“Greetings, my subjects. I fear I must request that you deviate from your current mission. I am aware that both my sister and I said that your task was of the utmost importance, but a new task has come to light. Thankfully, it will not take you too far out of your way. If you leave now, you should be less than a day behind.”
—Princess Luna, speaking in a dream
Lyra and Bon Bon had left. They had said they were going to look around the city to try to gather information and restock supplies; and in truth, they most certainly were going to do all of that. But Octavia knew the real reason they had left.
As Vinyl closed door to the room they had rented at the inn, Octavia desperately wished that her two friends had stayed behind. But she knew that would not be fair to them, or to Vinyl. The tension between them was at the point where it choked out everything else, and subjecting either Lyra or Bon Bon to that was not something Octavia could bear. She had already torn the bond between her and Vinyl. She could not risk the rest.
The door to the room closed with a click that cut through the silence like a dragon’s roar. Octavia sucked in her breath at the sound, and even all of her years of proper upbringing could not stop her from jumping slightly. She tried to steady her breathing, but as she stared at Vinyl’s back, the air refused to come in anything more than twitching gasps.
For a long time, Vinyl refused to turn around. The Unicorn simply stood at the door, her back to Octavia. Four times, Octavia opened her mouth to speak, but words never reached her lips. All she could do was stare at the limp blue tail and the Unicorn attached to it as the weight of her entire life slowly crushed her soul.
A rush of air echoed through the room, and once again, Octavia jumped. Her eyes darted to the window, fearing that those Unicorns had tracked them down, but then she realized that it had been Vinyl letting out a heavy sigh. Was she ready to talk now?
Octavia swallowed as Vinyl began to turn around. She had sworn she would tell Vinyl everything.
I promised her.
Octavia raised her chin a little, her Canterlot lifestyle taking over as she braced herself. It was a purely defensive act, not one meant to show her superiority or anything. She had been doing this since she was a filly, and she had found that it made it that much harder for other ponies to criticize her when she did. She would be fine. She would be—
Every single thought, hope, and dream that made up Octavia’s being drained out of her body when she saw the two red eyes. She considered herself extensively well versed, but the look she saw now defied her attempts to describe it.
Vinyl’s entire face looked broken, but not in a physical way. Her cheeks were stretched thin across her bones, and the corners of her mouth looked like they had never felt a smile in their entire existence, but the worst were the eyes. They were sunken, looking as if they had been pulled into Vinyl’s skull a little. Her eyelids were half closed, but they offered no protection from the red pools behind them. The irises looked hollow, as if they had been scraped clean of every trace of light and life, but at the same time they were filled something that Octavia couldn’t define. “Contempt”, or even “hatred”, did not seem to fit, because the look was beyond their definitions. “Loathing” seemed right to a certain degree, but only just.
The entire sight was so unsettling that Octavia unwillingly took a step back. Vinyl watched her move, her dead eyes drifting down to Octavia’s hooves and then slowly coming back up to meet her gaze again, but she remained at the door and said nothing.
Octavia swallowed yet again as the silence continued to beat her. Her brain began screaming at her for not buying Vinyl a new pair of glasses. She told herself it was because she missed the Unicorn’s signature look and the comfort it brought, but she knew the truth. She wanted Vinyl to have her sunglasses back so that her two red eyes were hidden, and thus Octavia could not see them gutting her.
Vinyl took a small step forward. It wasn’t even a step, really. She simply moved her hoof forward a hair. It would not have even been noticeable under normal circumstances, but right now it was enough to make Octavia step back again.
Vinyl stopped. She looked down at her hoof and pulled it back. She continued to stare at it, and Octavia she could see the life draining out of the D.J.’s mane. It looked dull, the highlights seemed faded, and her spikes sagged as though she had jus stepped out of an icy river.
But Vinyl continued to stare at her hoof and the floor beneath it. She made no more moves, and if Octavia had not known better, she would have believed that Vinyl was nothing more than a statue.
Terrified at the Unicorn’s state, Octavia bit her lip so hard that blood trickled into her mouth. The warm liquid tasted bitter, but her tongue lapped it up and then licked the wound. The rush of pain and flavor was finally enough to force her brain to reconnect with her vocal cords.
“Vinyl, are you—?”
“Talk.”
The word was dark, a black so pitch that no light could break it. The tone behind it was filled to the brim with things that Octavia had no names for. It was not a suggestion, or a request, or even an order. It was a demand, the type that could crush lives and ruin nations simply by being said aloud.
Octavia took another breath and began.
“Vinyl, I am so sorry that—”
“Talk.” Vinyl practically spit the word out of her mouth. “Not apologize. Talk!”
Octavia winced as Vinyl spoke. “Very well. You are familiar with the history of the Crystal Empire, yes?”
Vinyl nodded.
“King Sombra overthrew the rightful ruler, Princess Amore. He took over the Empire, enslaved the Crystal ponies, and in turn was defeated by Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.” Octavia paused, wondering if Vinyl had anything to say, but the Unicorn just stared at her with those chilling eyes. “The way the story is told, it sounds like the Princesses showed up within the day and crushed Sombra, but that is not true. Sombra ruled the Empire for an extended time, because the only pony who knew what he had done had to make her way to Canterlot on hoof. Even then, the Princesses did not immediately come to liberate the Empire. They had to prepare for the battle. They asked the survivor questions, learned all they could about him, and slowly prepared themselves for the war.”
Again, Octavia stopped, wondering if Vinyl wanted to say anything. When she remained silent, the cellist bit her lip and continued.
