//------------------------------// // 11-Elanor Rigby // Story: A Repentant Draconequus on the Equestrian Throne // by DungeonMiner //------------------------------// Chapter 11 “Tell me, Luna, what do you see?” Chaos asked. “Do you see him?” Luna lay on the floor of her room, her eyes staring blankly at the far wall. “I do not see him, his dreamspace is gone.” “Gone?” Chaos asked, pacing the Princess’ bedroom. “Completely. There is no Alan Goldenhoof in the land of dreams.” Chaos cursed. Then he was gone. He was gone, and now he needed to influence Celestia and bring her under his Master’s will. Taking the Empire of Gryphus would have been easier. Chaos grumbled, before back to Luna. “Thank you, dear. Now I know for sure.” “Of course, Harmony,” she said with a smile. Chaos grimaced. He turned his back to her, and waved his claw. She began to hum as an unseen lover caressed her, all the while Chaos ignored her, turning to his thoughts. He needed to wear Celestia down. Needed to get under her skin, needed to distract her and tear her mind down. He needed to… His eyes went back to Luna, who kissed the open air. There was...that. He could do that… He grinned evilly. Yes, he could do that. <<<|Ω|>>> “Where do you think you’re going?!” Twilight heard her voice yell. “Anywhere but here!” Alan had answered. “Who are you talking to?” “Not you, that’s for certain!” “What are you doing?” “My job!” She sat there, on the brink of tears as she heard argument after argument. All those pointless fights they’d had... She felt sick. She couldn’t look around the room without seeing something that reminded her of her failures. Why? Why did she do it? Why couldn’t she just be happy? Why did she do that? She turned from the argument echoing in her head down to her son, continuing to feed him his meal of mashed carrots. “Who are you going to see tonight, huh?!” “Why does it matter?!” “What were you doing out so late?!” “The same thing I’m always doing!” “Why won’t you tell me the truth?!” “I am telling you the truth!” A soft knock sounded on the door. “Twilight?” Celestia’s voice called. “Twilight are you in?” “Go away,” she mumbled. “Twilight?” The princess knocked again. “Twilight can I come in?” With a glow of her horn, the deadbolt locked shut. There was silence for a moment or two. “T-Twilight? Twilight, please, it’s been a week. Please come out…” Twilight said nothing. “I’ve…” she began. “I told the press that Alan’s death was an accident, he’ll have a little more honor that way...” She knew that already. She had seen the newspaper. “Pendragon Dead! Deadly Accident Takes Military Leader!” “Twilight...Twilight will you talk to me? Please?” She didn’t want to talk. “Please, Twilight?” She did not answer. “Please?” Celestia asked, as she leaned against the other side of the door, tears forming on her face. “Please…” she whispered, knowing it wouldn’t even carry through the door. She slumped in front of the door. “Please don’t hate me, Twilight…” <<<|Ω|>>> Celestia sat in her room, strumming her harp. It was an ancient thing, almost as old as herself. The strings had been replaced over a hundred times, and the body had to be reinforced once or twice, but it was still her harp, the one she had strummed as a filly. She strummed it absent-mindedly, listening to the soft, sad notes that floated into the air above her. Her student had refused her. She did not want to speak, she did not want comfort. Twilight did not want to see her. “This...this is my fault…” Yet another mistake. She plucked the strings with care, letting the music flow through the air. She had always been good with music, and after a couple of years worth of lessons, had almost mastered the harp. She hardly played though, mostly had been focusing on foreign and domestic affairs. The last time she had really played was almost one thousand years ago… She sighed, and hummed along with the tune, unknown words flowing with the song. She just didn’t… A knock sounded on her door. “Yes?” she answered simply. One of her many loyal guards entered, saluting as he passed the threshold. “Your Highness, you have a visitor. His Majesty King Julius Ironblood form the Empire of Gryphus.” Celestia stopped her playing, and sighed. “I’ll take him in the throne room.” The guard nodded. “Of course, your Highness,” he said, before backing out of the room. The Princess stood then, and took a deep breath. She set the