Children of the Sun

by Vanner

Understanding the Monster

Chapter Eight: Understanding the Monster

The door of Iron Pick’s cell clattered open again. He looked up through his iron mask to see a mirror image of the body he was currently occupying. The unicorn was flanked by his son, his new wife, and two other ponies he had never seen before. The unicorn stepped in, and Quill closed the door behind him.

Bard approached his brother’s body with caution. If it was really him, and he took off that mask, then he was in just as much danger as he could ever be. But if his suspicions were correct, an innocent pony was being punished in his stead. It wouldn’t have been the first time Glaive had done that. Bard unlocked the hinges with a wave of his horn, and the helm clattered to the ground.

Behind the mask was the beaten face of a unicorn. Bruises and cuts lined his face where the mask had chaffed. He shared the face of a monster, but the yellow eyes were full of worry, and not malice. This wasn’t Glaive; this was another pony.

“Where is Glaive?” asked Bard.

“He has my body,” said Iron Pick. “Quill! My son! It’s me, your father. Please, let me see you.” Bard read the unicorn’s thoughts as he called out to his son.

“He’s telling the truth,” said Bard. He looked out at the moon from the cell. “Damn him, what has he done this time? What’s he after?” With another wave of his horn, he released the manacles from Iron Pick, and opened the door. Quill watched the scene unfold with a skeptical eye.

“Prove it,” said Quill. “What’s something only my father would know?”

“I know your cutie mark is for writing,” said Iron Pick. “I can still remember every single letter you wrote to me while I was away at war. You always ended them the same: ‘Stay safe, Dad.’ ”

Quill cringed at the words. He had written them every time he had sent a letter. Of the four ponies that had seen those letters, two of them had since passed. Quill fell to a knee and bowed before his father.

“I’m sorry, father,” he said. “I didn’t know.” Iron Pick only shook his head, and put a hoof on Quill’s shoulder.

“Your devotion to your brother is admirable,” he said. “And you showed far more restraint then I would have. It is forgotten, son.” He turned to Heart Chase. “And as for you, my lovely wife…”

“How…?” she stammered. “How did this Glaive pony take your body?” Iron Pick only shook his head. He was too exhausted to even think straight. Quill supported his father as they left the cell.

“I don’t know,” said Iron Pick. “He supposedly went north to the…” Iron Pick paused, and looked at the ponies surrounding him. “Is it safe to take with these ponies here?” Heart Chase looked at Ridgeline, Constance, and Bard. She honestly didn’t know how they would react. Better to play it safe.

“Allow me to put my guests up before we start speaking,” said Heart Chase. She leaned in to whisper into Iron Pick’s ear. “And start thinking of something else. Perhaps a child’s song. The unicorn can read thoughts.”

Quill escorted his father away as Heart Chase escorted the other ponies to a large guest suite. The inside had been prepared by the servants to the exacting standards of dignitaries, or visiting nobility. The common ponies were nearly overwhelmed by the display of fine fruits, soft linens, and classical sculptures. A personal servant had been assigned to the three for their stay. The earth pony bowed to her guests.

“Allow me to draw baths for you all,” she said. “I’m certain you can use them after a hard day’s travel. And I want to thank you for bringing back Lady Heart Chase. You have no idea what she means to the Bridleburg valley.”As the servant pony catered to the needs of the travelers, Red, Iron Pick, Heart Chase, and Quill convened in Iron Pick’s office.

The office was a masterwork of granite walls and statues. The pick symbol that had graced the flank of generation after generation had been etched into the stone as a reminder to all who passed through here that they were the heirs to a legacy of service to family. It made Heart Chase think of her own family, and how much she desperately missed them. As Quill explained what he had learned, it dawned on Heart Chase that her sister was in the hooves of a maniac. Apple Chase didn’t know Iron Pick as well perhaps she should have, and any uncharacteristic behavior would go unnoticed. Heart Chase pushed the thoughts of worry out of her head. Apple Chase was a smart mare and she’d know how to escape a pony like Glaive if it came to that.

Something else bothered her though. While Apple Chase belittled her husband, she always assumed that they loved each other. If he was dead, then she would have mourned him for at least a little while before getting married, right? I mean, they all knew what was at stake, but it was highly improper, and obvious that the marriage was political. It lacked the subtlety of the Heart Chase’s and Iron Pick’s union. Something wasn’t adding up, but she couldn’t put her hoof on it.

