//------------------------------// // Chapter 19 // Story: Internal Darkness // by Silver Sorcerer //------------------------------// Disclaimer: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and all associated characters, settings and stories are the rightful subjects of Hasbro, the HUB, Studio B, and Lauren Faust. Chapter 19 The day had been just perfect for Magicon. Not only was he able to present his ideas and have them debated, but also have a clearer vision for his new Equestria. Though many policies still needing fine tuning, the basic elements were there. He was going to love his new Equestria and, though many ponies would be skeptical of it at first, they would learn to love it too. It was for them that he was making all these changes. It was for them that he was Ruling Equestria very differently than ever before. It was for them that kept his drive to do good. But today was not a day to do good. It was Saturday, a day of rest and relaxation. Magicon decided to use the opportunity to return to his old mansion, Chateaux Montville, outside of Manehattan. Equestria was at peace and all was right in the kingdom. He could afford to give himself time away from Canterlot and all of these politics just for two days. Traveling by chariot was a great experience for Magicon. Very rarely did he get the chance to do so. As advisor to the princesses whenever he did travel, it was by standard carriage; the chariots were reserved for the princesses and a few others. But now he was the Ruler of all of Equestria, the Prince (as he called himself), and he could do whatever he wanted without the slightest regard to any limitations or restraints. His power was unlimited and his influence was infinite. His carriage finally touched down on the outer grounds of the Chateaux and the pegasi guards began pulling him towards the ancient mansion. Gray and dark clouds hung over the gray and leafless ground like a dull ceiling, ready to dispense rain at any minute. The sun seldom shined over this dark land. So much darkness had occurred here that very little light could save it. The land retched with black magic and murder and the mansion that sat on top of it, even more so. Stopping at the two large gatehouses before the manicured grounds of the chateaux, Magicon disembarked the chariot and was warmly greeted by his unicorn groundskeeper, Garden Hedge, and his pegasus stablepony, Trim Tam. "Welcome home, Magicon, or should I call you your highness?" teased Garden Hedge. "Thank you very much, Garden, but plain old Magicon is fine. I don't want to be treated like royalty; I'm just a normal pony here." "Of course, sir. And how are you?" "Glad to be back in my own home. I need to come here more often." "We missed you, sir," said Trim Tam. "And I missed you both as well. The grounds look spectacular, by the way." "Oh thank you, Magicon. I do try," said Garden Hedge with a little embarrassment and pride. "You know, it's not normally like you to arrive unannounced," remarked Trim. "Does a pony need permission to enter his own home now?" teased Magicon as all three of them laughed. "No, I guess not," replied Trim with a smile. "Would you like to peruse the grounds, Magicon, or should we take straight to the mansion?" asked Garden. "Let's head to the mansion. I'm sure everypony else will want to see the new arrival." "Very good, sir." Garden Hedge took Magicon's suitcase and escorted him past the gatehouses along the graveled driveway as Trim Tam escorted the chariot and the two pegasi to the Carriage House for cleaning and rest. "I assume you've heard the latest news," said Magicon as they walked along. "Indeed, sir. We were all shocked by their deaths but we felt great happiness knowing that Equestria is in good hooves with your leadership." "Thank you, Garden. That means a lot." "Glad I can be of help." They rounded a corner and there stood before them the chateaux that Magicon called home. It was like nothing else in Equestria. The architecture was of an old form, gothic it was called. The various towers and turrets stood tall and skyward, dominated by the enormous clock tower in the front of the chateaux. The mansion was coated in a thick layer of stone, ivy crawling up it at various points. The elegance of the chateaux had faded into a graceful form of decay that not only gave a sense of ominous foreboding, but downright spookiness to those who visited it for the first time. But to Magicon and his predecessors, it was home. Centuries of history lay in its polished floors and thick walls. Parties, soirees, and wonderful memories occurred here on the surface. But underneath that splendor lay the work of a hoofful of ponies who worked with ancient magic, dark magic, and dark actions to fulfill the ambitions of one pony and make a name for themselves. He stopped, closed his eyes, and smiled as he savored the sweet rustle of the wind and the scents of early spring of his home. He missed this place. He missed home. Catching up with Garden Hedge, Magicon was soon at the large wooden doors of the mansion. Knocking, he was greeted by Littlemore, his personal butler and close friend. An earth pony of short stature, Littlemore was nevertheless charming and faithful to Magicon. "Magicon!" he exclaimed with a beaming smile as