2. The Alicorn Errant: Part 1. Irredeemable
The Sun had now set below the horizon, unto its place of resting until dawn came. With grace and power, the midnight blue alicorn now named "Luna" raised her beautiful silver Moon. Its less intense but still pleasing light allowed the everpresent stars to twinkle uncounted miles above the Earth. Thousands of these heavenly bodies illuminated the vast sky, and Princess Luna had delicately arranged them into patterns long ago, mirroring ancient star maps she had found in those days.
In the present time, the lights from Canterlot often drowned out the dimmest stars. Even so, mariners relied heavily on their guiding light; thousands of voyages could not have been made without the Constellations. Festivals around the world were dedicated to the stars, and some cultures even worshiped them. Every so often, a star would fall from the sky. Some said it was the wrath of the Night-Goddess.
It was unknown, even to Luna herself, why stars fell. Different traditions said different things. Ordinarily they were fixed within the Firmament of the World. But Luna was not allowed to remove them, whether or not she actually could. It was Natural Law that the heavens be regulated as strictly as they are. Celestia and Luna were forbidden from tampering with the ordained cycle. Were they to break this law, and perhaps use them as weapons for their own selfish aims, the Royal Sisters would summon a Wrath more unfettered and sincere than any Earthly thing could muster.
Luna at her darkest and cruelest once had the gall to do just that.
But a millennium had passed since then, and her punishment was to miss all those years. Everything she knew had changed; ponies, cities, technology, beliefs, social norms, language. Only one thing remained largely the same: her sister. In truth, Luna was surprised her dear sister endured to greet her after Nightmare Moon was cast down in totality; Celestia should not have lived so long.
Shortly after Luna's return, the alabaster alicorn revealed the secret of her longevity. And though Celestia remained just as youthful, strong, and wise as Luna remembered, the rightful Queen of Equestria suffered from protracted melancholia.
The Princess of the Night kept this in mind, and passed down the halls of the castle in earnest. Standing beside some important doors were the night guards, who saluted their princess as she walked by. She gave them each a nod of approval. At the end of the hall, Luna came to a vast dining room.
The night sky shone serenely through the windows of this vaulted chamber. Built to receive vast hordes of guests, at this time the room was empty save for a large white pony who was wearing a rather dour expression. She noticed her sister enter the hall, her face lighting up either in genuine joy or a mere façade. But Luna was not so cheerful.
Concern for her older sister gnawed at her, and Celestia’s pain became Luna's as well.
"I met Twilight Sparkle not an hour ago. I take it you're to finish the story you've told her thus far?" Luna asked, her speech still bearing a hint of archaism.
Celestia started for the general direction of her Royal Chambers, "Of course. Should I not finish what I have begun? I trust you have everything under control, so I'll―"
"The guards came to me last night. I stopped by your door and heard you crying in slumber. There is much pain in your history; are you certain you wish to recount it?"
Celestia sighed, dreading her own emotions, "I must. I promised Twilight, and I cannot break a promise...not again..."
"I'm deeply worried about you, Dear Sister. I can scarcely bear to stand by whilst torment beats at you."
"Ease your concerns, Luna. I'm a Queen, though I seldom declare so, and I can never show weakness. Emotional or otherwise. I'm to be a beacon of stability for our country. All my personal feelings, hopes, desires; they must come second to the interests of Equestria."
"But―"
"I made that choice many years ago," Celestia plainly said, her voice rather monotonous.
Princess Luna thought for a second before retorting, "Sénoril fonëai dhenëai, Nikóleva, mevilím víwë tuliën.(Despite your duties, Nikóleva, you are still just a pony.)"
Celestia's eyes widened. She had not heard the Language of Alícor spoken in many centuries, "héim-Yena nor-bhor, tan-ronilion sima roneä.(Please, do not call me by that name.)"
"Shaidaë? Lís céba durno bhoney tan-rondulno der?(Why? Is this not what our parents named you?)"
The white alicorn continued towards her room. After a few seconds she despondently replied, just loud enough for Luna to hear, "Nikóleva aiäduln nadin nir surda.(Nikóleva died a long time ago.)" Before the blue mare could object, Celestia disappeared from the room. The Nightly Princess had matters to attend to, but through the whole night her sister would not leave her thoughts.
It would have broken the collective hearts of Equestria to know what sorrow always burdened their Mighty Princess. Celestia’s choices throughout her life weren't always the wisest, and regret was a feeling she had all too often. It was unfortunate how perfect Equestrians typically thought Celestia was. Perhaps due to her effective permanence or mythical appearance, and of course her power to raise the Sun, most assumed their Princess was a great goddess. Maybe only among the lesser ranks of the Cosmic Pantheon, but a goddess nonetheless.
