Chapter 8 Royal Duties
It was a cloudy afternoon, as the weather ponies had scheduled a snow storm that was going to fly through Equestria and follow all the way to Gryffindar. Celestia had just finished delivering the bad news to the parents of the guards lost in the conflict a few days ago. Trying to maintain a calm demeanor, she waited until she was back in her own room, before she shut the door and fell back on it. Sliding down, she covered her face with her hoof as she desperately tried to forget their cries of grief, still ringing in her mind. It was affecting her deeply, despite having done this several times before. Each time she had to tell the loved ones of the deceased that they wouldn’t be coming back, made her heart clench in pain. What was even worse is that they couldn't have a proper funeral to bury the remains of the guards due to there being only traces of fur and bones left, making it impossible to know who was who. It hurt more when she had to tell a single mother that her son couldn’t join her for her birthday, out of all, this hit her at home the most, after all, in her life, she had never loved anyone more then her son, Sunbright, or as he is better known these days, Sombra. Both Celestia and Luna felt empty after their encounter a millennia ago, they both had a gaping hole in their hearts that could not be filled. And seeing the parents mourn the loss of their sons, woke up this long forgotten pain.
Tears freely slid down her face as she mourned for her loss and others.. A knock came from the door. She quickly wiped away any visible tears and took a quick second to insure that there were no traces of sorrow in her eyes. "Sister, are you alright?" As soon as she heard Luna's voice, she let down her guard again. Celestia Opened the door, allowing her sister to enter the room. Luna already sensed there was something wrong with her sister. "Did it go well?"
"They all took it very hard, sons, brothers and fathers that will never see their loved ones again. And it was all my fault, I shouldn't have trusted Aran to keep his end of the bargain!" She kicked the ground, cracking the marmor surface.
Every moment Luna saw her sister suffering because of her arrogance and misjudgment felt like a hot iron rod going through her heart. Secretly losing one of the few who have been at her side for millennia, because she wanted to get rid of a thorn that wasn't even causing her any trouble. She wanted to smack herself across the face for even bothering with Aran, they hadn't had a single incident ever since the wedding. "What will we do regarding the filly, Applebloom?" Celestia stood silent for a moment, she didn't know if it was possible to save her anymore, Aran was now in possession of a powerful weapon, had a hostage he could kill or let die at any moment, and to top it off, she didn’t know how many ponies it would take to even engage and manage him properly. He was an avatar of ferocity and rage, was no stranger to pain, suffering, and combat.What was once an innocent child, was now a monster that seeked nothing but vengeance. A monster of vengeance that she had created because of her arrogance and misjudgment. "Tia?" Celestia snapped out of her thoughts.
"I don't know… the only way we can kill or imprison him is if we bring an army, but our guards have already searched every inch of the Everfree for him. He has most likely left for the minotaur planes or gryffindar, and if we would send an army after him, that would be seen as a direct declaration of war, if we send a small squad of specialists, we are taking another big risk with their lives and also risk the life of a little filly. The most likely outcome from that option would result in heavy casualties before they could manage to bring him down, and that is the best case scenario, it could also go all wrong, and end up in a bloodbath that nopony walks away from. But, if we do nothing, we will forfeit the life of Applebloom. In conclusion, the answer comes down to whether the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. But if we let Applebloom die, Applejack would never forgive us and she might lose her connection to her element as I did, leaving Equestria defenseless." Celestia took a deep breath as the stress of the situation was getting to her. Celestia looked to her sister for any sort of advice, but she also had no idea how to save Applebloom from Aran.
