The Runaway: Journey to Tambelon

by Hope Caster

In the Dead of Night

Rarity couldn’t, for the life of her, name the worst part of a fight. Two hours had passed since dinner, and everyone had retreated to separate rooms. Rarity waited outside of Spike’s, unsure of how to approach him. She had heard yelling while she was showing Selina her new dress, and her intuition urged her to check on him before anyone else. He was her little Spike after all, and he’d been so for seven years. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door, finding the dragon huddled in a ball, laying in the center of his bed. “Spike, are you alright?”

“I’m fine, Rarity,” He said, staring at the wall.

She trotted towards him. “If you want to talk-”

“I just want to be left alone.”

Spike wanting to be left alone was certainly new, and very worrying. Normally Spike could chat for hours with Rarity, just so long as it was her listening. She never minded their chats, she quite enjoyed it as it made Spike happy. Rarity knew she could force the issue, but that was likely to only exacerbate the situation. “A-alright. Goodnight.”

Rarity closed the door and proceeded down the hall, growing more and more bitter each step she took. It had to be Tirek that upset the poor dear, no one else was heartless enough to do so. She didn’t know what she was going to do or say, but she was going to chew him out at the very least. She reached the centaur’s room, only to hear loud grunts as she approached.

“I never should have allowed him to stay here! Calling Kindle a whore, who does that woman think she is? How did she think he’d react?!” Rarity heard through the door. There was a string of curses and a loud crash before tapering out into a soft complaining. “I’ll be blamed for this when she returns, then what?”

The ‘she’ he was talking about had to be Spike’s mother. Rarity didn’t know if Tirek was willfully ignorant, or if it was some hope he still had that he would be free of his nephew. Uncouth bull, it's been eight years, Rarity thought as she shook her head, sick of listening to Tirek's musings. Her thoughts then turned to her mistress. Rarity could only imagine how poorly she was handling it. Perhaps it was time that she checked on Haydon.

---

“Stupid-UGH!” Haydon paced around the room, wanting to hit something, but knowing that doing so would solve nothing. She took a moment to collect herself before gliding over to the edge of her bed and taking a seat. Out of habit, she began toying with one of her earrings, something she'd always done when stressed. Part of her should have known this would happen. What she still couldn’t understand was why Tirek still held Kindle on a pedestal. For all she knew, he needed to believe she was coming home.

Probably thinks that she’ll do a better job at raising him. Blasted fool! She tightly gripped the sheets of her bed as she struggled to think about something else. Haydon could hardly tolerate the thought of Spike’s mother, though she loved Spike with all her heart. The only reason she allowed such a wretched creature into her home some years ago was so that Spike would have his mother. He deserved at least that much from her, even if both she and Scorpan were undeserving of him. There were times she wished that her husband was still alive. The wise centaur he was, he’d know what to do when it came to Spike. As she ruminated on her deceased love, there came a sudden knock. “Yes?” She asked in a less than friendly tone.

“Milady, might I come in? I brought some wine.”

It was Rarity. her voice seemed to lift her spirits a tad bit, something she was thankful for. Haydon knew she was lucky to have such a skilled and charismatic handmaid to keep her company. She allowed herself to become calm. “Come in,” she said, still toying with her earing. The unicorn trotted in and levitated a goblet of wine to the gargoyle.

“Thank you, Rarity,” She said before downing the beverage. “No more though. I can’t become drunk on top of a of everything else.”

“Understood. Is there something you wish to chat about?”

“Yes.” There was a short pause. “No.” Another pause. “Maybe?” Haydon buried her face in her hands before letting out a frustrated groan. “We go through something like this every year. Spike seems to forget Kindle thanks to all the work Tirek has him do, but he always remembers. I try to have him here so at least he enjoys some time to himself, but then he starts asking questions!” Haydon began to rub her forehead. “What am I supposed to do, or say?” She put on a happy expression, and said in a mockingly high tone, “I’m sorry your whore mother abandoned you, honey. Here, have a nice steak! Oh, you think you’re worthless because she’ll never came back? Have a hug, that’ll solve all your problems!” She slumped over. “Then I make things worse. I practically called her a whore and told him that she abandoned him to Spike's face.”