he warmly shook hooves with his friend. "It's good to see you again, Littlemore." "You've been gone for far too long. The misses and I were wondering if you forgot about us." "How could I forget you all? You've read the papers. You've seen what's happening in Canterlot. I barely was able to get out for the weekend." "Oh, I'm certain of that. Well, no matter. Let's get you inside and the misses will make you a wonderful meal." Littlemore escorted Magicon into the large entrance hall. The arched stone roof made every sound echo and the stone surroundings made the hall seem more like an ancient fortress than a mansion. "That sounds delicious. By the way where is your wonderful wife?" "Right here," said a voice from a room adjacent to the hall. She entered slowly and delicately, retaining her formal composure in her maid's skirt. An earth pony, like Littlemore, Fresh Mint was slightly taller than him and had the motherly personality that Magicon yearned for. "I hope you didn't miss me too much," she teased as she hugged Magicon in an affectionate embrace. "I missed you all and I missed this place. Canterlot is nice, but it's not the same as being home." "Nothing ever is, dear." "After all, there is no place like home," finished Littlemore. "Quite right." "Yup," added Magicon. After a few moments of awkward silence Garden Hedge said, "Well, if you're all set, Magicon, I better be heading back outside and working on the gardens." "Alright. Have fun with those." Garden Hedge smiled as he sat down Magicon's suitcase and left the three of them to themselves. "So, we can assume you had a hoof in the recent affairs in Canterlot?" asked Littlemore. "Well, yes." "We figured as much." "Oh, and congratulations on your rise to the throne," cheered Fresh Mint. "Thank you very much." "Shall I bring the suitcase up to your room?" asked Littlemore "Please and I'll come with you. I haven't been able to sleep in my own Canterlot bed for a few days." "Why is that?" asked Fresh. "Because my room was the site of a duel between me and the former Captain of the Royal Guard, Shining Armor." Littlemore and Fresh Mint stopped and wore expressions of surprise as they stared at Magicon. "How is that possible?" asked Littlemore "Well, he was suspicious of me and didn't like what I wanted to do to Equestria. So he tried to overthrow me." "Oh my," said Fresh Mint quietly. "It wasn't pretty." "Where is he now?" "Safely locked away in Canterlot. He won't be a problem to anypony any longer." "That's quite something, Magicon," said Littlemore. "I know and you're one of the few ponies to know, though I'm sure word will get out in Canterlot and all of Equestria over the weekend but I want you guys to know the truth. You're like family to me." "Magicon, we have been working for you and the previous owner for many years without a problem," said Littlemore. "Your master had the highest praises for us and desperately asked that you keep us. You did and we thank you for it." Magicon smiled. "No, thank you for staying with me. I know I'm not the easiest pony to take care of, but you stayed and that's what counts." "We would not leave you nor would we harm you in anyway," said Fresh Mint as she put a tender hoof to Magicon's muzzle. "Thank you," replied Magicon quietly. "Now, shall we go?" asked Littlemore. "Oh, yes." "I'll tell Chef Tarte to start something for you," said Fresh Mint as Littlemore and Magicon began ascending the main staircase. "Thank you," called Magicon as the two of them climbed onto the higher floors. "I assume everything's been well," said Magicon as they continued towards his room. "For the most part," said Littlemore. "Fresh Mint accidentally hit her head and required a run to the hospital. She was quickly taken care of though." "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Why didn't you tell me?" "Because you were far too busy in Canterlot to worry about the trivial matters here." "It doesn't matter. I care about you guys. Like I said before, you're like family to me." "We thank you for your concern and compassion, Magicon, but we can handle ourselves. You treat us so fairly we are forever in your debt." "No, Littlemore. I treat you and everypony else here like family because I lost my own. This is my real home, not that apartment in Manehattan." "Thank you, Magicon. We are honored you think of us as such." Before either of them realized it, they were at Magicon's private door. Unlocking and opening it Magicon saw that it had not been disturbed, safe for Fresh Mint's cleaning. The room was moderately sized, but its darkness and the many artifacts and objects made it feel much smaller. The paneled walls were lined with various portraits and various tables and dressers contained numerous objects of all shapes and seizes, both magical and non-magical. "Is everything to your liking, sir?" "It is. My compliments to Fresh Mint who can keep everything clean yet so meticulous with returning the artifacts to their proper places." "I will, Magicon. Is there anything else I can do for you?" "Just summon me when the food is ready. That will be all." "Very good, sir." "Oh and Littlemore?" "Yes, sir?" "It's really good to see you." "The same to all of us here, Magicon." With those heartfelt words Littlemore set down Magicon's