Legacy

by Sleep Sonata

Tyrant

So many emotions were filling Starry, she didn’t know whether to feel sad, angry, or simply give up. To be betrayed by one of her supposedly loyal supporters, a pony whom she had trusted with not just her safety, but that of Harvest’s as well, was too much for her process.

A few of the lights were extinguished, and Starry was able to get a better look at her surroundings. She was disheartened to see herself surrounded by guard stallions, all clad in jet black armor. A voice from the back broke to silence. “Make way for the Lord Protector!”

The guards shifted to form a walkway, through which walked a thestral stallion, though he was nowhere near as intimidating as those around him. He carried himself almost casually, but still with enough authority to have an air of professionalism about him.

The pony Starry assumed was the Lord Protector walked right up to her, and gave her a not so friendly smile. “Princess Starry Night, I can not tell you how good it is to see your face again. Did you enjoy your trip? I hope the locals were friendly.”

Starry didn’t know where to begin. This was the Lord Protector, of which Harvest had said nothing but ill things about. On top of that he was supposedly the one who took away her memories, and he was asking about her trip?

Now she decided to stand up and confront this ‘Lord Protector’. “Why did you do with my memories?! Don’t lie to me!”

The dictator just kept smiling at her, as if they were having a normal conversation. “I wouldn’t dream of it. It would be unforgivable for me to tell a lie to royalty such as yourself.” He began to walk over to where Harvest was being held. “I must say, I’m very proud of you. You managed to make your way all the way across Equestria, while finding another one of your compatriots. All the while not knowing any more than your name. It really is admirable.”

Starry struggled to maintain her bearing with her captor. “You probably don’t even know who I am. A good job on my end, if I do say so myself. Now Lord Protector Crow, I’ve been running the kingdom in your absence.”

Starry was becoming enraged at Crow’s pseudo-friendly demeanor, but she didn’t lose her temper. “I’m not your friend. Quit trying to win me over.”

Crow let out a sigh. “Tsk, tsk, I was genuinely glad to see you again. And you go and try to start a confrontation. That’s not very becoming of a princess, is it.” Starry maintained her silence. “Anyway, it’s a good thing you showed up when you did. The preparations are almost ready.”

This caused Starry some concern. “Preparations for what, exactly?”

“I can’t tell you now. That would ruin the surprise.” Crow walked back up to her, and had the gaul to place a leg around her shoulder. “Very soon, you are going to get a very special gift. But that’s all I can say for now. I think it’s time for you and Harvest Moon to go to bed.”

With a stomp of his hoof. Starry was surrounded by the guards in black. There was nothing she could do. She had to comply to make sure Crow wouldn’t hurt Harvest. She allowed herself to be escorted into a wooden crate, as Harvest was unceremoniously thrown in, though at least she wasn’t bound anymore.

“Harvest, are you okay?” Harvest didn’t even look up, she just kept her head firmly against the floor of the crate. Starry could hear her sobbing softly. All she could do was keep her close. There was nothing left to say.

Seconds seemed like hours as Starry and Harvest sat silently in the prison wagon. Harvest hardly moved the entire time. She leaned against the wall across from Starry, staring at the rickety wooden floor. There was nothing to say between the two of them. They both knew what had just happened. They’d been betrayed, and now they were helpless to stop Crow’s plan.

The cart came to a stop, and the door opened up to reveal the cell that had been designated for them. It wasn’t as bleak as Starry had imagined it, if anything, it was rather accommodating. There were two separate beds, a dinning table, and even a closet. The furniture itself was very plain, but was it was a far cry from the dungeon Starry had expected.

Once the two had left the wagon, the door was closed behind them, and a stone wall was lowered in it’s place. The room was now sealed, with the only exit being a single metal door. “Why is he being so generous?” Starry pondered aloud. “He wiped our minds, banished us, and staged a coup, and now he’s treating us as guests?”

Harvest couldn’t give an answer to her question. “Don’t let him get into your head. He’s a monster. We need to find out what he has planned for Equestria.”

“How are we going to get out? There’s only one door.”

