There is no greater offense to Harmony then ending it prematurely. That creature is an affront created by Harmony. It is the parallel that runs alongside it. I prefer to call it Bad Harmony. In the existence of Harmony when there is no Bad Harmony left, it will spawn it, and just like Harmony, Bad Harmony will spawn it if there is no Harmony left.
That is my only conclusion. I have mulled over her existence for long enough, four years, truly. It has not been blatantly obvious until now.
The kitchen is just a short walk away, and in it are knives from Griffon cooks, large butchering knives that are whittled down into points, making for a heavy blade that can pierce deeply into meat.
Up until now, they were just interesting trinkets from a time when none of this mattered, a better time. The shop keep managed to sell us a set of three—three! We had wanted one as a souvenir from Griffonstone, but we were roped into buying the set.
They would do.
Thuds came from outside, where her room used to be. It was no longer hers; she forfeited it along with her breath after Fate instilled her with direction on her flanks.
I walk ominously back toward the room. Who knows what the sounds could have been. It’s Canterlot, they are undoubtedly guards. Odd though. Most guards are unicorns and don’t fly...
I peek around the doorway’s edge—Crap! They’re thestrals! Day guards are pushovers compared to them.
***
"I wonder what happened here."
The other guard landed. "No idea ‘Sky. Looks like the wall took a beating though. Probably by magic. Tch, unicorns and their magic, thinking they’re better than every pony."
"Don’t get lost on your thoughts now, ‘Shade. We need to investigate and keep an eye out for danger." He nudged a charred plank. "Lots of burns and splinters. Maybe an explosion or sorts."
The pair continued on investigating the exact circumstances of the disturbance. They deduced that whatever it was, was a possible threat to the peace of the city.
A lone mare trotted out of the shadowed doorway. "And what are you two doing?"
They straitened on reflex, preparing to attack or flee if necessary. "We are investigating the disturbance here. Do you live in this house, ma’am?"
She snorted, "Of course, I am the sole owner and pony who lives here. Now shoo."
Glancing at each other, they nodded. Whatever the event was, she did not want anyone around, meaning she was participating in suspicious activity – a reason enough to detain her.
The first guard, Deepsky, continued, "Ma’am, we have probable denial that you are participating in suspicious activity in disturbing the peace. We are going to have to detain you for further questioning."
"And on what basis? This is my home, my property. I’ve done nothing wrong." Frustration crept into her tone. She had other places to be, things to do at three in the morning.
"For starters, you have caused a disruption, waking several neighbors. Secondly, even though this was your property, you need a permit to set off explosives or cause explosions, thirdly, you have told us to leave without a second though. That is by definition, suspicious activity."
She cursed inwardly. "And if I refuse?"
Evershade finished Deepsky’s explanation, "Then we will take you by force."
From far behind Caedes, sounds of metal clashing rang into the night.
She had concealed her weapons in her mane, taking the first move at Evershade, marring his armour. Empathy jumped backwards as his comrade attempted to pummel her with a right hoof.
The combatants squared off in a triangular pattern, Empathy inside the house, while the two guards had backed up, covering the exit.
"Crazy mare. Why is it always the crazy ones, Evershade?"
"Because we’re lucky like that, and no, it’s not the good kind of luck." He dashed, breaking the standstill, angling a flying kick at Empathy’s barrel.
She jumped out of the way, leveling a knife at his exposed midsection, but it was deflected by Deepsky throwing a board in its path.
Caught off guard by the blade being deterred, she was tackled by Evershade from behind. Managing to keep her balance, she levitated a second knife, wildly slashing at the ground.
A snarl rose from the living battering ram, "Curse it! Deepsky, she got my leg!" He fell and rolled on the ground. "It’s pretty deep! I think she cut into my tendon—"
Even with a well-positioned stance, Deepsky was having trouble while listening to his partner and defending against two blades and one on the rebound. Blocking the two with his armour, the third bounced off of hit fetlock, shearing some fur off; he had fallen backwards slightly and was using his wing to maintain balance when a knife struck in the space between his armour and his wing joint, eliciting a howl of pain.
Deciding to leave the knife in the guard, Empathy dashed away with two knives in the momentary pause of the skirmish.
"Shiz, man, that looks bad." Evershade hobbled over on three legs. "I’m going to call for backup." He tapped on the crystal eye gem on the front of his dark blue and gray armour. "This is Evershade, from squad N9. We have a runner. She is a dark pink shade with a red mane. She has assaulted two guards. Treat as hostile with unknown intent. Over. We are heading to base for medical attention. End."
Evershade looked over to Deepsky, resting on his good side, clenching his teeth, trying not to yell. He moved to pull out the knife, but Deepsky stopped him. "With all due respect, I’m pulling this out myself. You can’t feel where I’ve been cut, and I’d rather you not cut me more."
With confirmation, he slowly pulled it out, slicing open more tissue. "Damn it. This is bad. We’ve got to go." He practically jumped upright. "Put your bad leg on me, and we’ll walk out of here faster. Don’t tough the wing."
They trotted out to the Castle for medical attention; they had one of the best doctors who could treat stab wounds in the modern era.
***
By now it had been only a couple of minutes since she had started running. Out of breath, she leaned against a decorative tree on a street corner. No idea where she was heading, her goal was to get to the castle. Thankfully, it was downhill mostly for the last street she had ran on.
She breathed hard, and longed for the burning in her lungs to stop.
No rest for the weary; a knife had pierced the trunk of the tree, narrowly missing her ear. She bolted, as Empathy ran up to the tree and unwedged her knife. Only an alley ahead, Caedes was running for her life against a much larger opponent.