No force in this world or any could compel Celestia to press this claim. To her people...the Alicorns, such a claim was the ultimate blasphemy. Those remnants of a bygone era held strange beliefs, contrary to what the Tulicëai knew to be true or might deduce via logic. Even if Celestia could recognize herself as a deity, she would not accept any divinity as imperfect and flawed as herself.
But she loved her Country more than anything else, save of course for Luna. And in this love the Alicorn found the strength to endure and reign; to remain vigil and collected. The citizens of Equestria had enough to worry about in their own lives. These good ponies didn't need to add their Princess to that list.
This thought often came to the mind of Celestia to recharge her confidence and resolve. Her bloodline gave her right to the Throne on the promise that the House's virtue remained. And it was Celestia's sworn duty to protect and serve Equestria, unto her dying breath. Nikóleva had been many things; a ruler was not one of them. She had long forsaken that identity and taken up the royal scepter; Queen Celestia could be nothing but a ruler.
And though nopony alive now save perhaps what pitiful number of Alicorns still inhabited Equestria would see their great Princess finally pass that scepter on to a successor, her Most Faithful Student Twilight Sparkle might produce an apologetic work in the meantime. This story, yet to be finished by the lavender pony, held hope for Celestia.
The hope that for all her shortcomings and failures as Princess, ponies could still read and recognize that she was only a pony herself. And maybe even learn from her mistakes.
Perhaps driven by this selfish desire, the white alicorn could stand to recall what dark and repressed things plagued her memories.
All these thoughts echoed within her mind, and by the time she went up the spiral staircase into the top of her tower, Celestia began to wear a somewhat happy façade. It was a sad fact when she was alone a smile seldom ever appeared. At court the Princess' mood however was required to be at least cheery. And Twilight deserved nothing less.
Approaching the top of the tower for quite possibly the millionth-time, Celestia was saluted by two handsomely armored stallions. Their glittering gold plate armor and tall blue-crested helms were comically obsolete by now, but tradition would not see them modernized. In fact, the Royal Guard's role was largely ceremonial; Celestia herself did not need any protection. Most foes―granted most could never hope to successfully overpower the tall alicorn.
Even so, the Guards minded the Princess' well-being. And her two personal bedchamber guards were perhaps best acquainted with the Princess. In truth, nopony really knew much about Celestia other than her daily rulings. But over the centuries, her two guards sometimes heard the mare talk in her sleep. Occasionally they even heard her crying.
The present pair experienced this during the night previous. Their Princess' pain became their own. One guard took an extra effort to ease the alicorn's mind, at least somewhat.
Celestia gestured for her guards to cease their salutations. A few seconds afterwards, the right guard raised his voice.
"Princess: permission to speak freely," he said mechanically, his gaze not shifting from some indeterminable point in space.
The alabaster mare smiled and nodded, "Permission granted."
The guard’s disposition relaxed and his speech became less confident and formal, "Thank you, Princess. Well um I don't really have anything much to say...but I did get you this," he levitated out a small chocolate cupcake from a pouch he kept around his waist, "My daughter's having a bake sale, so my wife made a batch. I figured...well you'd appreciate one, Your Majesty."
"...What?" the other guard interjected, breaking for, "You didn't get me one!"
The Princess took the cupcake in her magic and inspected the scrumptious treat. Sweets often put her in a trance, and she licked her lips in anticipation for the tasty snack. The guard gave his Princess a sincere smile of empathy and returned to his rigid stance.
Celestia opened the doors to her room and found Twilight Sparkle within, just as anticipated. After closing the doors, the Princess took a bite out of the cupcake, and was lost to delectable sugary bliss. She then levitated it towards Twilight, offering a bite to the lavender pony. Twilight happily took it, but Celestia was allowed the pleasure of finishing the cake.
Wiping her mouth with a small handkerchief, the Princess then removed and stored her regalia before lying down on the large purple lounge pillow in front of the fireplace. Celestia noticed the open book beside Twilight, one page covered in writing while the other was blank.
"Normally I'd feel this was being too up front, but I know you too well. Are you ready to resume?"
But Twilight's face was one of hesitation, and she demurely looked around, "Actually, Princess...I was wondering if there other documents I could read. Like a journal or memoirs. Something you've already taken effort to compile."
Celestia sighed, her eyes becoming beacons of gloom, "It's because if my behavior last night, isn't it?"
Twilight didn't say anything, but her response was clear. The Princess then gave a weak laugh and magically took a book from her shelf. Placing it before Twilight, the lavender winged unicorn admired the quality of the codex. It looked very aged, but still strong and intact. Its brown cover was outlined in golden strips, and a brass clasp held both covers together. The inquisitive pony unhooked the clasp and smiled widely, anticipating a plethora of knowledge and insight to the Princess.