“So Glaive is taking the army,” said Iron Pick. “Instead of bringing them to Bridleburg to defend the city, he takes them east into the forest to fight Celestia’s Knights head on.” He tapped his head with a hoof as he tried to think. “If he’s on the same quest he was five years ago, then we know he’s going to try to take Canterlot. He’s not interested in an independent Bridleburg; he wants all of Equestria for Nightmare Moon.” Iron Pick started pacing as he thought aloud. “But he can’t take Canterlot with just our forces. He’s planning something else, and I think it’s to assassinate Celestia.”

“And how would be go about doing that?” asked Heart Chase. “No pony has seen her in five years, and nothing can get though the walls.” Iron Pick turned to look at the orange maned mare.

“There’s something,” he said. “I don’t know what it is, but Celestia gave instructions on how to call her when the fighting had ended. I was there when Nightmare Moon was banished, but I didn’t hear what she said. There are only two ponies alive who know what she said and one of them is Glaive.”

“Who’s the other?” asked Red Chase.

“His name is Star Heart,” said Iron Pick. “He used to live in Hoofswell, but he hasn’t spoken to any pony since hearing Celestia’s message. I don’t even know if he’s still alive.” Iron Pick looked at his desk in despair. “I’m really at a loss here. We can’t possibly get there in time; it’s nearly nine hundred miles away.”

Heart Chase thought back to the coastline and how Bard had bragged endlessly about his magical prowess. What had he said about teleportation? No, it wasn’t Bard, it was Ridgeline who had said that it was a full on ceremonial magic. She pounded a hoof on the desk.

“Bard can teleport us,” she said at last. “At least, he said he could. I don’t know if he really can, but it ‘s worth a shot.”

“Can this Bard be trusted?” asked Quill. “I mean, Glaive is his brother after all. Who knows if they’re working together?” Heart Chase thought for a minute. What else had he said? Something about slavery.

“No, he said he was Kin of Luna,” said Heart Chase. “I can’t imagine pretending to be one of them if you’re not. He seemed so proud of it, as if it were something special to belong to a group of mules and…” She paused a moment to consider what she was saying. She hadn’t known any mules or donkeys; why was she passing judgment on them so quickly? “At any rate, he doesn’t seem like his brother at all. He’s a loud mouth, and a bit of a show off, but he’s not evil, and he doesn’t want to hurt anypony.” Iron Pick considered all this for a minute. There really wasn’t another option, though he hated to draw a third party into this affair.

“We’ll discuss it after dawn,” said Iron Pick. The four ponies turned to see the sun creeping over the horizon. Iron Pick sighed, and hung his head. “Alright, after breakfast then.”

…

“There’s no way under Luna’s merciful moon that I am chasing after my brother,” said Bard. “When last we saw each other, he told me he’d kill if he saw me again. Glaive is a stallion of his word, and I’d prefer to remain alive, thank you.” Bard pushed aside his bowl of fruit; he had lost his appetite.

“Don’t you care at all about Celestia?” asked Red Chase. “Glaive’s gonna kill her, and you won’t lift a hoof to stop him?”

“I don’t care about her. I look after me, myself, and I,” said Bard. He looked to the copper coated earth pony who stood beside him. “And Ridgeline. Somepony’s got to look out for that lummox.” Ridgeline shot an annoyed expression at the unicorn.

“We don’t need yah to face down Glaive,” said Heart Chase “We need yah to take us to Hoofswell so we can find Star Heart.”

“And then where?” asked Bard. “Maybe to Canterlot? Or Stalliongrad? Maybe we can all go to the Zebra territories!” He put up his hooves in a gesture of defeat. “The point is, Equestria’s become a dangerous place in the past few years. Too dangerous for a coward like me.” He pointed a hoof at Ridgeline. “Bottom line, I’m going with him. He’s a scary berserker. I’m the second best mage in Equestria, and one of the only ponies who can help him. It’s like a match made in heaven.”

“I will accompany you, m’lady,” said Ridgeline. “I am honor bound to uphold the will of our goddess, even if she no longer wishes to see us.”

“Celestia is gone! Forget about her!” shrieked Bard. “Worry about yourself for a change; you’re not even really a Knight! There’s a whole world of mares and booze and experiences out there, and you’re willing to just ignore it for a goddess who doesn’t care anymore?”

“I know she still cares,” said Constance. Everypony turned to look at the pegasus, who had otherwise been silent then entire meal. “Look at what’s happened in the past seven years. We went from peace loving ponies to war mongers. It used to be you could travel the breadth of Equestria and be greeted with friendly smiles and open arms at every turn.” She looked down at her breakfast, and pushed it away.

“When I was a filly, I used to ride in the caravans and make friends everywhere we went. I shared friendship with ponies I’d never see again just because we made each other smile. I remember all their names, their faces, and their cutie marks. Before the war, friendship was everywhere. We had an army, sure, but it they served ponies in times of disaster, they didn’t go around killing ponies like they do now.” She looked back up at the gathered ponies. “She does care; she just doesn’t want us to fight anymore.”

