Trapped In Canterlot

by TartarusFire

C4 - It'll Come Back To Bite

"Here are beginner guides to runes, The Introduction to Magic Lines, the beginner guide to techniques, Further Your Magical Ability with Action - vol.1, and the beginner guide to talismans, Magic Items and You, in that order." A deceptively small stack of books weighed Tracker down by vast amounts.

“I also thought to give you these; since almost no pony bothers with aids anymore because they’re content, or they are already powerful without. Not a lot of need except in war.”

"Phew. I though these books were supposed to be small?"

"Well they’re enchanted to be heavier, so you can practice with your increased magical aptitude. It was a common practice that fell out of favor about three hundred years ago." She tsked, "What a shame."

"Thank you for the help Twilight; you are such a nice pony, don’t let the nobles tell you otherwise."

"Oh that reminds me," She flattened out her mane which had frazzled hairs sticking out all over the place from rearranging the books with a flick of her magic, "if it’s not too nosey, why are you wanting to get home so quickly with many books in magical aids?"

His face darkened as he remembered his earlier moral conflict: was the unethical treatment worth it?

He lightened up rapidly, hoping for her to glance over his negative demeanor. "This box is special. Can you keep a secret from the librarian?"

She gasped, "A secret from a librarian?! That’s harrrd! They’re so tricky and smart! Also that’s mean."

"No, no. The secret will only have to last until I’ve checked out." He got closer, ready to whisper into her ear. "It’s a birthday cake." Tracker stepped backward, out of her personal space.

"B-but you can’t... No food’s allowed in the library."

"But would you want me to lose a birthday cake for my daughter?"

"What? Of course not!"

"Then do we have an agreement?"

She nodded solemnly. "Okay. Only until you get checked out with your books. After that, you’re fair game. I can’t have you missing your cake, but I also can’t let library rules be abused." She gave a cocky smile.

Unfortunately it fell in concern. "Hey mister, is everything alright? You were kind of sad back there for a minute."

He spoke as he turned around, levitating his books and cake. "Yes, I was just remembering I had another chore to do for today." I can’t lie to her face... And lying seems to have become more natural as of late... "I’m just going to check out these books and be on my way then."

And he left without any interruption from a worried pony.

That’s a third time. Am I in the wrong? Three ponies and I’ve denied them all. How farm am I willing to go for this tainted charade?

***

Four Thirty. She had counted five hundred of the past seconds. "He’s always home by four..." She murmured into her pillow.

Her back leg had cramped up, replacing any boredom with a mind numbing agony when she moved. "Please be okay, daddy..."

***

Not everything is as nice as it seems. Once the deception is ripped away, you can see the rotten meat underneath it all.

Is that why I am here again? In this same spot as yesterday. And the day before that. And the day before that. And nearly every day before that.

I breathe.

Why? Can’t I?

Nothing says I can’t help her.

Nothing says anything will happen except her relief.

But. I don’t want to. I don’t care if she feels pain. It doesn’t matter to the big picture.

All that matters is her safe passage beyond her own Fate.

Nothing here matters.

Oh why? Why are we cursed? We’ve done nothing! Celestia damn you!

Magenta to gray. Life to waste. This is Tartarus in Equestria.

***

Her cake is a meaningless gesture. She doesn’t want sweets, Caedes wants life.

...

Was it truly the two weeks years ago that started all of this?

Those experiments. The experiments that permanently drained Empathy’s and Caedes’s colors. They were horrors meant to solve the unfixable problem. But they worked. Yes, they stopped her True Name from affecting her, but is it just to neglect her in the process?

It was Empathy’s idea...

Every time I come to thinking of the morals, I always end up thinking Empathy.

I love her.

No.

I loved her. I tolerate her.

She planned most if not all of this after that... success.

She ruined her life and nearly all of ours after quitting her counseling business. She said she just couldn’t feel about how the other pony felt.

I think she lied.

She just didn’t care.

The one I promised to stay with forever until I die.

Until I die. Will my death come early?

...Do I want it to come early?

***

Tracker stopped in front of his home’s door. His mind was flooded with questions, bringing his mood down. Instead of anticipating the upcoming fun with Caedes, he had brooded. So many questions plagued him now that he could see the faults. He had known about them, but they became more apparent and impossible to explain away with every passing year.

He knocked and opened the door. "Caedes I’m home!"

His back hoof closed the door while focusing on carrying the books and cake. A fast set of retreating hooves came from down the hallway. Guessing Empathy was moving about unseen, he went to Caedes’s door, and opened it.

Her ears were perked up, but she didn’t say anything. She was curled around her pillow, with her eyes screwed shut.

When he petted her mane, it was moist with sweat. He placed the books and cake on the ground, so he could ready a spell he learned from helping Empathy with her business, a day long ago.

His magic welled up and formed over Caedes. Cyan magic sunk into her fur, and into her muscles. It was an old spell meant to relieve muscle tension made hundreds of years ago to help the old into their final sleep.

She looked up at him, and wrapped herself around Tracker’s fetlock.

He looked around and climbed up onto her bed. He lay down and curled up around her.

Cake could wait.

Comments

[Thought Prism]

After reading some more of this, I can definitely say that I like it. Your characters are reasonably fleshed out and the story you're trying to tell is layered with depth and nuance. The keyword being trying. There are many glaring grammatical issues, and even some points where establishment/scene setting sentences are absent where they shouldn't be. If you got an editor to iron out those technical flaws, more people would be able to see this story for what it is: pretty good.

[TartarusFire]

7293188

Thank you, but Honestly, I don't have an editor? Know where I can find one?

Thank you alot for the helpful feedback!