I sit alone in my office. Only the clock’s ticking breaks the silence. As the soft click of the shorter hand signals that another hour has passed, it slowly dawns on me that I’ve been looking towards the door for quite some time now, just staring into the dimming reddish-orange hues of the late afternoon spilling in through the window. I guess I was really just hoping he would suddenly walk in and take his place loudly and obtusely as usual. I stretch a cramp out of my neck and glance over at the desk opposite to me. It simply doesn’t feel right for this room to be so empty. Even though his antics are less than tolerable usually, I still miss seeing that clown. Even after what he did.
For a while Izzy kept me company when she occasionally crashed in the office, but after our second run in with the king, Sunny sent her home to relax after all that has happened. Now that she’s gone, there is truly nothing stopping this office from feeling far more desolate than it usually is.
My eyes return to the desk. A map sits on it, showing the general area around Maretime Bay. A number of X-es are neatly drawn onto the page. I run my hooves over my face. We’ve checked almost everywhere. Even as a foal Sprout was never great at hide-and-seek, there should be at least a sign or anything, but there are no leads!
And now even Sunny with her busted leg wants to go after him. I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to tell her no.
I groan in frustration. These last few weeks held more surprises than my entire life until this point.
I really wish I could rely on somepony to share the load. I glance over to the empty desk again. Yeah, good luck with that.
Suddenly my ears perk up. I hear weird sounds coming from outside. I kick my chair back and trot up to the door. As I look out its window I see ponies running all over the place, fleeing into their homes and hiding behind furniture.
I rush outside and try to assess the situation. It’s hard to really see what’s happening due to the hysteria and the setting Sun, but as I stare into the distance, I see two figures approaching calmly.
Not again, I groan.
I trot closer in disbelief and my eyes go wide.
I see the king, though he seems far less threatening than before. His eyes are tired and far less piercing as well. His coat is dirty and unkempt. His steps seem almost wobbling. Wasn’t his horn bright red the last time I saw him? Is this even the same unicorn?
I look at the sheepish figure next to him. My heart sinks. I try to convince myself it’s not him. That it’s only a cruel illusion conjured up by that wicked stallion. But no, even from this far, he seems far too weak for such a trick. I cannot read Sprout’s face. He doesn’t seem as terrified as I would expect, but there is a darkness in his eyes.
I break into a sprint. I have to save Sprout. My mind races as I hedge my options.
He already saw me, so would a frontal attack even work? He doesn’t seem to be as powerful as he was before, but maybe that’s just a trick. Perhaps I can distract him somehow until somepony alerts Sunny and then- And then she will wing it! No time to think, I have to act now!
I meet them where the cobblestone path ends. I dig my hooves in, as I prepare to turn around and buck him in the face, when Sprout suddenly screams.
“Stop!”
I already began to swing my body, so I awkwardly fall to the ground and look up at him in confusion.
“What?”
“I said stop. Don’t hurt him,” he says forcefully, though his eyes are still dejected. “He is a suspect. I have arrested him.”
“You did what?”
I blink once or twice as I lay on the ground. I feel an immense amount of relief wash over me mixed with confusion of an extent I wasn’t even aware was possible. As I slowly pick myself up, my eyes dart between him and the unicorn. Ultimately they decide to come to a halt on the latter.
“Hello, Sheriff. It seems like we did have to meet in a more formal manner after all,” he says with a raspy laugh. “It is as he says, however. I submit myself to your authority.”
“What?” I blurt out again, still completely dumbfounded.
“Is this seriously the stallion you could never manage to overcome?” he asks Sprout incredulously, but he just averts his eyes and hangs his head. The king then turns back to me. “Do you expect me to shackle myself?” His voice is more tired than anything.
“I, um, no. We don’t really do shackles,” I stammer. I force some composure on myself. “Please follow me.”
The next few minutes are a blur. I walk back to the office, but my mind is not here. The astonished townsponies stare at the absurd scene from their hiding places in silence, as two simple officers escort an ancient evil to the slammer.
He doesn’t even put up any resistance when I tell him to enter his cell. He just trots inside and looks at us expectantly.