“That’s-” Rarity bit her lip as she tried to think of something to say. “I don’t know how to respond to that. Might I ask why we do this every year?”

“To give him a break! To let him know that just because his mother left him, and his father wants nothing to do with him, he’s still loved by someone! And Tirek certainly isn’t going to say it!”

“Like that bull could even think about giving him praise. I don’t envy you, Haydon. I’m just the handmaid, I can’t imagine how you feel. This seems so difficult.”

“Rarity, things have always been difficult when it comes to Spike. And it’s not his fault! None of this is his fault! He never asked to be born, but his parents-” She let out a groan. “-I love Scorpan, but what that gargoyle did, what they both did.” Haydon spat on the ground as he nails dug into her knees. “And then for Kindle to leave him. Half of me hopes she’s burning in some well-deserved pit, the other hopes she found some mercy. Tirek keeps saying she’s coming home, but what good does that do?”

“Maybe it keeps Spike’s hope alive?”

“He’d have to actually believe it for that to happen.” The gargoyle held her hand over her eyes as droplets of tears leaked onto the wooden floor. “Rarity, can you tuck Selina in tonight? I-I need to collect myself and think of a way to fix this.”

“Of course. Good-night, Haydon.”

“Good-night, Rarity.”

---

Rarity returned to her workshop to find the Selina drawing on a few pieces of scrap paper with a distinct lack of enthusiasm. The sound of trotting caught the young girl’s attention.

“Is everything okay?” She asked, looking up at the pony with worried eyes. “Did I do bad?” She recalled that everything began to go south the moment that she mentioned Sendak’s sorrow. The girl couldn’t help but feel as though she was partly to blame for the yelling she’d heard earlier.

“No, you didn’t do bad. It’s just grown up things. Nothing more.” Rarity never liked to discuss Spike’s mother or his situation with any of her mistress’s grandchildren, especially Selina. After all, Selina was the only sibling that liked Spike. The others ranged from tacit indifference if they were younger than him, or outright hatred from those that were his senior. “How about we forget about tonight and chalk it up to silliness?”

“Okay, but Spike said he’d play with me tonight.”

Rarity let out a sigh. She couldn’t very well tell her the truth, so she lied to poor girl. “Spike is under the weather right now.” She received a sad look. “I know, I know, it’s uncouth for boys to lie, but I would make an exception in this case. Just you wait, come tomorrow things will be different. For now, your Grandmother says it’s time for bed and for me to tuck you in.” Rarity lifted Selina up in her aura and carried her to her room in the east wing. “Go get changed, and don’t forget to brush your teeth.” Rarity closed the door to give her some privacy.

After a few minutes, Selina opened the door, now wearing a pink nightgown. Rarity followed her to her bed and waited until the gargoyle had climbed in before putting the comforters over her. Selina gestured over to one of her bags, where a stuffed dragon sat. Rarity levitated the doll over to her and placed it in her arms. “There we are, nice and warm. Just you wait, I’m sure Spike will be ready and willing to play with you tomorrow, despite your uncle’s... objections.”

“That sounds nice.” Selina nestled into her bed and closed her eyes. She opened them not a moment later as she recalled the last part of Rarity’s statement. “Rarity, why is Uncle Tirek always so mean?”

“Because he’s pigheaded sometimes. He has an ego the size of your father’s house and being the world’s most powerful sage is not helping in that regard. He’s rude, nasty, utterly dreadful.” Rarity paused for a moment as she remembered the favor that Tirek did for her. “But he’s not all bad. Did you know I have a sister?”

“No. What’s she like?” Selina asked, sitting up in her bed.

“She’s kind, and adorable, has an amazing singing voice and a bubbly personality. Her name is Sweetie Belle, the sweetest unicorn in the world. She wants to become a cleric, or healer to put it in simple terms. Back then, my parents couldn’t afford anything that could actually help her, let alone send her to a college for such a thing. Thanks to your uncle though, she managed to get into a prestigious college without my parents having to spend a penny. Do you know why he did it?”

Selina shook her head in response.

