Troubled Twins

by Wayofthepen

Time Flies

Celestia sat at her throne, having finished her morning court session. As she let out a sigh of relief, another set of hooves entered her chambers. “I am sorry, but court is... Oh, Captain Chaser. What brings you here?” The pegasus guard captain made haste to the princess and knelt before her. She told him to rise, and the look on his face was unclear.

He looked straight at her face and deep into her eyes. “My lady, he’s been found.” Celestia nearly fell back at this statement, even if she was in her throne. She gave him a questioning look. “Black coat, blue eyes, black and red mane and tail. Celestia, he’s in prison. We overhead him talking with the prisoner in his cell. He claims to have lived in secrecy with his ‘twin unicorn’ sister.” Celestia no longer had a surprised expression, but one of being deep in thought.

She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. “It has almost been one thousand years, and I still have no time to give to him. Only if Luna hadn’t...” She just sat there, mumbling to herself. Some of it being ways to bring him here, others of how she could have approached her sister differently.

Captain Chaser reminded her of his presence, and she looked up at him. “In two years time, it will be time for her return. You already foresaw the outcome in a vision, so why not wait until then? Surely with the royal duties split between the two of you, one of you could raise him properly.” Celestia sat for a few more minutes. He is right. I am amazed I was not the one to come up with this plan. She gave the captain a nod and sent him off. It was going to be a long two years.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“Get off your lazy flank and get your suit on. It’s time for breakfast.” The voice rang through my ears with a force. After getting out of bed and doing as was asked, and not doing it easily, Raven had just finished doing the same. It was the same unicorn guard as when I first got here, who was also the one to shove me rudely. He slid the door open slowly and stepped inside.

He motioned us to follow him, which we did, down the many of hallways that plagued the large building. After four hallways, we finally came to a set of double doors. Pushing us through them, we found it just to be a large room with tables scattered around. There was a line of prisoners, most likely getting food, and none of them seemed happy about it either. “Enjoy.” Was the last thing the guard said before going into his post.

I sat down at a random empty table. Being an alicorn, I found that I didn’t need the simple things that the other races needed. Hunger, thirst, even bathing. So I just sat there, waiting for Raven to come back, when some prisoner decided to try to be funny.

He put a hoof down right next to me. “So, let me guess. You must think you will run this place, being an alicorn and all.” I shook my head. “Good, cause this is my turf. You best not forget that.” I let out a slight chuckle. “What are you laughing at?”

An evil smirk grew across my face, and it made the prisoners infront of me cringe. “You don’t scare me. Mind your own business before-”

“Before what? You know, I think I’ll call you...Peny.” I could hear him snicker at me, at both cutting me off and at the name.

“Come on, Muffin. Leave ‘em alone.” Another prisoner from the same direction as Muffin said. He has some common sense.

“He won’t do nothing, won’t ya?” I cracked my neck.

“Call me that one more time, and you will regret it.”

I heard him laugh again. “Or what, Pen-” I brought my left hoof back with lightning speed and connected with his chest. All I heard was a scream of pain and a body slamming a rock wall.

“Or that. Anypony else got some comments?” Every prisoner shifted back to their original conversations. I just shrugged as Raven came back over, half shaking.

Raven nudged me and I turned to him. “Shadow, do you know who that was?” I just shook my head, as it didn’t matter. “That was Muffin. He is, or was, the toughest pony here. He wasn’t the brightest, either, as you can see.” I turned around, and stared in awe. Muffin’s body was lying on his stomach with blood coming from his back, likely from the shards of rock stuck in it. I turned around and shrugged.

“Shit happens.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - Two years later - - - - - - - - - - - -

I laid in my solitary cell staring at the ceiling. They moved me here about a year ago after I kept getting into fights. I hadn’t heard much news on Silent, except that she was getting into less trouble than me. I had been thinking about how to escape, but without my magic it would be difficult. I closed my eyes and drifted into a deep sleep.

