A century before….
The rainstorm came down in gouts upon the young pegasus. She wanted to curse the name of the local weather manager, but she remembered that she was so close to the Everfree Forest, and the weather tended to be untamed around these parts, especially outside of the settled areas. Besides, she really didn’t know the name of the weather manager in Ponyville anyway, or even if it had one, given that the settlement was so new.
I knew I should’ve stayed at that inn in Ponyville, but nooo, I just had to see if I could make it to Berryville early! And now I’m frozen and soaked to the bone with no chance of….
Her thoughts were interrupted by the light flickering in the distance. At first she was afraid that it was a trick by some evil creature from the Everfree, but she soon realized that it was on a path that led away from the dark forest. Eager for any place to stay, she ran as fast as she could, the mud staining her coat and her soaked wings completely useless from the rain.
Twenty minutes later, she came upon a fortress, for there was no other way to term it. A castle, such as that of Canterlot, was a work of art. A garrison, such as the EUP base in her hometown, was made for “quick deployment of troops”, or so her older brother, a guardspony himself, had told her. But this place...it looked as if built for war, to keep a massive force outside its walls at any cost. It certainly didn’t look the place for a mare barely out of her teens, such as her.
But beggars can’t be choosers, she said as she approached the door and knocked.
Finally, after countless minutes, the door opened, revealing a huge, armored guard; he was an earth pony, and he carried what looked to be a nasty-looking spear. “Yes, may I help you?” he asked in a voice tinged with a Trottingham accent.
“Hi, I got lost and it’s raining. If you don’t mind, can I come in?” The pegasus sneezed, then shivered due to the cold. In the distance, a jag of lightning split the air, followed by the bassy rumble of thunder, and finally the whistle of the winds as they tore through the area, further chilling the pegasus.
“I’m sorry, but we do not allow guests in the garrison,” the stallion said. Pointing with his spear, he said, “If you follow the road, in another fifteen miles, you’ll reach the town of Berryville. We have an abbey there, and I recommend you go there instead.”
“Oh, c’mon!” the pegasus cried. “You know I’m not going to make it in this storm! Have a heart! Look, if I have to pay, I have bits—” She tried to get through the door, but then the stallion blocked the path with his spear.
“Bits matter not to me, young miss,” he told her. “You must go.”
“I-I’ll never make it,” she moaned, shivering. “Too cold. Pegasi don’t have the same constitution you earth ponies do.”
The stallion looked her over, then sighed and muttered, “I hope this mistake will not undo me.” He then nodded to her and stepped aside, allowing her in, which she gladly did. Closing the door behind her, he led her down the main hallway.
The hallway was well-lit, with wall sconces flickering from magical light, and featuring several alcoves within which were statues of various soldiers in valorous poses. There were also several doors, and by each door were a pair of guards, unicorn or earth pony, standing fast as if prepared for battle. Their eyes traced her path as she walked behind the spearpony, and needless to say it made her very uncomfortable.
Finally, they stopped at a gilded door. “Wait here,” he told her. “I must speak to the Master.” Nothing more to say, he walked in, closing the door behind him.
As she stood alone, the pegasus looked around. Other than the statues, the hallway was barren, aside from the copy of Celestia’s cutie mark engraved into the tiles below. Behind the princess’ mark were two swords, and what that signified, the pegasus didn’t know. Aside from the storm roiling outside, there was nothing else that echoed, save for the occasional drops of water sloughing off her coat and feathers.
Suddenly and without warning, a monstrous howl roared throughout the building. The screech was unnatural, inequine, and like nothing of this world. She had heard the sound of certain monsters before: manticores and timberwolves, but this was nothing like either.
The door opened and the spearpony stepped out, looking at her. “Master Boniface will see you now,” he said simply.
“Wha-what was that?” she asked him, worried.
“Likely the wind or some poor creature of the Everfree,” he said in a bored tone. “Come; the Master would see you now.” She glared at him, but it had no effect, as he merely opened the door, allowing her entry.
Seated at a simple desk was somepony that could not be called simple: a unicorn, who looked as though she combed her mane with a rake. Her eyes were wild and though she was dressed in the same manner as the other soldiers, she looked to be a wildmare and completely out of her mind. Even still, there was something about the unicorn that conveyed a command presence; when the pegasus had been a filly, she had once seen the Captain of the Royal Guard, Star Song, and this unicorn gave off much the same aura.
Glaring at her, the unicorn asked, “I am Boniface, Master of this Garrison of the Celestine Order. What do you want here, pegasus?”
“Hey!” the pegasus gasped. “I have a name, you know!”
