//------------------------------// // Chapter II // Story: The Root Of All Fears // by RazgrizS57 //------------------------------// Sitting behind a large desk cluttered with papers and other miscellanies, he sat with an open book in his hooves. Having worked the night shift at this local boarding house, a book was the only thing he found that could keep him awake. No coffee or spell ever seemed to work as well as a good story. Nothing ever happened during the night, so he sometimes wondered why he wasn’t allowed to sleep like the rest of the house. But he wasn’t one to argue with his boss. Nights were tranquil, truth be told: much more so than most ponies thought. A beam of sunshine fell over his eyes and he glanced up and across the foyer. The front door stood shut and, as always, unlocked. The large windows on either side had their curtains drawn, but ambient light was bleeding through them now, along with a solid streak through the slightly-parted middle which aimed straight for him. The sun had impeccable accuracy, he thought to himself with a tired smile. The morning had just begun and his shift was just about over; any minute now, his boss would be walking down the staircase to his right and dismiss him to get some rest. He’d clean up his station here at the front desk, treat himself to some breakfast, make his way to his small room on the third story, and finally get some sleep. But he still had a bit of time before all that. He smiled, taking his eyes back down to the book in his hooves. Right then, the small bell positioned above the front door chimed merrily as the door swung open, carrying with it crisp morning air and the gentle sounds of the waking village and surrounding forest just outside. He didn’t bother to raise his eyes to the ponies entering at first; undoubtedly they had a bit of luggage to bring in. They’d probably want to get themselves collected and maybe make for the restrooms after what was presumably a long walk. By his estimate, he had just enough time to finish this page before his services were needed. But as the crisp morning air wafted up him, running its fingers delicately through his mane and down his neck, something seemed off. He hadn’t heard the door close, nor had he heard the bell chime a second time. And as the words he was reading started to make no sense, he suddenly became aware of the unsettling silence. He raised his head and saw a green pegasus standing in the doorway, holding it wide open. He gave the mare a curious look, noting the silver plates tied around her shins, hanging in front of her breast, and the fanciful scarf wrapped around her neck. His eyes turned up to the glinting tip of a spear she grasped in one hoof, pointed skyward. The strange mare glanced at him briefly, causing him to sink backwards into his seat a bit, but she turned her gaze outside and formed a firm, stoic posture. He wanted to say something to her but didn’t quite know what, and as an incredible shadow fell over the mare, he quickly lost all trains of thought. Princess Celestia, in all her regal glory, strode into the room as if on air. The mare and her spear walked into the room after the Princess and shut the door. The Princess eyed him immediately, but her features were gracious and relaxed, and the soft smile she presented brought with it all the warmth of the sun. “Good morning,” Princess Celestia said to him kindly. She walked up to the front of his desk and asked, “Are you the owner of this establishment?” He shot a look to the pegasus now standing beside the Princess with her very pointy spear, her expression flat and unreadable.  “Uh...” He glanced back to Princess Celestia, her smile unwavering. He quickly closed the book in his hooves and straightened his posture, but his words came tumbling off his tongue. “Uh, I uh, n-no, no I’m not. I’m just the clerk. I’m uh, the only one on duty for the next... fifteen minutes?” “Oh, well, maybe you can help me then,” she said. “I was wondering if you had any rooms available?” “Uh... yeah. Yeah, we should,” he said. He shoved the book he’d been reading aside and reached under his desk for the ledger—a thin, worn-looking thing—and pulled it onto the tabletop. “We usually have, like, no less than ten available at any given time.” “How big are they?” “Uh...” He could feel the gears grinding inside his head. His eyes darted between her and ledger. “Common rooms typically house two, but our larger ones can comfortably suit four.” He traced a hoof through the ledger. “It uh, looks like we got... four of the large ones, nine common ones, and a few single rooms all available... Oh! And we do have a suite, but... but it looks like that one’s occupied at the moment. I could go and ask if they would be willing to transfer rooms...” Princess Celestia shook her head. “Oh no, the last thing I’d want to do is remove somepony from their residence.” She made a thoughtful look. “Were we to rearrange some of the furnishings, how many ponies do you think we could fit comfortably?” “Comfortably? Like, on the floor?” He glanced up at her. “Uhm, I don’t know... maybe six or seven in one of the common rooms, maybe twelve in one of the larger ones?” “That sounds reasonable,” Princess Celestia mused. “Alright. Can I check into your four large rooms and eight of the common ones?” He stammered, nonetheless he was able to force his words out. “For how long? We uh, usually charge ten bits a week per guest.” “I don’t know for how long, honestly,” she mused. “And that sounds like a very reasonable price.” “I-I’m