“It’s because I asked him to. I didn’t have to do anything in return, or praise him, or take back anything I said. He just grumbled and sent a letter to heaven knows where. Maybe it was because your grandmother was there urging him though, I don’t know for sure. A few days later, I’m getting a letter from Sweetie, excited that she’ll be attending school overseas. Thinking about it, I haven’t seen her in a while. Perhaps I could ask for some time off and visit her when classes let out in the Summer.”

“I think she’d like that. I wish Spike could visit me at my house. I could show him the new flowers in the gardens.” Selina smiled as she dreamily thought of her brother and her, along with maybe a few of their other siblings playing tag in the gardens, hide and seek, and maybe even having Sendak tell them a story about one of the many statues in the garden. Selina’s personal favorite was the story of a human girl named Megan the Savior.

While very rare, there were a select few humans that were well respected in many kingdoms, including Equestria, even to this day. For Arcania, there was no one in history as revered as Megan the Savior. At the same time, there were some cultures that detested the very mention of humans. In the druid kingdom of Thicket and the desert kingdom of Anugypt, there was no race more deserving of extinction than humans. Every year, they, and kingdoms like them, celebrated the race’s disappearance.

“He’d probably like that, but I would advise against it. It could get uncomfortable.”

“But it isn’t uncomfortable! I like being there, if I like it then so would Spike!”

“Selina, one day you’ll understand, but for now, know that it’s just different for Spike. And no, it’s not because he’s a dragon. Now, I think it’s time for a cute little gargoyle to go to bed.” Rarity booped her nose, receiving a humph.

“But I’m not even that tired! Can I at least hear a story? Please?” Selina whimpered a bit as she let her lip tremble.

Rarity chewed her inner cheek for a moment. “Well, I suppose I could tell you one story. Anything specific you’d like to hear?”

“Humans,” she demanded in an excited whisper.

---

Rarity closed the door to Selina’s room as soon as she finished her story. The gargoyle was sleeping soundly now, whisked away by the unicorn’s tale into her own dreamland.

Rarity had recounted the legend of Molly the Harmonious, a human found by two ponies when she was but an infant. As the story went, the young girl gave up nearly everything to stop a great threat to Equestria. She was even one of the few humans allowed to be buried outside a human settlement, at the request of the Equestrian royal family. Of course, this supposedly happened well over 3000 years ago, so it was near impossible for anyone to know if it was true or not.

The unicorn changed into her nightgown, a light pink garment with long sleeves, and prepared to for a much-needed good night’s sleep. Tomorrow was likely going to bring many awkward and unpleasant conversations, and she'd rather not be tired when they came about. She closed her eyes, hoping to be whisked away into the land of dreams, only for a faint clicking somewhere in the mansion to force her to rise and leave the confines of her bed. However, before leaving she reached into her dresser draw and drew out a very much needed something.

---

There was no better time to break into a house than when there was an overcast at night. Rainbow Dash flew against the darkened sky, fantasizing about the spoils she would take away from the mansion. She had part of a plan in her head. Not to say that she needed any part of a plan. She was the world’s greatest thief and could survive merely on improvisation.

She would enter through a second story window and try to make her way towards the basement where there was likely to be a safe. She didn’t know for sure if there was a basement, but on average rich folk tended to keep their gold and other treasures cooped deep in the bowels of their mansions.

She landed at the few feet from the estate, trying to find any speck of light that might be from a candle, but there were only darkened windows of a darkened estate. Knowing that any occupants were likely warm in bed, Rainbow drew her hood over her head and a mask over her muzzle, allowing only her eyes and a few strands of rainbow hair to show. She wore her thieves guild garbs, a uniform unfamiliar in Arcania, as their now defunct thieves guild operated in pure black uniforms. Her outfit was comprised of two cloth boots, both a dark grey, and a greyish-green tunic that also came equipped with a face mask. There was a cape and hood to keep her body concealed.

She quickly flew up to the second story, a darkened blur that some might assume was a figment of their imagination. There she started to quickly peek in window after window, trying to find the perfect room to enter. The first few had silhouettes in their beds, a few gaps between each other, but not enough to warrant entry. It was only when she reached the west portion of the mansion that she couldn’t find a single occupied room.

