Rubie Red

by Rubie_Red

3 Goodnight Red

In the wealthy and dignified land of Canterlot, all mares and stallions, foals and fillies were inside, resting in slumber as the sun slowly fell under the edge of the land. However there was one who was still up. One that was at the top of Canterlot's castle tower, on her front balcony, watching the sun gracefully fall to its resting place for the night. It was Princess Celestia. The sun's edge finally slipped silently below the land. The sky began to darken. The shadows began to swarm the land. The stars began to wake up, one after the other, from their long nap in the day. They twinkled as they were welcomed by another Alicorn. As Celestia looked out to the land, an Alicorn with the body of the night sky, the stars in her mane and tail and a blue moon trapped in her eyes flew to her balcony, landing in front of her. It was Luna, Princess Luna. "Sister, your watch over the land has come to an end today. Allow yourself to rest as I watch over what lurks In the night." Celestia gave a nod and, without a single word, headed straight for her chambers. This was a common routine so she did not have much to say. She didn't seem bothered, in fact she felt rather happy. Today there was not a simple bad deed done. Nothing was stolen. Nopony was hurt, or lost, or upset. Today felt like a perfect day and it was the perfect time to rest Celestia thought.

Princess Luna took Celestia's exact spot and looked up at the night sky. She smiled as she watched the stars, her precious stars, awake and glisten for her. Luna felt welcome into the night under a clear blanket of twinkling lights. She gazed around the land smiling to herself, seeing the stars in the distance awake. However her smile dropped as her attention drew to below her. She looked down in front of the castle doors to see two ponies staggering in her direction. The Alicorn called from the balcony "Halt!! Who are you!? What is your purpose here!?" For a moment there was silence. In that moment Luna could see that one of the ponies was holding on to the other. That pony was grinding his teeth. Suddenly the pony looked up to Luna. It was Rubie Red. His body was covered in bruises. His mane and tail were soaked in mud and his body was slightly shaking, not just from supporting Hope, but from supporting himself. Rubies pupils had changed from yellow to blue. His eyes began to overflow with tears falling down his face. He shouted at Luna at the top of his lungs.

"HELP!! HELP!!!"

Then the masked stallion began to feel his energy deplete at an alarmingly fast rate. He let go of Hope, dropping her unconscious body on to the ground. The Alicorn up in the tower gazed at the scene. Her eyes widened in shock seeing Hope's lifeless body. She called out with authority

"Guards! Go to their aid immediately!"

A wave of relief swarmed over Rubie. His hoofs gave in, making him collapse on to his four legs. His hearing seemed to fade in and out and his sight became blurry. He was able to make out the shapes of multiple stallions in gold armor rush towards him and Hope. After that, he blacked out. As Luna watched the guards take Rubie and Hope into the castle, Celestia suddenly ran back into the room. She seemed worried.

"Sister! Something has ha-"

Before she could finish her sentence Celestia then noticed the two ponies being taken into the castle. Her eyes widened at the sight of Rubie being taken in.

"Sister? Don't worry, they'll be taken care of."

Luna said reassuringly. Celestia continued to glare at the masked stallion.

"It's not that, I can sense something coming from that masked pony. I'm unsure what it is, but it feels dark and powerful. We're going to question this stallion immediately."

Celestia spread open her wings, ready to take off and land outside the front doors. However, Luna stood in front of her sister, blocking her from taking off.

"Sister! We can't yet, didn't you see him unconscious!? He could barely keep his eyes open! Let's just...give him a little time to rest."

Celestia felt uneasy about this, but she did believe that Luna had a point. It would be best for the stallion to be fully conscious when questioning him. Once again, without a word said, Celestia left the room.

