//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Her Sentence as a Pony: Book Two // by GamingWolf //------------------------------// Celestia's Flashback Celestia pants loudly as she pumps her wings as hard as possible. First, the griffons attack and now, she has to deal with the mysterious storm that sprouts out of nowhere. Her pegasus magic barely keeps the storm from sweeping her away. Lightning flashes and streaks around her as she continues flying for the next pegasus city. A flash of lightning blinds her and she quickly raises a shield with her magic. The bolt of lightning bursts her shield and sends her straight to the ground. The last thing she remembers is crashing to the ground and a tree falling on her. Feeling the warmth of the sun awakens Celestia. Her magenta eyes shoot open as she scans the area around her. She tightens her eyes as shooting pain racks her body. Her breath exhales sharply as she tries to ignore the burning sensation. She opens her eyes again to assess the damage. She grimaces when she sees a giant pine tree across her back pinning her to the wet earth. She also notices her wings bending at unnatural angles. "That's not good," she comments to herself out loud. She prepares to move her back legs when an unmistakable sound reaches her ears: griffon wing beats. She looks up and her pupils shrink as she sees three griffons descending upon her. She lights up her horn for a teleportation spell. A jolt of pain prevents her from casting the spell. She yelps as she hears her magic fizzle out. She reaches to soothe the ache in her horn and she stops when her hoof touches something metallic: a horn cuff. "Nuh-uh-uh!" A large gray griffon says as he lands close to her head, "not today, little unicorn." He sets the cuff launcher on the ground beside him. A second griffon perches on the tree crushing Celestia eliciting a growl in pain from her. The third griffon, a sandy tan hen, sets down next to the large gray griffon. She levels a spear at Celestia's face. "Looks like breakfast is served early!" The gray griffon squawks. The other two griffons cheer. Not like this, Mother, Celestia thinks to herself. Luna, I'm sorry. She hangs her head as a tear rolls down her cheek. The screeching of a fourth griffon makes Celestia open her eyes. She sees the two griffons levitating off the ground with a crimson aura enveloping them. "What—!" The gray griffon's exclamation is cut short when he explodes inside the crimson sphere. Celestia closes her eyes when seeing and hearing the bloody explosion. She winces when she hears a second splat sound behind her. "Wait! Wait! Wai—!" The eruption of fire drowns out the pleas of the hen. Celestia hears the body fall to the ground. Bile rises from the back of her throat as the smoldering stench of burning griffon assaults her nose. She swallows the bile and opens her eyes. Her heart deflates with hope as a new monster replaces the previous three. An ash white tricorn mare stares down at her with serpentine pale yellow eyes. A soft breeze brushes the crimson and black mane of the mare. They watch each other for a minute. Celestia sees the conflict in the mare's eyes as an internal war wages. Celestia does not know what the tricorn will do. The tricorn is as likely to kill and eat her as the griffons considering how barbaric her tribe is and how recent the war had ended between their tribes. Celestia's blood boils as the memory of her people's fall plays behind her eyes. She and her sister, Luna, may be the only alicorns left. Then again, the tricorn before her may be the last of her kind as well. The war had ended with the remaining dozen or so alicorns casting a spell to eradicate all the tricorns. Her blood simmers down as she thinks about how lonely the tricorn may be and how she also lost everything she loves. The three horns of the tricorn mare glow crimson and Celestia feels the weight on her back disappear. Celestia looks behind her and watches the tree float away from her and put down next to her. She returns her attention to the tricorn to thank her and sees the spear thrust at her face. She clenches her eyes close and throws her forelegs in front of her to shield herself. Clang! Celestia sees the horn cuff fall to the ground. "Your life now belongs to me—Shade—your savior," the white tricorn says. She speaks in a low tone with an edge of aggression in her words. "Th-thank you," Celestia replies. Shade's Flashback Shade slowly draws in a breath. She ignores the flaring pain on her left side which is black and smoking; she ignores the slow ooze of blood trickling down her face from the fracture in the crown of her skull; she ignores the aching of her bloody hooves on the broken marble tiles. She pays close attention to the body laying across from her. The body yet draws breath as its barrel rises. A crown, belonging to the body, rests in pieces in the middle of the throne room. Calling this space a "throne room" is a courtesy. The throne rests in pieces from the numerous times Shade had used it as a throwing weapon. Glass from chandeliers sparkles on the floor from the moonlight streaming through the broken stained glass windows from the body's spellslinging. Burn marks and pony size craters litter the ceiling, floor, and walls. Clashing swords and explosions from outside informs Shade that her army continues to fight. Shade steadily exhales the breath in her lungs. Her pale yellow eyes flash in the dark, smokey room, and a crimson, rejuvenating wave of magic washes over her to remove her wounds. Her three horns ignite with crimson magic as she holds the body in place to make her advance. The body strains against the crimson magic. Weary magenta eyes glare at Shade. Fight and fury still blaze hotly and defiantly in those eyes. "Do not look at me like that," Shade says in her low, soft voice, "you brought this on yourself. You grew too ambitious—too greedy. Taking the Bison Territory was the last straw. Actually, banishing our sister was the last straw." "I did what I had to do to protect my little ponies." The body closes their eyes as a tear rolls down their cheek. "Is that why the Elements abandoned you? They know you are corrupted, just as I do." The magenta eyes burn with rage at Shade. A shadow moving in close makes her eyes sparkle with tears. She smiles up at Shade, hoping to distract the white tricorn for a few more moments, "Thank you for talking to me one last time, Shade." "Only because I once considered you a sister—" A spear enters through Shade from the side cutting her words short. "For Princess Celestia!" a stallion in gold armor yells victoriously as he stands on his back hooves with his forehooves wielding the spear. His grey coat sticks out from the gaps in the gold armor and his horn throws out yellow sparks from the crack in it. Shade turns her head to face the attacker. A smile splits her muzzle as her fangs glisten in the moonlight. With an audible pop Shade disappears with her form dissipating like a cloud. Golden eyes fill with confusion. Magenta eyes shrink in horror with realization. A crimson spear skewers the stallion through the chest and protrudes from his back. He gasps as his world begins to grow cold. Shade materializes beside him as she steps out of his shadow. "Ah. The Smith." Shade's crisp voice sends chills down the stallion's spine. "A shame. I was rather fond of you and your work." The Smith gasps for air. He turns his head to gaze at Shade with golden eyes fading away. "Can. . . I get a p-parting. . . k-kiss?" He manages to utter with a lopsided grin. Shade smiles. "Your bravery does deserve a reward." As her lips press against his, the Smith reaches into his back greave to pull out a dagger. With every last bit of strength he can muster he plunges the dagger into Shade's breast. The shock dispells her telekinetic hold on Princess Celestia and the crimson spear. Shade chuckles which wipes the smirk off of the Smith's muzzle. She gives him a more passionate kiss. "Too bad for you that is not where my heart is." Smith coughs as blood begins to fill his lungs and flow from his wounds. He lays on the ground and rests his head against Shade's hoof. "Shame. We didn't. . . talk more." "Maybe in the next life—" Princess Celestia drives Smith's spear down between Shade's withers which embeds itself in the marble floor. "I know where your heart is." Celestia's voice carries the intensity of the sun. Shade inhales her body's last breath of air as she gasps in surprise. "Of course. You keep breaking it." Shade whispers before slumping over the corpse of Smith. Her pale yellow eyes disappear behind heavy lids. A faint smile tugs on the corners of Shade's lips. "Farewell, sister." Three horns flash with crimson energy.