“During that time, Sombra crushed any pony that tried to oppose him and enslaved the rest. But a few willingly served him. There are always those who will follow the darkness in their hearts. Sombra rewarded them for their loyalty. He gave them positions of power in his new Empire, showered them with riches, and made them lords over their enslaved kin.”
Octavia stopped, but this time it was not due to her wanting Vinyl to speak. So far, everything she had said was known in Equestria. But what she was about to tell Vinyl had been a closely guarded secret. How it had even ended up in the family scroll Pinkie Pie had brought over was a mystery to Octavia.
Vinyl’s eyes blinked once, but the mare made no other moves. She just waited for Octavia to continue.
“But…one Unicorn, he took as his own. Whether she joined him willingly, or he forced her, I…I do not know. But, she carried his child. When the Princesses launched their attack, the mare was already starting to show. Whether out of some small remnant of love, or out of a selfish desire to preserve himself in some way, Sombra sent the mare away when the attack came. He knew what he was going to do, and he did not want the child or the mare to be part of it.
“That mare was my ancestor, Harmony Chime. She escaped the Crystal Empire just as Sombra ripped it from Equestria. She tried to make her way through the Frozen North, but when the Empire vanished, the weather became even fiercer. That, added with the unborn foal she was carrying, proved too much for her. She collapsed, and would have frozen to death there, had Princess Celestia and Princess Luna not found her.”
Memories of Octavia’s own journey through the Frozen North came to mind. She shuddered as she recalled how unbearably cold it had been—and still was, despite the fact that they were indoors now—and she could not imagine how Harmony must have felt carrying the young life.
“The Princesses took her back to Canterlot, under the assumption that she had managed to escape Sombra’s wrath. When they found out that she was pregnant, they were thrilled, because it meant that there was one more survivor from the Empire. It was not until the foal was born that the truth came out.”
Octavia looked down at her hooves. A few moments later, she noticed something falling onto the floor. It took her a moment to realize that it was a tear. She blinked and more fell. She looked up at Vinyl, thinking that the Unicorn would come comfort her or at least offer a smile, but Vinyl remained by the door, her face still dark.
Of course. Octavia sniffed, rubbed her eyes, and forced a weak smile as she continued.
“The baby was a mare. Her mane and tail were as dark as the deepest cave, and her coat was the color of ash; not bright and glowing like a Crystal pony’s should have been. Obviously, the parallels were immediately noticeable, but it was not until the mare opened her eyes that the resemblance was beyond doubt.” Octavia blinked away more tears as she thought about her own eyes, the same eyes that had been passed down to her since that first mare. “Her eyes were the same color as the dark magic that spilled out of Sombra’s constantly.
“When Harmony saw the mare, she was heartbroken. She feared that the Princesses would banish her was well, or worse, her child. So, in the middle of the night, she took her baby and tried to flee Canterlot. She made it as far as the castle foyer before the Princesses stopped her. She begged them to show mercy to her daughter. She did not care what happened to her, but she wanted the child to be spared.”
Octavia had always wondered what had been going through Harmony’s mind that night. She knew that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were powerful ponies, and she knew that Princess Celestia had banished her own sister, but she could not begin to imagine that either of them would be so cruel as to banish a new mother and her infant. What could have made Harmony so fearful of the Royal Sisters that she felt she had to flee from them?
Octavia shook the thought away and continued. “But the Princesses told Harmony that they had always known about the child. Even before the mare had been born, they had been able to sense the dark magic that flowed in her. But they told Harmony that they had never had any intention of banishing her or her baby.”
Vinyl blinked, but remained silent. Octavia could feel the mare’s red eyes digging through her fur and muscle now, tearing into the deepest parts of her being. The mare’s silence and the look on her face were becoming unbearable.
“To prove it,” Octavia continued, “the Sisters gave Harmony a gift. She was a talented musician, so the Sisters gave her a bow, fashioned with hair from their own tails. Harmony treasured it, and it became a family heirloom; a sign that the Princesses were happy that not all of the Crystal Empire ponies had vanished. It has remained in my family since then.
“But that was not the only thing that was passed down. Every child born from Sombra’s bloodline has been a mare. She has always been an Earth pony. It does not matter if the father is a Pegasus or a Unicorn, the child is always an Earth pony. And she always shares Sombra’s appearance. My appearance. Our eyes are always the color of dark magic, our coats are always the color of burned dreams, and our manes and tails are always black with sin. It is our punishment for what Sombra did.”
Octavia choked the last words out. She could feel the tears streaming down her face, but she made no effort to stop them. She simply stared at Vinyl and forced a smile to her face. There it was. She had finally told Vinyl the truth. Now all that remained was to see if Vinyl would be like so many stallions in the past, or if she would be like Octavia’s father.
Vinyl’s eyes narrowed slightly, to the point where Octavia wondered if she had imagined it, but otherwise she still remained silent. She just stood by the door like a statue and just as mute.
Octavia could feel her resolve and her body crumbling as she looked at Vinyl. Finally, she could stand the withering silence no more. “Well?” she asked, her voice cracking as she spoke.
Vinyl cocked her head to the side. “So?”
Octavia blinked. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” Vinyl said, her voice dark.
Octavia felt something tighten in her chest as she stared at the Unicorn’s face. She had just told Vinyl her family’s darkest secret, and that was all the Unicorn had to say? And the look on her face had not changed the entire time. It was still just a mask of contempt and disgust.
“Vinyl, I…what do you mean?” Octavia was at a loss for words.
“So you’re related to some ancient villain in Equestria. So what?” the Unicorn replied.
