//------------------------------// // Episode 05.5 ~ Fate // Story: Queen of Crimson Crows // by ZhaoZoharEX //------------------------------// The following takes place between Episode 04 and 05. The nightlife of the capital was equal parts lively and disorienting with the neon street signs illuminating the various storefronts. It really wasn’t all that different from the streets of Manehattan or Canterlot, albeit with different lexicon. Even halfway across the world, some things stay the same. “I’ll admit,” Starlight said as she walked alongside her mother, “I wasn’t really sure what to expect coming here.” “Yeah, the urban areas in Bloodmist are pretty densely populated, especially here in the capital. But it’s nice here, I promise.” “Oh, it’s not that I don’t believe you. I guess I just expected something different. Maybe I’m just too used to the way things are back home.” Skylight let a giggle escape her lips. “I think I understand. I had a similar culture shock when I first came here… And I’ll probably have another one if I go back to Equestria.” “When you go back,” Starlight stressed. “Yes, of course. I’ve been here for… Gosh, about eighty percent of your life? I’m over two decades detached. I haven’t really consumed much of the news we get from Equestria, what has it been like?” “Well, um…” Starlight searched for the correct words to explain the condensed version of events. “It’s certainly been eventful, at least for me. Where do I even start?” Skylight simply smiled. “Well, how was your childhood? I didn’t get to really experience it and I’m curious.” Starlight averted her gaze. “Oh, um, well. It was… a bit difficult. I just, well… Dad really took it hard when he lost you and ended up being overprotective of me. I love him a lot, but it was…” Starlight stuck her tongue out with a playful chuckle. “Smothering is a good word.” “How has he been? I haven’t stopped thinking about him, but…” Starlight sighed and her face dropped a bit. “He’s optimistic, but I can tell he’s having a hard time. I… Didn’t exactly help with that, I went through sort of a rebellious phase in my teens which, uh, led me to run away.” “Run away?!” Skylight asked in astonishment with a double take. “Oh goodness…” “Oh don’t worry, it all worked out. I’ll admit, I was stupid. I didn’t prepare properly, but I found a place in this little camp which turned out to be an archeological expedition where Professor Atha was teaching her class. She informed my dad and let me stay there. I met a few friends—some of the same ones that came here to Bloodmist—and got to learn some magic from Atha in exchange for doing some work. It turned out I had real talent for it.” “That’s good. But still, your father must’ve been worried sick…” “Yeah… I’m not proud of doing it, but we learned some things from it. Anyway, after that, I… Well, let’s say I did some soul searching and eventually came under the tutelage of Twilight Sparkle. I’ve had some trials that I’ve had to go through, but long story short, I’m now the principal of her new friendship school.” Skylight clapped her hooves and smiled warmly. “Aw, that’s amazing. I’m proud of you, sweetie,” she said, giving her daughter a hug. “I have to ask though, I saw Sunburst with you. He’s been your longtime friend, is he anything more? Am I perhaps going to see grandfoals in the future?” Starlight blushed at her mother’s implications. “Um, maybe. It’s complicated. He’s my vice-principal so right now we’re more coworkers. But… I do like him, and I’m pretty confident he likes me. I don’t know if it’s going to go anywhere anytime soon though, with all this going on.” “Hehe, I was mostly teasing. But hey, I’m happy that you’re finding happiness.” “We have some baggage we need to sort out before we even really think about a relationship. But it’s not off the table.” As the mother-daughter duo shared life stories, it wasn’t long before they found their way to a building on the outskirts of the district, near the precipice of the Corridor. Starlight’s ears perked up as she smelled the heavenly smokey aroma of the grill. “Oh speaking of tables, Prince Hawthorne recommended a restaurant. I think this might be it.” Skylight licked her lips. “Oh, I know this place! I’m friends with the mare whose father owns it. And I haven’t eaten in a while… Shall we? I think you’ll love it.” Starlight nodded and excitedly entered with her mom. The place was moderately packed, the chatter and sizzling of the woks mixing with the savory scent of the food made for an inviting atmosphere. A gray-in-the-face stallion sat at the entrance, donning a blue happi with a headband to go with it. The old pegasus smiled wide as he saw Skylight, showing off his canines in the process as he extended his leather wing. “Well hey, Rafflesia-san! Glad to see ya back here so soon!” “Good evening, Hydrangea-san,” Skylight said, returning the greeting. “Do you have a table for two open right now?” “For you, always! Who do we have here? She's an Equestrian? A friend, maybe a newcomer?” “She’s my daughter, the one I talked about. She’s here with the new rulers of Equestria and we happened to reunite, so we’re having dinner to catch up.” Hydrangea let out a hearty chuckle. “So this is Starlight, huh? Welcome, welcome! You won’t find a better grill and barbecue in the district!” “So I heard,” Starlight responded, attempting to match the energy being brought in. “Prince Hawthorne actually recommended it, he said to mention his name–” “Hah! Of course he did! He loves it here, it’s thanks to him it’s grown as successful as it is. Now if only I could convince my daughter to marry him… Bah, it doesn't matter! Anyway, come on in! Meal is on the house!” After being personally led to their table by the owner, the duo sat down to read their menu… Or at least try to, in Starlight’s case. “Aaand now I realize the fatal flaw of being in a foreign land without the ability to read the language… At least it has pictures of the dishes.” “Oh… Um, I can translate if you need it.” Starlight pointed at the picture of the grilled mushroom dish and the rather tasty-looking noodle bowl. “Hawthorne said the spicy grilled mushroom thing was good. Uh, is there any meat in