The table fell silent at the pegasus’s words, as they considered their lives before the war.

Iron Pick had served for twenty years in Knights reserves before he ever saw combat.

Heart Chase, Constance, and Quill had all spent a decade in carefree innocence before the war had come.

Bard had spent his entire teen years entertaining before joining the Lunar Rebellion.

Red Chase almost didn’t remember a world without war.

Ridgeline couldn’t remember when he had ever stopped fighting.

The stinging realization of just how much every pony in Equestria had failed to live up to the expectations of their goddess hung over the breakfast table like a cloud. The sisters had represented everything that ponies were supposed to be: brave and strong as the earth ponies, wise and magical as the unicorns, and as swift and clever as the pegasi. Though they were day and night, they loved each other, and they loved their subjects. Until Nightmare Moon came along, the sisters were the shining examples of harmony that Equestria looked up to. Now that they were gone, there was nothing to guide them. Ponies had lost their way without their goddess, and descended into madness. It was Bard who finally broke the silence.

“You can’t believe that stopping Glaive will end the violence in Equestria,” he said. “There’s always ponies out there looking for power; those who are willing to go to war for a bigger piece of the pie.” He looked up at Iron Pick and Heart Chase with a cold glare, as if he knew their secret. “I’ll take you to Hoofswell. I’ll help you find your pony, and I’ll bring you home. But I expected to be paid. Handsomely. If I do this, it’s not for you. It’s for the Luna that I loved before she became the monster that I feared.” Bard walked away from the table. “I need to gather my things. I’ll meet you in the courtyard at noon.”

The meal ended with that statement, and the guest ponies wandered off to gather their possessions. The family gathered back in Iron Pick’s office and stood in silent contemplation for a while. After a minute, Heart Chase spoke up.

“I don’t want this anymore,” she said. “I don’t want to fight. I don’t want war. I just want peace. Look at the world that Red has grown up in. It’s been one war after another. My goddess, we really have lost our way, haven’t we?”

“It’s already done,” said Iron Pick. “We can’t stop Glaive from marching on Canterlot, but we can prevent him from winning. Star Heart will know how to bring Celestia back.” He looked at the globe on his desk a moment. Equestria spanned a great portion of their continent, and was home to ponies of all stripes. “I think once Equestria sees her again, the fighting will stop. Ponies won’t want to secede anymore. Isn’t that why we started this revolution? Because we lost our faith?”

Those were the words that struck home for everypony. Nightmare Moon’s curse hadn’t just torn apart a family of goddesses; it had torn apart the very souls of the ponies. No longer carefree and happy, the years of war and their lack of goddess had caused them to lose their faith, not only in Celestia and Luna, but it each other. Without at least one of them to guide them, Equestria had fallen to pieces.

“That’s it then,” said Heart Chase. “If we want Equestria back, we have to bring back Celestia. We started a war, and we helped that monster along the way. It’s gotta be us that stops him.”

“There’s a problem with that,” said Iron Pick. “I can’t go like this. Star Heart will kill me on sight if he sees me in this body. The face of an enemy like Glaive is one you don’t forget.” He pounded a hoof on his desk in frustration. “Damnit! I can’t send you out there.”

“Not just you,” said Constance. The ponies turned to look at the pegasus as she entered the office. “We’re going with you.”

“What do you mean we?” asked Heart Chase.

“I mean the four of us,” said Constance. “Ridgeline, Bard, you, me. This isn’t the sort of thing you take on alone. You’re going to need help.”

“I don’t even know you ponies!” said Heart Chase. “Yah been followin’ me around for three days now, and I still don’t know if I can trust yah. The only reason I’d take Bard anywhere is cause he’s the one with the magic. Ridgeline is an accident waitin’ to happen, and you…” her tone softened, and she blushed. “Well, yah sure are nice to spend time with, I’ll give yah that, but this ain’t none of yer concern, and I won’t have yah riskin’ yer pretty feathers cleanin’ up my mess.” Constance shook her head.

“Have you ever been to Hoofswell?” asked Constance. “It’s a very different place than Bridleburg. They’re not too trusting of strangers there, and you’d stick out like a sore thumb. You need a guide and who better than a pony that was born there? You need Ridgeline for that. And if he goes, I go. Bard’s not going to leave him behind, and someone’s got to be a good influence on him.”

Heart Chase blinked a moment at the revelation. Constance was right. Heart Chase hadn’t spent much time outside of Bridleburg, and as far as she was concerned, Hoofswell might as well been another planet. She hadn’t considered that the rest of Equestria might be different from home.

