//------------------------------// // Tragedy and the Common Stallion // Story: Princess Celestia: Sorceress Supreme // by spideremblembrony //------------------------------// Tears began to swim down Celestia’s face as she stared down the royal chalice in front of her. It sat there, tauntingly, as if to remind her of her complete failure. She had been practicing all day to move the cup with her magic, but every time she tried she couldn’t even get it to budge. She promised herself that she would learn magic by herself. She read books and watched the unicorns around her. She thought she had discovered the secret to magic, but every time she tried, it seemed that the secret eluded her. Her sobs echoed through the dining room, only to be overpowered by the sounds of the great doors being opened a few moments later. Celestia was so consumed by the cup in front of her; she didn’t even notice the tall mare coming to her side. The image of her mother. “Celestia?” Faust’s motherly voice spoke as she pulled the crying filly towards her, embracing the child in her forelegs. “Whatever is the matter, honey?” Celestia squeaked as she attempted to speak. “I can’t do it, mommy! I can’t do it!” She sniffled as she glared at the flask with discontent. The cup would only stare back, as if to mock her. Faust gently brushed her hoof against Celestia’s mane. “Can’t do what?” Celestia wept, her sobs continuing to break her speech. “I was trying to move it… but… I can’t! I can’t move it! I can’t do magic!” The queen gently kissed the child on her forehead. It bugged Celestia a little. She thought of herself as a big pony. She didn’t need to be comforted by her mother. But she would have been lying if she said she did forget about the cup, if only for a moment. “Why don’t you try again? I’ll help you.” Celestia shook her head. “No, I’m never going to do it! I can’t do it!” Faust picked up Celestia with her hooves. She then sat in the chair next to the chalice and placed her daughter in her lap. “You know, I had a hard time learning magic too.” Celestia wiped a tear from her eye and gave a curious look towards her mother. “Really? But you’re so smart.” Celestia couldn’t believe what she had heard. Her mother was one of the best alicorn in the world. She could do anything. She could make it rain, or snow, or cause the sun to shine. How a powerful alicorn like her mother could have been a complete failure like Celestia was beyond the child’s mind. The queen gave the child a smile. “And that was the problem. I’m going to teach you something that my mommy taught me.” Faust then wiped a tear from Celestia’s cheek. “You know what magic is up here,” she spoke as she pointed to Celestia’s horn. “But not right here.” She gently tapped Celestia’s chest, pointing towards her heart. “My heart?” Celestia asked, as she placed her hooves over her heart. Celestia wasn’t sure what to think. Magic came from what was in a unicorn’s horn. It glowed whenever a unicorn used their magic. She didn’t quite understand. The queen nodded. “Tell me all the things that make you happy.” Celestia's face brightened with joy as she answered. “Cookies!” The queen giggled at the child’s answer. “And cupcakes?” Celestia nodded, vigorously. “And Luna!” She then wrapped her arms around the mare in front of her. “And mommy.” The queen wrapped her hooves around Celestia, returning the child’s hug. After a moment, they released their grip on each other and looked towards the goblet. Faust gave a smile towards her daughter. “Now I want you to think about all those things and try one more time.” Celestia was at first hesitant. She looked away from the cup and bit her lip. The queen leaned forward and whispered in Celestia’s ear, “I believe in you.” Somehow, that was enough to spark courage in Celestia. She stared at the goblet and focused on the things that made her happy. She focused on the cookies and cupcakes and other sweets she loved to bite her teeth into. She focused on the sister she loved with all her heart. The sister, who she played with, explored the castle with, ate sweets with, journeyed the land with, and learned to fly with. She then focused on her mother. The pony who believed in her. The pony who was always there when she was sad or scared. When her daddy died, she was always there to make her smile. After a moment of focus, she opened her eyes to see an extraordinary sight. The cup was hovering over the table and it was her that made it happen. She looked up to her hron to see it shining brightly with a pink aura. Celestia’s face widened with a smile as she leapt off her mother’s lap onto the floor. “I did it!” she cheered. The cup fell from the air to the table, but it didn’t matter. Celestia knew she could do it again. And it was all because of the wonderful pony in the room with her. The mother who believed in her. She leapt up and down across the room, overjoyed at her accomplishment. She felt pride rising within her. “I did it, mommy!” The queen swept her up in her arms and hoisted her high in the air. Both of them were laughing as Faust took to the air with the filly in her arms. “Yes, you did! And I’m so proud of you!” The two embraced each other with smiles on their faces. “I love you, mommy.” “I love you, my little sunshine.