“I’m sure you do; however, I care not for what it is. Now I can either call you ‘pegasus’, which is what you are; or idiot, which is what I suspect you are as well. Now which will it be?”
“Fine, pegasus, then,” she grumbled.
“Good, now that we’ve gotten the pleasantries out of the way, I ask you again: What do you want here?”
The pegasus sighed. This day is just getting better and better. And if it’s not bad enough, I think I have a headache building…. “Look, I was on my way to Berryville and got caugh—” Her words were cut off by a cough. “Excuse me, sorry. As I was saying, I got caught in the rain here. Would it be possible to stay overnight? I’ll gladly pay for food and a room, though...if you’re Celestines, aren’t you supposed to help those in need?”
Boniface eyed the pegasus with a haughty look. “The abbeys, yes – but this is a garrison and for a different purpose. I’m sorry, but we cannot help you, pegasus. You will have to leave.”
The pegasus began coughing again. “But I won’t make it out there!”
Boniface looked at the spearpony. “Brother Amblard, take Sister De Claret and any other pony not on duty and hitch a wagon. Dispatch this pegasus to the Berryville abbey at once. I will send a flamefax ahead to Abbess Belmonte and let her know to expect visitors.” Boniface looked at the pegasus and said, “Let it not be known that the Order does not care for the needy. But you will go and you will go now!”
Amblard looked at the pegasus. “Please, this way. The sooner you leave, the better.”
The pegasus turned angrily, ready to storm out the door, but the moment she took a single step, the world began to spin. She could hear the voices of Amblard and Boniface, and then finally that horrific howl, before darkness claimed her.
“Good, you’re awake.” The pegasus opened her eyes to see a beautiful earth mare leaning over her, placing a cold cloth over her head. “Are you feeling better, Miss Pegasus?”
The pegasus groaned. “Not you, too.”
“I’m afraid Master Boniface has commanded it, and personally, I’d rather not go against her orders. It is...hard enough living here as is.” The mare gave a comforting smile, then continued. “I am Sister De Claret, and after you fainted, I convinced Master Boniface to let you stay until the storm ends, in order to prevent your health from becoming worse. She agreed, but said you must go immediately after the last raindrop falls. We’ve sent word to the Berryville Abbey, and their physicians will be awaiting you.”
“Thanks,” the pegasus replied.
“It is of no trouble. I have some broth cooking in our kitchens. I will fetch it for you.” As silent as possible, De Claret departed the room, leaving the pegasus to rest in peace.
Though not for long, as the storm outside the window began to rage again and that insane howling started once more. However, this time it seemed more natural, subdued – normal. It appeared to come from within the walls of the building itself, and it sounded morose, wounded, wronged.
Something stirred within the pegasus’ heart and despite her weakness, she got off the bed and headed towards the door, opening it to find nopony in the halls and the howling coming from the other end, now sounding more like cries for help. Still woozy on the wing, the pegasus moved as fast as she dared, down the hallway, where the magical lights became dimmer and dimmer, as if the darkness swallowed them up.
“Help, help I say! Please don’t let them take me away!” The pegasus approached a barred door to see a zebra stallion lying there. He looked as though he’d been beaten as of late, starved and weak. But he looked at her and smiled, as though he had seen the face of Celestia herself. Moving carefully to the door, he asked, “Please! Have mercy! Assist me! You’re not one of them, I can plainly see.” He reached out to her and she hoofbumped him; he sighed in relief. “Ketri is my name, and this is my fate – but you can save me ‘fore it’s too late!”
“Hello, Ketri. My name is—”
“No time, dear miss, I apologize! But the floor has ears and the walls eyes!” He looked to and fro as much as he could then said to her, “These ponies are evil and mean me harm! But if you free me, we can raise an alarm!”
“But...but these are Celestines!” the pegasus cried. “They’re Celestia’s warriors!”
“You think these to be heroic souls? Not true – pure villainy are their goals!” Ketri yelped. “I once too thought these the Celestines, but soon found they were not as seemed. Back then I was Canterlot bound; as part of my studies I move around. But these brigands did capture me on charges very dastardly. To fool poor innocents is what they crave – so then they can sell them off as slaves!”
“Look, I’ll tell Boniface! She has to do something!”
“No! That’d only clue her in that I’ve told you true and bared her sin! That won’t succeed, that will not work! All you’d do is warn that jerk!”
The pegasus was confused. “Then what can I do to help?”
“You can start by stepping away from that...thing,” a voice rang out. Both Ketri and the pegasus turned to see Boniface standing there, flanked by Amblard and a host of other soldiers all armed and focused on them. Behind them, with a sad look on her face, was De Claret.
“Come with us, pegasus,” Boniface ordered. “Now!”
