//------------------------------// // To Bow Or To Sin // Story: The Mare Who Became Queen // by misskoifishpony //------------------------------// Chapter 9: To Bow or Sin Another day had past in Saddle Arabia, and the sun on the horizon was setting...preparing to sleep during the drama and mysteries of the night. However, there was one pony that hasn't slept since last night. Hamana. She had scurried all over the palace grounds for Moriyah, but nothing. Absolutely nothing. She knew that Moriyah was on the palace grounds. She could feel it. She didn't have a logical explanation for this feeling, but she knew that Moriyah was hiding her right under nose. She didn't care that the guards thought that she was crazy. Hamana was going to capture Moriyah...no matter what. While patrolling the front gates of the palace, she noticed the King's new royal elephant standing unusually close to a bush in the garden. To Hamana, it looked like the elephant was protecting it. With cat-like stealth, she quietly walked over towards the bush. As she got closer to the elephant, she silently motioned some of the guards to follow her. Gabrielle the elephant immediately noticed the blue unicorn and her small army in the corner of her eye, and swung her trunk towards them. However, her trunk was stopped by the magic of the unicorn guards coming from behind her. With an evil grin, Hamana creeped towards the bush. Meanwhile, Keshet was flying high in the sunset sky. Minding her own business and enjoying the view of the palace. She especially enjoyed the view of the palace garden. However, her view of the garden was tinted by an unusual presence of guards approaching a single bush and two other armored ponies holding back a struggling elephant. She dived closer to the garden and noticed a scared purple unicorn curled behind the bush. It was Esther's cousin, Moriyah! "Hang on Moriyah, I'll save ya!" She proclaimed heroically. And without a second thought, Keshet sky-dived towards Hamana and smashed the royal visor down to the ground. "What the?! Ugh! Get off me peasant!" Hamana shouted. "Why don't you make me?" Keshet answered with a victorious smirk. "Seize her!" The pegasi guards flew over towards Hamana and removed the rebellious rainbow mare. They used their strong and wide wings to hold Keshet back. "How dare you attack the royal visor! For that...you shall pay for treason." After her speech, Hamana's horn glowed brightly and violently. She pointed her magically loaded horn towards Keshet, who was struggling in the guards' grip. Meanwhile, Moriyah witnessed the display through the tiny holes of the bush. It urged her to weakly burst through the foliage. "STOP!" she exclaimed with all her might. Then, the commotion seized and silence filled the air around them. All eyes were on the raggedy unicorn standing and panting in front of the bush. Gabrielle and Keshet stopped struggling, and looked at Moriyah. Hamana was shocked to see Moriyah in this desperate state. However, that shock quickly vanished...and the feeling of pride and superiority soon took over her soul. She grinned at Moriyah and slowly crept toward her like a hyena, "Well, well, well. How the mighty have fallen. Trying to redeem yourself by defending a peasant? Just look at you. If only you could see of what you've become." "Let...her...go...Hamana." "Oh the marvelous and stupendous Hamana will, if you bow to before her excellency." "That's never going to happen and you know it!" "Oh really? Not even for your dear Princess? Of should I say...your dear cousin?" "Esther..." Keshet muttered in disbelief. Moriyah's eyes grew wide and her mouth became dry. Her knees suddenly felt weaker than they were before, but she couldn't give up her strong stance now. Especially, not now. "That surely grabbed your attention, didn't it? Anyway, Hamana has a proposal for you. If you give your royal advisor one teensy little bow, she will not only spare your life, but also spare the lives of this peasant...ex-princess Vashti...and Queen Esther. But if you don't, well, you know what happens next." "You...you wouldn't. His Majesty wouldn't allow it!" "Oh you think so? Please. You know perfectly well that our precious Chaotic King hates Celestia above all else. Once he finds out that his sweet peasant bride worships that alicorn in the sky, he wouldn't hesitate when comes to banishing her to the out-skirts of the unforgiving deserts, and find himself another queen." Moriyah turned her head away from Hamana, and snarled under her breath. She squinted her eyes close, praying for this nightmare to end. However, the nightmare continued when Hamana uses her magic to force Moriyah's head to look up...face Hamana more once. She even usesdher magic to painfully open Moriyah's eyes. "However, your dear Esther doesn't have to suffer this fate. Hamana can let this secret slide, and let the happy couple live their ignorantly peaceful lives. Your friends don't have to face this fate either. And the all knowing Hamana knows that you especially don't want to live in banishment either. The price is simple but easy. Bow...to...Hamana." "Why me Hamana?" Moriyah growled, "Why me?" This made Hamana laugh hysterically...and like a mad mare, "Isn't it obvious? Every pony bows, except you. Hamana needs you to bow. The royal advisor needs respect. Hamana needs respect! She will not let you make her look a fool. She has lived the life of being treated like a groveling mouse, but...not anymore! She has worked for far too long to have her dreams dashed away by one stubborn little pony! Now, bow! Bow to your superior!" Moriyah knew that she couldn't be selfish. She couldn't be prideful. She couldn't act like Hamana. Even though worshipping Celestia was not a selfish and vain act, but putting her own needs before others is. It was not like she giving up on her Sun Goddess. Even though she will bow to Hamana, Hamana will not be her true superior. She doesn't rule over her heart and soul. Only Celestia can. This was no different when Xerxes came into power. She'll have to lie, but it was worth it. She couldn't bare having Esther and the others suffer for her mistakes. She has to think about them. However, she began to think about Esther. Her face came into her mind. Her voice consumed her thoughts. Moriyah began to remember all the things Esther use to say to her. What would cousin say right now? What would she think of her? Esther wouldn't want her to deny Celestia. She wouldn't want her to live in a lie anymore. She wouldn't want her to give up. Moriyah knew that she couldn't give up on Esther. She was going to speak to the King. She was going to make him understand. If she truly loved her cousin, she can bravely face the wrath of Hamana, and death itself. Esther will save her. She will save Princess Vashti and Keshet. She will save the ponies of Saddle Arabia. With a determined look on her face, Moriyah clearly stated to the egotistical unicorn, "Hamana...I rather rot in Tartarus than bow to you!" Hamana, so shocked by Moriyah's defiance, released her magical hold on her rival's face. Her anger soon took hold...and she let her rage act on her behalf. "Guards! Seize this treacherous garden rat!" The earth pony guards grabbed Moriyah by her forelegs and sealed a magically resistant iron lock on her horn. Gabrielle roared and stomped in desperation, trying to save Moriyah. "Put that elephant in the stalls! We can't have it waking up the King and Queen." Hamana ordered. They immediately followed her orders, despite the difficulty in persuading the animal away from the scene. They were able to silence Gabrielle by casting a silence spell on her trunk and feet. The other guards followed Hamana into the palace, dragging the defeated yet scornful Keshet and Moriyah with them. Hamana had a dark yet victorious grin on her face. She sang triumphantly... Ha! Moriyah is busted! While the group of ponies headed inside to meet with the King and the Queen, our mysterious narrator was on the high roofs of the palace. She was looking down at Hamana with disappointment and disapproval. She sang eerily into the night sky... There are those who can't be trusted