this soup?” “The ramen? Well, it’s usually served with pork or chicken with accompanying broth, but I can ask them to swap it out for soy or tofu if you like.” “Yes, please.” Skylight took out the notepad and pen she carried in her pocket and wrote their orders down. Starlight sipped at the water that was served to them as she watched her mother write the katakana. “Hey mom? I was curious about this for a while, but why do people call you ‘Rafflesia’?” Skylight blushed as the subject came up. “Oh, that. Um, it’s a little embarrassing actually, but… See, those of us that the queen took in were encouraged to take vampony names to better fit in, and I’m no different. The culture seems to really like plant themes, with common folks having floral names while members of the noble and royal families are typically named after trees.” “Ah, so that’s why the princes have that naming convention. Even the queen is named Mahogany. Bonsai, Spruce, Sequoia, Hawthorne… And Maho kept calling Fluttershy by the name Willow… Interesting.” Starlight sipped at her water again. “So… Why did you name yourself after a parasitic plant of all things? I mean, rafflesia isn’t exactly a flattering namesake…” Skylight cleared her throat. “Well, um… When I first arrived, I had to learn the language. Well, it’s not a very simple language, you see. I had a name in mind when it came time for me to accept my new name but when I went to put it into the registry… I misspelled it.” Starlight couldn’t help but snicker. “Oh, I see. So it was an error.” “D-don’t laugh! You’d do the same thing. Probably.” Skylight took two pages of her notebook and quickly scribbled her name on one of them. ラ フ レ シ ア “See, this is the name I ended up writing. And this…” ア タ ナ シ ア “...Is what I was trying to write. You see how similar they look at a glance, I was still new to writing it all…” Starlight took both slips of paper into her hooves and compared them side by side. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. In the end, I guess it doesn’t matter what you end up writing, because to me…” Starlight set aside the papers and took Skylight’s hoof in her own. “You’ll always be ‘mom’.” This scene takes place immediately following the end of Episode 05 “Hm…” The light of the mist-filtered moon gently illuminated Twilight’s face as she stared up at it while tossing and turning in her bed. Long faded was the urge to drift off into a vivid slumber, she tried doing everything she could think of. Breathing exercises, dynamic stretches, and even resorted to periodically sipping her water bottle. It was drinking the last drop of this hydration that her body finally spoke up to tell her just how not sleepy she was, a gentle reminder that all that water needed to go somewhere. Upon exiting the bathroom, she exhaled a frustrated sigh. “Oh forget it, maybe a little walk will help me clear my mind.” What she saw in that vision mere hours earlier weighed heavy on her mind, a weight she really would have preferred on her eyelids instead. Processing the events that were witnessed was proving to be tall order, overriding all fatigue she accumulated leading up to it. “I’m going to need more context to understand it, but… how in the candy-coated heck am I going to approach this topic with the queen…?” Whilst pondering this great dilemma, Twilight wandered aimlessly throughout the palace. There was nowhere in particular she was headed to, standing idle just wasn’t going to make it all go away. “Oof!” Yanked out of her thoughts by an unexpected collision, Twilight rubbed her temples as she stumbled to the side. “Err, sorry… Double Diamond?” The white stallion, similarly dazed, met her gaze. “Um…” “What are you doing here? I would’ve thought you’d be asleep at this hour.” “I, uh… Needed to use the bathroom…. Yeah, I had a little dream about running water. I guess I got lost and ended up wandering.” Twilight shrugged. “You too, huh? Well then–” “Erm, excuse me, nature calls!” Double Diamond rushed past Twilight and vanished as he turned the corner. A moment or two passed to regain her train of thought. It was then she felt a gentle chilly breeze kiss her face from down the hall. It was an open door leading to a modestly spacious balcony. Who might she find there but the queen herself, crown sitting next to her, resting next to her paint set while she elegantly landed brushstrokes on the canvas with surgical precision. Perhaps fate brought her here. “Um, good evening, Maho,” Twilight gently said when there was a pause in the queen’s strokes. “Hm? Oh, evening Purple,” Maho responded without looking away from her project. “I’m kinda in the zone here, so forgive me I focus more on my work.” Twilight stepped out onto the balcony, sitting a comfortable distance from Maho. “Would it be alright if I–” “Watched? Sure, why not. Witness a master at work.” Twilight nervously cleared her throat. “Well, I actually wanted to talk a bit.” Maho paused to look back over her shoulder. “About what?” Twilight took a deep breath. “Well, first off, I wanna apologize about today. I know you were dead set on Fluttershy joining your family but I couldn’t accept it. Still, I know it’s a difficult–” “Oh that.” Maho went back to painting. “Think nothing of it, Purple. It’s water under the bridge by this point,” she said as she painted the water under a small walking bridge. “Your friend is a lovely mare and while I still hope to see her and my son together some day, perhaps I should have taken his feelings into account. My Sequoia is a large, bulky stallion but he’s a soft gentle soul deep down. He couldn’t harm a butterfly, but that also makes him timid and quiet, thus I typically introduce his mates to him. He just never spoke up until now, so I never knew he took issue with it. I consider myself a loving mother, so to think that I was actually doing my boy a disservice… It bothered me. None of you have any fault in this.” Twilight’s jaw hung open as she absorbed the queen’s response, one that cut her off mid-sentence. “Oh.” “What? You almost seem disappointed by my lack of shade thrown your way,” Maho continued as she painted the shades and shadows of the moonlight. “Oh no, I guess I’m just amazed. From