harp down leaning it against her stand, and replaced the crown back onto her head. Once her vestment had been brought back to its home, she began her slow trek to her throneroom. This had been something she was dreading, truth be told. This had to much potential to go completely...what did Alan call it? FUBAR? She needed to think about everything that could possibly be said and how to react to each one of them in a favorable way. She got to her door before covering even half of them. Entering the room, she quickly saw the griffon standing by off to the side, staring up at one of the many stained glassed windows that decorated the hallway. He wore his crown and golden bracers, along with a rich, flowing cape. He did not turn to face her. Celestia gave a somber smile. “Greetings, Jul—” “What happened, Princess?” Julius interrupted, cooly, still not looking at her. Not a good sign. The Princess’ face went grim. “There was an accident, Julius. He fell.” “That’s not what I heard,” he replied, anger rising in his voice. The griffon’s head turned to face her, and she could see the barely contained rage behind his eyes. “What did you hear?” she asked. He pointed directly at her. “You threw him in prison!” “He acted out of line,” Celestia said. “He had diplomatic immunity,” Julius seethed. Celestia blinked. “Our shared blood gave him the right to be tried in the Empire, just as much as it sealed our alliance.” Celestia opened her mouth. “No!” He roared. “You do not get to condemn my brother to death and then explain yourself away! Whether you want to admit it or not, Princess, The Pendragon is dead because of your actions. It’s your fault he’s dead. “My people will weep for this! He was our hero as much as he was yours. You took him not only from your people, but from mine! You took him from us, and I want you to know what we would do about it, Princess. I want you to know that if it were not for my brother’s son, for the blood that runs through his veins, I would bring my forces here to burn Canterlot to the ground, no matter how foolish, or how many lives it would cost!” Silence echoed in the room, Julius’ beak quivering as his claws tried to grip the tile beneath him. Julius took a long, deep breath, and began to head towards the door. “Excuse me, Great One,” he said, pushing past the alicorn, “I must go and pay my respects. Creator knows he deserved more.” As the griffon king stormed out of the room, Celestia said nothing. She had nothing to say. He was right. Right at every turn. The door slammed shut. <<<|Ω|>>> “Twilight?” Rarity said, speaking through the door. “Twilight, Darling, could you let us in?” Rarity and the other mares all surrounded the door, knocking and waiting for their friend to respond. “Twilight, dear, could you at least open the door?” There was no answer. “Twilight, please?” Rarity said again, while Rainbow began to fidget. Still no answer. “That’s it,” Applejack said, before shoving her way forward. Her hoof slammed against the door. “Twilight, either let us in, or come on out!” “Applejack!” Rarity said. “Tact! It does, in fact, exist!” “This ain’t healthy, Twi!” Applejack yelled through the door. “Now let us in, or we’re coming in!” “Applejack!” Rarity cried, shocked at the farmpony’s outburst. “What?” she said, turning back to the unicorn. “You’d rather she’d just sit in there are waste away?” “Yeah, Rarity! What’s the deal?” Rainbow Dash said, hovering above them. “Her husband is dead! This situation requires a delicate, sympathetic touch!” “I-I agree with Rarity…” Fluttershy added quietly. “She can’t stay in there!” Rainbow Dash said. “I never said that,” the unicorn replied. “I simply think we should be a little more gentle with the matter!” “We’ve been gentle!” Applejack said. “It’s nearly been two weeks, now! The Princess has tried, her brother has tried, we even got her parents down here, and they couldn’t help. Nopony’s helpin’ by being gentle, so Ah’m done with it.” She then reeled back, and slammed her back legs into the door with a powerful buck. The door shook, but did not give. “Applejack! You can’t just break down a door! Especially one that goes to the Palace’s guest rooms!” “Course not,” she said, winding back for another buck, “it’s gonna take some work.” Rarity pushed the farmpony, throwing her off kilter and forcing her to abandon her kick and recover. “Applejack, you’re not helping anypony!” “Well