The thing that had been tightening in Octavia’s chest snapped. “So what? That is all you have to say?! Did you understand nothing I just told you? I am related to Sombra! My entire family is cursed with his blood! Do you have any idea what it is like to wake up every morning and have your reflection be nothing but a reminder of a nightmare? Did you never notice how only my family has grey coats and black manes? Do you know what it was like for my grandmother when she gave birth to my mother? Do you know what happened? Her husband LEFT her! I have never seen my grandfather outside of photos He wanted nothing to do with her or their child, just like her father left her and her mother! For centuries, my family has struggled to distance themselves from Sombra because they knew what would happen if word spread. When ponies did find out, my family was shunned at best. Worst, they were threatened and even attacked. My mother agonized over telling my father. It nearly destroyed her, because for generations, stallions have always cast my family aside the moment they learned the truth! Some of them even stirred up the mobs that would run the mare out of the town! My father was, as far as I know, the only stallion that stayed. I was worried that you…that you would…” The words caught in Octavia’s throat. She swallowed them and forced out a new sentence. “And that is all you will say? Do you not understand? Do you—”
A hoof smacked Octavia’s cheek so fast that she did not even see it coming.
“No, YOU don’t understand!” Vinyl shouted. Octavia looked up from the blow but then recoiled in terror. She had thought she had seen the extent of Vinyl’s rage back in the snow, but now she realized she was wrong. The Unicorn fuming at her now was on a completely different level. Her irises were bulging and the red in them threatened to burst into flame. Her nose flared with each raging breath and spit was flying between her teeth. Veins pulsed under her bristling fur as her eyelids twitched with fury. Her hoof, still raised from the strike, was shaking with rage and it looked like it was barely being held back from another strike.
“You…! It’s always about you! You, you, YOU!” Vinyl choked the word out, but nothing more. Tears swelled in her eyes as she slowly lowered her hoof back to the floor and hung her head. “You ask if I have any idea what it’s like, but how could I? You never told me! You…you really thought…? After everything we’ve been through, you thought I’d care about something that dumb?” She looked up, her face a contorted mess of rage and pain. “That’s what you think? That I’d be the same as them?”
Octavia could do nothing but stare as Vinyl’s words hit her. She watched as the Unicorn turned and opened the door to their room. “Vinyl, where…?”
“Like you care,” Vinyl whispered as she walked out and closed the door behind her.
Octavia knew she should go after her. She knew the town was not safe, and if what she suspected was true about the theft was true, she knew that the danger was even greater. Vinyl walking around alone was a huge risk, and one she should not let the Unicorn take.
But the sight of Vinyl’s twisted face and the sound of despair in her voice sapped all of Octavia’s will. She stared at the door for a long time, afraid to move because she knew she would come apart if she did. She felt like she was made of glass, and she could feel the cracks spreading through her body until they finally met at her heart.
Octavia stumbled over to a bed, each step breaking her heart, and crawled into it. She pulled the covers over herself, even though they offered little warmth, and curled up. She blinked a few times, and then the tears came. She shuddered as crying turned to sobbing. Whimpers slowly turned into full cries of anguish as she lay on the bed, realizing that her entire life was ruined.
She did not stop for a long time.
* * *
Vinyl’s mind was in a haze as she walked the freezing streets of the city. The cold creeping through her had nothing to do with the frozen air she breathed. She had fought with Octavia countless times before. Once, Octavia had even broken up their relationship. That had been the worst time in Vinyl’s life and she had been certain that nothing could hurt worse than that.
Now though, she was not certain. She had assumed their relationship was over the moment she had overheard the conversation between Octavia and her mother, but she had been under the impression that she could fix it if she just got that bow back. Heck, Octavia had even seemed to be willing to take her back regardless. But now Vinyl didn’t know if she even wanted to go back.
There had been a gap growing between the two mares for some time. Vinyl had seen it, but she had chosen to ignore it. She had thought it was just her imagination, but it had turned out to be true. Octavia didn’t know her. The furthest thing from Vinyl’s mind was Octavia’s dusty old legacy. She wanted to be with Octavia. She wanted to be with the mare that rolled her eyes at her antics, but never told her to actually stop. She wanted to be with the girl that carried herself with grace, but wasn’t above blowing bubbles in her milk. She wanted to sleep next to the pony that fell asleep while wrapping her in a bear hug.
Even if Octavia had been born in the lowest slums of some distant town, Vinyl wouldn’t have cared. Octavia made her complete in a way she didn’t even know was possible, and that was all she cared about.
But apparently Octavia didn’t feel the same way. Despite everything, Octavia didn’t trust her. She hadn’t trusted her enough to tell her a stupid secret about her family, and she hadn’t trusted her to understand when she finally did tell her. Worst of all, Octavia hadn’t trusted her to stay!
Vinyl stopped on the street as her rage began to build again. Octavia’s offer regarding Spitfire played through Vinyl’s mind again and she wanted to scream. The cellist really thought that all Vinyl cared about was screwing and that she could be bribed so easily with a offer? That it didn’t matter who she jumped in the sack with, so long as she was getting some? That as long as her juices flowed out of her, she was happy? That she didn’t care about anything else except Octavia’s body and her ability to make her cum? She really feared that Vinyl would run off and find some new pony to screw sideways into the bedpost over some dumb thing that happened over a thousand years ago?
All I need to be happy is for some mare to eat me, Octavia? You really think you’re mom was right?!