But within this book Twilight found no such thing, at least within her comprehension. Flipping through its pages, the pony became quite annoyed. Everything inside was beautifully written in that odd script, probably in that odd language of Celestia's.
The Princess giggled as Twilight just frowned. "That's not funny," she said dryly.
"Oh, you don't like that book? Here, let me see what else I have...," she pulled a few more books from the shelf. Placing them all in a large stack, Celestia let Twilight frantically leaf through them. Much to her displeasure, they were all written in "Alicorn"
The purple mare was about fed up, "How am I supposed to read these??"
Celestia's laughing had begun to subside, "Alright I've had my fun. When I teach you my language, you'll read these cover to cover."
Twilight's mood immediately lightened, "Oh...," her eyes then sparkled brightly, "I can't wait!" But then she caught sight of a book that was not taken from the shelf. She stood up and approached the tome, carefully pulling it out. Twilight then gave it to Celestia.
The white alicorn studied the book, its simple title shining on the black cover. She flipped to her favorite page, and read it silently to herself. "This...is a very special book. Why I've memorized every word within. All alicorns used to. I hope some still do... Vancir nor Uir it's called.
"What does that mean?" Twilight asked, the mood of the room suddenly much more serious.
"We'll get to that. I've been stalling enough; let's continue the story."
"But Princess...," Twilight protested. "Are you sure? I wouldn't want to―"
"It's fine!...It's fine. It's best for me to recount everything myself."
Twilight reluctantly got her quill, "Alright...I suppose we should start with the rest of your fillyhood?"
"Fillyhood?" Celestia began, "My fillyhood ended with His death..." The Princess choked down her sorrow, "After that, Henarion became our guardian. He loved us like his own, and he was the only parent Luna ever knew. And until marehood, not much of note happened in my life. Luna and I just...farmed; trying to carve out a living during the mild summers and not freeze in the harsh winters. What we couldn't make or procure ourselves Henarion would bring back from the South, as our Father had before."
Twilight scrawled out some words, and paused, "Well what happened after that? Where's the part you were wanting to tell me?"
Celestia sighed again, and did not make eye contact with her student out of shame, "The day I left them both behind."
*――――――――――S――――――――――*
A few scattered snowflakes slowly fell down to the ground, resting softly upon the pure white snow that blanketed the glade. It was a semi-cloudy day, and precipitation minimal. Most animals had either migrated or begun their hibernation inside warm caves. Ponies were a peculiarity, opting to do neither. The cold temperatures and snowfall were certainly nothing to scoff at down in Equestria proper, but here in the untamed northern forests they were both multiplied several times over. It was wholly common for drifts to reach the high knees of a pony.
During this season, the Calm Waters of the Lake were frozen over and the snow covered the ice. Traversing the lake could be dangerous, even deadly. Tall evergreens were pelted with snow every day, deciduous trees being rather rare in this region. All the spring and summer flowers had died back; only the hardiest of plants could endure.
And trudging along in this white and wintry setting was a long alicorn clad in a grey cloak, appearing entirely unfazed by the frigid conditions. She was a mare, not quite full grown yet. Her midnight blue coat contrasted starkly with her surroundings; a mirror image of her late father. Upon her head and about her tail periwinkle fur grew, kept somewhat short so as not to interfere with her work. Her big teal eyes held a look of annoyance.
She pulled a large sleigh, upon which several timbers were placed. Not far from a small house, the alicorn stopped and removed the saddle from her back. The mare then levitated up a metal axe head. The haft was still attached, but was broken in two. She took it with her towards another building where the unmistakable sound of pounding metal emanated. The alicorn mare crept inside, the air immediately rising in temperature.
Within was another alicorn mare looking both similar and different from the former. This pony was instead snow-white, as her namesake would suggest. Her mane was a soft shade of pink, securely tied up for her craft. The alicorn's outward appearance was strikingly similar to her deceased mother's, just trading a red mane for pink. The mare's eyes, however, were her father's exactly: magenta.
The white pony saw her sister enter the forge, yet she continued pounding a red-hot iron bar against an anvil. Despite the dirt and grime covering her face, the mare possessed an uncommon attractiveness. Not quite raw beauty, but rather a combination of aesthetically pleasing characteristics. Her body was naturally well-toned yet still slender, giving her a graceful and "light" quality. And in time all ponies would come to recognize her most obvious characteristic: her height.
Alicorns, as a rule, were of respectable height. Alicorn mares stood appreciably taller than stallions of other races, and nearly a full head higher than their female Tulicëai counterparts. Taller still were their males, who all but dwarfed stallions and mares alike; Henarion was of this stature. And then there was Nikóleva. Highly self-conscious about it, the white pony grew even taller than a typical alicorn stallion, another trait she inherited from her father.
