//------------------------------// // Visitation // Story: Shards of Hatred // by ChaoticHarmony //------------------------------// ---- Shards of Hatred ---- ---- Chapter VI: Visitation ---- “Oh, I’m truly sorry to hear that such a tragedy has ailed you.” Her magic enveloped a phoenix-feather quill as she quickly jotted down a few words that would direct a tidy sum of bits into the ragged farmer’s hooves. “Please, take this down to the castle treasury, I’m sure that Treasure Trove would be more than able to give you some compensation for your losses.” The pony smiled widely as she finished her letter, levitating it over to the farmer who grabbed it from the air with shaking hooves. “Thank you for bringing your problem to me. I hope that you prosper as you have before. Good day, my little pony.” “Oh, oh thank you! Thank you, Princess!” The dirt-brown pony looked ready to throw himself down onto the ground before her. “If there is anything that a little radish farmer could do to assist you, I would be—“ “That’s quite all right. It brings me no burden, only joy, to see my subjects becoming successful. You might want to hurry,” Celestia added as the stallion’s mouth opened again to protest not helping her, “the castle treasury does not stay open much longer, and Treasure Trove hates it when she has to stay late.” Even though he had been given a hinted order of hurrying, the farmer only backed away and thanked her kindness a thousand times it seemed. After the stumbling pony had left the throne room and the doors had closed behind them, Celestia allowed her smiling façade to melt away into a look of utter weariness. “Princess, are you all right?” A brown-maned, light-grey skinned unicorn trotted up to her from where her favorite hiding place was of late. “You seem to be tired of your visitors. Should I cancel the rest of the appointments for today?” The mare’s voice held a hint of disdain for such a destruction of a set schedule, which would have required her to create a completely new schedule of appointments for the rest of the week. “No, no, Ink Well, I’m fine. I just… I just feel so confined here.” Celestia sighed as Ink Well looked at her with a pair of confused eyes coupled with a slightly tilted head. “Have you ever felt like you were meant for more than you were doing? Like you needed to get out and do that thing that you felt you needed to do?” Not even a moment passed before the mare replied. “No, not at all. I’m not sure exactly what you are getting at, Princess.” A wounded look, followed with tears, quickly filled the pony’s eyes. “Are you saying that you wish to replace me, perhaps?” “No, nothing like that, Ink Well. You’re the best assistant I’ve had in a long while.” Flashing a genuine smile at her long time friend, Celestia allowed her smile to fade away as she turned to look at the stained glass windows that took up nearly half of the available wall space with their brilliance. Scenes from all of the previous Equestrian triumphs over evil surrounded her, all of them bearing the same few ponies as well as a dragon in one case. “I just can’t help but feel that I should be helping ponies.” The unicorn blinked once in confusion and shook her head slightly. “I don’t understand, Princess. This sort of work you are doing here is helping ponies.” Sitting down and nodding her head proudly, Ink Well recited her favorite saying that had come from her grandfather. “Paperwork is just as, if not more, important than work out in the world.” Normally, such a phrase would bring a smile to Celestia’s lips and banish her discontented mood, but today it only served to deepen her building anxiety. “I see, thank you for your wisdom, Ink Well.” Though her words sounded appeased, Celestia was far from being so. Thousands of years as ruler of Equestria had taught her to have the most serene of masks that a pony could wear. Inside, she was a boiling mass of anxiety and dejection, almost like a certain three fillies in Ponyville felt when they wanted to go ‘crusading’ for their Cutie Marks. Only a few times had that mask of serenity been broken, and each of those had been when Equestria itself was on the precipice of disaster. Nothing could have prepared her for when the doors to the throne room opened, parting for a Guardsman who was running at a dead gallop into the room. “Princess… Celestia… I found… this… dragon… he needs… help.” With those few panted words, the stallion fell forward into the carpet in exhaustion, a purple-and-green bundle flying off his back and onto the floor as he did so. Once again the wise, calm face of the ruler was broken. “Spike!?” “Keep looking, everypony, she’s got to be around here somewhere!” Shining Armor tossed aside the cardboard box that he had just lifted up and snorted angrily. “I just can’t tell where she’d be. The guards told me that she hasn’t come to the castle and the train conductor told me that she didn’t head home