what happened with Starlight, I’d have thought you’d be in a foul mood or… Something.” The monarch cackled. “Ah yes, that one. I’ll admit, at first I took offense to her spewings. But I’d never seen such fearless audacity in a long time, standing her ground like that while being so defiant… Reminds me of my own younger days.” She paused to exchange brushes before dipping the new one into the yellow palette. “Couldn’t help but respect the testicular fortitude. I could see the fire in her eyes,” she continued as she painted the fire of the torches. “Yeah… Starlight has a bit of a track record for these sorts of things.” Twilight took a chance and inched closer. Sneaking a peak over the queen’s shoulder rewarded her with a glimpse of an extraordinary piece of art in progress, depicting the night horizon of the cityscape in front of the valley’s mountain range. “Oh wow, that actually looks really good.” “What do you mean ‘actually’, Purple?” “Oh no no, I didn’t mean it like that! I was just taken aback by its beauty, that’s all.” “Nice save.” Maho snickered. “I’ve had centuries to perfect my craft. I’ve cultivated my hobby and I’m rather proud of my work.” “As you should be,” Twilight beamed. “It may not be complete yet but I can already see it in a museum.” “Yes, well. I suppose I must thank you for the compliment. A perfect ruler, I might not be. But you can’t say I don’t promote creativity and expression among my subjects, my family, and my subect’s families. Why, Hawthy’s cooking is but his expression really. He’s quite passionate about the culinary arts, just about everyone agrees he’s quite earned his place as the palace chef, a position he holds with great pride and satisfaction. Cypress has his writing, Sequoia much enjoys his floral arrangements, Maple loves music and she’s passing that passion down to Acacia. Lulu quite enjoys performance arts, you should’ve seen her performance in ‘The Miserable Ones’ this past spring.” “I’ll bet she acted better than Celestia… Oh, uh…” “No no, Tia’s acting is all over the place, we all know it. She’s getting better with those lessons, but I think her talents lie elsewhere. I don’t care what my babies do with their time, I just want them to be happy and find ways they can express their true selves, like Spruce’s poetry.” Twilight’s face brightened up. “Oh, he’s a poet is he? I’d love to read some of his works sometime.” “Ugh, just go to his bedchambers already, you may as well just marry him in Willow’s place.” “Funny, Spike said the same thi– I mean, wait! No! It’s not like that!” Maho belly laughed at Twilight’s beet red face. “C’mon! I thought you’d be okay with taking the yellow one’s place? For the good of the kingdom, right? Think of the bloodline, think of Tia’s legacy.” “You! Ugh! It’s not–I don’t even–Why does everyone–” “Hahaha! Settle down, I didn’t mean a word of it. Why would I want you to bear my grandbabies, huh?” “...I don’t know if you’re trying to flatter me or offend me, either way I feel insulted…” Twilight sighed. Even if Maho was… being herself, the silver lining was that she was much more relaxed and jovial than before… Even if it was at Twilight's expense. But hey, it was progress and maybe it could be just the opportunity she needed. It was now or nothing. “So hey,” Twilight began after clearing her throat, “I’ve been wondering about something.” “Yes?” “It’s something I’ve been curious about for a long time actually. I was talking about this with Sir Bonsai too but well, it’s clear Celestia and Luna aren’t… Well, your daughters. Biologically speaking.” Even if she couldn’t see the queen’s face, it was clear she was rolling her eyes as she dabbed her brush in the water cup to wash it. “Yes, it’s rather obvious. If you’ve spoken to Bonsai, you’ll likely already know they’re adopted. Don’t get the wrong idea, though. They may not be my blood, but I love and hold them dear as my own, there is absolutely nothing that will ever change just how important they are to me.” Twilight nodded. “Yes. I have a similar bond with Spike. He may not be my biological brother, but he’s just as much family to me as my mom, dad, and Shining Armor along with his family.” “The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb,” Maho stated as she cleaned off her brush before going to dip it in the white paint. “But it’s just that… They’re alicorns, which… Well, let’s face it, they aren’t exactly a common thing around the world. I’ve got many questions about my status as an alicorn, but I was turned into one. They were born alicorns, born to an alicorn mother..” Maho’s brush stopped just a touch before it hit the canvas. “You… How do you know that?” she flatly asked, her voice devoid of the comedic tone from before. “And the cave where the Tree of Harmony was, not to mention the cutie mark…” Twilight continued, speaking progressively faster. “It’s been bugging me why their mother has the same cutie mark I do. And her words before she turned to stone, I just don’t know what to make of it. She clearly held you in high regard, enough to leave her children in your care. She even let you name them, and…” Maho’s claw started trembling, the brush ruining the patch of moonlight that was to be painted on the canvas. She didn’t care as she sat in bewilderment while Twilight was trailing off on facts and theories. “How…” “It’s just that everything just leaves more questions than answers–” “How do…” "I just–I don't know what to think of it all! So I figured I’d… um… ask… you…" Maho dropped her brush and stood before turning to face Twilight. Her face… Hysterical. “How do you KNOW This?! What did you see?!” Maho demanded, her voice trembling and shaky, “What do you know?! Please, you have to tell me!” Twilight could do little as the queen seemed to be blinded by emotions and grabbed onto the first thing she could. Unfortunately for Twilight, that happened to be her neck. Maho seemed not to realize she was choking her as she continued to break down. “She just left me abruptly! I… I couldn’t say a proper goodbye! I never got to learn anything about her! Please! Tell me! TELL ME!!” The quivering claw started manifesting a black aura around them and they were clamping