sure I can get you some sort of discount.” “That’s awfully kind of you,” she said sweetly. “Don’t you think so, Fragrance?” The pegasus who hadn’t previously moved opened her mouth. “Permission to speak freely?” “Always.” “I think it’s a waste of money.” Princess Celestia chuckled. “Yes, well, you ponies deserve better than sleeping in tents on the forest floor for the past week or so, especially after all this travel.” Fragrance snorted at her. “We’re used to it.” “The few dozen guardsponies, perhaps. But the staff require safe, quiet places to work, and the unruly forest floor is no place to manage an entire kingdom.” “They’ve been getting used to it,” Fragrance said. “And I don’t think your financial advisors will be entirely thrilled, either.” “Yes, well, we take everything one step at a time now,” Princess Celestia said. “And I think it’s about time we get back on our hooves.” He slowly raised his hoof. “Uh, Princess?” She looked back at him slowly. “Oh my, I’m terribly sorry. I don’t think I got your name, mister...” “Ledger,” he said. “My uh, my name is Ledger.” “Ledger,” Princess Celestia repeated to herself with a hum. “That’s a wonderful name. Now, you were going to say?” “Uh, I was just wondering what’s going on? It’s not every day something like, well, this happens,” he said, waggling a hoof at the opened book in front of him. “I suppose not,” she said, her smile undying. But there was a curious fragility in her eyes, he just now noticed, but it was fleeting—she blinked and it was gone. She cleared her throat and said, “I’m sure word has gotten around by now about the recent events involving Princess Luna.” His heart skipped a beat in response. “I-I...” He suddenly became painfully aware of the pegasus’ unamused glare and the blood briefly retreated from his face. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up—” “No no, it’s quite alright,” she assured, then paused. “What happened, happened. And now, I can’t just allow Equestria to muddle. The old castle is in ruin, and while the kingdom still functions, we do need a new place from which to govern.” “Here?” “No, not here,” Princess Celestia replied with a gentle laugh, “but I do have a place in mind somewhere near. My staff and I need a temporary stead from where we can manage the kingdom.” She paused again, thinking to herself before saying, “When we came into this village, we passed through an open field of wild grass due west of here. You wouldn’t happen to know if it’s in use, would you Ledger?” “I don’t think so,” he said. “If I recall, it belongs to an herbalist on the north side of town; her name is Flora. But I don’t think she’s using it for anything.” “Excellent,” Princess Celestia chimed. She turned to her side and said, “Fragrance, if you wouldn’t mind doing me a favor, please go find this Flora and ask if she’d be willing to sell it to us. We could certainly use the land to build temporary offices.” Fragrance stared at her. “I’m your personal guard, not your financial advisor.” “Then take Sixpence with you,” she said. “We both know he needs the exercise.” “Should I also tell him about what you plan to spend here?” she remarked flatly. “Please,” Princess Celestia said with a nod, ending with a sideways glance. “And don’t look at me like that. I’m aware of your duties and obligations, Fragrance, but we’re in the heart of Equestria. I mean, convincing the rest of the guards to stay outside—just so they wouldn’t all barge in here and have poor Ledger here go into a panic thinking we were arresting him or something—took much longer than it had any right to.” Fragrance rolled her eyes. “You can be so naïve sometimes.” “Perhaps, but what sort of danger is out here? Ledger?” she teased, motioning at him with a hoof. For a second, Fragrance glanced his way, and her spear looked so much pointier than before. “This is the exact sort of thing I’ve been talking about,” Princess Celestia continued. “We isolated ourselves inside that old castle for far too long, believing the remoteness would allow us to lead the kingdom with the utmost focus. No interruptions, no distractions. But in doing so, we did just the opposite and distanced ourselves from the very ponies we were sworn to serve, losing sight of just what truly matters in this world. Why, consider even this!” she said, tapping a hoof on the wood floor. “This has got to be my first public appearance in what, five years? Six?” Fragrance stared up at her. Ledger suddenly became aware of how cold the room was getting. Princess Celestia sighed. “We are ponies too, but being cooped up in that castle had turned us into machines. We need to become involved with Equestria, and not just for myself, but for all of us and the kingdom as a whole.” Fragrance muttered something under her breath and looked away. “Alright,” she said, “I’ll do your silly errand. But when I come back and find you bound and gagged and stuffed away inside a broom closet, remember this was all your idea. And you”—she leveled her spear over the desk, slicing the air right in front of Ledger’s snout—“I better not come back to find the sole Princess of Equestria in any sort of trouble, or even so much as having a single complaint to utter. Understand me?” Leaning back in his seat as far as he could without falling over, Ledger nodded his head furiously. The tip of the spear glistened like a lit fuse, close enough for him to lick.  