The masked stallion felt as if it was mere seconds before his eyes opened again. His vision was a little blurry but Rubie could definitely tell that he had been moved. The atmosphere was quiet. The sort of quiet that's different to the quiet outside. A sort of quiet that you almost feel deaf in. The room was dark and warm. Rubie looked below him to see that he was laying on a pile of blankets. He knew his call out had worked and now felt safe. Beside him, a couple of meters away was Hope, still unconscious. She was also laying on a pile of blankets. Upon seeing Hope, the dark stallion stood up. He yawned and stretched out his hoofs, and cracked his neck to the left and to the right. Since he felt safe, he decided to let Hope get more rest. Rubie approached the center of the room and looked around the walls, the roof and floor. The colors consisted of pink and white. However they were a little tricky to see in the dark.

"Wow.....this place is huge....now that I think about it...Hope never really told me what the name of this place was....she just told me what to do when i get here.....just where......just where even am I.......?"

Rubie asked to himself.

"You are in the most well-known castle in all of Equestria, in the presence of the princess's who control the sun and the moon."

Rubies ears perked up as his head turned to the voice. In front of him was two Alicorns. Rubie noticed that the one on the right was the same one who answered his call for help. The stallion's slit pupils had now changed to yellow once again. He felt a little nervous upon seeing the two princess's staring down at him.

"u-uuhhh.....".

Celestia felt that Rubie was being rude. She didn't want to feel selfish, but to think of a pony who didn't know the princess's that ruled Equestria seemed quite odd. She believed that the dark, dirty stallion was simply trying to mess around, but that just simply wasn't the case. Rubie didn't know what to say. He didn't even know their names. Words didn't want to come out. Luckily Luna spoke out before the masked stallion could.

"Don't be concerned. you've done nothing wrong. We simply want to ask you a few simple questions."

These words made Rubie calm down a little. He slowly nodded his head while his pupils slowly faded back to their original red slits. Celestia felt something dark around Rubie. A strange, dark aura swarming around him. This made her feel rather uneasy about Rubies true behavior and purpose. The princess of the sun spoke

"And leave your friend right where she is. Come with us now."

Her tone had a slight sense of irritation, but that seem to pass Rubie as he did exactly what she said. The two Alicorns used their magic to open up a secret door which was behind a white wall. They entered with a slow pace. As Rubie entered the room behind them, Celestia used her magic to shut the door and lock the three of them inside. Rubie took a look around. The room was circular, and he counted eight candlestick holders. Luna suddenly closed her eyes, and a moment passed before all the candles suddenly lit up the room with a dreary atmosphere. There was a square rug in the center of the room. The length and width was enough for one pony to sit down on it.
"Stallion, sit on the rug."

Celestia commanded. Rubies ears bent back as his pupil slits faded to yellow once again. The dark stallion did what she said and sat on the rug in front of the two Alicorns. Luna took a step forward and sat down.

"I shall ask you the questions. Firstly, what is your name?".

Rubie took a deep breath, trying to lower the tension building in his stomach. He spoke softly

"M-my name....Is Rubie Red, a-and my friend out there is Hope"

Luna slowly nodded in concentration.

"Very good. Rubie Red, when I first saw you and Hope, you both were stumbling and seemed very weak and dirty. It seemed you two had traveled a long way. Perhaps away from danger. Rubie, tell me, where did you come from? Manehattan? Phillydelphia?"

The stallion didn't answer. He did not know what those names were. In fact, he didn't even know where he had come from. All Rubie could do was gently lower his head, not knowing how to answer. Luna could see that the masked stallion was having trouble, so she asked another question.

"Did you come from somewhere that was very isolated?"

Immediately Rubies ears and head went up.

"Y-yes, I-it was.....very......very.......isolated"

He shivered, remembering the cold air roaming around his cage. Luna could definitely tell that this stallion was not from anywhere safe. The dark Alicorn took a deep breath before asking her next question.

"Rubie...we won't tell anypony, so please be honest with us when I ask you this. Where did you come from?"

Rubies stomach began to churn up a little bit, but he had enough confidence to say the truth. The dark stallion lowered his head to the ground and shut his eyes.

"Before I came here........I lived in a cage.........I lived in a cage......in a mountain.....where the cold was eternal......I lived there.....for my whole life.......imprisoned.....and I don't know why...."

Luna's ears began to twitch a little when hearing that the stallion in front of her had also been imprisoned for years. She leaned in slowly, seeming rather interested.