down hard around her windpipe which forced Twilight to hold onto whatever breath she had as she tried to struggle out of it. But her strength was growing exponentially weaker and her vision was quickly growing dark. But what she could still see wasn’t what she ever expected to see. Maho’s eyes were welling up with tears. “PLEASE! She was so important to me! I NEED you…!” It was at this moment that a crimson feather floated past Maho’s face and like a switch was flipped, she snapped out of her abrupt episode upon realizing the crimson crows gathering around the edge of the balcony. She’d realized she was holding something and traced her eyes back to what it was. Upon seeing Twilight quickly turning blue in her blackening claws she gasped and released her. Twilight, now free to breathe, started violently coughing to regain her oxygen. It felt like her throat was swollen and crushing in on itself, that her lungs were on fire, but her vision was returning to normal. Enough to see Maho gripping her head and swatting away the crows as she pounded the ground. For now, a murder was averted in more ways than one. “Calm down…. CALM DOWN!” In her state of hysterics, Maho had knocked over her canvas and stepped all over her art supplies. There was no saving them, but it was clear it was far from her mind at that moment. Before long, Maho’s hyperventilating downgraded to deep breaths and both mares returned to a normal state. Maho, face still overcome with a frantic panic, made eye contact with Twilight, who was understandably rather afraid. “I… Twilight, I’m…. I’m so sorry! I don’t… I almost lost control again… I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Please forgive me! I’m sorry for everything!” For the first time, Twilight was witnessing the queen sob… Was she scared of herself? Her fear subsided rather quickly as Maho grabbed her crown and rushed past her. “I… I’m retiring to my study for the night. I just… Look, talk to me after the duel. I need some time to gather my thoughts, I will explain everything then. Until then, just… Get some rest, okay Twilight?” The queen urgently vacating the balcony left a stunned Twilight there to reflect. Carefully scanning the scene, the destroyed canvas and the cracks in the floor, the bruising on her throat, the sheer terror she experienced in those couple seconds and how little warning she got just prior… “Maybe I deserved that one too…” “C’mon, work you stupid…” Discord furiously snapped his fingers, growing increasingly agitated by the lack of magic available to his whim. Though the jingle bell amulet around his neck did its job protecting him from the mist, it did little to speed up the recovery process. “Are you still having a hard time, Discord?” Fluttershy asked as she patted his back. “I can’t express enough how sorry I am…” Discord cracked a smile. “Don’t worry about it, Fluttershy. No way you’d ever know this would happen. Just like that thing with the prince, I’m sure it’ll sort itself out.” Discord snapped his fingers again. “Ugh, eventually.” Rainbow Dash smirked. “Maybe we should enjoy this while it lasts,” she said, earning an unamused look from the magicless noodle. “Rainbow Dash, let’s not mock anyone for this,” Rarity said, reprimanding Dash as she put the finishing touches on a warm white scarf. “Remember when we all lost our magic just a few years ago? I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, I can’t imagine how helpless he must be feeling.” Rarity snipped the threads of her project and wrapped the scarf around Twilight, who was rubbing the bruising around her throat. “There you go, Twilight. Out of sight, out of mind.” “Thanks, Rarity,” Twilight said, accepting the gift. “Now, I haven’t given it much thought before, but what I want to know is why Discord was so adversely affected by the mist, compared to someone like Starlight or the kids.” Discord, still going at it with his fingers like he was operating a lighter, shrugged and waved his free claw dismissively. “I dunno, maybe it’s because I’m a being of pure mana? Maybe the mist is just racist. It hurts like the dickens but I’m alive so it doesn’t really matter does it?” “Well, maybe not, but it doesn’t explain a lot of its properties. It’s an anti-mana mist, sure. If you’re pure mana, then I can understand that. Obviously, it doesn’t affect vamponies, or in Fluttershy’s case vampony-blooded. But then it doesn’t affect alicorns like me or Celestia or Luna either. Furthermore, why was Starlight affected if her mother–” Discord playfully bopped Twilight on the head before wagging his finger. “Oh, you overthink things too much. Everything's a-okay, so what’s the worry? Besides, you’ve got bigger things to worry about right now, like Glimmy’s duel with that old goat. Or whatever it is that’s going on between them, I haven’t really had much screen time these last few chapters.” “Hm…” Twilight pondered as she adjusted her scarf. “Maybe you’re right. I suppose I could look into that later…” “Indeed. Now, since Fluttershy is still a free mare, why don’t you all go sight-seeing? You’re guests in this land, diplomacy can come gradually. Take a break, you don’t get many chances to hang out anymore, right?” Rainbow Dash took flight with enthusiasm. “Finally, someone’s speakin’ my language! Pinkie’s told me there’s a festival going on, let’s go check it out!” “I have been interested in trying out an authentic kimono,” Rarity responded with giddiness. “Oh, wait! I need to go check on Sweetie Belle first.” “Yeah, let’s go see if they wanna come too.” Rarity and Dash made their exits. Twilight and Fluttershy started following soon after, with the latter looking back at Discord. “Do you wanna come?” “Hm? Oh, don’t worry about me. Much as I’d love to stir up some fun, I can’t for…” Discord snapped his fingers furiously again, yielding no results, “Gah! For obvious reasons.” “Well… Alright. Please take care of yourself.” Discord stood by as the ladies vacated. Once out of their ear shot, Discord dropped his proud facade and sighed a deep growly breath. “For the love of Faust, how do I get myself into these predicaments…” Trying in vain to snap his fingers once more, mere sparks were all he