“No! What have you done to this poor stallion?”
“I said, follow me. I won’t say it a third time.” As if to underscore her point, Boniface’s horn started charging up with magic.
Sensing defeat for the moment, the pegasus gave Ketri an apologetic look, then followed the soldiers.
“I have changed my mind,” Boniface said to the pegasus. “You will leave now. I will allow the use of my personal phaeton for your safety, but you will leave!”
“Why?” the pegasus asked. “So you can torture that poor zebra some more?”
Amblard shook his head. “Miss, you do not know what you speak of.”
“Yes, I do!” she snarled. “You guys are hoping to hurt poor Ketri! Why? Is it because he’s not a pony like us? Well, if that’s your plan, it’s failed. I already know about him and I won’t let you hurt him!”
To her surprise, Boniface laughed. “Hurt who? Hurt what?” When the pegasus glared at the unicorn as though she’d gone mad, Boniface said, “I presume he’s told you that we’re frauds and charlatans, that we’re merely pretending to be Celestines?” Boniface laughed and added, “Then who, praytell, could run such an advanced operation without the guard – or even the Celestines themselves – knowing about it? Or do you feel Her Divine Majesty’s government is corrupt enough to allow such evil to flourish within her ranks?”
Boniface leaned into the pegasus’ face until they were at a very uncomfortable distance; that is to say almost muzzle to muzzle, as if lovers. “He will say anything, will twist words and favor lies on his tongue. And do you know why?” The garrison master smiled. “Because he is one of the greatest evils to walk this land, a threat so dire even Tartarus itself cannot hold him – and only our vigilant efforts keep him from further chaos!”
“So you’re telling me that a disheveled, terrified, wounded zebra stallion is some sort of criminal mastermind?”
“Worse: he is a veritable demon.” As if to underline the mage’s point, a thunderclap sounded in the distance, with the rain continuing to pelt the window.
“Oh-kay. Yeah, right.” The pegasus gave Boniface a lidded look, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “I also hear the Mare in the Moon is a threat, too.”
“Oh, she is...but that is not my duty to execute. Furthermore, her time is not for another century or so, therefore I shan’t worry about it as a result.” Boniface looked at the door, as if staring at the prisoner beyond. “Look, it is clear you don’t believe a word I’ve said, and why should you? I can tell you’re a young, pretty, cosmopolitan mare, focused on whatever lies in her future. And that to you, the Celestines are the priests in robes that help the needy in Her Divine Majesty’s name – that they would never be heavily-armed thugs, am I right? After all, that is the domain of the EUP and the Solar Guards, not the prestery.
“But I tell you this: We are not uneducated charlatans hoping to waylay some traveler on the highway between Ponyville and Berryville. This garrison? It was the home of an earth pony castellan towards the end of the Warring States Era. I know this because I once studied here when I was your age. I was a scholar, a member of the Mage Academy and a specialist in archeology. I came here and studied all I could.
“It was that education which changed my life and led me to the Celestines. Do you think we are the only ones that have contested this beast? Countless lives have been lost due to this monster’s predations! Innumerable civilizations have fallen due to its evil! And we have. Stood. Ready!” Boniface smiled as if talking to a child. “Five years ago this was a dedicated garrison to prepare for the monster’s return. And so he did – and thus we were able to capture him and confine him like the beast he is!”
As if on cue, that unearthly howl sounded again, shaking the pegasus to the core, but the Celestines within the room took it in stride. “We have held him here for five years, and we will do so until the end of time or until Her Divine Majesty ends his sick, twisted existence for once and for all!”
“But if he’s such a beast that can escape Tartarus itself, how can you hold him here?” That made no sense. She knew nothing about the underground prison that held Equestria’s worst criminals save for its name, but that was more than enough – far more than enough to give any sane pony nightmares. And yet these warriors of the faith desired to lock Ketri within?
“With the Sunstone, of course.” Boniface’s words were so simply stated; they were clearly meant to be insulting.
“The Sunstone is a myth,” the pegasus said, sure of herself. The Sunstone, a flat, disc-shaped golden diamond, was said to have been created in the aftermath of Princess Celestia’s war against Nightmare Moon centuries ago; the stone was created by the puddle left behind by the sun alicorn’s tears of sorrow for those lives lost in the war. And given that Nightmare Moon wasn’t likely real (of if she was, she was clearly based on an attempted usurper in the past), how real could the Sunstone be?
Boniface, with her magic, held up a flat disc the size of a medallion. “This is but a mere replica of the stone itself, but it still has powers far greater than I. This is the blessing I receive of my station, the trust in me that Her Divine Majesty has.”