"Did you ever try to escape?"

Rubie raised his head, with his eyes meeting contact with hers. The stallions mask gently shook.

"No....I didn't....I didn't because...I didn't know there was a reason to escape....I was imprisoned ever since I was a foal......I never even knew there was a real world to escape to........"

Luna's eyes widened as she quietly gasped. The dark Alicorn slowly leaned back to her original position. She had a solemn look, however, she was trying to hold back a strong feeling of guilt and sorrow in her stomach and chest. Rubie continued

"He....He......He told me there was nothing out there......nopony.....nothing...."

Celestia had not been paying much attention until that certain moment. Her ears twitched and she took a step forward. "He? Who's he? Do you know who *he* is?"

Rubie closed his eyes, concentrating, trying to remember the stallions name.

"U-uuuhhh.....I-I.....umm....I-I believe......I believe his name.......his name was So-.....S-Sombra-a......I believe....."

Celestia had frozen. The room went silent. Then, for an unknown reason, she disappeared in a flash of bright light. Rubie heard the door unlock behind him. The candles in the room stayed lit. A few moments passed. These moments were silent. In these moments, Princess Luna looked at the dark stallion, to see that he was looking back. It was at that moment that Luna started to see him break down. His breaths became short gasps for air as if he was about to throw up. His eyes began to flood with tears. Rubie wanted to know what a normal life was, but he felt as if it wasn't going to be possible. Suddenly he felt something on his shoulder. Through all the tears he could see Luna had placed her hoof on his shoulder.

"Rubie....why do you wear that mask...?"

The stallion in tears sniffed a few times before replying to Luna.

"...I-I-I.....I-I d-don't have a-a choice.....S-Sombra made this mask l-latch on to me.....I-I can't take it off........."

Luna didn't respond. However she was curious about his mask. She gently brushed the left part of his mane behind his shoulder. As she saw the rest of his face she could clearly see that the edges of his mask had sunk into his skin. Luna found this very peculiar and quite interesting at the same time. Her horn glowed with magic as she tried to separate his mask from his skin. However, each attempt failed. Every time Luna tried, it did not just fail, but it felt as if the mask was taking her magic piece by piece. After a few attempts, she then heard a quiet whisper.

".....*sniff*.......I....I don't want to go back to that cage.......I just........I just want to know what life is...........please......."

Suddenly the Alicorn hugged Rubie, encasing him in her wings for warmth.

"Rubie, let me tell you a little story. A long time ago, I too was cursed, and because of it, I was banished to the moon. Being imprisoned for a thousand years. Throughout those years a had motivation, because I knew one day I would be able to come back.........but.......not knowing that there is anything out there.......being convinced that the only place you can live is in a prison.......a fate like that may be a new kind of tragic....Rubie, you will know what life is like. You will be given a house in a small town near Canterlot by the name of Ponyville. I promise."

A few minutes past before the two ponies exited the secret room of the castle. As they both came out Luna shut the door behind her, locking it with her magic. Rubie felt calm and relaxed around Luna. Something about her made him feel safe. However suddenly his tail flicked and his eyes widened a little.

"Hey! Wait a minute! Where's Hope?"

As the masked stallions head turned left and right, he saw that Hope was no where in his sight. Before Rubie could get anymore worried Luna gave him words of reassurance.

"Do not worry. I do believe that Celestia guided her back to her house when she left the room. She is quite alright. We have more important things to work on now don't we?"

The thought dawned in Rubie's head. The thought of actually having a home and a life. It was going to happen.

"Y-yes you are right. I-I'm gonna get a life a-and a home."

The dark Alicorn helped him with his sentences.

"with a fireplace, kitchen and a bed. We have not a moment to lose Rubie. Lets go."

The dark stallion nodded with excitement. The two of them opened the front doors of the castle into the night, and through the night, Rubie Red felt like a new Rubie Red. Suddenly Luna transported both of them in a flash of light into the town, near where Rubie's new house would stand. They were in a small alleyway.

"It's best that nopony besides you sees me here. Royalty seen in public is very rare and will cause a lot of attention. Anyway, follow me."

