Difficult Discoveries

by DerpymuffinAuthor

Chapter 3: The Servant

The sky was dark and gray, storm clouds rumbling with their awaiting storm. The courtyard was also dark, except for the yellow light of the torches held by the many soldiers awaiting there. In the courtyard were three arranged poles, piles of dry wood underneath them. The overhead balcony had several ponies on it. All wore dark clothes as they gazed down at the three ponies that were tied up to the poles. This would be a private execution, however, it would be painful as the superiors could make it.

"These three ponies are to be executed today for committing an act of Treason against The Harmony Council." The white allicorn with the flowing mane called in a loud voice that seemed to drown out the rumbling of the oncoming storm.

The pony on the center pole looked ruefully at the soldier holding the torch. This torch would be the source of her death and it would be slow and painful. The thought sent shivers down her spine.

The soldiers looked up at the ponies and the purple allicorn rose up her hoof. The mares that were awaiting their death felt like the moment would go on forever before the hoof slammed down on the railing. The soldiers then lowered their torches to the pile of dry wood.

Within moments the small orange flames turned into a burning orange blur as it licked over the pieces of wood and the mares' back hooves. They bit back the pain, not wanting to give the ponies the satisfaction of their pain.

The first mare's haunches caught on fire quickly and her eyes watered from the smoke and pain the flames caused. Her fur burned away and her flesh went soon after, her body was soon engulfed in flames and she craned her neck in a frail attempt to keep it out of the flames. As the fire climbed up her neck she let out her agonized wail before the ropes burned away and she fell to the pile of wood, her flesh melting away, leaving her jaw gaped in a mute scream. One that would go unheard to the many ponies quietly sleeping away int heir beds.

The mare in the middle was on a higher pole as to prolong her death. She was mortified as her friend's body crashed into the burning flames. Her other friend wasn't too far behind.

The other mare kicked and screamed as the flames crept up her body. Tears streamed down her eyes as the ropes quickly burned away. In a frail attempt for her body to conserve itself, she attempted to push off the pole. However, her burned hind legs would not support her and she fell face first into the fire, screaming before the writhing orange torrent engulfed her writhing body.

Now was the middle mare's turn. The flames climbed up her body and her flesh began to burn away. She turned her head to glare at the ponies on the balcony. As she felt her life ebbing away she took a deep breath before screaming at the top of her lungs.

"Long live Ace Amethyst!!"

As if on Que, the clouds unleashed their heavy torrent of rain upon the ponies below, however, it was too late for the mare whose body was consumed by the flames as the storm came down.

And the entire event was witness by the small mare hiding around the corner of the building, wrapped in a tight cloak with wide, terrified eyes.

---

Dear Twilight.

Fluttershy, Applejack and me have successfully made it to Ponyville. Applejack is overseeing the construction of the new walls and we finished up the East Wall recently. I've been adding a little decor to the town, like, a banister here and there, a few signs for the stores. Things like that.

Fluttershy is being the precious thing she is, making sure everypony is well taken care of. However, she's been working an awful lot. I feel like she's trying to distract herself from something. Maybe she misses Rainbow Dash and wishes she could be here with us, or her pacifist nature is fighting against the fact we're trying to eradicate an entire race from existence.

I don't really get why Dash couldn't come with us. Wouldn't two pegasi be more useful then one? I know that Fluttershy has been able to fly at high speeds without freaking out for a good while now and that you think its a good idea to send one pegasus, one unicorn and one earth pony, but she would be performing a lot better task of watching over Ponyville with Dash around.
Well, i'm not to question you.
Until you reply.

~Love, Rarity

---

The pale unicorn stared down the letter, halfway forgetting her surroundings. That is, until a familiar orange earth mare trotted in.

"Hey, Rarity?" The words of the country mare broke Rarity from her thoughts. Being the mare that she was, Rarity put on her best scowl and turned around in her chair.

"Applejack! You broke my concentration!" She halfheartedly snapped at the mare who chuckled at the response

"Yeah right. what were ya concentration on? Turning this place into a tiny Crystal Empire with them fancy gold streets?" Applejack's lips turned to a mischievous smile.

Rarity's ears flattened against her head as she shot Applejack an indignant glare before abruptly turning back to her letter.

"Oh. Ah guess its about what Fluttershy said at lunch? About how eradicating a race ain't a kindly thing ta do?"

The words struck all to close to home for Rarity, she never expected less from the Element of Honesty. Rarity lowered her head, giving Applejack her expected answer.

"She was just worked up. She didn't experience the pain all those other ponies experienced because of The Darkened. Celestia, even their name spells it out! They're just another evil villain, that's all ya got ta see them as. Another villain that we will protect Equestria from."

Rarity let out a sigh. It was a miracle she hadn't ripped out her mane from all the stress. Watching over Ponyville while some mysterious danger loomed just beyond the half finished walls that, may she add, were draining her to just supervise the ponies working on it.

"We're all worked up, Applejack. In all my life, I never thought I would be part of politics and wars and, and all this other nonsense!" Rarity slammed her hoof on the desk in frustration. "I just wanted to have a peaceful life with my boutique, watching over Sweetie Belle and being there when she got her cutie mark. When this element picked me, I just thought, 'Oh! Well, no matter, just a couple hiccups here and there with Equestria's defense' But no! I had to be dragged into a war that occured when my mother was just a filly! Now I have to deal with these wretched-"

"Rarity! Stop it!" Rarity hadn't realized that she had hit the desk again and again and now her hoof had a bruise forming and it was throbbing. At least she didn't feel as stressed as she did five minutes ago. It was a good thing that Applejack had grabbed her hoof or she probably went on till her hoof or the desk broke.

"I-I'm sorry AJ.. I just.. I just lost it for a moment.." Applejack released her grip on Rarity's hoof and gave her a comforting hug.

"Don't worry about it. Just.. Get that there letter to Twilight and we can both retire for the night." Rarity didn't try to speak, she just nodded and the mare smiled, tipping her stetson before trotting out of the room, gently closing the door behind her.

Rarity smiled and turned to her letter, rolling it up and pressing a Harmony Council seal to it. With a shaky exhale, she dipped the tip of it into the purple flame that came from her candle. The letter vanished in a cloud of sparkling purple smoke and flew out the window.

Rarity slipped out of her chair, immediately feeling a burning feeling in her hoof as she rested her weight on it. She shook it off and trotted towards her bed, snuggling under the covers. She felt exhaustion finally wash over her. With a final yawn, she quenched the purple flame with her magic and drifted to a peaceful sleep.

Author's Note:

So... Different POV :3 I do good?

Also, I don't ship Rarijack. M'kay?
But it feels like I do..
I have a mutual respect for it. There.