“You too,” I tell Sprout. He looks at me in disbelief. “Until I figure out just exactly what happened, you’re not off the hook either.”
He opens his mouth to say something, but then closes it immediately and slowly nods. While I lock Sombra’s cell, he trots into the next one and just lies on the small bed standing in the corner, and turns towards the wall.
I stare at his back as I lock the cell. It feels terrible to have to put him behind bars again, but I have to make sure this isn’t just an elaborate plan to ruin the town.
I stick around for a few seconds, but I don't find any words to speak. Instead, I quickly trot outside the office. I see Coal walking around with a blissful look on his face, while everyone else is still peeking out from behind their blinders and windows. I call out to him. He eagerly approaches.
“Hi Coal-” I begin, but he immediately interrupts me.
“Oh, hi Hitch, so good to see you!” I’ve never seen him talk this quickly and excitedly. He’s usually so subdued. “Did you hear the news? Cream and I are engaged! We were so terrified of that horrible king that I... Well, I kind of told her I can’t imagine spending the rest of my life without her! And she immediately said yes! Oh, it still feels so incredible to say this.” He stops for a second to take a deep breath. In any other situation I would be impressed he managed to say all this in one go, but right now this the least of my concerns. I open my mouth to continue, but before I could say a single word, he continues his monologue. “I was just coming back from the other end of the city, don’t tell Cream this, but I’ve already spoken with the confectioner. Our wedding will have her favorite cream puffs-”
I open the door behind me and point inside. As his eyes wander over the cells, his enamored expression immediately shatters and he looks at me with a mix of fear and confusion.
“Is- Is that?” he whispers.
“Yes,” I tell him bluntly. “It’s him.”
I see it in his eyes that he’s about to run away. I put a calming hoof on his shoulder.
“Coal, it’s okay,” I tell him in a slow, soothing voice. “Calm down. Take a deep breath. He’s under control.” I’m not honestly sure myself whether this is the case, but I cannot allow him to panic. His body slightly relaxes, but I keep my hoof on him, just in case. “Still with me? Good. Listen, I will keep an eye on him. Please visit Sunny for me and tell her to come immediately. Okay?”
The moment I let him go, he gives me a curt nod, then gallops off without saying another word.
As I leave the lighthouse and begin the painful march towards the city, I gaze up at the sky and watch the slowly-rising Moon shine down upon me with its haunting, ethereal glow.
Coal, of course, offered to come with me, but it was clear from his less than coherent ramble, the way his ears were practically hugging his head, and how he unsuccessfully tried to hide the fact that his hooves were making the sounds of a step-dance from how hard they were shaking, that he was really just trying to act courteous; so I told him that I’d be fine and that he should just go home.
He weakly insisted a few times that it’s no big deal and that he isn’t even scared, but the relieved glint in his eyes betrayed his actual thoughts. Eventually he gave me an earnest thanks, excused himself, and rushed off, leaving me to dare the silence of the early night.
Normally I wouldn’t be afraid to walk alone, of course. I’m a grown mare and the most heinous crime one could fall victim to in Maretime Bay is perhaps a clumsy pony accidentally bumping into you or, on a particularly bad day, a delinquent foal stealing one of your smoothie cups. But now, knowing that it is not impossible for an ancient evil to just fall into our necks from nothing, without any warning? I can’t help but feel on the edge.
Though I never doubted the journal's words, I never expected to actually meet any of its characters.
Who knows what else could be lurking out there? The thought sends a small shiver down my spine.
As I walk down the serpentine dirt path and my hooves reach stone, I notice that the streets are all empty and, with the exception of one, almost all buildings are dark. Even if it is night, there are usually a few stragglers, who still have some extremely important business they need to attend to. I guess the recent events made everypony even jumpier than usual. The only things accompanying me are the soft whistling of the wind and the Moon casting its long shadows on the road before me. My ear flicks a little. I never realized this before, but the city is quite eerie with no one around at night.
