony walk in under the oak, Luna’s grace illuminating it. I sighed at the bad disguise that Corelight had putted on. The hood did not cover the horn, you could clearly see his tail and parts of his coat. It was lucky, both for him and me, that he was not to follow me away from here. No, his work would be here.

The unicorn looked anxiously from side to side, tried to spot something in the shadows.
Tried to find me.

I smiled lightly, he would not be able to find me that easily. Luna’s eye had nearly reached its peak.

“Luna and Celestia, watch over me this night. Make my decision easy and let Corelight see the reason behind what I tell him.”
“They are not there to answer us. They never were.”
“They have always watched over me, today is no exception.”

I backed out of the bush,carefully making sure that not a single branch moved on the bush and that not a single sound was heard.

*^*

I looked at Corelight. He had not spotted me yet, and I had not even made a attempt to hide. I felt like facehoofing, if this was the kind of pony the guard was built up with then it was not strange that the murders I had done the last weeks was this easy.

I coughed lightly.

Corelight spun around, his horn already glowing, his eyes wide in surprise. He had a good reaction time at least.

“It’s me, do not be afraid.” I said, smiling gently.

“You scared me!” Corelight said as he released the grasp of his magic, his horn stopped the glowing.

“That was not what I aimed for, I was only making sure that you noticed that I was here.” I said, the smile still on my muzzle.

“Well, you made me notice you at least.” Corelight said with a nervous chuckle.

“Are you ready for this?” I asked him, making my way to the point directly. We did not have time to stand around doing nothing.

“I’m ready to follow you where ever you lead me.” Corelight answered. “I’m sick of this place.”

“Well, that is to bad since you will stay here for a while longer.” I said, my smile disappearing.

“What? I thought I would follow you, help you cleanse the corruption from this hellhole!” Corelight said, disappointment and a hint of anger in his voice.

I sighed, this would probably take a while.
“You are not to follow me away from the city, but you are to help me cleanse it.”

“Wait, you are leaving the city? You are abandoning the city when it needs you the most?” he said, the anger in his voice raising.

He was really easy to get angry, had to remember that.
“No, I will NOT abandon this city! But I can not stay in it right now, the guards will look after me, will search every corner of the city! The gates are probably already blocked, I will have to find another way out. But I will have to leave it for the time being.” I snapped at him.

I sighed again, looked at Corelight who seemed both angry, embarrassed and scared at the same time.
“Look, I do not want this. I want to go straight into the castle and slaugther every bucking corrupted pony in there! But I can not do that, innocent would be killed. That is where you gets into the picture, so listen closely now.”

It seemd that I had gotten Corelight’s attention.
“A half day of trotting towards the east lies a small settlement. One week from now, under the watching eye of Celestia, will I expect you there. I will meet you at the middle of the settlement, at the big fountain. You will not be able to miss it.”

“Under the what? And what shall I do for that week? What shall you do?” Corelight asked, confusion over me using the goddess name instead of the name he knew.

“Under the sun, in the middle of the day. I shall meet my daughter and her caretaker. I believe they are to be found in that settlement, and even if not will I wait there for you.” I answered, my thoughts going to Honey and Carrotrose.

“And what shall I do then? What is your task for me?”

“During this week will you make me a list of every corrupted pony that you know of. I know that will not be all of the corrupted ponies, but it will be a start. You are not to try to contact me, no matter what, before I see you in person there in one week. Do you understand?”

“Yes sir, I understand perfectly.” Corelight said, assurance written in his face.

“Good” I said, turning to leave. I looked back at Corelight. “And Corelight, do not get caught. Do not do anything suspicious at all. You are to help me, not to put yourself in danger.”

With those words did I leave Corelight behind me, slowly made my way out of the castle gardens.

“Are we sure about this? How are we to leave the city?”
“I have no idea.”