//------------------------------//
// Chapter 10 
// Story: After Discord 
// by Faindragon 
//------------------------------//

You might abandon what you are.
You might fall into despair for what you are not.
But your friends are always there.
They will never abandon you.
They know who you are.
They know how to set you on track again.
What they do is always for your own good.


*^*


Four times had the sisters changed place on their celestial bodies since I got here.

Three times had, as I guessed at least, Celestia’s celestial eye soared the sky.
Three times had Corelight been in the cell with the food.
Three times had he assaulted me in one or another way.
Three times had he turned my back.
Three times had I waited for the night.

Four times had, as I guessed at least, Luna’s eye soared the sky.
Four times had I fell asleep.
Four times had that voice returned.
Four times had it talked to me.

Or was it I that talked to myself?

I do not know how many times I thought about Honey does days. I still did not know if she was alive or dead.


*^*


The door opened. I blinked as the sudden bright light woke me from the dream; from the nightmare. Corelight entered the cell. He frowned at the stench inside but did not say a word. No tray floated in front of him today, only a key.

Was it time already? Was it time for me to head towards the gallows? Was it time for me to meet my judgment?

Was it time for me to reunite with the celestial twins?

I braced myself for the pain that would soon come, the pain from when Corelight would punch me hard with his hoof. I already had two bleeding wounds from his hooves, I already had bruises from them, at least one of my ribs had been broken.

Half a minute passed, a minute, two. I opened my eyes again. Corelight looked at me, a key floating in his magic.
“Lightheart has requested you to come to his chambers before you are hanged.” he said as he smiled at me. “Something about letting you meditate a last time before you are going to the gallows.”

The key floated into the chains that kept me in the bed. With a loud click did they unlock and with a louder thump did they fall to the floor beneath the bed. I carefully moved my legs, tried to get the blood pumped to them that would be needed to go.

I was so focused on my legs that I did not see the hoof that made its way towards my muzzle.

I felt blood in my mouth, my head rang. I tried to look up, only to get another hoof in my face. I rolled down on the floor, my head aching of the beating. Through the blur in the corner of my eye could I see how Lightcore looked down at me, laughing. 

I could not hear the sound of his laughter. The only thing I could hear was that annoying ringing.

He hurled me up with his magic, forced me to stand. As he released the grip did I fall down again, my legs could not support my weight. 

Corelight planted his hoof in my face again. I could feel the blood stream from new wound it had caused. The blood tasted metallic on my tongue. But at least the ringing was gone. Only to be replaced with the angry voice of Corelight.
“Hurry up pegasus! Do not let Lightheart wait! You will not be able to escape the gallows either way!”

I slowly rose to my feet. Corelight went out from the cell and I followed him, the chains around my hooves made it hard to walk.

But for every step I regained a small amount of energy. It was as if the rage that had been inside me had been released by the beating I had only just received from Corelight. 

But I did not feel any rage in my body. 
I did not feel any hate.
I did not feel any anger.
What I felt was acceptance and harmony.
What I felt was the energy flowing through me with every step.


*^*


I had been lead to an office. Corelight had announced that I was here and shoveled me inside with a grim smile before he walked away again, closing the door behind himself.

I stood eye to eye with Lightheart.
Eye to eye with one of the few in the city service that I had counted as a friend.
Eye to eye with the friend that betrayed me.

“Sit down.” he ordered.

I stubbornly refused, stayed up and looked at him.

He sighed. He looked sad. And confused.
“Listen, I know that you do not trust me..”

“Why would I trust you? YOU betrayed me! I believed every word you said!” I said, my voice low and cold. I surprised myself with being so calm. Something was not right with me.

“BUT I have ordered you here to help you.” Lightheart continued as if I had not spoken.

“Help me? How could you help me? I’m on my way to the gallows as you might know. The gallows you told me that YOU would hang from!” my voice was still low but anger had crept its way inside it.

“AND I MIGHT VERY WELL DO WHEN THIS IS OVER!” Lightheart nearly shouted.

If he had aimed for my attention had he succeeded. 

“Now listen to me, what I say is of utter importance.” he said, fixating me with his eyes. “I will help you escape from here.”

I looked at him. Had he gone insane? Why would he help me out after he had been putting me in this situation from the start?
“Why?” I asked.

“What you said the night you was arrested. I did not believe you back then. I do now. You opened my eyes my friend. Discord is gone.” he sighed again. “I should have seen it earlier, the way everypony is. They are afraid. Afraid that they have to control everything. Afraid that the ones above them in power may see them as a threat and ‘remove’ them. Afraid that the ones below them in power gets to hungry and do the same.”

His eyes filled with tears.
“This city is ruled by corruption! A corruption that is a rest from a being that is now gone. I can not do anything about it. But you can. You have the power inside you to stop this madness. I saw your eyes when we captured you. You was prepared to kill all of us, but you was rooted in place. If you had surprised us would you have slaughter us all before we would have been able to react. You are the only one who can get inside the castle and root the corruption out once and for all.”

I looked at him.
“And why would I trust you this time? Was is it that make you think I would?”

“My friend, I will put myself at risk here! By letting you go will I not only put myself at risk but also the ones I love. My wife and my son. Both will be in the fire zone if somethings goes wrong.” he said as he looked at me. “I risk everything I own, everything I hold dearly. Just like you did, just like you do.”

Family.... Honey... A sudden thought hit me.
“Honey, what have you done to her?” I nearly screamed at him.

Lightheart looked away.

“ANSWER ME!”

He looked back at me again.
“I do not know what have happened to your daughter. We entered The Black Stable after we had captured it but it was empty. Not a single soul was in there. I have no idea where your daughter is, nor where Carrotrose is.”

They might be alive. 
“If I do not do this then I will just go to the gallows and will get hanged, this way will I at least get a chance to do the good thing.” I sighed. “you have given me a choice again Lightheart, but what did you have in mind? How are you gonna get me out of here?”

Lightheart smiled at me as he walked towards his desk, receiving a key and my two blades. He unlocked the chains and the collar.
“Keep the collar and the chains on until you see an opportunity to run. Let them fall as you do so. Try not to kill anypony, most of the guards are good colts who wants to keep their families safe.”

He smiled at me as he handed over my blades. I equipped them as I looked at him.
“What do you mean find an opportunity? Where are we going?”

His smile grew even wider.
“We are going to the gallows.”