But I have more important things to do than worry about such idle daydreams, so I shake these pointless worries out of my head. I pick up some speed and gallop towards the only building with its lights on. Despite my leg’s protests, it takes me almost no time to get to Hitch’s office. Despite the chilly air, he is waiting outside for me. As the dim, neon light of the lamps falls on his face, I can see a mix of confusion and worry on it.
“I came as soon as I could, where is he? What’s going on?”
“Honestly, this is beyond me, Sunny,” he says, shaking his head before waving a hoof towards the door. “You should just see for yourself. I think I need some fresh air and it’s probably for the best if I stay out of your mane, so just yell if you need me.”
I cast a confused look towards him as I enter. As my eyes adjust to the harsh light inside, I shrink back a little upon noticing the two stallions in the room. Yet, as much as the rational part of my mind screams at me to be afraid, I feel an unexpected sense of pity wash over me.
Both of them look absolutely devastated.
It is no question whose cell I visit first.
“Sprout! Oh thank the Stars! We’ve been all so worried about you!”
I practically tear the door to his cell open as I rush inside to embrace him, but as I get close, he roughly shoves me back.
“Don’t bother, Sunny,” he says without even looking at me. “I don’t deserve it.”
My heart sinks.
“Sprout, if you think I’m angry at you for what you’ve said, that’s not the case. I’m sorry, I overreacted. I know you just wanted to help.”
He finally turns around and stares into my eyes. A pained laugh rings out of him. His coat is damp with tears and ridden with dirt.
“That’s real great to hear. Doesn’t make me any less of a failure.”
I try to walk closer to him, but he turns towards the wall.
“Just go,” he says quietly. “Please.”
I stare at him for a few seconds in silence, before walking outside the cell. I cast one last glance at him as I lock the door and trot away.
All the pity I’ve felt for the king evaporates as I approach his chamber. Though his eyes are tired, he stares at me with a cocky smirk.
“What did you do to him?” I hiss before he could even say a word, hardly able to contain my anger.
“Me?” he asks with feigned surprise. “I haven’t laid as much as a hoof on him! I swear it on the Princess’s name!”
“Princess Twilight’s? Who has always been your mortal enemy?” I ask in a less than amused tone.
To my utter frustration his smile goes even wider.
“But not anymore!” he says with triumph. As I raise my eyebrow at him, he quickly continues, “Perhaps it’d be the best if I recounted my tale up until this point.”
“...and so I almost literally fell into your friend’s hooves. After that we...”
“Hold on for just a second!” The words practically burst out of her as she interjects. “Do you seriously expect me to believe an outlandish story like this?” If her raised eyebrows and slanted frown didn’t already give away her glaring skepticism, her tone alone leaves no room for interpretation. “Meeting the princess? Saving the world from a devouring beast? As if a selfish tyrant like you would ever do something like that!”
Funny, though I did omit some details so my story would align with her beliefs about the princess a bit better, I did not outright lie. Though, I suppose, I cannot blame her for not believing me.
I put on a mask of hurt.
“You seem to forget that I’ve returned your precious belonging,” I say slyly. “Do you perhaps think I’m incapable of being virtuous just because of what your journal says about me?”
“You lied to my friends and me. You stole my journal. And you broke my leg,” she counts my sins on my head without any sympathy and points back towards her lower body. It doesn’t take a doctor to see that one of her legs is slightly more bent than the others, likely to ease the weight placed on it.
“Oh, but you attacked me first!” I counter with a grin and she explodes into rage.
“Because, again, you stole my father’s most precious belonging!” With each word she storms closer to the bars. I’ve never seen such fury from an earth pony before. Even if she’s quite a special one. Her ethereal horn, ablaze with magic, is glowing like a small star, forcing me to squint as I look at it. Her eyes are piercing through me and her translucent wings form a halo behind her. The smell of ozone fills the air, as it crackles with power of unexpected potency. A dull ache radiates out of my own horn as it reacts to her overwhelming presence.
Ah, how she reminds me of the Sisters all those years ago, I think to myself with a small smile. It quickly falters. And yet her rage is hardly comparable to that blind fury I was forced to endure.