Choosing a room at random, she easily slid open the window. No one ever bothered locking the higher-level windows, they always figured burglars would enter through the first floor. It was a mistake she loved correcting as often as possible, and she would usually pay herself on their behalf for imparting such lessons.

Rainbow Dash crept into the room, blanketed by darkness. It was a spacious, but rather simple bedroom. There was one large bed, a dresser in a corner, two wardrobes, one on each side of the bed, and a vanity across from the foot of the bed, housing two boxes. She ignored the wardrobes and skulked towards the vanity, taking a seat as soon as she was close. There was nothing in the draws save for a small coin purse, a knife, and some makeup. She pocketed the knife and the money. She could at least sell the tool for a good price, much more than any used makeup.

She moved on and opened the first box, only to find nothing but brushes and hairclips. She moved on to the second box, only to find it locked. This was no problem for her. If she wanted to, Rainbow Dash could pick a lock using nothing but her own plucked feathers. It wouldn't come to that though, as she had a lock pick set on her belt in one of her various pouches. With a few pokes and prods, and a turning of her wrench, Rainbow Dash quickly undid the lock with only a soft click gently echoing out into the halls to sing of her success. She opened the lid to get a glimpse of her spoils, only to quickly close it when a tune began to play.

Damn music box! She thought to herself. She held her breath and refused to move a muscle. Her ears flickered every so often at the tiniest sound, waiting for a sign that somepony was encroaching upon the room. If that happened she would need to act as fast as she could and make sure they were indisposed of until morning. She couldn’t kill them, that would bring down ire that she’d rather avoid.

Several moments passed and she let out a soft sigh before resuming her work. She slowly began to open the box once again, listening for the soft sound of the release latch unlocking. There was a soft creak and her hooves quickly fumbled in the growing crevasses until one of them felt a small, cold metal bump. She held it down and opened the cover fully with her free hoof.

No music played, which to her was a thing of beauty. Best of all, there was a large assortment of jewelry laying in box. Sapphires earrings, rings of gold and silver, jeweled necklaces, a ruby broach, bracelets embedded with many sorts of expensive stones. The only thing missing from such a collection was a wedding ring. Rainbow quickly scooped the jewels into one of her spare pouches before closing the box.

Chuckling softly to herself, excited by her gains, she began to wonder what else was in the mansion. Thoughts of rooms like this one flooded her mind, filling her with an excitement she'd felt only a few times before. She’d have enough to retire if everything went well, not that she couldn't already retire. She'd built a comfortable nest egg over the years that would last until she was old and grey. Rainbow Dash took one step forward into the hall, only to find herself enveloped in an aura and thrown across the hall. She slammed into a door and fell to the ground with a thud. She quickly collected her wits and scanned the area for her attacker. The only light that helped her see in such a dark, grim area, was the light that came from the horn of a unicorn. It was a fierce glow, bathing everything in a light blue tinge.

She instantly recognized the unicorn to be the maid that she saw with the gargoyle earlier in the week. She had assumed she was just a run of the mill house keeper, perhaps a bit prissy and high maintenance judging by the overtly fancy clothes she wore. However, no upper crust maiden would have approached her with narrowed eyes like the unicorn was doing so now. Rainbow Dash jumped to her hooves. Out of instinct, she threw a punch, hoping to hit the mare and knock her off balance for just a moment. If she could exploit any sort of opening, Rainbow would be able to knock her out in a few hits and escape with what little loot she had.

Unfortunately, the handmaid easily blocked the attack. Her horn lit up with a fierce light as her aura drew a sharp knife from her under her sleeve. This is what Rarity had taken from her draw: it was a special sheath designed to attach to one of her forelegs, making it easy for her to draw a small dagger as quick as she could, no matter what she was wearing. This was especially useful in fights with thieves and other such scoundrels, especially if she was surrounded.

Rainbow Dash quickly dodged a flick of the knife and quickly began hopping backwards to gain some distance. While skilled, Rainbow Dash was by no means a fighter. Wind Rider had given her some combat training, it was only the basics, useful when fighting those who were unskilled or on par with her.