Her slim physique and immense height gave Nikóleva a commanding and sometimes intimidating elegance.
But her sister was immune to any fear that mare could instill within a pony. The blue alicorn merely plopped the broken axe onto the bench beside the furnace.
"It broke," Taberanyn said flatly.
Nikóleva rolled her eyes and set down her hammer. "I just made you a new axe. What were you even doing that split it?" she angrily asked while inspecting the splintered haft.
"What do you think? Felling trees! I cannot help it that I'm so strong," The blue pony answered, a faint air of arrogance around her, "so hurry up and fix it."
Nikóleva placed the axe back down, "I have other things to make right now. Besides, why are you even out there? It's freezing!" she commented, grateful her work included a toasty fire.
"Have thicker skin, Nikól. It's not that cold," the white alicorn just narrowed her eyes at her sisterm "repair the axe or I cannot fetch wood to feed your precious forge."
"Why not grab the one from the storehouse?"
"Are you insane? That's Henarion's. I've no intention of invoking his wrath."
Nikóleva waved a hoof, "He's miles away. He'd never know."
"I shall not chance it," Taberanyn declared. If there was a correlation between age difference and respect/fear a pony had for one another, it was quite present here. Nikóleva was only nineteen, almost twenty; Taberanyn her junior by four years. Henarion however was well over a century old, and his patience had worn quite thin since his younger days.
And just then, from seemingly out of nowhere, a low and frightening voice sounded forth, "I am pleased to hear wisdom is not lost on you."
Taberanyn, utterly surprised, turned around and jumped backwards. Looking down at her was dull orange-coated alicorn stallion. A few flakes of snow had landed on his dark brown mane, and his snout was visibly reddened in the chilled air.
"Henarion!" the blue pony called out, "I...you're back soon."
"Indeed. I don't like to leave you both alone for very long," he glared at the elder sister, "I'm never quite sure what mischief might occur." Nikóleva recoiled, an embarrassed look on her face. The stallion however smiled, "Of course you may use my axe. Just be careful not to break it."
Ever grateful, Taberanyn rushed over to the storehouse where the tool was stowed. Henarion's mood had improved in the years following his friend's―their father's death. In part to be a good and respectable "parent", but also due to his old wound healing. He couldn't remember exactly how he received the injury, but one night the pain simply...stopped. But even so, the old stallion was still a strict and if need be harsh caretaker.
Henarion became very protective of them, and vehemently ordered the pair to never leave the homestead without his escort. He had a paralyzing fear that Maiëlindir's fate would become theirs, and that he'd be responsible for it. But the alicorn did promise each that on their twentieth birthday they would be free of his charge. And Nikóleva was counting down the days. While Henarion's younger ward altogether obeyed his admonitions and commands, Nikóleva was problematic.
She'd do everything in her capacity to stretch the limits of what he deemed "acceptable". She'd wander into the woods or follow the length of streams. And when he departed for supplies every so often, the white pony would do the complete opposite of what he wished; a few run-ins with hostile creatures and dangerous cliffs.
And owing to this foolishly defiant attitude, Nikóleva sometimes dragged her sister along.
Henarion unfortunately knew well enough her disobedient behavior. But he could hardly blame her: Maiëlindir in his youth yearned for travel and adventure. Nikóleva was indeed her father's daughter.
Still, if she would listen but once, he prayed it was now. For on his return he happened upon something very disturbing. The pony knew, left to her own devices, Nikóleva should find out soon enough. There was no point in trying to hide it.
Therefore, as Taberanyn was returning to her trees, Henarion began to speak with clarity and authority, "Before you resume whatever activities occupied you heretofore, I bring tidings of danger in the forest," both mares paused and gave Henarion their undivided attention, "I found a Diamond Dog cave."
Immediately feelings of perturbation overtook Nikóleva, "I thought you said they were gone..."
"I said they shouldn't attack us, provided we stay away from their place of dwelling. I covered my trail in the snow to ensure they cannot find us."
Nikóleva grit her teeth, anger building up, "All the better to ambush them."
But Henarion's response was quite contrary to what the mare expected, "I forbid either of you from entering the forest and searching for their cave. Our consciences are clear in defense only; I will not have us be the villains in this ordeal."
"You cannot be serious, Henarion! Don't you remember―"
"Every night that morning plays in my dreams. But we've no reason to trouble them. As far as we're concerned, they are innocent."
The white alicorn still glared at her guardian, but found no rebuttal.
"Do you understand?" the stallion asked.
