//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: To Reign in Hell // Story: On Swift Wings // by Jade Ring //------------------------------// Beyond the Gates of Tartarus The three mares made their way deeper and deeper into the depths of Equestria’s most secure prison. Golden Haze led the way, a lantern dangling from her teeth to supplement the dim light of the blue torches that lined the stone hallway and the ambient glow of the magic from her princess’ horn. Princess Celestia followed her most staunch defender closely, her eyes laser focused on the dark passage that seemed to stretch on forever ahead of them. Princess Luna brought up the rear, peering at the many barred doors set into the walls at regular intervals. Luna peered into one cell and found it empty. “In which of these will we find this ram of yours, Celestia?” Celestia shook her head. “Monsters like Grogar are too dangerous for cells such as these. As per our original plans for this place, these are meant for mortal ponies who are simply too dangerous for the normal dungeons.” “Are any currently occupied?” “Not at the moment. And not for a very long time.” Luna lit her own horn so she could better see the inscribed letters above one door in particular. “What was this Stone Heart’s crime?” “He founded and led the second Court of the Full Moon.” Luna looked at her sister sharply. “The Court of the Full Moon? I fail to see why a private society that I personally endorsed should be criminalized, even after my banishment.” Celestia shook her head, her eyes still focused on the dark path ahead. “The court that you founded willingly disbanded not long after you were sealed away, sister. The second court came together some time later… and committed many terrible crimes in your name.” “Ah. I see.” The Princess of the Night sighed and turned to catch up. “I suppose I must have missed that while I was catching up on my historical texts.” “Oh, you won’t find the second court in any common text. I thought it best that they be forgotten. The only records that still exist about them were locked away in the Archives of Truth.” Luna considered pursuing the topic further, but chose to mentally shelve the discussion for the time being. She looked back the way they’d come and smiled wistfully. “I cannot believe how big Cerberus has grown. I remember when he was only a puppy, tugging at his chain and nipping at the hooves of the work-ponies as they constructed the gates.” Celestia found herself smiling a little despite the butterflies in her stomach from the encounter that was still to come. “I’ve always made sure that he’s well cared for. It was the least I could do for you after…” She cleared her throat. “…after you went away. I know how fond you were of him.” Golden Haze stopped when her light revealed a large stone wall at the end of the path. “Your Majesty?” “Here we are. Just a moment.” Celestia passed the pegasus and touched her horn to the stone. It shimmered before their eyes and became hazy, like a fog at sunrise. She gestured onward and passed through the barrier first. Golden Haze and Luna shared a look before quickly following. The trio now stood on the rim of an immense chasm. Before them, rising from the abyss, were three raised pillars with long staircases leading from the rim on which they stood to the flat tops of each protrusion. A beam of crackling pure magic arced down from the ceiling and encircled the circumference of each pillar. Luna glanced at the first pillar and spied an emaciated red centaur. His yellow eyes glared at them through the darkness. “I take it that this is our destination.” “Indeed.” Celestia started for the stairs that led to the top of the second pillar. When her companions made to follow, she stopped and held out a hoof. “I’m afraid that I must face Grogar alone.” “Yeah. Sure. Like that’s going to happen.” Golden Haze snorted. “I stripped Grogar of his magic long ago, Haze. He’s no threat. And even if he did plan on attacking me, that magical barrier can be broken only by an alicorn’s touch. I’m in no danger.” Luna rolled her eyes. “If I had known you were going to lead us on this hike only to deny us the very reason for this visit, I would’ve stayed on the train.” “I’ll remind you, sister, that you weren’t supposed to be here in the first place.” Celestia looked down at her guard. “You will stay here and protect my sister.” Haze motioned around at the huge and virtually empty space. “From what, exactly?” As though in response, a roar that was more like a low earthquake came from the depths of the abyss. Luna nodded thoughtfully. “Really should have brought my hammer, I think.” Celestia turned, took a breath to steady herself, and began climbing the stairs before her. When she was sure her sister was out of ear-shot, Luna smirked as magic flashed from her horn. She began to follow in her sister’s hoof steps and was only deterred by Haze jumping out in front of her. “Are you truly attempting to impede my path? Me? You do know who I am, don’t you?” Golden Haze was undeterred. “Celestia told us to stay here. Do you