“Well, then tell me, how are you sooooo sure that this stallion is your dark monster? He doesn’t look evil in the slightest!” the pegasus scoffed. “Trust me, I’ve had coltfriends worse than how he seems!”
“You poor child….” Boniface tut-tutted, a clear sign she was patronizing the pegasus. “I will assume that it’s part of your illness saying that, else you would have remembered what each parent says to their child at night, warning them that Evil has the power of Persuasion. Wherever there is corruption, persecution, or malice, there Evil exists. You may not realize it, but it’s true – and it comes in myriad forms. Even I’ll admit that I cannot always see it when it’s there.”
The dizziness was building in the pegasus’ head again, so she put forth a thought: “Then if you are fallible and capable of mistakes…could you not be mistaken about Ketri?”
“No!” The answer thundered despite the fact that Boniface had spoken quietly, the words had their own terrible final authority. “Can you truly not comprehend the damage that would be done we were to free him? Can you not understand the hard-won peace that would be lost, the lives that would crumble at his clutches?”
“And yet we still have border disputes with Griffonstone, or issues with the occasional surviving Windigo or any of that. That’s evil, not that zebra!”
“That’s the evils that sapient beings bring amongst themselves. No, this evil I’m talking about is well beyond that – it is as different as a parasprite is to a minotaur. It is indiscriminate in its evil and fears little save for Celestia’s Holy Might.” At this time, the pegasus nearly collapsed and it took a well-timed catch from Brother Amblard to save her from a faceplant.
“Master Boniface, I agree with Sister De Claret that this young miss is not ready to travel. Whatever she has is no mere case of the feather flu.”
Boniface rubbed her chin. “I see. Well then: Sister De Claret, you are to take her to your room and ensure that she does not leave.”
De Claret nodded. “It will be as you say, Master Boniface.”
“Good. Now, pegasus, wait outside. I must discuss the plans for tomorrow with Brother Amblard and Sister De Claret.” Woozily, she made her way out, trying to focus on the door as the room spun like a top.
The pegasus waited for interminable minutes while the Celestines discussed issues. Finally, unable to wait any longer for ponies she didn’t entirely trust, she opted to talk to the one who she felt was being more honest about his situation.
“Ketri, I’ve come,” she said softly, looking inside. To her surprise, he was right there, looking at her with hope.
“I see you’ve lasted their fiendish lies,” he said with a hopeful smile, “and they’ve no ken of our surprise?”
“No, but what they had to say was odd: They claimed that you were the greatest evil that ever lived, like you were personally responsible for all that’s wrong in the world.”
“They gave away my name too soon!” he said with laugh. “Can’t you tell? I’m Nightmare Moon!”
“Yeah, you certainly look the part,” the pegasus chuckled. “But seriously, how can I get you out?”
He pointed down to the simple sun-shaped emblem in the center of the door. “Enchanted rock holds me fast as bone, but do not believe it to be the Sunstone. A mere lodestone’s all it is, but simple magic’s all its fizz. Remove the stone and you will see – it is the key that sets me free!”
“Sure thing,” the pegasus replied, reaching for the stone…
…only to find another hoof blocking the way. The pegasus looked up and found Sister De Claret standing there, looking at her with sad eyes. “Master Boniface asked me to see to you. She feared…you would be in a fix due to your illness. Come, let us get you to bed.” The cleric looked at the pegasus, then briefly glared at the zebra, before escorting her away.
Gently gesturing the pegasus in, Sister De Claret then locked the door telling her, “This is for your own good, pegasus. You are unwell – it sounds like onset pneumonia – and I would not let you suffer so. Plus, there is that issue of that monster.” Slipping the key around her neck via a strand of cloth, De Claret gestured to her bed, a simple cot of hay and wood. “It is not much, but you need to rest now for your own health.”
“But why the lock?”
“For safety,” was all De Claret said.
Later that night, as the storm seemed to grow even stronger, with wind lashing the rain against the windows like rocks and the din of the wind at its fullest, the pegasus moved. Despite the fact that she could feel her illness, she couldn’t rest, not while an innocent zebra was being mistreated. Her heart just couldn’t stand that. Even still, it had been De Claret that had stood up for her, and tried to tend to her needs.
It would be De Claret that she would have to betray.
But even still, there was no other option.
The pegasus, with the thankful skill given just about every one of them since the first ones founded Pegasopolis ages ago, silently moved to De Claret’s side. Carefully stealing the key from around the earth mare’s neck, the pegasus quietly unlocked the door, opened it, then stepped out. With a bucephalean amount of effort, she flapped her wings into a hover mode, then closed and locked the door, heading away.