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Celestia awoke the next morning a confused pony. She recalled the dream she had just experienced. She had completely forgotten that memory. The day when she first attempted to learn magic. She had been reading up on magic for days, learning all that she could. Not that the reading did any good. She still couldn’t do it. That’s why she hated her studies. She never learned anything from reading a book. That day seemed forever ago. But the more she thought about it, the more she started to recall the events of that day. She had been so excited. She had made her first levitation spell and her mother was there to witness it. She remembered how proud she felt when she lifted the cup off the table and how happy she felt when her mother expressed her pride. She remembered telling Luna what she could do. She showed Luna and promising to teach her how to do it as well. She looked back at her mother. She seemed like a different pony. Kind, understanding and loving. Nothing like the image Celestia had in her mind. Celestia shook her, trying to keep the from recalling the dream. But despite her best efforts, the memory clung to her like a parasite. Her mother had taught her the secrets of magic with kindness and love. It was only when her mother stood beside her and spoke to her that she truly understood. When she looked into those blue eyes, when she saw that tranquil smile, she felt at peace. Like she had finally been returned home. That happened a long time ago. A lot of things have changed, Celestia reminded herself. She wasn’t the same little filly she once was and her mother wasn’t the same kind pony. That is not the same pony that banished me from my home. That stole my sister from me. She doesn’t care about me. And I’m a fool for thinking otherwise. Celestia picked herself off the ground and made her way to the doorway, pushing the dream from her thoughts. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Celestia made her way down to the dining hall for a heavy breakfast. She was starving when she awoke. All the work she had done yesterday had exhausted her. So much so that she hardly noticed herself fall asleep. She hardly noticed until that dream. She tried all through breakfast to erase that memory from her mind, but it was to no such avail. The dream kept resurfacing like a weed growing from the ground. It was almost like a constant buck in the face. To see her mother as the caring pony from her past and then realize that she is nothing like that anymore. Not to her. Her breakfast wasn’t much of a distraction either. Her porridge was as tasteless and as bland as yesterday. However, when she arrived at the table, she found a tall glass of milk alongside it. It had been a long time since she had milk to drink. She ultimately preferred chocolate milk over normal milk any day, but for how hungry and thirsty she was, she wasn’t going to complain. The only thing that distracted her from the dream was the grueling thought that hung over her head. The Ancient One had mentioned more work. Her thoughts were plagued by what they would be. Clean the exterior? She’s already cleaned the interior. It would make sense she thought, but her wings were still aching from yesterday. She wasn’t sure she could last long doing that. Clean dishes or clothes? She didn’t think too much about the clothes, since ponies aren’t normally dressed, unless for special occasions. Dishes were another matter. There were several ponies here. She imagined dishes would pile up quickly. The thought of her hooves being in water all day was not a pleasant thought. She thought about what she wouldn’t give to be out in the sun for the day. After downing several bowls of porridge and a least two glasses of milk. Celestia made her way to the main hall in search of the Ancient One. When she arrived, however, he was not there. She continued to search for him, secretly hoping she wouldn’t find him. After a brief moment of searching, she finally found him sitting outside, near a large dirt field. She pretended she didn’t see him and tried to move on her way. But as soon as she took a step out of his sight, his voiced called. “Celestia!” She was certain she had been quiet enough to avoid him. And she had been careful not to be seen. When she looked back at the old stallion, he was still sitting on the dirt, his back towards her. How could he have known I was there? she wondered. Celestia made her way to the Ancient One, an exhausted look on her face. Not just weariness of body, but of patience as well. “Plow the field,” the Ancient One said abruptly. It caught Celestia off guard. Once she processed what was said, she scanned the field. It was a large dirt field. Very wide and very long. She started to recall what plowing was. She had heard farmer ponies used it, but she didn’t know why. Not that she cared. She assumed that she would never have to worry about such things. “Why?” she asked. The Ancient One sat still and raised his head slightly. “Plow brings good soil. Good soil helps seeds grow. Seeds that grow produce food. Food feeds the ponies.” He then rose to his feet and pointed towards an object in the distance. “Plow the field.” It was a typical plow. A long strap that hooked up at the front of a piece of metal, shaped and pointed directly at the