really think she’d appreciate you ignoring her wishes?” She paused. “Again?” Luna sighed. “Please, Golden Haze. Do you think me daft enough to follow my sister and not cast an anti-perception spell upon myself first?” Golden Haze raised an eyebrow. “And you were… what? Planning on just leaving me here?” Luna leaned in close and looked into the pegasus’ eyes. “You can still see me, can’t you?” “Of course I…” Realization dawned on Haze’s face. “Oh.” “Yes. Oh.” Luna was already at the stairs. “Are you coming?” Golden Haze shook her head and quickly followed. “I’m starting to think you might be a bad influence, Princess Luna.” Luna giggled. “Oh my dear Captain Haze; did you think I only became a pain in my sister’s neck after I became a monster and tried to steal the throne?” /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// She smelled him before she saw him. Her nose wrinkled at the stench of ages, of filth long gone to rot. “Perhaps I should have the guards bring you a bucket every now and then.” She said as she climbed the last step. Before her, resting comfortably with his legs settled under him, was a huge ram of midnight blue. Enormous horns as black as pitch curved up from his head, crowning him with darkness. His eyes had been shut, but they’d shot open at the sound of her voice, bathing his magical cell and the ground beyond with an awful red light. He grinned, exposing a mouth lined with dangerously sharp teeth. “My my my, isn’t this a surprise?” His voice was the crashing of boulders, deep and dangerous. The slightest hint of an upper class accent tinged his words. “You know, when you’ve been down here as long as I have, you stop keeping track of the years, let alone the months or the days. How long has it been since you graced my humble abode with your presence… Princess?” The ram let the last word roll around in his mouth, caressing the last syllables with his tongue like they were a tasty treat. Celestia shuddered with revulsion. “Not nearly long enough, Grogar.” He chuckled and stretched, popping his back with a sound like a chestnut popping over an open flame. It echoed across the vast emptiness of the prison. “In any case, I am glad to see you. Tirek stopped being pleasant company some decades ago.” Celestia took in the form of the ‘Doom that Came to Tambelon.’ “Remarkable. You haven’t aged a day, have you?” “Not in the slightest. I remain the same strong ram that I was when you cast me in here and tossed away the key.” He stood and did a small turn. “My fur hasn’t patched, my sight has not dimmed, and my fangs…” He grinned at her. “Just as sharp, as I’d be happy to show you.” “Spare me your threats, beast.” Celestia rolled her eyes. “Even if I were to release you from your bonds, you still wouldn’t stand a chance in a fight against me without your magic.” “Who said anything about a fight?” The ram licked his lips and did his own appraisal. “You look so like her, you know…” “Enough. I’ve come here with a purpose.” He pouted. “Would a social call really be so terrible every now and then? We could play chess...” “I need information.” “And in return?” Celestia raised an eyebrow. “This is not a trade, Grogar. You are my prisoner.” “Yes I am. And there’s nothing you could do that could worsen my situation, therefore I see no reason why I should willingly impart any information at this juncture… outside of friendly conversation, of course.” He grinned. “Did you bring tea for us to chat over?” Celestia was unmoved. “Things can always be worse, Grogar. I promise you that.” Grogar sniffed derisively and gestured around. “I have no bed. I sleep on stone. I have no food or drink, even though I still have hunger and thirst. I have no companions, no entertainment… nothing but my memories to keep me sane.” Celestia’s horn flashed. “I could take those from you as well. I could rip everything from you except for  that damned immortality of yours.” “You could.” Grogar winked. “But then you still wouldn’t have the information you seek.” Celestia pursed her lips and dimmed her magic. “What is it you want?” “Later. I need  a chance to go over my options. Right now, I’m curious as to what you want to know.” He settled back on his haunches. “It must be something very important for you to come all the way to me.” “Where is Starswirl?” Grogar grin grew even wider. “Now there’s a question you should have asked centuries ago.” Celestia sat and removed several sheets of parchment from her saddlebags. “I know you found him wandering in the Bad Lands. His writings speak of a horned visage approaching in the night. You would’ve been doing some wandering of your own back in those days, as I recall. After your exile.” “The fools.” Grogar snorted. “So you don’t deny it. You did find Starswirl.” “I did.” “You kidnapped him.” Grogar laughed, a deep booming sound that echoed through the chamber. “Kidnapped? Oh no, my dear Princess. I saved the poor stallion. He was on the brink of death when I stumbled upon him. I carried him to a nearby oasis I’d found and nursed him back to health.” The ram smiled nostalgically. “He became