The Unicorn clenched her teeth together so hard that her face hurt. Lies! It was all lies! Every time Octavia had said she loved her, all of her, it had been a lie! Octavia didn’t love her. All she cared about was keeping her damn family secret from Vinyl. Love required trust. Even Vinyl, the pony that everypony thought only wanted to screw, knew that much. And Octavia clearly didn’t trust her beyond her ability to get her off! Well, if that was all Vinyl was good for to her, then Octavia could go do it herself! She had perfectly good hooves, and she knew where to rub herself to make—
Somepony bumped into Vinyl and shattered her rage. The Unicorn stumbled a bit on the icy ground, but she managed to remain standing. She looked over her shoulder and saw a stallion looking at her. She glared at him, but then she remembered what had happened last time she had spoken to a pony on these streets, so she turned away and continued walking.
“Hey!” the stallion called after her. Vinyl heard him trot up behind her and a moment later she felt a hoof spin her around. “You got something to say?”
“No,” Vinyl said as began to turn around to leave, but the stallion reached out and pulled her back.
“You better apologize,” he said.
Vinyl looked up at the stallion and then looked around. A small crowd was gathering around them, but judging by the looks on their faces, they weren’t there to help. “For what?” she asked when she returned her gaze to the stallion.
“You bumped into me, trash.”
“Doubtful,” Vinyl replied, “seeing as I was standing still. Try watching where you’re going next time, idiot.”
The stallion’s eyes went so wide that Vinyl briefly wondered if he had been kicked in his family jewels, but then the shock turned to anger and Vinyl knew she had touched a nerve.
“What did you say?” the stallion demanded.
“Deaf and dumb,” Vinyl replied. “Pretty unlucky combination. Your parents must be really disappointed in you.”
The stallion lifted Vinyl into the air by the collar of her winter coat. He held her up with one hoof and started to shake her. “You’ve got quite a mouth on you, freak! I’m surprised your owner hasn’t killed you yet!” The stallion threw her to the ground as hard as he could. Vinyl’s head slammed down with so much force that her vision blacked out for a second. “Where is your owner, anyway?”
Vinyl blinked to clear the darkness from her eyes as she rose. “What are you talking about?” she asked. She began to channel her magic into her horn. She needed to smash something, and this stallion’s face was the perfect target.
“Hold it right there!” a voice shouted. Vinyl and the stallion looked in the direction of the speaker. Two ponies, a mare and another stallion, were forcing their way through the crowd. Vinyl noted that they were both dressed in the same attire as the two guards she had met before.
Vinyl spoke without thinking. “This idiot here is trying—”
“What did you say?” the mare interrupted. “Do you want us to toss you in the Cavern?”
“Where’s your collar?” the other guard asked. “And your owner, for that matter?”
“What?” Vinyl asked. Collar? Owner? What in Equestria were these ponies talking about?
“Sorry, officers,” the stallion said with a smirk. “I smacked her head a little hard on the ground. These freaks aren’t the brightest lot, and that probably didn’t help her. I’d like to claim her if, if that’s fine. Somepony needs to teach this freak some manners.”
“If she can’t produce the papers, she’s all yours,” the mare said as all eyes turned to Vinyl.
“Touch me, and I swear I’ll—” Vinyl felt a tap on her shoulder and she whirled around. “What now?”
A hoof slammed into her face so hard that it laid her out cold on the ground.
* * *
Octavia didn’t know how long it had been since Vinyl had left. Long enough for her to stop crying at least, but the hole in her core had only grown bigger. Her ear twitched when she heard the door creak open, but she did not raise her head to look. Instead, she curled up tighter under the covers and waited. Was Vinyl back? If so, what should she say? What would Vinyl say? They were broken, and it was all Octavia’s fault, and she had no idea how to fix it.
Apologizing would be a good start, she thought. She knew it would not be enough. Despite her best efforts and intentions, she had driven Vinyl so far away that she could not even see her. She doubted she would ever be able to do enough to make up to Vinyl, but she had to try. Vinyl was worth it.
The door flew open with such force that it slammed against the wall. Octavia jumped and sat up. She knew Vinyl was beyond angry, but she had not expected the Unicorn to damage the room they were staying in.
“Where’s Vinyl?” Bon Bon shouted. She stormed into the room and rushed to the bathroom. She flung the door open, but there was no sign of Vinyl. She looked back at Octavia, her face a growing mask of panic, and marched over to the bed. “Where is she, Octavia?”
“I…I do not…” Octavia’s mind raced to catch up. Bon Bon looked terrified, more than Octavia had ever seen her. “She left. What is wrong?”
“Not good,” Lyra said as she entered the room. The green mare looked pale and unsteady on her hooves. She blinked a few times and took several deep breaths. “We have to find her. If somepony else does…”
Bon Bon’s panic began to build in Octavia too. She had never seen her friends like this before. “What is wrong? What happened to Vinyl?”
“Hopefully nothing,” Bon Bon said as she yanked one of the new coats they had purchased off the wall and threw it at Octavia. “But if we don’t hurry, that’s going to change. Get dressed. Lyra, you’re staying here.”
Lyra shook her head and a little color returned to her face. “Not a chance. We need all the eyes we can get. I’ll just make sure I stick extra close to you two.”
Bon Bon growled but quickly gave up. “Fine.” She pulled out a piece of paper and quickly scribbled down a message and tossed it on the bed. It told Vinyl that if she came back and they were not there, under no circumstances was she to leave the room. “Hurry up, Octavia!”
Octavia struggled to put on her coat as she ran out the door after Bon Bon and Lyra. They made it to the inn’s lobby before Bon Bon came to a halt. “Lyra, go back and get the gems.”
“How many?” the Unicorn asked.
“All of them! We’ll wait right here. Anypony tries to stop you, you know what to do.”