suitcase and left him. Telekinetically lifting the suitcase onto his bed Magicon opened it and removed a few erroneous pieces of clothing to find his book. Succeeding in the task, Magicon levitated it and carefully brought it over to his bookcase and placed it neatly on the end. He would use it later for practice and other uses, but right now it could stay where it was. Nopony was going to steal it. Nopony even knew what it was. Nopony knew where he was. Unlike other owners of the chateaux, Magicon rarely had guests or festivities. He wasn't the social butterfly and he had no plans on changing that. Walking over to his window, he gazed out over the grounds and the large fountain in the backyard. It was empty now, but it would be gushing with water once the warmer weather arrived. But water was in the sky and came down in tiny droplets in a clean rain. Magicon loved this weather. He had signed a deal with the Pegasi that allowed him and his servant's direct control of the weather. Garden Hedge was usually in charge of it since he was the only unicorn in the household, but Magicon often took personal care in the weather when he was here. Looking through the glass, Magicon focused on the reflection he saw. His hex was still working but the bags under his eyes were heavier than normal and he didn't look like the most comfortable pony. "These marks better heal soon or else. I don't want to keep using this hex much longer. They tend to have mysterious permanent effects if they're used for long periods of time. I really can't afford that. You know what would clean these hexes up? A nice warm bath and a long nights rest." He smiled to himself at the relaxation of a long and warm bath. Removing his cape, Magicon noticed the tear at the bottom and glared at it. He knew the pony behind those bite marks and he knew the pony behind his cuts and bruises. "I will have plans for him. Big plans. But I will not dwell on him or them now. Right now, I need a long bath." With that Magicon entered the bathroom and treated himself to a weekend of relaxation. He was here to unwind, enjoy himself, and get away from it all. He was home. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ "Soup's on everypony," Applejack said with a smile as the smell of a warm breakfast filled the cave. "Ugh…Applejack…why do you have to be so loud?" complained Rarity as she slowly rose from her blanket, rubbing her eyes. "Sorry, Rarity, but us farm ponies are early birds. The sun's up and we better get some good grub if we're gonna head down." "Head back down?" asked Fluttershy. "Isn't that…a little...um…dangerous?" "Why not? Twilight seems fit as a fiddle and Rainbow Dash can still walk fine." "AJ," said Rainbow, "Are you sure this is a good idea?" "We don't have much food left. We gotta get movin'." "Not enough food?" asked Rarity somewhat shocked. "I packed enough for a month. What happened to it?" "Oh…I'm sorry…but I saw a few critters on the journey and…snuck a few to feed them. They just looked so hungry," said Fluttershy innocently. "Ugh…" complained Rarity as she facedhoofed. "And how's Twilight doing?" asked Pinkie. "I'm right here, you know," responded Twilight matter-of-factly. "And I don't know about heading down now. It must've been difficult to get up here but we can't stay up here. If we have fewer provisions then we need to get moving. It will take less time to get down, but with the snow melting the paths will be slippery making an accident more likely." "There's risks if we stay here or if we go and Ah wanna go." "Applejack, isn't that a bit selfish of you?" "Selfish, me? Ya' must be jokin', Rarity." "Then why the rush, AJ?" "'Cause, Dashie, Ah worried 'bout us starvin' to death. Twilight hasn't eaten a full meal until we found her and this is our last one. Celestia knows how long until we find our next meal." The girls looked at each other with uneasy glances. "It's your call, Twilight," said Pinkie. "We'll do with whatever you say." Twilight nodded and thought for a few moments. "Very well. The most important thing is getting food. There is very little up here at this time of year and if we just wait around we'll be starving. I can go back down, it'll be easier since we're all together but we just have to be really careful." "And how are you feeling, Rainbow Dash?" asked Rarity. "I'm alright. I can fly if needed, but I'm trying not to overextend myself." "Ya' know what happened last time ya' went too far?" said Applejack. "Don't remind me." "So, it's settled then," finalized Twilight. "We leave after breakfast." They were quiet through the meal, their minds focused on the journey ahead of them. They didn't know how long it would take them but if Twilight said they should go, then they followed. They ate as much as they could; building up the energy they would need for the journey back. At least they had sunlight on their side, but the longer they stayed in the cave the more sunlight they wasted. Realizing this, they efficiently disassembled their temporary lodgings and threw them into Rarity's bag. When everything disassembled the girls braced themselves for the cold just beyond Rarity's barrier. "You ready, girls?" she asked as she neatly twirled her scarf around her neck. They nodded except for Twilight who looked