Instead of angering her further, I decide to wait patiently. As we stare each other down, finally a deep sigh escapes her lips. She falls silent for the next few seconds, focusing only on her breathing. Her wings fold back to her sides and her horn loses its glow. The subjugating aura melts away and the pain fades from my horn. She then continues in a much more subdued manner. “Fine, it doesn’t matter now. What did you do to Sprout?”
“As I’ve said, nothing at all! Quite the contrary, it was he who...”
I stop mid-sentence to value my options. Is it really the best course of action for me to deliver the coup de grace? After all, with a few carefully chosen words, I could easily destroy Sprout’s life. Revealing his murderous tendencies would forever alienate him from the city. Even if they don’t fully believe my words, his actions have already eroded their trust, so all it’d take is one little push. On the other hoof, though seeing his life crumble away would have greatly amused me had I still had my power; I have little to gain from his suffering and quite a lot to lose.
Eventually all possibilities I consider lead to the same answer. I cast my eyes towards the ceiling as the realization dawns on me.
If I don’t want to rot for the rest of my life in this tiny cell, I must play by her book.
Well played, Twilight Sparkle. I concede this one to you, I think to myself with a silent chuckle. Even now that you’re gone, you still manage to have the last laugh.
“He?” she echoes impatiently.
“After he made sure I lost my magic, he arrested me and brought me back,” I say curtly.
Confusion spreads on her face. She seems unsure if she can believe me or not.
“I... You... You’re telling the truth?” she asks.
“The truth and only the whole truth,” I lie. “If you don’t believe I’m without my magic now, feel free to ask that little unicorn to see my- What was it? Ah yes. Ask her to see my ‘luminessence,’ I believe that was the word. I’m sure the result will be satisfactory. I hardly even possess the power of a normal unicorn now.” I tip my head towards the wall separating mine from the other cell. “How else do you think our red-coated friend could have taken me in otherwise?”
She begins to pace around the room. I idly pick at the mud on my hoof. I cannot rush her or else my plan will fail.
She turns to me again.
“Let’s say for a second that I believe you. Does this mean you are not interested in conquering Equestria anymore?”
I reply with an indignant huff and roll my eyes.
“Just what sort of ridiculous question is that? How would a pony like me even do that without magic, after you have made my presence and intentions so clear to the world?” I scoff at her. “If you really need me to humiliate myself, then fine, so be it. I am nothing more at this point than a defeated unicorn, coping with his newfound mortality. My only aspiration is to spend the rest of my days with as much dignity as I’m able to. I regret neither my sacrifice to save this world, nor my previous intentions to conquer it.”
Her face is conflicted as she purses her lips in thought.
“Why is your coat so dirty anyway? I somehow can’t imagine you of all ponies tripping over and falling to the ground.” Her question is obviously just an attempt to buy herself time, yet she inadvertently put me in a corner. I need to think quickly and come up with a plausible lie.
Before I could even think of an answer, a new sound breaks the silence. A scream rings out from the other cell.
“It’s all my fault!” I hear Sprout’s pained wail. The smile freezes on my face.
Tartarus. I was this close to breaking through and securing my future and he must choose the worst possible moment to inconvenience me again. It takes a fair share of discipline to not show just how frustrated I am. I cannot afford to antagonize Sunny.
She rushes away from my cell and into his, but not before making sure mine is securely locked. I get off the bed and trot closer to the bars so that I can hear them better.
“I just wanted to give you a reason to like me, so I... I snuck away to get your journal back,” he rants between two sobs. “And... and then I got lost and he just kind of fell out of the sky. I didn’t know what to do. I really didn’t. So... so I attacked him.”
I hear a soft grunt from the other side. I assume Sunny just gave him a hug.
How very sentimental.
“Sprout, you idiot!” Her voice rings softly with a mix of relief and disapproval. “I like you for who you are. You don’t have to play hero for me!”
I faintly hear him take a deep breath and let out a great, wavering sigh. His sobbing stops.
“You don’t understand. I nearly killed him, Sunny,” he says hollowly. His voice is dry and lifeless. “I really thought I could be better. Instead I almost ended another pony’s life.” He wheezes. “Every word he says is true. He really doesn’t have magic anymore. He couldn’t even defend himself when I... When I...” He cannot finish the sentence. The sobbing begins anew.