“Right.” Lyra gave a quick salute and dashed back down the hallway.
“Bon Bon, what is going on?” Octavia asked as she finally tightened the last buckle across her waist. She stuffed her hair back and pulled the hood up over her head. The coat was not nearly as comfortable as the one she had received from Prince Shining Armor, but it was just as warm.
“This place is bad, Octavia,” Bon Bon said as she shook her head. Her eyes glazed over for a second as she stared at the floor. “Really bad. Vinyl can’t be seen wandering around by herself.”
“Why not?”
Bon Bon was about to answer, but at that moment Lyra came sprinting back. She had a satchel full of their leftover gems and treasure strapped to her back. “Got them.”
“I can carry those, Lyra,” Octavia offered as she moved to take the bag from her friend.
“No, you can’t,” Bon Bon said. “We don’t want to attract attention.”
“What?”
“Just follow me. And keep your eyes open for Vinyl.” With that, the cream colored Earth pony ran out of the lobby. Octavia looked back at Lyra, who simply gestured for her to follow Bon Bon, and so Octavia did.
The first thing that crossed her mind was the reminder that the entire city was freezing. It was not as bad as when they had first crossed into its boarders, but it still stung the cellist’s face. The fact that she had spent so much time crying did not help because the cold air bit into her raw eyes and froze the snot around her nose. She took a few deep breaths to get her body adjusted and then continued to follow Bon Bon, with Lyra close behind her.
The three mares walked briskly down one street and up another. Octavia could tell that Bon Bon wanted to run, but was holding herself back. She wondered why, because she herself wanted to sprint through the city, calling Vinyl’s name everywhere she went. But, judging by Bon Bon’s and Lyra’s attitudes, she got the feeling that screaming for the Unicorn would only make things worse.
Instead, Octavia picked out a pony walking along the street and started to walk up to her. Maybe somepony had seen Vinyl and could give them directions, or at least tell them which way the mare had gone. She opened her mouth to say something, but as she stopped, Lyra bumped into her and forced her to keep going.
“Not a good idea,” Lyra whispered as she kept her head low and continued to gently encourage Octavia to keep walking. “Trust me. The last thing we want is for other ponies to know Vinyl is out here on her own.”
The mares turned a corner and stopped. They had apparently entered the city’s main square. There was a large gathering of ponies in the middle of the square and dozens of torches were lit around them. They all seemed to be yelling, or maybe cheering, about something that was happening on a raised stage in the middle of the crowd.
“Oh no,” Bon Bon whispered. “Celestia, please, no!” Without another word, the Earth pony raced toward the crowd and began to force her way into it.
“Bon Bon!” Lyra called and took off after her. Octavia followed as fast as she could, but her two friends melted into the crowd before she caught up.
A loud roar of approval erupted from the crowd as Octavia reached its edge. She recoiled a little in surprise, but then slowly made her way into the crowd. She could hear somepony talking, but over the noise of the crowd, she could not make out what was being said. Instead, she chose to focus all of her energy on finding Bon Bon and Lyra, both of whom she expected to find at the front.
Suddenly, a blood-piercing scream tore through the air. It chilled Octavia more than any weather could ever hope to. It was the type of scream an animal made when it was caught in the jaws of a predator, or one a pony made when all conscious thought was driven away by searing pain. It lasted for several terrible seconds, and when it finally started to fade, Octavia realized it was only because the creature had run out of breath. A few moments later, the scream ripped through the air again.
And the ponies around her cheered with glee.
Octavia stood stock still as ponies around her stomped their hooves and yelled to the sky in triumph. Finally, she forced herself to keep going, following the gut-wrenching scream as best as she could.
Was whatever was causing that noise the reason that her friends had been so worried?
A grinding sound that made Octavia’s skin crawl reached her ears as she broke through to the front of the crowd. She looked up at the stage and nearly lost the contents of her stomach.
Chained to the stage was Crystal Glade, one of the Unicorns that had held her prisoner. Her face was swollen and bleeding, and judging by the bend in her front leg, she had at least one broken bone. Tears were streaming from her bloodied eyes and she was howling in agony as an Earth pony slowly dragged a saw across her horn.
With one final tug, the teeth of the saw cut through the bone and the Unicorn’s horn fell to the stage with a sickening thud. Crystal Glade immediately followed. She stared at her severed horn in horror. She tried to reach for it, but the chains around her legs refused to budge. Her face contorted from what Octavia thought was pain, but then she realized that the Unicorn was trying to use her magic to pick up her body part.
“Crystal Glade,” said a stallion standing on stage next to her. “You have been found guilty of treason against the city of Earth, abducting its citizen and your master, Lady Chill, and of murdering her. As such, you are hereby sentenced, as the rest of your conspirators were, to death. Do you have any last words?”
“Please,” Crystal Glade whimpered as she tried to crawl across the stage toward her horn. “Give me back my horn. Just give—ARGH!”
The stallion brought his hoof down on Crystal Glade’s hind leg so hard that Octavia heard the bone snap. “Apparently not. Very well.” He took his hoof off and stepped back. Another pony stepped forward with a giant axe resting on his back and Octavia’s blood ran cold.
“My horn!” Crystal Glade screeched. “Please! Please, just give it back! PLEASE!”
Octavia wanted to rush forward and stop this. She wanted to snap the stallion’s neck and sink the axe into the neck of the pony wielding it, but she was too sick to move. All she could do was watch as the pony stood up on his hind legs and raised the axe high above his head. Crystal Glade didn’t even notice him as she continued to struggle like an animal against her chains and reach for her horn.