***
Aran slowly woke up from his dreamless sleep and cherished every second that he was under a warm blanket, on a soft bed and a real pillow. Aran was already fully awake, but decided that it was pointless to leave the bed anyways, after all, he had no business downstairs and Applebloom was still asleep next to him, he just lay there and thought about how much he had forgotten the good old comforts of society, though he remembered very little of it. He did remember one event in particular though; a particular winter’s morning when the cold crisp air was seeping into his room with a view right out his window with a perfect panorama of his neighbourhood, covered in a blanket of white fluffy snow. A small nostalgic smile crept onto his face, though it was quickly snuffed out, remembering how he had taken his life on Earth for granted. Just the task of getting water was an hour long process, compared to the simple turn of a knob. Or the weekly mission to get properly fed, compared to being able to order a pizza which he could now last at most a week, instead of a single evening.
But most of all, the long, long forgotten sense of security, knowing that there is an unimaginably small chance of harm when you lay down in your bed, compared to in Equestria, where every second your eyes were closed was a second that could cost you your life. Living in the everfree forest as long as he did, had made him paranoid for every second he had his back turned or his eyes closed. Lying down on the bed again, Aran twist and turned in the bed, looking over Applebloom's shoulder. Memories of his murder attempt were flashing back to him, even though she had done a great job locating something sharp and useful as a weapon in a very short notice, even the ability to sneak by everyone unnoticed. But that was to be expected of her, after all. In this part of the world, children are ignored by everyone, they are everywhere, see everything and hear everything, with no one taking notice of their presence. Maybe she could have her uses after all. In Magmar, most would just look at her as an orphan filly. She could be his eyes and ears, getting information where he could not.
Aran let out a relieved sigh, now that he had solved his problem with Applebloom, he eased up a bit on his thinking, however, now that he was done contemplating, he had nothing else to do but lay in bed. But after a few minutes it became really dull, his body being as rested as it could be. Putting on his torn up shoes, he made his way down the stairs to have some breakfast, something he didn't think he'd ever do again. A blissful smile crept on his face as he saw the inn mostly abandoned, with only Volkar and the barmaids cleaning up after last night’s rather gruesome event. He approached the minotaur and grabbed whatever was present on the table.
"Shit, what happened here?" He looked around. "Where did everyone go?"
"They all grabbed their stuff and left the second they woke up,” Volkar shrugged. “My bet is that you scared them away. Sucks for my business, but hey, at least there wasn't a single brawl last night, so that is an upside." Aran chuckled as he took a sip of water. "By the way, next time you kill someone, please don't leave their heads and a bloody corpse outside my Inn. It tends to freak out any newcomers."
"Sorry, mom. Next time I brutally slaughter a gang of minotaur, I'll clean up my mess." He said, trying to suppress his smirk. But as quick as he was to relax, he was just as quick to grow restless again. Thoughts about Cadence popped up as he had a lot of time and nothing to do but think. Though he had no physical worries at the moment, he was still uneasy about his encounter with the pink alicorn, if she ever would seek him out again, could he really bring himself to kill her?
***
Aran lay on the ground, his mouth half open the taste of dirt assaulting his tongue. He was drooling endlessly, he had barely enough strength to breath, his body was unable to warm itself due to his mistreatment. He was dying in his cell, but a day or two away from either freezing, or starving to death. Even if he didn’t die from malnourishment, the strain put on his body was far too much that he knew he would be dead soon enough. He knew that the still healing wound that took up most of his torso would tear and reopen the wound. His mind was also fading in and out of consciousness. He could still feel the remnants of the spell the ponies had cast on him, rippling in his head. To say that the spell felt like nails on a chalkboard was an understatement, this was more like a chainsaw cutting through glass. Aran was broken, physically and mentally. "This...This is it." He whispered to himself in comfort. He would die, but at least he would be put out of his misery. He was just about to black out...and never wake up again. With no hope of rescue, the light in his eyes slowly faded away as he slowly closed his eyes and he loosened his grip on life.