With that, the princess of the night turned around and headed through the dark alley. Rubie followed behind her, unsure of where the two of them were going. As if he was a child with his mother, Rubie felt uncertain in the dark, but with Luna everything felt safe. As they traveled across a labyrinth of alleys, the masked stallion would look up every now and then, sometimes seeing open windows. Being able to see what was in the outside world while looking from the inside felt amazing to him. A good few minutes passed before all of a sudden the scenery had changed before the stallion's eyes. Him and Luna were now standing in the middle of a street. One that was rather wide and seemed to stretch for an eternity.

"Rubie. We're here."

Rubie seemed rather confused. His body swayed back and fourth as his head turned to all the houses.

"Ummm....really...?"

All Luna could do was giggle at her new friends confused state.

"Yes indeed. Right this way."

Suddenly Rubie heard the knob of a door turn. The masked stallion's ears twitched as he turned his head to the sound. He stopped, and smiled. His eyes had locked on to an arch door which was slowly opening due to Luna's magic. Rubie was staring at his new home. The exterior design was a pale shade of red, almost pink. Next to Rubie's door was two vertical oval windows. Above the front door were more windows. Two square ones above the door and a strange circular window above the oval windows below. The house itself seemed rather comforting. Well, at least more comforting than a pile of hay. Rubies eyes began to water as he turned his head to the dark Alicorn

"Is this....is this really mine....? Like......all mine....to live in...?"

Luna nodded, smiling. Suddenly Rubies smile faded as he remembered what Luna told him. About all the important things about life. About friends and also other more boring topics, such as an occupation.

"Luna......about everything you told me...while we were walking through those alleys....the friends thing.....and everything else....now that I think about it...it really all sounds complicated...."

Luna seemed rather surprised at his sudden change of mood. She approached the stallion and smiled

"I know it sounds hard, but I believe anypony can achieve it. Remember, friends are ponies who like being around you. I promise you that it won't be too much trouble. After all, the Princess of Friendship does live in this town."

The Alicorn's words brightened Rubies mood.

"hehe, yeah I know. Thank you Luna...really thank you."

The princess nodded in appreciation.

"You are most certainly welcome. Now rest Rubie, you have a lot ahead of you."

With that, the princess of the night magically vanished. The masked stallion smiled as his eyes analysed his new house, along with a new future life. He carefully approached his front door that Luna had kindly left open. As he peeked inside he could see that his interior design was of a deeper red color, giving inside of the house an atmosphere of comfort. The calm atmosphere drew Rubie inside, shutting his front door behind him. It may have been dark, but Rubie felt much safer here. He no longer felt caged. No more shivering to sleep. No more hay. While he was really enjoying the thought, a sudden yawn came over the stallion. A strong sense of drowsiness started to swarm over. Without a moment, Rubie headed for the stairs and headed straight up.

Upon reaching the top of the stairs, Rubie Red found himself staring through the small circular window that he saw from outside. He found it rather peculiar, especially about the fact that a bright moon beam was shining through it like a stage light. The masked stallion decided to take a glance at what was outside the window. He gasped. Out of his window was a perfect view of the full moon. The night sky twinkled with stars as the moon lit up the land. Rubie felt a sense of comfort under the night sky. To the stallion's left was his bedroom. The room itself was quite...well, roomy. The walls were a warm sunrise orange to give a sense of relaxation. Then, finally, Rubie laid his eyes on his resting place for the night. It was a king sized bed. Its mattress was red, his blankets and pillows were royal purple and sparkled like the stars in the sky. The stallion, who was filled with joy, placed a front hoof on his bed just to get a feel of it. It was softer than anything Rubie had ever touched. Suddenly the stallion jumped right in, in between the blankets and the mattress. The feeling of warmth and comfort swarmed over him, making his mind melt in heavenly comfort.

"Wow.....I can't wait for what's next to come.....I....I ca-....can't.....wait......."

Rubie could barely keep himself awake in the comfort. A few moments went past before the masked stallion finally fell asleep, in his new home.