A faint golden glow surrounded the horn suddenly. Octavia doubted anypony else saw it because they were all focused on the axe and cheering. It gently pushed the severed horn forward until is came to rest within reach of the broken Unicorn. Crystal Glade pulled the horn closer with her chin and smiled. She looked up and seemed to meet Octavia’s eyes. Her smile brightened for a—
The axe came down and Octavia closed her eyes as the sound burned itself into her memory. She felt a hoof gently rest on her shoulder and she turned, making sure to keep her gaze clear of the stage. Bon Bon was standing next to her, tears swelling in her blue eyes. Lyra was next to her, and Octavia knew who had granted Crystal Glade’s last wish.
The crowd cheered again and Octavia saw Crystal Glade’s limp body being dragged away out of the corner of her eye. The stallion who seemed to be leading the procession stepped forward once more, waving his hoof to try and settle the crowd.
“We have crushed yet another rebel cell,” the stallion said in a loud voice. The crowd cheered even more, and Octavia wanted to turn and run as they did. “But, despite our clear warnings and demonstrations of the consequences, Unicorns will still flock to these corrupt beings. And so, we must remain vigilant. Keep an eye on your slaves at all times. Know where they go, who they talk to, and what they do. If you suspect anything, tell the guard. We Earth ponies are meant to rule, but there are those who will never accept it. Until they are all cleansed, we will never be safe! And for you Unicorns, here by the good graces of your masters, let this once again be a warning of what awaits you if you step out of line.”
Octavia could not believe what she was hearing. She had suspected this city held a less-than-pleasing view of Unicorns based on how Vinyl’s first encounter had gone, but this was on a completely different level.
Vinyl! Vinyl is alone here! I have to find her!
“Now, for our last order of business,” the stallion continued once the cheering died down again. “We have one more freak to deal with. She claims that she was not part of the rebels and that she was taken along with her master, Lady Chill. However, we can find no records to indicate this. Now, we don’t want to execute an innocent. We aren’t monsters, after all. So we have decided to give her a chance. Bring out the prisoner!” Another Unicorn was shoved up onto the stage and Octavia’s entire body clenched in terror. “However, if no pony is willing to buy her,” the stallion turned to the terrified Unicorn and lifted her chin with his hoof, “then I’m afraid you’re going to share their fate. Better safe than sorry, after all.”
* * *
Vinyl’s face ached as her mind crawled back to reality. Her cheek felt like it was split open, but at the same time felt like it was holding a walnut. Her vision was still a blurry mess and she didn’t even realize that she was on the icy ground. When she finally figured out that she was sprawled on the turf, she turned her head and pressed her cheek against it. The relief was instant, and it cleared her head enough for her to realize that several ponies were shouting above her head. She blinked once and rolled her eyes up in an attempt to see what was happening.
“You!” a voice shouted. A second later, Vinyl’s stomach exploded in pain as a hoof slammed into her gut. “What do you think you’re doing?”
Vinyl groaned and did her best to just focus on breathing. A dark hooded form leaned down in her face and Vinyl realized she was looking into the eyes of a pony she didn’t know.
“Play along or you’re dead,” the form whispered. Vinyl wanted to ask what that meant, but all she could manage was a low groan. As soon as she finished, a hoof scooped her up by the collar of her coat and threw her onto her hooves. She barely managed to keep her balance.
“Your master asked you a question, filth!” a pony shouted. Vinyl blinked again and saw that the pony shouting at her was the same one who had just yanked her up and told her to play along. “I told you to be quick, and you can’t even get that right! I’ve been waiting for you for two minutes!” The pony reached out and shook Vinyl by her coat. “Hey! Look at me when I’m talking to you!”
“Uh…” Vinyl said as she tried to get her eyes to focus on the hooded face of the pony that was shaking her. She almost managed it, but then the pony smacked her head just before her vision cleared. All she caught was a flash of blue.
“Not in the eye, trash!” Vinyl felt her head forced down so that she was looking at the stallion’s neck. He had a brown coat under the thick cloak he was wearing. “Don’t make me ask you again! What kept you?”
“Uh…sorry, sir—” SMACK! “I-I mean, master.” Vinyl’s head was reeling, and she was struggling to keep her thoughts organized. “I was almost back but…I tripped.”
“Don’t lie to me!” the stallion said. He had at least stopped shaking Vinyl, but he was still holding on to her coat’s collar. “You’re not clumsy enough to trip! I beat that out of you!”
“Sorry, master.” Vinyl looked around and she spied the stallion that had bumped into her and started the whole thing. “That pony over there bumped into me. And then he threatened to buy me.” Vinyl was slowly getting an idea of what was going on, and if she was right, the sickness in her stomach was no longer just from the kick she had suffered.
The stallion holding her immediately let go. He whirled around so fast that Vinyl almost lost her balance trying to track the movement. “You. Did. WHAT?” the stallion shouted.
“Hey! She bumped into—”
“I paid premium price for this Unicorn!” the cloaked stallion growled. “She does not just bump into things! I trained her to be the best, because I only pay for the best. And now I find out that some lowly workhorse is interfering with her? You want to screw her, you come to me!” Vinyl nearly said something, but thankfully the pain swimming in her head dulled her reflexes enough that she was able to realize that her protests were a bad idea. “I mean, I can’t really blame you. Beautiful snowy coat, that one-of-a-kind mane, and that perfectly polished horn. I can see why you’d want to slam her against a wall and part her legs, but first you get my permission for your perverted fantasies!”