Weaving around a trashcan, Empathy managed to line up another shot and clipped Caedes’s barrel. Careening into a trashcan, Caedes dumped it, causing Empathy to fall, and proceeded to exit the alley.
Frustration clouded her speech. A wild growl came out as she dashed upright from the metal obstacle. Having woken even more ponies up, it was becoming less and less likely that she would end this chase with anonymity.
Sprinting though another alley after having rested for a faction of a second left an iron taste in her mouth. Caedes also started feeling the effects of the blast – her leg ached every time she moved. Granted there was more damage to be had, but adrenaline had taken off the worse of the pain.
Empathy had chased her onto an open lawn. Plenty of shots could be lined up, or if she got close enough, she could grab her with magic. Unfortunately, Caedes kept stumbling and consequentially changing her path, making either choice nearly impossible.
She heaved as her small body was giving out. Another corner was turned, exiting the lawn and into a series of fancy gardens and small alleys. Her brain churned out ideas, but none of them would end in her escaping. Jumping over a decorative garden fence, her leg gave a distinct pop and she could no longer move properly.
Empathy had just rounded the corner in time for Caedes to disappear. Fairing little better than the filly, she breathed heavily, trying to regain some of her stamina. Quickly checking the alleys, she became frustrated due to losing her quarry.
Silence reigned between the two, one hidden, and one searching. It hadn’t occurred to either one how important the quietness was. In fact, sound had never even seemed as a viable option to Empathy. Except when she checked the alleys, there was no clipping of hooves, fleeing which meant that Caedes was still right here, somewhere in the garden.
A dastardly grin spread over Empathy’s muzzle. A trick for a trick she decided. "Blast, I lost her." She struck a loose cobble. "Now I’ll never find her.." Her two knives were expertly stashed back inside of her mane.
Walking around, she decided to look for any off plants or gray colors.
***
There. She’s right there.
She trotted slowly. Ever so slowly, she came closer. Caedes’s breathing increased becoming shallower, attempting to be silent even though her exasperation.
And then, they were next to each other.
Time slowed to an imperceptible pace.
Would she grab her now? No, just to be certain...
***
Empathy moved past, and the tension eased slightly out of Caedes. That is until navy magic swept her up into the fiery gaze of her executioner. "And here I made you think that you were free. Don’t EVER believe that. I will always find you."
Metal glimmered in moonlight as it was grasped out of her mane. "And now I have to wonder. What would have happened after today? If you were left as is, what would happen? I can only imagine the uproar and horrors the public would incite... not to mention ‘legal’ action. Of course everything I think of will end up tails, but really, I am not a fool.
"I know there is a glimmer of hope in your future. It is a glimmer, a spark of hope for a safe future, one of normalcy and comfort. But as I have said, I am no fool. Metaphors out of the way, it is a spark, and sparks do not grow to fire if there is nothing to catch fire. In this regard, this is the only way.
"Anything.. anything is better than being a slave to Fate. Your True Name Caedes, your Name has cursed you, and I am very sorry I can’t fix it, but I can make amends—no—make it right."
The blade was positioned directly over her writhing form. Even trapped as she was, she struggled to live.
"Poetic Justice really." Flipping the pointed side down, it was plunged into the top of her barrel.
A scream covered the sound of wings.
***
Even after all this time, it’s taking so long to do it. I swore to this end as a means to stop the ungodly destruction of her life. And yet.. Yet it’s been over a minute and she still lives. I could have stabbed her clean through by now, many times.
***
A squad of nine thestrals in armour breezed onto the scene. Flapping in the air, the captain ordered the other eight to hold formation causing Empathy to snap out of her daze. "Put the filly down this instant. You are under arrest for crimes of participating in suspicious activity, assault and attempted murder of guards and others."
He pointed with his hoof for the squad to take aim. "Train your crossbows on the mare. Make sure not to hit the victim." He flapped downward a bit more. "Surrender yourself, and face the consequences of your actions."
She looked up into the sky to see the thestrals ready to fire. Staring back to Caedes, she noticed blood dripping from her mouth – still breathing but unconscious.
"Dead soon, anyway..." Cursing Celestia for the interference, she made the most desperate move she could think of: she threw the knives at the guards, and tossed the filly into the air at random.
"What?!" The captain roared, "Grab the filly! Stop that madmare!"
The victim being tossed caused enough confusion to the guards to lose their aim and to open a window of escape. Empathy ran, back to her home with a long planned escape.
The group split. Six guards went after Empathy, shooting off a bolt whenever she exited an alley. The other two and the Captain stayed behind to assess damage control and to attend to injury.
"Gah!" Empathy doubled over in pain from being shot in the back. "Tartarus damn you!" She skidded back onto her hooves, only a block away from her house. So close, and the thestrals were only a second behind. Making a desperate assumption, she teleported into an alley beside her house.
They became confused, but fanned out, searching for the elusive convict. Empathy had the sense to run through the wall’s hole which was closer than the front door. Yanking off the locks to the basement, she practically jumped into the darkness, allowing for her memory to take care of the landing.
The thestrals had seen her enter her house; now they clamored though the hole, speeding though the hallways, hot on her trail. Noting all the noise coming from the left, they found the basement door opened.
The potion was still there. After using the previous one on Tracker’s body, she confirmed that it indeed worked.
The night guards had found her and were about to fire when Empathy smashed the beaker on the ground, causing a massive white flash to appear, burning a black scorch mark on the ground.
She was gone and nowhere near Canterlot.