An azure light shone through the abandoned dungeon. Cadence approached the unconscious and malnourished human. Her horn gave a bright glow as its magic surged into the half-dead body, trying to revitalize the soon-to-be corpse. She had put significant effort into the spell, even with his magical resistance, it was quickly showing results. His fingers were twitching and small gasps and moans could be heard under his breath. Cadence, seeing that the human had been saved from the grasp of death, left a small basket, with, bread, treats, fruits, hay and vegetables along with a note and something special before teleporting out of the dungeon.
Aran's senses quickly returned to him as a feeling of rejuvenation spread throughout his body. His mental and physical pain had been greatly suppressed and his strength was steadily coming back to him, stronger than he'd had for a while now. "What just happened?" Straining his muscles, he once again was fully conscious and able to stand. The wound from his procedure had mostly been healed, though it was still there, it would one day leave a scar on his chest and life from his unforgettable experience. Aran was lucky that the moon was shining through his barred window, or else he most likely wouldn't be able to see the basket of food. Surprised, he didn't waste a second before grabbing whatever he could get his hands on, however, the first thing his hand touched was a note on top of the food.
Destroy the basket and throw it out of the window. I hope that you accept my token of friendship.
Aran didn't need much puzzling to know that it was most likely the pink alicorn that had healed him from earlier, still a little bit shocked that she would give him food after he had spat in her face, he sniffed it suspecting it to be poisoned. Contemplating the risk whether or not it was worth starving to death over edible food or to risk a quick, and perhaps, even more painful death from poison he eventually shrugged and gobbled down an apple. Chewing thoroughly, and swallowing, Aran waited a second, which turned into thirty, and then a minute. When he didn’t start foaming at the mouth, he continued with his meal. If the pink pony was offering food to have her curiosity fed, then he wouldn't complain, as long as he got sustenance and medical attention, he could tolerate the alicorn.
***
The throne room was completely silent, the guards were ordered to leave Luna alone and in solitude. Scribbling away on the parchment, despite the heavy losses faced in the royal guard and her own personal task force, she had no choice but to move on. It wasn't going to make it any easier thinking about it all the time, and besides, the frustration from the work helped her forget just for a moment.
The doors to the room swung open, and with it came a slightly more cheery Celestia who had a relieved look on her face. "I finally know what to do Luna! I have an idea on how to rescue Applebloom."
Luna, despite her being done with the human, had to play intrested so as to not give away any suspicion. "What is it sister?" She said, standing up from the throne and walking down its steps.
"We can hire a skilled band of mercenaries that we could send after Applebloom, retrieve her and deal with Aran should he pose too much of a threat. And the best part of it I wouldn’t risk starting a war or risking the lives of my guards.” She jolted up waiting for her sister to give a response. Luna was frozen for the moment, she did think it was a good idea that would minimize damage, but mercenaries only care about the money and could abandon it should they deem it to hard. “Well? What do you think?” Celestia asked, hoping that her sister would reassure her that she was making the right choice.
Luna looked up at her sister again, finally knowing what to say. “I believe that is the best course of action, but a group like that will need someone to make sure that their priorities are clear. I recommend we let Captain Shining Armor come along for this mission. Afterall, twice now he has survived Aran’s assault.”
Celestia paused as the possibility of losing another guard came up again. But this time the cost wouldn't be so heavy, though Celestia appreciated her guards, and her captains over the millennia, Shining Armor was also Twilight’s brother which meant that if he would die, she could lose her connection with the elements. But if he would be assigned just as a witness, it would remove the risk out of the equation. “Its a plan, but I will only allow him to go if he volunteers too. Afterall, I don’t want order my guards to forfeit their life, or else I wouldn't be any better than Aran.”
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This is how I can sum up the princess's in this story
i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/540/811/e45.png
Celestia is directing her hate at the wrong being.
Of course, Luna will never admit her own screw up.
was?
uh... when i look at my keyboard, the "w" and "h" are rather far apart. how did you manage that?
never the less, can't wait for the next chapter
mercs are a bad idea celestia. they have no honor and are prone to fear quicker then a soldier. aran brutally murders 2-3 of the mercs and the rest would become too scared to properly fight making it easier to slaughter them. good luck with that thou, lemme know how shining comes outta this.