"...Yes sir," She finally said, her rage subsiding.
"Excellent. Thank you," Henarion sighed and placed his hoof on Nikóleva's shoulder, "I know better than anypony how you feel, but please...you have no idea what you'd get yourself into."
The alabaster mare however said nothing, and returned to her furnace. Her sister trotted up to a tree in the distant, careful not to lose sight of the house. Taberanyn had no intentions of running into some hostile creature. Unfortunately, her intentions were seldom respected.
As the day wore on, Nikóleva and her sister both finished whatever chores they elected to complete. Usually, every other day or so, the pair would travel to a small mound after work. A few hours of sunlight remained, and Nikóleva had been thinking quite a bit since Henarion returned.
She stood on this mound, alone in her thoughts. Shivering a bit in the cold, Nikóleva kept herself warm by a burning desire for justice. Beside her was Taberanyn in deep contemplation. Below them both on top of this snow-covered patch sat two grey stones.
Etched on each stone was the very same symbol Nikóleva wore around her neck. Nothing else marked the surfaces. Most Alicorns were illiterate, and no effort to differentiate the two stones had been made. But then again, it wasn't necessary.
It was under this mound where the two parents of the sisters were laid to rest. And for all eternity their Earthly bodies would sit next to each other, their union made complete. Taberanyn, much to her sorrow, had very faint memories of her father, and could only have one of her mother. Nikóleva however could recall them both with painful vividness.
Maiëlindir and Eserindil they were named. The two alicorns loved each other more than words could describe. And when Eserindil bore a healthy foal, their lives were made all the more delightful. And her mother gave her life so that Taberanûn might have one. And her father gave his to preserve the sisters' future.
It was only right to use these gifts and try as best they could to repay them. Nikóleva said a small prayer and then turned to her sister, "I hope you realize we're finding that nest."
The blue alicorn stepped back in shock, "What?? You heard Henarion; we're not to go near it."
"He's just scared we can't take them all by ourselves. Prove him wrong!"
"Your mind is clouded by your hatred for Diamond Dogs," Taberanyn calmly said, "You forget you're just one pony."
Nikóleva was starting to snap, "Do you forget what they did to Father?! For love of Him, we must destroy those curs!"
"Was not the dog who slew Father killed by his hoof? We cannot take vengeance on what he already has."
"Cowardice! I'd think my own Sister should burn for justice as I do."
"You blaze with wrath, and it has burned your sense away! I still have mine," The blue pony's quick tongue retorted.
"Then I shall go alone, under cover of night," Nikóleva then left, returning to the hovel.
And the mare was true to her word. Alone in her father's old room, which she inherited, Nikóleva waited patiently for nightfall. After the other two ponies had lie down, the waking alicorn glanced out the window and noticed the moonlight. It should be enough for her errand. Girting up a sword she forged and her old dagger, the pony then fastened her father's old blade across her waist. She could never bring herself to use it, but it still gave her a feeling of power and strength.
Nikóleva wasn't sure what made this sword so special, but it certainly had an uncommon quality.
The wrathful mare felt invincible. She planned everything out accordingly: she'd find the hole, slay all inside, and return before daybreak. Henarion would forgive her when she brought him all the spoils of war, right?
Utterly convinced she was doing a just and honorable thing, Nikóleva blew out her candles and silently snuck out of the house, wearing her thick cloak for the bitter winter night. Her hoofsteps muffled in the clam snow, she galloped off into the forest, hell-bent on ridding the wood of those greedy depraved beasts.
But a single eye opened mere minutes after her departure, awoken by something it couldn't quite place.
Nikóleva would search high and low for hours, soldiering hock-deep in snow. Aided by the silvery light of the Moon, she examined each and every pit for a sound, movement, light; anything that indicated diamond dogs lived there. Nothing.
Discouraged, the mare leaned against a tree to rest. She contemplated building a fire pit to warm her freezing hooves, and let out a sigh. But there, just past her hot breath, Nikóleva spotted a strange footprint in the snow.
It was clearly canine in shape. It could have easily been mistaken for wolf-prints. But closer examination dashed these suspicions: the trail obviously belonged to a creature that walked on two legs.
She followed the trail for a hundred or so meters, finally arriving at a good-sized cavern. The faint orange glow of candlelight illuminated the cave-mouth; a telltale sign of habitation. The only thing stopping the mare from rushing head on into that cave was the crunching of snow from behind her.
Thinking it was a dog sneaking up, the mare drew her plain sword and lunged back, gracefully thrusting the blade just far enough to touch the would-be assailant's throat. Nikóleva's fiery eyes immediately went cold at who stood before her.
"I...I came after you," Taberanyn said trembling. Deathly terrified she gently directed the blade away from any vital areas, "I followed your hoofprints."