my friend.” “That’s a lie.”Celestia snapped. “If Starswirl had survived his wanderings, he would have contacted us.” “He intended to, at first anyway. He kept raving about some spell that he had to find an answer to. It took me a while during his recovery, but I eventually convinced him to aid me in my own studies. He was ashamed, you see. He considered himself a failure because of his inability to master that spell of his. He saw my work as an opportunity to restore some shine to his magical reputation.” “He considered himself a failure?” Celestia was stunned. Nopony outside herself and Luna had any idea about the spell that Starswirl had been working on so diligently. For a millennia after his disappearance, he was still regarded as the finest practitioner of the magical arts in Equestrian history. “That was part of it. Another part was the simple fact that immortality has a nice ring to it when you reach the age Starswirl had reached. I imagine the chance to spend eternity working on that last spell had a certain attraction for him.” Celestia shook her head. “This doesn’t make any sense. Unless…” She looked up sharply. “Was Starswirl with you? When you returned to Tambelon, I mean?” “Of course. He and that halfwit mule Bray moved into the great tower with me.” “And you imprisoned Starswirl after you destroyed Tambelon.” Again, Grogar laughed. “Is that what they say? That Tambelon was destroyed?” “It was destroyed. I’ve been there. I’ve seen it.” “What you see is a shell, dear Princess. A husk left behind when the whole of the city was spirited away. Tambelon still exists.” Celestia leaned forward. “Where?” Grogar made a vague, waving gesture. “Somewhere out there, in  the vastness of eternity. The last time I saw him, Starswirl told me that his calculations were off. He had no way of knowing where we’d sent it.” Celestia’s blood froze. “You’re telling me that Starswirl…” “…used the spells of All-Is-Well to send Tambelon to a different dimension, yes.” Grogar finished for her. “Or was it another timeline he sent it to?” He shrugged. “I suppose it doesn’t matter.” He smirked at the look on her face. “Did it never occur to you about what remains at the site of the great tower?” “A silver lake that never ripples.” Celestia’s mouth was dry with horror. “The lake is a mirror, isn’t it? One of Starswirl’s portals.” Grogar nodded, the grin back on his face. “I told the fools that I would preserve the city and all her knowledge. I kept my vow.” Celestia tried to shake off the shock that came with learning that one of her oldest friends was the force behind the 'Doom that Came to Tambelon.' “And the rams? Do they exist as well?” Grogar raised a cloven hoof to his chest and tapped his heart. “In a way.” “…what?” “Starswirl spirited away the city, Celestia, but it was I who dealt with my fellow rams. I used a spell of my own to… harvest their essences. My immortality is a false one. I live on the stolen timelines of my species.” Celestia gaped at him. “That’s more monstrous than if you had just killed them.” Grogar shrugged. “They live on in me in a way. It’s you who has wasted all their time by keeping me trapped in this place. Think of what I could have accomplished if you’d simply left me alone with my beloved…” “What happened after Tambelon?” “Starswirl was furious at me for what I’d done to my kind. We dueled. I would’ve slain him had that idiot Bray not shielded the old wizard’s body from my final attack with his own.” Grogar again settled on the floor. “The last time I saw Starswirl the Bearded, he was leaping into his own mirror.” Celestia sighed. “Then my search continues.” She returned the papers to her saddle bags, stood up to leave, and gave the ancient beast the slightest of nods. “Thank you for…” “Ah ah ah. We had a deal, didn’t we? Now you must tell me something.” Celestia grit her teeth. “What is it you wish to know?” The ram’s grin faded. He stared at her with deadly seriousness. “Where is she, Princess? Where is my beloved?” Celestia gestured into the abyss. “There lies a prison far deeper than this one, Grogar. It is there where she is kept in chains.” A look of hope crossed the ram’s features. “She lives?” “Of course. She’s immortal, after all.” “May I see her?” Celestia shook her head. “I think not.” She turned and started back down the stairs. “I’ll send down a guard with some food and water…” “Hang your food and water!” Grogar bellowed. “You say my beloved has been here this entire time? Let me go to her. Let me gaze upon her beauty once more.” “The two of you nearly destroyed Equestria together, Grogar. I would sooner turn you loose upon my kingdom than reunite you with her.” Grogar snorted and charged the barrier. His horns struck with a terrible sizzle, but he did not yield. “Damn you, mare! What do you demand of me? What price must I pay to once more lay eyes upon my beloved Phoenix Queen?” Celestia paused. “As though you have anything to offer...” The ram pulled away from the barrier and glared at her. “Before I departed from Tambelon for the last time, I left behind a bell.” “I’m sure