at least Ah’m doing something!” “Something? Yes. Anything good? No. Now stop it before you make everything worse!” “Ah’m making things worse?” Applejack asked. “Ah’m going to get her outta that room, one way or another. All you’d do is talk until she starves in there!” “I am trying to be delicate!” “And Ah’ trying to get results!” Pinkie suddenly stepped between them, breaking up the argument. “If you wanted to get inside, why didn’t you try the knob?” she asked, before quickly turning the doorknob. The door opened without protest or complaint. “It...it wasn’t locked?” Rarity asked, dumbfounded as Pinkie leapt into the dark room. Applejack said nothing, but did adjust her hat to partially hide her face. Rainbow flew into the room, checking things out behind Pinkie. “Um...guys? She’s not here.” “Oh, dear,” Fluttershy said as she entered the room, followed by the farmer and dressmaker. The room was empty, nothing being left behind to even hint at someone having lived in it. The bathroom was clean, Orion’s crib was gone, and the bed was perfectly made. All of this made the letter that had been taped to the mirror all the more obvious. Rarity approached it, taking it off the mirror with her telekinetic grasp. “To whom it may concern,” she read aloud. “If you have come to find me, I can tell you now that it was a wasted effort. Orion and I have gone home. I simply cannot stay here anymore. There are too many bad memories in these walls, too much guilt, and far too many distractions. I...I’m lonely right now, but even still, I need to be alone.” “How does that even make sense?” Pinkie asked. Rainbow Dash shushed her. Once silence had returned, Rarity continued to read. “I’ve gone back home, maybe happy memories will help me more than the ones I have here. Let my friends know, I’m sure they’d want to try and comfort me… “I just don’t know what to do.” <<<|Ω|>>> Twilight walked through Ponyville’s streets, alone. Almost alone. Orion sat in her saddlebags, sucking on a bottle of milk, hungry and worried about his mother’s pain. It was dark out, having taken the long train home, and hardly anyone was out right now, but nopony really stopped to speak to her. She and her son were alone. She came up slowly to the familiar tree that had been her home for so long… Their home. She came up to the door, slowly, stepping up to its familiar steps. She took a moment to look around, remember their time together. She then carefully reached for the knob of the door, only for it to swing open on its own. Blinded by the light inside the library, she blinked, before two different ponies came into view. The first, a pale yellow unicorn mare with a white mane, the other, a red pegasus stallion with a yellow mane. Daisy Chain and Dawn Flame stared at her as she returned. Blinking, Twilight regained her composure. “H-hello Mrs Chain, Mr. Flame.” The two shared a quick look. “Th-” Twilight continued, her voice sounding dead to the world, “thank you for taking care of the library while we...while we were—” The mare wrapped her in a hug. “I’m sorry, Dear. I’m so sorry…” Dawn came up, and hugged her from the other side. And then Twilight began to sob. “I’m so sorry, Twilight…” Tears began to flow freely once more. “I’m so, so sorry.” <<<|Ω|>>> Twilight Sparkle woke up in a bed that was too cold, too big, and too empty. She lay on her side of the bed, staring at the far wall, wishing that the two powerful arms she knew so well would hold her. Nothing did. Finally, she rolled out of bed, and sighed. She had to open up the library, get it running again. Who knows? Maybe running it will distract her from her thoughts of Alan. The smell of coffee wafted up to her nose. “That’s...odd...I’m sure I saw Daisy and Dawn head home last night, they couldn’t have come back already, could they?” She checked the clock, 6:32. A little early for her, but still… Somepony was in her house. Two completely different thoughts suddenly jumped into her head. The first was worry. Who was he/she? How did they get in? What were they doing in the kitchen? Was Orion okay? The second thought went something like this: Maybe...just maybe all of this was a dream, and Alan is simply making coffee for us. The second pushed itself forward, and Twilight felt her heart flutter at the possibility. She began to head down the stairs, sneaking carefully down the way, ears perked, and hearting beating at a mile