“What about us?” asked Quill.

“You’re stayin’ here,” said Heart Chase. “Our families need yah. They ain’t gonna trust some pony who says he’s Iron Pick, but looks like a terrorist. And with Apple Chase gone, some pony’s gonna have to run the farm.” Heart Chase looked at the two ponies. “We’re headed into a war zone, and there’s a good chance none of us are gonna come back. Some pony’s got be in charge around here, and you two are the only ones we can trust.” She looked finally to Iron Pick. “This is what I gotta do if I’m gonna keep my family safe. I got the chance to stop Glaive and make Equestria safer for everypony. I can’t let that pass.”

Iron Pick looked at Heart Chase for a moment before speaking. Something was clearly going through his head, and everypony knew it was important. They waited in silence for him to speak.

“May I have a word alone with my wife?” he asked.

The ponies nodded, and shuffled from the office. Behind them, the door closed with a click. Iron Pick stared at Heart Chase a moment before hanging his head.

“I want you to know that I think the world of you,” said Iron Pick. “And I know that our marriage was never about anything other than a bid for power. But I admire you, Heart Chase. You share your father’s dedication to your family.”

Iron Pick levitated a scroll from his desk, and began writing. Heart Chase stood quiet as he wrote, trying to read his sloppy handwriting. He dipped his quill again, and with a flourish, he signed the letter. The scroll was placed in a metal tube, and sealed with magic.

“If you do manage to bring our princess back, give her this,” said Iron Pick. “I’m not going to pretend to have authority over you, nor am I the sort of pony who makes demands of my wife, but the only thing I will ever ask of you is that you do not allow anyone but the princess to open this case. Don’t worry about what’s inside; just don’t try to open it.”

Heart Chase nodded quietly and looked into Iron Pick’s eyes. Inside of them was a calm resignation that worried Heart Chase for reasons she couldn’t quite understand. Though the stallion that stood before her had a different body, inside he was still Iron Pick. She leaned across the desk and kissed his cheek.

“A mare could really fall for yah,” she said with a sad smile. “You’ve always put your family ahead of yerself, and I’m just glad to be part of it now.” She picked up the scroll case, and put it in her satchel. “I’ll come back, I promise. Maybe we can make this work after all.”

“Maybe we can,” said Iron Pick. “We’ll see.”

The next few hours were filled with packing and preparation. Ridgeline had been fitted with the bronze barding of Celestia’s Knights to protect him from a blood rage. Constance had gathered blankets and cold weather gear for the herd, and Heart Chase secured to other supplies they would need for a long trip north.

Bard stood atop the compass rose that adorned the courtyard’s walkway. Candles carved with glyphs had been placed at points of the compass, and charcoal runes had been drawn in a circle around the center. Bard stepped back and looked at his handiwork for a moment. At any other time, he would have been pleased as punch at such an opportunity to show off his magic. Now, he was just getting paid to be a ferry. He put away his tools, and looked to the noon sky. It was time to get moving.

The ponies made their way into the courtyard. They marveled at Bard’s work, and asked questions about the various glyphs and runes he had drawn upon. He ignored the questions for the most part.

“So who’s coming?” asked Bard.

“Looks like it’s the four of us,” said Heart Chase. “What do we need to do?” Bard looked over the four ponies a moment, and paused to think.

“Constance, you’re from Stalliongrad, right?” The rose coated pegasus nodded. “Please stand on the East point. Ridgeline, since you’re from Hoofswell, and that’s where we’re headed, stand on the N.”

“The what?” asked the copper coated stallion.

“The ‘N’!” said Bard. “’N! Can’t you rea… uh… right there at the top. Yeah.” He turned to Heart Chase. “You’re from Bridleburg right?”

“Born and raised,” she said. “I guess that makes me the west.”

“And I’ll take the south,” said Bard. “Alright everypony, I need you to relax. Clear your minds of thoughts. The only poniy who needs to be thinking right now is Ridgeline.” He looked across the compass at the armored stallion. “Alright Ridgeline; think of a place in Hoofswell that you know really well.” Ridgeline furrowed his brow and concentrated as hard as he could. “Got it? Now imagine that place around you. Close your eyes and feel it. The smells, the sounds, everything about it you can remember.”

Ridlgeline remembered his family’s home. He remembered the low ceilings, and sloping walls; how the unfinished stone floor felt beneath his hooves as he grew up. The scent of his home came back to him: turnips and greens. For a moment, he was lost in a memory of home he had been taken away from all those years ago. Bard read the thought, and finished his spell. The world swirled around him. Equestria tilted away as if moving a hoof on a map and with a flash of purest white light, the four ponies disappeared from Bridleburg.