//------------------------------//
// A11 — Burden 
// Story: Where Only Silver Shines 
// by Etyco Filly 
//------------------------------//

I idly tapped my hoof on the cold, hard floor as I waited in the middle of the empty throne room. How long ago had Silver left? How much longer till his return? Aurora could not have gone far.

Could something have happened to them? Unlikely, for the estate was the safest place in The Tower. My spell had yet to alert me, meaning that Father had yet to leave his room. Perhaps I could see him one last time, truly bid—

I tapped my hoof on the cold, hard floor. How difficult could it be to keep my thoughts occupied for a dozen or so minutes? Why were they taking so long? Perhaps they had lost their way in the Fell residence’s ever-shifting layout.

Even Aurora seemed to occasionally struggle with the estate’s whims. Few ponies understood it, fewer still could navigate it effortlessly: myself, the butler, and Father.

I winced. Stars above, how long would my mind insist on torturing me? I pushed the thought away.

How cruel could a daughter be? That I refused to even think of him spoke volumes of me, did it not?

I grimaced. No… I just… What good would it do to dwell upon it? I wanted to bid him goodbye, but with my ascension, he would miss the opportunity to read the letter I had left on my desk, as cruel a farewell as it may be.

I could not tell him in person, for he would forbid, nay, prevent my departure if he knew of it, yet even this paled in comparison to the betrayal by my ascension. Not content with turning my back to him, I would oppose him. I had to.

“I’m sorry, Father,” I whispered, as if it would change anything at all. It would not. After this, he would be sealed away. His soul would rot away for the rest of eternity.

Perhaps we could outwait his fury; defend against his onslaught. Then, following my ascension, he and I could talk one final time. Yet the odds of him remaining sane frightened me. Each part of him, each copy that the Knights would kill, would only further erode his soul.

We would lose many ponies tonight to fend him off. A price we needed pay, but could not afford to double. We could not fight him again. Aurora would seal him after my ascension. She had to.

I knew this, yet the thought insisted on haunting me. I would seal away my father without even a goodbye.

Would Mother have done the same? Or did she know of a way to calm him? I glanced over at her statue, but it remained as silent as ever.

I was to ascend soon, but I knew so little, even of the ritual itself. I was terrified. I faced dozens, if not hundreds of unknowns, of potential ways everything could go wrong. Still, it was better than nearly-certain death. It had to be.

At least I had Silver. Were I a better pony, I would have insisted he leave me behind, but I could not. I wanted him with me, even if it meant he would bear part of my burden.