To Walk Again

by Cxcd

12 - Small Break

[The Crystal Empire, 4/4/3210, Two Sister's Reunion]

I can hear the familiar beeping sounds pierce my conscious. Ever since I got this job, I’ve been in and out of the hospital for various reasons. Recently, It’s been passing out and waking up with a world leader by my bed. This time was, of course, no different.

I creak an eyelid open, and look around my room. The familiar white walls surround my setting. Unlike the Canterlot hospital, there are no windows, and the white walls are just painted bricks rather than plaster. I let out a small sigh, realizing I can properly breathe again.

“Finally awake, Miss Gear?” King Sombra said, disturbing the peaceful feel of the hospital. In the room is the Gray Unicorn, and also a Nurse who wears an expression of fear, glancing between me and King Sombra. I pity the mare, having to treat me under such unideal circumstances.

“Mhm- Yes.” I say, re closing my eye. I feel a hoof suddenly push against my chest. I suddenly realize the circumstance I was currently in, as I open both eyes again, looking into the soul of the tyrannical monster.

“What were you doing so close to the border, Miss Gear?” He breathed, mere inches away from my face. He started applying more pressure against my chest, and the familiar tightness grew within me.

“M-master Sombra? She just had a panic attack… I would appreciate it-”

“Silence, parasite!” King Sombra turned towards the nurse, practically spitting at her. She takes a step backwards, and looks towards the floor in an attempt to deescalate the situation. “I said, what were you doing so close to the border?”

Now was the time to lie. I couldn’t tell him I was trying to escape. He would for sure see me to my death. “I saw Princess Celestia.” I heaved, hardly able to breathe with the hoof, still firmly planted against my chest. “I tried to stop her, but my legs stopped working.”

“Hmph.” He made a noise, and removed his hoof, plopping back onto the floor. “Nurse Grow, what did you say happened to her?”

“She- Um-”

“Speak, dimwit!” He shouted. The nurse shrunk back into the corner again.

“She had a panic attack!” The nurse half-yelled, still trying to look away from the towering figure.

“You saw our mortal enemy, and had a panic attack?” King Sombra looked towards me again. “Instead of trying to stop her, you passed out?” He said, his voice taking on a sharper edge again.

“I couldn’t help-”

“You just caused the entirety of The Empire to be invaded, you fillyfooler!” He quickly approached the bed again. “Do you have any idea how much damage you caused? You looked at Princess Celestia in the eyes, and decided NOT to stop her.”

“I didn’t decide-”

“SILENCE!” He brung his hoof down, and slapped me across the face with such force, I spit across the floor. “Because of you, Princess Luna is back! Because of you, The Elements of Harmony have hosts! Because of you, we are 1,000 years in the future!”

For the most part, I wasn’t listening. Leaning over the bed, rubbing where he hit. I was almost crying.

“You better- I- You better get your ass back in that lab of yours, and do something! Maybe, just maybe I’ll forgive you, if you can, at the bare minimum, prolong the invasion.” With that, he left the hospital room, nearly taking the door off the hinges with his magic.

Now, it was just me and the Nurse. I took a second and mulled over his words. Princess Luna, back? Elements of Harmony are just a myth, right? And… 1,000 years in the future?

“Nurse… what did he mean by ‘1,000 years into the future?” I meekly asked, looking up at the trembling nurse. She looked at me with the same fear as King Sombra. For the first time in over a decade, I lowered my voice. “I’m not like him. Just… tell me.”

“P-Princess Celestia. She cast a spell that… sent us into the future. That was the bubble over the city.”

Just like the slap, it suddenly hit me. I laid back onto the bed, and stared up into the ceiling.

“Nurse, please leave me for a moment.” I said, totally void of emotion. She obliged, and quickly walked out of the room, closing the broken door.

The words echoed inside my head. Princess Celestia offered me freedom. A chance at escape, and I fell just short. Now I know what she meant. She literally meant I would never see him again. I took her word, and dropped it on the floor.

That’s why Luna is back. I had seen her banished, and I now live when she came home. 1,000 years. 1,000 years is… countless lifespans. Nations have risen and fallen in a shorter amount of time.

If I hadn’t gotten myself into this situation… If I hadn’t managed to get a job from King Sombra…

For the first time since I was a Filly, I felt a tear go down my cheek. That’s it. I lost Herb. Life is over. All this time, I’d kept going for the hope I would meet him again. I could cuddle him again, and hear him tell me everything was going to be okay.

Nothing would be okay ever again.

I don’t care if it’s suicide, because god dammit, it is, but I’ll get my revenge.

I came to The Empire with an itch for revenge, and I’ll leave this life with that itch scratched, god dammit.

Just… how?

---

[Canterlot, 4/4/3210, Two Sister's Reunion]

It was a beautiful day over Canterlot. The weather-team had cleared most of the clouds, letting in the rays of sunshine after a harsh winter. Things had been looking up recently.

The doors to the huge royal throne room burst open as a slightly frazzled looking guard ran towards the throne. Princess Celestia was in the process of signing legal documents, hardly taking time to read them. She didn’t order the pony to stop, as the look on his face was nothing more than fear.

“News from northern Equestria!” The pony said, still running up to the throne. “Uh- Your highness.” He said, bowing his neck slightly before coming to a full stop. Princess Celestia looked on with concern.

“Yes?” She said, still judging the look on his face.

“I am simply to tell you that- It has returned.”

No. Not now. Why did it have to be today? But now was the time for action. Every moment counted when dealing with them. Dealing with such archaic spells was not an exact since, even with wizards trained in the arts of runic magic. There was no exact return date to The Crystal Empire. It was to only return ‘around’ 1,000 years later. Their spell had been a mere few years off. No matter. Celestia quickly turned to address the pony on her right.

“Find Princess Cadence and Shining Armor.” She directed the guard, who quickly ran to attend to his tasks. Immediately, before they were done running out of the room, she grabbed parchment and started writing to her student.