Chapter 2: Tell Me Why
Two pegasi mares hid behind a tented stand selling bread; while, keeping their gaze on a fruit stand across the busy market alley. One of the pegasi had a light blue coat, a rainbow mane, and a rainbow lighting bolt cutiemark. She was wearing big and puffy cream pants with a light yet deep red vest as a top.
Behind the rainbow mare was a light yellow Pegasus; with light pink hair and a three butterfly cutiemark. The beautiful pegasus was wearing a simple, worn, cream dress that she had made herself.
"Um Keshet? Are you sure you want to do this?"
The yellow mare asked shyly.
Keshet, the rainbow pegasus, whispered "C'mon Essie, it's the only way to get to the apples."
"Yeah but..."
"Shh!"
Keshet covered her friend's mouth and waited for the customer to leave the fruit stand. Then, she looked side to side to see if any guards were around. Meanwhile, Esther was looking at the intimidating light brown stallion selling the fruit. She especially looked at the curved sword wrapped on his waist. She prayed to Celestia that Keshet's plan will work.
"Alright Essie, you're up!"
Esther was pushed out to the open area by Keshet. She gulped before approaching the fruit stand. The light brown stallion vendor noticed Esther and smiled at her. The shy pegasus was caught off guard by this, remembering that the large pony had a horrible stern look just a couple of minutes ago.
The vendor greeted her with "Welcome Miss! To the finest fruit stand in all of Saddle Arabia! Whether it's bananas or papayas, we've got them all! How may I help you?"
"Oh um, I was wondering...if you..."
Then, Esther noticed Keshet crawling towards the fruit vendor pony. She was reaching towards the area just behind the massive stallion. Esther panicked. She tried to silently warn her friend, but Keshet gave her an pensive look. Keshet also gave her the signal to continue her conversation with the stallion.
And Esther, unfortunately followed her friend's plan, "have any...cherries?"
He smiled and brought down some red cherries hanging to the side of the stand. Esther sighed in relief; thankful that he didn't see Keshet on the floor.
"Anything else that I can get ya?"
"Oh, um, yes...yes you can. I think I'll...also get...some...coconuts?"
"How many would you like?"
"Oh just two please."
"Two coconuts coming right up!"
While the bulky earth pony reaches for the coconuts in the back of his stand, Keshet uses her left hoof to grab two apples at the front of stand. Esther watched her friend's hoof scramble for the apples; with fear and anticipation in her eyes.
However, Keshet was not fast enough. The fruit vendor turned around with the two coconuts and immediately saw the rainbow mare crouched in front of him
"Hold right there thief!"
"Oh c'mon, just a little snack...for a..starving mare?" Keshet said with a hesitant smile on her face.
The angry stallion drew out his sword and charged towards the two pegasi.
"Time to go Essie!"
Keshet grabs the two apples with one hoof and Esther's hoof with the other. The two friends took to the sky and flew far away from the fruit stand.
The stallion yelled out, "You will pay for this! You dirty little street rats!"
They safely landed on top of one of the houses across town. The two friends panted hard, especially Esther. She wasn't a strong flyer like Keshet.
The rainbow pegasus pants out while wiping her forehead "Dang! That was a close one. But..." She eyed the two juicy apples in her hooves, "it was worth to get these beauties."
"Here! Catch." Keshet tossed one of the apples to Esther...who looks down on her apple with guilt.
"Couldn't have done it without you Ess." Keshet warmly said to her friend...before taking a huge bite off her red apple.
Esther couldn't eat her apple. All she could do was stare at it...and think about the deed she had just done.
"Um Keshet?"
"Yeah Essie?" she exclaimed with her mouth full.
When Esther saw the innocent yet confused look on her friend's face, she knew that her mouth couldn't say the words that her heart wanted to say.
"N-Never mind."
Keshet shrugged her shoulders and went back to eating her apple.
"Esther! Esther!" a voice called out from down below.
Keshet's eyes widen, she swallowed the rest of the apple harshly. She threw the apple core to the side and spread out her wings, "Uh Oh! Gotta dash! I'll see ya later Essie."
"Esther!"