KILL HIM! KILL SHINING 'THE PANSY' ARMOR!!!
4725876
Pretty much, yeah. But the reasoning behind that is due to their living so long that they think they're practically infallible. At least in my head cannon. But it could be anything, after all, I'm just the editor.
4725898 I'm dyslexic.
4725876 thats all politicians in general.
4725909 I'm always open for ideas.
4725899 I bet Aran won't do it because of Cadence or something.
4725957
i dont know, he did promise he would kill the shining since he, luna and celestia are responsible for what he went thru, 1/3 done with revenge. the celestia and luna thing might be tricky since the sun and moon and all that need moving. maybe cut their wings off?
MOAR! I DEMAND MOAR!
(x600 with a Arnold Schwarzenegger's voice.)
4725957 I'm just going to put this here. assets.diylol.com/hfs/3e1/797/fc5/resized/george-r-r-martin-meme-generator-have-a-favorite-character-not-anymore-cce918.jpg?1325976228.jpg
4725928
ah, well, you can't expect to know everything about every one. I offer you my apologizes and a moustache
4726052 I never said that Cadence was my favorite character, nor that I have one
This is a good story, however I do have one thing to say to the princess's. Ahem.
fc07.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2011/295/0/7/you_are_an_idiot_by_letmebelieve-d4dnieb.jpg
That is all.
4725928 another great chapter! I eagerly await the day he tears luna a new one :D
I can't wait till Celestia learns of her sister's involvement that caused the death of those guards.
4726745
I can't wait until she figures out allot of it is their fault
4726094 I accept your mustache good sir.
Aggghhh!! This readers knowledge is annoying the fuck out of me!
You're already worse you fucking hoe-bag... luna, too
4727293 She already feels guilty for a lot of it.
4728556
Yeah but she is still blaming him for evreything
I was just reviewing this story yesterday and a new chaper arrives! Huzzah!
4729660 See it as a reward for your devotion.
Wait, why was I expecting Luna to fess up? Fucking biiiiiiitch.
Just the parents? No siblings, cousins, grandparents, spouses, or other relatives? I doubt that.
Perhaps you should change the word "parents" to "families".
She thinks she's better than him? She destroyed a man's memories out of she impatience, starved him, vivisected him because she was too stupid to get a skilled biologist to examine him(a skilled biologist can tell quite a bit WITHOUT actually hurting a creature, and it doesn't take a whole lot of knowledge to heal the kind of wounds he had), imprisoned him, then left guards who delighted in tormenting him in charge of him cell. Sure, better.
4738577 so very true
4738600
Fruit/veggies wouldn't give him enough nourishment. Buying a chicken is out of the question, but stealing one would drag unnecessary attention that could lead to a standoff between him and the guards. plus it would also wouldn't work because the wolves would probably come more frequently and would be more risky and end up with more trouble in the end. and if you're referring to buying a chicken as in then kill it, instead of starting a chicken farm for constant meat supply, he already does buy a meat by trading it for something Korvax wants or needs.
4739184 I'm glad you agree.
4743529 You are on the way to enlightment, young padawan...
)
(I couldn't resist
But in all seriousness I agree that Celestias reaction would be priceless... maybe it will finally drive home the fact she has dug her own grave into her thick skull...
Most likely not
I don't understand this "losing connection to the elements" thing. Why? Because they're sad?
Oh, and I'd advise using a different break line thingy for when you're switching time frames as opposed to scenes as it might get confusing for some otherwise. Maybe use ~~~ when going through time.
4780036 Because they lose themselves, who they are. If Applejack would lose her sister after her mom and pa died the same way, what effect would it have on her psyche and personality.
4780995 Run on sentence? My editor must have missed that, dont blame me.
4781061 So she'd feel REALLY sad? I don't think your logic is getting through to me.
4783066 Alright then, I'll answer your question with an another question. Why do you think Luna and Celestia can't use it anymore?