Silence falls upon us, broken only by his crying. Slowly the cell door slides open with a screech and Sunny steps out. I take a step back as she stands in front of me. Her face is pained and confused.
“Please tell me he’s lying.” Her voice is almost begging as she speaks. She looks deeply into my eyes. I stay silent. Her voice quickly morphs from pleading to accusing. She smashes her hoof against the bars and screams, “This is your doing, right? You forced him to say this! Tell me, you monster!”
I face her accusations without flinching. I close my eyes and shake my head before speaking.
“My answer will give you no solace, but I’ll give it to you regardless.”
I return her stare.
“Your friend did nearly murder me. You are, indeed, correct; I didn’t merely trip. He tackled me to the ground and almost ended my life.”
The anger evaporates from Sunny’s face as she slowly loses her posture. She takes a step back and sits down on the cold, tiled stone floor. Her ears flop down and her eyes dart around as she desperately tries to find any sign, any hint on my face which could give away a lie, that does not exist. She slowly hangs her head when she realizes I speak the truth.
“Sprout, how could you?” she whispers with quivering lips.
I take a deep breath. This is it. I must play my cards well and choose my next words wisely. I fear, if I lose this gamble, she will never allow me out of here until it is far too late.
“As if you weren’t prepared to do the same thing,” I give her my retort.
“We... We never!” she snaps at me, but the rest of her words get stuck in her throat as she looks into my face.
Even without my magic I can feel my eyes flaring. I take a step closer to the bars and she takes one back.
“Oh really? You never?” I cannot help but laugh at that. “Then what were those childish barricades for? Or your little rousing speech? Or do you believe me so foolish and ignorant as to think you were merely trying to incapacitate me during our standoff?” I snicker. “I’m honestly not sure if you’re trying to fool me or yourself, Sunny Starscout. If you truly want to condemn his actions, you yourself should be locked in a cell as well.”
She gives me no answer. Instead she just continues to take short, shallow breaths and stare into the distance. I decide to press my advantage and continue, though with a softer voice.
“Or you could finally face reality and realize he did the right thing, just like you did during our last encounter. From the moment we met, he merely tried to protect you and this city. It is no question that he is a deeply troubled stallion. However, he ultimately tried to do well based on your very own moral compass, didn’t he?”
Her eyes are blank as she stares into mine. The other cell falls silent.
“Why are you telling me this?” she finally asks. Her voice is broken and desperate.
I just scoff.
“I am painfully aware of how it feels to be cheated out of your legacy by those who believe they are morally superior to you. And I will not participate in it!” She shrinks back a little at my outburst, which, as I quickly realize, came out far more bitter and harsher than I intended.
Tartarus, I’m acting like a foal, I chide myself with a silent groan. I cannot let my emotions get the better of me in such a perilous moment!
I quickly step away from the bars and pace a little, both to calm my own nerves and allow the words some time to sink in. After reaching the end of my cell and back, I turn towards her again, this time speaking in a more sympathetic tone, “And no, before you ask, I am not pressing charges against him, nor am I holding any grudge against you. Putting one’s own life on the line in the defense of their nation is a noble trait.”
A few seconds pass and she stands up, seemingly not knowing what to do next.
She turns towards Sprout’s cell, but after only a moment she turns back to mine. She opens her mouth to say something, but no words come out. A stifled sob escapes her.
“Go now,” I tell her mercifully. “Talk to your friends and rest. Not even a ruler can make good decisions if their mind is clouded by a maelstrom of emotions. I should know,” I add with a thin smile.
She gives me a tiny, indecisive nod and turns around. Her steps are uncertain and wobbling as she leaves us. As the door closes, I feel myself deflating and I finally allow myself to breathe normally. I glance towards the wall separating our cells, but there is still no sound coming from the other side.
As I’m thinking about what just happened, I realize I absentmindedly began to play with my mane again. I groan and try to shake the flakes of dirt out, without too much success. Finally I give up and just trot back to the bed and lie down.
This was far too long of a day.