ground. However, this was the first time Celestia had ever seen one up close. She had seen them around her kingdom when the citizens would use them, but she would never use them herself. After all, she was a princess. Princesses weren’t expected to do those sorts of things. At least, back home they weren’t. As Celestia moved towards the device, she eyed it carefully, trying to figure out how it worked. After a few moments, she turned back to the Ancient One, who kept his gaze on her. “How am I supposed to plow the field?” she asked, glaring at him. The Ancient One’s horn started to glow as the strap started to wrap itself tightly around Celestia’s waist. After a moment, Celestia and the plow were one. “Plow the field.” He repeated as he moved towards the castle vanishing from Celestia’s sight. Celestia turned her head towards the plow that was now connected to her through the strap. The strap was tight, but at least she was able to breath. She looked at the plow again. She hadn’t noticed it before, but it looked heavy. Too heavy for her to be dragging around. A thought then hit her. The Ancient One had used magic to move the strap. She thought it would be simple to move the plow with her magic. Her body wouldn’t have to move it. She turned towards the plow and focused all her magical might on it. Her concentration was so fierce that she closed her eyes to block out all distractions. However, after a few moments, the plow would still not move. She gave a surrendering sigh and cursed under her breath. This is really not fair! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The plow and Celestia were locked in a fierce battle that spanned the entire field. The plow determined to stay as stationary as possible. Celestia, on the other hoof, fought and fought to drag it across every strip of land. However, the battle was most difficult on Celestia. She would pull with all her might, her legs giving everything she could muster, but the plow’s weight was amazing. The day was only beginning and Celestia’s hope of winning this battle was dwindling. She would need to rest in order to keep up her strength. And while she rested, the plow sat, awaiting their next bout. But the plow’s weight wasn’t the only thing against Celestia. The sun was also determined to slow her down. The day started nice and warm with the gentle breeze blowing against her. However, it eventually turned into a scorching heat wave. The sun’s heat clobbered Celestia’s body, causing sweat to pour generously from it. She would often look up to the sky and see the scorching sun, hanging over her like a vulture, just waiting for her to collapse. How can the sun be so harsh, atop this icy mountain?! She thought about the blizzard that was blowing only a few hundred feet away from the field. The blizzard she was forced to peril in order to reach this place. The ice she was forced to climb in order to reach the magnificent cliffs. The fields of snow she was forced to trudge through in order to reach those cliffs. All the ice and snow on this mountain, and yet this place didn’t have a single snowflake. All it had was sunshine. And its heat was unbearable. Water became Celestia’s only saving grace. She would take in buckets of it every chance she could. Some for her mouth and some for her body. The simple thing such as water became as precious as gold. However, with every ounce of water she drank, the sun only seemed to be harsher. The day was only halfway done by the time Celestia felt she had made any real progress. The sun was shining brighter and hotter than before. The plow seemed to get heavier too. Every step she took was exhausting, as she pulled the heavy piece of metal along the field. Never had she been pushed so harshly in her life, and she wasn’t even close to finishing. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dusk had been watching Celestia’s progress for hours. He stood in the castle walls looking out the window, watching her every movement. Every time she pulled the plow, every time she cursed the sun, every time she stopped for a rest. He wasn’t impressed thus far with her. In fact, he found her rather pathetic. She was arrogant, snobbish, and disgusting. He didn’t see what the Ancient One saw in her. She was an alicorn, yes. There was that. An alicorn is supposed to have access to more potent and pure magic. A properly trained alicorn was stronger than any unicorn could be. But there was no way to tell. Even if Celestia wanted to be a disciple, she couldn’t. Dusk knew she didn’t have it in her. He’d have bet his soul on it. Dusk heard Starswirl come from behind him. Dusk turned towards him and gave him a smirk. “Just making sure our princess does her job.” Starswirl glared at Dusk with discontent. “Do you not think you should focus on your own tasks, rather than hers?” Dusk’s smirk was erased from his face, but he still kept his composure. “You think that I’m not? You think that I am not taking what is happening seriously?” “I think you are making this hatred of nobles too personal.” “It is personal,” Dusk growled. Realizing that he had taken a step forward in anger, he took a deep breath and stepped back. “Look at her,” Dusk said pointing back down towards Celestia. “Do you realize what she is like? Do you realize how she treats everypony?” Dusk then