The next thing he saw was Princess Celestia’s assuring smile return in full, once more flooding the room with a kind radiance. She used a wing to push the spear away and said, “Thank you, Fragrance, but I’m a grown mare,” she teased. “I’m more than capable of protecting myself, and I highly doubt Ledger here, let alone anypony in this quiet town, harbors any sort of malicious intent.” Fragrance returned the spear to her side and snorted, shooting him one last glare before turning and walking out the door. Her steps were sharp and the bell of the door didn’t chime so much as it rang by the door forcefully being pulled open. Ledger watched her go, and saw bits of his village beginning to stir through the frame, before the door shut, creaking unusually loudly. Princess Celestia sighed again. “Please forgive her,” she said, turning her head low. “Her heart is strong, but she sometimes lets it lead her mind astray. She takes her job seriously and I certainly understand her protectiveness, especially as of late.” Her features fell slightly. “But the poor mare needs a break every once in a while.” Ledger fidgeted in his seat, unsure of how to respond. An awkward silence hung between them until Princess Celestia cleared her throat. “Anyways,” she said, “I suspect there’s a thing or two I have to sign for?” He snapped himself to attention. “Right!” he chirped. He swiveled the ledger around to face her and offered her a quill. “I just need you to sign here, here, and on all these other rooms. Usually we’d require a downpayment, but, uh, it’s okay if you don’t want to pay that now.” “I can assure you, you will be paid,” she replied, letting slip a tiny laugh.  He watched her put down her signature where needed, and he couldn’t help but wonder about the stories behind it. He found it humorous to some degree that somepony like a princess—or rather, the Princess, as he had to remind himself while doing the best to not show his disheartenment—was here checking into some old boarding house in some rural village. Many travelers came here before, sure, but never one so prestigious. But he supposed that was the point. She had said herself that she wanted to be more involved with Equestria, so this was just her way. Or the beginning, perhaps. Whatever ideas the Princess had, he could only imagine. Princess Celestia finally set the quill down and he took back the ledger, stowing it away back under the desk. “I’ll go show you the rooms,” he said, pulling open one of the desk drawers. He reached in and took out the twelve room keys, fumbling his hooves by trying to pick up so many at once. He didn’t need to see the Princess’ amused grin to know it was there, and he jerked back when the keys he was selecting lifted out of the drawer in her golden aura. After a pause, he chuckled, and he took out the remaining keys and casually tossed them up, where they were caught. “We make a good team,” Princess Celestia quipped. She levitated one of the keys closer and tilted her head at the tag attached to it. “There was no sign outside displaying this place’s name,” she said. “The ‘Canter-Inn?’ How cute.” “We get a lot of travelers,” he said, stepping out of his chair and moving out from behind the desk. “Mostly traders passing through and the occasional mountain-climbing thrill seeker,” he added with a grin of his own. Princess Celestia hummed. “To let you in on a little secret, I’m quite fond of heights. Perhaps I should see what the local range has to offer.” “We’re at the base of a pretty tall one, and there’s a stallion who lives across town who knows it like the tip of his nose. Maybe I can introduce you to him?” he offered, walking over to the staircase beside the front desk. “Assuming you’re going to be here for awhile.” There was a pause to the Princess’ step, nevertheless she moved forward and smiled with sincerity. “I would appreciate that,” she said. “Thank you.” “Not a problem,” he chimed. “Anyways, the eight common rooms are on the second floor while the larger ones are on the third.” Princess Celestia bundled the keys together and held them near her breast. “Lead the way,” she said. Ledger turned from her and started walking up the steps. There was a feeling in his chest of weightlessness, and it slowly grew more pronounced as he ascended. He couldn’t believe how this day was starting out. His heart began to thud and he toyed with the idea of actually not going to bed after his shift. Honestly, it wasn’t like he’d be able to fall asleep after all this, and his shift had to have been over by now anyways. He knew his boss wasn’t one for paying overtime. And now that he thought about it, where was his boss? His boss was usually up by now. Ledger reached the top of the stairs, coming right out into the main second floor hall. Beside this staircase there was another which led to the third floor, and the muffled noise of hooves on wood echoed throughout the building. That had to be his boss coming down just now! He put on his best smile, turned the corner to grab his boss and introduce him to their special guest. But all he saw was darkness; the steps rose into shadow like a balcony before the darkest night. He furrowed his brow. Something was off for sure. He turned around, fully expecting to see the Princess standing behind him, but all he saw was more shadow. The windows at either end of the hall leered at him from impossibly far away, the light that leaked through their drawn curtains unfilling, and all the warm colors of the house were obscured and darkened. But the sounds of the steps continued, and if they weren’t coming from above, then they had to have been coming from below. Then a thundering crash echoed throughout the