got. “Here I thought I was done with this after that whole Grogar fiasco,” he growled while dragging his other claw down his face. Without the convenience of teleportation, Discord walked like a pleb around the palace to pass the time. Maybe it would be more bearable if he had any interest in using his small brain for thinking– “Hey hey hey! I take offense to that.” What? “You heard me, just because I don’t have my magic doesn’t mean you get a free pass to use such colorful narration at my expense.” …Um, okay. Sorry for being insensitive. “Apology accepted. Now could you please stop making me break the fourth wall and write something productive for me.” Okay, okay. During his stroll, the draconequus heard a noise from the courtyard and with nothing else to do, he decided to– “No no, now you’re just being lazy!” Look, I’m trying okay? Writing is hard. “Oh is it now? I suppose you’re just going to say I heard thuds or something that sounded like arrows fired at a target and have me step out into one of the many courtyards where I just so happen to encounter–” “Good day, Discord my friend.” “Oh, hello Sir Bonsai… Ah, oh. Well played.” Bonsai chuckled, reaching into the quiver he had placed close by. The husband of the queen–absent from his hat and swords–was having a bit of archery practice and had just placed a third shot into the bull’s eye. “Hopefully I didn’t interrupt anything important.” “No it’s just… Oh, nevermind that. Just having a bit of fun, you see.” Discord responded, standing up straight and proud again. It wasn’t fooling Bonsai, however. “What’s troubling you, my friend? Please, talk about your worries with me. Help yourself to some tea, I wouldn’t mind listening,” he smiled as he drew for another shot at the target. He released the arrow, landing bull’s eye number four from one-hundred meters. “Huh. You’re pretty good at this.” “Centuries of practice. You know, Bloodmist warriors were favored more for their marksmanship rather than their swordsmanship. Though, I suppose I have an old friend to thank for inspiring me to practice.” Bonsai reached for another arrow from his quiver, but not before offering a spare mug to his acquaintance. “I hear you have a lot to talk about. What weighs on your mind?” Discord took a glance at the kettle boiling on the coals near him and shrugged. “Well, let’s see. Where do I begin.” Pouring himself some freshly brewed jasmine, he began to regale the tale of his woes. “Well, I guess I did some things in the past that I shouldn’t have. From the get go, my friend Fluttershy has had to cover for me. One of the most foolish things I’ve done in recent memory was pretend to be Grogar and bring a bunch of our enemies together.” “Grogar, yes? I see.” Bonsai put a shot further down range into a different target. “And you’re feeling guilty regarding this act?” Discord sipped a mouthful of tea. “Well… I suppose there’s no other way to put it. But that’s only half of it. See, I’ve kept his bell with me…” Discord, in spite of his low-mana state, summoned the relic in question to his free claw. “Safe keeping, you know.” “Yes, I do believe I remember seeing it in your possession, just before the mist took effect. I’m rather surprised you have it, considering it was thought to be lost to time.” “Yes, well… Long story, not important.” After consuming the remaining tea, he set the mug back down and began to fiddle with the artifact. “For the past year, ever since I had this blasted thing, I’ve been having strange dreams.” Bonsai launched his last shot into the far target, landing just slightly off-center from the bull’s eye due to gravity. “Dreams you say? Have you considered talking to Luna about it? I hear she’s an expert in this sort of thing, haha.” “I can’t talk about that after the stunt last year,” Discord waved dismissively. “Besides, I don’t think she can enter my dreams, or at least that’s what she was implying.” Bonsai reached for the kettle to pour himself a fresh cup. “Rebuilding trust is a proactive effort, my friend. But if what you say is true, perhaps such effort would be wasted on this issue. Still, please do continue to talk to my girls. They can be too trusting for their own good at times, but they mean well.” Serene in his form, Bonsai carefully sipped his piping hot beverage before extending his hoof out in an elegant motion to recall the arrows he had fired, his quiver now full once more. “Perhaps you would prefer to talk about your dreams with me instead? You make me curious.” “Hm, let’s see, how do I explain it…” Discord pondered a moment, structuring his thoughts into a sentence. “Well, everytime it starts with a well. Yeah, a well in the center of a ghost town. In the dreams, I always approach it, sometimes I climb down inside it. When I do, I’m surrounded by darkness. Recently though… I started seeing this mare.” “Mare, you say?” Bonsai inquired as he topped off his tea. “Body black as pitch, wispy mane… White robe… Oh, and a soothing voice.” Bonsai nodded, face now forlorn and distant. “Body black as pitch… Unicorn perhaps? Light facial features that contrast an inky complexion?” “Yeah, that’s about right… How did you…” The elder warrior sighed and sipped at his tea again. “If it is who I am imagining, I have met this mare before in a past life. Her shadow cast over mine… Her arrows of light extinguishing mine…” Recalling his experience with the mare, the description Bonsai was giving didn’t seem to match up with Discord’s image of her. “...Was she the one who…?” Readying his bow again, Bonsai returned to his smile and gently shook his head. “Not exactly. If anything, she set me free. It’s a long story, but it did lead to my meeting you.” The draconequus sat on the ground with his tail becoming a makeshift stool. “You took the time to listen to me, I’ll return the favor if you wish to share. Besides, I don’t remember a thing that far back, I’d like to know just how it is that you know me like an old friend.” Bonsai chuckled and drew his bow back for a shot. It was a direct hit into the bull’s eye. “Well, as far back as I can remember, my existence was tied to war. I was simply one in an army of warriors who fought in the name of the Heavenly King, for