turned back to Starswirl. “Do we really want a pony like that within our ranks?” Starswirl lowered his head to the ground, as if Dusk had brought up some devastating truth. It didn’t matter what Starswirl thought about Celestia. Dusk knew he was making the right decision by refusing her. Dusk then made his way the main hall, leaving Starswirl ponder on Celestia’s fate, alone. When Dusk arrived at the main hall, he found the Ancient One, his head towards the ground. His legs were folded together and his eyes were closed. Dusk could tell his master was deep in meditation. He made his way to his master and bowed his head. “There are shadows that gather,” the Ancient One said as if he knew Dusk was in the room. “Then I shall make for Canterlot at once,” Dusk stated. “We shall destroy the beasts there.” The Ancient One raised his head, “No. They are not gathering near Canterlot. They are gathering near Coltiff.” Dusk’s eyes shot wide open as the name of the city reached his ears. Within a moment, his eyes began to squint as his face intensified. His mouth revealed his teeth as he began to uncontrollably force them together. He realized he was quickly losing his composure and quickly took a deep breath. The moment quelled his anger, but he knew it wouldn’t be for long. The sudden news of the city caught him off his guard. He wouldn’t make that mistake twice. Especially since now he was prepared. “Then we shall deal with it, master,” Dusk stated as he stood up. He allowed the Ancient One to fill his head with details of their enemy as his thoughts were clouded by pure rage and pleasure at the thought of heading back to Coltiff. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dusk gathered several of his troops and prepared them for their mission. He explained to them that their mission was to take them to the city of Coltiff, which Moondancer had so foolishly asked if that wasn’t where Dusk had lived before. As that question rang in Dusk’s ears, his mind was sent back to his days at the grand castle Coltiff. It was a large formidable fortress. High walls that circled around a large single tower. The only penetration the walls ever had was a large wooden gate that hung over a large moat. The castle was said to be impenetrable by ground forces. For aerial enemies, expert Pegasus warriors were trained to defend the tower, while ballista shot at the chariots and other devices the Pegasi would escort. The castle had never been taken in its history, though not for lack of trying. Kings upon kings, army upon army would attempt to take the castle, but none would prevail. That is what Dusk believed his destiny once was. He believed once that his destiny was to hold the kingdom’s defense as a great knight. And there was always one pony, above all others, that believed he could accomplish this goal. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Watch this, mother,” the young Dusk beseeched the gold earth mare standing behind him. She smiled as she watched his horn glow allowing the rock he was focused on to raise into the air above them. He then thrust the rock forward and it smashed into the tree, hitting the bulls-eye target dead on. Dusk’s face became a beacon of happiness. He turned towards his mother and joyfully leaped towards her. “Did you see that, mother? Did you see what I did?” The golden mare swooped up Dusk in her arms and giggled as they spun around together. “Yes, I did, my little knight in shining armor.” The two laughed together as they stared happily into each other’s eyes. “You are going to be a brave, strong, valiant knight one day,” she stated, as she gently set her child on the ground. “Yes, mother!” Dusk cheered. “I’m going to be a great knight.” He danced around the courtyard as he swung around an imaginary sword with his hooves. “I’ll protect this castle. I’ll protect this city and you, mother!” He could imagine all the dragons and monsters he would slay he if he had a real sword in his grasp. “I’ll protect you from all monsters!” He didn’t notice his mother sneak up next to him. She leaned against his ear, “What about…?” She then started to rub her hooves against his body as Dusk unleashed uncontrollable giggles into the sky. “The tickle monster?!” They laughed together as Dusk struggled to break free of his mother’s hooves. But alas, he was another helpless victim of the infamous tickle monster. Something he couldn’t have been happier with. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dusk’s mind was swallowed in the memories. The days at the castle seemed centuries ago, but he would never forget. Never forgot the ponies within the castle walls. He never forgot the mother in his life. As the group entered through the portal, his memories fueled his rage. The darkness within the memories grew within him as he slowly recalled them. He swore to himself he would never again return to the place of his birth. But as he learned a long time ago, life has a cruel, sick sense of humor. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The sky was covered by a cloud of dark beings that hovered above the ponies below. The dark cloud was comprised of hundreds of tiny wings with sharp jaws that slowly dug into the bodies of the citizenry. The ponies franticly scattered as the tiny creatures descended upon them, gnawing and biting at their flesh. The beasts worked in chaotic harmony to devour all victims around them, leaving only their skeletal remains intact. A mare and her child ran from the ensuing chaos, the mother desperately trying to keep hold of her child’s hoof. The child stumbled to the ground with a cry. The mother rushed to the colt’s side, gripping him tightly. When they looked up, the hundreds of mouths with wings came down, their jaws at the ready. The mother drew his son close, praying for them to somehow survive. At the last possible second, a shield entirely comprised of fire appeared all around them, burning the creatures to cinder. The mother looked up to see Dusk hovering above them, his horn glowing brightly. The creatures turned their attention to their new target and swarmed towards him. Dusk avoided his enemies by soaring higher in the sky, as Redeye, Moondancer and Starswirl attacked them with powerful blasts of magic. The creatures never saw them coming. After the pack of creatures lied dead, Dusk released the charm that protected the mother and son. “You must gather everypony you can into that building,” Starswirl ordered as he pointed towards a large church. The mother nodded in obedience, silently thanking the Lords Above for their saviors. With her son in tow, she rushed to the church building as quickly as she could. Others followed her frightened lead. However, there were others even more frightened. “Are you crazy?” a Pegasus shouted. “I’m out of here!” He took to the sky at a high speed. Starswirl turned around quickly to see the bright yellow stallion take to the air, attempting to outrun the creatures. “No! Wait!” Starswirl begged, but it was too late. The monsters were already gnawing into the Pegasus’s body. Within a few seconds, the Pegasus toppled hundreds of feet to the hard ground below, as if to ensure his death. Starswirl then turned his attention on the swarm of beasts coming straight for the church, knowing there was a buffet just waiting for them. Or so they thought. Dusk’s horn started to glow, summoning a mighty shield that protected the entire church. The creatures rammed and bit at the shield, but not a single one could get through. With the creatures preoccupied, the unicorns took this opportunity to attack. Fire, lightning and beams of energy rained down upon the creatures, causing them to vanish in a black mist. However, there were still many buzzing around the city, causing death and destruction. “There must be thousands of these things!” Vibrant exclaimed, as she unleashed a bolt of lightning from her horn. The bolt chained down a row of creatures and spread like wildfire into the surrounding creatures’ bodies. “Tens of thousands!” Starswirl corrected, as he summoned a barrier to protect himself from the creatures coming straight for him. Dusk fired a wave of energy, consuming a large group of the beasts in a flash of light. “One or one billion, they die.” As Dusk fired another beam of light, he noted that the large tower was covered in a dark cloud of the monsters. He turned towards his allies, who were fending off the winged mouths. “Redeye, Moondancer, Vibrant, you three deal with them here.” The three unicorns in question nodded their heads and continued their efforts to destroy the monsters. Dusk then turned toward his other companions. “Hoofcuff, Starswirl, you two are with me.” Hoofcuff cringed. Dusk could see that she believed her place was with the others, since Dusk was powerful enough to take on many of these creatures alone. Adding Starswirl was just overkill. No, she was thinking the only reason Dusk wanted her to join him was so he could teach her to be obedient. Which wasn’t exactly wrong either. Regardless, she complied. Starswirl, Dusk and Hoofcuff made their way to the distant castle, with Dusk leading the pack. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The castle guard fired a volley of arrows at the beasts, but only a few reached their targets. The creatures were as agile as they were deadly. And deadly they were, as the armor the ponies wore was ineffective. The beasts slithered through the small cracks within the armor and attacked. Within a few seconds, several armored ponies was on the ground, their lungs full of screams of pain, cries of agony, and blood. The castle’s defenses were slowly dwindling. The general began to panic as the winged teeth came for another bout, but in a flash of light the creatures were gone. The general looked to the sky as Dusk descended to him. “Take your men and retreat. We shall handle this fight.” The general scowled at the unicorn as if he had just been insulted. “Who do you think you are? What makes you-?” A swarm of creatures were heading straight for them, causing the general to leap back in fright. However, Dusk simply turned his body and unleashed a powerful fireball that exploded to consume the creatures. Dusk then turned to the general with a smirk on his face. “Fall back!” the general ordered. Like ants following a queen, the soldiers evacuated towards the castle, some of them, however, were unable to escape the jaws of the winged monsters. Hoofcuff and Starswirl stationed themselves at the base of the tower as the creatures came upon them. Hoofcuff gathered all the arrows that had failed to hit a target