The yellow pegasus looked over to the side of the roof and found where the voice was coming from. It was a purple unicorn mare; with purple and pink streaked hair, and a pink star as a cutiemark. The unicorn was wearing a golden guard armor with accents of small rubies on her chest plate. On top of her head was the helmet with King Xerxes's horns on top of it.
Esther gracefully floated towards this mare and kindly greeted "Hello cousin Moriyah."
"There you are Esther! Where have you been?"
"I was um...hanging out with...Keshet."
"Did...did something happen?" Moriyah asked, sensing something unusual in her cousin's tone.
"Well um..." Esther couldn't continue. If her cousin knew what she has just done...she would be ashamed of her. She lowered her head down and hid her face behind her long rosy mane.
Moriyah inched closer to her cousin and gently told her, "Esther...it's okay. You can tell me. I'm mean, if you can't even tell me then...who can you tell?"
Esther returned her gaze back to Moriyah and found her sweet cousin smiling back at her. She took a deep breath in before softly explaining "K-Keshet stole some apples today and..."
She pulled out her apple and showed it to Moriyah, "I helped her."
The purple unicorn took a moment to reflect, while staring at the apple in Esther's hooves. She cleared her throat before calmly stating "I know Saddle Arabia is hitting on hard times right now, but...did you...at least tried to explain to her that...what she did was wrong?"
In a saddened and small voice, she squeaked "I was...too scared to."
"But Keshet is a reasonable pony. Plus, she's your friend. I'm sure that she would have listened to you."
"But what if she didn't? What then?"
"Esther, you should never be afraid to do what is right."
"I know Moriyah, but still..."
Then, Esther felt a comforting hoof on her shoulder. She heard her cousin say "Essie...do you remember that song that your parents used to sing you?"
Her parents...who passed away when Esther was little. She hardly remembered them...except for the short song they used to sing to her before bedtime. She remember it being about Celestia, but...nothing more.
"I do. Why?"
"Whenever you feel scared or alone, just sing that song. And you'll never need to be afraid."
The cousins' tender moment was soon interrupted by a loud screeching sound, and the echoing sounds of whips coming from the main street. The two ponies followed the sounds to the main square. It seemed like every pony was there; wondering what creature was about to drive into town.
Moriyah's eyes narrowed when she saw the pony approaching the main square. Hamana. She was being pulled in a large, outlandish, golden chariot by two small colts. The poor things. Pulling with all their might, and carrying an object tripled their size and weight. One colt was tall and lanky. He had an orange coat with a light blue mane. While the other was a tubby colt with a blue coat and choppy orange hair.
Following behind Hamana's golden chariot were two, long straight, lines of Xerxes's guards; wearing silver armor on their bodies. Once Hamana and her army were in the center of the square, the horns trumpeted. One of the guards announced "Make way for Hamana, the King's right hand mare!"
Hamana magically transported herself to the top of her chariot and proclaimed "Citizens of Saddle Arabia! The Great and Powerful King Xerxes, for reasons that do not concern any of you, is in need of a new queen!"
This announcement caused quite a stir in the crowd. Some mares gasped in horror of the news; fearing that one of them would have to be his new queen. While mares gasped for joy; daydreaming of becoming the lucky mare to rule the kingdom and live in luxury.
"What?!" Moriyah whispered to herself.
Hamana continued in her announcements, "The Great and Magnificent Hamana will need all eligible and beautiful mares to come to the palace immediately!"
Then, all the guards went into the crowd and pulled out all the mares that they could find.
Moriyah pushed her way through, in order to reach Hamana in the center of the square. She called out to her "Hamana! What is the meaning of all this?"
Hamana turned her gaze down to Moriyah...and smiled at her suspiciously. "Ah Moriyah! Our dear captain of the guard. Sooo nice to see you."
"Hamana, what's going on? What happened to Queen Vashti? Why didn't the King inform me about this?"
"Like Hamana said before, this summoning for a new queen are for reasons that do not concern you. Besides, King Xerxes doesn't have to tell you everything, you know. That's why he has Hamana, his most loyal and trusted confidant."
All of sudden, Moriyah heard Esther screams. She turned around and saw her dear cousin being dragged out by one of the guards. Esther struggled to break free. She pleaded "Somepony please! Help me!"
Moriyah cried out while reaching her hoof to Esther, "Guards, don't hurt her!"