a war I knew nothing about. I served as a lieutenant to a captain whom I was magically tied to through an oath. I would carry out his orders which I could analyze but not disobey. Together we served the same lord who held absolute control over the denizens of the then young dominion of Bloodmist. I know little of this lord other than he held a bell around his neck.” “Bell… Huh.” “One day, our army converged on a city wrapped in upheaval. The lord was embroiled in a feud with the king of the empire, his chosen successor. I do not know what became of either in the aftermath, I only know that the city and all its inhabitants… Vanished. My Lord… Vanished. Our army was left decapitated and disorderly. That is when my captain decided to seize the opportunity to take control of Bloodmist for his own, using his ace that was me. I had the respect and admiration of many of our finest warriors, so many of them fell in line. Others that resisted… Simply fell.” Lining up another shot at the target, Bonsai fired a pair of arrows that flanked the first shot. “My captain would go on to become the individual known as King Zaqqum. He was a subpar warrior of his class but was charismatic and a competent leader. But he had a chip on his shoulder for whatever reason and upon completing his coup, he devolved into a tyrant overnight. I certainly did not enjoy being compelled to serve under him as his number one attack dog, but I had to uphold the oath. I grew more distant and cold as time went on, jaded from the horrific acts he would perform and the ruthless orders he would have me follow.” Bonsai stood still, allowing himself to breathe and take in the chilly but gentle air of the courtyard before taking all the remaining arrows in his quiver into his hoof. “One day, there was an intrusion into the capital. A husband and wife duo, retainers of the old lord. One was a mare, skin as shadowy as the night sky, asserting command over the orderly mana of the cosmos. The other… a male made of an assortment of animal parts and completely in tune with the strange power of mana that took the form of chaos.” Discord’s eyes widened and in a rare event was speechless. Hundreds of thoughts ran through his head all itching to be asked, but his voice failed to cooperate. “Zaqqum was a coward,” Bonsai continued speaking, “he held himself up in the palace with the protection of the mist which only surrounded his citadel. Everyone else was left to fend for themselves. I, however, took up my blade and my bow and confronted the intruders out in the outskirts, the Corridor of Bones where Ms. Glimmer is set to duel. And indeed, I had my own duel with the mare. Well, I say duel… It wasn’t even a contest, I stood no chance against her. The winds of change were sweeping in and no icy squall could pierce me more than the arrow of mana she placed into me.” Loading every single arrow on his bow, he drew and fired all at once at the far target, each arrow decisively striking the circumference of the bull’s eye. The force of this impact caused it to tip over and fall to the ground. “The arrow she struck me with was a new spell she had crafted. Magic cancellation, I was left with no mana to work worth and it nullified any strength I could’ve had… But it also nullified my oath. I was not mortally wounded, but this mare had won. She would walk a way, and leave me to my own devices. I was free to do as I please, free from the control of Zaqqum’s oath… I took my blade and plunged it into my heart. I had lost my identity, constantly wondering if I had gone insane. But I refused to be used anymore. The next thing I knew, I was in Tartarus, feeling the weight of my sins when a young filly freed me of my chains. I didn’t know what else I could do, so I followed her. I was indebted to her because I literally had nothing else to offer. I would follow her out of Tartarus as we fought tooth and nail for freedom and before I knew it, I was back at the capital again. Only this time… I would see the demise of King Zaqqum… And witness the reign of Queen Mahogany. Much later on, I made a new oath to her in the form of becoming her husband.” Bonsai again recalled his arrows. He stayed silent, allowing for his words to absorb. “You’re basically saying I was there. But strange… I have zero memory of that.” “Well, it was well over a thousand and a half years ago, even the most diligent immortal is going to lose some details. That and you were encased in stone for much of that time.” “Yes yes, but I feel like I’m missing something. Now that I think about it, I do remember getting shot a lot in my dreams. By a cloaked figure. Though last time, it wasn’t the same…” Discord’s eyes shut, a minor twitch of pain in his skull prompting him to grunt under his breath. The strain of diving deep into those thoughts was a figurative gate keeping him out of the darkest pits of his mind. To think the lord of chaos was the victim of a mere headache. “Do not force it. It will come back to you one day, I’m sure of it. Just ease into it, you have other worries to settle first.” “I suppose you’re right. Um, one last thing. This shadowy mare… I think I understand how I know her now, even if I remember nothing. When I see her in my dreams, her speech is stuttered, I barely understand her. I don’t suppose you know what her name is?” Bonsai solemnly shook his head. “I’m afraid I do not have an answer for you, my friend. Not exactly, anyway. Even in my hayday, I never knew much of anything that was happening, nevermind small details like a name. But I can tell you one thing, she’s not unlike me. Reborn from a past self. One of the final kings of the bell-clad overlord’s empire. He valued her highly enough to place her in charge as his proxy… Well, before it fell during a feud between her twin daughters.” “Twin daughters… Curious.” The rush of adrenaline, the pounding of the heart, the satisfaction of a good fight is a feeling only a few select individuals find the value in. Skylight was definitely not one of those individuals. In fact, she detested violence, especially when her beloved daughter was involved. Yet watching a proud marine and her prized pupil duke it out with such ferocity, the