The mare charged at Rainbow Dash, closing the gap between them swiftly and silently. There was a quick flash of silver before Rainbow Dash felt a burning in her skin, on her chest to be exact. In the light of the unicorn’s magic, Rainbow watched as her uniform slowly turned a shade darker as it absorbed her blood. It was nothing lethal, but a wound could throw anyone off when fighting, as it had just done for Rainbow Dash.

Fortunately for the pegasus, her opponent seemed to pause for a moment, as if the unicorn wanted to get a look her handy work. Though her instincts were telling her to run and find a hole hide in, Rainbow Dash took the opportunity to strike. She hit the mare as hard as she could square on the side of her face. Unfortunately, the unicorn stumbled to the side, she managed to reach out and take hold of the arm. In one swift and precise movement, she flung the Pegasus over her, slamming her onto the ground.

Rainbow Dash landed with a thud, dazing her for a few moments. Part of her was still trying to come to terms with what was happening. She was the world’s greatest thief, wasn't she? Yet here she was, at the mercy of a unicorn whose job was fetching her mistress’s wine and cleaning her linens. There was a sharp pain in her arm as the unicorn bent the hoof as far as it could go.

The unicorn stepped on the pegasus’s chest as she looked down at her without an expression. At least Rainbow thought it was expressionless. In truth, Rarity was utterly bored with Rainbow Dash, not to mention disappointed that she had wasted her efforts fighting a petty thief. The maid honestly debated on just letting her go. Then again, word might get out of her mercy, which would attract bolder thieves, and she couldn’t have that. The unicorn placed the dagger at the thief’s throat and gently whispered, “Any last words?”

Rainbow Dash struggled as best she could, mindful of the knife, only to receive a quick blow to the side of the face. She became dazed, reduced to a trembling mess. She wanted to scream, but she couldn't even let out a squeak. All the thief could do was silently shed tears as her life flashed before her eyes. There would be no celebrating at the Sweet Apple Tavern, she would not see her friends like she had promised, and she wouldn't hear words of praise from Wind Rider. Rainbow clenched her eyes, gritted her teeth and waited, until a voice cut through the darkness, earning her would be executioner’s attention.

“Rarity Crystalline Belle, what on earth are you doing!?” The voice was barely loud enough to be whisper but held an authority that rivaled that of a king.

Rainbow’s eyes opened and investigated the darkness to see the figure of a gargoyle come into the dim light of the unicorn’s magic. She felt the knife move away from her throat just an inch, though thought it best not to try and make a move. It would only take the mare a moment to slit her throat, and while she was fast, Rainbow Dash was by no means a fool.

“You are being unapologetically loud,” The gargoyle sneered. “Need I remind you, that we have two children and a very irritable centaur sleeping here tonight? You slit her throat, Selina and Spike will see everything we leave behind. Is that what you want?!” It was no shock that Rarity was familiar with a knife or that she could hold her own in a fight, not to Haydon at least. In fact, it was these exact skills that she wanted in her handmaid, for scenarios such as tonight.

“No ma’am, it would frighten the poor dears. I apologize for getting a bit carried away. But I would like to point out that they’re on the other side of the mansion.”

“Another reason you don’t need the knife then! Honestly, I'd expect this behavior from Tirek then I would from you!”

The unicorn reluctantly lifted the knife away from the mare’s throat and sheathed it in her sleeve. She still held the thief down of course, but Rainbow Dash began to relax. She breathed easier knowing that she was likely going to live, not out of any mercy, but out of convenience. Regardless of the reason, not feeling the sharp edge of the knife against her throat was heavenly.

“What should we do with her ma’am?” The unicorn asked, keeping the pressure on the mare's chest constant.

The gargoyle became confused for a moment. “What do you mean? Take her to the guardhouse and let them handle it.”

“But she might make a commotion.”

The gargoyle simply raised a brow at the statement. Surely, her trusted handmaid wasn’t losing her instincts. Her eyes narrowed as if Rarity was an unruly child who got a small laugh by being smart with her. “Then make sure she can’t do so.”

“Very well,” Rarity said with a sigh. She hated it when she had to resort to more brutish methods to do her work. Still, orders were orders, and she prided herself on being obedient.