4783959 Because they were
REALLY REALLY SADdevastated by the whole Nightmare Moon thing.I can see why Celestia might lose something like the Element of Laughter and Luna would lose Loyalty, but I don't see why Applejack would lose Honesty or Twilight would lose Magic. I guess your world's Elements just work in a way I don't agree with.
4784529 During season 2 first episode, Discord changed the ponies attitude or spirit of looking at things. Applejack saw her friends spliting up, hating eachother. When she saw the vision of their fight and end as friends, she preffered to not believe it, as a lie. however, if the element of honesty can't be true to herself, she wouldn't be fit to be an element of honest.
If her sister would die, she'd live in denial and regret. Shutting her off from her element. Maybe she might get over it one day, but it would take years even then. Thats my hypothesis.
4784961 I'm certain there's a difference between dishonesty (lying) and denial (not accepting).
4786902 Nope. Denial is lying to yourself. Saying what was couldn't have been. Deep down, you know the truth, but you refuse it. You tell yourself that isn't what happened. You take it as a lie. Applejack was in denial about her friends getting split up. She would be in even greater denial about losing Applebloom. She would lie to herself, maybe even lie to others, in order to hold onto the hope that Applebloom will come back, safe and sound. This, given what we've seen of her personality, would go on for weeks, months, years, maybe even until the day she died. Which is an absolutely huge risk, given that without her, or any one of the other Elements, the Elements can charge, but will misfire, resulting in nothing happening. Her connection might remain, but her Element would be useless, resulting in no other bearer being chosen until Applejack dies or her connection is fully severed, and even if another were chosen to wield it, it could take years for them to be found, and they would have to become friends with the other Bearers.
Half asleep rants are always fun. Please forgive any errors.
Are we...are we supposed to feel any sympathy for any of the ponies besides Applebloom? I mean...Shining Armor and the guards are heartless jerks, Celestia imprisoned, tortured, starved, VIVISECTED, and mind-raped an innocent person for very flimsy reasons, Luna helped Tia in her torture fest and then actively tried to murder him when (surprise surprise) he reacted violently after everything he'd been through, Cadance obviously didn't care enough to actually DO anything and probably just prolonged his suffering...and the Mane 6 are apparently all ok with this. Even freaking FLUTTERSHY, who should have stared Celestia so hard sunbutt would've ended up in a coma the second she got a glimpse of his journal.... At this point Applebloom(and I suppose Sweetie and Scoots since they haven't been seen since the initial incident) is the only pony left that I have any good feelings for, because the worst thing she's done to Aran was be a stupid kid. She's certainly done MORE for him than anyone else in this story, and she's pretty much been kidnapped by him at this point.
I just find it hard to feel any sympathy for Celestia mourning her jerkass guards when they're pretty much as responsible for Aran going nuts as she and Luna are.
How about Fluffle Puff? Or Skaven Craw?
much of this music is oddly fotting, or is it a similar situation?
this is one of them that fits
although this is probably the one that fits the most. Or it just caught my attention and i thought it did, after all its your story
If Luna believes that that is due to skill, she's dead wrong. The only reason Shining ever survived that shit is because Aran didn't have enough time to kill him or was simply half dead by the time they started the fight and literally didn't have the energy to fucking do that and stay alive.
You must be just as dumb as you act, Luna.
Oh, shut the fuck up, Celestia; you're already worse than him.
This is why ponies shouldn't anger a human.
poor bastards
YOUAREREALIZINGNOWHOWMUCHYOUFUCKEDUP *DEEP INHALE*ISYOURSKULLMADEOFADAMANTIUMORSOMETHING!?!?!?!?!?!
your not and you never have been, you hypocrite, you did an assload of terrifying shit to him
4725876
That is, by far, the best description of everyone in this story!