and pointed them at her enemies. Like lightning, the arrows fired at the winged monsters. Like before, most of the creatures proved too nimble to be hit by the arrows. But unlike before, the arrows were now Hoofcuff’s puppets. And Hoofcuff would aim the arrows to finally finish their intended targets. It was a battle of winged beasts versus a storm of arrows. Starswirl drew in a breath and unleashed it as his horn started to glow. The combination turned his normally cool breath into a hurricane of ice and snow. Within a second, all that was in the path of Starswirl’s breath of ice was frozen solid. The ice-covered teeth dropped to the ground below causing most of them to shatter. Everything around them slowed down immensely by the shivering cold. With the beasts slowed, Starswirl summoned a beam of light that evaporated them. Dusk unleashed a cone of fire at the beasts, burning them to ashes as they attempted to attack their prey. A small group of the winged beasts headed towards the top of the tower, most likely to seek easier prey than these powerful unicorns. Dusk turned towards his allies. “Keep them here. I shall protect the tower.” Starswirl turned to stop him, but it was too late. Dusk was already halfway up the tower by the time Starswirl even noticed he was gone. Dusk and the creatures were on a collision course for one another. However, like an arrow through flesh, Dusk burst through the cloud of monsters, with only a few scratches. He surrounded his body with a barrier of fire as he set himself onto the balcony of the large tower. The creatures attempted to attack his body, but they would burn up before they could reach him. This allowed him time to look into the room undisturbed. He looked into the majestic room inside the tower. However, majestic was hardly the word for it anymore. The glass that once provided windows was either cracked or lying on the floor shattered. The once magnificent curtains were now tattered remains. The furniture was torn to bits with scraps of wood, wool and feathers covering the floor. Once grand paintings were lying on the floor with rips and tears all about. The room was populated by the winged demons. All of them ramming at a large pair of golden doors. “Help!” a stallion is heard over the chaos. “Please, somepony help!” Dusk growled under his breath as the voice rang in his ears. Rage entered his heart as his mind raced back to a time long ago. He was just a colt. He had dreams of becoming a knight for this kingdom and protecting all of the ponies within it. Especially his mother, a young servant mare. However, one night, he had noticed his mother wasn’t in her bed. He spent the night looking for her. He called out to her, begging an answer. But never would she respond. He wandered through the night until he came to a room where he heard a mare scream. He rushed to the door, attempting to open it. The locked door kept him from seeing inside, but he heard the scream once more. He recognized it as his mother’s. He shouted her name in terror. He tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. When he pressed his head against the door, he heard his mother’s voice in agony, begging her lord to stop. The master only replied that he enjoyed watching her beg. Dusk remembered hitting the door again and again, but he couldn’t get to her mother. All those years, but Dusk never forgot. He would never forget the voice of his lord. “Please, somepony help me!” the stallion repeated as the creatures continued to pound on the door. Dusk gave a cruel smirk. “Please, beg some more. I enjoy watching you beg.” “Is somepony out there?” the stallion begged. “Please, help me!” Dusk scowled at the doorway, he couldn’t see the stallion, but he knew it was his lord. “There was once a mare that served here. Her coat was gold as the sun. She had a colt, a son. What was her name?” “Wh-What?!” Dusk’s patience was running low. “The mare’s son went looking for her one night. He found her with you.” He spat as he finished with the word ‘you’. “What was her name?!” The seconds passed by slowly with the only sounds in the room being the creatures’ wings as they flapped and the pounding sound they made against the golden barrier that stood in their way. As the moments passed, Dusk grew irritated. And yet, pleased. “What are you talking about?! Help me?!” “That mare was never the same!” Dusk shouted. “You destroyed her! Perverted her! What was her name?!” He remembered the day after the event. His mother barely spoke, barely looked at him. He would repeatedly ask about the event, but never would she say anything. He would beg her, sometimes with tears in his eyes, but still nothing would change. She would barely eat, would hardly sleep and would constantly be sluggish at her tasks, which would cause her to be whipped. All the while, Dusk became bitter and angry. He would challenge others to fights, simply to release his frustration. He demanded his master tell him of the events of that night, but his master would only state, ‘it was simply a tragedy’. He hated his master, openly cursing him. He would conjure foul names to mock him with and spit in his presence. And everytime he did, he would be punished, sometimes brutally. He would be taken to a dungeon and beaten. When that wasn’t enough, he was whipped