“As if I’d want to screw something like that!” the stallion protested. Vinyl could not help but get a small sense of satisfaction seeing him squirm. “She just didn’t have her collar so I thought—”
“So you thought you’d just get a quick bang in? Buy your own sex toy?” the stallion pressed. “I did not purchase this beast to just whore her out! She is not wearing her magic collar because I need her to use her magic for the tasks I assign her!”
“Sir, if that’s true, then we need—” one of the officers started to say, but the stallion rounded on them next.
“My papers? Why? Did she use her magic to attack him?”
“Well, no, but—”
“Did she use it to attack either of you?”
“No.”
“Good, because she knows the consequences.”
The two officers looked at each other uncomfortably for a second, and then the mare cleared her throat. “Regardless, sir, we still need to see your papers.”
“No, officer, it is not regardless!” the stallion said, taking a step forward as the two officers, both of whom Vinyl finally noticed were Earth ponies, took a step back. “The law is clear on this point! My property did not harm either you or this baffling sex fiend who gets off at the sight of a bone growing out of a pony’s head.”
“I don’t—”
“Shut up!” Vinyl’s strange ally shouted at the other stallion before turning back to the guards. “Since there was no harm, indeed not even a single use of illegal magic, I am under no obligation to show you anything. This mare is rightfully mine, and I have no need to prove it to you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am already running late because of this stallion’s secret fetish and the incompetence of you two!” The stallion turned and glared at Vinyl. “Move it. I’m late enough as it is.”
“Of course, master,” Vinyl said, bowing as low as her aching body would allow. She then followed the stranger down the street, struggling not to look back and gloat at the ponies standing behind her.
As the two ponies turned the corner of a street, Vinyl began to speak. “Hey, thanks for—”
The pony in front of her spun, caught Vinyl around the neck, pulled her into a doorway, and slammed her against the wall so fast that Vinyl wasn’t sure what had happened until the pony was pressing his foreleg against Vinyl’s chest. “What are you doing here?” he hissed as his hood fell back.
Vinyl was about to speak, but then she finally got a good look at the pony in front of her. He had a blue mane that was disheveled and overdue for a trim, but it was clear that he usually wore it short. And his fur was a rich brown.
“YOU!” Vinyl shouted. She tried to lunge forward, but the pony kept her pinned against the wall. “You! You ruined my LIFE!”
“Keep your voice down,” the Pegasus hissed. “You’d be dead, or worse, right now if it wasn’t for me.”
“I wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for you!” Vinyl shot back.
“It was a job,” he replied. “Quick and simple. Or at least it was supposed to be.” The Pegasus released Vinyl and stepped back. “But things have changed.”
Vinyl wanted to smash the thief’s face in. She wanted to stomp on his eyes until they popped like grapes beneath her hooves. She wanted to plunge her horn into his neck like the Unicorn back in the cave had done. She wanted to hurt this pony worse than any pony had ever been hurt in history, but something made her hold back.
The look of fear in the thief’s eyes was almost tangible.
“What are you talking about?” Vinyl asked, barely able to keep her voice under control.
“There’s a lot I need to tell you,” the thief replied. He pushed the door they were standing next to open and Vinyl couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Of course it was a tavern.
“If I end up chained to the floor again, I will kill you,” the Unicorn mumbled as she followed the thief through the door.
* * *
Octavia barely recognized Ice Air as the Unicorn collapsed on the stage. Like Crystal Glade, the mare’s face was cut and bruised, though not to the same extent. Her dark purple fur was almost black in places from dried blood and her green eyes were dim. Her auburn shaded mane, which hadn’t been well kept even when Octavia had first met her, looked as though it had been the sole thing used to drag her everywhere. It was matted in some places, while in others it appeared that parts of it had been yanked out. A small ring was strapped around the base of her horn and it looked like it was cutting into her head.
Ice Air’s eyes locked with Octavia’s, but the Unicorn showed no sign of recognition. She simply blinked, looked at the blood she was kneeling in, and then hung her head.
“Now, I know she’s not in the best shape,” the ringleader said as he stood next to Ice Air. “Those rebels beat her pretty bad, I’m sure.” The crowd laughed as he smiled. “But I’m sure she still has some use left. Don’t you, freak?” The stallion reached down and raised Ice Air’s head for a moment, then shoved it back down.
“Come on,” Lyra whispered. “We’re done here.”
“What?” Octavia shot back.
“Vinyl isn’t here,” Bon Bon added. “You heard him. She’s the last Unicorn they have. We need to hurry up and find her or she might end up just like these ponies.”
“We cannot leave her,” Octavia protested.
“We have to, Octavia,” Bon Bon said. “We have to find Vinyl as soon as possible, otherwise she may end up like this. Besides, what do you want to do? Storm the stage and rescue her? We’d be caught before we made the street, and then we’d be killed.”
“Besides,” Lyra added. “She’s not exactly our friend. Remember what she did to you.”
Octavia had not forgotten the pain Ice Air had caused her. Her body still ached from the magic blasts and she had a nasty bruise on her face, but the fate that awaited Ice Air was too cruel.
Octavia looked up at the Unicorn and then down at her friends again. Bon Bon was right; they had no chance of escaping with Ice Air. Octavia was still recovering from her own wounds, and Ice Air was in even worse shape. Bon Bon had shown some skill back in the cave, but Octavia doubted her friend could cover both her and Ice Air. Lyra would be a nice trump card with her magic, but even that would probably not be enough, certainly not in the middle of a hostile city.
An idea suddenly sprang into Octavia’s mind as she stared at the mint green Unicorn. Bon Bon saw the look and quickly realized what she was thinking.
“Octavia, no,” she said. “If Vinyl’s been caught, we might need it to get her back.”