it’s very pretty, but I have many baubles…” “The bell is a twin. Its sister remains in Tambelon. If the bell is rung, then the city will return.” Celestia turned and looked at the ram. “You said Starswirl lost the city.” “He did. I didn’t.” He began to pace his cell. “I’m offering you the lost magical knowledge of the rams, Celestia. Ages upon ages of advanced studies into the arcane, spells that have disappeared into the annals of time. There’s a spell that can turn stone into gold. I imagine that could be quite beneficial to your economy. What about my old mentor’s charm to raise the dead and draw secrets of the past from them? Surely that is worth a single visit with my beloved.” Celestia considered his offer carefully. Grogar could indeed be lying, but there was always the chance he was telling the truth... especially when one factored in his continued devotion to her. “…Here is my proposal. I will release you from your cell until I return from my journey to the ruins of Tambelon. You may search the abyss until you find her or until I again set hoof in Tartarus. If what you say is true, then I will allow you to visit her once a year. If you’re lying…” Her eyes flashed dangerously. “I’m grateful for your kindness, Princess. “ Grogar did the smallest bow he could manage. “Spare me. You’re still a monster.” She headed down the stairs. “Your cell will open the instant I leave. When I return, you’ll be teleported back inside. Enjoy your walk-about.” She ignored his farewells and trotted in silence until she reached the main walkway once again. Only then did she look back at the stairs. “I know you’ve been listening this whole time.” As Haze reappeared, she gestured wildly at the Princess of the Moon. “It was her idea.” Luna paid the mare no mind. She looked at her sister carefully. “Who is she, this Phoenix Queen that the ram loves so much? Some other foe you had to battle without me?” Celestia turned and continued towards the exit. “It isn’t important. We need to go further north, to the ruins of Tambelon.” “I’ll send word to our embassy in the Crystal Empire to expect us.” Haze flapped her wings and started after her princess. Luna was not to be deterred. “Celestia, I know when you’re hiding something from me…” “Tell them to prepare lodging for us.” Celestia told her protector. “I don’t know what hospitality we can expect from Cadance…” “DO NOT IGNORE ME.” Luna boomed, the walls shaking with the force of her voice. The withered centaur flinched and drew back to the farthest edge of his cell. Celestia sighed and faced her sister. “Luna, listen; many things happened while you were locked away. You’ve had plenty of time to brush up on the history…” “Do not treat me like a foal.” Luna snapped, getting in her sister’s face. “This is not some band of disenfranchised nobles with aspirations of releasing a deposed monarch. This is a notable threat from the past. I could hear it in  your voice when you spoke of her.” “What are you saying?” “When Grogar mentioned this Phoenix Queen, your voice changed. You sounded…” Luna took a deep breath and stepped back. “You sounded scared, Tia.” Celestia closed her eyes and sighed. “All these years later, and the very thought of her still chills my blood. I thought if I excised all mention of her from history, then eventually she would just fade away. But it seems her light is just too powerful to be extinguished.” The elder alicorn looked down at her sister. “Forgive me, Luna. If you wish to know, then I’ll tell you.” “Ahem.” Celestia looked around at her protector and lover. “And I suppose I should tell you as well.” Haze smiled uneasily. “I’d like that, but…” She was cut off by an enormous roar from the abyss. When the echo had at last faded, Haze tilted her head at the exit. “But maybe you should tell us this story someplace more comfortable. Back on the train, perhaps?” As the mares set off back the way they came, Luna looked again to her sister. “What manner of villain was this mare to put you so on edge?” Celestia considered her words carefully. “You understand why I used the Elements against you all those years ago, don’t you?” “You were afraid of the pain and devastation I would wreak on the land.” Luna shrugged. “I don’t blame you. I know you thought you were doing the right thing for Equestria.” “But that’s just it, Luna. I wasn’t sure. For years after I sent you away, I was plagued with doubts about my actions. I would torment myself with questions about whether you could have been reasoned with, that maybe I could have done something more than just lock you away for a thousand years. And then she came.” Luna looked into her sister’s eyes and was stunned by the haunted look she saw therein. “She came, and she reigned… and she taught me the hardest lesson of all; that I had been right in sending you away.” Celestia closed her eyes, and a single tear ran down her cheek. “Celestia… what are you saying?” “I’m saying that everything the Phoenix Queen did was my fault. I’m saying that Equestria would have been better off if I had locked us both away when I had the chance.”