back at the cave. "Something wrong, sugar?" "I just can't believe I made it all the way here and you all found me," she said quietly. "Well we did and now it's time ta head back." "You're right. Whenever you're ready, Rarity." Rarity wasted no time in lowering the shield and the cold air flew into the cave, chilling them beneath their winter garments and coats. They sun was shining making the snow blindingly white, but the girls stepped outside and began following the trail that they had taken to reach this point. The wind was breezy but not unbearable and there were just a few streaks of clouds in the sky. It was a good day to hike. They were silent as they hiked down the mountain. Applejack led the group followed by Rainbow, Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy. They kept close together and kept their eyes peeled for melting snow and falling icicles from the rocks and cliffs above them. The ground was wet as they walked and Rarity kept shuttering as had no choice but the walk on the rocks, often filled with puddles. They made their way down the mountain faster than before thanks to the sunlight, the warmer weather, and gravity. They had quickly passed the first cave they had stayed in and only paused a moment to admire it before continuing onwards. As the rounded a corner, Applejack let out a "woah" as her hoofs slipped on a patch of frozen ice. Her heart skipped a few beats as she panicked to stabilize herself and jumped when she felt a pair of hooves grab her and carefully lift her off the ice. She struggled to break free but the hooves were tight and refused to let go until she was on another safe patch of rocks. Looking back at her savior, Applejack let out a long sigh of relief to see Rainbow Dash landing right behind her. "Thank ya'," she said as she took a few deep breaths. "You're welcome," responded Rainbow with a small kiss on the cheek. The girls were right behind and all had the same question, "Are you okay, Applejack?" "Yeah. Ah'm alright. That was scary, though. Ah didn't even see that ice. If it weren't for Dashie here Celestia knows where Ah'd be right now." "Let's hope we never find out," said Fluttershy. "Indeed," agreed Twilight as Rarity examined the rocks around them and the map. "On another note," she said, "We're not much farther from the start of the forest. We'll go when you're ready, Applejack of course, but if we go soon we'll be in the forest before the day is out." "Well, that's good to hear," said Pinkie. "How are you feeling, Applejack?" asked Twilight. "Ah'm okay. Just give me a minute to catch mah breath and Ah'll be set." They patiently waited until Applejack felt confident enough to continue forward. This time, Rainbow took the lead with Applejack close behind her. They didn't stop; they had to get off these cliffs. With Applejack nearly falling to her death, nopony wanted to be up here any longer than they had to. When the finally reached the forest and the end of the single-file trail the girls sat down and let out a long sigh of relief. The hardest part of the journey had been completed. The forest lay before them and beyond that, the train that would take them back to Equestria. With a little luck, they would be back in Ponyville. But for now they still had miles to walk and the sun was setting. "I guess we better camp here," said Fluttershy. "Let's go a little further into the forest," said Pinkie. "It's just a little too scary being near those cliffs." They all agreed and walked into the forest until they found a suitable meadow. The sun was now hovering just over the horizon and the temperature had dropped. Opening her bag, Rarity pulled out the tents, blankets, and cooking equipment for the campsite. Applejack went to gather wood for the fire while Pinkie worked on building the fire pit. Fluttershy stayed near Rarity and helped her where ever she could while Rainbow circled, both on ground and in the air, for any animals or other ponies that might be nearby. Twilight sat in the snow, staring into the slowly visible night sky. "I wonder what it's like up there," she murmured. "What's that, darling?" asked Rarity as she set up a tent nearby. "Oh, it's nothing." "Don't be afraid to tell us anything." "I'm not afraid to tell you guys any secrets. You're my best friends. This is nothing." "Alright, darling, if you say so." Rarity resumed her work while the rest of the gang huddled near the campfire that Applejack successfully started. They had a small dinner, trying to save what they could for the next, and hopefully final, days of the journey. There wasn't much talk. Either there was nothing to talk about, or the subjects were too boring to discuss. It didn't matter to them though. They were just glad to be together. But something still bothered Twilight in the back of her mind: her brother. Shining Armor had been looking for her but had been called back to Canterlot. He hadn't rejoined the girls and she felt something was very wrong. Though she couldn't put her hoof on it, her sisterly instincts were telling her something was amiss. She hoped that he was alright and she hoped to see him soon. "I miss you, Shiny. Good night and be safe," she whispered to herself as she fell asleep, with the moon and stars keeping an eternal watch over her.