Back at Ketri’s cell, the zebra breathed a sigh of relief: “Good to see you’ve come at last? Send my misery into the past!”
“Yeah, stand back,” the pegasus turned around and got ready to buck the door, when she noticed a small detail: though the stone setting was in the center of the door, the door itself seemed loose and wobbly enough that a solid buck could have easily undone the thing. While he looked to be in bad shape, desperation should have allowed him to be able to kick the door open himself. Why didn’t that happen?
Were they right about this guy? the pegasus wondered.
“Please, now, set me free – save me from harm!” the zebra pled. “Do it quick before they raise alarm!”
In her room, De Claret woke up from her uncomfortable sleeping position on the floor, having given her bed to the pegasus. Getting up to stretch, she then realized with horror that the pegasus wasn’t there.
“Oh, no….” the earth pony voiced, as realization clicked in. She immediately turned to check the door, only to find it locked. With seconds to spare, she ran over and touched the glowing crystal in the room, and a booming siren suddenly rang throughout the building. She then immediately slipped on her barding and then with an effortless move, started bucking the door as hard as possible, cracking the oaken door. A second buck tore it off its hinges and broke it in two, and wasting no time, De Claret rushed into battle.
Boniface had been discussing things with Amblard the moment the alarm went off.
“That damn fool of a pegasus,” Boniface seethed. Amblard didn’t respond; instead, he rushed off as fast as he dared.
The piercing siren alerted both the pegasus and Ketri, and despite her exhaustion, the former immediately turned and started bucking the door with all her might, hoping the door would fall. Finally after the third hit, the door caved in two and slumped inwards, snapping off the hinges and dropping to the floor in two pieces.
“Go, you’re free!” the pegasus cried.
To her surprise, the zebra smiled and said, “So I am.”
And then his eyes glowed violet as trails of green warped away from them.
“STOP HIM AT ALL COSTS!” a voice in the distance roared, and the thundering of hundreds of armored hooves sounded down the hall as the whole host of the garrison bore down on them hard.
The pegasus turned to horror to look at her zebra counterpart…only to see smoke – thick, oily smoke, the kind of smoke when something unnatural was aflame. The smoke acted like a thunderhead, filling with jags of reddish lightning, and multiplied more and more, filling the room as a guttural, unnatural voice said,
“A deed is owned, this I will say:
Your life I’ll spare – you’ll die soon, anyway.”
The pegasus felt another round of dizziness and started to black out as she heard cruel, inequine laughter, the clang of steel against steel and the screams of pain or worse.
The rain had stopped. It was the first thing she noticed as she came to.
The second thing she noticed was the overpowering smell of copper, as if someone had opened a copper mine. The third was the sticky feeling she’d felt everywhere, as though she’d slept in a vat of molasses.
However, it was the fourth and fifth sensations that had would be seared in her mind forever: when she finally opened up her eyes and the garrison she’d spent the night in had become an abattoir, with offal on the walls and ichor on the floor and ceiling – remnants that had once been other ponies, some she even knew. The fifth was finally realized when a bloodcurdling scream of terror was heard; a split second later she knew it had been her own.
“So…you…live,” a weakened voice said to her side. She half-jumped and turned at once, to find the maimed and mangled remains of what had been Boniface, whose face gave a weak smile.
“I’ll get help!” she coughed, realizing she wasn’t in the best of shape, either. But she’d do anything right now to get away from this hellhole, even if it meant going fast enough to perform the mythical Sonic Rainboom.
“No,” Boniface spat. “It is…it is too late for me – for all of us. Additionally, that alarm rang in the Berryville abbey – reinforcements are already on the way, but won’t make it in time. We have failed.” Boniface coughed again and murmured, “We have failed because you couldn’t recognize the face of evil when you saw it. That…is the weakness of the good and righteous: to never…to never really recognize evil for what it is.”
“I’m sorry,” the pegasus cried. “I’m so, so sorry.”
To her surprise, Boniface started chuckling, as if enjoying a final joke.
“Is it something I said?” the pegasus asked.
“No, pegasus, it is not, but it is what has been done,” the mage said with a beatific smile. “Don’t you see? Isn’t it clear?” Boniface’s head lolled as she muttered, “All your life, you will remember this night. And you’ll know whom you have turned loose upon the world.”
The pegasus cradled the dying mage’s head, tears coming all too easily. “I’m so, so sorry.”
“You do not understand,” Boniface said with the ghost of a whisper. “You…just…don’t…un…der…sta….” Finally, death claimed Boniface, who passed on with a smile. But there was nothing to smile about for the pegasus, who found herself in a literal hell of her own making, screaming in terror and shame until she blacked out, another still body amongst them all.