"Oh Taby, you nearly got yourself killed."
A look of indignation grew on the blue alicorn's face, "You know how I feel about that name. Why do you insist on calling me that?"
Nikóleva gave a mocking laugh, "Because I know how you feel about it. I'm glad you decided to aid me."
"No, I've come to talk some sanity into you! I won't let you get yourself killed. It's not far past midnight; if we're careful we won't wake Henarion."
Nikóleva frowned in defiance, "My will cannot be swayed. Either brandish your weapon, Taberanyn, or go home."
The white mare turned back towards the cave opening, but her sister stuck out her hoof, "Please! Listen to reason!" but the blue pony's words fell on deaf ears. Nikóleva suspended her blade via magic and got into an offensive stance; she heard movement coming from the cave.
Emerging from inside were two brown dogs, dimly lit by the Moon. Whether on some sort of patrol, scouting mission or just to get some fresh air, the pair moved a few feet into the snow and noticed a couple of alicorns intruding on their land. They quickly spoke to one another in a strange tongue, characterized by a tonal structure and harsh sounds that brought displeasure to the ears of the sisters. They then yelled similar words into the cave, and drew weapons.
Taberanyn, genuinely terrified, produced her axe, specially created for combat, "Sister, it's not too late to retreat."
But Nikóleva didn't respond. The blue alicorn could see the blazing fires in her sister's eyes. The elder alicorn hated diamond dogs with every fiber of her being. She regarded them as vermin to be exterminated. They took her father from her, in cold blood, and for many nights since then the pony cried herself to sleep. Some days she could hardly bear the loss. And those miserable...things would pay for it.
The two diamond dogs charged forwards, ready to cleave the ponies into pieces. Consumed by rage and sorrow, Nikóleva rushed to meet them. Impaling one through the abdomen, she swung the blade out and slashed the chest of the other.
A line of blood ran down the steel, soon dripping onto the pure snow. The like-colored pony then witnessed the life escape from the dogs' eyes. Now barren corpses, the creatures fell limp before the alicorn's feet. Yet their deaths brought no sense of satisfaction or peace to her. Anger turned to stinging regret, manifesting itself as tears that flowed down Nikóleva's cheeks. She stood motionless, staring off into space.
Blinded by her emotions, the mare had extinguished two lives. For so long she yearned for this moment. But now that it was here, all the pony could think about was how she destroyed another life. What family did these dogs leave behind? Did they...perhaps have daughters of their own, daughters Nikóleva had just made fatherless?
"...What have I done?" she said in a barely audible whisper. She dropped her sword and brought a bloodied hoof up to her sight. It took all the strength she could muster not to break down into sobs.
Taberanyn, her soul still untainted by the dark deed of killing, raised up her axe as a few more dogs stomped out into the open. A brazen look in her eye, the blue pony called out to her sister, "Nikól! Here come more!" A swing later, and one mongrel's head was split open, the gory sight enough to almost make the younger mare vomit.
Foe after foe rushed forwards, prompting Nikóleva to swallow her emotions and retrieve her weapon. The sisters cleaved and sliced through several enemies, all finding their final resting place in the unforgiving snow. After the first wave was down, the pair swung their weapons to spray the blood and flesh off. Yet before they could escape, another group sallied forth, faster and more ferocious than the previous.
One pounced onto Taberanyn, who then thrust her axe's head into the cur's chest. Unfortunately their numbers grew too great. Still an adolescent, the alicorn couldn't withstand the onslaught. Nikóleva tried her best to throw them off, but she wasn't as formidable a warrior as the situation demanded. In the ensuing struggle, a sword hilt was bashed against the white pony's forehead, and she stumbled in a daze to the ground.
The Diamond Dogs were therefore permitted to deal with Taberanyn as they saw fit. She moved in any way to stave off their grotesque paws, but to no avail. Finally, growing impatient with the mare, one dog slammed his potent fist down on one of her wings, snapping the upper bone.
She yelped and cried in pain, boring her hooves into the snow to avoid being dragged away. Nikóleva managed to stand in time to see her sister's face as the poor pony was taken into the dark recesses of the Diamond Dog Lair. That face would forever be burned into the mind of the white alicorn: a blue mare, hooves extended in vain hope of rescue, her face covered in tears as she screamed. A face of complete and utter fear.
Nikóleva could do nothing but run away. Sheathing her sword, she returned to the direction of her home at full gallop, trying to evade a couple dogs who noticed the larger mare was still free. After a few hundred feet, the mongrels had given up chase.
The alicorn knew only one thing could be done; their caretaker needed to save Taberanyn. She paused for a second to catch her breath, as well as hope to the Almighty she would return in time.