Alarms began to blare in her head, but before Rainbow Dash could do anything, she was hit with a burst of magic, and everything went dark. When she finally woke, there was throbbing in her forehead that caused her a great of discomfort. “My freaking- Wait, where-!” She jumped out of the cot she had been sleeping in, throwing off the surprisingly warm and new looking blanket to find herself in prison robes and stuck in a small cell, behind thick iron bars. Her new clothes were bright colors, ranging from yellows and oranges, hideous things that no self-respecting mare would be caught dead in. At the very least, they were comfortable.

From a high window, she saw that the night sky still lingered, with the overcast only partly gone. Before her sat the unicorn from earlier. There were no guards in the room with them, though she could hear voices coming from another room past a few rows of empty cells.

“Good to see you awake,” the unicorn said. Her face was expressionless. She seemed to be disinterested in the Pegasus now that she was in jail, and likely only stayed there to deliver a scathing insult from her mistress.

Rainbow Dash glared at the unicorn. “Where the hell is all my stuff!? How did I get into these clothes!?”

“I changed you into them. I wasn’t about to let a bunch of brutes dress you. As for your things, your equipment has been confiscated. I'm shocked you didn’t try using the daggers you had on you. Then again, I bet you thought I was some prissy mare that fainted at the mention of violence. Must have shocked you when you lost.”

Rainbow looked down at her chest and into her new shirt to see that her wound was bandaged. “Whatever,” she said, unwilling to admit that the unicorn had outclassed her. “You caught me off guard on a bad day! If I wanted, you’d be dead, and I’d be making off with my loot.”

“Let’s agree to disagree, shall we? Don’t be too mad though, you won’t be here long.”

“You bet I won’t! I’ll bust out of here in three days flat. Just you wait.”

“Again, we can agree to disagree,” The unicorn said with a smile. “If it helps, you'll actually get out in five days.”

“Wait, really? Damn, you Arcanians has some lax laws here.” It should have been unsurprising as she wasn’t stealing much at the time. Plus, she was a mare, the guards probably saw her as a victim of circumstance. She would cry some, play the ‘pity me’ card and probably be let out in two days. She allowed herself a small smile as she laid back down on her cot to let her headache settle down. At worst, this was a minor time out.

“Oh, you poor thing, you think this is Equestria,” the unicorn whispered. “Darling, we need to clarify a few things. In five days, the moment the guards let you out, you get a choice between the noose or the axe.”

A dark cloud began to form above Rainbow as a sinking feeling formed in the pit of her stomach. She sat up and gazed at the unicorn. “What?! But-but all I did was steal a few trinkets!”

“Consider it one of the many perks of breaking into the house of one of the most powerful families in all Arcania. I must be off, a lady needs her sleep after all,” Rarity said with a smile. “The guards will be by tomorrow to plan out your last meals. Don’t bother trying to pick the locks, you need three keys turned at the same time to open them. Oh, and if I were you, I’d chose the ax. Since you have wings, the executioner will likely break them if you chose the noose. It was a pleasure knowing you, darling, and please, feel free to try and seduce your way out of here. I can assure you any promises made are just pillow talk.”

Rainbow Dash watched as the unicorn left, humming a small tune to herself. The pegasus slammed her hoof against the iron bars as a pang of dread pierced her heart. If she couldn't escape, she was never going to see her friends again. More importantly, she was never going to see Wind Rider again, a stallion she owed much of her life to. Rainbow Dash fell back onto her cot as she formulated a plan to escape the cell in just five days, something that seemed utterly impossible to do. Little did she know that in only three days’ time, the unicorn that had gotten her thrown in jail would be the same person who would give her back her freedom.

Comments

[RadicalDishonesty]

This went from me rooting for Rarity to rooting for Rainbow Dash real quick. A full 180 of thinking Rainbow was too full of herself and wanting to see her fail to being horrified at the prospect of being taken out easily and killed for it.

I guess this continues the question of whether Tirek cared for Spike's mother, or whether he just wants to be free of Spike. Or how much he cares for Spike in the first place.

“To give him a break! To let him know that just because his mother left him, and his father wants nothing to do with him, he’s still loved by someone! And Tirek certainly isn’t going to say it!”