As they were both planning their escape, they heard the locks outside the door clicking and sliding. When the heavy door opened, a guard stood in the doorway, flanked by two more. “The Lord Protector wishes to speak with Princess Starry Night.”

Starry looked over at harvest, who simply gave her a nod to go along. Starry swallowed her fear, and proceeded outside the room. She glanced back one more time before the door slammed shut. She started to cry. This was the second time she’d abandoned friends.

As she was escorted down the halls of the palace, Starry started to get a sense of how desperate the fight for control had become. The tapestries were all in tatters, and the stained glass windows were covered instead by sheets. The remains of carpet had been pushed off to the side, to make walking easier, but the hard stone that took it’s place filled the halls with the hollow sounds of hoof steps.

Eventually, the guards stopped in front of two massive doors, but only cracked open one of them for Starry to enter through. Inside, she saw Crow, who just stood staring at the empty throne, not moving a muscle. The door slammed shut behind Starry, leaving the two of them alone.

“What is the meaning of this?” Starry didn’t raise her voice, but she maintained a stern tone. “I’ve been banished from my home, taken away from my friends, and now I’m a prisoner of the one who is supposedly behind it all. I want answers.”

Crow turned around, revealing a sombre, expressionless face. He no longer appeared to be the maniacal dictator who had captured her earlier. “When I first joined the Nighthawks, I took an oath to serve, protect, and defend the Princess of Nocturna, and all her subjects. On that day, I was swearing an oath to you.” He raised a hoof and pointed directly at Starry. She was now even more confused as to his actions.

“But the more and more I served, the more I saw that we as a corps were failing in our mission.” He beckoned Starry over to the window, where she could see exactly what he was talking about.

She could see for miles, but in all that expanse, there was not one spot of green. Everything was a monotonous shade of muddy brown, occasionally interspersed with the grey of the rocks.

“The thestrals haven’t been able to turn a crop in years. We’ve been sustaining ourselves on the harvests of other cities, but now they are beginning to starve. The entire kingdom has nothing.” In only a second after his last sentence, the serene smile with which he greeted her returned, and the atmosphere in the room seemed to change. “But soon, that is going to change. I have a plan to end the suffering, and you will be the greatest beneficiary.”

Starry was stuck by his abrupt change in mood. She almost forgot that he was actually speaking. “What are talking about? I’m your prisoner, why would you try to benefit me?”

“I said so earlier. I stand by the oath I took as a cadet, and you are my princess.” Crow walked up to the vacant throne, and examined the craftsmanship that made up the intricate woodwork. “This was your throne. From here, you ruled Nocturna as the benevolent Princess Starry Night.” As quickly as he sang it’s praises, Crow gave it a swift kick, shattering the once majestic seat of authority.

Starry stood aghast. Had he really just destroyed the throne of the princess which he claimed to love and serve? “What are you doing?!”

Crow walked back down the steps, completely devoid of remorse. “That throne is dead. There is nothing left for it to rule over.”

Starry was enraged. “Stop! I demand you return my memories at once!”

Crow didn’t react at all to Starry’s outburst. “I’d be happy to abide by your wished, your majesty. Unfortunately, I can’t let you do something that is against you interests.”

His smug arrogance was getting the better of Starry. “Hold your tongue! If your only wish is to serve your princess, then you do as she commands!”

“And that is why I erased your memories in the first place. You couldn’t make rational decisions. A good leader holds their principles in their heart, but makes decisions with their mind.” Starry thought about his words, and whether she liked it or not, they made sense. “You didn’t use your head, and that is why you had to forget everything.”

“But why send me to Equestria? If you were going to recondition me, why not do it here. Surely that is less of a hassle.”

“That would be true, if rewriting your brain was my goal.” Starry was about to speak again, but then heard what crow had said, and again, stood in confusion. “I didn’t send you over to Equestria out of spite. I know what’s over there, and more importantly, you do too. Better yet, with a clear mind.”

Starry’s confusion gave way to curiosity. “Why did I have to see Equestria?”

Crow’s serene expression turned to excitement, to Starry’s worry. “Because, Princess, you are going to rule it.”