“Do I hear five hundred for this, albeit less-than-stunning sack of flesh?” the stallion on the stage called. The smile on his face said it all. He knew that he was just going through the motions now and that there was no way anypony was going to take him up on his offer.
“Bon Bon, please,” Octavia said.
The mare’s blue eyes softened for a moment, but then she shook her head. “Do you really want to put this mare ahead of Vinyl? What if Vinyl’s been caught? What if we have to pay her fines? Worse, what if we have to bribe whoever is holding her? We have no source of income here. I’m sorry, Octavia. Ice Air is a—”
“Bitch,” Lyra said flatly.
“Yes. And that doesn’t mean she deserves what’s coming, but you have to ask yourself if saving her is more important than Vinyl.”
“Three hundred, and that’s as low as I will go, folks,” the stallion called out.
“Just get on with it!” a voice called out from the crowd. Several loud cheers immediately followed.
Octavia looked up at Ice Air again. Panic was building in her chest. Bon Bon and Lyra were right; if Vinyl was in trouble, they might need all the money they had to get her out. But that was based on a hypothesis that assumed Vinyl was in trouble. She might not be. She might just be wandering around the city. Ice Air needed help now, and if Octavia did not do something, the mare was going to suffer the same gruesome fate that Crystal Glade had.
“She knows!” Octavia suddenly said.
“What?” Lyra asked. Bon Bon just raised an eyebrow.
“She knows who I am!” Octavia said. “When she first attacked me, she knew my name! She knew—” Octavia was about to say that Ice Air knew that she was related to Sombra, but she stopped short. Lyra and Bon Bon did not know that yet, and she was not sure she should tell them now. It would just add more questions to a situation that was growing desperate every passing second.
“How does she know you?” Bon Bon asked. “That’s impossible, right?”
“It should have been!” Octavia said. “But she knew my name. Listen to me! Something about this whole thing has seemed off to me ever since the start. I will explain later, but I think there is more going on than the theft of my family’s heirloom. And I believe she could shed some light on my suspicions.”
“Going once,” the stallion called over the crowd.
“Please!” Octavia plead.
Lyra and Bon Bon looked at each other.
“Going twice.”
Bon Bon sighed and nodded. Lyra pulled the bag off her body and floated it to Octavia.
“I will take her!” Octavia called as she lifted the bag into the air with her hoof. She could not tell who was more surprised: the stallion or Ice Air.
“Are you sure, Miss?” the stallion asked. “I mean, you see her, right? This mare has long outlived her usefulness. And between you and me, I really think she is part of that rebel group we just executed.”
“Three hundred, correct?” Octavia asked, ignoring the comments. “That was the price, correct?”
“Up front.”
Octavia walked up on the stage and pulled out what she hoped was over the required amount. When the stallion looked down at the payment, a sly grin spread across his face. “A very generous tip, Miss. Very well. Executioner! Bring me the papers, as well as the key for this beast’s shackles.”
The executioner stepped forward and produced a sheet of paper that the ringleader glanced over, signed, and then stamped at the bottom. He then gave it to Octavia and she put it in her front pocket. She watched as the executioner pony then dragged Ice Air to her hooves—by her mane, Octavia noted—and shoved her toward Octavia. The Unicorn stumbled and began to fall forward, but Octavia reached out and caught her. The stallion raised his eyebrows in contempt.
“What?” Octavia asked, putting an edge into her voice. “She’s already in poor shape. I do not need you damaging her any more. I already overpaid her value.” She helped Ice Air stand and together the two made their way down from the stage. As they did, Octavia accidently looked off to the side and saw a wagon full of corpses. She almost threw up, but she quickly looked away and ended up leaning on Ice Air a little for support.
As the two mares reached the bottom of the steps, Ice Air spoke. “Great. Couldn’t just let them kill me, huh? Wanted to make sure I suffered even more before you do it yourself?”
“I just saved you,” Octavia hissed. “But if you prefer, I can toss you back up there and you can go through the same thing Crystal Glade did.”
Ice Air remained silent for a moment, and then asked, “Why?”
“This had better be worth it, Octavia,” Bon Bon whispered as she and Lyra met the two ponies at the edge of the crowd. “She had better be worth it.”
Octavia looked at the broken mare shivering next to her. “Come on. First we are going to get you cleaned up. A hot bath should help.”
“Do hot baths even exist in this wasteland?” Lyra mumbled, and Octavia wondered if she had a point.
“Octavia, we don’t have time for that!” Bon Bon protested. “If Vinyl’s been—”
“For all we know, Vinyl may be back at the room,” Octavia said smoothly. She wanted that statement to be true more than anything in the world, but even if it was not, one look at Ice Air’s beaten form told her that the mare was in no condition to be dragged around the city.
“Fine,” Bon Bon said. “But if she’s not there, I’m heading out right away again. You’ve seen what Earth ponies do to Unicorns here.”
Again, Octavia looked at Ice Air’s body. “Agreed. And Ice Air, after we have cleaned you up a bit, you will help us look for Vinyl.” Octavia made sure the Unicorn looked her in the eye for the next part. “And you are going to answer some questions. Starting with how you know who I am, and what I am.”
Ice Air let out a dry laugh. “Of course, master. I am yours now, after all. In fact, I’ll answer that right now. I know who you are because I knew you were coming. You don’t honestly think that we stumbled across you by accident out there, do you? I was told to watch for you.”
Octavia felt a chill run down her spine. Her worst fears had been realized. “By whom?” she whispered.
“My former leader, of course,” Ice Air said, hatred seeping into her voice. “Keket.”