S Y M P A T H Y
A N D
F A L S E H O O D
2 - Lucidity
Pandora ran.
She didn't know how long she was running, or if the foal was chasing her. All that Pandora knew was that she was running from those horrible eyes. The eyes of rage and hatred, following her in her mind long after the footsteps had faded behind the Changeling. No matter how hard her hooves pounded against the floor, there was no escape from the eyes. Her lungs pounding, Pandora collapsed, unconscious, by a surprisingly small shop lined with paintings of the royal guard.
Dream, child. I will find you soon.
Far away from the street, far away from the tailor, Pandora was in a room. it was a grey room, devoid of anything but walls. Two doors, one black, one white, rested at the third wall. Aside from these, there seemed to be something lurking just on the edge of her vision. As Pandora stared around the room, she knew what it was. It was noise.
Beautiful noise.
Horrible noise.
All Noise.
The noise blended together into a symphony of voices. The voices spoke of eight chosen ponies, each to fufill an important role in all of the world. They spoke of sixteen colours, embodied by the ideals of life. They spoke of two monarchs, and their eternal dance of control. Sun and Moon. World and Gap. Sympathy and Falsehood.
They spoke of surpremacy.
More specifically, their surpremacy. The walls laughed, beautiful and horrible in all their entirety. Pandora reeled in confusion, fleeing to the black door. She tugged and tugged but it did not open, as all the while the walls laughed scorn and gentle urging.
You cannot escape the greyshift.
Pandora awoke on the tiles as rain trickled down her false coat. Her dress soggy, Pandora sighed. She stood. Tears of rain pelted her relentlessly. As the rainfall countinued, she pondered the dream. Something was obviously wrong here, and she was going to get to the bottom of it.
As she stood musing, she noticed the tailor shop. Blood trickled from the roof, dripping down on the tiles below. Alarmed, Pandora entered, the jingle echoing throught the empty room. She looked around, unnerved, at the now desecrated paintings. What had once been stunning artist's renditions were now torn apart, the nameplates smudged and nigh unreadable. Only one painting was not destroyed.
"Suitable Demeanor?"
Pandora's voice only echoed. There was no response. The blood continued to trickle, as Pandora made up her mind. She would go to the top. Slowly she walked up the stairs, noises now apparent. The smash of a window. The slamming of a door. A groan. Wait... what was that last one?
"Hello?"
And then in an instant the door opened. Pandora didn't even have time to look around before a figure rushed forwards. The being crashed into her with tremendous force, knocking her to the floor. Pandora's vision darkened. As her conciousness faded, the last thing she saw was an enourmous Changeling, it's right eye scarred. And then everything went black.
My child, There will come a day, far from now. In that day you will bleed like never before, You will die, Queen Chrsyalis. That doesn't mean it has to be the end.
What will be the end?
You will see, my child. Even if you die, even if you fall, that is the old world. That is the world that you are not a part of. You will fall, yes. However, that will not be you who is falling.
Who will fall?
A different you. A tainted you. This you was made by the gap, after which she was sent into the world not ours. In that world, six bearers of harmony maintain peace. She prefers to be called Queen Sepia. Remember her, for if you do not, you shall fall too. Then our story will end a tragedy.
I will remember her. I promise.
Pandora had been blacking out alot recently. As she pondered this fact, she became aware of the surroundings. She was in a liquid emptiness. The formless nothing twisted bizzarely, and she closed her eyes to shut it out. Yet she could not. She was formless too, part of it. a voice rang out in the gloom, wild and sorrowful.
"YOU PROMISED!"
I know! I'm sorry... I couldn't remember, but I knew there was something! Please Queen Sepia, we were sisters... Does it have to be this way?
Pandora realized she was thinking those words, but she didn't remember thinking them. Oddly enough, she could not seem to think anything but these words.
"You promised Chrysalis... But you didn't keep your promise, and now you are going to fall too. The story is over."
Sister...
Pandora felt a searing strike across where her right eye should be. Somewhere else, she may have been bleeding, but here was only the wild Queen. The pain grew and grew, consuming her, controlling her. It was a nightmare, yet she could not wake up. And then, in an instant, it was gone, and so was she.
"What a tragedy."
Pandora awoke to a moist towel pressed against her forehead by way of magic. Cracking open her eyes, she saw the now rather bedraggled looking Changeling from earlier. Upon closer inspection, she appeared to be female. The Changeling seemed rather calm, almost serene. Pandora opened her mouth to speak, but the other shushed her.
"Be calm now, Pandora. Your queen is here. Your real queen."
Pandora obliged, closing her eyes to the queen. She continued to feel the comforting prescense of the cloth on her back, warm chuckles echoing through her mind. The queen was here now. Queen Chrysalis would take care of her. She was safe. She was fine. She was happy. Contented, she laid down her head, dreaming real dreams, with no rooms to be found.