"Lórian, preserve my Sister! Even if I must be slain instead," then as quickly as her long legs could take her she ran all the way through the forest.
Everything along the way was a blur, but still the journey was agonizingly long. However long the trip was she did not know; surely not more than half an hour. At last she came up to the house, and bucked open its door. Wasting no time, she intruded on a sleeping stallion, who probably was already awake.
She shook him forcibly, and looked at the stallion with true pleading, "Henarion!"
Used to waking up at a moment's notice, the old alicorn opened his eyes and produced a magic light from his horn, "What could possibly―" he noticed the blood on her forehead and hooves. He immediately pulled off his blanket and sat up. "What happened to you??" he asked with genuine concern.
But the mare's eyes told him enough. His look of worry turned to anger, "You didn't..."
"I need you now!" Nikóleva shouted, almost reduced to weeping.
Henarion vainly attempted to contain his rage. He assumed the worst, but kept a small flicker of hope. He waited a few seconds for a certain blue pony to appear in the threshold. Taberanyn was a light sleeper...she'd show up soon to ask what all the noise was about, right?
No such pony came through the door. Fully enraged, Henarion stood up and glared at Nikóleva,"Shaimadel tecoë dhenë meviln?(Where is your sister?)"
"...Diamond Dogs! She followed me into the woods and they...took her! We have to go after―" the mare's speech was violently interrupted as Henarion raised his hoof and struck her across the face with immense force.
In an urgent hurry, the stallion retrieved his cloak and sword, and put them on as he galloped out the hovel. Nikóleva however objected.
"Wait! Must we solve this with more violence? Please! Just allow me to give them Eónadin! Taberanyn's life is worth more than a mere sword!"
But Henarion was far too wrathful to accept a trade. He pinned the mare against the wall, unloading a plethora fiery emotions, "You seek to bribe them?!"
Her eyes filled with tears, Nikóleva begged with the stallion, "I...I slew too many already! I cannot bear anymore blood to stain my hooves!"
"I warned you! Your father wanted you to avoid battle, lest your innocence be spoiled. Now by your own will you've filthied your soul! You must finish what you started! There's no Law out here but that of Honor; all must be slain, for the dead cannot take vengeance upon the living!"
He released Nikóleva and turned back to the forest, "We've not much time!"
Driven by a cascade of adrenaline, the stallion covered a large distance in a relatively short amount of time. The other pony had to push herself to keep up, causing her throat to become dry and hoarse in the frigid night air. In record time the two arrived at the cave, the gnarled naked branches around it giving a feeling of foreboding.
Without speaking, the stallion descended into the hole, bearing his blade. If fear had gripped him, Nikóleva could find no sign of it in either his face or movements. Deeper into the cavern, Henarion spotted the foreguard of Diamond Dogs. The white pony timidly stood in the shadows, trying not to be noticed.
But the orange alicorn stood proud and imposing. No force on Earth could deter him from his mission.
An important-looking dog pointed a finger at the pony and cried out in their ugly language. A party then rushed Henarion, and immediately regretted the action when he cut them down with seemingly minimal effort. In a lethal dance of expert swordsponyship, every single movement was calculated to kill. The alicorn then nonchalantly walked past their mutilated bodies, realizing the cavern didn't run very deep.
Nikóleva shyly followed him, but the old stallion turned and gave her a stern look, "Víwë civa tarsilna. Lís mailím vana lainilímera tecoë dhenë ?(Only five remain. Do you have the courage to save your sister?)"
She somehow found the bravery to take a stance beside Henarion. The pair hurried at full gallop to the five guarding a small passageway. Armed with blunt and bladed weapons, the Diamond Dogs met the charge with one of their own. Yet fire burned within the alicorns, and their strong blows were too much for the mongrels; they were impaled, decapitated, eviscerated, or cleaved into pieces. Unfortunately during the struggle a dog's paw clawed at Henarion's face.
The sharp nail met his eye, and gouged out the beautiful blue orb.
Nevertheless, Henarion shook off the injury, having more important concerns on his mind.
As luck would have it, those five happened to be the last dogs left in the cave. Henarion crept into the passage they had been guarding. Inside were several palisades of sharpened stakes, likely makeshift cells for holding hostages. The pony didn't have the patience to look through each, instead swinging his sword to cut down the cell walls.
Several yielded a disgusting sight; piles of bones, picked clean. Whether they had belonged to simple wild beasts or ponies Henarion did not wish to know. But when he cut the final cell open, his heart lightened as he found smaller blue alicorn, thankfully alive.
Bruised and disheveled, but alive.