Hamana raised an invisible eyebrow and smirked "Why? Do you know her?"
"I...I do not. As Captain of the Guard, it is my duty to protect any civilian. And all guards need to respect the ponies we have sworn to protect."
"Very well then. Hamana make sure your sweet civilians are safe and sound, if...you bow to Hamana."
"For the last time Hamana, I will not bow to you. I will never bow down to you."
Hamana growled under her breath and snarled, "One of these days Moriyah...one way or another...you will bow down to the great...and certainly the most powerful...Hamana."
She rapidly turned to the guards, especially to the guard holding Esther. She then commanded "Take them away!"
Moriyah cried out "No!"
But, it was too late. Esther and all the other mares were rounded up into the back of Hamana's golden charitot...and carried off to Xerxes's palace on the hill.
Later that night, Hamana placed all the candidates in an elegant suite. Located on one of the high floors of the palace. Tomorrow...will be the day to present themselves in front of His Majesty. The elegant suite had a wide and spacious balcony that allowed the attendants to gaze upon the vast view of the kingdom.
While the other mares were sleeping on the soft silk beds, Esther was awake. She was on the balcony, leaning on the railing and looking up to Celestia's beautiful stars. She sighed and built up dreadful thoughts in her head. Thinking of the horrible things that tomorrow will bring.
Then, one of her ears twitched. She heard the sounds of crackling leaves and branches coming from over the balcony rail. She saw her dear cousin climbing the palace wall.
She whispered excitedly while helping her cousin over the railing, "Cousin Moriyah! Oh, thank goodness you're here!"
They gave each other a tight and warm hug. Moriyah remarked during this embrace "I'm so glad that you're alright! Has any pony hurt you?"
"Oh no, they haven't."
"Have you told any pony that you're my cousin?"
Esther broke away from the hug. She looked at Moriyah with confusion in her eyes, and answered hesitantly, "Um no...why do you ask?"
"It's just that...I can't have any pony knowing. Especially Hamana."
"Why Hamana? Does she...hate you?" Just the thought of some pony hating Moriyah sent shivers up Esther's spine.
"Oh yeah. With a burning passion. If she knew that you were part of my family...she would hate you too."
"But why does she hate you?"
"Because Hamana is an egotistical maniac. More egotistical than the King. She wants me to bow down to her just because she's the King's 'right hand mare'. But I can't. You know that I can't."
"I know, I know. I don't blame you." said Esther while placing her soft hoof on her cousin's shoulder. She knew that Moriyah could only bow down to one pony...and one pony alone. Their Sun Goddess Celestia.
In order to change the subject, Esther asked "Does any pony know what happened to Queen Vashti?"
Moriyah sighed in defeat, "No pony. It's like she vanished out of thin air. Either that or no pony is telling me the truth. Hamana probably commanded them to keep it a secret from me."
"Do you think that...the King banished her?"
"I don't think so. The King would have made it a public spectacle if that were the case."
This made Esther curled into a small ball on the ground and cried softly to herself. Moriyah immediately lowered herself to Esther and wrapped her forelegs around her.
"Esther, Esther. It's okay. Everything will be alright."
Esther squeaked out in between her sobs "But what if...the King chooses me?"
"The King will not choose you. His majesty will only pick a mare just like him. Some pony heartless and unkind. Not a sweet and kind pony like you."
"But...how do you know?"
"Because I have faith. Faith in a better future for you. Celestia would have never put you on this Earth to suffer. Have faith Esther and tomorrow will be better. I promise."
Esther looked up at the purple unicorn...with tears in her eyes. She could see hope and light in Moriyah's beautiful light purple eyes. And that made her smile.
Moriyah helped Esther off the ground and whispered "I have to go, but I'll come back tomorrow night. Okay?"
Esther nodded her head while wiping the tears anyway from her eyes. She smiled, "Okay."
With a departing grin, Moriyah climbed over the balcony wall and climbed down.
Esther watched her cousin climb safely down the ivy and plants covering the palace. Then, she gazed back up to the night sky. Particularly, at the full white moon.
She softly sang to herself...
Tell me why
I don't understand
Tell me why
Or show me where you stand
Tell me why
Cause I can't see my way through
What now
Should I do?