way they would trade off who was on offense and defense when one received a scratch and incorporate increasingly elaborate spells and techniques… To the combatant it was an art. To the spectators, a sport. Starlight and Atha would use their sabers to salute each other after each exchange before continuing on without a word spoken between them. Atha, despite her age, was clearly the superior of the two, showing such restraint in her spells, which while small had real power behind them. Starlight didn’t have the same restraint behind her casting, she seemed to be using the sparring as an excuse to show off her arsenal. She would go all in, hitting hard and fast, to do anything less would be an insult to her mentor. The two would simply smirk, their strategies and styles were different but there was a silent mutual respect between them. No words were exchanged, but they understood each other well. (“I suppose I should be happy she found an outlet. If she enjoys it, I shouldn’t deny her that pleasure,”) Skylight internally reasoned with herself. She was sitting on a small cushion enjoying some snacks she brought along. During her time in Bloodmist, she gained a love of the local cuisine, taiyaki in particular was a favorite comfort food after work. Munching away at her second cake, her ears flinched upon hearing the sound of the temple’s bell. “Someone must be paying their respects to the Heavenly King,” she quietly said between bites. With her mouth half full of the red bean paste filling, she paid little mind to the maidens rushing to greet their guest. The sparring match was honestly more interesting to her. At least until she felt the presence of another pony sit next to her. She was mildly annoyed when that mare stole one of her fishy treats, but almost literally bit her tongue laying her eyes on her benefactor's smile. “Sorry, little peckish,” Maho winked as she bit into the pastry. “I’ll make it up to you though, I brought you this.” Maho flashed a small laminated card before placing it in Skylight’s basket. “Oh don wurry bout,” Skylight took a moment to chew the food in her mouth before swallowing,” Sorry, I mean don’t worry about it. Thank you, Mahogany-sama.” “Hey now, what did I say about that? Just call me Maho,” the queen said with a chuckle. “Well, it doesn't really matter, I suppose.” “Sorry, it just doesn’t feel right when inside the temple.” Skylight reached for the gift in the basket. “What is this? A recipe?” “Yeah, I know how you like these little snacks so I asked Hawthy to make a little recipe so you can make them anytime you like. A going away present maybe?” “Assuming Glimmy pulls off the impossible…” Skylight responded somberly. This was met with a very gentle whack from the queen, as if to chastise her lack of confidence in her own daughter. “Don’t be like that, Rafflesia-san. It undermines the love for your child, as well as her efforts for you.” “Ah… I suppose you have a point,” Skylight winced. “You would know more about motherhood than I would.” “Don’t sell yourself short either, little one. You’re doing better than you think, considering your circumstances.” Maho removed her crown and placed it on the floor in front of her before popping her neck. One of the shrine maidens, the one who blessed the combatants with the special charms, arrived and placed a tray with piping hot tea next to the queen. “Oh, thank you Sakaki dearie.” “You’re welcome, grandma. Call on me if you need anything.” With a smile and a light bow, the maiden made her exit. “Oh she’s just a sweetheart,” Maho said, taking the hoof-crafted mug of tea into both claws. “Ah, I do wish Cypress would give me more grandbabies.” “Cypress-sama is more interested in his work, it seems.” “Yes, this is true. I’d introduce him to another mate, but…” Maho took a sip of the tea, “Well, I would probably just be repeating the fiasco with Sequoia. And Cypress is more resistant.” “Don’t sell yourself short, your majesty. You’re doing better than you think, given your circumstances.” Maho cackled heartily. “That’s just playing dirty, throwing my own words back at me.” The mares sat, enjoying the spectacle of Atha and Starlight brawling. Well, Maho enjoyed it, Skylight kept having mini heart attacks whenever Atha’s saber delivered shallow cuts to Starlight’s cheek, even if the latter would just stitch it up with a suture spell. “Listen, Rafflesia-san… Sorry, I suppose I should say Mrs. Skylight. Do you ever regret coming here to Bloodmist?” Skylight, a tad knocked off guard hearing the queen call her real name, glanced quizzically at Maho. “Excuse me?” “I’ve been thinking. I still believe I am doing what is best for my subjects, any vampony I come across out in the world brought here to asylum. You know well that I do my damnedest to accommodate families where I can. It may not be ideal, but it’s better than being dead.” Maho took a long sip. “But you. You were separated from your family, you barely had any time to spend with your daughter. Had I known you had family at the time, I would have tried to coordinate with my Tia to make sure they came with you. As it stands, I effectively robbed you of much of your life. And Starlight much of hers.” Skylight sat silently, eyes switching between her queen and her daughter. While Starlight was certainly having a grand time with Atha, there was a subtle anger in her eyes. An anger driven by love… and perhaps fear. Fear of losing. “I…” Skylight’s voice crackled with uncertainty, “I don’t think I have an answer for you, honestly. It’s not so straightforward. I mean, I should have told you back then, but…” “You were afraid of ostracizing your husband and daughter. You were also scared and vulnerable at the time, your mind wasn’t in a proper state. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen this. It’s not your fault.” “But it kind of is… I just wonder what kind of life Starlight would’ve had if she joined me here. She wouldn’t have had the life experiences she had, and Firelight wouldn’t… But then again, would they have been any happier here? Would they have accepted me if I turned up back then? At the time, I thought I was doing what was best for Starlight, protecting her from those goons who were after me just because I was different…” Maho sipped the last of her tea. “Sometimes, doing the right thing hurts.” “But did I do the right thing?” “I don’t know. And I don’t care, and neither should you. You can’t change what happened in the past. Everything played out the way it is, and you’re here now. If you only have your eyes on the past, you’ll never be able to see your future. An old friend taught me that.” Skylight sighed. “It’s not easy though. I honestly envy you, you always seem so cool and confident, you always seem in control. How do you do that?” Maho smirked and reclined back. “I’m not saying to forget about your worries completely, just don’t let them consume every waking hour of your life. You can’t always control every little thing life throws at you, but you can control how you perceive it. If you choose to interpret your life and the events that lead up to it as a miserable experience, then you’re only going to miserable. But if you see them as a challenge to overcome, as a milestone instead of an obstacle… Well, my analogy kinda got lost there, but I think you get it.” “Uh… Sort of?” “Eh, whatever. You’re smart, you’ll figure it out.” Skylight giggled. “I must admit, you’re quite a unique mare. To answer your earlier question, I don’t know if I regret coming here. I kind of do but also kind of don’t. One thing’s for sure, I don’t regret meeting you. You saved me and have given me guidance over the years… Well, when I can understand it. Either way, it’s been an honor working for you, Mahogany-sama.” “You’ve been a good friend. I will miss you when you leave.” “If I leave, that’s still up in the air.” “Look even if you don’t, just know Starlight is welcome to visit anytime. We’re cut from a similar cloth and I don’t dare keep the family apart.” Skylight smiled sincerely. “Oh, um, what are you doing here anyway? In the temple?” “Well aside from paying respects to the Heavenly King, I wanted your advice on something I’ve been dwelling on. I figured you’d be here.” “Advice? From… me? Why me?” “Because I trust you, I know I can rely on you. See…” Whilst Maho continued to chat with her faithful servant, the daughter of said servant successfully landed a hit on Atha’s cheek. The marine lit her horn to stitch up the cut and was preparing to go on the offensive, but out of the corner of her good eye, the sight of the queen caught her attention. Upon seeing her mentor's gaze avert, Starlight felt compelled to look at what was distracting her… and a scowl grew across her face. The two made eye contact and nodded before sheathing their weapons. It was about time to pack it in for the night anyway with the snow flakes rolling in. "Hey," Starlight coldly called to the queen, "just what are you doing here?" "I rule over this land, nitwit," Maho retorted with a smug smirk, "I think I have the right to visit and pay my respects." "But that's not the only reason, is it?" Maho stood and put her crown back on. "Correct. In fact, I have a date selected for the duel. Five days from now, on Remembrance Day." Raising her brow, Starlight felt compelled to ask. "Remembrance Day?" "A national holiday set aside to celebrate the lives of family and friends we held near and dear… and mourn the passing of those who were tragically taken from us. Quite symbolic for what's to come, doncha think?" "What's that supposed to mean?" "You'll find out in due time." Starlight growled at what she thought the queen was implying. "Fine. So be it." Eliciting a snicker, Maho crossed her arms. "Then it's settled. I hope you aren't too in over your head." Turning her attention to her opponent's mother, she swapped her adversarial grin with a nurturing smile. "Oh and Sky, dearie. If you would, please keep our discussion between us for now." "Of course, Maho," Skylight affirmed with a smile. Her daughter clung to her and was gently nudging her towards the city. Sensing the jealousy brewing, Skylight waved a goodbye to her queen before making her exit. And then there were two. A monarch and a marine, the latter lighting up her pipe. "Having fun with the pupil?" "Are you referring to my student or my eye?" Atha blew a smoke ring. "...Yes." "I am actually, I must admit I missed this time with her. She was always a fine student when it comes to magic. Academia was a weakness, but in her defense she was quite young compared to the rest of my classes.” “Yes, I’ve been observing your little match. She’s got raw power behind those strikes, but her form lacks polish. But she’s practically still a child, uncoordinated and much to prove. However, I couldn’t help but notice your aim wasn’t terribly steady.” Atha took a long drag of her pipe before blowing smoke rings in the queen’s direction in a passive aggressive fashion. “Well, I am visually impaired,” she flatly said, brushing her bangs to the side to show her false eye and the slash scars down her face, “In case you have forgotten.” Maho seemed as if she wanted to respond with something snarky and witty. Instead, she sighed and gently shook her head with a somber smile. “I can see where Purple gets it from.” Atha, throwing away the backhanded compliment she had prepared, silently smoked her pipe as the two awkwardly stood in front of the statue of the Heavenly King. It was a few strained minutes before Maho sighed out of boredom, admitting defeat by grabbing hold of the brush pen at the feet of the statue and writing on the slips of paper next to it. 紫 Atha, tired of pretending to ignore her acquaintance, watched as she went through the motions of writing, praying, and ringing the bells. “Seems even the queen answers to someone above them.” While Maho lit some incense for the prayer, Atha blew another smoke ring and pondered to herself. “Tell me… do you think even the most despicable, irredeemable ponies can find clemency for a lifetime of sin?” Maho scowled and glared out of the corner of her eye. “Excuse you?” “I’m not talking about you, don’t get in a tizzy.” “Hell is that supposed to mean?” Atha shook her head and snuffed the ember of her pipe before pocketing it and making her way towards the road back to the city. “Nevermind, just pretend I didn’t say anything.”