already.” Worry and concern mixed inside of his stomach as he turned another corner and stared intently into the alleyway. “Twily’s got to be out here! Twily?!” He threw the words into the sky as he trotted through the streets. “Twily, where are you?!” “Is that Shining Armor?” The distinct and unique accent drifted over to him from one of the shops. “One of my best customers?” Shining Armor turned to see a tan stallion push his way out into the street. “Hey there, Shining. Can I do you for a donut on the house? Extra Sprinkles?” Shining Armor shook his head, not to be deterred by promises of extra-sprinkle donuts. “No, not today, Joe. I’ve got someth—“ The guard captain’s mouth snapped shut as the gears began to furiously turning in his head. “Actually, I have something to ask you.” “Anything for you, Shining. You know that.” “Have you seen Spike or Twilight recently? Twily and Spike like this place as much as I do.” The way the shop owner’s face drooped with a sudden weariness was all the answer that Shining Armor needed. “Guess you did.” “Yeah, I saw that Twilight Sparkle just today.” The normally cheerful voice was leaden with the same weariness that plagued the other stallion’s face. “She was actin’ all kinds of strange, Shining. I never saw her get that mad before.” “She was mad? At you?” Pony Joe shook his head sadly. “No, Spike.” Shining Armor took a step forward, which was met by a hesitant step backwards from the other stallion. “Do you have any idea where she went?” His voice grew more urgent as Pony Joe’s stuttering only helped to fill the silence. “Focus, Joe, I need to know where she is.” “She’s probably out looking for Spike at the Canterlot Castle.” The tan stallion winced as a particularly fierce bout of guilt passed through him. Turning around, Shining Armor galloped out of the shop, shouting his thanks behind him as he headed towards the richer part of the city. “Come on, girls, we gotta get to the cas—“ Shining’s words were silenced as he ran headfirst into a wall of polished armor. After he had peeled himself away, the Guardspony who he had run into saluted nervously. “Captain Shining Armor, sir, I have something that you need to hear.” Glitter Hoof hummed to herself self-contentedly as she trotted home from the ever-bustling marketplace with her goods. It’s so nice to have the Crystal Empire be Crystal again! She jumped up happily and turned around a corner. Looking up into the sky, she saw a beautiful rainbow of color cast by the Empire’s Crystal Spire. Just as beautiful as it was all those years ago. Oh, it seems like an age ago, and I’m not even an old pony yet. Letting out a soft giggle, Glitter Hoof continued down the road towards her home. Just as she passed another alleyway, her bag split open and spilled her groceries out onto the street. After turning away the numerous offers of assistance, Glitter Hoof bent down to pick up one of the Crystalized Apples from Sweet Apple Acres that she had been lucky enough to snag before they had been sold out. Even just picking it up, I can tell that this apple is going to be a delicious one. Letting out another happy hum, she deposited the fruit into a spare bag that she had brought along. I can’t believe a non-crystal farm could make such good fruit! As Glitter Hoof bent down to pick up another of her purchases, something dark moved just at the corner of her vision. Fear jolted through her as she jerked around to stare into the completely innocent alleyway, thoughts of King Sombra and his rule flashing through her mind. “Wh-who’s there?” An eerie silence was all that answered her question. After a few moments she shook her head and smiled at herself. There’s nopony there. You worry too much, Glitter Hoof. The mare giggled again as she bent down to pick up another of her dropped foods. This time it was a scraping sound that drew the crystal pony’s stare, floating out of the alleyway like paper but cutting into her ears like a razor. “Who’s there? I’m not playing around!” She held up the fruit that had been in her mouth, a peach, and prepared to throw it at whatever was waiting for her. “I’m warning you!” As the words left her mouth, the scraping stopped as if by magic and was followed by a faint laugh. “You think it’s funny? Messing with innocent ponies who are just walking down the street?” She stepped forward into the alleyway with her weapon still held high. “You better not jump out at me, or you’ll regret it!” Glitter Hoof winced at how quivery her voice sounded and at how easily it destroyed her ‘tough mare’ façade. Soon she was looking at the stone wall that signaled the end of the alley. “Huh, nopony is here…” Shaking her head to clear it, Glitter Hoof turned around and watched as the pear dropped out of her hoof with the sudden terror that gripped her body. “Crystalssssss.” The dark cloud that was the old emperor’s body surged forward and wrapped itself around the struggling mare.