//------------------------------// // That Beginning Part // Story: The Elder Scrolls VI: Equestria // by Aurora Glow //------------------------------// The Elder Scrolls VI: Equestria Its so blurry... Did I drop my glasses?... No. I don't have glasses... I must've just had a troubled sleep. I can make somepony out in front of me. But my vision is failing me, and I can barely make out a voice from the figure. I try to move my hooves so that i could push myself to sit up straight but it seems that i'm wearing hoofcuffs or some form of restraint because I can't seem to do that either. As my ears are finally coming around I hear the colt in front of me speak "Finally awake now are we?" he asks. I don't bother responding because I'm trying to take in my surroundings, and to get a general understanding of where I am. Looking around, I'm finding no answers because its too dim in here, wherever here may be. "Where are we?" I respond, giving up on inference to use as a guide. My vision finally reboots itself as he comes into view. He has a pair of hoofcuffs on, as do I. The frown on his face tells me that I'm not in a place I'd like to be in. My senses are returning to me one by one. The vicinity smells like rotting wood or a dusty corner of a room. There're only holes or dots in the wall with light streaming in, barely making it bright enough to see that there are multiple ponies in this crate. Or is it a chariot? No. The conditions of the place are too dirty to be a form of transportation of that quality. It has to be some kind of steerage. The clopping of hooves outside tells me so. I cringe at the soreness of my lower abdomen and shoulders. Irritated, I await his answer. "We're going to be sentenced." he says casually. His face brightens up at having somepony to talk to. How long had I been unconcious? "Sentenced to what, exactly?" I question. I haven't the slightest bit of memory from before I woke up here. I couldn't have done anything saintly, since my body is so achy and i'm in these binds. The clopping from outside stops, and I'm suddenly being jerked to my left as it seems our trip has come to an end. "Well, we'll see soon friend...Its judgement time." he raises his forelegs in binds to a crack of light on the wall which quickly expand from the door being pulled open. The celestial guard's armor looks as bright and gleaming as I've ever seen it, especially from this dark pit I've been thrown into. "Come on. Get out." one of the guards order in the commanding monotone voice that they all seem to have. All of the ponies in the carriage get out. There are more than I anticipated. The stallion who spoke to me gets out as well before I decide to follow. A guard wearing a captain's helmet steps forth with another guard accompanying him with the list of inmates. I look around, taking in the new area. We're in Canterlot Castle courtyard. This isn't the first time I've been here. Well at least not mentally. I've read countless tomes on the structure and seen hundreds of images of this scene but never experienced it for myself. The walls are white and the roofs are golden. The sound of rushing water can be heard somewhere off in the distance. Oh yes there's a waterfall next to the castle. Funny how this is my first time here, and its to be sentenced to some punishment for some crime I must've committed. I finally turn my attention back to the guards as they begin calling the names of the outlaw ponies. All of their names are unfamiliar. I don't pay much attention until they call the name. "Autumn Gale" the guard called. My acquaintance from our trip here steps forward. "That'd be me sir." he replied in his smooth talking, sarcastic tone. I only now start to physically analyze him. His mane is black, and not too long. But it is long enough so that his bangs hide the direction he's looking by covering the majority of his eyes. His coat is pale red. Like an old barnyard whose paint job has faded, and he has no real prominent features about him except his flank. Its blank. Strange. A stallion as old as him should've earned his cutie mark ages ago. "You have been charged with seventy eight accounts of ponyslaughter, one hundred thirty three accounts of attempted ponyslaughter, ninety three accounts of burglary, and the worst, stealing the Elements of Harmony. These offenses match no consequence but public execution, and banishment to the moon. Have you any words in your defense?" the guard's facial expression didn't change as he read from Gale's list of offenses. But I wish I could see my face right now. I should look like I've just seen a ghost. My eyes stay fixed on Gale just waiting for him to give any statement in his defense. "Yep. It was all me. No doubt about it. Don't forget my resistance of arrest." He pauses for a second, then looks at me, winks and turns back to the guard with a sinister grin. "Hey get Celestia out here will ya? Its been a while since I've been sentenced personally by royalty." Gale really needs to watch his mouth. His loud mouthing is just going to get himself killed quicker. That seemed to get the guard riled up. "Say something like that again and I'll execute you myself right now." the guard growls through clenched teeth. Gale doesn't seem to be fazed by this. He just stares right on into the guard's eyes. "Go ahead." Gale taunts. Now he lazily trots over to the nearest inclination in the ground and lays his head on it. "I dare you." the guard is about to comply with Gale's wishes when an orb of blue light comes in between them. Everypony turns toward the direction where the magic orb came from. There standing is the one and only Princess Celestia. The guards all fumble to stand at attention as Celestia makes her way towards Gale. Her facial expression shows her discomfort being around him, but not losing her composure. When she finally reaches Gale, their eyes meet, and she stoops to whisper in his ear. His look turns from casual to excited as she gets back up to her regal height. "Let this one go." Celestia commands in her soft, motherly tone. The captain of the guard makes a face of mixed emotions. Shock being the most obvious one, he ponders on this and then gives Celestia a look that asks if she is being serious. The alicorn nods in response. "You heard the princess. Let him go." the captain says to the other guards in a low, submitting voice. It is the voice of defeat. One of the other guards spread a wing and use it like a blade to cut Gale's hoofcuffs in an instant. Gale's smile only grows larger at this. "It would be greatly appreciated if you let my friend here go as well Celly." he says to Celestia in his smooth talking tone which I am starting to grow used to. "What do we do princess?" the captain of the guard sounds pleading. "This ones not on the list." "If Autumn Gale wishes it so, do as he says." Celestia tells the guard sternly. "The last thing I want is to start a war with a third party." Celestia's voice drops almost to the point of being inaudible. And like that, another guard spreads a wing and cuts my bindings in two in a split second. "Now Autumn Gale. Take this pony and leave before I change my mind." the alicorn begs behind fake anger. "Of course Celly. Anything for you." Gale replies flatly, motioning me to follow him. Slowly, we back away from the gates of Canterlot. Once out, we make a dash for it. It's really windy outside of the castle. The walls must've acted as a barrier from the gusts outside. Though the chilly wind is really keeping me from galloping straight, Gale is having no trouble breaking through the obstacle. I'll bet even a Celestial guard...no...Celestia herself would have trouble flying in this torrent of wind. Hours, or what seem to be hours go by and we finally come to a stop under the ceiling of a small cave Gale found. Panting and sweaty, I manage to come up with words. "You're quite the runner aren't you Gale?" I say in between breaths. He turns to look at me from where he'd begun to build a fire with some dead branches he'd found lying around the cave floor. He's obviously confused at my sudden question. "No. I consider myself to be average athletically." He says after dropping some wood in a pile. "What made you think that?" I'm looking at him, wide eyed now. "You mean to say that the ability to run in a wind storm is average?" I ask, starting to get a little irritated. After pondering for a second leaving the cave awkwardly silent, his face lights up with a sudden realization. "Oh yeah. I forgot." He finally says, looking a little bit embarrassed. "Well you can say that i'm not exactly a normal everyday pony." He adds to his first statement. "Help me build a fire first. Then I'll tell you the whole story." I agree with him simply by nodding my head and searching for more dead branches on the ground. Next time: If there is a next time...Gale's identity is revealed unless you haven't figured it out yet.