building, shaking the walls. Ledger lost his balance and nearly fell over, suddenly finding himself at the top of the staircase. His heartbeat quickened, his eyes widened, and he stared down the steps with trepidation as an alien darkness robbed his sight of the ground floor. What’s more, Princess Celestia was nowhere to be seen. His breath escaped him. “P-Princess?” he asked the nothing, his voice cracking. “Princess?” A lump formed in his throat and an ominous presence loomed over his shoulders, daring him to turn around. But he fought the urge, and on shaky hooves, slowly started to descend back towards the lobby. “P-Princess?” he asked again, and was returned his echo. The boards of the steps creaked and groaned harshly under his hooves, growing more anguished the further he went. One hoof was on the railing for support, but it felt like if he gripped it any tighter than the whole thing would be yanked out of the wall. The ceiling above him trembled. The wooden walls were rotting. The floor only got blacker. His gut only grew heavier. Eventually, he reached the bottom and everything was enshrouded in a dark haze, like a decade’s worth of dust was thrown up in his face. At the far end, he could barely make out the front door. The two windows on either side were a little easier as they let some sunlight in, but all he could really see were the two solid streaks of light where the curtains failed to completely shut. They cut through the air like carving knives right onto the floor in front of him. He nervously glanced down, and across the beams laid the collapsed form of Princess Celestia. The twelve room keys were strewn all around her along with several of her feathers. “Princess!” he cried, running up to her. Had she fallen down the stairs? It was so dark, she probably couldn’t see where she was going. Was she hurt? He knelt beside her, hesitant to put his hooves on her, but once he did he found she was cold to the touch. “P-Princess?” he squeaked, trying to push her awake. But she didn’t stir. Her chest wasn’t even moving. “Princess! Please!” Right then, the front door began to shake, but it wouldn’t open because it was locked. That wasn’t right, he thought. When did he lock it? That door was never locked. The front door then snapped off its hinges, collapsing inward like a domino. The bell above rang heavily like a gong, and outdoor light flooded into the foyer and shoved away all the shadows in an instant. A blurred form immediately rushed into the room, and as he tried to stand, it crashed into him, throwing back against the front desk. His vision spun and eventually settled on the needle-point tip of a spear, held right in front of his snout. The glare of the mare who held it was more than enough to scar. “What did you do to the Princess?!” Fragrance growled. “What did you do to her?!” “I-I-I didn’t!” he stammered. “I w-was—” “Can it,” she snarled. “I never should have let you out of my sight!” His heart was racing and out of primal reflex, he shut his eyes and kicked out. His hooves connected with something hard and there was a gasp, and the spear went flying away. He jumped to his hooves and ran for the door, but was halted by an array of spikes. They were the room keys, he realized, and they were pivoting on their rings as if possessed, pointing their jagged teeth his way. He stepped back and they slid forward, scratching the floor and growing longer and more threatening with every advancement. He bumped into something hard and cold, and a glint of silver reflected right above his vision. Anxiously, he glanced up, and found his head resting against a metal plate encrusted with a symbol of the moon. Two blue, slitted eyes stared down at him and a big, toothy grin of razors opened up, readied to swallow him. “N-Nightmare Mo-Moon...” he mumbled. “Hold him,” said another voice. He glanced across to the body of Princess Celestia, where Fragrance stood over her like a protective mother, her wings flared. Her incredibly long spear was aimed straight for his chest. “Goodnight,” Nightmare Moon uttered in a velvety, playful tone. She wrapped her magic around him and held him aloft. He tried to struggle but her grip only tightened, to the point it became a pain to breathe. He gasped, catching sight of Fragrance’s deep scowl. The keys swiveled closer. Fragrance lifted her spear high above her head, and let it go. He shut his eyes and screamed. Nightmare moon laughed, cradling a sphere in her hooves like some grand prize. She nestled her forehead up against it and peered inside, watching the image of an earth pony squirm in his tiny bed. A second later he sat right up, his eyes popped open and he screamed, and as he his breath left him the image in the sphere fractured and faded away. “Oh, dearest me, this is far too entertaining,” she cackled, tossing the sphere back into the surrounding sea of others. She gazed over them and said, “No one can save you here, my little ponies. This is my domain and mine alone, and how irresponsible your princess must be to think I’d just wither like some fleeting memory. Oh no, I’ll be sure you remember me...” Many of the spheres had lost their luster—for now—but she could easily see several still flickering in sleep. A thought crossed her mind, making her wonder just how many spheres there were. It all seemed endless from here. No matter, she decided with a grin. She glanced under her wing to the big white sphere she still held onto and saw that it was hazy. “Come with me, Celestia,” she told it. “Let me show you around my kingdom.”