a minute. As she turned the corner, though, her heart fell. Spike stood in the kitchen, cooking away. “He was probably worried about me,” she thought. “It’s very sweet of him to come back. It’s just not...” She didn’t even finish the thought. It was a silly hope, anyways… “G-good morning, Spike,” she said, her voice sounding far too loud in her ears. Spike spun, catching sight of her before quickly returning to the eggs he was cooking. “Good morning, Twilight,” He said, before sending a quick gout of flame over the frying pan. “Two eggs, cooked through; coffee, cream, two sugars; toast, lightly buttered on one side; and one apple juice chaser,” he recited, sliding her breakfast onto a plate and setting it on the table. Twilight blinked, and came down to the table, a small smile growing on her face. “I’ve prepared some new books that arrived while you were gone, Dawn and Daisy didn’t want to mess with your system, and after that, I’ve gotten some light reading ready for you.” Twilight gave the drake a smile, perhaps the first smile she had had since Alan’s death. “Thanks, Spike.” The dragon smiled. “Hey, I’m your Number One Assistant. It’s my job,” he said with a shrug. Twilight nodded, and ate. At least she had Spike. <<<|Ω|>>> It was dark. It was dark and she couldn’t see. She was running. Something was coming after her. She ran, ran as fast as she could. Whatever was chasing her was still coming. She didn’t know where she was going. Couldn’t see. It was getting closer. She needed to get away. She ran until a large boulder, the only thing she could see, got in her way. She couldn’t get over the rock. She couldn’t go forward. She needed to keep going. The thing was getting closer. She had to go, had to go. The sound of a loud hoofstep echoed in darkness, and she looked up to see a massive hoof having stomped onto the rock. She followed the hoof, up the leg, and saw with wide eyes a silver, ethereal stallion. The heavily armor unicorn said nothing, his face covered completely by a large chamfron, revealing only two white, glowing orbs that served as eyes. His flanks and back were covered completely by plates of ephemeral metal, and his ghostly body faded in and out of sight. Twilight gaped as she stared up at the silver stallion, his mane blowing in a non-existent wind. The something was getting closer, Twilight could feel it. She turned, looking back into the darkness, as the thing got closer. The Silver Stallion growled behind her. She looked up, and watched as he pounced, flying ahead of her, wielding a ghostly sword. The stallion and sword disappeared into the darkness. And then she was alone. And that was more terrifying than anything else. <<<|Ω|>>> “Ah!” Twilight yelped as her head jumped up from the book she had been using as a pillow. The library was dark and quiet, the moon was shining outside. She checked the clock. 5 am. “Wow...must’ve fallen asleep at my books.” It had been a long time since that had happened. Alan normally...got her… She sighed, before closing up her book. She left it on one of her podiums and was about to head upstairs when something caught her eye as she passed by the window. A white figure standing alone in the streets, and on the figure’s hooves was the glint of gold. It couldn’t be. She looked out on the street again, watching the white figure in the darkness. It...it couldn’t be… She descended the stairs, moving towards one of the front windows. The figure moved from house to house, moving down the street, and its hooves were definitely glinting with gold. There was no way. “A-Alan?” the name came to her throat so easily. It had to be. She opened the door. “Alan?” The figure did not hear her. “Alan?” she called again, stepping closer. Still no answer. She began to run. “Alan?!” she called, and this time the figure turned to see her, wings spreading out in surprise. Wings? “Woah! Woah! Calm down, ma’am!” Twilight paused at the obviously feminine voice. “H-hello?” she called, lighting her horn and bathing the empty street in a cool, purple light. A beige pegasus mare stood opposite her, wearing a white coat with gold cufflinks. A pair of goggle sat under her muzzle, and her short-cut blue tail shone in the light. “Um...Hello?” she said, uncertain of Twilight’s sudden change in demeanor. “I...who are you?” Twilight asked. “I’m the new milkmare. What about you? Neighborhood watch or something?” Twilight