- - - - Meanwhile, in Canterlot - - - -

Captain Chaser was standing before Celestia once again, but on worse terms. She once more told him to rise. He looked her straight in the eyes and took a deep breath. “My lady, I bring troubling news.” He hesitated, but the look Celestia gave him forced the information out of him. “He has been placed in solitary confinement. The longer you wait, the more dangerous he becomes.”

Celestia trailed off once more, looking outside towards the moon. “I see. I shall venture there to remove him tomorrow. You are dismissed, Captain Chaser.” The captain bowed his head towards her and quickly trotted away.

She just sat on her throne, staring at the moon. He seems to be a lot like you, Luna. Acting without thinking rationally. I wonder what you would say if you were here right now...

- - - - Tomorrow - - - -

My door flew open and light attacked my eyelids, forcing me awake. “Kin, we’re leaving. Let’s move.” Silent’s voice rang through my ears, causing me to jump to my hooves. As I trotted outside into the long corridor, Silent spoke her plan to me. “The others are creating a distraction. The device was destroyed and magic is restored. You can thank me later, but now I need you to put all of your magic into one blast and shoot that wall.” She pointed her horn in the direction of the wall. “On the other side is a large forest, and somewhere inside is a cave where we can hide out.”

I turned and pointed my horn at the wall. A red aura surrounded my horn and soon spread to my entire body, making me feel my own energy. The aura around my horn collected that of my body and shot forth a beam of red light. As the light connected to the wall, a large explosion sent debris flying everywhere.

“Whoa. Let’s get out of here!” She galloped forward the hole with me on her tail. In the large, wide open prison yard, guards and prisoners alike were fighting and killing each other. Better them than us.

After dodging a few magic blasts and a couple flying shivs and batons, I had broken through another wall that lead to the forest. We galloped into it and never stopped, even with all the cuts and bruises I was getting from the plants and branches. I could sense a growing energy coming from the distance, but I shook it off as we reached the cave. After stepping inside and panting, we laughed at each other.

“I would have never thought you would get solitary.” She said between panting and laughing.

“I am your brother, after all.” We both smiled at each other, finally getting that connection other siblings get. What brought us to reality was two sounds of clucking, and I immediately knew what it was. We slowly turned our heads to see two cockatrices gazing right at us.

“K-Kin!” I quickly turned to Silent, seeing her slowly turn to stone. I didn’t have to look to notice I was as well. My hind legs felt... Cold. I couldn’t move or feel them, except for wanting to scream. Which is what I did, as my sister and I were fully overtaken by the stone.

- - - - Celestia - - - -

She galloped after him, unknowing of his fate. After following his trail of magical energy, she found the cave they ran inside. She let out a sigh of relief and stepped inside, only to be overtaken by a different feeling. Sorrow.

The alicorn and his sister had been turned to stone and with the creatures responsible no where to be seen, she just knelt down. Tears started forming at her eyes. “Not you too...” The sound of hoofsteps brought her back to her old self. It was the captain with two more guards, both looking beaten and bloodied.

“Princess Celestia, are you alright?” He looked past her at the stone statues, slow to pick up on the fact that they were once living. When it hit him, his head hung low for her loss. He trotted next to her and put a hoof on her. “My lady, if I may, who was he?”

Celestia slowly stood up, still on the verge of tears. She turned to the captain and let out a heavy sigh. “A very old friend. I would rather not retell the story at this time...” The captain gave a nod for agreement. “Gather some ponies and take them two back to the Royal Garden. Look for any cockatrices. For both these two’s sake, and for any other pony who wanders these woods.” The captain gave another nod as the princess left the cave and flew back to Canterlot.

- - - - Shadowkin - - - -

So now I am frozen in stone and alone. There is only one thing I can even think of saying that describes how I feel...Fuck my life.

Comments

[PimpbabyDragon]

damn...never call shadowkin penny or you're dead

[Wayofthepen]

296169 Thank Muffin (ultrasponge) for that idea.