She heard the slice, and looked up at her savior. The pony's eyes glistened with tears, but true joy gripped her heart. Henarion sheathed his sword and knelt down to the mare, hoping his one-eyed appearance would not frighten her.
Slinging his forelegs around her, he kissed her forehead gently, "Oh Thank Lórian! Taberanyn, did they do anything to you?"
But she could not summon the words to answer the question. Nikóleva crept into view of her sister, bearing a look of total remorse. The blue pony began to cry, and buried her head into Henarion's chest. The white pony fought back tears of her own, and could only wonder what happened in the time between Nikóleva's flight and the rescue.
Indeed all during the trek back home, Taberanyn said nothing. Her caretaker reassured her with sweet words that everything would be alright. And she appeared to appreciate it, finally calming down. Yet still no words.
Nikóleva thought long and hard. In all the years of her life, the alabaster mare would never assemble the courage to ask what happened in that Diamond Dog cave. Left to its own devices, her mind naturally assumed the worst.
And it tugged at her heart, boring a steely blade until the pain became unbearable.
Taberanyn's wing was wrapped and splinted, Henarion using a spell to accelerate the mending process. The rest of the night, Henarion allowed the blue pony to sleep in his bed; she needed somepony strong beside her. Loving this mare more than anything, the orange alicorn draped a large feathery wing over her in a gesture of protection. He only cared to merely wipe up his bloody eye socket; Taberanyn was more important.
But sleep did not come to Nikóleva. That image of her own sister being dragged into the cave and imprisonment within a dark cell; it was all the elder alicorn's fault. And she'd never forgive herself; she couldn't. In her arrogance Nikóleva managed to hurt the very pony she swore to protect at all costs.
Fueled by rage, she neglected her own sister; the mare she was supposed to stand by no matter what. And because of her failure to do that, Nikóleva had betrayed her father's memory. The regret grew too heavy, and she broke down into tears.
There was only one way to alleviate her guilt: the Rhódin.
The Rhódin or Act of Compassion was an ancient Alicorn custom, reserved for when injuries were committed against others. The custom was that whatever damages dealt were to be repaid. This ranged from simple theft to outright murder. Nikóleva had wronged not only her sister but also Henarion. Therefore, she was required by her own honor to complete two Rhódo.
Taking a small stick from her bedside table, Nikóleva bit down and unfurled her wing. Placing the upper part on the table's edge, she placed her hoof over the table. Then in one strong move she pounded the hoof against her wing, snapping the bone in two. It took all her willpower to not belt out in agony, and she nearly bit the stick in half. Heaving for a few seconds, she wrapped and splinted the bone.
Next came the messier ordeal. Drawing her dagger, she positioned the blade a couple inches from her right eye. A few tears flowed down and dripped onto the blade, and her hoof shook indecisively. She prepared to have her magenta eye made no more. Yet she could not bring herself to do it.
Regardless of what happened next, there was blood. And her right eye would not see the light of day again.
Driven by shame and incapable of showing her face to her sister, Nikóleva gathered a few supplies and sneaked out of the hovel for the second time tonight. Turning back to view the home one last time, she thought of Henarion and Taberanyn, "I love you both, and I shall never harm you again." Ridding their lives of the blight that was Nikóleva, the white mare ran off into the forest. She knew not where to go, only to keep running.
Following the stars, she headed southwards. Hopefully there she could eke out some existence away from her loved ones. There many miles away they would be safe from her.
And though years from now she'd reunite with Taberanyn, in her mind the white alicorn named Nikóleva would always remain an exile...until death finally claimed her.
*――――――――――S――――――――――*
In the waking morning rays, a recovering blue alicorn became restless soon after getting out of bed. Every morning she expected to see her sister at the table, eating breakfast. This did not greet her. Somewhat disturbed, she wondered where Nikóleva could be. She searched all around the house for any sign of her sister.
Her room was empty and the forge was deserted. All she did find was a stallion sitting beside the fireplace.
Smoking a pipe in an effort to calm down, he was utterly distraught over this missing mare. Gazing into the crackling fire, he could hear the blue pony trampling around the homestead.
Taberanyn became very upset, and approached the stallion. "Where is Nikóleva?" she asked with a pleading voice.
He gave no answer, lending the impression he hadn’t heard her.
"Where is my Sister!?" she asked again, this time more forcefully.
The orange pony sighed, "Gone. She’s run away."
The other pony shook her head in disbelief, "No! We have to go find her! Why are you just sitting―"
"I've spent the morning looking for her. She's covered her tracks too well," He stood up and gave the mare a sincere look with his good eye, a bloodied band of cloth covering the other, "She must be a hundred miles away by now."
"W...What do we do, Henarion?"
He embraced the mare and began stroking her periwinkle mane, "Pray for her. That is all we can do."