blinked, and sighed. “No...sorry. Just thought you were...somepony else.” The milkmare just blinked, before sighing. “It’s...it’s alright, I guess...but you need to be careful miss, nearly gave me a heart attack.” Twilight nodded, mumbled an apology, and began to head back home. The milkmare sighed, and watched her go. “Nice meeting you too!” she said, sounding annoyed, before her face turned sad. She shook her head, picked up her crate, and continued on her way. <<<|Ω|>>> As Twilight closed the door to the library behind her, she gave yet another sigh. Here she stood, in her big, lonely house. She stood and stared at the center room, her eyes falling to the fireplace, where the two of them would read by fire light, and nuzzle each other. She turned from that to the kitchen, where Alan had cooked her breakfast every day since the day they had been married, and how he had basically carried her everywhere across the room when she was pregnant with Orion. Away from the kitchen, to her loft. So much time together had been spent up there. She sighed. At least the memories were better here... <<<|Ω|>>> A knock sounded on the door, and Spike was quick to answer it. Twilight didn’t really notice, though, trying to bury herself in her books to keep her mind off of… That… She turned the page, re-re-re-reading one of the Daring Do books, something light and easy for her to get through. “Um, Twilight…” Her ears perked at Spike’s voice, and she hesitantly put the book down, and was surprised to see Shining and his three friends from high school at the door. “Hey, Twily!” Shining said, an awkward smile on her face. “We’re-we’re here for the game.” Twilight blinked, before anger began to seep into her voice. “Shining—” “Please, Twilight, just...just let us do our thing, please…” Twilight stared at him for a long moment, before she turned away, leaving the four stallions. “Fine,” she muttered. Finally having permission, 8-Bit, Gaffer, and Poindexter quickly went to work, setting up the table, mat, character sheets, and screen while Shining set up the seats. Five seats, four of which filled. Five bottles of apple-ale, five sheets, and five piles of dice. One empty spot. They all sat there, in silence,staring at the empty seat. No one said a word. Finally, Shining stood, hefting his bottle. “To...to the best Paladin I ever knew.” 8-bit followed. “To the stallion that picked my squishy sorcerer flank out of a dragon’s mouth.” Poindexter stood next. “To the only Paladin I ever knew who didn’t get on my case for picking a lock.” Gaffer stood last, raising his own bottle. “To the player that apologized when he broke my game.” “May they sing of you in Valhalla,” 8-bit said. “May they cower when they whisper about you in Hell,” Poindexter recited. “And may the praise your works in Paradise,” Shining finished. “Hail!” they said in unison, clinking their bottles together before taking a long drink. Twilight heard it all, and could not help but weep. He deserved better than that... <<<|Ω|>>> Canterlot City sat still and quiet under the moonlight. Not a word was spoken, not a pony stirred. Well, almost. A black-spotted, white unicorn stood, staring over the cityscape, a twenty-sided dice spun in the glow of bone-white magick. Behind him, sat perhaps the most complicated map of the city anypony had ever seen. Red lines broke the city up into crazy, random shapes, while a dozen pipes and tubes hung above it, all with a single chute peaking the top. “So what’s the word, Boss?” an earth pony said, walking into the map room. “19, triangle, south-east side,” he said, before turning to face the newcomer. “There’s a jewelry store there, we should get a decent haul.” “A 19?” the earth pony whistled. “We’re going to clean them out.” The unicorn smiled. “That and much, much more…” -------------------------------- And there we go, the world’s about to be lit on fire. “Not impressing me, yet!” Cause I haven’t gotten to the impressive part yet, Pinkie! “I guess I’ll wait for now…” Of course you will, you literally cannot-not read the story as I write it out, word by word. “Oh yeah? Watch me!” *sigh* Okay, so while she does that, the rest of you, will like to know that by this time next chapter, you are going to have many more, very interesting questions for me, all of which I will only answer in the most vague way possible. “We’ll see you next time!” Bye! “Dang it! I read that!”