publicly, both in the village square and in the castle as a form of ‘entertainment’. And when he looked around the castle, in the hopes of seeing faces that would aid him in his hatred of his former lord, the others did nothing. The guards, the other servants, the senators, everypony would simply watch as this tyrant used his kingdom as he saw fit. The worst came from his own mother at the ‘festivities’, his master would call it. She would simply stare as he was whipped. The flesh ripping from his skin as the whip struck his back was nothing compared to the pain in his heart as his mother simply looked upon him. The cold blood slithered down his back as he caught her eyes. There was no trace of sadness, hurt, fear, anger, joy, satisfaction, hatred, or any kind of emotion. There was only emptiness. Like looking into a void. His own mother would not even stand up for him. And it was all because of the abomination that sat on the throne, smiling down upon him as his back flared in pain. He left the castle after his mother perished and for years, he searched for a way to get revenge, never forgetting what he had done and never forgiving him. He traveled to the Lhorse Mountains and found a place where he could become powerful and strong. And now, he had a chance to avenge his mother. He had a chance for revenge. “I don’t know,” the stallion moaned. “I don’t know!” Dusk gave a grin as his horn started to glow. “Now that’s a tragedy.” At that moment, Dusk forced the golden doors open to reveal the sniveling, crippled, old stallion behind them. The pony screamed as the cloud of monsters descended upon him, ripping and tearing into his unprotected flesh. Dusk simply continued to watch until the last drop of blood splattered along the walls. “Her name was Golden Hope,” he stated as he unleashed a beam of light at the demons, finishing them off. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The chaos had finally subsided. The winged beasts lied dead as Starswirl and Hoofcuff took a moment to catch their breaths. As Starswirl looked above him, he could see Redeye and the others coming towards them. He could tell that their mission was a success, but not without a price. He noticed that one of Vibrant’s ears had been bitten off. A simple mend spell was applied to stop the bleeding, but it would not give back her lost ear. They smiled as they set themselves on the ground. “The village is safe,” Vibrant stated. Starswirl nodded with a smile. He then looked up to the tower where he had last seen Dusk. After making his way up the tower, he found Dusk standing in a darkened, mess of a room. The room had been torn to shreds by the creatures and beyond a golden set of doors a skeleton remained, blood clinging to the wall. He looked again at Dusk. He was just standing in the darkness. He stood overlooking the body that lay in front of him. He had an intense look on his face as his gaze continued to focus on the dead pony. “Dusk,” Starswirl finally called to him. “The lord of the castle,” Dusk replied. “I arrived too late. He was already dead.” Starswirl lowered his head. Dusk turned around as if he could sense Starswirl’s disappointment. “Don’t be sad, my friend. The city is saved from the monsters that plague it.” Dusk made his way to Starswirl’s side and placed his hoof on his shoulder. “This is a good day.” Dusk’s horn started to glow as a violet portal appeared before him. He started to make his way to it when Starswirl stopped him. “Are you sure you are alright?” Dusk turned towards him and smiled. “I’m great.” Starswirl felt a cold sweat come down his neck as Dusk continued to smile. It was malicious smile. Starswirl felt that Dusk wasn’t telling the whole truth about the lord he failed to save. But Dusk didn’t reveal it. He simply continued his way back to sanctuary. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The long day had finally ended for Celestia. The plow had won the day, preventing Celestia from even making the imaginary halfway mark in the field. Celestia’s body burned and ached. Her legs felt like pudding. Even walking a short distance was a chore. Her back was in agony, like a spike had been driven into her spine. Celestia made her way to the dinner table and slunk into a chair with her same boring soup in front of her. It was the same meal as yesterday, yet it looked like it was the most wonderful meal in the world. The noodles were still as bland as before, but they might as well have been cookies and cake to her. She couldn’t remember how many bowls she scarfed down. After eating all that she could, she finally made her way back to her room. She opened the door, once again expecting the empty space that she left this morning. However, she found on the floor a large stack of hay that lay across it to form a cushion. She plopped herself down onto it, providing her with a soft bed to sleep on. The first in months that she could recall. However, straws of hay would poke at her body providing slight discomfort, but it was ultimately easier to get used to than sleeping on the floor. She slowly closed her eyes as she sunk into the barrel of hay, fully aware that she would have to start her task once again. To wake up and declare war on the stationary plow that caused her so much grief. A battle she wasn’t sure she could win.